Town Personalities

Something about moving to different states opens your eyes to the personalities of different places. It seems that Santa Fe has more personalities than most of the places I have lived in.

There is the town of the locals...with their confidence that the police are owned and rarely care about careless drivers; knowing the hot spots and how to avoid the tourists; with people who grew up here and have a unique accent that isn't quite Mexican and isn't quite Gringo; a place that is safe and not safe, full of drugs, booze, drunk driving and still a lovely place to be and drivers that defy description (I've heard that Japanese drive worse, but I haven't experienced that yet).

Then there is the town of the bi-state crowd...either from Texas or New York. Both come here to escape snow or escape worse snow; love to return to town especially for Indian Market and the nationally famous opera; the Texans throw lavish parties thick with Texas drawls, strong drinks, lots of laughter and generous tips to the local waitstaff and whose over-the-top way of dressing makes them clearly stand out (they really do wear every piece of turquoise jewelry at once to go along with their cowboy boots and hat and "Southwestern" clothing). The New Yorkers are less obvious visually but still dress like New Yorkers, so they stand out a bit still. This is not to say these people are great folk - if they weren't, they would never fit in here.

There is also the town of the earth babies - all about organics, permaculture, hemp clothing, legalized pot, yoga, spiritual workshops and sacred Indian land and recycling. They are a peaceful lot but definitely a big part of this community.

And then there is the artistic crowd. Filling the galleries - and there are lots of them - with either their own art or their presence to buy art. Some are snobs trying to show their culture but most are genuine lovers of art. you could easily go into overdose with art here (and what a way to go!)and you can find people painting and sketching at any time.

There is also the Santa Fe of the outdoors genre. More hiking trails than you can count; great mountains to hike; good skiing, I hear; places to bike and, if nothing else, fabulous mountains and skies to just stare at in awe. The weather changes frequently and the most amazing cloud formations are available daily. And then there are the mountains that change personality as the shadows shift and the sunlight makes new areas glow in gold or turn a glorious pink-purple for just a few moments as the sun finishes for the day. Add to that the lush greens and brilliant colors of spring; the dry heat and afternoon thunderstorms (brilliant and literally, at times, earth-shaking) of summer; the deep gold and burgundy tones of autumn (not to mention the indescribable and mouth-watering smells of chilies roasting!!) and the crisp blue-white of the snow in winter...it is breath-taking. You can describe it all in incredible detail and it still can't do justice to the beauty of it all...

I have only touched the surface of this town's picturesque self. I am still getting to know it...and the more I do, the more I understand how so many people - like myself - come here for a visit and can't bring themselves to leave. it's not perfect - there is quite a bit of corruption in the government and amongst certain industries, etc. and there is a meth problem - but there seems to be a balance. That could all be accredited to choices, and that suites me fine.

It is a good place to get to know yourself, to retreat peacefully, to release your inner artist or healer or hiking nerd or novelist or...whatever part of you you want to embrace. This town welcomes all.

I look forward to finding out who I am here...and maybe I'll figure out what I want to be when I grow up. IF I grow up...

MIA

I never thought that doing temp work would or could exhaust me as much as it has! I just finished an almost 3 month assignment at an insurance agency and the ending is bittersweet.

I have gone through 2 sets of employees...helped train the second set...became friends with all of them...learned a lot about insurance...and about the kind of employer I don't want. It's actually a plus to temp first to really get a good feel for the politics and personalities of a business before joining. But in this economy, it's kind of a draw-back as well. I could have easily stepped into the job full-time (I was asked on several occasions), but how could I work for someone who I feel is less than honorable? So, being who I am, I chose to continue my search for a happy work place.

I did have the good fortune to have an interview with the general manager of two of the local hotels here and he and the other managers I met were enthusiastic to have me on board...providing a position appears for me. Yep, I am seriously considering returning to the hotel industry. My hope is that things have changed a bit since the 80's and that working for a small corporation (vs the mammoth Marriott I slaved for all those years ago) would suit me better. And I hate to admit it, but I am getting older and I have less energy than I did when I was in my 20's. Go figure.

