january 27

i'm a dreamer. i day-dream...sometime A LOT.

one of my favorite daydreams consists of me driving around a snow town somewhere in majestic colorado in a 1988 toyota landcruiser (in prime condition, of course). i'm dressed really cute, wearing a beanie and sunglasses, listening to some great music, smiling quietly to myself as i hear the giggles of my kids and husband as they chat & sing their hearts out on our way to the mountain where we'll ski and snowboard the day away.

so needless to say, every time i stumble upon one of these beaut's i have to stop, stare, and pay homage (and make lots of wishes) that one day in the not so distant future this dream comes true.

january 26

my mom is rad.

i've always known she was a tough cookie, but these last 6 months have really proven just how strong she is.

she just finished her 6th and final chemotherapy treatment, and although she'll feel lifeless for most of this week, she is done and will never (god willing) have to go through this again in her life.

she has inner strength, confidence, and beauty that i can only hope got passed down to me. i know this was the hardest thing she's ever gone through in her entire life, but she is grace under pressure and handled this crappy hand with the poise and positive energy that so few could do.

i think i speak for everyone, especially my dad (who has reached saint-hood during this whole process), when i say i'm glad we can put this behind us, share some delicious pizza together, and cheers to all the wonderfulness that lies ahead.

january 25

as you can tell, megs and i went on a baby tour to visit all the new little pickles in our lives.

this is lyla rayne. born december 5th, she's the newest member of the henderson household.

while i was there, i was reminded just how quickly time flies. just over two years ago mike and susanne became parents for the first time. new to parenting and a little overwhelmed, they jumped in whole-heartedly and found their way. fast-forward to now, and you find them as a family of four (well five if you count clemens) at ease with the cries of little lyla, and the laughter and energy from sadie. they are a well-oiled family machine that is founded on love, laughter and enjoying the adventure together...AND they still find time for grown-up fun which i admire and love about them.

love you doo-doo's. i want to grow up to be like you guys.

january 24

babies amaze me.

they are the epitome of innocence.
they are trusting by nature.
they love unconditionally.
...and, they are cute, cuddly, and smell heavenly like only babies can.

meet harley james gunderson.

jess and brent, you did good.

january 23

meet gina. yes, she happens to resemble mary poppins in this picture... but under the black coat and umbrella is a bubbly, smart, beautiful 23 year old.

i was introduced to gina through my sister in law, jess, and then was lucky enough to recruit her to come work with me. through our daily chats about life, happiness, love (and of course work) i am always reminded of the freshness, fun, and often overwhelming adventure of living in the city and figuring out LIFE and the REAL WORLD post college.

there's a book that dubs this stage the "quarter-life crisis" and in some ways it's quite fitting. you are forced to take a look inward, get to know who the real you is, who you want to be, what you want to do, who you want to do it with, how to make money, where to spend it and how to balance everything into a 24 hour day.

it's tough but worth it, and you have a whole lot of fun in the journey. it makes me smile and warms my heart (i feel like a momma hen) to watch gina, jess, & their friends blossom into the real world ladies that they are becoming. this girl is on the right path and it's all happening for her.

january 22

i love the rain. i love the smell of it, the sound of it, and the freshness that it leaves behind. about the only thing i don't like about the rain, is the fact that i have to walk a mile from the bus stop to my office and a mile back.

this walk, although wet and chilly at times, is tolerable thanks be to marc. he made an array of black rainboots with colorful souls that can stomp thru the biggest of puddles with grace & ease as well as keep us looking sassy & sophisticated as we make our way in the rain.

love you marc.

january 21

the bus that i take to work is mainly a commuter bus. riders are for the most part dressed business casual, with a few suits, and a sprinkling of jeans. so really, you could imagine my surprise when at 8am on a wednesday morning i saw this outfit strut its way onto the bus.

yes...those are lame (the material..."la-may") leggings with a criss-crossed deep-V shirt and black camisole...oh, and open-toed sandals and a snake skin pleather bag, to boot.

since i wouldn't really call this "office appropriate" i spent most of the bus ride wondering where she was going, and if in her head, she was looking and feeling like a 10.

as she sat on the bus, she began to carefully apply her make-up (heavy on the eyes) which in mind crossed out the possibility of it being a walk of shame type situation. i am still stumped as to where she jetted off to, but wherever this lady went i hope she was dressed perfectly for the occasion.

january 20

welcome #44. i have a crush on you... and i don't think i'm the only one. you did great today & you captured the attention of millions.

never have i seen such passion and celebration around a presidential inauguration. i think the added jubilation is two-fold. people are:

- beyond thrilled to see g-dub get back to the ranch.

