Indy

Well - I don't have much to say about this week. Nothing like last week, that's for sure. Indy has never been a favorite city of mine, and I think it will stay as such.

I did go out to dinner with a friend of mine from Kripalu, which was really nice. Ashley and I spoke about Kripalu as if it were a dream, a good dream at that. I can't believe I was there only a few months ago - it seems like years. I miss the silence and calm, not my life at all these days. In fact, I've failed to continue my Yoga practice lately. I did teach one class this weekend, which reminded me of how much I love it and need it. I'm headed to Chicago this week, and hope to catch a few classes. It's so interesting to watch the changes in the body and mind. At the beginning of the tour, I needed to attend classes, couldn't keep my own private practice, a month ago I didn't need classes, I was more content with my private practice, now I feel like I don't have the time and don't need it (but I know I do). Yes, I've been travelling a lot lately, dealing with a mortgage and moving into my new home, but those are terrible excuses. I have a gift card for a massage, perhaps I need to get there. Massages tend to remind my mind that my body still exists and vice versa. Perhaps Yoga will then blossom again? (See, even Jason is doing Yoga and I'm not -- what?!!!)

Indy was a fine weekend. Rather slow for us. It was a rainy weekend. Friday night there were 3, yes 3 thunderstorms, and the rain just poured. I woke in the middle of the night and paced my room, worried about the tents, until I realized I couldn't do anything but get a rood nights rest and deal with the situation in the morning fully awake. What would I do, go to the site and hold down one of the 22 legs of our tents hoping it wouldn't blow over. (I've been known to do this before and it's just plain stupid.) I had to give my trust and faith to my crew and myself for setting the tents up well. Saturday morning we drove into Indy and the tents looked untouched, except for the shining white tops that practically blinded us all in the sun. The rain and wind last night were really unbelievable. They cleaned our tents better than we'd ever seen them before. The tents were standing strong, had barely moved but a few inches. I was relieved and reminded of my crazy pacing last night. Ah well. What the devotion to a job can do, right? ;)

We made it though yet another weekend with only a month and a half left. We're all becoming a little more like ourselves, I think. I'm a little wilder (as most people know me), Kerri is finally feeling like herself again, Jason is barking orders as always (but with more gusto since Lexi wasn't here this weekend) and Giovanni is more sarcastic (in a good way) than I've seen her before. We are having a good time again, and ready to rock it in Evanston!

Cape Cod

V A C A T I O N ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Could I hint at being any louder? ;)

I made it to my home on the Cape and slept like a rock for my first night. I didn't realize how tired I was until I got on the airplane heading away from work. It was a huge relief to know I was going away for a bit. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but it's a lot of work - so I was thrilled to be looking the other way for a week. And what better place to go then to my new home?!?!

Gosh, I just love it. I wake up early Monday morning to a cool breeze, the beautiful warming sunshine and the sound of a golf club nicking a golf ball into a green green field. Oh, how glorious!

I head straight to my local grocery store - exploring while I have a car. The rest of the week I'll be car less. My vehicle is at my mother's home to rest for the summer while I'm on the road with Kashi. On my way home, I make a visit to my new clubhouse to get my picture taken for my new membership card. And I make a lovely brunch of multi grain pancakes with maple syrup, cashew butter and local juicy strawberries while waiting for my dear father to arrive.

Late morning, we head into town, walking through Brewster, checking out the Yoga classes, the restaurants, the local main store, the beautiful flowers, and, of course, the inviting bay, which was at low tide. I'd forgotten what low tide meant on the bayside. We could walk what seemed like miles out to the sea along the sand. It was awesome!

I spent the afternoon cleaning and organizing while my father took a light summer nap in the sunlight on my new couch. We were getting acclimated to my new home. For dinner, we walk along the golf course path to my clubhouse, The Linx. Yummy!

Tuesday morning we wake up early to head to the bay to swim, and then over to the pool house, which is within walking distance to my condo. We drive over to the ocean side in the afternoon and find a little hidden cove to look at the shellfish. For dinner, we cook at home and then go out for drinks at a local bar to watch the All-Star game. I had no idea how popular the Red Sox were in Cape Cod until I walk into this bar. My father was overwhelmed with all the Red Sox poster, hats, socks, coasters, etc, (he's a Yankees fan). But we had a good time anyway watching the game, drinking some beer and listening to some live music.

Wednesday my father drive to S Yarmouth to pick up my lil' sis at her group home and I go for a bike ride. Oh my goodness! The best part of my condo is the bike path. The club is on the path, and I can take it all the way to both ends of the Cape. That's 60 miles of heaven. And what a beautiful path it is.

When Zanders arrives, my sis, the three of us spend the afternoon cleaning my condo, enjoying the space, swimming in the pool and sweating in the sauna. We have a nice family dinner from the farmer's market and watch a movie.

Thursday morning my father goes home and Z and I hop on the bike path. We bike for 3 hours! Come home for lunch, then take the free shuttle over to the bay. We swim way out in the bay and come back to the pool to hang out in the sauna and shower. When we make it home, we have a lovely dinner and watch another movie, while admiring the ship on my wall, which came with the house.

Friday morning a good friend of mine, Kyra of Braintree, comes down for the day, and Zands goes back home - taking her bike with her, promising she will bike more often. Kyra, my friend, and I explore the town a bit more and have some lovely fried whole-belly clam and lobster rolls along with fresh clam chowder from JT's, complimented with a glass of German Riesling - our favorite wine to share.

Friday night I am alone. But, boy is it quiet here. I take a lovely walk after dinner through some of the other villages. I feel very safe in my home, because there are so many condos around - over 900! But, it's so quiet where I live, I sometimes forget I'm surrounded by so many other people. So, I go for a walk. I'm not used to sleeping completely alone in a home, my own no less.

Saturday morning, my mother and step-father arrive. We do a little cleaning and then take the shuttle over to the bay where we witness a beautiful wedding on the beach and have a mojito at the terrace in the mansion. Gosh, it's just so beautiful here. While sitting on the terrace, I can look out on the bay over the trees. When we get home, we hop into the car and have dinner at the Northside Restaurant on Main Street in Brewster. A true find. I have unbelievably delicious lobster ravioli with clam sauce. Yum! Gosh the seafood is good here.

