f|back (oct '07): i'm here

four year's ago ... @jenimvt and @billn6 welcomed me to their vermont home. in fact, this is when my soul sister love affair with harold's gal began, and a fabulous friendship was borne. shortly after starting in cubeopolis, i took my already-planned vacation to visit my friends in massachusetts and vermont. my plan? not much, really. just wanted to head east. this mini-vacation was my east coast virgin leaf-peeping experience, along with many other perks.

miss you all - xoxo -
jen, bill, junior, and senior!

(repost from 10/06/2007)

gonna see some colors
and drive around.

got my triple a maps + tourbook. got rental car. got airline tix. got credit cards. fly in to bradley int'l (ct), stay with friend in northampton (ma) for a couple of days, haul it up to somewhere in (vt) for a couple of days with billn + family & bop around wherever, then back down to (ma) before returning to (ca).

small tragic realization this morning? ... and i realized i left lennie (my iPod) at work. sh**!

solution? ... buy foliage (lennie's iPod nano buddy - video baby!) along with a little case and power adapter. can NOT be without m'music.

[thanks, andy f, for the apple gift card last christmas.
continued to go to great use!]

(repost from 10/10/2007)

... just like i said i would be.
it's all about
highways/interstates/routes
(we no say "freeways")

... and coffee

... the capitol

... and cool stuff like old bridges

and cow-stuff
(moo?)

real cheese

ice cream

BONUS?!

lunch in plainfield, vt

for my soul sistah ...

we found each other ... while i vacationed on the east coast in vermont in 2007. (back story below*)

beyond an earlier mash-up fiber break ode to jen m ... here are my little pre-holiday offerings for you - an oldie but goodie AND a new find!

strap in, sistah ...

you will always be my harold's girl ...

and you are my house-crush buddy! (as is asylum's emily)
(though maybe you are WAY more crushin' him)

thank me later!

*back story ... good for me that i accepted the invite from a former client/friend - 70hack - to stay with his family during my virgin-leaf-peeping extravaganza. flashback to oct '07 for leaf-peeping extravaganza.

• preparing for leaf-peeping de-virginizing
• arriving and playing tourista (via northampton, ma)
  
• lots(!) of driving that included the warren store (for a little break)
• more driving and tourista

love you much, jenM!

f|back (sept '07): what you've said so far ...

as mentioned over here, i (re)joined the traditional workforce in sept 2007 - putting my business on hold. 3 years on hold. 3 years. just yesterday, i submitted a cover memo, resume, and mission|vision|value statements for a position. someone said (jokingly, i think) that the scariest thing would be if i got the position.

about a week after joining, i starting receiving emails of various sentiments ... and here they are below.

(repost 09/22/07)

uh, thanks?

announcements to people ... over the last couple of weeks or so, i started sending out announcements to clients, vendors, friends, and business colleagues regarding my upcoming re-entry into the traditional workforce, while EXPLICITLY noting that i also will maintain my business (y'know, gotta pay taxes, deal with administrative activities, and stuff).

here are some responses (sans billn who will have my own tribute to his responses):

• "quick, excited responses" congrats ...
  Congratulations! ... WOW! Woo hoo!! Good job! Way to go! Atta girl! I’m happy for you, Shirl! ... cool. congrats, shirlsd! ... ShirlSD, congratulations sounds like a whole new adventure. Keep us posted. ... exciting news! best of luck! keep in touch. ...
  

• "commentary of my future role" congrats ...
  Congratulations and best wishes in your new position. I am sure that you will be very effective in [the organization] with your vast experience in [the stuff you do] issues. Besides, I hope that your move to the San Francisco Bay Area will be good for [family] in this area. Let's have lunch after you settle down in San Francisco. ...
  
  Shirlsd, congratulations!!! It will be good to have one of the good guys on [the organization's] Staff.
  
  Go get those bad boys (and girls).
  

• "dark side reference" congrats ... (there were a couple more, but this is the main sentiment. some had not-so-nice things to say. people! play nicely in the sand box)
  Going to the dark side I see! ... So you're moving over to the dark side. Best of luck.
  

