Naïma Jeannette Hill

“Freedom Friday”. That’s right, I saw the Lego Movie.

Posted on February 9, 2014 by Naima

“Freedom Friday!”

Yesterday we took one of my nephews to the movies to watch his request, The Lego Movie. I really didn’t expect much and with my lack of tv watching, I am lucky that I even watched a preview for it. None the less, I was at the mercy of the 3.5 year old again. We loaded up on our expensive popcorn and settled in for some previews. Little did I know about an hour later I would shed a tear over this movie.

So many kids movies are inspiring yet I usually find them a bit cheesy, but this one did the trick for me. With many big name stars in the movie such as Will Ferrell and Morgan Freeman, I presume they all fell in love with the storyline as it seemed very heartfelt throughout. Without giving too much away in the movie, I’ll explain a bit of why I felt inspired yet empty as I left the theater.

“Lord Business” in the movie, played by Will Ferrell, has taken over the lego world and made all the lego people follow his rules, sing his songs, watch his tv shows, and buy overpriced coffee. The movie is basically a play on our real world. We follow rules, watch what the media tells us, and of course buy over priced coffee all the time. Throughout the movie Lord Business is getting his Kragle ready to end the lego world. The makers of the movie were so creative with their intertwining our real world with a kid’s imagination. The Kragle, you come to find out, is a tube of Krazy Glue that is missing a few letters. They did this with numerous other items to make the movie more realistic but also make the audience think twice about our own lives.

The hero of the story is a regular guy. He’s surrounded by all the famous super heroes but ultimately he has to find it within himself to bring out his “special”. The movie encourages individuality and really pushes for the hero to be creative and break out from the rules. What a great message right?! The tears came as one of the supporting characters, WyldStyle, made a plea to everyone in lego land to bring out their special, stop being mindless, and be creative. Wyldstyle brings everyone to life by announcing the day as “Freedom Friday”. The day they stop following the rules and use their own talents to build anything they want to defend themselves against the Kragle. It just hit me that I want this for myself and everyone in the world.

I love that we send this message to kids. But shouldn’t we send it to teens and adults too? A few weeks ago, I found myself at the movies again but this time it was an adult movie with a much different message, The Wolf of Wall Street. Although the Wolf of Wall Street overall has a message that the gluttony and greed of this world ultimately leaves you empty, the out of your mind success and over the top craziness is something that people long for. Maybe we should all just watch the kids movies and not the adult ones? The Wolf of Wall Street was a good movie, I just wonder how many people left the theater thinking, “I want that life!” I left the movie thinking, good movie, great acting, but wow wow wow wow wow, I can’t unsee what I just saw.

So, I choose the Lego Movie. Let’s send more of that message.

Let’s leave mass everything behind and search within yourself to find your own journey to happiness and what your success means to you. But that may also mean not going to the movie theater.

FREEDOM FRIDAY!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

A little creativity goes a long way… especially with kids.

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Naima

Today I was challenged by a three year old. His common phrase to me, “Tata, you need to get me more stuff!” Being his “Tata” (Aunt), I am in the role to provide “stuff” and basically let him do what he wants to do, within reason of course. But with his constant request, it’s as if he knows I don’t like buying new things and insists on testing me. I usually disregard his stuff requests and distract him with playing, running, dancing, and acting like a crazy person. But, today I outsmarted that three year old yet maybe created a monster.

So he wanted a plane. Sure crazy kid, I can dig through the trash and make you a plane! I grabbed the recycle bin, tape, and scissors and started taking my orders from a three year old. Every time I thought I was finished, I was instructed I forgot the front window or the door. He reminded me that no matter what it was, I can make that! A little squint and a little imagination and that plane is a Southwest dream.

plane

anis

The plane led to a truck.

truck

Silly me. I immediately thought when my nephew said “I want stuff!” that it meant it had to be from the store. It turns out I needed to change my thinking, think outside the box, and along with some guidance from a 3 year old make it happen. He spent the rest of the evening carrying the beloved plane around with him and cried when a wheel fell off the truck. No worries, nothing double sided tape can’t fix and no need for freak outs.

A good lesson in life my 3 year old friend.

Thanks.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged craft, creative, creativity, kids, life lesson, plane, recycle, truck, upcycle | Leave a comment

One month: no shampoo!