- excited to see barack kickin' it in the oval office (nice chair, btw).

i laughed out loud waiting at the crosswalk where this "adios" bill was posted on a mailbox. i think it was the combination of choice words and the unsure look on bush's face that got me. then, just a few blocks away in chinatown, some clever folks took the liberty of "renaming" BUSH STREET to appropriately reflect the change in office.

i admire the effort and the emotion behind both, and love that we live in a country (and a city) where it's our privilege to speak what's on our mind.

january 19

you can not turn on the news today without hearing about what a historic day we are leading up to. as many of us enjoy an extra day off of work, to honor MLK, i can't help but be proud about how far we, as americans, have come.

when you stop and think about it, the days of segregation were not that long ago. when you take a moment to talk to your parents, or grandparents, they can each vividly recount the days when african-americans were seated in the back of the bus, forced to use different restrooms, or when women were not allowed to vote and held back from attaining professional success. our nation's history is proof that the unthinkable can happen and that change is good.

passion, hope, and heartfelt determination are ingredients for progress, and for me tomorrow's inauguration marks another milestone in our nation's history and the leadership that will only continue to add fuel to our forward momentum.

january 18

people love elvis.

people love jesus.

...but in this picture it looks like elvis is trying to punch jesus's lights out.

WWJD?

january 17

while we were in austin we stayed at the driskill hotel, a historic hotel in downtown austin that was built in 1886 as the showplace of a cattle baron. on our way to and from our room, we walked thru a lobby that was appropriately adorned with cattle head, leather chairs, horse statues, and many cowhide covered couches.

on one of our first walks thru the lobby, keith (and for those of you who can picture keith saying this it will be all the funnier) turned to me and said, "hey, look at that couch... get it? COW-ch." this made me laugh and will probably make me laugh for the rest of my life.

so there i am... moo-ing on the cooooooowwwch.

january 16

keith and i decided to take a break from our real life, and check out austin for a few days. in general, i don't think texas has much to offer or much going for it but austin might be the one saving grace of the lone star state.

austin is cool. effortlessly cool. the kind of cool that you want to be part of. it is a mix of vintage, country, modern & culture.

the town is quirky, but hip. the town and people in it appreciate good aesthetic and design, delicious food and live music. they think green and the town is clean. they think austin is weird and want to keep it that way.

this cupcake shop sums it up perfectly. a vintage airstream, complete with rotating cupcake on top sets up shop in an empty dirt lot, puts out a few tables and chairs, strings the perfect strand of round bulb lights around & serves up some of the most delicious little cakes from noon til' 10pm at night. simple, unique, eye-catching & delicious...austin.

january 15

turns out there is one good thing about catching a 6:30am flight...

being able to watch the sunrise from 28,000 feet up in the sky.

january 14

everyday i walk by several buildings, restaurants, and hotels on my way to and from work, but it is the le meridian that catches my attention each time i pass by...because it speaks to me.

depending on what time of day you walk by, you can hear a variety of sounds like crickets chirping or morning birds singing, but the catch is, the sounds never match the time of day when you expect to be hearing them. the crickets at le meridian chirp in the morning, but i'm used to hearing crickets chirping in nature on a warm summer evening. the morning birds at le meridian sing at night when its dark, but the birdies i know sing their hearts out every morning right outside my window.

it's all very subtle, but always catches my attention... kind of like when you take a sip of soda thinking it's coke but it's really rootbeer.

january 13

...i can not even begin to try and put into words the emotions that i am feeling.

basically, this simple pee test just changed life as keith and i know it. holy crap!

january 12

winters in san francisco are nowhere near the type of bone-chilling, freeze your booty off, kind of winters that the mid-west and east coast often see, but we do get our fair share of opportunities to bundle up in heavy coats and experience california's version of winter.

