Category Archives: friends

Smartphones. Hrm.

Posted in facebook, family, friends, growing older., internet, life by

Does your phone affect your relationships? Choose:
  • Huh? What was the question? Someone @replied me on Twitter just now.
  • My phone makes my relationships stronger because it adds more streams of communication and helps me stay in closer touch with people.
  • Yes, my friends accuse me of paying more attention to my phone than to them.
  • No. When I’m with humans, my phone is in my pocket.

I’m not sure where I land on today’s DPChallenge. I remember getting my first cellphone…one of those sweet Nokia boxes with an antenna that always broke off. You could change the case and I still recall the color I first got – rust. I was going off to college and Gma

The Nokia C3-01 cell phone

The Nokia C3-01 cell phone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

offered to pay for it if I promised to call her. If she’d been able to predict the many random requests I would call her with – “what’s chicken bouillon? Where do I find it in the store?” “How can I tell if something is infected?” “What am I doing with my life?” – she might not have volunteered.

Since then, I’ve had the Razr, which is now extinct, and the Blackberry, which I still miss. I miss click-clacking on the keys and scrolling with that sweet button. And then upgraded to an iPhone a few years back.
We’ve had smartphone technology – the internet in our pockets – for over six years. Do you even remember life before then? These phones have become our lifelines to the world around us.
We instantly solve huge questions – Where is Belgium? What’s the weather like in San Diego tomorrow? What’s the score of the Giants game?
We instantly entertain small children with birds that attack pigs, apps that make your face look fat, or “running” through imaginary temples.
We imagine when we will be the fit, well-slept, 10,000 steps a day people we think we will turn into once we download the latest fitness app. We research everything from flights to restaurants to pet sitters. I lie to myself, saying “just one more pin” and then mindlessly scroll for another hour past midnight, knowing I’ll never make those darn mason jar crafts, anyway.
Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...

Image via CrunchBase

We keep in touch with international friends and reach out to celebrities and rant about anything like everyone is or isn’t watching, simply by typing and refreshing a tiny, glowing screen.

Our necks ache from bending over them. Our eyes glaze. Our fingers itch to check for any notifications if there is even the briefest lull in conversation.
Don’t get me wrong – I have SO much fun with my phone. I love tracking my mileage on runkeeper, learning about new places on yelp, and instagramming the heck out of my life.
But I also love when I’m forced to live without my phone. When nothing dings and no one lunges for their purse or pocket. When we have to wonder and debate the answer to those “big” questions like “What’s the capital of New Hampshire” “what can i make with leftover quinoa” and “is Brian Wilson single.” When we allow ourselves to try a restaurant without reading any reviews. Or surprised by the weather. Or sleep in without an alarm. Or, God forbid, ask a HUMAN for directions to somewhere.
I love when I have no idea what’s happened in someone’s life, and then when I see them, I don’t have to catch myself saying stupid things like “oh yeah, I saw that on facebook.” I can let them actually tell me their stories. And I can tell them mine. I hear their tone and see their facial expressions.
I’d like to think that I use my phone mostly to stay in touch with those I care about….and I do text and message friends far and near on a pretty regular basis, which is good for me, since despite being very social in person, I am very blasé about keeping in touch if you’re farther than three feet away from me.
more of this...less of telling you about it.

more of this…less of telling you about it.

But…When was the last time I stood in line and just looked around at things? Or went on a walk without headphones in and just enjoyed nature breathing around me? Or did something adventurous, said something funny, looked cute, or had drinks with friends without feeling the compulsive need to report to twitter/facebook/instagram/a texting buddy about it?

Smartphone, maybe. But I’ve been a dumb Rachel.
I’m going to try to be more “eyes-up” this week. Ignore my blog stats, facebook notifications, and instagram feed. I’ll drive places without checking the ETA like it’s a challenge I need to beat. I’ll stand in line and make conversation.
I’ll let myself be bored and just see what thoughts come up.
This will be really hard, but it could be really amazing.

My Rules for Life.

Posted in family, friends, growing older., life, love by

:)

:)

Rule number 1: When a friend gets engaged, congratulate them, buy yourself flowers and wine. Salute to love.

