The Excitement of Adventure

San Bruno Mountain Reserve 2012

This post is part of the Open Book Blog Hop (begun by author P.J. Fiala) where you can learn more about authors and bloggers. The theme this week is fun.

My "fun" is limited. I'm a bit of a workaholic and a stay-at-home parent of an active toddler, which means 99% of my time is spoken for. I have to plan every part of my day and week just to make sure I can shower and brush my teeth. When I do get a spare minute, I am usually so tired, all I can do is watch the latest sci-fi creation out of Canada.

That said, when my husband is off work, we do family or date things. This often involves hiking, short excursions, and or movies. Today we went to the beach, took a long walk, and had a picnic. Afterwards we got frozen yogurt at a DIY yogurt bar. That is a pretty typical example of our family time.

Before Kiddo, however, things were a little different.

Halloween Shiny Toy Guns concert, Bako 2011

I really enjoy dancing - salsa, hip-hop, techno, swing, waltz, whatever. It brings me joy. I also love live music, especially funk and folk (though my interests are pretty varied). Dinner and dancing or a concert would be an ideal time for me. I also really enjoy art openings, festivals, and museums for daytime fun. So if I was childless and wanted to have some staycation-style fun, this would be it.

But more than this, I love adventuring. An adventure for me could be hiking, camping, or just exploring a new town. When I lived in the Bay Area, we would go on a different hiking trail every weekend, and often explore a new section of the Bay. Every weekend was a new adventure, and I absolutely loved it.

We try to do that everywhere we live. When we were in Phoenix, we would take a day in different parts of the city. We went to the mountains. We went to Sedona. We went to Tuscon. When we lived in Bakersfield, we explored Tehachapi. We sussed out all the cool spots. We went to Lake Isabella.

Now that we're in Santa Barbara County, it's hard to feel like there is any adventure left, because we've both lived in the area for significant portions of time. Having our son brings an element of newness to the place, but it's not quite the same. I'm still getting used to the change and embracing it. The next big adventure is scheduled for late September when we'll be camping in Big Sur with Kiddo and going to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. While I've been to both places when childless, I am excited to share them with my son and experience them as a family. It is different. There won't be dancing or concerts. Our pace will be slower, but I will get to experience it all through Kiddo's eyes. To see his joy when watching jellyfish tanks or when feeling the tide pool exhibit will be wonderful.

What do you consider fun? Leave a comment below! 

Tracy

Speaking of fun, check out chick lit and women's fiction author Tracy Krimmer. Her new book, Jay Walking is on pre-order on Amazon. You can read about this, her other novels, and check out her blog at her site here! Also be sure to like her Facebook Author page here.

 
Also, if you're interested in joining our blog hop, link up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Tent Camping In The Second Trimester

Yes, it might be a little nutty, but it was well worth it.

Christian is a good husband and as such, he made a reservation for a camp site in the redwoods next to a bathroom that had a shower. Literally, when we pulled up to the site, I could see the bathroom without having to search. It was maybe 50 feet away.

First obstacle tackled.

My second concern was one of food. For those of you who have been keeping up with my pregnancy exploits, you know that I need to eat snacks throughout the day and possibly a fourth full meal.  We had bananas, granola bars, and planned to bring protein shakes (which ended up being left unfortunately, but as it was, the food we had sufficed).  Fortunately we had enough on that front.

Second concern dealt with.

Finally I was worried about sleeping. Sleeping on my memory foam topper on my mattress at home has rendered my hips sore and uncomfortable the following day, so what would tent camping do?

Ahem.

There was no good solution to this one, short of bringing one of those huge air mattresses. Considering that our 2 man tent barely held the two of us (it was made expressly for back-packing) there would be no way to fit an air mattress inside unless it was a twin....which wouldn't work if another person was expecting to sleep there as well.

I had originally thought I would bring my Snoogle, but I didn't have a cover for it (and I really didn't want to try to wash mud or whatever off the pillow itself). Also, Snoogles are large. Being in my sleeping bag alone felt confining. With a Snoogle it would have been impossible. Plus the temperature at this time of year north of the Bay does not encourage open sleeping bags. So instead, I used two pillows to lift my upper body a bit, a blanket over my sleeping bag (because I was FROZEN!), and wore wool hiking socks to bed along with two shirts and long pants. This meant I slept some of the night, but of course, I was sore and stiff in the morning.