Sunday, we clean a little more and then head over to the ocean. My mother and I ride our bikes over to the ice cream shop in Brewster and then use our sugar highs to pedal over to the beach. We end up at Light House Beach and boy, is it amazing. The water is 60 degrees, the tide is low and the waves are perfect. We end up staying the whole afternoon swimming and laying on the beach, swimming again, and laying on the beach to dry. We go for a walk and watch seals dip in and out of the water.

After a long and final soak in the sun, we drive back toward Brewster, stopping at a fish market to purchase lobster. Oh wowsers! We buy 2 big, fresh and live lobster and drive home with a bag of moving bodies. Art and I pull them out of the bags, initially afraid of the little monsters, and then let them race outside in the grass. Ha! When we finally get them in the pot, my mother and I prep the rest of the meal. When we finally sit down, we toast to my new home over a bottle of champagne and start cracking shells and sucking meat. Gosh, I sound like a wild and crazy carnivore! I haven't had lobster since I was 8 years old in Maine. And boy, are they good and so messy.

Monday morning comes, my final day on the Cape, and my mother and I get down and dirty with the cleaning. I am ever grateful for how much my mother helps me. When we leave, that house looks spic and span! Wowsers! We did everything you could possibly imagine, and moved all my personal belongings into my shed so my renters would come to a home comfortable for their own lives. We finish the day with dinner at a local fish shop with crab rolls and ice cream, and then Art drives us back to their home in CT.

The next morning I start travelling at 8am toward NY, where my flight flies out of. My Grandmother lives in Westchester County, and I wanted to see her before I went back to work. I take her out for a lovely lunch and discuss the present and past. Although a quick visit, it's always a nice once.

I hop a plane back to work. Ah work...

I figured by telling you a day by day, you would understand what an amazing place I live in. And I hope someday you'll think about visiting me. It's worth the visit, I assure you!

Apparently, I missed the busiest event we've had yet in Ann Arbor and I also missed meeting some Kellogg's people, which I am disappointed about. But I did learn that I have some followers out there who read my blog weekly, and I just wanted to give a shout out to my new found followers in BattleCreek, MI. I think you know who you are. ;) Thanks for stopping by, and I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you.

It's funny, I sometimes forget that people actually read what I write. And to find out I have some weekly followers is very exciting and encouraging!

Hello to you readers and welcome to Sunie's life. Feel free to make comments anytime!

:)

Heading into Michigan

I'm a little due on my blog... so sorry. :)

I spent the week in Ypsilanti, MI while working on my closing for my new house and trying to rest for the weekend to come. I had the truck, so I couldn't really go anywhere.

I did it! I closed on my first home, July 8th, on my little sister's birthday. Almost a week later than it supposed to close, but better late than never. My mother and realtor called me up jingling the keys into the phone. Very exciting! Now I just can't wait to get there and live in it for a few days. And, perhaps, the rest of my life.

I went on a lovely nature walk while waiting out this whole fiasco, and saw beautiful swans and little ducks swimming around a thickly overgrown pond. Very peaceful and green. Just what I needed.

After meeting a few people at the hotel, who were thrilled to get some Kashi coupons for their wives, I headed to Plymouth for the Art Festival.

The event went well, but slower than I thought it would, because I was waiting to head out to my new home, of course. I hopped onto a plane Sunday night, arriving late in Boston, jumped into a rental car, and arrived at my new home at midnight on Sunday. I had to sneak to the back and reach into a bin filled with spiders where my mother left the keys for me. And I entered into a new era of my life...

Lisle, IL

Made my way from Omaha to St Louis to do the smallest refurb week in the history of the Kashi Day of Change Tour. :) Took me several hours as I wachted the temperature lower considerable while making my way to St Louis. It was much lovelier there. And I had a great ride stopping for bio-diesel and talking with my big sis, who's coming on tour with me for 2 weeks as a temp staffer near the end. We're both thrilled!

Once I arrived in St Louis, I picked up a delivery and headed over to a company that makes our graphics on our truck - we needed to change our list of stops on the back. We're half way through! Wow!

I ended up spending a bit of time in my hotel room in St Louis, but Kent (my first tour manager) came by Monday night and brought me out to dinner at a micro-brewery in St Charles. It was quite lovely. A small little town with brick roads and old buildings alongside a river. And, although I was busy with trying to get my loan settled for a Thursday closing, I spent most of my time alone reading. It was really quite lovely.

Wednesday rolled around and I picked Brandy to drive her up to Lisle, IL (just outside of Chicago). I was waiting for the phone to ring telling me whether I was approved or not. My mother was signing for me on Thursday and I needed to tell her whether she needed to drive all the way up to the Cape or not.

My loan company, Lending Tree, decided that I needed to send about 10 more documents, random things they should have asked me for in the beginning, and the underwriter decided I didn't qualify. WHAT?! So, they had to redo all the paperwork and change the loan amount, the interest rate and the points so I could qualify for the loan. Then they asked me to basically resend all my info in again. I was outraged, and not a happy driver.

By the time I got into Lisle, I was 30 minutes late for my site check because of traffic, which didn't matter, fortunately, and headed to my hotel to e-mail, fax and call Lending Tree back with all the information they decided they needed again. Craziness! We had our team meeting and headed to Lisle in the morning (my "closing" day.)

After a great set up, slow day, showing Dani, my boss from Relay around, and dealing with a loan that never was approved on my closing day because the underwriter screwed up the loan amount, so my poor mother is going to have to go home and then come back again on Monday (or whenever), I went to bed, exhausted.

It may be the buyers market for real estate prices, but it sure isn't the buyers market for people that can't pay outright and need a loan to help them along the way. It's been so stressful, and still isn't over. We couldn't close Friday because Lending Tree was closed since it was the day before July 4th. Blah!

