What?! Whyyyyy?????

a dear colleague gifted me this Martin Wilke
numbered print and I waited until I could use
it as life imitating art... and it did, the day I gave
my notice of resignation.

December 1995, I took a temporary-turned-career, position at my first big girl job – a 9-5, working at a governmental relations office in Sacramento. Those three months turned into twenty two years in an office.

May 18, 2017, is my last day at work – bringing to a close a fabulous career as an Executive Assistant, mostly serving the public with the California State Legislature and the University of California at Davis.

On May 23, 2017, I hop on an airplane to Huatulco, Mexico, to board a small sailboat with a near stranger (a la 1994 MTV’s Real World) to sail south and west headed toward French Polynesia and maybe more. Then I’m going to roadtrip the US to visit family and friends and places. Then I’ll fly to Paris and see where things take me from there. I’m finishing my degree and plan for my future “work” to incorporate travel, mentorship, and young people – opening minds and broadening perspectives.

What???? So much. Here’s some snippets of what led me to this exciting moment…

Um, most practically, having two amazing young adult offspring that are confidently on their own journeys and selling my house and getting rid of 99% of my "stuff." But, most importantly, the sense of adventure and possibility and exploration and courage that I got from:

Reading… my grandparents’ subscription to National Geographic.  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. On Gold Mountain by Lisa See. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi. Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. And definitely WILD by Cheryl Strayed.

Watching… The Jewel of the Nile, The Josephine Baker Story, Wild Orchid, MTV’s Real World (early years), White Squall, The Coconut Revolution, Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, and most recently Sea Gypsies at this adorable little film festival in Davis (originally from the Banff Film Festival - Google it).

Life… the many people that had a hand in parenting me (at least twelve immediately come to mind, for anyone that wonders, parenting is a team sport for sure). The outdoor adventures my family took me on as a kid, from camping at Salt Point to the Sierras. Learning how to scuba dive. The BVI sailing trip as a young adult. Joining the Sea Scouts with my kids to learn about boating and fixing and navigating, seeing different cultures and towns and cities on our countless road trips across the US. Listening to people’s stories from my desk in my office, all the visitors to the Capitol from everywhere, the incredible well-traveled academics I’ve encountered at UC Davis. The unconditional love from my BTG/BFFs. The broken hearts I've endured. The industriousness and creativity and grit required to single-parent two offspring and mentor many others, knowing that they were learning from my example and I wanted it to be one of strength and fun and outside-of-the-box-iveness. Push-the-envelope-iveness.

Wanting… to see in-person what I’ve mostly seen in the pages of a book or on a screen. To stretch my huge wings to their fullest, knowing that my roots run deep and it’s possible and preferable to have both. To learn at least another language. To be a stranger in another town in another culture. To have time to dance. To show my kids and family and friends and strangers that there’s more to this life. This 9-5, commuting to an office, sitting at a computer, slowly experiencing the deterioration of our bodies. LOL.

We design the world in which we live. And, courtesy of Cheryl Strayed introducing me to her… as Mary Oliver said, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I'll tell you what I plan to do... to make the world a better place by designing something beautiful for myself and others. What else?

For anyone interested in knowing more, subscribe to my blog. I'll be posting musings, observations, memories, videos, and photos all along this journey in Life #2.

The Secret

According to the Secret.com, we are supposed to tell the universe exactly what we want. Apparently, the universe doesn’t read minds. So, here goes…

Let me just preface this request with my utmost gratitude to my current employer and coworkers. I am in an incredibly supportive office environment, where my energy and creativity are valued. Unfortunately, my home purchase was made during a higher income period and is cause for this “pretty please” letter to the Universe.

Dear Universe,

I would like to be part of a fabulous team of people with a shared goal of making the world a better place. That’s pretty broad. I’m trying to make it easy on you, Big U. For the details…

I have an excellent ability to communicate thoughts, ideas, and technical details on diverse subject matter in writing and verbally. I am direct, clear, and diplomatic. I am also witty, funny, and light-hearted. I have the social aptitude to discern the appropriate situational approach.

I enjoy using my energy and creative problem-solving skills to come up with solutions. I enjoy brain-storming sessions, creating implementation strategies, tapping into human capital, and engaging people through to implementation.

