So long, Farewell...

"So long, farewell, auf weidersehen goodnight…I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye…goodbbbyyyyeee…"

     No, I am not leaving Berkeley, nor am I quitting the blog.  Nope.  Today I am saying goodbye to my vacation, aka "unemployment".
     Since August 8th I have had the opportunity to relax.  Ha--thats a joke!  The month of August into September was everything besides relaxing.  If you'll remember, Mike and I were working day & night on completing all the renovations to our home & then of course Mike started grad school.  So realistically we'll say that since September 11th (the day our tenants moved in) I've been on vacation.  And now I must say goodbye.  Sniff, sniff.
     Thats right, folks, the new job starts tomorrow.  And I'm not about to toot my own horn here, but I did get a pretty decent job.  Of course I have others to thank for putting me in touch with the company, but let's just say that I will be doing what I know best--being meticulously organized.  I'll let you know more details as the job gets underway, because this is not a blog post to welcome new stress into my life; no, this post is to dwell on the fact I have to give a tearful goodbye to my days of leisure.
     When I first began this blog, my first post explained how & why Mike, Bailey & I came to find ourselves living in Berkeley, "Ah, the Beginning".  I received an overwhelming amount of responses and emails asking what in the world I was doing in Berkeley while Mike was on campus, studying hard.  I never responded to these questions simply because I was just too tired…I was still recuperating from the stress of moving!  Because I am in "reminiscing" mode, I'll let you into my day to day life for the last couple of months, although I'm making it brief.
     In the beginning there was a lot to unpack and lots of errands to run.  As I am not the type of person to put something away just to get it out of sight, every item needed to have its "home".  So, living in a small space, I did a lot of putting away, then reorganizing what I put away.  And of course, with any move, there will always be trips to Target & Ikea.  Basically you can trust me when I say that unpacking took a lot of time.
     Then of course there was "getting to know my surroundings".  I was terrified I wouldn't find convenient grocery stores, my bank, a library, etc, so multiple times a week Bailey & I would drop Mikey off at school then we'd get lost.  Seriously.  I figured it was the easiest way to learn the lay of the land & to figure out my most-traveled routes.  The bonus to this was that I found some beautiful neighborhoods…
     Side note: does every Berkeley home have gorgeous architecture?  Oh, to own a home here is my newest daydream!
     Back to my life...I worked for Nantucket.  Because technology is that advanced, I was able to log into my work computer & help out with pricing, entering, etc.  All those tasks that take so much time & concentration…well, with my only distraction being Bailey, I was able to accomplish a lot.  Glad I could to, because we hired a few new employees and training always seems to take more time than anticipated.  So, I'm happy to say I took much work off Sara's desk.  
     For those days that I couldn't sit at a computer any longer, I did A LOT of reading, and shamefully a lot of "Netflixing", too--the worse part was that I watched some really bad movies, time I should've spent reading.
     And last, & definitely most important & time consuming, Bailey & I spent many of our daily hours walking the surrounding neighborhoods and discovering new off-leash parks.  She is my absolute joy.  The best companion ever & she is the main reason we are friendly with so many of our neighbors.  In fact, Mike was recently walking her alone & he had some man yell out his car window, "Hey, Bailey".  When Mike looked at him funny, because obviously he didn't recognize the man, the greeter stated, "I know your dog".  Hmmm, Bailey knows more people here than we do.  Well, she is the cutest.
     Funny thing is that my job kind of surprised me, that is my start date surprised me, so I don't feel like I lived today up as I should have…Instead, I spent most of the day wrapping up some Nantucket work.  But once Bailey got up (today it was 1:30, no joke!), we hit up our favorite place: Point Isabel in Richmond.  Part dog park, part walking trail, this park has it all, including a cafe & dog-washing business, all in one.  We typically hit P.I. up 3 or 4 times a week, & as you can see from the photo below, its a pretty special place for both of us.

View from Point Isabel...

     So for the rest of my night, I'm "living it up" by staying at home.  Yep, I turned down my husband's offer to take me to dinner for cooking in.  With an uncertain work schedule ahead with I assume some very long hours, not to mention the commute into/out of SF, this may be my last night cooking for a while.  But don't feel sorry for me, I have a glass a wine within arm's reach, a puppy by my side & a husband who is putting off his homework for the night…I am one lucky girl.


     I will post again when I have the energy…
     So sad to leave my puppy, Bird

A Thriller...

