tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33309554455779381172024-03-13T03:42:42.649-07:00My California ...the Divine Daytripper's travel guidedivine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-35334353473159603542015-09-06T12:20:00.000-07:002015-09-06T12:20:16.174-07:00Keep Tahoe Divine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_F9GlzL8-VZ0thPWjSIEwVFg0XCifSvPFq3eXehHdB7GEP_1Ry4CfEgYlsB9Jochyphenhyphen1khH_pU2OA6gOQCMKZB4gnT2OqD7g0lDMFVKdpo2FeFmslFzbpGorZg4Y_hBMEjf23_jP_jmzFR2/s1600/Robert+Hilton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_F9GlzL8-VZ0thPWjSIEwVFg0XCifSvPFq3eXehHdB7GEP_1Ry4CfEgYlsB9Jochyphenhyphen1khH_pU2OA6gOQCMKZB4gnT2OqD7g0lDMFVKdpo2FeFmslFzbpGorZg4Y_hBMEjf23_jP_jmzFR2/s320/Robert+Hilton.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Robert Hilton holds a variation of the iconic sticker that
graces car bumpers from Subaru’s to stylish BMW's and even trendy Prius'. Credit the folks at the <i>League to Save Lake Tahoe</i> whose core focus since 1957 has been to
protect the lake’s inspiring clarity. In
1880 when Mark Twain was in town, he could see to a depth of 100 feet. Today the clarity is at 70 feet. Let's keep Tahoe divine.<o:p></o:p></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-61748691709206491582015-05-03T08:36:00.004-07:002015-05-03T08:36:44.251-07:00Top of California<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeGrpWTCk1fOP2m6KiKQCL5ufGygFzxhui5AJh6E2-EZ9f1_zri1WSLnftMd6lFdIgNP8o0RqloEYdSCUJq6dAhnMyarKR6P5zzXm6xHqgKAmBcns0MP5Df1B6-CQxJSUUKm7qQdNuKyf/s1600/Redwood+National+Park+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeGrpWTCk1fOP2m6KiKQCL5ufGygFzxhui5AJh6E2-EZ9f1_zri1WSLnftMd6lFdIgNP8o0RqloEYdSCUJq6dAhnMyarKR6P5zzXm6xHqgKAmBcns0MP5Df1B6-CQxJSUUKm7qQdNuKyf/s1600/Redwood+National+Park+008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 12.05pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Default" style="line-height: 12.05pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro";">Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park</span><span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> is at the top of California. </span><span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Adobe Garamond Pro";">I asked a ranger to tell me where I could find the tallest
redwood in all the land. </span><span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Well, I can’t tell
you where <i>that </i>tree is,” he said, with a hint of sarcasm and annoyance. He pulled out a visitor guide and circled
three or four places on the map with a green highlighter pen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Go to Lady Bird
Johnson Grove,” he said. “That’s where you’ll see a lot of big trees.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Where is the
tallest tree in <i>that </i>forest?” I asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“We don’t mark <i>that
</i>tree anymore,” he said. “The root structure is exposed from so many people
trampling on it. But you don’t have to search too hard. You’ll find it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Of course, I took
it as a personal challenge to find the<i> </i>massive redwood that I called the
Big Kahuna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It was five at
night by the time I drove up the narrow Bald Hills Road to find the Big Kahuna.
It was a steep ascent to Lady Bird Johnson Grove, which rests near the top of a
ridge, more than one thousand feet above sea level. As I neared the top, fog
and a heavy drizzle hung in the air. The sun had long since given up the ghost.
It was fifty-four degrees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e;">I began walking the one-mile loop in the old-growth
redwood forest while the mist was hanging mid-air. </span><span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The pink-flowered
rhododendron and fern-lined trail through the forest began to open up. The
trees were getting bigger and taller.</span><span style="color: #211d1e;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I heard the whistle
note of the Marbled Murrelet coming from a high branch along the canopy of the
redwood forest. I felt the mulch below my feet and smelled the musky scent of Earth.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I stopped in front
of a massive tree trunk and marveled at its width. It must have been at least
twenty-five feet around. When I looked up, I could see the lowest branch, about
two hundred feet in the air. The tree seemed taller than a football field. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Blocking my path to
inspect the trunk was another massive branch. Clearly, someone had placed this
obstacle in front of the tree for a reason. When I inspected this tree from
trunk to branch, there was no doubt in my mind. I had found the Big Kahuna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I clutched my heart
at the sight of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What I did next was
exactly the same as every other idiot the park ranger warned me about. I
trampled on the roots of the tree to make my way to the trunk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Hello,” I said to
the Big Kahuna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I placed both my
hands firmly on its fibrous bark, holding on to the tree much like I do the
shoulders of my own children after I greet them. Then I turned my face and
placed my cheek on its trunk and embraced it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I stayed in that
position for a long time and felt the energy of this massive sentinel melding
with my own life force. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“What would you
have me know?” I asked the tree. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I could feel the
top of the tree swaying and heard it creaking. A deep tranquility emanated from
its presence. This 2,000-year-old sentry was the embodiment of deep time. It
held the past, present, and future all at once. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Remain neutral,”
the tree said to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I leaned my body
flat against the tree until there was no space left between me and the Big
Kahuna. This intimate bonding sent a shiver through my body as I felt the root
structure connect to Earth’s bedrock and then head straight up to the canopy
and beyond that, into the heavens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Feel what it means
to be alive.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I understood the
elder. We get so caught up in rushing through life, that we forget to feel what
it means to be alive—that we are here to experience life right now, not later. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I wanted to stay
there longer, absorbing the Big Kahuna’s wisdom. But the truth is I was scared.
