Suzy Says

So I had the interview for the permanent job yesterday.

Fortunately, it was only in the Big Town, aka my usual commute, so I was spared trekking to the county seat. Luck was with me, since the forecasters were predicting another Stormageddon, and I feared the effect on my hair and make-up, but there were just a few sprinkles and my beauty remained intact. We haven’t had a drop of rain since the Christmas Eve storm with its power outage, and it was the driest January in recorded California history, so we need it, but it seems to be feast or famine this winter: pouring or nothing.

I arrived early for the interview, and was surprised that they also started the interview early. This time, I knew that it would be a panel interview, so I was better prepared, and I had spent some time thinking about my answers to the questions that had stymied me last time. At least I didn’t blush this time!

I was so relieved when it was over that I totally forgot to ask what the next steps were and when they might reach a decision. There are two jobs, so I’m hoping that will increase my chances of getting one of them. I have the indefinite temp job starting on the 17th, so I do have a fall back position and money coming in while I wait for or find a permanent job.

As I write, it’s pouring and windy out, and I feel as if we’re trembling on the verge of a power outage. The cats ran out and ran back in this morning, soaked and indignant.

Will our heroine get a job? Will the drought end? Will the cats wreck the house out of total boredom? Stay tuned ’til next time for As the Suzy Turns…

A YEAR AGO: Shopping with the lovely Miss Stella.

The darkness that shadowed the end of 2013 carried into 2014, with losses all around me, including the shocking murder of a beloved Sheriff’s Deputy, which horrified the entire county; the sudden loss of my friend Joel; and the loss of my job.

Trips to San Francisco: A mere three, versus last year’s nine times.

Rainfall for 2014 to date: 32.75 inches. At this time last year, we had about 5 inches. Still a long way to go to get out of the drought, though: 11 trillion gallons, to be precise.

Power outages: 7. One in February, one in April, three in May and June, including one on my birthday, and one in July. Go figure. The final one was on Christmas Eve.

I read 100 books this year, a marked improvement over last year’s 83, though to be fair, some were kid lit and some were YA. I will never be too old for YA. Favorites this year were:

• Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders and the Crime That Changed America, by Kevin Cook
  The Genovese murder was a cause célèbre that we all grew up hearing about – the girl murdered while many people stood by and watched but didn’t help. This legend is far from the actual, though horrible, truth and Cook’s meticulous research debunks the myths while revealing the truth about Kitty and her killer. I really felt like I got to know Kitty and the place and time she lived (and died) in. A fascinating read.
• The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld
  Perhaps a strange choice for someone trying to escape the gloom of real life, this novel is set in an unnamed prison and is narrated by a killer on Death Row. The author is a former death row penalty investigator, and her knowledge is reflected in this remarkable book. Despite the darkness of the subject, the writing is, at once, moving, poetic, and beautiful, both reflecting and transcending its subject.
• The Short, Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs
  Although the title is something of a spoiler, I couldn’t put down this memoir of the author’s roommate at Yale, who overcame so much to be there but was not, in the end, able to escape his demons. Beautifully written and unforgettable, this is a haunting, complex, and fascinating read.

• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
  I was originally attracted to this because its setting – kids spending summers together on an island in New England – reminded me of my youth, but it revealed itself to be so much more. I did not guess the shocking twist at the end at all, and both the surprise and the lyrical writing stayed with me for several days.

In my quest for escapism, I re-read several childhood favorites, such as From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (I still think the character I most closely resemble in fiction is Claudia Kincaid) and Harriet the Spy. I found “Harriet” to be much darker than I remembered, with the bleakness of Harrison Withers’ life, the disturbingly carnivalesque Mrs. Golly, and the protracted revenge Harriet’s schoolmates take against her, apparently sanctioned by their parents – bullying long before the internet. But I did enjoy the glimpses of long-ago New York in both of them.

And the TV shows that I enjoyed the most were also on the dark side: the half season of Mad Men, Orange Is the New Black, True Detective, and Rectify. Escapist fun was provided by House of Cards and Nashville, along with the ever-enjoyable and ultra stylish Sherlock, House of Lies, Suits (which is set in New York, but clearly filmed in Toronto – I have fun spotting locations and remembering my Bay Street days) and White Collar.

On the bright side, I managed to stay out of the courtroom and remained subpoena free for the first time in two years. Score!

I did a little blog improvement, adding a peek back at the previous year’s posts to this year’s blog posts, and a page with my end of day reports for the jobette. Here’s a look back at what happened this year:

January: Happy New Year! A beautiful party. Curses! The flu foils and spoils my plans. Stella the foster dog decides to meet the neighbors. A beautiful oceanside walk. Is there any other kind? A visit from dear friend (and professional cook) Paul. Driving adventures.

February: Shopping with Stella. My sister’s misadventures in the City. manicures and a movie. Visiting Erica and Jessica – and the rarely open Museum. A look around the garden. First power outage of the winter.

March: Refreshing my hair and my spirit at the little salon in the big woods. My intrepid brother once again takes the Polar Plunge. An earthquake, a cat burglary, and my jobette boss meets the President! Clyde’s antics. Stella wins her Canine Good Citizenship award on Dad’s birthday. He would have been proud of Megan and Stella. A tragic loss shocks our little community. Farewell to a hero. A delightful play.

April: The ludicrous bureaucracy of healthcare begins (not that it ever ends). Another lovely evening at the theater. An afternoon at the beach. Another power outage, this one driven by someone driving into a power pole at midnight. My blog turns thirteen! A conference in the City. A memorable visit to the de Young Museum. Jessica’s 11th birthday. An early heat wave.

May: More healthcare madness. Home improvements. A field trip. The beginning of the bathroom fix up. It can be useful having an outdoor shower, especially during a heat wave. Too many losses. Megan’s birthday. Car repairs.

June: A bright and beautiful birthday to me! Silly me! Progress on the bathroom front. A sunny Sunday. Adventures in transportation. I would prefer transportation to be a little less adventurous. Farewell to a friend. A reading at the bookstore, and some unexpected art.

July: Anniversaries all around! The pleasures of my commute Renovations continue apace in the bathroom. Goodbye, electric lime green plywood floor! A birthday celebration for a beautiful girl. Fantastic, faux pho.

August: A snow day, California style. Meetings and modernism. More modern art, a visit to the inimitable Swan Oyster Depot, and a diamond as big as the Ritz. The bathroom is better and brighter. Working on the new and improved door. The anniversary of Dad’s death arrives for the thirteenth time. A brand new (to me) tree! My back gets back at me.

September: Happiness is a new puppy! And new iThings. Dinner and a play with two of my favorite girls. The always delightful County Fair. Welcome rain. And other news. Dramatic Before and After pictures.

October: I suddenly lose my job. Why not? Loss is the theme of the year. A little jaunt to the south coast lifts my spirits. Living in limbo: I don’t recommend it. But dinner and a movie with people you love always helps. Celebrating my fifth Hooterville anniversary with tacos! Early morning job testing.

November: A happy Halloween, both in San Francisco and in Hooterville. Clyde gives me a Stephen King style scare. No news is not particularly good news. A lovely evening out with friends. A not very productive trip to San Francisco. A rainy trip home. A happy Thanksgiving.

December: Walking the dogs with my sister between storms. Getting ready for Christmas. After the storm. A grueling job interview. A merry Christmas after a Christmas Eve power outage. Lichen’s new and unusual house. A sparkling soirée.

I kept my new year’s resolution for 2013 of staying out of the courtroom, and am encouraged to set one for this year, too: spend more time with friends (especially Erica and Jessica) and family (especially Jonathan). May the new year be bright and beautiful for all of us!

A YEAR AGO: Recapping 2013.

Audrey was not my favorite cat the morning after Christmas, when she mercilessly woke me up at 5:45 am by pounding on the sliding glass doors. They don’t fit very well, so they create quite a racket when played by Audrey, especially with the added bonus of screeching claws on glass. You’d think I’d be used to being bossed around by a very small and very determined cat, but you’d be wrong.

It was 32 (0C) degrees outside and 44 (6C) inside as I grumpily made coffee. Hello, winter!

Despite the Audrometer going off too early and too insistently, it was a great Christmas. It dawned bright and beautiful after the power outage storms of Christmas Eve, and for the first time in years, we could celebrate it on Christmas Day itself.

After the cheese biscuits were made, the pears for salad roasted, the salad dressing whisked together and the table set:

I settled down to watch the Queen’s message and read the last chapter of “The Box of Delights” by the tree, where the stockings were, if not hung, at least placed with care:

Surprisingly, especially since two of the stockings have feathers on them, the cats have more or less left the tree alone. Roscoe tried to climb it and removed about 6 ornaments when I first put it up, but other than that, they have pretty much ignored it.

Erica and Jessica arrived bearing the Bûche de Noël of bliss:

It was made of a sort of flourless sponge cake using almond meal, brushed with tangerine syrup, filled with a mocha ganache, covered with chocolate buttercream, and adorned with meringue mushrooms dusted with cocoa. I was charmed to note that the mushrooms had dark “gills”, just like real ones. Erica is a genius.

