Welcome to my World

Don't Forget to Vote on Tuesday!!!

robyn-fantastica — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:07:26 GMT

Tomorrow is one of the most historic days in our country, no matter the outcome. And in California, the outcome will also be historic. I don't care what your political persuasion is, I think it's important for all of us to exercise one of the most precious rights we have in this country, the right to vote. For those of you in California, the poll hours are 7 am - 8 pm. Please make sure that you get there during that time. California law requires that all employers give their employees time off to vote on Election Day. Take a longer lunch if you need to, leave early so that you can get there in time, or leave for work earlier than normal. Just get out there and do it. If you haven't mailed in your absentee ballots, they can be dropped off at any polling place in the county where you are registered. So you can easily drop it off on your way to wherever you will be spending your day. It is OK for someone else to drop off your ballot for you. Me? I voted yesterday. I'm taking the day off from work to serve as a pollworker. I'm excited and nervous and can't wait to do my own part for the machinery of democracy. *image from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/aug/08/whichgetsyourvoteheadorheart

Dear ones - life is good. Hard, but good.

robyn-fantastica — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:16:44 GMT

I wrote a gratitude post earlier and thought it blog-worthy. It's a hard week, but there is still much to be grateful for. I am grateful that I had the opportunity and good fortune to know Frank Bonita. He inspired me with his laughter and sense of adventure. He also inspired me with his depth of care for others. His was a generous soul. I cherish the time that we spent together. He knew how to make someone feel heard. He also had some sort of magic. The kind of magic that tells you that fun is about to happen, you just need to be open to it. I am grateful for Frank's wife, Marilyn. Her no-nonsense attitude, that provided plenty of room for silliness. I hold her gently in my heart. I am grateful for the example Frank and Marilyn set in their relationship. They loved each other deeply and passionately. And had no problems showing it. They are a shining example of how to do it right. The party to celebrate their 25th anniversary of the night they met was an amazing experience. I don't know that I have ever experienced such love between two people. It was always palpable when they were together. And the way they let me into their lives is nothing short of amazing. I am grateful for my own Frank. Ever wise, ever patient. You make me want to be a better person. I am grateful for my community. They know how to rally around someone in need. They are creative and caring and fun in their ways of taking care of one another. There is much, much more. My life is filled with good things. And even though this is also a time of pain and sadness, the good outweighs it.

The Birthday of Mr. Jones

robyn-fantastica — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:30:09 GMT

Happy Birthday sweetie. I am so happy to be able to celebrate with you. I'm looking forward to many more celebrations in our life together. Love, Robyn

A New Year of Gratitude

robyn-fantastica — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:37:24 GMT

Yesterday was my birthday. It was a very good day. The sun was shining all day. It was warm. And so many good things happened that made it even better. I have always loved my birthday. No matter if I got presents or phone calls. It is my day. And I walk around knowing that it's my day, and that makes me happy. But yesterday was made even more awesome by all of the blogs, phone calls, cards and emails that I received. I even heard from every member of my family in one form or another. And a very wonderful dinner prepared by my love, Mr. Frank Jones. Thank you to everyone who commented, emailed, called, blogged or just thought about me yesterday. You added to my great day in so many ways. Thank you. And now you can comment on MY blog, Kiko.

Beer!!

robyn-fantastica — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 22:52:49 GMT

For my friends who like beer (and cheese). This came from a list I'm on. An event for the snooty beer & cheese crowd, sponsored by The Commonwealth Club's "Inforum". http://commonwealthclub.org/mlf/#beerhistory FRIDAY JANUARY 25 | BAY GOURMET JUSTIN CROSSLEY, Radio Host/"Brewcaster," The Brewing Network and CBS Radio JOHN FOSTER, Co-host, Beerschool.com Webcast NICO FRECCIA, Beer Journalist; Co-owner, 21st Amendment Restaurant and Brewery DAN GORDON, Co-founder and Master Brewer, Gordon Biersch DAVID MCLEAN, Owner and Brewmaster, Magnolia Pub and Brewery BOBBY COLEMAN, Co-founder, San Francisco Brewers Guild – Moderator THE SAN FRANCISCO BEER STORY: HISTORY, CULTURE, TASTE, CUISINE The American craft beer explosion currently enlivening the gastronomic scene has long had its epicenter in San Francisco, where brewing traditions and techniques have been thriving since before the Gold Rush. Join the San Francisco Brewers Guild and a panel of industry experts to learn about beer pairings with a variety of cuisine and explore the colorful history and culture of the area's brewing scene. The program will conclude with a tasting of exquisite artisan cheese paired with delicious beers from these brewers: 21st Amendment, Anchor Brewing Co., Beach Chalet/Park Chalet, Gordon Biersch, Magnolia, San Francisco Brewing Company, Speakeasy Ales and Lagers, ThirstyBear Restaurant and Brewery, and Wunder Brewing Co. 5:30 p.m., Check-in | 6:00 p.m., Program | 7:00 p.m., Tasting | Club office, 595 Market St., 2nd Floor, San Francisco | $12 for Members, $18 for Non-Members | Program Organizer: Suzanne Sliter FYI: INFORUM is a division of The Commonwealth Club by and for people in their 20s and 30s, with a mission to inspire debate around civic issues. INFORUM has 2,500 members and our events are open to all. https://www.commonwealthclub.org/INFORUM/

