Fill Your Bucket

Have you filled your bucket today? If not, what's stopping you?

So we're all aware of the ALS #IceBucketChallenge. I've laughed at some of the more creative interpretations of it and shed a tear at some of the all-too-real testimonial from individuals actually living with ALS and seeing how it affects them and their families (I mentioned a couple in my #FiveGoodThings post). This campaign is pretty incredible.

That said, what it's really about it raising funds to help find treatments and a cure to improve the quality of life and longevity for those living with ALS. It's a terrifying and tragic disease that slowly takes away one's autonomy and independence. I remember being so touched the first time I read Tuesdays with Morrie and learning from someone who could accept this fate with such grace and dignity. So E and I will be making our own small contribution.

And I have to say I've been cringing a bit at seeing all this water dumped onto concrete patios and the like---we can't deny this drought! Thank you to those CA friends who completed the challenge standing on your brown grass ;) Not to mention that it's a reminder of how we take clean water for granted.... Although it's in much different ways than ALS, a lack of water has the power to strip away opportunities, dignity, health and independence.

So I'm also making a small contribution to Charity: Water in gratitude for my hot showers, drinking water, pool to swim in, and in hope that it can help change a community by improving health, sanitation, opportunities for girls to attend school, and for families to create an income. I really encourage you to learn more about the life-giving power of clean water here.

And really, water is life, right? It is fluid and constantly changing, it allows us to create and to fix mistakes and to grow food and support communities and to cleanse what needs cleaning. It's hard to think of a resource more life-affirming than water. I'm proud to be a small part in support of these great causes. Please consider donating if you can:

Donate Here!

Donate Here!

Ok, so enough soapbox on my part --- I accept the #IceBucketChallenge!

I don't know what the deal is with uploading a video,
but I tried all day with no success...
it is, however, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Count your blessings and fill your bucket,

#FiveGoodThings 8.22.14

Happy Friday!

This week feels like a bit of a blur; E's schedule worked out so that he had Saturday - Monday off and then he used his first personal day since he started working this job (last November) so that he could have a four-day weekend --- practically a vacation! Since he's been working 10, 11 and even 12 hour days the last couple of weeks, it was almost weird but much appreciated to spend all that time together.

So that's my Number One for this week. :)


2. Have a couple of part-time work opportunities that might be a little something coming my way. I can't say enough about how fortunate and blessed I am that E has been really supportive of my desire to change careers and to stay home with youngsters when we have them; two factors that have played the main role in my job progress as of late. And I do not take for granted that his job is able to support us financially right now (I mean, we're not living large, but we will get by as long as we stay frugal); but I also still have a strong desire to do something and to earn my own money... especially for those little "everyday luxuries" like coloring my hair a couple times a year or lunch with a girlfriend once in awhile. I've pretty much worked since I was 16 so it feels weird to not 'do' anything and I'm really appreciative of some upcoming opportunities to hopefully mix things up a bit.

3. Taking the Ferry - As dorky as it may sound, if you want to feel like you're on a 20-minute vacation in San Diego, I highly recommend taking the ferry from Downtown to Coronado and back. We've done it a couple of times and on a beautiful day you just can't beat it as far as cheap thrills go (It's like, $8.50 for adults round-trip and little kids are free). We disembarked and walked all the way down to the Hotel del and along the beach a bit before making our way back --- and may or may not have stopped for Panera and shared an ice cream sundae along the way. For those of us who don't own the mega-yachts we saw docked in the marina, the ferry is a fun way for us peasants to get a different view of America's Finest City.

Awkward selfie is awkward.

Why do ALL guys do that dorky gaze-into-the-distance face
when the camera is pointed at them?

4. This particular ALS #IceBucketChallenge video wins the internet, as far as I'm concerned. Please watch the whole video (but don't read the comments lest you lose your faith in humanity)!!

And this one shows where it all began. I have mixed feelings about people in California using water like this during such an extreme drought, but this is a pretty worthy cause. Whatever we can contribute towards making ALS a thing of the past will be a good thing. 