We also did something else crazy. We went hiking.

Normally I would say hiking is not a crazy endeavor - even for a pregnant lady. There are plenty of hikes that could be finished easily even with a new center of gravity and the propensity to be out of breath after every 20 feet.  We did not go on one of these hikes.

We climbed a mountain.

Alright, we climbed part of a mountain. We traversed approximately 2000 feet in elevation and about 4 miles, round trip. Needless to say it took all of my fortitude to go as far as we did, and by the end, my bladder was full, my water bottle was empty, and I was starving. Looking back I wouldn't have pushed myself as hard as I did. We should have turned around sooner, however I was glad to know that I could do it, even if it ended up taking the majority of the morning instead of the hour or so it would have before being pregnant.

Tent camping wasn't horrible over all while being in my second trimester. I would have been miserable in my first, and I'm sure this would also be true in my third (though for different reasons). That said, I expect the experience is not for everyone. I could see that many women would find the whole thing an exercise in exquisite masochism. For me however, the beauty of the place and the respite it offered from the city was enough to counter any inconvenience I experienced. I found myself depressed as we came closer and closer to Oakland. Being at home was actually distressing.

If anything, my time in the redwoods taught me 2 things:

1. I am now capable of much more than I was during the first 3 months of pregnancy.
2. I need to live in the woods - seriously.

Hopefully I can put these lessons to some use. If only I had more motivation to Zumba...

Nojoqui Falls - Park Adventures in Santa Barbara County

I've been to many of the parks in Santa Barbara city and Goleta, but my parents' home in Buellton has opened up some new and interesting locations to explore.

Most recently I checked out Lompoc Beach, which unfortunately was so windy that sand would have blown into my camera so I didn't take any pictures.  However, I was able to find the first sand-dollar pieces I've ever found on the beach in my life (I know what you're thinking - what a newbie!).  This was incredibly exciting to me.

More exciting, and more unexpected, was Nojoqui Falls.  I had seen the Santa Ynez river bed dry, and even though this year has brought a LOT of rain, I expected the falls to be more of a dry ditch water sometimes runs along than anything resembling falls. Luckily for me, I was pleasantly surprised. 

I say lucky, because even with a little water, the creek, pathway to the falls, and the falls themselves, were absolutely beautiful.  It was the kind of place which lends itself to meditation.  Ironically, the falls themselves reminded me of some of the paintings I have done recently.  If you saw "Bamboo Stand" at The Nature of Texture show in Goleta, then you know what I mean (see right). 

Even though the walk is uphill, it is well tended, and definitely worth the temporary pain the less fit might endure to see it.  In addition, there are great picnic areas and lots of space for kids to play before you start your short walk to the falls themselves. 

The thing about Nojoqui is, if you aren't looking for it, you won't find it.  It's on a tiny side road that you drive right past on the 101.  If you're lucky and have a friend from the area in the car, you can get there by taking a right off of 246.  Still, if you enjoy going off the beaten path, Nojoqui Falls is worth the short adventure required.

Parks and Exploration - Going through Green Spaces in East Bay

Something that I love about the Bay Area is the number of parks.  Friday we decided to explore some of them.  Fortunately the storm that had been making it's way south decided to miss us entirely allowing for a rain free walk through the mud.

I put on my new plaid galoshes and we made our way to the first park off of Heyer in Castro Valley. A little park by a stream, complete with enclosed dog park kept by the Rotary Club, playground, and a little bridge to the houses across the little chocolate colored stream called home by several duck pairs.  It was quaint, with locals who brought their large dogs to hang-out in the park.  Christian and I kept thinking about how no children were there.  No mothers with strollers or anything.  When we were growing up the playgrounds were always full of kids and parents playing.  It's no wonder why there's an obesity epidemic in the U.S. today when the parks are empty.

