C25k

C25k - What the heck? It means, "Couch to 5k" and is a 10-week training program that helps participants get fit enough to run their first 5k race. I've walked three official 5k races now, and it's time to up the ante. Rather than go for a longer walking race (though that's still not completely off the radar), I decided to work on jogging a shorter race.

So - my goal is to run the Sacramento Zoo Zoom 5k on April 11, 2010, and I started training today.

Christmas Newsletter, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to write this letter. In my electronic playgrounds of Facebook, Twitter, Skype, blogs and e-mail, I've been in touch with friends and family more than ever, so there's very little "news" that hasn't already been shared. But for those who are not online, here's a short recap of our year.

Despite California's worsening economy, we've been lucky that neither I nor Patrick has been furloughed or laid off. However, we know that unless things improve significantly, that possibility still exists for next year. In the library, we've had 10 retirements this year - all those Boomers are cashing out. I'm going to continue working for the foreseeable future. Besides, I like my job! Our new library director, who started in September, brings a lot of really positive energy to her relationship with everyone.

Marty's practice, as with many other businesses, hit a flat spot this year, but the second edition of his book. "Internet Gaming Law" was published on schedule last spring. He's now working on a 3rd edition with an eye to migrating it to an electronic format that can be updated as needed. He's also become an Associate Editor of "Gaming Law Review and Economics".

There's still a moratorium on salmon fishing, but he and I found a guidebook of local day-hikes, and went out many Sunday mornings to places within an hour's drive: Cosumnes River Preserve, several parks along the American River Parkway, Lake Berryessa, Putah Creek, and other places to enjoy nature. We also walked in the Buzz Oates No Excuses 5k and still get comments on our t-shirts, which display all the excuses.

Patrick's roommates built a swimming pool this summer, added patio furniture with a fire pit embedded in the table, and are now planning an outdoor kitchen. Oh, and they have a housekeeper! He's been extraordinarily fortunate in his choices this year!

Laurel is a senior and will graduate in May. Last summer, she worked as a lifeguard for the Cabana Club again. She's trying her wings, and I expect that as soon as she becomes 18 next April, she'll expect to fly. Tonight, she's baking cookies for the Marine Corps Junior ROTC holiday party tomorrow.

Some members of our family are going through difficult times, and we want them to know we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.

We wish you all good health, hope, and peace during this holiday season and throughout the next year.

All our love,

Ann & Marty

7 Days till Christmas

The tree is all decorated, there's a crackling fire going in the fireplace, and Husband is asleep in the La-z-boy. It's cold enough outside that we can really enjoy the warmth of the fire, and we keep it cool enough inside to require fleece booties and a sweater.

I finished my first cabled scarf, and now I'm looking for a new project for a toasty greyish tweed yarn I bought. But I may put that on hold for a while and stop by Rumpelstiltskin on Sunday to find some silk-blend yarn to make fingerless gloves for Daughter. It would be a crochet project, so I think it would be quick to finish.

Winter arrived like a brick - it was just fine, warm, colorful fall, and then suddenly there was a HUGE rain storm, and after that the temperatures dropped into the 20s. We're now in the midst of what the meteorologists are calling "normal" storm tracking, where every few days we have rain showers, followed by a few days of fog. The temps are also back in the normal range of 40-60 degrees. It's been a couple of weeks since we've seen real sunshine, and it's beginning to tell on everyone's tempers.

Daughter and I have been baking cookies, and will probably do a few more. No plans for a gingerbread house this year, though. I bought Christmas stamps today, and hope to get cards in the mail tomorrow.

The Big Freeze after the Big Snow

This morning, the temperature was 23 degrees, breaking a previous low for the date. I brought in the tropical plants that are still portable, and covered the ti, which is not portable, with a fleece blanket we got from some "save the wolves" organization.

Tonight, the weather man said we will experience another night of "hard freeze", so Daughter and I hung a bed-sheet from the bolts in the patio overhang, and brought the small pots into the shelter between it and the house. I'm hoping the overhang, the sheet, and the warmth from the house will be enough to prevent them from being killed.