Rule number 2: Pick a color that is your favorite color. It’s kind of like your spirit animal. Mine is yellow. Always wear it somehow.

Rule number 3: Periodically clean out your closets and dressers and drawers. If you’re anything like me, you’re quite forgetful, and cleaning things out is your own personal Christmas. Items you’ve completely forgotten about are waiting to surprise you. “Look at this sweater! This is adorable!” “I’ve been needing a new box of crayons! YES!” Donate anything you haven’t used in a year. Throw out things per their expiration date. Fold clothes. Make sure your shoes all have a mate.

Rule number 4: Make your bed every day you can. Everything looks better when your bed is made.

me and accord

still sad i don’t really know how to play this….

Rule number 5: Always clean your house before going on vacation. That was my mom’s rule and it’s just so nice to come home to a clean house.

Rule number 6: Learn an instrument. Preferably something portable.

Rule number 7: Play team sports.

Rule number 8: When I was in high school, I really wanted tattoos all the time. Lots of different ones. But when I turned 18, in a rare flash of brilliance, I made a promise to myself that if I really wanted a tattoo, I had to choose a design and a location and want it for exactly one year before I would allow myself to get one. I never went through with it. Same with piercings. My body is a beautiful ink-free canvas, and my belly button piercing is where my magic comes from.

Rule number 9: Manners matter. Please thank you hold open doors you’re welcome eye contact nice to meet you. Tip. Use the information on a nametag. Never meet a stranger. Leave no trace in nature. Everything better than how you found it.

Rule number 10: Have several theme songs memorized for your life.

aw, the old days at the cafe.

aw, the old days at the cafe.

Rule number 11: Work a retail job, restaurant job, and something with kids at least once in your life.

Rule number 12: Read real books made of paper that smell like old and have dog-earred pages and wake up with them on the pillow next to you, your fingers still clutching the last paragraph you read.

Rule number 13: Take time to remember. Pictures on your phone, a journal, a blog, even something like twitter or Facebook. Document the things that matter. (Your new eyeshadow, what you made for dinner, your cat, the sunset…whatever matters to you.)

Rule number 14: Travel.

Rule number 15: Live with roommates.

me in fireRule number 16: Always give something to charity.

Rule number 17: Learn a foreign language.

Rule number 18: Know how to start a fire.

Rule number 19: Spend time in nature every week.

Rule number 20: Run.

Rule number 21: Wine.

Rule number 22:  Do things you know will make your mom happy even if they annoy you. :)

Rule number 23: Write thank-you notes.

my homemade bucha!!!

my homemade bucha!!!

Rule number 24: Make something by hand you can call your own. Be it a garden, writing music, poetry, brewing beer or kombucha, a talent with underwater basket-weaving. Produce something.

Rule number 25: Know how to cook a full breakfast and dinner and do your own laundry before you’re 18.

Rule number 26:  Don’t live together before you’re married. For me and my boyfriend, I’m excited to look forward to this complete unknown together, something I can promise I’ve never done with any other man, and we can build our lives together without any preconceived notions of how it will go, what will and won’t work. Such a adventure to look forward to.

Rule number 27: Talk to old people. Ask for stories.

Rule number 28: Hug. High five. Show physical affection. Smile. Laugh. Express yourself.

Rule number 29: It doesn’t matter how much it costs as long as you’re having fun. :)

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A Time Capsule of the Year

Posted in being single, children, Coaching, education, family, friends, Giants, growing older., Holidays, life, teaching by

I’ve kept a diary most of my life, the last few year’s have been a public one on this blog and others. I don’t know if it’s the new Pinterest habit that’s gotten me thinking so craftily, but I thought as it was just my 29th birthday, it would be a cool new thing to try and encapsulate the 28th year of my life with some questions I make myself answer.

Since I move around so much and my life changes faster than I can blog about, I wanted to create a format to look back specifically at my 28th year, and remember exactly where my life compass was at this moment. Here goes.

Where are you living? In a three-bedroom funfest in Concord, CA, with my roomies Jill (24, special ed high school teacher) and R2 (also named “Rachel,” 29, preschool teacher). I love my backyard with my firepit and string lights and tiny garden.

I get to answer Qs like this all day at my job.