The second park we went to was Cull Canyon.  If I was going to make a park for people to swim, play outdoor games, and have a BBQ I would have designed this place.  It was green, manicured in the right places, and wild in the rest.  The only thing that was a drag was the fact that the walking path went through the tunnel which also served as the path for the stream. Seeing as the water was several feet deep, we didn't make our way through the tunnel.  Still, I would suggest the park on a sunny day for a party or family get together. 

After a muddy walk along the Bay Ridge Trail, we came to a budding swamp that prevented Christian from going any further in his Vans.  We decided to check out one last park.  This one was on the other side of the 580 freeway. When we got to this park, complete with a lagoon, fishing dock, and dry swimming hole.  It looked like the California budget was impacting the upkeep of this forlorn park.  The trail had been overcome by water and branches, as well as being overgrown with weeds and grasses.  How could we let these beautiful parks go by the wayside?  Oh I remember.  Our government is unwilling to cut spending on useless things peddled by military contractors as well as taxing the richest one percent.  So I guess we'll just have to suffer with only a few well kept parks and a whole bunch that are overtaken by a lack of resources. 

Cheap and Romantic - The Best Valentine's Day Plans

I should have started planning months ago, at least if I was industrious and thought I would have options I would have. As it was, my mind was occupied with other things.  It's for this reason I've only recently started thinking about it. 

That's right.  After February 6, I have another celebration I have to plan - Valentine's Day.  I've made Christian come up with plans too often in the past and I think I'm long overdue to come up with our celebration plans.  Seeing as I have a limited budget with which to work, I have to be a little more creative.

This will be our sixth Valentine's Day together, and our third as a married couple.  The last few V days have involved anything from watching the sunset from the Santa Ynez mountains complete with wine and cheese, to dressing up and going to a movie theater where they serve dinner in several courses.  This year I think we're going to have to do something different.  Because Christian has been making the plans, he's largely tried to do things that would impress me, sweet as he is.  I guess this year it's time for me to return the favor.

In the urban Northeast, where I grew up, there were very few people who went camping.  Sure, I went to summer camp.  Summer camp consisted of a week along a finger lake in upstate New York with a single night in a sleeping bag under the stars, the rest in cabins with full bathrooms. I had fun, but I wouldn't say it was roughing it by any means.  I haven't really done any kind of tent camping ever.  Having a pop tent in your basement with all your stuffed animals at the age of four doesn't really count.  So you can imagine my reluctance to allow Christian to take me camping.  Unfortunately for me, he went backpacking with some friends a couple years ago which required him to get some camping gear.  Since then, I've warmed to the idea, at least for short outings, if not full months in the wilderness armed only with anti-microbal underwear and a camping stove.

So what will we do this Valentine's Day? Well, we'll go camping of course!  Wine, aged cheese, some veggies and dip, and a little fire under the stars.  The cost will be minimal and we'll be able to do something nice - getting away in a beautiful place - which is perfect considering the resources at our disposal.  While this may have seemed unappealing three years ago, now, it sounds like the perfect way to celebrate my husband and my relationship this Valentine's Day.

Losing Inches - Some Fitness Success

Don't let the scale get you down!  That's my motto.  In fact, I'm wondering about using the thing altogether.  Weight is an indicator, but it is limited in its ability to reveal your state of health.  A person can have a high weight for their height, but could be in amazing shape and you would never know.  Or you could be like me, and hide your fat well.  Oh yeah! Hourglasses forever!

No, the scale is a trickster, and therefore should be taken as such.  BMI is now the going way to figure out your physical health, that and taking the measuring tape to different parts of the body. My favorite way, currently, is the measuring tape.  This is so simple, so easy, and it doesn't require any special equipment except that which you might use to sew (which you can get at any grocery store in the odds and ends aisle).  There is no trick of the light on the LED screen, no questioning about why you ate the chocolate mousse. It is honest, completely, and therefore incredibly reassuring.

Before you start your workout regime, you measure and record everything.  Then, as you go along, perhaps at the end of each month, you measure the same parts.  Let me tell you, I may have gained some muscle weight (muscle weighs more than fat), but boy, have I lost inches.  It's only one month in and I didn't feel like I was particularly consistent at all.  I tried to keep track of my food intake (but my system is a little wonky, so it takes more discipline than I have to allocate at the moment).  However I was good about recording my weight and my workouts.  My workouts just weren't as consistent as I want them to be. 

