“Excuse me, may I ask which shoe size you wear?”
“For what? Size 9.”
“Ah – then you are too small. We’ve just launched a shoe line for women with size 10-12. It is so difficult to find shoes that size, and when I see women who I think could be my size, I ask.”
“Oh I don’t know – I am size 9 in men’s shoes.”
DO YOU GET THE PICTURE? I need a megaphone… size 10-12, Italian handmade shoes…. LLXLLQ
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Well… I passed the start line.
The first 6-7 miles the tempo wasn’t too shabby. Then the hills started…
Mile 8 I turn to my iPhone to turn on some trigger music.
The phone dies on me!
Mile 10 my knees start to really hurt. I’m speed walking – feels much better.
Mile 11 comes one cheer zone with Michael Jackson music Beat it! – and I suddenly run faster than after start line ?!?! until I can’t hear the music.
Finished strong.
My image of the San Francisco Fire Fighters was misleading. But they were classy in tuxedo.
The post finish line massage was nice!
Late lunch with runner friends and supporters super nice.
Ice bath was not as bad as I imagined it.
I hope it makes magic and that I can walk down the stairs tomorrow. Sorry knees – will prepare you better next time.
And even if it’s misty and foggy, I’ll wear sun screen next time.
And, dear iPhone – I may have taken an hour longer to run this race than 10 years ago – but I’ve got more juice than you’ve got! And seriously – we gotta change that, partner!
After all, 3.08hrs for 13.1 miles given circumstances, is quite ok.
Seeing those t-shirts with mom and dad on, in a race fundraising for Leukemia and Lymphoma Cancer, makes it real.
I hope it makes a difference.
Dreamt about racing/running uphill. Woke up thinking I should eat some pasta and started googling preparation for half marathons…
“This was my second half marathon and it was super fun! […] Oh…and train well for those hills, they kill ;)” – had a feeling I should…
“All sarcasm aside, Nike gets it right with the Tiffany finishers necklace from SF firefighters.” Now, I had heard something about that – but hadn’t quite pictured it…
With other words – those who cross the finnish line receives a Tiffany limited edition neckless, handed over by SF Firefighters. Curious about the Tiffany neckless I googled that… Haha – I couldn’t find a photo of it, apparently that’s a surprise and new design every year – but I found this… San Francisco Firefighters 😉
So the big question is, from someone who hasn’t run half as much as the first half marathon 10 years ago: what will keep you (me) running and cross The Finnish Line?
You may borrow that Tiffany Necklace for special occasions 😉 Wish me luck this upcoming Sunday at The Nike Women’s Half Marathon.
Having left my running shoes in Sweden (last year) I got new one yesterday. I am feeling the excitement start to pump up. Feels good to have a goal in mind.
My goal? Under 2 hours. With a certain branding on my t-shirt…
If running is not for you – what “label” of marathon would you be willing to sign up for ? Set a goal. Get some new shoes. And go at it!
Just to check – better be on the safe side when expressions come my way – to avoid any awkward lost in translation moments… : hap·py-go-luck·y (h p -g -l k ). adj. Taking things easily; carefree. happy–go–lucky. – it’s the attitude that makes or brakes you.
My first Christmas in San Francisco. My first Christmas on “my own”.
I know Christmas or this Holiday Season brings mixed feelings to people. There are so many expectations. Expectations on happiness, good food, fulfilled traditions, togetherness, Christmas gifts… and not everyone has that.
To me, Christmas is a very dear holiday with many meaningful traditional elements. And historically attached with a fair amount of hospital visits as well. Some easier than others. My mom always tells me that the fact that I wasn’t aware of how severe the situation was when she was in hospital (probably 30 years ago), and that I came joyful to visit and also was very keen to get home on time to see the Christmas Calendar on tv, helped her in the process of healing.
This past Thursday I got the question from someone “I need to give her something. For Christmas she is going to her friend who is severely ill and maybe dying.” The book I chose to quote was Osho’s “Maturity”. It is a beautiful book that I warmly recommend you to read. I was recommended to read it many years ago and ended up reading it first on the way back to California after my fathers passing. Wishing that I had read it earlier, and grateful that my attitude to the situation with my father hadn’t been too far off.
“Life should be a continuous celebration, a festival of light the whole year round. Only then can you grow up, can you blossom. Transform small things into celebration. For example, in Japan they have the tea ceremony. […]
An ordinary thing – just tea – and they have made it a beautiful religious festival. Everybody comes out of it nourished, fresh, feeling younger, feeling juicier. And what can be done with tea can be done with everything […]
Even if you fall sick and you are lying in bed, you will make those moments of lying in bed moments of beauty and joy, moments of relaxation and rest, moments of meditation, moments of listening to music or to poetry. There is no need to be sad that you are sick. […]
When you are sick, call a doctor. But more important, call those who love you because there is no medicine more important than love. Call those who can create beauty, music, poetry around you, because there is nothing that heals like a mood of celebration. […]
Make everything creative, make the best out of the worst – that is what I call the art of living. And if a man has lived his whole life making every moment and every phase of it a beauty, a love, a joy, naturally his death is going to be the ultimate peak of his whole life’s endeavor. The last touches. … his death is not going to be ugly as it ordinarily happens everyday to everyone.
