Goodnight Moon

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Running the Backbone Trail

This summer I've had the pleasure of doing some awesome trail runs along the Backbone Trail, which extends for 60+ miles through the Santa Monica mountains. Bruce has been the driving force and organizational whiz, and he's now completed the whole thing. (What a champ.) While I've only run parts of the trail, the sections I saw were beautiful--and challenging--and I definitely want to continue to explore...maybe by fastpacking it over an extended weekend?

My running companions, L-R: Bruce ("Rolling Hills"), Karl ("I Found A Shortcut") and David ("The Animal").

I'm smiling because the run hasn't started yet. Fortunately we had a nice steep hill to hike so that I could properly warm up.

David, on the other hand, ate the hills for breakfast...and then went back for seconds.

The views were completely stunning the entire time. Too bad the trail was so rocky, we had to constantly choose between admiring the scenery and staying upright.

It's like the skeletal version of Mt. Rushmore.

It's hard to tell from this picture, but I'm straddling two rocks about 4 feet off the ground. There's a narrow passageway between them, and supposedly if you walk through the rocks, your sins are magically forgiven (according to a highly reliable webpage Bruce read.) I wish I'd have known in advance, since I would have sinned a lot more Friday night, but I made do. I don't know if it worked, but the air between the rocks was really cold and refreshing. I could have happily stayed crammed inside for a good half hour.

I didn't get the memo about wearing Cho-Pats. How embarrassing!

Bruce: We just have to ascend that trail for 4 miles, then it's aaaaallllll downhill to the finish.
Karl: Um, haven't you've been saying that for two hours?
Bruce: But these will be rolling hills.

I've fallen for Bruce's tricks for the last time!
(In all seriousness, he did an awesome navigational job. It's not his fault I'm a whiny baby who doesn't like uphills).

Ultrarunner's secret #42: Pringles are the best method of sodium ingestion. Karl recommends seasoning them in a sweaty pocket for several hours. Gourmet!

I don't have pictures of the end of the run, but the last few miles were definitely the highlight. We ended on the Ray Miller trail, and it was 3 miles of gentle downhill switchbacks, cruising towards the ocean. Sweeping views and a nice sea breeze made the pain disappear and reminded me why I love trail running.

Thanks, guys...let's do it again soon.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Fangs for the Memories

Sometimes people ask me how I knew Jason was "the one." Was it his intelligence? His sense of humor? His dashing good looks? His impeccable dental hygiene?

Yes, all of those things were important. But what clenched it was how well he fit in with my family.

Through a Glass, Darkly

Jason is more ominous when behind translucent plastic, yes/no?

Monday, June 04, 2007

Everyone knows the most delicious part of the muffin is the top

Jason and I are obsessed with 30 Rock in the worst way.

This obsession is partially explained by the fact that it appears to be based on our lives. Exhibit A: "Kenneth" is clearly modeled on Jason, while "Liz Lemon" is a poorly disguised version of Liz LaBau.

The original:

The knockoff:

The original:

The knockoff:

But these television dopplegangers are just one reason why this show is so brilliant. Alec Baldwin is fantastically funny, Tracy Morgan is surprisingly tolerable, and it's given us a steady supply of one-liners to interject into random conversations at inappropriate times. ("Teehee! Pregnant cornbread!")

But undoubtedly the best--and worst--thing about our 30 Rock habit is the tenacious tapeworm of a song known as "Muffin Top." I'll finally get it out of my head, only to have Jason sidle up and whisper, "Everyone knows..." and then I'm back to square one, with 30 seconds of infernal dance pop bouncing around my brain. Please, internets, take it away:

Important Update! Today Jason saw the actor who plays Kenneth on the street! Could it really be a coincidence that he runs into his televisual alter ego less than a day after I make this post? Worlds are colliding!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Little Indiscretions

"Never explain--your friends do not need it and your enemies will not believe you anyway."

Monday, May 21, 2007

Malibu Mist

In California in the early Spring
there are pale yellow mornings
when the mist burns slowly into day.
The air stings like autumn,
clarifies like pain.
Well I have dreamed this coast myself.
[Robert Hass]

Karl and Bruce aren't the only ones to have run the Malibu trails recently. And by "trails," I mean "rabbit tracks through overgrown meadows." I love it.