I passionately absorb information from all around me and that feeds into my resourcefulness. I enjoy connecting people with the resources they seek.

My ability to bring sunshine into an office is frequently cited and that, in turn, feeds my personal satisfaction.

I can type incredibly fast, can multi-task like an octopus, have a knack for picking up new skills easily, such as learning new programs and processes, and understanding complex ideas. I have the ability to speak to groups of people, and answer their questions. Pulling order out of chaos is one of my special talents.

My work-life philosophy is two-fold - work smarter, not harder and work hard, play hard. I believe in the amazing synergy that is created by being in the right work place, surrounded by the right colleagues.

Things I get excited about are: education, healthy living, conservation, green energy, smart growth, promoting a peaceful, caring, global connectedness.

I have worked with a diverse group of individuals and organizations including legislators, CEOs, lobbyists, constituents, membership organizations, educational organizations, the old, the young, conservative, liberal, rich, poor, educated, and not so much – and everything in between.

My minimum requirements are: a salary that covers my bills, affords me a savings, the ability to provide healthy meals for my family, the extra expenses that come with having two high-school age kids involved in extra-curricular activities, and  - their special request - to go on a yearly vacation. It is imperative that I am covered with medical/dental/vision insurance, as well as for my children.

Ideally, I would have a flexible work schedule and the ability to work from home, at least occasionally.

I am always available by phone and email, and most of the time, in-person.

And, Universe, if you send some curious soul my way, I will definitely put in a good word for you!

With respect and love,

Heather

Volunteerism & Super-heroism – One In the Same?

Election season is upon us once again and while politics and voting are taking center stage, there’s another subject that should be sharing the spotlight - volunteerism.

In the words of a great volunteer Marjorie Moore, ”Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”

In addition to wanting folks to be informed and engaged voters, I hugely believe in being engaged and connected community members. That’s where the real difference is made.

For a recent project, I found a few lists that I combined to create an interesting statistic.

First, I found a list of states’ volunteer rates on www.VolunteeringInAmerica.gov. It ranked states according to the percent of their population that had performed unpaid volunteer activities in the preceding twelve-month period. As a side note, in 2010, California ranked 35th. (That’s only 15 away from being the worst volunteer state population!)

The other two lists were both compiled from CQ Press’s Annual State Crime Rankings by DailyFinance.com. One list is the 15 Most Dangerous States and the other is the 15 Safest States. I cross-referenced these lists to my volunteer list and what I found wasn’t surprising at all.

Twelve of the fifteen safest states happen to correlate positively with the highest volunteering states. And twelve out of fifteen of the most dangerous states happen to correlate with the lowest volunteering states. Let me clarify and simplify… places with more volunteering community members are better places to live!

I know this isn’t a professional statistic or assertion, but to the novice observer it makes complete sense and it is something that we all have the power to do something about.

I know what you’re thinking… How am I supposed to fit saving the world into my already busy schedule? Trust me – I know how you feel. I work full-time. I’m a single parent. I’m a student. I’m a homeowner. And I also need my “me” time.

Yet, even I have found time to volunteer. For example, I dedicate a few evenings a month to help out in various sports’ snack bars at the high school and my boys will be joining me to clean up our local lake and barge canal for National Waterways Cleanup Day on September 15^th. These are both options that anyone can do!

If things like that aren’t your bag, there are many other opportunities to volunteer your time to make the world a better place. You can give as little or as much as you want. It can be for a

hugely recognized organization or completely anonymous.

If you’re thinking that you don’t have any experience or skills that would benefits others, I say, “Think again!” I took an informal poll of my teenage kids and their friends about their volunteer experience. It was varied. Some of them had stuffed envelopes and knocked on doors for political candidates. Some of them had raised money for breast cancer by participating in a run. All of them cited times when they had picked up trash – both in coordinated efforts and randomly wherever they happened to be walking.

If kids can contribute – you can contribute!

So, maybe you’re in a selfish phase? We’ve all been there… You want to know, “How will this benefit ME?”

Well, the benefits of volunteering are many. In addition to the obvious benefits to the community, according to a report by the Corporation for National & Community Service titled “The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research,” there are also measurable personal benefits.

