I Wanna...

Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Have my photo taken in front of the Palace of the Legion of Honor.  Explore the Presidio. And get to the new-and-improved DeYoung Museum.

I was just in The City (San Francisco to those of you who didn't grow up in the Bay Area).  I used to love buying peppermint-striped carnations from the outdoor vendors and love beads from the hippies back in the day.  Eating abalone at Grotto Number Nine at Fisherman's Wharf after seeing the Ice Capades was awesome when I was a kid.

I retrieved my basic SF skills which include a bunch of very aggressive behaviors like driving with my window rolled down, one hand on the horn, one hand ready to gesture the window and one hand (presumably) on the steering wheel.  Oh, and the other hand on the stick ready to shift into first while on a completely vertical hill.  Tricky unless you're a cephalapod or an alien.


Even though we survived the drive and eventually shelled out for the parking garage beneath Union Square--which we decided was worth the price rather than continue to drive past two-hour parking meters with no loose change and waste our limited time--I am not a shopper.  I belong in neither Barney's nor Bloomindale's--not after my holiday filled with treats and their stores filled with gigantic ten-foot-high mirrors.  I'll go back when I lose forty pounds and win the lottery. Or when I have any interest in clothes that don't have to survive kindergarteners armed with Sharpie markers, glue sticks and watercolors.

Thankfully the Disney Store (crayons for our little grand-daughter) was more my speed.  Bloomingdale's was an educational color lesson:  "That dress is blue.  Can you say 'blue'?"  The Ferrari store taught Rosie Rosebud to "find the horsie".  And I think the salespeople in Tiffany's were impressed at our exercise of "don't touch" skills around their display cabinets.

Even though my sweetie and I agreed that San Fran, driving and shopping is a fairly toxic mix, even if certain other family members reveled in it, I did end up with a to-do list of activities that we might enjoy with the use of rapid transit and lots of green space to soothe us.

Anyone planning a winter/spring trip needs to know that Coit Tower is currently closed.  Lombard Street is still crooked but the hydrangeas aren't blooming and they're the best part of the drive down.  The new span of the Bay Bridge is open although it looks like they might not have attached all the cables yet.  The old bridge is being dismantled, bit by bit, but any of us who remember the Loma Prieta quake might get the creeps seeing parts of the upper deck missing (again). 

Which reminds me that I think they've maybe created some attraction on Treasure Island mid-Bay that I might have to add to my list of places to explore. 

But you're never getting me to Pier 39, Union Square or those New York stores that migrated west again.  Ever ever.

Except Tiffany's.  Anyplace that decorates with aqua is okay with me.

Namaste,

Gypsy Rambles

On vacation = no Internet. I can do without my cell phone and my own bed. I can live out of a suitcase and sit in a car for long hours without complaint. But no connectivity? Sigh.

So I'm grateful for a brief hookup today thanks to Tigger whose iTunes cards are calling his name (loudly) but who is allowing me to monopolize his computer for a bit. 

Can I just say that the Pacific Northwest has gorgeous rhodies and peonies right now?  They make my gardening fingers twitch!  I couldn't have timed it better to see them if I'd tried!

I can match their peonies, but my struggling high-desert rhodies will never have the humidity levels in Oregon, alas.  Still, the beauties here in the Portland area have inspired me to elevate my rhodie care to full-on TCL when we get back.

Pacific NW roses have decided it's summertime too.  Just gorgeous.

I have photos--oh my!

Miss you,

My Summer List: Act 1, Scene 1

I began my summer list on Sunday (even if the weather is barely springlike much less summery) while my son drove us to his soccer game. It's hard to believe that summer vacation starts for me in three and a half weeks! Yes, a mere fifteen and a half days of school remain. Not that I'm counting or anything, you understand. 

It's just that after a hundred eighty day of being ruled by inflexible school bells that don't care if I have a headache, need a potty break or have a flat tire, I kinda--just a little--look forward to setting my own schedule for a few months.

My Summer List  
Priority items are now in red! 

