tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-159051262024-03-14T15:59:46.459-07:00blog | rebeccabirdgrigsby.comvisual artist, crafty generalist, dance enthusiastBecky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.comBlogger490125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-78014062681017776272023-10-31T14:05:00.006-07:002023-10-31T14:06:33.285-07:00the blogger in me<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ9hfnVOVIQiAVsNBqMy2gNxUZHOKgPydWmWWy37wBp6yDX08qPrqAVksjv5rzuuk1Jjo7ydJMANtWXNvEXfotjBpzFXrYI8B3B9Kc6qPo0X-ZLA0_2S7J3D7ZByBHkKI9ObMi6WH40zIF8eRSBh_VppFkdJiXTRIKQLknA-sAcuEH0An0PCO/s1600/blogger.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyQ9hfnVOVIQiAVsNBqMy2gNxUZHOKgPydWmWWy37wBp6yDX08qPrqAVksjv5rzuuk1Jjo7ydJMANtWXNvEXfotjBpzFXrYI8B3B9Kc6qPo0X-ZLA0_2S7J3D7ZByBHkKI9ObMi6WH40zIF8eRSBh_VppFkdJiXTRIKQLknA-sAcuEH0An0PCO/s320/blogger.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>as seen in the Color Factory shop, an experience I wrote about <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2017/09/color-me-underwhelmed.html" target="_blank">here</a></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>On Sunday this blog turned 18. Leading up to October 2005 (a year that included marriage, a cross-country move, and the start of grad school), I'd been manually updating my website at the time with some regularity, but sadly, I didn't think then to archive that material in any way (it may be saved somewhere but that was several laptops ago). It was the earlyish, more ephemeral days of the world wide web. Here are my top 18 posts of all time:</p><p>1. <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2017/06/pay-for-it.html" target="_blank">pay for it</a>: The first time my family encountered lice, not long after the Hamilton craze began, I wrote a parody of <i>Wait For It</i>. It is my most-viewed blog post of all time.</p><p>2. & 3. Up next, two posts about the making of my <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">podcast</a>, <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2019/03/nothing-to-see-here-move-along.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2019/05/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-my.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I wonder how much of the information in the second post is already obsolete? I guess I'll find out if and when I revive the podcast for season 2!</p><p>4. <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2011/04/fresh-from-makery-elis-bedtime.html" target="_blank">Fresh from the Makery: Eli's Bedtime</a>, in which I wrote about the felt bedtime chart I made for my then ~3yo son. I still have it although I've since repurposed the stretcher bars (the chart is rolled up and stored in my studio).</p><p>5. <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2018/05/book-deal-dreams.html" target="_blank">book deal dreams</a>, in which I recap the first of two years of "unemployment-by-choice" between August 2017 to September 2019. Still no book deal.</p><p>6. Another "fresh from the Makery" post, this one about the <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2009/11/fresh-from-makery-mothers-cookies.html" target="_blank">Mothers Cookies inspired felt ornaments</a> I made.</p><p>7. Always surprised to see how many views this Makery project has: <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2009/03/fresh-from-makery-recycled-denim-coffee.html" target="_blank">recycled denim coffee cozy</a>.</p><p>8. This was a fun project: <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2009/04/fresh-from-makery-embroidered-summer.html" target="_blank">embroidered summer constellation flashcards</a>. Want to make some of your own? Click on and save/download the images (4 total) at the end of this post (it may take some trial and error to print them correctly front and back so apologies in advance that I can't help you there).</p><p>9. I wouldn't be the first one to liken running an Etsy shop circa early 2010s to having <a href="https://youtu.be/d-pO9hw-bOc?si=2Qny_N95G2EDrLQ7" target="_blank">your own personal sweat shop</a> but <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2011/02/fresh-from-makery-me-against-tools.html" target="_blank">here</a> I bemoan the downsides of the paper punches I used in a lot of my wedding invitation designs at the time, with a <a href="https://youtu.be/clwLKJ294u4?si=KFlJV7Gyl6fx1z3k" target="_blank">totally unrelated Britney reference</a> thrown in for good measure.</p><p>10. On a similar note, in <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2010/03/fresh-from-makery-taming-wild-beast.html" target="_blank">this popular (relatively speaking) post</a> I describe the steep learning curve that was the Yudu (I still have it although I haven't used it in years). So insane to look back at those pictures and recall that I started my micro-biz in a 2-bedroom apartment I shared with my husband, toddler son, and two cats.</p><p>11. The felt Android phone cozy (<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2009/10/google-android-phone-case-version-20.html" target="_blank">version 2.0</a>)!</p><p>12. <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2009/03/fresh-from-makery-tie-dye-crayons.html" target="_blank">Tie-dye crayons</a>, another project from the Makery. This project is such an easy crowd-pleaser and a great way to use up all those little crayon pieces.</p><p>13. <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2011/09/fresh-from-makery-how-to-edition-faux.html" target="_blank">Faux swirl lollipops</a> using pipe cleaners for one of the fussier invitation designs I dreamed up during my Etsy days. I mocked up this design for my son's 3rd birthday party.</p><p>14. If I ever go back to school to get my PhD my dissertation will be about <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Unicorn_(film)" target="_blank">The Last Unicorn</a></i>. <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2007/07/not-girlunicorn-not-yet-woman.html" target="_blank">This post</a> is really just a plot synopsis but the older I get the more I think I understand why I thought about that movie so often while working on my MFA thesis. It's on a long list of possible blog topics I keep so perhaps I'll write more about it here one day (and yes, <a href="https://youtu.be/IlV7RhT6zHs?si=3defzMVhVHeTDUcE" target="_blank">another Britney reference</a> in that title).</p><p>15. That time I opted to <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/how-to-succeed-at-failing-part-3-grit-vs-quit/" target="_blank">quit after years of grit</a> and spent a lot less time on my Etsy shop/micro-biz in favor of a "<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2015/02/quit-your-etsy-shop-i-got-day-job.html" target="_blank">real job</a>." </p><p>16. During my Etsy years I trained for and ran the <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2012/04/dude-i-ran-through-fire.html" target="_blank">Oakland marathon</a> and as part of my fundraising efforts I raffled off various items that were donated to me by fellow, mostly local, Etsy shops. Why the item I raffled off on the 9th of 12 days is my 16th most viewed post is beyond me but <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2011/12/on-ninth-day-of-christmas-my-running.html" target="_blank">here</a> it is.</p><p>17. I never did sell or get <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2009/06/assignment-consignment.html" target="_blank">these items</a> back from the store I'd sent them to on consignment, the first and last time I tried out that arrangement.</p><p>18. Finally, not unlike #16, a random post from the pandemic diaries: <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/06/pandemic-diaries-weeks-12-and-13.html" target="_blank">week 12</a>, during which we broke quarantine to go hang out in the desert.</p><p>Now for those constellation flashcards I promised you - enjoy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDODeHq3iaWveCka3QktHHiLcHSTEBXxQVt3ikECEGBugzl9Cq3GTV7SrOUrLRnksvBWrBdlIrPOYFkJx-T5A6uZ9NG0JQTWOtB8eyvBZv201eAO4r8kMYamwIbRsdy0OOdVPQ8EBaxGdIZUJ9hYxNSUUwyrDoEf0cit9LdERgiieAMSPJMm3/s1024/constellation_flashcards_front1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="791" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDODeHq3iaWveCka3QktHHiLcHSTEBXxQVt3ikECEGBugzl9Cq3GTV7SrOUrLRnksvBWrBdlIrPOYFkJx-T5A6uZ9NG0JQTWOtB8eyvBZv201eAO4r8kMYamwIbRsdy0OOdVPQ8EBaxGdIZUJ9hYxNSUUwyrDoEf0cit9LdERgiieAMSPJMm3/s320/constellation_flashcards_front1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISxUQCzyNkqCApRFIQzskYzlu8-qzz0Yi4Q-6GPxc-63RBA07nGAZ2NNuMS-k7rqE-dCkrxNcyipVsiPrWxoMWoevC8z_PbskLiX7NAJmmdbb5EtX2YM4RGuHgWv8wZ-q9iTmV01vsIB14jbrDzBJpqs_dbpXEBOStgLehcQIpdYf2hsa5os0/s1024/constellation_flashcards_front2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="791" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISxUQCzyNkqCApRFIQzskYzlu8-qzz0Yi4Q-6GPxc-63RBA07nGAZ2NNuMS-k7rqE-dCkrxNcyipVsiPrWxoMWoevC8z_PbskLiX7NAJmmdbb5EtX2YM4RGuHgWv8wZ-q9iTmV01vsIB14jbrDzBJpqs_dbpXEBOStgLehcQIpdYf2hsa5os0/s320/constellation_flashcards_front2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwlwGXPaTeFAFN1KDJAfZM6D2fHcBKGUDuwo3Ek0voIGWojXXPU71uM8fRwC9DVo_k_ikNNvlKSpoXXmZoeBlW4lVnHbGHWNZmCQRjmbrOI-L6HkeeeigbSvX58-nqFbO4tZg_nMs58QgLY4yR9_iXCWfu9n12ErYij7JNZRvRZvz8HLwrVoN/s1024/constellation_flashcards_back1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="791" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwlwGXPaTeFAFN1KDJAfZM6D2fHcBKGUDuwo3Ek0voIGWojXXPU71uM8fRwC9DVo_k_ikNNvlKSpoXXmZoeBlW4lVnHbGHWNZmCQRjmbrOI-L6HkeeeigbSvX58-nqFbO4tZg_nMs58QgLY4yR9_iXCWfu9n12ErYij7JNZRvRZvz8HLwrVoN/s320/constellation_flashcards_back1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JdLktl002-nSVazWD-bi7m0VFy5TaxqOBZY7Qp4DLqkqvflMz_7YxCBM1tXSqpC4TNokoV7WP5TobDb3Bpv5XtUDtmicujfc0OKmm5XaXZThBFfGuk41UrQCkyVkg9cwdMXPYZ4WUdBMhxcEY5UMFS2dVZiEwkX2LYaZDSzYU0zYaJmSGAQ9/s1024/constellation_flashcards_back2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="791" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JdLktl002-nSVazWD-bi7m0VFy5TaxqOBZY7Qp4DLqkqvflMz_7YxCBM1tXSqpC4TNokoV7WP5TobDb3Bpv5XtUDtmicujfc0OKmm5XaXZThBFfGuk41UrQCkyVkg9cwdMXPYZ4WUdBMhxcEY5UMFS2dVZiEwkX2LYaZDSzYU0zYaJmSGAQ9/s320/constellation_flashcards_back2.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-56305914790347405262023-10-01T15:42:00.005-07:002023-10-01T15:51:53.919-07:00the dead hand of the past<p>Nope, it's not a horror flick to kick off the month of Halloween. It's a line from <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future" target="_blank">The Ministry for the Future</a></i> by <a href="https://www.kimstanleyrobinson.info/" target="_blank">Kim Stanley Robinson</a>, a book I mentioned finishing recently in <a href="https://lostpigeon.substack.com/p/joyous-revolutionaries-and-epic-failures" target="_blank">last week's newsletter</a>. It's an example of climate fiction (or "cli-fi") set in the not-so-distant future. So many of the fictional events in the book—heat waves, flooding, etc.—have happened <strike>in the last couple of years</strike> this past summer as extreme weather events, made worse by climate change, break records that were themselves records only a year or two prior. There is a glimmer of utopian fiction in there, too, though pretty late in the book, in my opinion, and as will likely happen in our reality, things get pretty bad before they begin to get better.</p><p>I wanted to highlight a few moments and quotes in the book in keeping with my "<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/mostly%20vegan" target="_blank">mostly vegan</a>" category of posts on this blog. But first, a local reference, as some of the book takes place in California, like the chapter that opens with a character visiting the <a href="https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Bay-Model-Visitor-Center/" target="_blank">Bay Model</a>, "a giant model of the California bay area and delta, a 3D map with active water flows sloshing around it." I've been to the Bay Model only once, and relatively recently (August 2018) given I've lived in the Bay Area for most of the past 26 years. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsqvEXC_S-bxPJscWJkjix_n86tU80oLjGRHv60LgbA_dgo3FLh70zRxYmLh1qWY_o9Pb5WEuJIeNTcR6r5w_76crpdxH-YtPZOIi_BHDs_Et6C7h4Wby6kQyc_I0c4ZH1uFD7P0b9AC7yb_RBmwG4xfSMspNHxgqQ-rpACUdX2kE59AGf1ij/s4032/20180812_125549.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsqvEXC_S-bxPJscWJkjix_n86tU80oLjGRHv60LgbA_dgo3FLh70zRxYmLh1qWY_o9Pb5WEuJIeNTcR6r5w_76crpdxH-YtPZOIi_BHDs_Et6C7h4Wby6kQyc_I0c4ZH1uFD7P0b9AC7yb_RBmwG4xfSMspNHxgqQ-rpACUdX2kE59AGf1ij/w400-h300/20180812_125549.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo of the Bay Model by Neal Grigsby</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Otherwise, there are a handful of quotes that are so poignant, so relevant to our current moment, sadly validating for folks like me, frustrated by the lack of urgency around these issues as I observe things around me, even in so-called progressive Bay Area. </p><p></p><blockquote>"Of course there is always resistance, always a drag on movement toward better things. The dead hand of the past clutches us by way of living people who are too frightened to accept change. So we don't change, and one hard thing now is to go through a time like that, like ours during Paris, two hundred days of a different life, a different world, and then live on past that time in the still bourgeoisified state of things, without feeling defeated."</blockquote><p></p><p>Or this one, about the cult of growth above all else: "This was the world's current reigning religion, it had to be admitted: growth. It was a kind of existential assumption, as if civilization were a kind of cancer and them all therefore committed to growth as their particularly deadly form of life." Man, do I feel this one lately. Grow, grow, grow, when really, we should be way more focused on maintenance and stewardship of what already exists around us. The relentless pursuit of growth so often prevents us from doing the right thing on all levels: personal, political, commercial.</p><p>So what is plan B? Where do we go from here? "Big parts of it have been there all along; it's called socialism. Or, for those who freak out at that word, like Americans or international capitalist success stories reacting allergically to that word, call it public utility districts. They are almost the same thing. Public ownership of the necessities, so that these are provided as human rights and as public goods, in a not-for-profit way. The necessities are food, water, shelter, clothing, electricity, health care, and education. All these are human rights, all are public goods, all are never to be subjected to appropriation, exploitation, and profit. It's as simple as that."</p><p>As simple as that. Later in the book, Robinson goes beyond the basics to write about dignity: "This is what I think everyone needs. After the basics of food and shelter that we need just as animals, first thing after that: dignity. Everyone needs and deserves this, just as part of being human. And yet this is a very undignified world. And so we struggle. You see how it is. And yes, dignity is something you get from other people, it's in their eyes, it's a kind of regard. If you don't get it, the anger rises in you."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOz-_yfoLb5n_uLctaArivp5d89QMjqIqJmcoRTLzhyR40B4nSPvGbT6cCYGi-LPioO8w2EJw1STyK-OFQqRDvhxuUUpQmW1E8MQvT57K-wIzukvxwWo1Zt_Je2cHVEROw3fVXeFuKpTFjac1HEvbMmFYdt-dVm_wOleGbtYRPo5pKYfzNP87T/s960/MASQUEOFTHEREDDEATH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOz-_yfoLb5n_uLctaArivp5d89QMjqIqJmcoRTLzhyR40B4nSPvGbT6cCYGi-LPioO8w2EJw1STyK-OFQqRDvhxuUUpQmW1E8MQvT57K-wIzukvxwWo1Zt_Je2cHVEROw3fVXeFuKpTFjac1HEvbMmFYdt-dVm_wOleGbtYRPo5pKYfzNP87T/w400-h225/MASQUEOFTHEREDDEATH.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A still from the 1964 film adaption of 'The Masque of the Red Death' directed by Roger Corman and starring Vincent Price</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Perhaps one of the most chilling references, though, is to Edgar Allen Poe's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Masque_of_the_Red_Death" target="_blank"><i>The Masque of the Red Death</i></a>, the syndrome/avoidance being one pathological reaction to "news of biosphere collapse." Robinson writes, "the syndrome is thus an assertion that the end being imminent and inevitable, there is nothing left to do except party while you can." A "bourgeoisified state of things," indeed. We saw this in the early days of the pandemic lockdown, when we abandoned earlier efforts to reduce single-use plastics, for example, in favor of supporting take-out operations at our favorite restaurants whose survival was suddenly threatened by folks staying home. And I get it, and I was happy to do it, but it's beyond time to return with urgency to tackling the greatest existential threat to humanity. (Or how rich folks escape to their lake cabins when air quality in the Bay Area from wildfires reaches unhealthy levels.)</p><p>It's a dark read at times, especially if you actually care about this kind of stuff. But I was urged along with the promise of a glimmer of hope by the end. And it does turn toward optimism, eventually. Regarding the Paris Agreement: "weak though it might have been at its start, it was perhaps like the moment the tide turns: first barely perceptible, then unstoppable. The greatest turning point in human history, what some called the first big spark of planetary mind. The birth of a good Anthropocene." Let's hope.</p><p><i>P.S. just for fun, I, a fan of being on time, love what Robinson writes about punctuality in one of the final chapters: "What is it but a regard for the other person? You are saying to the other person, your time is as valuable as mine, so I will not waste yours by being late. Let us agree we are all equally important and so everyone has to be on time, in order to respect each other." If I was a college professor, I would share this quote with my students at the start of every semester.</i></p><p><i>P.P.S. another sort of out of context gem, on playing music, he writes: "music was adults at play." Love this.</i></p><p><i>P.P.P.S. Finally, a bonus pic of me and my daughter at the Bay Model. We were there for an event that also included, apparently, face painting. Imagine prioritizing her generation's future over our present day desires. Imagine that.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrWnT_uYQ-nwNThGKRMaQEn2j8WnNrDZ3IUOWdHPIlhuwqsjSOFOjbfG-JZfdpKvSC2CnaYNR1Hc-0mMCB5-nXjlObtQL6PQwKf69SHIbUye8K8wyCf2Ga2nawiGCMU6Qd9S2-UdntK0mIzZ-sUCc6mwTScc4ytWxdWk96pXrLoZljY2rv6IO/s4032/20180812_125031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrWnT_uYQ-nwNThGKRMaQEn2j8WnNrDZ3IUOWdHPIlhuwqsjSOFOjbfG-JZfdpKvSC2CnaYNR1Hc-0mMCB5-nXjlObtQL6PQwKf69SHIbUye8K8wyCf2Ga2nawiGCMU6Qd9S2-UdntK0mIzZ-sUCc6mwTScc4ytWxdWk96pXrLoZljY2rv6IO/w400-h300/20180812_125031.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-8134574758230435922023-09-06T12:20:00.007-07:002023-09-06T12:28:55.646-07:00have we met?<p>About two and a half years ago, our two normally indoor-only cats, Penelope and Wolfi, slipped out the back slider screen door that wouldn't always latch properly (getting a new screen door was one of the first things we did after the ensuing dust settled). Long story short, we were able to woo them both back in within about 15-20 minutes, but Wolfi (our now 5 year old male graybie) stayed out a bit longer than Penelope (~10 year old female white/tabby) and by the time we got them both back in, for reasons still a bit mysterious to me, even after lots of research into this, Penelope started attacking Wolfi. She was displaying signs of what I now know is referred to as <a href="https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/non-recognition-aggression-in-cats/" target="_blank">feline nonrecognition aggression</a>. If you live in a multi-cat household, you might have experienced a little bit of this when you bring one cat home from the vet, especially after an extended stay for something like surgery or a dental cleaning. Typically, one cat becomes the aggressor and will react aggressively to the unusual scent the other cat brought in from outside, home from the vet, etc. We got through <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CM8TK7dBH9P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank">that episode</a> in about five days, give or take, and I always meant to write about it but I never did (I don't write about my <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/cats" target="_blank">cats</a> super often here, but I have from time to time over the past nearly 18 years of blogging and two pairs of cats, plus some <a href="https://www.oaklandanimalservices.org/" target="_blank">volunteer favorites and foster kittens)</a>. Well, it happened again last week and, fresh on my mind as it is, I thought I'd finally write a little recap here.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23m7YZpKMssL2GI8IrfGbSon3oS4lG9yk9Z4n1YkSzW9TnxZ1rkOCnjHQuVS3JBJSAUjgQBBwb25gRv4UpP12OMo0arHO2Shb_ZJpI-drZqC3KCVs1p4jE57gLVChnoXHAqxPYNWGIL9QFf0dQWHR3-NkKl_iXnhM4DPH6fvdEa5YivHU3CsC/s4032/IMG_7661.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg23m7YZpKMssL2GI8IrfGbSon3oS4lG9yk9Z4n1YkSzW9TnxZ1rkOCnjHQuVS3JBJSAUjgQBBwb25gRv4UpP12OMo0arHO2Shb_ZJpI-drZqC3KCVs1p4jE57gLVChnoXHAqxPYNWGIL9QFf0dQWHR3-NkKl_iXnhM4DPH6fvdEa5YivHU3CsC/s320/IMG_7661.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>First evening pre-separation, Penelope ready to pounce if Wolfi comes out of hiding.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are tons of resources on the internet about this phenomenon and the reintroduction process (the same process you follow if you're introducing a new cat to your resident cat for the first time) that you might have to follow to reestablish peace in the house. So this is more a journal entry of what we've experienced, both episodes following a pretty similar correction course. <b>Step 1:</b> I hate to say it, especially if you live in a small home, but <b><i>you're going to have to separate the cats</i></b> and keep them separate until you can safely reintegrate them with less and less supervision. Given we're renting a very small house at the moment while our house is renovated (almost 4 months down with about 2 months to go, fingers crossed) I tried to avoid this for several hours the first evening until, by about 1 am the next morning, it was clear none of us was going to get any sleep unless I did so. But I should back up here to describe how we think this episode began...</p><p>On Friday morning, in the middle of a bit of a heat wave, I woke up early as I do most days, fed them, opened a few windows and the kitchen door (keeping the security/screen door closed, of course) and then proceeded out front to the detached garage to do my morning workout. At some point while I was out there <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17900287331504840/" target="_blank">the neighbor's cat</a> two doors down, who visits our back yard quite often (I should add that we're renting the house next door to our house during this transition), came right up to the kitchen screen door. He always gets a reaction from Penelope but never to the point that she transfers her aggression to Wolfi. That said, I think she's become a bit resensitized to him over the past four months given he doesn't venture over to this temporary rental yard nearly as often. Even though this initial episode on Friday morning was brief and both cats calmed down after we closed the door and kept an eye on them for a couple of hours, something triggered them again on Sunday evening (we still don't know what) while nerves were clearly still rattled. So separate them I finally did, with Penelope in our bedroom, along with a spare litterbox and extra food and water, and Wolfi free to roam the rest of the house. I slept on the couch so he wouldn't meow at the door/in the hallway and wake everyone up. Penelope was pretty content in the room, although it did get harder and harder to slip in and out of that room without her escaping into the rest of the house as the reintroduction process progressed. (This separation, with Penelope in a bedroom and Wolfi in the rest of the house, works well for them given their very different energy levels and it generally seems like the recommendation is to keep the aggressor cat, Penelope in our case, in a separate room rather than the other way around.)</p><p><b>Step 2:</b> After the initial separation, you want to basically give them time to decompress and just generally chill out. So don't do much initially until they've both calmed down. The part I always forget at this stage after they've calmed down a bit is what <a href="https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/" target="_blank">Jackson Galaxy (aka The Cat Daddy</a>) refers to as <b><i>"no peeking!"</i></b> They will pick up on each others' scent but they should not be allowed to see each other at this stage. At <b><i>mealtime</i></b> you can feed each cat on either side of the door, getting their bowls as close to the door as they'll allow without showing any signs of aggression. For Penelope and Wolfi, we were able to put their bowls right next to either side of the door pretty much right away but you might have to start a few feet from either side of the door. What you're looking for is getting them as close to each other as possible (again, with the door closed initially) without any signs of aggression. If you move the bowls too close and one cat starts hissing, just move the bowl a bit further away from the door. At each mealtime try nudging them a bit closer to the door (moving what Galaxy refers to as each cat's "challenge line").</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_N4kCvMdYjiVuRRZcmhgTuTtGF7lOV2Qike3lST0-DuZ4itYq4UapWA6HHVLRLvuc_i_xjbodlQThb6trqlcHIV34D6tNpztCAKnLaCkd8O4GrFVmThZbjg-HRmGult1uszukAj3lDsggo_JisY291HYXAZf3_eCdsrvZSIRRuj07YRdc4w1/s4032/IMG_7681.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_N4kCvMdYjiVuRRZcmhgTuTtGF7lOV2Qike3lST0-DuZ4itYq4UapWA6HHVLRLvuc_i_xjbodlQThb6trqlcHIV34D6tNpztCAKnLaCkd8O4GrFVmThZbjg-HRmGult1uszukAj3lDsggo_JisY291HYXAZf3_eCdsrvZSIRRuj07YRdc4w1/s320/IMG_7681.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p><b>Step 4</b> (see below for Step 3)<b>:</b> From there, after a day or so in our case, we introduced the <b><i>visuals, with barrier</i></b>, basically opening the door just an inch or two with a human on either side to be sure they can't access one another or push the door all the way open. If you move too quickly or accidentally let them have access to one another prematurely, you may have to start the process all over again. Give them lots of praise during this phase. Gradual baby steps are key here. You can also repeat this process throughout the day with treats. My cats like dental treats, meat tubes, and, of course, cat crack: tuna juice.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4qB7bvXWuIO_Xq8i8c_aSdw8wBuFDKkzGjMxlkR1-L6SDW3k_XIraU2OOU5w5OyoENQPfBaJyq8_Nw6klHNn-Z2G0Dh8RQC8eoW1R21MX835OPpGhNCkTC_-FYAETFWwEVBJNNhhUkfWao-tCr9LQ-qg1bjZSD0Q9snvqkpJuV4KGBnrl1Ol/s4032/IMG_7672.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK4qB7bvXWuIO_Xq8i8c_aSdw8wBuFDKkzGjMxlkR1-L6SDW3k_XIraU2OOU5w5OyoENQPfBaJyq8_Nw6klHNn-Z2G0Dh8RQC8eoW1R21MX835OPpGhNCkTC_-FYAETFWwEVBJNNhhUkfWao-tCr9LQ-qg1bjZSD0Q9snvqkpJuV4KGBnrl1Ol/s320/IMG_7672.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looks like she's hissing but she's just mid-meow. She actually did pretty well, all things considered.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A minor wrench in the process this time around is that Penelope just happened to have her annual vet visit scheduled for day 3 of this process. Not ideal given this is a pretty common feline non-recognition aggression trigger in and of itself! I worried it would be like pouring lighter fluid on an active fire. Initially I considered canceling but it would have been hard to do so, the vet being closed on days 1 and 2. I also thought a medical once-over was probably not a bad idea since the trigger event(s) was a bit less obvious this time around. I was pretty sure it wasn't any medical reason leading to her sudden aggression toward Wolfi but I wanted to be sure. And the vet visit turned out to be pretty successful and helpful. Penelope did well, all things considered, and the vet recommended Feliway, which we now have in the kitchen, some gabapentin for both cats, temporarily, and a possible switch to Royal Canin's Calm food for the long-haul, considering how reactive Penelope is to outdoor/neighborhood cats, which is, of course, not something we can control.</p><p>I didn't love the gabapentin. I'm glad we had it and suspect it probably did help keep both cats calmer during the reintroduction process, but it felt like sedating the cats just so they'll get along. Penelope was weirdly affectionate (not a bad thing, of course, but also not typical for her) and Wolfi was just really sleepy (also atypical for the 5 year old cat who thinks he's still a kitten). I want them to get along, of course, but I don't want to alter their personalities. That said, I'll save the remaining gabapentin for future vet visits and if we have another episode like this one. By now I'm giving her 50/50 calm food with her existing food because I'd just opened a new bag. I'll probably transition her fully because it's definitely not going to hurt and it may very well be helping.</p><p><b>Step 3</b> (scent swapping can be done pretty much shortly after step 1/the initial separation and throughout the reintroduction process)<b>: </b>Aside from swapping bedding back and forth a few times and a room swap on day 3 or 4 (the idea here being you're helping them get reacquainted via scent), we basically lingered at the visual access with barrier stage, along with extra treats, until Friday morning (one week after the initial trigger event), when we both had the day off for the long, Labor Day weekend, and could allow some access sans barrier with <i>constant supervision</i>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6axRp1EwfYuAaLtuCnNbSgj964ZJ6-Et-xSKbAIMCHlEEZgYYHWA6yE1soHAwElopjgYdPJc47lL6q5k4-72eV6Sf2qpHP8SGICkwuhs3zFNPlDv4OFpB-TIvFdZCxFBC6PLJCVjCvmKuW1hSCs_s7m_eW9Wqqt2tlBt37vp3l4VAlHAFebmO/s4032/IMG_7699.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6axRp1EwfYuAaLtuCnNbSgj964ZJ6-Et-xSKbAIMCHlEEZgYYHWA6yE1soHAwElopjgYdPJc47lL6q5k4-72eV6Sf2qpHP8SGICkwuhs3zFNPlDv4OFpB-TIvFdZCxFBC6PLJCVjCvmKuW1hSCs_s7m_eW9Wqqt2tlBt37vp3l4VAlHAFebmO/s320/IMG_7699.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Reunited and it feels...tolerable!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Step 5:</b> And they did pretty well! I was a little worried (and exhausted) because while visuals with barrier were going pretty well, there was randomly one time when Penelope hissed and growled as did Wolfi (kind of unusual for him...he typically just backs off). I wasn't feeling terribly encouraged and I was tired of sleeping on the couch. Literally. And while things felt a bit precarious on Friday and into the weekend, by Sunday/Monday I felt comfortable leaving them unsupervised for short periods and they seem mostly back to normal, which is to say they're tolerating one another, now, a week and a half later.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBRKQPwSLDhIuQo5PG_ongt8aaVRbohpVjmDtgeqKO9Jcpdxs19n0GookdWEaEQ6x6QCvxSwoWzC0XsLBFW091E-KybdoysRzAVVf8inshDGoPLVgRZT3YQ_Swft0-CCnFPU5CHDXolfN3PunxXZejgxB4odUKVNJVlPBlLjqKW7XFHHVeLaD/s792/eat_play_love.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="612" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBRKQPwSLDhIuQo5PG_ongt8aaVRbohpVjmDtgeqKO9Jcpdxs19n0GookdWEaEQ6x6QCvxSwoWzC0XsLBFW091E-KybdoysRzAVVf8inshDGoPLVgRZT3YQ_Swft0-CCnFPU5CHDXolfN3PunxXZejgxB4odUKVNJVlPBlLjqKW7XFHHVeLaD/s320/eat_play_love.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p><b>Step 6:</b> At this point, once you've successfully reintegrated them without barriers but with supervision you want to be sure you're doing what Galaxy refers to as <b><i>EPL: eat, play, love</i></b> (tons of videos about the [re]introduction process on YouTube and I recommend Galaxy's book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=total+cat+mojo&hvadid=241602323931&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9032059&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11348641667719255586&hvtargid=kwd-413178116317&hydadcr=22533_10353822&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_2n6szgftgg_e" target="_blank">Total Cat Mojo</a></i> as he goes over this process in detail about halfway through the book). We should all be doing this with our cats every day, of course, but it's good to be extra intentional at this precarious stage to ensure longer term success. Distract them with food—a positive experience for most cats—then be sure to redirect some of their energy with play, and of course give them lots of love and praise for their congenial attitude toward one another. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwHLZ5ykY8--Gjpwds5fhbe6R3iJBGDzJhqi5RxRhopKgo_BPsFYWA93v7jWrPEd3i01bNAFspzUPUfHyzp_lHeVb32KHRiMll8JNgtEihUVC5elrwceIUl5WgTgi2J_ZZ1dOuZ_FgKe9rRkfIztYizr0QfwMfh4cRpFZ3dKpjjpA1yILQuw0/s4032/IMG_7706.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguwHLZ5ykY8--Gjpwds5fhbe6R3iJBGDzJhqi5RxRhopKgo_BPsFYWA93v7jWrPEd3i01bNAFspzUPUfHyzp_lHeVb32KHRiMll8JNgtEihUVC5elrwceIUl5WgTgi2J_ZZ1dOuZ_FgKe9rRkfIztYizr0QfwMfh4cRpFZ3dKpjjpA1yILQuw0/s320/IMG_7706.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thoroughly pooped and ready for the long weekend.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Fingers crossed we either never go through this again or, at the very least, have a couple extra tools in our toolbox to utilize to ensure this process goes equally smoothly in the future. And once we're back in our house we'll at least have a little more territory for each cat to claim as their own. Which is obviously the main reason we've added a second floor. Naturally. As any cat guardian will understand!</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-20262013999807897382023-07-22T16:39:00.004-07:002023-07-22T16:39:42.438-07:00here and there<p>I mentioned <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2023/06/pandemic-diaries-twitter-as-public.html" target="_blank">in my last post</a> that I recently read—finally—Michael Pollan's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Place-My-Own-Architecture-Daydreams/dp/0143114743" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">A Place of My Own</a>, and, as I wrote then, "thought a lot about my <a href="http://rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/portfolio/neither_here_nor_there.htm" target="_blank">MFA thesis</a> while reading it. I've been thinking about the book again now as we have recently embarked on a pretty ambitious home renovation project (redoing some stuff on the first floor and adding a second floor)."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGe4C_WkhykJbMxqYXNXALKePkXZhkSkPVoSU4uJ2tjcsEgDooKaEcf5jqJiQxwCiL4wwnROEgPisPCcjYQhqztGTXJolUjKIuSXsDmPQlZ4CCy1sDxHn3IcJYwxlUoFRQbRJd6gq_TjPCwrFemWrIVRdURCVBWb6YnqsN2Pry8q-vZ_7O01eP/s4032/IMG_7198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGe4C_WkhykJbMxqYXNXALKePkXZhkSkPVoSU4uJ2tjcsEgDooKaEcf5jqJiQxwCiL4wwnROEgPisPCcjYQhqztGTXJolUjKIuSXsDmPQlZ4CCy1sDxHn3IcJYwxlUoFRQbRJd6gq_TjPCwrFemWrIVRdURCVBWb6YnqsN2Pry8q-vZ_7O01eP/s320/IMG_7198.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>The book made me think about my <a href="http://rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/portfolio/neither_here_nor_there.htm" target="_blank">MFA thesis</a> because Pollan directly references the Parthenon, which was the subject of my installation (as part of the research phase I was awarded a travel grant to visit the Parthenon in Athens, the Elgin marbles in London—fragments of the Parthenon removed by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, in the early 1800s—and the full-scale replica in Nashville, Tennessee): "The drawings that followed demonstrated how the same 1:1.618 ratio pops up all over the place in architecture and nature: in the elevation of the Parthenon and the wings of a butterfly; in the façade of Notre-Dame and the spiral of a seashell." But also because Pollan more broadly discusses the concepts of <i>here</i> and <i>there</i>. My thesis was originally titled <i>Neither Here Nor There</i>; I eventually changed it to <i>What Lies Between Here and There </i>(as explained <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2007/11/neither-here-nor-there-show.html" target="_blank">here</a>; you can read all of my thesis-related blog posts <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/thesis%20%28seriously%29" target="_blank">here</a>).</p><blockquote><p>"About a memorable building we will often say 'you had to be there,' which is just another way of saying that the experience of the place, its presence, simply couldn’t be translated into words and signs and information; the Here of it can’t be communicated There."</p></blockquote><p>I find it hard to believe now, this book originally published in 1997 (my thesis show opened 10 years later), that nobody on my review board ever made the connection or recommended I check it out. I wonder how it might have influenced my thesis...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAkhRYX_taQ9-UMm5MJbaaQjz_-D-zVm_-Rv9x7zhcc1j01Ni_Zh4sfyaXOQILJtTFZmFPvILBBt1GYQBZh0mjJZnq51BbKBAv0N3FdGiekspu02kMhzn5RRsVmEw4-Osh4SxqdijrdaWkYiAbNIKl080uXPne-s4fX2IMrWuzvxH2QbKWT0N/s4032/IMG_6819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAkhRYX_taQ9-UMm5MJbaaQjz_-D-zVm_-Rv9x7zhcc1j01Ni_Zh4sfyaXOQILJtTFZmFPvILBBt1GYQBZh0mjJZnq51BbKBAv0N3FdGiekspu02kMhzn5RRsVmEw4-Osh4SxqdijrdaWkYiAbNIKl080uXPne-s4fX2IMrWuzvxH2QbKWT0N/s320/IMG_6819.