[Side note: I think our pictures are from the same trail! Ray Miller y/n?]

THIS was the stunning ocean view I was promised. 2000 feet of climb for crashing waves! Sweeping vistas! Typical coastal fog!

Do you see the ocean? Me, I do not see the ocean.

I did see some fun Seussian plants, though. Oh Malibu, you so crazy.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Insert "Bringing Sexy Back" Joke Here

The Face Transformer is such a fabulous waste of time for a narcissist like myself. We begin with a simple webcam shot: face forward, mouth closed, expression neutral.

The "painting" transformations were kind of cool, although they're not really recognizable as me. I do quite like the second one, though.

Now things get interesting. Asian Liz looks familiar...I think I went to school with her.

There are so many things I love about Super Shady Masculine Liz, I can't pick just one. Is it the enormous ears, the caveman forehead, the unwashed hair, or the pathetic attempt at a 5 o'clock shadow?

Now you'd think the monkey photo would be the most disturbing, right? Staring into the evolutionary abyss and all that. [Mostly it just reminds me of The Simpsons "Planet of the Apes" takeoff. "Oh my gosh, I was wrong! This was earth all along! Well you've finally made a monkey out of meeeeee!" Ahem.] This picture is downright cuddly compared to the horror of the next photo...

THIS is the face that will haunt my dreams tonight. I look so sad. If I didn't hate old people, I'd want to give myself a hug.

After seeing my tragic future, I tried to oldify a smiley photo of myself. The results were even worse. They even gave me rotting teeth!

I feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge. I have been visited by the Ghost of the Ugly Future, and I am sore afraid.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Griffith Park Update: Walking on the Moon

Well, the Griffith Park fire has been out since late last week. The final tally was over 800 acres burned, which is about a quarter of the park. A few structures were lost (including the beloved lookout/picnic area Dante's View) but only one house was damaged, which is incredible considering how many homes are in the hills near the park.

I'd heard last week that the park would be open by the weekend, but today was the first chance I had to explore. I drove up to the Vermont entrance, only to be turned away by park rangers, who said it wouldn't be open until Wednesday. Couldn't they see I was in my running gear, camera in hand? Not one to be foiled by The Man, I drove to the Fern Dell entrance, which was open because there are some grassy areas and playgrounds that were undamaged. Fools! Their first mistake was letting me into the park. Once I'd parked, I casually ran up into the park, past a few unguarded barricades, and onto a trail that would take me up to the fire-damaged areas.

In my defense, the signage was a little vague:

This one is especially ambiguous. The sign says "no no," but the broken caution tape says "yes yes."

As a comparison, this is what the undamaged hillsides look like. It's not lush forest, but there is (was?) quite a bit of plant life and greenery.

This was my first view of the fire damage as I began my climb to the top of the trail. From a distance, it was noticeable, but it didn't look terrible. I call it "the illusion of plants."

As I got closer things got spookier, and the smell got stronger. It actually wasn't bad--it smelled like a really strong campfire--it was just really unsettling.

It looks like there are green plants around, but the view from the trail is basically burned-out tree skeletons.

After awhile the scene was totally lunar. Compounding the otherworldly feeling was the fact that no one else was around. I was completely alone in this silent alien landscape. I saw rangers occasionally in the distance, but for obvious reasons I wasn't too reassured to see them. *cue sound of me diving into bushes*

Poor coyote! He looked so stark against the hillside. I wonder if many coyotes or deer got caught in the fire? I read an article written shortly after the fire where the reporter mentioned seeing "many charred rabbits on the trail, caught in the act of running from the fire." Fortunately I didn't see any dead animals--just lots of live squirrels, birds, and this little fella.

Random postscript: Aaaaah smoke! No idea what was going on here, but I didn't hear about a second Griffith Park fire, so I assume it was something the rangers had planned or had under control. (If I find out the park was closed due to a Ranger Weenie Roast, I'll be mad).