More specifically, I need more cardio in my life more consistently.  I need it, but in general, I hate it and so it is a struggle to get myself to do it.  Cardio is dirty.  It's sweaty.  Some might say that strength training is just as sweat inducing, and that might be true for them, but not for me.  I soak in water like a sponge, and I keep it.  I don't sweat when I work out, not really.  I get up to muscle fatigue in a certain exercise and I might get a slight sheen.  My sweat sheen would be barely discernible to someone else, to me it is like a red strobe light.  My husband sweats when he sits he's such a ginger.

It could also be that I get bored doing cardio. Most of the time I end up hiking, riding, or running by myself.  While the outdoors are a necessary and beautiful place for me to be, it is better to share the experience with someone else.  The treadmill in the workout room in our apartment complex is nigh the epitome of boring.  How long can I stare at my sweaty red-faced reflection in the mirror before I bore holes into it? I don't have a music player...so that's out.  There isn't a TV, so I can't watch poorly written sitcom story arcs.  Bleh!  Cardio!

Even still, my weight training and inconsistent cardio has paid off.  All around my body there are two fewer inches.  It's a beautiful and exciting day! It might be slow progress, I don't know how it compares to anyone else, but I really don't care.  I like the shape of my biceps more than ever.  I can do more push-ups now than I ever have been able to (which might not be saying much, but a victory is a victory).  Muscular details continue to reveal themselves and I continue to relish in my new reflection.  Pretty soon, my old jeans will be making appearances.  I can't wait!

New Beginnings

Small changes have such a big impact.  Getting a job might not be a small change, but it has more of an impact than just financial.  It changed my overall mood about life, the universe, and everything. 

Last night I was so pumped about my first day I urged Christian to go walking around our neighborhood after dinner.  It was ill-fated however, because we just passed the Safeway when we came upon two semis parked along the side of the road where we heard the most piercing yowling.  It took us a moment to get oriented because the yowling was echoing off the old Mervyn's office building.  When we finally located the source of the sound, we found a small black kitten curled up under one of the trucks.  We sat there trying to call it out.  Finally I decided to go home and get some cat food.  When I got back, the kitten was still yowling but the food enticed it a little closer to our location.  A few minutes later a guy in super ghetto gear smelling strongly of alcohol came up muttering to himself.  He asked what it was we were looking at.  When we told him, he decided to try to help us catch the kitten.  Unfortunately, his smell and consistent muttering (even softly) seemed to scare the kitten a bit.  Eventually drunk guy got up and went around to the other side of the truck where he proceeded to lay down in the road and mutter a stream of kitten endearments.  He quickly fell asleep.

There were several times where I almost was able to grab the tiny thing, but the cold made my hands too sluggish and honestly, I've never been good at catching cats, especially skittish kinds like this kitten.  Christian got so fed up with the thing that he began attempting to flush it out which involved him running around the truck bed (one of those that carries cars).  Eventually drunk guy woke up, but not before several people walked past asking us what we were doing.  I think it helped to assure them that Christian was wearing his old rent-a-cop jacket that said "SECURITY" in bright yellow letters.  After drunk guy woke up, a few of his friends walked by and he took off without so much as a "by-your-leave".  At this point Christian was actually under the semi because the kitten was hiding between the bed and the axle of one set of wheels.  Some goth metal head guys came by and asked me if I lost something.  Without thinking much about it, I said "No, I'm good."  I wish now I had said something like, "We're trying to rescue this stupid yowling kitten.  Wanna help?" They probably would have, except for my autonomic defense response. 

In the end, we scared the kitten into the engine bay of the other semi.  It was impossible for us to see where it was located or coax it out.  We would have had to pop the hood of the semi and frankly I was incredibly uncomfortable with that.  The only thing I could feel good about in our wild evening adventure was that we had fed it some food and tried for over 2 hours to rescue it.  It just didn't want to be rescued. Perhaps we could have done something differently, but I don't know what that would have been.

When we got back home, still pumped, despite my freezing limbs and our failure to rescue the kitten, I started writing what could end up being a short story or a full length novel.  It's an idea I got through a combination of high school experiences and some of the paranormal shows I've been watching.  We'll see how that goes. 