Jessica was swathed in a plush Totoro onesie, as soft inside as it was outside:

We watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” together, and she remarked on the “blatant Christianity” in the show, though she considered Snoopy “hilarious”. I find it interesting that she considers Christianity to be the same as Greek, Roman, or ancient Egyptian mythology.

Jonathan arrived with the ham he smoked all day over apple wood, glazed with Jack Daniel’s, honey from our bees, onion marmalade from our onions, cardamom, and other secret spices:

It was as delicious as it looked.

After dinner, Jessica and Jonathan took turns at the annual reading of Red Ranger Came Calling to an appreciative audience:

I filmed Jessica reading, but the limitations of WordPress don’t allow me to post it (at 38 seconds, it’s twice as big as allowable). You’ll have to take my word for it that Jessica’s performance had real showmanship this year, and she gave Jonathan a run for his money. I love it that Dad’s tradition of reading out loud to us lives on.

A YEAR AGO: A merry Christmas, even though it was a day late.

Of the many delights of finally getting some real rain (not having to water the garden; not feeling guilty about either watering or not watering the garden; frogs singing; making a dent in the drought), driving and walking dogs are not among them.

As you all know, I’m not one of Nature’s drivers, even in the best of circumstances, and I think we can all agree that pouring rain on rough and curvy roads are not the best of circumstances. Visibility was poor enough and the rain was pouring enough the other day that my back was aching from tension by the time I got home from the jobette. On the bright side, though: no power outages yet.

At Megan’s house, the dogs were bored out of their minds, while yet not wanting to go outside into the suboptimal weather. Megan had to drag them outside for necessary business, and they tried to get back inside as soon as possible. Once inside, they immediately expressed their boredom by sighing, getting in the way as much as caninely possible, and generally making a nuisance of themselves until Megan gave them bones to chew, which is the dog equivalent of sitting your kid in front of the TV.

We took advantage of a break between storms to get the dogs out of the house and hopefully get some of the naughtiness out of the dogs. We headed for the Headlands, overlooked by the village:

Ravens wheeled lazily over the ocean:

I love to watch them waft lightly in the air currents, like they’re surfing on the air.

Stella watched them with me. One of the surprising things about Stella, who does everything 150%, 150% of the time, is that she likes to watch birds, butterflies, and the ocean:

We enjoyed watching the waves together, and I enjoyed watching Stella gaze at the scenery with her golden eyes. We caught up with Megan and Star, and watched a little girl fly a kite with her father before heading back to the car.

At Megan’s house, we attacked the carcass of Turkzilla together, removing the remaining meat and breaking it up to make broth. While the broth was brothing, we made a turkey pot pie, Megan making the roux and sauce while I cut things it up. It was nice to be cooking together in her little kitchen with the fire roaring, the rain falling outside, and the dogs napping on the couch. It was a great day, full of simple pleasures.

A YEAR AGO:

A long day heading home from San Francisco.

What’s not to love about falling behind (other than, you know, the hassle of setting all the clocks – surely Staff should do that? Oh, wait – I am the Staff)? Though supposedly falling behind, you are in fact ahead of the game. You get to sleep an extra hour, and it’s actually daylight when you get up, even at the new 6:30 am. Waiting until around 7:30 to let the boys out was getting pretty old, and I don’t know who hated it more, them or Me.

It was cold enough on Time Change Sunday to put the heat on when I got up, being an overly brisk 50F (10C) in the house that morning. The kitties basked happily while I drank coffee out of a different mug than usual:

and read Postsecret, as usual.

When I was finally caffeinated, I made a pile of apples from the family property into applesauce. I have never done that before, but it was surprisingly easy, other than peeling and coring about 20 apples. However, I did end up with a huge vat of applesauce*. I made two cups of it into applesauce cake, and I’m planning to freeze some and bring some to the jobette for lunch. That seems to be the down side of the giant family garden: having to deal with all the produce it produces. Megan has canned 18 quarts of tomato sauce, and is probably going to make more, along with pesto and apple butter.

It also seemed like a good opportunity to prep for winter a bit. I brought in most of the outdoor furniture and all the cushions, and filled up some buckets of water for the inevitable power outages to come. I need to buy drinking water as well.

While cutting back the hostas, I noticed that both orchids have flower spikes, so I can look forward to the blooms in a couple of months. I’ll have to remember to bring them and the geraniums in if we get another cold snap this winter.

Applesauce always reminds me of that Brady Bunch episode.

A YEAR AGO:

I was in Atlanta.

Maybe I’ll pick up one of these…

It’s been a delightful day so far.

I had a work call this morning (yes, on a Saturday) before heading to the jobette. I was planning to leave early, since I knew the annual Car Show was today (and I remembered what a hassle it was parking and getting to the jobette from last year), but Wednesday had other plans.

She decided that she’d rather stay home – and I understand that emotion – but I vetoed her with a jump start from Mark, who was on his way to Lake Pillsbury for his annual vacation with his family. Once I was up and going, they headed on their way and I headed to the car doctor, where they may well start charging me rent since I’m there so often. Like the Wednesday power outage, the Monday mechanic visit is getting a little old. And eerie. Is Stephen King scripting my life?

I pulled in to the car place and discovered that both the shop and the car rental parts of its trifold business (the third part being car sales) were closed on Saturday. My plan was to leave Wednesday there and get a rental, but alas, it was not to be. I noticed that the airbag light was on, but surely that can’t be enough to drain the battery overnight? The headlights were off and the stereo turns off when you open the car door, so it can’t be that, either. I’m hoping whatever it is, is (a) simple and (2) easy to fix.

I’ve gone out and started Wednesday up a couple of times since I got to the jobette, walking past the lovely old cars you see above. Wednesday started up, but I’m still concerned. Fortunately, Megan is in town today for an adoption event – still hoping to find the perfect home for Stella – and she said she will stand by to give me a ride or a jump start if needed.

What would I do without my family?

Woke up to yet another Wednesday power outage. At least it wasn’t in the middle of the night. What’s up with these out of season power outages? Maybe there’s a quota to fill, and since we hardly had any over the winter, now’s the time?

You’re probably wondering how the bathroom fix up is coming along. Anyone who has been through any kind of renovation or watched even a couple of hours of HGTV will not be surprised hear that it can be summed up in a word: slowly.

It’s partly because of the general Jamesian qualities of the room (all 7 feet by 5 feet of it), showcasing his inventive and carefree building practices, which have caused a few complications and will undoubtedly cause more, and partly because Rob’s been busy helping out over at the property where he can.

Still, a lot has happened since you last checked in with our heroine’s sanitary arrangements. Back then, Rob had just installed the shower pan, using found materials and creativity to make it straight, carefully sealed and glued in tight.

Up next were the faux tiles. It was slightly alarming to note that the little shavings Rob took off to make them meet properly were basically cardboard, but as he said, this is what they’re made for, so hopefully they will be OK. They have to be better than the mold-happy plastic stuff that was in there before. Right?

Here the first sheet of tiles has been applied and is being held into position while it dries. You can also see the sheetrock covering the cancelled window:

Here both sheets of tile are up:

Rob and I looked on line for a shower rod that would follow the lines of the shower pan, but they varied between $129 and $300, which equaled no for our non-budget. It seems a little odd to me that you can buy the shower pan standard but not the rod, though maybe they expect you to put in glass doors or something.

So Rob came up with something that was not only cooler, but basically free, since he found all the parts and then soldered them together. He added a support beam, so the rod isn’t supporting the entire weight of the shower curtain, especially when it’s being pulled aside:

It’s made out of copper, and I think it’s beautiful. Here’s a close-up, so you can admire Rob’s artistry:

I got some copper finish curtain rings and a copper finish shower caddy (note to Self: some editing of shower products is in order). Here you see Supervisor Clyde melted beside the shower, since we are in Day Three of the third heat wave in six weeks. That’s not math I enjoy.

After almost a month, I had kind of forgotten about taking a shower inside, though I was glad it was summer while showering out on the back porch. Rob took out the water flow restrictor before reinstalling the showerhead (don’t tell Big Brother; I think it’s illegal), thus rendering the shower fabulous. I’m not saying it can clear the cobwebs out of my head early in the morning*, but it feels awesome.

*Not even atomic café can do that.

I was once again rewarded with a midnight power outage for staying up late on my birthday. Again, it was a Wednesday night, but fortunately, this one only lasted a few hours, rather than the fourteen hours the other one did. Exchanging texts with Megan in the dark and silent depths of the night, I learned that no accidents had been reported, so maybe it was a wayward tree versus a power line.

These out of season, mid-week, midnight power outages are getting a little strange.

I spent my birthday eve proving that I may be older, but I’m not wiser. I left home early, planning to drop Wednesday off at what is rapidly becoming her daycare, or possibly private school, in time to get to the jobette. I went to the gas station ($50!) and then Safeway, where I chose a mid-price bottle of sparkling wine and a Vogue magazine about the Met Gala.

At the check out, I discovered that I had left my wallet in the car. I left my embarrassing at 8 am purchases with the clerk and went back to the car, where I noticed that I had left the gas cap off. Fortunately, it’s attached by a plastic thingie, like mittens with strings for cars (or Suzies, as the case may be). I closed the gas cap and went back to the store, where I told the clerk what happened. She laughed and said that at least I’d gotten all the mistakes out of the way early in the day, so I was good to go!