I wasn’t strong enough to continue. The thin veil between reality and fantasy
had been lifted, and for a few moments, I was on the other side. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Once I recognized
that I had crossed the line, I removed my hands from the tree. Small red fibers
stuck to my fingers. I quickly took two steps back away from the trunk and
looked up. My neck stretched so far that my back arched. I looked like a
reverse question mark. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even though I was
scared, I didn’t run away. Instead, I took one last moment to straighten my
spine and mouthed two words. I gently touched the tree with one hand as I said
this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="Pa12" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="color: #211d1e; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Thank you.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-44231576470290893862014-08-11T15:54:00.001-07:002014-08-11T15:57:35.838-07:00All The News That's Fit To Print<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa04gKYSc_ifOcTvFi0aFlZTnKN1JY0b_-IwKfAy-wf201_11cyyriJ46QY7EPpE8uf-8cqYmDJ2MzUhyphenhyphenFtli9_RzX6X4muk2mZYsliyPjoE8OZ88wxdY9rirqMgDxsf-MnHpL5u-bGgN/s1600/Newspapaper+2+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGa04gKYSc_ifOcTvFi0aFlZTnKN1JY0b_-IwKfAy-wf201_11cyyriJ46QY7EPpE8uf-8cqYmDJ2MzUhyphenhyphenFtli9_RzX6X4muk2mZYsliyPjoE8OZ88wxdY9rirqMgDxsf-MnHpL5u-bGgN/s1600/Newspapaper+2+001.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/News/ci_26197307/Authors-journey-of-travel-and-liberation" target="_blank">San Jose Mercury News featured a story about the book I wrote "My Year In California." </a> My greatest desire is that women (and men) will take the book's thesis to heart: <i>if you want something to change, make a new choice. </i>What will you choose?divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-88467298538136588122014-07-15T09:52:00.000-07:002014-07-15T10:08:11.746-07:00New Way To Issue A Press Release<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/07/prweb12016618.htm?PID=6154686" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqti9CKyTO3rZUij14vL3_kAxrn8R8OaF3vrQyMQLCdAFocG2AUPB6aGJN3XzrhXVyOvZjDe5TRZS-rCkJlNrGeXOvDFvWqYLHHs3cq6z2PzpaG92mfuBuUOIvB9UsPCDdtoPOTJQFaw1e/s1600/PR+Web+Screen+Shot+jpg.jpg" height="168" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/07/prweb12016618.htm?PID=6154686" target="_blank"><br /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When I first thought about issuing a <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/07/prweb12016618.htm?PID=6154686" target="_blank">press release</a> for the book I wrote "<a href="http://www.myyearincalifornia.com/" target="_blank">My Year In California</a>," I searched the Internet for a service to support my effort. After careful planning, I went with <a href="http://www.prweb.com/" target="_blank">PRWeb</a>. The reason? A recommendation from <a href="https://www.udemy.com/u/deltinahay/" target="_blank">Deltina Hay</a>, author, publisher, developer, blogger, and professor. I've taken Deltina's excellent online course on app marketing. I selected PRWeb's robust <a href="http://service.prweb.com/pricing/package/premium/" target="_blank">premium package</a> at $369 because of its interactive, web-optimized ability. It's like having my own website hosted on the PRWeb server. As a social media strategist for a travel app that will soon be released, I may use PRWeb to promote our launch. I'm using the book's promotion as the proverbial canary in the coal mine. Keep your fingers crossed for me and my partner PRWeb that the media will pick up the release and write a story on my book. Thanks a bunch!</div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-32902342674981271162014-07-14T17:40:00.003-07:002014-07-14T17:40:37.348-07:00Mt. Shasta: Three Years Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2idyr2D2zLsD-eYSvf42o6G_zsUm3nSfuJPO0KvY9eRDiZeWCsyX_07SG0EvDw-jC0JAFrJacxHtbhQXwCXYMRV0xamw6UkJE6wHGQLA91-Z0MA714rFyf6lOvNuc2yjrLMJ7g-np32L/s1600/Mt.+Shasta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2idyr2D2zLsD-eYSvf42o6G_zsUm3nSfuJPO0KvY9eRDiZeWCsyX_07SG0EvDw-jC0JAFrJacxHtbhQXwCXYMRV0xamw6UkJE6wHGQLA91-Z0MA714rFyf6lOvNuc2yjrLMJ7g-np32L/s1600/Mt.+Shasta.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqB3OpL0Y-kB4wjxwIpxbvkZSwAebtFDp_-kK7wpYho6l3b1abRe4D0e2AkpM_JWbBfxvMiFXuwD_xwx86hVkNDCgeapQ9HKoWky_xiOCLG93OCTT2Karzo5h1_YBRSDWtzclmSvK88of/s1600/Ingrid+--+Mt.+Shasta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqB3OpL0Y-kB4wjxwIpxbvkZSwAebtFDp_-kK7wpYho6l3b1abRe4D0e2AkpM_JWbBfxvMiFXuwD_xwx86hVkNDCgeapQ9HKoWky_xiOCLG93OCTT2Karzo5h1_YBRSDWtzclmSvK88of/s1600/Ingrid+--+Mt.+Shasta.JPG" height="182" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Mt. Shasta July 2011 & July 2014. The snowpack difference is rather alarming. Still, the spiritual vortex there remains and captures my heart every time I visit.</span>divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-45983329586322677712014-07-01T14:15:00.002-07:002014-07-01T14:15:21.574-07:00Winner: Eureka! Travel Writing Award <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mR6UIui4PytADDM1ZWz1-Ulj3IaMd-Lm_LhFs_7g_0L5nvUWyz8-9jCpYIFd05C4cvg3NUzOdxJRbITd20lAECk1b-dn21v6ex8zBAP9k4n6XDk3X6Nd3BbJOftReYb9lWtVpfoqHUZy/s1600/Eureka+Writing+Award+Email+bug+2014+%2528300+dpi%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mR6UIui4PytADDM1ZWz1-Ulj3IaMd-Lm_LhFs_7g_0L5nvUWyz8-9jCpYIFd05C4cvg3NUzOdxJRbITd20lAECk1b-dn21v6ex8zBAP9k4n6XDk3X6Nd3BbJOftReYb9lWtVpfoqHUZy/s1600/Eureka+Writing+Award+Email+bug+2014+%2528300+dpi%2529.jpg" height="94" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #6e6e6e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px;">“My Year In California” won the </span><a href="http://media.visitcalifornia.com/Story-Development/Press-Releases/PR-Item/?id=93222" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-out; background-color: whitesmoke; color: #519bda; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">2014 Eureka! Travel Writing Award. </a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #6e6e6e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px;"> No. Not the grand prize, a weekend at the swanky </span><a href="http://www.cavallopoint.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-out; background-color: whitesmoke; color: #519bda; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Cavallo Point Resort</a><a href="http://http//www.cavallopoint.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-out; background-color: whitesmoke; color: #519bda; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-out;"> </a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #6e6e6e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px;">near San Francisco, which would have been sa-weet, but rather, the “Thematic/Lifestyle” category. Truth be told, I’m happy to receive anything, especially a certificate. Thank you </span><a href="http://www.visitcalifornia.com/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-out; background-color: whitesmoke; color: #519bda; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-out;" target="_blank">Visit California</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #6e6e6e; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype', 'Book Antiqua', Palatino, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.799999237060547px;"> for this awesome validation. Remember, nothin’s finer than a 49er — our Golden State. </span><br />
