Jadasclay

Rillito River Run or Walk 5k/10k | Tucson, Arizona 85718 | Saturday, December 11, 2010 @ 9:00 AM

2010-11-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

Rillito River Run or Walk 5k/10k | Tucson, Arizona 85718 | Saturday, December 11, 2010 @ 9:00 AM

Thursday Worry Wort

2010-09-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning..

I have a wierd feeling today.. I got up as usual. Went for my run.. showered, ate my yogurt and blueberries.. now sitting here. I looked back at my jadasextrordinarylife blog this morning. Not sure why the revisit.. but now I know. It was about this time last year that KC gave me marriage ultimatum. It has been an interesting ride since then. I look at myself now and I am a TOTALLY different person than I was a year ago. My wt.. 60lbs less is the most noticeable. My focus is no longer on my heartbreak. I cannot believe it has taken so long to get through this. That 10 days of insanity with him scarred me. I do not know why I did that. Why did I not stand strong and believe in myself? Once again I am reminded that you get a lesson till you learn it. Have I learned it?

I know I use my going work to escape from dealing with the personal issues. Lately though, I have been creating clay work that deals with these personal issues. I wish I had a clearer vision and a better ability to sculpt what is actually in my head. I want to be a better sculptor. Maybe a class would help or maybe just doing it, going through the process will help. I don't know.

My financial issues are coming to a head, and this weighs on my mind every minute. I am buried in medical bills and bills from just living this life. I want to jump and run.. or face it head on.. but it feels like I am inches away from being hit by a train or a mac truck. Even with medical insurance I cannot seem to recoop from the 2 illnesses this year, and it looks like I have more tests coming up. Do people who cannot afford their healthcare just die? Do they give up? I hate to call the doc for anything now because I do not know how much it will cost just to explore what the hell is going on. I wish there was some computer reader that could look into my tummy and see what the hell is wrong and then tell me exactly what to do to fix it!

Today... advanced class.. and studio chores.. I demo'd the BVG little pitchers and sugar bowls this week. Today I think I will do another little sculpture dealing with stomach probs.. maybe she will be a little voodoo type of doll that has her own pins to stick into herself. (this could mean alot of things?!?!)

I taught several people for the first time at the wheel this week. I sometimes am worried that I get a bit short with them and traumatize them for life about the wheel. I try so hard to keep it positive, but sometimes I run out of positive. So, for those of you I traumatized, please come back and try again.. don't ever let one experience turn you off to something.

Here I come CLAY...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,

Jada

Lots to Say

2010-09-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

I have lots to say, but so little time to say it...

Cool things that are happening..
I am working.. making art, helping people make art. This makes me happy. I have several beginners this session. They remind me of me when I started, and ground me-keeping me off my pedestal by remembering we all have to start somewhere. It is refreshing and frustrating at the same time. I have some GREAT helpers in the studio who just put the icing on the cake for me. They make my job seem easy when they are there and hard when they are not.
I got to spend some time with the GRANDONE this past weekend. He is amazing and wonderful and kissable, huggable and loveable. My daughter is an amazing MOM!
I went kayaking on Monday.. one of my top 10 trips I would say. The water was peaceful, there were only a few motorboats.. I felt I almost had the lake to myself. I did some paddling in which I totally "zenned" out and felt timeless, weightless and free. 6 hours alone paddling, gives one lots of time to think. I think about my worries, my successes and where do I go from here. I feel that the past several months has been peeling me back to who I really am, although I don't know if I will ever be sure, I am feeling more and more comfortable with myself and my thoughts.

I should have a computer very soon!!! My friend D. is buying it, and letting me make payments!! I will be glad to have my own, and to be able to write and assemble my work/photos/lessons into one cohesive unit again. I also promise always to back up everthing so I don't loose it ALL again. I feel I am having a do-over, and maybe I needed that. I will try to coincide my finishing cleaning out my office with the arrival of the computer, that way I can have a VERY FRESH and clean start.

I need to make more money!! (Don't we all!) I am tired of living on the edge.(aren't we all?)..
I am still concerned with the fact that I make "things". "Things" that people don't necessarily NEED. I believe we are going into a time of "less is more" and that concerns me being that I am in the business of making "more". I like to make things for people to use and to enjoy. I LIKE drinking out of handmade coffee cups and eating out of handmade bowls. What I LOVE though is making "things" that have meaning. I want to portray an emotion, experience or feeling in my work. It is hard to do. Sometimes what I want to say and what the viewer sees are very different. ---now how do I reconcile this with my need for more income. I want to make things that are not NEEDED. I want to make things that give people pause and make them think.
How do I do that and make money to live on too? Do I sacrifice and loose what I have materially so I can do it? Or do I give up that notion until the economy is better?
My mom said to me, "The number one thing to you is to make pots.." almost like it was a revelation to her. I know this! I know it so well.. I feel like I am always torn between pots and income. How do I make this work? Funny thing is, someone else, who I just met said something very similar to me. If this is so obvious to everyone how come I am so torn over it? How come you stereotypically have to be poor to make art?