• "getting down to the nitty-gritty" congrats ...
  Please let me know as soon as you can whether you can support our project. As you know, the main task you would be involved in has a report due Oct. 2007, so the work would need to be conducted mainly in October. I wonder-- if you have not received an 'official' approval by end of Sept., can you still support the project in October?
  

• "let's hold hands" congrats ...
  Congratulations!? I added the question mark because the future is unknown. If it makes you happy, then I am happy that you are. Have fun working with all the other [type of workers] under [the organization]. The world is wonderful.
  
  Congratulations. I hope the job works out as you want. ... Congratulations!! I'm happy for you. I hope it's everything you hope it to be.
  
  Hope this is what you want - it is certainly a change from running your own business. Give me a call when you have a minute; I will also try calling you this week. Hope all is well with [family].
  
  Congrats on the new job. I take it you'll be commuting into SF on bart? ... You had told me you were interviewing for this job. But I'm still a little surprised you're easing out of self-employment. There's a lot of stress in self-employment. Is that one of the reasons? I often think it would be nice to get a W-2 job. Actually, I think about it all the time. Well, good luck with your first week.
  

• the "l'il chuckle" congrats ...
  Hey good luck with that new 40 hr gig. ... Congrats Shirley! Only 40 hrs a week? What are you going to do with all that free time? :) ... If you really plan to work 40 hours per week, what will you do with all of your free time - besides blog ...
  

• "be-a-messenger" congrats ... Congrats Shirl! Please be sure to look up my good friend bt at [the organization]. Tell her hi for me if you meet here. You can probably both have a laugh at my expense! Please send contact info when you can.

... so those are just a few congrats that leads me to the start of my "thanks-you-to-do" list

• notify folks of my new contact info
• set up lunch dates (and perhaps after work drinks or din-dins)
• ponder (and perhaps write) thoughts about the good vs. bad perspective
• get a l'il insight on the "dark side" perspective
  
• tie up loose ends on the business side of things with projects, admin, invoicing, filing, etc.
  
• hug some folks
  
• blog
• meet bt and laugh at bf's expense
  

celebrate my decision!

an east coast visit to diva is long past due

began my 2007 virgin-leaf-peeping vacation in northampton hanging out with diva ... did a little dining, dishing, drinking, and (re)decorating. enjoyed a fab italian din with a bottle of fulignano sangiovese di toscana 2004. and had a few v-one vodka drinks (meh) while watching playoff baseball. fun times. and before 2007, met up with diva in 2004 in boston during a wicked snowstorm (nor'easter) ... dining, dishing, drinking, and shivering, so we managed to warm up at flash's, which was around the corner from the hotel i was staying (awesome find). did get to catch the museum of fine arts gaugin tahiti exhibit (fabulous).

yup! i'm past due.

miss you, diva!

f|back: what i value ...

coupled with my 1994 epiphany, i had a set of values for catalysts: a network promoting intelligent change. below is what evolved since the original 1994 version (click image on the right).

since 1994, i have refined my mission|vision|values statements - it's part of the lens that i look through as i walk through and participate in life.

The CATALYST’s VALUES are based on

the following RELATIONAL ELEMENTS:

• Catalysts RESPECT that an individual is a member of multiple COMMUNITIES –FAMILY, SCHOOL, FAITH, EMPLOYER, TOWN, NATION, and WORLD.
  
  

• Catalysts encourage each individual to be RESPONSIBLE for his or her community.
  
  

• Catalysts challenge each community to be ACCOUNTABLE to each individual.
  
  

• Catalysts APPRECIATE each individual in a community is UNIQUE yet shares common goals.
  
  

• Catalysts ACKNOWLEDGE that each community has a FINITE mix of individuals.
  
