somedays

it is what it is.

if you don't know, then you should

taken June 6, 2009, Cafe du Nord, San Francisco, Ca.
http://www.amandapalmer.net/afp/

newfoundland

Fruit Picking
Originally uploaded by leslaz

Last weekend, I watched my nieces while my sister went away for her birthday. I love those girls and the weekend was quite fun --- but I have to say that Saturday night, post baths-stories-bedtime, I flopped onto the couch with the dog at my feet, filthy in clothes covered in cherry juice, ketchup, pee, and dog hair and slobber. And numbly watched Enchanted. All you moms out there? New found respect coming your way. Peace.

Re-visiting-mining

A few posts back, I mentioned I went to a conference addressing how quarries and mine companies must restore the land after they have removed mineral. I came across this story in SF Gate this morning which is a perfect example of why this is so important. Extreme, but perfect: Superfund money to clean 'mouth of beast.'

Please draw your attention to the portion of the article where they mention how little help the current owner of the mine provides to clean-up efforts:

The elderly owner of the property, Ted Arman, who bought the 3,500-foot mountain from the last mining company for $100,000, has not been much help, proposing a resumption of mining in addition to construction of a 200-foot-tall marble statue of Jesus Christ.

oh good lord.

acid run-off from Iron Mountain Mine. Photo from Stockpix.com

I also re-remembered how to wind a bobbin.

I've been so lax, I know. I swear I haven't been vegging out, watching my netflixed True Blood. I swear. Really. And to prove it? Some fun facts of the last few weeks:

• I went to IKEA and bought a new $20 duvet set. I love bedding and this set looks like faded snow leopard print. Joy. I then proceeded to get lost in Emeryville for over 20 minutes. I hate that place. It's a bad vortex of non-directionalism.
• A rattlesnake crossed the road in front of me as I was walking in the Central Valley on Wednesday. I'm not sure if that's bad luck black cat or what, but I was fascinated. And clearly delusional in my quest to follow said rattler for a good picture. I didn't get one.
  
• Just before I saw the rattler, my coworker and I saw a great blue heron fly up from the creek just in front of us with a fish hanging, dangling from it's mouth.
  
• I went to see Drag Me to Hell. I hollered at least once, covered my eyes most, and dry heaved twice. It was the best movie I have seen in a long time.
  
• I finally sold my old old old computer to a guy for $70 who is going to trade it in and get $450 off his new one. Win win.
  
• Bill and I went to MOMA and had a very culturally fun time. Check out Robert Frank's book The Americans if you get a chance.
• Samovar tea lounge rocks. We highly recommend the Turkey Sandwich.
• I spent a weekend at my folks' cabin in Arnold. Weather was gorgeous and we wandered around Big Trees National Park for a bit. Big Trees, fun time.
  
• I almost was sucked into So You Think You Can Dance. Fortunately, enough people embarrassed themselves horribly to make me cringe and change the channel, so I pretty much forgot to go back and finish it.
  
• I hemmed curtains.
• I covered a pillow.
• I made myself get out of bed and go to 630AM yoga.
• I climbed a 5.10a at the gym.
• um
• yeah

Out and about, around and upside down, but by far the best thing I have encountered in the past few days was a sign in front of a church in Escalon. Now, there are a TON of churches in Escalon (I counted like 6 within 3 blocks!), but this one wins with the following encouragement:

Aspire to Inspire before you Expire.

(thankyoujesus)

Construction costs.

I just spent two days in the Sierra foothills, in a small town called San Andreas, for a conference on SMARA--- Surface Mining and Reclamation Act. Not nit grit details, just the general gist: If you did a big ol' hole, you are going to have to do something with said hole when you are finished digging. Days were beige. Interesting moments during the conference occurred here and there, but mostly it was long drawn out explanations of regulations where synopsis would have done, and pointless descriptions of how NOT to map. The towns, too, attributed to the visit's non-descript nature; they were slow and rundown and the 'for lease' and empty storefronts were overwhelmingly weighted. The economy has everyone bored and lethargic. Granted, I think I may have been in the meth lab and moonshine capital of the world, so that could also contribute to the... weird vibe of the area (hopeless).

Well. That was an uplifting post. Let me make it even better with some awesome destruction of the environment:

San Rafael Quarry

Red Hill Quarry by Dumbarton Bridge (kapChis on Flickr.com)

Malakoff diggings, ca.

yay team.

Leslies, thy song has come.

raising

Last night, yoga was hot. There were thirty people crammed into a room, staggered so arms and legs would not collide as we half-mooned and triangled. Sweaty and exhausted, we breathed and held our bodies in weird ways and stretched, thinking boy oh boy this is going to be sore tomorrow, but boy oh boy it's almost bathing suit time, oh right I should be breathing and relaxing into it, and om-ing. I stood at the top of my mat and turned...and that's when I saw it.

A tiny raisin. A soft raisin, warm. Sitting in the middle of my mat. It looked like a tiny turd. I pondered the raisin for a brief moment before snatching it up and stowing it near my towel. Om-ing forgotten, I shifted quickly into the newest contortion, wondering how the raisin had arrived there and who could have seen it and omg, did they think it was a tiny turd? I grabbed the arch of my foot and straightened my leg, streeeetch. Wondering.

I had a stowaway raisin, either from the making of rice pudding (with raisins) on Sunday night, or from munching on some trail mix Monday mid-morning. Apparently I carried it with me, tucked somewhere (sleeve? bra?) until it found its way into the middle of my blue yoga mat. A misleading sight.

Oh Om.

mosey

I have been busy being busy and busy being not so busy --- that's just what goes on, right? I returned from Scotland rejuvenated to pursue those interests that had drifted into the background wallpaper. I had not realized how loop-like my world had become --- I was literally watching the same movies over and over --- and am just so freaking thankful I had a chance to break the cycle, zig where there was a curve, turn off the tele and pop in a CD. I was tired of sitting at my desk, smashing gnats from plants.

Last night, I came home to a hot hot apartment. Sun in the city is nice. 95 in the city is painful. Windows, doors open, a shower where I had to wait for the water to cool, and a spinach/salmon salad...I retreated to my roof where my Russian neighbors had placed a bench. The sunset was amazing, and I was in a muumuu drinking a wine spritzer and alternating between reading and looking at the sky colors.

An incredibly sunny San Francisco. Trust playing at the Knockout. New CD folks! Have a listen here.lots of beer. Battlestar Galactpoopa. (thanks Giovanni)

upwards

This is by far the best thing I have seen in a long time. "Britain's Got Talent" contestant Susan Boyle... see for yourself: the youtube clip of wonderment.