Random Happenstance

On my way home from a movie tonight, I was walking through a mall to get to my car, and I saw some people walking the other direction. The closer we got, the more it looked like my old college roommate. Because it was. My whole week was just made. I didn't know how much I missed her until we were hugging for the fourth or fifth time. The. Best. Moment. 

The movie was so long, and then running into her, I'm out of time to post this.

Exhaustion

My day was long. That can be both good and bad, but, it was most definitely exhausting. I can barely keep my eyes open to type this. Seriously. Just fell asleep mid-sentence. So, I'll keep this post really short.

Riots

I fully understand why people are frustrated and angry in Baltimore. I absolutely believe that racism is systemic and we have a long way to go before it's eradicated. That said, I don't support violence in pretty much any capacity. Protesting is a great way to let people know your feelings,  and what you need to thrive. Looting, causing damage, and injury, should not be part of protesting. The anger is simmering and bubbling, but the capacity to reign in that kind of behavior is what kind of what society is all about. The other side of that, of course, is that society is also about helping the disenfranchised. I pray for Baltimore and all the cities facing this right now. I pray for peace and comfort in difficult times. But, I also pray for justice and fairness to prevail and lend itself to those who haven't really had it.

BEDA Tracker:

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Decisions

I wish my hobbies were more complementary. Knitting, jogging, and reading don't go well together. At least, not for me. I do know there's a man who knits while he runs marathons, but he is obviously better at both than I am, because if I try to knit without full concentration, bad things happen. As for running, ha. I'm focused on not crashing to the ground or having an asthma attack, not whether I should knit or purl.

So, rather than being able to combine my hobbies, I'm forced to choose between them. I started a new shawl yesterday that I really want to work on, but I also need/want to finish one of the books from my second pile for my April challenge. Luckily, running today is out of the question, because my legs are, like, rebelling against my run from yesterday.

Speaking of my run yesterday, I saw my results on their board, and I was simultaneously proud and discouraged. It was a PR, so that made me proud. Then I sawy standings among my peers and among the rest of the runners, and I was kind of big-time discouraged. Because, I'm pretty far down on the list. People say I shouldn't compare myself to others, but, if I shouldn't, why do they show you all the comparisons? Sigh.

At any rate, my decision tonight was to read. And then I fell asleep on the couch, so apparently I was really tired.

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15    4/6/15   4/11/15   4/16/15   4/21/15   4/26/15

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4/3/15    4/8/15   4/13/15   4/18/15   4/23/15   4/28/15

4/4/15    4/9/15   4/14/15   4/19/15   4/24/15   4/29/15

4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

La Jolla Shores 5K

Today, I did the La Jolla Shores 5K. It started off with my fastest mile time as an adult. I ran for over ten minutes straight, which is totally a record for me.

Of course, that was partly because the first mile was almost entirely downhill. And, the downside of running the first mile, was the running out of energy for the next two. I definitely need to work on evening out my pace.

This was a pretty fun run, and you could see the beach for most of it. But, they only give medals for the half marathon. I know a 5K doesn't seem impressive to marathoners, but for some people, a 5K might as well be. I think you should get something for finishing any organized race, regardless of the distance.

In the end, I PRd and had fun, but now I'm icing my knees and slathering them in Tiger Balm.

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15    4/6/15   4/11/15   4/16/15   4/21/15   4/26/15

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Errands

Today, after my knitting group, I had to run some errands. First up was a cupcake tasting to prepare for a birthday party I'm helping put on next week. They had an apple pie cupcake that was to die for. So yummy.

Then I went to shop for some decorations. I was wandering around the store trying to find the right colors, until eventually I looked at my watch and realized I'd been there over an hour. I had to get out of there, so I finally just picked some stuff I think might work.

Then I had to head down to my running shoe store, to pick up the packet for my race tomorrow. And then I meandered around that store for over an hour. And left with new shoes. So nice, but probably didn't need them. 

After all that, I was starving, so I tried to find a good Chinese food place in the area. Everything I found had lines out the door, so I ended up going to Thai near my house. Good, but I'm still craving some lo mein. 

Next thing I know, I'm way overdue for bed and almost too late to post!