Santa Fe is still appealing although I cannot commit to saying that I will stay here for a long time...whatever "long" means. It is very hard to be so far away from water (Santa Barbara), lush green (Ashland) and especially my daughter (back to SB, at the moment). But the afternoon thunderstorms are truly amazing. I sit on my portal (or porch in the rest of the US) and watch it all like a play: bright, loud and magnificent on a regular basis. Although she doesn't really like it, Buttercup is adjusting to the noise of it all. The cat, Taz, could care less either way!

It is a curious thing to downsize so much at my age and I have flashbacks to being in my 20's (perhaps that's why I expect to have that same energy level) and feel like I am truly starting all over again in just about every way. New town, new people, new job, no boyfriend,mediocre apartment, few belongings (OK, fewER) and not really knowing what I am going to do when I grow up. So that can make for days that feel scary, lonely, confusing and a bit desperate. But I keep on hanging on. In the end, it is better than staying stagnant in the same place wondering "what if?". I am exploring "what if" and I know it will take me to interesting places.

And I guess that bring me back to sitting here, in front of my computer, wondering what else I can contribute here...which doesn't feel like much. But if nothing else, I'm just letting you know that I am not missing in action.

Snowy Easter & Hedgehogs

Yep, we had snow for Easter. Really pretty but very confusing...even for Santa Feans!

So, as I waited for the temp agency to get me some work and wondered about getting it all together so I can pay bills...I got a call from a new friend who asked if I wanted to take over her house-sitting job for a bi-coastal couple. Sure, that sounded good to me. And as I talked to the homeowners, I started thinking about what else I could offer them. They were receptive and happy that I offered extra services. Then in talking to the friend who set this all up, I realized that there are a lot of bi-coastal people here who are very willing to pay for specialized services to make the constant transitions easier. Then almost immediately I got another call asking me to hedgehog-sit. I'm not making this up! And I love saying that I'm hedgehog-sitting!! This is all ties into the idea: personal concierge service. Taking care of homes, plants, pets, groceries, errands, waiting for service people so the homeowners can go to work, etc. Plus, I recently got a connection that might even let me provide services to the film industry (lots of movies are shot here). How cool is that? I'll do lots of interesting (OK, and some not so interesting) work for different people with a flexible schedule and so on. Still have to come up with a business name and all but I think this is something I can do and not have to deal with age discrimination. Oh sure, "they" all say that they don't, but I know that they do.

Maybe concierge service with hotels may still happen, but this sure works for me at the moment. It feels kinda crazy that I am constantly coming up with all kinds of ideas and sometimes I don't feel like there is enough time to get them all off the ground...but then again, maybe one of them will be the glue that holds them all together to take flight. Time will tell.

In the meantime, Buttercup and I carry on carrying on. Keep on truckin'. One day at a time. One foot in front of the other...don't know exactly know where we are going from one moment to the next, but what the heck. it doesn't stay boring in our lives for very long.

Hope you all didn't eat too many Easter bunny ears (the chocolate kind!!!!) Now I gotta go work on my business plans...CIAO baby!

Weather, anyone?

If you are at all enamoured with weather, you should really check out Santa Fe!! We had a forecast of light rain for today but it was anything but!
8 am: I'm out walking the dog and notice that there had been some light rain during the night (not that I would have noticed cuz the wind was blowing so hard, it felt like someone was pounding on my window, trying to get in). So, I thought, hmmmm, maybe that was it. But the air still smelled of rain and there were a few clouds so I knew we could get a bit more...
8:30 am: it gets so dark outside that I have to turn on all the lights in my little room. I look out my window and actually say, out loud: wait! When did it snow on the mountains?!
9 am: The wild winds start to really blow again and then suddenly, the rain begins to dump! (so much for going to the dog park for a mellow Saturday morning)
9:30 am: sitting down to a late breakfast and I glance out the window at...snow?!?! The wind really picks up and there is a wall of white! (isn't this supposed to be April? You know, SPRING?)
10 am: full stop. Ummm, did any of this really happen? OK, as the clouds recede, I see the mountains are even whiter, so I guess it did...
3 pm: it seems the weather has done it's business for the day, so I go off to run an errand. But as I pull into my parking lot, it begins to...hail! Hard! And a bit of thunder to finish it off. So Buttercup and I stick it out in the car till it subsides enough to get across the lot and up the stairs.