  
  

COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES WILL DISCOVER THAT
DIVERSITY IN THE ENERGY MARKETPLACE

CAN PROVIDE GREATER OPTIONS
IN ACHIEVING MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL

AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES

• Catalysts stimulate DISCUSSION among communities and businesses toward Collaborative and Results-oriented decision making for practical, creative, and cost-effective Solutions.
  
  

• Catalysts enhance AWARENESS of a community’s and business’s interactions with, and responsibilities toward, the Environment.
  
  

• Catalysts commit during a community’s and business’s PLANNING phase of economic development, energy management and environmental compliance to Integrate and Implement public policies.
  
  

• Catalysts provide CHOICES for communities and businesses to make informed decisions for Sustainability.
  
  

• Catalysts identify and present economic OPPORTUNITIES for a community based on Directing growth and Connecting key community and business objectives.
  
  

• Catalysts choose to RENEW communities to accomplish their goals toward Restoration and Preservation of the environment.

a little about the original values ... they were crafted as a result of constant re-hashing and (re)interpretation of my "tracing paper scribbles" - what looked like many disparate ideas, flow charts, and doodles, turned out to serve as my discovery of what moves me in life. and for at least ~13 years, i was directly expressing many elements of my mission|vision|values through my consulting practice and related professional and personal development activities. i am glad i did not let others who mocked me and my ideas deter me from the scribble-fest of ideas.

feels wonderful to reconnect.

f|back (may '07): my 1994 epiphany and vision

(repost from 05/18/07)

in may 1994, an early saturday morn ... around 5:30 am (pacific), i had an epiphany. from it - the following -

There are BRIDGES yet to be constructed by those who live and

breathe in their ENVIRONMENT — AIR, LAND and WATER. Egos stand firm

on the ground that they were born and choose not to acknowledge that

to get one step closer they must go one step FURTHER.

MY VISION IS TO CREATE THOSE BRIDGES.

[by Shirley © 1994]

a little context ... i was living in san diego, and for nearly 3 years, i had been working for a large corporation's environmental department. meanwhile, california was going through the beginning of electric utility restructuring. for several months, posted in my open workspace was a quote translated from louis pasteur's -

"dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés."

translated as -

in the field of observation, chance favors the prepared mind.

and for quite some time beginning toward the end of 1993, i also was experiencing amazing coincidences, which of course i realized later weren't necessarily coincidences but more along the lines of "... the prepared mind." nevertheless ...

a whirlwind began early in '94 ... meeting people and making new friends, reconnecting with old friends and work colleagues, chance meetings resulting in the beginning of an expanding network of people in the environmental field, creating opportunities for friends, ... and amidst all this excitement, i also had challenging work circumstances - gnarly working relationships with a select few, literally negative work space, and did i say gnarly working relationships. (ask me about what may have been "group therapy" with ratepayer dollars, who knows?!) ... and among all this, i also had some sort of funky atypical eyeball thing going on (which no longer exists).

coffee talk ... to keep sane, i coffee-d regularly after work at least two evenings a week with a good friend, dash. to collect my thoughts, i carried a large leather satchel around with a journal, prismacolor pencils, and tracing paper. later, i added a voice recorder because ideas were flying around. i constantly journal'd, scribbled, sketched, and talked about what i saw in the future and how i may possibly shape it.

the result ... what i consider my '94 epiphany.

f|back (oct '07): posts ... post-poned

when i first returned to the bay area, on a weekend basis i would r|alex - a little weekend photo-story a weekend recap for a friend in san diego. this is one of my r|alex posts. (gonna get back into that!)

(repost from 10/21/07)

after returning from vacation
(tear...)

(just last saturday evening!) where during vacation ...

... i drove lots and lots, and

... i saw swooshes of green- yellow- gold- rust- red-colored leaves on the trees (and on the ground), and

... i decided it was a good idea occasionally to indulge because i was on vacation (or some other not-so-rational reasoning so i could be reminded to start back-up on kickboxing), and

... i hung out with fun-family (!), and

i (and good timing by the awesome photographer!) "bliss-memorialized" my tourist moment at cold hollow cider mill (yum!!!) ...

