Christmas Donation

I really could care less about styling my hair. Until yesterday, I hadn't brushed my hair in more than a year. It would take far too much of my time and care to blow dry, straighten, and fix my hair the way it should be. Long ago, I decided that if I wouldn't enjoy my own hair then why not donate it to someone who would need it. Since making that decision, I've now donated my hair 3 times. The most recent time was yesterday. Something of a Christmas present for me (finally rid of this crazy long hair = relief) and a Christmas present in the form of a wig for someone else; bam...two satisfying presents in one "snip".

It took me a little over a year and a half to grow my hair long enough to donate. Yesterday, the hair stylist put my hair in two low ponytails and CUT! We promptly dropped the two ponytails in to a ziplock bag, placed the bag in a padded envelope, and dropped it in the mail. There are a handful of organizations that accept hair donations. They all vary in the minimum length that they'll accept; shortest minimum length that I have found was 8".

If you are interested, browse these links for more info about hair donation:

Pantene Beautiful Lengths

Wigs For Kids

Locks of Love

Go for it! Even if you aren't crazy about your new cut, at least you know there is someone out there who is crazy about their new wig.

Christmas Breakfast

I love food. Every day is a practice in discipline to resist eating everything. But when the holidays come around, I let loose! One of my favorite meals is Christmas morning. We break out all the good stuff...bacon, eggs, pancakes, bagels, coffee, orange juice. Surprisingly, the most complete Christmas morning breakfast came the year that our parents were out of town, so my brother, sister, and I rallied together to get all the necessary ingredients together. The cooperation between the three of us was probably the most impressive part. My brother, who never contributed to any meals, volunteered to prepare the eggs. My sister, who is usually a grumpy mess in the mornings, was relaxed and agreeable while cooking the bacon. Everyone contributed to the clean up, too, which was also way out of character. It was the best breakfast I ever had....seriously...EVER.

But it will be my goal to make this Christmas breakfast even better. I should start prepping everyone now...

Vacation-ing the "Alicia" Way

I'm in need of a vacation.

But being me, I won't settle for a couple days on a Hawaiian beach or a couple days on a cruise ship. No no. I prefer an ecotourist approach.

Ecotourism (according to Dictionary.com): tourism to places having unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern.

I'm not a "pure" ecotourist by any means. I still find trips to historical cities and ancient ruins very interesting. But I am truly satisfied and rested after an adventure to some wilderness in an isolated part of the world. I like being an active participant in my vacation. I like turning in at the end of the day and feeling exhausted yet happy.

I was first immersed in this kind of vacation the summer of 2002. My family joined a group of people on a river rafting trip on the Rogue River in Oregon. I loved the heat, I loved the cool water, I loved getting dirty, I loved paddling through the rapids. I thought the river guides were so rugged and attractive; I went through a phase of wanting to be one.

Throughout college, I had a couple opportunities to get out of town. In the summer of 2003, I went to Alaska and rafted the Alsek River; breathtaking and exhilarating.

In December of 2004, my mom and I headed to Patagonia in Chile. We hiked around the Torres del Paine National Park.

In the spring of 2006, I spent a semester in Australia. I got the opportunity to raft the Tully River in Queensland, and for semester break, a classmate and I drove around the island of Tasmania.

In the summer of 2006, I backpacked for 16 days along the John Muir Trail. This was my first long distance hiking adventure, and it really challenged me physically and mentally but I loved it.

In the summer of 2007, I traveled to research/teaching facility in Costa Rica. I spent most of the time learning, reading, and writing. But just before I came home, I rafted the Pacuare River; a short trip, but action packed.

In the late spring/early summer of 2008, I participated in a 4 month internship in Seward, Alaska. I didn't have to travel far to enjoy the famous Alaskan scenery or the wildlife; it was right outside my front door.

And...now...we are caught up to the present. I've been working steadily since Seward. Living with my parents has made it easy to save some money for my next "vacation".

The time has finally come.

January 2011 - Rafting "The Greatest Whitewater on Earth" - the Futaleufu River in Chile.

Read all about the river and region here.

Wish me luck! I'm so excited! I can't wait for January to come!