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divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-47627452854379323902014-03-09T12:21:00.002-07:002014-03-09T12:21:49.636-07:00My Book Won An Award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0IqhO1JBJihAN6Il8LP7GBoTIkaJJ0VRgt5J_cCdGOMXnOG-Ka97ELKSRL1O1vtPNAogFTMeDzriFCxO_m7CCoCavIEt6Vigkgs8exvNiqAZgEqe-DdGe_Nnpy3MaCUcMGnCKb3pJ-jE/s1600/Mariposa+066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0IqhO1JBJihAN6Il8LP7GBoTIkaJJ0VRgt5J_cCdGOMXnOG-Ka97ELKSRL1O1vtPNAogFTMeDzriFCxO_m7CCoCavIEt6Vigkgs8exvNiqAZgEqe-DdGe_Nnpy3MaCUcMGnCKb3pJ-jE/s1600/Mariposa+066.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.myyearincalifornia.com/" target="_blank">My Year In California</a> won the silver award from the <a href="http://www.natja.org/" target="_blank">North American Travel Journalists Association.</a> So excited to share the gift of living in the Golden State with the rest of the world. divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-88076683021956966132013-11-08T20:02:00.002-08:002013-11-08T20:04:11.952-08:00Keeping The Spirit Alive<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD86tqyfIwo4NJ_d34vD-30Gehgut4AKMHRy48emiqWiW2ua7RR_ajsq_SXmy6Ysut6R1D8H6FDLzr3oscMeb8Q1ZQcAdYKkcbU0qvmKpKbnL4zHIN5EqPugGvDnKxf0p5gq4tYenckIx-/s1600/Chumash+~+Julie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD86tqyfIwo4NJ_d34vD-30Gehgut4AKMHRy48emiqWiW2ua7RR_ajsq_SXmy6Ysut6R1D8H6FDLzr3oscMeb8Q1ZQcAdYKkcbU0qvmKpKbnL4zHIN5EqPugGvDnKxf0p5gq4tYenckIx-/s200/Chumash+~+Julie.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>
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<b>Ojai, CA</b> -- Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, pictured here, is the Chairperson
for the Barbareño/Ventureño- Band of Mission Indians. Julie, a generous and accomplished
woman, proudly carries the traditions of her family by sharing Chumash culture,
history and songs to youth groups, schools, elder hostels, church and civic
organizations. Julie’s lived in the Ojai
area nearly her entire life, and currently owns a home in the Meiners Oaks
neighborhood, very near the birthplace of her great, great grandmother, Maria
Ricarda Alulalmeque, who was raised in the Chumash village of Matilija. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Photo: Graham Dunn</i><o:p></o:p></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-76599874335928105502013-10-08T14:43:00.001-07:002013-10-08T14:44:25.031-07:00My Year In California<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1N3rMWzZhE4rpVWnkzY_vHchPlilJIfcPHBTL39b5suy9f_xpz93BlIA2J-ChDH4uH-KL1pwqcN1QoxjKx9-eC2MfoSgyyWtFc9uH4rm6F9EB0mrAwK3yQKXpvcME25Pi9a3JqgYMC_r/s1600/Ingrid+and+the+Book+~+10-3-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1N3rMWzZhE4rpVWnkzY_vHchPlilJIfcPHBTL39b5suy9f_xpz93BlIA2J-ChDH4uH-KL1pwqcN1QoxjKx9-eC2MfoSgyyWtFc9uH4rm6F9EB0mrAwK3yQKXpvcME25Pi9a3JqgYMC_r/s200/Ingrid+and+the+Book+~+10-3-13.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<b>Basecamp, CA -- </b>Every step of the journey is the journey. The book I've worked on for the last four years is now printed. Yipeee! To learn more about it, visit: <a href="http://myyearincalifornia.com/">myyearincalifornia.com</a>. For anyone lucky enough to have their dream come true, I pose a question: <i>Now what?</i> Stay tuned.divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-58223303932207224652013-08-18T15:41:00.002-07:002013-08-18T15:42:42.382-07:00Judging A Book By Its CoverBasecamp, CA -- Here it is!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFthRPk2FEwYwUYx9JqGCjM1ypLdgFGxz_nw3Y6F7OjmNTu8_mzVC9QJn4cyvvmF9RAeBu8zv9q_lGb0BRufQRBUk575grTgHSfbRQOzJtruMDZxTq41wMPAYzoCF8Wn31zQ6pGA4bMvQQ/s1600/cover3DRAFT3b+8-17-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFthRPk2FEwYwUYx9JqGCjM1ypLdgFGxz_nw3Y6F7OjmNTu8_mzVC9QJn4cyvvmF9RAeBu8zv9q_lGb0BRufQRBUk575grTgHSfbRQOzJtruMDZxTq41wMPAYzoCF8Wn31zQ6pGA4bMvQQ/s320/cover3DRAFT3b+8-17-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-81786188381543385452013-07-14T09:03:00.002-07:002013-07-14T09:03:35.844-07:00Kickstarter Campaign Successful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzi42z2wAlZb5_9T2Hm3UFqPRvyGsYBmioI5UuzalsE4JrI2EyFLexb4InFA5YA5ktnocEdbvIKt7WlTKDMmEcvgaERvjxzZSbUGUXfYH5_1NJ-h4zUSpLNTd-SOyc6P7aunkC9xNLHSpA/s1600/california-flag-heart-hi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzi42z2wAlZb5_9T2Hm3UFqPRvyGsYBmioI5UuzalsE4JrI2EyFLexb4InFA5YA5ktnocEdbvIKt7WlTKDMmEcvgaERvjxzZSbUGUXfYH5_1NJ-h4zUSpLNTd-SOyc6P7aunkC9xNLHSpA/s200/california-flag-heart-hi.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline !important; float: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 13px/18px "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">On Independence Day, the book printing of "My Year In California ~ a journey toward midlife renewal" was funded on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1248941328/my-year-in-california-a-journey-toward-midlife-ren" target="_blank">Kickstarter.</a> Yippee!!! So grateful and humbled. My heart overflows with gratitude. Thank you to all my backers. </span>divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-5102254981506690602013-06-06T08:15:00.002-07:002013-06-06T08:17:35.464-07:00Here We Go!<br />
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<img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpm4O4T6-saxLijNPBhiahHkbhv5Znjdn_O04SdWrBNN2ZV5rrV9lmvBhuqGKiTVlhJ7zW-DZSQeO84wXWNJnKfMkNYLSbjiBr1qB9vhIgflUa1mDGBHrw6J8cUcaCi7siXmqE5tqu2nH/s200/kickstarterSplash.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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<b>Basecamp, CA</b>--I've been writing a book "<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1248941328/my-year-in-california-a-journey-toward-midlife-ren?ref=live" target="_blank">My Year In California ~ </a><i><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1248941328/my-year-in-california-a-journey-toward-midlife-ren?ref=live" target="_blank">a journey toward midlife renewal</a>,</i>" for the last 18 months. It is 90 percent complete. Yipee!! I've launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the book's printing. Visit the site to learn more about my project. If you feel inspired to contribute and receive a reward, great. I encourage you to view the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> website and see for yourself all the creative projects that people are working on. Who knows, maybe you might just catch the fire and start your own project. divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-71908147996249165872013-05-24T06:56:00.002-07:002013-05-24T06:56:51.767-07:00Intellectual Capitol of California
