BertVille

Ultrasound Tells All

2009-06-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

I was just checking out our recent ultrasound photos again, and came to a shocking conclusion. I'm pretty sure our baby is a superhero.

Nearly Halfway

2009-06-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finding myself nearly halfway done with this pregnancy before I even really came to terms with the fact that I'm actually making a person. Here's the history, so far.

Week 1: I hope I'm pregnant.

Week 2: Maybe I'm not pregnant. Let's go wine tasting and get all tipsy!

Week 3: What's that cramping feeling? I'm tired and grouchy. I guess my period is coming again this month.

Week 4: Wait. What's this? Positive pregnancy test? I'm pregnant!

Week 5: No symptoms so far. And my boobs look great! Being pregnant is easy!

Week 6: Bleh. Nothing sounds good. I feel a little queasy.

Week 7-12: Please don't even mention food again and bring me my bucket. I'll be napping if you need me.

Week 8: Confirmed and with a heartbeat!

Week 13: Holy crap! That's what's going on in there?! And this was on my birthday. What a wonderful gift to see the little person wiggling in there!

Week 14: Isn't this morning (all the time) sickness supposed to let up? Maybe I should stop taking this supplemental iron? Could it be making me sick?

Week 15: Bryan's sister visited! Super fun, but I was tired and out of shape from not going to the gym for nearly three months. Some short walks around the neighborhood and through the park, but nothing like what I was used to before this whole adventure.

Week 16: We went to Seattle! I sure did feel tired while we're at the Folk Festival. I had to go home early and lie around on the couch napping and drinking a lot of water. I'm finding out all sorts of interesting things about what my body now needs.

Week 17: Was that movement? Maybe? Not sure. Hm... jury's out. My OB said I've gained 20 pounds! Some of that must be my heavy lunch! No?

Week 18: Definite movement every few days! Little flicks under my bellybutton. And more so if I drink some juice and hold really still. Baby loves sugar. Bryan is excited to be able to feel the baby in the future. And I'm back to the gym. Thank goodness. Feeling better already about the exercise I'm getting.

Week 19: Last ultrasound, unless my provider has some more concerns. A boy is confirmed! I know because I saw the male parts on the screen. The genetic testing all looks great. Looks like the little one is in the 80+ percentile on most measurements... including his head. Ouch.

Here's his little smiling face at week 19.

The Miracle of Life

2009-04-29T17:14:00.001-07:00

I now understand why they call it that. In just five weeks, the small person in my guts has gone from this:
8 weeks

to this:
13 weeks

It's mind blowing! And, also gives me a concrete reason to continue to choke down food, despite the fact that I'm still feeling nauseous at 13 weeks and 1 day pregnant. The little one is worth it.

BorderCam "Altruism"

2009-03-13T10:29:00.001-07:00

My brother just sent me a link to this article.

I'm baffled and saddened that the people in this story think they're doing something "altruistic," a word used by one of the interviewees. His definition of the word is sorely out of line with my idea of what altruism means.

I think the part that most makes me slap my forehead in dismay is this:
"Abernethy said he will continue to watch the cameras because he feels like he's part of an altruistic group of volunteers. Friends tease him about watching the site, he said. But he sees it as no worse than any other form of quick entertainment -- and maybe he can be of some help in the process. 'It's no different than watching Everybody Loves Raymond reruns," he said. "It's just something to do.'""

Quick entertainment? It seems these bordercam watchers have lost sight of the fact that the people crossing the border are... well, people. I hardly agree that watching Everybody Loves Raymond reruns is as benign as changing the course of someone's life. A life that might be deeply difficult due to issues of poverty, political problems, and disease. My feeling is that the bordercam watchers haven't taken the time to understand the issues on the other side of the fence.

That said, I'm not all for a completely open door policy because a system like that would likely overtax resources which we are already struggling to provide for some US citizens. However, I don't think watching for "the bad guys" (who could very well be a poor woman with her three young children) crossing the border is really something to be proud of.