"…You try to scream but terror takes the sound before you make it, You start to freeze as horror looks you right between the eyes, You're paralyzed...'Cause this is Thriller, Thriller night, and no one's gonna save you from the beast about to strike…"

     Call me Debbie Downer.  Mike does.  I don't like to dress up for Halloween.  I used to, but something changed.  Sadly, the last time I truly remember enjoying the planning process of Halloween was probably my junior year in high school when all my girlfriends and I dressed as the Pink Ladies and other Grease characters.  That was fun.  Ever since however, the costume aspect of the night has proven too much work.
     Problem is that I have married a man who LOVES to dress up; Halloween, going out to dinner, babysitting the nephews--you give Mikey an excuse and he will dress to the nines, appropriate of the occasion of course.  So when Halloween rolls along you have me, the anti-dresser-upper & you have Mike, who's extremely "gung ho".  How does such a couple compromise?
     Well, this year I gave in.  We were invited to a couple of Halloween parties, and knowing I wasn't going to get my way, I folded.  And guess what?  I had fun.  Sure the planning process was still as bothersome as ever, and of course the actual costume only came together at the last minute, but we finally decided on an idea and made it happen.  Oddly enough we were a hit at the party--such an easy costume, too!  What do you think….?

Mr. & Mrs. Gerome the Gnome

     And because it's Berkeley, the party wasn't just a bunch of costumed grad students drinking….there were fire dancers!!  Here is what what we experienced at the party: unbelievable!

This is a woman from Mike's MLA program...

     Lastly, I wanted to share some "oh so cute" photos of costumed dogs.  Now I might not like dressing myself up, but Bailey is another story…not that she (or Mike) lets me!  But look how cute these pups are--the best part is how well the costumes replicate the dogs' personalities…

Have a wonderful and safe Halloween everyone!  Love, Bird

Random Thoughts...

"How does it feel?  How does it feel?  To be on your own, with no direction home, a complete unknown like a rolling stone..."

     I'm having a hard time lately with my "creative writing".  Sorry, the quirkiness just isn't coming out, hence my failure at regular or recent posts.  So, tonight I thought I'd post about something that is truly me…randomness.
     If you have ever had the pleasure of speaking with me in a casual manner, you will probably have noticed that I tend to randomly pick up a train of thought while in the midst of another conversation.  Maybe there will be a brief lull in the conversation and suddenly I will pose a question that has nothing to do with what we were discussing.  However, in my mind, the beginning of the conversation has began.  Now please don't think I am crazy…I actually DO understand my proposed conversation wasn't being discussed earlier.  I think it comes down to assuming others will pick up this train of thought and we can thus discuss my topic.  Hummm, maybe that's really just an assumption.
     Funny thing is that the more you get to know me, the quicker you are with my random conversation starters.  I remember in the beginning of our relationship, Mike was always saying, "what are you talking about?…where did that come from?"  Now I don't hear that as much; I guess someone has gotten used to me.
     Anyway, the point of my discussing my randomness is because I'd like to share these thoughts with you.  We'll call them "Random Thoughts with Robin Cook".  I based the idea from one of my favorite SNL sketches, "Deep Thoughts with Jack Handey".  Speaking of which, here is my all-time favorite "Deep Thought" (I couldn't find the actual sketch, so this is from memory)….

     "The next time your child asks you why it rains, tell him it's God crying.  When he asks you why God is crying, tell him it's over something you did."

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Love, Bird

Don't knock it til you've tried it...

"So I creep, yeah, Just keep it on the down low, Said nobody is supposed to know…"
  
     I'm cheating on Mike.  There I said it.  Now, before anyone freaks out, let me explain.
     I watch Modern Family without him.
     And truthfully, he knows.  I've told him and there's nothing he can do about it.  A few days/nights out of the week I see him for sometimes only 30 minutes.  What is a person supposed to do?  Really?!  Wait to watch the show together?
     No, no one can convince me to stop.  Every Thursday I'm back at it, searching the ABC site for the newest episode.  But where is the harm, really?  I get my laughs, I don't disclose the jokes or storyline early to Mike, then we watch it together when he has time.  I get my kicks--he gets them later.
     And if you haven't watched it, please don't judge.  Watch a hilarious clip here, then come talk to me about not "cheating" on Mike.
     Phew, it feels so good to get that off my shoulders.  :)




     And since I am doing a "silly" post, here is the infamous photo of the "stalkers" and John Corbett.  Seriously, I can't believe I am posting this as I really look like a scary stalker.  Maybe I'll do some editing.  Let me rephrase, maybe Mike will do some editing because I am photo-editing challenged.  Until then, get your laughs at creepy Robin.

