An Educational Endeavour

Today we visited the California Science Center. By the way, Siri was seriously smoking something illegal when he was giving me directions.

Once we finally arrived, I was amazed to find out it was free! It cost only $2 each to see the space shuttle Endeavour, and the rest was donation-only (yes, we donated). We opted not to buy IMAX tickets, since we can see Lemurs in San Diego.

The Ecosystems Exhibits are divided into several galleries by type. We first visited the Island Ecosystem gallery, which had several interactive exhibits and did a great job explaining such concepts at niche, microevolution, adaptation, and generalists vs specialists. This stuff is right up my alley!

Our next stop was the Endeavour exhibits. First there is a large gallery with displays about California's connections to the shuttle (her construction, mission control, etc), how astronauts eat and go to the bathroom in space, mission control, how Endeavour was transported to LA, and a motion simulator that Treklet enjoyed. I thought it was interesting that contest was held for schoolchildren to name the shuttle and that it was named after the explorer Captain Cook's ship, hence the British spelling of Endeavour.

Then it was time to see what I really went there for: Endeavour's Hangar! I was overwhelmed with emotion, and so was Eugene T Spacecow, the moment we entered the hangar. I wondered how big she would look up close, and I really felt that Endeavour didn't seem quite as big as I thought she would from the pictures and videos I had watched of her being driven through LA City streets on her was to Exposition Park.  All along the walls of the hangar are signs with information on every shuttle mission, in order. The are numbered STS-# for Space Transportation System. Each sign had a photo of the mission crew, or payload, and a short description of the mission objective, and the names of the crew members. I read every single one, and cried when I read the names of the Challenger and Columbia crew members that had perished in STS-51 & STS-107. I bought myself a clever evolution sweatshirt as a souvenir and a freeze-dried ice cream sandwich for the kid.

After a snack break on the patio, we explored some more exhibits on ecosystems, such as rivers, kelp forests, and rot, then looked at a few aerospace and transportation technology displays before fighting the LA traffic back to the hotel. 

All in all, it was a great mix of biology/ecology and outer space today. 

A Great Day In LA

We are on a mini-vacation, just 100 miles north of home. Treklet and I are in Los Angeles for a few days, doing the tourist thing.

Our first day was tons of fun...and educational, too! After a mom-daughter workout and soak in the jacuzzi, we ventured on up the 5 Freeway to the Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits.

The museum is just right. Not too big and overwhelming, yet informative and interesting enough to hold our attention for a couple of hours. After perusing the exhibits, we walked across the street for lunch and then returned for a short docent-led tour of the park.

 

 
We learned that the tar is not actually tar, but asphalt. We also learned the difference: Asphalt is decomposed organic materials while tar is man-made. We learned that methane and hydrogen sulfide from the decomposition rise from underground to cause the bubbles in the lake. The lake is man-made by siphoning water away from the many excavation sites around the park.

We learned that the pits were predator traps. For every herbivore excavated from the asphalt, there are 9 predators. The goo would have been covered in leaves, sticks, and other debris, as well as water, so animals probably wandered into it unawares. At that point they would be hopelessly stuck. A depth of asphalt of only two inches would be enough to trap a mammoth (12 ft tall and 7 metric tons)! There is a story of 2 Asian elephants that got loose from a traveling zoo in the 1930s that were stuck in just a couple of inches of asphalt, but were pulled out by humans, and that is how they know this. Once the prey animals were stuck, they were seemingly easy pickings for the predators, who then also would become mired in the muck. In just this small area over 3500 Sabertooth cats have been found!

We found our hotel, the Elan, only a few miles away and settled in. We've got free WiFi (a primary factor in booking this room over our second choice), a comfy room, and a courteous staff. I packed a cooler full of healthy vegan food which I transferred to our in-room mini-frig, and unpacked before we set out again.

The Grove is only one mile from our hotel! I told Treklet that we wouldn't have time to go to the American Girl Store because we had our itinerary planned to explore places she has never been. She was pleasantly surprised to learn that we could pay a visit to her favorite store, and we also had time to see the latest Muppet movie there, too.

After our long day she turned in while I squeezed in my second workout and a shower and here I sit blogging. Tomorrow we will explore the Science Center. Eugene is along, and is excited to see the space shuttle Endeavor.

Who could have known what would come from that graduation gift?

When our daughter, Katie, graduated from high school we gave her a fancy SLR camera (I know next to nothing about cameras--only how to take selfies on my phone).

That summer she started a little home based business taking senior portraits and homecoming pictures for her Alma Mater. 

Now, less than 5 years later, not only has her business grown, but she has a cosmetology license which allows her to offer makeup and hair services to her clients. 