5. Finally, shoutout to having health insurance. Well, we did have it with E's prior job and with the exception of getting a new prescription for my contacts, we really didn't use it... I know, terrible thing to waste. We're both kind of the "if nothing's bothering me, I must be healthy" types, but my mom finally convinced me to seek a prescription-strength migraine medication, and during my visit everyone was extremely nice, helpful and professional, and I will be heading back soon to catch up on all the things I've been putting off for so long. My one complaint is that when updating my tdap vaccine I didn't get a lollipop after being so brave for my shot (semi-kidding, the shot itself was nothing but they weren't kidding about being sore afterwards!). Long story short, I have good intentions to take advantage of our healthcare from here on so that I can, you know, be healthy and stuff. 

What are your #FiveGoodThings this week? I gotta' tell you it feels nice to make an effort to appreciate the small things.

Happy Weekend!

xoxox, 

#FiveGoodThings 8.15.14

So here is Week Two of #FiveGoodThings (see Week One here). I'm trying to do this each week to perpetuate the positive and remind myself (and others?) how much good and beauty there still is in the world, even if we have to look hard for it sometimes.

In other words,

this awesomeness via http://blog.justinablakeney.com/

What a week. There was a lot of crummy stuff happening. Some scary stuff. A migraine. A blown call at the plate against the Padres.

But there's always much to be thankful for; and this week that includes:

1. Celebrating My Mother-in-Law's Birthday - Happy, happy birthday to a very sweet woman who raised a beautiful family, including my wonderful husband. We don't get together as often as we should so it was nice to spend an afternoon just eating, catching up and I NAILED IT with the earrings I picked out for her. *Drops mic

2. Initiating Women with Purpose into the Alpha Gamma Delta Sisterhood - I've been really happy and proud to work with the young women of the Delta Eta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta at SDSU, and I'm so looking forward to their first immersion into Formal Recruitment and their first full year on campus. On Friday evening they initiated six women into the fraternity and are beginning their intensive preparations for the upcoming school year.

They're so cute and creative and enthusiastic
about establishing their legacy on this campus!

I think back to my own collegiate years and how this time could be exhausting but it's so fun and rewarding to work towards a common goal. These are great girls and I can't wait to see what this year has in store for them on the Mesa.

My own pics look so dorky and dated by comparison... but we had fun!

3. Doing Cute and Functional Things in Sister's Room - I upcycled my sister's former dorm desk into a vanity for her birthday, and last weekend we spent a ton of time cleaning out her closet and rearranging other stuff so that she can have a cool closet/vanity space and lots more room for her cute clothes, art and a space to do homework or projects. We also took an Ikea trip, a thrifting trip and have some cool DIY projects planned. It's not quite done so I hope to have some in-progress and 'after' pics, but here's a bit of a vision board I cooked up for her.

4. Finding the helpers - I was glued to the news and Twitter this week for updates on all the horrible things taking place there. I will say that it's still an evolving situation and we don't have all the facts. But it's scary that something like this can happen in America, where we've been taught to believe that our freedoms are protected and that we value civil discourse and due process.

But if you look for the good, you'll always find it. I will continue to pray for compassion, understanding, justice and peace to prevail.

5. Summer of '69 music - My sister and I took advantage of another free summer concert in the park last night -- and this one was a cover band playing Woodstock-era artists and a lot of Crosby, Stills and Nash. Totes up our alley. There was also great people-watching to be had and soooooo many cute dogs making us smile. Summer already feels like it's slipping away with everyone starting back to school and the days (barely) cooling off a bit and football getting going so I really love grasping as many of these summer nights that I can.


If I can find five good things to come out of a tumultuous week, so can you! What are your #FiveGoodThings?

Make it a good one and take care of each other,

#FiveGoodThings: 8.4.14

I've been seeing a lot of "positivity challenges" and "100 Days of Happiness" type posts out there on The Facebook and The Instagram, etc. That's nice. I think many of us have a tendency to focus on our problems and complaints and annoyances rather than the big and little things in life that bring us joy or bring joy to others or are even just small steps in a positive direction. I know I'm definitely guilty.

So I've decided to start focusing on recording and sharing #FiveGoodThings each week. They might be little, they might be significant, they might be personal, they might be something good for a friend or family member or a complete stranger.

Everyone should be able to find five positive things that happen each week, right? I know someone as blessed as I (sometimes take for granted that I) am should have no problem with this.

So I hope that this is a good personal exercise and maybe even spreads a little happiness, causes us to pause and reflect, or mayyyybe even inspires others to try to find five --- or more!! --- good things in their week. I'm not putting it out there as a challenge, but I hope someone reading this might want to join me in this effort. I'm curious to see if it gradually brings about a better outlook and affects how I go about life. We shall see!!