I'm sure it was already in the 30s when I got home from work at 8:15 this evening, because my cheeks were stinging when I went out to retrieve the mail. We've insulated the outdoor pipes and I have to remember to leave a faucet dripping when I go to bed, so the pipes don't freeze.

Despite the cold and clear skies, this is a "burning not recommended" day - to preserve air quality, people are being discouraged from using their fireplaces because there is no breeze to disperse the smoke.

Snow Flurry in Cameron Park

Marty and I drove up to Shingle Springs this morning to see the snow. There was still a trace on the ground in El Dorado Hills at about 11 a.m., and in Cameron Park, there were several inches on the ground, the rooftops, the guardrails and road signs, the trees ...

We went one stop farther, to Shingle Springs, before we decided the conditions were getting a little dicey for us, since we have no chains. Although the roadway was clear, the off-ramps were not, and we had to drive really slowly to avoid sliding around. After we turned around and were passing Cameron Park again, we drove through this snow flurry. What surprised me was the no-color-ness of it all - there was only white and shades of gray. It looked just like a Christmas card! Exciting stuff!

Snow?

The excitement is building, whipped by the animated storm maps of the meteorologists on every television channel. A very cold storm arrived today, dumping enough snow in the foothills to warrant closure of Highway 80, one of the busiest trans-sierra routes. There have been over 45 storm-related accidents in the last 4 hours up there!

But why the excitement? Because the storm is so cold, there is a good chance of snow here on the Sacramento Valley floor - anywhere from a trace to 3 inches! The high temp tomorrow is forecast to be somewhere around 41 degrees, and the low on Tuesday morning in the mid-20s! As I write this at 10:30 p.m., it has been raining for about 45 minutes, and that is supposed to change to snow tonight. If so, I'll be out there with the video camera in the morning! If not, there will be a lot of disappointed children, myself included.

Day After Thanksgiving

Grumble, grumble ... I filled the crock pot with good home-made turkey broth, vegetables, seasonings and a handful of barley, turned the dial to "high", and went out with Husband to the gym and my favorite yarn shop, Rumpelstiltskin. I was SO looking forward to the aroma of dinner upon our return, but ... the darn pot wasn't plugged in! Dang! So, now it has to go on the stove instead, in order to be ready by dinnertime.

It was supposed to rain this morning, but it didn't come in till late afternoon. I was crocheting and listening to the rain, remarking that it sure sounded loud for the amount of rain coming down. I looked up to find that it was hailing! Here's what it looked like:

Hail usually lasts for only a minute, and it melts quickly - so to be available at the time it occurred was special!

The Wave

I received an invitation to Google Wave last week. It's like trying to play checkers with yourself - more fun when you're "waving" with friends. I send out a couple of my own invitations - be interesting to see if either invitee responds.

Wave is a way to communicate in groups in real time by chat, file and photo sharing. The total communication experience is called a wave. Waves can be replayed, in case you missed it, or if you want to go back and see how it developed. Waves can be private or public.

I discovered how to find public waves, so I spent about an hour looking for groups in Sacramento, groups about libraries, groups for newbies, etc. until my laptop slowed to a crawl. I guess that's one of the problems - too many simultaneous waves in your inbox slows you down.

I have some wave invitations to give away - if you're interested, I'll send you one. If we're online at the same time, we can do everything except voice.

Getting the Stuffing Out

Thanksgiving Day, 2009
There were only three of us this year, because Pat went to Seattle to visit friends. We didn't take pictures, just this short video of Laurel unstuffing the turkey. In fact, next year, we may not even do a turkey, but may go out - there's more cleanup when there's the same amount of food and not enough people to make a dent in it!



I took the video clip with my new Flip Video camcorder from PureDigital Technologies. It's a superseded model - it can hold 60 minutes of footage, and the new models can do 120 minutes - but hey! it was less than half-price at Staples!

Seventh Inning Stretch

Just looked at the sidebar of this blog, and discovered I've been spouting for seven years, since November 2002. That's actually quite a long time! I'm proud of myself for keeping it going for so long.