She has also added a business partner who is her second shooter and video producer. He's her wonderful husband, Christian! 

Together they help preserve wedding memories for happy couples and get to travel far and wide doing so. 

I'm proud to share that Katherine Rose Photography is featured in the Hey Wedding Lady blog this week: 

http://heyweddinglady.com/backyard-bohemian-wedding-inspiration-from-katherine-rose/

Wow! Impressive, eh? 

Check out http://www.katherinerosephotography.com/home.html

Tell her SFMom sent ya!

Evidently Shatner has his dates mixed up...

It is NOT April Fools Day. Now I'm kinda pissed...

I told him so, too.  What a douchebag thing to do.

1.7 million hearts were at stake.

On Shatner's Desertion....

Every morning I get up, drink a giant glass of water, make breakfast for my daughter, then grab a cup of coffee and a shake or oatmeal for myself and take a little time to clear my Facebook notifications and browse my Twitter feed. This morning I was not prepared for what I saw.

WHAT?!!!

I couldn't quite comprehend this! Mr. Shatner was a PROLIFIC tweeter. He also interacted with fans. He promoted the hell out of his numerous projects and appearances on Twitter. I wouldn't have known about 90% of his stuff without it!

I screen-capped his tweets in my Twitter app because when I tried to favorite them I got an error message saying, "Sorry, that page does not exist."

Funny, by deleting his account almost immediately after posting that he was leaving, most of his 1,786.429 followers never got to see his farewell. Only a few of us saw it none of us know the reasons why.

I checked his Facebook page and there hasn't been an update in almost a year and there is nothing from him on the WilliamShatner.com Group page there.  I checked his website and there hasn't been a blog post since March 4th. 

I felt enormously sad for a little while. Like there was a big hole in my Twitter that nothing could fill. How are we going to know what weird national holidays are coming up? I worried that when he actually dies in real life that I wouldn't survive the news. 

Then I got real. Yes, I'll miss Mr. Shatner on my timeline, but I won't crawl under the covers and drink myself into numbness. After all, Betty White just posted a hilarious tweet! And my paltry 2.157 followers need me! I've still got so much to tweet for!

For my last words on this I leave you with my current G+ and Facebook status:

Fast tracking the 5 stages of grief so I can get on with my life. 

Stage 1: NO!!! It can't be! ::checks Shatner's blog and Facebook page
Stage 2: WTF Bill! You just turn your back and walk out on 1,786,429 of us without an explanation?!!!
Stage 3: OK, Mr Shatner, if you come back I promise not to reply to any of your tweets.
Stage 4: I don't think I can face the day. Maybe I should delete all my social media, too. What's the point? I don't even want to watch Star Trek. :'-(
Stage 5: OK I'm over it. At least Betty White is still tweeting.

What about the Common People, Bill?

Vegan, Non-GMO, Soy-free Protein Bars

Since it took me a couple of hours of googling, I decided to put all this research into a blog post.

IF I would have been keeping up with my blogging, you would all know that I've been on a fitness quest and have lost about 65 pounds over the last couple of years. More importantly than the weight loss, I've also made great improvements in general health and fitness through exercise and gradually changing my diet.

In case you missed this on Facebook, Twitter and G+
This is me on the left in January 2012 and on the right in October 2013

I'm not a vegetarian...yet...but my daughter is, and so I've been cooking and eating a lot of new plant-strong meals. While she is mainly a vegetarian for moral reasons, I have researched a lot about the health benefits of cutting out animal based foods from our diet.

While I have occasional meat, I feel less enthused about it and really don't crave it at all. It's mostly a matter of convenience: we still have a full-on carnivore living with us in the Alien. Treklet is by no means a vegan. She eats organic yogurt and eggs and cheese, but I'd like to steer away from dairy for various reasons which I will save for another post. (Steer away...see what I did there?)

I eat a lot of protein bars. They are convenient to keep in my car for snacks when I'm out and hungry. They help me fill in that protein serving that I'm usually short on by the end of the day because I still kinda suck at this vegetarian thing. I really love Quest Bars. I've been a big fan of them for a couple of years now. I need to replace them, though, because their main ingredient is isolated whey protein.

