On Saturday I led a team of 18 people in the establishment of a 7,000-book elementary school library. The library had been closed for over a year for lack of a librarian (funding cuts). The books had been boxed up and stored. The SF Connect project goal was to unpack those boxes, along with scores of boxes from another elementary school library, so that it would be open for school today. The volunteers did an amazing job of getting it all done in three hours. I ran my butt off and had a great workout. I would love to work in a library again. Maybe I will.

Later that day I played at the Exploratorium, and then I had dinner with friends at Andalu tapas restaurant. Husband and I got home and crashed around midnight.

So then, what did I do with my Sunday? I slept until 10:30 a.m. Then I talked with one of my sisters for 2 hours. And then I gave the cat a bath. Yep. One of my cats, Stella, just desperately needed it. I also ended up brushing half a pound of fur off of her. No joke! She wasn’t happy during the bath, but she loved the grooming and spent the remainder of the day on me, purring. (Sophie, however, hid most of the day; ever since Stella’s transformation Sophie won’t go near her without hissing. Apparently Stella smells unfamiliar and thus is the enemy.) Later I took a too-long nap (with Stella of course) and then got up to read. It’s been a lazy day. And no, I never did get to church.

This week will be a full one, but then I have three days off.

On a side note: three years ago today I started this blog. And now it’s the end of August. ?! Too fast. I must be having fun.

Yesterday I did something for myself. I took the day off from work. It wasn’t a restful day, but by the time I went to sleep, I felt more centered and less like I was running on fumes. By the end of the day, I:

• washed four loads of laundry
• cleaned the kitchen
• sorted recycling
• worked out at the gym
• paid bills
• watered the gasping gardens
• organized my desk which was buried under mail and books
• grocery shopped (at three different stores because this is California, where one is always treated to The California Shopping Experience, because no store ever has everything one needs)

The day flew by.

While the experience with AmeriCorps has been educational, I will be very happy when my term has ended. Had I known I’d be expected to work from SF so much I’d not have taken the position. I really dislike the city, and in part this results from the context in which I’m up here: always rushing to arrive on schedule, often trying to find my way around on public transportation with little information or time for miscalculation. SF is synonymous with stress for me. I find the city alienating, filthy, rough, and anonymous. People are cold and often rude. My colleagues who live here have a different experience, because they have found niches of friends. They put on their armor to deal with the city and find respite in their social lives. Because this is not my home base, I don’t have the community here. So it always feels like I’m doing battle, and I find that tiring. It’s at least as draining as the 90 mile drive or 2.5 hour train ride (round trip).

I’m working from the city today, actually, stealing a few moments to write this post. I am doing something fun up here this evening, though. I was given tickets to see the Giants play the Cincinnati Reds, and I persuaded a friend to attend with me (if not for the entire game, at least for the Gilroy garlic fries!).

Update, 11:58 p.m.:Too many garlic fries. Too much cotton candy. The Giants lost 3-6. Ugh. It was fun, though! I need to wear extra layers next time. I forget how chilly it gets after sunset. Fortunately my friend splurged on a sweatshirt and let me borrow it. What a mensch!

It has begun! We start the countdown to Hands On Bay Area Day; October 14 will approach quickly. This is a day on which we aim to have 2,000 volunteers all over the Bay Area provide service on over 100 projects, from painting schools to rehabilitating gardens to sorting and packing food.

In addition, this is the day that the agency generates much of its funding. I’m joining in and you can too! The website accepts U.S. and international credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, American Express) on a secure payment page. You can donate any amount of money (even one dollar — every bit helps!). You can make your donation anonymously and/or keep the amount to yourself. Just look at what your gift will help us do:

If 2,000 Hands On Bay Area Day volunteers could give or raise:

• $20 – 175 low-income youth would have help with their homework
• $50 – 460 children and adults with special needs would learn a new skill
• $100 – 600 lonely seniors would have someone other than their doctor to visit them
• $1,000 – 25,000 homeless families could sit down to a warm dinner

If you want to pitch in, you can make your donation at my fundraising page. We need your help, and you can make an impact.

Tuesday was the launch of SF Connect, a volunteer program in the city that focuses on helping the homeless, improving city environment, delivering technology to low-income families, and mentoring youth. If you’re interested in helping, visit the site and see how easy it is to give a day to SF. Hands On Bay Area is playing an integral role in the roll-out and management of this program!

To that end, I’ll be busy. Next week I will help out at Homeless Connect, and later in the month I’ll work at Green Connect and Youth Connect (those will be weekend projects). In addition, there are several Hands at Work projects requiring help; these are service days we coordinate for major corporations. Somewhere in there I need to carry out my regular tasks, and we need to hire new Americorps members to begin work September 5th. We have seven positions. If you are interested in learning more, contact me and I can get you job descriptions. We’ll be advertising next week with goal of starting phone interviews mid-month.

