Cherry Blossom Candy Leaf

Oh! ahu, Hawaii

2009-11-13T09:43:00.001-08:00

In July, Grandma took the family to Hawaii. It was kind of like when the Brady's went to Hawaii sans the tiki idol, but not really. Keith, his girlfriend Michele, his parents out from Ohio, Danny, Jeremy, Jennifer, the three boys: Trevor, Jake and Chad, along with Ben and I all in one state and one hotel. The trip didn't start out as planned due to the three hour flight delay, but we eventually arrived safely. Keith spent a lot of time taking Michele and his parents around Oahu, Danny spent most days in bed with some sort of disease, Jeremy, Jennifer and the fam hung out mostly at the hotel and Ben and I rented a car and explored Oahu. Grandma spent time recovering at the hotel in between days spent with all other members of our caravan (She is 92!). (One thing to consider, to be able to be together more, we would have needed to rent a very large van, otherwise we could not really travel to many places together.)

So we arrived much later than we thought we would, picked up our rental car (PYG!) and went to bed.

The next morning our vacation truly began. Check out the view from our hotel room in Honolulu. We stayed at the Outrigger, Waikiki.

We had breakfast.

We drove up the Pali Highway to the lookout. It is super windy there!!!

Ben asked one of his Hawaiian co-workers which beach was the best on Oahu. We were told to go to Lanikai. We used the map to get there, only to realize that this was one of our favorite beaches when Ben and I were in Oahu 8 years ago. We went to the same exact spot on Mokulua Drive in a residential neighborhood. We took the public beach access path...

And found the same tiny beach in between two homes, and had it to ourselves. We even saw a sea turtle!

The next day, Ben and I took grandma to the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

She loves a good scoop of ice cream. And the fact that it was made with fresh pineapple - even better!

We continued on from the fields to the North Shore. We made Grandma walk the longest stretch of beach in Hawaii to be able to say, "I strolled the sands of Waimea Bay."

But the long walk through the sand took a lot out of her, so she napped. Ben and I strategically placed the umbrella over her and lubed any visible skin with sunscreen.

This is by far, my favorite place to swim in Oahu. When you get in the water, it's fairly shallow, but it gets deep really quickly which has something to do with the huge waves that rock this beach in the winter. In the summer, it is flat and the water is crystal clear and DEEP!

This is the life...

Below, can you see where I am in the water? I wanted to swim out to the horizon!

Check out how far Grandma had to walk to get to and from the beach.

We continued to drive around the island, stopping at this park (grandma stayed in the car) and the macadamia nut farm (she definitely got out of the car for that!).

Ben loves Mokoli'i Island nicknamed Chinaman's Hat. It reminds us of his hat.

On the way back to the hotel to meet up with everyone for dinner, we saw several different rainbows.

After dinner, we hung out with Jeremy, Jennifer and our nephews. (My camera does not take good pictures at night.) We decided to go swimming in the ocean right in front of our hotel.

On our balcony at the outrigger - downtown Waikiki.

Kari, her mom, her daughter Megan and Megan's best friend Maria happened to book a trip to Hawaii to celebrate the girls' high school graduation at the same time as us. Kari called one night to see if we wanted to go somewhere so the girls could try snorkeling for the first time. Rather than go to crowded Hanauma Bay, we drove the western side (West si-ide!) of the island, which is much warmer and dryer than the rest of Oahu. Check out beautiful Makaha Beach.

Kari, her daughter Megan and Megan's best friend Maria.

We drove back toward our hotels in Waikiki and stopped along this lonely stretch of beach.

We looked for shells and rocks. I found several dead star fish that were so cool looking I had to pick them up.

Later that night, Ben and I walked to one of our favorite restaurants in Waikiki, Keo's for Thai food.

The mangoes grow on Keo's farm and this was the most delicious mango I have ever had. I love dessert!

The next day, we took our nephew Chad on a couple of hikes. Our first stop was Manoa Falls in Waikiki, near the college.

Afterward, we hopped in the car and headed to Maunawili Falls. This was quite a trek through the muddy rain forest. Chad wanted to give up several times, and fell down a lot, but we finally made it! He was a really good sport on the slippery, gooey trail.

The boys let me jump first.

Chad was the smallest kid we saw jump that day. He fears nothing. Here is a video of his first jump. I am in the water waiting for him. I did not expect him to dive.

Chad and Ben getting prepared to jump.

Here's his second leap with Uncle Ben.

My nephew Chad takes a flying leap as his Uncle Ben waits for him in the water.

Because the hike back to the car was more difficult: we were tired, the trail was downhill for the most part and super muddy and slippery, we bribed Chad with Bob's pizza (they have the best spinach pizza made with a garlic sauce instead of tomato) and ice cream. We wanted the day to end on a good note.

Ben and I dropped Chad off, attempted to find free parking and walked back to our hotel at sunset.

We ate dinner together and later saw Jennifer and my other nephews Trevor and Jake in downtown Waikiki.

Jake, Trevor and Jennifer in Waikiki!

Danny and I, one night in Waikiki.

The next morning we drove to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, or Punchbowl. We walked the beautiful grounds, saw our military at work and eventually made it the view point.

Ben guarding Waikiki and Diamond Head.

Us.

Waikiki view.

Diamond Head.

Afterwards, we drove to Turtle Beach in Haleiwa.

We heard that it was common to see sea turtles sunning themselves on the shore, but we had no idea.

We saw so many perfect sea turtles. Amazing!

This was the biggest sea turtle!

Look at Ben in comparison to this guy!

I took a turn, too! I heart sea turtles!

This was Ben's favorite day!

He could not stay out of the water.

I found the prettiest shells. When we got back to California, I put them in a jar in my guest room. Every time I see it, I think of the beautiful beaches of Hawaii, being there with my husband and slowing the pace of life.

As we were preparing to drive back, we decided to go through the North Shore again, so we could make a stop that we had seen earlier on the trip.

Romy's wife is showing me what a prawn looks like. They are frisky!

This is what a plate at Romy's looks like.

On our last full day in Oahu, we got up early to drive along the southeastern part of the island on the Kalanianaole Highway to see the sunrise.

And ended up back at Lanikai. It is just so pretty there.

Ben is so strong!

I am so happy!

Mokulua Drive is one of my favorite streets in Oahu!

We returned to Waikiki to take Grandma out for an early dinner at the Hula Girl Cafe.

Even she enjoys a cold one every now and again.

On the day of our departure, we swam at the hotel pool and tried out the spa. (Too many people everywhere!) Ben and I made the last walk to our car parked several blocks away ($25 per night to park at the hotel! Yikes!). We made one more attempt to pose in front of Duke (every other attempt was blurry), dropped off the car and flew back home.

An aerial view of Diamond Head crater.

I just love Hawaii so much. My aunt and uncle took me to Maui when I was 16. It felt like it was the first time I had ever been anywhere. That's where my love of travel was born. The world opened up to me then. Hawaii and all of its islands that I have visited (Maui twice, Oahu twice and Kauai) still evoke that passion for exploration and adventure in me. I hope I will be able to return soon. Next time: the big island!

Houdini

2009-11-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up and checked Houdini's bowl as usual. He was upside down, as he has been most of his life, but he was still alive. This week, it seemed like he had a stroke and could not change positions even if he wanted to. I knew that he might be dying. I stepped outside after checking on him. It was dawn, but the sky was still dark. An owl flew out of my neighbor's tree and back into it as a shooting star raced across the sky. I thought this may be some kind of omen. I went back inside and Houdini was dead.

I am so sad. I remember when Houdini came into my life. Kari's class was doing some sort of science project and each group of students had their own betta fish. When the project was complete, the fish remained and Kari offered them to teachers at Park Oaks. I came in to see which one I wanted and knew right away. Houdini's fins were long and curly like hair and purple on one side and blue on the other.

He was magical. Arul, one of my favorite students to this day, brought him over to me with the rest of his team. His name was Spikey then, and the kids were all so happy that I picked their fish.

It's been over 3 and a half years since he became mine. The first time I cleaned his bowl, he jumped down the drain and there were moments where I considered turning on the garbage disposal to put him out of his misery. But I persevered and got him out, crying as I did it, scared that I would hurt him in the process. This week when I was changing his water, he jumped out of the net again and then out of my hand. Once I grabbed him and cupped him in my hands, I thought, "This may be the last time." It was.

I love Houdini and will miss taking care of him. That's all there is to say.

Riviera Maya - Parte Dos

2009-08-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

As soon as school got out in June, I was ready for a vacation! And although Ben hates the sun, sand and water, he wanted to see Riviera Maya and stay where my sister and I stayed last year. Olga and Kari joined us as well.