I laughed my way to the car and drove the short distance to the car place, which is a used car lot, garage, and the only rental car place in town all rolled into one. As I rolled down the window, opened the door from the outside, propping it open with my knee while I rolled the window up again (this has become my signature move over the past couple of months), I was approached by one of the car salesmen.

It turned out that he was a Ford salesman in Santa Rosa for many years, and, like me, has only ever owned Fords. He told me that Wednesday was in fact the Car of the Year in the year she was born (2008), so he was kind of surprised by the issues I was already having after such a short time in our relationship. Maybe I really am cursed. He further suggested that I might want to consider trading Wednesday in for a less temperamental model and gave me his card.

At the end of the day, I picked Wednesday up* after they had repaired the door so I could now open it from the inside as well as the outside. I went home without any nagging on Wednesday’s part, though a couple of days later, I noticed that the windshield fluid refused to squirt, so – stop me if you’ve heard this before – I’m going to drop her off and get what I hope is the final detail taken care of on my way to the jobette tomorrow. I have to wonder why there wasn’t an error message to alert me to this problem – Wednesday never fails to tell me that the door is ajar when doing my signature move, or that the trunk is open when I just popped it and am safely parked, but cars are designed by men, after all.

Here’s hoping that Wednesday and I both stay out of the shop for the rest of the year.

*On the bright side, they washed and vacuumed her and she looks fabulous.

I stayed up late on Wednesday night and was rewarded by a midnight power outage.

I was mystified by this, since it wasn’t rainy or windy, and annoyed by this, since I love the accoutrements and comforts of civilization.

Fortunately, I still had a flashlight by my bed, and headed downstairs to call my buddies at PG&E. As usual, I was the first one to alert them to the situation, so I resigned myself to a long night. I had a hard time sleeping, especially after an update informed me at about 2 am that the power would be out until 2 pm.

I texted Megan and she was the coffee fairy, with room service, no less. She also had the news that someone had driven into a power pole on the Ridge (apparently, it is not the first time this has happened, and when I drove by the location later, I could see why. It is located right near a curve, and I can see that someone could easily miss it in the foggy, inky, midnight blackness.) and supposedly been arrested, though no one came to visit Megan in the ER that night, so the driver must have been unscathed.

It was foggy and grey out, so the house was dark and freezing. Although the heater burns propane, it needs electricity to turn it on, thus rendering it a useless plastic box during power outages, which only occur during the cold months.

Of course.

Unfortunately for all concerned, I was slated to take Rob to the Big Town for dental surgery that day, when I was both sleep-deprived and cranky. It took both of my brain cells to get us there in one piece. I dropped him off at the dentist’s office, wished him luck, and headed to the grocery store for a few last minute items for Jessica’s birthday party this afternoon.

After that, I went to the library for the usual book exchange and to attempt to deal with my work emails, which rapidly overload my inbox if not handled quickly. I couldn’t make the wifi work on my creaking, aged MacBook, though I could on my iPhone. Go figure. I packed up all my stuff and headed to the Company Store, where I was able to access the wifi and deal with the most urgent work things, though by then I was in an even less lovely mood.

I was still having a better time than Rob was. Arriving at the office more than two hours after dropping him off, they were still working on him. I settled in to wait with my new library book, a fascinating read about the Kitty Genovese case. About an hour later, there was a loud noise, and it appeared that the huge aquarium in the waiting room had developed a fatal flaw in the glass. It began leaking with increasing rapidity, and the nurses and receptionists applied towels and called for reinforcements in the shape of boyfriends, who appeared with a ShopVac.

The fish were relocated to a bucket, but not before the exiting water shorted out a fuse, taking the computers with it and flushing the dentist out from wherever he was torturing Rob. Inspection from across the room revealed no dripping blood on his hands, which I took to be a good sign. He was not pleased with the destruction of his office decor, however, including the new laminate flooring, or the patient who asked if she could post about it on Facebook.

Eventually, the remains of Rob appeared, semi-frozen and even less chatty than usual, about four hours after I left him there. We were both glad to get home, though my happiness was tempered not only by Rob’s discomfort, but by the sight of a slim black cat leaping from the Ridge to the haul road which runs behind my house.

At my house, I saw Clyde, but Roscoe didn’t appear until several minutes later, so he might have been the cat I saw. The thought of my cats playing on the road fills me with horror, though they may have been doing it for years without my knowledge. Ignorance really is bliss.

In decanting the groceries from the car, I discovered that the six pack of Strongbow cider** I had bought for today’s gala was missing in action. It was listed on the receipt, so I must have left it in the cart in my sleep-deprived haze. I hope one of those poor schmos who keep rounding up the carts from all over the parking lot find it and enjoy it after a long day of thankless tasks.

At least the power was – and is – back on.

*To quote the great Iggy Pop. You can enjoy the fun version of No Fun here.

**I always enjoyed drinking cider at the pub with my Dad, and trying out the artisan ones when we were in places like Somerset and Herefordshire. I was looking forward to that Strongbow!

It’s raining, it’s pouring

Woke up about 3:00 am to the oppressive and depressing silence of a power outage – other than the howling of the wind and pounding of the rain. I miss the comforting hum, light, and warmth of civilization pretty much immediately. Fortunately, there is a little emergency light beside the sliding glass doors in the kitchen, giving a beam of hope in the darkness of the night, so I was able to make my way downstairs to my cell phone* (I generally leave it plugged in when I’m at home, since the lack of cell service makes it keep looking for a signal, which in turn runs down the battery).

I called the familiar PG&E Outage Line – one of the most important of my contacts – and heard the even more depressing news that I was the first to report the outage. As I write, it’s about 7:15 am, and the house is still discouragingly dark. Fortunately, I was able to boil water on the gas stove and make coffee with the pre-ground coffee I bring on trips to the city (the coffee grinder being out of commission) and make coffee in my trusty French press, which doesn’t care about the power or the lack of it.

Welcome to the first power outage of the season and the year!

Update, 10:00 am: Power (obviously) back on. Immediately washed dishes, filled Brita pitcher and kettle and other water-related activities. Fingers crossed it stays on. Thousands are without power in the Bay Area.

*After more than a year, the iPhone has failed to ruin my life or obsess me, as some people warned. Maybe this is due to the aforementioned lack of service in the county.** I recently updated the IOS and wish I hadn’t, since I dislike the Disneyfied cartoon look of the icons and the apparent impossibility of dismissing incoming calls, which is essential when you have two jobs. At least I can run the Secret app.

**The major complaint of tourists, followed by the curviness of the roads and the insane price of gas in the Village – about twice what it costs in the Big Town, ten minutes away.

I’m ending the year the same way I started it – in my beloved San Francisco. This was a banner year for trips to the City: 9, an all-time high since moving to Hooterville four years ago. There was a lot more travel this year, some less fun (Atlanta) than others (LA).

This was a year full of endings and beginnings. I finally got divorced after almost a decade of being separated. While it was good to get the formalities out of the way after a long separation, it was still sad to put “The End” on our story. I am grateful that John and I are still friends and have many happy memories of our many years together. I did not manage to stay out of court, though on an unrelated matter. Summertime subpoenas have to stop! New year’s resolution: a subpoena- and court-free year.

The loss of our beloved Schatzi cast a shadow over the latter part of the year, a loss that resonates through every day, though I am thankful she was in our lives as long as she was. She was an unforgettable gift.

A new dog found her way into our lives (temporarily) at the Christmas season, when we were least looking for one, in the form of Stella the foster dog. There is no better way to honor our Schatzi than by rescuing another dog.

I said goodbye to my battered old car Miss Scarlett and said hello to a newer, fancier one, which took some getting used to.

I started my moments. This was inspired by a friend who writes down something funny or beautiful or delightful that happens to her each day on a slip of paper and then puts it in a jar. At the end of the year she reads all the slips of paper and remembers all the great things that happened.

This was fun to do for a year and a good exercise in much needed-discipline. It really made me appreciate the small moments every day: cuddling with the cats; the sun setting over the Pacific; a spider web jeweled with dew.

Favorite books of the year: Ann Leary’s The Good House, a great portrait of small town life; and the utterly poetic Ordinary Grace. I also read two outstanding books about Detroit, a place near and dear to my heart – Detroit: An American Autopsy and Detroit City Is the Place to Be. The charasmatic Charlie LeDuff, the author of “Autopsy”, also showed the equally charasmatic Anthony Bourdain around Detroit on an episode of “Parts Unknown”, which is well worth watching.

I only read 83 books this year, a significant drop from last year’s 103, a continuing decline which I attribute to the more work, less fun aspect of the new (though not improved) economy.

Rainfall for the season: 5.14 inches. Last year at this time: 24.20. The drought is getting alarming. January and February of 2013 were the driest in recorded history in California. People in the Village are having water delivered!

No power outages so far this season. None! There were 6 at this time last year.