Well.. the money maker is calling, gotta go to work... maybe some art will come today.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

Rainy Thursday

2010-08-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

Funny thing to have a rainy day! No sun to wake me up this morning so I slept in a bit. I did not go for a run. I had coffee on my patio in a cup from one of the lab techs from Tahoe, and it is a awesome cup! My bkfst was in a bowl from Takemi another of the lab techs (a Cone 10) from Tahoe. (Cone 10 is an inside joke that the gals in the studio and I came up with that rates a person, not necessarily physically, but in quality) Cone 10 is at the top of the scale as that is what we fire to in the big kiln. I think of that trip to Tahoe everyday. I have pots around me now that remind me of the experience. I wish that the computer had not broken so I could have finished blogging about that. I feel too far away from it now to give it a fresh perspective. I still may return to writing my memories of it, or not.

Today I get my hair done for the wedding.. I know it is a week off, but I wanted to give it a chance to settle so that it is not just fresh cut and out of order. I also have a "date" tonite, with an old friend (I have known him approx 15 years) to go to the casino to see a "Disco" band. I wonder if I should wear my white polyester pants and get ready to shoot my #1 finger up in the air as we rock out? It will be fun in any event.

Today I am quite concerned about my enrollment for the fall classes. Last check there was probably 25 spaces filled out of a potential 84 spaces in 7 classes. I would like 60 students. I can't decide if I should hold the classes with-out students and hope and pray they show up or if I should cancel until they do show up. (I am eternally hopeful to a fault that this will all work out) Some of you may know that I get paid by the head not by the hour. For my summer teaching, because of low enrollment I think I made about $8 an hour, before taxes.. this is quite scary. Lately I have been reading about the economy and some predictions say that we are in a depression that could last 10 years or more.. if this is the case I must find a way to make clay a necessity, 'lest I lose my livelyhood. I know it is a necessity to me!!!

I am thankful to my daughter for letting me use her computer so I can write again. I so want my own computer back so that I can get my business matters taken care of.

More laters..
Love,
Love,
Love,
Jada

Missin' Blogging

2010-08-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

I sure am missing writing. I am borrowing my daughter's computer but am very afraid to do much on the computer. What if that virus comes back? I don't want to push any buttons at all to look at anything.

Work is slow. I am very frustrated with my employer for not producing the catalog for classes in a timely manner. It is a week and a half until classes start and still no hard copy of the catalog. You can see it on line though. I am on the cover!! That is fun.. not an especially attractive photo, but it's me doing what I do!

My daughters wedding is coming up! I am so excited. Family and friends will be here. I have my dress and shoes. I tried it all on last nite and it looks GREAT! I will post photos after the wedding. James is coming in on the first and I will go pick him and his fiance' up at the airport.

I glaze fired some of my pieces from the Tahoe workshop. They look awesome. I will post here when I can figure out how this computer works. I plan to have my computer up and running in about 2 weeks. I still need to financially recover from the last month before I can ok a new motherboard.

I have been dating.. it is fine. I think I am just afraid of being close to someone and getting hurt. I hope this feeling fades in time. I started reading Eat, Pray, Love.. the first 6 chapters are ever so familiar to me. Some things in those first chapters totally parallel my life. She talks about how her world is turned upside down during her divorce and how she wanted to die sometimes. I think the boyfriend after the marriage is my KC.. she describes him as an addiction. KC and I use to say that about each other. I use to say I needed to go to KC Anonymous.. maybe I still do...

Today is a "BRAND NEW DAY" I will treat it with the respect and wonder it deserves and keep my mind open..

More as soon as I can..

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

YIKES

2010-08-16T09:58:00.000-07:00

Had an awesome time in Tahoe. Am now making up for having such a great time.. my computer got a virus and is a total loss, as are all my documents, photos, music and book.. Wilma(my dog) went thru a plate glass window during the storm, but will be ok with the help of valium. Can't get worse, right?

I want so much to write more.. no computer for now though. I will work on getting another one, but isn't gonna happen right away. I will see if I can start writing again on other peoples computers and save it on a flash drive.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,

Jada

Change is inevitable..

2010-08-11T08:23:00.000-07:00

I am home, trying to get back into the routine. It was very nice to be back at teaching yesterday. I had so much to share about what happened last week. Most of the time I really don't know where to start and where to end when telling people about what happened. I have work to show to talk about and that has been a great hit. I want to start glazing but will wait till next week.

There isn't enough time in my days to write. I do have tomorrow off, and will do some catch up on last week then.

Some interesting things are starting to develop not only in my thinking, but in my life. I know I am a bit stagnate where I am at. I am not growing. I am staying the same. I know I need to restart my studio here at home. I need a private place to work and to concentrate with-out teaching. There are too many limits where I work in regards to what I "think" I want to do. I also had an interesting converstation with my boss about a possible job change. I think about this and the health problems I have had in the past year and how this might help. I just don't think I can sit at a desk, or be without clay. Something is going to change, I feel it. I just don't know what it is.