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipS7GUcI0OT0NK27D6w81Y7U8CKzLmWekn8E3irNq8V7mmOnemy-3v1VHvda3Vc4LZXe4gDM54pq3boCunsaSJqJhwdAo3CdqCCx00Wfmbc5ryueGhRz2u3hoIPJr86DppYc4RyrQgo3Xf/s1600/campanile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipS7GUcI0OT0NK27D6w81Y7U8CKzLmWekn8E3irNq8V7mmOnemy-3v1VHvda3Vc4LZXe4gDM54pq3boCunsaSJqJhwdAo3CdqCCx00Wfmbc5ryueGhRz2u3hoIPJr86DppYc4RyrQgo3Xf/s200/campanile.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Sometimes magic happens...I walked to the clock tower or
Campanile at U.C. Berkeley yesterday to gain some inspiration from the 22 Nobel
laureates who were from Cal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been
struggling with the idea of surrendering to the writing process. My book is in the homestretch, but I still needed some
kind of grounding stone to set me on the path toward creativity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lay down on a cement bench and looked up at
the clock tower and noticed it was almost 6 p.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I closed my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scent of pine and concrete lingered in
the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clock struck six and I
heard the deep sound of a gong being struck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How cool was that? I thought to myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then came the best part—it was the whimsical notes of a chime playing a
lilting song.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was being serenaded by
the state’s largest musical jewelry box. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I surrendered to this ethereal experience and
marveled at the beauty of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then
I wept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-41586889584722571682013-05-20T09:17:00.005-07:002013-05-24T06:57:11.131-07:00Graduation Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNd1NYykhDWCDFQAHkHG2PnahiXI9N3rEgj-3tJ6xKjp33HJfVPuaAucDzfUAwbz1s3JN_zqqL02ONxe9T0wdWa6VsCRKi6ZY0CV_DGjsPJ95aUh9A7tHJBSsSC_h_P1Fj9lAvvzBmjMx/s1600/Ingrid's+Graduation+small+~+Master's+Degree+5-18-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNd1NYykhDWCDFQAHkHG2PnahiXI9N3rEgj-3tJ6xKjp33HJfVPuaAucDzfUAwbz1s3JN_zqqL02ONxe9T0wdWa6VsCRKi6ZY0CV_DGjsPJ95aUh9A7tHJBSsSC_h_P1Fj9lAvvzBmjMx/s320/Ingrid's+Graduation+small+~+Master's+Degree+5-18-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;">I graduated from </span><a href="http://ingridhartblogdotcom.wordpress.com/www.hnu.edu" style="background-color: white; color: #557799; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Holy Names University">Holy Names University</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;"> in Oakland, California on May 18, 2013 with a Master’s Degree in Culture & Spirituality. This two-year program is based on the new cosmology of </span><a href="http://ingridhartblogdotcom.wordpress.com/www.thomasberry.org" style="background-color: white; color: #64c1cc; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Thomas Berry">Thomas Berry</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;"> who said “The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.” Thank you to my family and friends for their support on this sacred journey toward midlife renewal. I’m grateful.</span>divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-33856890674822930012013-04-13T06:16:00.001-07:002013-05-02T06:35:55.432-07:00My Book ~ A Journey Toward Midlife Renewal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeE9U5qyp-jUDBEuyxjV2TXstreKqomUgpuWpP_a02Vi25P0zCe6371buFurgEHuPW1gDmdrQDqF_ycwLy9oy9KfzrcxbH_1dRrT2uyPOivimXxsr-pkCQjOE01BEMSwyGA8qd9k5boG4L/s1600/Cover+of+Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeE9U5qyp-jUDBEuyxjV2TXstreKqomUgpuWpP_a02Vi25P0zCe6371buFurgEHuPW1gDmdrQDqF_ycwLy9oy9KfzrcxbH_1dRrT2uyPOivimXxsr-pkCQjOE01BEMSwyGA8qd9k5boG4L/s200/Cover+of+Book.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>
<b>Basecamp, CA</b> -- The book is well on it's way toward completion. Yipeee!!! Here is the backcover blurb: <br />
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<div>
At midlife Ingrid Hart is a single woman whose two children have just left for college. Once a mother who made cinnamon toast for her children, she has lost her identity. Ingrid wants to discover who she is in the second half of life and makes a bold choice. She launches on a one-year journey across California where she lives in one city per month for a year. </div>
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Financial obstacles block her path from the start. Will she overcome these barriers and continue her journey or will she abandon her dream of discovering who she really is? </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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Ingrid learns that her journey is mostly internal and loses faith in herself and her choices. She discovers her sacred wound—and it acts as a catalyst for her transformation—what imprisons her will also set her free. She holds both the lock and key to her personal salvation. Ingrid must overcome her fears and learn to trust herself once again. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<i>A Journey Toward Midlife Renewal ~ My Year In California</i> is a travelogue and pictorial essay. There are over 80 images and captions of people and places that help tell Ingrid’s personal California story. </div>
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divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-35597921337236191452013-03-15T18:20:00.003-07:002013-03-15T18:23:16.826-07:00Cabrillo National Monument<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9vK2nKn7EKhUSX6fdsOxtPgExYvaWuF__fF0KYGfmo_Zc7eGjy1_-HRf9XBMBXjTwJo6fYWuz6Q7Of0R7-2SNvYWcsDtQXP1CiWxFE6MLKV9LB_3xEqBX2vCSu0QyhzAWpFcmfGy_pM4/s1600/Cabrillo+National+Monument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9vK2nKn7EKhUSX6fdsOxtPgExYvaWuF__fF0KYGfmo_Zc7eGjy1_-HRf9XBMBXjTwJo6fYWuz6Q7Of0R7-2SNvYWcsDtQXP1CiWxFE6MLKV9LB_3xEqBX2vCSu0QyhzAWpFcmfGy_pM4/s200/Cabrillo+National+Monument.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son Jordan balances himself along<br />
a wall at Cabrillo National Monument.<br />
I closed my eyes while snapping this pix.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>San Diego, CA</b> -- “This may be the most beautiful day of the year,” I told
Jordan at the Cabrillo National Monument as we gazed over all of downtown San
