Music festival rocks, Muscles Protest.

Phew! What a wonderful and tiring weekend! Outside Lands Festival was amazing. It started out a little rough (or shall I say late and we missed Cold War Kids-arg!!! Don't mention it, sensitive subject). Despite that, we ran ourselves ragged trying to see all the wonderful music waiting to invade our ear drums.
On Friday we got to see Manu Chao who was so full of energy I have a renewed respect for their music. We also saw a few songs of Radiohead and renewed my feelings of ambivalence about them. I know they are really talented, but try as I might, they just don't get me going. Saturday was more full, but we still had delays getting there. We stayed with our friend Holly in the Mission and rode the bus to Golden Gate Park. The bus ride should normally take about 45 mins, however it took us 2 hours!
We got there in time to see Primus, which rocked me so hard I was jumping higher than guys 1ft taller than me! ;~) After that we headed over to Tom Petty where we were rocked even more! I had no idea how many Tom Petty songs I actually knew. When we (the collective "festival we") headed out one of the exits, we had to leave through a tunnel with everyones voices echoing. One group started to "wooo", and then everyone following afterwards "wooo"ed too! It was a woo wave that continued for about 10 mins or several hundred people! Wow! It was spectacular! Already getting stiff in the calves and one more day to go.
Sunday was probably the best because every band I saw was new to me! We started out at Toots and the Maytals. The reggae grove was a great way to start off a beautiful Sunday in the park. After that we saw Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. The smooth doo-wop sounds got my shaking my booty, and I just didn't stop until the walk home from the bus stop! After that I high tailed it over to see Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. These are some talented musicians and I highly recommend you click on the link up there and check them out! No, seriously, do it now! Then we meandered over to see Widespread Panic, which I now is a name brand band, but I was just introduced and we were grooving. By then, my legs were so tired from dancing Crystal and I went to post up near the next stage where we going to keep the groove flowing. Even sitting down I could stop dancing because we could hear Rodrigo y Gabriela. Amazing! Spanish guitars that were chill and rocking all in the same song! Another one I highly recommend is the band we saw las which was Los Amigos Invisibles. Spanish rock disco? Interesting and fun and got me dancing all over again. The last band to play was Jack Johnson, whom I have little interest in, so we decided to beat the traffic and head on home.
Phew! My legs are still aching, and I have to make up taking Monday off by working (walking) 4 ten hour days! Yikes! Worth it? Hell yeah!!! When is the next festival? I'm hooked!

Seester Sara I miss you already!

After a short recovery week from pride weekend, it was time for my favorite sister to head west for a visit. We had a wonderful time showing her the Haight where we shopped till we dropped. We showed her many delicious restaurants like Cha Cha Cha's, Herbivore, Squat and Gobble, and last but certainly not even close to least, Bacar. We wined and dined ourselves until we closed the place down and made a few friends in the process. Bacar had such a wonderful atmosphere and menu to boot. In addition to an excellent server that urged us to try different things so we could all share (which we did gladly) we enjoyed the experience of a wine server (?) who not only presented our wine in proper fashion, she also knew about the region the wine was from and other such detail. Impressive! She even had an excellent accent when pronouncing the wines that we asked her origins. It turns out she's from England but lived in Paris for a year and a half. She has been in the bay area for sometime now, but ironically is dating a girl from, get this, Austin, Texas! Har!

We filled Sara's visit with trips to Armstrong State Natural Reserve as well as the Petaluma Farmer's Market, filled with more than just fresh vegetables grown around the region. We entertained her with some live music and a bar-b-que in the Mission overlooking the city and all the illegal fireworks visible through the fog. We also had a day at the river, where we relaxed from the hot day in the cold water. We saw some kids make a bee line across the way and queried to thier mission. Turns out there is a boulder you can jump off, so of coarse we had to check that out. Although we all jumped, Sara definitely wins the most jumps award! :)

On our way back from the farmer's market, we had the pleasure of meeting a neighbor couple down the street (that also have a greyhound) that recently started a garden. This was our first conversation longer than "hello, how are you?" and it was held due to enormous zucchini! They had them coming out of their ears and asked if would like any. One or two, I thought, instead, they handed over 5 huge suckers! They told us to come by anytime to get some greens (chard, kale etc) which we will as soon as we run out of our market's stash. The squash is store bought and for size comparison. :~)

Over all a wonderful time was had by all. Alas, my friends, my eyes are growing weary and it's back to work for me in the wee hours of the morn so I leave you with lots of love heading your way.

