The Colors, they are a Changing!

This was it...the last day to finish up all of the errands and finalize the details for the grand move out west. The day consisted of a lot of errands, follow-up, running around and even a bout of getting lost in some alternate universe known as Paterson, New Jersey...let it suffice to say that for myself personally, I do not plan to return! Crazy streets, crazy neighborhoods and a very odd vibe...enough said!

It took about 8 hours to get the last of everything done, and then it was another drive back to Larry and Trish's house upstate. Here is the big payoff for the day - there are seasons back here on the East Coast and the leaves are changing color every time you look at them...absolutely beautiful! I was really grateful to get the opportunity to see it in the daylight (we drove up in the dark last night) and really enjoy just how beautiful it can be to transition out of one season and into the next.

A couple interesting stories of note: Eric had a shirt that we found (Bloomingdale's receipt and all) in one of the many closets that he bought as a gift and never gave. We called to confirm their return policy and decided that it was certainly worth it to stop in and get the refund. This was one of the last stops of the day, so I volunteered to go in. I had the grand fortune of connecting with the most unhappy and stubborn of employees who really didn't want to help me. Too bad his stubborn attempts were no match for MY grand stubborn streak - the snottier he got, the more deliberate I became that I wanted the refund on a Bloomingdale's gift card; he even said to me on several occasions, "You're not making this very easy for me." My natural reply, "NOPE" I wasn't mean or snotty, just stubborn...perhaps there is a little lesson in customer service for our Bloomingdale's friend there!

The other cool event of the day was dinner with Larry, Trish and Shaw - our hosts for the past two nights. We went to a local restaurant called "Mt. Fuji"...think of it as Benihana with a view. The evening was great and the food awesome. Trish summed it all up when she toasted the group with a simple, "To good friends...forever." Nicely put and very apropos. The colors may be a changing, but loyalties are here to stay!

Farewell to the City

Today was a busy day...the movers did their gig! I must admit that I had some concerns about how things were going to turn out when the movers didn't show at 8...9...it was almost 10 and I had visions of my next blog entry, 'It's 10am, do you know where your movers are?' Fortunately, they showed up with 4 guys at about 10:15 and busted a move to finish up by about 5:30.

76 boxes and 1765 cubic feet later (you pay by the cubic foot in the game of moving), the truck was loaded. Who knows how many trips it was up and down between the apartment and the truck; I can tell you that I am super glad for the wheel and the elevator - just for the bit of stuff that I carted down 16 floors over the past few days.

We watched the sun set over NYC from the balcony of Eric's apartment and couldn't help but feel a mixed sense of sadness (Eric will miss his many fans to whom he is waving at in the picture above) and excitement at what lies ahead in the next few months and even years...things are looking very promising!
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A Bridge with a View

Packinglogue, day 4...we finished! To be clear, we cleared out every drawer, cupboard, closet, cabinet and nook in the apartment. Four trips down to the dumpster later the trash was out. It looks like we have about two carloads to take to Goodwill tomorrow and THEN the movers can do their stuff.

In celebration of finishing the apartment, we left for JFK to pick up the rental car (the Audi ships off tomorrow too!), which is quite a jaunt from Hackensack, let me tell you...3-hours round trip to be exact! That is a lot of time on the road, tolls and views of the city from different bridges!

There is still a lot to do but at the same time we are enjoying the brief lull in the action until everything starts up again at 8am tomorrow...it should be exciting!

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Thinking Outside the Box

Today was the first day that we got REALLY serious about the move preparations and we made tracks against the list! We knew that once we got rolling, we would build on the momentum, but tackling that first drawer proved a bit daunting.

Fast forward about 3 hours and we were on fire! Actually, we were starting to sag a bit and that spare room closet was stressing me out! Eric made us some iced coffees and we jumped back into the project, appropriately caffeinated. We are now down to 3 more areas tomorrow (including the notorious walk-in closet) and then all of the wine on Monday...I think that we are on-track!

The highlight of the day was dinner at Julia & John's place on the Upper West Side (I make the reference because I finally understand geographically what that means in terms of the layout of the city!). Dinner was GREAT and the company even better...including Eric's 5-year prediction for both Julia and I (curious? You will have to stay tuned to know what we are doing and verify that Eric was right!)

Tomorrow is the day that we get everything wrapped up and finalized before the movers arrive on Monday. Let's hope that we continue to work INside the box and finish up on time!