If death is ugly, that means your whole life has been a waste. Death should be a peaceful acceptance, a loving entry into the unknown, a joyful goodbye to old friends, to the old world. There should not be any tragedy in it.”
Now, this was not at all what I intended to write about – but it is something important, especially at times when things “should be” jolly, and they don’t appear like it.
I have gone with the flow and created my own little celebration of Christmas, had a really nice day, and ended Christmas Eve celebration together with friends. Now, stats from Sweden shows that the elements that are the most important at Christmas are:
1) Christmas Tree (89% of Swedes has one)
2) Christmas gifts
3) Christmas Ham
4) Donald Duck and his friends wishes Merry Christmas (3pm Swedish National Television) 5) Santa Claus
6) Lutfisk
7) Christmas Pourage
8) Christmas Mass
And yes, since I woke up yesterday morning I have been trying to get SVTPlay app to play Donald Duck and his Friends – but it “can’t at this moment”. I do have a recording of it somewhere… but luckily I found it on YouTube. And the first one that I landed on was from my very first Christmas 1975! This is now a 52 year old tradition for the Swedish people. Very important. Indeed. Here is a compact version:
I got a card with this text from one of my acappella friends Laura Guy after having hosted a dinner for them 3 years ago. She is a great friend, talented singer, yogini, real estate agent, attorney and… entrepreneur with a passion for health and wellness. Now I am inviting you to take part of her new small beginning that I know will become a great thing.
My first interaction with it was when we met for coffee in November. “I baked brownies – try this”, she said, “it’s got a secret ingredient and you have to guess what it is. It doesn’t contain flour and it doesn’t contain sugar”. I had no chance of guessing. And it was one of my least favorites as a kid. But it was DELISIOUS!
At this very moment she is making the premier commercial batch of Healthy Cakes for first participation at the SF Underground Market tonight 5-11pm! Come and taste!
“OMG! This cake is perfection. It is moist, cakey, with just the right amount of sweetness and a nice thick layer of fudgy icing. I’m in heaven! Would not know it is low carb if you hadn’t told me. “~Michelle
What if the dessert below was healthy?
Do you see how this can revolutionize the way we eat and treat, become healthier and also open up for allowable sweets for diabetics and dieters. Sweet Victory with Healthy Cakes!
Keeva! We just had the last rehearsal yesterday before our coming Friday night concert. With wide open windows after a truly hot Indian summer day in San Francisco, the neighbors across the street got a private performance. They seemed to enjoy it as much as we – because it’s fun! Music is good for you.
There is research showing that music is good for your health and well-being. A year ago there was a World Conference on Health held in the UK that aimed to pave the way for “singing on prescription”. Earlier this year, the Swedish Medical Doctor and Professor Töres Thorell released a book on music and health. Basically – whether you attend a Bruce Springsteen concert, sing in a choir or listen to a Mozart symphony – you’ll get reduced stress, improved immune system, and a sharper mind! If you enjoy music that is. My friend said “- oh, my dad is tone death, but he loves going to the symphony hall. Yes, it’s very likely that he will fall asleep – but he still enjoys it”.
Being brought up in Sweden, where we have a song for every season, the largest per capita number of amateur choirs in the world and being the third largest music exporter in the world (surpassed only by the US and the UK) – I know that music matters. During the first dinner in San Francisco with new connections I was posed the question: “Among all the things you used to do in San Diego – what do you miss the most?” “I’m looking for a group to sing with.” “I’m part of a small group of Talisman Alumni’s from Stanford who has formed an a cappella group. We are looking for a female singer – what part are you?”… Synchronicity – I love it. And I love singing not only because I enjoy it and I feel good doing it – it is also an excellent way to meet great friends, socialize and have fun.
In a different setting – going to a yoga session that incorporates chanting gives you all that. Meeting great people, having fun, feeling good. And by no surprise – I am having Rusty Well’s yoga as my reference. Recently the session started with the chant “Loka samasta sukhino bhavantu…” [May all beings everywhere be happy and free.] But the 100 students didn’t really give it all… Have you ever experienced a hesitation to sing? Rusty goes: “Do you care about being here? Give yourself the benefit – sing! Stretch your mind, stretch your heart, stretch your voice – what happens is that you stretch your breath. Just try. You made it this long, all the way here. Tall spine close your eyes, and chant before you can’t! All right…”
So where ever it is – in the shower or in the car… chant before you can’t – or you can come and enjoy the Keeva concert this upcoming Friday. See details below!
Enjoy,
Johanna
Come hear the Richter Scales and Keeva sing an evening of “Trick or Treat A Cappella” the night before Halloween in SF’s Mission District.
The Richter Scales: So what if many of us are a decade or more past our prime? We still possess the ability to bring an audience to tears. Whether they are tears of laughter or tears of horror is another matter. You’d best hope for the laughter tears.
Keeva A Cappella: A group of SF Bay Area professionals and graduate students who have been singing world music and other culturally significant songs (e.g. “Oh Mickey you’re so fine”) for more than a decade.
Date: Friday, October 30th
Time: 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM Place: Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez Street at 23rd, San Francisco
Price: Free for folks in costume; suggested $7 donation for all others
Food: Various tricks and treats will be available
All ages are welcome. We’ll have candy for folks who want to warm up their trick-or-treating muscles. Costume-wearers welcome.
And as a bonus – why not use music changing one or two habbits?
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