And yes I am already late posting my inaugural edition. My intention is to post these Friday morning. It's Monday night. Whatever.

#FiveGoodThings: 8.8.14

1. A 10-Year Anniversary Vow Renewal - I met Nicole at our high school freshman orientation when we were given our combination locks and I was hopelessly trying to figure out how to open mine and finally asked her for help. I guess it was six or seven years later that I was one of her bridesmaids when she married Kyle, another five or so years after that when I became Godmother to her daughter Payton, and last weekend I watched her renew her vows to her husband. How neat it is to have a group of girlfriends like that. Love is always worth celebrating. And she planned a lovely party to celebrate.

Oh yeah and she asked me to letter all the chalkboard decorations so check that out. Not-so-humble brag.

Their photographer that day was Amanda Cory Photography.

2. The Lego Movie -- I have a bad habit of declaring that I'd like to watch (insert name of movie) at some point, and then when we actually sit down to watch a movie at home none of them sound appealing.... I just have to be in the mood for most movies and yes I know I'm terrible and it probably drives E crazy more than he admits to me. So last night when he read off a list of movies from the Netflix queue and I "meh'd" every one of them and we were about to just say forget it, we finally settled on The Lego Movie. We loved it. I mean, I suppose it's made for children but it's one of those that has great little jokes and references that adults will appreciate and visually it's just awesome. Oh, and you'll probably enjoy the many recognizable voices. But what I really loved was the message --- be yourself, everyone has something to contribute, don't be afraid to throw the directions aside and do what feels right to you (something I could really take to heart these days). 

Also, let your kids PLAY and explore their creativity. I thought that message was in interesting contrast to some of the criticism of Lego lately; particularly of their products marketed to girls --- examples such as those found here and here. Hopefully this marks a return to Lego's roots and represents a fresh approach that is inclusive and focused on encouraging creative play and building whatever makes you happy. 

3. Becky Hammon Hired as an Assistant Coach with the San Antonio Spurs - I guess we'll continue with the "yay women's empowerment" theme. Now I have to admit I'm not much of an NBA fan... I'll watch some of the playoffs and pay attention to the Finals, but the regular season drags on for me and I don't have a particular team that I'm rooting for.... but that could change.

Being a female sports fan, of course the headline that a woman was hired as an assistant coach in the NBA caught my eye; it's definitely not something you see everyday from any of the major professional sports in the US. And although, as I said, I don't have a major stake with any particular team, I was definitely paying attention and pulling for the Spurs this year so that I could see SDSU alum Kawhi Leonard win a ring --- and him being named the Finals MVP was amazing! --- so I'm even more impressed with this organization since reading Tuesday's news. I'm certainly no expert and there's no need for me to regurgitate when you can go directly to the source, so here are a few of the articles I enjoyed: SB Nation, Bleacher Report, The Washington Post.

It's just another step towards equality and improved diversity in sports. Sports have in the past helped to promote equality when the rest of society was still catching up --- Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, Billie Jean King's groundbreaking work to promote gender equality, and of course more recently athletes like Jason Collins and Michael Sam taking brave steps towards ending the silence of homosexuals in the major professional leagues.

Of course a sports team can have all the feel-good stories in the world and what they're really aiming for at the end of the day is more numbers in the "W" column than the "L," so only time will tell how successful Ms. Hammon proves to be in this particular job with the Spurs (and it's critical to further progress that her performance isn't used as an indicator of the entire female population); regardless, it's an awesome step forward and I'm excited to see how things go from here.


4. Free Concert in the Park with my Grandparents -  I try to make it to at least a few of these concerts during the summer; it's such a nice way to spend beautiful summer evenings in San Diego. I was surprised that my grandparents agreed at 1pm to a concert that same evening, but we decided to be "spontaneous" and I'm glad we did!


5. Local Coffee at the Beach - I was heading down to my parents' on Saturday and, still needing coffee and really wanting to spend a few minutes at the beach, grabbed a (really yummy) cup at Katy's Cafe, this cute, funky place in Imperial Beach.

I'm trying to do a better job of utilizing my purchasing power to support local establishments, and while I have a long way to go, this was an extremely easy and satisfying way of doing so. I mean, you can't beat your morning cup of coffee with this view:

Ok, so there's my first week's worth of five good things. In a world full of crazy it feels good to reflect on a few positive moments.