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The Last Fancy Meal

This trip has a lot of milestones in it as Eric packs up 10 years with Jamba and a 4-year stint on the East Coast to move back to the Bay Area for a whole new start. Today's milestone was around entertaining in Eric's apartment - he is known to be quite the host and over the years he (and sometimes we if I came out to help) would hold a great evening filled with good food, good wine and most importantly good friends and conversation.

Tonight was the last fancy meal. We go out tomorrow to another friend's house,Sunday will be leftovers and the movers come on Monday, so this was it. Ian was the guest of honor tonight (you can see him on the left in our little self-portrait above) and we tried to not disappoint. Appetizers were a deconstructed bruschetta (I've clearly been watching too much TOP CHEF), then we had a great beet and goat cheese salad. Eric and Ian enjoyed sirloin steak while I had shrimp and scallops. Top it off with sauteed mushrooms, acorn squash (mashed with butter, brown sugar and fresh ground nutmeg) and my FAVORITE awesome cheesy potatoes and you can imagine one heck of a meal. We finished with peanut butter cup brownies topped with raspberries and whipped cream....good grief, I'm full

I think that Eric gets full points for making the last dinner a great one and thanks to Ian for being such great company!

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No "Nor'easter" will dampen our spirits!

This photo may or may not be representative of what it currently looks like outside, but it is the best that I can do given the fact that I inadvertently drained the battery on my Blackberry by carrying it around in my pocket without it's holster (lesson learned!). The winds started at about noon today, followed by the rain at about 7pm...just in time for our outing in the City.

Let me back up just a bit and recap the day. You might recall that Eric celebrated his last day of work yesterday, however it appears that no one told him, as he was on the phone all morning and into the afternoon plus some time on the computer too. Crazy needs to let it go! We did cancel all of the utilities so some move-out preparations were done...check!

Once we broke Eric away from his tasks, we set about the fine township of Hackensack for a variety of errands. I must have heard at least a dozen people talk about "The Nor'easter" that is due to blow in...I finally had to ask if that meant we were going on some kind of storm-watch! A little research on my end uncovered that it just means that a storm is coming, there will be much rain, it will get cold and there will be winds - some gusts and very strong at times.

Knowing that we were not facing some sort of weather disaster, we went to the Mermaid Inn on the Lower East Side for a great meal (and had a very nice time with Cyndi), then set off to meet the gang at Lucky Chang's - a drag karaoke bar. It was raining by the time we left dinner, but the 5 blocks or so were a welcome and quick walk after a very delicious and filling dinner.

Due to some scheduling misunderstandings, we did not get the entertainment that we were hoping for at Chang's, but we were lucky enough to get directions to a karaoke bar about 12 blocks away.

We showed up to a packed house at the Planet Rose in Greenwich Village and shared the mike with some very fun albeit interesting characters...their song choices were definitely more of the Pearl Jam/Seattle grunge genre. Some pretty angry lyrics, wooo! We peppered in a lot of 80's and metal, so there was a little something for everyone.

We said our goodbyes with hoarse voices (all of that singing along puts quite a strain on the pipes) and set out on our separate ways in the rain. Being the crazy one from California, I did not have an umbrella, so after a couple of blocks, I clearly showed the effects of the Nor'easter. No matter, though...we are having a good time out here and no amount of wind or rain will dampen our spirits!

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A CLASSY farewell

Greetings from the Big Apple. The quality in this photo is not so hot, but that is Eric holding his celebratory balloons in front of the Hooters in Manhattan. Yes, his team decided to have his farewell to Jamba and the East Coast party at this classy and fine dining establishment.

In defense of the NYC Jamba team (who are among the finest in character, I can assure you), they do really enjoy the wings and the price is right when you are looking to feed a big group on a budget...especially when they are going dutch. The festivities began at about 5 pm, but I was late because my plane didn't land at JFK until about 5:30. I avoided telling the cab driver exactly where I was headed, but opted instead to give him the cross streets to get me into the City. Really, who gets off a plane and rolls their luggage into Hooters?

My reception from the team was loud and enthusiastic and the NY adventure has begun! I am here through next Wednesday with the primary purpose to help Eric get packed and moved back to the Bay Area, but I suspect that we will find many other activities to entertain us along the way.

Watch for our shenanigans right here on the blog; rumor has it that we are meeting many of the same NYC managers and dms for karaoke at a drag club tomorrow night...if nothing else, it will make for some great stories!

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What are the signs of the apocalypse again??