Even though the landscape was depressing, I feel better having seen it--I guess now I have an idea of what to expect once my regular trails are open. I'll probably bring my camera again and try to get up to Dante's View later this week.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Fire On the Mountain

By now, you've probably heard about the raging wildfire in Griffith Park, very close to where we live. The latest estimate is that 200-300 acres are burning, no end in sight...no houses burned yet, but they're started evacuating people a few blocks north of us. Everything points to disaster: beastly hot temperatures (95+ the last 2 days), shifting wind, no rain all winter. Let's pray it's not as bad as it seems.

I feel violated somehow. I've run the trails in Griffith Park nearly every day for the last 3 years. It's the first place I explored when we moved to LA, and the first place I take visitors to show them my city. It's my view from the breakfast table and my refuge when I need solitude. I know fire is part of the natural order of things, that it's even necessary sometimes to regenerate growth. But it still gives me a sick feeling to see the blackening sky, to taste the soot on my tongue, to feel my chest tighten and head get dizzy from the smoke.

The feeling on the street is quite a bit different. It's almost like a perverse block party. People are clustered on street corners, chatting, taking pictures with their cell phones, trying to climb trees for a better view. I walked up to one of the park entrances that was cordoned off. This was at 9:30pm; there was no power, so the streets were dark except for the flash of cop cars and traffic cop flashlights. At the corner gas station, a news crew was interviewing local residents, while others mingled and chatted in small groups. A few even had picnic dinners they spread on the ground right in the middle of the gas pumps.

It's surreal, it's distressing, it's DeLillo's Airborne Toxic Event come to life.

Now a few pictures. Jason has some good ones from this afternoon, I think he'll post them on his blog. I had some amazing views on my way to yoga around 7:45, but I'd forgotten the camera. This is what my puny camera could capture around 9:30. It was much more striking in person.

View from our balcony:

View from the street:

News crews doing their interviews:

Monday, April 16, 2007

The Candyman Can

At the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, CA. I was a little worried that the giant Jelly Belly would reach down, grab me with its giant jelly fingers, and eat me. The bunny ears did nothing to hide its sinister smile.

A slightly less menacing Jelly Belly. This one was creepy because I kept seeing the human underneath. Everytime I glimpsed human eyes (through the smile), I thought about how much he or she probably hated taking pictures with visitors like me. Sorry, giant jelly bean!

The Scharffen Berger factory in Berkeley was definitely an improvement. No anthropomorphized candy, just good old-fashioned free samples, and lots of them. The whole block smelled divine...it was like the building was surrounded with a chocolate cloud, and I even wanted to gnaw on the brick walls. I can honestly say the Scharffen Berger bathroom was the best-smelling bathroom I've ever been in.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

SJT 50k: Why You Gotta Hate?

This past weekend I ran the San Juan Trail 50k in Cleveland National Forest. This race chewed me up, spit me out, threw me down some gnarly, rocky hills, and then spat in my face. Highlights include a 10-mile uphill grind between aid stations, a "bridge" consisting of approximately five twigs, none of which could support the weight of a toddler, and the infamous "Stairway to Heaven," a 1.5-mile vertical climb that took me over 30 minutes. I kept trying to throw myself over the cliff to end the torture, but it was so foggy I couldn't find the edge. However, I eventually finished, and my noble valet was at the finish to capture the glory.

It was foggy, pea soup-style, the whole race. The weather was actually awesome (I was worried it would be really hot) but at times discouraging--there was no view to speak of, and on some uphill sections, the lack of frontal vision made it seem like we were on a satanic treadmill, going nowhere.

Who's that coming through the finish, and why is she so foxy?

The agony and the ecstasy.

Oatmeal Cookies: Post-Race Recovery Food of Champions.

Accepting my award for First Place in Age Group (Women under 29). "I'd like to thank all the lazy 20-somethings who don't race ultras...please continue to not attend so that I can keep winning." (Seriously, once I reach 30, I'm toast).

This silver fox is Baz, the race director. He also directs my favorite race, the Shadow of the Giants 50k. His races are consistently beautiful, low-key, and uber-friendly.

This is how I rock cold weather gear. One pair of sweats was not enough for the drive home, so Jason's pajamas were borrowed. The result was, as my friend Tyra Banks would say, "Fieeeerce."