Training Room Antics

Here's another blast from the past. I wish I could remember all the details behind this photo, but I can only remember bits and pieces. It was my sophomore year at Cal during spring training. I think it as our last workout before summer break. Instead of the usual conditioning workout on the track, our strength and conditioning coach had us doing a scavenger hunt that required us to take pictures to complete each item of the "hunt". I can't remember the purpose of this photo, but we were obviously going for something goofy in the training room.

I'd like to thank my supporting cast:

Vivian Cheung - on the table, receiving CPR from yours truly;

Jillian Davis - zapping her face with electro stim;

Gabby Abernathy - falling victim to...

Camille Leffall - pouring some toxic substance in to Gabby's mouth.

I remember that we did NOT win the scavenger hunt. Bummer. But we did take a lot of dorky pictures.

Hooray for memories!

Cold Weather Likes and Dislikes

I’m very much a “warm weather” person. I love visits and vacations in crisp, snowy places, but I don’t think I could live there. Granted, I’ve never tried...and I would like to try it someday, but if I find California winters disagreeable, then I’m confident that I could only tolerate “real” winters for a brief period.

While there are things that I dislike about the cold season, there are also things that I look forward to. So...below is my list of likes and dislikes during the “cold” times of the year:

Dislikes:

ripping myself from my warm, cozy bed in the morning

sitting on a cold toilet seat

waiting for the heater in my car to finally warm me up

limited outdoor adventures with the dogs (I don’t mind hiking around in the rain, but Lincoln always gives me a sour look)

means no more flip-flops for a while

Likes:

HOT CHOCOLATE TIME!

wood fires

wearing slippers

wearing hooded sweatshirts

curling up in a comfy spot to read a good book

the thrill when I wake up and see snow on the ground outside (Rare in the Bay Area, but awesome for the day or two when the conditions are perfect)

the crisp, clean air after a rain storm rolls through

I’m sure there are others. What are your favorite or least favorite things about the “cold season”?

I just had to...

Cleaning up my room always uncovers long lost gems. Take this one for example:

My college teammates, roommates, friends...Jenna and Alexis; or as I know them...Brown and Lex! Everyone goes through a dorky freshman year stage. We went through it together (and I tend to think we ended up being dorks together for the whole 5 years).

We aren't teammates anymore. We aren't roommates anymore. But I still miss them and carry them close to my heart all the time. We don't stay in touch as much as we should be, but I have all kinds of memories that always manage to resurface...even if I've tried to bury them.

Lex...I'm forever sorry for puking on your shoes, and I will forever be in debt to you for the way you kept yourself together and probably resisted the urge to just dump me on the side of the road. Or how about when I laughed in your face when you came to my room crying after eating asphalt when trying to chase down the bus? You don't worry; I told that bus driver what was up...in the most passive "Powers-way" possible. And although I wasn't there for the "crutch delivering popcorn" incident, I never doubted that it happened. And..."EXIT ONLY!!"

Brown...you could never escape us; especially, since we had a motion activated web cam in the common room. I'm sure I scared the crap out of you when I rolled off the bunk bed in the middle of the night. Or when the pipe under our sink burst and we were all scooping hot water in to the tub. And I still remember playing dodge ball in one of our last spring practices our Junior or Sophomore year, and I wrecked your thumb. I'm so sorry about that.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T...that goes for the both of you!

We've all grown up in our own ways. They are both married. Lex has a beautiful baby boy, and I'm long over due for a visit to Brown in Texas.

I'm sure we all had one or two special people who were key figures during important milestones in our lives. Brown and Lex were mine...Who are yours?

You gotta think out of the box

Working at Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation requires me to use my brain sometimes...well, actually, all the time. It's not just walking dogs and cleaning up poop. My colleagues and I are constantly fighting against the "forces" that are trying to compromise the mental stability of the dogs staying at the shelter. These "forces" could be any number of things, and their effect on each dog will vary greatly from dog to dog. But by far the most challenging "force" is the dog's length of stay. What I mean is that the longer a dog lives in the shelter, the more likely they are to mentally and physically deteriorate.

Not every dog decays, but every dog is at risk from the moment they arrive at a shelter to the moment they leave. My job involves working with the dogs who are at risk. We provide activities to keep both their minds and bodies engaged. Simple things, like sitting with a dog and reading to them for 20 minutes or taking them for a walk, can make a world of difference. 5 days a week staff organize groups of dogs to play together on the field; in addition to the mental and physical exercise this provides the dogs, it also ensures that the dogs stay well socialized and get to practice their play skills.

