Yes, so everyone falls off the wagon...me included. I never said I was perfect. And even if my New Year's resolution was to "keep in better touch" with everyone, I kept it up for a good 5 months, right?! According to statistics that is 3.5 months longer than most people keep their resolutions. Right? So, here I am trying to get back into it. This is going to be a long, long post--almost 4 months worth of "stuff" coming right at you. Get ready! Might want to get comfy for this one...
June: Boy, I can't remember back that far! Ok, here goes. I was pretty busy at work in June. One of the teams I work with ran a 2-week training in the office. So, I planned the "feeding" schedule for the group...practicing to be a mom (!?). I got to make Trader Joe's runs and get out of the office--yes, anything to get out of the office--it is as exciting as it gets! My second cousin (or second cousin once removed--I can never keep it straight!) Michelle was in SF visiting a friend and called me up for a quick visit; I met her and her friends for dinner. The same thing happened a week or so later when a good friend from Hibbing, Jenny, called me up when she and her husband were in town. Her and I walked around and checked out the graffiti / building murals around my neighborhood. It was so great to see familiar faces! We did not spend a lot of time together, but it was so nice. It really confirmed to me that when I am traveling near friends or relatives I have to make the extra effort to see / contact them--it is just so nice to see familiar faces when you are so far from "home." So, if you are ever in SF...
I am finally a legal CA driver--I passed my written test. I got 1.5 questions wrong--of course, I studied, I would be so embarrassed if I failed! Oh, and to explain the 1.5 I got wrong--one of the multiple choice questions, I marked all three answers as being correct (apparently, only one was right...); it was one of those "pick the best answer" questions. So technically, I was right...anyway, I passed.
I went to DC for a Evaluator Training--a group of us met with a women who works with non-profits to develop / improve their evaluation skills. The evaluations can be done after single events or longterm campaigns. It was really interesting to learn more about how to ask questions, where to really dig in to get answers, and where additional info is really not necessary.
July: Forth of July weekend, I had planned to visit my good friends Jen and Damian in Santa Barbara, but the wild fires were so fierce they were on evacuation-watch. So, I stayed in SF for the weekend and went to see a comedy troupe in the park and relaxed a bit. A few days later my cousin Cassie and her husband Chris were in SF. Chris co-wrote a book, Jesus for President, with a friend and they spoke at the beautiful Grace Cathedral. Their presentation was put together very well--they were serious and humorous and were accompanied by 2 gruff, Tom Waits-sounding musicians. While my views might not mirror theirs, I thought they presented themselves very passionately and professionally. What I took away from it was a simple message of presenting yourself in the world as you want others to act and to follow...which is a universal message anyone / everyone can follow.
One of the teams--Global Warming--I work with has field organizers in 20-or so congressional districts around the US. They are putting pressure--through grassroots organizing--on the congressperson to be a leader on global warming issues and sign onto the best legislation--which is not great, mind you--that is on the table at the moment. So, at the end of June, I was able to join the team in DC for lobby meetings on the Hill with the congress men and women from our target districts. We spent a few days prepping and dusted off our suits for the big day. I attended the meeting of Rep. Gerlach from PA with coworker Gabe and Jillian, who lives in the district. It was pretty cool. Unfortunately, Rep. Gerlach was unable to attend, so we met with one of his aides, but nonetheless, it was a great experience--one I may never have the chance to repeat.
From DC, I traveled to Seattle for a student training called Change It. I went along to help direct the masses, keep things on track, and be an extra hand to help when needed. I had never been to Seattle, and though I did not have much time to explore, I did manage to get a run in past Pikes Public Market and The Olympic Sculpture Gardens. I guess I will have to go back!
August: My brother, Greg, came to out to visit. I love that he comes, but I am feeling a little guilty that he spends his vacations visiting his sister! The weather was much more favorable this trip--no 4-inch rain days! We rented a car and went for a hike near Point Reyes Seashore and drove along the coast. We watched the Giant beat the Dodgers. Greg always wants to go for hill runs when he comes; we found a trail run--"moderate" was the description in my hiking book--but it was anything but! Over the course of 6 miles we covered 1200 feet of elevation change! It totally kicked my butt!