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15    4/6/15   4/11/15   4/16/15   4/21/15   4/26/15

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Game Night

Tonight I'm at a game night, so I don't have time to blog. But, my friend has this pinball machine at her house and I just spent a lot of game time playing pinball. Because, yes! Also, I swear I remember this game from when I was a kid. That robot looks so familiar!

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Walking

I got a FitBit Charge for my birthday and I've been wearing it ever since. It amazes me how much tracking my steps makes me want to move. At my last job, I was glued to the computer, so I very rarely got close to my step goal on a weekday. At the new job, I move around a lot more. I've hit my goal both days. Yesterday, it was because I went walking after work, but today I hit my goal by going shopping after work.

I never really thought about how far I walked when I went to a mall before. Before I got my license, I walked everywhere. I worked at a mall, and I would walk to work where I stood for my entire shift, then walked home. I wish I could continue that kind of lifestyle. I love driving, but I really miss the time I spent putting one foot in front of the other. Plus, when I walked everywhere, I didn't have to add walking and running into my routine.

I really wish San Diego had a better transit system. It's really only good if you live downtown. In Sacramento, the light rail and bus system was really good in all the places I lived. So, I could walk to the bus or light rail and get pretty much anywhere I wanted to go. I really miss the excursions I would go on, meandering around Sacramento.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Brain Drain

This is the third time I've tried to start this post. I'm so drained from my first day at a new job, that I just can't focus on blogging. The new job is good, but there are so many things to learn and so many people to meet that I left feeling like the best plan for tonight was curling up in a ball on the couch. But, then I went for a two mile walk. And now, I can't focus enough to write a coherent post. So, I'm going to cut today's post short. Because no one should have to suffer my brain drain. Besides, it's Earth Day. I should conserve as much electricity as possible.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Unemployment

Technically, I was unemployed again today. I finished one job yesterday and start another tomorrow. It was kind of surprising how much it brought back the emotions of being unexpectedly unemployed a little less than a year ago. I decided to spend my day the same way I did on the first day of unemployment last time. I went to Balboa Park and wandered the San Diego Museum of Art.

Tuesdays in San Diego have free admission to museums for residents. It just so happened that the same museum I visited last time was open today. I never really connected with art growing up. Considering the roles music, literature, acting, and crafting play in my life, it's kind of surprising. I think I had a sort of block toward drawing and painting. I did take an art class in junior high, and the teacher didn't like my art, so I got a bad grade. I thought I was terrible at art, so it's possible that had something to do with my block. I do tend to avoid things that I don't do well.

Regardless, in the past couple years I've been wanting to learn more about art. I especially like to find out what was happening to the artists at the time the pieces were made. This is something I especially love about literature, too. It's why I thought I wanted to be a history major. I love making connections between creation and causation.

While wandering the museum today, a woman randomly started talking to me about this piece. I was looking at the name plate to figure out if the artist was female or male (It's really not that hard, very little art in the museum is by females. Sigh.) My interest attracted the woman, I suppose. She explained to me that Morgan Russell painted this piece, Still Life Synchromy with Nude in Yellow. He was attempting to capture music through the paint. We kept chatting, and I found out Russell was a contemporary of Picasso, and spent time at Gertrude Stein's salon, which means he was also a contemporary of authors like Hemingway and Faulkner. Knowing all about them from studying the lost generation in college, I felt like I knew a lot more about where Russell was coming from when he painted. I'm really glad that woman noticed me. This is the kind of thing that makes me want to learn more about the art world.

Another piece in the museum really stood out to me today. It also featured music. I wish I could have gotten a better picture, but we were told not to take pictures of the art. Something about it being the free day. The above painting was gorgeous. It's called Robin, and it's by Kaley Powers. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's not just painted. It has a 3-D element as well. There are painted paper cut-outs on top of painted background. The birds are birds, but also music notes. It's just a beautiful piece. Oh, and the artist is a local high school student. Seriously. It's phenomenal considering it was done by a teenager.

BEDA Tracker:

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April 2015 Loot Crate Unboxing!