I was walking the dogs in Wood Ranch (a community in Simi Valley that the pups and I enjoy for it's numerous green belts and absence of traffic plus the occasional critter, which keeps everyone very interested, attentive and safe) this evening when I realized that there was a noise in the background that was somewhat shrill and annoying. I had been hearing-but-blocking it for a while, but then suddenly it snapped into my consciousness and I realized that something was weird. Crows - lots of crows - like THOUSANDS of crows - were flying overhead in a huge mass from nowhere specific to nowhere specific as far as I could see. It went on and on and ON, with the flying, the crowing and the general racket/disturbance that one might associate with a huge show of force in the crow community.

As I was watching and listening to these things fly overhead, I thought of my friends Maya and Mike who often refer to things going wrong at work as being signs of the apocalypse. Then I started to wonder, what ARE those signs? I was pretty sure that noisy crows descending upon a small bedroom community in eastern Ventura County did not count as one, but what does? A quick Googling nets many different answers - the one from WikiAnswers seemed to be the most basic in it's assessment. War, famine, disease, crime, having no love (as in for poptarts) and earthquakes are all listed as prime candidates. Hmmm, while I don't see murders of flying crows (yes, a group of crows really IS called a murder...look it up!) as definitive signs, it WOULD seem that all is not well here on planet earth!

It is time that we all do our part to right the things that are wrong and control what we can...but for the time I think that we can safely assume that the crows are nothing more than a noisy and odd phenomenon.

You can't compete with cute

A friend sent me an e-mail a week or two ago that had these series of pictures of a squirrel that was adopted by a dog that subsequently had a litter of puppies. SaraJ sent this to me because we used to call her the 'squirrel wrangler' and the photos of this squirrel all curled up with the puppies is far too cute to pass up! The over-arching message was about tolerance and acceptance as well, but the bottom line is, you can't compete with cute, so I am not even going to try!

Strict = Un-Hip

I was cruising through Google Images today as I sometimes do when I am looking for a particular picture or image to support my blog and typed in 'Strict Parents' (more on why that was the topic in a minute). One of the items that came up on the first page included a caption that said '...for un-hip or strict parents...' I have to say that I was a bit taken aback, as it is no great secret that I am incredibly hip, yet most would also describe me as being strict. I have been in complete conflict with my own personality for so long without even realizing it!

This allegation is actually pretty entertaining because I have to admit that at the time I was forming this blog entry in my head, I was not in a truly hip state of mind...I was just kind of irritated - a lot - with the Schnoogs after I learned (at 10:45 pm) that she hadn't finished her homework this weekend. Seriously, it is a good thing that we are in senior year because I don't think that either of us can take another year of my harping and her procrastination that leads to failing to complete her work. The good news about the timing is that while I stewed on it, she went to bed and then I stumbled across this new revelation. I am not really THAT concerned about being hip (because of that natural proclivity of course), nor do I strive or need to be hip in the eyes of my kid - I just want her to take on the appropriate level of accountability - but seeing the accusation there in one place struck me as funny, which gave me some perspective to just let it go. The lecture has been given, I don't need to dwell.

I think that I am OK with this accusation because I am investing in the future and think that in a couple of years Holly will thank me for riding her case so much to get her on the track of personal motivation and commitment. So what if strict = un-hip (for now). Much like everything else we encounter it is all cylcical and one day my nagging will be heralded as the best thing that ever happened...a mom can dream, can't she?

Life on the short bus

I volunteered to be a chaperone on Saturday for Holly's Youth group trip to Magic Mountain - known officially as the 'Hallelujah Jubilee'. This loosely translates to signing up for 12 hours of supervision for 12-15 teens ranging from 12 to 18 years old. I've done it before with no visible marks to show for it and actually rather enjoy the gig, as I like to believe that it keeps me current and hip (something that just comes so naturally to me) with the youth (affectionately referred to as the 'yoot' - something that I must have heard a comedian use once and so I stole it shamelessly)

In addition to the usual excitement that accompanies an all-day trip, we were finally at long last able to take our recently-purchased bus out on its inaugural trip with Steve having passed the appropriate testing for a commercial license. It is a 'short bus' and we were proud to get on board to enjoy the 60 minute ride to Valencia - keeping all arms, hands and limbs inside the windows and our seat belts ON of course!