This morning instead of wallowing around in my pajamas for a few hours and playing repetitive flash games on my laptop, I decided to go for a hike on my own.  I got in the car and drove over to the lovely Lake Chabot where I walked around the lake for forty minutes.  I would say for a Wednesday, there were a fair amount of people fishing, running, and walking.  About half of the people I passed said hello or asked me how I was.  One man even chatted with me about the weather!  Of course there were the requisite older couples shuffling along, while young mothers ran with their double jogging strollers.  Above and beyond the usual suspects was a middle aged man wearing a kilt complete with knee high wool socks and giant black boots.  He looked fairly stern, but as he passed he said hello and wished me a good morning.

Mean while, I had a good first day on the job and I was able to get out and about a bit.  The world seems to be so much brighter.  The next step is to meet more people locally, perhaps volunteer at a local organization or something else.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Hikes are also for "hot" days

Today Christian and I got to meet some new friends and go hiking at Castle Rock. It was a beautiful day.  Before we set out they told us we would be hot.  I thought, well it might be hot for you. Anyone who has lived in Southern Arizona for any length of time knows how to deal with heat.  Yesterday it was over 100 here in the Bay Area, and I didn't even notice.  I figured I could handle a hike in the Santa Cruz mountains without any issue.

Castle Rock is beautiful.  The walks go along a ridge and through the woods.  Many of the other people enjoying the trails had large bags full of ropes. The park is home to large boulder and rock formations.  Every now and then we would see those crazy people with a death wish hanging on random hand and foothalls and dangling on rainbow colored ropes.  Some of them would shout "Tension! Tension! TENSION!" At which point Christian would say, "Can I do that?" and I would respond with "Do you have life insurance?"

Despite suffering the climbers death defying stunts, from the top of the ridge we could see all the way to the ocean.  The views of the rocks, the trees, and the sea in the distance were stunning.  There was even a stream and small set of falls.  I couldn't help but think of our hikes in Phoenix where there were washes empty of any water.  By the end of our scrambling across rocks, walking, and crawling up hills, we were covered in a layer of dust, sweat, and were completely parched. Even still, we had three hours of outdoor exercise and engaging conversation.

It was only warm in the sun.  Once again I thanked God I moved to the Bay Area, where really hot is 100 and friends of friends are people who not only live here, but also are easily potential friends. Awesome. :-)

A Lazy Day for Leaves Turning

There is a piece of fall in the Bay Area.  I found it today.  A friend of ours went hiking with us this morning at Lake Chabot.  Lake Chabot is one of the earliest resevoirs.  It's actually a historical civic planning landmark.  I didn't know that could be, but there are all kinds of plaques along the trail which runs around the lake stating random historical and ecological facts about the place.

It is beautiful.  The overhanging live oaks, eucalyptus, and maples make me think I've been transported to a mythical place somewhere between the mountain forests of North India and the coastal cliffs of Southern California.  The smell of the lake, the wet earth from the light rain in the night, and the rain soaked herbs was restorative.  Moss actually covers the north side of half the trees.  Blackberries are unripe waiting for a little more nourishment before becoming some animal's snack (or maybe mine).  Rotting maple leaves lightly coat the path in at least one part of our walk.  Each step feels like a different part of memory lane.  I look out at the water to see the reeds gently stretching towards the sky, their lines at odds with the soft rounded shapes of trees.  There is even a cascade of large gray boulders balanced in such a way to allow a small peek at the tiny stream rushing to join the lake. 

As we walked back towards the park entrance, more and more people had arrived since we started the trail.  It was the perfect temperature, the perfect beginning to a new season. I didn't think I would be allowed to have fall.  I thought it was reserved for a place miles upon miles away.  Something I would always miss, and rarely if ever have again.  For that reason, today was such a gift.

We all went to a locally owned breakfast-lunch stop for a bite to eat after our miles of walking. We decided we would sit on the patio despite the temperature.  The food was hearty and perfect for the day.  Beef Au Jus and a salad.  Chatting and just generally enjoying our time, it felt like a small boon had been granted.  Thanks to whoever did that.  It was much needed. :-)