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Naima

I’ve made it one month without washing my hair with traditional shampoo or conditioner! I know, it sounds crazy, but the promise of volume, 2 inches of growth per month, and only washing your hair once a week has pushed me through this last month! If you missed my post about how to set this up and get yourself started click here.

I’m not out of the grease period yet. Prior to trying the “no poo” method my hair needed to be washed everyday because of the oils it produces. This process has been difficult because my hair is still trying to figure out how much oil to produce. Luckily, it’s been winter time so I can just throw on a hat and pretend all is well! I have also tried putting cocoa in my hair as a “dry shampoo” that just basically soaks up the oils and makes it look not greasy. I’m here to say that chocolate hair works great! And no, my hair really didn’t stink like hot chocolate.

I have been facing the dry hair problem as well. The oils are at the top but they are just not making it to the bottom causing my hair to be brittle, dry, and static crazy. One day, I decided to try putting coconut oil throughout my hair from scalp to ends. Bad idea. The coconut oil is very difficult to get out with just baking soda so I had a few days of “wet” looking hair. I was also having some head itching and dry scalp so I thought the coconut oil would work good on the scalp as well. It turns out I was using too much baking soda. Stick to a little less than 1 Tblsp per 1 cup of water. Because my hair is greasy I thought I needed more baking soda… another bad idea.

I have found an answer to the dryness though! I had some hair oil in my closet from a long time ago that I figured I would pull out and try again. It’s great. It doesn’t leave your hair looking greasy but actually provides the moisture you so desperately need. Plus it smells amazing. I put picture below so you could see exactly what it is.

I decided to give the “no poo” method a total of a 3 month trial. I’m not sure my hair is cut out for the no poo because of the oils it’s producing but I’m not giving up. I do love the new texture of my hair, as it gives it more body and volume. It’s just that it looks great on the day that I wash it and then quickly goes downhill.

Here are some pictures from after my wash yesterday. It was silly for me to take these selfies yesterday and now it’s even more funny for me to post them on my blog. So look at the hair and nothing else!

This is the oil I’ve been using just on the ends that’s working great:

Goodbye traditional chemical crazy shampoo and conditioner! Hello luxurious hair… in 2 more months!

No poo.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged argan oil, baking soda, dry scalp, hair, itchy, no poo, no poo method, oil, shampoo, vinegar | 1 Comment

Packed up my childhood home.

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Naima

This past week I had the opportunity to fly back home to a frigid Connecticut to help pack up my childhood home. My brother and his family currently live in the house, but are soon moving to Detroit, to be closer to my sister-in-law’s family. I am so happy I was able to make it back and visit before they left and do all of my Connecticut childhood favorite things! So if you find yourself in the frozen tundra of a Connecticut winter, here are few things to check off your list as well.

1. Ski or Snowboard. Growing up in Wallingford we had a local small mountain called Powder Ridge about 10 minutes away. It’s great for kids learning to ski/snowboard and any beginners. We had a blast taking my nephew for our last hurrah down the mountain. So much fun that when we were walking to our car at the end, a random person said to us, “You guys sounded like you were having a blast out there!” Whoopsie, I guess the entire park heard us singing and yelling our way down.

2. Take a walk in the woods. We grew up spending most of our time outside. As my brother and I walked through the same fields and trails I was amazed at how much faster it took us to walk. It really gave me perspective on just how big the world seems for little kids. My memories of walking miles and miles were really less than a mile.

3. Hit the beach. It may have been freezing but the ocean still looks the same. So big and powerful. As kids, we spent many days camping, picnicking and just hanging out at Hammonasset State Park, a mere 25 minutes from my house. We even rode our bikes the entire way a few times, as kids!

4. Eat seafood. Lenny and Joes is right by the beach and my favorites are the fried clams and fried scallops. It’s not like the fried seafood you get farther out from the beach that is chewy and tough to bite into. This melts in your mouth. Soooo good!

5. Catch some hockey! In the town I grew up in, there are three high schools, two public and one private. My cousin is playing hockey for the boys high school team at Sheehan High School. She is their starting goalie! Click here for an article about her in the local paper. I was excited to be able to catch a game while I was in town. With 3 pairs of pants, leg warmers, two sweaters, hat, jacket, scarf, gloves, and boots that ice rink was just as cold as I remember it!