Here’s what happened to our heroine this year:

January:

Started the year off right by heading to San Francisco. Got a new look for my old car and a new iPhone (which has yet to ruin and/or take over my life, possibly due to the lack of cell service here). Wednesday was also Weirdsday. However, Friday was Funday. Yet another trip to San Francisco, this time for (mostly) professional reasons. Royal Treasures of the Louvre at the Legion of Honor. An epic day to get my photo taken for my work website. Spoiler alert: I hated the finished product, although my hair looked awesome.

February:

The cats react to a visiting chicken. An update on Archi, The World’s Cutest Puppy. Beautiful woodworking. Scout’s vet adventure. My intrepid brother takes a Polar Plunge.

March:

Schatzi gets a check-up. Little did we know it would be her last one and that we only had five months left with our beloved girl. Divorce and taxes. Why not? Dad’s birthday. First day of spring. Working on the endless divorce paperwork. A lovely trip to the South Coast.

April:

A late season storm. Haiku. Jessica turns ten! In San Francisco. Breakfast at Swan Oyster Depot. There isn’t a better start to the day. My welcome home included a screen door on the sleeping loft balcony, which has made life about 1,000% better. Thank you, Rob! Jessica’s birthday BBQ. More divorce paperwork, with moral support from my sister. An evening at the theatah.

My blog also turned twelve on April 20, though I failed to note the fact. Sorry, little blog!

May:

Amazing woodworking show. A walk with Star and drinks with Monica in Little River. Birth of an orchard. An early birthday celebration for Megan. A delightful dinner with delightful friends. The end (almost) of the decayed old hot tub. Needless to say, the motor is still there. Megan’s actual birthday, complete with a hand-made picnic table and a daring cliff rescue, both courtesy of our intrepid brother.

June:

Birthday baseball in beautiful San Francisco. Impressionists on the Water at the Legion of Honor. Back home for my birthday BBQ. Monica’s birthday party.

July:

A cavalcade of health problems: Megan’s flu; Jessica’s broken leg; Clyde’s mystery illness. Everyone on the mend. Thinking about summers past. The truth about Schatzi. Wedding plans and peaches.

August:

A lovely stroll with Star and my sister. A frantic Friday. Clyde meets the mysterious Slobber Monster. Megan takes care of the patient. The devastating loss of our much loved Schatzi. A day at the beach with Star. The twelfth anniversary of our adored father’s sudden death. I will never stop missing him until I catch up with him. How to make a really expensive peach pie. A beautiful, joyous wedding. A surprise in the mail – and at the door.

September:

Celebrating our incredible brother’s birthday. A long drive to Reno. Enjoying the spa. Back home in the fresh air! Megan’s last gift to her beloved girl. The County fair. The wonder of a south coast safari. A look around a delightfully eccentric local town.

October:

Last minute car repair before heading to San Francisco. My divorce becomes final as I drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. A soirée in the Village. Audrey does not enjoy her visit to the vet. A local landmark reopens. An epic journey to Los Angeles. The delights of Santa Monica. The glamor of Hollywood. A fascinating tour of downtown LA. A virtual walk with Megan and Star at Big River.

November:

A happy Halloween. A quick trip to Atlanta. The delights of Hockney and Bulgari at the De Young – not to mention the view from the top. A late season barbecue with family and friends. The beginning of the end of Miss Scarlett. Thanksgiving preparations.

December:

Thanksgiving recap. A conference starring my boss. So proud! A long and busy day. The end of the road for Miss Scarlett. ~sob~ Of frozen pipes and Christmas trees. Puppies! And meeting Stella. A surprise dinner and a play for our nephew, Jarrett. A brand new (well, to me) car! Working hard – or hardly working? A merry Christmas.

Thanks for coming along with me on another year of adventures, great and small. I wish you all a joyful and healthy new year!

It’s been a strange winter. We had storms and power outages much earlier in the season than usual, and last night, we had one much later than usual.

I woke up around midnight when the power went out. Even though it’s always quiet here, I guess the sudden total silence instead of the humming of the refrigerator and other accoutrements of civilization is noticeable, even in sleep.

I could hear the wind howling – later, I learned that it was gusting up to 45 mph, and in San Francisco, they closed the Great Highway since the winds were so high – and the much-needed rain coming down. The rain seemed much louder without the ambient house humming.

I lay there and thought about how I had just emptied out the emergency pails of water – if you don’t do this early enough in the spring time, they become breeding grounds for undesirables, like mosquitoes – and the fact that I could not grind beans for coffee in the morning. There was no leftover coffee to reheat, either. Between dark thoughts like this, the storm, the kitties’ extra naughtiness, checking the PG&E outage phone number for updates, and watching the hours dwindle on my glowing alarm clock, I didn’t get much sleep.

The power eventually came back on, though, so I was able to make coffee before rushing off to the pool for aquafit. I had to get out of the car and drag a branch out of the muddy driveway, and the road to the Big Town was littered with lesser branches and pine needles. The air smelled like Christmas from the fallen needles and battered pine trees, and the sky was clear blue as if nothing had ever happened.

Maybe it was all a dream.

Yesterday was the first official day of spring, or the Vernal Equinox as the scientifically and paganly inclined would have it. Here in Hooterville, it looked a lot more like winter than spring, being rainy, windy, and cold-ish.

It’s been a strange winter. We were slammed with storms early in the season, racking up six power outages by the end of November and so much rain that I had to empty it out of the flooded containers in the garden. I got tired of picking up the purple honeysuckle by the side of the house and just let it lie there dejectedly, waiting for Spring.

January and February were the driest ever recorded in California, and then the first day of spring was heralded with a mini-storm. Maybe it’s all part of the joy of climate change.

The second day of spring looks a lot more like Spring than the first day, sunny and breezy.

The calla lily my neighbor Jim gave me last year is in bloom:

The orchid is just beginning to blossom, making me glad that I kept hauling it inside when the overnight temperatures dipped to the freezing point or lower, which happened a lot this winter. Sunny skies mean starry nights, and starry skies are always cold ones, without clouds for insulation.

Today the PG&E meter reader stopped to look at it and smell it (it doesn’t smell like anything, unfortunately).

I meant to dig up the tulip bulbs and plant new ones, but one way or another it didn’t happen. The tulips were undeterred by this neglect – and possibly enjoyed the cold temperatures – since they sprung up and bloomed anyway:

The persistence of tulips!

Something funny, delightful, or beautiful that happened to me or charmed me or made me happy, each day.

This was inspired by my friend Julie, of Humboldt Herbals, who suggested writing these moments on a slip of paper and keeping them in a jar, then reviewing them at the end of the year. This is my lazy way of following Julie’s inspiration!

January:

1.

The beautiful, sunny drive to San Francisco through the ancient redwoods, past sleeping vineyards and blazing green fields.

2.

A prosciutto and fig sandwich on a walnut baguette, sitting at a sidewalk cafe in the sun, watching the crowds stroll past.

3.

The incredible car wash! My 16 year old car looks new again! Oh, and I got an iPhone.

4.

Hilarious email from a dear friend regarding the new iPhone:

“Hi Suzy, happy new year!!!

A tells me you got an iphone. If you are not allready competely addicted to it, you have still the possibility to get rid of it. Otherwise you will be a slave of that evil thing within no time.

It is probably not too late for you, good luck.

Love,

C.”

I could not stop laughing.

5.

Last night of enjoying the twinkly Christmas lights! At least until December. I have to admit I’m already thinking of next year’s – well, later this year’s – decorations.

6.

Waking up to a sunny morning with all the kitties in bed with me. Audrey let me sleep in for the first time in her entire life.

7.

Finally, a drive to work without being stuck behind slow people who refuse to pull over. Maybe the tourists have finally gone home.

8.

An unexpected lunch with my colleagues in the winter sunshine, reminding me both of how great it is to work with them and how great it is to live here.

9.

Grooving in the car to KISS.

10.

Happiness is a full tank of propane on a cold winter day.

11.

Do I have to pick just one thing? Got a fabulous haircut, picked up the fabulous Miss Jessica, and went to my sister’s house, where we made pizza and watched a Harry Potter movie.

12.

Swimming lessons started again!

13.

Sparkling white frost on a red rosebud.

14.

The exotic blue flash of a Steller’s jay wing against the dark trees.

15.

Sunlight flickering though the redwoods on a curve of Highway One.

16.

Treasures from the Louvre at the Legion of Honor.

17.

A glamorous blowout to start the day!

18.

Waking up to the voices of the wild parrots, and watching their green and red plumage flash by in a dawning sky.

19.

Hockey is finally back! Watching the Leafs beat the horrible Habs while eating leftover Thai food is pretty much the perfect evening. Especially when it’s followed by an episode or two of “Portlandia”.

20.

A glass of wine with my sister, aka my best friend.

21.

Locally made ice cream on a friend’s birthday, basking in the “Junuary” sun.

22.

The delightful German woman I picked up hitchhiking. She has been visiting here since the 70s, and says, “There is nowhere else on earth like it.” Agreed.

23.

Daffodils and winter jasmine.

24.

Hanging out with my sister and brother, admiring their orchard in progress.

25.

The soft swooshing sound of a raven flying overhead.

26.

The first full moon of the new year beaming silver through the skylight.

27.

Not a good day. But I’m glad that my brother, sister and I always have each other’s backs. No matter what.

28.

A spectacular pink and gold sunset, sweeping across the Big River bridge.