September: I met my mom in Denver over Labor Day weekend. We visited my aunt, cousin and her husband. It was really what I needed! It was so great to sit in the sun and relax, go for hikes, and shop. I got to go for a run with my mom, which I never get to do anymore. I feel I am hurrying around all the time, so it was the regroup I needed.
From Denver, I went straight to DC for planning meetings for next year's campaigns. I really like DC as a city and am finding working from there a little more enjoyable (?) every time I go. A group of us took one of the boats out, which was a blast! We boated near Annapolis and had lunch at a "crab shack." It was nice to be in the sun and on the water; I think I could get used to doing that more often.
This fall, I have several visitors coming to SF. Fun! Hopefully, my next post will be sooner and not as lengthy...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Beatrice Lake, May 2008
Dad, Greg, Mom, and Andrea
Sally, Ryan, Andrea, Greg, Kjersten, Andy, and Ruby
The cure for any ill...Beatrice Lake, MN
Mid-May I took a much-needed vacation and went home to Minnesota.
May 17th was my grandma's and her twin sister's 80th birthday. The gathering of friends and family was held at a cute Bed & Breakfast in Hibbing. Afterward, our family celebrated over Bimbo's wings, pizza and beer. Funny thing, my grandma's mother did not know she was having twins; only the doctor and my grandma's dad knew the secret. They chose not to tell my great-grandma because they did not want to "upset" her!! Alternatively, I think it would be quite upsetting to find out during childbirth. What another?!
When I came to CA, I did not think I would be staying for longer than a month (well...honestly, I secretly hoped I would!). I brought only 2 bags of belongings and left the rest in my apartment in Fargo. Now, the time had come to clean it out! When I went back to Fargo, things seemed the same; it was as though I had not been gone for 5 months. Despite my efforts to donate and throw away, I still have a lot of "stuff!" My dear dad drove to Fargo to help me move (again!). Don't mention to him how many times I have moved in the past 9 years and of those 8 (!) moves, how many times he has been involved...it's a sore subject! I shipped a few boxes out to CA and hauled the rest to my parents' house, much to their dismay. No, they will never get rid of me...well, maybe me, but not my stuff!!
It is easy to become acclimated to the rainy, yet very mild "winters" in CA, and it is very easy to forget Minnesota in January, February, March, and even April. However, I know I will miss Minnesota in the summer. I knew this when I decided to stay. I will miss my family's cabin the most. I am so lucky my family has this great retreat. When I was home, my family stayed there for the weekend. My cousins Sally and Andy and their friends Kjersten and Ryan met us and brought their kayaks. My brother has been kayaking a lot this spring with this crew, and he finally bought himself his own. Saturday, my dad and I brought them to Little Fork so they could "yak" or "kak" (as they call it) the St. Louis River. They returned 10 hours later sunburned and exhausted, but exhilarated.
I was able to relax and visit with family and many great friends...and if I can't be on a beach in Hawaii, a hot spring in Reykjavik, or hiking to Machu Piccho...what better place to be than Hibbing???!!!
May 17th was my grandma's and her twin sister's 80th birthday. The gathering of friends and family was held at a cute Bed & Breakfast in Hibbing. Afterward, our family celebrated over Bimbo's wings, pizza and beer. Funny thing, my grandma's mother did not know she was having twins; only the doctor and my grandma's dad knew the secret. They chose not to tell my great-grandma because they did not want to "upset" her!! Alternatively, I think it would be quite upsetting to find out during childbirth. What another?!
When I came to CA, I did not think I would be staying for longer than a month (well...honestly, I secretly hoped I would!). I brought only 2 bags of belongings and left the rest in my apartment in Fargo. Now, the time had come to clean it out! When I went back to Fargo, things seemed the same; it was as though I had not been gone for 5 months. Despite my efforts to donate and throw away, I still have a lot of "stuff!" My dear dad drove to Fargo to help me move (again!). Don't mention to him how many times I have moved in the past 9 years and of those 8 (!) moves, how many times he has been involved...it's a sore subject! I shipped a few boxes out to CA and hauled the rest to my parents' house, much to their dismay. No, they will never get rid of me...well, maybe me, but not my stuff!!