To quote a few, volunteers have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression. Add to that feelings of pride, satisfaction, and accomplishment in knowing that you’re helping solve problems, strengthen the community and connect with other humans.

Imagine if we all voted with our actions – every day – to live in a beautiful community with wonderful people? Imagine how that benefits YOU.

I know we all know the golden rule – Treat others the way you would like to be treated. But in a recent conversation I had with my son, I realized how difficult that is for a lot of people. He told me that he treats people the way they treat him. It reminded me of a phrase I learned in an Interpersonal Communication class – the Norm of Reciprocity - that basically states that people are likely to mirror the actions and behaviors of each other.

So imagine for a moment if more of us were doing good deeds, and it caught on. As people saw you doing good things, they would begin to do good also. Using that logic, theoretically it is possible to eliminate mean people!

At this point, I bet you’re wondering, “How do I get in on all this goodness?!”

Volunteering to be a good person and make the world a better place is One Size Fits All. Turns out, we all have something to contribute. Like I mentioned before, picking up trash is something all of us are able to do. Smiling at people is also something small that everyone can do. If you’re a parent, you can volunteer in your kids’ activities – whether it’s school, sports, dance or band.

There are tons of websites to guide people, based on their interests and abilities, for causes or needs in your own community, or even in another country. A really informative website is www.VolunteerSac.org. It includes a detailed how-to guide for Parents, Teachers and Youth, along with hundreds of opportunities to get involved!

My absolute favorite way to volunteer is in my own community. By talking with neighbors, friends & family, googling Yolo Volunteer Opportunities, and yes, even by connecting with people on Facebook, you can find ways to contribute your time and resources in your own community – because right now that is where we spend our every days.

Right now, let me plug a few organizations dear to me that are always looking for resources and help:

The River City High School Athletic Booster Club provides financial support and volunteer resources to all RCHS athletic programs, student athletes, coaches, and the school community. Membership is $10/year and anyone can be a member! Even non-parents can volunteer in the snack bars on behalf of a student (please give my kids’ names!). More details can be found at www.rcsports.org or you can contact me.

Another brand new organization is the River City High School Music Booster Club. As you all probably know, sports and arts programs are always on the edge of the chopping block at budget time. This booster club was created to ensure River City keeps its fabulous music programs from piano and guitar to choir to symphonic and marching band and the drum line. All funds raised will be used for equipment, uniforms, competitions and any other need that arises. Membership is also only $10/year!

When kids see adults from their neighborhood and community involved in their lives through school and sport activities they feel the love and know they are valued members of the tribe. It helps make them the better humans that we so want them to be.

I hope I’ve convinced you how easy and important it is to volunteer and become a real life super hero. I’ll close with a moving quote from singer-songwriter John Legend – who is involved with many causes including improving our nation’s education system. He says, “Why wouldn’t I help? What good reason do I have as a human being with power and a sense of empathy and morality, why wouldn’t I do something?”

Reference List

Grimm, Jr., Robert, Kimberly Spring, and Nathan Dietz. "Benefits of Volunteering." NationalService.gov Benefits of Volunteering. Office of Research and Policy Development, Corporation for National and Community Service, 6 May 2007. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/volunteering/benefits.asp>.

Staff, WalletPop. "Most Dangerous States: Crime Rankings for 2010." DailyFinance.com. Daily Finance, 5 Apr. 2010. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/04/05/most-dangerous-states-crime-rankings-for-2010/>.

Staff, WalletPop. "The 15 Safest States to Live In, Based on 2010 Crime Rankings." DailyFinance.com. Daily Finance, 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/04/07/the-15-safest-state-to-live-in-based-on-2010-crime-rankings/>.

"Volunteer Center of Sacramento." Volunteer Center of Sacramento. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.volunteersac.org/>.  

"Volunteering in America." Rankings. Corporation for National and Community Service, 9 Aug. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. <http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/rankings/States/Volunteer-Rates/2010>.

Activist In The Making!

Proud Mom Moment!

A couple Fridays ago, my son came home and told me that his favorite teacher had been fired. As it turns out, this teacher, through my son’s introductions, has become a personal friend of mine so I immediately set out to get the full story. As we spoke on the phone, the more she explained, the less it made sense… Something was not right, and there was a movement afoot to correct it.