Today was a hard day. It was my last day at the place I've been working since December. I'm really going to miss the people I worked with. So, I was pretty stoked to get home to find a familiar black box waiting for me. It was the perfect pick-me-up!

This is my second month of Loot Crate and so far, they have really hit the mark. I've loved almost everything in the boxes. And liked everything else! This month's theme is Fantasy. The first thing I saw was this Dungeons and Dragons t shirt. I really love how the shirts are so soft and this one fits me pretty well, which is kind of unusual for me and tees.

The next thing I saw was the RPG-themed Bow Tie. I don't have any occasions to wear bow ties, but I have to admit, it makes a great headband.

Then I saw the Princess Bride Playing Cards. The face cards have characters from the movies and some of their best lines! They are awesome cards and make me actually want to play cards, which is not something I do very often!

Next up was the Loot Crate Monthly Button. There is always a button, so they are kind of collector's items.

The next two items were both Game of Thrones themed. The first was a set of Magnets featuring the main houses. The second was a Stark Sigil USB Flash Drive! It's pretty cool.

We also got a Harry Potter-themed Luggage tag! I'll definitely be using that!

The box this month has pretty cool decorations inside, and it was reversible, so you could make your Loot Crate box look a bit like a treasure chest!

Then I pulled the Loot Crate Magazine out. It has articles about the theme and gives explanations about the stuff in the crate. There's always a lot of interesting information.

And last, but definitely not least, I pulled out this awesome inflatable crown. And I wore it around the house, because of course. Anyone who says they didn't wear the crown is probably lying.

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15    4/6/15   4/11/15   4/16/15   4/21/15   4/26/15

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

San Diego

Today the weather was almost perfect. Sunny with blue skies, but not too hot. I couldn't bear the idea of wasting such wonderful conditions by sitting around the house. So, I made my brother join me for an afternoon at Balboa Park. San Diego has some truly amazing places, and Balboa Park is one of the best. I've noticed when I mention going to Balboa Park to friends and family who are visiting, they seem pretty reluctant. The name is a bit misleading. It's not a playground, though there are a few playgrounds at the Park.

Balboa Park is a little like Central Park in New York. It was host to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Some of the prettiest grounds in the county surround most of the major museums, an outdoor organ pavilion, International Houses, a botanical garden, the San Diego Zoo, and the Old Globe Theater. It's a great place to visit, even if you just walk the park to explore. Many of the buildings were built for the Exposition, so the architecture is really quite exquisite.

The Spreckels Organ Pavilion has one of the largest outdoor pipe organs in the world. And on Sundays, they have free concerts performed by area (and out of area) organists. I had forgotten it was Sunday, so when I heard the organist playing my all-time favorite organ piece, I dragged my brother over to watch. Widor's Toccata is one of the most awesome feats of music. At my church in Sacramento, the organist would play it at the end of services frequently. He was a phenomenal organist, so I was spoiled. The person who performed today wasn't quite as good, but it was still incredibly moving. When all the stops are pulled and the last chords are ringing out, it gives me chills. Every time.

We also stopped by the Moreton Fig Tree that is one of the largest (in girth) trees in California. I remember climbing the tree as a kid. It's over 100 years old, so they had to fence it off to protect it, but it's still a gorgeous tree. I need to go through some old pictures to see if I have any of us as kids playing on it. It was also the Earth Day celebration at the park today, so it was a lot more crazy and crowded than usual, but all in all, I took a walk on this lovely sunny day. And I'm really glad I did.

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15    4/6/15   4/11/15   4/16/15   4/21/15   4/26/15

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Tangled Lego

Tonight I put together the Lego set I bought myself for my birthday. It's a Tangled themed set. It even comes with Rapunzel, Flynn, and Pascal Legos.

The set is totally adorable. It was intricate at times, but relatively easy to put together. And a lot of fun.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Marvel Universe Live

I'd heard some negative reviews, but my brother got tickets for my birthday, so we went to see Marvel Universe Live. I'm not sure why people didn't love it, because I thought it was great. But, best of all, was that they included my favorite superhero, which made it awesome.