More tomorrow...
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

Photos

2010-08-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76655&id=1478181391&l=f377b73873

BVG DAY 2

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76754&id=1478181391&l=686f6b4841

BVG DAY 3

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76967&id=1478181391&l=699f95c20a

BVG Day 4 and 5

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76973&id=1478181391&l=e09761f7af

Kayaking LAKE TAHOE

BVG Day 2

2010-08-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

Day 2 BVG
Wake up… Run?.. yikes…high altitude! I feel like I am a smoker.. Bkfst.. outside after my run.. mm.. yogurt with granola and peaches and a nice cup ‘o Joe.
Class starts with whiteboard work.. a plan for the day.. Cups to test glazes on. I already brought some stuff for glaze testing. I still opt in on the cups. I want to try the different techniques. Rib altering, darts, dimpled.. etc.. I try several. Unfortunately, I feel the urge to move some of my stuff along that could go into bisque. The mugs wait till afternoon. I finish the pitchers , the casseroles and the three tumblers.
Lunch once again is delish! I get to set with some very nice artists and beginners.. we all converse about clay . I love this.
The lab techs are taking great care of everyone. It is fun to watch them work. I like the comraderie and I miss this kind of educational setting. MFA for me someday?
The cups become my nemesis. I handle them, I rip off the handles, I wrap them up.
I finsh up for the day at 5.. take a HOT shower.. and get dressed for the art talk and slide show with BVG. What a great nite. The work in the gallery is very good. Bill has great things to say about as do the lab techs and others from the class. The discussion is lively and educational. Tony (Antonio Evansito Cuellar), one of the lab techs has two pieces in the show. He apparently is one of Paul Soldners most recent (last) students. His work is Raku and fumed with ferric chloride. I love this look, but don’t like the chemical risk. I think it needs to be saved for very special pieces, which these are. Takimi also has a piece. It is called “Meat”, I think. I am not really sure what it is about. It is not at all like the work he was working on in the studio last nite. Last nites work seems to have a lusty Asian influence. I wanted to touch and feel the work, but alas it had fresh glaze all over it. Tonites piece is that of pieces of raw meet. I think it is kind of like that fake food that you see in Asian restaurant windows. Usually you don’t see raw meat. Might be an interesting conversation with him, if I had to courage to start it. Other great pieces in the show were by great clay artists including, Linda Christianson, Frank Masseralla, Don Ellis, Randy Broadnax and John Britt. (there are more than this) The work is luscious. There is also a piece by the lady who runs the place, Sherri, a wall of all kinds of ½ Teapots. (see my photos)
Several people go out to dinner afterwards.. I go too! ½ price burgers. It is fun.
Afterwards several of us head back to the studio. The high fire kiln is almost at temp. I get to look inside. Nice, it is a long ways to the cones because this is a super insulated Geil. I guess they don’t need to worry that much about this kiln, it is equipped with all the bells and whistles. It is very nice.
There is one kid who takes up lots of space. And I mean this in a lofty sense. He is quite a presence in this studio, but doesn’t get much done. I have chatted with him a few times telling him to put his butt in the chair. There are a couple of other very nice peoples working away.
I get to throw tonite. There are very few people in the studio. I decide to do those tea bowls. Trevor demonstrated them in the afternoon at my wheel. It was very nice to get the lesson. I threw a very controlled version, but very loose for me. I also did two super tall tumblers and a very controlled bottle.
The environment in the studio is dedicated and hard working for those who are there. The music is good and things are occasionally interrupted with conversation but all in fun and learning. The company is good. I especially enjoy getting to know Takimi!
I:30am rolls around and I have had a great run with my pieces! It is time to hit the sack. I am having a blast.. I get in bed.. and my head is racing. The conversation and the work are so good I want to keep it going. Sleep doesn’t come for quite awhile.

Love, Love, Love,

Jada

BVG Day One Part 2

2010-08-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

There is an awesome lunch served in the cafeteria. Hard not to pig out everytime I go down there. My afternoon is spent trying out the little pitchers,