[and i have no idea wassup with this belly-phenomena?!]

and ... for whatever reason (with the original intent to visit with a fave artist), i decided to extend my vacation into sunday and check out the 37th half moon bay pumpkin/arts festival ... known for ... large pumpkins and stuff (with nostrils just waiting to be violated, in a nice way) ...

it was also necessary to visit the little local brewery along the way home - kinda to appease (or compromise or sedate or ...?) the friend who looked like he was having too much fun or something ...

... i opened my eyes on monday morning - just enough to see it was approx. 5:50 AM.

then, i actually closed my eyes, decidedly to "sleep in" until yoga (which, before starting my traditional job, was at noon - tho' on tuesdays/thursdays. ahhhhh ... the good ol' days!).

i then BOLTED-UP literally out of bed because my carpool buddy was already outside ... carpool buddy usually arrives approx. 5:45 AM. by 6:15 AM, i was ready and heading out of the door - still stopping by paddy's for coffee - and in at work by 7:15-ish or so.
... though this is **not** my view from the cube-ipolitan i reside ... i can walk down the road aisle and see this every once-in-a-while. ... and meanwhile, i'm just readjusting (still) and poking in on billn, spinning girl, sarcastro, and reina elena (as well as a little on-line retail therapy!).

[r:alex - i will write/post more, particularly about the vacation.
let me get over the shock that i have a traditional job.
apparently, i still don't quite "get it", i guess.]

f|back (oct '07): trip tidbit

(repost from 10/13/07)

on thursday, i drove LOTS when i was in vermont. and i drank water. i ate sunflower seeds. i turned on my windshield wipers a couple of times. i drank water. i ate cranberry trail mix. i drank more water. i drove to the town of warren ... VIA hwy 12A - warren mountain road - over the GAP - to roxbury mountain road - and ...

(from google maps)

... eventually i made it to warren.

(more later on that drive)

first stop? the warren store. picked up some muffins, t-shirts and some more water.

second stop? sat to appreciate the colors, smell, sound of water ... rested, relaxed ... and ate muffin #1. then, it was all about ...

... and wondering, why
(when i step out of the restroom behind the warren store)
are these album covers on the wall?

i dunno.

f|back (oct '07): i'm here ...

(repost from 10/10/07)

... just like i said i would be.
it's all about
highways/interstates/routes
(we no say "freeways")

... and coffee

... the capitol

... and cool stuff like old bridges

and cow-stuff
(moo?)

real cheese

ice cream

BONUS?!

lunch in plainfield, vt

f|back (oct '07): leaf-peeping de-virginizing ...

leaf-peeping ... i learned what that meant back in october 2007, a couple of weeks after joining cubeopolis.

(repost from 10/06/07)

gonna see some colors
and drive around.

got my triple a maps + tourbook. got rental car. got airline tix. got credit cards. fly in to bradley int'l (ct), stay with friend in northampton (ma) for a couple of days, haul it up to somewhere in (vt) for a couple of days with billn + family & bop around wherever, then back down to (ma) before returning to (ca).

small tragic realization this morning? ... and i realized i left lennie (my iPod) at work. sh**!

solution? ... buy foliage (lennie's iPod nano buddy - video baby!) along with a little case and power adapter. can NOT be without m'music.

[thanks, andy f, for the apple gift card last christmas.
continued to go to great use!]

inner artist unlocked a la SG ...

(repost from aug 17 '07)

spinning girl posed ... simply fill in the blank with a word or phrase that answers each of the following questions. you may do it here or on your own blog, in your journal, or on a maxi pad. Just as long as you do it! You have one week. I, meanwhile, will be picking sand out from the spaces between my toes, and thinking of you.

Here we go:
1. My favorite childhood toy was ... jacks.