Diego, sailboats set in the foreground. It
had rained the night before and there was snow on Mount Palomar and the Laguna
Mountains. I've worn contact lenses for the past 20 years, so my eyes are no longer sharp,
yet I could still clearly make out the Spanish revival style tower that houses
the Museum of Man at Balboa Park, ten miles away. <o:p></o:p></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-4027068784096512662013-01-11T06:32:00.005-08:002013-01-11T06:40:09.306-08:00Ojai: Krotona Library<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHVg5W5F5sSlmz3oTtDqEzb96kOncNTwFdbNv0pqPhYikDKeOaNTuPPYbVMBEUH6KPiVQnw9mP8qN-5MOkZvRc6i3hXVByQ8Zo79E_WpKsToYg3UC4PnA78AZdWF05Ngd_FC5Zhmqs29w/s1600/Haley+Kratona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHVg5W5F5sSlmz3oTtDqEzb96kOncNTwFdbNv0pqPhYikDKeOaNTuPPYbVMBEUH6KPiVQnw9mP8qN-5MOkZvRc6i3hXVByQ8Zo79E_WpKsToYg3UC4PnA78AZdWF05Ngd_FC5Zhmqs29w/s200/Haley+Kratona.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter Haley considers<br />
the idea of theosophy as a course<br />
of spiritual study for her future.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Ojai, CA </b>-- I spent time at the Krotona Library studying my new
non-religion: theosophy. This
well-stocked library, which was built in 1924 and houses rare, out-of-print
books focuses on the esoteric branches of knowledge such as alchemy, astrology,
and mysticism. In my opinion, the Kratona Library invented and now owns “new
age.” Sometimes I would just sit in this venerable space looking out from the
floor-to-ceiling picture window at the Heritage Oak tree and rose garden. In
the background were rolling hills of dry, yellow grasslands framed by
mountains. Through osmosis I would absorb the teachings without even cracking a
book. <o:p></o:p></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-19469506067676834212013-01-04T06:32:00.000-08:002013-01-04T07:08:49.627-08:00Venice: The Boys Are Back In Town<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;">
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<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><strong>Venice, CA</strong> -- On a tranquil winter day, I sat on the beach, meditating on gentle waves tumbling on the shore when three young men carrying skateboards passed in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Freedom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Riding on that same breeze was a whiff of incense, the scent of Venice, tenderly reminding me to remain in the present moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drew a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. There is only one time, and it is now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-85485682382862282162012-12-14T07:29:00.003-08:002012-12-14T07:29:54.715-08:00Carmel: Memories Of My Father<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-0Tb1yS-f79ns84dfccPKJrHRGoeHuQuDh4ir2mpkqtK_XHHYGPrDUryecnnUR6PvpXzlYPucIl86DLpnLMWqArkNEgv3pfs0Nui_0-bW1QSFFPphgsHoeTeq3E0y5BSkYM39x1t_VdB/s1600/026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-0Tb1yS-f79ns84dfccPKJrHRGoeHuQuDh4ir2mpkqtK_XHHYGPrDUryecnnUR6PvpXzlYPucIl86DLpnLMWqArkNEgv3pfs0Nui_0-bW1QSFFPphgsHoeTeq3E0y5BSkYM39x1t_VdB/s200/026.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<o:p><strong>Carmel, CA</strong> -- A haunting musical sound drifted on the wind from the luxurious Spanish Bay Golf Links at Pebble Beach. A Scottish bagpipe player emerged, playing a soulful rendition of Amazing Grace in full regalia—a kilt, knee-high stockings and a wedge-shaped cap with a trailing ribbon. The last time I heard that song was at my father’s grave site. He was a simple, old-world man who insisted our family emigrate from Brazil to the land of opportunity—California. The memory of my beloved father, his simple life, and love of the bagpipe made me smile, and then I wept. </o:p><br />
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-39380922672502782982012-12-06T08:45:00.003-08:002012-12-06T08:58:24.997-08:00Heart of Ireland Beats In Davis<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Davis, CA</span></b><span style="color: black;">
-- The day I went to visit my son Jordan at his university in Davis, it was
overcast and rainy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our first stop was a
one-hour philosophy class deconstructing the </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">skepticism associated with the writings of 16<sup>th</sup>
century philosopher René Descartes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t believe the professor understood when he wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cartesian Demon</i> on the blackboard, it meant the demon <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Facebook</i> because that’s what students
were viewing on their laptops instead of listening to his lecture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: black;">After
class, Jordan and I wanted some comfort food so we walked in a gentle rain from
his frat house to <a href="http://deverespub.com/about/" target="_blank">de Vere’s Irish Pub</a> in downtown Davis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sat
in the library room on a plush red leather couch surrounded by antique
fixtures, stained glass windows, polished wood, and yes, books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If American
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Free Bird</i> wasn’t blasting from the
speakers, I would have sworn I was in Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">Our
order of Bangers and Mash was clearly the comfort food we were seeking, wanting to sink deeper into Irish culture within this jewelry box of a restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The creamy mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy
were worth the price of admission alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I asked our waiter Josh to bring us some gnarly mustard and he
laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few moments later with the
gnarly addition, the meal took on new heights as I dipped the housemade sausage
into a zesty brew of brown seed mustard with a horseradish kick—my whole mouth
zigging and zagging resounding with Zing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My only regret was not ordering a pint of Guinness to balance the zig
and zag.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Sadly,
our time together was coming to an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jordan and I walked back to his frat house and hugged goodbye.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would pull an all-nighter to complete a
term paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My heart was heavy for the
parting once again, but made lighter by the memory of our precious time together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got in my car, turned on <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the XM satellite radio to the 70s station