When I was booking the trip, I knew we would have a great time, but when we arrived at the hotel, I started to get worried... What if they wouldn't like it here? What if they felt like it was too expensive and not worth the money we spent?

We arrived in the late afternoon and were greeted with cold washcloths, mimosas and beer. We checked into the room and everyone was super excited and loving it already. I wanted them to see the beach before it got dark because as good as the resort is, it would be nothing special without its beach.

Here they are celebrating our arrival!

We ate dinner at the Italian restaurant and explored what the hotel had to offer. Ben and Olga played pool.

Before going to bed, we checked out the Michael Jackson show.

Olga took this picture of us waiting for the show to start.

Olga also took these two live action shots of MJ in all his glory.

It rained the following morning, so Kari, Olga and I stayed in the pool and took a water aerobics class. That first rain was worrisome because it was a torrential storm. It almost hurt when it would splash off the pool's surface and back into our faces. But we were on vacation and enjoying it. Before we knew it, the rain stopped, the sun came out and it was gorgeous. We walked the entire stretch of the beach just as I had in the year previous.

Kari took a yoga class and asked us to participate. We decided to pass. She volunteered for EVERYTHING!!!

Then we had cocktails by the pool. I think the one Kari is having is called the Chocolate Moose.

Ben eventually joined us. He was still recovering from the "all inclusive" aspect of our first night in Mexico. Hay muchas cervezas!

We decided to try all the fruity concoctions we were noticing around the pool!

Ben tubed in the pool.

And checked out the beach.

We rode tandem on the inner tube.

Kari decided to take salsa and merengue lessons in the afternoon. I could picture Megan saying, "Mom, your weird."

That night, we went back to the beach to see if we could spot any sea turtles coming in to lay their eggs. No sea turtles, but we found these hammocks.

Before this shot was taken, Ben swung us to high heaven.

When we would get up in the morning and leave to eat breakfast, we would return to find towel animals waiting for us. Below are several days of animals. On our return from the beach or a day trip, we were always pleasantly surprised by the towel menagerie!

Here is a picture of Olga in her room. Our room looked just like it. You can see a towel creation on the bed. We would tuck dollars into the animals to encourage the house keeping staff.

Outside, we became friends with the iguanas, or "eggo-wannas" as Kari called them.

I strolled the beach every day. Many times, the girls would come along, but sometimes they'd prefer a good lounge chair.

Check out the color of that warm water!

The sand was powder sugar soft.

It really is paradise!

Ben met up with me during one of my walks and he even brought his perro.

We ended up in the pool.

We practiced rolling each other out of the water.

Believe it or not, we did this on more than one day. Looking back on it now, I didn't remember doing this again, but lo and behold, the proof was in the film sequence on my camera! Ben and I practiced rolling eachother over the edge of the pool. In an infinity pool, the water comes up to the very edge and makes pushing each other out of the pool fairly easy, and more entertaining than it should have been (especially after viewing my series of pictures from this event).

The night after the first "rolling each other out of the pool" photo, we caught the tail end of the Mayan show.

The following morning we got up early to go to Coba, Central America's largest pyramid. We made one pit stop.

The first ruin we set eyes on...

This is a Mayan ball court. At the end of a match, a player or team would be sacrificed.

The following two pictures are from Olga's camera. This was us on the long walk in the extreme heat to get to the large pyramid. Ben and I are standing on the wall of the Mayan ball court.

Coba, here we come! Ben getting ready to climb!

Here is the tip top of the pyramid!

And Ben and I at the top surrounded by trees and clouds that go on forever in every direction.

Looking down!

Afterwards, we stopped at a restaurant where crocodiles sunbathe on the lake's surface. In the past, the local kids would feed them meat for tips. Our guide asked us not to encourage this dangerous job.

After lunch, we visited a Mayan village and home. Our guide kept saying, "These are their circumstances," with a French accent. She didn't want us to judge them and wanted us to know that the Maya are happy no matter how much or how little they have. I wanted to say, "We get it, lady! Just stop saying the word 'circumstances'!"

The mom was making tamales with a dough and black bean filling. Ben thought she was making chocolate chip cookies over an open flame. LOL.

The Maya don't sleep in beds, but hammocks. This man who is connected to the community asked for a volunteer to help demonstrate how a couple would sleep in the hammock. Guess who became his Mayan wife??? Taketers, of course. (When she raised her hand and crawled in bed with him, I was absolutely horrified. I imagined that Kari's daughter would have had the same reaction. But it is a classic Taketa move, "Sure, I'll be your Mayan wife!") He held her in his arms and explained how it was the man's job to keep the hammock swaying back and forth all night as a means of staying cool.

This is a wall of family photos. Mayan people also usually have a photo of western Canada where the monarch butterflies begin their long migration down to Mexico. They believe that each monarch butterfly is the spirit of someone who has died. So next to this photo of Canada, is a photo of someone who has passed away. Although the family who lived in this home has never gone to Canada and will, most likely, never go there, it is a revered place.

After our visit to the Mayan village, we went to take a dip in an open cenote. A cenote is an underground opening that contains a fresh water pool. These pools are created by the underground river systems. An open cenote is one where the the roof of the cave has collapsed and has become a large pool exposed to the elements. On the way, we saw a demonstration of how gum is collected from the tree, and we even got to try some. The Mayans used the gum as a natural toothbrush. Olga got a kick out of the demonstration because the man in the tree did not actually hit the tree with the machete, but pretended to in slow motion for us to see.

They lit incense at an altar along the way and prayed for our protection on our journey to the open cenote and on our travels in Mexico.

Finally... the open cenote!

After a long hot day, we returned to the hotel. We ate at one of the many restaurants at the resort. In the photo below, Olga and Kari enjoy a drink at the tapas restaurant as we waited for a table. There is something really wonderful about tapas. For those who don't know, tapas are small portions of food that allow you to eat a greater variety of things rather than one big meal. It is genius.

Below, Olga shows off her dessert plate.

They had this one dessert called the black bear which was a cone of chocolate alongside a cheesecake tart. That was the main reason I wanted to go for tapas every night. Unfortunately it's blurry - it made even my eyes water, it was so good!

Because of the long, hot day we had at the ruins and in the Mayan village, we decided to relax back at the hotel. We knew it was going to be a good day when we finally captured "junk" on film. Kari was convinced that whenever he saw us, he would sit right next to us and pose for our cameras. I guess the picture below is the proof.

Ben snorkeled at our beach.

Olga painted a ceramic box poolside. This became one of her souveniers.

Ben and I joined her there.

That night, we took the hotel bus to Playa del Carmen. This is a bustling town of shops, restaurants, street performers and artists. We came across this band on one of the streets. The cheetah girl on the big drum rocked it.

Here we are on the beach in Playa del Carmen.

We stopped to have margaritas and guacamole.

The following morning, Ben and I went to Akumal to snorkel. We saw sea turtles and huge barracuda along with colorful fish, coral and reef. Kari and Olga stayed behind. We played in the water and snorkeled for hours. It was really surprising that despite the tourist and local crowds and boats that float and bob on the surface, there is a different world just under the sea: lots of protected sea life!

We also came across one of my favorite stores.

I didn't buy one of these paper mache munecas, but I should have. I did not bring a lot of money with me because I knew Ben and I would be in the water and our stuff would be on the beach. So unfortunately, in this consumer paradise, I had to sacrifice so many things, but I bought the coolest skeleton lady. Even though I carried her like a baby on the long journey to the airport, and throughout the airport (along with hauling all my luggage), she did not come home unscathed. When I had to slide her under the x-ray machine, they made me put her in a plastic tub that flipped over as soon as those "car wash" strips touched the plastic bin. Ugh! I was so annoyed since she had not left my hands the entire time, and the second I let her go, she lost three ceramic fingers.

When we returned, we strolled along the beach.

We often returned to the pool at night, or maybe, we never left. One night they had a pool party where one of the activities directors wore nothing but a speedo, pink inner tube and snorkel and walked around the pool yelling, "Pool Party!" in his French accent. I think I was laughing too hard to photograph it.

Pool Party!!! (say like Frenchman)

A common sight heading to and from the beach... I think they are in love!

The following day, Olga, Ben and I headed to the ruins at Tulum.

We opted to walk toward the entrance and were able to see this...

Just as we we were making our way to the inside walkway, a snake flew down from the roof after this poor little gecko. Olga was able to capture the slaughter. Creepy! Maybe this was a sign not go further...

The ruins at Tulum are amazing, but more than the ruins themselves, the location is the best part. Sitting on cliffs overlooking that beautiful water, I can't help but think that I should have been born a Mayan.