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>Fast forward another 15 years and our home addition/renovation project is fast approaching the midway point, knock on wood (forgetting now if the contractor told us the halfway point is generally when they do the sheet rock or the stucco but both are scheduled to happen in the next few weeks; that said, we still have 3-4 months to go, and that's assuming all continues to go relatively smoothly). Pollan again:</p><blockquote><p>"All the life and soul of a place … depend not simply on the physical environment, but on the pattern of events which we experience there—everything from the transit of sunlight through a room to the kinds of things we habitually do in it."</p></blockquote><p>This also makes me think about <a href="http://rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/portfolio/dollhouse.htm" target="_blank">my latest body of work</a>, so much of it about this very phenomenon in a house that became our everything—home, work, school—during the pandemic, a house that we've partly destroyed in order to expand, our "pattern of events" temporarily displaced and none of us in the house to observe the "transit of sunlight" throughout the changing space each day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLleCWqWp5YhDdSW3LI8YGbIXFCdP7D7WFt7S7EPLCm8OWJiXd3HtNF8rhmRRcLxph5SapS7AWGiljvyErTV0wXQ885O4qPj5IiUZTcz-QHnvudvVnUhonJnXF_Xr3QR1veALgWmyzWmtdwSzkH4qg3Le9uIbCRdKueS2hNkFQK_-3_AsEv46t/s4032/20230710_171954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLleCWqWp5YhDdSW3LI8YGbIXFCdP7D7WFt7S7EPLCm8OWJiXd3HtNF8rhmRRcLxph5SapS7AWGiljvyErTV0wXQ885O4qPj5IiUZTcz-QHnvudvVnUhonJnXF_Xr3QR1veALgWmyzWmtdwSzkH4qg3Le9uIbCRdKueS2hNkFQK_-3_AsEv46t/s320/20230710_171954.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>In terms of the process, for anyone who's just generally curious or a glutton for punishment and considering doing something like this themselves, in Oakland, this all started over two years ago with the feasibility study. That's essentially the city saying yes or no to your project. Oakland Planning & Building departments get a bad rap, but I've heard other Bay Area cities, like Piedmont, for example, can be even more difficult to work with (think about it like an HOA...much easier to add a second story to your home or remove a tree in front of your house if you don't have an HOA and that is one difference between Oakland and Piedmont). From there we worked with an architect via a design firm to create the drawings needed to submit the permit application to the city. That process was shockingly expensive and took about 6-7 months, from feasibility study to the public notice phase to submitting our application to the city.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkvE0hwWQlUElE150xfW0E_iGCMxVICf09Jgb4aRTZidj6x_8K5gxjCStpx-DOSMVUGbQgnlgJR7JWuUk5DE_80f_OBKcKrE1zuz2Dwfj2ysoJK5YmauyR8isHapn5Mw3r9fDt5W6JRtFBzJFaJRAtM7GaRN7s0khwRf1MOR36ifh-QC8vCVz/s4032/IMG_6911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkvE0hwWQlUElE150xfW0E_iGCMxVICf09Jgb4aRTZidj6x_8K5gxjCStpx-DOSMVUGbQgnlgJR7JWuUk5DE_80f_OBKcKrE1zuz2Dwfj2ysoJK5YmauyR8isHapn5Mw3r9fDt5W6JRtFBzJFaJRAtM7GaRN7s0khwRf1MOR36ifh-QC8vCVz/s320/IMG_6911.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>Things slowed down even more at this point, part of the delay on the city's end (for months they had the incorrect address attached to our permit application...?!?), part of the delay on our end (busy start to the school year and holidays, plus pausing to decide if we really wanted to commit to staying in Oakland, figuring out how were we going to pay for it, and selecting a contractor). Long story short, our application was submitted in January 2022 and approved in May 2023. The contractor got started shortly after. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNybr7ie2qMkesUOv2jWCQzm1sNaD4gZfZW3PpLMUR2_ABW_tzmm0_6l6ZHfyzesHefTXFCi5wKEMAGXZpU8exSQLmw1ZN67NaNYgu4QrXyxno4Iu4bQdv-HLonx89ZU-VEHlCbdjT9Emw5vvz6lOI903FS-cd6nNXwN_urei70IfeKZBSW5py/s4032/IMG_7182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNybr7ie2qMkesUOv2jWCQzm1sNaD4gZfZW3PpLMUR2_ABW_tzmm0_6l6ZHfyzesHefTXFCi5wKEMAGXZpU8exSQLmw1ZN67NaNYgu4QrXyxno4Iu4bQdv-HLonx89ZU-VEHlCbdjT9Emw5vvz6lOI903FS-cd6nNXwN_urei70IfeKZBSW5py/s320/IMG_7182.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our neighbor's indoor/outdoor cat. He has lots of cameos on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/i_feel_kitty/" target="_blank">critter insta</a>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>To our 1100 square foot house we purchased nearly 13 years ago, we're adding a roughly 650 square foot second story and, since we had to fully move out, also renovating some stuff on the first floor (main and half bathrooms, removing all wall-to-wall carpet and refinishing the hardware floors underneath, replacing the kitchen backsplash, repainting, etc.). It's been an interesting juggling act of taking advantage of this opportunity to update things while we're temporarily moved out versus, as our contractor keeps saying, "death by a thousand cuts."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhAVGRswFEER1ciT2fqGwSYb7377DltuaJydj3xcD7yYNkN9Wc8jqQkzMXk23MXjeKSmUNanczvS8TwlAwGHsSpmVKPr4jtiiGKTdz0HCK73a_B7F0pmPNPjIeSPAtTbsj5SiOEq3vyxIPE2da207T8D0oWPlvF_lhiK36QgFFrYSX0yjddF7/s4032/IMG_7180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhAVGRswFEER1ciT2fqGwSYb7377DltuaJydj3xcD7yYNkN9Wc8jqQkzMXk23MXjeKSmUNanczvS8TwlAwGHsSpmVKPr4jtiiGKTdz0HCK73a_B7F0pmPNPjIeSPAtTbsj5SiOEq3vyxIPE2da207T8D0oWPlvF_lhiK36QgFFrYSX0yjddF7/s320/IMG_7180.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>I could write more—and perhaps I will one day—about how surprisingly difficult it's been to observe the initial demolition, in particular (we were lucky enough to snag the rental next door just as our neighbors were moving out, about a month before we had permits in hand), or how this house I've now called home over 3x longer than anywhere else I've ever lived. And as..."extra" as Oakland's been the past few months, it will be not only financially foolish but also really emotionally difficult to ever leave this house, something I never understood before and never really thought I'd experience.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ9Uba-d8imj6SqCjKKZr4Sw5jE-yctMsJbYIW5G9PTYcv8oCWI0z2oLDJQNhMcDcgiQ3_DhG3qJMZXfNEMpg2OdIjijuEcR7RQcGheo8lsBYL9Uj8BcufTcMYRUYixuEIa4gQRpNelyzX0ZSuI-x9V2UGxbAMjaHwu_iYVZMMJA-Ci1jZ40Z/s4032/IMG_7289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ9Uba-d8imj6SqCjKKZr4Sw5jE-yctMsJbYIW5G9PTYcv8oCWI0z2oLDJQNhMcDcgiQ3_DhG3qJMZXfNEMpg2OdIjijuEcR7RQcGheo8lsBYL9Uj8BcufTcMYRUYixuEIa4gQRpNelyzX0ZSuI-x9V2UGxbAMjaHwu_iYVZMMJA-Ci1jZ40Z/s320/IMG_7289.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p>P.S. It only took me three months but I finally put up some prints and such in our longterm temporary rental. Above is is a quote of Pollan's from another of his books in my to-read stack—<i><a href="The Omnivore's Dilemma" target="_blank">The Omnivore's Dilemma</a></i>—illustrated by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/714266365/eat-food-not-too-much-mostly-plants?click_key=9068c205b10f0e87161fe0e3e1a8f96e316ae33f%3A714266365&click_sum=1fa66b8a&ref=shop_home_feat_4" target="_blank">Narwhal Design Ink</a>.</p><p>P.P.S. The <a href="https://lostpigeon.substack.com/" target="_blank">newsletter</a> is back! I'm maintaining the blog here for longer posts, like this one, and the newsletter for weekly updates, news, lists, links, etc. I'm also taking a break from social media (pretty much down to just Instagram anyway but shocking how much time I was spending on that one app) that may very well be permanent. I miss seeing what folks are up to but the cons have greatly outweighed the pros lately. Continuing to update my blog and reviving the newsletter feels very one-sided but social media has become a pretty poor substitute good for actual human interaction and while it feels like going backwards to go forward, I don't think my IRL social life benefits much from the Instagram version (there was, I'm pretty sure I'm remembering correctly, a <a href="https://freakonomics.com/series-full/nsq/" target="_blank">No Stupid Questions</a> podcast episode that touched on this idea of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substitute_good" target="_blank">substitute goods</a> applied to social media but I can't for the life of me remember which one. Great podcast, though!).</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-40102616802611472382023-06-11T16:09:00.028-07:002023-06-11T16:25:54.513-07:00pandemic diaries: Twitter as public record<p>This is it, y'all. This is, at the risk of jinxing it, my final <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/pandemic" target="_blank">pandemic diaries</a> blog post. As the frequency of posts has dwindled, I've relied on <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids" target="_blank">my tweets</a> to recall what happened over the past weeks or months. But I'm not posting on Twitter much these days and I'd like to spend more time here writing about specific topics, not just making lists of things I did or articles that caught my attention. Before I do, here are some random things I found interesting since my last pandemic diaries update (not including the 3-year recap <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2023/03/pandemic-diaries-3-years-later.html" target="_blank">here</a>) in <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2022/11/pandemic-diaries-party-on.html" target="_blank">November 2022</a>:</p><p>I will likely delete my personal Twitter account (I typically only use it to complain lately, later deleting those tweets), but I'm torn about <a href="https://twitter.com/thisartistswork" target="_blank">my podcast account</a>. I'm also really itchin' to get back in the studio to record interviews for season 2! I should just do it, right?!? In related news, The Blanton Museum has a show up right now all about <a href="https://blantonmuseum.org/exhibition/day-jobs/" target="_blank">artists and day jobs</a>, including work by <a href="http://www.lenkaclayton.com/#/objects-from-my-sons-mouth/" target="_blank">Lenka Clayton</a> (because caregiving is most definitely work). I was hoping I could finagle a work trip to Austin in time to see it but, alas, I'm feeling less and less confident about that happening before the show closes in late July. It's refreshing to see the reality of life as an artist getting more attention (see also Kelly Reichardt's latest film <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/04/14/1169685359/showing-up-review-michelle-williams-kelly-reichardt" target="_blank">Showing Up</a>).</p><p><a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/moving-to-this-city-i-idealized-will-surely-solve-all-my-problems" target="_blank">This is me</a> after recent trips to Brighton and Copenhagen for work, Seattle for fun, and every trip to visit family in southern California and central Oregon. On the other hand, however, as Austin Kleon <a href="https://austinkleon.substack.com/p/summer-unschooling" target="_blank">recently reminded me</a>, as the saying goes, <a href="https://austinkleon.com/2019/01/10/oh-no-were-still-us/" target="_blank">wherever you go, there you are</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwh-Jg3988CuK8gCqua6vxNZcGwy4mAL42J9vu_0LswkVj8_nf5N4Z4Qb91RXTVPsBJQ_9x0gd-212OruAuGw_Sl39aKw0pu_nB4SknLhnGpXk2OlWJ7BiE7cU4wMMIFIDeIexkcwBJoI8rOC8qoIf1oPnJ50a07k2iRvsmN5HUA9WgkEtA/s3024/IMG_4582.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="3024" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqwh-Jg3988CuK8gCqua6vxNZcGwy4mAL42J9vu_0LswkVj8_nf5N4Z4Qb91RXTVPsBJQ_9x0gd-212OruAuGw_Sl39aKw0pu_nB4SknLhnGpXk2OlWJ7BiE7cU4wMMIFIDeIexkcwBJoI8rOC8qoIf1oPnJ50a07k2iRvsmN5HUA9WgkEtA/w400-h136/IMG_4582.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In anticipation of the publication of Jenny Odell's ‘Saving Time,’ I reviewed my notes from ‘How To Do Nothing.’ I love this quote about David Hockney’s view of painting with respect to time & perception.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I'm reminded that I bought <a href="https://ruthasawa.com/everything-she-touched-book-released/" target="_blank">this book</a> months ago, but haven't read it yet. Adding it to the summer reading list now. Speaking of, I recently finished Susan Orlean's <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Library_Book" target="_blank">The Library Book</a></i>, which was amazing, started Jenny Odell's <i><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/672377/saving-time-by-jenny-odell/" target="_blank">Saving Time</a></i> (so far even better than <i><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600671/how-to-do-nothing-by-jenny-odell/" target="_blank">How To Do Nothing</a></i>), and picked up a used copy of Ray Bradbury's <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit_451" target="_blank">Fahrenheit 451</a></i> (referenced in <i>The Library Book</i> and found in the banned books section of a used bookstore in Bend, Oregon). Earlier this spring I read Michael Pollan's <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Place_of_My_Own" target="_blank">A Place of My Own</a></i> and thought a lot about <a href="http://rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/portfolio/neither_here_nor_there.htm" target="_blank">my MFA thesis</a> while reading it. I've been thinking about the book again now as we have recently embarked on a pretty ambitious home renovation project (redoing some stuff on the first floor and adding a second floor).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSD0MJjgzC1YuY-1HSBVRHm2bd9kBBWEdrKdJXJmDlGqNQrUC6NQbTFXZPLtq7bSPHyduLiJTctpJj7ZlegZs2sjb7cwkKc5pmkiy4zftFPcVYCX29a_bDgq4S2HWwpcZcEZqy25sLQbEDE9lYlrFzO-gZNdNglrImqrcnk7TKe1NioEdZA/s4032/IMG_6538.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTSD0MJjgzC1YuY-1HSBVRHm2bd9kBBWEdrKdJXJmDlGqNQrUC6NQbTFXZPLtq7bSPHyduLiJTctpJj7ZlegZs2sjb7cwkKc5pmkiy4zftFPcVYCX29a_bDgq4S2HWwpcZcEZqy25sLQbEDE9lYlrFzO-gZNdNglrImqrcnk7TKe1NioEdZA/w300-h400/IMG_6538.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>What was my 14yo's room for nearly 13 years will provide an extended living area and stairs to a future second floor.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Helen_Petersen" target="_blank">Anne Helen Peterson</a> wrote about a thing she calls "<a href="https://annehelen.substack.com/p/layoff-brain" target="_blank">layoff brain</a>" shortly after a January <a href="https://www.coursera.org/articles/reduction-in-force" target="_blank">RIF</a> at my day job. There's since been another, the third in less than a year and the largest so far. My job still seemingly safe. For now.</p><p>I wrote about books about creativity <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2023/01/we-dont-need-another-book-about.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Perhaps, instead of more books about cultivating creativity, what we need is more writing about what I think of as <i>creativity-adjacent</i> topics, such as paying attention and handling criticism, as Maria Popova writes <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2019/01/03/whitman-emerson-criticism/" target="_blank">here</a> about "Walt Whitman and the Discipline of Creative Confidence."</p><p>I've also since written a thing about visual artists who use Unity software (where I work) as a creative medium, collaborating with developers/programmers to make work that doesn't quite fit into any of our existing categories (the role of the artist, after all, is to imagine what doesn't yet exist; see <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/woolfs-darkness-embracing-the-inexplicable" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://austinkleon.com/2020/05/18/how-to-draw-what-is-invisible/" target="_blank">here</a>). Not surprisingly, while I've received positive feedback and general enthusiasm about what I've written, the folks in charge of things like the blog are having a hard time figuring out where it should live. If nothing else, I'll plop it here. It's also very much about the intersection of art and technology and touches on the history of corporate support for creative work since the 1960s and 70s. If you're into that sort of thing, you might enjoy the writing of <a href="https://www.lucy-hunter.com/" target="_blank">Lucy Hunter</a> (see <a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-untold-history-corporations-recruiting-artists-inspire-employees" target="_blank">here</a>). More to follow (hopefully). </p><p>I write a bit about past day jobs I've had in <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/burning%20bridges" target="_blank">this ongoing series</a> (nearly 20 if you count gigs like TAships and paid summer internships) but <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids/status/1623872417792954369?s=20" target="_blank">here</a> I recently compiled a list of 25 jobs I applied to but didn't get. Fun! In the event I delete my Twitter account, here's the list:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Graphic Artist for Alameda County</li><li>Museum Program Coordinator at Art.com</li><li>Undergrad Design Program Manager at CCA (I eventually did get a job at CCA but not that one)</li><li>Special Projects Coordinator at OMCA (I think I at least got an interview for this one)</li><li>Program Manager at PRO ARTS</li><li>Grad Center Manager at SFAI</li><li>Exec Assistant to the Director of YBCA</li><li>Entertainment Designer at Chronicle Books</li><li>PT Print & Craft Maker at Dandelion Chocolate (dream job??)</li><li>Associate Curator at Depict Inc. (yeah, OK, so some of these were a stretch)</li><li>Education Program Manager at Kala (I was super stoked about this one)</li><li>Learning and Development Specialist at Playworks</li><li>UCB Extension Open Call for Faculty (I think I proposed my mail art course)</li><li>Education Community Program Manager at Adobe</li><li>Podcast Operations Manager at KQED (hey, man, I created my own podcast from scratch...)</li><li>Education & Public Engagement Officer at SFMOMA (yeah, OK, another stretch)</li><li>Climate Change Arts Contractor for Culture Strike</li><li>Adjunct Faculty in Visual Communication at USF (I actually got this one but had to turn it down because the commute and childcare costs were more than I'd make from one class)</li><li>I applied to a TON of other teaching gigs, too, incl places like Art Center in Pasadena and PNCA in OR</li><li>Exec Assistant to the CEO at Minted</li><li>two more OMCA roles (Design Assistant + Membership Manager)</li><li>Community Engagement Manager at AXIS</li><li>Regional Coordinator for calmuseums.org</li><li>Print Production Coordinator at Williams Sonoma</li><li>Program Manager at Create CA</li></ul><p></p><p>Anywho...can't wait to see <a href="https://youtu.be/pBk4NYhWNMM" target="_blank">the Barbie movie</a> (big Greta Gerwig fan here). And in other Indigo Girls news, we have tickets to see them and Neko Case at <a href="https://www.sterngrove.org/86th-concert-season/indigogirlsnekocase" target="_blank">Stern Grove Festival</a>! So excited.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-91369368692174560492023-03-12T16:39:00.005-07:002023-03-16T09:10:42.331-07:00pandemic diaries: 3 years later<p>A few months ago I started rereading over 17 years of blogging, organizing posts into thematic google docs: grad school in Boston, life and work since, <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/burning%20bridges" target="_blank">burning bridges</a>, and of course, the <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/pandemic" target="_blank">pandemic diaries</a>. The latter collection became a 50-page google document and over the past few weeks I’ve been rereading those posts and making notes for a 3-year anniversary update. Initially I was weirdly looking forward to doing this, but as we get closer to the 3-year mark (which I’ve always thought of as the last day my kids attended school in person before lockdown, as I wrote during week 42: “the last day the kids attended in-person school…is how I'm keeping track of time during this pandemic”), I felt less and less motivated to continue, which I think is indicative of how my memory works. I was remembering the things I’m oddly nostalgic for, and had pushed aside memories of far less pleasant things like a full year of distance learning. I’m grateful I blogged as much as I did, especially in the first year, but reliving that time through these posts, sporadic though they’ve become, has predictably reignited a lot of mixed feelings. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Faking It</h4><p>1970s rock band America’s song ‘<a href="https://youtu.be/XIycEe59Auc" target="_blank">Sister Golden Hair</a>’ randomly came on in my Spotify playlist the other day and I was struck by the lyrics, these posts all swimming around in my head these past few weeks:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><blockquote>I've been one poor correspondent<br />And I've been too, too hard to find<br />But it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind<br />Will you meet me in the middle?<br />Will you meet me in the air?<br />Will you love me just a little?<br />Just enough to show you care?<br />Well, I tried to fake it<br />I don't mind sayin', I just can't make it</blockquote></div><p>It’s a little dark, I know, but I think a lot of us, especially working parents, are faking it in more ways than perhaps we were pre-pandemic. As I reread the pandemic diary posts I traveled back through the weirdest three years of my life thus far, oddly nostalgic for the slowed pace of life in the early days (and things like weekday family morning walks, something that’s simply not feasible now), traumatized by distance learning…</p><p></p><blockquote>It's a weird time, wrapping up week 10 of the school year, as we simultaneously settle into a somewhat sustainable routine (we could do this forever!) that is also somehow mildly torturous. And the very people who keep reminding parents that this is an unprecedented crisis situation turn around and dismiss, whether intentionally or not, how incredibly challenging this has been and continues to be for kids, parents, families, relationships, etc. I can feel deep gratitude for jobs we can do from home, space and technology for school work to happen, and our continued health while also refusing to sugar-coat how far from ideal distance learning has been and continues to be.</blockquote><p></p><p>…and the social anxiety caused by things like "pandemic pods," feeling a sense of loss for where my life was finally going before the pandemic…</p><p></p><blockquote>Still trying to recover from the pandemic in this way, my life pre-pandemic finally starting to settle into a nice mix of work, studio, family, and all the other stuff - all of which was skewed during the pandemic.</blockquote><p></p><p>…and literally grieving the loss of someone very dear to me, not directly due to COVID (a very COVID-era quote about this loss: “I take some comfort in knowing she died in her home, surrounded by her adult children, not alone in a hospital”), but a relationship that COVID complicated, like so many. I wrote in week 23 that “I'm envious of people who find themselves surrounded by extended family and close friends” and this is still very true.</p><p>In a nutshell, what I wrote after the one summer camp of 2020 that did not get canceled ended predicted pretty accurately how I continue to feel now: </p><p></p><blockquote>The return to #momcamp last week was interesting. On the one hand, I didn't miss driving the kids to and from Fairyland twice each day. It was nice to return to having nothing really time-specific any given day, other than our various work meetings. But even then, if I have a meeting at 8 or 8:30 I only need to get myself ready, not myself plus two kids in order to leave the house and make it to point B by a specific time. I didn't miss making lunches, although obviously they needed lunch made at some point and it only took three weeks for me to forget how often they seem to need a snack of some sort. I enjoyed getting out with them each day for some sort of walk or hike, not something I'm as likely to do when I have an uninterrupted work block.</blockquote><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLf4M5LevY98wRbOteYWjRPmjpQHEuZWIc1-G3H0B2wlhQF_LXMcwzznGOJ28Ve-GvvxSu4oGi8wJKgEdATJGC7bqbsKeBfIJuFOjmnHWfCiNzgDt1bRFWpxJJvi8OHioKP4TYxDff9JuJP-gEF1WQrU8BJn2_S8iNYWNYjhowW1k0cVhWw/s2339/pandemic_frog_time.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2339" data-original-width="2339" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirLf4M5LevY98wRbOteYWjRPmjpQHEuZWIc1-G3H0B2wlhQF_LXMcwzznGOJ28Ve-GvvxSu4oGi8wJKgEdATJGC7bqbsKeBfIJuFOjmnHWfCiNzgDt1bRFWpxJJvi8OHioKP4TYxDff9JuJP-gEF1WQrU8BJn2_S8iNYWNYjhowW1k0cVhWw/s320/pandemic_frog_time.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption">Beanbag Frog in 'The World Champion of Staying Awake'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;">Pandemic Time</h4><p>The pandemic diaries began on <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/03/pandemic-diaries-first-two-weeks.html" target="_blank">March 16, 2020</a>, the Monday after the kids’ final day of in-person school before lockdown. What characterizes my memories of those first few weeks is trying to establish some semblance of routine amidst general pushback to the idea of homeschooling or really providing any kind of structure, because we all thought this was going to be temporary (schools initially closed for two weeks plus spring break, then the rest of the 2019-20 school year, and then, here in Oakland, much or all, depending on grade, of the 2020-21 school year), a vibe that returned a year or so later when we were all so thoroughly burned out. Many parents of school-aged kids approached those initial weeks like a cross-country flight with a toddler, providing unlimited snacks and screen time. I wrote several times about how in Oakland this wasn’t exactly our first rodeo, having experienced school closures due to wildfire smoke, power outages, heavy rain (yes, we once had a “rain day”), and the teachers’ strike the previous year. But obviously nothing could have prepared us for the duration of this closure (about a month into the pandemic I wrote, “any anxiety around school being closed through the rest of the school year has morphed into anxiety around summer camp and beyond”).</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The Plandemic</h4><p>“Guess how I manage my anxiety?” I wrote that first Monday after lockdown. “I plan stuff, I put things on my calendar, I use my calendar to visualize how I'm going to get through the next three (plus?) weeks. I realize I can’t control everything (anything?) but this gives me back some sense of agency.” First time I talked to my Grandma on the phone after lockdown even she proclaimed, “you’re a planner!” While I did find things like <a href="https://austinkleon.com/2020/04/24/manifesto-of-the-idle-parent/" target="_blank">the manifesto of the idle parent</a> comforting in those early days (a copy of it still hangs on my fridge as a daily reminder), I looked to planning and sought structure as a way to manage anxiety and have some sense of control over the experience. Initially, and something I’d return to from time to time those first few months, I created a schedule of activities based loosely on the <a href="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/what-day-is-it/" target="_blank">National Day Calendar</a> of random (mostly food-related) holidays. Here’s a sample of things we did those first couple of months (and somewhat into the first summer break):</p><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>We watched a panda documentary and made fork print panda art.</li><li>We learned about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).</li><li>We made hot spinach artichoke dip.</li><li>We watched a documentary about 3D printing.</li><li>We learned about Rudolf Diesel and development of the diesel engine, biodiesel, etc.</li><li>We watched Biggest Little Farm. Finally.</li><li>Celebrated World of Flour Day by watching a documentary, checking out a relevant museum's website, having ravioli for lunch, and making salt dough.</li><li>Learned about asteroids and stuff.</li><li>Made chia pudding.</li><li>Conducted a dancing raisins science experiment and made homemade chocolate covered raisins for National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day.</li><li>Traumatized the 7yo by watching the first episode of the Netflix series 'Medal of Honor.'</li><li>Dissected candy bars and designed wrappers for our own candy bar inventions for National Nougat Day.</li><li>Ate a lot of guacamole.</li><li>Made a couple of art ASMR videos (and pondered whether or not art ASMR a thing)</li></ul></div><p>As I wrote toward the end of that first school year, I’m still good at “keeping myself too busy to give in to existential dread.”</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">A Day In The Life</h4><p>Other than manage distance learning and other activities and playdates via Zoom, the kids started doing chores with us on the weekends, and weekly family movie night on Saturdays was born, a tradition that continues today. We stayed active and ventured outside every day, going on lots of neighborhood walks, plus I continued to run around Lake Merritt a couple of early mornings a week. “The downside right now, of course, is that there's nowhere to go, but that's also kind of the upside. In other words, I don't have to dream up some exciting plan or outing for each day.”</p><p>Eventually the 2019-20 school year ended. Here’s a compilation of Instagram stories I recorded throughout <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17895475417496921/" target="_blank">a day in the life</a> of working from home with kids distance learning on the penultimate day of that first school year. Approaching that first summer break, I reflected on how “I could really use a respite from the day job after nearly three months of working from home while juggling distance learning, but where would we go?” Fairyland was the only summer camp that wasn't canceled. This is what I wrote about those three weeks of summer break: “Even after just a day, I can't accurately articulate how amazing it was, after 14 weeks of distance learning and mom camp, to have 5-6 uninterrupted hours to work. And for them, to be able to get a break from us, from our house, and interact, even from a distance, with other children...amazing.”</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">It wasn't all bad</h4><p>I’m so Zoomed out now but some virtual stuff I genuinely enjoyed, like Oakland Zoo’s behind the scenes series every weekday at 2:30. It was a nice way to cap off the “school day”. As shown in the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17895475417496921/" target="_blank">day in the life compilation</a>, I enjoyed practicing piano via Yousician although I eventually plateaued, took a break, and have yet to get back to it. I did a paper folding workshop with designer <a href="https://kellianderson.com/blog/" target="_blank">Kelli Anderson</a> (bought a kit that came by mail in advance of the Zoom workshop) and at one point during the 2020-21 school year, the then 2nd grader went on a virtual field trip to <a href="https://luvinarms.org/" target="_blank">Luvin Farms</a> in Colorado, not something they could have done as easily in real life, of course.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">The day the skies turned orange</h4><p>The most challenging stretch of lockdown was when the California wildfires were so bad that the air quality in the Bay Area was dangerously unhealthy and we were forced to stay indoors as much as possible.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PloTbpy3efVv436HbCnsJY9Kp83ShOUN759-ZJAiV6h_hl_D6ciiQHoNeEyZsvgltaLI4e-mBUvXWOJ-tY3KrEQh3WSI-xQLvbC9jtHWP1Jk0DKTiwmZHsDHVoqlpeLkA3gRjXv91ljIF9WP-NdRsPoCGnwq8P7kdZUx2H80gaZ1BKZsXQ/s4032/IMG_6987%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PloTbpy3efVv436HbCnsJY9Kp83ShOUN759-ZJAiV6h_hl_D6ciiQHoNeEyZsvgltaLI4e-mBUvXWOJ-tY3KrEQh3WSI-xQLvbC9jtHWP1Jk0DKTiwmZHsDHVoqlpeLkA3gRjXv91ljIF9WP-NdRsPoCGnwq8P7kdZUx2H80gaZ1BKZsXQ/s320/IMG_6987%20(1).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">September 9, 2020</td></tr></tbody></table><p>“This picture does not do justice to the ORANGE skies we experienced last week," I wrote that day, "my iPhone trying awfully hard to auto-balance the apocalypse...It's a sobering realization that even if we weren't in the middle of a global pandemic, the kids would most likely still be out of school due to the smoke and lingering air quality issues.”</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Silver Linings</h4><p>Because we spent so much less time going places and schlepping kids to activities for over a year (I was also still working part-time at this point...I've since transitioned to full-time), I spent little chunks of time in the studio more consistently then than I do now, eventually wrapping up <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/100daysinthedollhouse/" target="_blank">a project</a> that started before the pandemic but took on new meaning with everyone at home all the time. I’ve yet to show this work, having submitted exhibition proposals to two venues so far, one of which rejected it, one of which I’ve yet to hear back from. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCw0DayDmF2dce52msfGwzl91aavbiNF7jW_PN8sSMIvf9Tr7AAxgZ3mzUDCHsTO77g3MGGRYuOlD_4y_5aN0-ou4YYfMy377_bGBdMvqXESVACXMEYcASRznmSBYPwRrdV6PMcDrVVIMdvTXrjo0MWruYZ43h9us58rg0aVUC49j51-wxQ/s1440/A737F205-20DC-4F31-8A8D-49DBCBB9693C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCw0DayDmF2dce52msfGwzl91aavbiNF7jW_PN8sSMIvf9Tr7AAxgZ3mzUDCHsTO77g3MGGRYuOlD_4y_5aN0-ou4YYfMy377_bGBdMvqXESVACXMEYcASRznmSBYPwRrdV6PMcDrVVIMdvTXrjo0MWruYZ43h9us58rg0aVUC49j51-wxQ/s320/A737F205-20DC-4F31-8A8D-49DBCBB9693C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Toward the end of the 2020-21 school year, after the then 2nd grader had moved to a hybrid schedule, spending a couple of afternoons each week at school, in person, the garden teacher handed out seeds for students to plant at home. We planted sunflower seeds in a little patch of dirt in our front yard and they grew to be about 7 feet tall. “It's not sourdough bread," I wrote, "but the results have a very early pandemic project vibe.” A few months later, we saw the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Mitchell" target="_blank">Joan Mitchell</a> show at SFMOMA for my birthday. About sunflowers, Mitchell wrote: “They look so wonderful when young and they are so very moving when they are dying.”</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Keeping the lights on</h4><p>No, I'm not referring to the Motel 6 slogan. Remember when Alanis Morisette performed her song <i><a href="https://youtu.be/t30glqwNDec" target="_blank">Ablaze</a></i> holding her young daughter on her hip? What parent wasn't desperately trying to do this every day, juggling work and their own health and sanity? <i>"My mission is to keep the light in your eyes ablaze."</i></p><p>And while keeping the light in my kids' eyes ablaze will never not be my daily mission in life regardless of anything else going on around us, the pandemic <i>diaries</i> ended when this sort of thing no longer felt like an accurate description of our daily lives, from <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/can-motherhood-be-a-mode-of-rebellion" target="_blank">the New Yorker essay about Angela Garbes' book <i>Essential Labor</i></a>: "At one point, Garbes compares the pandemic to early parenthood, a period of time 'when whole lifetimes are held in a single day when 'the smallest details matter, they become the universe'—when we 'restructure and rearrange the way we live, how we define our lives, and what we value.'" And I guess there's a part of me that is, 3 years later, with so much having gone back to an imperfect "normal," feeling a little conflicted about this.</p><p><i>P.S.</i> In March 2022, I finally <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2022/03/the-race-that-took-me-2-12-years-to-run.html" target="_blank">ran the race</a> I had trained to run right before the pandemic began. “There's something really powerful about—finally—checking a goal off one's pre-pandemic to do list.” And I am indeed <a href="https://youtu.be/68DHXqQXM64" target="_blank">the girl of 100 lists</a>, so I'll end with a list of things added to my ongoing to do list during the pandemic that I still haven't done:</p><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Use Kelli Anderson’s <a href="https://kellianderson.com/books/thecamera.html" target="_blank">This Book is a Camera</a></li><li>Buy a record player and start a record collection</li><li>Do something with this website/idea: <a href="https://forcesofeasel.com/" target="_blank">Forces of Easel</a></li><li>Use my 30+ year old sewing machine more, after I discovered during lockdown that it still works!</li><li>Get to work on the <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">podcast</a> season 2 (although, as I wrote at some point during the pandemic, “I worry if I do, it'll take up all the little bits of time I need in the studio. Which is fitting since that's kind of what season two is all about”)</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqP2cecJu9MzUqiE1rIThjHjP29W-DrMGl2CjkdjC2EspSrjSOrrLTM1Dqc4CjhilbxefiUatsJ3tac0UY2278596PsyRs8gHuTBh0LBPRiDGhWAIha4w2yDrgJMD5kxLSRB7wyXmtVSK9m2ewVWkVuNHSmUE9a_oPrZKN_coofE5NItD6w/s1440/74C79DEF-2DBF-4943-9DAD-89990BB1FC92.