Captain Marvel is an Avenger, but hasn't been seen yet in the movie franchise. She is coming, though. Her alter-ego is Carol Danvers, and Marvel has announced she will have a stand alone movie in 2018. She's a pilot, but she can fly without the aid of a plane, too. I definitely recommend reading the Captain Marvel series. Especially if you want to have an idea of where Marvel Phase Three will be taking us. I got to meet the author of the Captain Marvel comics, Kelly Sue DeConnick, at the Avengers 5K. It was so awesome. So, Marvel Universe Live was great. So great to see female superheroes. Just wish they'd have sold some Captain Marvel and Black Widow souvenirs!

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Lines

My day started very early in the morning. It was dark when I woke up. My friends and I drove up to Anaheim to get in line for the Diamond Anniversary pins. We waited almost two hours to eventually be turned away. We arrived at the line at the time they said we could line up. Unfortunately, people who did not follow the rules, showed up overnight to wait for pins. Rather than being turned away, Disneyland brought them onto the property to wait to get wristbands to buy pins. So, hundreds of people who followed the instructions were left waiting in the standby line for nothing. And the people who cheated the rules, got the pins, so they could sell them on eBay for three times what they cost. It doesn't really make sense for Disney to let people do this, because they aren't even benefitting from it.

This problem is not exclusive to Disney. The same situation happens at Comic Con. They give a date and time that people are allowed to start lining up for a hall, the Con floor, or exclusive sales. People start showing up to line up early. Sometimes as much as two or three days early. So, Comic Con then announces that people can line up as early as the night before, "to discourage overnight camping." So, people start lining up early. And because people are lining up early, Comic Con decides, rather than not allowing it, they will start giving out wristbands. The same thing happened at VidCon, with the autograph sales and panel access. And, this is not just a Convention/Amusement Park issue. The same thing happens with stores on what used to be Black Friday.

Let me tell event organizers a little secret: Wristbands do not discourage people from waiting. They don't minimize the amount of time people will be willing to wait. Rather than being in any way a deterrent, the wristbands then become part of the package. It means people now want the panel, toy, or pin and a wristband.

The real truth is this: Event organizers don't want to do what needs to be done. The way to discourage people from lining up overnight and causing issues by milling en masse is not to reward them for that behavior. Rather than giving them what they want, these places need to let the police handle it. They need to let the giant group of people disturbing the peace get the tickets/arrests they deserve.

I don't see this ever happening. Because, then there would be bad publicity, but it really is the only way to stop people from pushing an envelope that has already been pushed too far.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

The Halfway Point

Today, I am half way through my month-long journey. So, I think a little celebrating is in order! The above picture is one of my favorite things at Disneyland. The Soundsational parade is pretty great. But my favorite part is the very beginning. There is a drum line and Mickey Mouse is playing the drums. I love it. I still haven't figured out why they chose to start the parade with it, though. To me, it would make a much better ending. I included it on this post because I was flipping through my pictures on my phone and it jumped out at me because it was so bright and cheerful. Happy memories are a fun way to celebrate. Plus, I'm going to Disneyland tomorrow for my birthday trip. So, it's helping me get in the mood to wake up way earlier than normal.

State of the Goals:
Goal 1: Complete BEDA.
Well, I'm half way there! I have been able to post something every day, even when I was in LA with no wifi. I'm pretty proud of that one.

Goal 2: Knit/Crochet two projects I am proud of.
I finished one already, so I guess I'm halfway there on this one, too! The Capitals-inspired Slapshot Baby hat is cute. And I saw a picture of the baby in it today and she looks pretty adorable in it. (Though, I was right, it is a bit too small. Sigh.)

Goal 3: The Piles:
I have almost finished re-reading Twilight. So, that's one from the already-started-reading pile. I read a book that wasn't in either pile, so that technically doesn't count, but it did add to my books-read count, so it's good. Also, I started reading A Discovery of Witches. I'm hoping to have enough time to get it finished. I have some upheaval going on in my personal life, so this goal might be a little harder to reach than anticipated.

Goal 4: 30-Day Walk Challenge
This goal is a big fat fail. My knee was hurting for much longer than the one day. I am pretty sure a doctor's visit is essential at this point. Sad to miss out on this goal. Especially because I really need to get training for the Disneyland 10K that's coming up!