Bleep...blip...blip...Back on the radar again!

The following broadcast brought to you in part by a good romp around the neighborhood with the canines and Pinot Noir ...

Hello Friends!

Well! Have I been busy! The past few weeks have been chock full of a march, a parade and a visit from my seester!

Gay Pride weekend was amazing! We started the weekend at a "party" where one of the cast members of the L Word was to attend. The journey to this party was quite an adventure. We had to find this new part of the city and after many turns and u-turns and references of the map, we did. (I added miles to my mental map that weekend). We arrived to the party and it was different than I expected, but we still had a good time. A good warm up for the things to come.

The next day we ascended upon the Dolores Park just in time for the Dyke March. {Quite possibly the highlight of the weekend. } We began the journey in the line for the What is bathroom or port-o-potty rather. A never ending row of them and there was still a wicked long line! Eh, well, what do you expect when you are in a huge group of women. Then, hark! that I hear in the distance? Why it's the Dykes on Bikes revving their engines letting us know it is time to get this show on the road...Hooray! Crystal and I walked alongside the hordes of lovely lesbians towards the noise, each of us struggling to watch the bikers rumble by. Once the last bike rolled by, ladies left and right just started falling into line, and thus the Dyke March began. I have never been in a march of any sort before but I must say...hell yeah!! It was like a reverse parade. As we all wove through the streets of San Francisco in mass, people (also in mass) lined up the on the sidewalks to cheer and entertain the marchers. There was even this one group that would throw confetti and yell/sing LESBIANS! The reactions they received were so amazing that we stopped behind them for a bit and watched the show. The march wound its way over to Market and Castro where a huge block party ensued.

Crystal and I took a break back to our car to eat some pasta salad we had in the cooler. I wish I could say it was a short and breezy walk back to the car, but this is San Francisco and we are not well versed on the lay of the land, which lead us to the Dirty Sanchez, as we have now coined the road. This road was so steep it had my legs shaking. Great way to end a march (!) through the city! Even despite our fatigue, we mustered up the courage to continue back to the block party. And I am glad we did! Every corner had a different DJ with non stop gay fun everywhere! The killer of the whole the was, at the end of the night, we headed back to our car with our friend Cody (who has a much better grasp of the city than we) and directed us to a ridiculously shorter, less steep route back the Fit. Live and learn.

As exhausted as we were, we still dragged ourselves out of bed to make it back to the city for the parade that began at 1030 am. Luckily, our friend Cyndi let us crash at her pad with all of our canines. :) The parade was the most beautiful and enthusiastic site I have had the pleasure to experience. Although the 4 hour parade tested my endurance, it was so entertaining, I didn't notice until much later when I finally settled down for the night to get back to the grind the next day. The parade started with the now familiar (and exhilarating) sounds of a large mass of motorcycles seated by lesbians grumble to a start. The amount of motorcycles (and a few scooters) that turned up in force for the parade both astounded and exhausted me. Exhausted? Yes, because I had to let every one of them know how much I loved them by screaming my head off! :~P I swear they went on for miles. The rest of the parade was just as exciting and invoked tears of joy on more than one occasion. The was so much love present on the streets that weekend it is difficult to express. Hopefully you will come and see for yourselves one day. :)

Me in my office!

Hardy Har!

So, as I was sitting down yesterday afternoon to blog away, there was a knock at the door (and set a big brown and a little white dog a barking promptly). Three youngsters and a young lab pup (sans collar) were at our door. "This dog keeps following us and won't leave us alone" they stated with pleading eyes, as if to say please take this responsibility off our playing hands. So of coarse, Crystal and I take in the pup as the schmucks we are and so the course of our day had be altered. Now what? Ah, it's Sunday and most shelters and vets are closed so no one to get an ID chip scan from...okay google help me on this one...yes! There is a humane society 30 minutes away and they are open! Sweet, I'm on my way. Come on Blondie let's who your Dagwood is. About half way there Crystal calls me, she's found the daddy of Blondie, whom is actually named Dolci. So I turn around and head towards his home. After a very happy reunion I point the Fit to our home. Good deed done.