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqP2cecJu9MzUqiE1rIThjHjP29W-DrMGl2CjkdjC2EspSrjSOrrLTM1Dqc4CjhilbxefiUatsJ3tac0UY2278596PsyRs8gHuTBh0LBPRiDGhWAIha4w2yDrgJMD5kxLSRB7wyXmtVSK9m2ewVWkVuNHSmUE9a_oPrZKN_coofE5NItD6w/s320/74C79DEF-2DBF-4943-9DAD-89990BB1FC92.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>P.P.S.</i> I still can’t believe my <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/12/pandemic-diaries-weeks-39-42.html" target="_blank">gingerbread dumpster,</a> complete with candy “fire”, didn’t go viral. “Alas, it was fun to make and pleasant to consume, unlike most things in 2020.”</div></div>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-85851631653192359512023-01-30T18:14:00.050-08:002023-01-31T14:10:48.244-08:00we don't need another book about creativity<p>Or do we?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxh6thOrH8zI91BQOAg6aCszjUjzwa1tHKh2O00FZ_kE1iWi_U5c_bS4YXI5WZlp_qWDtllUdWsaIShGLY-ljzg5JP3u188T04M97Q_Ld_5qWZId-IAJu_vzGhDtr2qRIUOxIYdCg1odBIVtCvgW9aTKtfBG2W838cWi8owyrma7KopsLNqQ/s3024/IMG-4232.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxh6thOrH8zI91BQOAg6aCszjUjzwa1tHKh2O00FZ_kE1iWi_U5c_bS4YXI5WZlp_qWDtllUdWsaIShGLY-ljzg5JP3u188T04M97Q_Ld_5qWZId-IAJu_vzGhDtr2qRIUOxIYdCg1odBIVtCvgW9aTKtfBG2W838cWi8owyrma7KopsLNqQ/s320/IMG-4232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Studio shelfie...the rest are in the living room.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I’ve compiled quite the collection of books about art and creativity over the past couple of decades. And I’ll just get right to the point of this post: 15 years post <a href="https://smfa.tufts.edu/graduate/MFA" target="_blank">MFA</a>, I’m increasingly left wondering, after all these years and all these books…why?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZhqrWH2gxZuEFCqoCHsJdhiaq2HnL2cdg9Y5vTLNOyMoP5wmkqnKWEA4Bt7kyIJUsPCea-CDQ2pOjBFFDYAukltgpHYkD2monwYHbw8fvqITLmNMFAmdvc1UxM1M92cZY_adkgPCKlVT7Geiw_V2Aoi9ovFdM6bpOgCuU_27GRPiJtIykw/s558/5EEC09D3-18FC-40C8-853E-A071B6E982AF_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="558" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZhqrWH2gxZuEFCqoCHsJdhiaq2HnL2cdg9Y5vTLNOyMoP5wmkqnKWEA4Bt7kyIJUsPCea-CDQ2pOjBFFDYAukltgpHYkD2monwYHbw8fvqITLmNMFAmdvc1UxM1M92cZY_adkgPCKlVT7Geiw_V2Aoi9ovFdM6bpOgCuU_27GRPiJtIykw/s320/5EEC09D3-18FC-40C8-853E-A071B6E982AF_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>And yet, I keep reading them. I recently finished two very different books about creativity, beginning with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s ‘<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Flow-Psychology-Discovery-Invention/dp/0062283251" target="_blank">Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention</a>,’ a gift from my husband. When I shared some misgivings about Csikszentmihalyi’s definitions of creativity (this, for example: "Children can show tremendous talent, but they cannot be creative because creativity involves changing a way of doing things, or a way of thinking, and that in turn requires having mastered the old ways of doing or thinking") he added Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson’s ‘<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Quest-Questlove/dp/0062670557" target="_blank">Creative Quest</a>’ to my collection, describing it as a book about "creative people working through the anxieties that creatives have."</p><p>So why do I read all these books about creativity? To work through related anxieties, certainly. And maybe to restore a little hope when I’m on the verge of nihilism. "When all goes well," Csikszentmihalyi writes early on in 'Creativity,' "the drudgery is redeemed by success." This is a common sentiment in books about art and creativity (because this path is hard, y’all!), echoed in Questlove's 'Creative Quest'—"you need to be aware of the nutritional benefits of failure and the empty calories of certain kinds of success"—and in Felicia Day’s memoir, a book I wrote about nearly 5 years ago, <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2018/04/5-reasons-you-should-read-felicia-days.html" target="_blank">here</a>. At one point in her book, after funding dried up for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaBf1a-dpIsw8OxqH4ki2Kg" target="_blank">Geek & Sundry</a>, Day immediately wrote out everything she learned from working on that show. "The more mistakes," she writes, "the better the story afterwards, especially if there's a happy ending." It’s the classic motivational quote about how failure is a routine and necessary experience on the road to success.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSNKO2CM-3_r7VvsbhXrkJyiu9lYBuJ2e69KRpu45IWeq6BQGk9ANxcOC8LnZ3sMK1jCVwJhGOXGW3PiCERas18V1d618yTDLnLrqNkBgwCkBTMvOXuO5BsaHHS8B0UaxgjnuoMF8vE7xparb35rY5mNt2rEwbVuaW8y7VH7WZZ-1BDc5tQ/s1243/hanginthere.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="841" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSNKO2CM-3_r7VvsbhXrkJyiu9lYBuJ2e69KRpu45IWeq6BQGk9ANxcOC8LnZ3sMK1jCVwJhGOXGW3PiCERas18V1d618yTDLnLrqNkBgwCkBTMvOXuO5BsaHHS8B0UaxgjnuoMF8vE7xparb35rY5mNt2rEwbVuaW8y7VH7WZZ-1BDc5tQ/s320/hanginthere.jpg" width="217" /></a></div><p>But what if there is no happy ending? What if the "drudgery" is never redeemed by "success?" Or, at the very least, what to do about the often long and painful arc, not at all linear or logical, between drudgery and "success," however one eventually comes to define it? While Csikszentmihalyi writes in 'Creativity' about the importance of attention, or audience, and feedback ("just as the sound of a tree crashing in the forest is unheard if nobody is there to hear it, so creative ideas vanish unless there is a receptive audience to record and implement them"), he eventually encourages creative types to let go of the idea of the finished product and audience and instead pursue "the love of the creative process for its own sake." This, I guess, is critical to finding "flow." Maybe it's like finding love when you least expect it. Anyway, he explains, "if one does these things a certain way, then they become intrinsically rewarding, worth doing for their own sake." I too wonder, "what is the secret of transforming activities so that they are rewarding in and of themselves?" (And also, more practically speaking, where will I store all this finished—but unshown and unsold—work??)</p><p>I find myself torn between the pursuit of this "autotelic" experience—"the feeling of freedom from the threats and stresses of everyday life one experiences when completely immersed in the domain"—and the desire/need for feedback. After art or grad school, with so few exhibition opportunities for so many artists, many now seek this sort of feedback on social media. I personally haven’t shown my work in real life for nearly 15 years and it’s not for lack of making stuff (or trying). As Jenny Odell writes in her recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/08/opinion/twitter-odell-time.html" target="_blank">New York Times op-ed</a> about Twitter and time, I too have looked to social media for "a sense of recognition among peers, connection to people with shared interests and whose work I admire, and the ability to encounter new, unexpected ideas." And, sure, followers and likes are seductive (again, from Csikszentmihalyi: "a pat on the back does wonders for creative productivity"). But even our digital attention span seems increasingly short and devoid of any sort of constructive feedback. Furthermore, as Questlove suggests in 'Creative Quest,' "technology has given people too many easy ways to deliver feedback without similarly equipping artists to resist it." In short, social media is not a great substitute for the kind of audience or feedback you might have grown accustomed to in art/grad school and/or if you’re lucky enough to show your work in a physical setting.</p><p>'Creative Quest' is at times, by contrast, written with the assumption that as an artist you are going to put what you create out in the world in some way, ideally in exchange for some sort of compensation. "This book is, in that sense, different from other books about creativity. I am assuming that what you do will end up somewhere, in front of the eyes or ears of others." It’s about the process, but it’s also very much about the product (and you’ll learn a lot about music!). Questlove’s book is also a bit more prescriptive in that he has actual suggestions for creative production, like revisiting older work and collaborating with others (so weird to me that so many books about creativity specifically try <i>not</i> to be prescriptive in any way...and I get it but, y'know, give me something I can use!).</p><p>As a self-described creative generalist (I pursued art in college precisely because I didn't want to choose just one thing to do, figuring I could explore all my interests through my art), I also appreciate Questlove’s more contemporary take on creativity, and how we go about making things. Csikszentmihalyi encourages a more focused approach: "Before you have discovered an overriding interest in a particular domain, it makes sense to be open to as much of the world as possible. After you have developed an abiding interest, however, it may make more sense to save as much energy as you can to invest in that one domain." I don’t disagree with this, especially if you’re limited on time, as most artists with day jobs are. But I also really love Questlove’s take on this, encouraging creative folks to strive to be what he calls "'pancake people'—spread wide and thin as we connect with that vast network of information accessed by the mere touch of a button." On a sidenote, this also ties in again nicely with Day’s memoir mentioned above, in which she goes on to describe a creative support group that meets over pancakes, something I’ve wanted to establish here in Oakland ever since reading her book (<a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/02/16/1081247555/san-francisco-man-spreads-joy-with-pancakes" target="_blank">this pandemic effort</a> across the Bay came pretty close to the idea).</p><p>As an artist with a full-time day job and two kids (I don't have much time to make work, I haven't shown my work in years, I question if I qualify for grants and residencies should I even find the time to apply, all of which leads me to still put air quotes around the word artist when I describe myself), I really appreciate what Questlove advocates for here: "I want to reverse this whole movement of separating artists from each other, of saying that one man or woman is more or less of an artist than another one. For that matter, I want to broaden the definition to include anyone who is making something out of nothing by virtue of their own ideas…there is a difference, it may not be as great as some people believe." Csikszentmihalyi acknowledges these practical tensions inherent in pursuing creativity as well: "Training, expectations, resources, and recognition are to no avail...if the young person has no hope of using his or her skills in a productive career. In our culture, a huge number of talented and motivated artists, musicians, dancers, athletes, and singers give up pursuing those domains because it is so difficult to make a living in them." And yet, we keep reading these books about creativity as if they're magically going to give us what we really need, which is time (and money).</p><p>The bottom line is opportunities for artists are highly competitive. It's a basic supply and demand problem. I don’t have data handy to back this up, but it seems like the number of people pursuing creative paths has exploded while the opportunities have remained stagnant (and have quite possibly, post-pandemic, dwindled still). Even smaller, alternative venues attract hundreds of applicants for one project space opportunity that comes around once a year. Furthermore, galleries and alternative spaces alike plan their calendars sometimes years in advance and connections are critical (Csikszentmihalyi again: "without access to the domain, potential is fruitless"). When I’m feeling optimistic I counter my desire for a piece of the art world pie with the cheery idea that the pie simply needs to be bigger! Unfortunately, however, "to achieve creativity in an existing domain," Csikszentmihalyi writes, "there must be surplus attention available." Later he adds, "Because of the scarcity of attention, we must be selective." Perhaps, in lieu of more books about how to be more creative, we need to help creatives and non-creatives alike learn how to pay attention, thereby creating the surplus needed and greater opportunities for artists. More demand for the supply. A bigger pie!</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-5859069758432809642022-11-16T14:43:00.008-08:002022-11-16T14:47:54.238-08:00pandemic diaries: party on<p>My <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2022/04/pandemic-diaries-souvenir-nobody-wanted.html" target="_blank">last real update to the pandemic diaries</a> was right around my 13th Twitterversary, right around when Elon Musk announced his intentions to buy Twitter, which he has now, 7 months later, finally done (then and now got me thinking about the song <a href="https://youtu.be/jzfqS2nSdVo" target="_blank">Reunion by The Indigo Girls</a> (..."I have no need for anger with intimate strangers and I got nothing to hide"). I started putting together this post several days ago with the intention of combing through my tweets since that mid-April update and then deactivating or even deleting my account, not out of any kind of Twitter takeover protest but because I lack the willpower and self-discipline (and self-respect?) to stop wasting my time there. And then I'd lose <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids" target="_blank">@danceswithkids</a> forever. Either way, here are some random things I thought worth tweeting over the past 7 months:</p><p>Debbie Millman in conversation with Amy Sherald on Design Matters about the long-term benefits of, well, <a href="https://twitter.com/debbiemillman/status/1455656049743106048?s=20&t=IqOaEh8P6xVw83Iyu30S-g" target="_blank">hanging in there</a> (been thinking about this a lot lately so I'll try to write more about this later).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzaS3DXBEzPPcn69lh6ZeMN5cfvLx1Iceq2u_mmuUc6PZpEd834Khqe2Z0DahkaSDs0W5OO1tDTsq7rCPkEg0OKMC5bVzrKSB7kc_4nWbHXraPV0HvlpIbhRlQngTwpF7l3QhMHATLLnBnQzwySCaMQ6WGrKbd4wJ-h2NQSLTtEW8aPno8w/s1440/D0CEAE9C-F19A-46D8-BA80-B637C605967D.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUzaS3DXBEzPPcn69lh6ZeMN5cfvLx1Iceq2u_mmuUc6PZpEd834Khqe2Z0DahkaSDs0W5OO1tDTsq7rCPkEg0OKMC5bVzrKSB7kc_4nWbHXraPV0HvlpIbhRlQngTwpF7l3QhMHATLLnBnQzwySCaMQ6WGrKbd4wJ-h2NQSLTtEW8aPno8w/s320/D0CEAE9C-F19A-46D8-BA80-B637C605967D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>We made vegan fondue for Easter.</p><p>The <a href="https://beckybird.substack.com/" target="_blank">newsletter</a> is mostly dead. Add it to the long list of things I've started and stopped.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMG8R455_R9PGbqmiH13jBdMAXhBOOOCxEDYFZL3XFKTPtA5PeFWi30xv3GtbzAnYX7C8bvNFM1gdjwx9tW3e62OksD2bSjg3CnonWB6-3HsLpACKiU9bHcPzTQFIJnbL4X0VkeqFUMPWuzToU5aP6KCrzVxSF1m7JR--dN5hSK7yVRL91A/s1440/B467BFCB-FAC6-4FFD-A113-756FFAA0D20C.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaMG8R455_R9PGbqmiH13jBdMAXhBOOOCxEDYFZL3XFKTPtA5PeFWi30xv3GtbzAnYX7C8bvNFM1gdjwx9tW3e62OksD2bSjg3CnonWB6-3HsLpACKiU9bHcPzTQFIJnbL4X0VkeqFUMPWuzToU5aP6KCrzVxSF1m7JR--dN5hSK7yVRL91A/s320/B467BFCB-FAC6-4FFD-A113-756FFAA0D20C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Finally saw <a href="https://www.bandaloop.org/" target="_blank">Bandaloop</a> perform. It was incredible.</p><p>It's been very chilly here the last couple of weeks (although it's supposed to get to 67 today). Here's a haiku I wrote in February 2007 while living in Boston: </p><p></p><blockquote style="text-align: left;"><p>so cold, the little </p></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: left;"><p>bit of heat from your eyeballs </p><p>fogs up your glasses</p></blockquote><p>As I settle into my 46th year, I really feel this quote from an <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-04-21/better-things-season-5-pamela-adlon-finale-fx?utm_source=pocket_mylist" target="_blank">LA Times article</a> about the final season of <a href="https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/better-things" target="_blank">Better Things</a>: "My friends and I could rob a bank and nobody would notice. It’s that invisibility." </p><p>Is there a better social media app for artists and writers? No links to share; I'd genuinely like to know.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfVgYwb4iCBKPSUAK1yK-mqqs8NV4WF7vVulHdFpIO_CcrmOAfN4RFEiLRxf9ooiOQEJ2YLObhVjtKlWx9tErnlQIQ1zoqFk8YQhiqyvdU4XcyqhjFJTvY3x5k7JcWjpiRNpj3Kufm5LtdfLjo357QV-3ttXSvRGHaK1C0HLBgzQLPqgAkw/s4032/IMG_9821.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfVgYwb4iCBKPSUAK1yK-mqqs8NV4WF7vVulHdFpIO_CcrmOAfN4RFEiLRxf9ooiOQEJ2YLObhVjtKlWx9tErnlQIQ1zoqFk8YQhiqyvdU4XcyqhjFJTvY3x5k7JcWjpiRNpj3Kufm5LtdfLjo357QV-3ttXSvRGHaK1C0HLBgzQLPqgAkw/s320/IMG_9821.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>I haven't <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/running" target="_blank">run</a> in several months (still working out...switched from <a href="http://freeletics.com" target="_blank">Freeletics</a> to <a href="https://www.jillianmichaels.com/" target="_blank">The Fitness App</a> because, what can I say, I do love me some Jillian Michaels) but I signed up for the <a href="https://oaklandturkeytrot.org/" target="_blank">Oakland Turkey Trot</a> on Thanksgiving next week. Above is a picture of the lake at dawn in late June. Below is, I think, why I run. I need to get back to it!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjik4M4-zYUYpcQssCjvmNgUckUzED_kTqHyvQogsatd6cy3UUzJXfbXlZxgzWXK_zeYWFLEpZRF5uBpXK0GDJuzLHheQqptuLpzFDB-I7isIhQXha5T8m8pWnBY3JUmwI3yD90OUGbjQEuPAHKucvYmZI39FS3fYLhTdxmWGQJdOwCtammEg/s596/C05B1D16-0972-48D1-A77E-443885535B65_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="596" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjik4M4-zYUYpcQssCjvmNgUckUzED_kTqHyvQogsatd6cy3UUzJXfbXlZxgzWXK_zeYWFLEpZRF5uBpXK0GDJuzLHheQqptuLpzFDB-I7isIhQXha5T8m8pWnBY3JUmwI3yD90OUGbjQEuPAHKucvYmZI39FS3fYLhTdxmWGQJdOwCtammEg/w400-h96/C05B1D16-0972-48D1-A77E-443885535B65_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Still haven't had time to watch the TV show remake of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/League-Their-Own-Season/dp/B0B13Q4GTH" target="_blank">A League of Their Own</a>, but did you know Abbi Jacobson's podcast <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/pieceofwork" target="_blank">Piece of Work</a> back in the day was part of the inspiration to start <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">my own podcast</a>?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ipop7QU2MoLFZEtAobjjoMCo3yqSJmbPn6tzmD2DTh9Wcp4c2x2rD2kAeTwi_zqhhO6bgC7eKv7puOlu-b6neOA2LTKaS6kzoOy6KftupJod9X1gyqAsfrSGt6fHgIsr26OvJ7eZY-W3P5xqEAezg4rcW1w8oXbRPWm43kUa1EKqJUUcFg/s3125/IMG_8080.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3125" data-original-width="2344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ipop7QU2MoLFZEtAobjjoMCo3yqSJmbPn6tzmD2DTh9Wcp4c2x2rD2kAeTwi_zqhhO6bgC7eKv7puOlu-b6neOA2LTKaS6kzoOy6KftupJod9X1gyqAsfrSGt6fHgIsr26OvJ7eZY-W3P5xqEAezg4rcW1w8oXbRPWm43kUa1EKqJUUcFg/s320/IMG_8080.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>Finished <a href="http://rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/portfolio/dollhouse.htm" target="_blank">this project</a>, submitted it to a couple of alt gallery spaces here in Oakland. Nada. Rejection still a real bitch after 15 years of not showing my work. Considering clearing out my 120 square foot backyard studio to show the work there (I just want to show the work—beyond online—that I spent three years working on, y'know?) which wouldn't be all that different than participating in <a href="https://eastbayopenstudios.com/" target="_blank">Open Studios</a>, which will next happen in June 2023. So maybe then? Sigh.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkwNWILvPt_RJyUnGzBLDu5fY6XphCrzu9oUgKttzDhMu3OH7amZ5Uup5Voe6tjJCPkEWKJE8HA67_KVztLAzlT2lx7eFf-QPQVCwkTloPkX_K5B_aYyN8rtaJwg0qil0YJms9MlRZWjZJ5s8grcJuv450Yd0L5GtIx8Y2uCMXMUEGJgPbQ/s1023/IMG_9833.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1023" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkwNWILvPt_RJyUnGzBLDu5fY6XphCrzu9oUgKttzDhMu3OH7amZ5Uup5Voe6tjJCPkEWKJE8HA67_KVztLAzlT2lx7eFf-QPQVCwkTloPkX_K5B_aYyN8rtaJwg0qil0YJms9MlRZWjZJ5s8grcJuv450Yd0L5GtIx8Y2uCMXMUEGJgPbQ/s320/IMG_9833.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Earlier in 2022 I started slowly going through this here blog, organizing posts into thematic Google documents. I ended up with 7 docs, the longest of which (about attending grad/art school in Boston) is 113 pages, 60,093 words. Who wants to publish my art school memoir?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrmdrhAIFv_a4RoKS098SYgAn4Xo7Vq4OHIMSn-rVD8C0IhlR5T9epnVNTo0hRGv7mgp9jnjAGgshVgeNrJXUbkEN0L_lE_Ov0E3KNuaUbKS-3US8L9xCQMjXNy9mUbJ6lri3lBnhm4Nk-cLDowCwCcCnwRmBiJfpccv8Mzgu6-8sP9BYEA/s588/E88B34B8-FAB8-4621-97C4-12988607FD57_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="588" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUrmdrhAIFv_a4RoKS098SYgAn4Xo7Vq4OHIMSn-rVD8C0IhlR5T9epnVNTo0hRGv7mgp9jnjAGgshVgeNrJXUbkEN0L_lE_Ov0E3KNuaUbKS-3US8L9xCQMjXNy9mUbJ6lri3lBnhm4Nk-cLDowCwCcCnwRmBiJfpccv8Mzgu6-8sP9BYEA/w400-h114/E88B34B8-FAB8-4621-97C4-12988607FD57_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I became a people manager again in August. Hopefully I won't have to fire anyone anytime soon.</p><p>From <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/can-motherhood-be-a-mode-of-rebellion" target="_blank">the New Yorker essay</a> about Angela Garbes' book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Labor-Mothering-Social-Change/dp/0062937367" target="_blank">Essential Labor</a>: "At one point, Garbes compares the pandemic to early parenthood, a period of time 'when whole lifetimes are held in a single day when 'the smallest details matter, they become the universe'—when we 'restructure and rearrange the way we live, how we define our lives, and what we value.'" Even though my kids were 7 and 11 when the pandemic started, I felt that so many times during the first couple of years of the pandemic, <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/pandemic" target="_blank">chronicled right here</a> on this blog (those posts make up a 50-page Google doc...and counting!).</p><p>I recently finished reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Psychology-Discovery-Invention-Perennial-ebook/dp/B000TG1X9C/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QHAAH4T7E17B&keywords=creativity+flow+and+the+psychology+of+discovery+and+invention&qid=1668636431&s=books&sprefix=creativity+flow%2Cstripbooks%2C146&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention</a> and now I feel like, actually, <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids/status/1541922114919231488?s=20&t=IqOaEh8P6xVw83Iyu30S-g" target="_blank">this</a> will never come true. On a positive note, however, I also learned that if you highlight text while reading a book on your Kindle, you can then export those quotes to a Google sheet that your Kindle will email to you. Amazing!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaYXCtieKsC1-J4RCIk_k2Ba9TJHwsMdoOA6x7Vx-Iahl2j2ZmOJQB1WACeWEjTT-8CzfIQgVMp3bp1V4KENtpH63HigU8j8BLTmd8gpw0dlDaExh5UlIemOg5JCcOU6LUp8p70Hf-QWY1QU5cbfwxngsb9vjFAzW_c-DtXQ-g7k2TpWV4g/s530/1755EFDB-6D71-4BEA-BD2F-35BDF8EB4723_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="530" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaYXCtieKsC1-J4RCIk_k2Ba9TJHwsMdoOA6x7Vx-Iahl2j2ZmOJQB1WACeWEjTT-8CzfIQgVMp3bp1V4KENtpH63HigU8j8BLTmd8gpw0dlDaExh5UlIemOg5JCcOU6LUp8p70Hf-QWY1QU5cbfwxngsb9vjFAzW_c-DtXQ-g7k2TpWV4g/w400-h211/1755EFDB-6D71-4BEA-BD2F-35BDF8EB4723_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><p>Stayed in Oakland for the 4th of July. Had a good tweet.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Pw-ouXIA-z3cyZPEwomednpx4KLVVzHZ70AGH2cWNb8EYsps3wmuDqwH3FmjyNopUx15P1HQGzHcwJlcDrdvA6jcgdqO03MrfYwESW8IWwiCMgzO2FXLPmQnFFjLqWQAXIkAGCPTiM_ZjNPseTVgpiEKAf2VGZ0n7dxfGxGaJqGD49ZE2g/s1440/76F5045C-F46A-4E87-8F61-B0C0C7190BB3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Pw-ouXIA-z3cyZPEwomednpx4KLVVzHZ70AGH2cWNb8EYsps3wmuDqwH3FmjyNopUx15P1HQGzHcwJlcDrdvA6jcgdqO03MrfYwESW8IWwiCMgzO2FXLPmQnFFjLqWQAXIkAGCPTiM_ZjNPseTVgpiEKAf2VGZ0n7dxfGxGaJqGD49ZE2g/s320/76F5045C-F46A-4E87-8F61-B0C0C7190BB3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Spent the last week of summer break solo parenting during a working vacation with the kids in Chico, followed by a truly solo weekend in San Rafael to attend Mindful Eating Film & Food Festival (which I wrote about <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2022/08/the-world-is-not-your-oyster.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n40eBW6xMJRdUst1kUkT2lDnYw7DA63zhmec5GMGNlflIQSrOeGyQt7i22a7W8Glf1n7neRWZ3N60iTZV0VEgalrhZdbhjUzAczorxtvz2Mit8MJYEy5dWZ7CU40JoEDmbKdLTZGBIHkgQnptfpkJlHvjFyeF2aUrfnMKIHYhpZ7QT3RKg/s4032/IMG_1715.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2n40eBW6xMJRdUst1kUkT2lDnYw7DA63zhmec5GMGNlflIQSrOeGyQt7i22a7W8Glf1n7neRWZ3N60iTZV0VEgalrhZdbhjUzAczorxtvz2Mit8MJYEy5dWZ7CU40JoEDmbKdLTZGBIHkgQnptfpkJlHvjFyeF2aUrfnMKIHYhpZ7QT3RKg/s320/IMG_1715.heic" width="320" /></a></div><p>Traveled to San Diego for my birthday weekend last month.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wbmr3qxLZ6LLEN7idzdod2TO2wLIY8Xeg5H0qWHzDgk88LjAeAJkZQKpIKsmdcxhjMa81TqTO2FPiNcMq9LgpZ2A-pZGTYyQ0T7jBSRRpIFE6hJI5vi-cM6wmaNy1yUyUPWByUglvvl_PwrEgoX5qTd0nlwbMT_QgtiebXCQYdWz_6NmDA/s4032/IMG_2021.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wbmr3qxLZ6LLEN7idzdod2TO2wLIY8Xeg5H0qWHzDgk88LjAeAJkZQKpIKsmdcxhjMa81TqTO2FPiNcMq9LgpZ2A-pZGTYyQ0T7jBSRRpIFE6hJI5vi-cM6wmaNy1yUyUPWByUglvvl_PwrEgoX5qTd0nlwbMT_QgtiebXCQYdWz_6NmDA/s320/IMG_2021.heic" width="240" /></a></div><p>Rewatched Wayne's World a couple of months ago and thought it was much funnier than I remembered. Decided to dress up as Wayne & Garth for Halloween.</p><p>Party on!</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-91965217752090244062022-10-04T11:34:00.006-07:002022-10-04T11:35:06.570-07:00call me FredIt's been almost six months since I <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2022/04/pandemic-diaries-souvenir-nobody-wanted.html" target="_blank">last updated</a> the pandemic diaries. And as fitting a note as that would have been to end on, the diaries, like the pandemic, haven't exactly ended, but they've definitely slowed in frequency of entries. On the heels of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/11/upshot/pandemic-working-mothers-jobs.html" target="_blank">this article</a> in the New York Times by Claire Cain Miller, I'd planned to write a little more about how the last school year was surprisingly challenging given most kids, both of mine included, returned to in-person school with little or no interruption all year, as I described to Claire when she interviewed me for the article in April in response to <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids/status/1511458036212113412?s=20&t=13ITUIuOexsoiZvDax-HQA" target="_blank">this Twitter thread</a>. A few weeks later, she had the data to back up what seemed initially like an atypical experience (compared to stories about the many working moms, in particular, who felt they had no choice but to quit their jobs during the pandemic in order to care for children, facilitate distance learning, etc.). Turns out I was not alone in feeling <i>more</i> drained after kids returned to school than when they were home doing remote schooling the year before, nor was my experience of not only continuing to work but actually taking on added hours and responsibility, all that unusual, after all. <div><br /></div><div>But then the school year ended and some of those emotions diminished as I transitioned into summer mode. Now that another school year has started, some of those feelings have returned. I think what happened for me shortly after winter break is that kids returning to school freed up some mental bandwidth to look around and realize that while kids being back in school in person was great for so many reasons, things had not, in fact, gone back to any kind of pre-pandemic "normal." After-school options were minimal while expectations around productivity at work, like traffic, were pretty much back to pre-pandemic levels. It's kind of like how the brain can only really focus on one major pain source at a time. If you have, say, chronic lower back pain due to mild arthritis and then suddenly experience a flare-up of sciatica (I'm old, okay?), while dealing with the latter the former will seem to go away. But as you get the sciatica under control, the mild back pain will inevitably return. Likewise, once the daily demands of distance learning were gone, I had time to look around and see that a lot of other stuff in my life was falling apart, all while the infrastructure to support working parents, shabby as it was pre-pandemic, was still almost nonexistent (kids were back in school but there were very few after-school options, so good luck with work after about 2:45 pm every day).</div><div><br /></div><div>We're now 8 weeks into the 2022-23 school year (Oakland starts and ends early). My son is, somehow, in high school(!!). My daughter finally got a spot in the after-school program. I am no longer, as the article states, "a training coordinator at a gaming company." I'm now a Global Operations Lead for Professional Training, which is...basically a training coordinator. Over the summer I studied for and passed PMI's Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam. I moved from independent contributor to manager and, for a week or so, I was a people manager with no direct reports. Best of both worlds, I joked! Then my manager left the company and suddenly I have a couple of people reporting to me, I'm actively hiring, and oversee an entire program of about 100 third-party trainers with no support staff, all on top of what I typically do every day for the past three years. Welp. It's been kinda nuts, but, not unlike how I felt when presented with the opportunity to transition from part-time to full-time during a global pandemic and halfway through a full year of distance learning, scarred perhaps by my <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/elizabeth-gilbert-hummingbird-theory/" target="_blank">hummingbird approach</a> to "career" and the challenges of looking for a job after any kind of break or deviation from an otherwise linear path, I feel like I have to take full advantage of these professional opportunities even at the expense of my creative goals and, some days, general physical health and mental well-being. </div><div><br /></div><div>I've been thinking about work-family balance a lot over the past week since I attended CCA's "<a href="https://portal.cca.edu/events-calendar/rooted-ceremony-honoring-oakland-campus/" target="_blank">Rooted</a>" ceremony on the Oakland campus. I worked at CCA (California College of the Arts and, formerly, Crafts) from January 2015 through August 2017. Working alongside folks who'd been there for literal decades, it probably seems like a blip. But for me it was a really significant chapter in my work history in both positive and not so positive ways. Prior to CCA I ran my design micro-biz on Etsy. Prior to that, MFA in hand while the great recession unfolded, I had every intention of teaching art at the college level. Ha! The job I eventually landed at CCA was very similar to work I did before going to grad school: administrative in nature and specifically supporting upper level management and board members. It wasn't my first choice. But I was perfectly qualified and it was at an institution I still greatly admire. Not a bad runner-up, right? Well, long story short, it was really hard for me to feel satisfied with such a behind-the-scenes role at an art/design college where I would have much rather been teaching or managing programs or doing really anything more directly related to students and the kind of teaching and learning going on there.</div><div><br /></div><div>I quit five years ago with nothing else lined up to spend a year (one year eventually turned into two) resetting as both a parent, spending more time with my youngest before she started Kindergarten, and as an artist, spending more time in the studio we'd built in our back yard the year before. I spent most of the second year thinking about how artists support themselves financially in the making of <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">this podcast</a>. When season one was done and I still hadn't figured out how to monetize anything I was doing creatively, I started looking for work yet again. I eased, with some luck and a little nepotism, into the job I have now. It's not any more creatively satisfying than the work I was doing at CCA. But unlike all the arts jobs I've had, at my current gig, I have no problem being the person behind the scenes making sense of the chaos. I'll never be a programmer and I'm totally okay with that. If anything, I'm further removed from the "art world." And perhaps that's why I really enjoyed but ultimately felt a bit out of place at the ceremony last weekend. It was a little like seeing an ex-lover or friend out in the world after a breakup or a falling out. I feel like I've grown so much as a worker over the past three years at my current gig and thanks to two years of working really hard for free, frankly, before that (more time with the kids, podcast production, and lots of volunteering). But being on the Oakland campus brought back feelings of inadequacy while simultaneously longing for a sense of belonging that only those who went to school there or had worked there longer than me and/or who were still working there could legitimately claim (these are my feelings; I'm not necessarily speaking for other participants).</div><div><br /></div><div>I suppose it's an extension of how I've always felt with respect to anything art-related. Desperate for validation as an "artist," while keeping the "art world" at a distance, using defense mechanisms to cope with relentless rejection, dramatically swearing off the whole thing every few weeks. Toward the end of the ceremony, during which the bell that CCA founder <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Meyer" target="_blank">Frederick Meyer</a> would ring to bring the community together 100 years ago would be rung for the last time on the Oakland campus, a white bird (was it a <a href="https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparksbuzz/issue-45-vol-2-2020/lifestyle/people-and-places/dove-vs-pigeon-what%E2%80%99s-the-difference" target="_blank">dove or a pigeon</a>?) started flying around the redwoods outside Macky Hall. It criss-crossed the lawn as it flew from tree to tree and as <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/artists-in-offices#a74c23e6-b1a4-4066-9ff2-0c849d2db5f4" target="_blank">Lisa Jonas</a> (an artist I interviewed for my podcast) concluded her closing remarks it landed on the wooden arch built from wood reclaimed from redwoods lost to disease over the last couple of years. It was a too-perfect ending, the white dove everyone believed it to be symbolizing peace, at once acknowledging our mourning for the Oakland campus while releasing us of our ties to this legacy in order to make room for new and future opportunities in San Francisco. But, Oakland Animal Services volunteer that I am, I couldn't help but think that "dove" looks an awful lot like <a href="https://www.oaklandanimalservices.org/adopt/other-animals/" target="_blank">the white pigeons we've had at the shelter lately</a>. And if that bird was a lost pet trying to find its way home, well, that is a whole vibe that is, you have to admit, also kind of accurate. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nA-Gb8LLrScVViqmaxoPIiAvN3kZypi2YbY9pZDMlUHJybSDVDcII9pfaSUto48lciUs9BZpH7lPgcn8Vwd0ZUVyFYxlscyxdPw2yKtGkDpbOdPAK0Monrc8T-EivFsiZm-ZWdGCI-Z09qBdmPHgEw1ot8NeHWKP8JEKOBxCtCJpFq7kiQ/s719/IMG_6968.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="719" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nA-Gb8LLrScVViqmaxoPIiAvN3kZypi2YbY9pZDMlUHJybSDVDcII9pfaSUto48lciUs9BZpH7lPgcn8Vwd0ZUVyFYxlscyxdPw2yKtGkDpbOdPAK0Monrc8T-EivFsiZm-ZWdGCI-Z09qBdmPHgEw1ot8NeHWKP8JEKOBxCtCJpFq7kiQ/s320/IMG_6968.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>But maybe I'm projecting. Maybe I'll always feel like an outsider who doesn't fully belong, incapable of appreciating a magical moment for what it is, skeptical that what I'm seeing is "real" and not, in the words of magician Schmendrick, from <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2007/07/not-girlunicorn-not-yet-woman.html" target="_blank">The Last Unicorn</a>, a "disguise...for those eager to believe whatever comes easiest." Maybe there's simply more symbolism for me personally in the fact that my first job out of high school was at <a href="https://www.fredmeyer.com/" target="_blank">Fred Meyer</a>, Pacific Northwest grocery chain, and CCA was started by Frederick Meyer, a connection I only recently made when my husband pointed it out after hearing me describe the ceremony, the bell, and the dove. Maybe, when it really comes down to art and work, in a world of doves, I'll always feel like a lost pigeon.