Try to guess

We took Ira fishing again. He had a blast and caught two fish, with a lot of help of course. Sadly one of the fish we caught swallowed the whole hook and bait and when the hook was removed, it killed the poor fish. Oh! So many complicated feelings. I caused the suffering of a life! I maybe made a hawk a nice sushi lunch? Who knows. It's some circle of life stuff right there. The universe has probably already righted itself and I really shouldn't keep thinking about it, but I do.

Speaking of my precious little tax deduction, he's doing just great. He's got so much to say about everything all the time. Who said men don't talk? Ira's favorite conversation filler is the "try to guess" game. He'll challenge you to guess what he sees or is thinking. It could be anything! I never win, even when I know I'm right. And he's turning out with a quick little wit, too. Leon was leaving me and Ira for the evening and after announcing, "All right, I'm taking off..." without missing a beat, Ira responds, "What are you taking off in? A rocket?" Dad is bested! Certainly if I included this account in a letter to the school we're trying to get him into right now, they'd admit him immediately. This is life with a verbally over-active five year old. The kid shows promise. P.S. He finally has a loose tooth.

There's not much new with me besides a lot of boring fitness stuff (nutrition, BMI charts, shredding, bikes, testing impact activity for shin splint irritation). But let me tell you what happened today: I cracked the other side of my neck (the side that doesn't crack). Holy wow. I want to sing an ode from the rooftops, I want to sing it on the meadows in the shadows of the Austrian alps. I feel like I just won first prize at the 2012 Neck Tension Relief Pageant. This is the wierd part: I must have jimmied loose a craving somehow because suddenly, and quite immediately post neck crack, I had an intense craving for cherry cheesecake. I called Rick's Dessert Diner and they do not have it. My life will just not be right without a slice of cherry cheesecake and I don't know where to start looking for it! There, this is my punishment for my part in the taking of an innocent fish life.

Russian River Times

This guy and I had an anniversary, so we made a little trip to Russian River Brewery and then spent the weekend in points beyond.

 
Did you know there's a whole part of California dedicated to making wine?! Really! We went there finally. Actually, we've been to wine country for other stuff, like driving through it. We're beer people, go easy on us. One local we ran into found out it was our first time in Guerneville (world-class city under Rome) and was incredulous that we had somehow missed it as native Californians. Well, I guess when we go places, we go to...other places that are not Guerneville? Anyway, charming place, that Guerneville. It was the gayest Mt. Shasta by the beach that I ever visited. I liked it! I really did and I'm keeping it in mind for a return trip with Ira. There was a lot of nature there he would have appreciated. Like these jaw-dropping, thousand-year old redwoods above.

We started out one morning on a little walk through the woods, but it was so beautiful and cool in the woods, our walk turned into a 3 or 4 mile hike through Middle Earth. This fungus reminded me of a book I used to really love when I was a little girl.

 



Behold the softest, featheriest needles ever made. They were like cat eyebrows. 



We headed to Jenner one evening to watch a sunset on the beach. Romantic times! But it was quite windy and the beach was cold! So we headed down to a place where we could watch it from our car. It was just perfect.



We also managed to squeeze in an afternoon of wine tasting. The Russian River valley is Pinot Noir country, so we tasted a lot of those. In the grocery store, I gravitate towards budget Pinots, so it was a real treat to taste some really stellar ones. This lizard scurried by swilling a glass of chardonnay. He was cordial enough to pose for this photo.



On our way home, we stopped back at Russian River to get a few beers for the road. It was a fun weekend.

Phoning it in series

Occasionally I update you with some gems from my phone. Mostly I take pictures of grocery lists (I can't even justify why this makes sense when I think about it), blurry things that are supposed to be Ira, and things I want to remember for later, only I never remember them and then I'm left trying to figure out why I saved two pictures of a Cliff bar. Oh, the Cliff bars I have known! Here are a couple of things I actually recalled the signifigance of.




You're either a Gunther's or Vic's person. We're Gunther's people. Here is Ira at Gunther's over spring break. I asked to take this picture. I don't even know why I ask! The answer is always "noooo, mom!" I took the picture anyway and he looks like he's about to pull a Sean Penn and deck me. Whatever. I win.




Back in the days when people had to sign up for landline long distance carriers, I had one that sold my information to AARP and a bunch of other junkmail companies. I have been getting junkmail targeted at old folks for YEARS. At the worst of times, it's a glimpse into the depressing mobility needs of the Ghost of Teeni Yet to Come. Though, I do see myself actually sending away for that free puzzles and games book. At the best of times, I get a windfall of Starbucks cards. Well, that only happened once, but it's worth mentioning. AARP sent a $5 Starbucks card along with information on all my Medicare options. They sent the same letter and card to 4 different combinations of my name. It was great. I used them to try my first (and second and third) pumpkin spice latte! Can you imagine?




Last weekend's weather made for perfect riding conditions. I hit the trail with some buddies and 30 miles later, I felt hungry, worked but also really good. I can't wait to get out there again for some serious riding. That bike trail is a regional treasure.

Gilda

Blazers by Coldwater Creek
Hats at Tilly's

First, how cute is Gilda Radner in this picture? I want to bite her style, except for maybe the hat. I'm terrible at hats. I have a very flat head around the back. My whole family does. I can't even wear headbands because I've got almost negative skull curvature and can't keep them up. Like Britney, I discovered my malformed head during an angsty period where I wanted to look as bad as I felt. Let's forget 1996 so freaking hard, okay?

Second, I'm in a band now? [I really wanted to follow those words with a question mark because it sounded right in my head.] It's a bunch of girls and we're having fun. I finally have an outlet for my pro attitude and pro gear!