What are your five good things?

xoxox,

Happy Name Day

Today is my Aunt Gloria's birthday, so... Happy Birthday!

She moved to France to go to art school when she was like, 18 or 20 and eventually settled in London. She is endlessly creative and resourceful; and can make something beautiful and unique out of basically anything.

Installation: plaster, steel rod, bitumen

Gloria Carlos skulls on display at Knebworth House.
Skulls are carved and individually adorned with recycled antique
brass, tin and iron objectswith hand-forged stands. 

Some time back, she starting making jewelry. Really unique jewelry that contrasted forged iron and precious metals.

A ring she made me when I started college that I've worn basically every day since...
and a pair of earrings that I receive compliments on every. time. I wear them.
**Not a professional or remotely competent earring model**

And at some point a friend of hers was working as a costumer for a TV show and buying pieces to use in dressing one of the characters. You might have heard of the show; it's called Game of Thrones.

What? Oh yeah, that's just Daenerys Targaryen wearing a one-of-a-kind ring and bracelet made by Gloria Carlos.

So with Comic Con closing yesterday, Game of Thrones being more popular than ever (I am SO bummed that the line to "Survive the Realm" stretched almost around the entire block because I was actually considering getting a House Baratheon tattoo --- I'm House Stark, but I love the antlers); it's perfectly fitting that there's now an opportunity for fans and admirers to get a custom-made replica of the Khaleesi ring or bangle.

Like, not a cheap knock-off, but a limited-time, made-to-order piece of jewelry ("jewellery" as I guess they say across the pond?) made with the same attention and method as the original.

It's a pretty cool thing and awesome for her. I hope anyone reading this will also take a look at her other work --- aren't those adorned skulls amazing! You can find her website and social media below. She has an amazing perspective and eye for the beautiful and unique.

Online store where you can order a Khaleesi ring or bangle

http://www.gloriacarlos.com/ 

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

So Happy Birthday, Aunt Gloria! May the coming year bring love, laughter and exciting new adventures and opportunities. Much love,

The B-side of that Padres Mixtape

That's what cassettes had, right? I know vinyls had a B-side... didn't cassette tapes?

A couple of months or so ago I made a hypothetical mixtape for Padres fans. I liked to think of it as equal parts hopeful, justifiably critical, a bit cynical, and above all --- dedicated with love.

Well when I made that mixtape and attempted to eloquently state my reasoning behind each song selection, I was under the false impression that the season couldn't get worse. I should have known better.

Because there's nothing like seeing homegrown talent get traded and then flourish with a "big club" or questioning three-seasons-ago roster moves or trying to learn a million new names when injuries result in guys being called up or just being disappointed to hear about a player suspension.  Or being no-hit for the second time in two seasons. By the same pitcher.  #DarkestTimeline

And of course there was the absolute heartbreak that was Tony's passing. Can't really go there right now.

So I'd been considering making a few additions to the mixtape, and whilst currently watching this rag-tag group of dreamers taking on the Cubs, why not....

1. "When Will I Be Loved?" - Linda Ronstadt
Written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers --- but I'm sharing Linda Ronstadt's performance because she's my Number One Girl Crush --- I wonder if he was in fact a prophetic Padres fan... Consider lines such as "When I find a new man... he always breaks my heart in two... (granted that was slightly altered from the original)" and "I've been made blue..." Really, Phil Everly? What did you foresee that we didn't? And do any of your other songs contain clues as to when the team will #BringBackTheBrown and, you know, win?

Not baseball-related but in my next life I want to come back as 20-year old Linda Ronstadt.

2. "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" - The Beatles

Yeah, I know some incredible fans who are loyal-to-the-core, ride-or-die types, but that doesn't mean it isn't a bit embarrassing sometimes to sit through another 1-0 or 2-0 loss... to have fans of other teams ask what's happened or what's being done to improve and you really don't know what to tell them... I'm not suggesting that anyone hide their love for the Pads by any means --- in fact I'm all for spreading the love and trying to convert anyone who will listen to give our guys a chance --- but with lyrics like "Everywhere people stare - Each and every day - I can see them laugh at me..." it's hard not to identify with this Fab Four tune every once in awhile.

3. "Hopelessly Devoted To You" - Grease Soundtrack

"Oh, you have a bad baseball team? Cry me a river," - Cubs fans, probably. 