</div>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-22500294108118766502022-08-15T16:03:00.005-07:002022-08-15T16:03:42.597-07:00the world is not your oyster<blockquote><p>"What's the opposite of 'the world is your oyster?'"</p></blockquote><p>I think of this line, from Noah Baumbach's film <i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/28/noah-baumbach-while-were-young" target="_blank">While We're Young</a></i> a lot. Usually with respect to what I thought my life would be like (creatively, professionally, etc.) compared to what it's actually like as I settle into middle age. But this scene came to mind again last weekend at the <a href="https://www.ranchocompasion.org/mindful-eating-film-and-food-festival/" target="_blank">Mindful Eating Film & Food Festival</a> in San Rafael. A fundraiser for <a href="https://www.ranchocompasion.org/" target="_blank">Rancho Compasión</a>, the festival is sort of like a vegan Sundance...or at least, aims to be! One day. In the meantime, the third iteration of this event (the first one was in early 2020, then they went virtual during the pandemic, and returned to in-person this year) included a line-up of five feature length documentaries, several short films, guest speakers and panel discussions, and a whole range of vendors providing free samples, vegan meals, and tons of information about living a plant-based life. </p><p>If you know me (and/or read this blog) you'll recall that I began the <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/05/a-mostly-vegan-week.html" target="_blank">transition to being vegan</a> early on in the pandemic (having already eliminated beef and pork from my diet years earlier). I've been describing myself as "<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/mostly%20vegan" target="_blank">mostly vegan</a>" since because being 100% vegan is, at times, still aspirational. But many, if not most days I eat a totally vegan diet and have taken a close look at other areas of my life as well (I don't buy anything made with leather, wool, silk, etc.). I participated in <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2022/02/give-chickpeas-chance.html" target="_blank">Veganuary</a> back in January but relaxed the rules again ever so slightly when the month was over. Attending the festival reinforced my commitment to being vegan and I thought I'd share some of that renewed (com)passion in a recap here.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUMOE8efuKl1Com34MTK5wKzgdiz5jE69pH5XshbFCtzZTzSLYVG-l-x0YfOyGTAJ604P1tHRmGSFfnijCFVF0_3w9s01o_z4HF8gv-GfQ0Jsogru7C5bN_Vt8EnUY61JjNYkIV_jDBX0s_GT_XiVUH0UtODC6b0KQ_InsasMhnJcweZNOQ/s1440/89051D35-CE9C-4DED-A2DD-6910F69B2A3C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUMOE8efuKl1Com34MTK5wKzgdiz5jE69pH5XshbFCtzZTzSLYVG-l-x0YfOyGTAJ604P1tHRmGSFfnijCFVF0_3w9s01o_z4HF8gv-GfQ0Jsogru7C5bN_Vt8EnUY61JjNYkIV_jDBX0s_GT_XiVUH0UtODC6b0KQ_InsasMhnJcweZNOQ/s320/89051D35-CE9C-4DED-A2DD-6910F69B2A3C.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Filmmakers Jamie Berger and Shawn Bannon with Miyoko Schinner.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The festival began with the west coast green carpet premier of <a href="https://www.smellofmoneydoc.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Smell of Money</i></a>, which examines the devastating impact of the pork industry on the surrounding community in eastern North Carolina. (Coincidentally, I had just learned about Smithfield Foods a few days earlier when Direct Action Everywhere activists disrupted the SF Giants game at Oracle park; read more about the issues <a href="https://righttorescue.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. Activism works!) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53ZM8qtYbQKxswYgVkiOMtWtAsEsOGqGpsy--sjQm0-HDuIO1piv--qoDiwRRhATv5cqaG4JnayW7hnCH8EOsMmIzoBNZGNi8hZEvsR192NtHj3ZPogmNII5w3ESHKqYyFK6K5b7tLJmXLeS1ZBwlMhTcAzxl59ueYLBrSpTWucoCmzabqA/s1440/E2CB8F2C-2422-4F5E-9BBB-E51EA27837DF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53ZM8qtYbQKxswYgVkiOMtWtAsEsOGqGpsy--sjQm0-HDuIO1piv--qoDiwRRhATv5cqaG4JnayW7hnCH8EOsMmIzoBNZGNi8hZEvsR192NtHj3ZPogmNII5w3ESHKqYyFK6K5b7tLJmXLeS1ZBwlMhTcAzxl59ueYLBrSpTWucoCmzabqA/s320/E2CB8F2C-2422-4F5E-9BBB-E51EA27837DF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>In addition to yummy vegan food and drinks at the reception preceding the screening, I also met <a href="https://susanhargreaves.com/" target="_blank">Susan Hargreaves</a>, an activist featured in <i><a href="https://youtu.be/53m653aAV9k" target="_blank">The Heart Whisperer</a></i>, one of the short films that screened before each of the feature-length films the next day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0hxMK6lqYae_LU8IgP2NMyP8L5xy7uT16LKElVhPQKcR7OgEsK3l8aV4AFX2T1KVCPhFakvxQp5-mnrlkc2kid93lq30SH9waT-61nz84eJ0wj7yRNH1oepTbuDS_n3pUma8Y-fMhu2twCf3AfVS-HyjyEizEsgVjCkqkdLJ96LZBEgFRw/s1440/70F1D56A-22F2-4FA3-8019-06FCBEAEA5C5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0hxMK6lqYae_LU8IgP2NMyP8L5xy7uT16LKElVhPQKcR7OgEsK3l8aV4AFX2T1KVCPhFakvxQp5-mnrlkc2kid93lq30SH9waT-61nz84eJ0wj7yRNH1oepTbuDS_n3pUma8Y-fMhu2twCf3AfVS-HyjyEizEsgVjCkqkdLJ96LZBEgFRw/s320/70F1D56A-22F2-4FA3-8019-06FCBEAEA5C5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>On Sunday, the lineup included four more feature-length documentaries over the course of the day, one of which I'd already seen (<i><a href="https://gamechangersmovie.com/" target="_blank">The Game Changers</a></i>, which is streaming on <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81157840?ad=true&tctx=0%2C0%2Ccc524dd9-5768-47d5-ba8f-7c1be773801f-374164330%2C%2C&trackId=13752289" target="_blank">Netflix</a>). I watched the first three films and took in as much of the rest of the festival as I could between films. Up first on Sunday was <i>Elk Water</i>, about the Tule Elk at Point Reyes National Park, effectively being held captive and restricted from accessing natural water sources (which are dwindling due to the ongoing drought here in California) reserved for the dairy ranches on park land. You can get a gist of the issues <a href="https://restoreptreyesseashore.org/elkfilm/" target="_blank">here</a> and see tons of related videos from producer Skyler Thomas <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/WatchingHumans" target="_blank">here</a> (I suspect he'll add <i>Elk Water</i> eventually). Stylistically speaking, it wasn't my favorite film, but it was produced as a direct follow-up to <a href="https://youtu.be/z9OEQOy3v0E" target="_blank"><i>The Shame of Point Reyes</i></a>, (supporting data can be found on the related website <a href="https://shameofpointreyes.weebly.com/" target="_blank">here</a>) which kicked off this event back in 2020 (the event took place on the very land at the center of the documentaries!). There was a related panel discussion I was unable to attend because it conflicted with one of the other films.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvK61EHoSgj9wXbe-R3jw4HmT5UySEnfAfFuSHGJ2sAtIfY4vEWpVrcKWEAFyDPxycuiRbqAQVre2AX14bnCuYSzAsfTj0wOV0rwi_HIRjxKRC2-GQi5aWJ2uQp0d2Irm1jT25P6sDkgykoyNzPzjn7B4HfLHrp-ahDZGerZQL_TnJWQHQg/s4032/IMG_0750.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvK61EHoSgj9wXbe-R3jw4HmT5UySEnfAfFuSHGJ2sAtIfY4vEWpVrcKWEAFyDPxycuiRbqAQVre2AX14bnCuYSzAsfTj0wOV0rwi_HIRjxKRC2-GQi5aWJ2uQp0d2Irm1jT25P6sDkgykoyNzPzjn7B4HfLHrp-ahDZGerZQL_TnJWQHQg/s320/IMG_0750.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Loaded tostones from Oakland-based <a href="https://www.casaborinquena.com/" target="_blank">Casa Borinqueña</a> for lunch.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next up was <i><a href="https://youtu.be/JI1AOIclxf0" target="_blank">The End of Medicine</a></i>, about the relationship between animal agriculture (and our general treatment of animals) and things like pandemics and antibiotic resistance. It's not a good sign when someone says something like, "you think climate change is scary, just wait 'til you hear about <i>x</i>!" Most doctors, and by extension their human patients, are more knowledgeable about overprescribing antibiotics now, but there is effectively no regulation of antibiotic use in animal agriculture, which accounts for at least 70% of <i>all</i> antibiotic use. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria will kill us before climate change does if we don't make some dramatic changes soon.</p><p>The final film I watched was <i><a href="https://www.eating2extinction.com/" target="_blank">Eating Our Way To Extinction</a></i>, which takes a hard look at our increasingly insatiable appetite for animal meat and the disastrous effect fulfilling this desire is having on our planet (if you think being pescatarian is the solution, this is the film for you). This screening was preceded by <i><a href="https://vimeo.com/293352305" target="_blank">73 Cows</a></i>, which was probably my favorite short film, about one beef farmer's journey to transitioning to a plant-based farm in the UK (Miyoko's Creamery has a <a href="https://miyokos.com/pages/dairy-farm-transition" target="_blank">transition program</a> for dairy famers who want to make a similar change).</p><p>Have you noticed a theme yet? Are you surprised that it's not necessarily animal welfare? I tell people lately when they ask why I aim to live a vegan lifestyle that I came for the animals, and I stay for <i>all the other reasons</i>. The culprit in all of these films, whether they deal with native species, human communities (disproportionately affecting communities of color and lower-income folks), pandemics, or the planet is animal agriculture. If you think to yourself, sure I could kill a chicken in order to eat it, but you claim to care about any of these other issues, you should be very concerned. As Miyoko Schinner (of Rancho Compasión and Miyoko's Creamery) says in the <a href="https://unboundproject.org/miyoko-schinner-creamery/" target="_blank">Unbound Project short</a> that preceded the screening of <i>The End of Medicine</i>, "everyone is a pre-vegan." You can choose to make changes now or you can wait until it's too late to do so in a way that starts to curb some of the downright dystopic effects of slaughtering 80 billion animals each year so that 7.8 billion humans (minus the vegan and vegetarian ones, of course) can continue to eat meat. Because the world is not, in fact, your oyster! As <i>Eating Our Way to Extinction</i> suggests, and a question that came up in the panel discussion that followed the screening, we simply must turn our personal <i>desire</i> into personal <i>responsibility</i>.</p><p>I will admit I was apprehensive about attending this event. I had a hard time watching the documentary <i>Eyes</i> without crying (a short film about animal activists, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby" target="_blank">Moby</a> among them, who gather in the middle of the night to greet trucks full of pigs on their way to slaughter, to be witness to and give them some small comfort during their final moments of an otherwise miserable life). But I left the event feeling a guarded mix of energized, empowered, and hopeful. I'm encouraged by the fact that it's easier—and more delicious—than ever to be vegan, and buoyed by statistics like <a href="https://veganuary.com/veganuary-2022-biggest-year-yet/" target="_blank">these</a> (according to <a href="https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2022/03/1-in-10-americans-say-they-dont-eat-meat-a-growing-share-of-the-population/" target="_blank">this</a>, about 10% of American do not eat meat). But I worry, like I do with minimal progress on emissions and other climate-related solutions, that it's happening at a pace far too slow to make enough difference in time to avoid doing irreversible damage (not to mention the billions of animals that will suffer in the meantime). </p><p>But these concerns only underscore my commitment and my desire to share something I'm passionate about <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/1102617337/how-to-do-activism-and-avoid-burnout" target="_blank">in a joyful way</a> (animals are amazing! vegan baking is fun and delicious!). I'm grateful I'm not alone and that there are people with voices much louder than my own behind documentaries like these. <i>The End of Medicine</i> producer and actor Joaquin Phoenix, in <a href="https://youtu.be/qiiWdTz_MNc" target="_blank">his famous 2020 Oscar acceptance speech,</a> points to the commonalities of all these different issues celebrities use their platforms to address (a common theme in all of the festival's documentaries as well...everything is interconnected!). At the end of that speech he quotes his late brother, River, urging us all to "run to the rescue with love and peace will follow." Love and compassion, not just for the animals, but for the farmers and the workers involved in factory farming, the communities directly affected by these practices, and even the proud meat eaters who dismiss the research and data in documentaries like <i><a href="https://gamechangersmovie.com/" target="_blank">The Game Changers</a></i> as simply confirmation bias. As the late <a href="https://www.animals24-7.org/2021/02/08/vegan-animal-advocate-thomas-tommy-bloom-raskin-25/" target="_blank">Tommy Raskin</a> is oft-quoted as having said, "I’m working for a vegan world, not a vegan club." This is an all hands on deck situation, folks, not an exclusive club. You don't have to be perfect to make a difference. You don't have to attend the film festival to see the films (most of them are streaming for free!). The first step is to simply not look away.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-62985829931147966512022-04-13T14:47:00.006-07:002022-04-13T14:47:39.869-07:00pandemic diaries: the souvenir nobody wanted<p>After two years of being pretty darn careful, even for heightened Bay Area standards, COVID caught us. The pandemic diaries have officially been renewed for a third season! Welp. I'm fairly certain my son, and maybe I, brought it back from D.C. (I hinted at a follow-up post in my recap <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2022/04/5-days-in-dc.html" target="_blank">here</a>; not the <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/12/pandemic-diaries-encore.html" target="_blank">encore</a> we wanted). And we were being pretty careful there, too—everyone was vaccinated, masks were required everywhere except when outside, if not particularly crowded, when eating and drinking, and in hotel rooms. But there was a fair amount of unavoidable indoor dining and nobody has successfully figured out how to eat and drink and keep a mask on at the same time (maybe <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warmer-Cotton-Pollen-Conditioning-Stuffy/dp/B07JQW3NC4/ref=asc_df_B07JQW3NC4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312123657002&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9372233009883183491&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032059&hvtargid=pla-569739590299&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=62421705792&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312123657002&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9372233009883183491&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032059&hvtargid=pla-569739590299" target="_blank">these goofy things</a> which, in hindsight, don't seem so silly now). </p><p>When we returned home on Sunday evening, middle of the night east coast time, I was exhausted and had some irritation in my sinus passages and upper back portion of my throat. I chalked it up to the trip, the dry circulated air on the plane, etc. I woke up the next day to more cold-like symptoms (definite sore throat, runny nose) and news that at least one traveler had tested positive for COVID upon returning home. Crap. Elias and I did rapid home tests that morning (it was spring break and I am still 100% WFH so we were already effectively on a sort of ongoing lockdown). Negative. But because I was symptomatic I scheduled PCR tests for both of us just in case. Also negative. Could I have picked up a cold on a trip with folks who picked up COVID? Technically, it's possible. There are certainly other viruses circulating. I managed to work through Wednesday, taking just a half sick day on Monday to catch up from the trip (I cleaned two bathrooms and the litterbox and did a little vacuuming...this is what I do even when I'm not feeling well) and go to the drive-thru PCR test appointment. </p><p>Wednesday evening Elias seemed more tired than usual and right around bedtime looked flushed and was very warm. We took his temperature and sure enough, he had a fever of 102. He did another rapid test. Hella positive. I took another rapid test. Still negative. We locked it down through the weekend, canceling numerous plans (I'd taken Thursday and Friday off already but I'm still trying to sort out if I can swap those for sick days instead!). Daphne and I both tested negative on Friday; by then I was feeling mostly better, aside from a lingering cough I'm still trying to fully kick. Neal started to feel a slight sore throat on Friday night but waited until Saturday to test since testing too early can result in a false negative. Hella positive. Like, seriously, the line was so thick and dark it put the control line to shame. </p><p>Our house is really too small to effectively isolate anyone, and we don't have any friends with, say, spare condos in the area, but we jacked up the air purifier, wore N95 masks as much as possible, and, while it was summer-like for a few days late last week, opened the windows and turned on the fans. So far, Daphne continues to have no symptoms and test negative. Elias had the faintest of positive tests yesterday so he's still home from school today. We only have 2 home tests left so I'm tempted to just keep him home through the weekend; he can return to school on Monday either way. And I'd say he's about 95% recovered as far as symptoms go.</p><p>That's that. For now. A total of 6 negative tests later, I guess I'll never know if what I had was COVID, which is annoying when you think about a possible 4th booster in the nearish future. Do I get it or wait until any possible natural immunity wanes? But if I didn't have it, am I more susceptible during that period? I did find <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-getting-the-common-cold-may-decrease-your-risk-of-developing-covid-19#T-cells-kill-COVID-19-before-it-spreads" target="_blank">one article</a> that might explain my experience, but who knows. As far as catching COVID after 2+ years of avoiding it, it's tempting to feel like a failure, but I'm grateful we got it <i>after</i> the vaccines and the boosters. I'm also grateful we didn't catch it in the fall or even winter because I think I would have felt a lot more shame, guilt, even fear, and anxiety, and that's a real drag on top of everything else. It's too soon to say our cases won't develop into long COVID but I will say we've all had worse bugs. So at least there's that. But this thing sadly ain't over, folks.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-59134847838651827242022-04-12T12:09:00.002-07:002022-04-12T12:33:21.298-07:005 days in D.C.<p>I recently chaperoned my 8th grader's class trip to Washington, D.C. When Omicron started to surge right after the New Year, I worried the trip would be canceled as it had been the two years prior. But I think we just managed to squeeze in between the Omicron surge and whatever BA2 is going to do. Sort of. But more about that in a follow-up post.</p><p>I should preface this by saying that when the school started discussing this trip, and the need for chaperones, in the fall, I knew I'd probably want to step forward. I love traveling, increasingly longing for <i>anything</i> to interrupt the tedium of the past two years, and I genuinely enjoy chaperoning school field trips. I haven't chaperoned any middle school field trips, mainly because there haven't been many (none since the first half of 6th grade), so I decided that if my 8th grader didn't object, I'd volunteer. I think he may have been motivated by the false hope that I'd be able to smuggle his cell phone to him in spite of a no cell phone policy, but either way, he said he wouldn't mind so I filled out the form. </p><p>We saw so much over the course of our nearly five days in D.C. I already posted a list on my newsletter, which you can check out <a href="https://beckybird.substack.com/p/101-206-steps?s=w" target="_blank">here</a>. For this blog post, I thought I'd flesh out that itinerary with some images and reflections.</p><p>Day 0: redeye flight from SFO to IAD</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48ZsHZBZbM6sakMkCb6mmAgouZcxIJWZAUnntftxAzhttazbI4GZcvT4w79-Yf6QlLs_13m0byQHHR4pKvI4OnIv78IagbVWUTZIPTcWnJ_byrxi8Jhx3eBPHxRo_PLqbKF75188nggUaTcsedYMa6SyQSKKfUU6jCvkyyZwjXTY_l-keVg/s3088/IMG_6972.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48ZsHZBZbM6sakMkCb6mmAgouZcxIJWZAUnntftxAzhttazbI4GZcvT4w79-Yf6QlLs_13m0byQHHR4pKvI4OnIv78IagbVWUTZIPTcWnJ_byrxi8Jhx3eBPHxRo_PLqbKF75188nggUaTcsedYMa6SyQSKKfUU6jCvkyyZwjXTY_l-keVg/s320/IMG_6972.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>Neal and Daphne drove us to the airport on Tuesday evening to meet up with the other families, in particular the other students in our chaperone group. I was partnered with a teacher, which was great, not only because he was great, but because it was nice to have a parent-teacher combo. The kids were overall really well-behaved, engaged, respectful, etc., but sometimes it takes a teacher to get their attention and cooperation. Together we were responsible for 8 students, including Elias. The only challenge here was that chaperone groups didn't necessarily match friend and/or room groups. The kids got along well enough but they got really tired of my repeated attempts to get chaperone group pictures to text to their parents. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMMsmizYo6bvNVTzSHqASe59rEMiAxoDQh43eNO-4VwmI3NmxJxl-PA-FnuD1l7Sb1Vbrj0EodD_wxNm60Oxd4Tb_XTlT08j1G5T28Wf_4g_Og6PzIc9ouG8ZmTkW03vnpqTJQk1Mej3ORqbE0H-bWJD70y3J2jQm3vCMzbW-IhsYP2ekfw/s3088/IMG_6976.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMMsmizYo6bvNVTzSHqASe59rEMiAxoDQh43eNO-4VwmI3NmxJxl-PA-FnuD1l7Sb1Vbrj0EodD_wxNm60Oxd4Tb_XTlT08j1G5T28Wf_4g_Og6PzIc9ouG8ZmTkW03vnpqTJQk1Mej3ORqbE0H-bWJD70y3J2jQm3vCMzbW-IhsYP2ekfw/s320/IMG_6976.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>Anyway, we made it through security to the gate without incident and had plenty of time for everyone to get dinner, fill up water bottles, etc. The kids were pretty quiet on the flight so I assume most got at least some sleep. Elias and I were prepared with neck pillows, eye masks, and ear plugs, but it wasn't exactly a great night of sleep. I was so tired when the plane landed in D.C.</p><p>Day 1: National Museum of the US Army, Monuments & Memorials on the National Mall, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2eAygGWMqwrZ0JJslKE2SSH19OodpbVAlA7bD_pxnT0ins0BNEUdE1Gbc58n_Tdrp-sI0L4Udv-4DYuKLSOiqUlpg_BzNcwTsFb67j1coDCgONZuE18-yioCvZT5EPxZqjEC4fElguNOPSznuRmtRLNEWiwmIcPcL1wy48Ko_48glSRRww/s4032/IMG_6981.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2eAygGWMqwrZ0JJslKE2SSH19OodpbVAlA7bD_pxnT0ins0BNEUdE1Gbc58n_Tdrp-sI0L4Udv-4DYuKLSOiqUlpg_BzNcwTsFb67j1coDCgONZuE18-yioCvZT5EPxZqjEC4fElguNOPSznuRmtRLNEWiwmIcPcL1wy48Ko_48glSRRww/s320/IMG_6981.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>The redeye flight was just a little over four hours from takeoff to landing, so no matter how you slept on the plane, you were operating on a sleep deficit for the first packed day. From the airport, after freshening up a bit, we met our tour guides and bus drivers (2 of each for the duration of the trip). Our Bus, Bus B, was cursed, as we'll discover why a little later on. From the airport we drove to our first stop—the <a href="https://www.thenmusa.org/" target="_blank">National Museum of the US Army</a>—by way of a cluster of fast food joints for breakfast and, most importantly, caffeine. We had a couple of hours at the museum before lunch at the Pentagon City Mall and on to the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/nama/index.htm" target="_blank">National Mall</a> to walk around the monuments and memorials. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfeeqAHWsLPoxIGWeX5bUIENJTITCZL0q6kqVqBVnAA2iukMhTt32zA03jEyaD_ZIDtfd5rOZJplEum-j7w57nsfjNg6eEKExYxNlW5tQ0xGzZ7QqX-LRp1Gc-uw0i4WB6tyrhTPcTBo9-BLuy6IDjiGsNxo-jGa8gAZ2ZCJTnMKDEhdTEQ/s4032/IMG_7049.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizfeeqAHWsLPoxIGWeX5bUIENJTITCZL0q6kqVqBVnAA2iukMhTt32zA03jEyaD_ZIDtfd5rOZJplEum-j7w57nsfjNg6eEKExYxNlW5tQ0xGzZ7QqX-LRp1Gc-uw0i4WB6tyrhTPcTBo9-BLuy6IDjiGsNxo-jGa8gAZ2ZCJTnMKDEhdTEQ/s320/IMG_7049.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>From there we moved on to the <a href="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/" target="_blank">Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History</a> plus dinner at a restaurant on the way to our hotel. </p><p>I lucked out and got upgraded to a single, private room, and honestly, that was a total game-changer. If my daughter goes to the same school and I chaperone her trip (or any other like it), I will pay extra to have a private room. That said, our first night at the hotel was a late one, since we got checked in relatively late and still had to debrief as a chaperone group, something we did every night after the kids were all tucked in in their rooms. I slept so soundly those first couple of nights (but still woke up tired!). My strategy was to get up and be partially ready before I had to wake up the students in the room I was responsible for (different than my chaperone group). That first morning I snuck down to the hotel breakfast before the kids did and, not to be a food snob, but let's just say I walked across the street to Starbucks every subsequent morning. The waffle maker, however, was a big hit with the kids. Later that second day I bought a giant blueberry muffin that served as my breakfast for the following two mornings, alongside a soy latte and a banana. I'd also brought some vegan granola/cereal bars. After the first breakfast, I smuggled a banana to Elias each morning (what hotel doesn't at least have bananas?).</p><p>Day 2: US Capitol Building, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Inner Harbor for a Dinner Cruise</p><p>The night before, upon discovering that the tour company had not in fact secured us group tickets to the <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/" target="_blank">Museum of African American History and Culture</a>, as requested, we decided we'd try as a group to get enough individual tickets for everyone when that day's tickets were released in the morning at 8:15 a.m. And we were successful! But first, we drove to the <a href="https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/" target="_blank">US Capitol Building</a> for a photo op in our matching red t-shirts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UQJwF_XHAabP0-xL7ExyDlylwePheBOPtNjKl0WlD-TPx1rUoOSfCFcfMr2FQzCGXZ1nm246IML11w9e0N0nX1DsPXwvVhQlxB04zOcXGXjiv-ehWynntlVE7YCYC83DfyS8XICjhO72eZdBndpEsGMBthdbYKod7Ouy7xqcp4gtYSBTVw/s4032/IMG_7119.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8UQJwF_XHAabP0-xL7ExyDlylwePheBOPtNjKl0WlD-TPx1rUoOSfCFcfMr2FQzCGXZ1nm246IML11w9e0N0nX1DsPXwvVhQlxB04zOcXGXjiv-ehWynntlVE7YCYC83DfyS8XICjhO72eZdBndpEsGMBthdbYKod7Ouy7xqcp4gtYSBTVw/s320/IMG_7119.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>From there we moved on to the <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/" target="_blank">museum</a>. It was packed. We spent so much time waiting in line first to get in, then to get to the bottom half of the museum, and again for lunch at the cafe. I mean, what else can I say, it's heavy stuff. And a few hours is not enough time. One also needs time to take in the building, both from outside and within. The <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/sweet-home-cafe" target="_blank">cafe</a> is excellent. I recommend spending a full day there, with a lunch break at the cafe in the middle.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySnt7Hqdv66qQ8Mz7LlczWB1nMmAejZWsdQNlXczuW8SskgjTHcg1EsYZyRt9FAAeRzRQx9RygEzR4mxWx4tvHlkc5XkzmfgbLzK9ta6vxT2-Tt7O7Ik4pI3vVq9XWhwVBwCwwspJsdXeG6RRjRMaWEndsLe3FuKFSSp2iB8l9Uc-Ov7jyA/s4032/IMG_7167.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiySnt7Hqdv66qQ8Mz7LlczWB1nMmAejZWsdQNlXczuW8SskgjTHcg1EsYZyRt9FAAeRzRQx9RygEzR4mxWx4tvHlkc5XkzmfgbLzK9ta6vxT2-Tt7O7Ik4pI3vVq9XWhwVBwCwwspJsdXeG6RRjRMaWEndsLe3FuKFSSp2iB8l9Uc-Ov7jyA/s320/IMG_7167.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>We stopped at a general gift shop on our way back to the hotel, where we had an hour or so to freshen up for the Inner Harbor dinner cruise. Not gonna lie, this was not my favorite part of the trip—especially given we didn't leave the harbor due to choppy water—but the kids had a blast. A thunder storm was moving north of us so that provided a cool, if slightly concerning, backdrop to some upper deck outdoor photos before they sent us inside again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uCvT97Gj9N4a1_aTz16StqCY7MRywfRfgxcbwu0BMJaJHCCebt1LE41-Ot_gXOgHskbu-AsHICTHj8OznehmzRw-xFPc1nDNpIMte1t6TarkajT__YvCs8RuRmb0cYdgWs3I-SSbxMNJakY77gI0DP1CFBO-k1GrHUMDW0nyjRgsC_8bzw/s4032/IMG_7226.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uCvT97Gj9N4a1_aTz16StqCY7MRywfRfgxcbwu0BMJaJHCCebt1LE41-Ot_gXOgHskbu-AsHICTHj8OznehmzRw-xFPc1nDNpIMte1t6TarkajT__YvCs8RuRmb0cYdgWs3I-SSbxMNJakY77gI0DP1CFBO-k1GrHUMDW0nyjRgsC_8bzw/s320/IMG_7226.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>The party was extended for Bus B when it was discovered that Bus B had a flat. Another late night settling in to the hotel. Mind you, we chaperones also had to fit in phone calls to parents once or twice a day for each of our 8 "chapees," as we affectionately called them. We took advantage of the extra time on the boat that night to do just that.</p><p>Day 3: George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, The White House, and National Harbor</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hewjmEKhNc_SGkq0jdM5wqur4tVFO51iookyxvXfl3KSKCi6QvtghhKkd6HyXv6b_9Yq6aso9tJBR-b0xBs6bgi4gW6DPluzIq7rwBIu_6lgFOTYwYjoZPn-CaQ_XWvyDr6qZQT5h4F6G-UYKP4Y85DYvfMg8QuxRRLVlxr0oaEgsuozIQ/s4032/IMG_7271.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hewjmEKhNc_SGkq0jdM5wqur4tVFO51iookyxvXfl3KSKCi6QvtghhKkd6HyXv6b_9Yq6aso9tJBR-b0xBs6bgi4gW6DPluzIq7rwBIu_6lgFOTYwYjoZPn-CaQ_XWvyDr6qZQT5h4F6G-UYKP4Y85DYvfMg8QuxRRLVlxr0oaEgsuozIQ/s320/IMG_7271.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>I was really looking forward to <a href="https://www.mountvernon.org/" target="_blank">Mt. Vernon</a> since this was one of the stops on the itinerary that I hadn't visited before (I lived in two D.C. suburbs—Springfield and Manassas— for 2nd and 3rd grades, and we returned as a family in 2019). As with almost every place we visited, I wished we'd had more time to explore. We spent way too long waiting in line to use our lunch vouchers provided by the tour company, and apparently if you order a veggie burger with a meal voucher they refuse to "dress it" with lettuce or tomato. Worst meal of the trip. The gift shops are nice but they were so crowded. And one thing I learned on this trip is that I am not ready for crowds! I may never be.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY1_r4Q1SiKT0kK2JJdyflKIXE8mo1hXHcnuvrRHxLUCOVx9v7XuJOBV66R-6I298d-MwjmEr-ABGkVmD8n1GEEvPgvS5PzBYeGl4-ejJoMOg9uSNKyP35oeN1RMD2BXPx_aC110Ijdf1vWnV2_BwS4bkuV3Egw3E3PixYYW2Z7T2yJiXZg/s4032/IMG_7304.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJY1_r4Q1SiKT0kK2JJdyflKIXE8mo1hXHcnuvrRHxLUCOVx9v7XuJOBV66R-6I298d-MwjmEr-ABGkVmD8n1GEEvPgvS5PzBYeGl4-ejJoMOg9uSNKyP35oeN1RMD2BXPx_aC110Ijdf1vWnV2_BwS4bkuV3Egw3E3PixYYW2Z7T2yJiXZg/s320/IMG_7304.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>From Mt. Vernon we drove to <a href="https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/#/" target="_blank">Arlington National Cemetery</a>. We walked around with our tour guide, observed one of 31 funeral processions scheduled for that day, and spent about ten minutes (too long) watching the guard pace back and forth before the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the <a href="https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Tomb-of-the-Unknown-Soldier" target="_blank">Tomb of the Unknown Soldier</a>. We observed him interrupt his pacing to firmly request silence and respect from another school group chatting and giggling as they sat down on the steps, so that was exciting. Our group of students was collectively quiet as a mouse after that!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRp2Y6IDJgKImJ28V-L4O2YbCDpYRbkeiI796CY9oEnLf7qC7sF7w6jg_hV7B1UdSvxgMm4NKa2BmeO2Mjx_vkffb3yqQWJwdip60I8r7vawfV9bgHnRMq2ePX0qJ7BbdqiQP1I8oGPMl69JswWhk3aHVLVpCncjr6GzEbGCKLH1Tn_GpsA/s4032/IMG_7324.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRp2Y6IDJgKImJ28V-L4O2YbCDpYRbkeiI796CY9oEnLf7qC7sF7w6jg_hV7B1UdSvxgMm4NKa2BmeO2Mjx_vkffb3yqQWJwdip60I8r7vawfV9bgHnRMq2ePX0qJ7BbdqiQP1I8oGPMl69JswWhk3aHVLVpCncjr6GzEbGCKLH1Tn_GpsA/s320/IMG_7324.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>After Arlington National Cemetery we took a quick detour to the sadly fenced and barricaded <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/" target="_blank">White House</a> for a few photos (hard to see the janky barricade from the photo above but let me tell you it is sad and janky and totally blocks the view of the bottom half of the building and grounds). When we got back to Bus B, we discovered that cursed Bus B wouldn't start. Bus A had already departed so the plan became this: get Bus A to the <a href="https://www.nationalharbor.com/" target="_blank">National Harbor</a>—a 30-minute drive—before returning to the White House area to pick up the occupants of Bus B, the battery woes of which would be remedied while we too ate dinner and explored <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Awakening_(sculpture)" target="_blank">The Awakening</a> statue in the very cold wind. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9vcyX_g25_aA3VP4U7N4NEMnBTSRn7csypydQtXDC94VogCJ06f7Kn767dKLdg8MF3s6-8Ygm5v8sEJ2eZOv6QNtUhjJFj3F9k7skDOyYtHW5SmdinerA9QmegLqA8K79awrxO1ElrqpDfX1kXZo0kpucV8Fwk3k6RI2Jkx3PszokTbjlw/s1440/4B938F32-21CE-4B0F-8881-C6F9A60D8F11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9vcyX_g25_aA3VP4U7N4NEMnBTSRn7csypydQtXDC94VogCJ06f7Kn767dKLdg8MF3s6-8Ygm5v8sEJ2eZOv6QNtUhjJFj3F9k7skDOyYtHW5SmdinerA9QmegLqA8K79awrxO1ElrqpDfX1kXZo0kpucV8Fwk3k6RI2Jkx3PszokTbjlw/s320/4B938F32-21CE-4B0F-8881-C6F9A60D8F11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>It was a relatively early night back at the hotel where kids who wanted to could fill out postcards to send back home and to their fundraising donors. I was delighted by the size of the stack produced that evening in the breakfast area of the hotel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VKSbNY7X6dM2lGFKOLUHByBP7kHkGoTdlbl04kO_SEM-JxZsJyrFeqZxzxcldyvxldD14BEQQcDyvnR-8T35ZHtNobMip0s6Y9DbeEGiiyy70x-cCqPRdX7hjlqHlsptNkxD9hbRwoTQKuQ88PFECQ7Kz3wsulmJODhGxUbRCql9_ojxsg/s1600/050109d2-2117-417a-aa20-4412f58ee629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5VKSbNY7X6dM2lGFKOLUHByBP7kHkGoTdlbl04kO_SEM-JxZsJyrFeqZxzxcldyvxldD14BEQQcDyvnR-8T35ZHtNobMip0s6Y9DbeEGiiyy70x-cCqPRdX7hjlqHlsptNkxD9hbRwoTQKuQ88PFECQ7Kz3wsulmJODhGxUbRCql9_ojxsg/s320/050109d2-2117-417a-aa20-4412f58ee629.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Day 4: Thomas Jefferson Memorial (and cherry blossoms!), Arts + Industries Building, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFkT3TTLCA_uZdAIKAlzH5ga_Ns9jMxXQZ7kL7b2RiIu1MLUD-EGM7h2q5aVBjRKSSjmv0Achh53O0eCob_KQUqO7c3q0sBF_CdYDBfLabqz9wobPky-v2Gzhhi88h_SUgBXIfVxf1BIP2-vr72M-Ju1G4Pz0gzJ1xV6xEYG5XUcWl2pf2Q/s4032/IMG_7352.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFkT3TTLCA_uZdAIKAlzH5ga_Ns9jMxXQZ7kL7b2RiIu1MLUD-EGM7h2q5aVBjRKSSjmv0Achh53O0eCob_KQUqO7c3q0sBF_CdYDBfLabqz9wobPky-v2Gzhhi88h_SUgBXIfVxf1BIP2-vr72M-Ju1G4Pz0gzJ1xV6xEYG5XUcWl2pf2Q/s320/IMG_7352.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>First stop of day 4 was the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/thje/index.htm" target="_blank">Jefferson Memorial</a> and a short walk around part of the lake to check out the last of the <a href="https://www.bloomcam.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxtSSBhDYARIsAEn0thTWVm_GD-mhbZGysd0CNI4fYXsa_U1_kZQzt0Q4KgjHCcqlp-YvmfoaAss_EALw_wcB" target="_blank">cherry blossoms</a> (wish I'd known about the bloom cam before...although, it would have been about 6 a.m. west coast time when we were there!).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DbCPJxwn5LPt7rrEwjYddEqagP-eLEiu3QcikCDmOJ2Z2Fbt0XzAbc08zhZuZX98pSJqNlfUSmFhqSXGzSblRnxYqZ5PPYzwYP7_hcjEJI7pj1nC1mscW14oHyL0YwioYtALQn77qiKIYsLuMV3DU4dwsaF-Adi2vdy1BP7vB-utHjwemA/s1440/9CDAE0D7-7525-46C3-904A-45DD2D162B0F.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DbCPJxwn5LPt7rrEwjYddEqagP-eLEiu3QcikCDmOJ2Z2Fbt0XzAbc08zhZuZX98pSJqNlfUSmFhqSXGzSblRnxYqZ5PPYzwYP7_hcjEJI7pj1nC1mscW14oHyL0YwioYtALQn77qiKIYsLuMV3DU4dwsaF-Adi2vdy1BP7vB-utHjwemA/s320/9CDAE0D7-7525-46C3-904A-45DD2D162B0F.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>From there, we'd decided the night before to check out the <a href="https://www.aib.si.edu/" target="_blank">Arts & Industries Building</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9D8ldkXy5do63Z-H0GUFJz9tncwuydcvlJ7e6LTk0XeRkQlifZj9nrpn6B0r1Eq9ZJS3FmNwle_j9KwPTBTrJemf-c5HuWgBa9VD4VHO8jvZnmCvwF__A0XQbUcBaSUjwI7sYBGmrywDgXVLReXlcy99SUfvR44YWgNFG66yhI1Id7zwVg/s4032/IMG_7394.