Back Story - My son attends a small school, in a small school district, no doubt with a small budget. After losing his favorite music teacher last year (who incidentally took a higher paying gig in the Bay Area), he was a little disenchanted with the school until he connected with the new science teacher. She has contributed to his happiness at going to school every day with her friendship, enthusiasm, and ability to make science fun and interesting. He tells me about how many of the students enjoy her so much that she’s got a line of kids waiting to get into her classroom every morning and lunch time. Shortly into this school year, Bran came home and told me all about this teacher and convinced me of our commonalities and that we should become friends. We met at back-to-school night and agreed to get together in the future. We had a group outing at the Veteran’s Day Parade and I observed her interacting with her own children and mine – inserting little scientific explanations for things, making small connections to the larger world, and demonstrating the importance of being involved with your community – all with a healthy dose of humor and her incredibly contagious laugh.

Fast forward and the principal is telling the teacher that she will be fired, unless she chooses to resign. She has four days to think about it. This is despite all of her positive observations and reviews and was not presented to her as an unfortunate budget decision. So, here we have a seemingly stellar first-year teacher being fired for reasons unclear and a bunch of upset people. Further into the story, it’s more than just this teacher. This same personnel action is affecting multiple teachers and the brand new principal and vice-principal. Curious.

While I was worried about how to broach the subject with the administration and having a difficult time reaching the principal, Bran sprang into action. He coordinated a student meeting and put together and distributed a petition and flyers to create a mass school presence at the next school board meeting. I helped him draft a letter to an education reporter at the Sacramento Bee, with hopes of getting her engaged in this odd situation. I, myself, was not going to be able to attend the board meeting, due to mandatory attendance for a class I am taking. So, fortunately, a dad was able to take a group of kids, including Bran.

I eagerly awaited the update…

Brannen arrived home around 10pm, bubbling with adrenaline leftovers and excitement. He shared with me as much as he could remember and lamented that he wished he had remembered a notebook and pen to take notes during the meeting. “My brain couldn’t hold everything that was being said,” he told me. The room was packed – normally about eight people attended these meetings and that night there were about one hundred. His friend, K, kicked off the student speeches and Bran followed with his short speech and handed the board members his stack of two hundred signed petitions. The speeches continued with supportive parents and others, one of which garnered three rounds of applause from the audience and a tear shed by one of the teachers under fire. Bran was exceptionally impressed by her impassioned speech, as she is his friend’s quiet and reserved mom, and he was proud of her for speaking up.

Listening to him tell me the story, I sat in awe of my child and this amazing life experience he had gained. I listened to him tell me that he should have eaten beforehand, as it was difficult to sit there hungry for hours in the evening. I was proud that he plowed through his stage-fright to get up and speak and how he felt the adrenaline rush and was still shaking. I smiled at his indignation at being chastised for the students’ involvement by one of the board members. And, I was impressed at how observant he was to notice the board members’ disrespectful verbal and non-verbal communication – with their interruptions, coarse language, head shaking, and eye rolling.

I don’t know what the outcome of this particular situation will be, but I do know a few things. There are people watching what our governments are doing and many of them are our youth. I’m sure that more than one person noticed the elected board member chastising the students for their involvement, instead of commending them for taking an interest in what is happening at their educational institution. I truly hope that there is a positive outcome, not only for the educators involved, but to demonstrate to the youngsters that it is worth it to pay attention and it is worth it to speak up.

Bran and the others were thrust into this amazing learning experience by their concern for their community, their courage, and their confidence in believing that they had the skills and the right to be involved. I’ve said this to my children before, but they are miles ahead of me at their age. It’s every parent’s dream for their children to be better. I think it should be all of our dream, for the human race to continue to evolve and improve.

I am a proud momma today and I am looking forward to more shining moments from my children.

Another Thing Checked off the List...

Why have I found it so difficult to write lately? Part of it definitely has to do with my laptop crashing, therefore not being able to sit in my fluffy bed and write in comfortable solitude. A lot of it has to do with the subjects that have been popping into my overactive brain lately. They're heavy and I haven't wanted to delve into them in writing. I feel that by presenting something to the public, by way of blogging, it needs to be fully fleshed out and persuasive. Many times, I am not up for starting a potentially controversial conversation. And then still, some of the thoughts I have for a blog post are short enough they're more fitting as Facebook status updates. But with everything that has happened in the past month, I feel like I need to start somewhere.


