The Wind - Day 86

Or more accurately the wind storms.  These have been going for a few days now along with rain showers.

The winds are so powerful they keeps us awake at night.
Plus whatever else is going on eclipses,  full moon etc. leaving us very tired and a bit cranky.   In light of this, I have decided to skip yoga today and stay cozy at home. It feels decadent, especially since it was nice instructor, but also hardest instructor.

Hack Night - Day 85

One of the reasons we came to California besides doing research towards Brett's PhD was to get a feel for the industry here and for Brett to meet other programers ( AKA hackers in his circle ).

One great opportunity for this is "Hack Night".  These are gatherings for computer geeks to work on projects and either help out others who need help or ask for help if you are stuck on something.  Held in actual company offices it promises to be a perfect match for Brett.

Off to Downtown SanFrancisco we go.  

It is in a building built in 1912 that used to be a rope manufacturer.  What an amazing space.  The brick walls, wood ceilings, old metal beams.  Just WOW.  So, out comes my camera.  I ask permission to take pictures of the buildings features  (which for ME are not the computers and equipment). The details are great,  however, you really have to be there to feel how fantastic the space is.

Once I am done I take my KOBO out and read for a few hours until it is time to go back to Berkeley.    It was a successful evening  (for both of us -  especially since I was not expecting such a score).  Brett is overjoyed at his time spent with what he calls  "these are my people".  At least ten times on the Bart back he says the had sooooo much fun tonight.   That my friends, is why we came here.  For Brett to be with his people :)

One another note:  I noticed there were actually 12 girls out of 50 in the group. Good to see how one generation is changing things.

Thinking Outside THE BOX - Day 84

Time is quickly approaching for our return.  As I look around I am dreading packing everything back in our car plus what we bought here.  As you remember in day 1 the car was already totally full. Brilliant thought.  Send a box home with the summer clothes!

Buy box, tape and sharpie

Call U.S. Post - Fed Ex -  Purolator  to get quote on approximate cost

Cost is surprisingly high -  plus custom brokerage and taxes

Debate - are willing to pay that much  

Decide -  we will bite the bullet

Pack up box - seal - address

Load 40lbs box in car 

Soon I will be rid of this extra load and have space in the car = less stress

Now off to fill our customs forms and ship that puppy.

Oh so wrong on that.      It appears that for customs, you need to give an exact amount of everything in the box and their individual value…..??????WT@3%???///.….even if it is all used clothing all originating from Canada.

Are you kidding me?  I must have between 50 to 75 pieces, at least.

Result: Pick up box - take it back home.  .

Now the real stress begins.

  

P.S.  The only bright side to the story, is that Brett found a good authentic restaurant next door ;)

Hello Beautiful - Day 83

I have walked by every day sometimes even more than once a day and failed to notice this deep purple beauty.

Until today....

What's Up There? - Day 82

I seem to have become very interested in ceiling here.  Here are some of the different ones…

At the UC Berkeley

At the Hair Salon

Yoga Studio

Urban Outfitters - San Francisco

"Pas Un Chat" - Day 81

Translates to "Not One Cat". A French saying that means "no one around".  This is how I would describe the UC at Berkeley Campus today.

Long week-end Saturday,  where most students have gone home to visit with family,  was a perfectly beautiful day for capturing the campus essence.

My Thoughts Exactly - Day 80

Saw this license plate on one of our walks.....

The Grass Is Always Greener… - Day 79

Or is it?  One thing I always find really important in my surroundings is greenery.

In lush Berkeley there is lots….although not always the way I would prefer.

Here, they seem to really like shrubs.   No, love shrubs.  They are everywhere. 

On the front of almost every house, on each side of the sidewalk  (making it really difficult to walk hand in hand with your guy  or  even get into the car), on the sides of the house,  next to the stairs…...

Since this is following my blog about gratitude, let me say, I see the beauty and maybe even character to the neighbourhood.

Imagine my joy when I spotted a huge clean green expanse of grass!