hoping that <em>Free Bird</em> would float through the speakers, sending me back to the
happy place once again, at de Vere's, with Jordan by my side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-22420852737729824872012-11-14T08:33:00.001-08:002012-11-14T08:46:42.944-08:00A New Yorker In San Francisco<strong>San Francisco, CA</strong> --
“Drink it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enjoy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What could be simpler than that?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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Eric Asimov, author of <em>How To Love </em></div>
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<em>Wine</em> talks with Virginia Miller of the </div>
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San Francisco Bay Guardian.</div>
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New York Times chief wine critic
Eric Asimov shared this insightful tip with an audience of 150 eager oenophiles,
or wine lovers, at San Francisco’s <a href="http://www.commonwealthclub.org/" target="_blank">Commonwealth Club</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Asimov was in town to promote his memoir and manifesto: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Love-Wine-Memoir-Manifesto/dp/0061802522/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352910576&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+love+wine" target="_blank">How To Love Wine</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I admit, the talk was a little high-brow for
me, but I did learn that Asimov thinks tasting notes, or wine descriptions such
as <em>tastes like black current with a hint of a rare leather-bond book</em>, are a
total waste of time. “Do they convey anything relevant at all?” asked
Asimov.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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I hit the jackpot at the end
of the conversation, led by <a href="http://www.sfbg.com/category/author/virginia-miller" target="_blank">Virginia Miller, San Francisco Bay Guardian head food and wine writer</a>, when my question was selected from a pile of
handwritten queries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What’s the
craziest thing you’ve ever done under the influence of an awesome bottle of
wine?” Bingo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously Asimov, I’m handing
you my Carte Blanche card to go wild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His answer: “I’d open up another bottle of wine.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Really? That's your wild story?</em></div>
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After that response, I was ready to
bolt out the door toward the wine tasting reception—the challenge was so were
150 of my closest oenophile friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Given that there were only two people pouring wine, the lines were very,
very long and I was growing very, very desperate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I waited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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In line I met vintner Christopher
Buchanan owner of <a href="http://www.redwoodcountrywines.com/" target="_blank">Redwood Country Wines</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His operation is in Humboldt County along a mountaintop ridge in Miranda
near old-growth redwoods, the Mattole and Eel rivers, and the Pacific Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><em>terroir</em></span>—the
combination of geography, geology and climate might just be the recipe for an
award winning bottle of wine that I will be eager to try.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After waiting in line for 20
minutes, I sampled a flight of pinot noir, made by <a href="http://bravium.com/" target="_blank">Bravium </a>winemaker Derek
Rohlffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite was a Jackpot Black
2011.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t even bother with making
up silly tasting notes to impress the winemaker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m actually quite good at saying stuff like <em>tastes
like crushed blackberries and cassis with a hint of black pepper aged at the
Bancroft Library in John Fremont’s journal from his 1843 expedition over the
Sierra Nevada.</em></div>
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Taking the advice I’d heard earlier
from New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov, I drank it and enjoyed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could be simpler than that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Derek Rohlffs, winemaker at </div>
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Bravium with a bottle of Pinot</div>
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Noir "Jackpot Black 2011."</div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
<br />divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-77443934892767778262012-10-18T08:12:00.001-07:002012-10-18T08:21:34.277-07:00Noe Valley: Rin’s Thai Restaurant<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">San Francisco, CA – </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Noe Valley’s 24<sup>th</sup> Street is a sweet spot in the city with
charm to spare—Victorian row houses, flower shops, antique stores and an
overlooked Thai restaurant: <a href="http://www.rinsthaisf.com/index.html" target="_blank">Rin’s</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
Zen themed eatery is a sanctuary of grace and relaxation tucked away at the
corner of 24<sup>th</sup> and Douglass. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Low-lighting,
soft terra cotta-colored walls, and photographs of Buddhist monks add to the
serenity of this fairly priced restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Kim,
my friend from Humboldt State and I marveled at the diversity of their hand-picked
wine selection—she chose a 2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand,
and I stayed true to California, selecting a <a href="http://www.tazvineyards.com/santabarbarapinotnoir.html" target="_blank">2007 Taz Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara</a> which was soft and silky with a floral undertone and a red-fruit finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Tonight I want it to be about you,” Kim said to me, “you’ve
been through a lot and I want to listen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She was right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mom suffered a
stroke in early September and I’d been away from Basecamp for over five
weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, I was grateful for the
gift of a true friend, and a flavorful meal in a lemon-grass, ginger-scented restaurant