Funny thing though, I have started. A few times. Inspired by non-stop thoughts and many times, someone else's inspiration. My only "stranger friend" on Facebook, Jill Badonsky, author of the "The Awe-Manac," regularly pokes at my inner creative creature through her posts. A while back, she posted a list of "33 Ways to Stay Creative." I promptly printed it out and taped it to my kitchen cabinet. To make it easy on myself tonight, I will start with:

#1. Make lists.

Simple dimple. That comes naturally to me. There are lists everywhere. On my phone. In my kitchen. On my desk. In notebooks. On Post-its. Sometimes on my hand.


In my immediate peripheral vision: 

• orange post-it on left side of monitor with a list of every month's guaranteed expenses
• orange post-it on right side of monitor with a list of bills that have been paid this month
• in a dried flower photo frame next to the monitor, copy of How to build a Global Community" - a list I photocopied from somewhere years ago
• on the CPU, a list of  my 5 strengths from the Strengths Finder test I took tonight
• underneath that list, is a list of both of my boys' 5 strengths

My Google calendar keeps track of everything I need to do, down to reminders to call my loved ones and when to floss. I recently began using the Tasks tool, but am disappointed because it doesn't show up on my phone. I can only see it when I'm logged into Google.

I also have a small spiral-bound notebook that I keep in my purse (which I just recently began carrying around to appear more adult-like). I fought the notebook system for years, but since it's actually #2 on the 33 Ways list, I thought I ought to at least give it an earnest try.

A smaller, basic list chimes at me every morning at 7:00am from my phone: 

Fit. Employed. Student.

This was created at the urging of my Daily Challenge email from www.meyouhealth.com a while back. Picture yourself three months from now, they said, and write down three words that describe you and display where you'll see them frequently. Bam! Google calendar, by way of my phone.


Well, I began exercising with Julian and Tony Horton, but have since let that trail off a bit. OK, a lot. But I am employed and I walk a quarter mile from my parking spot to the office. Oh, did I say that I am Employed? And that comes with medical benefits, which ties in to being Fit. And while I consider myself a constant student of life, seizing all opportunities to learn, I am now officially re-enrolled in college, continuing my pursuit of a degree as a Student of Psychology. 


In between all this big stuff, I have also managed to check off a number of other things on various lists, such as...


plant two trees in our yard (with the help of both boys)
plan this year's garden (though prepping the garden is still on a list)
fix a sprinkler (with the help of handy brother-in-law)
replace an electrical outlet (with the guidance of a handy dad and neighbor)
return a bed to its owner
move the piano (with the help of Bran)
remove all the grass from the tiny strip next to driveway (with help of both boys)
plant flower seeds (can't wait to see how it looks!)
spray paint kitchen table chairs (thanks boys!)
complete taxes
meet with school counselor to put together an education plan
find opportunities to enrich my world (and the boys' world) - joined a hiking group and completed foster parenting classes
many many more things!


Of course, there are still things that are not done, like...


complete FAFSA rebuttal and update for this year (must do next weekend)
pick up car from body shop (next week)
craft generous thank-you scheme for friend who loaned me his truck
hang picture frames in blue room (been on the list for two years)
paint boys' bedrooms
repair boys' closet door wheels
repair backyard sprinklers


Of course, there are the ongoing things like exercise more, yell less, vacuum, grocery shop, blog. 


I know every single one of you out there has lists that equal, or even rival, my lists. It's a wonder anything ever gets checked off working full time, right? I am extremely grateful for the past fourteen months of unemployed bliss. It allowed me to get my lists in order and make a substantial dent in my to-dos. 


While this post may not be my most profound, it was the first step I needed to take in order to get going again and, dammit, it's sufficient. Getting and staying in the habit of writing on this blog has been difficult to say the least. I have every excuse...I don't have anything to say; I have too much to say; I don't know how to say it without peeving off some peeps; I'm too cold; I shouldn't be spending my time writing for fun when I have a billion other things to do. 


