Incidental Tourists

Our plans for my week off shifted somewhat when Louise's friend called and said that Louise could not come visit because her sister was in the hospital. (She's okay now, "okay" being a relative term. She is twelve and is a brittle diabetic, but they got her through her crisis.)

But we did get off on Monday and headed North to Grass Valley, the city of my nativity. (We passed the hospital where I was born.) We toured the Empire Mine State Historic Park, then went down to Coloma to the site where the Gold Rush began. We spent considerable time in the museum and gift shop. It started sprinkling just as we approached (on foot) the spot on the American River where Marshall found a "half-pea size" piece of gold. By the time we reached the old Sutter's Mill site, it was seriously beginning to rain. I sent the kids toward the shelter of the bathrooms and ran back to get the car, as the deluge began. We decided not to set up camp, but rather to go in to Placerville for dinner.

At the Taco Bell in Placerville, I saw my current favorite silly sign. "Please make sure you are wearing a shirt and shoes before entering." I was relieved to note that I was, indeed, wearing both, but was grateful for the reminder to check before entering the establishment. (My all time favorite silly sign is a note on a plastic bag: "To avoid danger of suffocation keep away from babies and small children." I've been wary of babies and small children ever since. It had never occurred to me before, having children of my own who are NOT homicidal, that the threat of being suffocated was so high around them.)

We spent the night at a nice KOA, then picked Louise up and went down to the Jelly Belly factory the next morning. Carlson started throwing up on the way down, so he and I stayed in the car. (I did learn, about twenty years ago, to always keep a "barf bucket" handy in the car. I've rarely had it used, but have always been glad it was on hand when the occasion for use has arisen!!)The other children had a great time. Carlson was SO sweet and understanding about not being able to go in; he didn't even cry. Then we went down to the Bay Area, to a Lego store. (Dallas REALLY wanted to go to Portland,OR for the Lego Brickfest, but it starts today and I start class in the morning near Yosemite.) The Lego store was a poor consolation to begin with, but an even bigger disappointment because the Pick-a-Brick was scantily populated. We drove through San Francisco (the kids had NO desire to spend any time there. What is THAT about? I love the place) and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, passed San Quentin (where I spent part of my childhood; see poem this blogsite) and went on back up to Sacramento. We are semi-quarantined because of Carlson's illness. Don't want to get cousin Louise sick, susceptible as she is. (Yes my dau and my sis's dau have the same name!)

I leave this evening and start school tomorrow morning. I'm very much looking forward to it. This is the 300 hours in 22.5 days. It will be very intense, I'm sure, but it sounds like the courses are well-presented for easy absorption. At any rate, the real training comes through practice, practice, practice.


Love to all!

2nd Week of Shiatsu

Went wonderfully. The class was half the size of Shiatsu One--ten students, nine of whom I knew already.

I got sick on Tuesday--cold or allergies. Wednesday one of the practioners gave me a Moxa treatment (incense-ish sorta thing treating the points.) She treated me just as class was starting and told me, "This will probably knock you out for two or three hours. Just let that happen.) I dozed off just after she finished the treatment, and was TOTALLY OUT for the whole day. I woke a few times and thought, "Oh, wow, that was a really restful...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..." Then I'd wake a few hours later. I was IN the classroom, with class going on as usual (lots of laughing and moving around) and could not rouse myself. I managed to stay awake for enough of lunch to eat a few bites, but I have no idea what I ate. I slept all night and woke feeling INCREDIBLY refreshed.

Shinzo told me to do it again the next day, but I did not want to miss another day of class. He said my kidney meridian is very "Yin" and I need to Moxa myself every day to bring it into balance. He says I will not sleep as much after subsequent treatments. He says my energy level will be much improved when I've brought the meridian into balance--and it will likely relieve some of my depression and anxiety. The kidney meridian governs fear, and waking early in the morning with a feeling of dread is a symptom of imbalance. (I'm in good shape on meds, but that was my most troubling symptom.) This is my first effort at understanding Chinese medicine, and it is amazing to me how much of it makes sense, or proves iteslf in my life empirically.