The trip out was without incident and we enjoyed the musical stylings of Dylan's iPod that could connect through our 1950's sound system on the bus. We rocked out to Def Leppard, Queen and Journey...Steve and I were very happy to know that our music was once again cool, just like us!

Upon our arrival to Six Flags we met up with my friends Kris and Elizabeth (you no doubt recognize them from the England/Shepherd of the Hills notoriety) who were kind enough to agree to help oversee our brood of 13, making us a happy group of 17 all-in. We stuck together through the park for the entire day and given the age range and broad differences in the group, I'd declare the day a complete success and a lot of fun too, even the complete drenching that I received on the Roaring Rapids or whatever the spinning boat in the whitewater is called. We fortunately did it early enough in the day that all of my clothing, shoes, hair AND undergarments were dried off by about 4 pm.

There was one incident with a hat and some shoes belonging to two of the boys that two of the girls thought would be funny to take...I let it ride out for a bit until it looked like we were heading down the Junior High road of immaturity (no disrespect to my JH friends...but let's face it...you can really drag a situation out for some drama if you want to!!) and then invoked my stern voice and authoritative look to persuade the girls that they really wanted to give the items back. It worked without much incident - I knew that Holly could vouch for me if anyone thought that I was bluffing!

After a good long 11 or so hours at the park, we loaded back onto the bus, stopped for dinner and then made the journey home. This is where I suddenly became very uncool (at least in my head...I remained very cool on the exterior!!) I ended up in a seat that was under a speaker and over a wheel well so I was getting blasted out while enjoying very little leg room. The music selections changed from the familiar tunes of the morning ride and while I tried to groove along, I have to admit that the thoughts were in my head, "What IS this music and why is it playing so LOUD???"

When did I become a parent who doesn't understand and appreciate the music of the yoot? I shall have to make a visit to the iTunes library and brush up on my music knowledge to better appreciate my next trip on the short bus!!

Reason #45

It seems that the unemployed life is keeping me too busy to blog, which I am sure comes as a real disappointment to the loyal followers of NFA (Newton Family Adventures, of course!). It isn't as if there isn't plenty of material, because there is, and it isn't as if I don't enjoy it, because I do! It really just seems to be a case of juggling my famous list with making time to hop on the computer...I've been enjoying some quality family time these past evenings!

Let's chat about Friday and the photo you see above. That is a view of Ventura from Oxnard at the beach. Jax and I dubbed it 'reason #45' for anyone considering or needing an excuse to live in Southern Cal. The day was about as perfect as anyone could ask with great weather and sights. It made for an extremely enjoyable Unemployment Friday, which has become a rather popular event.

Started originally as a catch-up time with my friend Jonathan (who is also in between gigs as he has moved back from NYC to be in So Cal for the many reasons as listed above), UF has evolved into a day dedicated to some sort of outdoor physical activity (we walked 5 miles along the beach this week), lunch (yours truly packed a tasty meal that included paninis and cinnamon-strusel muffins), and lots of conversation (including of course the long term future plans).

Popularity is growing for UF with people who plan on being unemployed in the future asking to join now and some just taking time off on Fridays to join in the festivities...we know how to have a good time!

Watch for future UF postings as well as a couple of exciting events in the works...I am going to NYC for a week to help my friend Eric pack up and move across country (Yep! Back to California, although he is going the way of the Bay Area, not quite So Cal but it is in the time zone, which makes me happy!). I have also signed up to do a chaperonning gig today for Holly and the youth group at Magic Mountain - that is certainly a candidate for some good blog fodder!

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What Happens in DC...is available for all to see

Back from our fabulous DC trip, it is a requirement that we share photos, of course! I am pleased to report that the conversion to my desktop computer (from the comfort and convenience of the laptop that sadly had to be given back to it's rightful owners at Jamba) for photos was seamless and it appears that all is also intact for utilizing the tools of Picassa...on track and on task!

At the risk of sounding self-promoting (and I really only worry about that because I have heard that it is not a great trait), the earlier blog entries have captured the trip well and documented all of our antics. The photos here will support the many stories and sharing that was provided and will hopefully allow you a momentary escape to appreciate just how much history and culture we have here. My favorite site remains the WWII Memorial, but that does not in any way diminish my appreciation for the many other monuments and sights to see throughout the city. You can always conduct a virtual tour and decide for yourself!

Enjoy the photos knowing that we really maximized our time in the 'district' while also completing that crazy triathlon in the blistering heat and humidity - we are loyal and true citizens!