I get to answer Qs like this all day at my job.

Where do you work? A private Christian classical academy. I teach junior high Latin, Spanish, coach volleyball, and created an afterschool drama program here.  It’s my fourth year. I mostly love it. Could do without crazy parents and so many meetings and emails.

What did you last eat? A parent brought me Caesar salad, cheetos, a diet coke, and beautiful cupcakes for my birthday.

What shoes are you wearing? Very comfortable orthopedic shoes that are white sandals and look like old lady feet.

When did you last cry? Sunday, on my birthday, because I was slightly miserable about getting old.

What was the last movie you watched? Umm….”How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” against my will. By choice, “Zero Dark Thirty,” which was epic.

 Favorite TV show of the moment? Parks and Recreation. Amazing.

Favorite toy of the moment? My Polar HRM. Love that thing.

When did you last laugh really hard? When I yelled at a student for being late and he answered “Mom! I’m sorry!”

What book are you reading right now? Anne of the Island.

What are you most looking forward to right now? The school year ending and going to Wyoming with my family and boyfriend.

What’s your favorite song right now? “Wagon Wheel.”

me and gma susi - Christmas 1986

me and gma susi – Christmas 1986

What’s different about your life from last year? Easily the biggest change is that my uncle and my grandma died. That has changed our family a lot. In happy news, I’ve been dating someone for about ten months…that’s a pretty great thing. I was in a freaky plane incident so now I’m more scared of things than I ever have been. I am not going on my mission trip this summer…changed churches…moving out of my house in June and not sure what my plans are…and gained back all the weight I had lost! Ha! Also I finished my credential program and have been coaching way too much volleyball.

What’s the same about your life last year that you’re happy about? Going to a TON of Giants games. I still love chicken nuggets. I still live nowhere near my best friends. (Denver is the closest. Followed by Chicago, NYC, Brazil, Israel. Le sigh.)

What are the last five things you googled? “breakfast quinoa,” “music nights in concord,” “asparagus pee,” “romanichal gypsys in west virginia,” “best jobs for teachers to transition to.”

When and what was your last vacation? Well, I went to Reno for a volleyball tournament and to Santa Cruz for Science Camp with my junior highers….came home with poison oak, so I’m a little bitter. Last true vacation….Oh when my Spring Break trip to Georgia/Tennessee failed, my boyfriend and I went up to Donner Lake and checked out of all technology for four days. I read over 800 pages and ate so much food and started happy hour at noon everyday and walked a lot. It was amazing. We also watched movies on VHS and slept ten hours a night. I want to go back!

What are you proud of this year? Finishing my teaching credential….being financially stable.

What’s your current favorite joke? What’s the different between Twitter and “The Hobbit?”

Answer: You’re only allowed 140 characters on Twitter.

A Slideshow of the 28th Year:

15 Things I want to do. Right. Now.

Posted in baseball, books, family, friends, growing older., life, not much, actually, what the what by

Ice-cream Lady

mmmm nuns and ice cream.

  1.  Eat a pint of Ben and Jerry’s Half-Baked Fro Yo. By myself. And not feel guilty. Or calories.
  2. Take a long, hot, bubbly, boozy, bookish bath with my bestie Jane Austen.
  3. Have a slumber party with my best friends like we used to in college. We’d gorge ourselves on Freebirds or Gios or order in, drink too much wine, watch “Friends” on DVD, spend two hours in Blockbuster picking out a cartoon, make a cake with frosting. We’d fall asleep in one bed without brushing our teeth. Wake up in the morning and bike to the beach and spend the day laughing at who knows what, dreaming of when we’d live on a cul-de-sac together and have enough kids between the three of us for one awesome soccer team.
  4. English: Elton John, English singer-songwriter...Be instantly good at the piano and serenade myself with anything by Elton John or Billy Joel. Or Elton Joel, their secret love bablien.
  5. Have a good cry. Need “Terms of Endearment” or “The English Patient” and a good Shiraz to make that happen right now.
  6. Smell better than I do at the moment after four workouts, two volleyball practices, one volleyball match, and two working days. Holding out until tomorrow am after my morning workout. Washing bedding this weekend. :)
  7. Be at a live music show where old black people dressed in their finest boogie on the dance floor, like when my boyfriend took me to this blues club in Oakland, and I saw hats and fringe and monochrome outfits and old men in fedoras calling me “sugar.”
  8. Mad-LibsPlay Mad Libs.
  9. Hug my brothers and throw them in the pool.
  10. Watch more Giants baseball.
  11. Speak more Spanish, beyond the silly things I do in my classroom, like “El lapiz esta encima de la mesa.”
  12. Try out one of these eight million hairstyles I’ve been pinning on Pinterest with no intention of ever using.
  13. Figure out how to really put on makeup.
  14. Cure bad breath.
  15. English: Tina Fey at the 2010 Comic Con in San...Hang out with Tina Fey.
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Hear Here in the New Year (308)

