Our 4th of July...

... was supposed to be like this:



... but wound up like this.



Sigh. Parenthood. Full of curve balls.

In short, my 4th of July weekend was supposed to go like this:

1. Arrive in Tahoe on Friday afternoon. Reeeelax with my good friend, Kim.
2. Wedding photo shoot on Saturday. Return home. Drink wine with Kim. Watch our kids play.
3. Sunday and Monday. Swim in the lake. Drink wine. Hang out with family and friends. Reelax.

Instead, my Friday was hijacked by my day job. Completely insane amounts of work. My drive up to Tahoe was 3 hours long, stuck in traffic. The wedding went great but on Saturday night Daisy did not sleep barely a wink. I think I got 4 hours of sleep... intermittently. On Sunday morning it was obvious that things were not heading in the right direction: Daisy was lethargic and unhappy. By Sunday afternoon, she wouldn't sleep and had a temperature. Hubby and I conceded: we probably needed to go home. Nothing wonderful could be achieved by staying in Tahoe with a sick toddler who was constantly whining for home.

So we left the house we'd rented with friends in Tahoe, the beautiful 80 degree weather, and drove back down to the hellish heat of Sacramento, exhausted and dejected.

I was not only pissed that we'd wasted money on a vacation rental we had barely had time to enjoy but I had really looked forward to spending some time with my good friend, Kim, and relaxing for a couple of days before heading back home to my insane schedule. It just seemed horribly unfair, given how stressed I had been about getting up there in the first place: the preparation, the packing, the trying-to-close-out-work, all with little pay-off. Sigh.

Instead we abused my willing mother and passed our sick toddler off to her for the majority of July 4th, while Hubby and I sought an afternoon's break from the heat at the movie theater. We then bought $90 of ear-piercingly loud fireworks, which we half-heartedly set-off in front of our house the minute the sun went down.

As it turns out, it was just as well we left Tahoe. A visit to the pediatrician this morning confirmed that Ms. Daisy has a raging ear infection. Poor kid has had a low-grade fever for a few days now, her nose won't stop running, and her eyes are watering like crazy. I feel so bad for her (and us!)

Here are some photos from the two halves of our doomed weekend.



Hudson, who Daisy was having a blast with until... well... you know.



Hudson and Kim, braving the FREEZING lake water.



The calm before the storm





Beautiful Lake Tahoe, where the water was clear, the temps relatively cool, and where snow still capped the mountains.



Back down to triple-digit heat and a more low-key 4th.











For all July 4th photos, click here.

This is the 2nd of 3 Independence Days as parents that have been goddamned awful. I am living in hope that future ones will prove to be more fun.

Maybe it's the ghosts of the Founding Fathers paying some kind of rotten joke on the Brit?

Game ON.

Cripes. What a 7 days it's been!

Since the last time I posted: Daisy turned two, went to her very first theme park and had her first day at pre-school; our new couch arrived; and I got the opportunity to cross yet another bucket-list item off.

Let me elaborate on the latter.

I'm grabbing my purse on Wednesday afternoon, getting ready to pick Daisy up from school for the very first time. I had butterflies in my tummy, Hubby was antsy, and both of us were a little groggy from an impromptu afternoon snooze on the new couch. (We took the day off - we don't slack like that on work days.)

My phone rang and I saw that it was my L.A. friend, E (of The Gurly Life fame). My first thought was: "Oh, how sweet, she called to see how Daisy was doing." So I picked up.

"Weeeeeeeeeeell..." she said, at length. "Remember that contest you told me to enter for a trip up the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu?"

"Uh, huh," I said, absentmindedly. My brain was on my kid waiting for me in the school yard, so I admit I wasn't 100% tuned in. Plus, it was an odd beginning to a conversation - like it started in the middle. So, I was thrown.

"Weeeeeeeell..." E said again, waiting for me to take the bait.

Slowly, the cogs in my mine turned and I tried to switch gears from Momma to friend. Which is when I stopped at my front door. "No way! You won!?"

"Way. I won! And you're coming with me!"

{GULP}

That's right, folks. My friend won a 4-day trek up the Inca Trail and I am to be her plus one!