It is easy to become acclimated to the rainy, yet very mild "winters" in CA, and it is very easy to forget Minnesota in January, February, March, and even April. However, I know I will miss Minnesota in the summer. I knew this when I decided to stay. I will miss my family's cabin the most. I am so lucky my family has this great retreat. When I was home, my family stayed there for the weekend. My cousins Sally and Andy and their friends Kjersten and Ryan met us and brought their kayaks. My brother has been kayaking a lot this spring with this crew, and he finally bought himself his own. Saturday, my dad and I brought them to Little Fork so they could "yak" or "kak" (as they call it) the St. Louis River. They returned 10 hours later sunburned and exhausted, but exhilarated.
I was able to relax and visit with family and many great friends...and if I can't be on a beach in Hawaii, a hot spring in Reykjavik, or hiking to Machu Piccho...what better place to be than Hibbing???!!!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Trying to Figure Things Out...
Wednesday, April 9th, I spent most of the day protesting the Chinese rule of the Tibetan people. The Olympic Torch made the only North American stop--amidst controversy, debate, and pain--in San Francisco. The fact that there was protest and conflict over what is supposed to be a worldly event--the Olympics--is disheartening. The Olympics, at the core, are supposed to embody an event in which countries put aside differences, if only for 2 weeks every 2 years, and compete, civilly (though, not always the case, but the point, nonetheless). The reasons behind the protest--the Chinese rule, humiliation, violation--are clearly unthinkable--50 years ago and today.
When I got back to the office, I got a call from my dad informing me of my uncle's death. My uncle was too young; his wife is too young to be a widow; his daughters are too young to be without their father. I know people die; it is natural and a part of life. This does not make it less difficult. I am trying to decide if death ever gets easier to accept. As I get older, I feel death of those close to me spooks my understanding, my humanity, and my mortality. No, it really does not get easier. Maybe I am just supposed to be able to accept it because that is what happens, that is the way it goes. I am concrete, and as creative and flowery and pink and purple and yellow and orange I sometimes like think I am; I am concrete. I like order. I like plans. I like answers, reasons why, an ending to a book. I think this is why I did not like the movie No Country for Old Men. It just ended. Nothing else. No reasons why, no closure.
My uncle was funny, corny, happy, friendly, caring, loving. He was a person, just as we all are. It is hard to accept things we cannot understand and cannot change and cannot see. And maybe trying to find an answer is the hard part about death, because there isn't one. It is hard to accept a reason that does not exist.
These two events, on any given day, would have stuck in my memory. Given they occurred on the same day and the magnitude of the reasons behind the Olympic protests and the magnitude of losing a family member will stay with me forever. I cannot understand the reasons people treat each other the way they do and why humans believe other humans are not equal and must (and can) take what belongs to them. I cannot understand why some people's bodies are able to withstand less and their time is shorter.
Trying to figure things out...maybe I need to try to accept I will not understand why and how and the reasons (if there are any). It is still hard.
When I got back to the office, I got a call from my dad informing me of my uncle's death. My uncle was too young; his wife is too young to be a widow; his daughters are too young to be without their father. I know people die; it is natural and a part of life. This does not make it less difficult. I am trying to decide if death ever gets easier to accept. As I get older, I feel death of those close to me spooks my understanding, my humanity, and my mortality. No, it really does not get easier. Maybe I am just supposed to be able to accept it because that is what happens, that is the way it goes. I am concrete, and as creative and flowery and pink and purple and yellow and orange I sometimes like think I am; I am concrete. I like order. I like plans. I like answers, reasons why, an ending to a book. I think this is why I did not like the movie No Country for Old Men. It just ended. Nothing else. No reasons why, no closure.
My uncle was funny, corny, happy, friendly, caring, loving. He was a person, just as we all are. It is hard to accept things we cannot understand and cannot change and cannot see. And maybe trying to find an answer is the hard part about death, because there isn't one. It is hard to accept a reason that does not exist.
