Run to Feed the Hungry

Like they always used to say in the Looney Tunes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

For years, I have railed against the Run to Feed the Hungry, largely because I become trapped in my neighborhood on Thanksgiving morning. I have two grocery stores within a short, but not really walkable distance (especially not on a day when I have so much cooking to do), and my routes to both are cut off by the runners at just the time that I need to run to the store.

Usually, I remember to make a donation to Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, the organization the run benefits, but I have balked at insisting on the recognition that goes along with getting up early and traipsing through East Sacramento with 28,000 of my neighbors.

This year, however, I have seen the light. While it is admirable that I might remember to give to charity without the prompting of zealous runners, many people will not. I can capitalize on our natural sense of altruism and holiday guilt to encourage others to sponsor my participation as well.

Best of all, I don't have to run.

So, if you want to help me raise $250 for the food bank, visit the link below:

https://secure2.merchantcart.net/fth//MyWebPage.cfm?pID=423408

Already slacking

I'm supposed to be posting on my blog more this month, and I had hoped to do so daily.

No crying over spilt milk. Here is the recipe for turkey chili that I plan to make this evening. It's gonna be yummy.

November the First

Time to list my goals for the month. I can't believe that 2009 is nearly over.

Despite my struggles with work and friends, this year was super awesome. I'm determined to make the most of the remainder. So, without further ado, November goals:

1) Work out at least 4 times per week, including 30 minutes of cardio and 2 strength training sessions.
2) Cook meals at home 3 nights a week.
3) Bring my lunch to work 3 days a week.
4) Do yoga twice a week.
5) Revise resume by November 10th.
6) Finish 2 knitting projects.
7) Clean and organize the kitchen.
8) Practice guitar and clarinet once a week.
9) Continue with exercises in How of Happiness
10) NaPoBloMo

That's enough.

Simplicity Goals for the Week

I am losing my mind lately. I have no time to do anything well and I feel very rushed in everything. I suppose this is because I try to do too much, but I don't know where to start to make it stop. I receive a weekly newsletter from a life coach with self-care tips (something I never thought I would need), and I am posting them here to remind myself.

1. Allow yourself to rest when you get sick.
2. Stay in one evening and read under the blankets.
3. Are you hiding any purchases from a significant other?
4. Declutter your bedside tables.
5. Get to the bottom of one paper pile.
6. Quit obsessing about perfection and enjoy life as it is.
7. Get back to a childlike wonder at holidays instead of only thinking about the work.

They don't all apply to me, but I will try to do at least numbers 2, 4,5, and 6.

Read more from the site at: http://www.mysimplerlife.com/blog/

Chronicle

I never thought my life would be so busy I wouldn't have time to record any of it on my blog anymore. I suppose it's all a matter of priorities.

So, that I might know how I'm frittering away my life, a list of my recent exploits:


Saturday, October 3, 2009

To celebrate CC's birthday, I went with CC, BB and KS to the Amador Big Crush. For $35 we got a commemorative glass and visited 7 wineries for samples, paltry food items and terrible music. Fortunately, some of the wine was excellent. I was compelled to purchase the Primabera and Barbera from Karmere Vineyards and several bottles from Sobon Estate. I also really enjoyed the wines at C.G. Di-Arie, and am fascinated by the winemaker's past as the inventor of Capn' Crunch cereal. I wouldn't recommend Renwood, at least for customer service.

Saturday October 10, 2009

My bowling league went on a bike crawl. I happened to stop into Bicycle Chef the morning of the crawl to buy a new helmet and learned of another crawl in the area that was starting there. We began our crawl at Bike Kitchen. We stopped at Golden Bear, Capitol Garage, Bicycle Chef (free Monkey Knife Fight!), One Speed and Socal's. The pizza at One Speed was fantastic. We all had a great time.

After Socals, BB, CC, KS and I went to Chance's 1st birthday party. Good times.

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

We hiked the Feather Falls trail. I was fine until the last mile and a half, when the trail steadily climbed upward with no leveling off to speak of. The hike in is a leisurely 4.5 miles. The other side of the trail is a deceptively shorter 3.3 mile trail. I'm certain I would have gotten out faster on the longer trail, but I'm glad I know the difference between the two. Next time I will take the shorter, more strenuous trail on the way in. Although it's a long hike (8-9 miles, 4-5 hours), it's nothing most folks can't handle.