While the stifling heat got to Ben, Olga and I took a dip in that water. On the stretch of beach where you can swim, the waves are really powerful. Supposedly, the water there has healing powers. It certainly was what we needed considering the temperature outside. If it wasn't for the heat, Riviera Maya, Mexico would have to be heaven on earth.

In the collectivo, heading back to the hotel.

When we got back, Olga and I chilled in the lobby with a beer. Writing this now, I am jealous of us.

On our last full day, we stayed at the hotel, enjoyed the beach and did some last minute shopping at my favorite store. I told the lady, who I bought things from on my last trip to Mexico that I would be back for a third trip next year. I think I need to keep my word to her.

He does like sand, water and the sun!

He also likes dogs.

That night we had tapas for dinner, of course. We dressed up for the occasion.

On our last morning, we got up to see the sun rise and to really enjoy every moment that we had left in Mexico. We were told to be out there by 5 a.m., but the sun didn't really appear until about 6. We had fun anyway.

Olga and Kari on the last day.

Olga, Kari and wild beach dog...

We took our last series of dips in the water. Check out those fish swimming at their feet.

We talked to the guy who made and sold necklaces on the beach. Olga bought one. Maybe you can see her wearing it later in the post.

On our way back to pack and shower (and not leaving us enough time to do so, considering Ben and I had to pack up our room and check out before Kari and Olga), we saw an iguana brawl. And although I tried to let nature take its course, I eventually tried to intervene, but that guy just would not let go!

We made it to the lobby just in time to have a few beers for the long drive to the airport.

Adios Riviera Maya, te amo.

The Longest Blog Entry that I Will Ever Write: Catching Up in Pictures

2009-08-20T18:50:00.001-07:00

I have been having a hard time keeping up with life in the written form. I guess you could say that I have been busy living it. Here is a look back at some events from 2009.

Mat and Lia had their First Annual Miracle Mile Second Annual Over Thirty Pre-Holiday Bar Crawl. They made T-shirts again for the event this year and there is definitely something fun about wearing a "team uniform" so to speak. It is always so nice to see Lia and Mat. Unfortunately, they will not have a third annual get together this year because Lia is expecting and will be delivering a baby any day now! So exciting!

Check out my delicious, swampy mojito - one of the best I have ever had!

We celebrated our first Christmas in the new house! Bula even dressed up for the occasion!

The holidays can be a very stressful time of year. However, one of Ben's mom's neighbors doesn't let the stress of finding the right gift get him down or, maybe, he completely loses his mind. You decide: holiday spirit or Christmas Crazy...

Bella, Bula's adorable sausage of a sister, came over.

And even though it was like looking into a mirror, they didn't seem to remember each other.

We made many trips to the beach this last year.

I even witnessed someone catching a leopard shark. I had no idea how many sharks can be found off the Ventura coastline. In fact, all of the great white sharks that have been captured and tagged by the Monterey Aquarium were caught off the Ventura and Santa Barbara coasts. This kind of freaks me out! The fish below is the second biggest one I've ever seen caught from the shore.

This year, I also joined a belly dancing class with some friends from work. We all eventually dropped out (I decided to be a belly dancing drop-out one class before the final recital - not sure why so many people wanted to dance in a final show...), except for Brandy, who is a belly dancing genius!

Megan, Kari, me, Joyce, Brandy and Stacy

The draftsman also finished carving Marilyn's headstone. Danny drew the sparrows connected by the rose and holding the banner that reads: Together Forever. And after a long time, Keith finally decided on what he wanted to be written on the stone: Devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her family was her world. Her love and strength, our inspiration. We still miss her.

I also spent a lot of time exploring Moorpark even though I have lived here for 7 years (Wow! Time flies!). And after living here so long, it is difficult to find new things to do in such a small town. But guess what? We have alpacaaaaaaaaas (Say it like Oprah would)!

Last school year, I also started a new job as an EL support teacher. The district office is a whole different world. You get strange e-mails about a mysterious pod that will be showing up in the parking lot. Then you are given a contact if you need more information. We had to check this mysterious pod out because it brought hours, I mean HOURS, of speculation, mystery and laughs.

The wicked witch even showed up in Joyce's drawer one afternoon. This is what happens when your brain is fried and you think, "What would the kids do right now if they were here???"

Luckily, I am still working with Kari who taught 4th grade at Park Oaks, while I taught 5th. We work with teachers of English learners throughout the district. Because we are out of the classroom and working at the district office, we have had opportunities to attend trainings. And before California went broke, we even attended the CABE (California Association for Bilingual Educators) conference in Long Beach. We stayed at the Hyatt and probably had way more fun than we should have had at a conference. We even had a chance to meet up with Maya and her wife Reesa.

While at CABE, we even planned a 32nd birthday party for my sweet angel milky bear, Benjamin!!!

First, we went to the Cliff House for dinner!

Then we returned to the house, for a small party. Ben and I frantically put up curtains and put together the fire pit. All the neighbors came out and friends, too! Everyone loves Benjie!!!

The birthday boy!

The backyard fire!

Bill tells a story...

Ben and Dale

Kari, me and Jo

Lacey, me, Ben, Jo and Brian

The night got pretty wild! Jo was eventually doing shots out of the peppers that came with the veggie platter!

It was a good time!

Chad celebrated his birthday, too and couldn't keep his face out of the cake!

Too have this much fun, I also need to make the dolla' dolla' bills, so I have been suckered into doing some teaching work on the weekends. Two Saturdays each year, the district puts on a math/science event along with an art day for gifted and talented students. Believe it or not, I participated in the math/science Saturday and taught an art lesson! Ha Ha! But never again, I say - too much preparation and not enough money!!! But it was fun! I gave each student a square inch of a photograph that they had to enlarge. This requires some thought about fractions along with gradation in color. At the end, we put all of our pieces together to form a larger version of the original photograph. To avoid having students try to copy the image, they did not see the original photograph until the end. Below is a photo of one of my more successful groups that day. In the background, taped to the white board, you can see the enlarged photos I did of my family, my parents on their wedding day and my mom.

Sasha came out for a short visit and as her year of surgeries is finally coming to an end, I hope to see her again soon. We met up for dinner in Glendale and it was a mini high school reunion.

Amy and Tom came to visit in the spring and we had wonderful weather. We stopped at Underwood Farms and once again, were greeted by alpacaaaaaaaaas (say like Oprah)!

Of course, we headed toward the coast. Our first stop was Point Mugu. Tom flew his kite!

We ended up at Leo Carillo.

Lifeguard on duty!

Following the Liebls' visit, we did our annual camping trip. Because we lost track of time and had less than 6 months to make the reservation, we were lucky to get a spot at all. But once again, it was a blast! Days spent at the beach, nights by the fire, good food, friends - awesome!

The campground sits on the bluffs that overlook this beautiful beach.

Beautiful sunsets end the day and welcome the night.

After a day at the beach, we get ready for the night's events. Olga and I loved how skinny we looked in those murky mirrors.

In the evenings, we gather around the campfire to talk, listen to music and relax under the stars.

Even Bula loves it, especially if he's kept warm!

After everyone had gone, Olga remained. Of course the last night was windy and the day that followed was stormy. But this did not stop us from having a good time!

Back in Moorpark, they opened our first real bar. We have spent many nights celebrating.

In addition, we also have the nicest dog park in the hills of Simi. They replace patches of worn grass instantly. Bula likes to play (and fight) with other dogs there.

My friend Cindy, who owns her own marketing company and does a lot of work for Casa Pacifica, invited me and my neighbor Kelly to the Food and Wine Festival. VIP BABY! (And notice, once again, that the pod is following me around...)

Me, Cindy and Kelly

I also was laid off at the end of the school year. So once again, I had to be in fight mode (the year prior, we fought to keep my school open and won). The union took the district to court over their lay off criteria which was based on many bits of misinformation and seemed unfair. The judge rescinded Kari and my pink slips, but it was not without our rally/protest participation. And even though I have a job for now, the district needs to cut $7,000,000 for next year. Where will these cuts come form? There is nothing left to cut, but people. We have already gotten a 2% pay cut which includes a fee for health insurance. Class size has increased (and it was already ridiculous in the upper grades)! The new textbook adoptions are no longer. And everyone is scrambling to take money from every available fund before that, too, disappears. It is a mess and bad time for schools and students.

I was able to be CELDT trained in San Diego and stayed with Olga to help the district with some of their financial problems. We spent the afternoon I arrived in Balboa Park, one of my favorite places on earth!
And finally, we welcomed Nathan Michael Cash into the world! We love him!

Mommy Megan with baby Nathan.

Daddy Jason with baby Nathan.

