It Started with a Journal

So Esalen was a blast. I learned a lot from my workshop, which was all about body balance and natural posture. Its tenets are based on studies of people around the world who carry heavy loads regularly, but don't have any back/knee problems that seem to afflict so many Americans. Even Americans were in balance until about the 1950s, when our posture went all out of whack, and now our young people look like old people with their curved backs and slouching figures. I'm a terrible offender myself. So now I'm using their guidelines to try and improve my posture and hopefully get my body back in balance, but it's the sort of thing that's going to take a lifetime of working at it.

The day we got there, it was pouring rain. Which is not fun on the best of days, but since we were also traversing mountain curves it was even more iffy. We got there safely, however, and starting the next day it was completely clear and gorgeous the rest of our time there.

My mom and aunt were afraid that we wouldn't have enough to eat during our stay, because K. had told us that the food at Esalen is from their own gardens, etc., so they'd brought all these snacks. It turned out that we were stuffed to the brim every single day. The food was awesome, served cafeteria style, with as much as you could eat, and a fresh/changing salad bar (indeed filled with fresh veggies from the Esalen garden) every day. The night we got there, there was oven-roasted turkey (so tender and juicy), mashed potatoes, etc. Breakfast consisted of 5 different kinds of hot cereal, including a savory quinoa, soft and hard boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and the bread bar. Lunch was usually consisted of a 'lighter' main course, such as a BLT (or the vegetarian option -- Esalen is very vegan/vegetarian friendly), along with a selection of soups. Dinner is heavier, with fare such as BBQ tri-tip steak, hand-caught local halibut, etc. And the beverage bar as well as the bread bar are open all day -- this consists of all kinds of bread that they bake themselves, butter, four kinds of jam, organic peanut butter they make themselves (that was sooooo good), fresh juice, lemonade, milk, coffee, tea, etc.

Far from starving, we rarely even felt HUNGRY during our stay, because we were basically eating all day. Start out with breakfast, followed by class, followed by lunch, followed by a break then class, then dinner, then class, then sleep. I felt full almost all the time.

After lunch I would usually go to the baths, which are situated right near the water, fill up a private tub in the "silent" section (as opposed to the "quiet" room next door or the upper tub, which has no noise restriction), and read the first Temeraire book, His Majesty's Dragon. I LOVED the book, even though I find the stilted formal language a bit off putting (even as I admire Naomi Novik for being able to write it), it went very quickly. It's not nearly as dense as A Song of Ice and Fire. I'm glad I have the other books in the series on hand. Anyway, from the baths you have a view of the ocean, and a lot of people get massages there. It was the only place at Esalen that was clothing optional (and co-ed).

I took a TON of pictures, and these are probably the best of them. You can see larger versions if you click on them, then select "all sizes" and choose "large."

( VERY picture intensive. )

Whew! So, great trip, but the middle-of-nowhere location is really tough. So much driving!!

Sadly, ropo leaves tomorrow. Today was our last hurrah (as traveling days never count), and we pretty much took it easy. In the last two days we've hit 6, yes SIX, Half Price Books. I believe that might be all of them. They're having an additional 20% off sale this weekend, so we took the opportunity to stock up on things we didn't really need. I found several cookbooks, including one true gem: David Lebovitz's out of print Room for Dessert. It was his first cookbook and right now lists on Amazon Marketplace for $96.73 and Half.com for $84.35. I got it for $9 + 20% off! Big score.

In the afternoon we spent an hour or so at the Washington State Arboretum, which was nearly devoid of flowers. I got some good pics of tree bark, people's dogs, and benches. They had a whole rhododendron section, but as we recently learned, it's no longer rhododendron season, and thus it was the "nododendron" section, as Robbie likes to say. For dinner we went to Coho Cafe, which used to have the Worst Service in the World, but has much improved. Since with my work card we get bogo on entrees, it drew us back. We both had the herb and potato-crusted halibut, which was good (though I'm bitter that it was surrounded by a moat of sweet sauce, which wasn't specified on the menu, as I dislike sweet sauces), but the best thing of all was the chicken tortilla soup. It might not look like much, but it was soooooooooooo good. We ordered cups at the restaurant and even got bowls of it to go. (Smallest. bowls. ever. btw.)

I've posted all my farmer's market pics from when we went to food_porn, so when those are up I'll link.

Okay, sadly I am already pooped from making even this post, and we are off to bed. But not together.

ropo, I am looking at your photos! The first disc got some ink smudged on it (the purpley one you used to label it), so my computer is having a hard time reading the 2nd half of the photos, cry.

OMG at some of the ones you included on the 2nd disc, the older ones!! Wow I really need to lose weight, I look good in those ones of me and Forrest haha. I look so young! LOL and there's one where Trix totally looks like she's Meg White. A few cute ones of Alicia and Sharon!! And zomg the PUZZLE. It's really neat to see the progression of it. I wonder what ever happened to that puzzle. LOL when we had the sea of black pieces left.

I kinda sorta re-injured my ankle this weekend. Well, maybe that's going too far. Let's just say that I aggravated it to the point where, for a few hours, it felt achy and bad again (and proved that it's not fully healed). ( What happened... )

I fail at dishwashing gloves. Regularly, every few weeks, there's a hole in them, usually on one of the thumbs, and then I have to start with a new glove. I even tried buying a more expensive pair, which lasted me longer, but the other day, again, I found a hole in the thumb. Does this happen to anyone else, or am I doing something that's wearing them out so quickly/creating holes in them? I don't get it.

Food wise, I've recently made butter popovers and apple butter (basically, apple preserves), chorizo and eggs, a raspberry yogurt cake, and cabbage spring rolls (latter two not blogged about yet). I've also done my Daring Bakers challenge for this month, but I can't reveal what it was until next weekend.

So after finishing Buffy S3 for the... I don't know how many time, I have a general question/thought about the show that has occurred to me before, but that I don't think I've ever voiced out loud. ( Cut in case someone considers this a spoiler. )

I really need a haircut. This isn't usually something I think about until it starts being noticeably long and in my way. The woman whom I've had cutting my hair the last couple of years didn't do that great a job the last time, so I'm kind of hunting for a new place/stylist. Edit: Am trying a new salon that a coworker (whose hair I like) recommended. It's going to cost more than I have ever paid for a haircut before, but if it is good, it'll be worth it.

For 3starsinmyeyes:

( B&W photos from different angles! )

For heinous_bitca:

( The inside of my fridge! )

Only one request left, which is to photograph my handbag collection. Still trying to decide how best to do that. All together? By collection? Individually? (Probably not the last as it would take too long and be somewhat repetitive ... maybe just the superstars. :D)