(and last month I was freaking out about dealing with the heat we were already having).

OK, for some of you this could very well be a perfectly normal spring experience...but for an ex-California girl, this is pretty crazy. Of course, I love it. The earth is so alive when weather happens. A great day to snuggle down with your guy, watch old movies and just marvel at the show outside. All I need now is the guy...

Ms Tabler's Wild Ride

I am happy to report that I do have more to say today!

I had a very full week...not that I actually "did" all that much, but having a few epiphanies seems pretty rewarding to me. So here are some of the bits and pieces...

First, I am amazed at the sense of community I have come to know here in less than 3 months! I already am on a very friendly basis with over 20 people just here in the complex I live in. I give a lot of credit to Buttercup for being such a friendly dog, but I am the one actually doing the talking. People in stores, etc. are just as friendly and it is easy to fall into a natural rhythm here. And the more I allow myself to feel a part of the community, the easier things start to fall into place. Which leads to ...

Secondly, I have decided that I want to have my reverendship expanded to New Mexico. (you do know that I am a reverend, right?) I feel driven to perform weddings and house blessings and the like here. And with that decision, I already had someone ask if I could do their wedding when the time comes. And establishing myself with that will help segue into doing the workshop for women and perhaps even help lead into life coaching down the road. (or Dream Coaching, as I recently heard someone describe their version of the job.) Which leads to...

Thirdly, I have decided to actually go back into the hotel industry! (don't fall off of your seats, I won't go back into the insane department of catering again). The position of concierge in a nice hotel would be perfect. I will get to know the town faster, meet lots of interesting people, and do what I love doing ~ helping others. Plus, if someone decides that they want to get married here, I can offer my services as officiant! How convenient is that?! Which leads to...

Fourthly, [is that a word?] yes, I believe I will be staying here. Just seems like I should be here... For a while...until the wind changes direction...

I guess I could say Fifthly, but that just sounds dirty (get it? fifthly, filthy? Oh, never mind...) Mom loaned me this book "God on a Harley". OMG, what a book! I read it in just a couple of hours, but I was struck by the lessons in it. I mean, it's a fun book too, but there are messages. It was a little eerie though... the author's writing style is almost identical to mine (when I write that kind of story) and the messages seemed tailor-made for me. I even wondered if the book was writing itself as I was reading it...and it just helped me really listen to that little voice that was telling me to take care of me, do what brings me joy and stop trying to accommodate everyone else, at my own expense. So, go me! (but really, a good read).

This all tied into some work I did about a past life in which I had taken the blame for the suffering of a lot of people when, in fact, I had nothing to do with what happened to them. I had been their guide and teacher and therefore, felt responsible for them. And once I realized that I had carried that over into this life and could forgive myself, I felt things start to shift, as in: all the stuff I just posted. yeah, I'm sure some of you are scratching your heads, saying "past life??"...but you always knew I was a little "out there", so just roll with it.

Also, Buttercup made it clear that she needs work, too. She loves people so much and just thrives on making someone smile. So I will be setting up visits to nursing homes, senior citizen centers and the like and take Buttercup to do her work. There is even a little pug neighbor named Fig who wants to go with us. That should be fun.

So that, my friends, was my wild ride. This week I have interviews and will be working on making connections for the hotel biz. I am truly excited to see what developes. Stay tuned!

Santa Fe?

Yes, I'm still here.

I've been asked a few times if I am in California yet, but no, I plan on being here till August. Maybe longer! Things tend to change day to day...even Tenaya is looking at moving to Santa Barbara to attend culinary school (which would be way cool!). I imagine a lot of you are feeling the crazy spin in the world right now. I've just decided to ride it out, day to day.