...and then sometimes days like today happen. when you walk out of the office into a warm hug of sunshine and a gentle breeze against your skin. days like this do NOT usually happen in winter, especially in january, and everyone knows it. people are taking long lunches, sitting in the park, or finding a reason to get out of the office just a little sooner to take advantage of what could easily be gone tomorrow.

as i walked, i realized that people weren't the only ones celebrating the sun...even the magnolia tree, who was naked and bare just a few days ago, is now starting to bloom. i am sure that they got the go ahead from mother nature, so i'm hoping we see more days like this again soon.

january 11

in my life there has been a total of six presidents pass through the white house to lead our country in both good and bad times.

growing up i recall hearing my parents and their friends discuss the candidates they liked & which they disagreed with, presidents they thought served us proudly & others who were a disgrace.

when i was old enough to vote, i began to pay closer attention to the issues at hand, how they were handled, and how the character of the president is so closely watched and critiqued by the people that he serves.

after eight years of disappointment, i find it refreshing to see the growing excitement, comradery, and display of support for barack obama. it seems everywhere i turn there are personal expressions in one form or another, a painted YES WE CAN fence in cole valley, obama bumper stickers on a growing number of cars in the city, and even this little sticker that was slapped on a traffic barricade in north beach.

i know there will be plenty of hard times & struggles but the fact that barak has created a true sense of hope & change in an america is quite refreshing.

january 10

i wholeheartedly agree with elaine that muffin tops are the best part of a muffin, but this is one muffin top that i don't want any part of.

today, a few friends and i were at one of our favorite watering holes, enjoying a few cold beverages, trying to watch the nfl playoffs...and i say trying because we all kept being distracted by the grand display of muffin top that was hanging out the backside of this lovely lady's jeans.

as we, a group of girls & boys, squirmed and felt self conscious for her, she seemed at ease and completely comfortable... who knows? maybe she liked the cool breeze to her backside. after all, it was pretty warm in there.

i thought perhaps she did this to lure in the men, a sort of mating ritual similar to ruffling her feathers or something... when i asked the boys if it was attractive, the look on each of their faces was enough to say that this is one baked good they would never sample. it was also enough for me to swear off baby tee's for the rest of my life.

january 9

werd to your mother...
i saw this piece of masking tape stuck on the sidewalk and smiled. they are simple, concise, words to live by. it also reminded me of an old apple commerical that still moves me to this day...

Here's to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things.

They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

you can view the commercial here: http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/redlightrunner/thinkdifferent.mov

january 8

today i left for work wearing this fresh & funky outfit, sun shining, birds chirping, headphones on, morning soundtrack playing loudly, walking down the street with a little hop in my step when all of the sudden i started to feel my dress creep its way up my thighs. and instantly, it was like the record stopped playing and all the passerby's were watching me.

they weren't of course, but man... it's amazing how one little thing like that can bring you from "looking great, feeling great" right back to the self-conscious 13 year-old that we all once were.

but then, as i continued my walk to work (fidgeting & tugging every 5 seconds at my dress, wondering if any store still sells a slip) i realized that true confidence and beauty stems from within and comes through in the way we carry ourselves.

edward lewis had it right when he told pretty woman vivian, "when you're not fidgeting you're very beautiful... and very tall." ... and so there i went, struttin' my way up battery street with my head held high and skirt inching steadily up my thigh.

january 7

most of our days consist of getting from one place to the next, thinking about what appointments and deadlines we have, and what items on our to-do list need to be checked off by days end.

all this hustle & bustle leaves us walking the streets focused on the destination rather than enjoying the journey of getting there.