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15    4/6/15   4/11/15   4/16/15   4/21/15   4/26/15

4/2/15    4/7/15   4/12/15   4/17/15   4/22/15   4/27/15

4/3/15    4/8/15   4/13/15   4/18/15   4/23/15   4/28/15

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4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

Technology

When you need to do something like print, it is almost undeniable that your printer won't work. I'm trying to print something tonight. I've printed many things from my laptop to the home printer. But, for some reason, tonight, when I really need it to work, it's not even recognizing that there is a printer.

So, I tried restarting my computer. No dice. I've also tried to delete the printer from my computer to re-add it. Except, now, it doesn't even recognize that there is a printer anywhere in the world. So, that was a big fail. The thing I need printed needs to be sent by tomorrow morning. So, either I get to go out and find some all night printing place, or I have to wake up crazy early and do it then, giving myself a lot less time, but not driving around at 11 at night. Obviously, I'll choose the morning option, it's just less than ideal.

With my iPhone turning to almost useless because of an update, and now not being able to print, I'm batting 1000 this week.

Why oh why does technology love to fail in the clutch moments?

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15    4/6/15   4/11/15   4/16/15   4/21/15   4/26/15

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4/3/15    4/8/15   4/13/15   4/18/15   4/23/15   4/28/15

4/4/15    4/9/15   4/14/15   4/19/15   4/24/15   4/29/15

4/5/15   4/10/15  4/15/15   4/20/15   4/25/15   4/30/15

A Happy Day

Today was my birthday. When I got to work this morning, some of my co-workers had decorated my desk. Pretty nice, considering I'm still a temp. After work, my family and I went to dinner at Red Robin, which is one of my favorites. I also got some pretty great gifts. Throughout the day, I got messages from my Facebook friends. I got over 100, which is kind of astounding to me. I really felt the love today. 

Last night I made the mistake of updating my operating system to the newest version, so now my phone is having trouble with its battery life and gave me a weird message about not being able to text. So fun. I should have googled the reviews before updating. But, I'm hoping it will hold out until they come up with a patch or the next version. Even better, maybe the fact that so many people are having problems will encourage them to release a patch faster. Now that I'm the owner of a new FitBit, I really need my phone to work properly.

Today was pretty busy, so I didn't really have enough time to come up with a blog post.

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15   4/6/15  4/11/15

4/2/15   4/7/15  4/12/15

4/3/15   4/8/15  4/13/15

4/4/15   4/9/15

4/5/15  4/10/15

Reading

My goal hasn't been met, yet. However, I did read a book that wasn't in my piles of books. A friend mentioned she was reading Hold Me Closer, by David Levithan. She said it was magical, so I immediately got the e-book and began reading. It was a really quick read about a character named Tiny Cooper.

I read the whole book, and then went to post it on my Goodreads account when I discovered the book is a companion piece to Will Grayson Will Grayson, the novel by John Green and David Levithan. So, I read the companion book to a book I've never read. Yeah. I have noticed now that it's on the cover, but I read it as an eBook on my phone, so I never looked at the fine print.

Other than realizing too late that I didn't really know what was going on, my major issues with the book were mostly alleviated by that discovery. I didn't think the minor characters were very well developed. (I'm guessing the "minor" characters are probably the main characters in WGWG. It seemed a little too singularly focused on Tiny Cooper, and some of what I thought would have made great plot points, were glossed over. I'm not sure if those plot points are resolved in WGWG, but knowing that this was just to help the minor character from WGWG become a bit more rounded changed how I felt about the lack of resolution.

The only flaw I really saw after that, was that the songs were a bit flat and static. It was a bit too rhymey. But, as Tiny pointed out, I can't fault him too much, it's only his first musical.

All in all, this was a fun quick read, but you probably want to read Will Grayson Will Grayson before reading it.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15  4/10/15

Friends

Sometimes you look at a person and you know that you are meant to be friends. Something just clicks. This happened to me with the majority of my close friends. One, was on his knees in a bowling alley, he was my height, and then he stood up. From that moment on, we were friends. Another time, I was roller skating up and down my block, and I saw a girl in a window, then I skated past again and she had changed. They turned out to be twins.