Now, take my advice and go to ABC.com and watch some funny stuff.  Laugh out loud and don't feel guilty.  I said so, Bird

Sad day...

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost but now I'm found, was blind but now I see…"
  
     Its been a sad couple of days for many of those in Chico and beyond.  Two wonderful people have passed this week, Roger Williams and Patty Lynch.  Both too young to go.
     Mr. Williams was my high school principle, and it was because of him that I thought all administrators were just plain nice.  He always had a smile on his face, was always greeting students by name; beyond my high school days, he always made the time to relax and talk, sincerely wanting to know what his past students were up to…
     Patty Lynch is a family friend and although I didn't know her, I just saw her last weekend at her granddaughters soccer game.  She spent her final days in the presence of those she loved and I know it meant the world to her family that she fought so hard to live as many days as she could.
     I pray that both are happy now, that any suffering is over.  And I pray for their friends and family, that they can make it through these difficult days, weeks, months and years; that they know Roger and Patty are looking down upon them, providing them the strength they need through such a horrible time.

God bless their families, Robin

The IRS and a Wedding…huh?

"I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.  When its cold outside I've got the month of May.  I guess you'd say what can make me feel this way?  My girl, my girl, my girl.  Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl."  

     I've left you all, but now I am back; sorry about that.  Life kind of got in the way.

     Its been a crazy 10 days for me.  Remember that post where I confessed to being a procrastinator?  Well, it bit me in the behind…My income taxes were incomplete and due.  

     Normally the tax thing isn't that big of a deal for me.  Sure, like everyone, I dread the hours sitting at the computer, meticulously going through the Quickbooks reports trying to add up every donation, every medical bill, any and every tax break I can find.  My advantage is that I am an organized person: I actually use my Quickbooks register, I collect donation receipts in a bright orange hanging file, I start filling in the blanks of my "tax organizer" in January when I receive it in the mail, and then I get my tax refund before April 15th!

     These 2009 taxes have been completely different.  Although I was still organized in 2009, still collecting, I had a lot on my plate come January.  Just a little thing called marital support.  I was proofreading, editing, sometimes writing Mike's cover letters for grad school programs (although he didn't use anything I wrote--what a waste).  February was our time to relax: we had worked so long on all the applications, we were exhausted from some intense discussions on where we would like to move/go to school, frankly we were pooped!  So we took some time off of thinking about our future…we read, watched movies, pretended we didn't have a care in the world.  March and April I really don't have any excuses for.  May we wrung our hands and awaited the acceptance letters and letters of rejection; side note: I now know what it feels like to be a parent watching their high school senior go through the process.  Its hell basically.  June we made thorough lists of everything we needed to accomplish around the house (you know, that "honey do" list).  July we started the horrible task of finding a place to live; taking one to two days at a time to drive to Berkeley, look at all the "contenders" we found on Craigslist, running away from some, refusing to get out of the car for others, basically thinking Mike was going to commute daily.  August we finally found an apartment and decided we couldn't put off the house renovations any longer.  By the end of August Mike had moved to the "big city" (thats everyone else's term, not mine by the way--oh yea, stop using it, we're tired of it) and my in laws, sometimes my parents and I were working day and night on the house.  Somehow September finally came, a godsend really, the work was done, the tenants moved in, and I found myself living once again with my husband.

     What I could've said was that I have been busy, however its too fun making you read about the stress I had to live.  But really, who wants to do their taxes when you have a bathroom floor to install, a room to paint or a house to pack into storage?  Not I.

     So after putting the dreaded taxes off for too long, I sat down last week and started the process.  I even turned off my phone.  And the good news is that I sent them off yesterday!  One more thing off my shoulders...

     

     But I also have been busy because of fun things.  For instance, a wedding!  God how I love weddings.  I really, truly do.  And I really, truly do not understand those crazy people out there who do not love weddings, who would rather send a gift and stay home to watch CSI Miami or another lame show.  I just love them.  I even love weddings where I don't know the bride or groom very well.  And you know what?  I'll still cry when the bride walks down the aisle; I'll cry when the bride and groom get choked up during their "I dos"; I'll cry when the father and daughter, or mother and daughter, dance together at the reception.  Pull me in off the street and I will cry at your wedding; plus I am the best wedding guest--I'll dance all night and help keep the dance floor filled, and there will be more cake for you because I don't eat it!  Perfect.