as many of you know, i work in a dungeon...where the only natural light to be found in our office is in the women's restroom (i kid you not). after staring at an excel sheet for way too long, i was in desperate need of fresh air, some sunlight, and escaping the office for a while. so, gina and i threw on our coats and decided that we'd liven up our day by taking a nice walk along the embarcadero to the ferry building to enjoy our beautiful city and take in the sights & sounds that it has to offer.

on our walk we passed by this building, where the shadow of a nearby tree was perfectly caste against it. the whiteness of the building created the perfect canvas. as we stopped to take this picture, it was neat to think that each day, when the sun shines just right... this pretty painting appears, admired by only those mindful enough to stop and look, and then quietly fades away leaving the wall white bare once again.

les arbres est tres belle!!

january 6

i've always envied the french. their food, their wine (and champagne), their culture, their lifestyle, their accents, their ability to make even the mundane look beautiful... the list goes on and on.

so it dawned on me, one saturday morning while keith and i were standing inside la boulangerie listening to the bakers list off their fresh baked delights in their french/american accents, that i too could learn this language.

this evoked many a day dream about a sophisticated, french speaking, version of myself laughing and sipping champagne in a little cafe, dressed in black and feeling good...and then i got these flash cards & was rudely awakened.

bottom line...learning french is going to be hard (especially when every word i pronounce comes out with a spanish flair to it).

january 5

poor little tannenbaums... i was walking home last night and saw a gang of you gathered around a trash can looking dishevelled and it made me fee so sad for you.

just a few weeks ago you were the center of attention. your family shopped up & down the tree lot, checking you and the other trees out to see if you were tall enough, full enough, the right type of needle to bring home with them.

YOU were picked because they thought you were perfect. they dressed you in lights and adorned you with ornaments, refreshed you with water, and even put all their presents under you because they knew you'd keep them safe. you were the center of attention & life was good...until it wasn't.

hmmph, i'm sorry christmas tree... we still love you.

january 4

walking home from a gospel brunch today (random, i know) we stumbled upon this gem of a ride... yep, that's right, a baby pink lexus.

not sure if you can see, but the lucky lady who owns this car is sitting pretty behind the wheel. she was wearing this lovely little knit beanie that had a baby pink & hot pink stripe that complemented her car perfectly. she was getting out of her car when she saw me, mouth open gaping in amazement, and i finally got it together to ask her if she'd pose for me...

in my head, i had an image of her propped up, arms folded, leaning against her car, but instead she wanted to get in...maybe to give me the full affect. either way, i think she is rad.

mary kay, eat your heart out.

january 3

i've lived here for a long time, but for some reason the golden gate bridge always brings out the tourista in me.

i snap endless pictures of this landmark, but i swear, each one always seems to look a bit different from the last... sometimes it is covered in fog, other times it is standing proudling against a bright blue sky.

i usually don't get to see the bridge from the pacific facing side. as i walked land's end today i imagined the inspiration & amazement that ships sailing into the bay must feel... i can picture the crew of a boat standing at the bow of the boat, leaning forward, arms stretched wide, yellling, "i'm king of the world."

january 2

i am always amazed by simple & effortless beauty.

this type of beauty manifests itself in many different ways... art, fashion, design, children, nature, but today it came in the form of a quilted cloud formation.

it spanned the entire skyline & made me think of how comfy-cozy it would be to be up there kickin' it on the cloud quilt.

january 1

...and so another year begins. i've never been a big fan of new year's but i am always amazed at the surge of hope, lust for new beginnings & zest for life that the new year brings out in people.

with a twinkle in their eye, everyone takes a deep breath in of the new year & vows that, "THIS year is going to be THEIR year"... and that's all well and good until about mid-month when people begin to realize that prince charming still hasn't showed up, that their muffin-top is still bubbling over their jeans & that work is still work. their bubbles have been burst & the twinkle in their eye begins to fade.

this picture of confetti reminded me of all the resolutions & goals that are set and so quickly forgotten. it looks absolutely wonderful as it falls gently from the ceiling & dances its way to the floor, but once it lands is quickly forgotten and sits in a heap for someone to clean up.

...it leaves me thinking, how can we make the confetti fall all year long in each of our lives?

happy new year.