Somehow I ended up tossing logs up a steep hill today. I'm sure I'll be sore, but I loved every minute of it.
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLKJ Day of Service
Somehow I ended up tossing logs up a steep hill today. I'm sure I'll be sore, but I loved every minute of it.
What the Body Can Do
I've spent a fair amount of the hours in 2008 marveling at the human body.
My mom made the doctors' jaws drop when she basically did a pull-up in her hospital bed a few days after her 2nd hip surgery. It was easier to get the linens sorted that way.
The men's gymnastics at the Olympics this year had me googling "Iron Cross" late into the night.
And by most measures, I've healed pretty quickly. I've already mostly forgotten more pain than I think I'd experienced cumulatively up until this year. Last week I finished physical therapy. Although I'll count it as a very positive experience, I'm looking forward to overhearing very bad pickup attempts at 24 Hour Fitness instead of anecdotes of being shot 8 times. Just the therapists words, though, "I have no restrictions for you. You can do whatever you want to." still make me giddy. Whatever I Want To! To quote my friend Kristin, what will that look like??
Tomorrow, at least, it will look like planting, pruning, and clearing at Balboa Park as part of an interfaith MLKJ day of service. I hope to take a few photos of this enormous treat that right now I'm too excited about to sleep.
In the future, who knows? I think I've missed a few too many crucial years of training to get close to the video below, but seeing Streb vs. Gravity tonight kicked my wonder at the human body up about a bazillion percent. I highly recommend.
As a modern dance performance, I most appreciated the performers sense of fun and irreverence throughout and the utterly fearless falling. You can find out more about the company here.
My mom made the doctors' jaws drop when she basically did a pull-up in her hospital bed a few days after her 2nd hip surgery. It was easier to get the linens sorted that way.
The men's gymnastics at the Olympics this year had me googling "Iron Cross" late into the night.
And by most measures, I've healed pretty quickly. I've already mostly forgotten more pain than I think I'd experienced cumulatively up until this year. Last week I finished physical therapy. Although I'll count it as a very positive experience, I'm looking forward to overhearing very bad pickup attempts at 24 Hour Fitness instead of anecdotes of being shot 8 times. Just the therapists words, though, "I have no restrictions for you. You can do whatever you want to." still make me giddy. Whatever I Want To! To quote my friend Kristin, what will that look like??
Tomorrow, at least, it will look like planting, pruning, and clearing at Balboa Park as part of an interfaith MLKJ day of service. I hope to take a few photos of this enormous treat that right now I'm too excited about to sleep.
In the future, who knows? I think I've missed a few too many crucial years of training to get close to the video below, but seeing Streb vs. Gravity tonight kicked my wonder at the human body up about a bazillion percent. I highly recommend.
As a modern dance performance, I most appreciated the performers sense of fun and irreverence throughout and the utterly fearless falling. You can find out more about the company here.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Into '09
I don't think it will come as a surprise that I'm ever so happy to welcome an officially New Year. I'm excited to see what Mark and I will create in the year ahead. What our home will look like, the decisions we make about what's important in our lives, and the experiences we choose this year will little by little create a memory of '09 that is unknowable right now, and that's very fun to think about. Then there's the looking back. I feel drawn to do a lot of that lately, and I'm working on a list of Good things that happened in '08. Because while I am kinda glad to close the door on that year, fantastic things did happen, and I don't want to remember it as a giant black spot. So that's to come.
For now I have a few holiday highlights to share.
I didn't get very crazy with the wrapping or decor this year. In fact, in a lot of ways our holidays were about keeping things simple. So we enjoyed a couple of seasonal changes in our home, but mainly we upped usage of the warm and cozy things that are always here. We played more music, spent more time sharing blankets, and lit a lot more candles.
Hanukkah was great this year. We took a look at our presents all lined up the night before and Mark said, "You know, all our lives we've had this night before things start, and we stare at the presents and get all amped up, trying not to peek. Do you want to just go for it?" And I said "Yes." Then we celebrated the real eight nights which fell across Christmas and my birthday.