29.

Found my mother’s silver bracelets which I wear every day and thought I’d lost!

30.

Discovered jasmine blooming on the balcony. Looks and smells so beautiful!

31.

My friend’s son, who was born very prematurely on Christmas Eve, went home from the hospital today and is now at home with his parents and big brother. I am overjoyed for the whole family.

February

1.

The field across the road from the store, red with the sunset and dotted with happy cows.

2.

A drift of lilies of the valley, like snow in the winter green grass.

3.

Postsecret and coffee.

4.

A friendly llama peering through a rustic wooden fence. Good morning!

5.

Bought two beautiful wicker chairs from a lovely lady who owns a fabulous dog daycare. We have a date for wine and a garden tour in the spring!

6.

LUSH Avoshower to start the day. Finally, the delicious smell of avobath bombs for the shower!

7.

The soft sound of rain on the curved roof at night, and waking up to a sunny, sparkling day.

8.

A tune-up for the car. And a gel manicure for me (my first one ever)!

9.

Sharing Pixy Stix with Megan and Jessica on our way to swimming lessons.

10.

Putting the heat on in the 44 degree house and hopping back in bed to sleep for an hour. Then getting up in a warm house! Bliss! If only I could teach the cats to make coffee…

11.

A matched set of skunks sitting on my steps in the pre-dawn darkness, looking at me like they’re wondering what I’m doing there.

12.

Talking to a man who has made surfboards by hand for decades. He says each board has its own sound when it’s in the ocean surfing – singing its own surf song.

13.

Watching the ocean waves while filling up the car. A gas station with a view!

14.

An unexpected summer preview – warm, sunny, and about 70 degrees. In the middle of February.

15.

Bare feet on the sun-warmed wood of my front porch.

16.

Rising home from town with my sister in her husband’s old truck, filled with hay, library books, her dog Star, and love.

17.

Black birds against a clear blue sky.

18.

Dismayed tourist tween to hiking-loving parents: “But we were outside yesterday!

19.

Fruit trees decked out in their ruffled blossoms: pink and white.

20.

Waking up to Audrey cuddled up to me in bed. A first, but I hope not a last!

21.

Cosmos and a Sex & the City marathon with my sister. Girls’ night in!

22.

Lunch overlooking the sun-lit ocean, watching horses peacefully eating their own lunch in a seaside paddock.

23.

Watching my brother jump into the cold Pacific to raise money for Special Olympics (almost $1,000 for his team). I am so proud of him!

24.

Cuddling with Clyde and remembering how he snuggled up to me the first time I saw him. My little guy!

25.

The huge golden full moon rising in a sky full of stars.

26.

Golden sunset reflecting off eucalyptus trees. Almost home.

7.

Chatting with a Dutch student from the woodworking school. Sharing happy memories of Amsterdam.

28.

Warm enough to have the doors open, for the first time this year.

March:

1.

Hearing the frogs sing! It’s been the driest January and February in California in recorded history, so we haven’t heard the frogs much this winter.

2.

Found a very early rhododendron bloom – a flash of pink in the dark green leaves. Spring is coming…

3.

A perfect spiderweb, glittering in the sun.

4.

Calla lilies and orchids almost ready to bloom.

5.

“You aren’t a Christian woman, are you?” (I had bemoaned the conversion of the town’s one bowling alley to a chapel.)

6.

The golden haze of evening sunlight filtering through the trees in my rearview mirror.

7.

A hawk wheeling slowly in circles, close enough that I could see the feathers on the underside of his wings.

8.

Coffee with my sister, sitting by the fire in her little house.

9.

Finally getting my recipe binder organized. After all these years!

10.

A quiet Sunday with books and cats. What more could a girl want> Except a holiday Monday…

11.

Roscoe and Clyde touching noses as they pass each other.

12.

The silvery fog spilling across a sunny country road.

13.

Three little quail running across the dirt driveway like wind-up toys.

14.

My neighbor’s chicken wandering over for a visit.

15.

Walking with my sister and her dogs on the headlands.

16.

The calla lily my neighbor gave me is beginning to bloom. Spring is coming…

17.

Remembering my wonderful father on his birthday. I was lucky to have him as my father and friend. I love you, Old Bear.

18.

The peaceful cows grazing on the high, round hill by the bridge in Hooterville.

19.

A young girl emerging from the woods, riding a beautiful brown horse.

20.

The first lawnmower of the year.

21.

The PG& E meter reader stopping to admire my orchid – and seeing if it smelled like anything (it doesn’t).

22.

Hanging out laundry for the fist time this year.

23.

Rob joined Megan and me at swimming class! And Deborah was there, too. Really fun.

24.

Ran some Jehovah’s Witnesses off the property and threw pinecones at their departing car. Surprisingly satisfying – and totally immature.

25.

Two bunnies playing and chasing each other by the side of the road.

26.

My little cat Audrey sat on bathmat and had a bath while I put on make-up. Just two girls getting ready for our day.

27.

Sitting in the park across from the library, checking out the books I just picked up.

28.

One of our bees working on a peach blossom in my siblings’ new orchard.

29.

Watching Audrey chase a butterfly.

30.

Les Filles Rouges!

31.

Breakfast at Queenie’s Roadhouse, overlooking the ocean.

April

1.

First Giants game of the year!

2.

Reading with all the kitties on the bed with me.

3.

Aquafit! So much fun with the pool ladies. Best part of the day.

4.

Mom’s birthday. I am thankful for her gift of loving music and her watching over me when I drive. My parents were unusual, but I’m glad they were mine.

5.

Getting my hair highlighted and cut in Angelika’s garden studio.

6.

A drink with my sister at a historic bar overlooking the ocean.

7.

Planting new ground cover – blue and white Lithadora White Star.

8.

Golden morning sunshine after a night of storms and power outages.

9.

The smell of freshly cut grass and the warmth of the sun.

10.

Watching the Giants game with Audrey, the balcony door open and the birds singing.

11.

Finding a screen door for the balcony with my brother in law.

12.

Going out to dinner and a play with my sister!

13.

Set up the outdoor living room: two pale yellow Adirondack chairs and the two wicker chairs I bought from a neighbor this winter. And the new wicker and glass outdoor table. Ready for company!

14.

A quiet day before a busy week.

15.

Driving across the Golden Gate Bridge toward San Francisco in the spring sunshine.

16.

Doormen and taxis: how I love you!

17.

Walking around the old neighborhood in the sunshine. I was lucky to live in this beautiful city as long as I did.

18.

Home to the kitties with extreme take-out for dinner.

19.

Jessica’s birthday barbecue. She turned ten. She is awesome.

20.

Taking a few minutes from work to chat with a friend.

21.

A glass of wine on the sunny balcony.

22.

A beautiful sunny day that’s a sneak preview of summer!

23.

A guy spelling his name to me on the phone: “Know why my name ends in ‘ski’?”

Me: “No, why?”

Him: “‘Cause I can’t spell ‘toboggan'”.

24.

Driving home through the flickering golden sunlight.

25.

Came home to find the old, disused hot tub finally gone! Yay!

26.

A hard day. But my sister got me through the worst of it. So lucky to have her in my life…and right next door.

27.

Guy with green hair, wearing a top hat: “I love the fog. You can *feel* the negative ions in the air! It’s magic!”

28.

Clean towels! Washed in lavender and eucalyptus detergent and hung out to dry in the clean country air and spring sunshine.

29.

First day of my “new” (i.e., old) schedule – back to leaving at 4:00! Makes such a huge difference.

30.

An electric blue dragonfly alit on my hand.

May

1.

Heavy heads of heavily scented lilacs bobbing over the driveway. My favorite flowers. And they always remind me of my beloved Nana.

2.

The open house at the fine woodworking school. Truly amazing.

3.

Drinks at an oceanview bar with my sister and a friend. Wonderful.

4.

Do I have to pick one? A Saturday off! Derby Day! BBQ with my family! It was an awesome day.

5.

Sleeping kitties on an unexpectedly rainy day.

6.

My sister (and me) to the rescue. Glad we have each other to get through the bad times.

7.

Thankful for my family.

8.

Sometimes it’s like hanging out with friends instead of being work.

9.

A quiet day for a change.

10.

Farmer’s market with my sister – first of the season. And visiting a friend.

11.

Picked up my neighbor’s dog Luna on the Ridge and gave her a ride home. Such good company!

12.

Working in the garden. Things are blooming!

13.

Met a beautiful little 14 year old white and seal point Siamese cat. Love.

14.

Cuddling with a purring Roscoe in bed just before getting up.

15.

Passing my sister in the early morning: she on her way home from work, me on my way to work. Her wave and smile made my day happier.

16.

A good talk with my partner and friend. We are lucky to work together!

17.

A special BBQ with my family and friends.

18.

Lavender fog over a slate blue sea.

19.

Audrey stretching stripily in the sun.

20.

Wow. Dinner with the incredible Janice and her wonderful daughter Julie – who inspired this project – at the local Bistro. A memory to treasure.

21.

Coffee overlooking the Noyo Harbor.

22.

Stopping by to see my brother and catching up in the sunshine. I love him so much.

23.

Talking to a quilt maker about her journey from Mexico to the US – with her cats in the baggage car of a train.