Wish I Had Learned This Sooner

I've seen this - or another similar video - before, but decided to blog it this time, because I can never remember how to do it after I shut down the laptop. When I think of all the folding I had to do when the kids were growing up, I wish I had known this trick - it would have made laundry day so much quicker! And now that the weather is getting colder, I wonder if it works as well with long-sleeved tees ... it does!

Internet Librarian

I came home with eyestrain and brainstrain this year! The eyestrain was from staring at computer screens and presentations for five days, and the brainstrain was from all the good stuff presented and discussed. It was really fun to have a buddy at the conference, but it was almost like experiencing it for two - it was Debbie's first library conference and there was a LOT going on! I am blogging my sessions at Annot8tions, putting up a couple of posts a day, or thereabouts. My photos are on Flickr. This photo shows the librarians playing with all the neat games and electronic toys at the Gaming & Gadget Petting Zoo on the first night.

The weather was perfect except for Tuesday, when a cold, strong (as in 40mph) wind blew down from the north in the afternoon. I had forgotten to bring a jacket, so I bought a nice fleece one for 12 bucks on the wharf, and a handmade fleece hat at the Farmer's Market for 10.

I got more out of the three pre-conferences this year than from the regular conference sessions, and would certainly consider doing that again next year and skipping a day of the regular conference. I now have enough to think about and apply to work to keep me busy until next year.

Internet Librarians

We've take over Monterey! Thousands of Internet Librarians are gathered this week for the Internet Librarian conference. This year's theme is "Net initiatives for tough times." I try to attend every year, and due to the aforesaid tough times, I'm attending on my own dime. Three other librarians from Sacramento Public Library are also attending. I got in yesterday at noon via Amtrak, and expect to fill the next four days with much learning!

Climbing the Walls

A couple of years ago on my way to Hawaii, I met Dierdre on the plane - we shared a row and discovered similar interests. We returned to Sacramento on the same flight, as well, and we've kept in touch.

She invited me and Marty to last night's pre-release screening of the 2009 Reel Rock Tour at the Pipeworks climbing gym, featuring a National Geographic Society video about her son, Alex Honnold, the world's best free solo climber (that means without ropes or safety gear, folks.) He's about Pat's age, but has spent the last 6 or 7 years climbing sheer walls like Yosemite's Half-Dome using nothing but his fingers and toes. The photography was awesome, and the audience whistled and cheered when Dierdre appeared onscreen during the interview at her home.

Dierdre's no wimp, either: she's completed numerous marathons and has been an avid runner. Now she's climbing, too! All that energy from the crowd last night has re-ignited my dream to walk a half-marathon. So I'm starting over. No climbing, though. I like my feet firmly planted.
Kurokaze204's photo used with permission.

Flipped Out

I spotted it in Staples a couple of weeks ago and couldn't resist the low price - very deeply discounted from its original list because a newer edition is on the market now. It gets rave reviews from librarians, teachers, and Computer World magazine for its ease of use, so I decided to get one for myself: the Flip Video Camera. I've been taking it everywhere with me, and have a dozen 20-second shorts now. Here's one:



I'm taking it with me to Internet Librarian in Monterey next weekend, and plan to post a few videos from the conference here and on my work blog.

Looking for Someplace to Sketch

Marty and I have been going exploring on Sundays to places near Sacramento that a) we've never visited, and b) are scenic enough to inspire him to sketch the landscape. Today we found a most scenic spot.

We planned to drive out near Fairfield to see the hills, all golden in this late summer, and along about Davis, took a detour up through Winters on a whim, looking for Buckhorn's. We discovered we were "only" ten miles from Lake Berryessa, so decided to continue north. We stopped at the Monticello Dam and hydroelectric project, where there is a distinctive "morning glory" spillway behind the dam. Because the lake level was low, we didn't see it in action.

Then we drove a few miles farther to Markley Cove and Resort, before ducking into a little park to visit Putah Creek and sketch. I uploaded several additional photos to my Flickr photostream.

Got Me a Domain Name!

The process was cheap and easy, but the reams of agreements, policies, privacy statements, were costly in terms of paper and ink. Yes, I finally succumbed to the lure of a personal domain name and set one up this evening. I'm now the proud owner of www.annot8tions.com! In a few days, after the bots have a chance to update the indexes, the address of this blog will change from "halona.blogspot.com" to the new one.