6. Reminisce. Oh man, did I do a lot of that. We drove by my grandparents old house that I have such amazing memories of. Crafting and baking inside, and hiking, gardening and picking flowers outside. I also wanted to visit my grandparents grave to get some rubbings of their gravestones. Luckily, my brother brought a blow torch because one was covered with 2 inches of ice! We chipped away for an hour and finally were at a point to start rubbing. Exhausting!

I found some old pictures, this was one of my favorites:

On our way back from the beach we stopped at the top of a local hill where there is now a winery. What a great spot to run around and the lighting was perfect for a “town and country” picture of my sister-in-law and her dog.

Also had the chance to see a great friend that now has a baby!

Not many people have the last hurrah in their childhood home and I am so happy I had the opportunity to visit with lots of family, explore some of my favorite spots, survive the cold weather, and say my goodbyes. I’m not sure when or if I will ever make it to Connecticut again, but this last trip was enough to hold me over forever.

So long CT!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged childhood, Connecticut, CT, grandparents, granny, gravestone rubbing, hammonasset, powder ridge | Leave a comment

Be a biologist. Tips inspired from skyping with 6th graders.

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Naima

I love skyping with students from all over the country. It’s exciting to get them jazzed and excited about the world in front of them, the opportunities that await, and the intrigue of wildlife from around the world. Just recently I skyped with some 6th graders from New Jersey who have a lot going for them already, a great teacher. Their teacher maintains a science website for her students giving them a chance to interact online and research links she posts. She does her own research and in that found my website and reached out to skype with her students. I am always happy to chat with students.

The students and teacher inspired me to type up a quick list of ideas and suggestions to take advantage of at their age if they are interested in animals, biology or conservation. After typing it up and sending it to their teacher I realized other students and teachers out there may want this list, so why not post it here. It’s really things I wish I had access to when I was younger. Although, at that time in my life soccer was top priority. Funny enough, the students asked me a bit about my soccer days and why I stopped playing. My simple answer… I had more dreams than just soccer and I was ready to put those first.

Written after chatting with 6^th grade students over skype: Some ideas/thoughts if you want to become a wildlife biologist or are interested in conservation.

General thoughts to make it happen:

Get hands on experience.
Be inquisitive. Ask questions. Take every opportunity to learn.
Be well rounded. One experience may not be exactly what you want but it will provide you with a different view.
What are your interests? Try them out!
One thing I easily wish I had right now: Knowledge of another language. If I had to choose one it would be Spanish. Many of the US population only speaks Spanish and making people feel more comfortable and confident by speaking their native language would be very helpful. Also, it would benefit my resume and is sometimes required on job applications. So, start early and learn another language!

Ideas on where to start:

Volunteer:
- Do an internet search for conservation organizations in your area. What are the issues? What needs to be done?
- Example: New Jersey: conservewildlifenj.org – they have several different opportunities out in the field.
- Check age requirements.
- Some zoos and museums have a Youth Volunteer Program. Do some research in your area to find programs for your age.
Boy Scout/Girl Scout projects: Take a look at these two Girl Scouts that have grown their project and taken it to the White House. Do you know what palm oil is and the problems associated with it? Check out an article in the New York Times on their project. Your project doesn’t have to be that big. Start small.
Get outside! Find the parks in your area and explore. The only tool you need is a notebook and a pencil. A biologist always takes notes, those notes can help you identify wildlife, track changes in the environment, and makes you take a closer look at what’s in front of you. Your adventure can be in your backyard.
Have fun – what are your passions? See if you can incorporate what you like into conservation? I love being outdoors and writing: I have managed to find a way to make all of these part of the work I do for conservation. Do you like computers? Or videos? Check out the National Geographic “Wild to Inspire” contest that allows amateur videographers to submit videos. Just watching some of the videos can be inspiring and seeing that there is a way to get your projects out there! Click here for a link to the website.
Need some money for your project? Raise it! Organize a thrift sale, bake sale, or start a crowdfunding website online (kickstarter.com). Try Terracycle! Teracycle.com is an organization that turns otherwise non recyclable items into useful products and PAYS you for them!
Camps – Get involved in zoo, aquarium, or museum camps. Testing it out as a participant will give you an opportunity to see if you want to do more. A lot of times participants can become volunteers and move up. Building relationships is key.
Citizen Science! Scientists cannot be all over the world at the same time so they rely on us, the general public, to be able to collect data for them! There are projects on so many different topics, pick one and have some fun. Many projects also send you information about what the scientists have gathered from the data you collected. You can do it in your class or at home. Some topics are backyard birds, 9-spotted ladybugs, sunflowers, clouds, project budburst, frogs, counting seals, etc. Google “citizen science” or start off at this website: www.citizensciencealliance.org
Interact with scientists! There are several research programs out there where you can read the blogs that scientists post of what they are doing right now, or ask them questions, or even send a postcard to them. Check out this one about penguin researchers in Antarctica! www.penguinscience.com/classroom_home.php
We live in an informational age. Just be careful because everything on the internet is not correct and there is a lot of bias. Do your research and check things out with adult guidance.
- Not having much familiarity with travel or summer programs for middle school students I decided to google search what was out there. Here are some of the things I found. I do not know about any of these so they would need some further investigation. But just to give you an idea, if you are interested in something there are programs and opportunities out there for you. Start small in your local neighborhood to see what you like and dislike and then search for things you are interested in. These two are big trips that would take lots of planning and organizing, but just knowing that projects like this are out there can be inspiring!
- goeducationaltours.com/travel-programs-for-middle-school-and-high-school-students/ – Some of these were at conservation organizations.
- www.visionsserviceadventures.com/blog/category/Middle-School-Programs