This entry needs to be rewritten.. sorry, I lost it.. ;(

BVG Day One Part ONE

2010-08-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today.. mmm.. nice wake up before the alarm.. not too noisy for a dorm. I am thinking of the first day of school.. how I want to be prepared with just the right tools, the right attitude, the right jeans.. etc..
The food here is GREAT! Lots of healthy choices.. could get unhealthy though, if consumed in mass quantities. Bkst was a green chili-egg-cheese burrito, mandarin orange slices, and a stiff cup o’ Joe with a bit of cream. Mmm.. Next stop The Short Bus for tools.
As I approach the vehicle I see that someone I know from Tucson is at their car right next to mine. Nice to see a familiar face from the Tucson clay world. She seemed in a big hurry out of here and didn’t have time to chat. ;(
I take my load into the studio. I had walked through this perfectly empty studio late last nite. It was open and airy and full of emptiness that I knew would reveal some amazing work very soon. This is not the scary place I walked into this morning. There were SOOOOOO many people, I almost thought there would be no air. The organized chaos evolves into a quietly attentive amazingly diverse group of people. They seem to come from all over, and I think there are 30 of them. Plus 3 darling lab techs. There is an amazing woman, Sheri Leigh O'Conner, at the helm here and she seems to have this place under her thumb. Bill vanGilder tops out the bunch.. Talk about Darling!
I land on what I think is the very last open wheel. I have no idea if it works or what is up. NOTE TO SELF: Next time you walk into a throwing class the nite before it starts.. CLAIM YOUR WHEEL!!! I just so happened to land on a tight little Brent, she rocks. I have to think of a name for her.
As I look at the way this class is run, it is power teaching at its’ finest. The lab techs are teaching along side BVG. I get the pleasure of Carolyn to my left and Heather to my right. Heather has never centered clay before. She gets it by the end of the day. She is amazing. Makes me think of Leila(one of my students I call my prodigy). Carolyn, also from Tucson, has taken classes with one of my former students who is studying at Pima College. Both are Beginners. Across from me is Dori.. she figured out the rim of the platter, which I have crashed every single time (3) that I have tried it. Rule for the week, is that everything gets 3 tries, then it is time to move on. Further down to my left is Beth?. (some names I am not so good with yet) There are so many people.. I will be surprised if I get to know anyone very well. It is hard not to teach, and I remind myself that I am a student in this class. The gals next to me are getting so much help that I am learning from the lab techs also, there are so many ways to throw. I think of what Galen always told me.. “PUT YOUR BUTT IN THE CHAIR”. There is no way to even figure it out if you don’t try.
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OK… time out from this writing for a sec.. I don’t know how to write, I just dump words strung together out of my brain. I don’t claim to be a writer, but I do claim to want to document my world. I am not sure what this really means over all?!?! I feel like our memories are all we have, my memories are ONLY MY OWN. Yikes.. how sad.. I want everyone to see what it is like to live this awesome life I Iive. I want other people to live just as awesome of a life. Today is ALL we have… so I want to share my day.. be star of my own movie if I may?
----------------------------------------------------
I finally get to greet Bill with a nice hello and a hug. He is very sweet. I do like the way he teaches and his philosophy. I do differ on a few things, but I want to try these new things I have seen him do. I want to give my students more options. I do wonder of I am spreading myself thin by trying to have too many tools in my bag.
He demos a cute little pitcher, a platter with a spring cut design on it's rim, and a squared up casserole …..
More Laters..
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

Dorm

2010-08-03T08:20:00.001-07:00

8/1 SUNDAY

Oo.. dorm living. Two sets of bunk beds in a room the size of one of my kids bedrooms. I do wonder how 4 people live in here with-out killing each other. I guess when you are younger you are more physically and mentally flexible that you are when you are 47. I unpacked everything.. hung up some clothes.. and put my pictures of my family out. I miss them! I miss home. I miss clay. From being sick I was out of the clay a bit longer that I expected. I will make up for that this week.
I went for a run and totally got lost. I did make it down to the lake. That lake is very very blue. Makes me want to go snorkeling. I read that at times you can see 75 feet down. The lake is about 1600 feet deep and is 39 degrees at the bottom and heats up to 68 degrees at the surface during the summer. It also has 72 miles of shoreline.
Once I made it back to my dorm, I had a little yogurt for dinner. Then I went to explore where the closest bar is. Apparently if you want an expensive drink you go to the Hyatt.. and if you want a “Blue Collar” drink you go to the Paddlewheel. I went and had a “blue collar”drink. I sat at the bar, which I never do, and talked to a couple of golf pros. They were nice and gave me some advice about where to go running and where to go kayaking.
I walked back up to my room, thankful for the flashlight I found in my car. They have these little black top pathways alongside of the roads for foot and bike traffic. It is very pedestrian friendly here.
I am still surprised at the density of people. Peoples personal space is much closer than I like here.

Bakersfeild to Yosemite

2010-08-02T08:11:00.000-07:00

Bakersfield.. I came out of my room at about 8:30 and the parking lot was close to empty.. I guess I slept through all of those people leaving. I figured everyone had eaten the free waffle bkfst, but I went down and checked anyway. Wowie.. I got to make my own scrumptious waffle.. I got some coffee and a donut too!! I got packed up and got out of there by 9:15.

The road from Bakersfield to Fresno is flat and goes through the heartland of where we get a lot of our food. There were corn fields, tomatoes and COWS. When I say armpit, that is what I mean. I kept checking my breath and my pits.. but it wasn’t me. Those poor cows.. they all clump together and have to eat through these metal bars. I can’t imagine eating while standing in my own poop! There many are billboards all along the freeway in SPANISH reminding people to drink water?!?!?! I am not sure what that is all about, but the images on the boards looked to be of Hispanic immigrant workers. (I will probably have more to say about this laters)

I stopped at a place called Traver, that makes cheese. The cheese was good, but not good enough to buy since I already have my fave cheese in my ice chest. (Triple cows milk cheese from Costco)(I bet those cows I saw helped make that cheese) I did buy some jalepeno stuffed olives, wasabi almonds, Turkish dried apricots and blueberries! I got some ice for the ice chest and was on my way again to Yosemite.