However, as soon as I saw the address up there on the screen, I realized I hadn't thought this through sufficiently well: I have another blog on Wordpress called Annot8tions, and it lives at annot8tions.wordpress.com. I use it as my professional, rather than personal, blog. So now I have to think of a way to reconcile the two. Either Quick-Draw McGraw here just shot herself in the foot, or there will be some creative remixing going on. I'll have to sleep on it.

Fired

These townhomes on the part of Riverside Boulevard that actually runs along the riverside have been stalled in construction for over a year. Yesterday they got torched. The fire was so hot, it jumped the road and burned the grass on the levee, too. On the map, the footprints of the five incomplete units of 24 that were to be built are shown on the vacant area. Of the 5, only half of this end unit is still standing. Insurance? Vandalism? Accident? Stay tuned ...

Aunt Ginny

Ten years ago, Ginny came to visit in 110-degree July heat. This year, the weather was a little more palatable. She was in California to introduce her company's veterinary products, and was able to arrange a couple of days in Sacramento to visit us again. We went to dinner at Scott's Seafood on the River, and ordered a pizza the second night. Hoping it won't be that long before we see her again!

Bill's Memorial Service, July 8, 2009

While in Hawaii, we got a call from our cousin Gertie in Manteca that Bill Cummings, her son-in-law, had passed away. He had, in November of last year, developed shoulder pain and a cough; in January, they called it cancer, and began chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. Then they discovered additional tumors, and on July 5, in the morning, he entered eternal rest.

Bill's memorial service on Wednesday, July 8, showed how well-loved he and Janice have been in their community. Over 200 friends and family members came to celebrate his life. Janice's niece sang the opening song; Janice's brother Jim delivered a moving eulogy which elicited both tears and laughter, and three of Bill's favorite songs provided interludes between the readings. Here is the first of them.



This is one of those times I wish I had been a little more assertive about keeping in touch with that branch of the family. It is, after all, geographically closest of all the branches in our "tree". However, the occasion drew together family from across the country. At the reception across the street (Chez Sheri's, at the top of the Manteca Golf Course) we were able to visit with Gertie, Jim and Ro and their three daughters and one son-in-law, as well as Ro's mother, Mildred. Gary Bacon was there with his wife; his daughter Kristin, and Gary's father and stepmother, his sister and her husband also attended. On Bill's side, his two daughters, their husbands and six grandchilden came. Many, many friends also stayed.

Goodbye, Bill, until we meet again. Janice, we love you!

Independence Day, 2009

We're so lucky that the 60-somethingth annual Kailua Fourth of July parade passes just a block from Mom's house, and we're on the shady side of the street! This is the biggest parade in Hawaii, and today it lasted nearly 2 hours. The Navy band led, followed by the dignitaries: Grand Marshall Wally Amos, Governor Linda Lingle, Senator Dan Inouye, and others from Washington and Honolulu.

Then came the veterans: Viet Nam, Korea, Foreign Wars, and the Hummers, ambulances and Jeeps (with machine guns) from the various services. The Boy Scouts were there, several mounted horse units, several hula halau, several local businesses, churches, alumnae associations, senior groups, ... Hit of the day was the Kailua High School Alumnae, who bombarded the bystanders with water cannons - actually very welcome after an hour in the sun! If Mother cooperates (and goes to bed on time,) I plan to walk down to the beach to see the fireworks at 8 p.m.

A couple days ago, I went to Lanikai Point, about a mile from here, to photograph the point and the USGS marker at its base. A colleague and I discovered geocaching independently of each other, but at about the same time. I told him I'd photograph the Lanikai marker to add to his collection.

The view from the Point back across Kailua Bay was very beautiful that morning, too.

Two Women, Three Tables

Met a new neighbor the other day, who has only lived on this street for 6 months. She invited me to go snorkeling this morning, and I was delighted to go along. She has a retired Thoroughbred jumper boarding near Pupukea, so we stopped there first to check up on him and give him some carrots. We then continued to Three Tables, making a short detour into Foodland to grab a sandwich for lunch.