Here are my suggestions to those bordercam people who want to help out. Some "altruistic" ideas, if you will. A good first step would be lobbying for our leaders to assist the Mexican government in building a more effective infrastructure, therefore, diminishing or even eliminating the causes of illegal immigration. Show that you believe in a policy that will help would-be immigrants make a living wage, live in healthy surroundings, and have a fair shake at building a future in their own country. We do that in countries where we want something they have. Why not for our own neighbors?

Also, for people like Abernethy, in the story, I have an even better idea. Rather than watching Everybody Loves BorderCam, go to an actual country from which the US receives a large amount of immigrants. Experience life the way its people do. Learn to really appreciate what it is that these people are seeking and why. Give yourself the opportunity to remember how wonderful it was to be able to rely upon clean water from the tap in your US home, around the clock every day. Then, help someone in that other country to live a healthier, more satisfying life. That Mr. Abernethy, is something in which to have pride.

And just to note, I also think we should continue providing amnesty for those who need it. It's a belief on which we built the country originally. And Mr. Abernethy ought to be a little less short sighted when looking at himself. Unless he's a Native American, his people once crossed our border looking for a better life, too.

Anniversaries and Overhauls

2009-03-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

Two stories in today's news caught my eye. The first is a local piece about an overhaul of one of the giant downtown mall/theater complexes, The Metreon.

When I moved to San Francisco in early 2000, the Metreon had just been built. It was big and dark and full of neon guts. The Metreon was built by Sony, who seemed to want to capitalize on all of the Internet Millionaire Buzz that was happening around the Bay Area. High tech, high prices, high energy.

Cut to 2009. With Bay Area housing prices stalled at best, falling in most places, and many people losing their jobs, the Metreon has become a monolithic eyesore, a memory of, not so much a better time, but a more self-absorbed one.

The article talks about the Westfield Group's recent purchase and planned remodel of the building. While I don't advocate spending on unnecessary projects during tough times, the Westfield people seem to be doing okay... financially speaking. Therefore, I'm all for the upgrade! More open spaces, more light, more community area for lounging and connecting to friends.

The reason this story really hit home, though, was because I remember when The Metreon was the place to be, all new and shiny. Thing is, I never really saw the draw. I didn't like the neon or the darkness, especially since Yerba Buena park was right there. It always seemed a bit of a sin against nature to close the people off from the sunlight into a dark, albeit technologically neat, cave. So, a decade later, they will start construction on The Metreon as I envisioned it. I should really write these things down when I think of them.

The second story is that of the Barbie doll's 50th anniversary. There are many new articles online about Barbie's 50th birthday bash. While I did play with Barbie's as a child, and very much enjoyed the imaginative play her world helped me create, I do still see a flaw in the whole concept.

The main reason for my insistence on ruining Barbie's party is that I don't and won't ever look like Barbie. Some people go to great lengths to reinvent themselves into a living Barbie, by way of some extreme decision making (don't get my started on psychoanalyzing this one).

For myself in the matter of Media Blitz + Larger Than Average Rear End = Twelve Year Old With Battered Self-Esteem, I remember the exact moment in which I held my Barbie up while facing the mirror. We looked nothing alike. And in that moment, I had the crushing realization that my breasts, burgeoning though they were, would never look like Barbie's. At the time, it was heart-breaking. She was who I thought I would grow up to be. An all American Girl, fun-loving and successful. And, I assumed, these things were all based upon her natural, beachy good looks. (Remember, I was 12 years old; this was a logical conclusion for me.)

So, I remain torn on the celebration of an icon's 50th. She's a real bitch with a bad attitude, but I can't seem to shun her because of the fun times we shared several decades ago. A toxic friendship from my past of which I'm reminded every 10 years or so.