The other day, I saw a female and I knew we would be really good friends...if we ever met. She was driving the car in front of me at a drive thru. From the stickers on her car, I know that we have a lot in common.

We are both Disneyland Annual Passholders, members at the San Diego Zoo, and geek girls. (She had a Darth Vader antenna ball.) I'm pretty sure she's from San Diego, based upon the fact that she went to both a local junior college and a local university. Our cars are similar, though hers is blue, which is the color I wish mine was.

Basically, we could be best friends, we've just never been introduced. It made me think about the fact that there are so many people out there that I've missed meeting by the fact that we were separated by cars or walls or language barriers.

Yikes! It's almost midnight, which means I almost missed the deadline today!

BEDA Tracker:

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Chicago Fire

I was catching up on Chicago Fire tonight and there was a line that really stuck with me. It was such a great line. Otis and Cruz, two of the firefighters are talking about Cruz going out to a restaurant that he can't even stand the idea of to keep his girlfriend happy and from leaving him.

Cruz says, "You think I got no shot? Only so long meatloaf can hold on to prime rib, right?"

Otis replies, "No man, I'm just saying any girl that makes you feel like meatloaf, isn't prime rib. At least, not your prime rib."

It's a piece of major, life-altering advice snuck into a drama about firefighters. In this same episode, they deal with the loss of a child, faith issues, relationship issues, drug use, and child abuse. The characters all have very distinct voices. There are so many different walks of life represented in House 51.

Chicago Fire is an awesome show, and then little scenes like this pop up and make me wonder how it isn't getting more recognition.

BEDA Tracker:

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Singing

This picture was taken about eight or nine years ago. I was at a church choir retreat and we had a little talent show. I was in a group with two wonderful ladies (and amazing singers!). We sang Cattanooga Choo Choo in the style of The Andrews Sisters. It was a really fun performance, and learning the song was pretty challenging. Tight trio harmony is always harder for me to learn than the typical SATB stuff. But that generally means I have a better time with the song once I get it. I haven't been in a singing group in a while and I really miss it. Today, I was listening to the Broadway Cinderella soundtrack. There is something really inspiring about listening to great singers. Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana are two of my favorites. I wish I could have seen them perform it live. I guess today's post isn't really going anywhere. But it is probably a good indication that it has been too long since I was in a music group. I really need to remedy that.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15

Water

California depicted by the US Drought Monitor - White means not in a Drought

A lot is being said right now about the state of water in California. Talking about the drought is good, but it's not enough. California is desperately thirsty right now, and too much of our potable water is being wasted on roadways, sidewalks, and lawns; down drains; and to grow crops that are, frankly, too water-reliant to be grown in a drought-stricken region.

Individually, there is a lot we can do to help. Not running the sink while brushing your teeth or lathering your hands is a good start. Changing to drought-resistant landscaping is best, but following the new regulations for watering is not just mandatory, it's beneficial. You can also visit one of the many sites online with tips, like this one and this one.

Kristen Bell issued the #WipeForWater campaign with Neutrogena and The Nature Conservancy, and I have joined in. (Instead of washing my face with water and face wash twice-a-day every day, I'm using the Neutrogena Naturals towelettes.) In 7 days, I will have saved around 35 gallons of water. I shudder to think how much water I have been wasting waiting for the water to get warm enough to put on my face!

While there are many ways the average citizen can help reduce their H2O footprint, even if everyone in the state did follow all of these, there would still be a problem. Water isn't falling from the sky, but the population keeps increasing. In what makes little sense to anyone not benefitting from the process, California continues building homes, and not just in small amounts. Here in San Diego, I am aware of at least four housing projects that are bringing hundreds (yes hundreds each!) of new homes or condos to the area.

California's population has doubled since 1960. Southern California's rivers are already cemented in order to control where the water goes. And for the greater part of the year, these cement rivers could be considered streams...at best. Northern Californians like to complain about furnishing Southern California with water, especially during these more drastic drought conditions, but the fact is, the majority of Californians live far below the dividing line. In fact, if you only count San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, LA, and San Bernardino counties (that's the six southernmost counties, which you can see on the map above isn't even close to half of the state), the population is 21,146,632. Out of 38,802,500. The ecosystem wasn't designed for 40 million humans. And projections for 2050 show population growth going up over 50 million.