with low-key jazz playing in the background.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Over a green papaya salad with egg, grilled pork, mint and
peanuts I told her about hiring two caregivers to support my mom around the
clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soothing my frazzled nerves was an
aromatic dose of chicken soup and mushrooms in coconut broth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A healthy serving of chicken satay with cucumber
salad, peanut sauce and brown rice strengthened my resolve to continue caring
for an aging parent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The evening ended too quickly, but the memory of a loving
friend and a gentle meal at Rin’s remained in my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br /></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-38238902856079657752012-09-17T08:16:00.000-07:002012-09-17T08:17:47.317-07:00Newport Beach: A U-Turn To Re-Turn<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Newport Beach, CA – </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Sometimes on the road of life there are U-Turns, a chance to return on
the same path where we came from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me
that place is at the end of 32<sup>nd</sup> Street in Newport Beach at the
Pacific Ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This U-Turn began more
than a week ago when I received the dreaded phone call that my mom suffered a
stroke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left Basecamp near San
Francisco and went straight to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach to visit my
mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, since my brother was with
her at the time of the stroke, she came through with minimal injuries—mostly spaghetti
legs and left-side weakness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, we’ll
have to step up her care to round-the-clock vigilance for the next month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I am eye-ball deep in strategic planning
for her estate, retrofitting her home to accommodate a wheelchair and walker,
and interviewing full-time caregivers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
Southern California evening when it had been a 100-degree day I gave in to the
endless task of caring for an aging parent and gifted myself with a beach trip
to watch the sunset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went back to my
childhood place—32<sup>nd</sup> Street, and stood knee-deep in the warm ocean
water and melted into the watercolor painting that was my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the sun drifted down on the water, my
spirits began to soar and take flight like the seagulls on the horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, there it was—the gift of grace, the
U-Turn, the sunset on the water enveloped in air so light and warm that if I
was a feather, I would have floated on the breeze to Catalina Island which on
this day I could see the outline with clarity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I began to twirl and dance in the water, on the sand, with immense
gratitude at the gift of life without regard to how it presents itself—in sickness
and in health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is only one time
and it is now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Carpe diem</em>—seize the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-15056007194329750472012-08-18T10:18:00.001-07:002012-08-18T10:20:38.268-07:00Two Years Later: Every Step of the Journey is Still the Journey<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEeFEWnmYSAoltFrcghlcSYiFc4PYByk8y5rwHp0FibmciH1x5cJkuJVqUtVdxhrMi5OwDvLejFQETuUu3TAq9g7ymNoq1fFEHjw24Nb0titE9wYraQSxAJftUthN2VkJ7TYx8jpT-wHj/s1600/Arcata+&+Surprise+Valley+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEeFEWnmYSAoltFrcghlcSYiFc4PYByk8y5rwHp0FibmciH1x5cJkuJVqUtVdxhrMi5OwDvLejFQETuUu3TAq9g7ymNoq1fFEHjw24Nb0titE9wYraQSxAJftUthN2VkJ7TYx8jpT-wHj/s200/Arcata+&+Surprise+Valley+002.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The things I carried with me on a<br />
one-year journey of California.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Basecamp, CA – </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Two
years ago I packed up six suitcases, put them into my car and launched on a
one-year pilgrimage across California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
lived in one California city per month for a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
desire was to discover the meaning of <em>my</em> life—the overarching goal was to write
a book about this experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On the journey, I learned so many lessons—the most
important was to release attachment to outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Allow things to be what they are, rather
than what I think they should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All
suffering comes from holding on to a certain way of being in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This holding on creates a rigidity that can
often break a person in half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are
many broken people in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After the journey—which was one long daytrip, is when I
learned more about the meaning of my life, which is to help others through
their process of transformation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit
my new website and you’ll see that I am now a “<a href="http://ingridhart.com/" target="_blank">personal project manager</a>” –
helping make my client’s dreams come true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now, about that book…I’m happy to report that the first
draft of the manuscript is complete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since I embody the lesson learned about releasing attachment to outcome,
it has been made very clear to me that the book will not be just about the
one-year pilgrimage through California, but rather about my own process of transformation
from ages 48 – 52.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I release attachment
to what I once thought the book should be, and accept what it will reveal
itself to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This gentle release creates a sense of well-being because
it’s based on faith and trust that all is as it should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are all on a journey and I believe if we
treat this journey as one-long daytrip, we would discover that it can be
joyful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, if we release
attachment to outcome and allow it to be what it is, we would once again be