The road to Yosemite is one lane in each direction. People are good about pulling out if they go too slow. I went through this really long tunnel and emerged to the most awesome view. It was breath taking and brought back memories of my History of Photography class that I took my first semester at the UofA. Funny thing is that I pretty much slept through that class in the darkened auditorium after lunch, and it is the ONLY class I failed at the U. I must have seen some of the images through my eyelids because I frequently see them now and remember about them. Unfortunately, Saturdays in Yosemite leaves little room to park.. ;( I hung my camera out the window and took a photo and kept going.

Second problem for me… I can’t parallel park. So, finding a place to park was horrible. I finally found a place that I nosed into then backed up. I wanted to go on the rafts, but you have to have two adult people at least per boat. Plenty of people in line wanted to give me their kids to take, but no adults. SO, I took my blanket and sat on the side of the stream ate a peach and enjoyed the sun for a bit. I went in the water, but snow melt run off is freakin’ cold, I went all the way in only once.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76328&id=1478181391&l=57b759eece

Cooper, my cousins’ son, recommended Vernal Falls. I went and had an ice cream and got on the free shuttle to the trail head. I had my running shoes on and started the trek up. UP UP UP UP UP UP UP… This is a vertical climb up. Sometimes it felt I was bent so far forward I could touch the ground. I could definitely touch the steps in front of me as I got closer to the falls. There is a point where you go across a bridge and you can see the falls. I thought that I would just stop there.. I didn’t have the right shoes or the right clothes to go, but once I saw the falls and it said that it was .3 miles to the top I had to go for it. That is the LONGEST and HARDEST .3 miles I have ever hiked. (I should have trained at Wasson Peak at home for this) They were also the most beautiful and breathtaking.. tears and mist were falling from my face as I gazed over the falls. This is where I really can see what an awesome earth it is that we have. This is why people fall in love with this place. The falls spray all over you it is beautiful green and there are rainbows everywhere. The trek is treacherous, I have to stop crying and focus. The steps are slippery and narrow.. there are tons of people coming at me, because I have started this trek very late in the day. Not too many are going up. I pause several times to let people pass and to rest. I really need to be in better shape, but I look at some of these people and I am totally surprised they are still standing!! There are lots of kids too.. and I think of bringing Blaze here.. The sound of the falls is thunderous.. there is so much water and so much of a drop. I get to the top and it is breathtaking to look back.. mostly all I can see is mist. The sun is setting and it seems to reflect off of all the water droplets to create this great cloud. I look around at the top and see the trail goes to a wooden bridge over a smaller fall.. I can see the next falls and Half Dome. People are hiking up there and there are backpackers going up there to camp. (Later in the evening looking up I see lights there, a man asks me what it is and I say campers and he argues with me, and I ask him, “Why ask me then??”, he saw the error of his ways an shuts up) Not to worry, I am not going any farther, at this point in time I am not sure how I am going to go down. My legs are shaking. I sit for a bit, and realize I should head down before it gets dark. Step, step, step, down, down, down… I come to the bridge.. I take my shoes and socks off.. I empty the sand from my running shoes… I think sheesh.. I surely broke them in. I am a bit sad because until now I had saved these shoes ONLY for running. I cool my feet. I turn and see the falls with the light of the sunset. They look so different now. Almost warm and friendly as opposed to cold and treacherous. (dang I love spell check).. I am reminded again of how light changes what you look at … There is still more down, down, down, and more leg shaking. The forest is becoming darker.. it is about 7pm and I wonder if I can still see things in the twilight. Important things like BEARS. I get down to the end of the trail… YIPEE!! I made it and I jump on to the free tour bus. It takes me through several spots I didn’t get a chance to see.. like Yosemite Falls… I do see it from the bus window.. it is awesome.. water dropping that far over a sheer rock wall. I see all the other touristy stuff .. like group camp grounds.. all they way from tents to tent cabins, to motorhomes.. luxury and not so luxury..and some of those 1-800 RV’s. Fancy resort hotels.. and a few info places about the park. THERE ARE SOOOO MANY PEOPLE!! I guess I keep myself very isolated. I cannot believe the density of people everywhere I have been during this trip. AND I am not so sure that Yosemite is as pretty as where my Mom took us camping as kids.. arrgg.. did I say that out loud? The view is more amazing at Yosemite. But I don’t think I would want to camp around that many peoples. Plus there is something about the density of the forest that is very different here.

I ride the bus till dark. I get off at the stop closest to my car. This is where the man questions me about the lights up on Half Dome. It is quite dark and I am very thankful for the miniflashlight my father gave me for xmas.. because this is a mini “Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH MY” walk. It is about ½ mile to my car. The stars are just starting to twinkle and I can tell that the nite sky will be awesome as soon as the sun crosses to the other side.