The snorkeling was beautiful - saw many kinds of fish, including a huge, fat, bright blue parrotfish, a school of baby cornet fish, and lots of Moorish Idols, tangs, trigger fish, wrasses and boxfish. Next time, I'll even take a snorkel! (I had rented a "prescription" mask, but declined the snorkel and fins because Neighbor promised to loan me some gear. But she forgot - so I "snorkeled" finless and snorkel-less, and enjoyed myself anyway!

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and there will be a parade down North Kainalu from Kainalu School to the Kailua Rec Center. It goes right past Mom's street, so we'll walk the block down to the corner, set up our chairs under the big trees, and wave and cheer. If Mom goes to bed on time, I also plan to walk down to the beach to see the fireworks.

Look, Ma! Pineapples!

Mom's caregiver, Isy, started these little "pines" from the tops of pineaples purchased at the grocery store. They're about a year old, and the little fruits will be ready for harvesting soon, I think. Brother put them in the ground a couple of weeks ago, transplanting them from the glass mayo jars they had been living in up to now.
He also put some of the papaya seedlings up in gallon pots. (See, Alison? I'm planting mine when I get back.)

Arrived today to perfect weather - mid-80s with a little breeze, blue sky and white clouds, hills and vegetation still green, and CLEAN AIR! Anyone who lives in Sacramento knows about the bad air that comes with high temperatures and lack of a delta breeze. At this moment, I'm sitting on her lanai listening to crickets, watching geckos chase after bugs, and hearing the wind in the coconut trees and the waves at the beach a block away. Lots of flowers: plumeria, hibiscus and lots more in full bloom here.

Almost a Driver

Daughter had her third and final required Driver's Ed class today, and passed with flying colors. Unfortunately, her learner's permit expires in 4 days, and I'm going to be away. IF we can get to the safe box tomorrow for the required documents, and IF she can get a road test before the permit expires, we're going to have Helen Wheels this summer. She doesn't want to take the learner's permit test again, and is willing to wait till October, when she can just take the road test - but has to weigh that against not being able to drive all summer. Decisions. Not looking forward to informing the insurance company that we have a new young driver in the household.

Still Knitting

Next weekend will be the beginning of summer. Mother Nature is still shaking her featherbeds, I think, because the weather is still cool with clouds and occasional sprinkles of rain. I've been working on a shawl since last fall, and it's almost finished now. I usually work on it for about 40 minutes while watching the 10 o'clock news. I think I'm within a couple of days of finishing the shawl proper; just have to decide whether or not to add a fringe.

A shawl in summer? The truth is, when the delta breeze kicks up in the evening, it gets downright chilly, as in lower 60s. I get cold, sitting still in front of the open windows watching the news. Letting that shawl drape over my knees is just the thing! It's not supposed to be this cool, but I'm not complaining at all!

William B. Pond Park

This morning, Husband and I arranged to meet my friend "D" at the gate of William B. Pond Recreation Area for a walk along the American River. She said she used to run here with her husky several years ago, and that the walk was "wild" and scenic. She was right. Although there were many people in the area, most with dogs, the equestrian trail was unimproved and provided many beautiful vistas of the river, such as this one.

So, with the good company, we walked and talked for almost two hours before returning to our respective cars, which we had parked on the street outside the park. She showed us published photos of her son, who is a free solo climber, and while we were admiring them, Parking Control cruised by and warned that we were parked in a No Parking zone! We never even saw the signs! So lucky we got back to the cars when we did, and we escaped without tickets. This time. We'll sure look for better parking next time!

Mather Lake Regional Park

Last weekend, Marty and I went to Mather Lake in the Mather Rotary Regional Recreation Area, former site of Mather Air Force Base. The lake is formed by a dam across Morrison Creek, and is fed, during dry years, by water pumped from nearby businesses. Creation of the park is still underway, but it now includes fishing, picnicking and barbecue facilities, restrooms, and a play area for children. There are also benches and picnic tables set at intervals around the lake. The "hike" is nothing much - but the area is just right for a leisurely picnic. I can see a lounge chair, a good book, and a basket of food goodies.

