Ahora

The Tahoe weekend away was perfect for thinking about the month ahead. Unbelievable the end of March has arrived.

Mental list transfered to agenda and electronic calendars last night. Deadlines and wrting schedules set.

Will be buzzing through the month to make it to the Feria de San Marcos con mi familia linda. Al diablo con los feos, me voy a Agauscalientes el corazoncito de la republica, "Agua limpia, gente buena, tierra buena!"

Tahoe Summit

I admit the snow and I are still learning to get along....

My friends believe I should have a reality show. This snow hike was quite the adventure for me.

At least my Itallian friend said I looked smaaashing! Fashion counts, even in the great outdoors ;)
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Renew

Easter 2008
Con las Familias Zermeño, Roque y Salazar

Spring is in the air...

It has arrived with all of its glorious sunny skies...and my mood matches perfectly.

Ended winter with new favorites and experiences. I love my life-style.

Headed to the Rogue Ales Public House and discovered a beer I can say I like- Hazelnut Brown Ale was surprisingly yummy. My friends from NYC are well versed in the art of fine beer.

Later that night after a heated dinner debate over religion; Atheist, Catholics, Santeros all represented we said our piece and made our peace all over sake. We continued the night at my favorite Dub club. NYC has nothing like it they say and my Puerto Rican dance partner and I soaked up the good vibes and danced the night away...

Sadly wished my friends bon voyage and promised to make it to NYC one more time before they relocate to Europe. Then I will just have to visit them in Europe.

Read, wrote, went into the office and got ready for my trip to LA. Finally bought the memory card for the lovely camera my friend gave me this winter.

Caught up with my favorite Argentinean musico and made our way to an artists house for a vernal equinox party, or at least that is what I am calling it :) Made plans for a Puerto Rican, Argentinean, Mexican dinner party- I pledged the tequila because their culinary skills far out shine mine.

Heading South for Easter and looking forward to a lovely Easter Party at my Tio's house. Project Martinez, Martinez continues with an April trip to Aguascalientes in the midst!

Love, Love

My friends are in love, and I am gladly basking in their light!

Headed to the food co-op with my friend from NYC. We decided on the following menu:

Goat Cheese
Sheep Cheese
Assorted Olives
Grape tomatoes
Baguette

Green Salad
Roasted Asparagus with olive oil and sea salt

Penne alla puttanesca (with and without anchovies)

Sparkling lemon and grapefruit soda

We already had wine and beer

Another friend had agreed to make a dessert, and she delivered with a fluffy lemon cake with fresh fruit filling and buttercream frosting- delicious.

They brought me hostess gifts too! Two bunches of beautiful flowers, one from my friends new boyfriend (we like him ;) and lots of wine.

It was a lively dinner with a mixed group of global citizens. After dinner the group split in two, I went to Pink to see the house maestro himself LLV from NYC! It was a good night.

Saturday

The view from the university is particularly stunning today.

Spending the day facilitating workshops towards educational reform.

Later I am hosting a dinner party in honor of my friends visiting from NYC.

Last night we enjoyed handcrafted beers and sustainable edibles before walking home...
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Have Felt

Like this...

"Bay Poem from Berkeley"
by, Sandra Cisneros

Mornings I still
reach for you before
opening my eyes.

An antique habit from
last summer when we pulled
each other into the heat of groin
and belly, slept with an arm
around the other.

The Texas sun was like that.
Like a body asleep beside you.

But when I open my eyes
to the flannel and down,
mist at the window and blue
light from the bay, I remember
where I am.

This weight
on the other side of the bed
is only books, not you. What
I said I loved more than you.
True.

Though these mornings
I wish books loved back.

Daylight

Three o'clock in the morning
It's quiet and there's no one around
Just the bang and the clatter
As an angel runs to ground- U2


We were cautiously navigating down the hill trying to piece together the story from last night between fits of laughter.

How did we get home? The limo or the mercedes? A taxi I think. Wait we took a limo? When we walked out of Harlot. How did we get to the afterhours? We didn't go in we were home by 3.

Look! I pointed at the wings on the floor there is an angel in town. Oh, they are beautiful- there is actually only one wing. I want to take a picture. I need soup- can you take it later?

Oww, why does my knee and my hip hurt? I think I fell. Yes, you did I saw you. I only remember sitting on the floor because my heels were too high. We were siting in front of a church right? Maybe but remember when we we got out of the limo because I wanted to sit on the sidewalk. The guy freaked out that I wanted to sit on the floor. He wouldn't leave til I got up.

