When Life Gives you Lemons....Make Lemonade!!!

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Fort Bragg Musings..... #32 on the 43 List- Sea Glass Beach

My Journey on a Break from Ironman. Sometimes, life just tells you, you need a break. So this year. After a long year of training in 2016. I’ve given myself permission to not do an Ironman for 2017. It was a tough decision. Because I think I have been using Ironman training as a way to cope and avoid a lot of other things in my life. I used it as a way to not fully engage in life, and the things that I’ve not allowed myself to think about because I’ve been to scared to admit them to myself. So this year, is my “Year of Taking Control of the Basics”. My Health, My Wealth, and my Happiness.

Interesting things/factoids/musings about moving to Fort Bragg, CA for the next three months. I imagine that small town living is going to be a bit of a challenge. I’ve never lived on the ocean before, and I’ve never lived in a town that was 7400 in population, oops, wait the sign was adjusted, it’s now population of 6983. So, Here are some of my ramblings from the first few days here in Fort Bragg, CA.

Before Interviewing, I was told these four things to consider.

You are 3 hours from a major airport
The town is 30 miles on a windy road
There is no Target
There is no Dating Scene.

To which I replied, Amazon Prime is wonderful, and I’m happily divorced. Needless to say, I got the interview, and beat out 10 other applicants. I am excited to be working at a tiny little hospital of 25 beds, and being the only OT, I’m going to get an opportunity to add some out patient experience to my resume. It’s going to be interesting to say the least. But isn’t that the whole point? So my next challenge, finding housing, in the summer, on the ocean, at peak tourist season. Shouldn’t be a problem.

FORT BRAGG MUSINGS…..with pictures of course.

Driving in to Fort- You know it’s a windy road when you have to pull over due to getting motion sickness. Never has this happen……while I was driving.

The speed limit after the 90 degree and sometimes 180 degree turns, was 55 mph for about 1/4 mile, then it was back to 25 mph. And when cars flew up on you out of no where, they were kind enough to honk twice after you pulled over into the nearest pull out. I choose to take that as a sign of a friendly “thank you for moving your slow vacationing butt out of my way, so real people can drive 55 mph”.

Cursing myself for buying the first windshield wiper fluid I could find. It does not work, especially in humid weather. Add that to the correct angle of the sun on the windshield. and the darkness of the tall tress, I was pretty much diving with blind for 30 windy miles, or 1:25 hour/min. Oh, and the cars with 55 mph? I could at least see those zipping up on my butt.

Did I mention how many times I had to stop due to motion sickness?
When the road finally straightened out and I pulled into Fort Bragg. I was greeted with….fog. Lots of fog. I could smell the ocean, I could hear it, but I couldn’t see it.

My Rental choices included a unfurnished rental up on “snob-hill” or the best part of the town, parking was in an alley, and I was encouraged to keep all doors locked. Or a "quaint" little one story cabin, about 3 miles out of town, in the country, with a shared bathroom, to the outdoors and another building.

To get to this country cabin, I was driven by the nice lady, with the dogs in tow out to the rental, then she took me on her own personal guided tour of the area. How to get to the “local” spot to hike the trail on the ocean, due to tourists, where to get the best Mexican,( ie all I heard was Margaritas), How to get to Glass Beach tomorrow to explore, cool places to walk the dogs….(ie the cemetery?) A potential spiritual reading happened, but I was too tired to recognize anything. Then she dropped me off at the rental that I was staying at and said goodbye. I could sleep on it.
My allergies are not liking the cool 70 damp humid weather.
I need to buy more sunscreen.
The foghorn sounds like a bellowing cow. All. Night. Long.
I’m learning all about tide charts.

I Made it to Sea Glass Beach, It was amazing how quickly I fell into a relaxing, Meditative State, I easily was there over an hour.

I was warned ahead of time, that Sea Glass Beach is nothing like the pictures you see. The glass is very small, and you have to put your camera on the ground to get a shot. Lots of glass has already been illegally taken, so it’s not as cool as the pictures of yesterday's past. But, because I knew this and was prepared, my photographer side still got some incredible shots, which I loved. I can see a lot more pictures in my future. And, I found a cool one that was heart shaped in my favorite aquamarine color.

This town has speed “humps” not bumps.

It also has a “round a bout” going up my street. My speed limit is 15 mph. And I live down a back alley...

Safeway is open 24/7
The CVS is the biggest one I’ve ever seen, it has two entrances.
They have a Starbucks
You can get lost in a meditative state while searching for the perfect sea glass for pictures. I think I spent over 3 hours here on Fourth of July. But the pics were worth it. I can tell it will be a regular habit.

I am using my camping/gear as my furniture in the living room. I’m kinda liking trying out my LayBag.
I forgot humidity and I don’t mix well for having good hair days.
My allergies/migraines are at an all time high by my second day.
My first day at work, I walk into HR, and I kinda feel like I just went to Summer Camp...

And the Adventure continues........

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

43 List # 30 Glass Blowing.

43 List #30 Take a Glass Blowing Class.

So one of the things I've always wanted to try for years, is a glass blowing class. When I lived back in AZ, I always thought it would be fun to try. Of course, my amazing time training from Ironman prevented me from thinking about doing it. So, I added it to my 43 List immediately.

I had learned that there was a glass blowing place in Reno a few months ago, so I looked it up and contacted them about a month and a half ago. But no response. Then, my friend Jen and I went to the Sculpture Festival in May, we ran into an artist named Peter Hazel who happen to be familiar with Burnt Knuckle Glass, who offers classes. He had on display a really cool "jellyfish" sculpture that once we learned more, was actually one of the main pieces to be displayed for Burning Man in 2017, this September. So then after further discussion we found out, if we did the class, then we would have an opportunity to help make some of the pieces for his sculpture, BLOOM, which will be about 4 stories tall. So....here were are, on a Tuesday night, getting the chance to learn about glass work, helping create some of the pieces to put the sculpture together, some crazy number like over 800 pieces will need to be completed, and then we got the chance to make a piece for ourselves. Those pieces are currently cooling down for the night and we will be able to pick them up tomorrow. In the mean time, here is some photos of the fun we had. They are holding a fund raiser this week to help continue to pay for all the pieces. How exciting is it, to get the chance to actually do some glass work, and then have the knowledge that you helped make pieces that will go on a Burning Man Sculpture. I'm looking forward to hopefully helping out a few more times for the fun of it. There is more to this story.... To be Continued!