There it is. Things I wish I knew about when I was in sixth grade. I think this may become a series because in high school there are soo many more opportunities and then in college the opportunities are endless! My list for college is endless, can’t wait to share.

If you have questions or have a class you want to skype or email with me, just send an email to njmontacer@gmail.com.

Happy to share!

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Need another fun activity to get yourself outside? Frisbee/disc golf!

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Naima

This gallery contains 8 photos.

Frisbee or Disc golf has become a wide spread past time all around the world. Most major cities have courses set up to play on, and I’ve never been to one where you have to pay! That’s right… FREE! The … Continue reading →

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Kill a rhino?

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Naima

Obviously, the Rhino permit sale has brought a lot of media attention in the last few weeks. If you haven’t heard, the Dallas Safari club has auctioned off a permit to kill a black rhino, an endangered species, in Namibia. This is the first time the Namibia government has sold a permit outside of their country. The permit sold for $350,000 and the money will go to “Game Products Trust Fund, a Namibian government fund that supports conservation with revenue from the sale of wildlife products and national park entrance fees.”

And people are outraged. They traveled from Atlanta to protest the auction and have sent death threats to the permit holder as well as the Dallas Safari Club. Being a biologist, I have learned to live in a hunting world but I am not a hunter. I do however agree that meat eaters should definitely take from the land rather than the feedlot. I just know I personally cannot be the one to be out there ending an animal’s life. I do, however, disagree with the game management approach we have to wildlife. Hunters fund our conservation so we conserve what we want to hunt. Basically, we follow the money. And in the big world of conservation, we often do the same.

Let me ask you this, how many of you have helped the rhino or another endangered species today? Where was the philanthropist/conservationist that stepped up and purchased this permit just so that they wouldn’t kill the rhino?

Namibia is culling their black rhino population. When I first interviewed for a zookeeper position about 11 years ago, one of the interview questions was, “What is culling and how do you feel about it in captivity and in the wild?” That question has always stuck with me. What a profound question to ask an entry-level zookeeper, and at that time, I had no idea what culling was. So I had to first ask what it was, then make my decision, and answer the question. It turns out, 11 years later I still don’t have an answer. Many animals are culled in the wild and we do expect our hunters to take this task on for us. Deer, elephants, bear, etc. You name it, somewhere there is probably an overpopulation of that species. But man has caused most of these problems with urban sprawl and habitat destruction. So we are tasked to try and make it right. So who decides what is right and what is wrong? Do we really need to have a reward for every right thing we do?

The real problem with rhinos isn’t hunters, it’s poaching. There are less than 5,000 black rhinos left in Africa, and numbers are so low mainly because of illegal poaching. Rhino horns are still being sold on the black market and when there is a demand, poachers will find a supply. I find it hard to blame those individual poachers. Once while talking to a first grade class about poaching the kids asked me, why do poachers want the horn? I answered a complex answer but mainly it came down to money. Those kids then came back with, but why would you kill an animal just to make some money? I love young kids outlook on life and I wish they held on to it forever, but if you were starving, would you go to extremes and sacrifice your morals?