And baby Nathan with Ben, who wishes Nathan was his.

To end this extremely long winded entry, I will leave you with a sunset from our backyard. The next entry will (FINALLY!!!) include our summer trips!

Watermelon Tamales

2009-05-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

This is long overdue. I've been thinking about this post at least once a week since mid February when we went on a Guatemalan adventure. We had a four day weekend for President's Day, found a great deal on a flight and hotel, and headed out late Thursday night to Guatemala City. Our final destination was Antigua, a beautiful Spanish colonial city. This is a great place to learn Spanish because of it's many language schools that are reasonable in price or take a cooking class. Yoga studios are also opening up, so Antigua is a great place for a little retreat. Besides that, it is a place of tremendous beauty and history.

We took the red eye Thursday evening and arrived in a land of volcanoes very early on Friday.

We drove to our hotel in Antigua, unloaded our bags and napped before exploring the city.

We walked into the heart of Antigua, Parque Central. Ruins greeted us on every street along the way.

We spent the first day orienting ourselves with the city. Here we are in Parque Central where Jacaranda trees enclose the park.

Later in the afternoon, we went to a yoga class arranged by one of the 13 people that was on the trip.

We had dinner at Frida's which is quite famous for their delicious margaritas.

The following day, we had hoped to hike to Pacaya Volcano, but because we hadn't arranged it in advance, we got up really early to see if we could get a ride there. Luckily we found a group that was headed that way, and although we had to pay a little more, about $9 each, we tagged along and headed back toward Guatemala City. I knew that we would have to go up hill, but I had no idea that it was up hill the WHOLE WAY. I was about a month into my diet and exercise routine and not in the shape necessary. I was walking so slow, that the 6 year old on horseback kept saying, "Taxi, lady." I didn't want to be the lazy American so I refused. Everyone else in our group was European and totally fit. In fact, the 60 year old Italian even smoked on the way up and had no problems. All the walking they have to do in Europe really puts them at an advantage. I, on the other hand, was breathing hard, sweating and wanting to cry when our guide asked me to hurry.

"Taxi, lady!"

This was my quitting point.

Looking up toward Ben and the Euro hikers.

Ben looks like he is on the moon!

The Volcano!!!

While he checked out the lava up close, I enjoyed the horses.

When we returned, we continued our walk through Antigua.

We checked out one of Antigua's famous sites, the Arco de Santa Catalina. This is the only remaining structure from the Convent of St. Catherine which was founded in 1613 and had only 4 nuns at the time. With the number of nuns increasing, they were forced to expand across the street. Building the yellow arch in 1693 allowed the nuns to cross from the original building to its addition without being seen.

Walking below the arch, we were lead to the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de La Merced.

Later, Ben and I had a typical Guatemalan lunch on the second floor of an old colonial building.

After more exploring, we ended the evening at a restaurant with my friend Kari and her daughter Megan.

Ben ordered a large beer, but we had no idea what that meant.

Kari wanted to try some Gallo, so in my wonderful Spanish I asked the waiter to bring another box, so Kari could sample it. Megan informed me later that the word for cup is taza (and not caja = box). Ah, the joys of being a tourist in a Spanish speaking town.

Our last full day in Guatemala was an adventure as well. We took a van to the Guatemalan highlands to a town called Chichicastenango. Most days, it is a sleepy town. On Thursdays and Sundays, however, it hosts Central America's largest market. Row after row of stalls selling handmade items, food, animals, etc.,. cover every inch of walking space. It was unbelievable! Ben and I made our way through the maze and bought some beautiful things!

You could buy just about anything there.

Including plenty of dead things and living things. It was crazy!!!

As you weave through the stalls, you can eventually end up on the steps of the Iglesia de Santo Tomas that is busy with worshippers all day. The church itself dates back to 1540 and was built on a Mayan Temple. Mayan ceremonies are still practiced alongside Catholicism. It is an incredible sight to see.

Flowers can be purchased on the church steps.

A man waving incense which has darkened the once white steps.

We visited Hotel Santo Tomas which is built in the Spanish style around a central courtyard filled with colorful parrots.

The town's cemetery.
When we returned to Antigua after the long drive from Chichi, we met up with Kari and Megan once again to explore Antigua. We weren't sure where we were going and ended up at the Monasterio San Francisco. Guatemala is very proud of their own saint, Pedro de San Jose Betancur. Born in the Canary Islands in 1626, he came to Central America when he was 31. He became a very familiar sight on Antigua's streets, ringing a bell and collecting money for the poor and homeless. Unfortunately, he was unable to pass the necessary tests to be ordained as a priest. His many good works, however, led many to call him the "St. Francis of the Americas". He is often credited with originating the custom of posada, which is the procession seen throughout Latin America before Christmas in which people reenact Mary and Joseph's search for a room for the night. Pope John Paul II canonized Pedro in 2002 and his tomb at the monastery is a revered landmark. Many miracles are attributed to Pedro and the people of Guatemala believe that a prayer and tap on the casket will send you help.

I didn't ask San Pedro for help that day, only hoped to return to Guatemala again.

Early the following morning we headed back to the airport in Guatemala City and boarded the plane for a short flight home.

The Odd Couple

2009-01-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

This is so sweet. Be sure to have your kleenex handy.

Catching Up

2009-01-03T21:33:00.000-08:00

I have a hard time keeping up with this blog because uploading the pictures takes so long, and I am all about the photos. So here are the last few months in abbreviated form.

At the end of the summer, I took an art class in Santa Barbara. I've been taking the class each summer for the last few years, but this time, two of my friends joined me. The classroom is at the Cliff House which overlooks the ocean at the UCSB campus. It is an inspiring place to work and take breaks in between projects.

One day, we went on a field trip to the San Barbara Museum of Art. One of our teachers, Joni Chancer, taught us ways to look at and discuss art so that we can teach our students how to do the same. We had to pair up at the museum and follow the outline of given directions and questions to consider. Below are a few of the images that interested me.

This is a portrait made out of fingerprints. I made a few small pieces of art. We worked mostly in acrylic paints this year. I made the cards below (maybe you received one in the mail) using a stamp that I made from styrofoam. Then I drew in the designs using Sharpies. I had a good time with it. I also began my own version of a Mexican retablo. We used acrylics on a metal panel. Like the Mexican retablo artists do, we used our retablos to show gratitude for something. I had a hard time narrowing it down. We also painted an ocean landscape on a large canvas. This was really hard for me, but I did get the hang of it (although I still have not finished it).
Our friends Brian and Lacey got married on the beach in Malibu. They had a party at Lacey's mom's house to celebrate. Below is a picture of Ben and the boys and me in Eric's funny glasses.

Grandma's cousin, Flory, passed away. We have become close to her grand children, Lisa and David. They both spoke at her funeral. Flory was a strong and inspirational woman. Before the service, we visited Ben's grandparents' graves.

Every September for the last 12 years or so, Ben and I, along with his family have been driving up to Pismo Beach. It's been different now that Marilyn is gone, so this year may have been our last. Ben's mom loved it there and it really isn't the same anymore.

We went wine tasting one day. It is so beautiful driving through the vineyards.

Ben tries the wine every year and each year he says, "Beer is better."

Danny came with us. He enjoyed the grapes.

We built a small vegetable garden in our backyard. We have had several heads of lettuce, peas, tomatoes, green onions, and several herbs already. This is what it looked like after we put the seeds in the dirt. It looks much different now. I "sewed" together the metal cover to keep Bula and the birds out. We also discovered a bird and her nest.
Shortly after, the babies hatched.

Bula has had several play dates. He loves it when other dogs come over to the house to play. Here he is with his dad and two girlfriends, Rissa (the shitzu) and Sadie (the pug).

We also went to see the Kings exhibition game against the Avalanche in Vegas with my mom and sister. Keith and Danny came along and stayed in the free room that Gabby got. It was an exciting game with lots of fights and penalty minutes. We sat very close to the ice: I will have to post some fight footage later on.

At one of the intermissions, they had a deflatable Bailey come out on the ice. It's a costume that's filled with air.It was really funny looking and every time I think of it, I laugh.

Ben and I went to Olvera Street in search of the skirt I wore for Halloween.
The Catholics were out in full swing. There were many people in purple robes. Babies and kids were being picked up to kiss a wooden painting of Jesus. Maybe you can fill me in on what this ceremony was.

I started my new job at the district office. My friend Kari and I sit across from each other. We talk and laugh all day, sometimes we have cried, but mostly we eat cream puffs.

One day, we decided to go to Venice and we didn't have to do sub plans!