Recent News

2009-02-26T17:10:00.001-08:00

There's no good excuse for not having written for so long. Except that I've had nothing of real interest to say. No witty observations. No big travel stories. So, here are some recent photos, so that you know I'm still here... making an effort.

Wine Tasting Last Weekend in the Pouring Rain

Golden Gate Bridge Stop in the Pouring Rain

Visiting the Missle Museum (Bryan Looks Good in a Hardhat)

Parents' 40th Anniversary Party That We Threw

I'll see if I can come up with some other good stuff soon.

100 Places I've Been

2009-01-13T14:55:00.001-08:00

1. Amalfi, Italy
2. Amesbury, England
3. Arthurs Pass, New Zealand
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Austin, TX
6. Badlands, SD
7. Bergen, Norway
8. Birmingham, AL
9. Boulder, CO
10. Carmel, CA
11. Cheyenne, WY
12. Chicago, IL
13. Christchurch, New Zealand
14. Clearlake, CA
15. Cleveland, OH
16. Copenhagen, Denmark
17. Denver, CO
18. Depoe Bay, OR
19. Duluth, MN
20. Florence, Italy
21. Fort Collins, CO
22. Fort Lauderdale, FL
23. Gatlinburg, TN
24. Geneva, IL
25. Genoa, Italy
26. Grand Portage, MN
27. Honolulu, HI
28. Kaneohe, HI
29. Kansas City, MO
30. Kapaa, HI
31. Kekaha, HI
32. Keystone, SD
33. Kilauea, HI
34. Kissimmee, FL
35. La Fortuna, Costa Rica
36. Laie, HI
37. Lake Tahoe, CA
38. Las Vegas, NV
39. Lihue, HI
40. London, England
41. Longmont, CO
42. Los Angeles, CA
43. Lucca, Italy
44. Madison, WI
45. Malmo, Sweden
46. Mammoth Lakes, CA
47. Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
48. Memphis, TN
49. Miami, FL
50. Miami Beach, FL
51. Milan, Italy
52. Milwaukee, WI
53. Minneapolis, MN
54. Monterey, CA
55. Napa, CA
56. Naples, Italy
57. Nashville, TN
58. Nelson, New Zealand
59. New Orleans, LA
60. Nogales, Mexico
61. Orlando, FL
62. Oslo, Norway
63. Owego, NY
64. Paris, France
65. Philadelphia, PA
66. Phoenix, AZ
67. Pisa, Italy
68. Poipu, HI
69. Pompeii, Italy
70. Portofino, Italy
71. Princeville, HI
72. Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
73. Puerto Quepos, Costa Rica
74. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
75. Reno, NV
76. Rochester, NY
77. Rome, Italy
78. Rotorua, New Zealand
79. San Diego, CA
80. San Francisco, CA
81. San Jose, CA
82. San Jose, Costa Rica
83. San Juan, Puerto Rico
84. Santa Barbara, CA
85. Santa Monica, CA
86. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
87. Seattle, WA
88. Sedona, AZ
89. Sonoma, CA
90. Stockholm, Sweden
91. Superior, WI
92. Tampa, FL
93. Tucson, AZ
94. Turrialba, Costa Rica
95. Waialua, HI
96. Washington DC
97. Wellington, New Zealand
98. Winnipeg, Manitoba
99. Wisconsin Dells, WI
100. Yosemite, CA

Resolutions

2009-01-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

I don't make New Year's Resolutions. They're just not for me. It implies that I'm wrong in what I have or haven't been doing - as if I am, in someway, already flawed and need to promise to fix myself.

Boo. Bad attitude right out of the gate.

Also, I think making a long list of things to accomplish each year is really just setting myself up for failure. And the list would likely get longer as time passes because the longer the list, the more remains left undone each year.

There are things I do, and would like to continue doing, which I feel are the most important things. It's a short list of five items. If I try to add more than five, it can get messy and stressful, which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid in my life by remembering to do these five things.

So, this is my resolution solution for myself.