Every stop has a story

Well, it wouldn't be a trip to Washington DC without the obligatory photo in front of the White House, and here we are. This was actually our 2nd pass at the front because Secret Service shoo'd us away (and not with kid gloves I might add, they were SERIOUS) when some visiting dignitaries rolled up in their limos and escorts right to the front of the White House entrance. We made the rounds to the back (which I instantly recognized from my years of watching 'West Wing') and then looped to the front again for the quintessential DC landmark picture.

We then strolled a good 2 miles or so to the Jefferson Memorial; another very simple, elegant and impactful display, this one for Thomas Jefferson. I was particularly enamored with the columns and spent some fair time walking around the Memorial and shooting a variety of pictures of them. We spent some time sitting on the stairs staring across the tide basin to the Washington Monument and all the way back to the White House. The city is pretty easy to figure out once you realize that it is broken into quadrants and how the different landmarks distinguish the different areas and destinations.

Lunch was on the go from a very cool organic Mexican food cart (built into a hybrid car, pretty catchy) and then off to the airport. We lucked out with just two legs on this route; Dulles to Midway and then off to LAX. We have been very fortunate to have a great trip and great times, some of which we shared with you here.

I think that Jonathan (aka Jax) put it best when we were recapping the many experiences that we have had on this trip, even when things seemed a little crazy, 'every stop has a story.' So true!

Here's to many more stories on our multi-leg journey through life!

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Tri-ed and True

1-mile swim...check. 26-mile bike...check. 6-mile run...check. Sweaty, tired and proud participants...absolutely!!

We successfully completed what we set out to do and are pleased to report that it all went off without a hitch. That 5 am wake-up call was not the most exciting element of the event, but we got up, applied sunscreen and headed down to the shuttles.

There was a lot of time to kill between when we arrived at 6 and when my swim wave took off at 8:15. The humidity was pretty high and the temps were picking up, but lots of hydration and just sitting in the swim pen helped to keep things in check. Strong-steady-slow is how I would describe my performance in the Potomoc, but finishing without incident and having the backside of the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument in my sights for the entire 2nd half of the course was a nice perk!

Things were getting pretty warm once I hit the bike course which took a number of turns through the city and then meandered out into a nice woodsy area. Not too hilly, I might add that I rocked that route (in my humble opinion) at 1 hour and 29 minutes - that would be an average of about 17 mph!

Jonathan took to the streets at about 10:45 and did a great job on the run...especially given the 'real feel' temperature of 96 degrees, whew! Eric and I walked over to the route and got a glimpse of the J-meister twice on the course, cheering him on of course!

All finished without incident and strong! Eric was a great support for the team and is committed to getting some time in the pool so that he will be ready for the swim in our next event (location tbd).

We are now lounging in the room, waiting for our lunch to arrive and enjoying the cooling benefits of the A/C. Life is good, we feel proud of our little venture today and are going to lie low until it cools off a bit. Rumor has it that we are going to visit a few of the memorials tonight to take advantage of the lighting for dramatic effect!

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Doin' DC Right

What a feast of sights to see! We hit the ground at 9:30 for a breakfast on the go while walking over to the Washington Monument for a 10 am tour. It is a fascinating monument built beginning in the 1840's and finally dedicated and opened in 1885 - it's 555 feet tall and the views are impressive.

Across the lawn we ventured to the WWII memorial. That turned out to be something of an emotional stop for me as I had the opportunity to meet and learn a bit about some WWII vets who were brought to DC as guests of a group called the Guardians. There were so many vets there, walking through the area and sharing memories - it was really a moving experience.

I finally dried my eyes and sauntered (if that is what one does in 85 degree temps with humidity at about the same level) along the reflection pool up to Lincoln's Memorial. I have seen it enough times in pictures and movies that I didn't think it would be that big of a deal - I was wrong and it is. That thing is HUGE! Eric pointed out that part of what makes the Memorial so impactful is its simplicity - larger than life Lincoln in the middle flanked by two walls with letters 5 feet hugh depicting some of his most famous speeches. It really allows who Lincoln was and what he was about to shine through.

We wrapped up the early afternoon with a great lunch at a vegetarian cafe - lots of organic & raw foods - then walked back to our hotel. I headed out to the race start and transition to pick up and rack my bike A special call out to my friends at Tri-Bike Transport for getting my bike safe and sound all the way from Burbank! Things were looking good until I learned that I was not allowed to rack my bike without its race number...which was back at the hotel. No amount of charm and pleasant negotiation would afford me any other answer, so I jumped on my bike and did the 15 mile round trip to the hotel and back. One note of excitement; I didn't exactly know the route back and forth and somehow ended up on the on-ramp for the 395, talk about a harrowing experience! I am pleased to report that all ended well and I safely hopped the median to get back to the frontage road that I was supposed to be on!

