Unbelievable day

Happy girl on the slopes
Originally uploaded by js_hale

It was our 2nd day on the mountain - I thought for sure that the soreness and fatigue would cut the day short - I actually skied better and for a longer time than yesterday! People must think I'm deranged when they ski past me - I'm usually singing, or if I'm going pretty fast, I start laughing hysterically. Something about the adrenalin rush is hilarious to me. Peter pulls up beside me mid-run, and I'm doubled over laughing. I let out a few rebel yells today, though - when I feel like I'm flying down the mountain, I really can't help it. The only thing that would be better is to have several of my friends here at one time. Any takers?

Urban Day

It sounds weird, doesn't it? What is an "urban day?" The explanation doesn't make it seem any less odd - I basically immerse myself in the city that I love by ditching the car and walking the streets, or as I did today, getting on MUNI and going for a ride. It's something that I do all by myself - for a few hours, I am free of responsibility, and I can go wherever I want, eat whatever I want, and absorb the sights and smells of the city I call home.

I parked at Haight & Pierce, walked down to Duboce and Fillmore, boarded the N-Judah and rode all the way out to Ocean Beach. Just because. I had no agenda, other than to see what might have changed around 9th & Irving. Looked about the same. I noticed a cool-looking bookstore called "Great Overland Books" that looked cozy. Along the way, the sun started coming out, which is odd - usually it gets foggier and colder as you go towards the coast. It was sunny and windy when I got to the beach; I said a quick hello to the waves, and promptly ducked into the Java Beach Cafe to go to the bathroom and get warm. All the locals were hunkering down in cozy couches with warm beverages and fresh pastries. With my decaf au lait in hand, I went back out to catch the same tram heading back towards my point of origin.

Spur of the moment desicion - I got off at Carl & Cole and walked down to Haight Street. By now it was almost 11:00AM and the clothing stores were just opening up. A little visitor's tip - Haight Street is pretty seedy. Lots of seemingly able-bodied kids sitting along the sidewalk asking you for money. But at that time of day, it's pretty deserted, and there is some very decent shopping to be had. You have some great stores all to yourself - American Apparel has opened a store there, and there are old standards like my favorite, Ambiance. This store has everything from cute no-name dresses for 20 bucks to high, high-end. I could have spent hours there, but eventually hunger and the need for a bathroom takes over. My wallet was significantly lighter when I left, but I made some solid purchases - a dress for my brother's wedding and a trendy-yet-versatile top. It was starting to rain again, so I started walking down Haight Street, hoping the 71 MUNI bus would catch up quickly. I made it to a covered bus stop right before it started pouring, and pulled out half a sandwich that I'd brought from home. Finished right before it was time to hop on the bus, which dropped me across the street from my car. It was really raining by then, so I dashed to the car and got in the back seat. Phew. Now what? Well, I still have to use the bathroom (not many great options in the Lower Haight), but I'm not ready to go home. I could head down to the Mission for some thrift store shopping, but I'm feeling rather sickened by the idea of spending more money - even if it's at a steal of a price. Japan Town has bathrooms, covered parking, and more-than-satisfactory window shopping. Perfect.

It stopped raining on my way up to Japan Town. I circled the block once and found a fat spot on Bush Street between Webster & Buchanan. Sweet! Walk down Webster Street and enter on the lower level of the Kintetsu shopping center. I notice that a restaurant called Bushi Tei has moved over (downsizing?) from the strip on Post Street. Weird. Still swanky looking on the inside. And I smell....mmm. Sweet dessert dumplings, but I'm going to pass for now. Take care of the bathroom situation and head into Kinokuniya Bookstore. Every time I go back, they've expanded. Most of it is cheesy, it's true for Kinokuniya and for Japan Town in general. Lots of trinkety, overpriced crap that Americans like. But J-town serves a worthy purpose of providin goods that cannot be found anywhere else besides Japan. Or Little Tokyo in LA. I MUST have access to good, high quality Japanese tea, for example. That and good quality rice - these are non-negotiable items for me. But sometimes, just roaming the aisles of Nijiya Grocery store is enough. The candies, the baked goods, the fish and meats cut specially for cooking sukiyaki, or chanko nabe, or sashimi. And the ceramic dishes - tiny blue and white saucers for soy sauce, tokkuri for sake, tea cups and rice bowls; seeing these things gives me indescribable happiness. Today, I was content with "visiting" the merchandise before it was time to go home. I was inspired, though, to cook something that I used to get all the time at izakayas (taverns) in Japan. Bacon-wrapped asparagus. Don't ask me why. I will make it tomorrow, though. Served with a wedge of lemon and a squirt of mayonnaise on the side! :D