This is how I feel every year at the trade deadline:

"Hold on 'til the end...that's what I intend to do."

4. "Waiting in Vain" - Bob Marley

Hey, new owners... you gonna' make this a winning franchise or what? Yeah, the payroll increased --- we're still within the bottom 10 teams and shedding some of the bigger contracts --- and the pitching is pretty solid if you don't count the injuries and I hear that you've made your desire for an All-Star Game at Petco known. These are all good things. But Padres fans have waited a long time and went through some pretty patience-testing times with recent owners. Please don't trail us along leaving teeny breadcrumbs of hope only to come up short when the big opportunities present themselves. We've waited long enough (In fact, I recently commented vented to my mom and dad that so far this ownership has proven that the thing they're really good at is hosting memorial services ---- and I don't ever want to have to go through one of those again. Two in six months is more than enough.). 

5. "Running On Faith" - Eric Clapton

You've got to keep it to be able to run on it, right? 

6. "You Still Believe in Me" - The Beach Boys

Imagine getting a love song like this from the ownership/struggling players. I. Would. Swoon. 

"I know perfectly well

I'm not where I should beI've been very awareYou've been patient with me...
How can it be
You still believe in me..."
More so from the ownership/front office of the last six or seven years --- I feel like, just admit that you've made mistakes; we'd respect that more than statements that sound like flimsy excuses/passing the blame or cover-ups.

So what genres am I clearly missing in the two editions of this mixtape? And what do you want to see from this team; in the last few days before the trade deadline and looking towards next year? I have mixed feelings about posting this now that the Padres just beat the Cubs 8-3 but let's have this conversation anyways ---- I need to think of some really fun, positive songs to include!!

Keep the Faith, 

Remembering Mr. Padre

The news of Tony Gwynn's passing hit like a ton of bricks this morning. 

For many of us, he was the bright spot in what can be a trying existence as a Padres fan. 

And his personality and kindness will be remembered even more than the perfection with which he came up clutch and nailed the 5.5 hole so many times.

This might be the hardest year for Padres fans... forget the win-loss record and management issues and the uniform color --- this game is about history and people and tradition and legacy and class and in just six months we've lost two of the best who emulated those qualities day in and day out.

I've never heard a bad thing said about Tony. If even just a small fraction of people who were inspired by Tony have become better ballplayers and better people because of his example, the world is an immensely better place because of it. An incredible gift and legacy for the sport and for our community. Thank you, Mr. Padre.

I have a lot of feelings about this and might want to write more later. Also, there's nothing I can say that someone hasn't already said more eloquently than I could. In the meantime, while I'm not a professional with the video-making by any means, putting this together was seriously cathartic. I have to admit I gave myself goosebumps. Obviously I don't own the pictures and am grateful to the many talented photographers, artists and journalists, professional and amateur, who made these available. And I'm grateful as always to The Beatles for timeless music that transcends decades and generations to say what my heart is feeling. If this brings a smile or small comfort to any fellow fans out there, I'll consider it "paying it forward" for all the times Tony made me smile. 

Spread love and laughter, 

A Mixtape for #Padres Fans

Are you old enough to remember buying blank cassettes in order to make a mixtape -- a collection of songs with particular significance, or just the ones you wanted to listen to on repeat in your Walkman?

#AgingMyself

I still like to make mixtapes for all occasions (i.e. - holidays, birthdays, dinner parties, road trips), only now with Itunes I don't have to wait for a certain song to come on the radio and hit "record" on my little purple Sony cassette player. Technology has changed lives, dude.

Anyways, as any San Diego Padres fan -- or anyone whose team isn't necessarily lighting up the standings -- knows, it's a long season. Sometimes when the on-the-field performance isn't much to speak of, conversation turns elsewhere. I've had the pleasure of great conversations with local fans via the magic of Twitter, and a few common themes seems to come up over and over again ---

• why does it feel like the ownership doesn't listen to fans? why do they refuse when asked to offer insight on the supposed fan feedback and focus groups whose data leads them to make decisions on the fan experience and marketing?
• on that note - why does it feel like the ownership and management does nothing to really endear itself to fans, instead distancing itself through the same mediocre business decisions? 
• why does it seem like the team makes the same decisions over and over when from an armchair quarterback perspective, they're idiots? 
• why can't we get three hits in a row (as Steve Poltz so perfectly sang)... your pitchers should't have to throw a shutout every night in order to make sure you have a chance to win... I'm a pitching-and-defense-appreciating girl, but at some point you do have to score in order to win.
• why must we suffer through the same disappointing cycle of tracking our minor league prospects' progress for years, celebrating their debut in the majors and enjoying their success, only to see them traded to a big-time team for more prospects when they are due a new contract?

