The Commoner and the drought

I am notorious for my love of sunshine and warm.  I'm so happy when it's warm and cloudy days really make me cranky-rainy days? Forget it-it's the one reason I can't move to Dublin-or Seattle.  I need the sun

That's rain from the bus in Dublin if you aren't sure.

So the other day on my run I stopped and took a picture from the road of something I had never seen before. It was the view if I ever picked up my head from DYING on my run I might have noticed how beautiful it was and I posted a picture.

I thought it was beautiful...until my cousin from back east commented about how brown everything was and that we really needed rain.   Hmm  maybe-I hadn't noticed.  After all  brown in the summer green in the winter,  That's california!

I'm the girl who hates the rain and was so happy all winter.  I never once said-"but we need the rain!"  Nope I was sunshiny happy.

But then I started marathon training on my trail.  That's right I own a trail.   It's in Morgan Hill and it's beautiful.  You can go there if you want I will let you.  I'm nice that way.  When you get to the four mile mark you cross a foot bridge over a river.  I haven't been there since March.  And although it wasn't raining it was still a river.  Yesterday it looked like this.

That picture was actually taken two weeks ago by someone else who posted it  (you have to love that you can do that huh).  But the point is that it usually will look like this.

Which isn't a lot but look at the difference.

So I'm a little worried when I look around on that trail and see that everything is so dry.  There's still the lakes and they look pretty good so I know at least the deer will have something to drink but that will cause them to cross the path.  But one match, one spark, and I think the whole trail will go up in flames or the hills around it.

So while I'll spend almost every Sunday here until the marathon and watch the trail get dryer I can only hope that come the fall there will be some rain.

Song of the Day

The Commoner's Dog is Really Fat

Benjie oh Benjie.  What are we to do?


There was a time when Benjie could jump as high as my head.  He could climb on furniture in one step and play fetch literally for hours.

It's summer and that means lots of bonding time for me and the dogs.  One thing I've noticed is that Benjie's stomach hangs almost to the floor.  He waddles when he walks. He can't jump and his idea of playing fetch goes like this...

He waits at the top of the stairs and rolls his bone to me down the stairs.  I then throw it back up to him and the game continues.  So you see fetch is no longer fetch-it's a game of catch.

Well okay not quite like this....

So I had a talk with chubby today.  I put him on my lap and said-look Benjie this has to stop.  I know your sister Bella can eat as much as she wants and never gain weight.

Life's not fair like that but that's how it is.   So for you Benjie -no more treats, and I have to take your dog dish away.  This is for your own good.  And yes you have to exercise -which will be a challenge because walking Benjie is not even close to enjoyable.  This is for your own good.  

Off the couch Dog-it's workout time.

The Commoner's Summer 2014

2014 gets a chance to redeem itself with a top seven list of awesome things to look forward to and things to come from June 13 until August 18th.  Here is Summer 2014

Marathon Training.  It begins Tuesday -it will consume my summer and it will end in Washington DC at the Marine Corp Marathon.  Bring it!!

I'm going to New York!  I haven't been there in a few years (Remember the Southwest 'thing')?  The main goal is to get out of Hollister, tune up my New York attitude and visit relatives.  That's it-oh yeah and pizza and Dunkin!

Although I have no classes during the summer I will be spending a good part of my summer reading articles on the redesignation of english language learners.  I will also spend a good bit of time wondering why on earth I'm even doing this.

NEW ORLEANS!!!! I am going to New Orleans with Rob.  I have always wanted to go there and since it's city number 2 on our list WE ARE GOING!  I can't wait for the music, the parades, the food,  the swamp and oh yes the vodoo dolls.  I'm so glad this city is back and I get to see it.

The commoners and weekly lunches.  We will definitely have these so we can keep up with the craziness.

Rob bought me a hammock and made the whole stand thing under my lemon tree.  I have spent every day on that hammock and I usually nap there.  It's great because when the wind kicks up at 3-it's so much fun.  Even the dogs like it.  

If 2014 has been a drudge-summer promises to be absolutely fabulous.  I can't wait for the ESPN Body Issue!

Song of the day-In honor of the World Cup (another highlight of summer) and OMG USA  VD Portugal really?  

Let Me Take You to Rio

The Commoner's Thirteen for Thursday

Thirteen Thursday.  That means it's been a long time since I've written and I really have nothing to say.

The Giants were doing so well!  Up by 7 games and now that I can focus on them they are on a 5 game losing streak.