We got through the weekend well enough. I got to teach Yoga quite a bit this weekend. It was nice to get back in touch with yoga again. I did a lot of back openers, so my spine felt like jelly when I went to bed. I had 2 girls stick with me through every single class on Friday. It was nice to have regulars at a festival.

Saturday, I took Lexi and myself over to a Henna tent at the festival and had henna tatoos done. Something I've been wanting to do for years! And it was lovely. Lexi's was a little more creative, but I liked it just the same. Notice my lovely picture. :)

Sunday we pretty much had the day off. Our first Sunday off since we started this tour. And we spent in royally. Giovanna left Sunday to take her vacation and Lexi, Jason and I headed to a cubs game to celebrate our Sunday off and Lexi's birthday, which was Saturday! Friday was Giovanna's birthday. And next week is Kerri's birthday. Can you imagine travelling with that many females and all are Cancers, except me? Craziness all around!

On to Michigan.

Central Time

Made it to Central time after a long drive from Seattle to Omaha.

The drive was gorgeous. Washington and Montana are lovely states. I took a little back highway through the end of Montana and I was the only person on the road for miles. It was awesome! Most of the time I was driving through empty land, no people or animals (that I could see). When I went through a little town a boy ran out to the end of his driveway and gave me the "honk your horn" signal, I was thrilled! And so was he. The horn on Brandy is just unbelievably loud. I love it. And that was one of the few things I wanted to do while on the road this year. Actually, I got to do it twice in one day. A lot can happen and a little can happen in 11 hours of driving in a truck in one day. :) I was driving on a major highway, and this little boy and mother were walking along a road right next to the highway. The little boy was pulling his arm down to sign "honk the horn!" When I did it, he jumped up for joy into his mother's happy arms. It was adorable.

I spent one night in Missoula, MT, where Lexi lived for a while and walked through the little town. It's in the middle of rolling green hills and lovely.

I stopped in 2 more random towns and even drove the truck up to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to see the chiseled faces of the 4 early presidents. It was pretty neat. And a crazy ride in a truck.

After 3 straight days of driving, I arrived in hot Omaha. It was 100 degrees every day. Ack! And we worked outside from 7 in the morning until 8 at night Friday - Sunday. It was crazy. But the event was awesome. People out here don't know much about Kashi and don't have so many recyclable bags. It turned out to be a great event. Even with the crazy hear!

Don't have much to say this time around... I'm in the middle of getting my loan straightened out. Supposed to close next Thursday and still don't have an approved loan. Craziness!

By the way, that's Dave, the Kashi guy, proud next to his yellow rented car. matching Kashi's colors. He swears he didn't request it! ;)

Pacific Coast

Monday, Kerri and I get up at 6am and climb into Brandy, our branded Kashi truck. We had to make an early start to get to the mechanics at 8am in Napa to have a brake-hose fixed underneath that has a minuscule leak. We managed to get there early and within an hour and a half we were out of there and heading to graphics place in Fairfield, because the right side of the truck was scratched from a tree branch. So, we spent 3 hours there waiting on that. But it turned out to be a great stop, because it was on a vineyard. The graphics company is based out of their home, so Kerri and I hung out on the grass, plucked and ate an orange from their orange trees, walked through their vineyard, played some bacchi ball, took a nap and I got to make tons of phone calls and send emails to Bank of America. The bank wouldn’t give me a straight answer, trying to find other reasons to decline me. My realtor thought it would be a problem that could be straightened out, but I had a feeling I was done with Bank of America. They wouldn’t even return my phone calls. I felt like a number, not a person. And I have a feeling they felt the same way about me. Plus, my interest rate was 4.25%! That’s unbelievable. I don’t think they wanted to give it to me.

By the time Kerri and I hit the road, it was early afternoon and Kerri started off the drive so I could sleep and try to get a hold of Bank of America. Kerri and I decided to stop in Ashland, OR. My darling friend Liz lives there, from my Kripalu Yoga teacher training, and Kerri was told to go there by one of our local temp staff in Portland. As soon as I woke up to sit behind the wheel, I got a call. Thinking it was from Bank of America, I took it even though I was in the middle of transitioning to the driver’s seat at a rest stop somewhere in Cali, and it was Joe from Lending Tree. He said he could close in 2 weeks and I didn’t even need a co-signer! I was thrilled, but, as you can imagine, rather skeptical, after what B of A did to me. So, I told him to call me in the morning, when I was still in a hotel, and I hoped. Kerri and I listened to “Home” by Michael Buble to send good thoughts toward my future home in Brewster, and arrived late in Ashland.

Ashland was lovely! Kerri found us an adorable bed and breakfast called the Iris Inn. The owner had wine on the table waiting for us and the her husband was a jazz musician that sang Michael Buble songs. We had a lovely conversation over wine and a Michael Buble serenade. After “Home” was sung to us, we walked to a restaurant. Greenleaf was this adorable little diner that had all organic food! I was thrilled. Where could you ever go to a diner that serves only organic and FRESH food?! I also found out that Ashland is the home for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and that the Rose Theatre just opened this past week for the summer season.

The next day, in between phone calls with Lending Tree and my realtor, Liz and I walked through the beautiful park, ate a lovely lunch at the cheapest co-op I’ve ever been to, and sipped some lovely wine at our bed and breakfast later in the afternoon. I still hadn’t heard from B of A, and decided to go with the Lending Tree. I got a decent deal (not as good as B of A offered a month ago), but am on my way to start a home loan application again, this time entirely on my own. No co-signer needed. I know how to do it this time around and have everything ready to go. So, it should be quick and painless. But don’t use Bank of America! They’re awful, so unprofessional and forever on my black list.

That evening Kerri and I met at the box office to purchase rush tickets to Henry VIII, which was playing in the Rose Theater, got tickets for $29 as opposed to $75, and headed to a frozen yogurt place for dessert. Yum! The play was certainly a spectacle. We could see the stars above our heads as the sun set. The play wasn’t my favorite of Shakespeare's, in fact I didn’t know it at all, but the production was really outstanding. The costumes were just phenomenal. Kerri and I had a really lovely time.