Jonathan and I have secured our breakfast for tomorrow and have it on ice. Eric has found us what looks to be a great Italian restaurant and we have reservations for 7:15. The bag is packed, alarm set and we are ready to bring it for the Nation's Tri! Here's hoping for Jonathan's sake I am reasonably fast on the swim and the bike tomorrow - our wave doesn't start until 8 am which potentially puts him in some of the warmest hours of the day. Forecasts are calling for 97 and humid - yikes! Lots of water for everyone!

Here's to a safe and fun event tomorrow, plus more sights of the city!

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Life in seats 11E and 11D

SWA has a great frequent flyer program called Rapid Rewards that makes getting free flights super easy. Given the fact that I have been on between 500 and 600 flights in the last 5 years, I have been graced with the good fortune of being able to fly almost anywhere for next-to-nothing; a great price point for any Unemployment Friday!

The slight downside to this perk is the short routes that Southwest flies...it's a downside when one wishes to travel all the way across the country...it can be done, but on 3 different flights. Soooooo welcome to the view of the day as shown above. Lots of seat time and watching passengers board and de-board as we hopped our way to Tucson, Chicago and then at last - Dulles airport.

We had one little bout of excitement when a passenger got on the plane in Chicago sat in the row behind us and let go a full force sneeze...without covering his mouth. EEEEEEEwwwwww, we were officially skeeved out and I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say we dug out BOTH the Airborne and EmergenCee from my suitcase as soon as we got to baggage claim.

The adventures continue for us as we are now in the city (I left my Blackberry in the cab - thanks to some fast acting and thinking on Jonathan's part and an honest cabbie, we got it back!!), but we are taking everything in stride and are enjoying the time in our Nation's capitol. We are officially registered for Sunday's event and are now sporting our stylish red 'athletes only' wrist bands.

Mr. Paulucci's arrival is the anticipated thrill of the moment as we will then saunter out for a late dinner at Rosa's Mexicana. Off to slumber and then we are out for a big day of sightseeing and photo taking to share with all. Good times indeed!

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DC...here we come!

If you can see the clock on the wall behind Jonathan you might note that it is 4:30 (as in am). Our shuttle pick-up was right on time at 3:35 and the wake up call was at 3. Surprisingly, both JZ and I are in decent shape and are now cooling our heels at gate 14 while we wait for our flight (it's not until 7 so we have some time.) The SuperShuttle people are pretty conservative when it comes to LA traffic in the wee hours of the morning!

Speaking of the SuperShuttle, it was really quite the adventure as we sped and bounced our way to LAX in less than an hour - including a stop to pick up another passenger! Having the driver text while driving about 90 mph made for an especially exciting ride! The good news is that we made it in one piece, checked the bags and have cruised the terminal in search of some grub.

Breakfast was a pricey $18 each for water and a breakfast sandwich...a little over budget for unemployment Friday activities, but people have got to eat and the thought of us flying all day tired AND hungry is a scary for anyone within 100 yards of us.

This is just the beginning of the documentation...stay tuned for the blow by blow coverage!

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A Fond Farewell

Today was the day...very bittersweet indeed. I said goodbye to my friends at Jamba as well as all of the excitement that could only be held at the JJ World Headquarters in Emeryville. (they don't really refer to it as the 'world headquarters', but it makes it seem so much better, doesn't it?)

Leaving Jamba was a tough decision as I have recorded in earlier blogs, but one that still feels right today even after the sentiment of saying goodbye to a LOT of quality people has set in. The best part of it for me at this time is the fact that I get to hang with David & Holly while still keeping in touch with my cool peeps from around the Jamba globe - a true win-win in my book. (that is officially the last bit of business-speak that I will spout for a while, by the way!)

While it is 'ciao for now' to my professional life, we are just getting started on the next chapter of the career. What will it be? College Professor? Writer? Honors English Teacher? Big plans I tell you, I've got big plans.

For now, I am heading home to pack right up and head out for Washington DC at an inhumane hour of the morning tomorrow (3:30...yes, am) to join up with Jonathan and Eric for the Nation's Tri.

