Spring Break 2010

Friday: Crashed after the longest 4 day week I've ever had. Holy Holy Week Batman!

Saturday: Brunch with Stephanie, Josh, and Paul, friends of Grant's from high school. A rare experience of high school memories. A brief walk through the farmer's market. We now have friends to visit in Santa Barbara - a perfect starting point for an excursion to the Channel Islands. (S&J are you ready for us in June?) Then I worked on the perfect jewelry supplies order - every thing left that I need to start soldering. However, the most important part, the solder, is backordered. Last, I made a to-do list.

Sunday: Jesus Rose from the Dead. This seems to be an annual occurrence on my Spring Break. Secular school district still follows the Christian calendar. Much celebration at FCCO, followed by a lovely dinner at Sarah Eve and Jordan's home, and then a movie with Ryan and Molly at SaltHouse.

Monday: Started with an acupuncture appointment. We're about done with my ankle, now working more intensely on sleep issues. Figured out how to back-up my phone on my computer and download podcasts to the phone. These are trivial things to most folks, but I've only recently had a reason to do this - more bus riding and opportunity to listen to podcasts! Yoga. Dinner. House meeting.

Tuesday: Cleaned the bedroom! Farmer's market and ate pie at Crixa. Then a book discussion group with Seminary of the Street on The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Clairborne.

Wednesday: Lunch with Marisa, pie at Crixa (again!), shopping for backpacking trip, yoga, dinner, dancing with Emily!

Thursday: House breakfast, acupuncture, lunch with Molly as I was cooking Dinner (early cooking because of leaving for Point Reyes backpacking Trip!)

Friday: Stroll along the beach. Sleeping in the warm afternoon sun. Reading about a revolution and contemplating my "in."

Saturday: Woke to threatening clouds and quick winds. so we packed up and headed to Bovine Bakery, then slowly made our way home to where I am currently blogging from. Tonight - Beer Revolution.

Sunday: School Work - so sad. But I feel great that I got to do so much during my break. Now, 10 more weeks of school. The count down in on.

Let Your Life Speak

Do you know what these are?

Before Grant left for work today, he set these on a book that I am reading. Perhaps as a hint that he wants me to do something with them sometime today.

If someone asked you to do something with these things, would you know what to do? Incidentally, the book is called, "Let Your Life Speak - Listening for the Voice of Vocation," and so far I have not been inspired. I've been listening and I have heard neither the answer to what to do with these little rolls that say "exposed" on them or what to do with my life vocationally (I wish that was vacationally) to let it speak out.

Another HINT... Grant and I went for a walk last night around the neighborhood on the way to our tea date. Nearing the top of a hill he stopped walking and pulled this thing out...

Muttering something like... I have 3 more to go... just three, then we can go have tea.

Well, I also have three more to go too. 3 more hours to just hang out and bite my nails and worry and wonder and get excited for my first adult yoga class. Could this be my life speaking?

Sledding Down and Climbing Up

Just posted some pictures from this summer's backpacking trip to Kings Canyon National Park.
You can see them HERE.FIND GRANT AND WEBB! Click on the picture above to see a larger version.

Photography Is UP!

Pictures from Grant's Photography Show are up on my flickr. Please check them out and then go straight to www.grantkinney.com to secure your own prints of this fabulous work. Here Grant is making a final adjustment to the frame before the reception started. It was a long road to get to this point! I am very proud of my guy!

Anniversary

"Grant and Robin: The Marriage" turned 4 on Thursday May 1. We are officially out of newly wed status and fully into complete admiration and appreciation stage. I wake up loving him more every day... more than I ever thought I would love someone.

We have had almost a week long anniversary. Last Tuesday we went out for a quiet romantic dinner just for the two of us. On Thursday Grant came home from work to find these lovelies on his desk. (I was at class until 9pm but made a quick stop at home between yoga classes)
On Saturday we enjoyed our local farmers' market before heading up to the park for a BBQ with friends.

6 Years and counting...

Sometime this week in 2002 (I don't remember the exact date) in Saga (the dining hall at Alma College) I looked up across the table and saw this man...
He had less facial hair then, but I knew he was the ideal man for me!

Happy Anniversary... even though we don't really celebrate this one.

(the picture gets better if you click on it!)

Surprise! It's a Celebration Dinner!

Robin picking up Grant from work on Friday night and heading out for dinner in the city.

G: Which restaurant are we going to?
R: I picked the furthest away of the three that you picked since you're not on call tonight.
G: Good thinking.

Robin and Grant arrive at the restaurant to find it empty... well, it just opened a few minutes earlier...

R: I guess we didn't need reservations
G: It was good to have them just in case.
R: Why isn't this place busier? It looks really nice. There should be a line. I guess it's just early.

Robin and Grant look at the menu, the server is very, very attentive. Robin and Grant discuss how to best use the gift certificate that his parents gave him. Moments later he decides...

G: To hell with it! I being way too serious. Let's just have a good meal.
R: I should have planned something for us to celebrate. What are we celebrating?
G: I've had a long week. Let's celebrate surviving the week!
R: I know, happy 3.5 year anniversary!

R: I feel like I'm dating you again.
G: Because we haven't had a real face-to-face conversation since Tuesday?
R: That could be. So how was your week?

Robin and Grant continue talking about Grant's week at CPE and figure out what they want to order and their server was more than ready.

First Course
2005 5 Rivers (Central California Coast) Pinot Noir
Mixed Green Salad with Beet Tartar, Pear, Goat Cheese Mousse and Pecans
Butternut Squash Soup (served in the cutest little espresso cup)
Bread and Butter

Robin and Grant's server walks up to the table, then steps back and allows two other gentlemen to actually set the plates on the table.