During the fires this year, we shared the district office with the firefighters who came from across the country. Because education is a profession full of women, we were very happy to have the men around. And in a profession full of men, the firefighters were happy to see us each day, too. Here they are sleeping in front of my car in the parking lot. All the women in my office still miss them.

Ben and I have been slowly doing things around the house. I painted the kitchen lime green and Ben painted the piece of wood that keeps our sliding door locked. I waited until he was vulnerable, to paint his hand and face. Bula helps when he can.

We also live about a mile from Moorpark college. They have their own zoo there and teach students to be animal trainers.

We have had an exciting few months.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T12:47:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Halloweiner!

2008-11-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ben and I had a great Halloween. We decorated the house for the first time which was new and exciting, I liked my costume, Bula was adorable, and we went to Knott's Scary Farm!

On Halloween night, Bula tried on several costumes. He was able to tolerate the one you see below. That may have been because his chihuahua boyfriend, Chico, also tried it on.

He was not happy with his pumpkin costume at all.

He was pissed.

He ended up welcoming kids in his fur alone, and he was so excited!

We also decorated the house for our first Halloween there. (Ben put on my bee costume from last year after this picture was taken.)

I dressed up as Frieda Kahlo which was fun. I was told twice that it was "too intellectual" of a costume and because most of my neighbors had no idea what I was, that might have been the truth. I got the opportunity to teach the local kids a little bit about the life of the artist - just what they wanted when they knocked on my door. I even drew on a unibrow and darkened my natural moustache (pretty, I know)!

The night after Halloween, Ben took me to Knott's Scary Farm. It was fun and terrifying. We went through several mazes where horrible creatures jumped out at us. After we went through our first maze, The Doll Factory, we came out to see two scary goblins looking down at us from a bridge. I thought, "They can't scare me. I can see them already." Just as the thought entered my mind, one of the beasts swung a medieval hatchet at me, stopping an inch from my face. In one of the mazes, there was a midget in a scary costume crawling on the floor. Monsters were hiding on shelves, under beds, and behind corners and curtains all over the park. I had a fat lip from screaming and jumping into Ben's shoulder. He kept asking me, "Oh my God, are you really scared?" And I was, but I liked it, too. There were really tall and really short men dressed up as scary clowns and a tall skeleton chased me around the park. I kept turning around to see him focusing on me and my fear, and when I couldn't run any more, I contemplated curling up in a fetal position on the ground. There were tons of creatures roaming around and when they'd get a free stretch of walkway, they would slide toward you on their knees which were protected by metal pads that sparked in the night. They reminded me of the scary guys on wheels in Return to Oz (I love that movie! Fairuza rules!) They also had 3-D mazes where you wore the glasses and everything was distorted and bright. People were dressed up as the wall paper in the mazes and it was truly scary seeing them just leaning against the wall, not knowing when or if they were going to make a move. The picture below was taken just before we entered the Las Vegas 3-D maze. The girl you see with me was yelling insults at people and just being a foul individual (I look pretty scary myself. Ignore me, but look at her!). She was funny! I can't wait to go back next year.

Election Day

2008-11-04T17:02:00.001-08:00

Somewhere along the boardwalk in Venice...

Here's my official ballot, cast today!

Riviera Maya Oh My!

2008-10-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have updated my blog and so much has happened in the last few months. I decided to begin with my trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico. In the middle of July, after checking the funds, my sister and I booked a last minute trip, and I am so glad we did. Mexico is beautiful and there is an endless amount of things to do. A week was definitely not enough time. We stayed at the Catalonia Royal Tulum Resort. Because there are so many hotels in the Cancun area, I had a difficult time deciding where to stay. Babs said that she wanted to have a relaxing vacation and didn't necessarily want to leave the hotel. So keeping that in mind, I wanted to stay somewhere with a perfect beach. After reading thousands of reviews in a few day period, I came across our hotel. The beach was absolutely heaven on earth.

The resort is large and in November of this year, will become an adult only hotel. There were many activities, including Spanish lessons, ballroom dancing lessons, beach volleyball, and various drinking games in the pool, along with horrible shows every night, but entertaining none-the-less. All the young people (that makes me sound old, but in comparison to me, they were young people) who ran all the activities in the day, performed in the shows at night. They had a Michael Jackson show which was a train wreck and I had to watch the whole thing. One night, they had traditional Mexican dancing and actually hired outside of the resort, so that show was really good.

Iguanas roamed the property, along with some strange rain forest insects and bugs. Beautiful paintings decorated the walls.

There were two buffets, three restaurants, three or four bars, a snack cart and smoothie hut on the beach. Below is a picture of the self-serve tequila bar. They had many bottles of tequila infused with various fruits and spices.

Babs and I enjoyed the hot tub. They had three of varying temperatures.

Here is a view of our moonlit beach.

One night I saw a giant sea turtle returning to the sea after spending many hours digging a hole for her eggs. She was scared back into the ocean by local children waiting to collect them before she could lay the eggs . Unfortunately, sea turtles are not protected in Riviera Maya unless they lay eggs on resort property. The locals wait for the turtles to lay their eggs. Then before the mother turtle can bury them, they kill the mother for food and take the eggs for soup. One family lived in tents on the stretch of beach. They didn't have much, but they did have an ATV that allowed them to patrol the beach waiting for the exhausted turtles to lay their eggs in the same spots on the beach that they have been returning to each year for decades. In Costa Rica, these endangered creatures are protected by the locals in many parts of the country. The Costa Ricans have become tour guides bringing visitors out to the beach with special flashlights to view the mother turtles laying their eggs. They are paid well and learn a lot about the sea turtles, passing this information onto amazed visitors. They no longer kill the turtle in places like Tortuguero because they can afford to buy, grow, and raise their own food sources. I spoke with the resort manager after the mother that I saw returning to the water was eventually slaughtered on the beach upon her return -she was no match for the men with clubs on an ATV. I also wrote a letter explaining that they can make it worth it for the poor locals to protect the sea turtles by making their viewing a money making operation. They can protect them by leading tourists to see them lay their eggs. Or they can pass regulations to make the eggs off limits so that the sea turtle population has a chance. When Ben and I witnessed the sea turtles laying eggs in Costa Rica, it was and still is one of the highlights of my life. I remember crying as this gigantic creature that is both powerful and helpless returned to the beach that it was born on after battling the large and dangerous surf for hours. I didn't photograph the turtle in Mexico going back in the water as the flash frightens them, but here is the nest she dug for hours. At that time, I also didn't understand the intentions of the family that was there with me.

On that sad note, I will attempt to cheer you up with other creatures that also did not survive our trip to Mexico. But don't worry, they are sustainable.

Now, even though we loved our beach, Babs and I did venture out. We went to Chichen Itza, ancient Mayan ruins and one of the seven wonders of the world. Built in 435 and the capital of the ancient Mayan empire, the main attraction of Chichen Itza is the Pyramid of Kukulcan pictured below.

Although this place is something to see, we were warned about the extreme weather here. When we got off the bus, we were happily surprised by the lush landscape and breeze that surrounded us. However, as we entered the archaeological site, we quickly realized that the breeze was a tease. The ruins are in an open field and there are very few trees to protect you from the heat. In minutes, that breeze became air that was still and at least 120 degrees, and 80% humidity enveloped us. This is a place where people vomit and faint from the heat, so if you venture out that way, bring lots of water, bring or buy a hat at the entrance and prepare yourself for the conditions.

This is Babs in front of the main pyramid. It's possible to take a picture of yourself with the appearance that you are holding it in the palm of your hand. And even though I wanted to take this typical tourist pic, it was too hot for me to do it. I kept having to search for spots of shade and trees. And people, if you know me, you know how much I love the summer and the heat, but this was unbearable.

The observatory at Chichen Itza. During the equinox, the structures along with the shadow and light create a giant serpent that can be seen from above the site.

There were many local people selling things within the ruins and on the outside, the best deals we found in Mexico, actually. And although we bought a few things, the weather discouraged me from spending too much time looking and squabbling over prices (I did do that a little bit, though). I bought a traditional Mexican dress that will be part of my Halloween costume this year, a hand painted giraffe and ceramic skull. I love all of these things.

Before we arrived at Chichen Itza, our bus driver took us to a cluster of overpriced shops. We did not buy anything there because my mom warned us about the place. She was there two months earlier. They did have some lovely traditional handicrafts. They had pretty gardens there, the weather was better and I got an idea of what I might want to buy elsewhere.

After we all made our way back to the bus from the Chichen Itza heat, sweaty and looking like we had all been to hell and back, we were taken for lunch, where local girls and boys performed for us. Catering to tourists and tempting patrons with cold cerveza, they danced with the refreshing goodness on their heads. The girl in the photo is wearing a nicer version of the dress I bought.