Right about now you're thinking that I'm all kinds of lucky and am not going to deny this but let me pick out one word that should bring you up short, as it did me: TREK.

trek/trek/

Verb: Go on a long arduous journey, typically on foot.

Arduous. On foot. And they're not kidding. Here is a description of the trip from the tour provider's website, Global Basecamps.

Inca Trail Classic
This is the classic four-day trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. This magnificent hike is for travelers who are in condition to hike up to ten hours, with breaks, in a single day. The pace may be daunting for some...

Um, did I forget to mention that, in an ironic stroke of fate, both E and I share the same hip and S.I. joint issues? We even had the same hip surgery, within 3 months of one another. When we go on our legendary photo jaunts, one of us invariably has to sit down to rest our back at some point - and I'm talking after an hour or so. 

So, hiking for ten hours a day, at a "daunting" pace does not sound like something either of us are cut out for.

Funnily enough, when I suggested she enter the competition (which is something I frequently ask my friends to do - enter vacation sweepstakes in case they win and decide to take me) we exchanged laffs on Facebook about how it was totally likely that one of us would win because, you know, we can barely walk some days, let alone hike.

Yeah. Funny. That's the word.

Further, the winner's email that E received, mentions that the trip includes the following:

• Camping Equipment:
• Spacious North Face tents
• Dining tent
• Toilet tent, tables and chairs
• Oxygen bottle
• Cooking equipment. 

Like we should be soooo relieved that there is a tent for pissing in.

I'm sorry but I just can't help but have visions of sitting in the toilet tent, half-dead after ten hours of hiking, hugging my oxygen bottle.

So, not only will be hiking 10 hours a day but we'll be sleeping our bad backs on the floor, in a tent, and going potty in a toilet presumably small enough to carry up a mountain.

Did I mention E and I also don't like to rough it?

But I say this all in jest (well, not totally, I am a bit concerned) because, really, who gets this opportunity placed in their lap? Not everyone. And if you know anything about me, you'll know that I'm up for a challenge, especially when it comes to traveling. If it means I have to hire a personal trainer to get my sore ass in shape, just so I can make it up that hill, then that is what I am going to do. Machu Picchu is on my (as yet to be revealed/completed/published) bucket list and, dammit, I am going to scale that mountain, take my awesome pictures and come back victorious (or paralyzed... one or the other.)

GAME ON!

Image Courtesy of http://www.travelphant.com/2010/05/manchu-picchu.html

You can read E's amusing account of her epic win here: http://thegurlylife.typepad.com/gurly/2011/04/machu-pichu-really.html

Random Monday - dreams and parties

A dream remembered

Last night I had a very vivid dream. Back when I was pregnant I had all sorts of crazy dreams that I would wake up and retell but I so very rarely remember them these days that I just had to post this one.

So, I was a rookie lawyer, in Manhattan. I assume it was Manhattan of the somewhat-future because my office was on the {gulp} 680th floor. (Clearly 9/11 was far back in the rear view mirror.) I had replaced another female lawyer at this hip law firm, who had been found to be sleeping with the boss. (Tsk, tsk!) 


Immediately upon my arrival, I began being hit on by co-workers and - get this - good looking judges, the latter of which I made a date with - something that got me a pat on the back from my firm's owner. 

In the middle of one of my key meetings and presentations, I felt something stinging my left elbow. When I looked down I had some hideous ladybug/leech thing stuck to me and I had to pry it off. I asked everyone in the room if this was some kind of initiation or hazing and they just laughed. Later, when I went to my car, parked in the garage for my seedy apartment building, I found the ladybug-leeches crawling all over my seats. Ewww!

Fortunately, I remembered, I didn't need a car to get to a date with my hot judge. {score!} This was NYC after all... I could hail a taxi or even walk. All of which pleased me because this meant I could drink without having to worry about driving. To top it all off, I bumped into the law firm owner on my way out and he gave me five black, carbon crayons. Apparently, in the NYC of the future, these were the exclusive currency of the rich - worth more than money itself - and this meant I could buy my hot judge lots of cocktails. Woot!

And then my alarm woke me up. Dammit!

A party!