But you know, writing makes me feel good about myself. I am really proud of myself every time I complete a post and see that people have actually read them. I really love it when people comment. Recently I have been learning that we should be spending less time correcting our weaknesses and more time cultivating and applying our strengths. So, onto my list that went:


apply my strengths - check 


Tell me, what's on your list? Can I help with anything?

A Public Thank You for a Private Kindness

I know Christmas has long been over, but I still have a lingering "thank-you" that needs to be said. Most of the time when you receive a gift, you have the opportunity to thank the giver in person, or at the least with a phone call or a note in the mail. However, when it's a Secret Santa, it becomes difficult to express your gratitude. So here goes my attempt...

A few days after Christmas, when I opened my mailbox there was a very neatly addressed envelope inside. With perfect penmanship, this special someone wished the "Momma Hen & her chicks" a Merry Christmas. This special someone knows me well enough to have my address, a return c/o address for my local mom, and also that I have two wonderful boys and even knows about my chickens. Hmmmmmm.

Included with the blessings and wishes, were three gift cards - one for each of us. So far, I have used my Barnes & Noble gift card to "pay it forward" and purchased a couple single-parenting books for my niece. The remainder of the money will go toward my school textbook for this semester's class. Julian has decided on purchasing a few LMFAO songs with his iTunes money. No doubt, the water polo team's theme song, "I'm sexy and I know it," will be first on his list. He also said I could choose a couple songs (how sweet!). I plan on picking a few blues type songs that I recently read about in a book titled, "Bayou Underground." Reading that book made me crave the music. We share a family iTunes account and I'm thankful that we all bring different musical tastes and song requests for diversity. Brannen is still undecided on his song choices, but I'm sure they'll be a great addition.

Along with the sweet thoughts and the gift cards, this Secret Santa also gave me something else... a great idea! When someone is least expecting it, I hope to secretly bring some sparkle to someone else's day!

THANK YOU!!!!!

Hot Chocolate

A little over a year ago, I stopped in the City with a friend on our way home from an education conference. We found a small bistro type place to have lunch on one of the piers on the Embarcadero. To cap the perfect meal, we ordered hot chocolate. Sitting outside on that cold, misty day, I enjoyed that cup of hot chocolate more than any other cup I've ever had. I came home and told my boys about this amazingly different dessert drink.

I was reminded of it, last weekend, when Brannen (our Christmas Spirit) gathered us together to decorate the Christmas tree. I wanted to add to the cozy feeling and serve hot chocolate. In an attempt to duplicate the yumminess, I searched the internet for recipes and I made a recipe using Creme Fraiche <--- very fancy.

It was disgusting... The proportions were all wrong and we had to do some major doctoring to our cups to even tolerate it while we decorated our tree. At that moment, I decided I would have to take the kids to that SF bistro some time so they could try it first-hand.

So, this morning, after the rarity of sleeping in until 9:30am, I decided to take the kids to San Francisco for hot chocolate. We haven't had as many spontaneous road trips in the last few years as we used to, and after reading a new book from the library and a new blog I recently discovered, I felt inspired for an adventure.

I sprung my proposition on the boys and we excitedly rushed through a handful of chores, ate some pancakes, Julian's friend joined us, and we were off on our mission. I grabbed some last minute coffee from Chevron, blared the radio, and we sang our little hearts out as we sped West. With 27 miles and 66 minutes left to go until we arrived to Downtown SF (that little electronic sign was unnervingly accurate), we slowed to a crawl, rolled the windows down and enjoyed the bay area winter warmth. As we searched for a parking spot, I realized I had almost no idea where we were going, I panicked just a teensy bit. I warned the kids that we may be doing a LOT of walking today. "Duh," they said. "We're in San Francisco." Sweet. I'm glad they understand.

The kids wanted to skip the chocolate and go play on that gigantic bow n ' arrow in the background.

For some crazy reason, it seemed like every meter parking section had signs that said Tow Away. There was no way I was paying $6.00 per every half hour in a parking garage, so I kept driving around until we spotted a totally safe spot.

