Adria gets the H1N1 flu vaccine

Adria and I had the entire weekend off together, a benefit of her awesome new schedule (two days on, four days off), but rare lately because we've both been working and travelling a lot.

So when she reminded me that Saturday was the day that she was scheduled to get the H1N1 flu vaccine, and that we were going to Watsonville, where the county was giving away free vaccines, I knew that we would be spending all day waiting in line with half of the county's population. But at least we'd be together.

Before we left the house we packed books and snacks. I thought to myself, "I should grab a lawn chair, too", but didn't do it. When we got close to the Youth Center where the vaccinations were being given, we saw people walking away with books and lawnchairs. Dang it!

We scored a parking spot right across the street (we've had great parking karma lately).

When we got out of the truck, Adria mentioned that that the line stretched all the way down the street and around the corner.

OK, so maybe our parking karma wasn't so good.

Instead of walking down the street and around the corner, though, Adria walked up to a heavyset guy standing at the front door. He was wearing a flourescent orange vest. She showed him a couple of documents and he parted the velvet ropes, let us pass, and directed us to the front of another line that snaked through the hallways, and past a foosball table with butcher paper draped over it. We went to the front of that line and Adria showed a lady the same documents. She was wearing a flourescent orange vest, too. She wiggled us to the front of another line, then pointed across the crowded gymnasium floor to another long line.

As we navigated the rows of tables surrounded by lab technicians, screaming kids, and people wearing surgical masks, I found myself wondering a few things:

1. "We are gonna get jumped for cutting in line."

2. "How is it that we are getting moved to the front of these lines?"

3. "This is kinda cool!"

We made it across the gymnasium floor that had another long line of people queued in front of it. We got the lady's attention who was in charge of this line and Adria showed her her documents. She moved us into a line that we waited in for about two minutes. When we were standing there, I asked Adria "What were you showing all of these people that got us out of waiting in line?"

Her response: "My firefighter ID."

the catch-up post

I've been putting all of my blogging efforts into my fundraising blog (Commute for a Cause), since the first round of it is nearly over, but here's what's been happening besides that.

Last weekend huge waves were pounding Santa Cruz beaches. I didn't surf, but I did get out take some pictures. Since my camera is very wide-angle with a short zoom, I didn't get any good pics of the size of the waves, though.

This picture was taken on Saturday, when I rode down to Santa Cruz from Felton. I stopped at about a half dozen surf spots to see what was happening. There was a different type of energy on the beaches this day. Each beach handled the swell differently, and the best beach was this one. There was picture-perfect view that I expect to see in a surfing magazine...a half-dozen figures standing on the cliffs, totally backlit, so all you see is silhouettes. Some are sitting on the rocks, some are standing. They are all fixated on what's going on in the water below them, about fifty feet away. A small pack of surfers takes off on a super-consistent wave that is breaking close to shore. Each surfer gets barrelled after a short set-up, then paddles back out. Like a ride at an amusement park, they all just waited in line and knew what they were going to get.

When Adria got home on Sunday, we went down to West Cliff to watch a big surf contest, the O'Neill Cold Water Classic that's held at Steamer Lane every year. We packed snacks for the excursion - wheatgrass/apple/lime juice and PB&J&B sandwiches (that's peanut butter and jelly and banana).

In addition to big waves, the change in seasons has also brought us back into "nesting" mode. The last couple of meals I've made for us have been total comfort food. Comforting because they are warm and earthy, and also because they are the two meals that I prepared for Adria on our first couple of dates. One of them was homemade pumpkin ravioli with a butter-sage sauce.

Homemade ravioli is a labor of love, and Adria recognized and appreciated the effort on our first date. I think that's the real reason I think of it as comfort food.

The other dish is one that Adria has lovingly renamed "Peace On Earth." I made it for us on our second or third date.

It's not much to look at when you're making it, because it's really nothing more than a three-bean stew that's served over polenta. It's warm and hearty and earthy (black-eyed peas!). To put it simply, this dish is one of the defining moments in our relationship! So defining in fact, that you may see it at our wedding! Seriously.

On a different food angle, Adria's gotten me hooked on PB&J&B. I ate two at work yesterday.

I took Greta to work with me yesterday for the first time. Our office has up to four dogs in at at any moment, so dogs at work aren't a novelty. But Greta did get a lot of attention!

Greta chills on her bed in my office...

Greta ponders the logistics challenges of organic produce...

Chyna and Greta prepare to meet...

Greta checks out Carla's recycling bin to make sure she's not co-mingling...

Greta greets Renae on the stairs...

Greta at my side...