Yesterday, Mum, Daisy, and I went to a good friend's son's birthday party. Hudson West Prior (great name, right?) turned four and it just so happens that his mother is an amazing cook and her boyfriend is a professional DJ. Which meant it was a not-to-be-missed opportunity to dress Daisy in a party dress and paty shoes.. Plus, of course, I just love that kid and his cheeky face.

The birthday boy on his bounce house




Brian, DJ extraordinaire - complete with flashing lights and atmospheric smoke!


Ms. Daisy, out on the floor all on her own, getting down to Black Eyed Peas - boom boom pow!


The birthday boy and his mama blowing out candles.


For more photos, click here.

Daisy had a fab time, despite the party being smack-dab in the middle of her nap time. (Nap schmap!) She danced almost the whole time, in the middle of the floor, on her own, with an audience (I LOVE HER!) Then she made a real fuss when we left and then proceeded to beg for cake the whole way home (which she promptly received upon arrival - toddler heaven!)

Sacraghetto

It's no secret that, while I love my life here in Northern California, I am not especially in love with Sacramento specifically.

The issue of whether the local basketball team, the Kings, will stay or go has sort of underscored my frustrations with the region lately and this morning I heard this commentary on NPR that said it well.

You can listen to the podcast here

The Kings Question
(Sacramento, CA)
Monday, March 14, 2011

By Bruce Maiman

Why do I get the feeling that all this Rock the Casbah consternation over the Kings is really more about Sacramento than the Kings?  Does anyone in Sacramento really know what Sacramento wants to be? It's a cow town, a government town, a town full of people who move here from somewhere and who don't even live in town but in some kind of randomly planned suburb built in the middle of nowhere --maybe in a flood plain-- where, when people talk about going to the city, they mean San Francisco, not Sacramento.

Sorry, but Sacramento is not a World Class City, nor is it likely to become one. We're just a place on the way to or back from Lake Tahoe. For that matter, so is Vacaville, but at least they have the outlets. We're a capital building surrounded by people raising families. We're a shopping plaza at every major intersection, a nail salon in every shopping plaza, and a chain restaurant on every corner, and sometimes on all four corners. Do people actually eat out that much?

Today, Sacramento is less about a city and more about a vast suburban empire, a sometimes happy, humming confusion of freeways, malls and cul-de-sacs with pretentious street names and overachieving school districts and oversized, overpriced houses constructed to one of four designs.  By all the standards of contemporary American developer-driven sprawl, it is a great success story. It's just not a place people think to visit when they think of California, unless they're a lobbyist looking for favors.

That's not to say we don't have nice restaurants, a quirk or two, a museum or three and a few hidden gems, but those things aren't changing whether the Kings stay or go. But if a city with an identity crisis thinks the therapeutic answer to their woes is to latch on to some sports franchise whose mercurial owners have to be bribed with your firstborn to stay here, I've got some waterfront property in Elko, NV, the mayor might be interested in. 

Maybe the cowbells will just have to go back to the cows.

Bruce Maiman is a former radio host who lives in Rocklin.

I usually like Thursdays... and other random thoughts

• I usually like Thursdays, except today is a no Vampire Diaries day and so I'm sulking. The whole on/off thing with American tv shows and new episodes is just maddening. Every week, when you finish watching your favorite show, you sit, holding your breath, to hear if next week will bring a re-run. In the UK, a series runs non-stop for as many episodes as there are. There are no summer hiatuses, only new shows. (Although, granted, Fox started the whole summer series season a few years ago and some of the shows haven't been bad.) I miss the BBC.

• I have really been struggling for things to write about lately on here. Maybe it's because I have 4 blogs and so my thoughts are generally spread across the blogosphere: Daisy stuff - Lazy Crazy Daisy; Photography Stuff - Memories by Michelle or MbyM365. And then there's Facebook. Sharings that may once have developed into a rambling, ranty post, are usually now reduced to a quick status update or shared link. I feel like my thoughts have been MTV'd.

• Oh, incidentally, I gave Memories by Michelle blog a little revamp. Simpler, cleaner, showcasing photos. You likely? I'm still struggling with an "About Me" page. I think it needs it but I seem thoroughly incapable of penning anything compelling about yours truly that might actually matter to someone interested in hiring me. I mean, I have a lot to say but the reality is that is has to be worth saying. No ranting or rambling. If YOU had to describe me in one sentence, what would you write? Send me a comment - maybe I'll use it. (Oh, and BE NICE!)