After our meal, we were taken to nearby cenote, an underground pool. The opening to this cavern was beginning to fall away, revealing the tree roots and tree above it. Eventually when the ceiling caves in completely, it will no longer be a "cenote", but I can't remember now what the word is. I have never seen a cenote before and this one did not disappoint. I climbed into the earth about 200 feet or so into a slippery hole that revealed an amazing sight. The water was cool and just what I needed after the Chichen Itza climate and bus ride.

Finally, we ended our trip in the town of Valladolid founded in 1543. We didn't spend a lot of time there, but I did have a chance to snap a few pictures. The one below is the San Gervasio Church. At this point of the trip, Babs became very upset because she had accidentally deleted all of her photos, which included her Chichen Itza pics. And now that you know about the heat there and the effort it must have taken to get good pictures, you might understand why she was so pissed. She even joked that we would have to take the tour again so she could get the pictures that were now lost. I say "joked" because the memory of the burning sun and pouring sweat was still fresh then and neither of us wanted to go back there. Although we both would agree that Chichen Itza should not be missed.

The following day, Babs relaxed on the beach with her book, while I explored. I walked far down and was by myself the entire time. The remains of resorts destroyed in a hurricane last year, iguanas, azure water(azure is a word I feel embarrassed about using because it sounds funny, but that is the color - for those who don't know, the zure part is pronounced like the word 'sure' with a "zh' sound instead.) and a dreamy coastline surrounded me. The few photos below are my journey in the order that they appeared.

Babs and I also visited the tourist town of Playa del Carmen. We checked out the beach and explored the shops and Babs got her hair braided. People don't realize how thick our hair is, so eventually Babs had 4 women working on her head and they were all saying, "So much hair," in Spanish. Two hours into the braiding and after the sun had set, I'm sure the one lady regretted the deal she and Babs made.

Many people stay in and visit Playa del Carmen and if you're looking for a party atmosphere and a variety of restauraunts, you would like it there.

I met a kid who worked at our resort, who rented a palapa in Playa del Carmen. He made $160 a month working at the resort. He was sweet and the only "man" who worked there that didn't offer to marry me or my sister in the first minute of our meeting. Despite the beauty of Playa del Carmen, people still want to come to America to live and work (hence the marriage proposals). In fact, Erik was planning on making the dangerous journey across the border later this year. He carried a "family tree" in his wallet. He didn't ask me to, but I would bring him food from the buffet during his 12 -16 hour shifts. He was 17 years old and was unable to attend school.

My sister and I took an eco-snorkeling tour that was the highlight of my trip to Mexico. It began in the river inlet that led to the ocean. The gases that came out of the rocks in the inlet made the water appear oily. Our guide said that the temperature adjustment from inside the earth to the water made that happen. We swam from the inlet all the way to the ocean. I saw a four foot long barracuda with teeth that were 2 inches long and protruding from its mouth. A little fish swam in my life vest the entire time we were in the inlet.

After that, we drove to a Mayan family's plot of land for another cenote snorkel. This one was a true cenote. We were asked not to wear sunscreen or mosquito repellant and to refrain from peeing in the water because it would destroy the balance in this unique undergound ecosystem. There are thousands of cenotes in Mexico - Amazing!

We had a delicious barbeque lunch cooked by the family who lived on this piece of land and then walked to our next destination: an open cenote. I cannon-balled off the edge where the ceiling of the cenote once was, went down the zip-line (Babs even tried this one!), snorkeled, lounged in an inner tube and on the deck, and enjoyed every minute of it. We met a couple of teachers from Chicago and exchanged stories.

Babs and I took a public van to the ruins at Tulum. The ancient Mayans really knew how to pick a spot. It was so beautiful there. Upon our arrival, we saw this...

The ruins of Tulum...

I swam in the huge waves below the site. It was exhilirating!

A dancer's mask.

Tropical storm Dolly rolled into town the day before we left. Babs was getting ready for dinner in our room (so no pictures exist) while I swam in the pouring rain, pummeled by the enormous surf. Everyone else fled the beach and watched from the shore so I had the water to myself.

Mexico is an amazing country. There are so many places to visit and things to see and do. I am definitely going back, but this time Ben has to come. I loved it there.

Once

2008-10-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

So I recently saw the move "Once" starring Glen Hansard of The Frames and Marketa Irglova, a traditionally trained Czech musician. The movie was written by the former bassist of The Frames. It was really good and the soundtrack is awesome. Now the two stars of the movie play together in a band called The Swell Season. Glen Hansard has an amazing voice. I recently found a live concert that they performed in Washington D.C. You can listen to it and download it. I like to put it on when I'm going to spend a lot of time in front of the computer (like when I wrote my prior post).

A Birthday Wish

2008-08-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

Try to follow me here...

I have a friend named Kari.
She has a friend.
Her friend has a son.
The son's friend has a mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago. It has spread to her brain and spine, which has paralyzed her from the waist down.
The mother of the sick woman has a wish for her daughter:
The woman who is battling cancer will celebrate her birthday on September 17th. Her mom wants her to get as many birthday cards as possible.

If you have a moment, please send a card. Can you imagine how wonderful that would be to open up your mailbox on your birthday and instead of bills, cards come pouring out? Maybe you have a friend who would also like to send Sara Hirschy a card??? I am preparing mine as I write.

Send Cards to:

Sara Hirschy
991 Poplar Court
Simi Valley, CA 93065

Remember, her birthday is September 17th!

You are awesome!

Jamaica'n Me Crazy - Part II, Ben's Photos

2008-08-03T00:02:00.001-07:00

So here are a few of Ben's photos from our trip to Jamaica.

My sweet angel pup wanted to come along.

My mom and I after a snorkel from the catamaran.

Olga and I swimming by the caves. Check out Olga's yawn!

Me in the ocean.

Me lounging by the pool.

Samsara Resort

I Love this Story

2008-07-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Jamaica'n Me Crazy!

2008-07-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

Near the end of June, Ben and I went to Jamaica for a week. Our mission: Tom and Amy's Wedding. We arrived on the afternoon of June 25 and had a day for ourselves before the wedding festivities began. On Friday, my cousin's family chartered a catamaran for a late afternoon cruise. Ben and I took a taxi to the resort where everyone else stayed to meet up for a short bus ride to where they would launch the catamaran. We met my dad in the lobby who wanted to sneak us into their resort, but we had already been caught. Amy and my cousin, Tom, came back from the beach just before the sunset cruise.

Here we are waiting to board. Below you will see a photo of me and my cousin and one of my best friends, Olga, who is also the sister of the groom and the maid of honor.

My mom and dad.

My cousin Tom and his wife-to-be, Amy.

Bobash and I on the cat. We snorkeled and were also dropped off to swim in caves. I took advantage of every opportunity to get in the warm water.

Later that night, Olga returned with us to our resort.

The following morning, we had to get up early to get Olga back for her maid of honor duties. She had an appointment to get her hair done, so we were on our way. Ben and I ate at their resort and swam in the ocean before getting ready in my parents' room.

Amy and Tom got married on the beach in beautiful Negril. It was a gorgeous day. The light was so pretty and dream-like that day.

Amy looked like a blue-eyed doll.

Olga was pretty in blue.

My parents.

Following the ceremony, we attended the reception.

They had a steel drum band.

Everyone had a great time. Congratulations to Amy and Bobash!

Here are some beautiful flowers of Jamaica.

The day after the wedding, we relaxed on the beach at our resort, Legends. Our room was one of four that was as close to the sand as you can get. I would wake up to a reggae band playing just beyond the balcony or waves lapping on the shore. The beach was beautiful, but the food was horrendous. I kept double checking my jaw to make sure that it wasn't broken and sewn shut since everything was served in liquid form. But I didn't starve. This is Ben by the pool. Check out the size of that palm.

The view one morning.

Facing the ocean and looking left.

Looking to the right.

Ben, without even a spot of sunburn.

Ben's head.

The fruit lady. Check out her machete.

The police patrolling the beach.

This is a photo called "High" for a couple reasons. In a pot shortage, he can smoke his shirt.

The following day, Ben and I visited the sister resort called Samsara. It's located on the cliffs of Negril and had a completely different vibe than our beach. There were many ladders that dropped into the open ocean. Ben and I snorkeled, relaxed, ate, drank, and were happy to be there.

Ben enjoying a beer and a burp.

His reaction to his burp getting caught on camera.