Work on the book is slow...I thought I'd thrive on the iscolation, but instead, I find myself feel cabin-feverish. So, lots of dog walks. Of course, today, we are watching for snow, so it's pretty cold outside (yet as I write this Buttercup is looking longingly out the window). I have also decided to go back to doing some temp work. I think getting out amongst the living will help inspire me more creatively as well as being able to have conversations with humans. Buttercup is a good listener, but not much on giving feedback other than the "my-human-is-crazy" look.

I'm getting used to the air mattress. My room is still pink. My aunts are crazy. My neighbors are chatty. The sky is up... It's pathetic, but that's all I have to say!

But I am Here and still alive and kicking...and maybe my next post will be more interesting!!

Humans and Guns just don't mix

Really. and I'll explain why, but first, let me paint the picture.

I am living in a good sized apartment complex (that sports at least 7 different floor plans. I kid you not - and I have yet to speak to anyone hear who knows for sure just how many there really are!) The bulk of the apartments are in a large, 2 story u-shaped building. Behind the U-shape is a smaller L-shape which houses, in the deepest corner, my little efficiency.

I happen to have a killer panoramic view of the mountains from my large picture window. However, directly beneath said window is the parking lot to a popular hotel. which is why you will see in the photo of my room a curtain rod half way up, covered in fabric to block that particular view. Which is just fine. the window ledge is low, so Buttercup can rest her chin on it while she stares at people walking around the lot or around the hillside to our left.

So...Friday night. I am happily ensconced in my new bean bag chair (in pink, of course) reading and contemplating when I should take the dog out for her last pee break for the evening...and I hear what sounds like 2 dogs fighting in the parking lot. It was hard to get a clear picture of what was going on because Buttercup was set off by the commotion and was barking her thoughts on the situation. But I could very clearly hear a woman screaming hysterically and a very angry man shouting as well. I believe there was at least one more man, but it was hard to tell what was going on as they were mostly just out of eyesight. The next thing I know is that the dog noise is over but Hysterical Woman is still screaming and Angry Man is now shouting "I'm gonna kill him! I'm gonna kill him!".

Then there was a gunshot. I don't believe anyone was actually shot because Hysterical Woman was now only shouting "you're gonna get arrested! You're gonna get arrested!" Angry Man is a little calmer now when he says "I won't kill him..." but there is still a lot of shouting. (I'm hoping the dogs were hiding in the trucks, cuz these guys were crazy). In less than 5 minutes 2 cop cars pull into the hotel entrance, killing their lights and sirens. As they wrestle with Angry Man and shout "drop the gun!Drop the gun!", SEVEN more cars drive up and attend to the situation. I gotta give them credit, they take gunfire seriously here and they acted fast. Of course, now Angry Man is Scaredy Man cuz he's yelling "don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!"

What is the point of having a gun? To scare a dog, piss off the neighbors and get arrested? Sure seems to confirm once again that humans are not evolved enough to take on the responsibility of owning firearms.

I wonder if I can get bullet-proof glass installed in my window?

***
On the bright side, weather has been an amazing experience. We haven't had the snowfall that Ashland, OR has had (darn it) but what we have had has been fascinating. Big fat flakes one moment, sunshine the next. Same days as the Hysterical Woman and Angry Man story, the snow would vary from gentle flakes to a full-on flurry, obliterating the mountains. The ground was coated and I thought, well, looks like it will be white for a while...but 45 minutes later, the snow has stopped and the ground snow is almost completely melted. Then beautiful swirly clouds lay amongst the mountain bases with thunderheads above and an hour later, there is sun breaking through.

I remember Mom describing how fast the weather changes here, but I guess I thought she was exaggerating because this has been a real surprise to me. And the light! Man o man! The light is impressive. Just before sunset, trees seem to glow. Guess my words aren't going to really paint the picture well, so I'll just leave it that I am obsessing with what my window has to offer me on a daily basis. And don't get me started on that magnificent moon that hugged the mountains last Tuesday! *sigh* It's pretty pretty. Can't wait to experience spring now since I am told that it is really beautiful and I am beginning to see that the locals aren't exaggerating.