• I have re-started my weight-loss and exercise program for like the 100th time this year. (Given we're not yet 100 days into the year, I think that says something.) I made grandiose plans on Jan 1 but have not followed through. But I don't feel good in my own skin right now and that needs to change. And then there is the whole SI Joint issue which just flares up when I slack off. It's like a literal prod in the ass, to urge me to get back at it. Eat better. Exercise more. That's my objective. I don't have specific weight loss plans, or fat percentage goals, or even workout times because that's just too much with everything else going on in my life, but if I can just incrementally improve on both fronts, I think I'll feel much better both mentally and physically.

• One of my best friends just moved not a half a mile away from me. I'm super excited. Envisioning back-yard family BBQs, our kids (who are just 7 months apart) growing up as good friends, and impromptu glasses of wine while bitching about parenting. Of course, in reality, the same obstacles that existed to prevent us getting together more often before, still exist. We tried to go out on a stroller-walk this afternoon after work but I have 2 places to be. I offered to do it at lunch, she has places to be. So, it will be interesting to see if we really do see each other much more. I guess, as time rolls on, it will be easier to identify those unexpected windows of time where we don't have anything going on, and synch up.

Alrighty, that's it for now.

Ms. Ranty Pants recommends

One of the things I love is to see good people, good friends, trying something new and succeeding. And I like to do anything I can to promote them to anyone and everyone I know.

Recently, a number of friends have forged ahead and put themselves out there in new ventures. 

That's why I'm starting: "Ms. Ranty Pants Recommends..."

In this first post, I'm going for a left-brain, right-brain mix.

Trancefusion Dance Company and Fusion Fit

My friend, Mala, is originally from India and, in addition to being a talented graphic designer, she is also an awesome dancer and choreographer. She started Trancefusion Dance Company several years ago and now she is adding a new string to her bow with Fusion Fit.

Mala says, "A year ago I looked into the mirror and was absolutely enraged at what I'd done to myself. I decided it was time to change and started watching what I ate and exercised regularly. No pain no gain became my motto. While at it I realized music and group classes were big motivation factors as was incorporating the fun factor to it. I also enjoyed doing a variety of exercises especially yoga, zumba and the boot camps offered at my gym. Adding variety helped get rid of the boredom associated with working out. So I wondered what if there was one class which was a fusion of all styles and could be done to my kind of heart pumping Bollywood music and voila...FusionFit is born. It will have something for everyone and I hope I can keep folks motivated to stay healthy and fit while having loads of fun and provide some "me" time for all - since we know how easy it is to skip that in our daily lives."

All my mom friends reading this can identify with what Mala says, I'm 100% confident.  So, I'm so proud of Mala. She looks fantastic in her new, svelte body and, more than that, she seems comfortable in her own skin.

FusionFit  launches March 5th, 2011. Here are details of the opening event which you should definitely attend to learn more.

3/5/11 - from 5:00pm to 7:00 pm at the Indian Community Center, 196 Blue Ravine Rd, sute#150 Folsom CA 95630.

Come to the opening event and you can even enter to win prizes and special class discounts

Class rates start from $35 per month with a drop-in rate of $15, so you can check-out a couple of classes before you pay the lower, monthly rate.

Fusion Fit can be found online here: http://www.trancefusiondance.ideaxpress.com/fusionfit.html

Five Beez Technologeez

My friend, Bobby, has started a great new service for all of those nightmarish PC issues. Man, I wish I had known this when I was dealing with my new computer issues several months ago. Grrr.

Bobby has 20 years of I.T. experience and he couples this with being "not your typical computer geek." He's fun, friendly, and prompt. I work with him at our "day jobs" and he's just one of the best IT peeps I know.

With FiveBeez, Bobby is offering low flat rates for those of us who can't afford our own IT department; guaranteed work; and if by chance there is no resolution you will not be charged a penny! I'm not kidding. What a deal! This also means no "visit fee"... ever! Other companies charge you just to ring your doorbell. Score!