• And, BRING BACK THE BROWN, ALREADY (or, don't because it looks like poop and the '70s uniforms are ugly and we have no imagination to visualize a modern, updated uniform that incorporates brown as a tribute to Padres' history and to differentiate ourselves from the multitudes of teams wearing blue, which the aforementioned management has latched onto for no apparent reason).... there's some healthy debate on this one, but I refuse to believe that we're the so-called "vocal minority."

And thus, I have made a mixtape for my fellow long-suffering Padres fans, to reflect these thoughts and conversations, inspire hope, and maybe offer a little comic relief. I hope it brings a small slice of satisfaction to this fabulous and long-suffering fanbase.

1. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction; The Rolling Stones -- whether it's like, every pitcher in your starting rotation and half the bullpen needing Tommy John the same year, your homegrown second baseman signing a huge contract and then seemingly forgetting what a bat is for, your starting pitched giving up one run in the first but otherwise pitching a gem and still getting a 1-0 loss, or the ownership making a strong declaration that they claim is based on market research and refuse to disclose said research, it can be hard to get much satisfaction from this team sometimes (and yet, nobody is going anywhere... #KeepTheFaith)
2. I Wanna' Know What Love Is; Foreigner -- "In my life, there's been heartache and pain; I don't know if I can face it again... Can't stop now, I've traveled so far, to change this lonely heart..." I consider this a bit of a love letter to the ownership. CHOOSE ME. LOVE ME. TAKE ME OUT TO A NICE DINNER AND SHOW ME YOU STILL CARE.  

   

   I hate this show and every character in it because of lines like this.

3. Don't Let Me Down; The Beatles -- the title is self-explanatory. Nobody ever loved them like we does.
4. You Were Always On My Mind; Willie Nelson -- I imagine that this would be the ownership/management's answer to my plaintive #3-4.
5. The Fixer; Pearl Jam -- Couldn't leave out something from the center of The Vedder Cup. Don't we all wish some Fixer would come in and get. shit. done. on the field, in the front office, on the teevee, etc. We need a Doug Stamper (and YES I GOT IN A DOUG STAMPER REFERENCE). 

   

   New Manager?

6. I Want You Back; N'Sync -- dedicated to Brown Uniforms everywhere.  

   

   No poop-and-mustard-colored uniform could ever be as awkward as this.

7. We're All in This Together; High School Musical soundtrack -- the Padres are a mid-market team, generally shunned or ignored by the national media, and our home games are routinely infiltrated by fans of other teams who are either SD transplants or or marked the trip on their calendar when the schedule came out because Why Wouldn't You Want To Come To San Diego On Vacation From Chicago?  Fellow Fans, the odds are stacked against us; we shouldn't waste our time and energy on arguing within the ranks on the uniform color or who's batting eighth. 
8. Fighter; Christina Aguilera  -- Hey Padres, it's frustrating loving you sometimes. Thanks for making me a little bit stronger. "But your joy ride just came down in flames 'cause your greed sold me out in shame" -- dedicated to the '93 fire sale (in which I distinctly remember being So. Mad. in the car with my dad -- I think we were getting tacos -- at the trading of Gary Sheffield, but then I stood next to him crying at Trevor's #51 retirement ceremony so sometimes life comes full-circle.) Full disclosure -- I would have preferred a way to get Dirrty on this list as far as Xtina goes, but I wanted to maintain the integrity of this project.
9. Hold On; Wilson Phillips -- it's kind of like the musical manifestation of Keep The Faith. 
10. Faithfully; Journey -- it can't be easy being a professional ballplayer... the long road trips (especially the young'uns on long bus trips), the pressure of trying to make the most of every opportunity... I've had this conversation many times over the years --- for all their frustrating decisions, I've always felt like, overall, the Padres have a pretty good group of guys. Not a ton of assholes in the bunch. And, at least in recent years, even when the talent might not be up to par and the going gets tough, you never doubt that they're at the plate just phoning it in... they're at least trying.  So I imagine this as a duet between players and fans.
11. I Dreamed a Dream; Les Miserables soundtrack -- A bit dramatic. But remember when you were just a youngster of a fan and yeah the losses hurt and sometimes players let you down but you didn't know enough to really critique the team and either way it didn't matter because you were just so damn happy and excited to watch baseball? Going to a game was like going to Disneyland combined with Chuck E. Cheese combined with your birthday. Why don't we retain that excitement?  

