"The Rock" - San Francisco, CA

On Wednesday we went to Alcatraz to tour the prison and the island. If you've never done it, it's really interesting.

This is a picture from the ferry on the way to the island looking back on the San Francisco skyline.

As you approach the island there are signs from the prison days

warning boats to stay at least 200 yards off the island, and that anyone attempting to help a prisoner escape would be prosecuted and imprisoned.

This is a shot of the officers housing (bottom right), warden's house (center), and the lighthouse (top). The visit to the island included an award winning audio tour, which was given by previous guards and inmates of Alcatraz. They walked you through the history of the prison, a day in the life of a prisoner, the Battle of Alcatraz, and the Great Escape of 1962.

This is a pic I snapped of one of the guard stations.

San Francisco was a great leg of our trip. We got to spend a lot of time with Stephanie Francis Lind and her man Chacho. It was good to catch up with her, since we didn't get to see her at the reunion.

til next time...

Westmont Reunion - Santa Barbara

I know this is a little out of order...oh well. Last Friday morning we drove down to Santa Barbara from Kingsburg for the Westmont Homecoming. We got in around 11:30 and found Jeff and Laura Pierce and Erik and Paige Vanslooten taking pictures on campus. I love those kids!

Friday night was the Presidental Gala, which was a really nice dinner. We sat with Deyl and Paige Kearin and David Jay. They are such amazing people. They inspire me to challenge myself, believe in myself, and take some risks. Their stories are amazing, you should check them out.

Santa Barbara is just a beautiful place. Deyl and Paige were so gracious to let us stay at their place while we were in town. This is a picture of the sun rise from their front yard.

Saturday we ate breakfast at Cava Cafe, the most delicious $12 french toast you'll ever have. It was a good time to catch up with Jeff & Laura, Erik & Paige, Deyl & Paige, Matt Rumford, and Donnie Waisanen.

After breakfast we went to Westmont and met up with Andy and Amberly Wolf and their newborn baby Abbie. I love those kids too! After a great afternoon of hanging out, we got ready for the Class of 2002 reunion supper, which was fun, but not near as much fun as the afterparty at David Jay's new house. The festivities went on into the wii, I mean wee, hours of the morning. I had such a great time getting to meet so many of the people who shared in such a special time in Erin's life.

Lombard Street - San Francisco, CA

I have heard about the most crooked road in the world and today I got to see it. The walk up the hill was pretty intense, but worth it. We spent the day in San Fran today, we rented some bikes and biked to Fort Point right below the Golden Gate Bridge. Then we walked to Lombard Street and then on to China town. That was such a different experience. We were looking for this place called the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory and we found with the help of some locals, tucked away in an alley. We never would have looked there.

All around it was a fun but exhausting day. Tomorrow we are going to tour Alcatraz Island and see the prison, I'm pretty excited. Then we're off to the Fresno area to spend a few more days with family and celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving.

I hope you all are doing well, I am going to post in the next couple of days about the adventures of the Westmont reunion (what a blast!), so be looking out.

Tickle Pink Inn - Carmel, CA

A place to call home for tonight...

Sunday night, I surprised Erin with a stay in a great little inn called the Tickle Pink Inn. We were greeted in our room with champagne and chocolates. This was the view from our balcony, it was amazing.

California Dreamin'

We made it safely to California on Wednesday. We spent the day today with family and tomorrow we're off to Santa Barbara for the Westmont reunion. We are staying with two of my favorite Californians, Deyl and Paige Kearin. After the reunion, it's a surprise Sunday evening (blog post to come). We're happy to be here safely and we'll keep the updates comin'.

The advantages of accuracy

so I purchased this Nike+ system back in in June after I read a couple of posts by Deyl and DJ about their Nike+ experiences. It was this same experience that got me blogging more regularly, so thanks guys!

Well, I've been running with Nike+ for a few months and have just been depressed at my performance. I was a runner in high school and college so running 9 and 10 minute miles was just a downer. then I thought, "hey you should probably calibrate this thing." what a difference. The distance was off about 10% so I was running farther and faster than it was reporting. Since then I put in 7:37 mile and a 24:45 5k. nothing stunning...my glory days pr's for those distances are 4:45 mile and 17:31 5K. still nothing to write home about, but when I thought I was having trouble running fast than a 9 minute mile I wanted to cry.

Anyway, that's all better now and I've been so encouraged with my last two runs now that everythings accurate.

The Servant Heart and the Selfish Nature

"Love has a hem to her garment. It reaches the very dust. I wipes the stains from the streets and lanes. And because it can, it must."

-Mother Teresa

One winter afternoon when I was in high school, I was washing my hands in the school bathroom. The girl at the sink next to me was washing blood off her forearm. She had carved the word "hate" into her flesh. I was deeply disturbed by this experience. I could feel the depth of the girls pain and I wanted help - I wanted to heal. I didn't know how. So, in my little teenage mind, I contrived a plan to be her unsolicited Secret Santa. I figured that even a small expression of kindness from a stranger might help. So, for weeks, I left little gifts for this girl with our PE teacher. I was eagerly awaiting the day I would reveal myself and hopefully offer this stranger some comfort.

My PE teacher and I had a mentoring relationship, and she was concerned about my feelings being hurt in the end of this experiment. One day, my teacher pulled me aside and said, "Erin, what you are doing is very sweet, and I am worried that it is not being appreciated. She does not look like she cares when I give her your little gifts. I don't think you should give them to her anymore." And, so I stopped. The feeling of regret that resulted has never left me.

I was not being kind for appreciation, recognition, or acknowledgement. But I was not confident enough in my convictions at the time to continue to do what I knew was right. My teacher meant no harm. She was protecting my heart.

As a social worker now, I am trained to help and heal. I feel it is my calling. And to this day, I am still astonished by the animosity a servant heart stirs in others. For some, it is merely something they cannot understand - doing something kind for someone without appreciation and the risk of being hurt. For others, it provokes an attack. A bludgeoning of "you don't need to do that" and "you're wasting time," and the underlying "you're making me look bad!" My back bone is strengthening as I learn that others do not think and live as I do, and I need to do what I know is right. Who would have thought that kindness would rock the boat. Here's to rocking the boat!