So my project today was to find vegan, non-soy, non-GMO, and, hopefully, organic protein bars. Here is what I found. They all have higher calories than Quest bars ( did I mention I LOVE QUEST BARS?) but Quest has isolated whey protein and isolated milk protein, which I'm not crazy about these days. I’m ordering the ones I haven’t tried before and will update later on my preferences. (I suck at blogging, too, so that's not exactly a promise)

I love Perfect Food Bars, which you can buy at Costco. They must be refrigerated, and they are high fat due to them being full of nut butters. The light bars are lower in calories and fat, but also only have 10 gm protein. 

http://www.perfectfoodsbar.com/pages/nutrition-facts

22 Days has a protein and energy bars. You can save quite a bit by buying the Mocha Mantra bars via Amazon Subscribe and Save. I don’t see the Peanut Butter and Chocolate available for Subscribe and Save, though, and they have the highest protein. Again, these bars are high calorie at 290 with 20 gm protein, but they are lower in fat (10%) than the Perfect Food Bars. 

http://www.22daysnutrition.com/pb-chocolate-chip-nirvana.php

Dr. Mercola’s Pure Power Protein Bars are only available online in boxes of 12. They offer free shipping, but they are $1 cheaper on Amazon, also with free shipping. Their website has a lot of information on ingredients found in other protein bars, such as soy, whey isolate, casein, sweeteners, and on their own ingredients (brown rice protein, pea protein, tapioca syrup). They have 14 gm. protein, but I can’t find the full nutrition facts for a calorie and fat count. I can update when I receive my order. 

http://proteinpowder.mercola.com/protein-bar.html

Organic Food Bar Protein has 22 grams protein and 300 calories. They have several other varieties, including raw varieties, but they are all around 300 calories, with varying amounts of protein from 8-14 grams. It’s about $11 cheaper to buy a box through Amazon’s Subscribe and Save. I would have liked to try a variety pack, but that isn’t available on Amazon. Besides, for the same calories, I’ll take the extra protein. It just works better for my metabolism.

http://shop.organicfoodbar.com/ORGANIC-FOOD-BAR/c/OrganicFoodBar@Organic

Dale’s Raw Protein Bar boasts a whopping 22 gm. protein with 280 calories. They boast that they’re the only raw food bar with 22 g protein. Um, OK…  they have lots of yummy-sounding flavors.If you sign up for their mailing list you can get discount codes via email periodically. They are not available on Amazon! You have to spend $150 for free shipping on their site, and they offer no variety packs.

 http://www.dalesrawfoods.com/classic-protein-bars

Dale’s also offers Raw Reduced Carb Protein Bars http://www.dalesrawfoods.com/reduced-carb-protein-bars

Vega Sport Bars are available as a Recovery Protein Bar. They come in 2 flavors, and are available at Jimbo’s and Sprouts. They contain 15 gm protein and 230 calories with 7 gm fat.  They also make an Endurance Bar with only 8 gm. protein and 180 calories.

Square Bars are “rectangle free” and a combo pack is available! They are a little low on protein at 12 gm., but they also have only 200 calories. I’m trying they, because… no rectangles. If you like them on Facebook you’ll get an instant 10% code and they are offering free shipping.

http://www.squarebar.com/products/combo-pack

Go Macro Protein Pleasure Bar offers 12 gm. protein in a 290 calorie bar. It boasts fair trade chocolate chips. Available through Amazon Subscribe and Save
http://www.gomacro.com/#/products/protein-pleasure

Good On Ya bars have too little protein for me, but they are probably a good snack for a bike ride or something, when you need more carbs. They are a San Diego company, so I’ll support them here, as an energy bar.  Also, they are available at Jimbos. ;-)

http://www.thegoodonyabar.com/

Zing Bars look like a well balanced bar at 200 calories and 10 gm protein and 7 gm fat. Not as much protein as I'd prefer, but again, a good balanced and clean snack after exercise or mid-ride. I love that they have a vegan variety pack. Amazon's price matches the website, with no Subscribe and Save option, but if you have Prime, you could save on the shipping there.
http://zingbars.com/

A Time to Be Thankful

Today is Thanksgiving. What does that mean in 2013? It seems to me that a day officially set aside for reflection and gratitude in 1863 by President Lincoln has become little more than a day about personal gluttony and corporate greed.

As long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been about the food. Don't get me wrong, I love food! What I mean is that the focus of the day always seemed to be about the feast, not the reason for the feast. We even call it "Turkey Day." Just like Christmas has become about the presents, not the reason we give them. But I digress..

Since I don't have much family, the feast has been problematic for me during my married life. We have no relatives in California. The spouse is British, and quite picky, so the tradition is not hardwired into him, as it is with most Americans that grew up feasting every fourth Thursday in November. He doesn't care for the traditional side dishes, except perhaps stuffing. The girls and I don't like sweet potatoes. Treklet has been a vegetarian for almost 3 years now, so no turkey or gravy for her, and she doesn't like stuffing or that green bean casserole that literally defines Thanksgiving feasting for me and Katie.  I'm the only one that seems to like cranberries. The feast to me has come to mean a full day of slaving in the kitchen for 10 minutes at the dinner table with a picky crew, only to spend another hour or two packing up leftovers that will never be fully consumed and cleaning up. 