So maybe you can see this situation is so complex it’s hard to see which way is up. I find myself all over the map but one thing I am thankful for is everyone with his or her opinion. Without the extremists on each side, I wouldn’t see their point of view and try and understand their thoughts. I just wish that everyone were honest with their true intentions.

Now for the most important part, what can you do? So if you care, you should act, get involved. The easiest way is to financially support the organizations that are doing the kind of work you agree with. Find the black rhino conservation groups that are protecting the species habitat and support them. If you don’t have financial means to support, you can still provide some easy support. Sign up for their newsletters, follow them on social media, and share their work with others. When these groups apply for grants, they often use the number of supporters they have to acquire funds. You can easily add one to their numbers to increase their chances. You may not have $350,000 but you can still make a difference.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Dallas, dallas safari club, endangered, hunting, namibia, rhino | Leave a comment

A weekend in Amarillo with family to refresh.

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Naima

I find it hard at home to relax because my brain will not shut off, and I’m constantly thinking about what I should be doing: work on this project, do this on the computer, write this, clean that… etc. Similarly, on a destination vacation my ADD kicks in more and I want to accomplish and see everything in the new area I’m in. My parent’s house is one of the only places that I find myself sitting for more than 10 minutes at a time and not thinking about my work life. Although, while there, I may not sit still for too long, my agenda is much different than at home: hang out with the horses, play with my nephews, visit with friends, try and get to the canyon, and of course spend some time with my parents. This past weekend I managed to accomplish it all! Even snuck in some home video watching, and wow was I a cute, crazy kid.

My parents live in Amarillo. Home of wind storms, high plains, open fields, prairie dogs, American kestrels, my grad school days, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park. If you are traveling through Amarillo it’s worth the 20 mile drive south of downtown Amarillo to the second largest canyon in the U.S. Take a hike, camp, zipline, horseback ride, or just drive through to see the amazing scenery. I’m always so suprised by the number of people I meet that have been to Amarillo but have bypassed Palo Duro Canyon. All I can say is… GO!

We managed to make it back to the canyon this weekend and did a little hiking with the youngsters. Much different than my grad school days of spending all day and all night in the canyon conducting research on mesocarnivores. Those days included things like riding big bear (the 4-wheeler) deep into the canyon to set/check traps in my bikini, boots, and snake chaps in the summer and trudging through the snow in way too many layers in the winter. Those were the days. I miss those days but love enjoying the canyon in any capacity, even the leisurely hike we took this past Saturday.

Lucky me. While in Amarillo, I always have the opportunity to go horseback riding. My mom is an amazing horse trainer with two of her own horses. I love getting there, brushing off Apache, and hopping on bareback to ride around. This weekend the kids were just as ready to hop on! I was so impressed with Apache and his love of children. My best friend, stopped by with her two kids one day while I was out riding around. Apache, who can be quite the spirited horse, melted when he saw the kids. He put his nose to the ground and kept it there, while they built up their courage to pet him. The kids loved meeting him up close and their smiles were huge. Apache was so gentle with the kids and you could see he was smiling too. Next, while riding bareback I brought each kid up to ride with me. Apache, became the perfect little 16-hand pony, taking care to walk slow and steady so they didn’t fall off. He just loves people, especially kids and my mom.

What a lucky gal I am to have some awesome parents to visit!

I am also lucky to have made a little bit of time for my second dad, my graduate advisor Ray. He is working on an awesome project with a friend, Jessie, to make wildlife films to educate and inspire people to appreciate wildlife. Their website is Texas Wild. For the past few years they have been out in the field, working late nights and early mornings to capture beautiful video and images of native wildlife. They are now putting together videos for the local news, PBS, and just finished a video entered into National Geographic’s Wild to Inspire Competition. Take a peek at their video, it features a Texas endangered species!

Now that I am back in the land of less wind, I am ready to dive back in. But also ready to keep things moving forward for 2014. Looking forward to taking chances and making things happen. 🙂

Lucky.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged amarillo, hiking, horseback riding, lucky, palo duro canyon, Texas, texas wild | Leave a comment

Columnist.

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Naima

Hey all!

I don’t think I’ve told you guys about my writings. So I figured I would dedicate a blog to my other writing activities to give you a chance to check those out.