    

    vive la revolution?

12. Stand By Your Man; Tammy Wynette -- and show the world you love him. Keep giving all the love you can.
13. They Go to San Diego; Mel Torme - because we're the destination for pitchers hoping to revitalize their careers, troubled players needing a change of scenery, or once-glorious bats hoping to squeak out a couple more seasons in a low-pressure environment with plenty of golf options and a great environment that their kids will love during the summer.
14. A Little Bit is Better Than Nada; The Texas Tornados -- because mediocre and even downright bad baseball is better than no baseball (also, this is from the Tin Cup soundtrack and you gotta' love Kevin Costner playing a down-on-his-luck athlete going after his dream, right?).
15. The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful; Jimmy Buffett -- more for the title/chorus than the entirety of the lyrics, but hey, come for the weather, right?
16. Won't Get Fooled Again; The Who -- One, this is a fave of mine and completely bad ass. Speak up with your voice and your wallet and demand more from the powers-that-be, it's our money their taking to  (not so easy when bad baseball is better than no baseball, though).
17. Minority; Green Day -- another tribute to the "Vocal Minority" of the #BringBackTheBrown movement.
18. Local Hero; Bruce Springsteen -- let me get deep for a second; because I feel like whoring the Park in the Park out to the Fox Sports San Diego desk (on what planet is it necessary to have a desk/stage that big?) has compromised the Park in the Park experience (the top of the hill was among the best seats out there) and more importantly, the Tony Gwynn statue. There is no justifiable excuse in my mind for that monstrosity of a news desk to be blocking Mr. Padre and taking away from fans' ability to experience something so meaningful (this has been covered much more eloquently here). 

    

    Tony deserves better. So do the fans.

19. Let It Be; The Beatles -- When the night is covered by the marine layer, there is still a light that shines on our team... 'til tomorrow, Let It Be. There will be an answer.... maybe from the draft, maybe from a trade or free agency signing, maybe from yet another Tommy John; but listen to your heart for The Colonel's words of wisdom. 
20. Baseball; Ozma -- baseball is inherently nostalgic... and it's a GAME. Let's not let the business of baseball ruin the thrill of a triple, the grace of a double play, or the edge-of-your-seat drama of a no-hit bid. As Crash Davis said better than I ever could; "This game's fun, ok? Fun goddammit!"

    

    It would always be worse.

Ok Padres fans, what do you think? Agree/disagree...what songs would you add? I would love to expand the list!! Aside from making the on-the-field changes that the team obviously needs, what would you do to make sure we're all having more fun (goddammit)? Have you signed the Bring Back the Brown petition yet? Is "You Lost That Loving Feeling" a good move for in-game sing-along or is it like trying to make "Fetch" happen?

xoxox

Keeping the Faith, 

The Last Five: Books I Read (Second Edition)

A second edition of the last five books I've read... there should be another edition coming soon. I've been doing a lot of reading but not a lot of summarizing of  said reading.

Cleopatra - Really interesting. Almost reads like an awesome textbook; it's obviously meticulously researched and it rarely offers speculation. This isn't a historical fiction novel or a dramatized account that loosely interprets history... but it's so engaging (even though you have to work at it a bit to remember names, dates, locations) that I didn't even notice until I had almost finished it that it has almost no dialogue. Starting with the image on the cover, it will challenge what you think you know about Cleopatra (especially if, like me, Elizabeth Taylor is what comes to mind when you think of her).

Drowning Ruth - This is an odd book, but it's really hard to put down. My grandma passed it on to me after she picked up a stack of paperbacks at a thrift shop. I love historical fiction, so the book has that going for it, but it's written from different first person points of view and goes back and forth in time; so it keeps you on your toes in terms of  knowing where things are. Also, right up until the end you don't know if the characters were at the center of a murder or tragic accident. Yeah... it's a bit of an odd one and overall not very uplifting whatsoever, but one that I sped through.

