No Direction Home

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As much as I am loving the commonwealth* of Kentucky and the people who live here, I think that coming back to California will always feel like coming home.

I returned from my round-the-state California (+ a piece of Denver) trip this past weekend.  Whirlwind.  But in a good way.

First stop: San Francisco

My first day in San Francisco I went “swimming” (one stroke normal arm, one pathetic lame-armed follow up…but I try) at my old stomping grounds and decided to walk up to Lower Haight to meet a friend for a drink.  On my walk up Market I passed this:

The line stretched around the corner of 5th.  I was late to my drink date because I stood there for about 15 minutes debating whether or not I should ditch the beer and instead try to befriend a person near the front of the line and try to get in (tickets weren’t sold out yet.)  But, a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush…the beer won out.

Next on the list was the hike up to the top of Telegraph Hill with my parents where, to no one’s surprise, my father bared his guns.

See the resemblance to the shirtless guy on the building?

The views from Telegraph, good Indian food by UCSF, the dive bars, the angsty hipsters, the beer at Toronado, Nopalito, the man in a pink polka dot dress walking through the Financial District with a big bow in his nasty hair carrying a huge teddy bear…Walter Cronkite said it best:

“Leaving San Francisco is like saying goodbye to an old sweetheart. You want to linger as long as possible. “

Next stop: Creston, CA

*thanks colleague

The World Spinning

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“You must not fall. When you lose your balance, resist for a long time before turning yourself toward the earth. Then jump. You must not force yourself to stay steady. You must move forward.”

~Phillipe Petit

I just finished Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.  It is a wonderful book, highly recommend.  Followed it up by watching the documentary Man on Wire (streaming on Netflix…), definitely worth watching.

Along the same lines (ha), coincidentally, a few weeks ago I came across this article.  Extreme walking.

 

 

Guess what I wear as a hat? A lentil.

~ meh ~ 1 Comment

To counter my busy weekend at the state fair, I got a last minute ticket out to the left coast and am doing a grand tour from San Francisco to San Diego.  I am currently in Orange County, heading to San Diego tomorrow.  So posts may be slow coming the next week.  To keep you company over the long days ahead, here is Marcel the Shell.

Kentucky State Fair

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Chickens.  Cows.  Earless goats.   900 lb pumpkins.  Overalls.  Rooster crowing contests.  Jug bands.  Timber Tina and her female “lumberjill” axe-throwers.  Duck-hearding.  Donutburgers.  Exposed midriffs.  Dog-sized rabbits.  Quilts.  Pies.  Cloggers.  Toothlessness.  Pipe smoking contests.  Poultry named Tyrone.

You can find it all at the Kentucky State Fair (a picture’s worth a thousand words.)

Cast free is the way to be

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I am freeeeeee!

Yesterday the surgeon told me I don’t have to wear my brace anymore.  AND I can swim.  Or at least try.  My arm is still stuck at a 90 degree angle when I relax it, so I look kind of weird, like I’m mid-robot all the time.  But whatever, I don’t mind.  Because now I can go for my walks without having to deal with the incredulous, grossed-out looks from passers-by when I dump a puddle of sweat out of my brace in the middle of the arboretum.

Onward and upward!

Lagging…

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So I know I’ve been a little slow posting things…my online class (Financial Statement Analysis…gripping), the first and (god willing) only online class I will ever have to take (no offense Joe), has taken over my life and will continue to do so for the next few weeks.   As much as every fiber in my body fights it every waking moment, I need to finish this class by mid-Sept to get my certificate.   And what better time to do it than when you’re an unemployed invalid living with your in-laws.

Party. On.

A beautiful thing

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i heart my surgeon.

My surgeon decided to go “out on a limb” and, after making me promise I would be VERY very careful, put me in a splint early 2 weeks early, instead of another full arm hard cast.  (An old coworker was like, “Obviously he doesn’t know how accident prone you are.”  I’m hoping I can hold myself together for 2 weeks.)  The splint is removable, so in addition to starting some (very slow) elbow and wrist exercises, I can wash my arm.  I cannot begin to tell you how excited this makes me.

So thank you to all of you who voted, but (fortunately) I will not be sporting a Traffic Cone Orange cast any time soon (Electric Green and Fluorescent Pink were tied for second…dark blue got one vote.  My (apparently only responsible) friend told me that she thought it would look the most professional when I went on job interviews.)