I jump in my vehicle and realize I have no phone service or GPS. Hmmm.. 8:30pm.. I think I will get out of the park and head toward my destination. I go through hill and dale.. I am thankful I cannot see because I bet there were sheer cliffs off to the right side of me. I see some amazing things in the dark. A lake with the moon rising above it, the reflection across the lake is to die for. I climb to 9000 feet or so a few times.. one time I pulled off to go to the bathroom, and it was so cold I stayed in and shut the door and kept going until I was at a lower elevation. It was freaking cold.. so, as I travel along, I am getting tired. I pass motel after motel with NO VACANCY. I am tired.. I am hungry.. I want to sleep. NO VACANCY!!! Finally.. 200 miles and almost 5 hours later… I find a hotel on the Nevada state line. I walk in.. it is 1:30am. I ask the gal.. how much for the nite? $90 she says.. she askes me.. just you?.. no pets? .. no smoking? Yes.. I say.. I am figuring in my head that I will be paying like $10/hr to stay in this hotel. YIKES!?!? I must have looked tired or something.. and she says.. $55. Yeah!!!! I GET TO SLEEP!! I sleep till 7… I get up and take a long hot tub bath.. I must get the lactic acid out of my legs so I can sit at the wheel on Monday. I get my act together and hit the road at 11. On my way to the college I stop and get some stuff I seemed to be missing.. like dental floss and the like. I was actually only about 50 miles from the college when I stopped for the nite.

I didn’t work this into my story… I was quite lost after leaving Yosemite. My GPS was not working.. no phone service.. no XM Radio.. NO map reading skills.. I got out my print out from Google Maps and it said what road to look for, I found it. I wish that when you looked up roads in google, it told you what kind of road and what kind of speed to expect to be going. I think that I assumed that every 60 miles took 60 minutes.. but it really doesn’t on a treacherous mtn. highway that closes every winter?!?!?!. Driving that in the DARK took some big balls on my part. I didn’t want to burn up my brakes coming down out of 9000 feet so I only went 35 t 45 most of the way.. I got hungry part of the way through and stopped to have cheese, tomatoes, prosciutto at about 9000 feet. I realized at that time that I could not sleep with just the blanket and pillow I brought, at that elevation. The drive was hard on my back.. I took the donut pillow (I use for my boney butt) and put it at my lower back. I kept hoping along the way that I knew where I was going. It seemed to take forever. Once again my Big Girl Pants had to be cinched up around my waist and I had to deal with my circumstances on my own. I was just starting the slapping of my face and the wild dancing to the music when I crossed the border from CA to NV.. talk about a cross to the dark side.. NV has smoking in their bars!!! They are up ALL NITE.. it was nothing to the hotel clerk that I was there. I was happy to find a place to rest!!! I still had no phone but was able to briefly connect to the internet. I was still lost in the am.. but followed my clipboard instructions and headed in the right direction.

I tooled around, went to a bkfst at about 12. This is my hardy blfst, 3 eggs OM, Hashbrowns sliced potatotes with a bit of onon, hand formed hamburger patty medium rare, two nice hunks of sourghdough toast, with whipped butter and marmalade on one . SEEDLESS boysenberry jelly on the other. Coffe to my fill with French vanilla and plain cream. This is my ideal bkfst!!! It hit the spot!!

AND I had phone service. The Bitch in the Box guided me in. As I got closer I pulled over to get my paperwork on the event I was about to attend.

12 NOON.. Onward through the fog!! I cannot find my paperwork!!! Sheesh.. I call MOM and Brenna.. Brenna is close to my house.. she goes by and looks for my handy dandy clip board.. (I have many depending on what it is pertinent to) She CANNOT find it!! Yikes.. everytime I put Sierra Nevada College into my GPS it takes me somewhere new… OK.. Calm Down.. Hmm.. there on the rt. Is a sign.. mm.. this is looking promising. Sierra Nevada College… I have found it… I start checking Dorms to see which one I am in.. I find a desk and VIOLA’ there is my name and a card for a DORM room!!

More Laters...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,

Jada

Bakersfield.. not Fresno

2010-07-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

Too tired to go any further. I am at Vagabond Inn in Bakersfield to the tune of $42. Free breakfast if I get up by 9am. (waffles, donuts and such) I was starting to fall asleep and with those crazy aggressive drivers I got scared. I was actually scared before I got sleepy. The huge hills up and down and people weaving in and out...lights glaring.. and not really sure where I was going because the Bitch in the Box kept shutting down. (SHE really is a bitch when she quits on the job) AND it was REALLY REALLY dark out there!!

Unfortunately I am close to 4 hours from Yosemite and I was hoping to spend the whole day there tomorrow. It was better that I got to spend the time with family, cuz I never know when I will have that again.. and Yosemite will always be there in my lifetime. Maybe one day I will take the GRANDONE Blaze there. I miss him.. I feel the homesickness setting in. I talked to Brenna today and it got me a little bit.. now it is bad. I have lost track of time, but it should be close to the third day, it always happens that way.

A few concerns.. I believe my colitis has come back.. or I am just having a wicked time from the antibiotics, but my stomach has to settle down, sprinting into a greasy truckstop sucks. I was thinking of uping my steriods.. but I did not bring enough. Next thought is pepto.. but that stuff should be outlawed. My usual solution to this is to quit eating, but I don't think that will be wise at this time. Second concern is I cut my left hand fixing the sprinkler before I left.. center of my palm. It was getting quite infected and Marcie donated some bandaids and antibiotic ointment to my cause. I think it is starting to work. Traveling is dirty and yucky.. even in this hotel I am having a germ-a-phobe attack.
How come in front of many of the rooms the people leave their shoes outside their rooms? Do that many people have tooooo stinky feet? Is it a signal that there are a certain number of people in the room... or????

I should go to sleep.. more tomorrow nite, I hope... if the bears don't get me!!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

Tahoe Almost 2

2010-07-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

I drove from San Diego to LA today.. took 5 hours. 3 of those hours were going 60 miles of the trip. The VZ Navigator aka THE BITCH IN THE BOX (named by my precious student Mary Belser) got me here. Let me tell you about the B in the B... she likes to tell you every 2 tenths of the mile that you are stuck in traffic.. NO flipping kidding.. I am right there in it.. I really don't think I need the constant reminder!!! She would say.. "traffic congestion next 8 miles.." .."traffic congestion next 7.8 miles"... etc... no wonder people go postal here!! AND there are FREAKING lot of people here. I drove over a hill and saw this sign it said Los Angeles and the elevation and then the population 3,978,456.. now why doesn't that just say 4 million freaking crazy people all living in one square mile?????
Once again I am thankful for XM radio!! I have heard Doc Laura and this crazy lady named Jane who says she likes to date and sleep with lots of guys.. even though she is currently monogomous. Funny their shows are back to back on the same channel.
Today once I got into LA I decided to drop in on my cousin at his Deli. I had the most awesome 1/2 sandwich of rare roast beast!!! I tried to take its' picture to show my Dad, but the dang camera on the phone was not working. It was 3 inches tall and delish!!! I probably helped that I was STARVING because I didn't get lunch till 2.
Nice to see my cousin, he looks just like my Uncle JIM... (his dad). Ends up my Uncle Jim is in the hospital so we went to see him. HE looks just like my Grandaddy.. it was very spooky to see them. Brought tears to my eyes. Their photos are on the facebook link. Uncle Jim is having some problems.. he is 12 years older than my Mom.. Like my dad says, parts just start to wear out. I have had a very nice conversation with my cousin, words of Cullins wisdom all over the place, which I so appreciate.
Cousin Jimmy brought me back to his place to hang out while the traffic clears so I can head north in a bit. I got to go for an awesome run on a bridal path.. I can run longer when it is cooler. Nice to run on a dirt path through a tree filled canyon. Towards the end of my run I started to think of when that jogger got attacked by a mountain lion in Ca. caused me to pause and assess my surroundings several times as I headed back to Jimmy's house. I also got lost.. and I did not bring my phone.. too funny.. I was looking down every street looking for the blue short bus.
I caught a bit of the news(B. you would be proud I actually watched the news, I am not totally out of touch today).. about someone getting eaten by a bear in Yosemite.. LOL that was one of my fears about camping there when I read about the camp sites giving you bear boxes to store your food.

Okie dokie.. I am off.. headed north.. would like to make it to Fresno.. but who knows...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

Tahoe Almost

2010-07-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

I am in Northridge, Ca. , not quite where I thought I would be today. I am learning how to relax an go with the flow instead of stress about where I think I am suppose to be.

Yesterday.. I was up at 3:30am. I couldn't go back to sleep so I finished packing and loaded up the car. I left by 5:45am. Once I hit Picacho Peak I started to cry.. I was so happy that I actually was on my way!! The sunrise was awesome.

XM radio rocks and it made trip go by very quickly..

Before I left I made arrangements to meet my cousin Tim and his friend Jon.. we all use to hang out in my teens when my family visited CA. I learned how to waterski with them. I made it Seaport Village exactly at noon to meet them. Jon brought his 19 year old son. We had the greatest conversation and it was so nice to catch up with all of them. I know that things don't turn out the way we planned when we were kids.. but is amazing to me how they turned out!

After meeting with them I decided to go hang out at the beach until Marcie got off of work. Tim at the last second decided to go with me. He lead the way to Fiesta Island. It was fun to watch the surf/parachute sailors.. and the boats and waterskiers. Tim and I had an awesome conversation. He has had some bumps in the road and seems to have recovered quite well.. he looks great and says he is happy.

I headed over to Marcie's.. only 8 miles and it took just 45 minutes. The drivers here are AGGRESSIVE... I had to put on my big girl pants and dive in.. YIKES... talk about scary!!