Christmas was wacky. At my parents house, as usual. But we celebrated a lot on Christmas eve, which, growing up, was strictly reserved for wrapping presents until midnight and freaking out about trinkets that we hid too well. Hey, everyone has their family traditions. Once I convinced myself that I wasn't doing the verboten by opening presents early, it was quite lovely. My mom lost no gifties (we think) ate a fantastic meal, and were ready for bed in normal diurnal fashion. Dad even helped with dinner and made some of the best ever biscuits. Beer biscuits, of course.
Christmas day was the usual with more family and the absolutely essential breakfast sandwich. We pumped that up this year with free range bacon and raw Oregon cheddar from Homegrown Meats. A big new favorite around here.
A quiet few days ensued, and then it was my birthday. We went to dinner, took a lovely drive, had a smooch,
and went to one of my favorite places in San Diego the next day for a small hike.
The 30th, we took in the Holiday Bowl, which is always great football. We got wonderful seats and managed to stay warm with some very careful layering.
Surprisingly, New Year's Eve exceeded our expectations. We had dinner with the lovely Kelley and Steve within walking distance of their place, and worked in games, bubbly, and a few fireworks by midnight. Which struck, and amen!
So that's it. Now I'm tasked with getting in a little bit of exercise so that I don't get too too chastised when I go back to pt next week. Let's hope for a very productive week?
For now I have a few holiday highlights to share.
I didn't get very crazy with the wrapping or decor this year. In fact, in a lot of ways our holidays were about keeping things simple. So we enjoyed a couple of seasonal changes in our home, but mainly we upped usage of the warm and cozy things that are always here. We played more music, spent more time sharing blankets, and lit a lot more candles.
Hanukkah was great this year. We took a look at our presents all lined up the night before and Mark said, "You know, all our lives we've had this night before things start, and we stare at the presents and get all amped up, trying not to peek. Do you want to just go for it?" And I said "Yes." Then we celebrated the real eight nights which fell across Christmas and my birthday.Christmas was wacky. At my parents house, as usual. But we celebrated a lot on Christmas eve, which, growing up, was strictly reserved for wrapping presents until midnight and freaking out about trinkets that we hid too well. Hey, everyone has their family traditions. Once I convinced myself that I wasn't doing the verboten by opening presents early, it was quite lovely. My mom lost no gifties (we think) ate a fantastic meal, and were ready for bed in normal diurnal fashion. Dad even helped with dinner and made some of the best ever biscuits. Beer biscuits, of course.
Christmas day was the usual with more family and the absolutely essential breakfast sandwich. We pumped that up this year with free range bacon and raw Oregon cheddar from Homegrown Meats. A big new favorite around here.A quiet few days ensued, and then it was my birthday. We went to dinner, took a lovely drive, had a smooch,
and went to one of my favorite places in San Diego the next day for a small hike.
The 30th, we took in the Holiday Bowl, which is always great football. We got wonderful seats and managed to stay warm with some very careful layering.
Surprisingly, New Year's Eve exceeded our expectations. We had dinner with the lovely Kelley and Steve within walking distance of their place, and worked in games, bubbly, and a few fireworks by midnight. Which struck, and amen!So that's it. Now I'm tasked with getting in a little bit of exercise so that I don't get too too chastised when I go back to pt next week. Let's hope for a very productive week?
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Another Photo Submission
A while back a photo newsletter I subscribe to sent out a list of photo contests to enter. One caught my eye right away because of its theme. Started in 1999, M.I.L.K. stands for Moments of Intimacy, Laughter, and Kinship. My favorite moments, really. I didn't think I had anything to contribute, and am genetically predisposed to Not throw my hat in, in general (the downside of humility). But after such a great family-oriented trip up north, and after MUCH incredibly kind encouragement from my dad, I went for it. The judging won't be announced until March of next year, but in the meantime, this little guy is hoping someone really really likes him:
At any rate, I do. Big thanks to Dave, Simone, and Mark for spilling over with kinship and laughter.
Also, head over to the M.I.L.K. website to view some past winners. I think they're full of especially beautiful messages to consider this time of year. Click here, then go to M.I.L.K Images under About M.I.L.K.