Every day, we also try to take a dog or two on "field trip". Puppies get trips to the nearby shopping center where they can sit on our laps and watch all the people, cars, dogs, and kids that may pass by. Older dogs get the opportunity to go on walks in any number of Open Spaces. The closest park is Lime Ridge Open Space. The dogs get to smell new smells, chase lizards and squirrels, and just enjoy the great outdoors. Here's a picture of Charlotte de Barry and her buddy Johnny on a stroll in Lime Ridge today:

I am also a member of the Enrichment Committee. The goal of this committee is to brainstorm and implement new ways to enrich the animals. We mostly think of original, inexpensive toys that we can make ourselves or everyday things that can be used with the cats and dogs. For example, it is enriching for the animals to spend some time listening to the radio or digging through a cardboard box to find a hidden treat. Volunteers donate random items all the time that we find ways to use; we have a couple plastic baby pools that we fill with water and let the dogs romp around in. Here's a photo of what one of the kitten rooms looked like after they got the chance to play with some shredded paper; a drag to clean up, but there is no doubt that they had some fun with that:

How can you help? If you have time to volunteer at a local shelter, spending 15 minutes with a shelter dog or cat will help that animal live successfully at the shelter. If you have spare dog beds, cat beds, toys, or blankets just laying around your house, free up some space and donate them to a shelter. Think you have some random item that the shelter could use for enrichment? Call the shelter and see if they could use it; you'd be surprised what they can do with your left-overs.

Here's your chance...Make a difference in some cat or dog's life TODAY!

Not much spare time these days

Between work and coaching high school volleyball, I don't have much time left over. For the hour or two that I have each night (the time really depends on when I start to fall asleep on the couch), I catch up on the backlog of fall shows that I have recorded on the TiVo. Here's what I got waiting for me:

Sunday - Keeping up with the Kardashians (b/c my dad is really in to it), Dexter

Monday - House, Chuck, Lie to Me, Hawaii Five-O (giving it a try...Alex O'Loughlin is nice to look at)

Tuesday - The Good Wife

Wednesday - Terriers, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Los Angeles (new show and I'm so pumped for it!)

Thursday is busy - Bones, 30 Rock, The Office, CSI, The Mentalist

Friday - Smallville (I've been a loyal viewer all along; naturally, I'll be there for this 10th and FINAL season!)

I love my TV shows. I wish I could narrow it down, but when it comes down to it, I'm a slave to the TV during the fall. Once high school volleyball is over, I'll have some more time; I'll start reading like a freak again, but until then...you'll find me on the couch either watching TV or falling asleep.

P.S. Watching the latest episode of 30 Rock while I type this. Alec Baldwin is perfect!

My Ballsy Friend

I'm just looking to give a shout out to an ex-player, current friend, and one of the most random/creative people I know - Carly - who is jetting off to Paris to be an Au Pair in France for a year. An Au Pair is like a nanny. At first glance, this seems like a pretty daunting task to undertake, especially for a girl who only graduated high school last spring. But Carly isn't your ordinary recent grad. If anyone can mail themselves to a foreign country to take care of someone else's kids for a year, it would be Carly.

I personally couldn't do it...the whole taking-care-of-kids thing is enough to make me run away screaming. But I have no doubt that Carly's engaging personality and crazy imagination will win the hearts of French men and women all over the country.

Here's three cheers and a slap on the back for Carly! Good luck and have fun, Car.

If you want to follow Carly's blog, you can check it out here: www.aupairing-carly.blogspot.com

Being a Doggie Foster

Since working at ARF (Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek), I have had a couple opportunities to provide a foster home for some of the dogs. If it was left up to me, I would foster dogs all the time. However, I'm living at my parents' house, and I have to respect their wishes first-and-foremost. There is always the risk that the foster dogs won't be potty trained or will chew on everything, so I try not to burden my parents with these worries too often.