Garden Projects

• Fix leak in backflow preventer (or replace),  check irrigation timer, and fix the drip system the puppy destroyed five years ago (because it would be nice to go on a trip without my poor neighbors stressing about keeping all my plants watered).
• Raise the coop, paint, insulate, shingle the roof (who knew all 4 chickens would take up permanent residence here?)
• Scrub algae off the pond rocks (even if it will grow back) and get larger rocks to replace the small gravel.
• Paint the doghouse and add some cute factor (long overdue).
• Re-seed the lawn where dog paws have ground it to bare dirt (big dog = big paws).
• Make a new hammock sling and re-paint the metal supports (and I have a fabulous flowery aqua outdoor fabric).
• Spray my fence art (formerly a metal welcome mat) white/off-white.
• Paint Flick apple green and aqua ('cause the orangey yellow has got to go).
• Create solar lights in the maple tree (saw some in Target but my sweetie sees no need for mood lighting on the patio, alas).
• Engineer a canvas awning for the kitchen window (one that is wind-resistant, looks darling, and can fold out of the way).
• Convince husband that we need to cut down the Japanese maple (it's huge and I'm afraid it's wrecking the roof--that's my story and I'm stickin' to it).
• Put in drainage pipe to connect with downspout by back door (slipping on an icy walk got really old fast last winter).
• Gutter nails(found 'em) now I need my husband to pound them in by front door.
• Add drip irrigation to all the new plant areas (less lawn = colorful plants).
• Find an umbrella clothesline (I like being off the grid).I found that patio chairs work just as well and the HOA can't complain about a clothesline.  There's always a way to push the envelope!
• Redesign the compost bin (preferably so the dogs can't scavenge in it)

House

• Have wood floors professionally sanded in August September and apply a better finish (tung oil? varathane?).
• Order shutters for guest/craft room (whether TBG moves or not, it's gotta be done). At least I've got a call in to set up an appointment for them to come out and measure and estimate the cost!
• Install a ceiling fan in guest room (although if TBG moves out, it may not be worth it).  He did move out--so a fan went on the non-priority list and the shutters moved down a few notches. 
• Paint our front door farmhouse green (convince husband first) and attach our new kickplate (not necessarily in that order).
• Shampoo the carpets (again).  Getting moved to the Autumn List!
• Stop the overflow from the dishwasher.
• New kitchen faucet.
• Paint the laundry and powder room (might even get this finished before summer vacation starts).  Added:  HA!
• Add molding to laundry room cabinets and paint (so glad I received a Lowe's GC).
• Paint family room (maybe).  I decided it wasn't necessary this year!
• Paint master bath (did you know Nice and Easy will dye walls if it splashes?).
• Finish living room curtains (inspiration would be a help).
• Make new family room curtains (have the main fabric, need to find a great red now for edging).
• Look for new master bedroom drapery fabric (the original ones are now officially sun-rotted).
• Find hooks for our new drapery rod (I'm positive I can find them at a great low price even if I haven't after two years of looking). 
• Scrape off popcorn ceilings (I can dream).
• Begin repainting the house exterior (at least in front where strange vertical stripes have appeared).
• Fix drywall where the doorknob slammed into it (everyone has this prob once in a while).
• Check/replace fluorescent starters and ballasts OR change drop ceiling to lights
Craft Projects
• Bead garlands
• K.C.'s Santa sock
• Yellow shelf
• Large desk, finish, photo and sell.  OK, so it wasn't the same desk I'd planned and it went to our son's new place, but it's one less desk in our garage!
• Photo local barns

It's far from complete, but it's a start.  Without a list, I'd be lost.

I've learned that summer doesn't last forever. If it did, I probably wouldn't get any home improvement projects finished.  Procrastination is my middle name!  How'd you know?

Inspired,

My Inner Child

The only two words almost as nice as Summer Vacation are Christmas Break!And I'm officially on mine as of 3:30 pm today.

Yippee-Ki-Oh-Ki-Yay!

Wish List

Could summer vacation last longer, please?

I'm not ready to give up long walks with friends, eating lunch outside, gardening all day long, no alarm clock, no watch, shorts and tees, ponytails, no makeup, a complete lack of stress, more energy than I know what to do with, and days filled with doggie kisses.

Yep, "teacher clothes" come out of storage this weekend. Sigh. I'll iron my long skirts and comfy blouses and hang them carefully in my closet. I'll dig out my watch and replace the watchband. My teeth are whiter and my legs are exfoliated. I've trimmed my ends and colored my roots. My toenails have a coat of Charming Rose Creme instead of a rim of dirt. I'm getting my lap ready to comfort multiple children when their parents leave and they realize kindergarten is for kids.

I've already re-organized my desk, refilled my stapler, and bought some new rollerball pens. The cubbies are stuffed with announcements, book club flyers, and school calendars. I'm memorizing student names so that I can match faces with them quickly.

Our new class is adorable and the parents a joy. We are all excited about their first baby steps into formal schooling. I know I'll wake up with a smile on my face and joy in my heart for the next nine months.

But can I postpone it for just a smidge longer? Pretty please?

Our Day At The Lake

This is Quincy (now four months old) and his mom. Isn't he gorgeous? He's a very blonde golden retriever pup. They invited us--"us" being the K-dog and I--up to their lake cabin. It's become a much-loved summer tradition.