Totally unacceptable

I haven't blogged in a month. This is ridiculous. I miss the time for reflecting that blogging would afford me. I also miss how well it helped me organize my thoughts.

It's been a crazy summer. Summers always get away from me and fail to rise to the expectations I set for them. This has been the case since I was a little kid, when I would plan to clean and organize my room, read every book on the summer reading list and learn to sew (notice how ALL of those are still on my to-do list?).

I think I have hit the wall. I spent last winter and spring trying to justify the notion that it is okay for me to be a mess, but the consequences of this philosophy are just unacceptable to me. Therefore, I have to get.my.shit.together. Once and for all.

I have been working non-stop for the past month without a day off, and I attribute this largely to an inexplicable unwillingness to push myself.

What kind of bullshit is that? It is as if I had completely exhausted all the energy and creativity I normally associate with my identity. In fact, in my search for a label to explain my lack of success in career and relationships, I've been doing a lot of reading about psychological deficits. Of course I've found myself to possess each of them in great measure, which is both ridiculous and impossible.

I'm taking a different tack this fall. I need to focus on succeeding, not cataloguing failures. I'll be reading about positive psychology, making time to be organized, to read, to knit and to spend time with a bunch of friends I've been neglecting. And bowling.

Closures

I just noticed that Infusion at 17th and K streets is closed up and the floating bubble chairs are gone. Does anyone have the scoop on the shop's apparent demise? I used to love that place. Sadface.

Are there any other local establishment closures that I should be aware of?

Bunny Army

Bunny Army
Originally uploaded by calilily

I have lots of babies to make these for. Great idea!

Obstinate

I always do this, and it's generally an unconscious process. I pick a habit to take up, or a bad habit to stop. I set a deadline. It all seems reasonable. And then I do the exact opposite, in the most extreme manner possible. For instance, if I think that I will go to the gym everyday for a week, I can be certain that I will not go to the gym at all, and that I will move as little as possible. Or if I decide I won't eat sweets, the next day will find me consuming every sugary confection in sight. Yesterday, I thought to myself that I would try being vegetarian for the rest of the month. I know how to be vegetarian; I was meat-free for almost 8 years.

So what did I buy at the grocery store today? Beef pinwheels and smoked turkey lunch meat.

Kids in adult spaces

A few years ago, a debate emerged in the pages of some liberal navel-gazing publication like New York Magazine that questioned/lamented the death of adult spaces. At issue was the increasing intrusion of babies and small children into cafes and brunch-oriented establishments. Several restaurants and cafes in (Chicago neighborhood) Andersonville had posted notices alerting customers that they would, in fact, refuse service to obnoxious children. This, of course, sent rich parents in to an entitlement-fueled tizzy, strenuously arguing that their money was just as good as anyone else's. The article presented both sides' arguments cogently, and was very reasonable with respect to the adults-only perspective, which I found refreshing. As a non-breeder with a cascade of friends having babies, I am mostly not conflicted by this. I think that if your baby is crying for more than a minute, you should take the baby outside and deal with it. Or, alternatively, feed it. That usually does the trick. However, since hanging with babies is about the only way I get to see many of my friends these days, I admit that it does give me pause sometimes.

Harlows: Favored Indie Venue

I saw Blitzen Trapper at Harlows on Thursday night. If you like 70s bluesy/country rock, this is a band for you. The show was straight-ahead from the first song to the last, with nary a hiccup in between, just a pack of guys that really enjoy working together and who really know how to play their instruments. The three most charismatic members--Eric the pint-sized keyboard/guitar/harmonica-playing lead singer (evocative of Bob Dylan, obviously), Erik the curly redheaded and bearded bespectacled rhythm guitarist and singer, and Brian, who plays the drums, sings, and sports a serious 70s beard--are enthusiastic front men who really made the show a joy to experience. It doesn't hurt that they fucking rawk, either:



I often lament that Sacramento gets so few indie bands of medium stature. Once they are big enough to play a venue like the Memorial Auditorium (like Death Cab for Cutie-which are no longer indie anyway, I suppose), the fun of seeing them is somewhat diminished for me. Even so, I am grateful for the bands that decide to grace us with their presence, and so much the better if they choose Harlows for that purpose. Harlows has great sound and is just the right size. After seeing a few shows there in recent years, I admit that the swirly multi-colored walls and the remodeled booths provide for better mobility and views throughout the venue. Now if only they would dump those lights that always seem to swivel around directing piercing beams into my eyes, all would be perfect.