     And while I am rambling on and on about my love of weddings, good friends please don't make me beg, "can you please start getting engaged"?  And once you do, will you please stagger the weddings?  Maybe every 6 months to a year…If what I love is to look forward to weddings, then help me out and don't have them all at once.

     Sorry about that.  The writer has some pent up emotions she has to let out.  Back to the most recent wedding…Lucia and Patrick's.  Lucia and Patrick got married outside the funky little Danish town of Solvang.  What a trip that was!  Literally.  Its like you are in Europe with lots of tchotchkes, pastries of course and you run into your friends on every corner…so bizarre.
     And the wedding was gorgeous!  It was outside underneath a huge oak tree with vineyards surrounding the ceremony area and the air was filled with love and happiness.  Oh weddings, see what you do to me!  The reception was wonderful as well: the food was de-lich, especially that little cheese bread thing, the wine was a-flowing and sooo many people were on the dance floor.  In fact, my snobby dancing partner (that would be Mike), got "upset" how many people were on his dance floor…um, ok.

    To top it off, the night ended at a swanky cowboy bar in the middle of nowhere.  But that's not the good part.  The amazing part was that none other than the "John Corbett Band" was playing that night.  And let me tell you, that 49 year old is hot, hotter than on the big screen and all I could think of was (heavy sigh), "Aidan".  

    Now, I am not a celebrity stalker; I find it very uncomfortable to even see a celebrity in person.  But my friend Tahira got me to go talk with him…so embarrassing, but he was really a nice guy.  Plus, we had a little talk about Chico and how he really wants to play there.  Being the Chico girl that I am, I gave him a few good and bad places to play.  Now remind me to sign up on the band's email list…

    

     Here are some photos of the weekend and of course of John Corbett.  I am still waiting for the photo of him and his group of stalkers, but I will post that soon.

Picturesque, right?

 

I promise this won't be me at your wedding…hahaha!

Sigh, I am in LUV.

Love, Bird

*My song quote of the day doesn't relate much to the post, but it is in homage to the song Lucia and Sally danced to for the daughter-mother dance.  Or at least I think they danced to "My Girl"...

Lazy Sunday...

"…I wish it was Sunday, 'Cause that's my funday, My I don't have to runday…."
  
     Sundays are the days I allow myself to be lazy & not feel guilty about it.  Which means sleeping in, maybe going to breakfast, of course doing something fun with Bailey, reading on the couch or in the sun (where-ever is most enjoyable) & I love early Sunday dinners.  Sundays also mean relaxed blog posts.
     So this is what Bailey & I "woke" up to this morning at Point Isabel: a clear day.

Golden Gate to the right, the city in the middle & the Bay Bridge to the left...

     Enjoy your Sunday & be lazy, too!  Love, Bird

It's A Dog's Life...

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away…"

     Bailey & I have already learned that the best part of the Bay Area (so far, that is) are all the dog-friendly activities & parks!  Each morning when we go outside to "make our business", & by 'our business' I really only mean Bailey, we head across the street to the neighborhood park, Cedar Rose Park.  Depending on the day & time there could be 1 other dog playing, or 5.  Regardless of how many are around, another dog always wants to play & that's just fine with Bailey.  Although its supposed to be a leashed park, the same neighbors & dogs frequent the area, so everyone knows one another & each dog's temperament, making an off-the-leash play session acceptable to all.  
     See, Bailey had/has some great dog neighbors back in Chico.  Bailey, Stormy & Mazzie could be found every night playing on each other's lawns; you know, being dogs.  So, it was a disappointing thought that Bailey wouldn't have very much daily-doggie-play.  No need to worry about that now!  Although she misses that sassy little Boston & huge lovable Golden greatly (as do her parents…), her new neighborhood hangout is easing the pain.
     We've also found that the dog parks, aka beaches, resorts, "Heaven(s) on Earth", aren't too shabby either.  Um Chico, take some notes…
     On Sunday of last weekend we ventured over the bridge to good ol' San Francisco.  Our friend Laura had told us about this big dog park right on the beach, so we thought we'd check it out.  Here are some photos & videos of our afternoon at Fort Funston…make sure your sound is on!

Bailey & a "red" Boston playing catch…no comparison to Sassy Stormy though!

"I wish my parents would take me here every Sunday…"

Just a taste of our crazy-fast Bailey…don't lose sight of her!

She's a pretty tough 23-pound Boston if you ask me…a long video, but worthwhile!