New beginning

View from our new place
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Another house, another chapter - but for the record, I do not recommend moving during the holidays. "Stressful" is an understatement. The baby and the dog have fared pretty well - meanwhile, Mom and Dad have been through the war. But hey, this is what I look at now when I'm having my morning coffee. And right now, there is no TV to distract us from the tranquility.

Please, God, keep him safe...

Halloween
Originally uploaded by js_hale

I am struck with the undeniable truth that I am completely and utterly in love with my kid. I have never in my life been so invested in any one person or thing. Maybe it's the jet lag (I only got back from Japan a week ago, and still can't sleep), but as I look at this picture, I am desperate to keep him safe from any harm. I am scared to write more about this because I'm scared that whatever I write will actually happen. My rational brain knows that this is all normal - what kind of a mother would I be if I didn't fear for the well-being of my kid? And I know that we cannot completely control what befalls us, let alone our children. All I can do is make a plea to the universe to keep my child safe, and to allow him to thrive in and relish this wonderful, crazy world. Seriously, though, how can you not worry?

Happy reunion

DSC02852
Originally uploaded by renfield

Seeing old (and new) friends was without question the highlight of my recent trip back to Japan. We met on Sunday for dim sum and parked ourselves in the restaurant for nearly the entire afternoon. We ate sporadically, talked incessantly, the kids ran around and the food kept coming. Thanks again to Ren and Hiroko for taking such good care of me. 大変お世話になりました！

Day 1 in the Hotbox

Osaka_castlemoat
Originally uploaded by js_hale

There are times when you are painfully reminded of the basic truth that nothing is ever "free." Today was one of those times. Fortunately, I had my expectations set properly. The Japan tourism board makes a good show of trying to promote Japan as a destination - most of what they do ends up being an exercise in self-sabotage. Despite their efforts, I will still bring people to Japan. A few highlights - my favorite quote of the day, our guide described Hideyoshi Toyotomi, an iconic warrior and leader of 16th century Japan, as the "son of a pheasant" (she meant "peasant"). Next, the itinerary itself - whoever planned the tour thought that Osaka Castle was a must-see...um, no. Osaka "Castle" is a 1930's replica of a 16th century castle, inside of which is an 8-floor, labyrinthine museum of artifacts. The stairwells are crowded and smell like toilets. I have been subjected to visiting this castle more than once, and it has not changed much in 20 years. We were spared the worst, though - the rest of our tour group came from Europe early this morning. After an 11 hour flight through God knows how many time zones, somebody thought it would be a great idea to take them straight from the airport to the convention center where they would meet with 120 different hotel salespeople, land operators, restaurant salespeople and other travel-related service providers - from 1:00 in the afternoon until 6:00PM!! And the best part - the invitees (myself included) have to sit at a desk while they each take their turn pitching. The bell rings, they get up, and another one comes in. You're lucky to have a second to take a sip of water. But hey, they did let us have a 10 minute break after an hour straight.

By far, the most painful part of the day was the live performance...oh.my.God. Ninja warriors. Guys dressed as samurai with fake bald heads, performing cheese-ball sword fights. Dancers dressed as geisha and maiko, but with polyester costumes and crappy, cheap-looking wigs. It was as if these actors were being paid to make fun of their own heritage, it was bizarre. Naturally, we were asked to fill out a questionnaire evaluating the performance. Being the only American female present (you guessed it - I had to mark that I was both "female" and "from the US"), I wasn't exactly going to be straight-up honest and tell them it sucked. Besides, the Chinese travel agents (the overwhelming majority in this case) were snapping photos and cheering. It's just part of the deal of getting something for "free." For the record, I'm not complaining!