Then, we were off to find the mystery hot chocolate spot. I remembered it was near the beginning of the pier section on the Embarcadero and it being where loading trucks came in. That was the info we were going on. We walked in to the first familiar-looking shop and I started to explain to the guy behind the counter that I was searching for this special hot chocolate that was "like drinking warm chocolate pudding." Almost not letting me finish my sentence, he exclaimed, "Yep! That's us." Apparently, it is very special Parisian style hot chocolate. No joke, we found the magical restaurant less than 200 yards from where I parked. Amazing.  "We'll take four cups please." Twenty dollars later, we're sipping our drinks and I'm anxiously awaiting their reactions.

The cafe is Boulettes Larder in the Ferry Building.

Brannen: "It's chocolaty."
Julian: "It's hot."
Nate: "Duh. It's hot chocolate."

Well, it wasn't as magical as that first time, but hey - at least it brought us to the City. Now, we had time to explore before we had to head back for a 6:30pm birthday party.

I guess they had a hankering to climb, so they jetted across the street to a large decorative wall surrounding the outdoor ice rink.  They climbed while I tried to figure out the humor on the Zamboni machine...

Someone please explain how they're bringing Hawaii to me with snow.

Next, I forced them to walk with me along the piers and enjoy the water and the ships and sailboats. They raced each other to the end while I took my time. When I caught up with them, I noticed the red boats of the SF Bar Pilots across the way. I explained to them that an elite group of marine pilots use those tugboats to move much larger vessels in and out of the bay from the ocean. Those skilled pilots amaze me. I try not to pass up moments to lure my kids into activities/jobs that interest me. You never know which little piece of trivia or hint might spark something.

SF Bar Pilots can earn $400,000 a year navigating large vessels through the dangerous waters of the bay!

I actually had to force them to stand still for that picture because they were so busy moving! They posed, so then I posed.

Then Julian wanted to pick me up, so I played along...

Love Julian's smile here...

We were trying to figure out what to do next and figured since we could see Coit Tower from where we were, we decided to go there. How difficult could it be to find? Well, we drove in what we thought was the right direction, but I guess with all the hills we lost the mark. I finally parked at what I thought was the Coit Tower and we all got out and everyone ran up the steps. Turns out it was a dog park and basketball courts. Hmm.

It proved to be a decent vantage point for us to look for the Actual Coit Tower. No luck, though.

So, off we went, up the hills, down the hills, through China Town, up more hills, down more hills, and stumbled across Lombard Street. Thank goodness! Another vantage point!

Not the best picture quality, but if you look close you can see the Actual Coit Tower way off in the distance.

As we finally found our way to the Coit Tower, we laughed when we realized it wasn't actually all that far from where we started. It's a funny adventure to drive in the big City. The great thing about SF is that it isn't very large, geographically speaking. So, you're only lost for a short while before you circle back to where you started.

We found the tower as the sun was setting. I was getting ready to splurge on tickets to the top, but the cashier foiled those plans by saying, "Cash Only." Really? A major tourist attraction in one of the largest cities and they don't take VISA? Fine. Back outside, we explored anyways.

Please disregard the dirty lens spots.

174 steps from the top,  Bay Bridge backdrop.

Brannen and Nate raced back up to the top. Julian and I took our time. With only pancakes and hot chocolate in our bodies, it was a bit of a struggle. I was happy for the workout though, especially after the last two days of Netflix-induced laziness.

One last snapshot from the other side, before we headed East toward home.

Sunset behind the Golden Gate Bridge, viewed from the Coit Tower parking lot.

Our goal was to be back home by 6:30pm for Uncle's 60th Birthday. As we started on the Bay Bridge at 5:53pm, I was a little skeptical. I made an optimistic guess that we'd arrive at 7:15pm. I told all the kids to think positive, flowing thoughts of moving cars. We cranked up the Christmas tunes and hoped for the best. Do you know we made it by 7:16pm???

It began with a quest for the perfect cup of hot chocolate and a spontaneous adventure. It's a little funny because I don't even really like hot chocolate. But, because I decided to do something spontaneous with and for my kids, we all got to enjoy the beautiful weather, impressive sights, singing together. I'm thankful that I have had the time to read books and blogs lately, written by people that inspire me to be better. I'm thankful for all the people out there that give me great ideas and help me be a more fun woman and mom.

We ended a fabulous day surrounded by tons of family for a big birthday celebration. Beautiful Christmas Eve Eve. In the words of Paul McCartney, "we are simply having a wonderful Christmas time."