I ran to it thinking -  oh THIS feels like home!!!

As I take in the rest of the scene it dawns on me that I am running towards a Roman Catholic Church….

Let's Talk Turkey - Day 78

Today, I find myself really touched by the spirit of the festivities all around me and feel moved to post a simple quote in honour of the celebration of gratitude. 

 “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, 

and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, 

and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us all be thankful.” — Buddha

Thank you all my friends and family for the richness you bring to my life.

I truly appreciate you and enjoy the times we are together.

US Thanksgiving Eve - Day 77

In the past I have heard lots about American Thanksgiving.  Mostly, that it's a big big deal. 

Everyone is talking about it, the grocery stores are packed early in the morning and a multitude of TV ads welcoming us at all hours to come shop.

You can feel it in the air.  The energy is full of anticipation and excitement.

A prime example was the pizza line up going down half a block and around the corner last night.   People are on holiday and were happy to wait.

Sorry, no pictures today as I am on holidays and in the pizza line-up :)

Redefining The Brown Paper Bag - Day 76

Sturdy, reliable, can stand on its own….all desired qualities.

Especially when you need to be creative...

The hamper

The pantry

The kitchen garbage 

Little Treasures - Day 75

As much as possible we love to walk everywhere.  One of the things we found most curious was the people leave all sorts of discarded things on the sidewalks for other people to pick up if they want them.  Armchairs, desks, clothes, books and a multitude of other items not needed anymore but still in good condition.

Do I need Clearance?? - Day 74

As humans we need to drink water to stay alive.  It's basic.  It's simple.

Imagine my surprise when I bought a bottle of water with a lid as menacing as a protective cap for nuclear radiation on lock down.  I twisted,  lifted, used my nails and could not figure it out.  So, I ask Brett the Scientist in the family, with lots of letters after his name, to help me.  Both of us are looking at this from all angles, looking for arrows or something to latch on.  It took a while, I kid you not, but combining the brains of a scholar and an artist eventually opened the high security precious container.

Why are things getting more complicated??

(P.S. - It was the brand "Smart Water")

Magic of Christmas - Day 73

In anticipation of Black Friday,  to which I have never been, (  and from what I hear I may  even decide not to go to...)  Brett and I headed into San Francisco to do a little scouting.

Already there are sales everywhere and tons of people shopping.  I can't even imagine what it will be like at 6 AM on Friday.  One security guy told me there will even be line ups waiting for the opening.

We had lots of fun today and enjoyed Macy's Window  " The Magic Of Christmas."

What I Noticed about Berkeley - Day 72

• The speed limit here is 40 and most people follow it.
• No small cars trying to be a race car with really loud accelerators.
• Road rage does not exist. 
• People do not look exhausted
• It's ok to wear winter coats when it is above ( well above ) zero.
• Work starts at 9 AM. 

Cheese Please - Day 71

For supper tonight I have Tenderloin steaks.  Not bad hey.

Just so happens that my husband wants something zestier???

How to spruce up a Filet Mignon??

First:   

Get a fresh real crusty bun.

Pickles.

Onions

Spinach

Dijon

Mayo

Second:  

Go on an adventure to the local speciality Cheese Board Shop.

Let him taste all his choices and then pick the perfect sheep cheese.

Third:  

Combine all to produce a gourmet deluxe home made burger! 

Oh and of course -  plus home made chips.

Fourth:

Equals one happy Brett :)

When It's Windy… - Day 70

things move….that's right.  The trees sway from one side to the other, the leaves are dancing around in the streets and gates are  banging.  We all know this.  The obvious reaction when stepping out  tends to be to  zip up our coats, hunch our shoulders up to our ears and brave the elements.

When living in a one hundred year old house,  you may still need to be brave even when staying indoors.  Let's just say that there are tons of nooks and crannies that come to life and can make your imagination run wild….

Feeling Punky - Day 69

AKA Brett feeling achy everywhere.  Not a good sign.  

Kept him home today.  Hope tomorrow he feels better.