Bert's All The Time Resolutions List
1) Be nice to people.
2) Try new things.
3) Stay active.
4) Stay informed.
5) Laugh a lot.

Easy to remember, and covers most of the ideals by which I'd like to live my life. That said, it's not rigid. Depending on the day, I might add something like "eat more ice cream".

After all, life is to be enjoyed.

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." - Annie Dillard

We've Become That Couple

2008-12-24T17:33:00.000-08:00

...who accidentally dresses alike.

I got dressed and left the house before Bryan even woke up this morning. When I got home, he was wearing this.

The Last 30 Days in Photos

2008-12-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

We had some good times this past month. Here are the highlights.

We had some friends over to play poker. Doug, the man shown here with the cards, won all of our money.

Bryan made a fantastic Thankgiving dinner. The only thing I did was steam the green beans (a little too much, actually).

We ate like kings that day.

And then, I put up our Christmas tree for this year. Last year, we bought a living tree in a pot, so as not to waste natural resources. Well, we didnt' have anywhere to plant it, so it ended up dying, anyway. This year, we will recycle our tree.

Google Totally Has My Number

2008-12-08T16:43:00.001-08:00

I judge my relative worth as a human being by the ads that Google puts in that right hand column next to my emails.

Google has software (or one really bored guy) that searches the main topics of your emails and puts appropriate ads next to them, so that you might be enticed into clicking on something of interest.

Some of my favorites from recent emails are:
* Cat Video - takes your cat on a virtual walk
* Banquet Rooms at CoCo's
* Hannah Montana's IQ = 122
* Play Fish Tycoon
* Drunken Unicorn Tickets
* Free Chuck-E-Cheese

The best is the last one. I have to wonder, is this, like, as in "Free Tibet"? Is he being held somewhere against his will? Will Amnesty International become involved?

E is for EKG

2008-11-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a huge pain in my ass, but has restored my faith in the health care system.. for now. Here's a breakdown.

1:00pm
I arrived at the gym and began working out on the elliptical machine. I was feeling exhilarated due to several previous days of inactivity. Then... ouch! For the past two months, I've had a bit of pain in my chest, now and then. I had been assuming it was a pulled muscle and ignoring it. Stupid muscle, messing up my workout.

2:00pm
I called the doc to make an appointment in the next few weeks, just to check in. Well, it turns out, when you say shortness of breath and chest pain, the doctor's office really moves fast! So, they fit me into a 2:30pm appointment. This is the same office that couldn't schedule me with primary care until "three months from now" on other occasions. I've learned a valuable lesson about presentation.

3:00pm
Both resident and supervisor said it was likely nothing, but wanted to be sure. They sent me in a wheelchair to the emergency room for an EKG. Apparently, the wheelchair is part of their legal requirements. I noticed that being in a wheelchair made me feel sicker than I had before. People on the sidewalk stared as the nurse bumped me across the street to the hospital.

4:00pm
Originally, I had hoped to get home in time to watch Oprah. Bummer.

5:00pm
Still waiting. I amused myself by watching shows I had downloaded to my iPod for my recent travel.

6:00pm
I was called in to an actual patient room and asked to don a stylish hospital gown. A very nice resident came in and gave me apple juice since, at that point, it had been nearly 7 hours since I'd eaten anything. They offered me graham crackers, but I declined. Surely, I would be headed home soon for some real dinner. I also got some free stickers applied to my chest and side for the EKG. They were not shaped like unicorns, however.

7:00pm
My iPod died. The sweetheart of a nurse had come in to move me to another room a while back, and I was now I was sharing a room with a woman from Tonga and her family members. They spoke in staccato speech to one another. I amused myself by imagining what they were talking about. I was given a call button (my very first ever) and left alone. I noticed I had no phone service, so the nurse assisted me in making a call to my husband from a hospital phone. I left him a message.