Ashland was an excellent stop, so glad we did it. The town was like a dream, my favorite on the West Coast – where else can you get both my loves in one place – green lifestyle from food to fuel AND amazing theatre. What a dream!

Back on the road to Seattle on Wednesday. So much traffic, we couldn’t believe it. Traffic through Portland, random places in Washington State. I-5 is backed up at every turn on the West Coast.

We had a bit of a wild arrival in Seattle, because the hotel that said they would accommodate our trucks saw them and decided they couldn't. Most people are unable to comprehend the size of our trucks until they actually see them. So I drove all over downtown Seattle trying to find a Marriott (where we tend to stay) that could accommodate one truck. It was a long night. But, after the hassle was over by midday the following day, I met up with an old friend from Natural Gourmet. She took me to her new house (loan is from the dreaded bank of America), and we rode bikes into town for drinks and dinner. I was just shocked at the town. She lives in West Seattle, and it really felt like beach town. I felt like I had been plopped down in Florida somewhere, besides the beautiful views of the sound and mountains behind it. On the way back, we rode directly uphill for 30 minutes. It was exhausting, but reminded me how much I love to ride and can't wait for my new home on the Cape, which is right beside the bike path. It was good to see my friend. Break away from the Kashi ladies for a bit, and enjoy an outsider. ;)

The weekend was great. Although we had a rough start with Jason being gone, labor not showing up for 2 hours so us 4 women set up alone, the event itself was fantastic. I really love the Fremont Fair. I think it's the best fair of all the fairs we've been to. Everyone is ecstatic that Kashi is there, and the people parade around in their painted naked bodies. There is also a man that has a "Kashi" tent, named after a town in India, where I bought some lovely shawl/blanket for my new home. Such kind and cultures people.

Immediately following the event we tore down and I skipped town. I drove into the darkness in Brandy. I could barely make out the mountains' shadows because it was pouring. But still, this drive was gorgeous. I could smell and feel the mountains to the right and left of me as I climbed up and flew down the mountains. I ended the night in Ellensburg, WA. Got my reporting done and finally got a good nights sleep.

I'm so excited to start heading back East!

Half Moon Bay

After our super busy weekend in San Francisco, Liz and I headed to Half Moon Bay for 3 nights. It was lovely. HMB is a very small town, with few people, restaurants and houses. The main town was right beside the ocean, which had a lovely bike path along the cliffs.

We checked in to a lovely inn that was ¾ of a mile from the beach by the Ritz Hotel. Liz and I spent our 3 days hiking through the redwoods, walking and reading beside the ocean at the Ritz, visiting light houses and biking on the cliffs by the sea. We were tempted to go swimming, but it was a little chilly. The weather wasn’t so lovely, mostly cloudy because of the high hills between us and San Jose that were holding the clouds in, but the last day there was beautiful with bright sunshine.

I found an award-winning sandwich shop that served the best sandwiches I’ve had on their own homemade bread. Yum! Just about every day I had one for lunch. We ate our meals at some great restaurants. One was an all organic eclectic restaurant that had everything from Egyptian to Russian foods. We had dinner at a chowder place, where I had Manhattan chowda’. It was excellent, and they had their own homemade soft serve ice cream too. And our last day, I had a crab melt. I was told the best things to eat in Half Moon Bay were the Chowder and the crab, and, boy, were they delicious! Liz and I had a really nice time. It was so good for me to get away for a bit. Even though I was on the phone and email for work every hour, it was still nice to take a break from the Kashi mobiles. Camille, my caterer went to Dallas for the week and asked me to take her car while she was gone. No problem. :)

I parted ways with Liz, and on my way back to pick up Camille at the airport, I stopped at the Avalon Yoga Studio for another anusara-inspired yoga class and my bi-weekly trip to fed ex to mail the passports that I collect at the festivals back to Kashi.

Once I arrived in Novato, I was happy to have my own room back and catch up on my sleep. Friday afternoon we cleaned the tents at a self-serve car wash and I did a site check. On my way back to the hotel for our weekly crew meeting I got some terrible news. Bank of America, the loan I’ve been depending on for my home in Cape Cod was declined. The underwriter contacted me via email to let me know that they only give loans for condos if under 20% of the properties within the condominium complex are rented out, and, in my case, 60 out of 69 are rented. That's way over 20%! I was distressed, given that I close in less than 3 weeks, and I’d already been working with Bank of America for a month and a half on this loan. Plus, my loan officer was aware of the situation and never said a thing. Plus, they had me sign a letter saying that I was not speaking with any other bank about this loan 2 weeks ago. Then the underwrited tells me on a Friday afternoon, so he didn’t have to get back to me until Monday. So frustrating! I spent the evening tossing and turning, trying to figure out what to do. The next day, I told Camille (my caterer) and she recommended Lending Tree. So, I applied Saturday, after finishing an 18 hour day, then waited and hoped.

As for the event, it was pretty slow and the people in Novato are very forward thinkers- already have many green bags, take yoga, cook healthy foods and eat tons of kashi. It was really nice for the crew to talk with such easy customers. People were very polite and there to take it easy. So, we had a pretty good event. We set up at 6am on Saturday and tore down on Sunday at 7pm. I am so happy to be finished with California this year. Just one step closer to the East Coast.

Off to Seattle, our last stop on the Pacific!

Northern California again

This week was an interesting experience. I picked up Liz, a friend from Pomona, at SFO and headed to Harbin Hot Springs for 2 nights in Middletown, CA. It wasn't what we expected. Nothing like Sierra Hot Springs, although they are sisters. Harbin was packed with people, mostly men. It felt like a business rather than a place to relax. Thank goodness Liz was with me. We spent some time in the springs, dipping from hot to cold, hot to cold. And we ate some delicious food, watched the deer outside our window and went on a beautiful hike. But the energy there wasn't good. Due to the amount of people, it felt like a zoo full of naked bodies vegging in the sun and water. We stayed anyway, and used the baths as needed. But when we left, it was like a heavy weight lifted off of us. As Liz says, it's one of those places that you don't realize how strange the situation is until you leave. So, we spent my last day off this week in San Francisco instead of Harbin.

