Thirsty

I have been daydreaming about diving into the ocean all day, and with good reason: I have seen some of the most beautiful scenery there…

Malibu Beach in California, 2003

And the unforgettable…

Near Lima, Peru, 2005

…Until the next time we meet!

What Do You Get When You Mix Yoga and Kung Fu…

…you get me, only happier and weilding a sword.  Awesome.

I woke up this morning with yoga and my Kung Fu weapons class on my mind.  My new mat arrived in the mail over the weekend. It’s very sticky, very comfy and very cushy.  Having the right tools for the job makes all the difference.

Happy Wednesday

List #8

Podcasts I’m currently loving:

1. Escape Pod (science fiction short stories)
2. 3 Wine Guys (wine notes)
3. The Economist (audio edition)
4. Metamor City (cyberpunk and fantasy fiction short stories)
5. PodCastle (fantasy fiction short stories)
6. The Archers (British Radio Drama about a farming community called Ambridge)

New Shoes

I went for a long jog last night and this morning. A lot has been going on, a lot that needs to get pounded into the pavement. Half-way through this morning’s outing I realized that I need new running shoes; the pair I currently have are old and worn through.  Unfortunately, while they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own, they are ruining my posture every time I step down in them. It’s clear now, after sore knees and an achy back, that they can’t offer the support I need and should’ve been replaced a long time ago.

I have another job interview next week and will be touring a helicopter and small aircraft hanger, too. I’m looking forward to it!

Reaching for the Reset Button…

The job hunt isn’t moving as quickly as I had hoped and I’m feeling a little exasperated over it. It isn’t the job prospects, per se, it’s me. I’m a ducks-in-a-row kind of gal–it’s a security thing. Finding and keeping a good job in the area is important to me, a lot is riding on it, and I haven’t made it off to an encouraging start. I’ve had a couple of potential offers, but nothing solid yet. To make matters worse, I’ve been holding my breath for a particular one which so far has dragged the hiring process out beyond my comfort level. (Isn’t that always the way? You want one to call, but instead all the others do! LOL) As friends (and certainly Life) have reminded me, what one wants is often just a few steps ahead of what one really wants, so the passage of time can be a good thing. Nice advice for this time in my life.

During my run this morning I kept telling myself that in one month none of this will matter or be on my mind

Cam and I went to see Beowulf a couple of weeks ago, and afterwards we bought the full-length poem (this seeing the movie then buying the book thing is becoming a trend…). I’ve nearly finished it and must admit that I think there is little conceptual overlap between the poem and the movie (which I did really enjoy, by the way. I’m a big Neil Gaiman fan). That being said, I’d recommend any fantasy fan out there to go and see it…just don’t expect to whet your appetite for classical literature. They each stand on their own as distinct works of art.

It was just a Really Great Day.

Yesterday was my birthday and I had a perfect day. I wanted to keep it low key, so I did, and spent most of the morning receiving calls from family (which was wonderful), drinking tea and watching one of my favorite movies. Around noon Cam took me out for an early supper and that was fun too (even without Spinach & Artichoke dip ). We had a nice long walk around our neighborhood afterwards and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

After that I headed out to sci fi club and hung out with friends for a couple hours eating warm caramel rolls while we watched the evening’s television line up. Yummm.

Even though I’ve been told I actually have a full week to celebrate my birthday, the week coming up is a busy one so unfortunately I can’t take that too seriously .

As a brief Life update: there have been some sad times recently as members of my extended family, who are very dear to me, have experienced several emergencies. My heart and attention have been with them. They have been and continue to be in my thoughts and prayers, and I am grateful as things seem to be improving. Also, I’ve been busy with career stuff. I made the decision last month to accept a position on the Board of Directors at the non-profit I’ve been active with for about a year and a half now. It was a very involved but gratifying decision, and it has rewarded me, even in the the short time since I made it. I also have a job interview for a research position in Denver tomorrow! Wish me luck and blessings. I will probably spend the remainder of this afternoon making final preparations for that.

That’s all for now; I will write more regular updates now that the “busyness” has subsided.

Peace!

S’mores and Sushi

Last night I had a wonderful time visiting with my friends Kris and Laurel at their home up in Nederland. Along with friends Eric and Sandra, we had a sushi party (my favorites were the California rolls, unagi, poki and some darn good sake!). Might I add: Sandra made the poki, which was so good I ventured out and ate my first bite of raw tuna…yumm! After we stuffed ourselves silly we headed over to the new community theater’s opening night event to watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It was so much fun! And despite a great evening already, my favorite part of the night had to be after the movie, when we all came back to the house to roast marshmallows over an open-pit fire in the backyard. That took me back a couple of decades

Next time, we have to come up with more ghost stories (and exploding rocks hand-picked from the local dump doused in greek fire…)!

Sweet Summer Rain

On my way home from work today, a heavy rain storm began while I was waiting downtown at the bus station. Like most others around me, I rushed under the closest overhang I could find. As I stood beneath the protection of an enormous concrete and metal structure, I looked out onto the street and watched the thick sheets of water fall to the ground. My thoughts drifted to the busy weekend away I’ve just come back from, the pile of work waiting for me on my desk, and the too-small, too-cold, too-gray office I’d left only minutes before.

And just like that, I zipped up my brief case, kicked off my sandals and stepped out into the rain with my face and palms up. It felt warm and smelled fresh, and soaked me to the scalp in about 10 seconds. A few moments later, the sun broke through the clouds and I could see a big rainbow nearby. That felt really good.

Off and Running

Becoming pensive about life always puts me in a classical mood…musically, I mean. As a closet artist, I see most of my moods mirrored in art; in particular, in my choice of music and in my appreciation of others’ art.

Being in this sort of “mood” also means getting out and hitting the pavement. I’ve never been an avid runner, but something about it soothes my unfocused mind.

And so, this morning, I ran.

What goes through my mind in those moments of deep breath, achy calves and crisp, gorgeous air is befuddled. During that time I feel alone, and somewhat free, I guess, to absorb the air, the music, and my thoughts. I can’t really say in words, but it feels something like the latest SongSpot I’ve added (Allison Lovejoy’s RAVEL: Jeux d’eau). The way the time signatures dance around each other – it’s quite intriguing and very fitting.

Foto Fettish

This is the title of the archive I keep of my digital photography. The title came from my poetry and short story archives: Pen Fettish. Some 17 or 18 years ago I heard someone use the word in a positive way, and it stuck with me. Several years later, and a little wiser, I looked the definition up in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and this is the first one I found:

fetish: 1 a : an object believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner; broadly : a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence. b : an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion.

Very appropriate, I thought.

For those of you who know me well, you know I have a penchant for mad scribblings and a tendency to spend days working over the small details of a photo I’ve shot. I love it, and it’s a definitive, creative outlet, like music. In the beginning, I was too young to know that I was using the incorrect spelling of the word (fettish, not fetish), but the misspelling stuck through the years.

I’ve decided to start putting more of my more personal work on the web – not sure yet if it’ll be on this blog or on a separate page, but the idea is to have everything in one place.