8:00pm
The same nurse took copious amounts of my blood for cardiac tests. faint The doctor wanted me on a heart monitor. More stickers, but still nothing with sparkles or glitter. I spent about 10 minutes amusing myself by holding my breath and trying to manipulate the numbers and spikes on the screen while I waited for my chest x-ray.

9:00pm
Time for my chest x-ray! I got wheeled into x-ray on my gurney. Again, people staring. This time because I was the best dressed in my style-y hospital robe and workout pants.

9:15pm
I left another message for my husband. I was nearly falling down out of hunger. The nurse saw me drooping and offered me the holy grail of hospital food, a sandwich bag! Hooray! I got dressed and happily ate my turkey sandwich, washing it down with a little carton of milk. Mm. It was the best sandwich in the entire world.

9:30pm
I got news that everything looked good. Seems as though it's acid reflux or some such stomach issue. I'm in tip-top cardiac shape. They didn't even follow it with the caveat "for someone your age". Discharge papers!

I guess it wasn't so bad, after all. I mean, honestly, I got to lie down and relax all afternoon and evening, which, I suppose is a bonus.

WOOO-HOOO!

2008-11-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

Halloween Party 2008

2008-10-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

We went to Bryan's work's Halloween party this weekend.

Acting My Age

2008-10-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

I got a haircut.

It is the shortest my hair has been since this haircut given to me by my mother in 1977.

Hopefully, my current 'do is easier to pull off than my earlier short hair look.

Masquerading

2008-09-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

In San Francisco, recreation can get pretty expensive pretty quickly. Since we've been saving for a house, we've been cutting back on the money we spend to go out and have fun.

Fortunately, I discovered Yelp.com, a site dedicated to reviewing local restaurants and shops. A very nice idea, but here's the kicker - if a member writes enough reviews, and is witty and informative, they make that member an Elite Member. And this is good because they invite the Elite Members to a free party each month. Free food, booze, and the ability to chat with others who are beautiful and popular. I feel like I've finally succeeded at high school!

If you want to see my reviews, you can search for me on Yelp with my email address.

Beautiful and Popular

Humble Pie

2008-08-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

We've been checking out real estate. Knowing full well that we can't afford to buy a cute, little 3-bedroom home in San Francisco (for the average price of nearly $1 million), we've been looking into different cities.

It seems that wherever we want to live, someone has discovered it first. It's been very daunting. I find myself pouting and thinking that all I want is a smallish, 3-bedroom place with a cute kitchen in which to make blueberry pie for my husband and future children.

We were especially discouraged today, after perusing Redfin, a site that shows real estate listings with photos, as well as price drops. Yes, prices have come down significantly in many areas. Unfortunately, this being our first home, we have no equity on which to rest our lofty home-buying goals. It seems we will be relegated to a crappy, 80s-style 2-bedroom condo in our town of choice. Unless, that is, prices fall by more than $100K by next year.

But, as I was saying, today we had ourselves worked up, until Bryan asked me if we were poor. It's a perfectly valid question, given that we have tried to live as frugally as we can, but still can't seem to save enough for a starter home in any decent area.

When he asked that, I remembered my Peace Corps experience. I said, "No, we're not," and I found an internet tool that proves it.

Global Rich List

I found this tool at The Wall Street Journal website. The article from which I got it is also interesting.

We are in the less-than-1% richest range for global richness. We are richer than more than 99% of the world's population!

So, I feel better about a crappy, 80s-tastic condo than I did earlier today. Sometimes, I forget to be grateful for what I have.

Hooray for Woot.com!

2008-07-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

My husband just said these words to me:

"I can't wait to vacuum!"

Seriously, this is the best day ever. He bought a Dyson vacuum on woot.com, and he is so excited. You can understand why it's my new favorite website.

Granted, he did treat the vacuum as though it was a lightsaber when he first took it from the box, so perhaps there is a bit more going on here than just an instinct for cleanliness.