But when there is a particular dog who is either in need of time away from the shelter to recover from an illness or in need of some extra socialization, then I start the "kissing up" process with my parents. My mom is usually an easy sell; a cute picture of the dog is all she really needs to convince her. My dad is a more difficult target; on the exterior he is very resistant and stubborn, but I've spent 26 years with this man so I have a pretty good idea when he is about to crack. As a result, we've been able to foster a couple dogs over the last 2 years...some easier than others, but all of them found a special place in all of our hearts.

If you are interested in fostering dogs, cats, puppies, or kittens, contact your local shelter or rescue group. ARF has an excellent Foster Program headed by a good friend, Erika Kleoni. Check out the ARF website if you want more information: http://arf.net/how-you-can-help/foster/

Here are some recaps of the dogs that we have welcomed in to our house:

Radcliffe - needed a foster home while some of the rooms at ARF were being repainted. She loved the water, and she eventually started playing with Lincoln. We nicknamed her Snaggle-tooth because of her glorious underbite.

Suze - needed a foster home because she had been at ARF for a long time (a few months) and was in need of a break. The shelter can be monotonous and stressful for many dogs, and Suze is a busy terrier who thrives on adventure and diversity.

Caboose - needed a foster home while she recovered from leg surgery. She came back and forth to work with me, and she would sit on my desk while I worked. She LOVED Lincoln, and Lincoln loved her! She was the hardest one to say goodbye to.

Golf - needed a foster home to get some extra puppy socialization. He was easily startled by new things and people. He was my toughest foster because he need around-the-clock management of his fear; he never got fully comfortable around my parents, and as a result, he was only able to stay a couple days. Lincoln had a good time teaching him how to play and wrestle. Videos on YouTube: 4 month old Golf; 5 month old Golf

Alcatraz Trip

Monica and friend, Kelsey, were in town from LA, so we took the opportunity to round up the family and have a field trip.

Destination: ALCATRAZ!

I haven't been there since elementary school, so I was pumped for another visit. It's not like anything has changed on "The Rock", but it was good to freshen up on my Alcatraz IQ. The award winning Audio Tour is now free (I recall having to pay for it last time), and I highly recommend it...It’s FREE; why not?!

The weather was AMAZING. It would have been annoyingly hot, but luckily, we are inside for most of the tour. Only bottled water is allowed while exploring the island, and it is a essential. Bring your own water because the water the Park Service sells will cost you an arm-and-a-leg.

I was definitely exhausted by the end...physically and mentally. I took a little cat nap on the ferry back to Pier 33 (not that surprising if you know me).

Below is the video I threw together. I've been playing around with the iMovie program on my laptop, so I'm trying out all the fun options and cheesy audio tracks. Enjoy!

"When your life isn't interesting, blog about others' lives"

Other interesting life #1: MONICA POWERS

Relation: Sister

Status: Tackling her 3rd year at UCLA as an Anthropology major, lifeguarding, and teaching children how to embrace the marine habitats we all evolved from (aka: teaching kids how to swim).

Cause for Celebration: About to start a part-time internship at PMK-BNC. From what I can tell (from looking at their website), PMK-BNC is an agency that deals with public relations and marketing for celebrities, corporate clients, and entertainment. Our cousin is a publicist for the agency and has clients like Colin Farrell, Matthew Fox, and others (but I really only remember the good looking ones). I'm not sure what kind of work Monica will be doing, but she is super excited about it!

Other interesting life #2: CAROLINE COUNTS

Relation: No relation; she is one of the players on the Xceleration 16's team that I coach.

Status: Finishing up her sophomore year at Bishop O'Dowd High School.

Cause for Celebration: May be one of the most complex 15 year-olds that I know. By "complex" I mean that I would love to live in her brain for one day...well, may be just one hour because that is all I could probably handle. With Caroline there is no shortage of energy. In fact, she could probably bottle up her excess energy and sell it as "alternative energy"; soon, our cars will be powered by C-ENERGY. But in all seriousness...Caroline has a mind that I can tell is always thinking...always connecting the dots but in the most creative/abstract way you could imagine. If you need an idea for a Halloween costume, she's the girl you go to. If you need someone to entertain your toddler for hours, she's the girl you go to. You don't need an "icebreaker" exercise to introduce a group of new people - just bring Caroline with you and everyone will be best friends in thirty minutes...probably less. She's been a treasure on the volleyball court. She brings energy that is bubbly and contagious. Her lack of coordination is refreshing, yet her ability to recovery quickly, almost spontaneously, is exceptional. She is immune to the negative/soul-sucking/"crash-&-burn" atmosphere that a team of teenage girls tends to brew up when they are losing. I occasionally catch her staring (sometimes at me) for uncomfortably long periods of time and she needs to be reminded to "center her chi" when situations get tense, but if these are my only complaints, then I consider myself very lucky. All you need is one meeting with Caroline to understand what I mean.