Oh, can we walk in the shade. I want to walk in the sun. Ugh, I can't believe we have to get to brunch like this. I hope the soup fixes us. Trust me, it works. Where are your sunglasses?

We were the first ones inside. Got to see them leave the offering for their Buddha, tea and a bowl of food. We drank lots of water. Did you bring your phone? No, did you bring yours? No and I don't know what time it is. Wait did they change the time?!

The soup helped. We walked past a store with playa gear in the window. Lets go in! We don't have time. I need sunglasses, I want to get back to the wings before someone takes them home. Once inside I saw a pink furry hat with little ears- oh, I want that for burning man. The shop owner overheard and asked me if I had a good experience? Yes, it was great and I am going back. We have it in different colors. I like pink, I really liked all of the art and everyone I met, I spoke as I tried on the hat- oh it is perfect!

We had his undivided patience and attention and we laughed when he asked were you two out til six in the morning? Nooo, but we just had soup and we feel so much better than when we woke up. You two are going to have a beautiful day. We are trying to make it to our friends birthday brunch but we started celebrating last night so we think she will understand. You will get there and have a great time, you have made my day.

The angel wing was still there. Later after brunch the wing had moved into the branches of a nearby tree...

Cositas y Cuentitos

What a week, of new and renewed experiences...

Walking back from the university I stopped and picked up some produce at the local market. As I was walking a street kid asked me for cash. I don't usually give cash unless they are elders. I shook my head and said, 'sorry.' He wished me a good night, so I stopped and said, 'would you like some food? Its organic.' Immediately I thought what a silly thing to say. He said, "yes- even better," and with a smirk I handed him some fruit. "Blessed be, lady," he called after I had walked away.

Halfway to Burning Man 2008! Started the buzz and it seems we are heading back to the BRC Playa.

Heard from my good friend whose family relocated to Portland. She landed a university job merging her love of yoga and her graduate studies in psychology. She said that next year she wanted me to be her guest at a yoga intensive in Quintana Roo. I promised to make it up to visit with her and her almost one year old son before then.

Spring is in the air, and heard a new line from a guy as I walked up to university. "If I followed you home would you keep me?" blushed and did laugh and look but only because he was cute.

I mark time with solstices and equinoxes, and Spring is almost here. Decided to try my hand at the Japanese eggling I received over Christmas. Hopefully the petunias will bloom.

Celebrated with my grant colleagues funding over sixty fellows seventy thousand dollars for their social justice service learning projects. It has been such a good experience to come full circle setting up systems and reviewing proposals for the in-house grant. Just thirty thousand left to fund, love my job.

Met a friend for dinner and it was magical, the kind of place you always walk by and is never open. I told him I always thought it was some sort of santeria boutique. It was the perfect night for the secret little world of Radio Habana Social Club to open for us. We drank our goblet of Sangria and although we thought to share a plate they insisted on bringing us two and charging us only for one :)

Para Ti

Te extraño
Cuando la aurora comienza a dar colores
Con tus virtudes, con todos tus errores
Por lo que quieras no sé, pero te extraño- Luis Miguel

Desperté pensando en ti
el sol brillaba
casi en jesto
de mi oscuridad

El mar llamaba
y en cada esquina
de mis pensamientos
te encontraba a ti

Dulce tristeza
lo que compartimos
los caminos que tomamos
y aun vives en mi

Te encuentro en la música
calles que recorrimos
la naturaleza
las realidades que construimos

Existes solamente
en mis recuerdos
ni te conoces
ni me conoces

Pase el día
pensando en
cuanto
te extraño

City Living

Sunny weekend in the city and life is good...

Took the 33 into the Mission for a Bhangra dance class. In the Capoera studio the dance floor was packed the dohl drum kept the beat and we laughed and glistened in the rising second story studio heat.

Found out about more Foucault across the disciplines resources at nearby universities.

Walked down the hill to the corner bar for dark n' stormy's before hopping on the 71 downtown and hailing a cab up to China town for drinks with friends. Walked down to North Beach for dinner at Steps of Rome Trattoria. Heard stories of Tunisian beaches enjoyed complimentary desert.

Made it to Amoeba and found the Jamaican Recordings: Dub Sampler and KCRW's own Raul Campos: Loteria Beats Mixtape. Inspiration to keep me company as I wrote, still moving the pieces of the dissertation forward.

Walked over to Coffee to the People, to meet my fellow Chicana and read her dissertation chapter 4!

Then toasted to mimosas at the Gold Cane, shopped and caught up on conferences, proposal deadlines and of course- men. Settled into Alembic for some snacks and light and refreshing vodka gimlets...

Tuned in to BigUp Radio for more musica and writing.