Super smiley India

Super smiley India
Originally uploaded by pamplemousse2007.

I got to borrow my sister's dog today and took a walk up from San Anselmo along this great open ridge, lots of wildflowers. India (the dog) was a very happy girl, as is evidenced in this photo!

Austin, day 2

Sunday was as gorgeous as it gets and several locals reassured me that this is, indeed, the best time of year for weather in Austin. I figured out how to escape the whole crazy freeway system and drove around the University of Texas and then down along Duncan Park on North Lamar Blvd, where I saw lots of people out and about, dogs romping in the creek that ran parallel to me as I neared Town Lake. Dogs offleash enjoying a creek! It's a miracle!

I passed a huge REI and Whole Foods and then crossed a bridge to South Austin, where I had read that the 'weird Austin' lives strong.

There were lots of people out in kayaks and canoes on the lake having what looked like a purely delightful time.

South Austin looked like a lively, colorful mix of Chico (little bungalows) and South of Market (artistan things, funky restaurants) and Todos Santos (the color, the Mexican influence). I visited a strip of funky fabulous stores on South Congress and had a lovely lunch. I was hoping to buy some boots at Allen's, but the prices were serious, so I decided to wait until a later date. But the boots were divine. I think I may have drooled when I saw a tan pair with amazing pink detailing. I just couldn't justify $400 for them, despite their charms.

I think my favorite store was "parts & labour", which stocks things made by local artisans - handbags, melted LP bowls, jewelry. I like supporting that kind of enterprise. I fell in love with and acquired a vinyl messenger-style bag with a funny robot on it, but had to leave behind the purse with an authentic Dodge "Swinger" emblem on it. Sigh. The artisan who made my bag is Milinde Lawless.

Drove back up through downtown and saw what I found out later is the very recently imploded Intel building. (As in, they set off the explosives this morning!)

Got totally frustrated trying to navigate back to my hotel. I think the freeway up in North Austin should get a D minus on usability.

I had my lovely leftover ribs for a dinner with the Oscars, although I had to wait for them to thaw. Somehow my little refrig in the hotel room was jacked up high and froze everything. After waiting an hour or two and eating cold ribs and beans, I then of course discovered that all along there had been a microwave cleverly hidden in the cabinet above the refrigerator. Doh!

Stephen Huneck

Another dog artist I love. Hey GP, he's from Vermont!

fruit, walking

I recently hired a coach and all of the goals we outlined in my plan are now kind of up in the air, so my whole focus this week is truly simple: walk every day, eat more fruit.

I'm very glad I found this coach; she was supportive without being gushy, has a great sense of humor and was not thrown off by all the rollercoaster activity of my last week. She also pointed out strengths she thinks I have and helped me focus on those, instead of getting bogged down in the negative. Very affirming and motivating.

She said something like - well, it seems you have your palms up and are saying, ok, i'm flexible, it can be Austin or DC or Berkeley and I'd be excited for any of those. And that puts you (me) in a great position, it's a strength. I also described to her all of the things I like about what the company does for its customers and how that makes it even more worth it to be that open.

Everyone has been so supportive about Velda. I'm so wiped about it but don't want to be weepy and sentimental with people in person - it just feels private. I also feel like I've been inundated with interactivity and just need some time to be all by myself. Thank goodness it's the weekend finally.

sweetie dog

My sweetest little pal ever, Miss Velda, has gone on to the doggie park in the sky. We knew she had tons of tumors and it was just a wait-and-see thing...but it's never welcome to lose someone like that. And yes, I think of my dog as a someone. Anyhow, it got bad last night and I had to take her in to the vet.

What was good - Velda had a great quality of life right up to the last day. And the wonderful Dr. Rock Irvine got on the phone (even though it was 9 pm) to talk me through it.

I was so lucky to have this quirky goofball in my life for so many years. Smart, stubborn, independent, and, when no one was looking, very affectionate, she stole my heart completely.

This first photo is "Mother Mary Velda" at my mom's chilly house in Jacksonville, Oregon, last Christmas. She withstood my torturing her with outfits and such so patiently. Even a hoodie sweater was tolerated. Here she is also at Alston Park in Napa.

She always became fully engaged in a dig. Notice the kicky collar with the ladybugs. That was a gift from my wonderful sister.

I can't write about my feelings on this right now, since I need to keep my @(*#&$ together today at work.

all that is yum, amid the yuck

While the logistics of yesterday drove me to curse and pound my futile little fists on the steering wheel of my shamefully gas-guzzling SUV, the other joys of the day were extraordinary.

Could not get Internet connection at my Napa Fed-Ex Kinko's (on a day when I was telecommuting) and it took me about 1/2 hour to get someone to tell me why and realize that I had to drive at least an hour away to get to a working T-Mobile HotSpot. Headed to Petaluma, since I was having lunch there with a friend there later and hoping that the Fed-Ex Kinko's there would let me connect. After a 1/2 hour futzing about discovering that there was no hot-spot and that their "lap-net" service was hosed, finally logged on using one of their desktops at a steep 25 cents per minute. Oy vey.