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9D8ldkXy5do63Z-H0GUFJz9tncwuydcvlJ7e6LTk0XeRkQlifZj9nrpn6B0r1Eq9ZJS3FmNwle_j9KwPTBTrJemf-c5HuWgBa9VD4VHO8jvZnmCvwF__A0XQbUcBaSUjwI7sYBGmrywDgXVLReXlcy99SUfvR44YWgNFG66yhI1Id7zwVg/s320/IMG_7394.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>This was probably the only place we visited where I felt like we had enough time to look around. It was fun to see the kids engage and interact with so much cool stuff. The other thing I liked about this day from this point on was the walking to and from destinations compared to hopping on and off the cursed Bus B (the only downside to this is that middle schoolers are apparently not very good at staying to the right half of a busy city sidewalk; they're like liquid, filling whatever form they collectively occupy!). From the A+I building we walked to <a href="https://www.lenfantplaza.com/" target="_blank">L'Enfant Plaza</a> for lunch. After lunch we walked to the <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/" target="_blank">Holocaust Museum</a>. Apparently there was another mixup with tickets, with only about half of the tickets provided by the tour company for the afternoon slot we all wanted. So earlier that day a group of chaperones had again snagged some individual tickets online (most D.C. museums are free but you still need advance tickets and total number of tickets at each location are limited each day). But this meant some groups, including mine, had to wait a bit. Perfect opportunity for my kid to call the other half of our family back here in Oakland; with all my energy focused on making sure the other kids in our group called their parents each day, I'd completely blanked on having Elias call home the previous two days! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhcwP1xqKcFaZaNZWt6x2vMnwLwbOijQlSgYTVVSJw_RcX_Ma10P-4aeKNknB5ITi5kHt1AqqSdl3rLMRKBAzcVXkorJ9nig3dTPTC9txLixBM3IvlnLQQGLXfbpDSbVrL9ca4suHzXzHfFNHKm0Is3ioFSCwfSIYoHruT-aKjttGBrSAVA/s4032/IMG_7452.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdhcwP1xqKcFaZaNZWt6x2vMnwLwbOijQlSgYTVVSJw_RcX_Ma10P-4aeKNknB5ITi5kHt1AqqSdl3rLMRKBAzcVXkorJ9nig3dTPTC9txLixBM3IvlnLQQGLXfbpDSbVrL9ca4suHzXzHfFNHKm0Is3ioFSCwfSIYoHruT-aKjttGBrSAVA/s320/IMG_7452.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><p>The Holocaust Museum, like the Museum of African American History and Culture and some of the monuments and memorials we saw earlier, is extremely somber. And we did not have enough time, despite allowing an extra hour or so beyond what was originally allocated on the itinerary. I like how both museums kind of move you through the space according to the narrative arcs of those histories. After the museum, we sat on the grass near the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm" target="_blank">Washington Monument</a> to decompress and debrief in reflection circles. We had dinner at Uno Pizzeria and checked out the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/mlkm/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm" target="_blank">MLK Memorial</a> a little after sunset before returning to the hotel for our final night in D.C.</p><p>Day 5: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center + flight home to SFO!</p><p>The cherry blossom 10-miler happening in D.C. on Sunday meant we had to omit an item or two from our itinerary, but honestly, I'm so glad we did. I think everyone was feeling the effects of our whirlwind pace by that point. We had about an hour and a half to wander around the <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center" target="_blank">Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center</a> on our own (everywhere we went, depending on the location, we were either "tight" with our chaperone groups or "loose" and free to wander around until a specific time to return to a meet-up point), with a check-in break at lunch (Firehouse Subs lunch boxes on the benches outside the Museum), and just enough time after lunch to watch one of the IMAX movies. We all thought we'd have a ton of time at the airport, leaving the museum around 2:30 for a 5:55 pm flight, but it was nonstop until it was time to board. Sorting 100+ boarding passes takes time, as does getting that many kids and adults through security. To add to the chaos, once my group got to the gate, excited that we were finally not the last group to arrive somewhere, we discovered our gate had changed and, this being IAD, had to take one of those weird, wide buses over to an entirely different area of the airport. Which was a real bummer because our original gate was in what appeared to be a much nicer, newer part of the airport with better dining options. But wait, there's more! On top of all this, when we got to the correct gate, one of the students in my group announced that he'd left his backpack on the bus thing. Fortunately, we were able to retrieve it but let's just say I clocked a lot of airport steps that day. I had just enough time to hit the bathrooms, refill my water bottle, and grab a veggie sandwich from a deli chain I can't recall the name of now. I also bought some chocolate I intended to enjoy with some red wine on the plane as a little reward to myself, but United's "contactless" method of payment is way too fussy. I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home, slept for about an hour, and we were home. I've yet to have that glass of wine, but again, more about that in a follow-up post.</p><p>Overall, I had so much fun. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised by how generally pretty great the kids were. They were well-behaved, quiet and respectful when they needed to be, polite and friendly when they were separated from their friend groups for one reason or another, a little goofy as this in-between age tends to be, which I love, never complained about all the walking, and thoughtful and reflective in ways I think they'll carry with them for a long time.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-34885195145281120192022-03-21T18:03:00.010-07:002022-03-21T18:17:22.234-07:00the race that took me 2 1/2 years to run<p>In my last <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/05/running-through-pandemic-plateau.html" target="_blank">running-related recap</a>, I mentioned the <a href="https://www.alameda10miler.com/" target="_blank">Alameda 10-miler</a> I signed up for to help kickstart my eventual (re)training for the 2022 Oakland Running Festival (having deferred to the in-person option in 2022 versus a virtual race after the 2020 festival was canceled due to the pandemic). I wasn't terribly well-prepared for the 10-miler, having by then plateaued at a couple of 5Ks around the lake each week, but I ran it anyway, and actually had a pretty good experience. I walked a couple of miles overall, but I finished within my goal and it was really lovely to run a race with other runners and all the usual fanfare. As I mention in this <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/12/pandemic-diaries-encore.html" target="_blank">more recent post</a>, I then started to have knee issues that I thought might be a meniscus tear but an MRI eventually ruled that out. Just some lowkey arthritis in my right (and probably left) knee(s). After a 3-month hiatus, I started running again in January. I hated it for about a month but I did eventually get over the hump (it always takes me about 3-4 weeks to get back into running after a break), but not really with enough time to properly ramp up for a half-marathon. My longest training run was just six miles. Welp. I seriously contemplated skipping it altogether. But considering, if you think about it, that I've been preparing for this race for two and a half years, I knew I'd regret it if I didn't at least give it a try. There's also something really powerful about—finally—checking a goal off one's pre-pandemic to do list. I was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaP8cGPPYbD/" target="_blank">feeling pretty bummed</a> out about the whole thing, about this feeling of loss and reflecting on how different my life is now compared to two years ago, in both good and not so good ways. But I did it. In the end, I just fucking did it. It wasn't the race it would have been two years ago, but it's done. At last! And it felt really good.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoMZH2rEQ6Z1xl98r4pvozORBNUnKnUHc2R8NFBFm57RO0DrEwRrXqx29FnwZCqMOzjZb33piXZiSx692vJR-woJYIAPsjGSKz1zCh8FNo1CiiGKXOeIast9MXqeE8A_UQ5eO3IuqdxcIAdUDhLUM_yaspi3Sh8LR-AfXNNpRfOku-bhaesg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoMZH2rEQ6Z1xl98r4pvozORBNUnKnUHc2R8NFBFm57RO0DrEwRrXqx29FnwZCqMOzjZb33piXZiSx692vJR-woJYIAPsjGSKz1zCh8FNo1CiiGKXOeIast9MXqeE8A_UQ5eO3IuqdxcIAdUDhLUM_yaspi3Sh8LR-AfXNNpRfOku-bhaesg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>But, let's be honest, it also felt kinda bad, at least from about mile 11 on. Kids, do not try this at home! Do as I say, not as I do! Etc, etc. Ideally, I would have spent 10-15 weeks ramping up to a final long training run of about 12 miles. But I also knew that once I got over the return-to-running hump (I didn't <i>hate</i> it, I wasn't in constant pain, and my lungs didn't feel like they were going to burst into flames a half mile in), it was at least partially a mental game to finish 13.1 miles. And with a generous course time limit (about 15 minutes per mile) I felt fairly confident that I could finish in time even if I had to walk half of it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgj-rzEiqXCPAfAOt_wIgyCLUNEboEDzBqmqBC34tTmdqNbjv5vtXTtTT1nCgGBQEzpGxtZEyq2iGBZQNfGlpoj5SqvAN-5mMm9sC82nwcyIrIqgNQ7Ees0IHe3M5nYevMz8QBUV9Wu1LOwYXAcjOnGb4QDLfgvfoxt65fmEc8X-bxpclLo-g=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgj-rzEiqXCPAfAOt_wIgyCLUNEboEDzBqmqBC34tTmdqNbjv5vtXTtTT1nCgGBQEzpGxtZEyq2iGBZQNfGlpoj5SqvAN-5mMm9sC82nwcyIrIqgNQ7Ees0IHe3M5nYevMz8QBUV9Wu1LOwYXAcjOnGb4QDLfgvfoxt65fmEc8X-bxpclLo-g=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>And obviously, when you go into something like this with a mindset of <i>finishing</i> versus <i>owning</i> it, that changes your experience of it. One of the best moments of the entire race was just a couple of miles in. A woman who had run the 5K earlier was on the course, proudly wearing her medal, cheering other runners on. She said all the usual things—good job runners, you're doing great, you got this!—but she also said, "enjoy it!" And you know what, I really did have a great time. I'm not sure I've ever enjoyed a race, or even a run, as much as I enjoyed yesterday's event. Some highlights along the way:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_vDwoQaNXw3aKIo6Csd-wbHk9iTc2s1BsN4ptU8YYYMVJGX7YjjZtYfSlA4Q5F_ijn8i8pAXIZi7p9S5M2_eC5pdiSAkPQ9CGPW908oNiXkZgsHTHH2iwI3mcsa8v4uxy8ddvrzS2R8rkws1304vBeq2jMTq5LNPtVAEd1YLHx228_okmSg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_vDwoQaNXw3aKIo6Csd-wbHk9iTc2s1BsN4ptU8YYYMVJGX7YjjZtYfSlA4Q5F_ijn8i8pAXIZi7p9S5M2_eC5pdiSAkPQ9CGPW908oNiXkZgsHTHH2iwI3mcsa8v4uxy8ddvrzS2R8rkws1304vBeq2jMTq5LNPtVAEd1YLHx228_okmSg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>I loved this runner's shirt. I stayed right behind her for several miles but at some point I lost sight of her. I'm pretty sure I was still behind her, though, so I was that runner, slower than the self-proclaimed slow runner.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5Mx8vrP5837hDobhYRMOtZPaR7FMGhxLkvhsFgFgYr2ZBEvpmYKxNfgy0hQBtDDSp0fFcFfXOzgPY7pTMMzI_F288qF9P2vyJPIazqvNEcahgfPTspK6X6G-Q-RUUNmb5Okqo0i3W37GvH06-W7gvsScqoEfGrdoU98ZisKu8bHf5bKDOxg=s1440" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5Mx8vrP5837hDobhYRMOtZPaR7FMGhxLkvhsFgFgYr2ZBEvpmYKxNfgy0hQBtDDSp0fFcFfXOzgPY7pTMMzI_F288qF9P2vyJPIazqvNEcahgfPTspK6X6G-Q-RUUNmb5Okqo0i3W37GvH06-W7gvsScqoEfGrdoU98ZisKu8bHf5bKDOxg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Dude, I ran through fire! <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2012/04/dude-i-ran-through-fire.html" target="_blank">Again</a>! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE_nYfnrUBS3140KKBPpS34jAnxWGiDzOeItj7vmV-ecIj_hKX8Te0bQee5jmQcdK-53HVfERmOoaAcpH43UNEse-uWRxSGkxoP3lWe7x6f5aaZyhaMwhssOQIFmHxx8tMrQSbywrRAwROsVga5eaHKTIwL-qnk2HXD1p7ks4-D1L_YJg54A=s1440" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE_nYfnrUBS3140KKBPpS34jAnxWGiDzOeItj7vmV-ecIj_hKX8Te0bQee5jmQcdK-53HVfERmOoaAcpH43UNEse-uWRxSGkxoP3lWe7x6f5aaZyhaMwhssOQIFmHxx8tMrQSbywrRAwROsVga5eaHKTIwL-qnk2HXD1p7ks4-D1L_YJg54A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>The Paramount marquee welcoming the Oakland marathon.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeYy_BrndWVuk1uGff6lsaRpn-9CxEBNiLF8iOGWEKWkDSvaXbu9XjvN5s_2idWE9sNGowvDVKKVdY202EfpUvA1yCaDG8R72hGNwYbMHxOs3nIfoR6QM7W5gOIA1HROHpfmXbHoIHaOg__gAG5PEINRU4VQn2zDzDKVwrtzVQAPp4eZ7T-Q=s1440" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeYy_BrndWVuk1uGff6lsaRpn-9CxEBNiLF8iOGWEKWkDSvaXbu9XjvN5s_2idWE9sNGowvDVKKVdY202EfpUvA1yCaDG8R72hGNwYbMHxOs3nIfoR6QM7W5gOIA1HROHpfmXbHoIHaOg__gAG5PEINRU4VQn2zDzDKVwrtzVQAPp4eZ7T-Q=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bling and the fam. I actually wasn't expecting them to be there at the finish. Not that they weren't cheering me on in spirit, but we didn't talk about meeting up at the end. I figured they'd go about their day, I'd drive myself home, take a shower, collapse, and we'd celebrate later. So it was such a nice surprise to see them. I may have cried a little.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsRnrpvyGdQEbIAwMNJODin3PUy_ii8-fGNGL2Z4bRX1tN0cGQ-3GbWh37nRW7QFE1v3ErgXnq1djAH9VUm7W8WotE3X87Q5AbW-bIU2bqhe8yvRB6t3uwI6yACI864u_-uFLHWL5eM1A9D6kgxv7_hdCm1wze8YFWaXuFGHD95tEsTOnILg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsRnrpvyGdQEbIAwMNJODin3PUy_ii8-fGNGL2Z4bRX1tN0cGQ-3GbWh37nRW7QFE1v3ErgXnq1djAH9VUm7W8WotE3X87Q5AbW-bIU2bqhe8yvRB6t3uwI6yACI864u_-uFLHWL5eM1A9D6kgxv7_hdCm1wze8YFWaXuFGHD95tEsTOnILg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>But celebrate later, we did (with, among other things, my favorite red blend from <a href="https://clinecellars.com/farmhouse-wines" target="_blank">Farmhouse Wines</a>). You can see a few additional videos of the entertainment along the route on my Instagram post <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbVq2G6PYzd/" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilxJ50uvs1WfPSN-wLIlKAieWczThzoRlXvFf8JxcT98fMzpazRFX5_5Ai_qOD9k6O6IsPQRVhHx4iCSN67hfzK4BCPU_16s1s2yzFOCrXxNCB-XaYMtG1Slxw_2fwDYfxEs6ap3E752fcKBu_AS4zTtxL6uYeTSdjrg4TtpSyXFblp_xdJA=s591" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="591" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilxJ50uvs1WfPSN-wLIlKAieWczThzoRlXvFf8JxcT98fMzpazRFX5_5Ai_qOD9k6O6IsPQRVhHx4iCSN67hfzK4BCPU_16s1s2yzFOCrXxNCB-XaYMtG1Slxw_2fwDYfxEs6ap3E752fcKBu_AS4zTtxL6uYeTSdjrg4TtpSyXFblp_xdJA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://twitter.com/amirazizphotos/status/1505632783078625281" target="_blank">Amir Aziz via Twitter</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some say the <a href="https://oaklandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Oakland Running Festival</a> is the best race in NorCal. I've only run a few, so I don't know about that. But it's definitely a great day to be in Oakland.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-48398694089585138762022-02-01T17:43:00.004-08:002022-02-01T17:43:39.169-08:00give chickpeas a chance<p>Well, folks, I did it. I survived Dry January. I survived <a href="https://veganuary.com/en-us/">Veganuary</a>. I survived the combination Dry Veganuary! I know a lot of folks pooh-pooh these sorts of month-long self-imposed challenges as examples of toxic diet culture, but the reality for me is the period of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas saw me bending my usual rules and limitations around food and drinking more than I’d like. And I didn’t feel great about it. I was starting to feel - once again - like I wasn’t in control of my relationship with food, and using food and alcohol as a vice or crutch or reward more often than I’d like. The New Year presents a fresh start, a departure point for hitting the reset button and maybe implementing some longer term positive changes along the way. As I’ve written about before, I’ve been “<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/05/a-mostly-vegan-week.html" target="_blank">mostly vegan</a>” since May 2020, when we went totally vegan for one week. I’ve had fish a couple of times since and continued to eat eggs and a little bit of cheese, plus some non-vegan candy with popcorn during Saturday movie nights. But about 90% of the time (that is a totally unscientific estimate) my diet is 100% plant-based. In January 2022, other than one sip of a smoothie my daughter made that included cow’s milk yogurt (she assumed all the yogurt in the fridge was non-dairy), I ingested neither alcohol nor animal products.</p><p>And it really wasn’t that hard. When you’re already “mostly vegan,” going totally vegan for one month mostly entails cutting out foods you shouldn’t be eating too much of anyway, like cheese and candy. The dry part was even easier. I listened to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/01/02/781673495/6-ways-to-take-a-break-from-drinking">this NPR Life Kit episode</a> for some tips (the social part is still, nearly two years into this pandemic, kind of moot).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVh7bDIyc8UyVFk2EHQJU4EQEWCSmNdWO2hwa7QjYfbtCW3n_zxW4rr2auzUjUFFSNXHHn6UUwxWvP5ZaSM2WAVfdSpbc4qR8WwedlRObYNo5CQ_EfQ3HwAjshmHdIUM8v7JqzR8zi_TLrpVOYpHSQU-E15zryxBN9yiN3Yk0-8YvNyCGpEA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiVh7bDIyc8UyVFk2EHQJU4EQEWCSmNdWO2hwa7QjYfbtCW3n_zxW4rr2auzUjUFFSNXHHn6UUwxWvP5ZaSM2WAVfdSpbc4qR8WwedlRObYNo5CQ_EfQ3HwAjshmHdIUM8v7JqzR8zi_TLrpVOYpHSQU-E15zryxBN9yiN3Yk0-8YvNyCGpEA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>We had some seltzer leftover from our holiday delivery driver snack basket and I’m not usually a fan of seltzer, but it was nice to have something other than water to accompany dinner every now and then. I really only missed that glass of red wine with pizza toward the end of the month, but what I didn’t miss was the inevitable sleepiness that would no doubt follow for the rest of the evening but not necessarily translate into an early bedtime or a good night of sleep. Not drinking, on the other hand, did not alleviate the increased joint aches and pains I’ve been experiencing on the weekends. Maybe I need to cut it out of my diet for more than a month? Maybe two extra hours in bed and skipping my weekday morning workouts isn’t great for the mild arthritis in my low back and knee?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEju19O9OCv6di-ODrT2xIoHfkyh45VjrV3jvWGp3NHkW4tbwwtHQe65H6X2pRCtxG5iu__P72wu867bhx78eVHnnRylOTpRZi5iJ25oZhFCRQX6gIlIeGqFYPSrcdHBbq-YsmFPXHdPXMlNl6uaVMO-qOXagQurS9QxIv6w5KJXJXiHuMTfLA=s1174" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEju19O9OCv6di-ODrT2xIoHfkyh45VjrV3jvWGp3NHkW4tbwwtHQe65H6X2pRCtxG5iu__P72wu867bhx78eVHnnRylOTpRZi5iJ25oZhFCRQX6gIlIeGqFYPSrcdHBbq-YsmFPXHdPXMlNl6uaVMO-qOXagQurS9QxIv6w5KJXJXiHuMTfLA=s320" width="226" /></a></div><p>So other than the seltzer sub, what did I eat? Probably more than I should have! I definitely fell into the trap of “if it doesn’t break the rules, it’s OK to eat!” more than once. Oreos are vegan and alcohol-free but maybe not a great afternoon snack? With that, here are some highlights of the month:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhed6-me-FAtaR_863ZC1O5yazBPwH_R1XrL4i1A5obyQGk946Aww-COHlGie___XD50ea--BChlPUL1XvKlp_Rn1hXHwftESJBHTIz6O6W38vaadm9WmIH9VPMjMJnq8FGxy40p5ZDWaSrX72C4zJp4SbU3wWY75BiLhWBxDWFqpaf4FMOnw=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhed6-me-FAtaR_863ZC1O5yazBPwH_R1XrL4i1A5obyQGk946Aww-COHlGie___XD50ea--BChlPUL1XvKlp_Rn1hXHwftESJBHTIz6O6W38vaadm9WmIH9VPMjMJnq8FGxy40p5ZDWaSrX72C4zJp4SbU3wWY75BiLhWBxDWFqpaf4FMOnw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>My favorite weekday lunch is a leftover burrito bowl. Rice, beans, “meat”, some vegan cheese and sour cream, topped with avocado and a handful of corn chips. All vegan.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2Aa3qmRI93U7LRJgVxhPmOVGULLLjyz1rVVKpBLpy_q1WqNZcq1OU4Dr4_x-4TrYjc5KQdQkyRA4Ine5IvO68Oe3w0bapbfkAunfL03-vo5vNGTT1dxA31z5v0zaqcGr-K5Jf-qWpi7ClssneVlWtFUrJNyrxhlpzlxvDXR0HefImO1diCA=s3024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2Aa3qmRI93U7LRJgVxhPmOVGULLLjyz1rVVKpBLpy_q1WqNZcq1OU4Dr4_x-4TrYjc5KQdQkyRA4Ine5IvO68Oe3w0bapbfkAunfL03-vo5vNGTT1dxA31z5v0zaqcGr-K5Jf-qWpi7ClssneVlWtFUrJNyrxhlpzlxvDXR0HefImO1diCA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>We get donuts for a weekend breakfast once a month. I love <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/dicks-donuts-oakland">Dick’s Donuts</a> for classic and <a href="https://www.donutsavant.com/">Donut Savant</a> for fancy but neither are vegan. This is where <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/vegan-donut-gelato-oakland">Vegan Donut Gelato</a> comes in. They’re a bit of a drive compared to our usual non-vegan spots, but so worth the extra time it takes to fetch these.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvLP0JJIQvtZJsv_pUjVkXLw9wQmLtqwbd_Rr4GJ5YL3AAr_uufFi3ebsjpn6Ia0Dv42H4KK3CdBxABaVTcrtmrq5i2RQERByvrEwfJTICS98u72m7DG4J3u4SGT-u7il5fOaMOGqLU8COHlXvSrXM-6GEMQYlx4hzWXd-4Kp_UGcjmnXOzQ=s2689" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2689" data-original-width="2689" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvLP0JJIQvtZJsv_pUjVkXLw9wQmLtqwbd_Rr4GJ5YL3AAr_uufFi3ebsjpn6Ia0Dv42H4KK3CdBxABaVTcrtmrq5i2RQERByvrEwfJTICS98u72m7DG4J3u4SGT-u7il5fOaMOGqLU8COHlXvSrXM-6GEMQYlx4hzWXd-4Kp_UGcjmnXOzQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Veganize it! You don’t need to follow only vegan/plant-based recipes (although there are a ton of really good vegan cookbooks and Instagram accounts one can follow for recipes and ideas). Many recipes are really easy to makeover fully plant-based, like these <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020538-peanut-butter-miso-cookies?action=click&module=RecipeBox&pgType=recipebox-page&region=recently-viewed&rank=26">peanut butter white miso cookies</a> from New York Times Cooking. I used <a href="https://miyokos.com/collections/vegan-butter" target="_blank">Miyoko’s vegan butter</a> (the best!) and a <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/" target="_blank">flax egg</a> and they turned out perfectly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigm6gn2fHKkx_KxmmBJJd4Fpy-xLELZn84ITVhIpBsnF9Pq3jy8X7XEtvg5ESSF77wpN6Uw2H2oiMKm8j2Y3n3jExs0imEIkooYqDv-UUtp4d1ixJjd77Z14qfu2AyLB9691q9erhbZvm6ErgMRuZ8p3JRMCvJTWL4k_HD8AvGRPzomz1J4w=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigm6gn2fHKkx_KxmmBJJd4Fpy-xLELZn84ITVhIpBsnF9Pq3jy8X7XEtvg5ESSF77wpN6Uw2H2oiMKm8j2Y3n3jExs0imEIkooYqDv-UUtp4d1ixJjd77Z14qfu2AyLB9691q9erhbZvm6ErgMRuZ8p3JRMCvJTWL4k_HD8AvGRPzomz1J4w=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>There are some really good non-dairy ice creams on the market now, so if you’re into that sort of thing and you’re nervous about cutting out dairy, don’t be! This is a newer flavor at Trader Joe’s, but my favorite is any and all Ben & Jerry’s plant-based flavors. The 8yo, on the eve of her 9th birthday, is requesting ice cream sundaes for her birthday dessert and approved the B&J’s vegan flavors I purchased. They're that good.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4NgOTiyhfCXSuxghW3sSxxmGzpOokmV07tC-msqL6yNNFVLx8dM2d5ZRxIeI3UPKhOtxPbPo0SP2nLN_9h7eBu3BgLvqQC-Aj_gIGCOJ_TTPOUDw3eFq5AWrXxxy0Ewo7-xKSTFufkl8dIQDuiBclbMgutDAY7Uin13TIQVovQwtcpG4SQw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4NgOTiyhfCXSuxghW3sSxxmGzpOokmV07tC-msqL6yNNFVLx8dM2d5ZRxIeI3UPKhOtxPbPo0SP2nLN_9h7eBu3BgLvqQC-Aj_gIGCOJ_TTPOUDw3eFq5AWrXxxy0Ewo7-xKSTFufkl8dIQDuiBclbMgutDAY7Uin13TIQVovQwtcpG4SQw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>So, yeah, if there’s a lesson to be learned here, it's don’t be chicken! Be adventurous, try new things. Like plant-based “chicken”. If you haven’t already, but you’re plant-based-meat-curious, you simply must stop by the <a href="https://www.dontbechickn.com/">Don’t Be Chick’n</a> food truck. The family meal is a pretty good deal but the chicken strips are my favorite.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMfDD-UsobNCOS9pQvk23B0oZ4HWWCDkTRaQjO_WjlI6XVgSZi-BqmjDbjvgHbuBylpMHBXI-Bwiz_BFhyQpe3ksjE9im38OBvqhho5clPguYUgMPwVTIcvdzRuyPVsXS7_U5Zb3spBUORZtLuZ5Yy9dyWvj48UfGupXHn0qpYcTWGwQzXFg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMfDD-UsobNCOS9pQvk23B0oZ4HWWCDkTRaQjO_WjlI6XVgSZi-BqmjDbjvgHbuBylpMHBXI-Bwiz_BFhyQpe3ksjE9im38OBvqhho5clPguYUgMPwVTIcvdzRuyPVsXS7_U5Zb3spBUORZtLuZ5Yy9dyWvj48UfGupXHn0qpYcTWGwQzXFg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Try the vegan portion of the menus at places you already frequent. If you're into plant-based options, let the world know it! I really think as demand for vegan options increases, so will supply, and honestly that’s when cooks get hella creative. Like Senor Sisig’s extensive <a href="https://www.senorsisig.com/vegano-menu">vegano</a> menu. Hello plant-based crunch-wrap supreme with vegan queso dipping sauce!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3od0hbMqmShvMKDOXmwvKsOZU4QC7kRsAriQL4EnEM99owNZ-MLOqU6ykeJ9MprASSsxQ0DyHaN9hfW7jrrqIhItDei8F-7nyEynd3yPcG4jeRMeTW2HR5I4eyelNSgcr-_DmTNRepQRe3hLjE_oOJx-QC4eWCkLr4mZ19j0dn4pMjOqe7w=s3024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3od0hbMqmShvMKDOXmwvKsOZU4QC7kRsAriQL4EnEM99owNZ-MLOqU6ykeJ9MprASSsxQ0DyHaN9hfW7jrrqIhItDei8F-7nyEynd3yPcG4jeRMeTW2HR5I4eyelNSgcr-_DmTNRepQRe3hLjE_oOJx-QC4eWCkLr4mZ19j0dn4pMjOqe7w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>One of the non-vegan staples in my otherwise “mostly vegan” diet was scrambled eggs with cheese. It took a minute to get used to it, but I’m totally content with a <a href="https://www.ju.st/" target="_blank">JUST Egg</a> patty (you can buy these in bulk at Costco and pop one in the toaster to warm it up!) and a slice of <a href="https://daiyafoods.com/our-foods/slices/cheddar/" target="_blank">Daiya</a> cheese melted on top. I don’t plan to ever go back to real eggs. The vegan muffin from <a href="http://arizmendilakeshore.com/" target="_blank">Arizmendi</a>, delicious as it is, is getting a little boring, though, so whether or not I sneak in the occasional non-vegan scone from time to time remains to be seen (and in case you’re wondering, I long ago switched to <a href="https://silk.com/plant-based-products/creamer/dairy-free-half-and-half-alternative/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0eOPBhCGARIsAFIwTs7Mv2FrjKERB9ozlpVr_RDzOxLKL3sWRN6ZQy23uKQWJ7QTAf-ftEgaAvJOEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Silk half & half</a> in my coffee).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOdVYfkqr0Ngb2HF-W0lAoj-Tn6s6yu5k0dIB0RfEeeearDgdHawUg5A-eUPpY7_tZO6LVg_6DpqGwXOr_dbLC1uetgJX8OYAzjLzaE7IIj7DwyFB_7jW43BG3yox4a5Vl7Y54g7PuICK1txu_VrXK6cHPFTRDIlAM_hrWfDcL_1mt8tVzmw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOdVYfkqr0Ngb2HF-W0lAoj-Tn6s6yu5k0dIB0RfEeeearDgdHawUg5A-eUPpY7_tZO6LVg_6DpqGwXOr_dbLC1uetgJX8OYAzjLzaE7IIj7DwyFB_7jW43BG3yox4a5Vl7Y54g7PuICK1txu_VrXK6cHPFTRDIlAM_hrWfDcL_1mt8tVzmw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>The other weekly staple is non-vegan candy with popcorn on movie nights. This one was tough, not gonna lie, partly because we had so much candy and chocolate leftover from the holidays going into January. We still have peanut M&Ms and an entire box of See’s chocolates that I will, now that January is over, have to polish off. But after that, I’ll try to stick with the vegan alternatives I discovered over the course of the month. Some of them are not cheap (but the <a href="https://unrealsnacks.com/products/dark-chocolate-peanut-gems-bckp" target="_blank">Unreal peanut gems</a> - not pictured above - are so good!), but, y’know, I probably shouldn’t be eating too many of them anyway.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKQ2QKAR4b0_LuWV3WDja12pD1bQJAQUCSJqcAtrqeBXhIFCaQuewIXoChpZuISOWCbxXgrszqBrM0TZwJWIon5j-RTiwlHgdTAesSxZV0huZR4joeVAj8W4m-NtfkdAOYVsUwOh0eUF_ZHRpIOFt7FcHMVOmJi-I7wgD4ELq8NWnbmx38_Q=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKQ2QKAR4b0_LuWV3WDja12pD1bQJAQUCSJqcAtrqeBXhIFCaQuewIXoChpZuISOWCbxXgrszqBrM0TZwJWIon5j-RTiwlHgdTAesSxZV0huZR4joeVAj8W4m-NtfkdAOYVsUwOh0eUF_ZHRpIOFt7FcHMVOmJi-I7wgD4ELq8NWnbmx38_Q=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>So, clearly, lots of hits here, and it wasn't that hard. Any misses, you might ask? In two words: vegan bacon. This non-vegan food is best forgotten altogether!</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-73040670548164780812022-01-04T17:38:00.006-08:002022-01-04T17:50:24.919-08:00putting in the work<p>Today is the one-year anniversary of the day I transitioned from part-time vendor to full-time employee at my current day job. When the possibility of going full-time came up in the fall of 2020, right around the one-year anniversary of when I took on the then part-time role, I already felt like I was working full-time because of the pandemic (working 24-30 hours a week stretched out to 8, 9, or even 10 hour days when interrupted so often by kids not in school or summer camp). The transition was gradual, but even so, when my supervisor at the time encouraged me to complete a growth map or sign up for a "reach your potential" workshop, all I could do was respond honestly that I was barely staying afloat.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdimzBvUhvqeiHvRp9OE9UMVjGJKMiCmGnIZUiTUiFgBqTc1D_7r50uVKBTLeRf_Rj7lqYRxFuEQN7ttzg3GKGIEfknzaquzJqKzV67tNPI4sSkJN06854WACNhxf8l-umbog1vdhxbn1EUvhRsly0v0z2xvRhNTec4_4QB6dxOL6mtWkAjg=s3024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdimzBvUhvqeiHvRp9OE9UMVjGJKMiCmGnIZUiTUiFgBqTc1D_7r50uVKBTLeRf_Rj7lqYRxFuEQN7ttzg3GKGIEfknzaquzJqKzV67tNPI4sSkJN06854WACNhxf8l-umbog1vdhxbn1EUvhRsly0v0z2xvRhNTec4_4QB6dxOL6mtWkAjg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Now that the kids have been back at school since August, and my days are more focused on work, at least until about 3 pm, when it gets a little choppy, I will say I'm starting to feel just a tad restless. I eventually did sign up for that reach your potential workshop (I mention it briefly in my <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/12/pandemic-diaries-encore.html" target="_blank">latest pandemic diaries update</a>) and finally completed the first phase of a growth map. I find myself looking at things like program management certification and, who knows, maybe even data visualization. I do feel like where I work is the kind of place where day jobs can turn into careers. It's pretty swell in many ways. I remember after my second kid was born and I was debating whether or not to revive my Etsy business, continue to be a default stay-at-home parent or, y'know, get a "real" job, my husband mentioned something about <i>feedback</i>. Being a parent is really hard from a feedback perspective. When it's rewarding it's amazingly so, but there are days—weeks, months, entire phases!—when you're not really getting a lot of constructive or positive feedback, if you will. Or the feedback you get makes you feel, well, like a shitty parent. Couple that with the relentless rejection one faces as a creative person and it can really wreak havoc on your mental health. I've encountered this more than once in my thirteen plus years as a parent. I dare say I'm always dealing with this on some level.</p><p>The job I got at that juncture in my life didn't ever really provide me with the kind of feedback or outlet I was craving to balance out the demands and difficulties of other areas of my life. It was a great job in many ways, but not a great fit for where I was in my life at that moment. My current day job, while a bit farther removed from my creative interests (this relationship between the work we do for pay and our creative practice is exactly what I explore in my <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">podcast</a>), has been a much better fit in other ways. I've found that I'm the kind of person that does better creatively when my paid work is pretty different than what I'm doing in the studio. Call me jaded and resentful, but it was really hard for me to work at a college of art and design, but in an administrative capacity (I wanted to teach!). At my current day job, I guess you could say my ego is less of an issue since I'll never be the one doing the sexy stuff, nor do I really have the desire to. I'm a little more okay with being the person who organizes the mess behind the scenes. If you want to read more, I've written a little bit about the transition and what I do at my day job <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2019/12/good-at-goodbyes.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/09/pandemic-diaries-week-27.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>All that said, I must also acknowledge that what I need as a creative person and what I have less of now is <b><i>time</i></b>. I had a pretty good thing going pre-pandemic, getting most of my work done Monday-Thursday while the kids were at school, and saving Fridays for, initially, training for the Oakland Running Festival, and longer-term, once the race was over, for studio time. If only the pandemic had never happened. If only part-time jobs came with things like: benefits, paid time off, saving for retirement, pathways to promotions and job growth, etc. If only. For now, I celebrate another year at a pretty decent gig and approach this new year with an open mind about things like "professional development" and "my career" balanced with a continued commitment to my creative practice and identity as an artist, even if it's only 15 minutes in the studio here, 20 minutes there, even if I never show this current body of work (but I'd really like to so if you have a space in the Bay Area, feel free to give me a show!).</p><p><i>P.S. I've had, to date, well over 15 jobs over the past 25 years, depending on whether or not you count things like TA-ships and Etsy shops (honestly I've kind of lost count). I've written about most of them right here on this blog as part of my ongoing "<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/burning%20bridges" target="_blank">burning bridges</a>" series.</i></p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-16062066943698317972021-12-31T14:31:00.002-08:002021-12-31T14:31:14.472-08:00pandemic diaries: encore<p>It's funny how my last post is titled "<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/06/pandemic-diaries-this-is-how-it-ended.html" target="_blank">this is how it ended</a>." I thought I'd end these <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/pandemic" target="_blank">pandemic diaries</a> with the end of the 2020-21 school year. The kids went to summer camp and eventually back to school. But as we all know the pandemic has not yet ended. First delta and now omicron have made sure of that.</p><p>So what did we do on our summer vacation? For 4th of July weekend we stayed in an RV (never again) in Noyo Harbor (where parts of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overboard_(1987_film)" target="_blank">Overboard</a></i> were filmed). We learned that the 8yo is serious when she says she's getting car sick, that #vanlife is not for us, and—wow—I really dislike the smell of any kind of wood-burning fire anymore. I do like the price of a small town pitcher of beer, though.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvitizt6sRDxwGxzJke0dbBKlOz0lhzQssadKkSoHHaqd-YDoGjsgYICgJImFOM4Fdc6jgcOWHefULP3I3jin7HmNc8avPDsRx9sme3iQzmpRcX-Ybrr9uG2dy2No6dfanrxXOI-s3PMh83iXehicSlzUmMl5hEsMukUUwBjz3ZrHi5YY9NQ=s3780" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvitizt6sRDxwGxzJke0dbBKlOz0lhzQssadKkSoHHaqd-YDoGjsgYICgJImFOM4Fdc6jgcOWHefULP3I3jin7HmNc8avPDsRx9sme3iQzmpRcX-Ybrr9uG2dy2No6dfanrxXOI-s3PMh83iXehicSlzUmMl5hEsMukUUwBjz3ZrHi5YY9NQ=s320" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A $7.81 pitcher of beer.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In July, for the first time in about a year and a half (not including the kitten adoption events of summer 2020), I returned to volunteering at <a href="https://www.oaklandanimalservices.org/" target="_blank">the shelter</a> during open adoption hours! For awhile the shelter was open on Thursday evenings, which was perfect for my work/kids schedule at least so long as both parents are working from home. But eventually it got too dark, cold, and rainy to handle most of the adoption process outdoors, so now I'm there every other Sunday afternoon. I didn't realize how much I'd missed socializing cats and adoption counseling until I was able to do it again.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXWL1ynZGbiPwS00h5C7bcMcJX5sElqixiZgZ6Nch2W2OK3i2CxNM8lB0Ydo-M6XBa_fbmHuHCpcVe9dPtKkjBDTo-JXCjwOVI0fE1YHsMhqxkjnarihctbwnGZchfBbKHO3NNW_ogYn3B7DL3W2Km25I-nr1mFDAS2TKaklu2WFwfo1uzAg=s873" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="873" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXWL1ynZGbiPwS00h5C7bcMcJX5sElqixiZgZ6Nch2W2OK3i2CxNM8lB0Ydo-M6XBa_fbmHuHCpcVe9dPtKkjBDTo-JXCjwOVI0fE1YHsMhqxkjnarihctbwnGZchfBbKHO3NNW_ogYn3B7DL3W2Km25I-nr1mFDAS2TKaklu2WFwfo1uzAg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, with a kitten, circa 1982 or so, Reno, Nevada.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I continued to settle in to my now full-time day job, especially with the kids finally out of the house for at least a few hours each day. I attended a "reach your potential" style professional development workshop and learned that <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/elizabeth-gilbert-hummingbird-theory/" target="_blank">in a world seemingly dominated by jackhammers, I'm definitely 100% a hummingbird</a>. I've been in this role for over two years now (first as a part-time contractor), but I'll celebrate my official one-year full-time anniversary next Tuesday. More on that in another post.