His service area is a 60 mile radius of Sacramento and he can even offer remote assistance, so you don't necessarily have to wait for him to negotiate rush-hour traffic to reach you!

To learn more, go to http://fivebeez.webs.com/

Moonberry Rain

My friend, Meghan, is a star with a needle-and-thread. She created the apron above for my daughter, Daisy (hence the D monogram.) Also seen below being put to good use.

I bought seven or eight of these adorable things for the daughters of my friends at Christmas and they were hits all around.



Her etsy store, Moonberry Rain, has lots of other gorgeous aprons for sale and her main focus is creating super-cute frilly, yet functional aprons for the little ladies. However, there are also lots of no frills, no nonsense cover-ups for the little boys too!

In addition to the items listed in her online store, she will make various types of custom orders. For instance, if you'd like to stick with a special theme or color combination (like I asked her to do), she can work with you to make that happen. Also, she can make pretend-play matching pot holders to go with the apron.

Please stop by her store here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/meghabyte

------------------------------------------
Please, as and when you can, go out there and support these great new business ventures. I wouldn't promote them if I didn't feel they were good people doing great work.

And to confirm, none of them approached me to do this post. It was all my idea and I was not compensated by any of them in any way.

My birthday weekend

That's right. A whole weekend. My self-absorption knows no bounds.

As you know, I threw myself a party on Saturday, with 15 of my favorite ladies.

I have built an amazing and diverse group of friends in the past few years. It was wonderful to have them all (with a couple of notable exceptions) in the room at one time, no kids, no husbands and MIMOSAS! (Of course, mimosas.)







See more pics here

There was also A LOT of food. Since it was a pot-luck brunch, I got to sample all kinds of yummy foods from bacon scones to egg bakes to baked brie and coffee cakes - two different kinds. Yes, the top button on my jeans was threatening to pop open by the time we were done.



On Monday, which also happened to be a day-off for me (score!) Mum, Dad, Daisy and I headed up to Nevada City, a little old town in the foothills. It just so happened that the weather was doing a thing called "inversion" (all weather-girl job offers welcomed) and so it was foggy and dreary in Sacramento but warm and sunshiney 2,500 feet up in Nevada City. (Double-score!)

I had fun taking pictures.















Daisy had fun running around with Nan and hamming it up.







And we had ice-cream. In January. In short-sleeves. I. KID. YOU. NOT.






You can see more pics from Nevada City here.

On Tuesday, my actual birthday, I had to go into the office for a meeting. Boo Hiss! But in the evening we all went out for dinner at Paragary's in mid-town Sac and tempted fate with a two year old in a fancy restaurant. She did ok, by the way, although making it so is getting to be harder and harder work these days.

And thus ended my first day one year younger.

Drinking lots of alcohol is good for your diet

Ok, well, only insomuch as I spent my lunch hour sorting through yesterday's sordid photos instead of eating lunch today.

Out of 647 pics, there were about 200 usable ones. After further pairing down, I made it to 150-ish. Not all of them (ok, maybe very few at all) are exemplary examples of my photography skills but most of them were so freakin' hilarious, I couldn't delete them. In my defense: there was wine, and vodka, and champagne, and tequilla in my system, and the roads were bumpy. When you're that tipsy, you're all like: "ISO? Aperture? What?"

I'm honestly a LOT better on solid ground and fully sober. Promise!

Full slide-show at the bottom. Here are a few of my personal favorites...

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL HERSELF - Thanks for being a year older, Renee!


NATALIE CRACKING UP. She does that a lot. That's why I love her.


ME, RENEE, AND NATALIE - still sober... ish.


RENEE'S HUSBAND, DAVID, SHARING A JOKE WITH THE BOYS


BRANDIE AND DAVE HAMMING IT UP


NICK SHOWING OFF


ME AND JENNIFER BEING ALL "POSEY"


NAT AND NICK - these two are a constant source of entertainment.



JENNIFER ROCKING OUT ON THE BUS



AND THE PICTURE OF THE DAY... Dave, surrounded by his posse.




HERE'S THE SLIDESHOW WITH ALL THE "BEST OF" PICS