Oh! Our friends who are relocating are on their way. One of them will fly out here Sunday to stay with us several days. She starts an academic program on Monday (yes, she’s brave to do all this), and until her husband, car, and household gets packed and shipped, she’ll be our guest. In all likelihood we’ll not see much of each other. Husband has a conference to attend all next week and will be in SF until late evening each night. She has night class. I’ll have a few evenings of work (the whole month will be thus for me).

Tomorrow afternoon my fellow Americorps and I will take off work early to enjoy lunch and celebrate the fact that we’ve completed 1000 hours of service. In less than three months I’ll be finished! Bonbons here I come!

I do feel I’m running on fumes lately. Never a dull moment, though.

For the first time in a year, I got a massage. A few days ago I decided it was time. I looked on Craigslist, and among headlines such as

ULTRA MASSAGE ULTRA MASSAGE
Asian Man, CMT, Will Give You a Massage That You Can’t Forget
RELAXING FULL BODY MASSAGE DONE BY CUTE,BUSTY C.M.T ASHLEE

I found a listing that caught my attention:
Strong Soft Hands + Oil + Skill = The Proper Massage Mix . I read the ad and liked how the therapist described himself, provided feedback from clients, listed his fees, and included a photo. I immediately liked his face. He has kind eyes. I checked another link in the ad; this took me a massage directory that stated the following: “Courtesy reminder: Please do not contact the provider(s) below if you’re seeking any kind of sexual, illegal or inappropriate services.” I was halfway sold.

So I called. In our brief conversation I liked his voice and his communication style. I made an appointment for a one hour session. He lives and works about two miles from me. He works out of his home. What?! I went to the home of a man I don’t know? Despite past traumatic experiences, I did, in part because I trust my intuition absolutely now and I didn’t back then. I knew that if I felt uneasy I would leave instantly. I’ve had enough massages (at one point weekly) to know the protocol. I also know the neighborhood where he lives, that there is a preschool nearby and lots of people activity in the complex where he lives.

What followed was the most unusual massage I’ve ever had, but this doesn’t mean anything negative. The unusual aspects were:

1. He explained that he doesn’t have crystals and other new-age accessories because that’s not him, and the music he plays is different: BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Simon and Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Willie Nelson, and Marvin Gaye are just a few. I enjoyed the change of pace from New Age Muzak (of which I own quite a bit and listen to; and no, the term “new age muzak” is not redunant!).

2. We talked through most of the massage. I got to know a bit about him personally: how he got into the profession, other work he’d done, how he met his wife, his cross-cultural marriage and experiences, his kids, and his memories of Binghamton, NY (he was very pleased to learn I grew up in Syracuse). I told him a bit about my life in Syracuse and Austin, my profession. We also communicated about the pressure and areas of pain; he was very responsive to each request. He lost track of time from talking so much, and he extended the session at no charge so he’d finish the massage properly. He was also honest and told me to be clear with him if he talked too much ever and I wanted quiet. While I usually do want quiet, I rather enjoyed the conversation as part of a getting acquainted process. If you’re going to let someone rub your body, it’s nice to know a little about who that person is, particularly if the therapist did not come personally recommended by a trusted friend.

3. He had the cutest little dog, a Pomperanian with a summer haircut, who is so attached to him that the dog (Copper) lay on the floor napping the whole time. A man with a sweet-natured dog is probably a decent man.

After the massage, he brought me a glass of water (after asking if I wanted room temperature or chilled) and gave me several minutes to collect myself. Then I paid him, we exchanged a hug, and I left feeling buoyant and relaxed — a hundred times better than I have in months, in fact. I plan to go back. If you live in the area, his name is Tony Drake.

• That in California, your license can be revoked if you get 4 points in 12 months, 6 points in 24 months, or 8 points in 36 months.
• That usually you get one point each ticket.
• That many people are gallingly cavalier about speeding and treat driving school as a necessary evil. (One class participant got a ticket for driving 140 mph, though most were driving 30-40 miles over the whatever the limit was, in which case it was anywhere from 50-90 mph).
• That I was a rarity in the class, since I’ve been driving 23 years and only this year have gotten a ticket.
• That a DUI conviction now stays on your record for ten years.
• That it is as dangerous to drive drowsy as it is to drive drunk.
• That a train always has the right of way (and that only one-third of railroad intersections have gates and flashing lights).
• That we drive faster in fog because we have no visual references and usually don’t dare check the speedometer, which of course is highly dangerous.
• That most driving fatalities are caused by one (or more) of these three factors: speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or not wearing a seatbelt.

Yep, I spent my day (8.5 hours) on an uncomfortable chair in a bland conference room (pretentiously called the Consulate Room) listening to the instructor’s painfully lame jokes and watching an occasionally interesting video. The last thing I learned:

I hope never to have to do this again.

P.S. It was 102 104 degrees!

It’s 102 degrees (39 Celsius) here at the moment. After coffee with a friend this morning, I made a beeline for home and took a nap. I’m so grateful this house has air conditioning (we’re still running it pretty warm, around 79 degrees). It’s the kind of day for a good book, a cold drink, and as little movement as possible.

I checked the weather for Austin. Only 82 degrees there! (And they may get some rain.) It’s not fair!