It's Kharma's favorite place. She enjoys swimming by the dock, chasing the ducks, geese and seagulls that hang around. She loves swimming as much as any kid and will spend as much time in the lake as allowed. Conservatively, she probably spent six hours in the water.
Quincy's mom gave her a new nickname--Air Kharma--because she pogos off the dock to get onto the beach. Any normal dog would use the ramp. Doesn't Air Kharma sound like a great name for an airline? Just imagine the commercials--"Fly Air Kharma and get your just desserts"--showing a girl and her dog lolling on a tropical beach. Okay, maybe I'm a little old for the girl designation, it's a granite shore, and Kharma's legs are filthy--but the delight and relaxation were primo.

Kharma's never been in a kayak before; I wish I had some photos of our struggles.

• Plan A was just have her jump in with me;
• Plan B was just to get her to sit;
• Plan C was to let her jump overboard and swim;
• Plan D was hauling her out of the lake and letting her stand on the kayak's stern;
• Plan E was letting her walk all over the kayak's deck until she fell off;
• Plan F was to give up and put her in her crate;
• Plan G was to give up kayaking and return to a howling dog;
• Plan H is to have her get completely comfortable jumping in and out of and sitting in the kayak on shore before repeating the same steps in the shallows before ever letting her in with me again.

This kayaking afficianado is determined to succeed in getting her on-board and calm!

The K-dog was much happier hiking around the lake--pushing through ferns, leaping creeks, dashing down into the lake, meeting other vacationing pups, keeping our beach free from marauding ducks, playing with Quincy and occasionally checking to see if I was napping or awake.

I had a very pooped puppy dog; she napped in her crate during the two hour trip and nothing, but nothing, that Zelda did could get her to play when we got home.

As usual, Kharma has let me know that if Quincy's mom wants to adopt another dog she'll happily change homes. (It's just her way of telling me she had a good time.) She'll have to settle for me, the frisbee in the pasture and hikes up the creek until next summer rolls around and another trip to the lake is on the calendar!

Sandia Peak Sneak Peek

I loved our hike on the Sandia Crest. I loved the forest and the wildflowers and the shade and the company. Then I slipped on the trail, sat on my rear, and gave my camera a good knock. I didn't realize the shutter wasn't opening fully until several photos later, but I kinda like the unexpected way these turned out. I like smooching.

It makes me feel on top of the world.

The Junk Food Diet

Uh-oh! It apparently came free with our vacation this year. And I have the willpower of an amoeba.

We dined on cinnamon rolls for breakfast courtesy of Holiday Inn Express' Continental Breakfast. Yes, indeed, I now look like a continent, thanks for asking.

Is there anything more fun in the summer than a drive-in for dinner? Sonic to the rescue. It wasn't junk food--I had a fruit smoothie and a southwest chicken salad--but I discovered (apparently I am the last person in America to know this) that their drinks are half-price from 2 to 4 pm every day. Naturally when we were going through Farmington at 3:15 on the way back to Albuquerque, I suggested we stop and take advantage. I'm here to report that every sip of that very large, very thick, very strawberry milkshake was fabulous. Could someone come up with half the calories from 2 to 4, please?

I was a treat not to have to cook for almost two whole weeks, thanks to my son the wonderful and adventurous chef, but (you knew there had to be a "but") he has not discovered the benefits of low fat, low calorie, or whole grains yet. He's young and his arteries are supple and his metabolism is high. Unlike ours. Mouth-watering stuffed shells so rich in ricotta that any cholesterol test would still sound the alarm ten days later. Bacon for breakfast and bags of sour cream and barbecue potato chips to snack from. Salt and fat are an irresistible combination even to a confirmed sweet tooth like myself.

Then there were the fast-food dinners--Pizza Hut and Taco Bell and Quizno's. I was hungry, it was late and they all tasted great.

In the Totally Not Junk Food Column we find the New Mexican cuisine at Garduno's. I love Mexican food, but I adore New Mexican-style--if you don't break a sweat or find that your nose is running, then it's just not hot enough. And I do like it hot. What is it about Hatch Valley chiles? Perfection! Our side order of guacamole made tableside was pretty nice too. Of course for dessert, I dined on sopapillas filled with honey complement the heat from the chiles.

Back at home with the car emptied, the suitcases unpacked and the laundry done I didn't like the number (!) the scale was showing me. (If you're wondering, that was my scream of anguish you heard).

Soooo...lots of water during the day, immense amounts of fruit, whole grains, half my usual amount of sugar, small servings at dinner and an increase in exercise. Vacation food was nice for a short time, but eating healthy is feeling so much better.

(Who am I fooling?)

Clueless and loving it

I have no idea what date it is, 'cause I'm on vacation.