made whole.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkh6MK2PDW90nM4KY31nm4NQEwroekQiJzcz4-7XHcZV6iZLVu5KGeYsgOl5nPtjvScw0m22l9rSMJCv5RzMlk0vIIu0x8_GO7RdMKZ0uu_qvZuUxjCKINTAz96G_p3K083wYnMut7TWe/s1600/Tahoe+City+Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkh6MK2PDW90nM4KY31nm4NQEwroekQiJzcz4-7XHcZV6iZLVu5KGeYsgOl5nPtjvScw0m22l9rSMJCv5RzMlk0vIIu0x8_GO7RdMKZ0uu_qvZuUxjCKINTAz96G_p3K083wYnMut7TWe/s200/Tahoe+City+Sign.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left">
Tahoe City: the first place I lived on</div>
<div align="left">
the journey. Everything was bright, shiny</div>
<div align="left">
and new...so grateful.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Here’s to wherever you are on your journey, may it be
divine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330955445577938117.post-53802573031849657642012-06-17T15:55:00.001-07:002012-06-17T16:07:20.306-07:00In A Daze at Pinot Days<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCAhaC-8dDKdJO_KZ7tNZHOKe44dfbrpAGc8OLfcFBAZW-R2S08l6pQIbZh1CLFHXXlYYvrgEg6UiZhF7O1z-TJYl_9y6Gazf7c8zdz9yKSODPbOTcsH-sgel9-dnGXaAeLQm2E80Onvz/s1600/Pinot+Daze+6-16-12+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCAhaC-8dDKdJO_KZ7tNZHOKe44dfbrpAGc8OLfcFBAZW-R2S08l6pQIbZh1CLFHXXlYYvrgEg6UiZhF7O1z-TJYl_9y6Gazf7c8zdz9yKSODPbOTcsH-sgel9-dnGXaAeLQm2E80Onvz/s200/Pinot+Daze+6-16-12+005.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinot Days in San Francisco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">San Francisco, CA
– </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">When
it comes to drinking I have the heart of an alcoholic, but sadly not the
stomach for it—after two drinks, I’m quickly done-in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, wine is meant for sipping and Pinot,
the delightful thin-skinned grape is one to savor, so my heart and stomach were
in communion for <a href="http://www.pinotdays.com/" target="_blank">Pinot Days</a>, a wine festival held at Fort Mason on June 16. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This event calls itself
the largest gathering of Pinot Noir producers in the world and I believe it—the
place was packed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My college roommate from
30 years ago invited me to go with her and our goal was to find the best wine
of the event, a huge challenge considering there were over 140 exhibitors
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, we were up to the task and
here’s our unscientific strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First:
we only tasted California wines; second: we isolated two geographic areas including
the Central Coast and the Napa Valley; and third: we asked random people, mostly cute single guys, whom
they recommended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Next, we conjured a
strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of us would sit at a table
and take notes, while the other would go to a booth and ask the winemaker to “pour
me the best stuff you have—you’re in a contest to win winemaker of Pinot Days.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d taste the wine at the table and use the
Robert Parker 100 point rating system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDTB62PQdfBKL1KWNH-5EM0GeEaAuLuOn3zDlcnc4iCfZMtGGGIqhgZzUlfq3LpUrgGSf3Bndcz1Ws74GhJ9jDS3-HX3Pt-tdI5hyphenhyphenGBl6WtVlC1XYZDWd2afB2gib1t26NPVXKQBQptVV/s1600/Pinot+Daze+6-16-12+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDTB62PQdfBKL1KWNH-5EM0GeEaAuLuOn3zDlcnc4iCfZMtGGGIqhgZzUlfq3LpUrgGSf3Bndcz1Ws74GhJ9jDS3-HX3Pt-tdI5hyphenhyphenGBl6WtVlC1XYZDWd2afB2gib1t26NPVXKQBQptVV/s200/Pinot+Daze+6-16-12+009.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Wait, Grand Prize Winner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Luckily for our grand prize winner, I
immediately violated our unscientific strategy and asked a big, burly, bearded
guy who had a camera around his neck and a spiral notepad in his hand what his
favorite wine was and he told me to try <a href="http://www.waitcellars.com/" target="_blank">Wait Cellars</a> and he was right. Owner and
winemaker Bob Wait’s 2009 Green Valley Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent
hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma
County.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, he melted our heart by
pouring his prize-winning wine from his grandmother’s decanter. At $36 a
bottle, it’s a steal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We gave him 99
points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjgViUbClLY2rTVN0h-5b3ArGBd5_3ejpZEM9AEb20cwi6jCWxOMqDu7X1BLX9hsQSfWyIpq4g9HIiVbnE6gL0KwiL1ITRbf9upd1ceuNvGX4bWyeWYbh4dNd36oYph9wzpmEHcI_71Ct/s1600/Pinot+Daze+6-16-12+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjgViUbClLY2rTVN0h-5b3ArGBd5_3ejpZEM9AEb20cwi6jCWxOMqDu7X1BLX9hsQSfWyIpq4g9HIiVbnE6gL0KwiL1ITRbf9upd1ceuNvGX4bWyeWYbh4dNd36oYph9wzpmEHcI_71Ct/s200/Pinot+Daze+6-16-12+004.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin Deschamp (l) and winemaker <br />
Gary Brookman (r) First Place Winner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our first place winner was <a href="http://www.minerwines.com/" target="_blank">Miner Family Winery</a>, the
very first wine that my roommate tried at the event, even before we devised our
scheme to run the unofficial event contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was busy eating French bread and Kerrygold white cheddar cheese at the
time—starving as usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winemaker Gary
Brookman’s 2010 Rosella’s 777 is made from grapes grown along the southwest
facing slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range on the Central Coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At $75 a bottle, it’s an investment that will
last until 2018—if you can wait that long!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We gave him 97 points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Honorable mention goes to <a href="http://www.manzoniwines.com/" target="_blank">Manzoni EstateVineyard</a>, mostly because my roommate is good friends with the owner, Mark
Manzoni. But we do recommend their 2010 Manzoni Home Vineyard Pinot Noir. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">At the conclusion of the event, both of us
had a good buzz going, but we were ready to pay the piper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to the volunteer booth, put on our
day-glo orange vests, and began our jobs as closing logistic technicians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the price to pay for a free entrance
to the event—picking up used wine glasses, breaking down tables and collecting
garbage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, we had a blast and look forward to doing it again next year. Cheers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<br /></div>divine daytripperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12137009274120689170noreply@blogger.com0