Life: A Momentary Blip in Time

A breath. A kiss. A taste. A tear. Feeling one minute, void the next.

I read a phenomenal (and highly disturbing) blog post today which poignantly captured the delicate balance between life and death.

Every day that we don’t think about mundane things like breathing, loving, and just being, we take life for granted. You can be going about your daily routine, running to the grocery store, taking the kids to soccer practice, when without any warning your time may be up.

Throughout my life I’ve always worried about death—never so much about what waits on the other side, but losing someone we love here. When I became a parent, the fear multiplied a hundred fold. I agonize over keeping my kids safe from themselves and from others. I worry about them when I drop them off at school or watch them play a sport. I hope for their sake that my time won’t come until they’re adults and able to live without me. Though it’s not a sadistic or oppressing part of my daily thoughts, death is ever-present thanks to experiences like my car accident which could’ve been a lot worse and a little girl in our neighborhood who was struck and killed by a drunk driver as she crossed the street a few months ago.

After rereading my manuscript over the weekend, death is preying heavily on my mind. Though “Eternity is not Enough” touches on many topics, the unavoidable idea of death shapes the entire series and even grabs the reader in the preface.

The vampire storyline pushes the basis for the plot into paranormal fiction; however, the theme of losing those you love is something which everyone can understand. Ultimately, the lesson learned (in both my fictional and real worlds) is that we’re all at the mercy of fate and, one way or another, life goes on.

Life is precious. Life is fleeting. Make every moment count.

Diet Secret #2 - Everything in Moderation

That’s what my mom used to say. It rings truer now than ever before. Why? Because dieting stinks. Perhaps if I would’ve lived according to this philosophy, I wouldn’t find myself in this current predicament.

I never had to worry about what I ate. With a fairly high metabolism and involvement in cheerleading and ballet, I got plenty of exercise as a child and teenager. Of course, that all changed after I had kids.

It’s been nearly a year since I began dieting seriously for the first time in my life. Diets and exercise routines never lasted before; I inevitably gained back the weight. The toughest part of this past year was adjusting my food intake.

As I’ve said before, I love food. I’d nearly lick my plate clean because as my dad says, “Eat while it’s fresh.” A great sentiment, but unhealthy.

Learning to listen to the inner voice which whispers, “I’m full,” has been a matter of rewiring my brain. I don’t need a second helping of pasta. Though it tastes like heaven, I don’t need a huge slice of chocolate cake. Hell, I don’t need to even fill my dinner plate the first time around.

Everything in moderation—had I actually learned this years ago, it wouldn’t be such a tough adjustment now. The good thing is that it’s never too late to learn this lesson (or any lesson for that matter).

The first three months of the diet were the hardest especially considering they straddled Halloween (candy!), Thanksgiving (turkey, pie…Mmmm), and Christmas/New Years (an endless abundance of food, cookies, pastries, and sparkling wine). This baptism by fire of sorts forced me to determine what I needed to eat, not wanted to eat.

‘Eat to live, not live to eat’ is my motto now. I’ve managed to minimize relapses by giving into my sweet tooth everyday. I avoid packing on pounds because I make healthier choices throughout the day and I’ve replaced after-dinner treats with fat free/low fat brownies, yogurt with granola, fat free/low fat ice cream, and berries with a sprinkle of sugar or dollop of fat free whipped cream. Sure it would be ideal to eliminate the unnecessary sweets all together, but nothing would break my diet faster than being forbidden from them.

I take each day one at a time. The struggle with eating wisely has lessened over the months, but sometimes nothing satiates the cravings more than giving into them (loaded nachos, Mmmm). At least now I can stop from eating a whole plateful. Five chips are more than enough. After all, too much of a good thing isn’t good at all.

There’s So Much More to Wine Country than Grapes

A quick trip to Sonoma offers an easy diversion from the daily blahs. The land’s natural beauty is even enough to excuse the two lane “highway” often filled with snail-paced sightseers.

As you drive past the rolling, golden countryside of Sonoma County, the endless, undulating hills and valleys of lush green vineyards mask a deep history. Long before world famous grapes grew here, ages before Mexican soldiers camped here and the Padres established Mission San Francisco Solano here, this area was home to countless Native Americans.

For thousands of years, Native Americans (Wappo, Pomo, Miwok, Cainameros, and Satisyomis tribes among others) settled in the Sonoma area which reaches from the Pacific Ocean teeming with fish, oysters, crabs, and more, through the Russian River valley which is abundant with vegetation.