Last year I applied for a volunteer columnist position at the Dallas Morning News, and got it! It’s been a blast meeting with editors, attending workshops, and of course writing and seeing my words in one of the biggest newspapers in the country. It’s so fun to see something go out and then see my email inbox fill up, with mostly haters yelling at me through their computer screens. I figure, if they took the time to write me, they took the time to think about the column and ultimately that’s what I want. I hope my words and stories inspire people to just take a second to think about their actions and how they effect our environment. A little thought can go a long way.

During these workshops I was delighted to see a little into the writing/newspaper world and excited to see editors supporting their writers. Something was said by one of the top editors that I will never forget, it went something like this, “I don’t want to push my writers to the edge of a cliff. I want them to write at the edge of the cliff themselves, and then for me to be the one to bring them back to one step before the cliff. If they aren’t getting reactions from people then they aren’t doing their jobs.” I loved it and I was hooked. The freedom to write whatever you want but then to have someone have your back to make sure what your saying isn’t stabbing yourself. Yes, yes, yes! And so I set off writing.

Here are a few of the links to read them:
A little patience, please, in the plastic bag debate.
No car, no worries – right?

I’ve also been dabbling in some copy editing which basically means writing content for websites, blogs, press releases, articles, whatever anyone needs written. So if you need anything written, especially anything environmental, you know where to find me.

In the meantime, check out the columns above and feel free to send your hate emails my way! 🙂

Write on!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged columnist, copy editor, dallas morning news, environment, environmental writing, write | Leave a comment

I kind of like my city life.

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Naima

Many people see the environmental push as one of these two options:

1. live in the middle of nowhere in a small off the grid house, grow your own food, and don’t have a car.
OR
2. live in the city in small tall apartment building, buy locally grown food, and don’t have a car.

I have sort of tried both of these. While living in Arkansas, I was definitely in the middle of nowhere in a small apartment. It wasn’t off the grid, I didn’t grow my own food at all, and I definitely had a small car but I really didn’t make too many trips into town. I loved living out in the middle of nowhere and kayaking the local river with friends, sometimes twice a week. But I couldn’t do it forever. After a year, I missed simple pleasures. I missed the ease of going out to eat, I missed random interactions with strangers, and I missed just knowing that the grocery store was a step away. WHAT?! What’s funny about this thought is, I have been known to talk about how city people just value knowing that nature is there. The mere fact that it is there, but they won’t visit nature, is good enough for them. And here I am saying that I value knowing a store is a simple walk away, is what I value?!

Well apparently I want my cake and I want to eat it too. But the city life gives this to me and is just as green and some argue more green then living out in the middle of nowhere. Everything I can possibly need is within 10 miles of my house and most of where I go is within 2 miles. My home range is small. My grocery store that does a pretty good job of having local food is about 800 yards from my front door. My 24/7 veterinarian is about 1.5 miles away. A pharmacy if I need it: about 200 yards. The park: less than a mile. A lake to kayak on: about 3.5 miles. Restaurants galore: all within a mile. Redbox for movies: 2 within 200 yards. The train station: about 3/4 of a mile away. And my grand trip today that made me so thankful, was Trader Joes: about 1.8 miles away. How can I not get caught up in the endless supply of places meeting my everyday needs within a fingers reach? I can’t. I love it.

There are of course the downsides of the city. For example, the fact that a 69 year old man got beaten within inches of his life, outside a restaurant about 50 feet from my bedroom window. People are by far the scariest thing in the city. At least in the middle of nowhere you don’t have too many crazies to deal with. I remember one night in my apartment in Arkansas, I was woken up in the middle of the night by what I thought was a burglar trying to get in my apartment. I grabbed my phone and punched in 911, which turns out wasn’t going to do anything because 911 doesn’t exist in the middle of nowhere! So I crept down the stairs ready to push call on my phone (to nothing), and turned on the kitchen lights quickly only to see… a raccoon, about eye level with me climbing up my screened window.

So today as I rode my bike to Trader Joes to gather up some cheap organic goodies, I smiled in the sun at the fabulous city life I live. But unfortunately, not too many others are living the city bike dream. But if you build it (huge bike rack) they will come:

traderjoes

Here are a few more pictures of my quick bike trip today. Across the street from Trader Joes is a new place that’s opened up called the Truck Yard. An open air lounge space that has three rotating food trucks everyday. Love it.

City life!