As great as it can be for an economy to have population growth, California has outgrown its sustainability. So, feel free to come visit, we have a wonderful state, but, please, do us a favor and don't stick around.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15

Slapshot Baby Hat

I finished a project that I think is pretty cute. It's for the baby of a friend who is a major Washington Capitals fan. (Hopefully it will be big enough! I've never actually met the baby.) I used the Penguin hat pattern from Repeat Crafter Me, but changed some of the embellishments. I really loathe making pompons, and I didn't want to have to find buttons to match the color scheme, so I crocheted the eyes. It's supposed to be an eagle, not a penguin, but as it's for a baby, I hope they don't really notice.

Speaking of birds, I'm watching the Padres game at Dodger stadium and I keep hearing really loud bird calls. I'm not sure if Dodger stadium has resident birds, or if Dodger fans have really annoying bird whistles. LA is a weird place.

BEDA Tracker:

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4/5/15

Emergency Rooms

In the past two weeks, I've taken two people to the emergency room. Thankfully, both were released with not-too-serious maladies. But, I spent a lot of time sitting around, my stomach twisted with worry. There isn't much to do in an emergency waiting room, so my curiosities kick in and I go into what I like to call my hyper-observation mode.

My two visits were to two different hospitals, with very different methods and facilities. Here in San Diego, we have a couple major healthcare systems. I think Kaiser probably has the largest amount of people, and that's the one I was in for my first visit.

It. Was. CROWDED. We were there at 8:00 on a Friday night. There weren't very many chairs available, though there were a lot of chairs. It was a rather large room, sort of divided into sections. The chairs were okay, but not very comfortable. Certainly not meant to be sat in for hours.

They had an immediate triage nurse that those checking in waited about 10 minutes for, which was good for the patients, but then they had people who had just been triaged stand in line for about 45 minutes to get checked all the way into the process. Every person in that line looked miserable.

We were able to leave the emergency room around 1:30 am. I sat in that chair for about 5 1/2 hours.

Then last night, I visited another of the major hospitals in San Diego, Sharp Memorial. We arrived at the emergency room around 1:00 am. It's a smaller ER than the one at Kaiser. the two waiting areas are separated by the check-in/security/triage areas. An RN checked patients in, determining who needed immediate triage. Rather than performing triage in the waiting room, the patients were brought into triage rooms. All people who went to a triage room, went back to their ER rooms. Not sure if that's just how it works, or if everyone was serious enough to warrant going straight back.

The waiting area at Sharp was a stark contrast from Kaiser. It was decorated well, and the chairs were really comfortable. It didn't feel like a hospital. We were able to leave by 3:15 am. So, I sat in this chair for only about 2 1/4 hours.

I don't know if the time I was there was a factor, but the Sharp experience was definitely better and we left in much better spirits, than I did with Kaiser, despite the fact that it was quite a bit later (well, earlier in the morning).  Despite the waiting room critiques, I definitely want to give thanks to all the wonderful medical professionals that helped my people. Oh, and a special shout-out to the Walgreens Pharmacy Drive-Through that provided us with the prescribed medication at 3:30 am!

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15   4/6/15

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4/5/15

Diamonds

Disneyland is celebrating its 60th anniversary this July. They will be kicking off the celebration in May with a 24-hour Disney day and new parades, light shows, and other fun activities. They have started the decorating a bit early.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle is all decked out for the upcoming events, and it looks pretty amazing. It didn't photograph well, but the roof tiles are all covered in sparkly diamonds, as well as all the metal and diamond-looking trim. It's really quite beautiful in person!

Today, I visited Disneyland, specifically to do the Easter Egg Hunt challenge, but I should have known better than to wait until the last day. Unfortunately, they had already sold out of the maps and prizes. Instead of Egg hunting, my friend and I just had a regular Disney Day. Many of the past closures are re-opened, so we had fun running around figuring out what the changes were.

