Lake Tahoe

Lover and I were invited to spend a weekend in Lake Tahoe with his sister's husband's family. I've never been, so I was all for it.

The plane ride was a serious debacle. We were set to depart at 5:29 pm, when the pilot announced that there was a "weight issue" with the plane and some passengers might get "deplaned." After an hour of them shifting cargo around (no one was deplaned), we were set to go. Out on the tarmac, the pilot announced that planes at La Guardia were grounded due to the weather. Oye. We spent another two hours on the tarmac, not moving.

We were catching a connecting flight to Reno at the Denver National Airport. So, we were a little concerned. However, the flight was making good time. Then, the pilot announced THAT WE WERE LOW ON FUEL and were going to REFUEL IN CHEYENNE. Really? Cheyenne? In the air, Cheyenne is 12 minutes from Denver. We don't have enough fuel to reach Denver???

We spent an hour on the tarmac of Cheyenne. Lover and I tried to put our heads into our Kindles (he got me one for my birthday!), and not think about the flight we were missing.

We arrived at Denver at 10:30 pm, Mountain time. The flight to Reno left at 10:31.

Needless to stay, we stayed at a hotel, and caught the next flight at 9:23 in the morning, finally arriving in Reno at around 11, Pacific time.

Lucky for us, we had a group of wonderful people to hang out with.We visited Tahoe City, rented Jet skis and had a blast out on the lake. We took in the views, drank strawberry daquiris at the hot tub, and played Apples to Apples late into the night. I had banana flavored frozen yogurt every day. I ran 3 miles on the Sunday morning in the mountain chill with Lover's sister, enjoying every step and drawing deep breaths of crisp, pine air. Columbine, poppies, sweet william, and lupine grew everywhere.

 We left Monday, and faced another plane debacle. This time we were laid over in Minneapolis, and the plane we arrived on was found to be "broken." They found another plane after an hour, and we continued our journey home. 

Despite all the stress and the long plane rides, the weekend was totally worth it!

Destination: Home

After a week of staying in hotels and a college dorm, I finally awoke in my own bed this morning, with Lover beside me. Bliss!

I am glad to return to my routine. When I awoke, Malai knew and wagged her tail. I arose, and let open the door for her so she could do her business in the yard. I filled the cat's food and water bowls. Quadrapus rubbed against my ankles, mewing and purring. I checked the temperature in Phoenix's terrarium - 82 degrees. Perfect for an Okeetee corn snake. I put a quarter cup of home cooked food into Malai's bowl. I walked around the house, sprinkling food into fishtanks and the betta bowl. I let Malai in who straightaway ran for her food dish. I put on running shorts and a tank top, grabbed my cell phone, and headed out the door.

The plants are doing well with the irrigation system we recently installed. Well, most of them are. The phlox is in a spot with bad drainage, so it's on the way out. This afternoon, I may try to salvage it and see if it'll bounce back enough to establish itself again and withstand winter.

I did my stretches while peering over the front yard flower gardens. The bee balm needs to be treated for powdery mildew, but it is growing new, mildew-free leaves. The hydrangea is putting forth new flower heads. The zebra and fountain grasses are flourishing. The sedums stand tall, and the hollyhock is blooming. The rudbeckia is out of control. I love it.

After stretches, I trudged forth in the soup we call air. Connecticut summers are thick with humidity, and it makes you move slower, chases you inside to take refuge in air conditioning. After leaving the dry heat of Los Angeles, I am taken aback again with the balmy, suffocating heat of New England. I run, anyway.

I ran to the beach and back, doing an easy pace of 11 minute miles. Upon entering the house, I chugged down a glass of water, cooled off in a shower, and then did a half hour of yoga in the air conditioning. Ahhh...

Today's chores include watering the houseplants and the outdoor vegetable pots, planting a Karl Foerster out front, pumping air into the bike tires (my vehicle to work), cleaning the fishtanks, bathing Malai, doing laundry, and uploading photos from the trip. I better get to it. It's great to be home.

Sparks 2011

I have completed the three year cycle of Sparks, a history/travel curriculum funded by the Tauck Foundation. I teach the curriculum to the sixth, seventh, and eighth graders attending ESCAPE to the Arts. In our first year, we learned of the European pilgrimage to the so-called "New World," the founding of the colonies, and the unfortunate plight of the indigenous people. This involved some additional material such as the revolutionary war, the whaling industry in New Bedford, MA, and the unusual religious tolerance of the colony in Newport, RI. We also learned about the illustrator Norman Rockwell as an American storyteller and icon. Our travel itinerary included key spots in Newport, New Bedford, Boston, Martha's Vineyard, and the Norman Rockwell museum.

In our second year, we learned about the Civil War, and the Underground Railroad. Supplemental learning included the lives and choices of the Amish people. We visited Baltimore MD, took a boat out onto the Chesapeake Bay (an ecological component), went to Gettysburg, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Amish country.

This year, we learned mainly about different immigrant groups that have gone to California over the years. We visited San Francisco and Los Angeles, with stops at Santa Barbara and Paso Robles in between. I journaled and took lots of pictures! Below are some choice photos:

 

 

This was my last Sparks trip, and most likely my last work opportunity with ESCAPE to the Arts, a non-profit organization that I have been dedicated to, and advocating for, for five years. My boss and mentor Bill taught me about having an open heart to any kid no matter how much they might piss you off. The kids taught me a lot about patience and creativity. I've decided to move on with my working choices, staying fully devoted to the mission of Public Allies and GBAPP, Inc. I am hoping that GBAPP will hire me for a permanent position once my ten months with Public Allies AmeriCorps has ended. 

Here's to the future.

A Whirlwind Summer

I hope you are all having a happy summer. I have been involved in a whirlwind of activity. My summer job with the AmeriCorps MYOthello program has been both fun and intense. I am continuing to train for the Warrior Dash, and have been more comfortable as a runner and am getting stronger at the gym. My garden is getting out of control, and in order to stop spending 45 minutes a day watering it, Lover and I are installing a little irrigation system. On my birthday weekend, I went into NYC to Bluestockings to watch some performers. I went back into the city the next day for some shopping with Lover. Last weekend, Lover and I joined extended family in Lake Tahoe. Our flight into Reno was a debacle with delays and weather and such, but the weekend was totally worth it! This Sunday I fly to San Francisco, followed by a trip to Los Angeles with my middle-school kids. I;d love to talk about all these things more, but I'm afraid it'll have to wait!

How have you been?