It works super well! Woot for the new vacuum!

Baby's Got Back Injury

2008-07-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

Since the end of May, I've been struggling with a back injury, which has had me staying away from the gym, hiking, and… well, sitting. My chiropractor called it early on, saying it was a disc injury.

My primary care, on the other hand, decided it was a muscle and told me to call if it got worse. Well, it got worse and I called two weeks later to schedule a follow up, and to get an MRI referral to find out the extent of the damage.

The administration in the office is far beyond what I would call disorganized. I've been mad at them for over a month. They continue call my defunct home phone to make appointments, despite me giving them my cell phone number on four separate occasions. (Finally, I had one of the admins remove my home phone number from the database entirely.) And, they keep scheduling me on days when I say I absolutely cannot make it.

Is this opposite day?!

I finally got in to see the doc, who said it's a disc injury. Something I’ve known since May 30. Late to the party, but at least she showed up. She wrote me three referrals.

1) MRI
2) Physical Therapy
3) Spine Orthopedist

I felt relieved, and went home to make all of my appointments. Well, today, the spine doc still does't have the referral from my primary care that was supposedly faxed last Wednesday to her office. Even better, I received a letter from my insurance that says they won't cover an MRI unless it's ordered by an orthopedist.

And here's the funny part that makes me want to pull out my hair and wander the street babbling to myself... the orthopedist won't see me without an MRI.

It's like a Mobius strip straight out of hell.

What's really annoying is I'm not even sure to whom I should direct my increasing ire. Private insurance for being yet another failing American invention? Or, the primary care clinic for being so lame in the first place?

Meanwhile, my left foot keeps tingling. That can't be good.

Farmers' Market

2008-07-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

Bryan and I have been frequenting the local farmers' market for the past month or so.

The progression to where we are now in our grocery buying adventure has been a gradual one. We began with the standard trip to Safeway, a large, west coast grocery chain. Then, somehow, we learned of the evils of high fructose corn syrup, and began looking for it in the ingredients of all of our food. It seems, nearly every food carried by regular grocery chains contains this sinister ingredient. From yogurt to bread, check it out.

Enter large chain organic grocery store, WholeFoods. Having previously avoided this behemoth due to its often exorbitant pricing, we did some cost comparisons. Most of the Safeways have an organic section, which sells many of the same foods found at WholeFoods. However, when we crunched the numbers, we realized that Safeway was gouging people who wanted to to eat healthy foods with whole grains and no poison in them. This seemed wrong... and expensive. So, we changed our regular grocery store to WholeFoods. During this time, Bryan was reading "An Omnivore's Dilemma", as well. So we began looking for organic animal products, including organic milk, free range chicken and eggs, and grass-fed beef.

We definitely pay more for the humane and organic versions of these products, but we feel good because we're not only helping the individual animals, but also the environment, by reducing the antibiotics and other unnatural things that are often added to these foods.

We were pretty happy with our weekly trips to WholeFoods and occasional trips to the city's co-op market to buy our organic goods. However, while the staples at WholeFoods are more reasonably priced than their counterparts at Safeway, we found that buying organic produce was putting us in the poor house. Grapes from Chile, peaches from Alabama, apples from New Zealand... That much travel costs a lot for a small piece of fruit, both in dollars and in pollution. Hmm.

We began to consider the farmers' market as a possible alternative. Hallelujah! We found that we could buy a pound of peaches for $1.50 per pound. Contrast that with the $2.99 per pound we paid at WholeFoods. And the produce at the farmers' market is local. None of it travels from other countries, or even other states. As an added bonus, much of it is labeled organic, even by rigid California standards.

So, Bryan and I are enjoying the lower cost and, quite frankly, better taste of local foods produced by small farms. And, in a world of growing pollution and environmental problems, our consciences are pretty clear, with an occasional splurge on bananas from afar.

