Beautiful Ugly Advice

Desire

Attraction

Fire on the Mountain

BONNY DOON - The Martin Fire, which erupted not far from the Bonny Doon Fire Station just before 3 p.m. Wednesday, had consumed about 700 acres late Wednesday and is expected to grow to 1,500 acres before it's controlled, Cal Fire officials said. -Santa Cruz Sentinel

Driving home from work yesterday along route one, I noticed the plume of orangy grey clouds in the sky. "Hmm, fog doesn't usually come from the mountains" I thought, "Looks almost like a fire." By the time I reached the intersection with route 9, traffic had stopped to let firetrucks through. I was amazed not to smell any smoke, as we could after the Corralitos fire three weeks ago.

Arriving home I went online to find the story and google map the situation, feeling a rising panic in my chest. My house mate returned home early from her job at UCSC, and we started making evacuation plans. I went and looked at my earthquake kit, and we laughed as I pulled out the world's tiniest fire extinguisher, "We're safe now!"

I walked around the house in a slight daze, wondering what to pack. The cat carriers came down first, a quick travel bag of my essential medications, rustled through all my secret money magic stashes for cash, backed up both computers, and stuffed my briefcase with important papers, ie house insurance!

I had planned on going roller skating, but when my friend called I was too freaked out and canceled. I kept going from room to room watching the smoke in the sky, then sitting at the laptop trying to figure out how fast was it really spreading. I felt sick and shaken to the core, pacing back & forth to the bathroom until I finally threw up.

"Get grip, KayKay, take a chill pill" the voice in my head told me, so I called my friend back to at least have some distraction. We ended up walking to Natural Bridges and back, using up all of my nervous energy. The wind had died down considerably after the sunset, and I began to feel more grounded.

I went to bed late, getting up several times in the night to look out the window & check the internet. At dawn, I could see the cloud of smoke just sitting on the mountain, but could find no updates.

After the Corralitos fire I wrote a prayer for all the bugs & wildlife that died, but I couldn't find it this morning for my blog, so here I am just rambling on instead. It's now 7:13 and I can hear fire engines and dogs barking, not a winning combination for early morning tranquility.

Pray for the bugs, my friends, and all the displaced beings, human & otherwise, who lost their homes in the wildfires this summer.

Blessed be.

Arise

From the Altar Egos Series:
"Positive Affirmations to Heal a Nation"
Copyright kgr 2004

Now available from www.cafepress.com/ramblingrose

Moth to the Flame

How glorious it feels
Moth to the flame
Only to have
My wings burned again

Kicking Ass

Dear Clara and Dio,

I just want to take a moment to tell you how much I am enjoying Zumba with Clara & Brenda at Minorsan. I have recently been taking free classes at other studios in Santa Cruz, and it has made me aware of a few things I’d like to share:

• I appreciate the warm & friendly way I have been greeted, right from the start. The Thank You card was a nice follow up, and I am impressed with how personable everyone has been at Minorsan.

• I appreciate how clean and tidy you keep the studio. It is bright & cheery, well lit, and I notice everything done beautifully, from how well the garden is maintained to the lack of clutter in the office. The changing room & bathrooms are always clean & tidy. It is truly a pleasure to attend your studio.

• I appreciate that you start and stop on time! Without knowing anything about martial arts myself, I appreciate a sense of discipline & orderliness of Minorsan that comes through in your Zumba classes.

• I appreciate how much you kick ass! This class is by far the sexiest, most fun, and most heart pumping work out in all the sessions I’ve attended in Santa Cruz! In just a month, I notice my body & endurance changing, and a continue to laugh when I catch myself smiling in the mirror. I love this class, and all it inspires in me.

There are other things, ranging from excellence in music to the time you take to teach the steps to the fact that using a head set makes a huge difference to the student. The only thing I would want different is for Zumba to be offered every day. Thank you so much for offering this class.

I will continue to invite my friends & colleagues to your class, as well as promote both Minorsan & Zumba for excellence in fitness.

Blessed Be,

K.