Robin and Grant's server tries to give them extra plates. They look at him confused. Robin puts her plate under her bread dish and continues to eat the salad from the plate it was served on. Grant does the same, only he doesn't move his plate.

Second Course
Gambas al Ajillo (white shrimp, garlic, chili and olive oil)
More Pinot Noir (we got a whole bottle and it was yummy!)

Grant tries a few shrimps, decides they are not for him and Robin slowly enjoys the remainder throughout the rest of the meal.

This is Robin's super hot date:Robin and Grant's server takes all of the silverware and plates away and then places new silverware on the table, steps back and the other guy sets the plate of ravioli and cauliflower on the table.

Main Entree
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter, Sage and Amaretti (this could have been dessert)
Roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Lemon

Robin pulls out her camera from her purse... the camera that she always carries around with her.

G: You're going to take pictures of this.
R: Of course! This is a great meal!

Robin suddenly feels self-conscious of taking pictures of her food in a fancy restaurant, so she decides not to use the flash and will put up with a slight blur in her pictures.

This is our YUMMY Ravioli:
Robin notices that fancy spoons seem to have appeared on the table out of no where. She then wonders about current state of mind as Grant gentle slips her wine glass away from her.

R: When did we get these spoons?
G: I'm not sure

Robin breaks out into giggles.

Dessert
Chocolate Pudding with Cream and Port Soaked Figs

Robin and Grant almost die with joy after their first few bites of dessert. They then ponder the implications of licking the bowl when the pudding is gone...

By the end of the evening we were just giddy with delight of our excellent meal together. What an unexpected treat! Besides reading the menu online, we really had no idea about what we were walking into. Palmetto was a great choice. See more here.

Robin and Grant start getting ideas in their head that more fancy restaurants might be in their future...

Thanks Mom and Dad for the certificate!

Nature Fights Back

Saturday morning hike in SF's Land's End we ran into many fenced off trails that lead down to the ocean. This path in particular leads to a cliff overlooking the golden gate bridge. On this cliff there is a labyrinth made out of rocks. Grant and I planned to walk the labyrinth until we met this gate, protecting us from the oil that may have washed up onto the beach. Grant and I both took the photo opportunity seriously and then promptly went on our way.
I love spider webs, especially when there is a fresh dew clinging to the delicate threads. When processing this picture, a thought came to me. It is amazing and sad; the way in which humans and the rest of the natural world interact. We are always pushing in on nature. We're really good at rearranging and destroying. We have some good attempts at restoring, but nature is never the same again once humans get involved. Even when humans try to make it seem as if they never got involved in the first place, they still leave their mark. But deep down inside, nature has a resiliency, a desire to keep living and an ability to negotiate around us humans. Even when we do horrible things, like spill oil all over our precious bay, a spider can find a new home.While on the topic of human interaction with the world, the family over at No Impact Man just finished their year long project. As I read their reflections, I'm starting to question our living habits and impact. At home, the most we've done to reduce energy consumption is installing CFL's in the light fixtures and sending Grant to work during the day (at least $5 a month right there!). Our refrigerator got replaced over the summer which had a positive impact on our electricity bill. For fossil fuel consumption, we try to get the majority of our produce from local farms and we drive a biodiesel car. But what else can be [easily- without too much stress or inconvenience] done? The next thing I'm thinking about is cleaning products. Any ideas out there?

Home Alone

In celebration of finishing 97% of a challenging semester on time, Grant is backpacking with two friends in Ventana Wilderness (near Big Sur, California) for a week. Yes, I’m a little jealous since it was a last minute trip that I couldn’t go on because I have this thing I do called work. Yes, it was sad when I showed Esther, the daughter of the friend who invited Grant on the trip but who is actually our age and hopefully will become our friend too, how to use her water filter. Yes it is also sad that my hiking pants, which Esther is borrowing, will have fun without me. But how could I say no? This is the last summer of fun for Grant. Come September, Grant signs the next 12 months of his life away to CPE at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in SF. And then the working scales of our family will be more balanced.

So I’m home alone for the week. Night #1 was very restless for the first 2 hours and I woke up tired. I muscled through a day at school, but was angry and my students felt it. I then did what I was dreaming about doing over the weekend: I called for a substitute so I could take tomorrow off. I’m just exhausted. I haven’t been sleeping well, even when Grant was next to me. My nose has uncontrollable sneezing and mucus flow only at night. Tomorrow will be a much needed day of rest. Looking ahead at the calendar, it is really the only day I can take until the school year is done (15 school days… 17 including staff days)

What else am I doing with my time alone? Obviously I’m updating my blog. I’m going to clean parts of the apartment including the mold that is starting to grow around the bedroom window (could that be related to my sneezing? Doctor’s appointment scheduled for June 8^th to find out). I’m going to take control of the alarm clock and sleep on my side of the bed. I’m going to a yoga class and a Pilates class. I’ll probably have dinner with friends. I’m going to try that meditation and journaling thing that I’ve been promising myself that I would start doing for months. I’m even going to paint a 2” x 4” section of a wall in the living room. White.

On the bright and romantic side of all of this, Grant planned ahead and wrote me a love note for every day that I wouldn’t see him. I have specific instructions as to which note to read on each day. So far I’ve been honest and have only read the note for Monday. He also insisted that we make a huge pan of lasagna on Sunday morning before he left so that I wouldn’t be stuck eating macaroni and cheese all week. It is incredibly yummy lasagna, as always, but I’m still going to have mac n cheese at least once this week.