2. My favorite childhood game was ... red rover.

3. The best movie I ever saw as a kid was ... willy wonka & the chocolate factory.

4. I don't do it much but I enjoy ... bowling (go figure).

5. If I could lighten up a little, I'd let myself ... ask my "crush" to go out on a date with me.

6. If it weren't too late I'd ... be there on time (?).

7. My favorite musical instrument is ... the piano (which i can play) and the harp (which i cannot play).

8. The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month is ... just what it's s'pose to be when i treat myself.

9. If I could get anything for my inner artist, I'd buy him/her ... a nice little not-so-crowded home that is a stones throw away from the ocean.

10. Taking time out for myself is ... necessary and welcomed.

11. If I start dreaming ... more, i would write my dreams down more regularly.

12. I secretly enjoy reading ... gofugyourself (oops! not a secret anymore).

13. If I only could have grown up to be ... an architect.

14. I wish I could make/write/grow/ create a ... whatever i would've made - had i grown up to be an architect. (see #13)

15. My parents think that I ... am creative.

16. What makes me feel weird is ... being at family parties when they are speaking a language(s) i don't understand.

17. My most cheer-up music is ... totally dependent on whatever mood i'm in that needs cheering-up.

18. My favorite way to dress is ... jeans and t-shirt.

visit with spinning girl
(SG rocks)

i own a parka ...

... because back in the day when i first moved back to the BA (well, 2 years ago) and wasn't in cubeopolis, i was traveling to north dakota during winter.

(repost from feb 8, '07)
mmmmmmm ... warm this morn!
in my new - and very useful - down comforter jacket north face arctic parka.
with a new travel mug holding the tasty liquid o' ...
... rocky road mocha from/at boneshaker coffee company

whilst outside weather, it is approx. 4 deg F.

interesting thing (and shared with my colleague, also) ... since the past 2+ days, 5 deg F kinda is now o.k.; it's the evening minus 10 deg F that's a b****, esp. with the wind.

lunch at Windy's Pizza and Bar in Bowman.

back to BA tomorrow morn. am actually looking forward to next trip to BIS. (two more drinks, and i get a free coffee at boneshaker and get to wear my parka again.)

next week, SD.

[notes to self - no need bring parka.

be on the lookout for belt-loop-boy.

get dessert fix.]

there is a book or two or more ...

(repost from a 05/17/2007 post)

... that exist! i want them.

and how is this first book described at amazon.com?

Race and Epistemologies of Ignorance
From the Back Cover

Offering a wide variety of philosophical approaches to the neglected philosophical problem of ignorance, this groundbreaking collection builds on Charles Mills's claim that racism involves an inverted epistemology, an epistemology of ignorance. Contributors explore how different forms of ignorance linked to race are produced and sustained and what role they play in promoting racism and white privilege. They argue that the ignorance that underpins racism is not a simple gap in knowledge, the accidental result of an epistemological oversight. In the case of racial oppression, ignorance often is actively produced for purposes of domination and exploitation. But as these essays demonstrate, ignorance is not simply a tool of oppression wielded by the powerful. It can also be a strategy for survival, an important tool for people of color to wield against white privilege and white supremacy. The book concludes that understanding ignorance and the politics of such ignorance should be a key element of epistemological and social/political analyses, for it has the potential to reveal the role of power in the construction of what is known and provide a lens for the political values at work in knowledge practices.

Contributors include Linda Martín Alcoff, Alison Bailey, Robert Bernasconi, Lorraine Code, Harvey Cormier, Stephanie Malia Fullerton, Sarah Lucia Hoagland, Frank Margonis, Charles W. Mills, Lucius T. Outlaw (Jr.), Elizabeth V. Spelman, Shannon Sullivan, Paul C. Taylor, and Nancy Tuana.

oh. my. god. epistemology of ignorance. epistemology - branch of philosophy ... that studies the nature of knowledge, its presuppositions and foundations, and its extent and validity. ignorance ... the condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

i am soooo excited about this. don't yet know all the reasons why, but i am.

and then a couple of books by wendell berry. so i'm quite interested in seeing where this reading jaunt will take me.

meanwhile, i do still have to finish reading covering (k. yoshino) and who really cares (a. brooks).