What's That You Say, Mrs. Robinson?

Lovely Day

Waking up in Mexico, day three.

I love how I can tell where I am first thing in the morning by the sounds I hear. Those sounds have changed drastically over the past six months. In San Carlos it was mockingbirds, scrub-jays, Caltrain, and sometimes the neighbor chatting with her cat. In Gig Harbor it was Canada geese, Bald Eagles, leaf blowers and boats. In Colorado it was, well...it was pretty quiet other than the occasional footsteps overhead (the guest room was in the basement). 

Here in Sayulita, Mexico it starts with the puppies barking. There is an animal shelter right across the road and they wake with the sun. That may sound annoying but we love dogs and they aren't too loud and it only lasts a short while. Then there is the neighborhood rooster who also isn't too loud and is at least a few houses away. The rooster and the burro seem to wake at approximately the same time, so he/she hee haws a few times to ensure we are ready to start the day. The sun doesn't come up until about 8am here so the animals waking with the sun doesn't feel intrusive. There are also the occasional vehicle noises as people make their way to work and school. If it has been raining, which it almost always has as it is rainy season here, there is also the sound of water rushing down the riverbed adjacent to our home and the passing vehicles splashing through the puddles. The wild parakeets don't seem to start moving around and making noise until later in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snapshot in time for this morning: 

• After having a fresh papaya and cup of coffee for breakfast, Dan is walking to the nearby pharmacia to purchase something to help unclog the wax in his ear created by dunking his head underwater in the pool over and over. These are the hazards we face and yes, Dan has started drinking coffee.
• I had to sweep a cricket out of the house first thing this morning and while doing so also swept a slug off of the porch. So far my critter management game has been strong. We are only day three, though. I have yet to be truly tested.
• The neighborhood cat is staring at me through the bushes. We have, not so creatively, named it "gato blanco." This is to compliment the dog who lives down the street who we have named "perro blanco." 
• I write this while sitting on the back patio listening to all of the sounds mentioned above and the song that inspired this post:

Hasta luego

Don't Let the Day Get Away

With less than 2 weeks between today and our trip to London and Paris, I could easily be just marking time. Counting the days and going on auto pilot until the magical day.

Life is too short for that nonsense. Yes, I'm counting the days. I'm also enjoying the beautiful Northern California sunshine. Filling my hours with music and books and great friends. Today is today and it is the greatest gift I have been given.

Snacking on summer peaches and nectarines, listening to Kenny Chesney sing about guitars and tiki bars, all in the name of carpe diem. The sun on my shoulders and the memory of a wonderful dinner with close friends from last night remind me that although I may have great things coming in the future, I also have beauty around me right here, right now.

Download 2-04 Guitars And Tiki Bars

And this random photo is just that. It is one of the very few photos of my tatoo taken on Lanikai Beach in Hawaii a few years ago. I just like it.

 

When The Sun Goes Down

When the sun goes down
We'll be groovin
When the sun goes down
We'll be doin' alright
When the sun sinks down, over the water
Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down.

These are words from the Kenny Chesney song....and last night we heard Kenny sing this at AT&T Park in San Francisco and it indeed got hotter when the sun went down. No, litterally because if you know SF, you know that it gets windy and colc just before sunset but when it finally sets...ahhhh.

We had a great time with friends riding the train up to the stadium. It was crowded but a huge party atmosphere, everyone singing and having a great time. Sugarlad bailed AGAIN (they were a no-show 2 years ago at Shoreline also) because the lead singer lost her voice AGAIN. That was a bummer, but the show must go on and Kenny rocked the house like only he can. We shared the evening with Darren and his friend and two other couples from San Carlos. Here is a good review of the whole concert at Kreuzer's Korner.

I'm tired and achy from all of the walking and dancing. I didn't sit down once after Kenny came on stage. Resting up for a few hours before we head out to Napa to watch Payton play in the Joe Damagio world series in Napa. What a fantastic weekend!

Sometimes a Jimi thing...

  Sometimes a Jimi thing... 
  Originally uploaded by KRob2005

Ran across this photo I took of a sign outside of a Napa store last year. It is such a powerful thought. He was wise beyond his years, that Hendrix. Dig his tunes, dig his vibe.

Those Summer Nights are Callin'!

My and my boys, originally uploaded by KRob2005.

Went to the Journey, Def Leppard concert last night in Mountain View. We took both of our boys and some of their friends. It was a great night for an outdoor concert. It was warm, the bands were great, friends all over the place. This photo is of me and Payton (left) and his best friend Zack (right) in the parking lot. We tailgated before the concert with sandwiches and drinks and a good time was had by all...

More details later...

My Idol Pick

Don't know if you are watching...I just can't seem to stop. American Idol is one of the few shows that the whole family enjoys and I have decided that although there are other contestants that are awesome (and some that still suck), I think that Chris Daughtry is the one who has the most potential and who can, week after week, rock the house. He is already a rock star. He's cute, talented and he knows how to do other peoples' songs in a way that makes them brand new and HIS!

This week he did "I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash. Timely, yet not tired because he really did it in his own style. He just seems respectable and genuine.

Honorable mention to Mandisa who I think is also going to be a big star. She is all that! Catherine McPhee also did really well. Haven't seen god damn Chicken Little yet tonight...will be muting that for sure.

TAGS: american idol, Chris Daughtry

He's gonna swayze

A good laugh for the new year. Turns out that once super-hunky-sex-symbol Patrick Swayze was thinking about (w)rapping more than just gifts this holiday season. Read here about his links to the hip-hop world and his possible plans for a genre shift!

Now, I was a big fan of Johnny "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" from Dirty Dancing, and I dig Ghost and Roadhouse, too. But, Patrick, fashizzle. Don't go there.

Rockin' in the Holiday Season

For about 10 of the last 13 years, my family has had a tradition on the Sunday evening after Thanksgiving of going the Los Altos Parade of Lights at which we have been treated to marching bands and various Christmas characters and floats all lit up with holiday lights. We feast on hot chocolate, cookies and candy canes as we watch the parade go by. All of the children with their pink cheeks and wide eyes. It is a Norman Rockwell event on steroids.

So now my kids are 11 and 13 and that parade is no longer the draw it used to be. Yet another tradition down the teen aged toilet.

So, what to do, what to do. I have to admit that it was not a conscious replacement of events, but turned out to be a stunning contrast, quite amusing to me as I thought about it. What we did this Sunday evening after Thanksgiving was take the kids to see the Metallica concert in San Jose! The mother of all head bangin' bands, the granddaddys of metal themselves. As I looked over at my kids and my husband at the concert, all of them bobbing their heads in true metal fashion, I suddenly saw the contrast between the metal extravaganza and the parade of lights. How times have changed. I miss those innocent days of sugar plum ferries and reindeer, but I have to admit, I loved shouting "give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire" with my boys! They are growing up to be not just great kids, but individuals that I enjoy spending time with. People with whom I have much in common. And the true blessing of this Thanksgiving for me is the fact that my pre-teen and teen-aged sons actually enjoyed hanging out with their parents on this evening. God bless us, everyone!