From the mid-1500s through the mid-1800s, the Spanish, English, Russians, Mexicans, and Americans laid claim to parts of Sonoma. Ultimately (as we all know), the United States gained control of the area and California became the 31st state in 1850.

While the loss of the ancient Native American cultures and traditions is deeply regrettable and tragic, their past is not entirely forgotten. A little digging beneath the twisted grapevines of wine country reveals a rich history filled with intriguing (and disturbing) tales of humanity’s growth, struggles, perseverance, and spirituality.

Sources:
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/basket/pomohist.html
http://boxer.senate.gov/nah/tribe_group.cfm#UTO
http://ceres.ca.gov/nahc/califindian.html
http://www.sonomacountyrealestate.us/living/sonoma/history/
http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=479
Sonoma State Historic Park Brochure

Cough, Cough, Sneeze, Sneeze, Congress Wants to Hear from Me?

With all the partisan rhetoric flying around Obama’s healthcare proposal, I have no idea how to separate fact from fiction. I know what changes I’d like to see personally but don’t know how that fits into our president’s framework or congress’s changes.

To my utter surprise, when I opened my email this morning there was a survey from a California congressman waiting for me. (Just this once I’ll ignore the fact that someone sold my contact info.) The survey asks (these are just the questions/statements. I’m not listing the multiple choice response options for all of them.):
1. A government option should be a part of any healthcare reform passed by congress.
2. Government should remain a neutral regulator of the healthcare industry and refrain from taking greater control over the payment of or provision of healthcare services.
3. In order to insure all Americans, I would support a plan which increases taxes for: middle class and working class families / upper income families / my own family / none of the above.
4. I support Obama’s plan. (Yes / no / Don’t know enough about it)
5. Do you support the proposal that the same health plans provided to members of congress and federal employees be made available to all private employers and workers?

I wonder if my responses will have any impact whatsoever. Still, reaching out to the community requesting its opinion is a step in the right direction.

I think most of us would agree that we’d like to see high-quality healthcare at an affordable cost for all that also guarantees care for those who can’t afford it. What’s my personal beef with the current system? The list is endless and there are lots of grey areas in the points below. Here are my top three:
1. Annual increases in insurance premiums that outweigh or negate pay increases.
2. No affordable healthcare options for those who are unemployed. (I never understood how COBRA was a viable option for those who don’t have jobs. If you don’t have an income, how can you afford healthcare that's more expensive than regular healthcare?)
3. Quality healthcare and options for elderly and children who may not have insurance.

I understand that insuring the uninsured means someone else has to pay for it. Still, shouldn’t the government figure out a way to help its people? Or have we entered an era of survival of the fittest (aka survival of those with money)?

Whatever the grand plan the government comes up with, I fear the following:
1. Government Only Plan – Too communistic for my taste. I want choices.
2. Government Options – Do the poor get different treatment options (or no treatment) than the rich?
3. Tax Increases – Will tax increases outweigh more affordable healthcare options?
4. Lack of Reasonable Industry Regulation – If private options will continue, will reasonable rate increases or government imposed caps on costs be created or enforced? Or will the skyrocketing costs from private insurers force a government style HMO to be the only affordable option?
5. The Goldilocks Syndrome – Too much government intervention or not enough
6. No plan – Heaven help us all.

Whatever is decided, I don’t want it to be pushed through congress just to fulfill a campaign promise and save face. It has to be a viable, long-term solution that will benefit everyone.

Then again, this is Washington we’re talking about. Time to get my head (and hopes) out of the clouds.

God Isn't a Diamondbacks Fan?

It started in CYO basketball and cheerleading. Our coaches would say a quick prayer before games. I understood asking for God’s help to play to the best of our abilities, but I often wondered about why they asked the all mighty to help us win a game or event. Did God have favorite teams? Did he prefer St. Margaret’s basketball team over SCS? What did SCS do to piss Him off? How could we get in His good graces again to end our losing streaks?

The praying didn’t stop there though as it featured prominently in high school and college sports as well. I didn’t think much of it through the years as it was as commonplace as singing the national anthem before a game.

Watching Phillies baseball over the past few weeks, I’ve been surprised at how often a player (on our team or elsewhere) makes the sign of the cross after a good play. Tonight a Diamondbacks player made it to first base after getting a rare hit off of the Phillies’ Cliff Lee. As soon as he touched the base, he made the sign of the cross.
Does God care who wins? Doesn’t He have more important things to worry about than overpaid jocks hitting a change up or making a game saving catch? If everyone is praying for a win, how does God choose? Does he trip a player or send an extra gust of wind to carry a ball into home run territory?