Nicasio Pumpkin Patch

Went out to West Marin to check out pumpkins, tractors, farm animals and wheel barrows.

"Ca-ca!"

Jacob's word for chocolate is "ca-ca," and he has a deep appreciation for it, just like his parents.

Great day

Rolly & Jacob
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Today, Jacob showed me that he can, without a doubt, SING!
Several times today, I sang the same 2 notes, like "C," and then "F" - and he mimicked what I was singing perfectly, right on key.

Saturday and Sunday was pure peace and quiet, for the first time since Jacob was born. Peter took the Kid up north to see Grammy, and the dog and I had the house to ourselves for about 30 hours! I spent the first 2 hours on the couch, writing emails, catching up and marveling the uninterrupted silence. Then I finally got motivated and took the dog for a hike, then went into SF and spent $60+ at my favorite thrift store. It was like going to the grocery store, only I was picking out dress shirts for $2.99 each - BAAM! Jacob scored some cool shirts, too. That was the big highlight, followed by church the next day - it was the day when you can bring your pet and they'll bless him/her/it. So great when the priest is in the middle of the sermon, everyone is quiet and then suddenly, a loud "RUFF!" - Fido saying, "AMEN!"

I was ready to see my boys when they came home - though the 24-hour break was sheer bliss.

The Booth

The Booth
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Yesterday was a workin' day...I had to schlep most of this stuff myself into the gymnasium at Japan Town's Cultural and Community Center for SAKE DAY. My booth was located next to the food, which ensured constant traffic throughout the night. I tried to put on a yukata (light, casual-style kimono), but having never done it myself, it proved to be advanced topics. I was REALLY close, but you can't pull it off unless it's perfect. So I stood behind this table for 3+ hours in a skirt & tight-fitting shoes, smiled real pretty and chatted w/ people about the tour. The event went great, but I still need YOUR help, gentle reader! Get out there and tell all your friends about SAKE TOURS! And if they mention the promotional code "JTT2011" when they book, then they get a discount! Chat it up on FB or the discussion board of your choice and THANK YOU!

First bouncy house

First bouncy house
Originally uploaded by js_hale

He wasn't too sure about it, but at least he didn't start to cry like he has before. He's not secure with getting his balance in these things yet. His throwing ability, however, is stellar - balls, sticks, plastic containers full of fruit - if it has the potential for exploding into a huge mess, it WILL be thrown by Jacob!

Kickback day at the park

Taken the other day at Samuel P. Taylor state park. We're returning soon for 1-2 nights of car camping! I'm a little anxious...anticipating no sleep.

Baby bike seat!

Baby bike seat!
Originally uploaded by js_hale

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Happy weekend

Tahoe
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Went to Martis Camp, a new development on the north shore of lake Tahoe. The funny thing about living in the bay area is that you find yourself enveloped in fog for much of the summer, and in order to thaw out and enjoy some beach time, you find yourself going to (of course!) snow country!

Jacob's buddies

At the playground
Originally uploaded by js_hale

These are actually MY friends, and Jacob has to hang out with the other babies. Fortunately, everyone seems to like one another well enough! We stayed at the park today for about 2 hours - perfect weather, well-behaved children....another beautiful afternoon.

Hard at work

IMG00116-20100716-1608.jpg
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Give him a garden hose, and he's good for up to 20 minutes straight. Besides aiming the stream just right to fill up the bottles (family-size Kikkoman soy sauce container), he loves to water flowers, plants and the creeping mint between the flagstones. Other cool stuff - he is regularly saying "please" in sign language when he wants things - his version looks like he's scratching an itchy, hairy chest. Also, he does not say "yes," ever, but shakes his head "no" and says "Na...Na" on a regular basis. It's all too adorable and going by way too fast.

CARLESS DAY

It was no easy task with temperatures in the 90's today, but I did it. I loaded Jacob into the BOB stroller and took off from 9:30am - 2:00pm. Play date, Farmer's Market, swung by a friend's house, then home. We live on top of a ridiculous hill, so coming back home was a b*tch. But during my commute, I saw a house for sale in a neighborhood that I like, and I got a bit of a tan. As I was pushing Jacob and my booty of farmer's market produce down busy streets to get home, I could not help but wonder if the people sitting in their cars did not experience a bit of guilt - like when you pass people on their exercise runs, and you think to yourself, "I should be doing that..."