Now, most people I know say they love San Fran, but I just don't understand it, never have. It's just busy and dirty to me. It has some wonderful restaurants and I enjoy driving the streets that go up, flatten, up, flatten, up, flatten, etc. But I just don't see the draw. It's usually cloudy or foggy and pretty windy and chilly. We walked the city for several hours and went in to the art museum at Golden Gate Park, which was tiny. After just a few hours, I was ready to get out of there.

The event went well. We were extremely busy. It was definitely one of our busiest events yet, and we didn't have enough local help - so taking a real break was impossible for me. Anytime I ran to the bathroom, I came back to someone needing something. The weekend went well, all-in-all, but I would never want to work that weekend again. Kerri reminded us that we were so crowded because we were working on a little street with little space. A street, 2 sidewalks and lots of shops. I never really noticed how tiny city streets were until this event. We had huge lines waiting for bags and samples. Lots of people tried to sneak away with one as we were making them in the back. Most people were polite enough, but each person expected the royal treatment (aka. get a free bag without taking the "Little Step"). The Taste Here Tent was filled from open to close - so many people came back from the first day to eat more. It's really amazing to us how much people eat and what the meaning of "samples" is taken as. Liz, my friend, worked for us as local staff and she had some interesting things to report. One being that hearing my job from my description as opposed to actually experiencing my job are completely different things. I won't go into details, but it was nice to be acknowledged for the work I do. I sometimes forget that I'm 100% responsible for how these events run. The amount of people involved in each weekend. And keeping everyone happy, including myself, from consumers during the event to event coordinators to Relay (my company) to Kashi. It's nice for me to acknowledge this for myself as well. To remember that I have been given this responsibility because I've earned it and, so far, each event has gone really well. My job is absolutely exhausting and can be very stressful, but when I step back, and acknowledge the whole idea of what we're doing, it puts a smile on my face. It's a lot of work, but it all goes toward something great. Changing the world one step at a time. :) My crew actually acknowledged my work this weekend, too. They must have known I needed it this week. They bought me a pair of owl earrings; I call myself an owl - my eyes are always wide open. It was very thoughtful and sweet. There's always hope! :)

What a fast week! I raced through the flat and dry land of Wyoming, through the storm of bugs in Idaho and into the lush state of Oregon. It was a long ride, but I made it safely into Portland. We ended up staying on the riverfront in downtown Portland, which was lovely. We could walk to the event site. I did the site check, and then had the next day to catch up on work and relax a little. I had the best massage I’ve ever had at AG massage. The massage therapist knew exactly what to do for me, and I walked out of there feeling calm and delicious. I walked to and from the massage beside the river, Portland really is a lovely little place.

A few hours later, we started set up. Our labor didn’t show, so it was just the 5 of us setting up in the dark. When we finally got to moving the trucks, the event coordinator had already gone home and couldn’t show us where to park. So, we ended up being told over the phone where to go – not the best directions I’ve ever gotten. Jason and I drove to the lot we used last year, and I sent the 3 girls in the branded truck, we call Brandy, to the grass, by two other trucks. They had to go under a bridge, which ended up being too low and they hit it. Oh, dear. Everyone was safe, if not a little shaken up. But I think we all handled the situation as best we could. Kerri and I got her in the shop early in the AM and we opened our tents to a very slow event. I was able to run around faxing accident reports in to the office, make phone calls about the situation and buy water and ice for the event. Our temp staff wasn't so hot either, but we kept a happy face. Gosh, everything seemed to be going in the wrong direction. So, we as a group subconsciously, made the decision that the best thing we could do was get some good sleep and make it through the weekend with a smile on our face. It worked out well, and we made it all in one piece, and ended up having a lot of fun at the Portland event. Dave (Kashi guy) and I borrowed a two person bike and rode around throwing free Kashi samples to people on the side walk, summoning them to come over to our tents. It was hysterical. I hadn't laughed that hard in weeks.

Kerri is hanging in Portland for the week, to wait on Brandy to be fixed and ready to go. Her Mom is coming to be with her in Portland. Giovanna and I are headed straight to San Fran to meet friends and family. And Jason and Lexi are headed to Crater Lake to do some back country backpacking and camping in the snow (crazy!). So, we ended on a good note, went our separate ways, ready for a few days off and a new week. We’ve been working without a day off for since Mountain View (2 weeks), and we’re all ready to take a breather.

I think this week just reminded us all that we are working and how important it is to keep a positive attitude. And, as my grandmother says, “this too shall pass.” We got through a hard week and are still in one piece, living and working together as a group content with where and who we are and ready to keep going. Our attitudes may have shifted a little about our job, but only by bonding us together a little more. And the fact that everyone was able to get through this situation with a smile on his/her face says a lot about the Kashi crew. In the end, it was a “good” week and proved what good team we have.

Back for Bolder Boulder

Spent the first day driving from Mountain View through California, into the Sierra Nevada’s on I-80, then through the entire state of Nevada. Lovely, lovely, lovely. And HOT! Whew! Both windows wide open, and I was still sweating. I always travel with chocolate (my new found love) and it was completely melted, like butter. Craziness. And the scenery, wow, absolutely stupendous. The mountains were steep, covered in snow and greenery. I found myself envious of the cows, eating the grass and watching the sunset over the mountains. Gosh. While I was passing through Reno, I confirmed my loan for my house, yay! (As you can imagine, through all of this Kashi business, I've been working through the whole process of buying a condo - which is even more complicated than buying a house.) After 13 hours in the truck alone, with one rest stop and two gas stops (the truck holds 80 gallons of fuel), I stopped in Salt Lake City. And even though it was dark, I could see and smell the thick, white salt all over the ground.