This is a picture of a friend we met, Michael. He pointed us in the direction of the craft market where Ben and I bought some small items to decorate our new house. I bought three ironwood carvings and had my hair braided. I was told that it would take the heavy wood carvings 300 years to deteriorate. There's no way I'll be able to verify that, so they could have told me 1,000 years if they wanted to. It was quite an experience being there. Everyone wants you to visit their shop, so we were advised to be firm, but went into a lot of people's stores anyway because we had a hard time saying no. Eventually though, the heat made it a lot easier to keep moving and head back to our beach.

Daps with a local artist and wood carver.

Ben and I also wanted to visit some of the waterfalls in Jamaica. When Ben was 12 and came to Jamaica with his family, he went to the Dunne River Falls which are probably the most famous waterfalls in Jamaica. We decided to figure out how to get to the less crowded Mayfield Falls which, because of their far off location in the Blue Mountains can be almost $200/person. So once again, we talked to Michael and he arranged for his friend Trevor to take us. At the beginning of the journey, Trevor wanted to stop at his dad's bar for a drink.

Trevor is in the red shirt and his dad is behind him. Just before this picture was taken, Trevor pulled out a marijuana bud that was a foot long. I recommended that he put it away since his father was right behind him, but he reminded me that it is a Jamaican tradition for a father to teach his son to smoke. He rolled a joint with a little tobacco for the ride to the Falls. He also brought a rum beverage. When it spilled all over Ben and the car, I knew he wouldn't be drinking it, so I felt more secure. He smoked joints like a cigarettes, and couldn't even drop one before we were stopped by the police who, to top things off, also thought we had drank a bottle of rum between the 3 of us. Outside of the car, they were speaking Patua, and I thought for sure Trevor might say the pot was ours and I was going to end up in a Jamaican prison. According to Trevor, we were stopped because of a sporting event that was taking place, oh, and that pesky joint. Trevor had to keep telling the officer that he didn't have any guns, and yes he was smoking marijuana, but he was being honest about it, and he was just trying to work by taking some tourists to the Falls. Because 1/3 of the country is unemployed, the officer let us go. The payoff probably helped, too. Crazy! I was so scared, and had no idea how the journey would end.

After a two hour drive on the worst roads I have ever been on (Potholes a foot deep, people! Now I knew why Michael was so fascinated with U.S. roadwork), we arrived at the Falls. We hiked down with Trevor who waited at the entrance of the Falls, while we continued the journey with our guide, who was the Jamaican Spiderman (I'll publish the video soon). It was so green and lush and beautiful, I thought it might be heaven. It was unreal.

We started at the bottom of the waterfalls and made our way up. Spiderman led us through the crisp water that was the blue-green color of icebergs. He would climb trees that were 30 - 40 feet tall and jump into the pools that were 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide in some spots (video, coming soon)! He carried my camera and glided over slippery rocks and all I could do was applaud when he would stop to guide my much more careful steps or to let us play in the water. Ben and I were completely amazed by him. He even showed me a place in the Falls where if I pushed myself far down enough in the water, I would reach a tunnel made in the rocks. He came down with me to show me and before I knew it, he grabbed me and launched me through it. I was swimming underneath the falls and ended up in the bubbling water on the other side. It was freakin' awesome. He took our pictures and made us pose and everything. I couldn't help laughing through the photos because in between flips and falls into the water, he was telling me where to put my hand or to gaze into Ben's eyes. It was funny. Just as we were rounding the last corner, I couldn't believe what I saw. There were hundreds of Jamaican kids on a field trip. The rush of the water was so loud that we couldn't hear them at all. As we passed them, we gave high fives and helped one another across the rocks. It was beautiful. By the time I got my camera from Spiderman who was carrying kids and leaping 8-10 rocks at a time, the students were leaving and the moment had passed. I don't think a photo would have been able to really show those minutes.

Jamaica exceeded my expectations. It was amazing. The sun was mild, and the water was so warm that when you stepped into the ocean, you might not even notice. Ben and I were sad to leave and hope to make it back to a Caribbean island again some day.

Our last day...

I hope to post Ben's photos in a future post.

Spring Break

2008-04-05T23:39:00.001-07:00

It has been a week since our amazing spring break camping trip. On the 22nd of March, Ben and I headed south to San Clemente State Beach for a few days of the best camping we have had in years, maybe the best ever. Our campsite was large and on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Normally we are surrounded by motor homes, and even though there were plenty of them, the sites were so spread out, that we didn't spend a second inhaling the fumes of generators running all day. The weather was perfection, 85 degrees, sunny, beautiful. Below you will find some pictures from our amazing trip to San Clemente.

Ben's step brother Mikey joined us for the first couple of nights. We bought him a tent for Christmas so he was excited to use it.

Joellen and Olga also came out. Ben bought me a wetsuit for Christmas and Keith got me a long board, so Jo Ellen tried to teach me how to surf. I didn't get up, but I did get on my knees. Jo Ellen thinks I'll be able to get up next time: She doesn't think I'm a hopeless case. My bout with pneumonia a couple of days before made me a coughing mess, but I had fun. I got my butt kicked by some pretty big waves, but I had a blast. The dolphins even joined us (you can see them in the picture of JoEllen and me in the water).

Ben hid in the shade and played with Bula.

Olga loved Bula and he loved her, too.

We enjoyed lovely sunsets and good laughs.

We had a delicious barbecue dinner every night. There's nothing like dinner off the grill when your camping.

Bula even enjoyed the lazy days and nights.

I can't wait to go back to San Clemente.

Our New House

2008-04-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

After seeing over 60 houses, we finally found the right one.

The master bedroom and bathroom.

The office.
The kitchen with Ben looking worried and Alan, the realtor.

The beautiful backyard.

Those are just a few pictures. We also have one living room (no den), another bedroom and another bathroom with a tub. I can't wait to live in my own house. I've never lived in a house before. Sometimes when I think about owning the walls, the windows, the land, I tear up. Ben and I are both excited and ready to be on our own again.

The CZ, Baby! Part I

2007-08-12T20:11:00.000-07:00

We're in the middle of August and the anxiety and fear of the upcoming school year is beginning to turn in my stomach. But I have to say that if travel is my passion, then hi-ho hi-ho, it's off to work I go. We've been back for a week from our trip to the Czech Republic and we are quite busy. Ben returned to work the following day and I took an art and writing class at UCSB. The drive was long and exhausting, although I enjoyed the misty morning drives and raged as I sat in bumper to bumper traffic almost the whole way home.

So I am officially 30 now. We boarded a plane for the Czech Republic on my birthday, which I didn't really mind except that when we arrived in Prague, it was already the 22nd and I had no birthday what-so-ever. So I have decided that I will be 29 for another year, thank you very much. The flight was horrid as all 10 1/2 hour, non red eye flights must be. We had purchased our seats and should have been in the 3rd to last row of the airplane where there are only two seats in a row. However, when we found our seats as shown on our ticket, we were both shocked to see that we were in the middle section with no window view, no place for me to lean and sleep, no way out. Luckily, I hardly remember that now.

We arrived after noon on Sunday, the 22nd. My aunt and my cousin's husband were waiting for us. We loaded the car with our luggage and 100 lbs. of presents (not an exaggeration) and began the 2+ hour journey to Brno. We were going to go back to my aunt's place because we had been up for almost two days, but we decided to stop at their cottage to see my cousin and her 1 year old son, Vasik, pronounced Va-sheek (short for Vaclav, a very old fashioned Czech name. My mom said that it was like naming your kid Edna, or something. However, in my cousin Klarka's defense, she did not want her son to be the 12th Honza - Czech equivalent to John, I think- in his class). After a few hellos, we headed off to my aunt's apartment, where she made my favorite, fried cauliflower.

Sleeping in the living room on the couch, Ben and I passed out early and woke up several times during the night. But we were up fairly early to begin the Czech experience. We rode the chalina (cable car) with my aunt on her way to work in the city. We checked out Petrov Cathedral, featured on the 10 koruna. We went up to the tower to check out some amazing views of the city.

We had lunch downtown at a brewery called Pegas. I think it is one of the few breweries in the Czech Republic that brews hefeweizen. Delicious! Check out my fried cheese.

After lunch we made our way to Spilberk Castle. Founded in the early 1200s, many kings lived there before it was finally turned into a military fortress in the 1700s. Rebels from around Europe were imprisoned in its Prison of the Nations until the prison was closed in 1853. During World War II, the Nazis reopened the prison. The castle has many points of interests for visitors including a museum of prison life, the Brno city museum, a baroque pharmacy, and a lookout tower. Ben and I simply walked through the gardens, all the way up up up the hill, circled the castle, relaxed with a beverage and made our way back down. Later that evening, the Shakespeare Festival began and lasted for a week at Spilberk with famous Czech actors in the roles.

Still tired from the long flight, we returned to my Teta Jitka's house, probably had a few beers and went to sleep.