Happy Birthday Nina!

robyn-fantastica — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 22:24:53 GMT

To one of my favoritest people. You deserve a fabulous day full of love, laughter and champagne. A day befitting a rawkstah! I'm truly blessed to have you in my life.

Year One

robyn-fantastica — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:04:48 GMT

One year ago I took a chance on love. And it has been so worth it. I love you Mr. Jones!

My Hometown is Flooded

robyn-fantastica — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:01:35 GMT

This is a photo of what my hometown looks like today. Lots of water. The Blanchard River was almost 7 feet above flood stage. My dad can't get to work, but his house is a little soggy but OK. My nephew was at a friend's house and had to walk through a ton of water to get home because my sister couldn't drive through the water. Everyone in her family is safe though. They are expecting more rain tonight. Yikes!

Compliments

robyn-fantastica — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:53:21 GMT

Today after I unsuccessfully tried to fix our laser printer, but was able to offer some alternatives, I was told this: "In the event of a nuclear explosion, I want to be wherever you are, Robyn." I guess that means I've got some smarts or something. Added: And for those who think I am fishing for compliments, I was honestly surprised to hear these words directed towards me. So surprised I felt the need to share.

Expanding my mad skillz

robyn-fantastica — Wed, 23 May 2007 18:10:13 GMT

I now know how to sew. I took a sewing class last night at the Craft Gym (http://www.craftgym.com). It was super fun. I made a pillow. I'll post a picture after I get home. I've wanted to learn how to sew for a long time. I've tried before, but to no avail. The first time, I bought a book and some supplies and tried to teach myself. Didn't work. The second time, I asked my former mother-in-law to help me with making a dress. Her idea of help was taking all of the cutout pieces and sewing them together for me. She didn't have the patience to teach, so she just took over. The third time, I took a class at the Crucible. But the instructor was more interested in talking about herself than teaching us how to sew. Plus, the machine that I brought was in dire need of maintenance, so I had to get it cleaned before I could do any real sewing. The instructor was really nice and helpful. I learned a whole bunch of new things (like how to turn a corner), and I think I'm going to try to make a really easy pattern at home. Now I've got a really good machine and a few skills, so I don't think it will be a big deal to at least try something easy. I'm also looking into taking some more advanced classes. This is to avoid buying a bunch of fabric, and then ruining it because I don't know what I'm doing. Next up, how to put in a zipper. If any of you want to take a class together with me, let me know. P.S. Many thanks to Frances for taking the class with me. Even though she was way beyond the skill level for the class, it was good to have someone familiar nearby while I tried this new venture. I could look up and see her there sewing away while I wondered, "what the hell am I doing?" It made it easier for me to keep trying to have her there.

Taking social networking to another level

robyn-fantastica — Wed, 16 May 2007 20:03:39 GMT

I clicked on a link from my church's list serve about a fundraising event for Barack Obama. It took me to the listing and I noticed that there are a lot of similarities to tribe, myspace, et all in how they have the site set up. Take a look for yourself: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/fundraising/4jgmf Fundraising in full swing and all that. My favorite part of the Associated Groups is "Cats for Obama". One member of the cats group is named Kiko, on his profile he says he wants to know about Sen. Obama's thoughts on the pet food recall. http://my.barackobama.com/page/dashboard/public/CpLt The site is interesting. It's social networking, but with the candidate as the main interest. I tried to find an image for this blog, but gave up. I did find a site that sells jpgs of cartoons for blogs and myspace pages. Yet another niche market due to the internetz.

