Over the past couple weeks life has taken over and my ability to blog became unavailable.  However, it has all been worth it!

First, my good friend Any visited from NYC.  We had such a wonderful time touring Northern California!  A few of the highlights as follows:

• Dinner at Navio the main dining room at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay with our friends Leslie, Rob and Sharon and of course my wonderful hubby Reeves
• A couple days in Carmel including hiking and tide pool gazing on Point Lobos, a picnic lunch on the beach at 17-mile-drive, a yummy dinner at Porta Bella and the day at Monterey Bay Aquarium
• A great and relaxing afternoon at Burke Williams following by a lovely dinner with friends
• Union Square shopping following by an amazing dinner and delightful conversation hosted by our friends Omar and Lora, attended by Dick and Trina as well.
• Wine tasting at David Bruce (where I am a new member!) and Byington in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

After recovering for the day from our extremely taxing and strenuous schedule (!) I had my first orientation for graduate school!! Monday then started classes for a 'QuickStart' programs that begins 2 of my 3 classes for fall semester - 11 grueling days of 9-5 lessons as well as a paper and 2 oral presentation all in the first week!

Now that I have three (full!) days of school under my belt I have to say I am feeling more confident at my own abilities.  I had held out hope that the stereotyped ‘librarian’ (you know them, shy, introverted, no social skills, unattractive and insecure) would be absent…well, unfortunately, with only a few exceptions, my hopes were dashed, and every low expectation was exceeded in the stereotyped department.  Don’t get me wrong, these are intelligent people, many with Masters already, but none are going to win with in the personality department.  However, I can’t eloquently express how excited I am for the future and the prospect of the new path I am creating for myself.  It is going to be a few challenging years of intellectual gymnastic for which I am really looking forward!

I thought I had grown out of these, but the anxiety dreams have begun! 

..... I am running frantically through the halls, the rooms don't seem familiar, but they should, it has been a whole semester so I should know where it is.  I finally arrive, after feeling like my legs are running through glue and I sit down just in time for the final, but I haven't done any of the reading and all of the material seems like it is written in some foreign language!  This is where I start to panic even more, but then I wake up.....

I have had these dreams before the start of school ever since I can remember, at least going back to Jr. High.  As excited as I get in starting a new year, the anxiety over the unknown rears its ugly head.  This year however at least I feel I have some individual experience under my belt both professionally and academically that only I can bring to the table.  I sure hope it helps me keep my head above water!

After 5 loads of laundry and at least 4 more to do tomorrow, I must reflect on the job that is the housewife.  Being the non-breadwinner right now I am happy to take on the tasks of keeping the house running smoothly including the laundry, cleaning, cooking, errands, grocery shopping, gardening, bills, etc. But, and this is a big but, I am not going to miss any of it when I start working again.  I know there are many people who find it very satisfying at the end of the day when they have their task list done. I applauder these people and stand in awe of their dedication and ability. I on the other hand will be just as happy to sign my name to a check for the cleaning service, thank you very much!

This past weekend has been quite action packed with lots of fun stuff!  On Friday evening my friend Leslie and I went to an art lecture on Donatello at the Institute. 

The Institute (really called the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, but that is too too long to use!) is the same place where I have been taking what I call my 'culture' classes for a while now.  It is associated with UCSC Extension, but now have their own location and name.  The professor who started all this really is a wonderful and entertaining lecturer so I drag some of my friends along from time to time to be 'cultured' along with me.  :)

On Saturday evening Reeves and I attended The Buddy Holly Story in San Francisco.  The music really took me back to my childhood as my mother loves music, especially the biggies like Elvis, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Doris Day, etc. etc.  - I don't think a day went by without the 45s going for a spin!   The show had lots of energy and the performers were very musically talented.  Thanks again to Trina's sister, Tiffany, who enabled us to see the show! 

To celebrate the 4th of July we went back up again to SF for a great BBQ with our friends Mo & Patrick.  It was our first trip to their new Eichler home from the mid-1960.  They are doing some great bold colors that are fond to my heart - I love color!  We ate so my much good food we had to roll ourselves home.  I had grilled Oysters for the first time (I couldn't get Reeves to try one) and I have to say I am hooked.   They were so tasty I can add them to my list of shellfish I love.  I can't wait to do my own! In addition we had sumptuous pork, shrimp, and scallops off the grill - yumm-ie!  A good time and good food was had by all!!

One of my great pleasures of not doing the corporate gig now is my ability to go hiking at will.  I try to do it 2 to 3 times a week, but as my schedule allows some weeks are better and some worse.  I place I usually go is Rancho San Antonio in the foothills below Skyline ridge.  It is convenient to get to, just off the 280 at the the junction of the 85, but still has an outback feel.  I mostly love it because I don't see too many people when I hike on weekdays and there are always wildlife sightings.  Today I saw a quail family trot across the path with at least a half a dozen little chicks - so cute! Also some deer, lizards and the always present birds.  Over the course of the past year however I have seen a rattlesnake, rabbits and even wild turkeys!  So, the environment I am describing is back-country enough that even the animals feel at home.

With that in mind, I almost laughed out loud when an early 40-something woman came briskly walking up the path toward me.  She had in her cell phone ear bud chattering away while she gestured wildly from the conversation with an invisible friend on the other end of the line while trying not to spill the Venti sized Starbucks cup in one hand!!!

All I can say, only in silicon valley would you see this woman; Californians try at least keep up the appearance of a healthy lifestyle, even if the actual practice of it is a bit suspect!!  (and only here would you get a cell signal where their aren't even roads!)

While I was perusing eBay today it occurred to me what a schizophrenic personality I have (no laughing out loud here and pointing rudely) when it comes to my interests!  I started with the Hermes Birkin bags, then went to the Antiquarian books on British history, then bounced to the McCoy pottery and back to the Manolo shoes!  In doing so, I started thinking, what the heck makes me interested in such different things????

My parents were definitely not the academic nor fashion forward type.  Don't get me wrong, they always encouraged me to do my best academically and I was always expected to go to college, but grad school was something that 'other' people did.  As well with fashion and retail therapy - I don't think they would know a Prada if it ran up and bit them. (even then they would think it akin to a snipe!)

So, I present the dilemma here - why since the age of 10 have I devoured every English/British history book I could get my hands on and value my Hume and Smollett editions of The History of England as much as my Herbag? Why do I melt at the newest Jimmy Choo mules but could care less about the NBA, NHL, NLB or any other acronym-ed sports league?  It certainly is not what I grew up with, so the nurture things goes right out the door.... why then can I spot a fake Louis at 50 paces and ache to visit the English countryside?  So is it inherent I am drawn to these things?  Why these things then??? What makes us who we are??????

Just a few light thought for a Summer evening......