Stay tuned for our blog-by-blog reporting!

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Tech on the Go

My friend Elizabeth indicated that she expected 3 or 4 blogs a day from me now that I have discovered the mobile blogging features through my advanced basic computer and technology skills.

This one isn't as interesting as it is pertinent to the topic...I am furiously working to clean up, transfer and organize my files between the laptop and desktop computers so that I don't have any personal items on the laptop and all work items are removed from the desktop...this is like a break-up! I am grateful that this one is amicable, that is for certain.

At any rate, enjoy this little 'in the moment' update and be glad for the fact that I don't plan on blogging about every little detail, but this certainly does bring a new level of 'current' to the process!

Now it is time to burn the photos to CD...sigh.

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Technology is a great thing!

I have been using the same cell phone for at least 4 years and when I bought it, it was an old model. I have always taken pride in having such a technological dinosaur...until today! Knowing that there are only 4 days left before I turn in my laptop and my Blackberry, I started to feel the pangs of separation anxiety for my beloved little Blackberry. How will I keep up with dates, occasions, notes and events? How will I be able to access a phone number or address on any whim? How will I stay in touch with my legions of friends via e-mail?? (or at least the 2-3 that regularly send me a message)

The answer is of course - technology. I did a little homework and price comparison before trotting down to the Sprint store this afternoon. They featured the Blackberry Curve (the Pearl, although sleek and slimmer in design requires you to do some deciphering on the keyboard as each key is two characters, so it is not my first choice) for $250 in-store less a $100 rebate for a net price of $150. But wait...I could do the same phone on Amazon.com for $215 up front, $115 after rebate. A-ha! The price was matched and I am now the proud owner of a fancy-pants phone, no more phone brick AND I can get all of those important e-mails right away!!

But wait...there's more. I think that I have figured out how to actually blog from the phone and post it from anywhere that I can get reception. Seriously? Combine that with the camera in the phone and I am going to be a menace...AND a blogging machine! There is one thing that you can bet on...this Gen Xer loves her the technology, it is indeed a great thing!!!

The Happiest race on earth...right?

At exactly this moment 1 week ago, I was having a moment. It should have been a good moment, but it really wasn't. I was approaching mile 5 on the Disneyland 1/2 marathon and things weren't looking so rosy any more. So what is the Disneyland 1/2 and why do I do it? Billed as the 'happiest race on earth' (those Disney marketeers are propaganda MACHINES!!), it starts out happy enough. 10,487 (the official count) runners all lined up in corrals based upon their estimated finish time...watches synced, headphones situated and muscles stretched. It is still dark outside but the masses will not be daunted. Amid a cheering crowd of onlookers, Disney characters dressed in smart little running outfits and fireworks - the race begins.

My friend Connie (of former Jamba and now Clif fame) and I were doing the event together for the second year in a row. For Connie, she was present to (these are her words) "redeem myself for the horrible showing that I had last year." I am not sure that I agree with Connie - she finished against what I would tout as considerable odds last year, the greatest of which was the 106 degree temperature that we finished in (the coolest point of the morning had been 85 at 4:30 am). I walked with Connie last year, chatting incessantly to keep her occupied while the skin on the bottom of our feet was seared by the blasting heat from the pavement...but I digress.

2008 thankfully was considerably better in terms of temperature and Connie, along with her daughter (Kim), sister (Debbie) and brother-in-law (Steve) all made the trek down to So Cal do show the Mouse who's boss and to truly embrace the happiest race on earth. We stood around for about 25 minutes or so after the race began before our group moved into position, and then we were off. The first portion goes straight into Disneyland (through the main gate and the arch that takes you right into the park!). We run through portions of Main Street, end up behind the scenes in some areas and generally wind through the entire park where many different employees gather to cheer and call us out by name (again, the Mouse machine makes a brilliant move by printing our name on the racing bibs so that people can make that 'personal connection' with us - and here all along I thought that this was really a cheering section for ME!!) Life is good, the course is easy, the scenery interesting and one finds themselves believing that it IS the happiest race on earth.

Exit the park. Begin the next section of the run. Dullsville. If you have never been on the streets of Anaheim, I am here to tell you that there isn't much to look at. Thank goodness for the local area school cheerleaders and bands who lined portions of the route, as well as the gazillion boy and girl scout troops who stood in the parking lot of Angel stadium because otherwise the runners would have had to gouge their eyes out for entertainment on that VERY long and VERY dull stretch of road.