Apparently God is a Phillies fan (at least today) because no matter how hard they prayed tonight, the Diamondbacks were destined to lose 8-1.

Diet Secret #1

I love food. Let me say it again. I LOVE food. Like Joker to Batman, it’s been my evil arch nemesis throughout my year long quest to get back into shape.

Early on I figured out that the key to my diet is moderation. I can’t give up chocolate, cookies, and pastries. I won’t give up potatoes, bread, and pasta. And, while it’s not necessary, I thoroughly enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail.

A diet of bland crackers and four paper thin cookies just wasn’t going to work for me. Dinners were the biggest challenge. I grew up on full meals, which included meat, starches, and veggies. These alone weren’t bad. However, vegetables were coated in butter, meats tended to be fried or roasted, and the starches oozed with greasy gravies. To top it off, I added salt to everything. Clearly, I was one big heart attack waiting to happen as I reached adulthood.

My biggest coup was figuring out how to make tasty “diet” food. One of my favorite experiments began with the grill. Considering California’s grilling season lasts about ten months each year, I figured this would be the best place to start. I nixed the roasted potatoes and corn on the cob from the grilled chicken’s side and replaced them with a large portion of spring salad. The trick was substituting the dressing. I tried the Wishbone low calorie/low fat option and didn’t care for it. Since I chopped a half-breast of BBQ chicken onto the salad, I figured I’d keep the taste consistent and drizzled about a tablespoon’s worth of BBQ sauce onto the salad instead. Presto! Low calorie, NO fat solution.

In honor of my first diet creation, I listed the recipe below. The marriage of salty and sweet flavors works surprisingly well. There are enough flavors and textures in here to keep your taste buds interested and enough food to keep you satisfied.

BBQ Chicken Salad
• ½ grilled chicken breast (sprinkled with season salt, lightly coated in oil to keep from sticking to the grill [keep the skin on so the meat doesn’t burn, but remove the skin before eating for less fat and calories.]
• Your favorite salad mix (2+ servings worth)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 1 apple (chopped)
• 1/4 chopped cucumber
* Handful of pimento stuffed green olives (chopped)
• Handful of dried cranberries
• Handful of slivered / chopped almonds (optional)
• 1 – 2 Tablespoons of Jack Daniel’s Honey Smokehouse BBQ Sauce

IKEA: American Microcosm?

Ironic? Yes. Surprising? No. The question is how a Swedish company figured out consumers so well when other American operations struggle to retain their market share.

Hell bent on reclaiming the living room from my children, I was determined to redesign and upgrade my child-triggered-tornado danger zone. Lofty dreams of an adult-friendly space were hampered by a restrictive budget. The solution: IKEA.

Jeff and I made the forty-five minute trek to the IKEA in Emeryville yesterday. As I wandered through the sample living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms, my attention shifted from the furniture and decorative accessories to the unique clientele.

Parents with children could be overheard discussing budgets and options while more mature customers, wearing attire fresh from New York runways and bejeweled in gold necklaces and fancy watches, sought high-quality, chic designs. The store’s offering ranges in value and cost to meet pretty much any budget and home need.

IKEA’s true understanding of American capitalism lies in the layout of their store. Reminiscent of Oz’s yellow brick road, the main path through the store is marked with yellow arrows pointing you in the “right” direction which happens to wind through every department. Don’t think about exiting the main road or you’ll spend a good 20 minutes on a detour trying to find your way back. The scenic route through their entire product offering, which can easily fill a football field, leaves you feeling tired and disoriented. But then, just as you’re about to collapse from exhaustion and regretting forgetting to ask how your ruby slippers work in case you need to escape, the path clears to the entrance of IKEA’s cafeteria. The aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and coffee are too enticing to resist. You promise yourself you’ll only sit for a few minutes to catch your breath.

And they’ve got you.

With furnishings to meet any budget, kiddie play areas and babysitting on-site, and restaurant quality food at half the cost, IKEA caters to consumers of every class, ethnicity, and background. Unlike many retailers who thrive on niche markets (low end = WalMart; mid-tier = Macy’s; high end = Neiman Marcus), IKEA figured out how home furnishings can appeal to everyone. The answer lies in customer service, quality levels with reasonable costs, and simple, European designs.

I didn’t intend this post to turn into an IKEA ad, but I was remarkably impressed not only by the store’s diverse customer base but also its ability to “trick” customers into shopping. After all, the cost of a $1.49 candle here and a $7.64 breakfast for two there added to a new bookcase adds up fairly quickly. Smart marketing.

Did I find the Emerald City? Yup. And I left my wallet there too.