The trail on the golf course side of the lake runs by a bed of cattails and tule reeds, and was teeming with blackbirds and other songbirds. The trail on the road side of the lake meandered by a section of woods near the vernal pools that was like a sound-tunnel of birdsong and crickets.

Paying the parking fee was self-service: take an envelope, write your license plate number on it, insert $5 and seal it, and then deposit into the locked box at the gate. Many cars just drove in and parked without paying.

Next week, we're going to explore a section of the American River with a friend.

VoIP

Skype is a wonderful service! Cousin in Toronto convinced me to sign on and it allows us to talk using voip at no charge. Since my first talk, I've also found a longtime friend online, who lives in Saipan. She also skypes to keep in touch with her daughter, who lives in Japan; and now we skype, too. It's a trip to consider the time difference: I called her on Memorial Day, and it was already Tuesday in Saipan.

Now I've got a new toy: Magic Jack. We needed to replace our telephone, so I went shopping at Radio Shack. Got the phone, and a 20% discount would apply if I purchased the Magic Jack. So, what the hey! I like gadgets, and this one looked useful. It's a portable phone jack that you plug into any USB port on your computer or laptop, and the phone cord that normally would go from your phone to your wall jack plugs into the other end. This allows you to use your phone handset to make and receive VoIP calls. Free in the US and Canada. To land lines or cell phones. Unlimited minutes. For $19.95 per YEAR! And the purchase price includes the first year of service.

It installs its software that manages the calls, your contacts, and your voicemail; you get a new phone number that can be forwarded; if you are calling from your home address, it even works for emergency 911 calls.

I bought it because when Husband travels out of the country, our cell phone bill skyrockets due to international roaming fees. With his Magic Jack, he can make free calls home. The difference between Magic Jack and Skype is that with Skype, the calls are only free to another Skype user who happens to be online at the same time; if you call a land line, there is a fee. With Magic Jack, calls to a land line are free, and the person you're calling need not be online. Also, if you have a cordless phone, you don't need to be tethered to the computer! Walk around! It's wild!

No Excuses!

I entered myself and Marty in the 5th annual Buzz Oates "No Excuses 5k" run/walk several weeks ago, because it is held in beautiful Land Park and winds around ponds, old houses and the golf course under stately shade trees. Then Marty got the flu, and a week later I got a cold. My hip started to hurt and I stopped walking for a while.

Although neither of us is 100% recovered, we picked up our race packets on Saturday, which included a T-shirt with all the excuses pre-printed on the back: check all that apply!

Today was race day. Marty and I found a parking spot along one of the side streets, and took our places near the end of the pack - about 1,000 strong. At the sound of the horn, we were off! We finished the 5k in under an hour, but I don't know yet what my time was - we left fairly quickly afterward, so I'll have to check online later.


And my hip was fine, and Marty didn't cough, even when we passed the horse. And we were not the last to finish - what more could I ask?

Mother's Day

I may be on to something! If you've ever had a recalcitrant teen refuse to do household maintenance just because you said it was needed, you will appreciate this.

Both Husband and Daughter asked what I wanted for Mother's Day, and I said, "ten bags of stuff we can take to Goodwill." I figured it would be easy to fill three grocery bags each and I already had a full bag standing by the door. So - Husband had actually done some possession-weeding a couple weeks ago, but he filled one bag. I went through my closet and a storage bin of clothes and packed three bags full of stuff I haven't worn in a couple of years - and am never likely to wear, tell the truth. Daughter filled up two trash bags with clothes, and a box with stuffed animals. We took it all to Goodwill yesterday, and it felt GOOD!

Don't see much of a dent in the amount of stuff crammed into the apartment, but - get this - Daughter actually picked everything up off her floor, and vacuumed under her bed. There's space to walk, space for clothes in the closet, and space for the laundry basket. Amazing! Who knew a request to help someone else could get her to clean her room! I'll have to remember that trick when it gets to be my birthday in a couple of months.

Walking Around Sacramento

I picked up a little book in Doubleday a few weeks ago that details hikes for families around the Sacramento area. So for the last two Sundays, Marty and I have begun exploring some of the trails.

Two weeks ago, we went to Beek's Byte in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area and enjoyed the dirt trail around the end of the lake. Last weekend, we revisited Ancil Hoffman park. We used to take the kids there sometimes, for events sponsored by the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. This time we saw wild turkeys, a deer, ducks and a kayaker. There are lots more hikes, of varying lengths and difficulty, and we plan to explore them all over the summer, as much as we can. This weekend it's raining, so we'll probably hunker down with split pea soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Flowers and Voyages

Ordinarily. I leave flower photos to my friend. This morning, however, when I stepped outside, this perfect camellia just begged to be photographed. There are lots of buds on the bush, but it looks like rain today, and that will spoil them. I clipped it, brought it inside, and sat it down for a portrait. I hope to enjoy it all week.

Speaking of week, one week from today, at this very time, I will be flying across the Pacific to visit Mom for about 8 or 9 days. Although I believe spring has come to Sacramento, this weekend is a reminder that winter is not long gone - from high temps in the mid 70s, we dropped overnight to highs in the mid-50s. 80s in Hawaii is sounding pretty good, right about now, as I look out my back door at wind, overcast, and drizzle.

I've been reading Hokule'a's twitterstream, vicariously following along as she sailed to Palmyra. The photos posted on the Polynesian Voyaging Society blog are absolutely stunning! What amazes me, though, is that the Hokule'a is so small on the vast Pacific Ocean. Reading about their thoughts and observations during the voyage is much different from reading narrative accounts after-the-fact. I've especially enjoyed the exchanges between Hokule'a and Kama Hele crew and the children in Hawaii. The crew answers the kids' questions respectfully and with humor. The kids will never forget this experience!

Reprising a Ritual

Time was, I would take the first week of March off and prepare our tax returns. For the past 3 years, we had an accountant do them, but last year, we had a difference of opinion about the correctness of the return. So this year, I'm reprising the ritual. I'm taking this entire week off to submerge myself in piles of receipts, credit card statements, and 1099s.

I've installed Turbo Tax (lazy - received the disc in the mail - or I would have purchased Tax Cut) and have already entered the information from my W-2. the reason I need the rest of the week is to go through Husband's paperwork and codify the financial picture of his business for the year. I hope to surface next weekend having filed both returns, so I can go to Kailua at the end of the month with no worries.

BLMurch's photo used with permission.

Robbery Sucks

This evening on my way home from work, I got a call from Daughter saying she and her friends were robbed at gunpoint while sitting in the park a block from home. Three black dudes were involved - one walked ahead; the other two made small talk and then showed a handgun and asked the kids to empty their pockets, but all they got were the cell phones. Daughter had the presence of mind to remove the sim chip from hers before handing it over. The robbers fled on foot. No one was hurt.

So one of their friends, who pulled up just as the robbers ran away, called the police, and by the time I arrived at the park, the police helicopter was circling, and the Southwood manager was letting the other kids use his cellphone to notify their parents. Parents and cops arrived, took reports, etc., and then we all went home.

Apparently, this is the new crime of choice, and the police advised all the kids that if strangers approach in the park, especially if asking for money or weed, they should immediately LEAVE. I feel vindicated that my warnings about walking about alone after dark proved prophetic, except she wasn't alone, and it wasn't dark! I indulged in a big, fat "told you so!", but feel that Daughter was properly impressed by how unexpectedly and how quickly everything happened, and how vulnerable it made them feel. Especially as her companions were all pretty big guys!

Facebook ...

... t's the new water cooler. And every day, I spot another friend there. Today I added about three "friends" from among people I know from the family or from work, and in addition, I found a Facebook group for the 23 Things summit I'm attending tomorrow.

Facebook is nice, because there are pictures there, a few games and silly "gifts", and also the ability to chat in real time if you happen to be online at the same time as some of your friends. Like e-mail on steroids. It's a great way to share photos and have conversations with friends and family, no matter where they live! Despite the social aspect, whereby all your "friends" can see all your posts to everyone - and theirs to you - it is still possible to have private conversations via messaging.

Most of the co-workers I see every day are on Facebook, as are the children of most of my friends. (Daughter, however, stands by her MySpace account.) My friends and family are getting accounts, one by one, as a way to keep in touch with their kids when the kids leave home, and as a way to seek out former co-workers, classmates, family and friends, and also as a way to contact others in the same line of work or with the same interests.

Facebook nullifies the limitations of distance, and makes it easier to find people in an age when many have given up their land-line phones in favor of cell phones, which have no centralized directory. And if you don't want to be found, just don't accept the friendship request.

goldfish plant

This Goldfish plant, named for the flowers' color, shape and the way they seem to "swim" out of the foliage, was a gift from a friend. I put the two clippings in a pot a few weeks ago and set it in my front window. The blossom was a surprise!

Prayer Shawl

This is a prayer shawl I began working on before it got cold. Spring is on the way now, though, so it may get finished right about the time we start wearing shorts and sleeveless tops. Prayer shawls are supposed to be made to give away. As you knit or crochet them, you are entwining good thoughts and prayers for the recipient in each stitch. When worn, it's like a hug. I think I'm going to keep this first one, though.

I first heard about prayer shawls in the book "Back on Blossom Street" by Debbie Macomber. Such a shawl seemed like it would make a really good gift for someone who might be experiencing stress, hard times, or a difficult situation. When I came across a pattern on the Lion Brand web site, I decided to make one. I repurposed yarn from a project I had aborted, and the shawl is now more than half finished. It will be soft, warm, and subtly striped, and I certainly plan to enjoy it next year, when the temperture drops again.

Springtime in Sac

Tra la! It's May, the lusty month of May, ...

Well, maybe it's not quite May, but mid-February is doing a fairly decent impression of Spring today. Some ornamental trees are coming into bloom, and the grass along the levee is coming up nice and green. We've had a couple of days of rain, and they say more is on the way. But today ... today is just glorious!

Crocker and Looney Tunes

In December and January, the Crocker Art Museum hosted an exhibit of the artwork and technology that went into creation of the old Warner Brothers cartoons: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Foghorn Leghorn, and Roadrunner, et al. Marty and I went to see it a couple of Sundays ago, and were as much entertained by the smiles beaming from the faces of old and young as by the cels and backgrounds on display.

I was a little disappointed when I saw how small the artwork is. The cels and backgrounds were 8 1/2" x 11"! Storyboards and model sheets showed the stable of artists how each character should look from different angles. Two DVD players in different rooms played a series of 'toons and attracted kids to grandparents. It was obvious that some of the kids had never seen these cartoons before, and it was interesting to see that their humor and lessons are still as fresh as when they were first produced.

So what's our connection? Marty is a diehard fan of Warner Brothers! In fact, on our honeymoon on Kauai, he found a video store, rented a player and VHS tapes, and we watched Daffy, Sylvester and Tweety and company for 3 days! (And did other things, too, like scuba diving off Barking Sands and the Na Pali coast.)

10 Years, 50 Quarters

The photo's not the best, but I wanted to celebrate right away! I got the Hawaii Quarter the other day, and now my state quarters collection is complete.

It's been an interesting 10 years, learning about each state and the picture it chose to represent itself in the series. When I started, Daughter was 5 and Son was 10. Keeping an eye out for the new quarters became such a part of my life, I was astounded to see how much time has elapsed - it's 2/3 of Daughter's entire life!

I found each quarter in "working" money. That is, I never went to the bank to buy the new quarters, but waited for them to show up in change as I bought things. So there was a little leapfrogging going on as I acquired newer quarters while still waiting for previous issues to turn up.

Now I'm collecting the presidential dollars. This will be harder, as I think the only place I know I can get dollar coins in change is at the post office's stamp vending machines. So far, I have one dollar of about 8 that have already been issued. This may take 2/3 of my life to complete!

Library? No - Grocery Store!

Don't know if this comfy chair is still there, but I was thinking that management had the right idea - making their store "sticky" by providing incentives to linger. I'v been carrying this photo around for a while - since before Christmas - waiting for an opportunity to upload and share.

I don't even remember which store it was, now, but the chair certainly was a nice touch. You can tell I've been way too busy when I have to find my entertainment in our local grocery stores!