Of course, after having a big Disney day, and then Easter dinner with family, I'm wiped out. This entry is going to be short because I'm falling asleep as I'm typing this.

BEDA Tracker:

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Fan Fest

Today marked the beginning of baseball season in San Diego. My brother and I went to the Padres Fan Fest. (Well, my brother went to the whole thing. I just joined him later.) The Padres played an exhibition game against Diablos Rojos del Mexico.

We got to see some of the new players, and for the first season in a long time, what we saw looked pretty great. I'm really looking forward to see what they can do. The ended up trouncing Mexico. I felt bad for them, because they had more errors than hits, and no runs. Even still, it was a lot of fun when the Padres scored each of the eight runs.

The new HD scoreboard is kind of fantastic. Almost as sharp as watching the field itself. Possibly my favorite part, was the new between-inning entertainment: The Padres Boom Crew. They're basically a snare drum line that uses trash cans. They are awesome and add a lot of energy.

BEDA Tracker:

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Tiffany

This week's episode of The Goldbergs featured music and scenes from Tiffany's mall tour and nostalgia kicked me in the feels. I was am a massive Tiffany fan. I had all her tapes and I had posters on my wall of her. I didn't go anywhere without my walkman, and Tiffany was definitely one of the tapes I had at the ready. Sadly, I never got to see her sing live. Her mall tour never came near my city.

Of course, my generation loves a good comeback story. When I was in college at Sac State, Tiffany had released an album of new music and she came to perform. Obviously, I couldn't miss this opportunity. So, my friends and I showed up early and somehow ended up not just seeing Tiffany perform, but we also got to hang out with her for a bit. It was amazing. Unfortunately, I have no idea what happened to my pictures from that day. People in 2015 really do take for granted that cell phones can take hd digital photos. I do, however, have one awesome memento.

When I heard she would be there, I went to my cd collection and pulled out one of my favorites. And, because she's awesome, Tiffany gladly signed it. It's definitely one of my more prized possessions. It reminds me of one of my favorite moments.

BEDA Tracker:

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Time

Day two of my challenge hasn't gone quite like I hoped. My knee has been hurting all day, so I didn't walk. My doctor once told me that if something hurts, you shouldn't keep doing what makes it hurt, so I'm taking his advice and resting it. I really need to see a doctor about my current knee situation, but I'm worried they'll say I need surgery. I'm training for a 10K. Knee surgery would definitely set back my 10K training. I also haven't had time yet to get much reading, or knitting or crocheting in.

Setbacks will come, but I am fighting against the instinct to quit entirely. It's funny how fear/dislike of failure can make me want to avoid something entirely. But, I have been told I can be pretty stubborn, so I'm going to dig into that part of myself and keep going. I'll rest tonight and walk tomorrow night.

Another challenge I'm running up against with my challenges is time. I regularly watch a lot of TV shows. So many, that my DVR is in a constant state of flux; if I don't watch my shows, I run out of room for new shows -- A vicious cycle. But, my goals are definitely going to have an impact on my TV time. I'm going to have to let go of some shows. And somehow, re-train my brain to be happy about it.

I have practiced Lent for many years. Giving up things I enjoy isn't really a foreign concept to me. But, deciding which shows to back-burner is pretty painful.

There are a couple that are absolutely safe:
Agents of SHIELD
Arrow
The Flash
Broadchurch
Orphan Black
Scandal
Masterpiece
Young and Hungry
The Mindy Project
Elementary
Madam Secretary
Once Upon a Time ( I just can't give up on  this show)

Then, there are my on the fence shows:
Nashville
Chicago Fire
Gotham
Revenge
Secrets and Lies
Sleepy Hollow
Scorpion
The Black List
The Americans
Supernatural
Homeland
Pretty Little Liars


Shows with strike-through have now been deleted and canceled from my DVR subscriptions. But, I feel like I should probably decrease by a couple more shows. I just don't want to lose anything else. (Note, these are shows that are currently airing or I have stockpiled on my DVR. Shows not airing right now are out of sight, out of mind for the moment.)

Maybe, if I give up a couple more shows, I will have time to watch some of the massive amount of movies and shows I already own.

BEDA Tracker:

4/1/15

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