H. Hsu Word Salad

Hmm. I am trying to recruit some runners to do my 1st relay with  me, either the Reno-Tahoe Odyssesy which requires 12 runners to do about 15 miles each, or the more reasonable Lake Taho relay with only needs a team of 7 and approx 8-12 miles each.
Any takers? serious only please! So far I think we have S,L, Me, J, S.G., and maybe T as possibilities.
Recruiting is tough, I am sure by summer someone will get injured, pregnant,flabby, or flaky. Perhaps all of the above.
My running partners currently include a cool guy on a racing wheelchair that I met at Lake Elizabeth, and a 57 yr old psychiatrist and fellow agnostic/atheist I work with…
so basically I guess  if I had to race with people my own age and shape I would be left in the proverbial dust.

Meanwhile, I am developing a growing itch to take a massive sabbatical from work, which probably gives P a lot to worry about since we are still paying for those boring but neccesary aspects of married life such as garage shelves, bathroom leaks, kitchen remodel, major appliances.
Sabbatical for what?
Well, to write my book(s) of course, and preferably hop among a few countries and continents along the way.
I also am fomenting mutiny at my workplace, getting a tad scorched (yet not burned out yet) by the sheer intensity of trauma of late amongst my client communities, enamoured with the denizens of my backyard paradise (now featuring a cute little toad along with the dozens of birds and 3 squirrels), failed again at raising a healthy tomato plant, & considering either another deployment in New Orleans, or applying to be a Fullbright scholar(new applications open March 1-manana!!!!), or maybe just blowing this joint altogether (the U.S.) & going to restore temples in Mongolia .

But back on eath and in this life, I’ve a lovely partner with lovely parts (wink) who tolerates birdseed & yoga as staple household expenses & is graciously working to try and accept my order-within-chaos approach to nesting despite his living in a sealed-in -plastic-homemaker-perfected home. 
Domestic bliss can be orderly garage with space for 3 bicycles & runs to the sushi restaurant or salad buffet on demand. Or better yet, I think we are looking now for a housekeeper and contractor (suggestions anyone??)
And ideal as he may be in other ways, let’s just say that P frowns upon the idea of his wife running off to some desert or jungle  where there is no money and more importantly no running water nor toilet paper & he’d probably have a heck of a time explaining to his folks that I’ve gone all back to nature.

So off to the evil empire of Starbucks I go, & off to Richmond I go to ease a few gentle young souls & perhaps thus save my own by finding that ever elusive "meaning of life" within this dull, mean, opiate-of -the-masses street.

"So fill to me the parting glass, and drink to life what ‘ere befalls,
and softly rise and gently call-
‘goodnight &   Joy be with you all’"   

(sung by a talented and lovely grp of nova scotia youth that P and mom and I Saw in the Napa operahouse)

February’s been great-
short and sweet, life is full to the brim, and I am still receiving thoughtful uber belated b-day invitations even now. Muchas gracias amigos.

So I think I just participated in the circle of life several times over in the last week alone. Or more like got run over by them.
At my Richmond job, yet another few people have been killed nearby.
At my Oakland job, several of my supervisees are reeling from the critical illnesses of loved ones, and a break up or two.  Nothing more noble than to see these healers juggling their deep responsibility and caring for clients with the deep love they have for those who sustain them to do such heart scorching and thankless work.
We had a karoake Mexico Lindo fiesta for my 32nd B-day.  Filled my ears with bad music, lots of laughs, liquor shots, the company of wonderful friends, and my house still brightened by fresh flowers…as well as an insanely delicious homemade blueberry cheesecake and 2 bags of chocolate chip cookies made by the ever talented and generous Y & B.  My best friend from elementary school was there, as well as my best friends from UCLA, as well as mom and big Bro.
We went to a "Pump it Up" party for my beautiful neice’s 3rd b-day-a giant room of inflatable slides and full body contact obstacles, filled with adorable mostly Pilipino and Asian babies.  I remain increasingly convinced that one can fall utterly in love with children who do not bear your DNA.   

We attended the funeral of my godfather, who died suddenly of a mysterious meniningitis infection of uknown etiology. As I sat listening to the drone of the chanting nuns I could not help but think, "Hm. So that’s it-a life goes just like that."  One minute he’s in Hawaii vacationing with family and a few days later brain surgery can’t save him.
I remember going to my godparents house in Sunnyvale- a real treat back when we lived in perpetually foggy Daly City. It was when I got to wear the only pair of shorts I owned! I remember the cute, wholesome faces of my godbrothers, how we would go to the park and somehow entertain ourselves all day (eons before PSP or DVD).  How one of them & my  bro so proudly wore their 1st American Halloween costumes-all of ignorant of the fact that one of those was meant for a girl (hence the unique breastplate…)  I saw them now, grown men, maybe thinning hair, and suddenly the weight of all these years become evident.
Our time here is short, carpe diem indeed.
After the tears and mourning, P and mom and I replenished ourselves at Cheesecake factory.
That night, our newest neice "Cali" was born in Chicago.
Absolutely beautiful.
Her mommy delivered in a 15 minute labor, and thus Cali is cute from the very first day with none of the conehead -raisin look like those of us who lodged in the birth canal.
Mommy, Daddy, big toddler bro, and Grandma grin like idiots in their pictures with the new baby.
And life goes on…if only we all find that sort of pure, idiotic, irrational love at least once or twice in our short stay here, it’s worth it.
Now if I could just get friggin Elton John’s voice out of my head when I title this blog!