</p><p>As mentioned above, the kids returned to full-time in-person school in early August and I can honestly say it's been wonderful for everyone. I know that's not everyone's experience but my kids have been so much happier being in-person again and their schools have experienced relatively few COVID cases (0 at the 8yo's elementary school!). I'm nervous about how 2022 will begin with omicron raging as it is (although both kids are fully vaxxed and Neal and I are boosted), but if we've learned anything over the past 20+ months, it's how to take things one step at a time.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyx8pHJbC2p0FA5skK1Wcjn0gQBPjUPIMvmOcEeMac5IovqmHiEtff7zFMMenNU56RtPf_oc_XhrhW6RPCIf0cZ4u6bAHwBb1FYLD8Ghh5ReWHAGd7tZcS7ETFArt5XEgKo-Q1uVVASvWB5dBcw1BoPvC6UktMgsjPQiZPBMvNKYVhjnRz0g=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjyx8pHJbC2p0FA5skK1Wcjn0gQBPjUPIMvmOcEeMac5IovqmHiEtff7zFMMenNU56RtPf_oc_XhrhW6RPCIf0cZ4u6bAHwBb1FYLD8Ghh5ReWHAGd7tZcS7ETFArt5XEgKo-Q1uVVASvWB5dBcw1BoPvC6UktMgsjPQiZPBMvNKYVhjnRz0g=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Shortly after the kids returned to school, I decided to give Neal a break and take the kids on a short road trip to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnemucca,_Nevada" target="_blank">Winnemucca, Nevada</a> (to visit some family on my Mom's side...it's also where she and my grandmother are buried). It's so interesting visiting a truly small town and then returning to the Bay Area, where there's a real uptick in the "born and raised" discourse lately, which to me is not all that different from the small town mentality. So many of the conversations I was overhearing in Winnemucca, population less than 8000, reminded me of conversations I hear all the time lately in Oakland: who gets to claim this town as their home, who gets to stay, who should go, and what are the reasons people are leaving? As someone who moved around every 2-4 years for the first 30+ years of my life, it never ceases to be a curious thing to observe.</p><p>In EV news, we finally got rid of our Leaf, which we'd nicknamed our Oakland golf cart because the battery was so old and we could only drive around town a bit before needing to recharge. We leased a 2022 Chevy Bolt and I'm convinced it's cursed. It hasn't <a href="https://www.autoweek.com/news/a38252667/battery-experts-explain-chevy-bolt-fires/" target="_blank">caught on fire</a> (yet) but we've already had to repair the side mirror, replace one of the front lights (which of course was not a simple thing we could do ourselves), and take it in for more substantial repairs after a minor road rage motivated fender bender (not my fault, although I could have done a couple of things differently—and will in the future!—to decrease my contribution to or escalation of such events). Otherwise, I love it! I was referring to the Bolt as "the Leaf" so much in the beginning, I decided to name it Leaf.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEil9MxPohRRkxE2aCG7MHFGoS839W4zoGeM1_0il2bv7hD118qO0mKP2GDDc8VlJLRO89Vc_wdR6vjqj5OtRNFMOotoL--ZzPVbfFJ7ZJZG9cpYAnAh66MklqjDojJsgC_4TH2uvFhb76WeDJV7x_4rhP7KfOxU7NQSbdyJ2aM_tmdrdfYIGw=s3780" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEil9MxPohRRkxE2aCG7MHFGoS839W4zoGeM1_0il2bv7hD118qO0mKP2GDDc8VlJLRO89Vc_wdR6vjqj5OtRNFMOotoL--ZzPVbfFJ7ZJZG9cpYAnAh66MklqjDojJsgC_4TH2uvFhb76WeDJV7x_4rhP7KfOxU7NQSbdyJ2aM_tmdrdfYIGw=s320" width="256" /></a></div><p>Things have been so busy since school started, but I have managed more weeks than not to spend a little bit of time a couple of evenings and an hour or two on the weekends in the studio. I'm quite pleased with how my current body of work is progressing (follow my art insta <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beckybgrigsby/" target="_blank">here</a>) and hope to start documenting finished work in order to submit an exhibition proposal to a specific venue in Oakland in early 2022. That said, it's turning into one of those projects I can imagine working on indefinitely, not unlike the Winchester Mystery House or David Ireland's house, both of which we toured this fall.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7BwIvPvGSDRa0WxWwQgWt6WjuW6LQSZoAIu7L8eyBm2aAN5IwFGKdi1GCN26V_vTwYG-HDHjDxhiRjdjaY31R7w5NIkjdUBKnw2-fbFQllVL4gklor_MQsG7MePcJpDLljGpB3eCgGXISBodouf6oGsq5toihBwF64LADRNmqnTsCEy9JiA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7BwIvPvGSDRa0WxWwQgWt6WjuW6LQSZoAIu7L8eyBm2aAN5IwFGKdi1GCN26V_vTwYG-HDHjDxhiRjdjaY31R7w5NIkjdUBKnw2-fbFQllVL4gklor_MQsG7MePcJpDLljGpB3eCgGXISBodouf6oGsq5toihBwF64LADRNmqnTsCEy9JiA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, CA.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp_deniAe7ZYdmy4ZUjB3YAmVKIDRBWOT8Gac9xD4Bo4BzLomAqSS2Am-zep_kESQUzNhWAgIkADYTpzVl7WZ3oxvG66DJHsE8y3tqx8dCluxyYdK6dK2nAWXMvHazvU9Hx60H06T8ARYhx-deCWKD858dKMAtUS6nHcCbiFL28pyQRt9d4A=s1440" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp_deniAe7ZYdmy4ZUjB3YAmVKIDRBWOT8Gac9xD4Bo4BzLomAqSS2Am-zep_kESQUzNhWAgIkADYTpzVl7WZ3oxvG66DJHsE8y3tqx8dCluxyYdK6dK2nAWXMvHazvU9Hx60H06T8ARYhx-deCWKD858dKMAtUS6nHcCbiFL28pyQRt9d4A=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Ireland House in San Francisco.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I started a (peri)menopause book club of one. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3E4N1GMZ8FNO4?ref_=wl_share" target="_blank">Here</a>'s what I'm reading.</p><p>In podcast news, I discovered Debbie Millman's '<a href="https://www.designmattersmedia.com/" target="_blank">Design Matters</a>' podcast, attended her <a href="https://aigany.org/event/debbie-millman-what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-talking/" target="_blank">webinar</a> about how to interview people, and have season 2 of <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">my own podcast</a> all planned out, complete with a kind of sponsorship in the form of gift cards for guests from a local art supply chain. I just need <b><i>time</i></b> to do the interviews and edit the episodes (and, y'know, ask the interviewees if they'd like to be guests on the show, which I'm weirdly nervous to do). On a related note, if you're into podcasts and art, I highly recommend the 3-part series about the art world/market that recently aired on Freakonomics (parts <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/a-fascinating-sexy-intellectually-compelling-unregulated-global-market/" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/ive-been-working-my-ass-off-for-you-to-make-that-profit/" target="_blank">2</a>, and <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/the-art-market-is-in-massive-disruption/" target="_blank">3</a>).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDb-Mx6DGu8ug8wmVnX8ELItb5PpPAnb4gE99TBBe7Psm6e43JyWWYlr7qIFBQdGS1RtyXXJrpjAPXJ5GW6Q7tS3QFxk8ZD-saqg7j3a8JUHLeAGtu4DLHpyDavAHT47_VMsZvxiQrDS7Cycc_XqELQGxyHO6aFr2ub7RCbPkceVg7j6Yk2Q=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDb-Mx6DGu8ug8wmVnX8ELItb5PpPAnb4gE99TBBe7Psm6e43JyWWYlr7qIFBQdGS1RtyXXJrpjAPXJ5GW6Q7tS3QFxk8ZD-saqg7j3a8JUHLeAGtu4DLHpyDavAHT47_VMsZvxiQrDS7Cycc_XqELQGxyHO6aFr2ub7RCbPkceVg7j6Yk2Q=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>I painted a picture of my cat. So now I've painted both of my cats and neither has any reason to be jealous of the other (although Wolfi's painting <i>is</i> bigger than Penelope's...).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1j4ZW9QwK5IJWRMB1DNfNe7VTEIwdn5t0SPf6-Koc5nBTTSVUhZpm0aHWkbqb5JLn9grEBTuCMNnoiZVvWx6LXIzUq5ZPkWchtiL5kPOIpxC6oQQUdrB9HL1bgB4NmW925XETN0IeNqEtNgpHRoDa7kbwnKjxmdUP5sBjDYK3gJE6AUfASg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1j4ZW9QwK5IJWRMB1DNfNe7VTEIwdn5t0SPf6-Koc5nBTTSVUhZpm0aHWkbqb5JLn9grEBTuCMNnoiZVvWx6LXIzUq5ZPkWchtiL5kPOIpxC6oQQUdrB9HL1bgB4NmW925XETN0IeNqEtNgpHRoDa7kbwnKjxmdUP5sBjDYK3gJE6AUfASg=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>I finally had my eyes examined after about 5 years and got new glasses for the computer and reading. Ah, the inevitability of aging.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPOKwedzhbCPrh3imNjJ3Po5hEDXapUKRGn-WzeboJiwfpwC8C6i6MO3WzF79l7i524IhsuUSObpCQ_4XNN3h3yZ7mCvJii3S2jom4zPTuSngL5rcAmHckqNcp2JF8Z4R47CooIxrUNpBr8xyOQonC0qILDJ80TrxOyyo9EZlxVtwjP2rL9A=s1024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPOKwedzhbCPrh3imNjJ3Po5hEDXapUKRGn-WzeboJiwfpwC8C6i6MO3WzF79l7i524IhsuUSObpCQ_4XNN3h3yZ7mCvJii3S2jom4zPTuSngL5rcAmHckqNcp2JF8Z4R47CooIxrUNpBr8xyOQonC0qILDJ80TrxOyyo9EZlxVtwjP2rL9A=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>In running news, I successfully completed the Alameda 10-miler and walked Hellaween with the kids.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF1jD7A31OHCLys6jJ1G-RczO-uEKeVazOIHsbm3lVGdGxQvddfrJ5Eimle2j66U-PwU_UCtRtKnRvW7WLunVGAeSuGivoDpAoNZ_qJ4EVsIboCJ6RhgXjyZHUSUV4lPOXzzUexfSk9X1KJ8II_VguWVnZ8jp9KKvWrRjTX7iOL8z06Lj2eA=s3088" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF1jD7A31OHCLys6jJ1G-RczO-uEKeVazOIHsbm3lVGdGxQvddfrJ5Eimle2j66U-PwU_UCtRtKnRvW7WLunVGAeSuGivoDpAoNZ_qJ4EVsIboCJ6RhgXjyZHUSUV4lPOXzzUexfSk9X1KJ8II_VguWVnZ8jp9KKvWrRjTX7iOL8z06Lj2eA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Shortly after that I suffered what my doc thinks is a meniscus tear. It took forever to get a follow-up visit with the sports medicine doc and my MRI is finally coming up next week. It feels a lot better since I haven't been running, but I'm missing running to the point of dreaming about it, so I'm really hoping the MRI confirms it is <i>not</i> a root tear and I'm given the green light to start training for the Oakland half-marathon in March.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQhgdtIpCahva7Yt2qZjL8jYaNraLmtkd23G09gL7bRtPqBk4oOFS9YJ-Cd6PsXhsJFaWzzoJXdwkUUz0buYYaOiDjG0ElTzZCMsO2gZv6UyKT6kdMWahjxywDt5aCUUHXNNkit9tMoyWrk_MGh6LG9jsFANMgYoacl1jCmUa3MmMeUoE0bw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQhgdtIpCahva7Yt2qZjL8jYaNraLmtkd23G09gL7bRtPqBk4oOFS9YJ-Cd6PsXhsJFaWzzoJXdwkUUz0buYYaOiDjG0ElTzZCMsO2gZv6UyKT6kdMWahjxywDt5aCUUHXNNkit9tMoyWrk_MGh6LG9jsFANMgYoacl1jCmUa3MmMeUoE0bw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>A persimmageddon that wasn't! While we estimate our tree produced about 1000 persimmons last year, we only got about 100 persimmons from our tree this year. Earlier this week I put the final few to use in a last batch of veganized <a href="https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Lemon-Glazed-Persimmon-Bars/" target="_blank">lemon-glazed persimmon bars</a> (they were easy to veganize: just sub one flax egg!).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1-JmsnhTGDEhRkwpfMcVPvEroPYegxaXFPQv802gftdLzArm7ekqnbgIB4OZTb7OYtNm03RKWaxqlAgDV4JazjDdTq04ji4KVsyHG_noyGYHU1qEv2t3SIUosjXy6dh9FPAllM8IlE1CqThWujHaXuBsI2LxUCVx8mW9uiDBFoo2A0WuaEw=s1776" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1184" data-original-width="1776" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1-JmsnhTGDEhRkwpfMcVPvEroPYegxaXFPQv802gftdLzArm7ekqnbgIB4OZTb7OYtNm03RKWaxqlAgDV4JazjDdTq04ji4KVsyHG_noyGYHU1qEv2t3SIUosjXy6dh9FPAllM8IlE1CqThWujHaXuBsI2LxUCVx8mW9uiDBFoo2A0WuaEw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>New hobby: playing with my new camera. Neal got me a Fujifilm X-T30 for my birthday and I got a zoom lens for Christmas. I've taken it out for a spin a couple of times. So much to learn!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9CVc78E3xODYq0PEfEEhaoLTiqsxyHwlvTVbgvRkzNVQB9wdtaGIhAlkH81yZNgj8zj7yvX5f7buSXmM4KcCdql28VVhMw9911iwScu_NeGzE_oWlc6RjdA5mu2uA1IJWUU0S8Ob2ohvJe0xxIrEh4Kw5Wolpf1PGNvvS12r5OZ92xwbptw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9CVc78E3xODYq0PEfEEhaoLTiqsxyHwlvTVbgvRkzNVQB9wdtaGIhAlkH81yZNgj8zj7yvX5f7buSXmM4KcCdql28VVhMw9911iwScu_NeGzE_oWlc6RjdA5mu2uA1IJWUU0S8Ob2ohvJe0xxIrEh4Kw5Wolpf1PGNvvS12r5OZ92xwbptw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p>Otherwise, our post-Christmas road trip to Los Angeles was canceled due to the 13yo breaking a bone in his ankle on Christmas Eve Eve. I may never book another <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids/status/1474183225958305813" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> again.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitTeTkUpY_oagE0i3nT9NrDq2B2vhkVutZ95twfQjNPuVvhjU-7WdbAPUOlWUm12G1mJ9lyaQdAeluPGdiwxeMVW1sImsIBpHVlr22u9Q4boWwY5TBZE7I_y64KqJZwnceWZw-4zBjkZ4WAMf_L001-vvHjNyi0F0RXe0HmrdNsgxB1PrViA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitTeTkUpY_oagE0i3nT9NrDq2B2vhkVutZ95twfQjNPuVvhjU-7WdbAPUOlWUm12G1mJ9lyaQdAeluPGdiwxeMVW1sImsIBpHVlr22u9Q4boWwY5TBZE7I_y64KqJZwnceWZw-4zBjkZ4WAMf_L001-vvHjNyi0F0RXe0HmrdNsgxB1PrViA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joan Mitchell at SFMOMA.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>P.S.</i> Did I ever write about the sunflower seeds the 8yo got from her garden teacher last year? We planted them in late spring with no real expectations so you can imagine how blown away we were when we experienced them in all their wonderful majesty. The 8yo and I checked out the Joan Mitchell exhibit at SFMOMA on my birthday in October where I jotted down this quote about sunflowers: "They look so wonderful when young and they are so very moving when they are dying." Isn't that lovely?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJlsGdnh98_3y0Vr2lC_kSYgcgwRU7_EgF1hfIjObV2FSe-i-fL1adccurVSovWqVptf4uYRIq-JHPqWAtGqm8eOZX-CvtUv0-lSzpj6UVwNE7ihYAkgLElktRv_bbJkG5dp6DBJKsXvm7n8bbQR9Pw396u70fugB1_oa4bL0f4koTgKxLCw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJlsGdnh98_3y0Vr2lC_kSYgcgwRU7_EgF1hfIjObV2FSe-i-fL1adccurVSovWqVptf4uYRIq-JHPqWAtGqm8eOZX-CvtUv0-lSzpj6UVwNE7ihYAkgLElktRv_bbJkG5dp6DBJKsXvm7n8bbQR9Pw396u70fugB1_oa4bL0f4koTgKxLCw=s320" width="240" /></a></div>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-32690447576940594412021-06-22T17:48:00.001-07:002021-06-23T13:59:07.712-07:00pandemic diaries: this is how it ended<p>Okay, I know the pandemic isn't exactly <i>over</i>, but the 2020-21 school year is! Hooray!! In fact, the kids are already a couple of days into week FOUR of their summer break, that's how early Oakland schools get out. So how did the year end? </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wa3TTjEDU2jIQ_sO9MB43l_IaTN28jB1Zza67F2U59BvMvkZnUyz1lcHGxJ9liGkKEBltvgBVoCtcPchUK7J7F3pEhfMDg62PQe-7L2RjEerYthiOr3UMMXs95EuVjBOY1f4/s1024/IMG_1335.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Wa3TTjEDU2jIQ_sO9MB43l_IaTN28jB1Zza67F2U59BvMvkZnUyz1lcHGxJ9liGkKEBltvgBVoCtcPchUK7J7F3pEhfMDg62PQe-7L2RjEerYthiOr3UMMXs95EuVjBOY1f4/s320/IMG_1335.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post distance learning feels.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Well, in a nutshell, as a marathoner (I've <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/05/running-through-pandemic-plateau.html" target="_blank">run</a> more than one marathon so yes, that makes me a marathonER), I can confidently say it was very much like the last .2 miles of the race. After a grueling metaphorical 26 miles, those last 6 weeks (the .2 miles in this race metaphor) were just a slog, day after day, juggling full-time work and 24/7 kids and endless snacks and cleaning up after all that eating and trying to maintain some semblance of a healthy routine and a positive attitude. The 2nd grader's hybrid return to minimal in-person schooling in late March was a drag logistically, but of course we did it because we knew she'd enjoy - and benefit from - the social interactions with her teacher and classmates. We also, a month or so earlier, recognized the urgent need for our kids to safely socialize with at least one good friend or two, so planning backyard playdates and weekly hikes was another thing to do and make happen.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDhlkRv3_xmEc0KlP5zazCpC4NTEQ9t7T6P8nXs7Nywp_G1jocz9DuWNDuls6AYzryQvnfNMGM1PH_gLgMbh5gSp_TRCwIOVGaA03YfAYn_UPNKZPnhyH3frBh1_uKvZEzpcb/s1440/5A5C97E8-3D37-432D-8A28-44E5AC2CEA76.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGDhlkRv3_xmEc0KlP5zazCpC4NTEQ9t7T6P8nXs7Nywp_G1jocz9DuWNDuls6AYzryQvnfNMGM1PH_gLgMbh5gSp_TRCwIOVGaA03YfAYn_UPNKZPnhyH3frBh1_uKvZEzpcb/s320/5A5C97E8-3D37-432D-8A28-44E5AC2CEA76.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>In a nutshell, why yes, I'd say I was definitely <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/19/well/mind/covid-mental-health-languishing.html" target="_blank">languishing</a>. But then Daphne came home from one of her in-person afternoons one week having made me this. So this is what I'll remember.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM0eHxAqt2oWwCalsYo7lu72Wloihxa0ZYNqXpnnhzWX0-p4rmkl0z5xRH8TR3PQmBUBEF_-Y9NwDeBzK5q0_MyZfpq5SpVCoMKNWP0cKhtbDhzr66Z8J50xTVp2fIjHKxhCT/s1024/IMG_0721.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizM0eHxAqt2oWwCalsYo7lu72Wloihxa0ZYNqXpnnhzWX0-p4rmkl0z5xRH8TR3PQmBUBEF_-Y9NwDeBzK5q0_MyZfpq5SpVCoMKNWP0cKhtbDhzr66Z8J50xTVp2fIjHKxhCT/s320/IMG_0721.JPG" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D1J1uFnZXDPJHA5ILtPMjfWVn9oEFO3HB7QK1jFOwdTRq4DmHtguI3Iwp_4Bdls3p8lWTWfupM4InK5bfYHMPui7vuhaafvwz5ikptUlvR1U2ap8lYda4zU-jp3gNMIDx2s3/s1024/IMG_0722.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D1J1uFnZXDPJHA5ILtPMjfWVn9oEFO3HB7QK1jFOwdTRq4DmHtguI3Iwp_4Bdls3p8lWTWfupM4InK5bfYHMPui7vuhaafvwz5ikptUlvR1U2ap8lYda4zU-jp3gNMIDx2s3/s320/IMG_0722.JPG" /></a></div><p>On a positive note, though, while the middle schooler didn't return to <i>any</i> in-person instruction at all this year, he was able to do his band concert report on a real, live performance after reporting on two recorded concerts in previous semesters. It was also our first time at <a href="https://yoshis.com/" target="_blank">Yoshi's</a>, which is kind of nuts considering how long we've lived in Oakland.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoawEwrw7iXNwTIZ5iPVDmVpUEtcDgZ-3EnYUeOKaXlqKmlnQTH1YZwL8U6bysrU95gzKuAamYPziqvK0gU46zZIbh5Gpmfxo8WKuswhEc4RJrV5timjgI1p1bxLrdR5rAsteo/s4032/IMG_0836.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoawEwrw7iXNwTIZ5iPVDmVpUEtcDgZ-3EnYUeOKaXlqKmlnQTH1YZwL8U6bysrU95gzKuAamYPziqvK0gU46zZIbh5Gpmfxo8WKuswhEc4RJrV5timjgI1p1bxLrdR5rAsteo/s320/IMG_0836.HEIC" /></a></div><p>Anyway, at last the school year was over. The kids and I celebrated with traditional end-of-year froyo at Yogurt Park near <a href="https://www.hbo.com/mare-of-easttown" target="_blank">Cal Berkeley</a>. If you know, you know.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntSOwNDro9HoSdxotFvWrnPzZgATfFIm4lRIZS4y4bN5N3dDkwgdt3i5EkyppQHnGZeACi_MaHCM3TmAsfYbh2R0jFB3ZyObIcAq88rieus3hAZRYbX2AGA2hFrq0QhOsn4zx/s1800/66FD9E34-950C-4ED5-AE6D-91B2E5F317DC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntSOwNDro9HoSdxotFvWrnPzZgATfFIm4lRIZS4y4bN5N3dDkwgdt3i5EkyppQHnGZeACi_MaHCM3TmAsfYbh2R0jFB3ZyObIcAq88rieus3hAZRYbX2AGA2hFrq0QhOsn4zx/s320/66FD9E34-950C-4ED5-AE6D-91B2E5F317DC.jpg" /></a></div><p>Later that long weekend I toasted the end of the school year with some fellow room mamas (in person!), ending my four-year tenure as room parent coordinator, an unpaid gig I took on when I wasn't working (but now I am, full-time, and especially after this crazy year, I'm very much looking forward to a break).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1NrrrUQe1JxITNmf5aVEWK6ftd8PrbyBvI6QDuLqBwSFQS4tozMJmdb0zN888Eu_rNbAf4q7Y_ApLqgcU8qhZGQmJMtn-UtVmLrzPshMRhOw0jYa3641ERvn3B92XeHKXSrh/s1024/IMG_1283.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="766" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1NrrrUQe1JxITNmf5aVEWK6ftd8PrbyBvI6QDuLqBwSFQS4tozMJmdb0zN888Eu_rNbAf4q7Y_ApLqgcU8qhZGQmJMtn-UtVmLrzPshMRhOw0jYa3641ERvn3B92XeHKXSrh/s320/IMG_1283.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.forbiddenislandalameda.com/" target="_blank">Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge</a> in Alameda</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In other news, Daphne planted some sunflower seeds she got from her garden teacher earlier this spring. It's not sourdough bread, but the results have a very early pandemic project vibe.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygV5d5JmM4MM0T67yCWrZefCnZwVZPflr3sOSFUT1WLXZYZJcDqbHrtXpT-9nZlshaeOLeICDY65e29QBnsm6lFT0ZR4tEA5IjFC8E98THTXqQBQbfl0VR6TqsjeqrTVAVZUi/s4032/IMG_2078.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygV5d5JmM4MM0T67yCWrZefCnZwVZPflr3sOSFUT1WLXZYZJcDqbHrtXpT-9nZlshaeOLeICDY65e29QBnsm6lFT0ZR4tEA5IjFC8E98THTXqQBQbfl0VR6TqsjeqrTVAVZUi/s320/IMG_2078.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>Another <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/05/why-dont-more-american-moms-work-part-time/618741/" target="_blank">article</a> about how the pandemic has impacted working parents, especially mothers, in the workplace made the rounds. <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids/status/1389320560098770947" target="_blank">Here</a> is my reaction to it, including a thread of posts I've written about it over the years right here on this blog.</p><p>And, um, okay, so I guess I'm <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=friendship+pandemic&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS906US906&oq=friendship+pandemic&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l4j0i390l2.10354j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">not the only one</a> feeling like the pandemic has dramatically altered my social life forever. Desperately seeking a post-pandemic perimenopausal posse. I've been really enjoying <a href="https://twitter.com/JessGrose" target="_blank">Jessica Grose</a>'s writing on the topic, and even put together a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3E4N1GMZ8FNO4?ref_=wl_share" target="_blank">reading list</a> so let me know if you'd like to join my book club.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8FqO6NRCGWOFKDawOjR6dZryg7Dh3hVMDTkCwHnyBs23vxAkg27mjOpLL9wruOaZkQNxfEouzZVzg3iucfwoS8lb0vIlXogZcpTkvm-m2pdm6ki9Np7icN5RCoegdSWT-b4d/s4032/IMG_0805.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8FqO6NRCGWOFKDawOjR6dZryg7Dh3hVMDTkCwHnyBs23vxAkg27mjOpLL9wruOaZkQNxfEouzZVzg3iucfwoS8lb0vIlXogZcpTkvm-m2pdm6ki9Np7icN5RCoegdSWT-b4d/s320/IMG_0805.HEIC" /></a><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p style="text-align: left;">Otherwise, I successfully snuck in little chunks of studio time over the last several weeks of the school year and I'm hoping to do this a bit more consistently this summer (and beyond, if all goes well and kids return to in-person school in the fall), kind of digging where <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/100daysinthedollhouse/" target="_blank">this project</a> is going. I started <a href="https://www.instagram.com/beckybgrigsby/" target="_blank">a new Instagram account</a> devoted just to my creative practice and related shenanigans (looking at art, etc.). I've also been very keen to start work on season two of the <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">podcast</a>, but worry if I do, it'll take up all the little bits of time I need in the studio. Which is fitting since that's kind of what season two is all about. Sigh.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIK98Ia6aczCYTuG4nHppt_i0LmHSgTiEAeYjapAoGEWMXCkBlF4pGZRlJ3kiWikRwWtY6zHcJBCusf3mzqyUA4g55yHdXUg3ZzMmMvI-tHIeyWws6w0ghZB5k3a2Qu4c9uMP/s4032/IMG_1121.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIK98Ia6aczCYTuG4nHppt_i0LmHSgTiEAeYjapAoGEWMXCkBlF4pGZRlJ3kiWikRwWtY6zHcJBCusf3mzqyUA4g55yHdXUg3ZzMmMvI-tHIeyWws6w0ghZB5k3a2Qu4c9uMP/s320/IMG_1121.HEIC" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">As a family unit, we are now 75% vaxxed! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKujE1cHm6pKZ-H5mEWLFV_MXocgdLV8EJH-U6-COBsLRVs9s85MAcyMRVVlsfyNNFKXI5SNhjwC4gmkEojFgK3GV-PLESZUw69eGbOmLB5nQBLjMATBVVeczP_hUE3keuKfG7/s4032/IMG_1146.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKujE1cHm6pKZ-H5mEWLFV_MXocgdLV8EJH-U6-COBsLRVs9s85MAcyMRVVlsfyNNFKXI5SNhjwC4gmkEojFgK3GV-PLESZUw69eGbOmLB5nQBLjMATBVVeczP_hUE3keuKfG7/s320/IMG_1146.HEIC" /></a></div><p>In local foodie news, we discovered the vegan pizza from <a href="https://squarepieguys.com/" target="_blank">Square Pie Guys</a>, which might be my favorite yet, and bought some fancy vodka for a good cause (design by Oakland-based artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artbyshido/" target="_blank">Shogun Shido</a>, for the fundraising collaboration between <a href="https://www.treecraftdistillery.com/" target="_blank">Treecraft Distillery</a> and <a href="https://www.oaklandartmurmur.org/" target="_blank">Oakland Art Murmur</a> - read more about it <a href="https://www.treecraftdistillery.com/product-page/pre-order-shido" target="_blank">here</a>). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfZkGhlivV2nS_q5IxVyAXjyJ6n3jKrbYn1PgMgsKEG0RuY4EQbiMcpnhZYsuiPOkkId47xKR71w53vGQ3WAJ2RcLh4PiJEgpXzUbj97VLOYYNOZcMGmWPGnuEesJrZCB3lnO/s4032/IMG_1009.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirfZkGhlivV2nS_q5IxVyAXjyJ6n3jKrbYn1PgMgsKEG0RuY4EQbiMcpnhZYsuiPOkkId47xKR71w53vGQ3WAJ2RcLh4PiJEgpXzUbj97VLOYYNOZcMGmWPGnuEesJrZCB3lnO/s320/IMG_1009.HEIC" /></a></div><p>So, yeah, an enthusiastic cheers to the end of the weirdest school year we've experienced as parents. Let's hope we never have to do that again.</p></div>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-53323582417951397582021-05-25T17:19:00.007-07:002021-05-25T17:23:17.482-07:00running through the pandemic plateauOne of the many events that was canceled because of the pandemic last spring was the <a href="https://oaklandmarathon.com/" target="_blank">Oakland Running Festival</a>, including the half marathon event for which I'd been training since late fall/early winter 2019. <div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aeRD3Lgk6WNyU0n9RTBFZSashxUWg143YitOQvhrxgEze9GwJxLgU7qickk0K8HDtyBpSEDVzcEWsZfvMU-jFI4OCwbmZNCYy2PVoXfAqtUX6fCowbn91I20Wf3YXihuqy-k/s4032/IMG_3011.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aeRD3Lgk6WNyU0n9RTBFZSashxUWg143YitOQvhrxgEze9GwJxLgU7qickk0K8HDtyBpSEDVzcEWsZfvMU-jFI4OCwbmZNCYy2PVoXfAqtUX6fCowbn91I20Wf3YXihuqy-k/s320/IMG_3011.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12 miles in Alameda, along Crown Memorial Beach, to Bay Farm Island, and back.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I'd just started my taper, that delightful period between your longest training run (which for me was 12 miles on February 28, 2020) and the event itself (13.1 miles through Oakland, scheduled for March 22nd) when you decrease your mileage and focus on maintaining your overall health, getting good rest, and eating lots of carbs! As the Bay Area went into lockdown, I kept running, first without a mask, then with a mask, something I eventually got used to. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2QdnspL8q8k70wAXnoxG2ZsaPHurOwyKh0ChD5NRmYSQWpVdF4b5kSooGOAe2DFZUm00ZWTdepQioepEF498JrQY8gXqLhjtwaOWdYfDE0TrLiuCKb47mo__tE9W8Q1T6MNo/s4032/A615A20F-0332-4132-9635-3B53F5634D14.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2QdnspL8q8k70wAXnoxG2ZsaPHurOwyKh0ChD5NRmYSQWpVdF4b5kSooGOAe2DFZUm00ZWTdepQioepEF498JrQY8gXqLhjtwaOWdYfDE0TrLiuCKb47mo__tE9W8Q1T6MNo/s320/A615A20F-0332-4132-9635-3B53F5634D14.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pre-COVID, pre-dawn run.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Even masked, I only run at 6 am on weekdays, partly because that's really all that will work with my schedule, partly because at any other time of day or day of the week, the <a href="https://www.lakemerritt.org/" target="_blank">lake</a> where I run is simply too crowded. Now that I'm fully vaccinated, I no longer wear a mask (though I do make an effort to keep plenty of space between myself and other walkers and runners) and it's wonderful. I kept running (and walking and hiking and <i>all</i> the Jillian Michaels workout DVDs) because it helped keep me physically <i>and</i> mentally healthy over the past 15 months. It's also one of the rare times I'm ever alone.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QqzQwwedP8pmP64v94v6dhQ2BypjbKF5aXWcxdPaaMadDoo-LseSLXx-SC0JwrDEfTN9hUJX4DA0TS0SrKPw0JzjeW_-uzTp4y9PJqfrgGK4IURRT45j374VkZeZl8ReOru4/s4032/IMG_2093.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4QqzQwwedP8pmP64v94v6dhQ2BypjbKF5aXWcxdPaaMadDoo-LseSLXx-SC0JwrDEfTN9hUJX4DA0TS0SrKPw0JzjeW_-uzTp4y9PJqfrgGK4IURRT45j374VkZeZl8ReOru4/s320/IMG_2093.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 miles on the Bay Bridge Trail on January 10, 2020</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div>That said, I've plateaued. Big time. I run just two days a week, once around the lake (about a 5K), the other day in the opposite direction, finishing a slightly shorter distance, about 3 miles, with one or two trips up and down the stairs that make up the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Cascade" target="_blank">Cleveland Cascade</a> to finish. I only do the stairs in the spring to early fall since it's too dark and creepy in the winter, when it's still dark out even when I finish around 6:45 am. Since January, I've swapped out the Jillian Michaels DVDs for the <a href="https://www.freeletics.com/en/" target="_blank">Freeletics</a> app three times a week, which I really enjoy. It's helped immensely with core strength in particular, which has helped alleviate some chronic low back pain I've been experiencing since summer 2017. I can do legitimate burpees now. I hate them, but I can do them. I try to add a <a href="https://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers" target="_blank">rowing machine</a> workout on to any shorter Freeletics day, ideally once a week.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNlHOmrpl2WPP8wzWcyA-V8kPA9h_N57Ogx1Ks0TLh_2W5ZCOnaECH2uSQmt1eR5MTgfBDi8oYtPMV0fQ_V-p_hGVKmWSJqYH0e2x6hQAsy1SNWBV3jRUn0Y4h5TQazIGOQl9/s4032/IMG_2932.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNlHOmrpl2WPP8wzWcyA-V8kPA9h_N57Ogx1Ks0TLh_2W5ZCOnaECH2uSQmt1eR5MTgfBDi8oYtPMV0fQ_V-p_hGVKmWSJqYH0e2x6hQAsy1SNWBV3jRUn0Y4h5TQazIGOQl9/s320/IMG_2932.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An "easy 10-miler" along the Hayward Regional Shoreline on February 21, 2020</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I've been hesitant to try any of the Freeletics running "journeys" yet, or add a longer weekend run back in, or do any kind of run training, really, but I know I won't progress as a runner if I don't push myself in one way or another. In the past I've used (and recommend) the plans in the book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007GK8L58/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank">Train Like A Mother</a>. So I may go that route again when it comes time to resume training for the 2022 running festival (rather than tackle a virtual event I deferred to next spring, when I feel pretty confident at this point that the event will be in-person). To help kickstart that eventual training, I also signed up for the <a href="https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/Oakland/Alameda10Miler" target="_blank">Alameda 10-Miler</a> in late August, an "easy 10-miler!" as <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119934/" target="_blank">Steve Prefontaine</a> would say. I did have a moment post-registration when I realized I'd signed up for a 10-<i>miler</i>, not a 10<i>K</i>. Either way, I'm looking forward to using that race as a milestone to work toward; continuing on to a half-marathon training plan should be a piece of cake after that.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYQyo70wOx0gqDeIs-g2IIn30VV9_yrpC1_jOp40FrbR61sebkFj2fBoT_5uO9o4A-6pmyxsIZwszvcINIerilgnkVEgHkoBFam9VyzFSKTl0Ru5vBdl-_eRMH2gMMK4y9IFl/s4032/IMG_2782.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikYQyo70wOx0gqDeIs-g2IIn30VV9_yrpC1_jOp40FrbR61sebkFj2fBoT_5uO9o4A-6pmyxsIZwszvcINIerilgnkVEgHkoBFam9VyzFSKTl0Ru5vBdl-_eRMH2gMMK4y9IFl/s320/IMG_2782.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8 miles from the Emeryville Marina along the McLaughlin Eastshore and back, Valentine's Day 2020 </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><i>PS</i> - If you want to read more about past running shenanigans, check out <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2012/04/dude-i-ran-through-fire.html" target="_blank">this post</a>, written after I completed the full Oakland marathon back in 2012 (I ran Big Sur in 2001, pre-blog, but I wrote about it <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2011/11/tnt-back-for-more.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Curious about what to eat (and what to watch) while training for a marathon? Check out <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/pasta%20and%20a%20movie" target="_blank">this series</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>PPS</i> - All of this running stuff is really just one piece of a broader topic I've been wanting to write about for awhile, which is a much broader personal project to reset my relationship with food and yes, lose weight, which kicked off a bit before I started training for the half-marathon (why yes, I had just recently turned 40). I've lost somewhere in the 10-15 pound range since late summer/early fall 2019, but that too has plateaued since the pandemic began. My BMI, which was approaching the obese range, is now very nearly in the healthy range. All of my other numbers have always been excellent (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.), and I take no medications (yet), but as I mentioned above I was experiencing back and joint pain and that has definitely improved. Going <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/05/a-mostly-vegan-week.html" target="_blank">mostly vegan</a> (one year ago today!) is also part of all this, especially the resetting my relationship to food bit. I feel overall better and I think a lot less about food, which saves a lot of time, oddly. Anyway, it's a strange time to write or say much publicly about metrics such as weight loss and BMI, and for good reason (I'm no stranger to those reasons, having lost someone very close to me as a result of a longterm eating disorder). But weight and BMI are data, if you will, that I use <i>in part</i> to measure my success on this, for lack of a better word, journey. Perhaps I'll write more about it one day. Still much to unpack here (see parenthetical above).</div><div><br /></div><div><i>PPPS</i> - All that said, training for an endurance event rarely leads to weight loss. Just have to put that out there should anyone come here searching for weight loss and running! I always tend to shed pounds <i>after</i> a big event, rarely during training. More on that topic <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/weight-loss/a767757/the-marathon-weight-loss-mystery/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div></div>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-56224139520736255952021-04-16T17:06:00.000-07:002021-04-16T17:06:41.445-07:00pandemic diaries: month 13<p>Spring has sprung!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOmmzGBlguNW6ao2ftWpUmto25OvJIPDMeVVYX7k3q_ElrVWEZvOsEM8LUa8eNPZFTYLd6OEMDAKk4Y3C9r5XMFSf_nEzphKbGJAiFmoybzLZ-ol8aSfaIwPQI_XZSbSbL9nm/s1440/3A27EBE2-DE88-4DE2-9BE9-14C3AC082686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOmmzGBlguNW6ao2ftWpUmto25OvJIPDMeVVYX7k3q_ElrVWEZvOsEM8LUa8eNPZFTYLd6OEMDAKk4Y3C9r5XMFSf_nEzphKbGJAiFmoybzLZ-ol8aSfaIwPQI_XZSbSbL9nm/s320/3A27EBE2-DE88-4DE2-9BE9-14C3AC082686.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppies in full bloom at Serpentine Prairie.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I wasn't going to necessarily continue these <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/pandemic" target="_blank">pandemic diaries</a> but it's been an eventful month since <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/03/pandemic-diaries-weeks-50-52.html" target="_blank">my last update</a> marking 12 months of this, so let's make it a baker's dozen, shall we? The biggest development, after 384 days at home, is that one of two kids is now back at school, in-person, for 2+ hours a day, 2 afternoons a week. It's not much but it's better than nothing! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Px9Mm-5gcDRND1pHBTNl7RC-6i_h2yVAdwpP00mjSV4zLWNvm7rlVJBN63EbqZTkTDwqaq9BLY3p-RVGTx1-Mh9j_AgT9X_g0bOkED80f6OvWLionVaoWV_jZLCNd3FmRk6-/s4032/IMG_0206.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Px9Mm-5gcDRND1pHBTNl7RC-6i_h2yVAdwpP00mjSV4zLWNvm7rlVJBN63EbqZTkTDwqaq9BLY3p-RVGTx1-Mh9j_AgT9X_g0bOkED80f6OvWLionVaoWV_jZLCNd3FmRk6-/s320/IMG_0206.HEIC" /></a></div><p>Not surprisingly, she loves everything about it except for the fact that her older brother and I walk up the hill to fetch her at the end of the day, meaning she has to walk home. Downhill. It's pretty rough. It's only been two weeks - the week before Spring Break and today wrapping up the week after - and I don't expect anything more, either for her schedule or for the middle schooler, who's still in 100% remote instruction, for the remaining six weeks of this school year. Fingers and toes crossed for a full return to in-person instruction for all Oakland students in the fall.</p><p>I keep saying anything less will be a deal-breaker for me in terms of my willingness to remain in this city and perhaps even this state. Actually acting on that "threat" would, of course, be much harder to do, but as we've been somewhat casually looking in the Sacramento area for a few months now (feeling pretty lukewarm about the idea of ever moving there at this point), we decided to travel to Portland, Oregon over Spring Break to check out tentative relocation location number two. In a nutshell, we all loved it. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAq-tHaxXOshivtT7F1gHUJl585e8lDCtCzjAScopEh-BUq9XoclH5n36hfZRJLy8sspdScGAC_A5mHtZMVzRKywGSxo1HhAXha8ET53H9Ye3TARASBpQczykTfiTuyEUOQ_4/s4032/IMG_0499.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAq-tHaxXOshivtT7F1gHUJl585e8lDCtCzjAScopEh-BUq9XoclH5n36hfZRJLy8sspdScGAC_A5mHtZMVzRKywGSxo1HhAXha8ET53H9Ye3TARASBpQczykTfiTuyEUOQ_4/s320/IMG_0499.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neal and Elias at Pittock Mansion, view of Portland in the background.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It helps that the weather was nearly perfect most of the time, but even figuring in the more typical rain, I think we were all ready to pack up and move there permanently by the end of our four-day visit. My favorite neighborhoods are those surrounding <a href="https://www.portland.gov/parks/grant-park" target="_blank">Grant Park</a>, home of the <a href="https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/beverly_cleary_sculpture_garden/#.YHoeGxNKhBw" target="_blank">Beverly Cleary sculpture garden</a>. Cute houses on tree-lined streets walking distance to a really nice park and great schools...heck, Daphne would go to <i>Beverly Cleary School</i>, for cryin' out loud! It was good to get a feel for some of the other neighborhoods, as well, which we found to be fairly consistent with our general preference for more centrally located areas with walkability over bigger homes and lots in the more car-dependent suburban neighborhoods west of downtown.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6ZH2e5zVAhMAk5dy5Izdqp0A2Dxva2m2nrc5FpWsayCSAYcuWi3C6l6v4GalBjnkxjReHj16r0TL6-85rxvzkxrfycoydtNG44VYxgD0S5u4hQ8EC8Qxpl-D39PCjMNJJpmj/s1440/54F534CC-3D92-4020-8835-67989D626216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6ZH2e5zVAhMAk5dy5Izdqp0A2Dxva2m2nrc5FpWsayCSAYcuWi3C6l6v4GalBjnkxjReHj16r0TL6-85rxvzkxrfycoydtNG44VYxgD0S5u4hQ8EC8Qxpl-D39PCjMNJJpmj/s320/54F534CC-3D92-4020-8835-67989D626216.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A vegan strawberry cake made from scratch!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>All that said, a day or two after we settled back in at home, I was feeling a renewed appreciation for Oakland and the Bay Area in general. Oakland, like probably any city, will wear you down after awhile. Violent crime is up, we can hear sideshows every weekend (sure, I made a 16 Candles inspired cake with an Oakland twist - sideshow + fireworks - pictured above, but that doesn't mean I want to experience them every weekend!), the school district is a hot mess, and now we seem to have an arsonist running around setting community institutions on fire! But I guess I'm trying to be really careful not to repeat - and impose on my family, no less - my usual response to conflict which is to run away from it. How do you double down on a place you love and commit to doing everything in your power to make it better, not just for yourself and your family, but for your entire community? That is not a rhetorical question so please, suggestions accepted in the comments below.</p><p>I guess one thing that I'm struggling a little bit with that I've been thinking about a lot since the one-year anniversary of the pandemic is how the past year has affected my relationships with the people here (we have no family in the area so we're not rooted here in that sense). Despite my attempts to reach out and find ways to stay in touch and, more recently, see more of people in-person, safely, there are "friends" I haven't seen since before the pandemic began. Are we still friends? Did the pandemic force folks to ghost their b-list relationships? Needless to say I, like many, I'm sure, am feeling quite a void where any sense of community used to be. And I'm not sure what to do with that realization. Not that moving and starting over would make the process of finding and keeping friends any easier, but I feel like that's essentially what I'm up against here, even though I've lived here for years. Is there a dating app for plutonic relationships? Can we start one??</p><p>Anyway, we also have a ton of other stuff going on and perhaps toward what finally appears to be light at the end of this long pandemic tunnel is not the best time to put the kids through still more uncertainty and transition. But we'll keep all options on the table and in the very least revisit the topic in 6-12 months if we're still feeling all these feels. That timeline may change depending on what happens with Oakland public schools in the fall.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGkucawe8OrY_nSxUX6MZP5sgzmOjUwV_urh74RILx4Bg5mkT-Mf_7Dugc13XD4Lotgeo6drXW4ZY9G8h412KF0oBb9Kz3yqa7Phf0yhRHhpRZ1X-rFxycsBJIJh26VOrA_Ll/s3088/IMG_0051.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGkucawe8OrY_nSxUX6MZP5sgzmOjUwV_urh74RILx4Bg5mkT-Mf_7Dugc13XD4Lotgeo6drXW4ZY9G8h412KF0oBb9Kz3yqa7Phf0yhRHhpRZ1X-rFxycsBJIJh26VOrA_Ll/s320/IMG_0051.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking through an Olafur Eliasson piece at SFMOMA</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Otherwise, following up from my one-year pandemic anniversary update, we've now been to the recently reopened SFMOMA <i>and</i> the Bedford Gallery (my family was even featured in their "<a href="https://twitter.com/BedfordGallery/status/1376552873316745222?s=20" target="_blank">family art day</a>" social media coverage!). So lovely to see art again. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SUC_iA5KizRsGITjvN8DRbZfhCbDVsRS8NqI1DzI3E2LOJflVL9lWhESsqllx8Z5Ov4qScIkam9WQoAIntPdq9CMcSASz_Nl9IGrgqsP7HgS1zq2cCqxv4a5G6Ia9o9DP9jF/s4032/IMG_0011.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3SUC_iA5KizRsGITjvN8DRbZfhCbDVsRS8NqI1DzI3E2LOJflVL9lWhESsqllx8Z5Ov4qScIkam9WQoAIntPdq9CMcSASz_Nl9IGrgqsP7HgS1zq2cCqxv4a5G6Ia9o9DP9jF/s320/IMG_0011.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>We also saw an outdoor installation by <a href="https://www.hankwillisthomas.com/" target="_blank">Hank Willis Thomas</a> (above, on view through May), who lived in this neighborhood (Temescal) when he attended <a href="https://www.cca.edu/" target="_blank">CCA</a> for grad school (he's otherwise NY-based), and we try to roll by the <a href="http://rollupproject.com/about/" target="_blank">Roll Up Project</a> whenever we're in Jack London Square. <a href="https://www.rsitoy.com/" target="_blank">Renetta Sitoy</a>'s work is on view there now through mid-May.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_b9_Ys-cnTCmREHH3l_yNXb6V_oFXPSE8aFFzF-IJYi0rv6qoDXr9bmHe5uXFxq8WKlZZZyCLPUZjBysxN29nGDjfITzDqsLH7LySsQr01h5QUGSMRctJWtT3s6QwcTML8Ep/s1440/BED05428-6A91-4416-9CD1-02C9ED25F40E.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_b9_Ys-cnTCmREHH3l_yNXb6V_oFXPSE8aFFzF-IJYi0rv6qoDXr9bmHe5uXFxq8WKlZZZyCLPUZjBysxN29nGDjfITzDqsLH7LySsQr01h5QUGSMRctJWtT3s6QwcTML8Ep/s320/BED05428-6A91-4416-9CD1-02C9ED25F40E.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>In other viewing, we finished <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80036165" target="_blank">Schitt's Creek</a> (loved it), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WandaVision" target="_blank">WandaVision</a> (meh, it was okay), and we're already almost done with <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/the-knick-12d56e14-7dd5-4261-b4e8-d040ba31f9e6?&cmp=7958&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BM+Search+TV+Shows&utm_term=the%20knick%20cinemax&ds_rl=1263136&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6-SDBhCMARIsAGbI7Ug8Bwvsgd6ZLf15SJi5k9Xi2DUVAUIm1ykssIl4Xa8ZaxrrNZ6XqagaAmIFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">The Knick</a> (very intense, very good). What should we watch next?</p><p>PS - The above cake was made for our 16th wedding anniversary. 16 years (plus about 8 years before that) with this guy.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAE3iHYpfksJN_WVjnAC7KRP3c93DS6zJYuufxQdXL1cXiPhyME6o0hJXzXs7RIt8FTNqeyyyJKvds7UjJz0t3Oh-maCCcjiSlXE_j7QuPIuvGLKGts5dkmq-t4eAeC0tvIwxR/s3088/IMG_0406.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAE3iHYpfksJN_WVjnAC7KRP3c93DS6zJYuufxQdXL1cXiPhyME6o0hJXzXs7RIt8FTNqeyyyJKvds7UjJz0t3Oh-maCCcjiSlXE_j7QuPIuvGLKGts5dkmq-t4eAeC0tvIwxR/s320/IMG_0406.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Multnomah Falls, about 35 minutes from Portland, OR</td></tr></tbody></table><p>PPS - oh yeah, Easter. Neal was away most of the day dealing with the ongoing MIL sitch, but we did baskets in the morning and reserved egg dying/hunting for the late afternoon/evening when he returned, so it was all good. Pretty sure the gig is up, though, for the 8 year old, which is honestly fine by me. I'm not a very good liar.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAn3ZGkAwxaTBlrisz8dyeLIUCT4uzSmzWQMGvy7BOk7ubIyuCU8_JXGhjvnaAWsvFHIR9qHoIQg9xvgUfqUSlWWs6qHO-J9Q2mT6R1VauvsIxIW7jhNOdI-VPL6aWOHej1JB/s3637/IMG_0251.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3637" data-original-width="2728" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKAn3ZGkAwxaTBlrisz8dyeLIUCT4uzSmzWQMGvy7BOk7ubIyuCU8_JXGhjvnaAWsvFHIR9qHoIQg9xvgUfqUSlWWs6qHO-J9Q2mT6R1VauvsIxIW7jhNOdI-VPL6aWOHej1JB/s320/IMG_0251.HEIC" /></a></div><p>PPPS - I get my first Pfizer shot on Sunday! Woo!!</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-59741493853485476772021-03-13T16:43:00.002-08:002021-03-13T16:43:45.066-08:00pandemic diaries: weeks 50-52<p>Well, here we are, one year later. I'm not sure if I'll continue these pandemic diaries past the one-year mark, which is today (marking the anniversary as the last day my kids attended school in-person). I'm glad I've done it, but there are at least half-a-dozen other topics I'd like to write about over the last couple of months that I've put off because it takes all the wee bit of extra time and energy I have every few weeks (with respect to this blog) just to update this. So we'll see. I guess I'll check in with myself in 2-3 weeks and go from there.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswONgHZcY4uyPORb6UUIe1wtya5RpKTZdm3BjMD3F6tUGTcCyCwefr89OJCJZqPFWlQvu5ezsYxB_TkJIJaun_CRtbn0PQMoUnDZk8vwCOC8LeYdRI3er64Ydg49xxNL2HhCd/s1600/IMG_2390.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswONgHZcY4uyPORb6UUIe1wtya5RpKTZdm3BjMD3F6tUGTcCyCwefr89OJCJZqPFWlQvu5ezsYxB_TkJIJaun_CRtbn0PQMoUnDZk8vwCOC8LeYdRI3er64Ydg49xxNL2HhCd/s320/IMG_2390.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma Rose at the John Day Fossil Beds in Oregon in 2007.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In the meantime, here's how the last three weeks have gone. The biggest, saddest news is that my 94 year old grandmother, who I was so relieved to learn when I talked to her earlier in February had just received her first COVID vaccine, passed away one week ago today. I'll write more about her later, because she was a really special and important person in my life. For now, I'll just say that I take some comfort in knowing she died in her home, surrounded by her adult children, not alone in a hospital. But even after a wonderful, long life, it's not easy to say goodbye. I got to talk to her just hours before she died. I hope she heard my words. I'm double-masking and making the short flight up to Bend, Oregon, tomorrow so I can be there for her funeral on Monday. All of this happening on the eve of this pandemic anniversary week made <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/03/08/pandemic-parenting-hitting-the-wall/" target="_blank">this article</a> about our collective grief particularly resonant.</p><p>Otherwise, I guess the main thing to note for prosperity's sake, when I look back and read this after it's all a distant memory (LOL), is that Oakland students are still in 100% remote learning with no end in sight (meanwhile, <a href="https://www.oaklandca.gov/news/2021/alameda-county-advances-to-states-red-tier-prompting-more-allowed-activities" target="_blank">the county entered the less restrictive red tier</a> allowing for things like indoor dining, reopening gyms, etc.). No updates from the district or the union while neighboring districts have reopening plans with kids going back nearly full-time as soon as March 29th. Given the plummeting COVID numbers and mounting evidence around the safety of reopening schools (set against all the harms we know well about keeping kids isolated and staring at screens all day), I'm feeling rather cranky and impatient to the point that I'm not sure I can stick it out in this school district past this school year if they're not committed to reopening full-time BY the fall. What that means I'm not totally sure yet.</p><p>I will give you a hint, though. It might involve moving. I have incredibly mixed emotions about the thought of leaving Oakland (again), but it was an idea we were entertaining independent of the school situation for awhile now. It's complicated, but in a nutshell we've narrowed it down to Sacramento or Portland (I know, I know, such a cliché). Most likely. I'm still somewhat SoCal-curious and of course ponder moving even further north into the greater Pacific Northwest. But Sac and PDX are the two cities we're considering for now. It's a long, slow process, given COVID, set against a very hot market in Sacramento in particular (turns out we're not the only Bay Area family eyeing a city close enough to "commute" into San Francisco for the occasional, important work meeting but far enough away to get a little more bang for our buck).</p><p>Not completely unrelated to the school situation, I've written a lot, way before the pandemic, about how challenging it can be to juggle kids and work, both creative and/or paid. Lots of folks are talking about this now, since the pandemic, while it didn't <i>create</i> this childcare crisis, has certainly exposed and exacerbated it. <a href="https://www.romper.com/life/a-universal-childcare-policy-will-make-your-world-more-tender" target="_blank">This</a> is probably one of my favorite things I've read on the topic over the past year. I hope we can indeed seize this moment while there's momentum to confront this crisis. As Kathryn Jezer-Morton writes, "There will never be more political will than there is now, in the wreckage of this pandemic."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9p4IT_oHVJ3mN35mHWIJUgoJw_IyViqLfUdoIcfTLQp2uhdOkVqILWj97Ug1xDTmE99DqVKbDwUmhp_ZuZcXdEBjNgXkMDeyM-wNyE6eTJmeefc82E91-a17hheDX7QCDM_Z/s3887/IMG_9816.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2915" data-original-width="3887" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9p4IT_oHVJ3mN35mHWIJUgoJw_IyViqLfUdoIcfTLQp2uhdOkVqILWj97Ug1xDTmE99DqVKbDwUmhp_ZuZcXdEBjNgXkMDeyM-wNyE6eTJmeefc82E91-a17hheDX7QCDM_Z/s320/IMG_9816.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>Anyway, in preparation for a possible move in the next 6-18 months, following up on the great purge noted in <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2021/02/pandemic-diaries-weeks-48-49-and-half.html" target="_blank">the last update</a>, I've been slowly making progress weeding through and organizing the kids' writing and art projects from school over the past, well, decade. I'm putting flat things in plastic protective sheets in one or two 3-ring binders and bigger, bulkier stuff in, hopefully, one bin per kid. I finished Daphne's stash a couple of weeks ago and hope to finish up with Elias's next weekend. From there I'll move on to the family photos pre-digital. It's a big project.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_43syqdz9gKQiKPJM-SzUhIrirt08SIKj-rXrCo88xPMhj_mCjjFklJSujio9casFQ0gm3ncvNjPkoutPSbsjSk1dTHkDbOBnBztfsV9dJsyro8AjumGNgLF787R99mugri-/s4032/IMG_9869.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_43syqdz9gKQiKPJM-SzUhIrirt08SIKj-rXrCo88xPMhj_mCjjFklJSujio9casFQ0gm3ncvNjPkoutPSbsjSk1dTHkDbOBnBztfsV9dJsyro8AjumGNgLF787R99mugri-/s320/IMG_9869.HEIC" /></a></div><p>In good news, I can <a href="https://www.eatthis.com/fresca-shortage-coca-cola-back/" target="_blank">finally find Fresca again</a>! Nature is healing, as they say. Also, San Francisco art museums got the green light to reopen a week or so ago but I've yet to convince my kids to visit.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5MS9mgC9HnF9YNOGjZMTweXwfevUAZRruAR9Bwk8K7EOX-AO-lkWKXAi6tm9Kp-X1GE5pHJR2zCw7L0PYhoO39XrnJCrmaYz8DlHECeV_mVpHHQcasx5wFoqV5R5lup3ckrH/s4032/IMG_9906.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM5MS9mgC9HnF9YNOGjZMTweXwfevUAZRruAR9Bwk8K7EOX-AO-lkWKXAi6tm9Kp-X1GE5pHJR2zCw7L0PYhoO39XrnJCrmaYz8DlHECeV_mVpHHQcasx5wFoqV5R5lup3ckrH/s320/IMG_9906.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March 10, 2020, in the Laurel neighborhood of Oakland, CA.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>'Tis the season for incredible sunrises and sunsets. Above is one from March 10, 2020, on the eve of the pandemic, if you think about it, with the WHO declaring the global nature of said pandemic the next day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDjoxR9tH6HQmMW8917F7tozyhBmSzKppP313QkYnwyuwHRtvqmAoJNmuHj1yUUQvcFNABZ5VjK2mQeeFmg9rz6xWF51Eu30u-K2Ara2c7vfcVuT47KIKtfBuwaFQr426nRaN/s4032/IMG_9842.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDjoxR9tH6HQmMW8917F7tozyhBmSzKppP313QkYnwyuwHRtvqmAoJNmuHj1yUUQvcFNABZ5VjK2mQeeFmg9rz6xWF51Eu30u-K2Ara2c7vfcVuT47KIKtfBuwaFQr426nRaN/s320/IMG_9842.HEIC" /></a></div><p>And here are a few from the last couple of weeks. Sunrise, above, and sunset, below (taken on the same day, March 2nd).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSFBEPsFuwBc0054cGb3pynQ5makZQW8d3u5lgt-f5uDDC2eNTZCzVF78DJwx4h10J26C2TLvROsxrW3lChmhu3zFdEVXEwi7P_f_sEWiJ44SMJJ5zGPBjJjQf1B_5EOFOV7k/s4032/IMG_9844.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSFBEPsFuwBc0054cGb3pynQ5makZQW8d3u5lgt-f5uDDC2eNTZCzVF78DJwx4h10J26C2TLvROsxrW3lChmhu3zFdEVXEwi7P_f_sEWiJ44SMJJ5zGPBjJjQf1B_5EOFOV7k/s320/IMG_9844.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>Speaking of taking pictures of the sky this past year, KQED reporter and <a href="https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/rightnowish" target="_blank">Rightnowish</a> host Pendarvis Harshaw wrote <a href="https://www.kqed.org/arts/13893751/no-fluff" target="_blank">this excellent piece</a> on the gravity of the past year, anything but a "fluffy reflection on COVID-19," that risks glossing over this and the many other crises of the past year.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-15340308563542491132021-02-23T18:03:00.003-08:002021-02-23T18:03:58.845-08:00pandemic diaries: weeks 48-49 (and a half!)<p>With less than three weeks until the one-year anniversary of school closures here in Oakland, alongside dramatically improving COVID numbers nationwide, there's been an uptick in the heated debate around schools reopening. I won't repeat any of it here, but if you're interested in my take on it, you should <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids" target="_blank">follow me on Twitter</a>, where I'm trying my best to keep it positive and respectful. Locally, we were recently asked to fill out a form confirming whether or not we'd send our kids back to school given the chance to return to at least a hybrid model of in-person/remote learning and we indicated that yes, indeed, half or full days will work for us, thank you very much. My kids have been consistently wearing masks, maintaining distance from others, and washing their hands well throughout this pandemic (the latter since way before - first thing we do when we return home from literally anywhere). They've got this. That said, I'm not holding my breath for a return to campus anytime soon, especially for the middle schooler.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuIXkpli4pu92GNzJHiRl1IBhBoP_8C7GuFP92YWjkBKkVn0if6SFtY17S94r-1zd5ni-T469qcwUoGFb67z2nKWxL-erQmZgCw7RjxndWmVjwjtbuVX-66mX7Bp9ARQUDgn-/s1440/93A83E15-2214-47C4-B032-E414F48500A9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuIXkpli4pu92GNzJHiRl1IBhBoP_8C7GuFP92YWjkBKkVn0if6SFtY17S94r-1zd5ni-T469qcwUoGFb67z2nKWxL-erQmZgCw7RjxndWmVjwjtbuVX-66mX7Bp9ARQUDgn-/s320/93A83E15-2214-47C4-B032-E414F48500A9.jpg" /></a></div><p>In other (related) news, on the heels of requesting a mental health services referral for my increasingly glum 8 year old, we celebrated her birthday virtually with friends (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/953167553/llama-paint-by-number-kit?ref=shop_home_feat_2" target="_blank">llama paint-by-number kits</a> provided by my high school friend Amanda's company <a href="https://www.wehgo.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html" target="_blank">Wehgo</a>), which seemed to open the door to conversations around in-person playdates everyone felt comfortable with. We've since established a couple of standing, weekly back yard playdates with a couple of her friends and the difference it's making in her overall mood is simply stunning. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLQC95vibg-Ldln6Av6SiR9la_ZluocQ_sgM9bRP6BiLvaCGCJC0EnYrTnMtMs2-xuehh-wyRSNP6QvVwVB14Yn2B6JU4LT2_dNvVsYcQ4_bqnbp5QTPYPj_yFQnwpweZxVRD/s4032/IMG_9661.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWLQC95vibg-Ldln6Av6SiR9la_ZluocQ_sgM9bRP6BiLvaCGCJC0EnYrTnMtMs2-xuehh-wyRSNP6QvVwVB14Yn2B6JU4LT2_dNvVsYcQ4_bqnbp5QTPYPj_yFQnwpweZxVRD/s320/IMG_9661.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evidence of a successful (masked) back yard playdate.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Both kids are also doing a "<a href="https://eastbayspca.org/what-we-do/humane-education/shelter-scouts/" target="_blank">shelter scouts</a>" program one afternoon a week at the East Bay SPCA. Here's a cute pup they met last week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXUx7ftOyIK0NBH2RjzbuZUlE85rXagE18yqu_JZrkuOQTwwhFRv1L_qzTLHbdB041vh3MlS_wwkMzzKQt2MclEmbYcD4_dogvSEsMXRS5a2cauSFm1tzpYXX8AosvOR26V6Q/s4032/IMG_9651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXUx7ftOyIK0NBH2RjzbuZUlE85rXagE18yqu_JZrkuOQTwwhFRv1L_qzTLHbdB041vh3MlS_wwkMzzKQt2MclEmbYcD4_dogvSEsMXRS5a2cauSFm1tzpYXX8AosvOR26V6Q/s320/IMG_9651.JPG" /></a></div><p>The 12 year old, meanwhile, has been a little easier to support in this way, with a couple of friends open to outdoor hikes and hangs for a few months now (not to mention the upside of having a smart phone and playing video games in that he likely feels a bit more connected than his little sister does to her friends). I was reminded of how parenthood warps time when I saw that <a href="https://homeroom510.com/" target="_blank">Homeroom</a> was getting ready to celebrate its 10th (!!) anniversary. Seems like just a couple of years ago I took the then 2 1/2 year old to <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2011/02/hungry-toddler.html" target="_blank">try it out</a> during opening week.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa7twAgG_ZVHx5eneinCD-BGrb3sSzJfmmVWAG7p6So29P3wcjmoK93CpKavYr4cLBUIiqf4SXY4JZXYf8gSVNH7v9VeFEriI7WxEDLRxm6XfE8OCpXVacQZZGDipqWWySFIH/s1000/IMG_9583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBa7twAgG_ZVHx5eneinCD-BGrb3sSzJfmmVWAG7p6So29P3wcjmoK93CpKavYr4cLBUIiqf4SXY4JZXYf8gSVNH7v9VeFEriI7WxEDLRxm6XfE8OCpXVacQZZGDipqWWySFIH/s320/IMG_9583.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p>On a personal note, I too have been struggling with some bouts of mild depression (mild clinically, I'm sure, but worse than I'm personally used to). Though we're fortunate in so many ways, the chronic nature of things is getting really, really hard to deal with. I keep thinking of that section in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Know-How-She-Does/dp/0375713751" target="_blank">I Don't Know How She Does It</a> by Allison Pearson, and I'm paraphrasing since I read the book on a Nook I no longer have so I can't look up the exact quote, but something about how she didn't feel suicidal exactly, but she had days when she just wanted everything to stop for awhile. I have a lot of days like that lately, mornings when it's really, really hard to get out of bed. To counter this groundhog day quality a bit, in addition to trying my best to eat well and exercise every day (just started my second six-week "journey" using the <a href="https://www.freeletics.com/en/" target="_blank">Freeletics</a> app), I've returned to random national "holidays" for some daily inspiration. It's surreal to think back to some of our early coping strategies during the first couple of months of this pandemic, when national days often served as homeschool inspiration.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-iGMXQf2d6Qfch77Z9uKQXqlKGVunLivZn91owSYI6LbOdo_1OFmMowPSUxc1oWI6871IOd7GcN7I5gRZi3xbbRbL2qw2FMXQD_CPrpPMT3PmGYao5CSOUnFb8gjY0iFQA4_/s3756/D4B6EA58-7E13-48FB-82A4-7269B4AAB108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="3756" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-iGMXQf2d6Qfch77Z9uKQXqlKGVunLivZn91owSYI6LbOdo_1OFmMowPSUxc1oWI6871IOd7GcN7I5gRZi3xbbRbL2qw2FMXQD_CPrpPMT3PmGYao5CSOUnFb8gjY0iFQA4_/s320/D4B6EA58-7E13-48FB-82A4-7269B4AAB108.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy National Banana Bread Day!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We also did a major, multiple-weeks long purge of lots of random stuff in our cozy home (some stuff the 12 year old has had in his room since we moved in 10 1/2 years ago!). Getting rid of things lightens the load a bit, both literally and figuratively, it seems.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUU-2t-9FSsKiFIR8e7kF7utGXomS2Yas96hWmtjti79EBnyyUsSMNtKa4mkQlizmlwPzPd96SZeM_DcKfuuz1w5ERFs6KUikuslagrd3MGvRldtBuvhy3Xq3W11McSRkv7Cfp/s4032/IMG_9634.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUU-2t-9FSsKiFIR8e7kF7utGXomS2Yas96hWmtjti79EBnyyUsSMNtKa4mkQlizmlwPzPd96SZeM_DcKfuuz1w5ERFs6KUikuslagrd3MGvRldtBuvhy3Xq3W11McSRkv7Cfp/s320/IMG_9634.HEIC" /></a></div><p>Enjoying the areas <i>outside</i> the house is also helping me get through what is hopefully the home stretch of this pandemic. Our hummingbird feeder out front continues to be a huge hit (hummingbirds around here don't really migrate away for the winter) and this past weekend we found the perfect spot in the back yard for the <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/wren-houses-386669" target="_blank">wren house</a> that Grandpa Randy built and sent us for Christmas. I can't wait to see who moves in!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uqPH0HA66VEj5Usl6oBmmJDFDdUjAEaBn_KkDLq-XQbvPIo0VQuxRO75wcT7u0SOk0160rO7KF2Hc3j5pgdWVcMZWNwTGmJyROMLWYQyN0JIqIMIDz77jsFfezB1jlLnzLOP/s2433/E675C1D8-7A82-4EAA-8764-C6A8BEF4C1C6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2433" data-original-width="2433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uqPH0HA66VEj5Usl6oBmmJDFDdUjAEaBn_KkDLq-XQbvPIo0VQuxRO75wcT7u0SOk0160rO7KF2Hc3j5pgdWVcMZWNwTGmJyROMLWYQyN0JIqIMIDz77jsFfezB1jlLnzLOP/s320/E675C1D8-7A82-4EAA-8764-C6A8BEF4C1C6.jpg" /></a></div><p>Otherwise, with no remote school last Friday, a rather gloomy day in the middle of a long stretch of unseasonably warm weather, I played hooky to take the kids on an epic outing in El Sobrante, about a half-hour north of Oakland. A <a href="https://www.ebparks.org/parks/sobrante_ridge/" target="_blank">foggy, muddy hike</a> was followed by take-out <a href="https://www.chicagospizzatwist.com/elsobrante/menucat" target="_blank">pizza</a> enjoyed at a <a href="https://www.510families.com/visiting-la-moine-park-aka-cheese-park/" target="_blank">new-to-us playground</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdSOtVGRR5Qvce3p1J4aIsPDVF42nXS1hZC1tjcGFY-JSLZzI-J05P5GhkyvK3I4PA2qtukW3E_qTN2K8wWuUTgVniib7P32EDrtU8QUBX1SPtnh9YxcF89IcCJaoxsVORoVe/s4032/IMG_9678.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdSOtVGRR5Qvce3p1J4aIsPDVF42nXS1hZC1tjcGFY-JSLZzI-J05P5GhkyvK3I4PA2qtukW3E_qTN2K8wWuUTgVniib7P32EDrtU8QUBX1SPtnh9YxcF89IcCJaoxsVORoVe/s320/IMG_9678.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFe2PgmauX-9ZxUZG5shq9iWTfyyQxImbAxy42FAYj7A1CLrVPj-TK-wXn0m53IdU-H00jEEQi2wXwwyXqTKLCQpTSKXx7PSPBhxKJhv2V7v4oydFjDLBbVB5FFiEnwtF3iX59/s4032/IMG_9687.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFe2PgmauX-9ZxUZG5shq9iWTfyyQxImbAxy42FAYj7A1CLrVPj-TK-wXn0m53IdU-H00jEEQi2wXwwyXqTKLCQpTSKXx7PSPBhxKJhv2V7v4oydFjDLBbVB5FFiEnwtF3iX59/s320/IMG_9687.HEIC" /></a></div><p>Converting to full-time has been challenging some weeks so far this year, but paid time off is quite the perk.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-22541778724235498542021-02-09T17:12:00.000-08:002021-02-09T17:12:43.665-08:00pandemic diaries: weeks 43-47<p>Honestly, I don't even know if I'm doing the math right anymore, this thing is dragging on for so long. But I do know I'm way behind on updating these here pandemic diaries, and I've been at it this long, may as well continue, so here goes. It's been a busy and incredibly stressful five weeks, on both a personal and public level. By public I mean the capitol insurrection, of course, and the ensuing (second) impeachment, all on the heels of the positive political news from Georgia. It's weird to be reflecting back on this during the week the second impeachment trial began.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKFihlVa9V5b4AcBcNZI770ti6ljXWIIhgpRrJ7tALfEUinxCkxJazqXnMOD77RSRKR9N31aIlDfT6-jB1ienmeDWzyLeJZwR2_l56rZKtL1N_ZcR8TsbmkwQ7F4eULbEnRKJ/s4032/IMG_9377.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKFihlVa9V5b4AcBcNZI770ti6ljXWIIhgpRrJ7tALfEUinxCkxJazqXnMOD77RSRKR9N31aIlDfT6-jB1ienmeDWzyLeJZwR2_l56rZKtL1N_ZcR8TsbmkwQ7F4eULbEnRKJ/s320/IMG_9377.HEIC" /></a></div><p>On a personal level, my mother-in-law has been in the hospital since mid-January. She celebrated her 74th birthday there. I'm not going to pretend like our relationship has always been easy, but the first week she was in the ICU was one of the most agonizing of my life. She's doing much better now, thankfully, recovering from multiple health "events" at a care facility, but the transition and longer-term plan has and will pretty thoroughly upend our lives, at least temporarily. It wasn't COVID, but having to deal with all this on top of the ten months of chronic stress caused by a global pandemic and all that's come with it has taken my anxiety levels and mild depression to a new level. Having a loved one in the hospital during a pandemic, whether COVID-related or not, really sucks. We're officially part of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandwich_generation" target="_blank">sandwich generation</a> now, which is a little like winning a really shitty lottery if you know me/us personally and know what our parent configuration is like. But that's how life goes, I guess.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTCl9M-q07oaMMjBZOjIIwG3CQUO0pE1vvsDRc448xcwKcGY5PsXvZBVrISmZz2FyYFuEs61z1YlDJCL4NLx1uNRjtr7w8odSX6IW2cJfKOK2o0LesYvw3nvzlsgG8nNyjakG/s4032/IMG_9400.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTCl9M-q07oaMMjBZOjIIwG3CQUO0pE1vvsDRc448xcwKcGY5PsXvZBVrISmZz2FyYFuEs61z1YlDJCL4NLx1uNRjtr7w8odSX6IW2cJfKOK2o0LesYvw3nvzlsgG8nNyjakG/s320/IMG_9400.HEIC" /></a></div><p>And what to say of the ongoing debate around reopening school campuses for in-person learning? In a nutshell, I think <a href="https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101881772/bay-area-parents-students-eager-to-know-when-schools-will-reopen" target="_blank">this</a> is a pretty good piece of radio to listen to if you haven't already (Bay Area specific but touches on a lot of the pieces of the debate going on around the country right now).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaFnFHHsYIN0TYPWrULEafyrtfAtpvZuk0Esamzv7A9ANGjsCe3E6PA-wTpq6WpNzKOnTxWP7Calu-dnz4EfOgmLtMWhKZVnXIyU3C4IIJmlkHOQzvOkTanCcn0SDj7f8VC9m/s3019/IMG_9196.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3019" data-original-width="3019" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaFnFHHsYIN0TYPWrULEafyrtfAtpvZuk0Esamzv7A9ANGjsCe3E6PA-wTpq6WpNzKOnTxWP7Calu-dnz4EfOgmLtMWhKZVnXIyU3C4IIJmlkHOQzvOkTanCcn0SDj7f8VC9m/s320/IMG_9196.HEIC" /></a></div><p>On a lighter note, and fittingly, the now 8 year old and I have been reading <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollyanna" target="_blank">Pollyanna</a> together. I've been trying my hardest to play the glad game every day, really I have.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsiI2dYu_yymD-7IbxgXbvkeezxpx9dmaUuMBETaALALCNZUl5JURH8Dpe2jbxb5gRzEult36RwH3ilwTJ1gJBeOzwChGJotPsV4zG79_twqZgLy2sy6-7oXPecEbqO7ZObxE/s1440/34B984A4-793B-4178-B273-80BB18DF2176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsiI2dYu_yymD-7IbxgXbvkeezxpx9dmaUuMBETaALALCNZUl5JURH8Dpe2jbxb5gRzEult36RwH3ilwTJ1gJBeOzwChGJotPsV4zG79_twqZgLy2sy6-7oXPecEbqO7ZObxE/s320/34B984A4-793B-4178-B273-80BB18DF2176.jpg" /></a></div><p>Speaking of birthdays, with the youngest turning 8, every member of the family has now celebrated a pandemic birthday. She requested all things llama. Last weekend we visited a couple of llamas and a whole lot of alpacas at <a href="https://www.menageriehillranch.com/" target="_blank">Menagerie Hill Ranch</a> in Vacaville. I highly recommend hugging a baby alpaca if ever given the chance. This weekend we'll host a virtual paint party with a few of her friends. More about that in the next update.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUPrFmY0Y7kn1k-KtyCpNgTSmvvrA40FWU21yIU8_zH0GDoX7Lff9vX5E6ivvgCmy1sM9YKG5OMXz42XZdAw3Kl5l-k7s-Wrks70P65KV_jFHi-mQ-SxA0yr1dUZmluLHa9OZ/s4032/IMG_9330.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUPrFmY0Y7kn1k-KtyCpNgTSmvvrA40FWU21yIU8_zH0GDoX7Lff9vX5E6ivvgCmy1sM9YKG5OMXz42XZdAw3Kl5l-k7s-Wrks70P65KV_jFHi-mQ-SxA0yr1dUZmluLHa9OZ/s320/IMG_9330.HEIC" /></a></div><p>We're getting kinda bored with our usual jaunts. Fortunately, there's always new stuff to discover around here, like <a href="https://brooklynbasin.com/" target="_blank">Brooklyn Basin</a>, currently still in development nearish Oakland's Jack London Square. You can explore the old pier and even grab some groceries at <a href="https://rockysmarket.com/rockys-brooklyn-basin" target="_blank">Rocky's</a> (we didn't buy anything this time but I love the idea of those $5 produce grab bags and, if you're not vegan, the kitchen was producing some tasty-looking sandwiches and such).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7hyiF7456Qpykz4tfa01Xfv0SwDWOldn_X8aaNYlYIJkwjE8N6ZATgSBHWRkv6kv48igKI13Wdx7Raz-gpwjAHHClwzGPaLirIn3QUKpv1SCT9Hqfh1lHALExQrKfZgabd4o_/s4032/IMG_9230.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7hyiF7456Qpykz4tfa01Xfv0SwDWOldn_X8aaNYlYIJkwjE8N6ZATgSBHWRkv6kv48igKI13Wdx7Raz-gpwjAHHClwzGPaLirIn3QUKpv1SCT9Hqfh1lHALExQrKfZgabd4o_/s320/IMG_9230.HEIC" /></a></div><p>We also explored, for the first time as a family, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm" target="_blank">Muir Woods</a>. What a truly magical place.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbccYb2j79WjYDVSB_O5ogqD4PWbSLVxrprzO35kgq_p1scEqtv8Wc68wHcsJm-S_APilrP3EWdhFJYxNAXXADvyJjv4IVc8nMYVDI7GJa7lgCRZDUSkYxrZPLceihC1C1QTc/s1800/A26F5C36-6800-4EF1-823F-A81C114F21DE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqbccYb2j79WjYDVSB_O5ogqD4PWbSLVxrprzO35kgq_p1scEqtv8Wc68wHcsJm-S_APilrP3EWdhFJYxNAXXADvyJjv4IVc8nMYVDI7GJa7lgCRZDUSkYxrZPLceihC1C1QTc/s320/A26F5C36-6800-4EF1-823F-A81C114F21DE.jpg" /></a></div><p>Thankfully, outdoor attractions are starting to reopen again, too. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWsB_gr5tyV-fVo15F2itttWqsyasIbUu1RE3ivFbWSJD2lNKm6SUts4vI1sOPesPuiHplbD1YmvFNmgmTVu0ua-YFW084oMiXYunMl_S1tYX6nwieoeNMBYJZ9bD1sWdalIF/s1440/C863FE41-583E-453E-A2F4-447D579EEEF5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWsB_gr5tyV-fVo15F2itttWqsyasIbUu1RE3ivFbWSJD2lNKm6SUts4vI1sOPesPuiHplbD1YmvFNmgmTVu0ua-YFW084oMiXYunMl_S1tYX6nwieoeNMBYJZ9bD1sWdalIF/s320/C863FE41-583E-453E-A2F4-447D579EEEF5.jpg" /></a></div><p>We were able to reschedule our canceled December 21st <a href="https://www.oaklandzoo.org/programs-and-events/glowfari" target="_blank">Glowfari</a> tickets for this past Friday. It was "epic" and the music was "a vibe," according to the rising teen.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNvVuJjTbvNyTrdGa9W7uquxAvfJe-QPsJUOyz2AdG_SV_6_MfI-Ij6ubD-IkWCze-UH-2MwLsemapQ-cMVrywh5a2nSWRY9uz4hS3mC1bULS5tB29U-QN9YqrDxIfVsNe1d6/s3088/IMG_9496.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNvVuJjTbvNyTrdGa9W7uquxAvfJe-QPsJUOyz2AdG_SV_6_MfI-Ij6ubD-IkWCze-UH-2MwLsemapQ-cMVrywh5a2nSWRY9uz4hS3mC1bULS5tB29U-QN9YqrDxIfVsNe1d6/s320/IMG_9496.HEIC" /></a></div><p>What are we watching? Well, we finished up all three seasons of <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81002370" target="_blank">Cobra Kai</a> and I gotta say, that show kinda peaked for me about 3/4 of the way through Season 1. More recently, we started making our way through <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80036165" target="_blank">Schitt's Creek</a> and it's absolutely delightful. Watching a family share a couple of hotel rooms also makes for a fairly cathartic viewing experience during a pandemic and related lockdown/stay-at-home order. I also really enjoyed the clips I've seen of Dan Levy hosting SNL last weekend, especially <a href="https://youtu.be/yEfsaXDX0UQ" target="_blank">this one</a>, since Redfin is my internet drug of choice these days (alas, any kind of move is now on hold due to the sandwich generation situation noted above).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrRbDIiuzrN9XQ2qrpRqFrwmLL-kgzeCp7FstkIuvTeNynxrbUVJtnkM446A8gapRRKdxxR9vjG22U0UBadT4F5WUny6noDB7FCI-aUj7uIb0QecPJKaVm4HXI6fymGQg0cCs/s4032/IMG_9563.