On a side note: Caroline reminds a lot of my dear friend, Meredith Hasson. I miss you Mere!

That is all for now!

Volunteerism

I'm not sure where or when I got the "volunteering bug"; it could be credited to my years as a Girl Scout or my community service class in high school or my mom for encouraging me to be a junior volunteer at the hospital...whatever it is, it stuck.

I've volunteered for a number of organizations over the years, and my general observation has been that most volunteers are either older/retired individuals with free time or teens/young adults who are interested in getting a behind-the-scenes look at careers they might pursue when they are older. Now, I'm not saying that I never see adults between 25-45, but they are rare, especially in the East Bay Area.

So this is a call out to all my friends and family or anybody reading this. If you have a free afternoon once a week or even once a month, why not try volunteering somewhere?

Here are some suggestions around the Bay Area:

Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) (I work here!)

Oakland Zoo (I was an intern, volunteer, and paid-apprentice...I love it, and I'm still an active volunteer here.)

The Marine Mammal Center (I volunteered here during college and wish I could continue, but it's a bit of a commute from Clayton. Video below!)

John Muir Medical Center (I volunteered here during high school.)

Chabot Space and Science Center

Habitat for Humanity

East Bay Regional Parks

Contra Costa County Library

And for more Easy Bay Volunteer Opportunities...click here.

Video of the release of an Elephant Seal at Point Reyes...coordinated and carried out by volunteers:

Dog Whisperer??

Cesar Millan fan or foe?

http://beyondcesarmillan.weebly.com/andrew-luescher.html

That link will take you to an interesting blog post by renown Veterinary Behaviorist, Andrew Luescher. I have no idea who Dr. Luescher is, but National Geographic values him enough to ask him to review tape of Cesar Millan working with a handful of dogs. His reflections are refreshing and necessary in a world where television and celebrities have such an impact on aspects of our lives.

Please read...and ponder...

The Man

Let me tell you about this guy that I've been spending a lot of time with...

He's definitely the most handsome man I've ever met. He's shorter than me, but I don't mind. He's got black curly hair with a bunch of distinguishing gray hairs poking through. He's got a sexy beard. He won't admit it, but when we are out on the town together, he acts like such a macho man; he puffs his chest out and holds his head high. I laugh to myself when he starts strutting his stuff. So typical...right?

If left unchecked, he can get pretty lazy around the house. He would probably sleep all day if I didn't make him come with me on my adventures.

The strangest thing about him is that I can't seem to figure out what gadgets and toys he really likes. I've tried a variety of stuff that "guys like him" typically go crazy about, but nothing has caught his eye. Well...actually...he loves food. ALL kinds of food. I'm not much of a cook, but he has never complained about anything.

And unlike most people that I've met, he is such an amazing listener. He never interrupts or tries to flip my story into something that ends up being about him.

I'm not one of those people to throw around the "L word" every chance I get, but.... sigh....this guy has definitely stolen my heart.

My man, my LOVE, my DOG....LINCOLN!

2 year old German Wire-hair Pointer Mix

Rescued from ARF October 2008

Celebration!

Tonight, the family is celebrating two big events.

1. My brother got admitted to Cal and will be walking on to the basketball team starting NEXT WEEK! He seems excited to get a second chance at playing ball in college. He's always been a Cal fan, and now he'll get to see what it's like to be a Golden Bear!

2. I'm starting a new position at work tomorrow! I'll be an Intake & Behavior Specialist. This means I get to travel to the ARF's source shelters and select the dogs and cats that we'll rescue. Once these lucky friends are back at ARF, I'll help assess their behavior and prepare them for adoption. I'm nervous, but I'm SO excited to learn a new set of skills and have more direct role in saving lives and making families happy!

Here's to us!