With the stroller, I am pretty limited on how far I can go from our house. There is no cutesy downtown area for miles. Right below us is the mall, and though they do have Sees Candies and Peets coffee, it's not all that pleasant to walk around. Down the street is a strip mall with Walgreen's and Safeway. Blech. I have not tried grocery shopping yet with the stroller. I am afraid that it will be arduous and therefore very discouraging. So I plan to wait until I acquire a bike, and then we'll tackle grocery shopping. But then I still have that damn hill when I come home...

*Big Sidebar* When I'm driving to the city, I constantly fantasize about a railroad track running straight down the middle of Highway 101, with pedestrian overpasses linking to the platforms. I think about how AMAZING it would be to walk down the hill from our house, past the mall, crossing Freitas Parkway to a walkway that goes into "Terra Linda Station." I even know which stops would be local and which would be express. Terra Linda would naturally be a big express hub. Next express stop is Central San Rafael, then Larkspur, Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Sausalito, then under the bay and pop out to the first San Francisco stop, which I guess would have to be the Embarcadero. It may never happen in Marin, but I can dream.

My birthday is coming up - maybe my big present to myself will be a bike. Which means that Jacob's 18-month birthday present will have to be the iBert. And a toddler-sized helmet. Screw the hill, it will be good for both of us.

Mom's iced tea

Mom's iced tea

Time for a rant

The BP oil spill has been looming in my mind - like the horrible 20-page paper in college that you put off until the last minute to write - and still haunts you in your dreams. I say that because my conscience is nagging at me to do something - anything - about the suffering that my kind is inflicting. Oil-slicked birds, dolphins and whales dying, sea turtles being burned alive! I hear these things, and I feel like the world would be a lot better off if we had never evolved beyond the Australopithecine stage. I might not feel this way if I still lived in Japan - except, wait, yes I would - because in THAT country, dolphins living in captivity in Okinawa are throwing themselves out of their tanks in an effort to end their suffering!!!!! The reports are horrifying and heart-wrenching, I am sitting here in tears and I just cannot take any more.

So I am making a promise - at LEAST one day a week, I will not drive my car. At all. Which sounds ridiculous. I should be able to do better than that, right?? Agreed - how about a series of steps to choke off petroleum use:

1. One day a week, no car.

2. Save enough in gas to get a new bike.

3. Get the iBert baby seat for said bike - see if I can't increase to more days w/o the car.

4. Replace our old 2nd car with the Nissan Leaf as soon as possible.

5. Switch from PG&E to Marin Clean Energy.

6. Buy more of our food from the farmers markets.

7. Re-use petroleum-based products (plastic bottles, bags) with a vengeance.

It pisses me off that so many would-be pedestrians are forced to compromise because of car-centric infrastructure - you don't have a chance in hell of riding a bike and/or using public transit somewhere like Houston, for example. Or Jacksonville, Florida. I can remember getting so incredibly pissed off walking along busy roads - no sidewalk, nothing - and cars whizzing by at 50 mph. You can bet your ass that this design was intentional. It's insidious, it's killing our environment, which in turn eventually kills us. Why should it be so? Can we not save ourselves, or will history go on repeating itself until we've gone extinct? What's the verdict, People?

What I want to see is people giving a shit. I want to see Critical Mass slowing traffic to a crawl on a major highway in Houston, Texas. I want to see the feedlots where cows and pigs spend the majority of their lives mired in their own shit, force fed antibiotics and god knows what, cited for cruelty and shut down for good. Next time you go to a supermarket for a steak or pork chops, think about what the real cost was. Action. Making a difference. For those of you who are wondering about the apparent disconnect between petroleum use and meat-eating in America, I urge you to read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan.

If only it were so simple as to promise to eat tofu and home-grown veggies for a year straight in order to prevent an environmental disaster. Like a magic spell. I swear I would do it in a heartbeat.

Home projects

Home projects
Originally uploaded by js_hale

Out with the old (brass), in with the new!
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