Over the years, I've only cooked a few times. We have eaten out, gone to the movies, or gone to my best friend's home for dinner. As a former waitress, I feel sorry for the poor restaurant staff that has to work Thanksgiving. Many of them do have families at home, and they are stuck waiting on large parties or lonely singles, most of which are not generous tippers. 

Then there's the turkey. I love turkey, but I recently read this article about the turkey we eat. http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/11/turkeytech/

Ugh, it's just not natural. Our food supply is so altered...but that's another blog.

Of course, there is more to Thanksgiving for most families than just the feast. For those with college students, Thanksgiving may be the first time since the semester started that they get to see their kids. For people with distant relatives, Thanksgiving may be a reason to travel and visit. That's awesome. 

There are other traditions linked to the day besides the feast. There is football. When I was a kid, the men all drank Schlitz and watched the game while the women worked in the kitchen and the kids played. I hope today's modern family shares the workload a little better. 

There is the Macy's parade. I've found the parade to be a great bore in the last decade or so, but in my youth I think I enjoyed the floats and giant balloons. The parade will not be on my TV this year. If you have read my blog in the past, or follow me on Twitter or Facebook (how else would you have got here?) you know my disdain for Sea World and keeping animals in captivity for human entertainment. There has been a lot of press in recent weeks about Sea World's float in the parade, and petitions, articles, and a social media blitz imploring Macy's to disallow Sea World's participation in the parade. My personal activism is to keep the parade out of our house and not shop Macy's (who, btw, is open today! Another reason to boycott)

Another Thanksgiving tradition is for holiday shoppers to pore over the store circulars planning their Black Friday shopping spree. I have never shopped Black Friday, as most of my shopping is done before Thanksgiving arrives, and I do admit to shopping mostly online, but if I did shop on Black Friday I would NOT be shopping at Macy's, or any other store that is open today. A new tradition is starting this year, and it's disturbing. Macy's and many other stores are open today, denying their employees a day off before the holiday retail madness to be with their families. Kohl's, Wal-Mart, Target, JC Penney, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Sears, Staples, Office Depot... and more. All open on Thanksgiving. All trying to get a jump on that Black Friday Bottom Line. And shoppers will show up, because Corporate Greed thrives on Personal Gluttony. 

So there's my rant. Here is what my Thanksgiving is going to look like: 

A simple meal. Yes, we will have turkey ( bought an already-cooked breast), potatoes, and a couple of simple and healthful vegetable sides, a new cranberry recipe that I made last night, and cornbread. Since I am recovering from knee surgery, and trying to eat clean as a general rule, this will minimize my time on my feet and not add to my waistline, and we will have a reasonable amount of leftovers that will be eaten.

We will focus on being thankful today. I'm going to start right now. Here are some things I am thankful for:

*My husband's good provision for my daughters and I.  We have a nice home, in a safe neighborhood. It is full of things that bring us comfort and happiness. We have reliable vehicles and are able to keep the gas tanks full so that we can go wherever we want, when we want. If I stopped right there, I'd have more than most people in the world.

*My closest friends. They put up with me when I complain. They advise me when I am troubled. They make me feel loved, when love is what I seem to be missing most in my life. They share in my joy. You know who you are.

*Star Trek  If it wasn't for Star Trek, I'd not know half of the people I know! Star Trek has brought us together online or at conventions, and I've met so many real life friends through our mutual love of Star Trek or Sci-fi in general. It's been a jumping off point for some great relationships. 

*Social Media Many people think social media is a waste of time. I disagree. I have found many friends on social media, and I've nurtured many real life friendships by keeping in touch on social media. I've found people with similar interests, be it sci-fi, nature,or  exercise and nutrition. I stay connected, I interact, I laugh, I rant, I share, I give support and I get support. I find answers to questions. I answer questions. My life is enriched by it.

*People who are working for society today. While I pity the retail workers that have to work today, or risk losing their jobs, I salute those that are working as first responders, caregivers, security, military, etc. It's good to know that they are there if we need them, keeping us safe and healthy.

*The blessing of daughters. My eldest who makes me laugh, makes me pretty, has incredible talent, gives of her time to take pictures for me and help me when I'm gimpy. My youngest who also makes me laugh, fills my house with art, has a compassionate heart, especially for animals, and teaches me something nearly every day. They both make me beam with pride.

*The blessing of a son-in-law. He is a wonderful addition to our family. He is fun and smart and looks after my first baby girl. He is always willing to fix things for his tooltarded mom-in-law. He is a joy to hang out with.

There is much more. I hope you find time to reflect on your blessings today. If you are struggling today with feelings of sadness or loss, counting your blessings may help you realize that there is still much in your life that is good. 

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for reading.