These two events, on any given day, would have stuck in my memory. Given they occurred on the same day and the magnitude of the reasons behind the Olympic protests and the magnitude of losing a family member will stay with me forever. I cannot understand the reasons people treat each other the way they do and why humans believe other humans are not equal and must (and can) take what belongs to them. I cannot understand why some people's bodies are able to withstand less and their time is shorter.
Trying to figure things out...maybe I need to try to accept I will not understand why and how and the reasons (if there are any). It is still hard.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Visitors from Hibbing
Yeah, so my parents are awesome. They came out to visit this past weekend. I thought I might be able to sneak away from work early, but due to the craziness, my parents came to the office and helped me mail about 1000 letters. There are really better things to see in SF than the Greenpeace office, the Connecticut Yankee bar (though, some may disagree), and me. I wanted them to get out and explore a bit more. But the troopers they are, they stayed until it was done....As a payment for their generosity and help, I took them to Sunflower, a quaint Vietnamese restaurant in the Mission. My dad, however, said it was the worst meal he had ever eaten...Come on, really?! He eats just about anything! Yeah, so I completely struck out that day.
Saturday, though, I think I was able to redeem myself. We rented a car and drove through Golden Gate Park to the beach. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and headed to Muir Woods and kept right on driving because it was too busy! I have filed this note into my tour-guide book...don't go to Muir Woods on the weekend! We stopped at Stinson Beach to walk on the beach and have lunch. Slowly, we made our way up HWY 1, stopping to see seals, walk on the beaches, and let cars pass me...apparently 30 MPH is too slow...I haven't driven in a while!! Really, the roads were just too curvy!
Our destination all along had been Point Reyes National Seashore. I had actually read about it in Real Simple Travel magazine and it is only about 50 miles from SF. It was so beautiful; the waters were blue-green. It was so windy the spray from the waves created a salty mist. This part of the coast--about 7 miles, I think--is known for being really treacherous and windy. In fact, there is no swimming, surfing, wading EVER! And there are sharks, which would be enough to keep me from the water! The area is a crazy combination of pasture lands, sand dunes, and this amazing seashore. We got to the lighthouse after it was closed, but were able to walk out to the point and check out the view. Apparently people go here to whale-watch, the peak season being in January, but we did not see any whales.
We spent the night in Petaluma, a cute, very Californian town. Sunday, when we returned to my apartment, I made them dinner, which they graciously and politely ate. I think I withheld the meat too long because my mom made ribs when they got back to Hibbing! Didn't they always tell me to eat my vegetables? Though, usually they were cold by the time I choked them down with gulps of milk. So things change.
We had a great visit. Through the years they have really turned into my best friends.
I am so lucky.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Girls Rock
Two weeks ago, I went to see the film Girls Rock. It is a documentary about a girls-only, Portland, OR-based, rock and roll camp. It follows the 2005 camp week and specifically, follows 5-6 girls closely. The girls' ages range from 7-17. They are amazingly self-aware. What struck me the most was some of the girls where so uninhabited and just loved what they were doing--they were not afraid to be themselves. Most of them realize they have this talent--music--and are going to do whatever it takes to play, sing and "rock out." FYI: This can mean many things--including screaming into the microphone, playing a guitar across the back of your neck, and drum solos, among other things.
The film is so sweet and heartbreaking at the same time!
It made me remember (as if I could forget) how hard it is to grow up and grow up being a girl. It is so hard to teach girls, especially in this day and age, how to remain true to themselves, not apologize for being who they are, and not to get caught up in the pressures. Actually, I still struggle myself. Anyway, I think it is limited theaters right now, but might expand, with popularity. Definitely check it out at Girls Rock.
The film is so sweet and heartbreaking at the same time!
It made me remember (as if I could forget) how hard it is to grow up and grow up being a girl. It is so hard to teach girls, especially in this day and age, how to remain true to themselves, not apologize for being who they are, and not to get caught up in the pressures. Actually, I still struggle myself. Anyway, I think it is limited theaters right now, but might expand, with popularity. Definitely check it out at Girls Rock.
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