Trekked over to the new PRBO offices to meet with my old friend Claire Peaslee. The new facility is just stunning - a nice clean library, an amazing wet lab, computer classroom, lofty ceilings, a beautiful view of Shollenberger Park. Just wow.

We had lunch at a place called "Della Fattoria" and it was a very happy surprise. Warm colors, comfortable small dining room, incredible organic, high-quality food. I had, for example, a stew with sweet potato, onion, big white beans, duck and pork. It was scumptious. And it was soul-filling to talk with Claire and get caught up. She's doing some very intriguing things with a thing called Action Theater, which I'll have to learn more about.

We found parking right in front of the restaurant, first stroke of luck. Then, when I ordered my stew, the gal at the counter relayed to her fellow server, "Ok, that's it for the duck. No more orders for duck." So second stroke of luck was getting that last morsel of duckiness in my stew. Third stroke was that the place was just emptying out when we got there but then a huge line formed behind us.

Petaluma has changed so much over just the past year! I like the architecture of the new riverfront condos and such. I think it is respectful of the rural area, echoing farm buildings, while being exciting and contemporary.

So after going back to my computer at Petaluma's FedEx-Kinko's and racking up another big connectivity charge, I finally was done with work for the day and could take my dog to Petaluma's fine dog park (also out near Shollenberger.) It was freezing cold and blowy, very unusual for the bay area. So a bit more yuck occurred here as my dog decided that she had no intention of returning to captivity in the vehicle. I chased her for about 15 minutes, teeth chattering and muttered curses flying, before I got a leash on her again. She didn't look the slightest bit abashed. Plus, when I put her back in the car (I have to lift her due to her leg injuries), I got that dead thing she rolled in all over my hands and had to smell that all the way back to Napa.

Claire is going to be doing a naturalist talk on this Saturday's "West Coast Live", which they'll be broadcasting live from the SF Ferry Building. I think I'll be listening as I drive around Oakland neighborhoods looking at apartments for rent. It would be fun to go to the show, but I think I can't spare the time.

Tomorrow my escrow is supposed to close. Finally. Please please let it be so. It was originally to close on December 21 and it has been pushed out twice due to the buyers' inability to get their financing processed. Very frustrating.

More on la Chenoweth + East Bay thoughts

This blog has some interesting reactions to the NY Times article about our darling Ms. Chenoweth. I'm finding that having a google news alert for her and getting the daily Sojourners email newsletter is giving me more sources for intelligent liberal Christian (and non-Christian) voices, which I enjoy.

Had a nice chat with my sponsor last night on my drive home. She is sending me contact info for our old 'homie' Molly, who is now living in Oakland. It'll be great to chat with her again and to hear about what's up housing-wise over here from someone I trust.

What I like about Berkeley and Oakland:

1. Close to this job. Was feeling like I might jump ship to the San Rafael company, but lately am getting a very positive vibe about staying right where I am. Got an excellent review from my boss and such genuine concern when I told people about my car accident. Also my boss is taking action on a personnel issue that I was worried would just be ignored, so that is also encouraging. So, it would be nice to have a small commute. It's a serious quality-of-life issue.

2. A new place to explore, paint, photograph, blog about.

3. Seems to have much more in the way of young people, single men, artists, book stores (Moe's is my all-time favorite!) , urban things in general than does Marin. (But what doesn't?)

4. Still close enough to Marin to see Camilla regularly, hang out with other Marin friends on weekends and such.

5. Way more affordable.

6. Isabel Point dog park is lovely. Also like the park at the Berkeley Marina.

7. Easy to take night art classes at CCA or Berkeley. Cheaper studio space.

Well and just this moment, my lovely coworker Cheryl dropped by my desk to offer me a personal tour of the Grand Lake area some weekend day. She grew up in Ross and said she was especially good at relating various Oakland areas to Marin areas I would know. How nice is that???

Edge case

My art, when will I have time for it when I have to paint, pack move? Will I have to sneak in a doodle here or there, around the edges?

I see the words "my art" that I just typed. I think perhaps that makes no sense, that phrase. What about the creative activity I enjoy can be "mine" in the same way as a teapot? Hmmph.


I have this very cool book called "Drawing From Life - The Journal as Art" in which one of my favorite journals is this very dense pen and ink work a guy did every day on his subway ride in NYC.

I had a couple of reactions to this:

a - why can't I have a subway ride? if only I had a subway ride, I would be fulfilled happy artist with a cool journal

b - if that guy can do such cool artwork on the 'fringe' of his day, surely there is something I can find to do, some edge or fringe that I am overlooking.

I have been trying to remember to bring my sketchbook whenever I am going to be sitting around the dog park. Part of me thinks - who am I kidding, these dogs keep moving too much and I'll never get any fruitful sketching done this way. But I gave it a shot anyhow, because what can it hurt, and when I looked at the page the next day, I thought it was pretty cool. Worth doing.

Part of my challenge is to be braver about drawing stuff when I'm in public and people can see me. I get so shy about it and I also worry that people will get upset if I am making them my subject.