After wondering why this kids chose our door out all the doors within the apartment complex, Crystal enlightened me. One of the kids was the family of a little dachshund that we had found wandering around the courtyard on Saturday. We of coarse took "lil' bit" in, luckily she had a harness with her name and number embroidered on it. This case was not a mystery so much as a waiting game. So now that is two good deeds in two days, I sure hope this was a fluke and not a pattern! Asha and Crystal = Animal Rescue? No thank you! I have enough hats to wear!

Check out these new duds!

I feel like I should change my blog to be called something like "All the ways I love my new home". Last weekend was harmony festival and it was absolutely wonderful! I had so much fun rubbing elbows with dirty hippies, clean hippies, rock and rollers, and even a few yuppies thrown in for good measure. Feminists to raw food to meditation tents to music and dancing. All this spells FUN!

Then work is thrown in the middle of the weekends for good measure. That is also fun and going well. I'm learning a lot (still!) and get to explore new places around my new county. Most recently I have been to the northwest in a little part of the wine country. Little teeny grapes on the vines everywhere!

And what do you know? Time for more fun filled weekends again?! This past one was much more chilled and relaxed than the others (thankfully). I would definitely say the highlight was going to our local Petaluma Farmers Market! In addition to lovely fresh homegrown veggies (which made for a most delightful salad), they had honey from all kinds of nectar such as lavender (yum) to apple blossoms! You could actually taste which kind of flower the bees had been buzzing around. Wool from local sheep spun into yarn, jerky and Indian food to boot! One of the highlights for me was meeting a group of ladies about my age with some crafty novelties in their booth. A short conversation led to the discovery of the Petaluma Craft Mafia which I hope to be a part of very soon! I am so excited to hone in my diy craftiness that I know is lurking around in this gray matter somewhere! :) If you are feeling crafty, check out the link I have provided b/c the mafia may be in a town near you!

Peace and love until the next time!

Let us go a frolicking!

Hello Friends!

Here's more news for the west...

I have been busy looking up and then down and then up again. Yes, inspecting trees has been much more a workout above the shoulders than I have anticipated. I look up at the trees approaching the powerlines, then down at my handheld computer (straight out of 1992). In addition to the physical aspects, I am strengthening mentally as well. It's really wonderful to be learning a new skill, and about a new kingdom without setting a foot in a classroom! It's like one big laboratory class chock full of tactile information. Sets my heart a float!

Today was a challenging day with a very sweet reward. It started out rough, as I was in a section of my circuit (that's what my route is called) that was way out of my league. I scrunched my face up as much as I could and I still couldn't get a handle on all the trees that needed work. I sweated it most of the morning until the guy training me arrived to see how I was doing. Needless to say he stayed and helped for the rest of the afternoon.

While were inspecting the lines on a particular parcel of land, what should appear but two frolicking fawns bounding in the field just a few hundred feet away. They were precious and amazing as they chased each other around. They reminded me of Stormi and Cali chasing each other around, only these fawns were so graceful and jumped as they ran. Wonderful! Made all my uncertainties and worries of the day just melt away.

Cracking the knucles.

Now stretch, that's right. I don't want to hurt myself on this, my first blog. I've been a mypsacer for quite some time now, but somehow this feels different. Only time will tell, as "they" say. To the concerned citizens out there, I am doing quite well. I am very excited about starting a new adventure as a CUF (Consulting Utility Forester). Besides that I have been having a load of fun going on weekend adventures around my new home. I have to say, I absolutely love it! Every day is new and full of possibilities. So far i've been to a couple of beaches on several hikes, enjoy the big city (mostly the Haight - yum!), and hikes, and all within 45 minutes of me! Yippee! We can even have a blast in our own town and never have to drive once. We are about 1 mile from the downtown area where there are many cute shops, good restaurants and even an enchanting bookstore. It requires all the will power I posses to not open up my coin purse. The doggies are adjusting quite nicely. They have been able to adjust to taking care of business on leash and on cue. They love to run in this soccer field, at a high school up the block from our apartment, that has the softest grass. Petaluma also has a wonderful leash free dog park out on a bluff overlooking a wetland and river. I love watching them run around and making new doggie friends. It's funny, I always seem to learn the canines' monikers but never their owners! Well, as the Von Trapp clan may say,

Adieu alvedersein