The Zoo - So my Papa gave me this one for Christmas and laughed to himself that "this isn't the kind of book you usually read." It's definitely something he'd read, he usually has a military mystery or spy thriller paperback by his side. And even though it's not something I'd probably have picked out for myself, I tore through this one. I won't be surprised if this becomes a movie. It's far-fetched (I hope--it's about something human-created that's driving animals to attack people) and it's a disaster and it's rather violent. You just have to go with it. But I took from it a strong message about our destruction of the environment and the impact of our choices and dependence on technology; that alone makes it compelling to me.

One Thousand White Women - I expected this to be something a bit different; and if I'd had the pen in hand I think I would have taken a different route with this. Nevertheless, it's very engaging. Once again, historical fiction, and once again from a woman's perspective -- in fact the entire thing is written as a series of journal entries. So it's a guy writing as an woman in the 1870s raised upper class but who was exiled by her family for falling for a lower class guy and then said family conspires to have her put into a mental institution because they're ashamed of her. She then forges some signatures so that she can join a project of similarly disenfranchised women from the East Coast to GO WEST and marry "savages" to help settle the prairies and convert Native Americans to Christianity and (really the main objective of this hypothetical government-sponsored mission) to convince their new husbands to move to the newly established reservations.  Had this been written in the present tense and not trying to adopt the voice of a progressive-yet-still-genteel 25 year old woman with insane life experiences, I think it would have been more effective, I just couldn't buy the voice and internal monologues of this lady. Still, a very compelling look at the time period, the lives, and of course the shameful mistreatment of Native Americans.

Lost in Shangri-la - Ok, this really needs to be a movie. Wow. Amazing (true!) story of a plane that went down in a remote jungle in New Guinea during WW2... on a morale-boosting sight-seeing trip, of all things. There are three survivors, including a spunky WAC, a ragtag team of paratroopers sent it to help perform a daring rescue, and tribes of indigenous people that had been basically isolated and "undiscovered" by the outside world. This one is also impeccably researched and very tenderly crafted. The author clearly cares deeply about the very real people that he came to know as he researched and wrote this book, and is very objective in his observations of a completely foreign culture, the potentially avoidable circumstances of the plane crash, and the aftermath and rescue operations. I would so watch this movie---I've already cast it in my head.

So there's my last five! Some good, some slow, some scholarly, some weird... some all of the above! What are you recently or currently reading and what should I add to my list? My current five books have kind of a common theme of adventure, leaving your comfort zone, taking a leap of faith.... and I'm starting to think it's a sign and that I should take advice from them! Anyone else find that you tend to read similarly themed books all in a row?

Happy Readings,

A Very Merry (low-key) Birthday

As I mentioned last year, I have had a difficult time with my birthday over the last few years. I know -- it's better to have one than not, the people who love you like having the chance to celebrate you, I'm not over-the-hill yet... but it's still uncomfortable for me to celebrate, especially given the disappointing year I've had, personally.

But, with an incredible family I felt loved. My mom and dad made plans to take us to the Padres game that night but I was surprised that my brother, sister and their "significant others" came as well. We sat in the Park in the Park beforehand to eat sammiches. We got the awesome give-away 1984 jerseys. Also, my mom and sister made the cutest little snack packs (and Sophia got me a birthday button).

The Padres honored first responders who saved lives and homes during the fire storm the week before, which was really moving. They played 80s music the whole game -- The Dancing Groundskeeper made and appearance (with backup dancers, which is now my new career goal). We lost. But it was fun.

And the next day we got to enjoy a delicious Memorial Day bbq with the whole family, who despite carefully declaring that it was simply a bbq in which we happened to have a birthday cake, still made me feel special. How can you not when you take home these incredible flowers?

Finally, because I'm considering it a late birthday gift; I have to share my giddiness at getting a personal tweet from Michael Kelly, who plays Doug Stamper on House of Cards. #gahhh I mean, my HOC withdrawal sparked a total fixation on this guy (mostly his voice, I could listen to him read the phone book; but how gorgeous is his smile--which we never see on the show). Anyways, he seems like a totally nice guy and I appreciate his support of gun regulations and I appreciate that he took the time to respond. Sure it's a little thing but apparently we both totally made each other smile. And now we're getting married. #DougStamperLives

So the birthday is over for another year and it didn't make me feel any better about being 31 and in the midst of a total career stagnation and not having babies or a house or a dog; but it did make me feel loved. And isn't that what's really the most important?

Making a wish for everyone to be surrounded by love on their birthday and always,