Posted in baseball, family, friends, Giants, growing older., Holidays, life, love by

It’s funny to think that man made up time. The way we organize it makes no sense – 60 seconds in a minute, 60 of those in an hour, 24 of those in a day, 7 of those in a week, 52 of those in a year, 365.25 days in a year…

ancient_Roman_CalendarNone of those numbers are related.

The history of our holidays and their formations can be even more interesting. Usually related to harvests, solstice, fertility, etc., before being tied with big moments in the church (clever Romans!).

When we come to the “new year,” we tend to make a big deal about resolutions, the idea of change and somehow convinced that on this particular day, we have more self-control and power over our actions. Enough to effect permanent change.

I’m tired of resolutions. I hate failing, and I’ve yet to keep a resolution, so it seems better to not have a go at it. This last year, in fact, I resolutely gained back the weight I’d lost, and ate less vegetables. So 2012 was a bit of “resolution fail.”

For 2013, I tossed around different ideas – each month I can try something new or give something up that seems to have been a stronghold. How about one month of no texting? One with no dairy? One with no TV (as long as it’s not during baseball season)?

But I didn’t really get organized in time.

we look just like this. all the time.

we look just like this. all the time.

My boyfriend and I (he against his will) made couple’s resolutions of things we’d like to do this year. We want to hike more, challenge each other in specific ways, and go wine-tasting and on other little adventures. I think it will be fun to cross that off.

Or lose the paper somewhere and never think of it again.

This year had it’s highs. I finished my credential program, coached a historical winning volleyball team, learned how to snowshoe, sang in weddings, helped people give birth, traveled around the US, began my fourth year of teaching, and fell in love with a best friend, in what could be the relationship of our lifetimes.

There was lots of struggles, too. Three deaths in the family, two of which were completely life-altering. Many personal struggles with my place of employment and my vocation. The ubiquitous family and friends and roommates drama that controls the life of the 20-something. Feeling led away from the church I’ve attended since I was a toddler.

IMG_4692This year I found Pinterest, and myfitnesspal, and reunited with Bejeweled Blitz. I climbed a volcano, led a mission trip, finally got paid to lead worship, and remembered how fun it was to date someone and make out. I brewed my own beer and my own kombucha, lived through the Mayan end of the world, learned I was allergic to mango, and made my first omelet.

I don’t know if we can judge what makes a year better or more valuable than another. But I do know that this year I will remember…

  • my dad’s phone call that my uncle jim had suddenly died
  • when on july 4th, i first heard “hi, I’m rachel’s boyfriend” as he introduced himself to my new roommate
  • teaching special ed in a title one school in pittsburg
  • meeting my favorite band of all time – better than ezra
  • holding my grandma’s hand as she died
  • teaching my little brothers camp songs on the drive from georgia to florida
  • my family’s “photo booth” on christmas eve
  • seeing three of my favorite people get married this year and getting to be a part of two of the weddings/engagements
  • taking my best friends to a giants game
  • the giants winning the world series again!
  • how the song “call me maybe” has ruled my life
  • the year I got two bouquets of anonymous roses on Valentine’s Day
  • boyfriend teaching me how to build a fire
  • finishing my credential program at the top of my class
  • my sister and i taking a sweet trip to yosemite
  • my last mission trip to mexico

file://localhost/Users/rachelweightfosho/Pictures/iPhoto%20Library/Masters/2012/12/23/20121223-161627/IMG_4307.JPG