24.

Bright pink and red geraniums in the shade of the house.

25.

My amazing sister’s birthday!

26.

Finally – a Sunday I can enjoy, knowing that I have Monday off!

27.

A surprise call from a beloved friend with the happiest news.

28.

The sky lit up with pink as the sun set, suffusing everything with a rosy glow.

29.

Watching Clyde climb up the side of the house as if it were a tree.

30.

The deep green smell of tomato plants.

31.

Drinks with the girls at the Little River Inn on a beautiful evening.

June

1.

Aqua Zumba with my sis before heading to work.

2.

Honeysuckle in bloom beside the kitchen door, filling the house with sweetness.

3.

The beautiful drive through the redwoods to San Francisco.

4.

My birthday! Celebrated with watching the Giants play the Blue Jays. In a luxury box, no less!

5.

Impressionists on the Water exhibit at the Legion of Honor. Breathtaking.

6.

Home again with the kitties.

7.

Drinks with my sister in the garden.

8.

My family birthday BBQ.

9.

Hummingbirds buzzing around in my fuchsias.

10.

The smell of wildflowers and hay wafting into the car window.

11.

Catching up with my sister after I got home from work and before she went to work. I’m glad we live so close by.

12.

The flash of a blue jay’s wings as he flew across the road in the morning sunlight.

13.

Cuddling with Roscoe before getting up in the sunshine.

14.

Watching the cats playing through in the sunshine through my shower window. Yes, there’s a window *in* my shower.

15.

Learning about the history of this beautiful place from a third generation resident. The past fascinates me, always has.

16.

Remembering my beloved father and best friend on Father’s Day. Love you always, Dad.

17.

Mixing it up at aquafit.

18.

Pink roses rambling over an old wooden fence.

19.

Sunlight slanting through green leaves.

20.

Hanging out with my sister after not seeing her for a week. Even if it was at the vet’s!

21.

First day of summer! A beautiful day.

22.

Lemon sorbet on a sunny summer day.

23.

Monica’s birthday party!

24.

Glad to see the out of season rain!

25.

Getting a little tired of the out of season rain. But at least I won’t have to water the garden for a couple of days.

26.

Glad to see the sun!

27.

Rescued a hummingbird who found his way into my house but couldn’t find his way out. It was wonderful to see his iridescent plumage shining as he zoomed away.

28.

Erica and Jessica! And an amazing birthday gift.

29.

A cool outdoor shower on a hot day.

30.

The smell of wildflowers, cut grass and the ocean through the open car window.

July

1.

Happy 22nd anniversary to my amazing sister Megan and her wonderful husband Rob! Here’s to the next 22 years – and the next!

2.

Happy birthday to my beautiful niece Cat! And to my beautiful cat Audrey!

3.

Rescued a bird from Clyde. It flew away! So happy.

4.

Fourth of July BBQ with family and friends.

5.

A blue butterfly flittering in and out of the slats of the balcony in the summer sunshine.

6.

Dare I say it…the heat tsunami of the past week and a half seems to have finally abated.

7.

Sold a $700 painting!!

8.

A baby deer peeking out through the ferns.

9.

Bright, clear birdsong in the dark morning trees.

10.

Aquafit with my friends, then breakfast and a manicure. A perfect morning!

11.

Baking a peach pie.

12.

Drinks with Megan and Monica at Little River Inn. And running into some friends while we’re there.

13.

Hanging out with the kitties.

14.

The sun peeking through the silvery fog.

15.

A surprise bottle of wine. And an invitation to a birthday party.

16.

No waiting in line to get gas. A rare gift in tourist season!

17.

A baby foal in the paddock across from the store.

18.

Running into a friend at the post office.

19.

Watching the cats playing in the sun.

20.

Taking the day off to read and relax in the sun. Work can wait!

21.

Meeting my coworker’s adorable dog. A dog can make your whole day.

22.

A king is born! So happy for the Duke and Duchess!

23.

A beautiful old sailing ship at anchor in Little River.

24.

An elegant, elderly couple walking hand in hand down the street, engrossed in animated conversation. Clearly still in love.

25.

Helping my friends plan their wedding – after 25 years together!

26.

The silvery moon beaming down on the garden.

27.

A huge BBQ at my brother’s place with friends and family.

28.

The fuzzy little peaches on the trees my brother and sister just planted this year.

29.

A big, tough guy proudly walking his tiny, fluffy lapdog.

30.

The back window of a truck with “Test Dirt Do Not Warsh” traced on it. Wish I’d taken a picture!

31.

The propane bill was half of what I expected. Yay!

August

1.

A postcard day! My sister and I walked her dog Star on the headlands and poked around in the Village. It was a perfect day.

2.

A sliver of golden moon shining through the skylight.

3.

An art reception, with old friends and new.

4.

Happy horses in the pasture across from the store.

5.

Thankful for my sister’s help with Clyde, who was bitten by a mystery monster.

6.

Overheard in the post office: “He’s a bachelor – he stores his tires on the kitchen table.”

7.

My Clyde is beginning to look better! I can breathe again.

8.

Even when things are bad – and they are very bad – we have each other.

9.

Playing on the beach with Star. And driving home with her, listening to Springsteen.

9.

A family of deer standing by the side of the road. Adorable!

10.

A soft pink bank of fog resting on a silver sea on a summer morning.

11.

The evening sea sparkling in my rearview mirror.

12.

Going to a birthday party for a friend who is developmentally challenged. It’s great to see how this community has supported him and how much people genuinely care about him.

13.

Flocks of flaunting pink Naked Ladies by the side of the road.

14.

My landlord/neighbor is finally home after a year of working on the opposite coast. So glad he and his family are back!

15.

The orange cat actually took a few steps into my house today!

16.

Dinner with my sister and our friends in beautiful Anderson Valley.

17.

Good news: my dear friend is having a baby girl in January!

18.

Remembering my father and best friend on the day we lost him, 12 years ago.

19.

Welcoming home my landlord and his family after they were gone for a year. So glad they’re back!

20.

An extra day off during the week since I worked an extra day during the weekend.

21.

A beautiful pink and gold sunset.

22.

White daisies spilling down a dark hillside.

23.

Babysitting my friend’s son with my sister. Everything is more fun with her there!

24.

A beautiful wedding of two people who have been in love for a quarter of a century and now can finally marry. A joyous occasion indeed.

25.

Gordon Lightfoot and late summer sunshine.

26.

Pink, sunny dawn over the dark trees.

27.

A wonderfully fit elderly lady in full running gear, jogging gracefully beside the road, with a chiffon scarf covering her hair. Wonderful!

28.

A surprise gift certificate – I’m going to Reno!

29.

Rob came by and put up the new kitchen lamp – it looks so much better!

30.

Even a day of errands is more fun with my sister.

31.

A birthday BBQ for my amazing brother.

September:

1.

My brother put a new battery in my car so I’d be safe on my road trip to Reno, which starts on his birthday. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful brother!

2.

The smell of low tide and wildflowers – reminds me of childhood in Maine.

3.

Happy birthday to my amazing brother! I am so lucky to have him in my life.

4.

In Reno after epic drive yesterday. I have a feeling I’m not in Hooterville any more…

5.

A luxurious day at the spa. Heavenly!

6.

Back home with the kitties. I missed them so much!

7.

A family of deer grazing by the firehouse.

8.

Silvery fog pouring down Big River from the ocean.

9.

The smell of low tide, wild flowers, and hay.

10.

Roses in bloom on the balcony.

11.

Meeting a friend at the store and catching up.

12.

I’m glad to help my sister, even when it’s sad.

13.

Going to the county fair with my sis – and seeing all the ribbons our friend won!

14.

Hummingbirds and bees buzzing in the garden.

15.

The kitties following me while I watered the garden.

16.

Audrey slept with me all night! She never does that.

17.

Apparently, I was wrong. All three kitties slept with me last night. I loved it.

18.

Rob’s birthday! I am so proud of him and glad he’s my brother (in law).

19.

Plants for the vintage plant stand on the balcony. They look great!

20.

A south coast safari with my sister.

21.

Incredible Thai food – within the County!

22.

Meeting up with a friend in the Village.

23.

Unexpected and welcome early rain.

24.

Spectacular surf and spray on the ocean this morning.

25.

An enthusiastic greeting from Ginger, the postmistress’ dog.

26.

A delightful event at the beautiful Heritage House.

27.

Hanging out with my sister and brother in law. I love them so much!

28.

Thankful for our wonderful vets and their staff.

29.

A lone seagull swooping over the Big River bridge.

30.

If your car has to break down, it’s good to have it happen in your own small town.

October

1.

A sunny morning and a car that starts. What more could a girl want?

2.

I’m finally divorced!

3.

Waking up to a sunny San Francisco. A great meeting with my boss. A really good day.

4.

Home with the kitties on a beautiful day!

5.

A text exchange with my sister:

Me: I always have fun with you.

Megan: Me too! You really are my best friend.

Me: Back atcha! You caught up with me all right! [I am 9 years older. When she was little, she always said, “I’ll catch up with you one day. You’ll see!”]

Megan: I told ya.

Me: You passed me though.