Spitting Mad

2008-06-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

For most of the late 1990s, I lived in a small, Dominican village working with together with local people to create sustainable development practices in the community. I took bucket baths with stored rain water that I kept in large containers behind my little cinderblock home. I went to christenings, weddings, and funerals with my neighbors. I suffered from Dengue Fever and giardia, neither of which I recommend.

Presently, I work with extremely poor people, many of whom are homeless and have serious illnesses. I help them navigate the struggles in their daily lives and, for the most part, I enjoy my work.

I do not consider myself to be culturally insensitive or closed-minded about personal differences.

That said, I never want to be showering at the gym and hear someone hawking up a loogie and spitting it out in the shower stall next to mine. Ever.

The gym I frequent is full of people who are very culturally different than me. And, while I can appreciate that their customs are diverse and not always going to match mine, I do not want to step in someone else's phlegm in the shower.

Ew.

That's really all I have to say about it. No witty tie-together at the end. Just... stop spitting in the showers at the gym, please. Yuck.

Isn't It A Little Early to Come Full Circle?

2008-06-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

A HISTORY OF FAVORITES
by Bert

Childhood
Food: fresh fruit
Beverage: lemonade
Activity: playing outside

Teenhood
Food: Cheetos
Beverage: Coca-Cola
Activity: writing morose poetry

Young Adulthood
Food: macaroni and cheese
Beverage: wine - all of it
Activity: dancing until 1:00am

Present
Food: fresh fruit
Beverage: lemonade
Activity: playing outside

Aloha

2008-06-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

We went to Kaua'i for a wedding! It was fabulous. Here is a photo journal of some of the events. I took over 700 photos, but managed to whittle them down a bit. You can see the rest of the ones that made the cut by clicking here.

We were thrilled to arrive in Hawaii.

Puka Dog - as seen on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain.

I injured my back and went to the ER. Just because I'm old, so don't ask.

The Hyatt salt water lagoon is lovely.

Luau Mai Tais (Bryan had five).

Bryan snorkeled.

Then, he joined a boy band.

Wailua Falls is taller than Niagara Falls.

Hiking in the rainforest takes muscles.

Waimea Canyon. Bryan said those boats were Magnum PI chasing a drug runner.

We took a catamaran to the Na Pali Coast.

Neither of us got sea sick.

Then, we went to the wedding in our fabulous wedding get-ups.

Woo! Happily ever after.

And I got my dance on at the reception with Elan.

Birthday Weekend

2008-05-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Bryan took me out of town for my birthday last weekend! We went to the Tallman Hotel in Lake County, an 1890s building restored to its previous glory, but with fun new amenities.

We stayed in a cute casita behind the main building. Bryan booked it because it had a Japanese soaking tub on the back patio. (We don't have a usable bathtub at our apartment, and he knew I missed submerging myself.)

We went wine tasting in a limo at four lovely vineyards near Clear Lake.

One of them even had pirates!

Later, a giant cake was delivered to us after dinner! We're not sure why they thought we needed to feed 30 people since it was clearly just the two of us!

Then, we came back to go to my old roommate's wedding. It was cold in Berkeley, but still a lovely end to a wonderful weekend.

Here's the happy couple.

And here's to love!

Click here for more photos of the birthday weekend and ex-roommate wedding fun.

It's About Time

2008-04-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

This morning, this article was called to my attention.

I'm giddy like a schoolgirl because someone has finally taken notice of what I've sensed all along... Dr. Phil is a hack. I feel vindicated because I've always thought that:

1) Verbal abuse is not therapeutic.
2) Though a Texas accent makes him charming in a homegrown way, it does not necessarily make him an expert.
3) He has already broken several ethical codes and has moved into legal territory, of late, including practicing without a license (which was revoked nearly two decades ago).
4) But most importantly, lasting change is only made when a person recognizes, on his or her own over a period of self-discovery and learning, that there is a problem... not when he or she is assaulted by a crazy man on national television.