Being Creative - Day 68

Prepping for 2013!

January is presenting itself as a busy month for the artist. In anticipation of the new year, I have decide to start fresh with a new design for my web-site. Always fun to collaborate with my very creative technical partner, who also happens to be a great photographer and an even more amazing husband!

We'll let you know when it's up!

Lucky Canadians ( and I don't mean the hockey team ) - Day 67

Having brunch at Whole Foods this morning, the nice lady sitting next to us asks if we can help with getting the Wi-Fi going.  My handsome computer god, always such a gentleman, was happy to oblige.  We exchanged a few words with her and she asked if we lived in California.  We told her we were visiting from Canada.  We barely finished the sentence and she said in a very envious manner,  " Oh, you don't need to worry about health care."  She looked at us as if she had never met anyone before with such an achievement.  Before she could get  too far into her reverie about a new life, in a new land amongst other such lucky beings, I shared one other little tidbit about our beautiful country. "That's right," I said, "but we do have snow."   to which we all laughed and this  seemed to end her fantasy.  And then silence…..

The perfect day to remember all that our country is, in all its beauty.

Hot Cocoa - Day 66

It is the first week into the time change and Calgary has had a big snow storm.

Even though I may be miles away from it all my body just wants to have a snuggly day at home.  So time for  a hot cocoa, a nice quilt and some down time.

4 Days of yoga - Day 65

Very pleased with myself as I am walking back home after my fourth day of Yoga.

Looking forward to the week-end for recovery time :)

Some Discrepancies - Day 64

1.  Exceptional weather has been reigning for the last week.   On Wednesday, for the first time in a while, the fog is refusing to leave,  keeping the morning "freshness" alive.  Needless to say, all I needed to wear for my walk to yoga is a thin long sleeve tee and a thin hoodie.  For me that is practically naked since most of you know, I am frequently cold.  Can you imagine the shock on my face when my yoga teacher welcomes me to class and states with a resigned nod, "….winter is back….sigh  "  I was paralized in my spot.   In my head ----Winter?????  -----Are you serious??  Do you know I am Canadian??   With all the strength I could muster,  I curled up the corners of my mouth , smiled to her and said, "yes, yes it is".  I just couldn't bust her fantasy.  It was plus 13.
2. Later, walking home from yoga, I notice a woman leaving a store.  She got my attention, looking like a real hippie, more than any I have seen here ( and trust me there are plenty of lovely hippies here). Long long wavy hair,  with natural grey highlights, tiny sized glasses, clothes all layered and loose, topped by a blanket like poncho. And beads - yes,  a true blast from the past. So I am looking left and right to see if I can spot the psychedelic painted bus or a sky blue bug. But here's the thing, she made her way to the street and around to her shiny Lexus SUV.  That was something to see. Wish I could have gotten a picture. 

A Little Lift - Day 63

What can I say?

Eating super healthy.  Check

Doing Yoga.  Check

Good night's sleep.  Check

So, why am I feeling like I need a nap at 2:30 PM?

Solution…..A velvety concoction melting in my mouth.

My secret weapon!

Seriously playing with fire here.  Very Dangerous indeed.

Try at your own risk.

Red White And Blue - Day 62

Berkeley - A very peaceful place to be for US Presidential Election.

I remember from years past all the hype that goes on during the campaign leading up to election day.  Even as Canadians, we are well aware of this.

Here, there was no hype, people on the streets or in line at the grocery store were not even talking about it. The only glimpse I got today  -  was in my yoga class where the topic of the day was "Service" which was brought about especially for election day.  What I did hear after class though, is that people were really concerned and chatting about certain Propositions.

Otherwise all was calm - except for the fireworks we heard later in the evening :)

Happy to Report…. - Day 61

….that after my long schpeeeel about the humidity, rain and curls, I am ecstatic to have had a good hair day!

The Photographer - Day 60

Early morning pictures on the schedule this Sunday.  

Peaceful and Beautiful.

From the top of the hill at MSRI:

The parking lot

From the Parking Lot: