Where in the World is tanookie?

Oh, she's right here. She's just having difficulty with electronics lately... You know how it is, once you stop answering emails and reading blogs and keeping up with online news, it gets easier and easier to keep ignoring the web (while the guilt grows to massive proportions)? I think there is definitely a correlation between working on my dissertation and drawing and all forms of social networking online and even using electronics in general. It goes like this: I read, I hand write my notes is in lovely blue and pink and purple ink, I make files, I highlight, I paraphrase, I reflect and respond to what I've read. Then, it's break time. But, I don't want to read because work time was all about reading, so I draw. And I draw. Really, I trace and I color and I epoxy and I make things sticky and shiny. And then there is Aikido and there is Pudge and Toby and Edward and life. So everything that matters is tactile and everything else feels far away, locked in one of the two magic boxes (the computer or the droid). Maybe today I will answer one of the many voicemails or emails waiting for me. Maybe not.

My Beautiful Nori Needs a New Home

Hi everyone,
My sweet kitty, Nori needs to find a home.  She is 7 years old, a brown tabby, litter-box trained, super sweet, cuddly, beautiful, well-mannered, and can be indoor or indoor-outdoor.  She is is about 9 lbs, is never destructive, pretty quiet, and loves people.  She has lived with other animals for her entire life.  She can get along with cats and tolerate (and avoid) dogs who bother her (Pudge has been a great bother to her but she outsmarts him all the time).  I would love to keep her with me now that I am back from the islands for a while but my roommate is so allergic that Nori can't even come in the house.  If you or a friend/family member could take her, I would greatly appreciate it.  I will start the new owner/care-taker off with food, litter, a bed, toys, etc.  Another option is for someone to watch her for a few months to a year and I can take her back when my roommate moves out.  However, I want to do what is best for Nori and easiest for the new caretaker.  Please forward this to trusted friends and family members.  If there are questions, please do not hesitate to email or call me.  Even if you can only help out for a few days to a week, that would help.  Attached is a photo.

Thank you,
Valerie

Double Digits!

Wow, it's been 1o days since I've posted. Here's a recap of what has been keeping me away from the blog world:
First, as you can see from the photo above, we adopted Toby last week! He is the world's second best dog and has a badness level that is off the charts!

Aikido training 6+ times per week

Rescuing Doggies (Toby, Rusty, Maggie, Missy). Below is little Maggie who is looking for a home. She's a super sweet girl, very independent, and really wants to behave and listen.


Researching for my dissertation proposal....lots of reading on mixed race theory, identity, Tiger Woods, Keanu Reeves, Mixploitation, Interracial Marriage, Multiracial, etc.
Poker
Season Three of Big Love on DVD!

Hope I can start writing regularly again.

January 2010 Salad Challenge

I'm failing miserably at Leng's salad challenge. Not for lack of wanting to make salads but for nausea and stomach pains that are making it hard for greens to sound appealing. However, today my ravenous appetite allowed for a salad, and what a salad it was. It included:

3 large leaves of kale
1/2 tomato
1 whole small avocado
sea salt

Perhaps it should have had more protein but I figured I'd get some in the greens. And, I ate an amazing amount of organic rustic walnut sourdough bread from Whole Foods. I love tasty, chewy bread. And, this was all just a snack as I had 1/4 of a spinach bolani (Afghan bread) and a pumpkin, banana, almond butter, agave nectar, and almond breeze smoothie for lunch. Am I turning into a fatty? Probably not, I did 1.5 hours of Aikido this afternoon, went on a walk with the dogs, and am going to train for 2.5 more hours tonight.

This Morning: Arrangement in Rust and Spots

Pudge returns home to find our new foster dog Rusty has taken over. Pudge sits sadly and mopes around the house.


However, having prepared for Pudge's displeasure, I unveil the brand new bed that no dog but Pudge will ever be allowed to use. I place the bed near the window and after "nesting," Pudge falls into a deep sleep emitting gentle snores and grunts.

Though this may look like a repeat picture, the above photo is Pudge and Rusty waiting for a treat. Rusty and Toby look very similar but are very different little guys. However, as Rusty recuperates, his mischief increases!

BRB

2010 is starting out busier than I expected. No time to blog cause life is happening so fast. I'm sure things will calm down in a couple of days. Being busy gives my over active mind a rest. This is a good thing.

Back soon,
t

The Old and the New

Below is the post I wrote at the beginning of 2009:
Let's see what I accomplished and what needs to go back on the list for 2010.

"I'm not a New Year's Resolution kind of person but I figured I should at least pump myself up to do a few things this year. Here's the list which I will revisit on December 31, 2009.

1. Write acceptable dissertation proposal, finish all dissertation research. Made a few attempts at an overview to a proposal, experienced rejection, allowed my teaching and the crumbling of my life stand in the way of any further proposal work.

2. Attain either a fellowship or teaching job in San Francisco for the 2009-2010 academic year. Partially accomplished. Taught for one quarter at UC Davis, a better school than I could have taught at in SF. However, no firm plans for teaching in the 2010 year yet.

3. Perfect 7 bokken subori. #1-4 are solid and #5-7 are on their way!

4. Cut down on diet soda intake (no more than one a day on average). Back and forth on this. In HI, I'd be up to 3 a day some days mainly because of the heat. However, in SF, I'm down to about 1 every 3 or 4 days.

5. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Goal accomplished!!!! I eat more fruit and veggies than ever before!

6. Return all phone calls within 24 hours. Needs work!

7. Do not buy any bottled water unless in danger of dehydration. Accomplished! I'd guess that I only purchased about 10-12 bottles of water in this entire year! Compare that to 2-3 a week for the previous year. Basically, I have my huge Sigg bottle with me always.

8. Recycle all paper products in California. I'd say I'm at 98% on this, especially in my own house.

9. At some point attempt to eat vegan 5 out of 7 days per week. Transition almost complete. Most days are over 95% vegan.

10. Do at least 250 push-ups and 1000 sit-ups per week. Ha! This lasted for maybe two weeks. However, I had many weeks where I did over 250 push-ups due to my contests with Edward and Sean in Hawaii."

2010
1. Write a dissertation and have proposal defended by Spring Semester 2010.
2. Pass i-kyu (1st kyu, 2nd brown belt) test scheduled for January 29, 2010.
3. Make steps toward overcoming some of my anxiety.
4. Learn to accept not being included in activities with friends.
5. Treat my body with respect. Do not stuff it full of unhealthy food and if I do, do not beat myself up about it.
6. Continue the transition to a vegan diet and partial vegan lifestyle.
7. Learn to accept and be okay with the fact that I will likely spend my life alone (without a partner or children) but will have my friends and family.
8. Try to stop being jealous of others and try to stop feeling bad when favoritism occurs.
9. Continue striving to be the kind of teacher who makes my students say "you are a really good teacher," "you've inspired me to become more active in my community," "even though I didn't want to take this class, I really enjoyed it." Thanks ASA 155!
10. Reuse everything!