C.O.R.E.

Done. I finished my CORE (Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies) training. Yesterday was the final hands-on training with the Firefighters at their Oakland Training Center. Amazing. We got to practice what we've been learning over the past month: disaster first aid, search and rescue, putting out fires, "cribbing," lifts...and then we got to go through a post-earthquake simulation exercise.
There were about 8 volunteers playing victims of the disaster, made up in some pretty gross bloody-type makeup. I happened to get assigned to the First Aid tent and was to perform triage and first aid as best I could on those that got brought in. The guy pictured was all bandaged up rocking in a corner for most of the time.

Its hard to explain how cool it is to be training by the city to help in an emergency. These firefighters were amazing, fun, funny, super smart....and so generous with their time.
During the classroom training, there was a whole lot of information shared and most of it was stressful. Learning about how to take care of the most number of people rather than one individual. Leaving people for dead if they aren't breathing within a few tries. Learning that in a major earthquake, there will be dead people and that we will probably see them. Dealing with so much pain and destruction...but also, learning how to organize with neighbors in advance so that for most situations, you are pretty prepared.

The hands-on training felt pretty empowering. I was pretty good at putting out fires and search and rescue. Not sure how it would play out in real life though. I still have lots of reviewing to do. And although I don't have an extra minute, I find this all very energizing. I can't wait for graduation on November 17th. We each get a bright green CORE hardhat, vest and name tag to make it official. Yes, completely geeky, but I can't wait.

Several strong reasons to VOTE in November

I just returned from a Barbara Boxer Fundraising event. It inspired me. I got to hear from:

• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand from New York, awesome progressive, young and aggressive, is one of the key supporters of LBGT rights legislation
• Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, my new heroine-she's just a rock star-funny, a natural speaker, holds no punches, you may have heard her on the Rachel Maddow show
  

• Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington- I'm embarassed to say, I wasn't familiar with her but now I know to look out for her, I liked her a lot.
  

• Senator Mark Begich of Alaska (yes, he's a Democrat and fights for Global Warming legislation)
• Host and Senator Dianne Feinstein, California,
  

got to meet her and although I've often shake my fist at her lack of progressive stances on issues, she has been a staunch supporter of a woman's right to choose, environmental protection legislation, corporate regulations and most of the areas that I support. It was an honor to meet her.

Here is why I support Senator Barbara Boxer:

• Chairs the Environment and Public Works Committee- has fought on all fronts to end off shore drilling, continue to block drilling from the coast of CA, has passed legislation to increase Wilderness Areas....on and on
  
• Strongly supports the repeal of DADT
• Supports ending tax breaks for offshoring jobs
• Supported and helped pass the biggest middle class tax cuts bill in our country's history
  
• Supports the small business jobs bill, which is currently being blocked by Republicans
  
• Continually supports a woman's right to controlling her own body and health care needs, in fact she said that she would fight for a woman's right to choose, "as long as there is a breathe in my body..."
• She recently helped pass a bill adding thousands of teachers back into the school systems, paid for by ending those tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas

I always vote, but now I am inspired to vote-will you vote? Will your family and friends vote? Its the most American thing we can do.

Away

When I go away on business, I enjoy alone time in my hotel room but I really love calling home and giggling over Skype with the boys. Sweet.

Labor Day Weekend

A very busy weekend for sure. Why do I over plan? Why?

Saturday morning: Ran a 10K. Who'd have guessed I'd pay to run 6.2 miles on purpose? I did it, I ran the whole way in 1:03. For me, this is success. Of course, by late afternoon, I felt pretty sore. Here's Amy and I posing with our cheesy ribbons.
Saturday afternoon: Went to Aladdin with the kids. A musical that the kids loved and we grownups could enjoy without cringing. Usually "family theater" is awful. This was not. This was one of the best I've seen at Berkeley Playhouse. Below is Aiden posing with the Genie.
Saturday night: 2 Ibuprofen and passed out.

Sunday morning: Slept 9 and 1/2 hours!! A record. Got the crazy idea to go pick tomatoes on a farm. So we did. We picked tomatoes and peaches and nectarines. Lots.
Sunday evening: Supposed to be at book group. Instead, date night at home. Rented Julie and Julia-loved it.

Monday Morning: Started tomato sauce...