Let's get back to mile 5. We are out on the street running up the overpass (speeding cars below on the 5 not the thrill you might think them to be) and I start to feel weird. Like not right. Like where's the medic. I have made myself keenly aware of the signs of dehydration over the years because I have seen people at various events get carted off to the hospital and have vowed never to be that person. I drink a decent amount of water under normal conditions, but when I have an event looming I up it to about 120 ounces for a couple of days prior, carry a 20-oz bottle with me and make sure that I drink regularly. Granted, it was humid like you wouldn't believe, but with all of my preparation, HOW could I be getting dehydrated? Two of the classic symptoms were there - nausea and feeling cold (when I clearly was NOT). Missing was the disorientation, so I decided that since I had my faculties about me, and was still drinking water, so I would continue, but I was going to have to slow it down.

Connie was a ROCK STAR here. She has done an amazing job training in this last year and could have (SHOULD have) easily run on ahead and finished the race in record time. Instead, she stayed with me and matched her trotting pace to my long-legged-full-stride walking pace that I had to do intermittently. We continued this practice for the duration of the run as I ran for a bit and then did the crazy walk and there was Connie, right along side chatting it up with me as we caught up on essentially a year of events. While no stellar record (completion time was 2:49), it was only about 20 minutes off pace for my usual time (I'm not fast, remember?) and I did not get sent to the hospital or have to quit the event.

Add to the sweet success of completion the fact that my fine friends Elizabeth and Kris (of Shepherd of the Hills UMC and England notoriety) had braved the massive crowds to greet and cheer us in, as well as take a few photos...nice. I suspect that the happiest race on earth is more of a mindset and less of a location. If that is true, then thanks to my very good friends and support network, I would have to concur that indeed this was one of the best!

What WILL I do with all of my free time?

I am just 6 days away from being faced with the question that only the unemployed and retired get to ask...What WILL I do with all of my free time? The answer is - plenty - here is a list (in no particular order) of the things I will be doing:



1. Swim, bike, run, pretend to work on my 'core'
2. Walk the dogs
3. Be home for dinner
4. Clean out a few closets
5. Paint the patio
6. Volunteer at Many Mansions or Westminster Clinic
7. Make a few calls
8. Visit a few friends
9. Bust Holly's chops
10. Look for work that will allow me to not have to go to work anymore and continue living the life of luxury!

Yep, it's all about figuring out if I am going to look for a new job or a new career...or just hang out and look busy!

Airport food CAN be good!

I spend a good deal of time traveling around in airports, most often between Burbank (BUR) and Oakland (OAK). In addition to knowing the 3-letter airport code for most major airports, I am also fairly well versed on the food in many airports, targeting specific cities for stand-by favorites as I travel in and out of cities.

I recently found a new favorite and while I won't be traveling through the airports of America for much longer, I feel that I need to give a shout out to my friends in the Burbank airport at Chezzburger. I flew out at lunch time last week and had about 2 hours of delay time due to mechanical issues and then some gate changes and assorted snafus that stretched the afternoon out much further than I was anticipating - leaving me a bit annoyed and a lot hungry.

I walked through the general cafeteria area and while there are a number of salads, sandwiches, pizza and pasta - they were a little pricey for my tastes and there were very few items that I could actually eat without picking some ingredient out. I kept moving down the terminal to my gate when I saw a decent line at Chezzburger, so I strolled up to check out the menu - what is this??? They have a Gardenburger!! Add to that the option of grilled onions and there is little else that one could ask for!!

I must also put in here a ringing endorsement for either loving your job and/or being the very best that you can do at whatever is in front of you. Because of the plane issues and delays, there were a pretty good number of people in the airport, and it didn't look like the crew there was anticipating a late afternoon rush. The cashier was pretty friendly, but the grillmaster was making it happen! Solo in the entire kitchen area AND working in a fishbowl since the wall between the grill and the waiting customers is all glass, it would have been easy to expect the person assigned there to just put their head down and try to put the food up. I wish I knew the name of the gentleman working there that shift, because he ROCKED - all flair and energy, it was fun waiting to pick up our food.

As predicted, that was one tasty Gardenburger, grilled onions and all. I dined in fine style at gate A6 and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. I have to admit, that as I polished off the last of that Gardenburger, I was pretty impressed to marvel to myself that airport food CAN be good! Next time around, I will have to tell you about Andale or 360 Burrito in Oakland!