Spent the night with the Kashi family at a house in Salt Lake and headed out bright and early with Kerri to Boulder. The scenery through Utah was gorgeous, but Wyoming was dry and flat. Empty. The biggest stop in the state was “Little America.” There were billboards advertising the place 200 miles before and after Little America. When we got close, every ¼ of a mile had a billboard for Little America. And, it turns out, it’s just this tiny little place with a hotel and a truck stop. Wow! What a state Wyoming is. J As soon as we entered Colorado the ground became lush and the air a little moister and much cooler. Colorado is such a beautiful state. And the Rockies- breathtaking every time.

Oddly enough, when we arrived at the house we booked for the week, up Sunshine Canyon, it was wide open and a mess. Turns out, the owner thought we were coming the next day - so he apologized and cleaned for a couple hours with his 10 and 14 year old kids. The house is huge and a little bit eerie. It was dark and silent, and was a long night. Kerri was nervous, being from the city. The silence can be overwhelming if you're not used to it -and I feed off of fright, so our night wasn't the best spent. The next morning, the maid came in to clean, while I swung on a hammock. The owner felt badly about our arrival situation, so he gave the two of us a gift certificate to "The Med," which is supposedly the best restaurant in Boulder. We spent the day walking through Boulder, stopped at vgburger - the best organic fast food restaurant in America, had a delicious hemp chai and walked along Boulder Creek. We went to OmTime for a 6 o'clock Anusara class, and did some wild poses. What I really love about Anusara, is the spiral idea and the holding of postures. I always come out of Anusara shaking and feeling good, but vulnerable. I always have to be careful who I talk to and what I do immediately following the class. We finished off our night at "The Med" -- Mediteranean Restaurant. And oh my goodness, was it delicious. The ambiance was lovely. We waited to sit outside, because it was such a beautiful day, and the colors were outstanding. Everyone looked so happy and healthy. And the food was superb. We had a glass of Malbec from Argentina, fresh Prince Edward Isle mussels in a tomato broth, fresh olives, a lovely fillet of fennel encrusted halibut over sauteed spinach and garlic embedded in a cheesy risotto and a divine strawberry, apple crumble with homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Our waiter was a cross between Al Pacino and John Tutoro, and very good at his job. We spent the entire $100 gift certificate plus a some. What a way to spend a day in Boulder, Colorado!

Thursday, I went to Denver to visit my family. It was my Aunt’s birthday and my second cousin's (who was up from Louisiana) the next day, so we celebrated over a vegan salad made fresh by me and a vegan dessert. Yum! It was so lovely to see my family. They are such good people.

After heading back up to Boulder with my cousin Hampton, we had an afternoon set up and a little party out our house, including Alison, my boss who is leaving Relay, the crew, Dave, our Kashi guy (from the commercials) and friends and family. It was lovely. We're sad to see Alison go. The empty eerie house suddenly became full of life and warm.

The Boulder event was rainy the whole weekend, which is strange weather for Colorado. But, we somehow managed to give away tons of Kashi bags. This was the busiest event we've ever had. I couldn't believe it. The rain certainly didn't keep people away. The people in Boulder are so polite and happy. Few complained about waiting in line, in fact, most were happy to wait because they appreciated what we were doing. Such big Kashi fans in Boulder. It's always been my favorite event because of the Coloradans.

We also had a nice dinner on Relay to thank Alison for her work. It was a lovely surprise. I picked the restaurant, "Sunflower" in downtown Boulder. It was a delicious eco-friendly restaurant. I also got to go to an Oxygen Bar finally. I've been wanting to go for months. Kerri and Giovanna came with me. Notice the crazy picture above my head. Is that what was supposed to be going on in my body and mind while I was breathing in "Joy" O2?

My family came up for breakfast and a visit to the site on the final day. It's always so nice having family stop by, even if just a little while. A nice change of pace for me, and reminder of how awesome my job is.

Now, off to Portland, Oregon.

5th weekend in California

Giovanna, Kerri and I chose to rent a house in Berkeley for 3 nights.  The location was just beyond downtown, in North Berkeley on Sierra St, right off Sonoma, for those of you that know the area.  Unbelievable!  Gorgeous.  So many flowers in bloom.  Every breath of air was filled with the scent of roses.  Scrumptious.

Berkeley itself was a lovely city.  Everywhere you turn, you stumble upon an organic, vegetarian, vegan or local restaurant.  Most of the shops were locally owned.  I went to YogaKula for a night of Anusara Yoga and it completely relaxed me.  I had an exceptionally heavy load of work this week and was fortunate to be in a beautiful place to do it.  So lucky.

On to Mountain View, which is only 30 minutes south of Alameda.  We left the owners of the house some Kashi bags and picked up the trucks in Oakland.  I stopped at a beautiful whole foods in Mountain View and crawled into my hotel.  I was just so packed with things happening, I needed a break.  So, I uploaded Randal Williams mp3 on meditation, my master teacher from Kripalu, and relaxed for a bit.  I find my mind has just been racing - waking up in the morning to the thoughts of who I need to e-mail or call next, or check on this event and the next.  I forgot how important it is to relax, take sometime for myself, and that my performance on the job will be that much better.  It's so easy to get run down with work that's always on the go.  Remember Yoga, remember peace and meditation.  And breath.   I'm a Libra, and I need that balance in my life.  I also tend to lean toward over-doing, over-working, and I need to remind myself that.  I still had a great time in Berkeley, but could have done more for myself.

Once we all got to Mountain View and the temperature began to climb, Kerri and I hid out in at Avalon Yoga Studio, where we spent an hour and a half in an awesome Vinyasa Yoga class.  The teacher, Annika, gave us a soothing workout, if you can imagine.  She chanted for us and brought us through a vigorous vinyasa flow.  We did poses I’d never tried before and poses I’ve been working on for years – like the scorpion http://yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/a/scorpion.htm, hand stand and astavakrasana http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/171 (wowsers!).  This class really worked all of my muscles and opened my hips more than ever.  When I got back to my hotel room, I literally could feel the fluids in my body providing my muscles the food they needed to continue on with the day.  So great.  I always seem to stumble upon these awesome Yoga teachers.  There are so many in the US.  We Americans are so lucky, certainly don’t have to go anywhere but here to get great Yoga.  It’s all right here.  If you need to know a studio to go to or have any recos for me for my next up coming events, let me know.