Meanwhile the Yankees have a new pitcher who never loses.  I think the Yankees are doing okay-not like the As but okay.

Kanye and Kim got married and honeymooned in Ireland.  Is it weird that they got married?  I don't know.  It is a little weird I guess.

Real Housewives of Orange County is back and it's great.  That new girl Shannon has such a great house and it's on the market.  13 million.  Let's all chip in!

Now that my fun strike is over it's time to get rid of my serious face!  Onward and upward!

My kids were super cute when they were little.  We used to have a lot of fun.  Look at Danny he was the wild one!

Random picture from Roald Dahl.  I probably will never get to read those books to a class again, unless.....I do a book club with kids after school!  Hey that's a great idea!

Today I upgraded my internet.  It's been about ten years.  When I called to complete the order they tried to have me pick a secret question. They said who is your favorite actor?  It took me 10 minutes to think of one and Danny finally said Tom Hanks.  i don't even like that guy. Why so many questions?

This is Joe.  He once played hockey on the same team as Alec Martinez.  Alec Martinez just scored the over time goal which helped the Kings beat the Rangers for the Stanley Cup.  Joe never should have taught Alec all his moves when they were 10  LOL!

These are my great grandparents.  Love this picture!

This is my cousin Paul.  He is a musician by trade.  He even teaches music in a school.  I don't know why he was dressed up as a priest.  But the guy is very talented.

The Commoners at a back to school party.  I hope there's one this year!  That party was fun.

Beefcake of the day.  There are never any beefcakes anymore.

Happy Thursday friends!

The Commoners Leave Ladd Lane

The commoners began many years ago when we all were at our lovely kingdom Ladd Lane Elementary School

Ladd Lane was a fabulous place to work.  A wonderful kingdom where good times rolled and we were ruled by a beautiful queen.  

Those were such fun and happy days.  Until one day, a few years ago, Sosa was banished from the kingdom-in an very unjust move.  To make it worse it was two of the commoners who banished her.  That was the day of the Grim Reaper.

But Sosa is great.  She handled it with class.  Oodles more class than I would handle a similar situation later down the road because I handled that similar situation as if I came from New Jersey.

So I was the next to plan my exit -banished from the kingdom and sent to a school across town to take on a special project that had never been done before.  Exit Commoner 2.

Next to go was Kristen.  She and her sidekick decided they too would join the school of the special project.  The kingdom has changed and it's a good time to try something new. Even the queen had left the Kingdom. So next year we will be together.  Without all the trappings of our Palace-no bathrooms in our building, no air conditioning, and no Round Table for lunch.  

Finally Beth and Lesli decided that they too would leave the kingdom.  They have decided to try and work for a new queen in a new kingdom called middle school.

Alas The Commoners are preparing to leave Ladd Lane.  This is the last week-time to pack up and get ready to divide into two more places.  But we're commoners.  We'll always be together. Even though I will miss my beautiful kingdom I can not count the days down fast enough.  These days will be bitter sweet.

I'll miss the kids the most.  Because at the end I've Loved These Days

And A Second Song for Today

I will forever miss the kingdom.

The Commoners Run in Color

In spite of my fun boycott-which will last until June 13th.  I went with my friends to the Color Run

This is us before we became colorful.  I was really looking forward to a race where no one could look up my time on the internet.  Infact there was no Garmin, no time tracker, no iPod, nothing.  Just run for fun.  Or barely run at all.

It's okay to walk and we said we would all stick together.  I did not however, want my eyeglasses to be full of color or my shoes.  Here are some other differences

• You can start the race whenever you want.  Really whenever you show up there's a wave for you.
• They throw out stuff at the start.  Like frisbees, tshirts, towels, and you can carry that stuff with you because you know-you aren't really running.
• They don't really shoot that much color at you-they are using ketchup containers.
• No one starts out too fast.
• You can apartment shop as you run because you know-you aren't running.
• You don't trip on people starting their garmin 
• You can cheat and no one even really cares.

In spite of my boycott on fun (which ends on the last day of school) I had a mildly good time.  No tech t-shirt this time.  We were supposed to stay together but Rosa got ahead.  Luckily I caught her at the end.

But no one looked better than Rosa at the end.

It was nice to be able to hang out at the after festival for awhile -because you weren't all cold and sweaty and smelly like you know-at the marathon.  

This is the after




Song of the Day.