Monday afternoon: Continued tomato sauce...I am covered in tomatoes. So is the kitchen.
Monday evening: Attempted canning of tomato sauce and since it is still Monday evening...barely, I am now reconsidering the effort. Lots of work for four jars of sauce. Did I mention I started with 22 lbs of tomatoes?

Oakland A's and the 5K

Last week, we went to an A's game...on a school night. I dragged the kids along on a spur of the moment whim. My friend, Adrienne, and her kids, were visiting just for the evening and they wanted to see a game. So that is exactly what we did. It was fun and cold and and exhausting.

Before this spur of the moment decision, I had asked a colleague if he knew how to get good seats to an A's game. So the day after this late night bleacher seat game, I get a call saying I now have really good seats to two day games. On the house. Wow. So for a family that doesn't follow sports, this is pretty incredible. A bit embarrassing really. Three games in 3 weeks? We're going to start looking like fans or something. I think we all deserve at least an A's hat or shirt or something. Maybe one of those giant foam hands?

On Sunday, I ran in the SF Marathon Progressive 5K. I had been feeling pretty awful since the baseball game at the beginning of the week, but somehow I rallied and had a great run, it was really fun and I beat my time by 3 minutes running a 10:07 pace (fast for me). I was the 4th fastest 46 yr old (there were 19 of us). I'm pictured with younger friends Angelica (ran faster than me by a minute, while limping with a bad knee for over a mile), and Andrea, who killed it at around 24 minutes.


And then, Sunday afternoon, A's Game #2. We won 6-4, a VERY exciting game.

On entry, we each got a free A's jersey, with some pitcher guy Anderson's name on the back.


We celebrated when we got home. Strawberry shortcake...always in good taste.

Chilly Legoland

We planned for this vacation for almost a year. A couple of days at Legoland and the rest of the time playing in the sand, jumping in the waves and even soaking up some rays.

This past week was probably one of the coldest and most overcast San Diego County has experienced in years. BUMMER.

When we first arrived, we went to the beach just to check it out. We didn't put on bathing suits, it seemed too chilly. The kids still had a fantastic time.


Although it got a bit cooler and drizzled the next morning, Legoland was still a hit.



So one of the sweetest moments was on one of the rides in a boat that circled Mini Land USA. A boy on either side...I love those little hands...

It was too cold to return to the beach on our non-Legoland day so we ended up at the Discovery Center in Santa Ana. We all loved it. Sure enough, the sun came out in the afternoon. Very promising.

Our final day was back at Legoland, as well as the new Legoland Waterpark. It was about 62 degrees out. We kept hoping by afternoon the sun would come back out. But it did not. So at 2pm, we entered the water park, put on suits, wrapped ourselves in giant towels and shivered our way through the next few hours. The kids had a blast. I got a runny nose.

The only way back into warm clothes was bribing the kids with an ice cream cone. This finally worked.

Great to have a vacation. Wish it were longer and warmer.

Between Sonoma and Legoland

Last weekend, BZ and I went up to Sonoma. Without kids. We visited Viansa where we got married 8 years ago, tasted some wine, ate delicious grilled pizza.


We checked into our fancy hotel, The Lodge at Sonoma, and were upgraded to a cottage (very cool!!!) but...it was the "accessible" room. So that translated as no view, and a bathroom with many rails to hold onto. Interestingly, there were no towel racks near the sink. I wonder, do people in wheel chairs not use towels?


On Saturday, we went on a hike, saw the last half of the World Cup game (USA v Ghana) and finished the afternoon off reading by the pool.


Early evening, we scurried off to Petaluma to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops (BZ moaning the entire time..."not a jug band!!!").


Sunday I ran 3.5 miles and earned the right to a big fat breakfast at The Black Bear Diner. I love Diners. Big ridiculous food that you cannot finish. BZ ordered a senior meal. I'm not kidding.


Our weekend getaway was relaxing, romantic, silly and fun. Immediately upon our return home, my jaw clenched, my fatigue rolled back in and I sunk into a real life funk. How do I hold onto that relaxed happy feeling when I am home? How do I hold onto that relaxed feeling while juggling kids and work and meals and the rest?

In two more days I get another shot at this life lesson, we begin our official family vacation, driving down to San Diego and Legoland. Here's the test. A week away to relax, have fun, reconnect with my family...fully. And when I return, will it be possible to hold onto some of that relaxed state?