I do know that I get two extra days of someone else doing the cooking though. Does that count? You are thinking, she gets two extra days and wants credit?! She's lucky I don't deck her. I feel your pain, all you worker bees. Still, I earned the two extra days by being incredibly saintly while waiting for my sweetie to finish up while my son was having a birthday WITHOUT ME.

I'm thrilled that I've actually got an internet connection for a couple of minutes. It seems like ages (possibly it has been ages, see sentence one above).

I've been on vacation so long that I almost forgot my blogger password. That's long.

Today we played tennis, boxing, bowling, and golf. (Yep, my sweetie discovered the Wii once the younger set turned off Guitar Hero). I use "we" loosely since I sadly have no interest in it at all. I'm weird that way with computer games of any sort.

Continuing with the loose use of the pronoun: Today "we" dug up and carted two seedling cottonwood trees which actually look quite happy in their new home considering that it's 95 degrees out. I would have gone and helped but the menfolk obviously considered that my babysitting abilities were more valuable and went without me.

The Sandia Crest is amazing. Albuquerque is typical high desert and the Sandias don't look much different from down here. But our hike to the tram and Kiwanis Cabin was amazing, awesome, incredible, cool, shady, lush, flowery, slippery, interesting, easy, challenging and fun.

I can hardly wait to get back to my own computer and download the photos and show you how fantastic it was. I just love wildflowers and the Sandia Crest ranks second only to the Rockies near Yellowstone on my wildflower meter.

I have more petrified wood in my near future when we start back, so the memory of those wildflowers is going to keep me going.

p.s. I am a Nevada girl and the humidity here is killing me. It's the monsoon season and we've had rain showers daily and then 90 degree heat. Yuck. Thank heavens for ceiling fans. It could be worse, Reno was so smoky when we left that it was horrible. I'm hoping it's cleared up a little bit by the time we're back.

Countdown

In three weeks, I'll be sitting here with the clock radio turned off, my wristwatch thrown in a drawer, my "teacher clothes" packed away for three months. I'll be wearing a tank top and shorts. Making plans for hikes with friends and and classes with the Kharma dog and daily craft projects and regular trips to the gym. Thinking about more flowers and digging a pond and less grass and visiting Albuquerque and spending time scrapping. Sitting here making plans for fun Fun FUN!!! Must calm down, slow breath, take slow breaths. Ahhh...much better.

As the neighbor girls are telling me, it's only thirteen and a half more days and school's out for the summer!

I like their way of looking at it--thirteen and change trumps three weeks.

Woof Arf Aroo

Translation from Kharma-speak: Two Year Anniversary

But my title would be Love At First Sight

I remember how glad I was to find our sweet little blonde puppy after so much searching.

My sweetie remembers how glad he was that he didn't have to drive to Corona CA after all to see this sweet little girl. She was named Dayna and I would have made begged asked him drive 400 miles down and 400 miles back to get her if Kharma hadn't been waiting closer to home.

Kharma has truly been the easiest puppy we've ever had. We had a grand total of three bathroom accidents in the house while we were housebreaking. She never chewed up any of our shoes or garden tools or dug up expensive plants. (We will be replacing the drip irrigation system in our backyard before the summer heat arrives, but we chalked that little lapse up to the influence of her BFF across the street.)

It was just about this time of evening that we finished up the paperwork, figured out how to assemble the borrowed crate, and loaded her into our Forester for the trip home. Two years have never passed more quickly. Sweet, sweet memories.

She filled the void left by our dear Tess, created her own identity and claimed her own corner of our hearts. She's our baby, our little girl, our pride and joy.

We love you, Kharma.

Almost Pogonip

Spring Break was too early this year. I thought so earlier, but forgot while reveling in the joy of warm New Mexico gardening weather.

The wake-up call came this morning. Snow... in Arizona...near Las Vegas. (!) Snow that stuck to every branch and twig and cactus needle. Gorgeous, even if not quite up to pogonip standards. I wanted to stop and take a close-up of the amazing beauty of a desert snowfall, but three inches of this snow also stuck to the highway.

A highway filled with insane RV drivers hauling trailers and little cars who passed us at unsafe speeds, spattering an avalanche of snow onto our windshield to blind us for ten endless seconds until we could react and increase the wiper speed to hyperdrive. Okay, so it was just one RV driver, and we were lucky to be on a straight stretch of road and everyone behind us had already been blinded and was driving slowly. It could have been much worse than merely scary. My little guardian angel charm swinging from the rear view mirror was working overtime for us.

A week's vacation definitely relaxed me because I refrained from rolling down my window and letting a small birdie take flight when we passed him later. You may now refer to me as St. Pogonip if you wish.