The event in Mountain View was excellent.  Although it was 100 degrees both days, we kept our cool, and had many an excellent conversation over the weekend.  People in Mountain View are wide open to health foods and love Kashi.  It was such a thrill to be around happy people that enjoy travel and food, my two favorites.  And, of course, it makes my job a lot easier when the consumers realize what an awesome promotion we are a part of.  It’s always nice to get a little reminder of what a great tour this is, and how well it affects people. 

Having done this tour for 2 years, I’ve definitely noticed a change so far.  Many of our daily visitors know what Kashi is now, and want to find more readily available in big shopping centers, like at Wal-Mart and Target.  But I’ve also noticed more people willing and able to go to Whole Foods, which is just about everywhere these days.  It’s nice to be known and appreciated, as a healthy food choice.  It’s no longer these hard-core health enthusiasts who recognize Kashi; it’s becoming the every day Tom, Dick and Jane.  Although, sometimes the Jane's are still new to the concept of health, Kashi is making it easier for those folks to take that little step from Captain Crunch to Honey Sunshine, aka. white sugar and processed white flour to 7 whole grains and organic corn with a natural sweetener – honey.  I’ve been a hard core health enthusiast for years, and I still eat and enjoy Kashi every day.  There are so many varieties nowadays, pleasing everyone’s pallet – sweet chocolate to plain simple grains.

Anyway, enough advertising my company (though I can never praise it enough), and on to Boulder.  Can’t wait!

4th week - into the woods and out again

Stopped overnight in San Francisco Sunday night. You know, I think I've had it with cities. There isn't much enticement there for me anymore. I've done most of the things I've wanted to do in a city.  I felt cramped and stuck in vast, dirty streets packed with tourists. I drove by these little tiny doors that lead into apartments above shops on main streets and I couldn't understand the draw anymore. Mind you, I've spent several years living and wanting to live in cities, but I've done it, and I'm finished with it. The desire is gone. That may come back, of course, but I'd be very surprised.
With that said, and felt, Jason recommended Sierra Hot Springs for our 5 days off. He's got some hot ideas, so I listened and made my way up the windy roads past Lake Tahoe, Truckee and into Sierraville, CA.  What a great idea that was! The ride was tough because it was raining, I was super tired from the weekend of camping and working and was ready to stop moving - but I pushed through and landed on the other side, Sierra Nevada Heaven. I don't think I've had a better week for as long as I can remember.

Here is an example of my day:
Organic Kashi Cereal Breakfast with Blackberries, Strawberries and Banana.
Temple Dome Hot Spring in the AM for an hour, then dip into the cold spring for a minute.
Swim around in a larger hot spring pool for a bit.
Hike up a Mountain to a Water Fall.
Deep Kripalu Yoga Practice by myself in the sun and 7 winds breeze.
Breath.
Lunch, including fresh Organic California Avocados.
Take a nap with a little kitty cat.
Walk into the woods and stumble upon a hammock. Rest and look at the trees.
90 minute Aromatherapy/Shiatsu Massage with the best therapist I've ever had.
Meditation Pool for a long, warm soak beside a wooden wind chime.
Watch the sunset over a cup of Yogi Meditative Tea.
Mexican Food for din din and locally made organic cookies for dessert with dark chocolate.
Meet the most interesting and unusual people and have long conversations.
Watch a movie or read a book or meditate.
Sleep.

What a life, huh? I highly recommend Sierra Hot Springs to anyone and everyone. It's superb. And utterly relaxing. The views are breathtaking and the people are kinder than ever. What a laid back, simple home to live in for a week. I'm so happy I went. Thanks, Jason!

On Friday I drove back into the more populated areas.  From towns of 207 people or less to 800,000 people in only 47 square miles.  (Remind me, why we live like this, when you can drive 3 hours away to open land and clean air?)   I came down from 5,000 feet to Sea level.  All in just 3 hours.  What a change.  
My weekend was a whirlwind.  In less than 40 hours, the crew and I set up, worked a 20 hour event and tore down.  Other than 7 hours of sleep, I worked every minute of those 40 hours.  We had a 5:30am set up on Saturday and worked a full event that day.  Fortunately, the fair was hopping.  No one had time to look at their watches until 5pm, and we closed at 6pm with enough energy to get to our hotel.  It was crazy busy.  We gave away 2,800 bags in the just two days - 16 hours.  That's a lot of talking and a lot of bag stuffing.  My goodness!  We are all proud of the work we did this time around and can't wait for another event like this, aka. Boulder.   

One thing I have to say about Alameda; many of the people were just plain rude.  It was a beautiful Mother's day on Sunday and half the people were grumpy because they had to stand in a line to get a FREE Kashi bag.  Did I mention it was free?  People's behavior in masses tend to be outrageous and often times totally inexcusable.  But, I've been on tour for 3 years, and it never changes.  So, I know to expect it, and am always optimistic - looking for change.  Thank goodness I'm not working in the tent I worked my first year.  The Taste Here Tent, where people were shoveling in bowl after bowl of free cereal and spitting bits of Kashi in my face while asking me a question as loud as possible about why there were so few samples to be had.  Oh dear.  People, people.  I was really shocked at the grumpiness at the event and the entitlement they felt.  But I did my best to cheer them up, by entertaining them over the microphone during my announcements and doing a lot of smiling, which tends to soften most hearts.  Once I get a hold of their eyes, many can't help but rise to the occasion by bringing back their sense of humor.  So... I'm working on my own optomism and faith in the human race.  Man was Alameda a tough one.  You know though, the more challenging, the better, I think.  Lots of demands and pressure for speed with this job.  Makes me wonder: Why does no one have time anymore to stop and smell the flowers anymore, or perhaps appreciate what they've accomplished so far.  Our society is always on to the next issue.  No wonder why Yoga is becoming more and more popular.  Even if you are an exception to the average population, you're surrounded by all these loonies, so you've got to find a hideaway that gives you space to feel like yourself and a sense of safety.  Golly!  I need to get back to a studio soon.  Alameda was nothing like Sierraville, where everyone is happy and taking there sweet time, literally. 

