for about 30 seconds yesterday, i thought about applying for a fulltime job.  i’d have an excuse dress cute and curl my hair on a regular basis.

then i saw this photo, snapped by BUDDY at the tidepools.

and i quickly decided to stay right where i am.

#Pacifica4Life

this past thursday, EBN and i (oh, and DEEK, let us not forget the ever present, DEEK) put on our cutest duds and took the train into “the big city.”  we’d been trying to find a time to meet ABN for lunch for weeks but due to busy work calendars, unpredictable weather, and a nap schedule that is not to be messed with – we kept putting it off.  but at the every last-minute, i deemed thursday the day and i’m so glad i did.  not only were our schedules wide open but it also turned out to be take your kiddo to work day!  clearly it was meant to be.

the train continues to be the highlight (for her, not for me).  she was sure to talk for the entire ride – saying hi to every stranger, more than once, lest anyone feel left out or ignored.  she then climbed all 37 stairs from BART to the street before i quickly whisked her inside ABN’s building before she got a chance to play peace-maker with the two men fighting on the corner.

there was some brief coloring and extended chair spinning and then we ventured downstairs to the food trucks which resulted in someone having a furrowed brow:

turns out “the big city” might just be a tad overwhelming. she much preferred running circles around the lunch table back up in the office, high-fiving ABN’s male coworkers (she’s already SUCH a flirt) and most of all, spending quality time with her daddy.

not sure if we’re invited back (we tend to make a bit of a scene) but i know the little one is already plotting her return.

sorry for the disappearing act at the end of last week.  it was unplanned – but we upgraded our server, or so i’ve been told, and that put me out of commission – sads.  it was sort of a well-timed blackout because honestly, the week was a crazy one and while i had thoughts to share i hadn’t really had a chance to wrap my mind around it all.

and truthfully, i’m not sure i’ll ever really be able to put into words my  feelings around the terrible events in boston, the crazy world that we live in and the strength of community in the midst of heartache and madness.  it’s just so many emotions at once and well, it leaves me feeling anxious and completely overwhelmed.  like so many, i just want to spend more time with my kiddo and ABN, which thankfully, we did this weekend (including EBN finally mastering going down steps – it seems like our days of scooting might be coming to an end…but more on that later in the week).

i don’t usually share too much of work life in this space, but for today, this piece that i wrote feels (guardedly) appropriate.

and also, neil – because life is about balance:

i had a meeting in the city on monday – and it was a welcome opportunity to play fashionista. ankle boots (with heels!) and a nani skirt (that fits!!)? pretty sweet. too bad i was dressed for cold and rain and by 12pm the sun was shining and i was a sweaty mess…

it’s been a few weeks since i did one of these posts and after a whole lotta sick, i think it’s good for me to take a step back and appreciate all the good that surrounds us:

1. i’m feeling pretty energized by the work i’m doing.  it’s hard to believe that it’s been just 6 months since i bid the fertility world adeiu and ventured off into the world of consulting.  i still struggle with finding balance and separating my work time from my mom time, but i’m a work in progress (not when SCOTUS is in session but that’s a special circumstance for sure).  it’s fun to pick and choose the projects that i take on and to get to meet really interesting people passionate about their own work.  and it’s fun to feel like i’m making a difference in the world – or at least playing a role in a cause that i care deeply about.

2. my kiddo had her first full-on nightmare last night.  i know that shouldn’t count as a good thing but she was just so darn cute, it was sorta a good thing in my book.  at about 10:30, just as i was packing up my crochet and heading to bed, she starts majorly crying – totally out of the blue.  ABN went in first but she was a sweaty mess who only wanted her mama and he shrugged his shoulders and sent me in for relief.  she quickly crawled into my lap saying something about not wanting to have to see the crocodiles.  we turned the lights on and i tried to logically explain a nightmare (fail) but then decided to curl up with her and treat her to an extra round of lullabies instead.  i was pretty sure we’d be hearing from her again later in the night but she rallied and didn’t make a peep until after 8 this morning.