Marcie is awesome.. she has the greatest house.. 1 bedroom with wood floors and a detached "yoga room" where I got to stay. On the patio outside the yoga room is lily pad covered pond with a waterfall. We went for a run, then went out for dinner. I think the name of the restaurant was called Alchemy, it is walking distance from her house. I had a chicken dish that tasted so good. We walked home. Marcie lives in DOWNTOWN San Diego. It is densely populated. It is very cool how people make great use of such small space together and don't actually kill each other from living so close. There is noise all of the time. There are planes going over all the time... I noticed that while having a conversation, when it gets loud, the conversation just pauses then resumes when the plane is done. It was very interesting. This morning I got up took a shower.. had some nice coffee with Marcie and we both left with-in a few minutes of each other. She was ever so nice and it was wonderful to spend time with her.

I have tried twice to upload photos here.. and it will not let me.. so I will post them on facebook then post the link here. This makes me sad, cuz I talk about the things in the photos here.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76099&id=1478181391&l=3b3795244d

I need to go take a break and go for a run.. the weather here is so beautiful. I am at my cousin Jimmy's house in Northridge. I won't be staying tonite.. but I will head out again after dark. It took me three hours to go 60 miles this afternoon.. I just don't want to try it again. He says the traffic will be bad if I go now. I will write more about my visit with him and my Uncle Jim later.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,
Jada

Trip from Marana, AZ to Marana, AZ

2010-07-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Trip from Marana, AZ to Marana, AZ

Plan is got to SD tonite or tomorrow am then to leave SD on Friday 7/30 morning and head up to Yosemite. Spend Saturday in Yosemite. Sunday drive to Tahoe and find my dorm. Monday morning start my class. Head back home either Sat. afternoon 8/7 or Sunday morning via Vegas. Get home Monday nite.. and back to my favorite peoples and students on Tuesday the 10th.

Tahoe YESSSSSS!!!!!!

2010-07-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

Got the clearance to go.. neck is getting better.. no vicodin today. CT scan says stay the course. Must stay on the antibiotics and I am not contagious. This is probably a result of my low immunity from being on the steriods. I will stop at the health food store on my way out and get lots of stuff to keep me well!! I could up the steriods, but I told the doc NO! Note to self.. bring nice pot back for doc.. I like this doc, he is darling!!

MORE good news!! MY CHECK came!!!! Yipee!!!!

Thanks for all the good wishes and prayers, they freakin' worked!!!!

NOW, a power nap, collect my clothes and tools.. and be on my way. Not sure I can get out of here by nightfall, or if I will wait till morning! Sure would be nice to wake up in San Diego at my best friend from HS house!!! Plan on making connections while there with my cousin and a two friends my sister and I use to hang with as kids.

I am concerned about fires near Bakersfield but will cross that bridge tomorrow.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, (anyone even curious why I sign off like that?)
Jada the Traveling and Happy Potter!

Tahoe (NOT)

2010-07-28T07:28:00.001-07:00

Wishing to be leaving today. Instead I am going to get a ct scan of my neck to see what they can do about this abscess!

I had wicked wedding dreams and death dreams last nite.. mom asked me this morning about them and I told her that I wasn't allowed to tell my dreams till after breakfast or they would come true... she taught me this when I was a little girl. I think this is so you will forget your dream by the time breakfast rolls around. This morning I can't have bkfst cuz this ct scan has some kind of contrast or something. SO.. I WILL forget these wicked dreams, thank goodness.

I wanted to do laundry and pack my tools last nite, but just went to sleep. My right side of my neck and my right brain hurts like hell. Yesterday I was having weird thoughts about my dog (Wilma) taking care of my clay... not sure what that was all about.

Kathy H. called and said all was well at the studio and that I had some awesome pots come out of the glaze fire. I also made some bisque for my class in Tahoe. She was nice to pack it all up and will bring it to me sometime today.

My Mom has been awesome, taking me to the doc and to this procedure today. We watched some really great movies.. Paper Hearts, Bucket List, PS I Love You..(My favorite movie, book and sound track of all time) She also had this other wierd one about the Northern Hemisphere becoming an ice cap .. but I don't remember what it was called I will check and write it next time.

I looked into airfares to Tahoe, $500 round trip... this may be the way I have to go. I will still have to figure out transport from there to the school which is about 2 hrs away.

Wish me luck getting the up close look today.. hopefully all will get better after this.

Love, Love, Love,
Jada

Tahoe

2010-07-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is the first post in my new blog.

I intend to keep this blog beyond my Tahoe trip, but just trying to set it up right now.

Unfortunately, I am not having a great start to my trip. I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow. I have gotten sick. I seem to have an abscess in my throat. I was wicked sick, and now am still a bit sick, but the antibiotics seem to be taking the edge off. I had a shot of penicillin yesterday and am taking vicodin and another kind of antibiotic now. Tomorrow, I have a ct scan of my neck to see if it can be drained.

I had planned a long an somewhat leisurely drive to Tahoe, via San Diego and Yosemite. I don't quite think that is what is going to happen now. I have not been able to even get out of bed to pack or find my tools or even do my final plan of my route.

I am testing out a new video blog.. let me know if this works.. I know this one is bad, but I will get it right soon. Love, Love, Love, Jada