     Hope you all can come visit; bring your pooch & we'll head over to Fort Funston!
     Love, Bird

The Craziness of it All

"I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind…"
   
    I like to have about 27-30 messages in my inbox at all times.  These 27-30 emails are my reminders to get things done: email friend back, put date on calendar, upload photos, etc.  Some of these emails have been in my inbox since March of 2009, no joke.  Obviously those emails aren't time sensitive.  Um, I might as well admit it, I'm a bit of a procrastinator.
     The point is, I don't like clutter.  I like organization; excuse me, I LOVE organization.  In fact for a fleeting moment just out of college I toyed with the idea of becoming a 'Professional Organizer'.  I'm pretty certain my sisters' still wish I had…
    Back to my neurosis: I can have (small) piles around me, but those piles are very organized.  I actually know what is in each of those piles.  Right now, I am completely out of my element.  My office is a mess & its REALLY difficult for me to work efficiently with heaps of piles filling what desk space I have, the floor of the office, my mind.
     It might not look like much, but here is a glimpse into my own personal chaos….

a bike, an empty file cabinet, a bag full of work...

office supplies waiting for a home...

     (Sorry, I'm too ashamed to show you "real" photos, I had to pretty-them-up to hide my embarrassment.  By the way, these photos were taken with the Hipstmatic app, which I finally learned how to use today.  Yay me!)

     In conclusion, you will have to bear with me a little.  I received so much support & congratulations for my inaugural post ("you like me, you really like me!"), not to mention lots of questions, that I had planned to follow up today with a little more information.  We'll call it "Ah, the Beginning...There's More to the Story".  Problem is that the current state of my office has thrown me.  I guess it's all apart of the learning & growing process--be more spontaneous.

     So, thats it.  I had good intentions, but when you don't feel it, you don't feel it.  For all those unanswered questions hanging out in my inbox, which is now at 50+ emails: we'll see if I get to you.  They might be answered in a post, or an actual 'Robin to friend' email, but the important thing to remember is that I am still learning & growing…let's not forget that I am still a procrastinator.

    Love, Bird

     

Ah, the Beginning

"Let's start at the very beginning, A very good place to start…"

     The series of events that has put me where I am today is a little unclear, but the love of my life, Mike (aka, the Berkeley Grad Student) thinks it best I start this blog with a quick history.  Many of you don't know we've moved, some know we've moved but don't know why & others don't even know us.       
     Well, welcome to the beginning.  My name is Robin, aka Bird, & I will be your tour guide for this blog.  "We're walking, we're walking, we're stopping…"
     Up until about one month ago, The Berkeley Grad Student, Bailey Blue (aka "Poop McPoop", the teenager, Drama Queen) & myself lived in Chico, California.  We were living the "American Dream" with steady jobs, an antique house (with a long 'Honey-Do' list I must add), our families close-by, great friends, etc.  Problem was that the American Dream was a bit too cookie cutter; oh yeah, & the Berkeley Grad lost his job.  Well, what do you do when life gives you Rocky Road instead of smooth, yummy Vanilla?  You realize what you really want in life & you make it happen.  (I personally really like vanilla with hot fudge…that's not a metaphor, I really like vanilla ice cream.)
     So after a tumultuous year of questioning our lives, with my encouragement & blessing, the Berkeley Grad went for it all on a whim; he applied to grad school.  (Seriously, he decided to start the application process about one week before the last GRE test of 2009 was offered.)  And then about one stressful month later of portfolios, letters of intent, statements of purpose, letters of recommendations…the list goes on, Mike had applied to 4 of the top 10 programs in the US for Masters of Landscape Architecture, plus one school in the Netherlands.  Phew!  All that is over thank God! 
     Then the admission letters, & truthfully rejections, started coming in.  The process was brutal for all involved.  Enough said.  But the end was near; it came down to two schools & after a lot of soul searching & advice from his undergraduate professors at the University of Oregon (shout out!), the Berkeley Grad Student decided on Berkeley…obviously.
     Lots of stress, procrastination, & yelling later, oh with a handful of 'Honey-Dos', too (a future post on that), we are officially moved, settled & living in Berkeley.
     Wow, writing it all out makes it seem simple.  Please do not let that fool you, as I am still recovering.
     Now Bailey (of course she made the journey, too!), the Berkeley Grad Student and I have two years of Berkeley adventures ahead of us.  You're invited to come on our journey…ok, not really "come" with us, more like read along.  I hope you make it part of your day, I hope you enjoy what we do, I hope you enjoy how I write & I hope I can do this!


     Enjoy….Love, Bird