At any rate, I do. Big thanks to Dave, Simone, and Mark for spilling over with kinship and laughter.Also, head over to the M.I.L.K. website to view some past winners. I think they're full of especially beautiful messages to consider this time of year. Click here, then go to M.I.L.K Images under About M.I.L.K.
Monday, December 22, 2008
I Guess This Is My Holiday Letter
Or really, it's far more informative than any holiday letter I'd send. And I never sent any holiday letters anyway. Interesting. So while this has been a pretty crap year for me, it's been a year of unprecedented Jess access for you! Is that a good thing? Well. As much as I'm pining for '09 I've got a little more to fill you in on before it's over. And one more apology for not posting in so long. Oops.
Two weeks ago I had a set of very opposite doctors' appointments. The first was my dermy, Dr. Ld. That awesome acne that I've had since May or June is still hanging around despite one antibiotic and a slew of topicals. Lucky for me it's winter now and I don't have to debate too long before dressing. Anyway I thought I'd give dermy another shot at making me less uncomfortable. Not so much luck. I encountered that oh so familiar frustration with dermatology. Lots of shrugging by Dr. Ld. Sympathetic shrugging, and the suggestion that things would probably settle down in time. I did get a jar of goo that's so strong my face was peeling 5 days after I stopped using it. Yow. And he did offer to do some hormone testing, blood tests, that would basically just confirm that I'm out of whack right now without offering much treatment suggestion. So after I said no, thank you, we shook hands and agreed to meet again in February. He left, and I burst into tears. Ridculous. I am scared of poking around too much, terrified of more abnormal test results, even if it's just wacky hormones that I already knew about.
That said, I will do the test in February if I'm still looking like a teenager in the worst way.
My second appointment was with my radiation Oncologyst, Dr. W. He's in the same place I had my radiation treatments. As I was waiting for him, I got to see some of my favorite of his staff. And then a woman came out from the treatment area and said to the front office girls, "I don't know what I ever did with myself without you guys!" I think she was only about 10% kiding. Dr. W was lovely as usual. He did a full exam and then told me to call if anything came up, that he'd always be available, but that he didn't expect to see me in his office again. "WHAT?" I said. "This is my last appointment?!" And he said, "Yep. Happy Hanukkah!"
After he left the office I did a Snoopy dance.
----
Remember that new baby in the family? Last week we went up to see her and her new biggest fans, Mom, Dad, Big Sister, & Grandparents. Think she was very cute?
Oh, just a little bit. Everyone else looked marvelous as well. Except Zara is 3, so she moves a little fast for me to prove it with my camera.
A rare non-blurry snap. We did have a great early Hanukkah, thanks to our crack latke team.
We took several beautiful jaunts to Sonoma, Occidental, and Freestone.
Holiday plans for us are: Hanukkah every night at home, Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas Day there for me while Mark tends the people at work. We have small plans for New Years Eve, and I'll try to grab a few photos of it all. If I'm not in touch as much as I'd like, I wish you the happiest holidays and a wonderful, healthy New Year.
Two weeks ago I had a set of very opposite doctors' appointments. The first was my dermy, Dr. Ld. That awesome acne that I've had since May or June is still hanging around despite one antibiotic and a slew of topicals. Lucky for me it's winter now and I don't have to debate too long before dressing. Anyway I thought I'd give dermy another shot at making me less uncomfortable. Not so much luck. I encountered that oh so familiar frustration with dermatology. Lots of shrugging by Dr. Ld. Sympathetic shrugging, and the suggestion that things would probably settle down in time. I did get a jar of goo that's so strong my face was peeling 5 days after I stopped using it. Yow. And he did offer to do some hormone testing, blood tests, that would basically just confirm that I'm out of whack right now without offering much treatment suggestion. So after I said no, thank you, we shook hands and agreed to meet again in February. He left, and I burst into tears. Ridculous. I am scared of poking around too much, terrified of more abnormal test results, even if it's just wacky hormones that I already knew about.
That said, I will do the test in February if I'm still looking like a teenager in the worst way.