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrRbDIiuzrN9XQ2qrpRqFrwmLL-kgzeCp7FstkIuvTeNynxrbUVJtnkM446A8gapRRKdxxR9vjG22U0UBadT4F5WUny6noDB7FCI-aUj7uIb0QecPJKaVm4HXI6fymGQg0cCs/s320/IMG_9563.HEIC" /></a></div><p>Finally, in honor of <a href="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-pizza-day-february-9/" target="_blank">National Pizza Day,</a> here's some wholesome, vegan pepperoni pizza content for you. First, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLDM52BhknQ/" target="_blank">video</a> of Neal applying a "sheet" of vegan "mozzarella" to the dough/sauce base. Pretty cool, right?? You can see the final product above, with our house-made vegan pepperoni. Neal's recipe:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbl9eH5h21AEftI7wzc4Ug71k5db2bxfhBKCFJrShgzGa_odQsWSJLx3IIKpTHi5F6c9hv5N6K1AjakehXPlF86vqdXJSme5I6GlydJgD9yVrGS5AAEXaP8Twindgvt8UbpiV/s828/IMG_9572.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="828" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVbl9eH5h21AEftI7wzc4Ug71k5db2bxfhBKCFJrShgzGa_odQsWSJLx3IIKpTHi5F6c9hv5N6K1AjakehXPlF86vqdXJSme5I6GlydJgD9yVrGS5AAEXaP8Twindgvt8UbpiV/s320/IMG_9572.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><p>In other <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/05/a-mostly-vegan-week.html" target="_blank">mostly vegan</a> news, dry <a href="https://veganuary.com/" target="_blank">Veganuary</a> was a bit of a bust on both fronts, but I did give <a href="https://www.ju.st/" target="_blank">Just Eggs</a> a try (tasty, but expensive)...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmeJrB-VhywweVnvqF_R0KgUhd5mYz4EUDwb14sFeN9k_kJqduRAmYinpDcjpETT9VGMbaUFEco6fOQuiAtxG6rf1FkJ72PawaHyF7hsr3tO8NEdyB3NArMzZO2Ka-Sl3saCN/s4032/IMG_9381.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmeJrB-VhywweVnvqF_R0KgUhd5mYz4EUDwb14sFeN9k_kJqduRAmYinpDcjpETT9VGMbaUFEco6fOQuiAtxG6rf1FkJ72PawaHyF7hsr3tO8NEdyB3NArMzZO2Ka-Sl3saCN/s320/IMG_9381.HEIC" /></a></div><p>...and I've been pretty consistently avoiding most, some days all dairy, including cheese (except the tiniest sprinkling of Mexican cheese blend in our eggs). I'm also trying to be more consistent about not drinking during the week. It's hard, I ain't gonna lie. Daily life holds so little joy right now, but I continue to try to be as vegan as possible, taking it one day at a time. On a somewhat related note, I signed up for <a href="https://www.freeletics.com/en/" target="_blank">Freeletics</a> to move past the pandemic plateau I hit last spring (still running 2 mornings a week but feeling like my cross/strength training routine could use a little revamping). The first 2-3 weeks were great, but I've felt sluggish again the last week or two. I honestly think I'm just so tired. All the time.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-87316952840247027872020-12-31T16:52:00.001-08:002020-12-31T16:52:26.160-08:00pandemic diaries: weeks 39-42<p>Tomorrow, the first day of a new year, rounds out week 42 since the last day the kids attended in-person school, which is how I'm keeping track of time during this pandemic. Which means they've been schooling via distance learning for exactly one school year. Wow. Thank goodness playgrounds only re-closed for a few days earlier this month. I don't even know what to write about it anymore. I refuse to normalize any of this, let me just say that (and I think that teachers should be vaccinated sooner than later IF it allows schools to reopen; otherwise, don't bother bumping them to the front of the very long line if schools won't reopen until kids are vaccinated, too, something that's not likely to happen until fall, at the earliest).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEK643dNvDJH0zSEXP11mhDME6Btc-ZKt6qQpsTeL0YOeSM_2yvPKBwQtqTJcGTj9c6V6EuqLDzxlOi0hGJ3Znv57mt3v5txuBR6pipTTU2rxbajVv24EipGOZizzWKgKoUi6/s4032/IMG_8695.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEK643dNvDJH0zSEXP11mhDME6Btc-ZKt6qQpsTeL0YOeSM_2yvPKBwQtqTJcGTj9c6V6EuqLDzxlOi0hGJ3Znv57mt3v5txuBR6pipTTU2rxbajVv24EipGOZizzWKgKoUi6/s320/IMG_8695.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>But enough about school. Let's talk about holiday shenanigans and fast-forward a bit to winter break. My <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2013/12/fresh-from-makery-diy-knock-off.html" target="_blank">DIY knock-off gingerbread train,</a> inspired by the 2013 Harry & David holiday catalog, got some fresh traffic these past few weeks. I realized I never posted pics of my 2017 gingerbread studio (based on my 120 square foot backyard studio, of course).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQU7uoablsDLVAgtRlHZktvNvM84GiLGINLr8IdrTxNrpCR7Qs_XittlSc8dooi-o3xlNP5hyivddhgq21_P5ADkJBPwJa3F59hi9lvcWNv3S_kWkM_NnFqXsxk0rlNzkqlOI/s2048/IMG_3633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQU7uoablsDLVAgtRlHZktvNvM84GiLGINLr8IdrTxNrpCR7Qs_XittlSc8dooi-o3xlNP5hyivddhgq21_P5ADkJBPwJa3F59hi9lvcWNv3S_kWkM_NnFqXsxk0rlNzkqlOI/s320/IMG_3633.jpg" /></a></div><p>This year I made a dumpster, complete with candy flames. It didn't hold up too well and did not, as I fully expected it to, go viral. Alas, it was fun to make and pleasant to consume, unlike most things in 2020.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmUfhO2rIMuMuIcJYQawXktYSQD6DhxBOBygCaD5cMCfI3ahDXF0FyMTWyHW2MVOw8_MuhHlS9fWQDNuv7ZQk9HNXU8Bqe5T0s0IPHJdRWjKs1HqMyPOQtfbDNN0DFMjJdZq3/s1440/85FCB326-E402-4971-93DC-B7AB9F47214C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmUfhO2rIMuMuIcJYQawXktYSQD6DhxBOBygCaD5cMCfI3ahDXF0FyMTWyHW2MVOw8_MuhHlS9fWQDNuv7ZQk9HNXU8Bqe5T0s0IPHJdRWjKs1HqMyPOQtfbDNN0DFMjJdZq3/s320/85FCB326-E402-4971-93DC-B7AB9F47214C.jpg" /></a></div><p>We got our tree from the neighborhood lot and a wreath from <a href="https://fairyland.org/" target="_blank">Fairyland</a>, which just announced it will be closed until at least the spring. Needless to say, while the tree and decorations have already been taken down, that wreath will stay on our front door until all the pine needles have fallen off.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-UI5PG0cVycZFcDzk9bS_UHu9pl_fUYjajD3XB061SkR8iYMUJOQNChdmDZ55996ka2Grsr2JojclInNQdw2BLDMdI6Va25OLRkgu0VncQDUhqsf7ZxdjAvpgsPVYkp4i69C/s3024/23CBEF13-CFDC-4BB1-BA0B-0EFCB6520764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-UI5PG0cVycZFcDzk9bS_UHu9pl_fUYjajD3XB061SkR8iYMUJOQNChdmDZ55996ka2Grsr2JojclInNQdw2BLDMdI6Va25OLRkgu0VncQDUhqsf7ZxdjAvpgsPVYkp4i69C/s320/23CBEF13-CFDC-4BB1-BA0B-0EFCB6520764.jpg" /></a></div><p>As Oakland-proud as I may be, relocating is still a very real possibility in 2021. That said, we've been moving forward on a few projects around the house, prioritizing items that also fall in the bucket of things we feel like we'd probably need to do in order to sell our house if and when the time comes. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbIeBFAttHTdPNJUuV0eKWygx5lDbWw_7nxivJarzFepjUc8Xo1vMn2_f9V4lVAsB6Yjya7cgsbbj63IWcs3_O1V74X54k10dOkJRhn2PdpEmLf9SG2bKxtPtyojnCIgM2wmB/s4032/IMG_8812.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbIeBFAttHTdPNJUuV0eKWygx5lDbWw_7nxivJarzFepjUc8Xo1vMn2_f9V4lVAsB6Yjya7cgsbbj63IWcs3_O1V74X54k10dOkJRhn2PdpEmLf9SG2bKxtPtyojnCIgM2wmB/s320/IMG_8812.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamLe42KqW_ndtadM12BMz-V-mUwV5JM2d3ZfI24gVAjraqpcx5jqDidvb0OmRfDqCsmM22KdBZCluV5VgsqmRBNppTmnO16P2vaufF95ab3bgNPYNCPeyyCIH54NhQ3UKzrEZ/s4032/IMG_8844.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamLe42KqW_ndtadM12BMz-V-mUwV5JM2d3ZfI24gVAjraqpcx5jqDidvb0OmRfDqCsmM22KdBZCluV5VgsqmRBNppTmnO16P2vaufF95ab3bgNPYNCPeyyCIH54NhQ3UKzrEZ/s320/IMG_8844.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After</td></tr></tbody></table><p>On Christmas Eve Eve I was tasked with keeping the kids out of the house for about six hours while our interior doors were replaced, something I've wanted to do since before we closed on this place 10 1/2 years ago! So what did we do all day during a local stay-at-home order? Outdoor ice skating in the 'burbs!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKEG5Cjf25IdEzoDcIq_udgcEMpCWsKNa0Vl2l9ugUdbTstHbf7oWF5Cu7mhukMQGsgWEqJCWq2czJjSKP3LVJbQoeJ9fckQzPOu7VNgvL7LReoU4lt897eY3Feq_cDzlZ4tv/s4032/IMG_8821.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKEG5Cjf25IdEzoDcIq_udgcEMpCWsKNa0Vl2l9ugUdbTstHbf7oWF5Cu7mhukMQGsgWEqJCWq2czJjSKP3LVJbQoeJ9fckQzPOu7VNgvL7LReoU4lt897eY3Feq_cDzlZ4tv/s320/IMG_8821.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><p>As you all know (because you read every blog post in full, correct?) we've been "<a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/05/a-mostly-vegan-week.html" target="_blank">mostly vegan</a>" since late May. Holiday treats have proven challenging for avoiding dairy, but I'm going to try to redeem myself after today (okay, maybe starting on Monday) by participating in (a probably dry) <a href="https://veganuary.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Veganuary</a>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCEgd4Vedx_O_gAqhEM6l8tbbFHb6iVrqYTXGaJvGdqcQ6QXp8u86txWhKw4fa0m_g829p2huI1XpQextrXG8iDTUAmaY750phono5JhD8OpM3qeutqZiL-ofnCUYOi-tyPbm/s3022/BDA38B06-7DD1-4C3B-8F7B-3EF8C09C3452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="2418" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCEgd4Vedx_O_gAqhEM6l8tbbFHb6iVrqYTXGaJvGdqcQ6QXp8u86txWhKw4fa0m_g829p2huI1XpQextrXG8iDTUAmaY750phono5JhD8OpM3qeutqZiL-ofnCUYOi-tyPbm/s320/BDA38B06-7DD1-4C3B-8F7B-3EF8C09C3452.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not vegan :\</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Most days I am truly, <i>mostly</i> vegan, but I continue to eat pasture-raised eggs and a wee bit of cheese in said eggs. So it shouldn't be <i>that</i> hard, right? The dry part is just something I've never done because I've never felt like alcohol was an issue for me, having 2-3 drinks per week total on the weekends only. Other than beer Thursdays, however, which started when I was doing my long training runs on Fridays (because, carbs...more about that in a later post), and if we felt we'd earned a margarita on Taco Tuesdays. So, yeah, you get the idea. It's easy to bend the rules and drink almost every day and I just want to see how I feel after a few weeks of no alcohol. (Speaking of running, I absolutely loved <a href="https://lyz.substack.com/p/running-through-2020" target="_blank">this essay</a> by Lyz Lenz.)</p><p>Lots of kid-friendly suggestions for your viewing pleasure this month, including <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80115346" target="_blank">Hilda</a>, which Daphne binge-watched and is now watching again. It's really cute and clever, based on the <a href="https://lukepearson.com/Hilda/" target="_blank">graphic novels by Luke Pearson</a>. We also watched <a href="https://youtu.be/xOsLIiBStEs" target="_blank">Soul</a>, which was quite lovely. The middle school band from Elias's school (not including him - I believe it was all 8th graders and some alumni who are now in high school) perform in the beginning of the movie and during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3KBVBDUrc4&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">virtual premiere</a>. This particular middle school band is the main reason cited by the middle schooler for preferring to stay in Oakland versus moving elsewhere, at least through 8th grade. Mr. Pitt-Smith is a real gem of a teacher.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifd2LCLi8ylR3NGCb7CaVIqlqLtYmIiaie4gWH0PZBtQKxFyS_-5wM96FjzdkI0qQ6c3PdAeChLV3__QKf8Z6aIoqpO9GjTu7HY-BEMbeNh_qzr2m5ltIgcWYePf7cUUlSEkl8/s4032/IMG_8993.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifd2LCLi8ylR3NGCb7CaVIqlqLtYmIiaie4gWH0PZBtQKxFyS_-5wM96FjzdkI0qQ6c3PdAeChLV3__QKf8Z6aIoqpO9GjTu7HY-BEMbeNh_qzr2m5ltIgcWYePf7cUUlSEkl8/s320/IMG_8993.HEIC" /></a></div><p>And this just in: my 30 year old sewing machine still works! Daphne has been nagging me to dust it off ever since she tried sewing machine sewing at summer camp a year and a half ago! The last day of 2020 seemed like a good day to finally give it a go (alas, I never did learn to bake sourdough bread).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsmRBs-AWDAsiqZdkWjeNOx6k5QqRm0cSg9fglpnEgEOPDm_2QPww15Oo1T1w6hfpaXmyGzlDYdu7o3QjK34poPjpqzAtTOgOVDF9U0DhiLKaMn0fOoCfQXE0UyogZ2Q0BuWO/s4032/IMG_8994.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJsmRBs-AWDAsiqZdkWjeNOx6k5QqRm0cSg9fglpnEgEOPDm_2QPww15Oo1T1w6hfpaXmyGzlDYdu7o3QjK34poPjpqzAtTOgOVDF9U0DhiLKaMn0fOoCfQXE0UyogZ2Q0BuWO/s320/IMG_8994.HEIC" /></a></div><p>Otherwise, I don't (yet) have any deep reflections on 2020 since time is arbitrary and let's be honest we'll still be very much in the thick of things come tomorrow morning, but I will leave you with <a href="https://www.kqed.org/arts/13889948/2020-the-year-small-pleasures-finally-eclipsed-celebrity-culture" target="_blank">this</a>, some of the things we'll remember when we look back on this year. My hope for 2021 and beyond is that things like Black lives and postal workers and craft projects with kids will continue to be more important than celebrity culture.</p><p>See you in the New Year!</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-1693373717917173442020-12-07T17:05:00.000-08:002020-12-07T17:05:04.799-08:00pandemic diaries: weeks 32-38Breaking my record (which was <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/10/pandemic-diaries-weeks-28-31.html" target="_blank">previously</a> four weeks between updates), it's now been another SIX weeks since I last updated the <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/search/label/pandemic" target="_blank">pandemic diaries</a>. Since air quality has been a consistent theme over the last several updates, why not begin with weather? We're currently in the middle of yet another red flag warning, not because of excessive heat, of course, this being December and all, but because things are still <i>very</i> dry, which makes any kind of wind event potentially dangerous. If you don't think climate change is real, come to California.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EFBXh5jrlfwJ1qFJSlUcMeN9Vx7sqh5VKNLUh9nbak1L0TqGLXLBKMMAD_Pcy2xx0mmZhGb8WK2M4N9x9zBd5s6L5AjU6Kg-0MzstM-BpMl6mn4NhJGtfnTuzeZo8T18n4nC/s4032/IMG_7949.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EFBXh5jrlfwJ1qFJSlUcMeN9Vx7sqh5VKNLUh9nbak1L0TqGLXLBKMMAD_Pcy2xx0mmZhGb8WK2M4N9x9zBd5s6L5AjU6Kg-0MzstM-BpMl6mn4NhJGtfnTuzeZo8T18n4nC/s320/IMG_7949.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div><div>Adding to this sense of déjà vu is the new stay-at-home order affecting much of California, including five Bay Area counties, in advance of hospital ICU capacity hitting 85% (Alameda county is currently hovering around 75%). The only change that really affects us is the re-closing of playgrounds, which I frankly think is mostly unnecessary. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfqrMt8viVnr9HzjXwvXuMZGHO8Bv0ykigFqqNkzPAePOI0ZP7q0b4hb9T-UIluI2nbbYzRzrYwNge8Xf9HyEZgXYePWNCX7RAgOMUDQxqDxXVFsdQyNQ8wPlTs-6jxDK4DX4/s4032/IMG_8480.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfqrMt8viVnr9HzjXwvXuMZGHO8Bv0ykigFqqNkzPAePOI0ZP7q0b4hb9T-UIluI2nbbYzRzrYwNge8Xf9HyEZgXYePWNCX7RAgOMUDQxqDxXVFsdQyNQ8wPlTs-6jxDK4DX4/s320/IMG_8480.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div>I'm personally pretty bummed about museums, too, and glad we managed to sneak in one more SFMOMA visit before they closed, again.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNlVdRLpxuL1_Kk9V-BPxMudB10hDnUxE6AC0DGxk5TAtZOs87O3AgfM87ptbtvfPnGDTW6NEaW3UTx8nmMtDWZb7u-zetIYdk-1Pbt99krw5uIpOPrm27ydxZkA5S6re3Vkc/s4032/IMG_7904.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNlVdRLpxuL1_Kk9V-BPxMudB10hDnUxE6AC0DGxk5TAtZOs87O3AgfM87ptbtvfPnGDTW6NEaW3UTx8nmMtDWZb7u-zetIYdk-1Pbt99krw5uIpOPrm27ydxZkA5S6re3Vkc/s320/IMG_7904.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Halloween came and went. I dressed up as the birth of democracy (it's a TP <a href="http://rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/portfolio/neither_here_nor_there.htm" target="_blank">Parthenon</a> and I'm the golden statue of Athena, duh), accompanied by a witch and a penguin.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>I jokingly threatened to leave California if Prop 15 didn't pass. Sadly, it did not pass and here we are, still living in California. That said, like a lot of folks right now, forced by the pandemic to spend every waking (and sleeping) minute in cozy houses with kids and spouses who would normally be at school and work, simultaneously pondering what roots us in a particular place, I've been perusing Redfin way more than I ought to. Leading contenders for a potential relocation include Sacramento and Portland. Or staying in Oakland, of course (ask me again if we're still here for fireworks season which is followed closely these past 3-4 years by wildfire season). On a related note, considering all the reasons why we like living in/near cities in the first place, <a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/urban-flight-part-2/" target="_blank">here</a>'s an interesting convo in part with SF mayor London Breed about why cities are (still) so expensive.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSbqJgsVxO5yYTdF-PJkr7AVGeTDOqwHC7VXcXP9VCnAbZVmrF7bgXrRDyArDqkGHCAIMaWrK22nzmDMRcGF0AfzA-I5pNleVQBwB4vUwWQSKPKY2DG1tRyWFzcPZE2Ng4axZ/s2762/IMG_8307.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2762" data-original-width="2762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSSbqJgsVxO5yYTdF-PJkr7AVGeTDOqwHC7VXcXP9VCnAbZVmrF7bgXrRDyArDqkGHCAIMaWrK22nzmDMRcGF0AfzA-I5pNleVQBwB4vUwWQSKPKY2DG1tRyWFzcPZE2Ng4axZ/s320/IMG_8307.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div>I wrote a bit in my last update about how businesses in Oakland are closing one after the other, specifically video game museum The MADE. On a more positive note this time around, Oakland's <a href="https://www.donutsavant.com/" target="_blank">donut savant,</a> which closed its downtown location before the pandemic because of development and related demolition in the area, recently reopened. And now they're just one neighborhood away, a short 10-minute walk door to door, god help us.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been pretty down on distance learning since the beginning (I'm not a teacher and homeschooling my kids was never motivation for motherhood), but there was one silver lining in late October when my 2nd grader got to visit <a href="https://www.luvinarms.org/" target="_blank">Luvin Arms</a> animal sanctuary in Erie, Colorado, a location my 7 year old reminded me several times is <i>18 hours away</i>. Pretty cool thing, I suppose, that they wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. But I still hate distance learning (this week, by the way, is week 28 if you include the 11 weeks last spring). And the conversation in Oakland, at least, is a total <a href="https://twitter.com/ashleynmcb/status/1335282615293657099?s=20" target="_blank">hot mess</a>, with parents frustrated with the union, teachers frustrated with parents, and kids caught in the middle (and arguably the ones who will suffer most because of this from an educational and social-emotional perspective).</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh yeah, the election happened too. Interesting to reread <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2016/11/america-right-now-is-westworlds-teddy.html" target="_blank">this</a>, a brief blog post I wrote five days before the 2016 election. Sadly, I think we find ourselves as a country still very much in the same predicament, but I'm hopeful voting Trump out (and who knows, maybe even McConnell in the Georgia run-offs in January? can you imagine??) is the first step to making some of the many changes we so desperately need to move forward. Leading up to election night, I made a "songs for anxiety" <a href="https://twitter.com/danceswithkids/status/1323472196962902016" target="_blank">playlist</a> GenXer that I am. The election was finally called on Saturday, while we were driving to SoCal for a pre-Thanksgiving pandemic-friendly visit with my brother and in-laws (all masked, outside, yada yada yada). Trump still has not conceded. But that's okay; Liz Plank <a href="https://twitter.com/feministabulous/status/1327659656135655425" target="_blank">did it for him</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxHGgpPEb8nw2gdf6i3wgfEVYBKNjAHY6tOoHsJ-4VimFIHGZZZH4dphyphenhyphenAX6EYigJbUUvuWDdTDTU1-yz6uRhOhT8zs8X8aRU5ATYtxvNeufiKFiYCGy3sfRPcSIx_iQ7xNlh/s4032/IMG_8040.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibxHGgpPEb8nw2gdf6i3wgfEVYBKNjAHY6tOoHsJ-4VimFIHGZZZH4dphyphenhyphenAX6EYigJbUUvuWDdTDTU1-yz6uRhOhT8zs8X8aRU5ATYtxvNeufiKFiYCGy3sfRPcSIx_iQ7xNlh/s320/IMG_8040.HEIC" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And it's not just Biden and Harris I'm excited about. Biden's German Shepard Major also makes history as the first adopted rescue dog in the white house (they're also getting a cat!).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFF7D_3pA9yeiEY8l4qhhrUKGM74LJ2yTtqZ7b4_FUTuxNttcKJm9Vzlgl2p2-4h4RaL1X_NnAdBHJD6fBC3-nzdxdtrdy-O8i7mTMB3Q1cpi-ru9eNJTZh6RNL8bNFWdvZWu/s4032/IMG_8443.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFF7D_3pA9yeiEY8l4qhhrUKGM74LJ2yTtqZ7b4_FUTuxNttcKJm9Vzlgl2p2-4h4RaL1X_NnAdBHJD6fBC3-nzdxdtrdy-O8i7mTMB3Q1cpi-ru9eNJTZh6RNL8bNFWdvZWu/s320/IMG_8443.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Since it was just us for Thanksgiving this year, and still <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2020/05/a-mostly-vegan-week.html" target="_blank">mostly vegan</a> as we are, we decided to celebrate <a href="https://headlines.peta.org/thanksvegan/" target="_blank">Thanksvegan</a> instead (we even symbolically adopted a turkey by making a donation to the <a href="https://www.audubon.org/" target="_blank">National Audubon Society</a>)! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49VRyi2tEeUOWwqFp5dkxFoKXdm8TPwEttERcUTz0s7quvWhG1OMlfKwfhJV8C1CF6d5SKTkTfWAjFNhOk7ZLCazGZToCvRTPL0T-M_0qzwtOvW2IkIJ7owzF23lUuIIEKFTU/s4032/IMG_8437.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49VRyi2tEeUOWwqFp5dkxFoKXdm8TPwEttERcUTz0s7quvWhG1OMlfKwfhJV8C1CF6d5SKTkTfWAjFNhOk7ZLCazGZToCvRTPL0T-M_0qzwtOvW2IkIJ7owzF23lUuIIEKFTU/s320/IMG_8437.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div>Moving right along to the next holiday, 'tis the season for the snack basket for delivery folks, which I remembered to put out early this year (interestingly, the item taken most often is water).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOd8HOEQk6FU1fMNCeL5yERmAAGV5ME8SqUXHZRtrOKeDQIwX-X7DYag17JhWMudz6sdNbuc_DCE0J8YBL4xppC3i809mcMkdlAY63Wt1Cfqv1m8fX4qB_7ZJwqEjxRRzy8kj/s3758/IMG_8531.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2818" data-original-width="3758" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOd8HOEQk6FU1fMNCeL5yERmAAGV5ME8SqUXHZRtrOKeDQIwX-X7DYag17JhWMudz6sdNbuc_DCE0J8YBL4xppC3i809mcMkdlAY63Wt1Cfqv1m8fX4qB_7ZJwqEjxRRzy8kj/s320/IMG_8531.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>We'll get our tree and put up lights and decorations this weekend, in honor of what would be my Mom's 65th birthday on Friday.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRcEdYx3B8anrHWRDHmLxRygvbEIaXeXWLhXRHfZM3K1rY93wJ_-wgQ1BxcGXQFPWWhiFRnXzq2fnxP0iI7QU-QJo3GciidMJ3kvtPjdB8RPXZ7GTdwSStpKCf7DuiJJOLDGm/s4032/IMG_8562.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRcEdYx3B8anrHWRDHmLxRygvbEIaXeXWLhXRHfZM3K1rY93wJ_-wgQ1BxcGXQFPWWhiFRnXzq2fnxP0iI7QU-QJo3GciidMJ3kvtPjdB8RPXZ7GTdwSStpKCf7DuiJJOLDGm/s320/IMG_8562.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/persimmageddon/" target="_blank">Persimmageddon</a> 2020 was epic. The above picture is the <i>second</i> batch of persimmons we put out for neighbors to enjoy (there are 7-8 persimmons in each of those bags). And there are still easily 100-200 persimmons on the tree to pick this week/weekend.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKDyzUxXxW4PJdMh13XHy3lwzST6_wcnLvysmXprNGcKDo6ctXQtq3R3hP1DmznCeeVmbxRLKUYHy-c0v2eWEy3eeADHV81g0IxRq7gd0zc4m2hVhz634itPAW9xRTcFMQAQk/s4032/IMG_8366.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKDyzUxXxW4PJdMh13XHy3lwzST6_wcnLvysmXprNGcKDo6ctXQtq3R3hP1DmznCeeVmbxRLKUYHy-c0v2eWEy3eeADHV81g0IxRq7gd0zc4m2hVhz634itPAW9xRTcFMQAQk/s320/IMG_8366.HEIC" /></a></div><br /><div>One of my New Year's resolutions that I plan to get a head start on over winter break is to spend more time on creative projects. I've spent so little time in the studio over the last couple of months. The biggest chunk of time I spent in the studio <i>not</i> on meetings for my day job was spent cleaning and rearranging - again - the 120 square foot space (I think the third time was the charm; pretty pleased with the current configuration). </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR51GYgwBg6c_s2ZhnPwNxyhiTaUhiDyfh2JW_EEIE9x_iM-Y5XPW6sKn0SK6OOdqvThhBl7t3eWLNNryz8ZfBBXNTqO9vU2Ga7zEQHyP75QeuH4v2CzCnEvCpM3aj_yR05uwc/s3780/0BEDEFAC-C4C5-4F5D-BC99-540DFF152C66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR51GYgwBg6c_s2ZhnPwNxyhiTaUhiDyfh2JW_EEIE9x_iM-Y5XPW6sKn0SK6OOdqvThhBl7t3eWLNNryz8ZfBBXNTqO9vU2Ga7zEQHyP75QeuH4v2CzCnEvCpM3aj_yR05uwc/s320/0BEDEFAC-C4C5-4F5D-BC99-540DFF152C66.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>In the process, I finally recycled all of the <a href="https://artforafuture.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">postcards</a> from the various design/print projects I tackled in grad school. It felt good to purge, but didn't open up nearly enough space (postcards are insignificant in size, after all).</div><div><br /></div><div>But enough about me. For your viewing pleasure I recommend <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80197526" target="_blank">Sex Education</a>. For a little ear candy, following up on <a href="https://www.cnn.com/style/article/monolith-isle-wight-intl-scli-gbr/index.html" target="_blank">this developing story,</a> listen to They Might Be Giants '<a href="https://youtu.be/kk-xfeMsDts" target="_blank">The Statue Got Me High</a>.' "And though I once preferred a human being's company, they pale before the monolith that towers over me."</div><div><br /></div><div>Last but not least, this blog celebrated its 15th blogiversary in true pandemic style (I wrote about the 10th blogiversary <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2015/10/happy-10th-blogiversary-to-me.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Which is to say I did very little to mark the occasion other than to acknowledge it on the internet. 15 years of blogging and still no book deal. Sigh.</div></div></div>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15905126.post-44972747531183540482020-10-16T17:22:00.002-07:002020-10-16T17:22:17.123-07:00pandemic diaries: weeks 28-31<p>So, yeeeeaaaaaahhh, I'm <i>kinda</i> behind. To recap, as briefly as possible, here are the highlights of the past four weeks:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUXFuU4dtzZxrULqTLAKczfgA20Lo41hkzpRFeIeHvp-SqNjoXNaMR54MbPYY-A9u4nJ1_KTnJlm2ixy6G92-TPUQ0Ot9MKcwa6fKqfh61CF7oxFSahxakeIWhsOj7YBFKbSu/s4032/IMG_7420.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUXFuU4dtzZxrULqTLAKczfgA20Lo41hkzpRFeIeHvp-SqNjoXNaMR54MbPYY-A9u4nJ1_KTnJlm2ixy6G92-TPUQ0Ot9MKcwa6fKqfh61CF7oxFSahxakeIWhsOj7YBFKbSu/s320/IMG_7420.HEIC" /></a></div><p>Air quality continued to be poor during much of the past four weeks but it's been pretty decent the past week or so, so it's like it never happened! Just like the months of insane fireworks around here. How effortlessly we forget and move on once they end. Sigh.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaSE9BtyAkr4G0ZZIsZ0FjgeG91fh5cY-3LnKfUjfyCdeN-BPM3LaR_FC17nTcGHFTpnJkh4G_wZ1iRd-2a_qoVjv4A17OsupN3SeWm1SgPppgcWavjMMieIqmXADKuBRq4Zn/s1024/IMG_7249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaSE9BtyAkr4G0ZZIsZ0FjgeG91fh5cY-3LnKfUjfyCdeN-BPM3LaR_FC17nTcGHFTpnJkh4G_wZ1iRd-2a_qoVjv4A17OsupN3SeWm1SgPppgcWavjMMieIqmXADKuBRq4Zn/s320/IMG_7249.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neighborhood cat who usually ignores us graced us with their attention on a recent morning walk.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Love cats and art as much as I do? Watch this <a href="https://youtu.be/CwK5ukue0Pw" target="_blank">short film</a> made in 1983 about the history of cats in art at the Met (I even learned <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_cats" target="_blank">something new</a>!). "The Favorite Cat" is the cat on my address book, which I bought at the Met gift shop in 2001.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRVMqXJFUWxy2bZOvJ2WxnQHvkBYHepFgVlhHIa3XFSPGAOB5cLHjTltHM-Q7mKP1HPZ23hR0LcZ36Q1hyphenhyphen2TSoYIaMOWqgXULKS_l55Fa37a6rtTYIAEwDDTxKZu6HIwwnzr-/s4032/IMG_7340.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtRVMqXJFUWxy2bZOvJ2WxnQHvkBYHepFgVlhHIa3XFSPGAOB5cLHjTltHM-Q7mKP1HPZ23hR0LcZ36Q1hyphenhyphen2TSoYIaMOWqgXULKS_l55Fa37a6rtTYIAEwDDTxKZu6HIwwnzr-/s320/IMG_7340.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7yo mesmerized by AI.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Jenny O'Dell is <a href="https://twitter.com/the_jennitaur/status/1308105904030588928?s=20" target="_blank">working on a new book</a> that I think will fit nicely in my Artists in Offices <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2019/07/okay-but-what-is-it-about.html" target="_blank">bibliography</a>. I finished <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RHWKD7N/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank">How To Do Nothing</a> some time ago, but I keep thinking about it, especially when I watched <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224" target="_blank">The Social Dilemma</a> recently and then saw <a href="https://deyoung.famsf.org/exhibitions/uncanny-valley" target="_blank">the AI show</a> at the recently reopened de Young Museum. More thoughts on all three to follow.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh1lTmysZyqDs1RG701RoOujYULL73MasfviTFNXuXtVnbzmL-43HELdNcF9w-ALm4RhAeV5-t31A8VSQ69EDpvJaZNCsYIsmZfEVJ2qTNaWCh4qDZfbUyDYM-gWUpDUwQs6w/s4032/IMG_7522.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYh1lTmysZyqDs1RG701RoOujYULL73MasfviTFNXuXtVnbzmL-43HELdNcF9w-ALm4RhAeV5-t31A8VSQ69EDpvJaZNCsYIsmZfEVJ2qTNaWCh4qDZfbUyDYM-gWUpDUwQs6w/s320/IMG_7522.HEIC" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">12yo made this for me for my birthday.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I have a <a href="https://forcesofeasel.com/" target="_blank">new website</a>! I haven't figured out what to do with it just yet, but I will. Soon! If you have ideas, leave them in the comments.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIPpfT67HkpAGxn51k2y3nsLTVHMLI4MKoW9ga4i6gvPCVAr9koVNftJoUJhho8g0XBrtNOXY3AF9Y_xi-DugyUSbo7G9RDFdkISAyqfOKIFPJyx9QLgqELrbbSzdc5CQq5FZ/s1800/171894CA-5AF1-483C-9104-443F2DD158EB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIPpfT67HkpAGxn51k2y3nsLTVHMLI4MKoW9ga4i6gvPCVAr9koVNftJoUJhho8g0XBrtNOXY3AF9Y_xi-DugyUSbo7G9RDFdkISAyqfOKIFPJyx9QLgqELrbbSzdc5CQq5FZ/s320/171894CA-5AF1-483C-9104-443F2DD158EB.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegan pepperoni! Vegan calamari!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMjJeATQ42oPtXRcQ0Z-NhHdoESFt2w_XNLwcuWW5uQ2GiI2svpVxw-fnvRmFys12BLQRtvMZB_Xlb4PmwT1CKo6TVUtdxO-diUuAz0GngnS0mbHTT565YGSe0QUFZWXfkuvz/s1801/FE7D9D44-C5CC-4D51-8696-321E7963A5D9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1801" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMjJeATQ42oPtXRcQ0Z-NhHdoESFt2w_XNLwcuWW5uQ2GiI2svpVxw-fnvRmFys12BLQRtvMZB_Xlb4PmwT1CKo6TVUtdxO-diUuAz0GngnS0mbHTT565YGSe0QUFZWXfkuvz/s320/FE7D9D44-C5CC-4D51-8696-321E7963A5D9.jpg" /></a></div><p>Speaking of birthday, yes, I've joined the pandemic birthday club, the result of which was not too different from non-pandemic birthday celebrations. I enjoyed a couple of hours in the studio, a solo walk, and a vegan birthday spread from <a href="https://www.thebutchersveganson.com/" target="_blank">Butcher's Son</a> and <a href="https://www.loveatfirstbitebakery.com/" target="_blank">Love at First Bite</a>, both in Berkeley.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyM3xiYhKPvXq1_JIfFHBQ4qyYvYLNjJXssZ3JexewB2AWotD2BK1IGgajn1eUIPc3B_RPFIzE5GlEQhbWwtOA54d6mw4mmafXTmPmYv8WqGKJpLEDUjRacytOA1Q9u8m4_JG/s3024/IMG_7432.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKyM3xiYhKPvXq1_JIfFHBQ4qyYvYLNjJXssZ3JexewB2AWotD2BK1IGgajn1eUIPc3B_RPFIzE5GlEQhbWwtOA54d6mw4mmafXTmPmYv8WqGKJpLEDUjRacytOA1Q9u8m4_JG/s320/IMG_7432.HEIC" /></a></div><p>It was a good mail day when this arrived. From my friend Jesse Kelsey, aka Neat Beats, who provided the intro/outro music for <a href="https://artistsinoffices.com/" target="_blank">my podcast</a>, his first album! So impressed (pandemic, new job, new house, two kids) and I daresay a little proud. You can listen to the album for free, <a href="https://neatbeats.hearnow.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>I feel incredibly fortunate to have <a href="http://blog.rebeccabirdgrigsby.com/2019/12/good-at-goodbyes.html" target="_blank">landed a somewhat pandemic-proof job</a> right before the pandemic. Even so, after a decade of trial and error (mostly error), I feel <a href="https://fortune.com/2020/10/05/women-labor-force-drop-out-september/" target="_blank">this very real possibility</a> always lingering at the edges of my daily juggling act. I hope this conversation about the essential nature of childcare for working parents continues after the pandemic is over.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8DwCB03vejLbVM5UnOoP0obs1JNmPiCW01lZ6dJtkfmCsQkJNuejhYnHlhyphenhyphenaOOpLZ017nBo7aNCS0xsWpQmOA0jQ_uLP6PM1NmwPuQgEnf_7dou-N5syKp87_Vfr6F2t9KnW/s4032/IMG_9047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8DwCB03vejLbVM5UnOoP0obs1JNmPiCW01lZ6dJtkfmCsQkJNuejhYnHlhyphenhyphenaOOpLZ017nBo7aNCS0xsWpQmOA0jQ_uLP6PM1NmwPuQgEnf_7dou-N5syKp87_Vfr6F2t9KnW/s320/IMG_9047.jpg" /></a></div><p>Lots of businesses in Oakland (and around the country) have closed permanently since the pandemic unfolded last spring. I was really sad to learn of <a href="https://youtu.be/kRAUO3v-Xkc" target="_blank">the MADE's fate</a>. Letting go of their space (where we celebrated my son's 9th birthday) is a done deal, but you can donate (<a href="https://www.themade.org/donations" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="https://www.patreon.com/themade" target="_blank">here</a>) to help them with storage and moving forward in a pandemic/post-pandemic world.</p><p>The children are still doing distance learning full-time, at home. It's a weird time, wrapping up week 10 of the school year, as we simultaneously settle into a somewhat sustainable routine (we could do this forever!) that is also somehow mildly torturous. And the very people who keep reminding parents that this is an unprecedented crisis situation turn around and dismiss, whether intentionally or not, how incredibly challenging this has been and continues to be for kids, parents, families, relationships, etc. I can feel deep gratitude for jobs we can do from home, space and technology for school work to happen, and our continued health while also refusing to sugar-coat how far from ideal distance learning has been and continues to be. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdLKXQ-beQ1ckSfr9jFocNXgFJGVnFxApSWAQYhIIaRS8ttUzWTnBuNegslr-JNyOOy-gI9IzR4IjomJU5fDFe3rVf6G-zj8X9h95GJRURUBNqwcbXHakumqEGLNTvB75xPo6/s1440/A412738D-20A6-4EA2-93D8-39A96AEC65AB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdLKXQ-beQ1ckSfr9jFocNXgFJGVnFxApSWAQYhIIaRS8ttUzWTnBuNegslr-JNyOOy-gI9IzR4IjomJU5fDFe3rVf6G-zj8X9h95GJRURUBNqwcbXHakumqEGLNTvB75xPo6/s320/A412738D-20A6-4EA2-93D8-39A96AEC65AB.jpg" /></a></div><p>On a lighter note (unless we're talking about calories, that is) the pandemic baking continues. Pictured above is <a href="https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-pumpkin-bread-pecan-pie/" target="_blank">vegan pumpkin pecan pie bread</a> from Rabbit & Wolves, one of my newer go-tos for vegan recipes. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3fSK9I6EfiyaVM3ITWTRrq8RuI_8ROew3S6nq7DMUUaiGj3xJAM_sosX5et_ZBn2ahzd7kOApAJrKIPK_4zrWYpzeCmhSfT0oZsMr4wLqhAQx1JnXT0Dze8q7ualPpMC8ZAC/s1440/228FA1CF-4764-4D8E-B48B-162A87CFAB51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3fSK9I6EfiyaVM3ITWTRrq8RuI_8ROew3S6nq7DMUUaiGj3xJAM_sosX5et_ZBn2ahzd7kOApAJrKIPK_4zrWYpzeCmhSfT0oZsMr4wLqhAQx1JnXT0Dze8q7ualPpMC8ZAC/s320/228FA1CF-4764-4D8E-B48B-162A87CFAB51.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Great Peter Pumpkin Patch in Petaluma earlier this week.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>How are you celebrating Halloween this year? So far, we've done all the usual stuff: decorate the house and front yard, hit up a local pumpkin patch, buy costumes, throw out the old candy to make room for the new, etc. After trying all week, I finally snagged tickets for <a href="https://www.oaklandzoo.org/programs-and-events/boo-at-the-zoo" target="_blank">Boo at the Zoo</a> for Halloween day. But no trick or treating for us this year (I'm thinking of doing something a little like an Easter egg hunt). </p><p>Finally, if you live in California, please <a href="https://www.yes15.org/" target="_blank">vote yes on Proposition 15</a>. It's a flimsy bandaid for the gaping wound created by Prop 13 over 40 years ago. Our public education system needs all the support it can get as we collectively recover from the mess we find ourselves in.</p><p>Otherwise, we're binge-watching <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Eve-Season-3/dp/B086T5MJP3" target="_blank">Killing Eve season 3</a> and I'm loving how over the top this season is. Highly recommended for your viewing pleasure.</p>Becky G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01365080492322469749noreply@blogger.com0