My Brain

robyn-fantastica — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:45:28 GMT

Thanks to Laura and Tara for posting this. It was fun to take this test, though I sometimes found it hard to choose between the three answers. I could see reasons for each one to be true. Funny that the description below is pretty apt for me in a lot of ways given that it was hard to decide on the answers. From: www.mindmedia.com/brainworks/profiler Your Brain Usage Profile: Auditory : 55% Visual : 44% Left : 57% Right : 42% Robyn, you are mildly left-hemisphere dominant while showing a slight preference for auditory processing. This overall combination seems to indicate a well-working blend of logic and judgment and organization, with sufficient intuition, perception and creativity to balance that dominance. You will at times experience conflict between how you feel and what you think which will generally be resolved in favor of what you think. You will find yourself interested in the practical applications of whatever material you have learned or whatever situation you face and will retain the ability to refine whatever knowledge you possess or aspects of whatever position you are in. By and large, you will orient yourself toward intellectual activities and structure. Though not rigid, you will schedule yourself, plan, and focus on routine and continuity of operations, rather than on changes and disruptions When changes or disruptions occur, you are likely to consider first how to ensure that such disruptions do The same balance is reflected in your sensory preference. You will tend to be reflective and measured in your interaction style. For the most part, you will be considered objective without being cold and goal-oriented while retaining the capacity to listen to others. Preferentially you learn by listening and maintaining significant internal dialogues with yourself. Nevertheless, you have sufficient visualization capabilities to benefit from using graphs, charts, doodles, or even body movement to enhance your comprehension and memory. To the extent that you are even implicitly aware of your hemispheric dominance and sensory style, you will feel most comfortable in those arenas which emphasize verbal skills and logic. Teaching, law, and science are those that stand out among the professions, along with technical sales and management.

Gifts

robyn-fantastica — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 01:40:51 GMT

For Christmas, Frank gave me a Nano. It is the color of the picture - my favorite shade of green. How did Apple know? I've been listening to it at work today. It helps me to focus. And everyone who has walked into my office today has commented on how great my Nano is. I love using it. I never thought I would be able to afford one. Then Frank got one for me. I have a great boyfriend. And not just because of my Christmas presents. Thanks baby!

I miss my friend

robyn-fantastica — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 21:13:38 GMT

I am not a blog person. I like to keep my thoughts private for a variety of reasons. But today, I cannot keep my thoughts quiet, or even limit them to a few close friends. There is a fear that my remaining silent or quiet actually hurts me. I've been thinking a lot about Allison, like many of you. I first met her in February 2005 at the BORG2 Flying Pig Party. I had heard about her, stalked her a bit on tribe, but we didn't meet until that night. After I was introduced to her by our friend Shelley, Allison told me that she had been excited to meet me since she had heard so many great things about me. I am not one to take compliments well and I am both thrilled and repelled about the idea of anyone talking about me. I don't think I spoke to her until I got an email from her offering me the R as a venue for my birhtday party. Shelley and I were going to have a joint party since our birthdays are close on the calendar. It was to be at Shelley's apartment, but she had a serious ear infection. The party was going to have to be cancelled. Allison singlehandedly decided that there would still be a party and offered her place. Mind you, I had only met her once. I was grateful, but it was difficult to accept such a generous offer. She was adamant and we threw a fabulous party. She got some friends to DJ and gave me a place to sleep for the night. This is the Allison that I knew: generous, honest, silly and thoughtful. She would ask the most pointed questions and also offer her concerns, whether invited or not. Of all of the people I know, I found Allison to be one of the most honest. She had no qualms about telling you what she thought about something. And for those of you who may feel that you didn't tell her what you thought of her or liked about her, I would like you to look at this:http://people.tribe.net/alleycat/blog/a9d67699-0ac4-4aaf-89c4-e8fa62de3303 It's one of allison's blog posts titled "needing some affection". A lot of people here replied and let her know what they thought of her. This was in November 2005. This is what I wrote: "I was just thinking about how much of the good things that happened to me in 2005 had a little Allison involved in them. You are too good for words, but here goes. Allison is kind, generous, caring and regardless of how she is feeling, she has the ability to make her friends feels loved and cherished. And I hope that this period of being in the dumps is over soon." I miss you Allison. I was looking forward to answering some of the questions you were asking me about my ministry. That was going to be an interesting conversation. May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be happy. May you be well. May you be at peace. [Edited to include photoboof photos of Allison and I from that birthday night.]