Humph.  We can do it though.  Get back to our peace of mind.  Just smile and take life one step at a time, while thoroughly enjoying each step.  Sensing the temperature of the air, feeling the grass massage the bottom of your feet, enjoying the Vitamin D the sun is lending your skin.  When's the last time you took your shoes off and walked on the grass?

Third Stop -- Heading Up the Coast

Immediately following the San Diego event, the crew and I headed up to beautiful Big Bear Lake. It was a few hours drive northeast, at about 2 hours east of LA. The drive was outstanding. On my way, I stopped in La Jolla to drop off a few things at the Kashi home office, and what a lovely office - Kashi products everywhere, smiling employees on the walls, an excellent choice of healthy cook books and the bathroom was fully stocked with foot spray, organic soap, organic hand lotion and body lotion, body spray, aloe for the sun, you name it. What a caring place to work. As for the rest of the drive, after heading off the freeway on to CA-330 and CA-18 for about 35 miles, I was stunned at how gorgeous California really is. I was literally driving on the side of mountains in San Bernadino National Forest. Absolutely breathtaking. I couldn't get enough.

I rented a house for 2 nights for the crew, and we spent those 2 days together as a group. It was really pleasant. I was the last to arrive, but the crew saved me the master bedroom. Giovanna cooked a lovely dinner, as is becoming a usual event. Then, unfortunately, I spent several hours of my first night in the ER waiting room for Kerri, the Yoga teacher, because she injured her tail bone a week back, and it hadn't seemed to be getting any better. Everything turned out alright, but I felt terrible for her - I've been there, with my own tail bone issues having had a pilonidal cystectomy a couple years back. Her case wasn't as severe, but she was certainly in a lot of pain and was especially nervous because the internal bleeding is at the base of her spine. (She's home and getting well now.)

The next day, Lexi and I went hiking up Cougar Crest trail. We reached the Pacific Crest, about 2 miles up and took in the views of the lake and mountains, which were incredible. Again, another lovely dinner made by Giovanna with a little help from the rest of us.

Wednesday, Kerri and I drove into Los Angeles for a Yoga class and a raw lunch at Juliano's Raw Restaurant, my favorite restaurant in LA. Fabulous Yoga and meal. Couldn't have done it better in LA.

Heading to the next event, I drove us along the Pacific Coast Highway-1 to drive beside the sea. It was, yet again, stunning, soothing and delicious. The sunset was filled with every color of the rainbow and the vineyards by the freeway were rich with deep-green and choloclate-brown tones and lots of blooming grapes. Full of life. I felt like I was looking at a reflection of myself. :)

We ended the night by driving into Bradley, CA camp grounds (4 and a half hours north) to pick up Kerri's things and headed to Salinas (2 hours north) to spend the night with Camille, our caterer, who offered to bring Kerri to Oakland, CA to fly to St Louis for her week off. We decided to send Kerri home for the week in hopes for her to heal faster. She was willing to take her vacation week then, rather than camp with an infected tail bone. Good choice, I think.

The next morning, I drove to Whole Foods in Monterey, the closest in the area, where I witnessed a 9 car accident on the PCH (so California - so over crowded with cars and people), bought out the entire store for the event and then spent the next 3 hours heading back into Bradley, CA toward the camp grounds. Again, the views on the road were breathtaking. I was laughing and singing with my sunroof and windows wide open. I drove past huge Organic farms, including Earthbound Organics, and scooted up and down the hills into another forest where the trees looked like they were reaching down to lift up the road, drooping onto the earth, and the lakes were dark grey masses. A little eerie, having no cell phone service and therefore, no connection to my company, family and friends. But refreshing, too. No distractions. Just overwhelmingly happy me, the crisp road and the thick earth.

The 4 crew members left spent 3 nights camping at Lake San Antonio. We had a great time listening to the birds, wild animals, and thousands of campers getting ready for the triathlon. I am not so good at sleeping on the ground at first, but I got used to it - probably because I just got more and more exhausted with sleepless nights. I was awakened by the animals sniffing out our food and muching on a bag of chips. A deer walked through the campsite in broad day light, literally 20 feet away from us. The birds came by, pecking at our dishes and stove. We had a fire every night, drank a few beers, Jason broke out his guitar a couple times, and had several visitors from Power Bar at night. I could sense the envy toward Kashi. The last night we had our local temp staff camp with us since they had no where else to go. We were really in the middle of deep forest; the closest hotel was an hour away. Giovanna opted for her final night in a hotel; she couldn't take being outside anymore. And Camille slept our last night in my tent, which helped me relax a little. (I dfeinitely prefer camping with a fellow camper in my tent.) Camille and I told crazy stories from events past and laughed like crazy for hours before we drifted into sleep. I've known Camille for 3 years now, ever since my first Kashi tour. She's catered a few events in the past, and this year she bid on the entire first half and got it. She's basically on tour with us too, just doesn't get reimbursed the way we do. So, we've been seeing a lot of her lately. I'm glad to say.

The event was pretty slow, a lot of the same people day after day, and the sun was strong. But the consumers kept coming by to stretch and eat a bowl of cereal. Triathletes are really into Kashi. And, gosh, it was really amazing to look at the bodies at this event. I was teaching Yoga most of the weekend, filling in for Kerri, and I got to cool down many of the athletes after they finished the triathlon. What an impressive sport. The racers were of all ages, 7 - 75. I was extremely impressed with the patience they took to train and the stamina to compete in one race for 4-6 hours. Wowsers! The last day of the triathlon was actually part of the Olympic trials, which was a nice surprise. I hadn't realized how serious and big this specific event was until I was in it.

After tearing down, and getting the heck outta dodge, I drove up to San Francisco to spend my first night, after 3 nights of camping in a big, huge hotel bed. Ahh...

Did I say I love my job?