Friday morning we did a full massage from memory--no coaching from Shinzo--for our final. I remembered a lot more than I thought I would (especially missing the whole day of class. (I did have to ask for help on the body area I missed)) My "client" said I did a great job, so that's affirming. Shinzo gave me lots of compliments, too.

I have this week off. I report to Ahern's for 300 hours in 22.5 days on Saturday morning. I leave there on a Sunday at noon (three weeks later) and report back to the School of S & M that same evening. So, unless my sister brings the kids down to see me, I won't see them for a month! (whine)

I also may not get a chance to blog during that time.... And I have misplaced the disposable camera with my pics on it. I'll try to post them this week.

The kids and I are going camping in Gold Country the next few days. Their cousin does not get to come with us because her grandparents are visiting from Tennessee--so that's a disappointment. We may also go tour the Jelly Belly factory. My brother in law says its a really fun tour, and its FREE!!

Thanks for keeping up with me. The site tells me how many times my profile has been viewed, and its nice to know so may people are checking in on me!

I carry your love and good wishes for me in my heart!

Driving My Life Away

So we made it to CA!

(Helpful hint: Best rest areas between TN and CA: Amarillo-ish, TX and Sky City-ish, NM)

We left Monday morning around seven. I know, I KNOW!! I said we were leaving Friday. But then I decided to let Louise go to the Recon, so we couldn't leave until Saturday night, and then I decided that that was just plain crazy and we might as well go to church on Sunday and leave that afternoon. BUT I just couldn't get myself in gear. So we left Monday morning. And drove and drove and drove. Even though I do this trip roughly every two or three years, I forget how FAR it is. My goal was to make it to Albuquerque, but I only got as far as Santa Rosa (is that right? Santa Rosa? anyway some big town before Alb.) before I had to crash.

Reminder Note to Self: I AM ALLERGIC TO NEW MEXICO. I woke about two hours after settling down to sleep, with a frightful sneezing attack. (Dallas said I sounded like a typhoon, and Louise described it as a "sonic boom") I was absolutely miserable all day. We spent the next night in Holbrook, AZ, and I was much improved. Fine now that we are in CA.

We spent most of the day Tuesday just kinda hanging out, since I had rendezvous(es) with friends in the evening. We went up to Santa Fe, and I gave the kids a brief tour of Trauma Camp. (Louise and Dallas were so interested in where their mother had spent a month in "rehab" that they stayed in the car.) I only saw one staff member I knew, and she didn't remember me. All the good ones are gone. Ha.

I did get to visit with my therapist from Trauma Camp (who is in private practice now in Santa Fe.) It was great to catch up with her. She is way cool. Even Louise thought so (she deigned to go in to meet her, even though she had asked if she could just stay in the car). Then we went back down in to Alb. to see my bestest friend from treatment. We had dinner together and they were mopping the restaurant before we noticed it was time to go. LOL. Her husband kept the kids entertained with stories of his world travels, and with thoughtful questions about themselves, and with games of 20 Questions.... They all loved him. And the food was great. (Helpful Hint: Best New Mexican style mexican food: Padilla's. It's just off hiway 40, and worth the stop. Dallas asked if we could eat there on our way home!)

The rest of the trip is pretty much a blur of driving and driving and driving. Punctuated by Louise getting her first traffic violation citation. (84 in a 75, but he just gave her a warning). I had JUST told her to slow down as she was going NINETY. See, the thing is that we had to get new tires on the big van, and now it doesn't sound like it's about to fall apart when you hit seventy. It just keeps gliding along, faster and faster....

We got in at about ten last night, and the kids had to watch American Idol with their cousin Leah (Tivo) and we had to put everyone's height on the chart. It is official: Dallas is now taller than Leah. (She is still, and I believe ALWAYS will be, two weeks older.)

I start class on Sunday at the freaky new age school. Can't WAIT. There will be a "new moon celebration in the lower pool" while I am there. I'm eager to check out what that's about. (There will be a full moon celeb when I am there in late April, so that's way cool, too.) I'm sooo excited about exploring a totally foreign culture while I'm there. It's like I'm going to Japan or something!

Thanks again to all who helped me get here. I'll do my best to keep you blogged!