The following day, we walked around Brno. We tried for a second time to get into the Warhol exhibit at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, but were denied because they were only open Wednesday - Sunday. I showed Ben some of my favorite stores and bought a few things. I showed Ben where my mom grew up. I also told him some of the stories my mom told me about the Brno dragon and wheel.

The legend says that the Brno dragon terrorized the city's waterways. Actually, the dragon is an Amazon River crocodile donated by Archprince Matyas in 1608. The wheel was made by a man from Lednice (the same town where Alphonse Mucha was born). In 1636, he made a bet with a friend that he could chop down a tree, build a wheel from the lumber and roll it 50 km to Brno before dusk. He was successful and the wheel has been on display ever since. Unfortunately, someone started a rumor that the cartwright received diabolic assistance and because of this he died penniless when all of his business went elsewhere.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

May this tid-bit of Americana bring you joy!

The Great Pumpkin

2007-11-01T19:35:00.001-07:00

This is my sweet angel on Halloween. Although he hates wearing clothes, we couldn't help it.

Below, you will find the pumpkins Ben and I carved. Unfortunately, even with four bags of candy, we didn't get a single trick or treater.

My pumpkin

Ben's pumpkin

Earlier in the week, Ben and Bula found this zucchini growing in our complex.

In addition, for your puppy lovin' pleasure, my friend Megan got a new puppy as an early birthday gift. Below you will find, Sadie. She is absolutely adorable and sits like a person.

Coming soon... our trip to the Czech Republic. I am working on it, but because I took 1,000 pictures (not an exaggeration), it is a bit overwhelming.

Almost 6 Months

2007-10-28T01:05:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep. I'm thinking about you. There are moments that last maybe a second where I think you will come down the stairs or that it's you calling. And then I remember.

My Home: A Place Where Bobcats Come to Die

2007-08-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

A Bob-who? A what-cat? A bobcat at the front door?

This was my reaction when this morning Ben woke me up to tell me that there was a bobcat on our porch. I thought I might have been dreaming, but when he came in moments later with the blurry pictures to prove it, I knew it was real. Yes, this morning a bobcat came to die at my house.

Ben and I are both confused and sad about this recent event. In Fiji, we had a bat land on our stoop, and now a bobcat. By the time animal control arrived, the bobcat was dead. Apparently, according to grandma, they bagged him up and took him away. They say it was natural causes, but does he look like a full grown bobcat to you? All we know is that this cannot be a good sign. I could use a break from things dying on my porch, if you know what I mean?

One More Day in Prague

2007-08-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

We are still in the CZ and having a wonderful time. We are currently staying with my Uncle's brother, Petr, and his wife Dana. We will be back on the 5th, my mom's birthday. I hope to post a description of our adventure along with photos soon. However, because I have taken 700 pictures, this could prove to be a difficult task. Along with visiting the Prague Castle and walking it's gardens, we made it to the Mucha Musuem, where I decided to name my first born son, Alphonse. The exhibit was quite small as Prague has yet to acquire his life's greatest project, the Slav Epic. Luckily, my aunt took us to see this exhibit in Moravske Krumlov, about 250 km. from Prague. There are 20 works of art in the Slav Epic, each about 18 feet high. I feel really lucky to have seen them and photographed them without being fined the 500 korunas for doing so. Although Prague will finally have the Slav Epic, as they are building a home to accomodate them, it was wonderful to see this exhibit on the outskirts of Mucha's hometown, Ivancice. No offense to Moravske Krumlov or Ivancice, there is no other reason to come to these towns, other than to view these enormous works of art dedicated to the Czech Republic and all Slavic people. Although Mucha is most famous for starting the Art Nouveau movement and the beautiful posters of women and flowers, these paintings were his greatest dream to create.

I cannot wait to show you these and other photos I have collected on our journey.

A Birthday, A Dinner, A Class, An Award, and a Date

2007-07-19T01:43:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Ben and I headed out to my mom's to celebrate Babs' birthday. She's 31 now. My mom reminded me that she was only 32 when they made the long voyage to America, which is crazy to think about. We had my favorite, fried cauliflower and boiled potatoes with salt and butter. Delicious!

On Monday night, Lia and I went to an Italian restaurant in the Valley. It was really great to see her and hear about her adventures as a film buyer and new bride. She goes to film festivals like Sundance and Cannes to shop for films and gets to stay at the nicest hotels and mingle with celebrities and such who kiss her ass so she'll buy their movies. Her husband Mat is currently working in Montreal as a writer for T.V. It's all so very exciting.

At Fabrocini, the bus boy, or man I should say, kept looking at me and Lia was convinced that he was in love with me. He finally decided to talk to me. He told me that I look just like his cousin who lives in Mexico. That despite her Latina status, she is blond and blue-eyed. "And beautiful, obviously," I added. We laughed. He went on to ask me if I was Lia's mom. Uh, Lia is actually older than me by a month and a half. We were both stunned and insulted. Lia does look younger than me, but come on, her mother??? I tried to explain that he probably thought I was a teenage mother and that I was with my 15 year old daughter, which didn't really help Lia's cause and didn't convince me that I look my actual age. But it was good for a few laughs.

This week I have also been taking a "Teacher As Writer" class that is paid for by my school district. I've been doing a lot of creative writing, using techniques that would suit an upper grade, middle school, or even high school classroom. It has been a real treat. Because it was paid for by the district, I didn't know what to expect. I tried to prepare myself for the worst: response to literature essays, summary writing, persuasive, and other forms of writing that kill the idea of writing for pleasure in a classroom. But the class was far from that. Aside from having to share our work in this nine person class, I enjoyed myself very much and didn't mind driving out to Ventura every morning. I really noticed how my process is so much different than other people's. I write, and then add descriptive language in my first revision. Some people have a gift for doing that as they write, playing with the language as they go. It's easier for me to get to the point first and then adjust later. This varying process is really something to think about in class of 30+ students.

One of the assignments today was to read an excerpt from Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, where setting is established. You could either use the first line of the excerpt, a variation of it, or begin anyway that set you into the motion of writing. Here is Lee's:

Maycomb was an old town. but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. Somehow it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer's day, bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'-clock naps, and by sweet nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.

Here's my version...

Grandma's Westlake townhouse was a tired old house, but it is older and more tired than when I first knew it. In hot weather, the fans buzz as the "girls" sit around a square table playing Pan and Mah Jong, talking about their sons and missed colonoscopy appointments. The rooms are cluttered with an array of mismatched furniture, framed needlepoint made by a relative who is no longer with us, and fuzzy squirrel figurines and glass owls from trips to God knows where and God knows when. Grandma's carefree days are long gone. Her vision is fading fast, mistaking a pile of newspapers to be recycled for her purse. Grandma is older and much more tired now that she's "90 and slowing down".

You should try it, too. Think about a place you have been, a town you have loved or hated, or a house with many memories. The images are in your mind, but hardly ever spoken or written.

Today I had to leave my class early because the Teacher of the Year luncheon that I told you about earlier. Ben met me at the Country Club where we had lunch and I was a bit confused by the variety of forks that made me wish I had gone to cotillion as a kid. Then it was time to announce the awards. My boss, Dave Becker, and my classroom volunteer, Mark Jaffe, who also happens to be the Rotary Club's new president, said a lot of nice things about me as I stood there with them. Of course I was embarrassed. They presented me with a certificate and a check for $250. I'm still trying to figure out if I need to use the money in my classroom, or if I can buy the out-of-stock Missoni Acqua perfume that I've been thinking about. (Kari, maybe you can clarify, since you are the reigning Teacher of the Year). I had to say a few words as I accepted my award. Then I sat back down, thinking I could relax a little bit. BUT NOOOOOOO! They went on to present me with the Paul Harris Fellow Award which is the highest honor received by non-Rotarians! This award is given to people who are "advocate[s] of ... world peace and international understanding." The audience oooohed and ahhhhed when they called my name and I remember Ben saying, "Good job, Doll!" My boss whispered, "This is a big one, Romy." I was absolutely shocked. I received a certificate, a medal, and a pin. In addition, the Rotary Club donated $1,000 in my name (along with $23,000 donated by the club itself) to the building of a community center in Zambia (that's Africa). This community center will focus on AIDS education and prevention. Isn't that awesome? When the luncheon ended, members of the group congratulated me and said to Ben, "You must be so proud." It was great.

And finally to add to an already delightful day, I received word today that my awesome cousin Tomas and his lovely fiancee, Amy, have set a date for their wedding. June 28, 2008 in Negril, Jamaica. They have a cute website with pictures and an explanation of how they met and where they are from. Check it out.