Megan: Not even. We walk hand in hand. That’s the beauty of our friendship.

6.

A wine tasting party with friends.

7.

Being a tourist in the Village on a beautiful day.

8.

Birdsong and acrobatic cats.

9.

A bag full of new library books!

10.

Got my hair cut and highlighted by the wonderful Angelika. I always have such a great time with her.

11.

Walking the dog with my sister on the headlands.

12.

The girl in the car ahead of me brushing her hair and putting on make-up while driving Highway 1. And they say texting is dangerous!

13.

The eternal ocean.

14.

The sun gleaming on Star’s fur.

15.

Yellow Dog still looks for his lost friend. It breaks my heart but it’s sweet at the same time.

16.

Sun flickering through the trees.

17.

Whoever invented vodka is my hero. Along with the inventor of the mute button and taxis.

18.

Beautiful Santa Monica Pier on a beautiful, sunny day.

19.

Me to Sephora clerk: “How do you live with this traffic?”

Sephora clerk (with Scots accents): “Medication, darling. Medication.”

20.

Seeing the great Brian Wilson with Al Jardine under the stars at the Greek Theater.

21.

Waking up in my own bed with all the kitties.

22.

Catching up with my sister.

23.

Working in the garden.

24.

A hot shower on a cold morning.

25.

Back at work with my friends. Good to catch up.

26.

Hanging out with my sister.

27.

The work is finally done on the bridge! No stop lights for 20 miles now. 🙂

28.

Saddened by the loss of Lou Reed, but thankful for his music and legacy. A true legend.

29.

The golden morning sunlight shining through the eucalyptus trees on a curve in the road.

30.

Sunlight shining through my glass wind chime.

31.

Trick or treating with Jessica as part of her auntourage.

November

1.

Warm enough to have the doors open.

2.

Morning bird song.

3.

Goodbye, little house! I’ll miss you!

4.

Long day but went well.

5.

Back in San Francisco!

6.

Finally home.

7.

Woke up in my own bed on a sunny morning.

8.

Watching the cats playing in the sun.

9.

An unexpected jasmine flower.

10.

Taking the day off – from everything.

11.

Remembering my wonderful grandfathers who fought in WWI – and lived to tell the tale. And those who didn’t.

12.

Lou Reed.

13.

Cuddling with my Clyde.

14.

Sunshine through the red leaves of a Japanese maple.

15.

A late season BBQ with family and friends.

16.

Puppies!

17.

Warm kitty fur against cold bare feet.

18.

Unexpectedly running into a friend on my way to work.

19.

A good time at the pool.

20.

Warm enough to be outside without a sweater!

21.

Amaryllis and paper whites – hope to make the winter brighter.

22.

Grateful for my family when things go wrong.

23.

Even errands are more fun with my sister and Star.

24.

Puppies!

25.

Facing my fears. Still afraid, though.

26.

Sunlight on the Pacific.

27.

Even though Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I’m feeling pretty thankful for my family right now.

28.

A beautiful, sunny day and the best friends and family in the WORLD. And all over it!

29.

My brother made soup for us all.

30.

Craft fair with Megan and Jarrett.

December

1.

City lights in San Francisco.

2.

Waking up to the foghorns.

3.

Spending time with my colleagues/partners. So proud of them!

4.

Back home with the kitties.

5.

Behind my co-worker on the highway and my brother in law on the Ridge. Love small town life!

6.

The delicious smell of freshly ground coffee.

7.

The cats playing in the sunshine, the sun gleaming on their fur.

8.

The frost looks like snow!

9.

The Christmas tree and its twinkly lights.

10.

Christmas cards – sending and receiving.

11.

The shadow of the ficus tree on the curved ceiling in my house.

12.

Surprising our beloved nephew and his wonderful girlfriend with a birthday dinner.

13.

Enjoying a play at our local theater.

14.

The golden afternoon light through the dark trees.

15.

A brand new (well, to me) car!

16.

A beautiful drive down to the south coast.

17.

Orcas chasing a pod of dolphins in the wild Pacific.

18.

Lunch with my awesome coworkers.

19.

A quiet day with the kitties.

20.

Went with my sister to pick up her foster dog, Stella!

21.

Stella came by work and charmed all the visitors.

22.

A spectacular sunset. The lack of rain is worrying, but the sun is lovely.

23.

Re-reading “The Box of Delights” and remembering my father, who used to read it to us at Christmas. Love you, Dad.

24.

Filling stockings…merry and bright!

25.

Still happy it’s Christmas, even though we’re celebrating tomorrow.

26.

A wonderful Christmas with my wonderful family!

27.

Chirping birds and singing frogs.

28.

Rescuing a mouse from Roscoe.

29.

An absolutely wonderful 50th birthday party for a friend.

30.

San Francisco. I will never stop loving you.

31.

Happy new year’s eve, everyone! Here’s to a great 2014!

Farewell, 2012

It’s really fun going back and seeing what happened during the year, even if it wasn’t that great a year, like this one. Pay cuts and grand jury summons do not make for a good year. Hopefully the new one will also be improved.

Power outages: 6, including one in October due to someone driving into a power pole at 8:30 am – go figure – and two from a big storm in late November.

Rainfall: 24.20 inches for the season so far, vs. 11 inches this time last year.

Books read: 103 (vs. last year’s 118). Working more means reading less.

Favorites this year were Damien Echols’ astonishing, moving memoir, Life After Death; Gillian Flynn’s clever Gone Girl; William Landay’s surprising Defending Jacob; James M. Cain’s just-discovered final novel The Cocktail Waitress; Jess Walter’s Beautiful Ruins; and the beautifully written and moving Stoner (it’s not what you think).

Trips to San Francisco: 3. I went 4 times in 2011, but one of those was to keep Megan company while Rob endured more spinal surgery, so that doesn’t really count. I’m starting the new year off right by heading to San Francisco tomorrow morning for a few days to meet up with my boss/partner and make some plans for the future. And maybe do some shopping…

As for this year:

January: Hockey, Suzy-style. Little did I realize there wouldn’t be any when October arrived. Or December, for that matter. The case of the ransomed Christmas cards. Ordeal by utility company. Technological difficulties. Why I’m here. Outs & ins. One man’s trash…an unexpected visitor.

February: Cops and a movie! Third power outage of the season. Musing about one grandfather…and another. Coffee break. Finally, a break for Rob! In which our heroine learns that she is just as annoying as everyone else. Maybe more. A surprise wedding.

March: Small town moments. Home repairs. A visit with Jim (and other things). Dad’s 81st birthday. A date with my family. Getting a jump on spring. Suzy the screwup. Surprise present!

April: Megan’s new (to her, anyway) car! Mom’s 80th birthday. Spring planting. A rainy trip to the City. Impersonating a responsible adult. San Francisco storm. A lovely last day in the City. Jessica’s ninth birthday. The arrival of Digit, the Office Cat. Kitty update. A girls’ day out. With my favorite girl.

May: A new (well, to me) couch! My 12th blogaversary, among other things. Festive. A dilemma. License to drive. Scarred for (or by) life. An eclipse, and other things. Rob’s epic trip to see his Mother one last time. My considerably less epic trip to San Francisco. Farewell to Rob’s Mother.

June: A magical evening with the Beach Boys. Fabulous fifty! An unexpected trip. Birthday party. Dilemma solved. Birth of a garden. A wonderful tour of artists’ studios. The arrival of my first (and I hope only) subpoena.

July: A belated and fabulous birthday present. Erica and Jessica are back! My first crown. Sadly, not the Queen kind, though almost as expensive. The looming trip to Detroit makes my humble home look like paradise. The unlovely itinerary. The trip does not go according to plan. Finally in Detroit. Court of horrors. Home at last. Changes at home and at work. Time for an engine check. The neighbors stop by. A snake in the grass. I mean, house.

August: A quick trip to San Francisco. The splendid pool reopens. My 2,000th blog post. And Roscoe’s mystery injury. A lousy day with a better ending. The 11th anniversary of Dad’s death (post won’t link; it’s August 18). A new home for the adorable Digit (who is very happy there). First day at the new office – and more car problems.

September: The money fairy stops by. First foray into retail, and an update on Digit. Two very sad losses for two very dear friends. A fabulous County Fair. A check up for the Schatz. Could, woulda, shoulda – or not. Appreciating the simple things.

October: A small town moment. A very special event. A great evening with family and friends. Swimming lessons resume. Now with Jessica! The 15% pay cut rears its ugly head. So does winter. An eventful day. The Giants win the World Series again! Oh, and we go to the circus.

November: A happy Halloween. The President is, thankfully, re-elected. This campaign was brutal – I can’t believe we have to go through it again in four years. But I won’t think about that now. A beautiful way to remember. An evening at the theatah. A look around the garden. Some new beginnings. Getting ready for Thanksgiving. A wonderful Thanksgiving. Jarrett adopts the World’s Cutest Puppy.

December: Christmas decorations. Church concert. Getting ready for Christmas. A happy holiday. Lighting up the night.

Thanks for joining me for another year of adventures. I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!

Right before I left for the jobette this morning, the power went off and on a couple of times, and then off. I called PG&E on my cell phone, and was unfortunately the first person to report the outage on this dark and stormy day.

