So long 2013!

Went on an extended hiatus from blogging but decided to return. Missed 2012 altogether! Finally hung up the wings since I felt continual sleep deprivation no longer in my best interest. Thanks to Facebook, I am able to keep in touch with my many flying partners.

Just as Alice entered the rabbit hole, I did so in my journey from the OC to Hobbs, NM. Buying a true fixer of a house on eBay and living in it was my personal adventure and continues. Even though I left Hobbs a few years ago, I continue to have an interest in the community and am shocked at the many changes and growth of this town. Will be coming back to Hobbs from the OC on Jan 1st!

Be Still My 'PlantStrong' Heart!

Move over Hugh Jackman. There's a new 'fantasy man' for women who probably is the object of many a 'bromance' for men as well. Rip Esselstyn is his name and he is a true American hero.

What qualifies him for this distinction in my eyes?  Rip is a solid family man who recognizes the value of his wife Jill's love and support so that's a start. Firefighters (like flight attendants) share the designation of first responders. I always make a mental note of where a firefighter is seated on my plane and they often will identify themselves to us so we can quickly call on them if we need helpers in an evacuation or to help 'take down' a bad guy/gal in this new age of travel after 911.

Physical fitness is important in their profession as it is in mine and Rip is a buff triathlete who helped change the eating habits of his own firehouse and has written his book "Engine 2 Diet".  Coining the term "plantstrong", he is helping change the image of vegetarian food. He has recently retired from firefighting and his influence is 'on the road' to saving many more lives than he ever could back in the Austin Fire Dept.

Last night I went to the San Diego premiere of "Forks Over Knives" and was pleased to meet Rip and briefly talk to him. Told him he's going to have to start wearing a disguise as more people become aware of the huge impact possible with a plant based diet coupled with exercise.

Traveling brings special challenges to remaining healthy. Confinement, food availability, TSA guidelines and biorhythm disruption are all things frequent fliers must deal with and it is my intention to share how I am incorporating plants into my lifestyle in the friendly skies.

The Flying Treehugger's Latest Passion

Plants are my current obsession. Not being eaten by plants but eating only plants! Recently completed a certificate program in Plant Based Nutrition offered through Cornell University. It is entirely online and is an excellent series of courses put together by T. Colin Campbell PhD Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry. His book based on  decades long research is called "The China Study". The New York Times has called it the "Grand Prix of Epidemiology. 

The attendees of his courses are mostly from the health field; physicians, dietitians and an occasional flight attendant ;) There are excellent lectures, interactive discussions, written assignments and scheduled live chats. What was really refreshing is that students are encouraged to use creativity in their own approach to the subject matter. Lewis Freedman was my instructor/moderator for "Diseases of Affluence" and "Principles in Practice." Rebecca Michaelides did my first course of "Nutrition Fundamentals". There is sometimes spirited debate between the online egos which makes it all the more interesting. Thank you Dr. Campbell for allowing people outside the medical community to partake of your outstanding program! 

Every Woman's Fantasy Man Ziplines From the Sydney Opera House!

Hugh Jackman gets a big thrill and delights thousands as he ziplines from the top of the Sydney's famed landmark. It has actually been renamed the "Oprah house' due to the filming of Ms. Winfrey's show which won't be broadcast until mid January. Mr. Jackman was apparently so overcome by his experience
that he applied the brake a little too late and had a bit of a crash landing. True to his manly image, he brushed himself off and the whole event added to the  showbiz spectacle.

It will be interesting to observe "the Oprah Effect" on Australian tourism after these shows hit the airwaves in over 145 countries. It is advertising that money can't buy and it couldn't happen to a more beautiful country. Being in Sydney and watching their news, one couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement of this Ozzie lovefest which included Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban, Russell Crowe and the late Steve Irwin's daughter, Bindy among others.

FLY Hobbs From Here To ANYWHERE

Sydney by United flight attendant Robert Gallant

Great news arrived on a flier in my Hobbs water bill! My favorite Hobbs agency , the Economic Development Corporation of Lea County has launched flyhobbs.com  What is so great is that one can now easily connect to Hobbs from the rest of the world. When I first discovered Hobbs, part of the appeal was that I could fly directly into Hobbs on a I.A.T.A. member airline.  That service was replaced by a smaller company that was slower, more expensive and offered no reciprocal airline agreements with the larger carriers. Starting March 3rd,  that all changes and I am thrilled to be able to once again fly directly into Hobbs connecting from major destinations all over the world.

There is a mistake on the website and flier that I must point out. ExpressJet is the regional airline that will serve Hobbs and they used to be under the umbrella of Continental Airlines. As of October 1, 2010; Continental was merged into United Airlines.  Therefore, it is United Express who will be serving HOB.
Great job by the EDC making all this happen but time to update the website!!!

Hobbs to Hollywood

Since I bought the house on eBay which was the topic of my first blog posting, I have been talking about the special community of Hobbs, New Mexico.

I moved there for a while and loved their great 'kick ass' country music.

Back in SoCal, I watched the Academy Awards especially enamored of the the film "Up in the Air" since I have followed the progress of the movie before it was filmed. The lead character played by George Clooney is named Ryan Bingham.  That Ryan is just a fictional character. The great coincidence is that a very real Ryan Bingham born in Hobbs was a very real Oscar winner that night. He wrote the song 'The Weary Kind' and won for best original song for the movie Crazy Heart. Ryan is a true and deserving artist that grew up with a lot of character building experiences which are reflected in his music.

"The lighter your rollerboard, the better!"

One of my personal quests in the last year has been to "die while alive". When my mom passed away , I was surprised by a gift she gave me. She had given me this gift all along but I didn't realize it until she was gone.

This 'dying while living' sounds a bit wacko until you delve deeper. Wayne Dyer writes about the concept which he lifted from the Tao Te Ching. My mom Sparky was a woman of surrender and material things were at the bottom of her priority list. I have a hard time following this act. I'm not sure if buying a kindle while giving away my books fits this concept but I have been simplifying and downsizing. I'm used to living out of a suitcase and having to lug that thing around, the less it weighs, the better.

The task that has driven me to lighten my material load was going through my mom's possessions after her death. It was difficult emotionally but in no other way because my mom didn't accumulate things like I have and would give away things easily. In a few hours, I had 2 bags of clothes to donate, one photo album and a few momentos. It occurred to me if my daughter had the same task, it would be horrific.

Another beautiful thing about unloading stuff and not easily acquiring new things is the time it frees up. Warren Buffet talked about the fact that he could have the big, fancy yacht but then you have to manage the staff that goes with it. My friend Hal Spolerich is fond of saying that "even a book requires maintenance" so I'm trying to use that one to justify my own purchase of a Kindle and dusting off one device instead of an entire library.