full force

So when your phone rings at 7:30am, your first thought is never "something blog-worthy is probably going to happen." But when it's your neighbor calling to tell you that she (and her amazing puppy) are coming up the back steps with a special treat, the tide turns a little bit. And then, when the special treat turns out to be freshly-squeezed orange juice from your backyard orange tree, it's pretty solidly the winner for the day.

Here's the problem with this blog: I have an interest in being right all the time (I said it!), so it's hard for me to risk posting about something great before the very end of the day. What if something even more inspiring or comforting or exciting happens and I've already posted? Then it's midnight after a long day of doing three peoples' jobs and I have no interest in being creative or remembering anything at all. So days go by. Luckily, I usually remember to document the good stuff and I've been noticing the little good things more and more, so there is no dearth of blog-worthy material. It's more about the choosing.

Since I last got it together to post, work has taken over my life in a serious way. I didn't need any help in getting more focused on work work work, but being responsible for the duties that three people were doing just a few months ago has completely exhausted me. Did I mention we had to move our office in the middle of all of this? No, I didn't, because this is supposed to be about good stuff. I'll just say this is a before and after:

Outside of work, there was a trip to the farmer's market where Abel and I thought too long and missed out on pork knuckles, but I ended up biking home with a crab in my backpack.


Inspired by my industrious college buddy Sarah McColl, I attempted her $8 salmon cakes - with some Terra Firma salad and roasted veggies - and was pleased with the result, especially with the fig mustard on top.


And, as usual, my high points often involved planned and unplanned adventures with my local folks - a great play with Jenn Brown (and deb! hi deb!), a new night at Kitty's with Marty and Kasha, a day at the zoo with Isaiah and Julie, fried apple rings and cajeta and my first Cal men's basketball game with Abel, parking lot laughs with Liz and Marina, little contributions to celebrating great people with the Agape Peace Prize crew, and 4-year-old birthday fun (cuetes and cake!) with Carolina and the Camacho-Diamonds.

I've got it pretty good.