the parking conspiracy

los angeles, ca. - the driver's nightmare. when we drive, we are likely sitting in traffic for an obscene amount of time. when we're not driving, we are prey to traffic services...better known as the parking police.

in a modest white car or golfcart-like vehicle, the parking police loom around the streets seeking the innocent victims whose parking meters have run out of time or who have misunderstood the signs outlining the thousands of parking restrictions: no parking from 3-5 pm Thursdays for street cleaning. two-hour parking from 6 am - 6 pm. permits required at all times. one minute past the restricted time, and you will be subjected to the unforgiving parking police with his flat affect and ticket-distributor in hand.

while in santa monica this afternoon, i drove behind the parking police golf-cart. it was interesting. i found myself turning my smile upside down as i watched the parking nazi inspect every car lining the street. the thought of an absurd parking ticket put me on edge. and then i noticed a sign on the golf cart: many stops. do not follow. WELL! don't you worry, parking police, i have no intention of following the cloud that rains on peoples' parades.

and so i changed lanes and went on my merry way.

the day we should have gone

today was our last full day at yosemite. actually, it was the day we were supposed to leave.

there we were, exploring more of yosemite's bliss, talking about the dread of going back to la. ah, the fresh air. the serene trails. oh, did you see that deer?!

after spending the day out and about, we finally made it back to our cottage, where the owners larry and cindy greeted us with a huge sigh of relief. apparently, our check-out day was today. oops! we thought we were supposed to leave tomorrow! larry and cindy hugged us, relieved that we were safe. yes, we were very safe...you know, just exploring yosemite. we were so incredibly embarrassed. thankfully, we all just laughed it off and paid for our LAST night.

i guess we really are out of the grind!

yosemite chronicles day 3

day three was a much needed (and deserved) day for relaxation. and recovery. just enjoyed springtime leisure.

yosemite chronicles day 2

on to day two of hiking madness. and when i say madness, i mean it. we went on an unintended trail, didn't see a single soul, and climbed things that probably shouldn't have been climbed. i think of it as our "oops" trail.

the yosemite chronicles

ahh, the power of relaxation. getting away from the grind. taking time to withdraw from the responsibilities, expectations, all things constraining...essentially taking time away from everything in la.

the only place that came to mind for this retreat was yosemite. the park housing the majestic monolith. words cannot describe how amazing every day has been, so i thought i'd post some pictures to chronicle our time here.

welcome to day 1!

first view

mist trail

lunch at top of vernal falls

stepping stones

the most tender image of the week: a mom teaching her son how to ride a bike...without training wheels. it's interesting how i've become desensitized to parents experiencing milestones with their children. the first diaper change. the first bath. the first feed at the breast. it's always a joy being a witness to stepping stones, but i almost come to expect it. yes, dad, that is indeed your baby's first dirty diaper. but to witness stepping stones in the everyday public - milestones for a child who can walk, talk, feed himself - is refreshing. and simply sweet.

so there he was, bulbous helmet and all, wobbling to and fro with mom supporting the back of the bike. one pedal forward, mom close behind. attempts to ride in alignment...failed by the inherent force of a bike much bigger than the boy.

all i could do, besides control my internal laughter, was imagine the trust developing between a mom and son. imagine how Junior will fail time and again, but how he'll finally get it. how he'll spend all his time riding with his friends, one day telling stories of how his mom ran right beside him.

mind explosion

at the moment, i have a jumble of thoughts - some lighthearted and fleeting, others random and mildly disturbing. it's just one of those times when i feel it necessary to release them, express them, rid myself of this thought-filled cornucopia.

so bear with me. welcome to my streaming line of consciousness...

--excited about making vanilla panna cotta with balsamic strawberries
--what a steal! a 5-pound bag of navel oranges for $2!
--it looks like 2014 will be the year i plan to apply for a midwifery program. until then, i'm looking into becoming certified as a lactation consultant. got (breast)milk?
--word of the day: uncomfortable. that's exactly how i felt halfway into my run this morning when i felt the urge to have a bowel movement. i couldn't focus on anything except: please don't poo your pants, erica! maslow was 100% on target with his hierarchy of needs. between strides, i ached. and prayed for clean panties. thankfully, i found a place to empty. phew! let the run continue.
--leaving for yosemite next weekend!
--appointment with a gynecologist-oncologist tomorrow...please no more pelvic exams!
--still thinking about mama's visit. i love her.
--mmm...the kumquats are going to be mighty tasty in tonight's meal.

finito.

lamentations

it has been exactly one week since i've been apart from charlie, and as each day has passed, i have felt the pains of an empty-nester. my poor baby was the victim of a hit-and-run...his left side suffered scrapes, bruises, and a broken leg (tire). since the unfortunate, unwitnessed, unbelievable, and unaccounted-for incident, charlie has been hospitalized, undergoing cosemtic surgery and receiving transplants.

uf! i was a wreck...leaving my baby at the shop, feeling helpless. and to intensify my grief, i had to accept the reality of a rental car - an HHR to be exact. and white.

oh c'mon. sweet charlie to the equivalent of a refrigerator? a lego? a freezer box with airplane-esque windows? from feeling carefree and jovial to feeling like a soccer mom at wit's end trying to calm the storm in the backseat?

i know it's temporary. i know charlie is in good hands. and i am thankful that no one was in the car or was injured at the time of the accident. but i am still entitled to grieve, and this is me grieving: waiting anxiously for charlie's recovery, counting the days until we are reunited, dreaming of our next journey together...all while apathetically driving a refrigerator-for-a-car.