My second appointment was with my radiation Oncologyst, Dr. W. He's in the same place I had my radiation treatments. As I was waiting for him, I got to see some of my favorite of his staff. And then a woman came out from the treatment area and said to the front office girls, "I don't know what I ever did with myself without you guys!" I think she was only about 10% kiding. Dr. W was lovely as usual. He did a full exam and then told me to call if anything came up, that he'd always be available, but that he didn't expect to see me in his office again. "WHAT?" I said. "This is my last appointment?!" And he said, "Yep. Happy Hanukkah!"
After he left the office I did a Snoopy dance.
----
Remember that new baby in the family? Last week we went up to see her and her new biggest fans, Mom, Dad, Big Sister, & Grandparents. Think she was very cute?
Oh, just a little bit. Everyone else looked marvelous as well. Except Zara is 3, so she moves a little fast for me to prove it with my camera.
A rare non-blurry snap. We did have a great early Hanukkah, thanks to our crack latke team.
We took several beautiful jaunts to Sonoma, Occidental, and Freestone.
Holiday plans for us are: Hanukkah every night at home, Christmas Eve with my parents and Christmas Day there for me while Mark tends the people at work. We have small plans for New Years Eve, and I'll try to grab a few photos of it all. If I'm not in touch as much as I'd like, I wish you the happiest holidays and a wonderful, healthy New Year.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
I Took A Decent Photograph
I got a fabulous email the other day out of the blue, asking me if I'd mind having a photo I took in Portland considered for the newest Schmap. I said sure and forgot about it. Then I got another great email (see below).
You can check it all out by scrolling down and clicking on the orange Schmap badge on the right. This is almost as flattering as having my dad set a slide show of my photos as a screen-saver. Yay!
You can check it all out by scrolling down and clicking on the orange Schmap badge on the right. This is almost as flattering as having my dad set a slide show of my photos as a screen-saver. Yay!
 clipped from www.flickr.com
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Tuesday, December 2, 2008
That Would Be A NO
Last time I visited Dr. Ls (looks good and I can run) I met his new receptionist. Nice, young man very eager to fetch me water. Frankly, though his last receptionist was very sweet, I wasn't very surprised that she was gone. Mainly because she took 6 weeks to deliver a message of mine to him, which prompted the whole last minute before surgery skin freak-out, medication change, and hive episode. Fun stuff.
I don't know why sweet, gorgeous ex-receptionist was let go. Now that I'm not freaking out or hivey, I'm sure there was more to it, and I hope she's happier somewhere else. But I did hear something today about some staffing replacements. Seems that the Oxygen reality show participants have made some choices that, while probably being good for the offices, will be GREAT for entertainment. Two newbies who's extra-curricular activities could also be Halloween costumes.
So have you guessed yet whether or not I'm doing it? Really I have two reasons for issuing the Negatory.
1) Point by Sharp Social Worker - This isn't my only opportunity to tell my story.
2) Point by Mark - I would react badly if misrepresented. Or more bluntly put by Thea: "This would bring out your worst personality traits." How these two know my itchy righteous-indignation trigger. Handy when someone up and tries to take advantage of you, but not something to invite into an otherwise peaceful life.
Rest easy, America. You'll get no Real Housewife-ing out of me!
I don't know why sweet, gorgeous ex-receptionist was let go. Now that I'm not freaking out or hivey, I'm sure there was more to it, and I hope she's happier somewhere else. But I did hear something today about some staffing replacements. Seems that the Oxygen reality show participants have made some choices that, while probably being good for the offices, will be GREAT for entertainment. Two newbies who's extra-curricular activities could also be Halloween costumes.
So have you guessed yet whether or not I'm doing it? Really I have two reasons for issuing the Negatory.
1) Point by Sharp Social Worker - This isn't my only opportunity to tell my story.
2) Point by Mark - I would react badly if misrepresented. Or more bluntly put by Thea: "This would bring out your worst personality traits." How these two know my itchy righteous-indignation trigger. Handy when someone up and tries to take advantage of you, but not something to invite into an otherwise peaceful life.
Rest easy, America. You'll get no Real Housewife-ing out of me!
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