The Ridge’s ditches were full of water and the road all the way to the Big Town was scattered with fallen twigs and even branches. The storm is supposed to go on for next few days, so I may need to borrow my brother’s extra generator.

I called to check on the status of the outage and the recorded voice was discouraging due to “widespread power outages” and said to prepare for extended periods without electricity. At the jobette, they said not to come in on Saturday, since no-one will come in during a driving storm, and it looks like the road will be flooded and closed, so we won’t be able to pick up Jessica and go swimming, either.

At least I can enjoy the warmth and light at the jobette for now.

[Update: Power is back on! And I have a generator and two full cans of gas, thanks to my wonderful family. We are slated to get more storms over the next few days, so I may need them. Stay tuned!]

It’s a blustery day here in Hooterville – the kind where the wind chimes sing merrily of power outages, and you wake up to find that your purple honeysuckle has been swept off its feet. I will need to borrow a cup of Rob, like I did a few days ago when the sliding glass door in the studio came off its moorings. Fortunately, the glass didn’t break, and Rob was able to reinstall it by the light of the silvery flashlight, but I’ll use one of the other four doors for a while…

Thanksgiving is approaching rapidly, and we have a couple of new reasons to be thankful.

One Saturday when I was at the jobette, Monica stopped by so I could meet someone:

It was the world’s cutest puppy! I fell pretty hard for Daisy Davis Pit Bull Rescue’s latest member, and I posted pictures of him on Facebook to try and help find him a good home. Imagine my joy when our nephew* Jarrett adopted him! Jarrett will be here for Thanksgiving and will pick up the puppy then. I can’t wait! And I’m so glad that I will get to watch Archimedes grow up.

A couple of weeks ago, a small, starved, mangy-looking kitty turned up at our brother’s place:

We estimate that she is somewhere between 6 and 8 months old. We have no idea how she got there – Jonathan lives alone on 68 acres, and across the street is a further 100 uninhabited acres – but somehow, she found him. He’s been catless and dogless for a long time, so it’s a win-win.

I hesitated to post about it before, because it took a long time to get close enough to pet her and get her to come inside for the night, and we were all afraid that she would take off and take our hearts with her. But fortunately, she is enjoying the food and the pets, so we’re hoping that she will be a permanent member of the family.

She has the loudest meow and purr, sometimes both at the same time. She’s quite the character.

*We have known Jarrett since he was four years old. He and his Mom lived on a boat at Pier 39, as did Megan, Rob, and Jonathan. They took the fatherless kid under their wings, and he lived with Megan and Jonathan during his last two years of high school, like Megan did with me.

Following Sunday’s power outage, there was another one on Monday. Apparently Sunday’s was caused by a driver mistaking a power pole for the road, and Monday’s by some kind of fire, though no-one I know in our local fire department (including my brother and my co-worker Erin’s husband) had heard about the fire. Either way, I had to re-set all the clocks I had re-set the day before, and now the one in the living room is on that annoying military time, which I hate. Nothing is worse than being forced to do math in your own home for no reason.

The power wasn’t the only utility to go on strike this week. When I got home from the jobette on Tuesday night, there was no water. Hmm.

Megan was already at work and Rob wasn’t answering the phone, so I called Zach, Mark’s brother-in-law and my neighbor. I realized that I still don’t know who to call when things need fixing in Mark’s extended absence. Zach came over and volunteered to look for Rob. Eventually, he found him, and Zach reported back that Rob fixed the well (needless to say, I never understood the technicalities of the stoppage) but it would take a few hours for the well to fill up and water service to be restored.

Normally, this wouldn’t be too much of a problem, since the Brita pitcher was full and there are several emergency bottles of water in the studio. But on that particular evening, I was in somewhat desperate need of a shower.

Erin has taken over the retail side of the jobette, and has made it look more fabulous every day. That day, a couple of carts – wheeled wooden things to display stuff for sale – arrived fully assembled. The total weight was 940 pounds. The delivery guy left them in the alley and bailed, leaving is with almost a ton of problems.

Erin quite reasonably expected that the carts would arrive disassembled in boxes, instead of assembled on huge wooden pallets. We unwrapped them and tried to wheel them through the delivery door. Nope. The wheels made them too wide. We rolled/dragged them to the front door, where they could fit through the double street doors, but not the inner door.

We were going to have to disassemble them and reassemble them.

So we did. We eventually got the first one inside, but the second one had a couple of stripped screws that made it impossible to remove the legs to get it in the door. So we left it in the foyer, put up the “Closed” sign, and locked it in for the night.

My morning’s shower had long worn off by then, and I had a conference call scheduled for 6:30 the following morning. Instead of being able to have a shower when I got home, I had to get up extra early to do it, when the well had re-filled. Waking up with yesterday’s mascara ringing my eyes gave me a curiously youthful feeling, as if I had fallen asleep after clubbing all night instead of dragging around unwieldy pieces of furniture.

By the time I arrived at the jobette the following day, the guys from the Skunk Train were already removing the offending piece of furniture, so all was well that ended well.

Note: The post below was interrupted by a power outage, literally out of the clear blue sky. I guess I was overly optimistic about the rest of the day being better than the morning.

I’m doing laundry before I go to the jobette. It’s a sunny day and I want to hang out laundry while the sun shines.

It’s already been quite the morning, and it’s not even 8:30. First the Clyde-defying shelf under my painting liberated itself, bonking me on the head and hand. I had those little cartoon birds and stars flying around my head while I wondered what happened.

While I was wondering, Clyde came running in with a dead bird in his mouth. I shooed him out and closed the door behind him.

The rest of the day should be better, right?

Yesterday, I sold more than $80 worth of stuff to unsuspecting tourists, a personal best so far. I also answered some unusual questions, such as where to buy underwear. You never know what will happen at the jobette.

When I was finished answering questions and selling things yesterday, I went to my brother’s place for a BBQ with our visiting friend, Paul. We have known him for 20 years, ever since he, Jonathan, and Megan and Rob were living on boats at Pier 39. He’s more like family, and has made several appearances in my blog over the years. I wish I weren’t working so much during this visit. At least we had a great time last night.

Megan marinated a pork roast from the farmers’ market overnight, and then set it slow cook in foil over the BBQ. Meanwhile, she made salsa using the tomatoes, cilantro, and onions from the garden while Paul toasted fresh corn in a skillet with shallots and red peppers, adding lime and cilantro at the last minute. I told him he should sell it as “Roasted corn ceviche” in the Hamptons next summer (he is caterer to the stars). He also grilled onions and red peppers over the BBQ. Here he is, supervising the BBQ with Star supervising him:

We also had a guest appearance by Schatzi. Due to her brittle bones, she doesn’t often leave home where she might be bounced à la Tigger and injured. But yesterday, she decided that she wanted to come along, and happily spent the afternoon trotting around or napping on the hay:

Every day with her is a precious one now, and there can’t be too many BBQs left before the rains start.

The garden is dying back, though the tomatoes continue to rampage. The sweetpeas we planted for Dad still look beautiful:

In case you’re wondering, the blue tape marks Dad’s favorites, so we can make sure we plant them again next year.

These flowers, whatever they are, continue to flourish:

And these by the gate, which might be African daisies:

Paul is on his way back to San Francisco tomorrow, where he will visit his uncle and then head to Pasadena, where his daughter and grandchildren live. He said he will come back and see us before he flies back to New York to pick up his car and drive to his home in Florida for the winter. I’m hoping he will come back for Christmas.

One thing about being sick is that it gives you time to notice how your house is slowly descending into chaos around you. Dishes and laundry remained undone; dust and spiderwebs accrued at an alarming rate; gravel and pine needles drifted unchecked across the battered wooden floors.

I’d notice all this, and then just go back to bed and watch more mindless TV – surely the best thing about being sick.

Even though I was well enough to go to the jobette – and I worked four days this week, instead of my usual three – I still haven’t really addressed the Housework Situation. Maybe if I ignore it long enough, it will go away.

While the house was undoing its thing, other things happened.

I ordered and received a new coffeemaker. Online shopping is another activity that is suitable for the bedridden. In my weakened condition, it was even more annoying than usual to deal with the French press and its endless, messy grounds. So it was a necessity:

So was replacing my favorite lipgloss from Sephora, since the first day back at the jobette, I was shocked to discover that the tube was basically empty.

I’m never too sick to shop.

While I was shopping, Rob was fixing a hole (or two) in the laundry room/pantry/cat dining room (multi-purpose room?).

The one under the door (being inspected by Clyde):

And the one that was so useful during the great Booze Breakage of 2010:

The repaired door:

And the repaired drain:

We had a storm after the holes were repaired. I set the battery-powered alarm clock and made coffee the night before, just in case, but the power stayed on. In the morning, I realized that if the power had gone out, I couldn’t have used the generator. I used to thread the extension cord from the generator through the hole under the door and into the house, but now the hole (and its draftiness) are a thing of the past.

I mentioned this to Rob, and he is going to drill a hole in the wall near the generator for the extension cord. I’m hoping that we are past power outage season (I’m watching the first Spring Training baseball game between the Evil Empire and the Phillies, so the year has turned a corner), but we should still deal with it before storm season rolls around again.