3. getting back to paleo.  it feels good to take control of what i’m eating again.  it’s not that we took a real paleo break – i mean passover and paleo have a lot in common.  but there has been a ton of eating out and ordering in over the last couple of weeks.  i indulged in more than my share of macaroons and sweet apricot chicken and gefilte fish (what?  i like) and even some matzah.  it’s funny because it’s not like i ate a pizza (god, i’d kill for some pizza) but i ate things that i really haven’t been eating.  and i’ve been feeling it.  so it’s been nice for the last couple of days to be back on track and and to meal planning again and making responsible decisions.  it’s amazing how much one can look forward to paleo trail mix after a few weeks away.

my quick trip down to LA was to gear up for less than two weeks from now, when the Supreme Court hears arguments for the repeal of Prop 8 and DOMA.  the world is changing my friends, and i’m so happy to play a very small role in that.

in addition to a flurry of press releases, action emails and a communication calendar – as well as discovering this website (hello, where have you been all my life!?!?) – we put together materials to distribute for holy week and passover.  i’m pretty inspired by what faith leaders are praying for these days and i think it’s worth sharing in this space.  feel free to use these in your holiday celebrations and to pass them along to others.

i ended my trip to la la land with dinner at STREET.  it’s been on my list too long and it did not disappoint.  highlights included the kaya toast and the bbq jackfruit bao.  i die just thinking about it.  they are also hosting a 2nd night of passover seder…i’m marking my calendar for next year.  also, aspire to be as cool as susan feniger.  and wear as many bracelets.

this post is brought to you by starbucks, hot tea, and the lumineers.

it’s a rainy saturday afternoon and since EBN has decided to take a late (and hopefully long) nap, i’ve left other BNs at home in hopes of getting a jump-start on the work week.  i’m not stressed (something sort of new for me) but i know the week will be a busy one and so if i can get a bit done before monday that would be a good thing.  as i’m now managing 3 blogs (this space, THIS space and soon to be one more space – we’ll be launching at the end of the month), it means a lot of time spent lurking online, reading and researching, and then writing.  i’m digging it.

i’ve never been a tea drinker but as i’ve taken on this paleo lifestyle (for the most part) and as we’ve had several colder than normal rainy weeks here in the bay area – tea and i seem to have struck up a new and surprising relationship.  don’t get me wrong, i’m planning to give up coffee no time soon (i know, not true paleo) but in the late afternoon, or as a bedtime snack, a hot cup of tea is sorta becoming a thing.  between the crochet and the tea and the hot tubbing and the vintage longer length skirts and dresses, i’m practically ready to retire and move to florida.  if it’s warmer there than it currently is here (types the girl wearing fingerless gloves) you can count me in.

in addition to listening to records – we’ve been listening to the lumineers.  i’m basically the last person to discover music so i take no credit (especially because they also appeared in this week’s people magazine which means i’m super late to the game this time around).  but i’m head over-heels in love and it seems like the only thing better than the lumineers themselves is the pandora station.  so…i like the lumineers, dear internet, what else should i be listening to?

ps.  i have a wart on the bottom of my foot (now aren’t you glad that the photo above is of a cup of tea?).  i know, tmi.  but in truth it is all i can currently think about even as i type other words, analyze volunteer retention, work on my weekly calendar.  it’s nothing new, it’s probably been there for the last 2 years (maybe more).  but i finally went to have it professionally dealt with yesterday (after a month or more of “work at home” yielded no results) and now my wart which had for years been easily ignored is now more painful than childbirth (especially childbirth that included drugs).  it’s on the ball of my foot so walking sucks but even if my foot is just pointing down it’s super uncomfortable because all the blood is rushing in that direction.  when ever i think about taking off my sock to check out my “ouchie” EBN screams bloody murder (she caught sight of it just once) and says no mommy, no, sock back on!  this too shall pass.  but i thought you should know…