Dane Days: Ninja Reflexes

I am loving time with my nephew this summer! This is Dane at about 6 and a half months. And check out his ninja reflexes, there is no hope for my braid!

This is a song I wrote for Dane before he joined us in December 2010- enjoy!  Click here to hear 

Also, I feel inclined to give you a 'must do' for the summer:  

Step 1: pack a picnic

Step 2: picnic in Balboa Park (might I suggest by the organ pavilion for some live music or by the big pond for some promenade viewing)

Step 3: attend a Shakespeare play on the outdoor 'festival' stage at the Old Globe Theatre

Step 3.5: get something naughty like a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar at intermission

Step 4: enjoy the quiet of the evening as your stroll back to you car meandering through the plantings at the Alcazar Garden and over the Indiana Jones style plank bridge

I bear a charmed life~ William Shakespeare

Why yes dear Bard, I believe I do.

Charmed,

lisa

I'm a sucker for football

I must admit, college football is my all time favorite and I' always true to my USC Trojans.  But, I enjoy me some good NFL too.

Another cool reason to visit FedEx field:  a week ago the Washington Redskins announced a partnership with NRG Energy to install 8,000 translucent solar panels to cover 850 parking spaces in one of the stadium parking lots.   The Department of Energy blog says this is enough energy to run the entire stadium on non-game days.  I'd say that's as bad a** as going for a two point conversion :)

Well, I suppose they will have plenty of time for installation this fall if the NFL can't get the season in order. 

Ah the fun goings on.

Hope you're staying cool this summer.

hugs,

lisa liv 

One of my Inspirations

Happy Birthday to my Grammie!  Today, she's 97 years young.

Isn't she the cutest?!  I have great memories from when I was little of snuggling in bed as she would tell me stories about horses on the farm.

She's as strong as they come.  A child of the great depression, she worked as a 'Rosie the Riveter', built a house from the ground up with her husband, saved scrupulously and worked hard in partnership with my Papa to provide a better life for their family.

In her later years, we've discovered her secret indulgence of jewelry and scarves.  Loving accessories as I do (perhaps genetic?), I've been the fortunate beneficiary of said baubles.  I love wearing her jewelry!

Gratulerer med dagen and birthday love to my Grammie!
lisa liv

let's talk crude

it's a crude crude world

crude and unusual punishment

crude intentions

.... I was trying to come up with a clever play on words (that has not been used ad nauseam) and that's about all I've got folks.  Regardless, let's talk crude!  I mean crude oil.  This is a PG blog.  There's a little piece in the San Diego Union Tribune this morning about crude oil and it hit me, I don't really know the details of what a barrel contains when people refer to a 'barrel of crude oil'.  Sacre bleu!  Check it out: 

A barrel of crude oil is 42 gallons while the refining process actually increases the volume by about 2 gallons making 44 gallons of end products as seen above.  I think the main interesting things to remember are 1) a barrel of crude oil gives us about 20 gallons of gasoline and 2) 10 gallons of diesel.  But, these quantities are a function of how we choose to refine the barrel of crude.  For example, we could alter refinement to extract more diesel and less gasoline.  

Another important and rather intuitive correlation is the price of a 'barrel of oil' and the price of a gallon at the pump.

Source: US EIA

The blue line references the left axis or the price of gas per gallon.  The red line references the right axis or the price of oil per barrel.  I apologize the timeline only goes through 2008.  But, as you can imagine, the lines are trending up again.  Today, WTI Crude Oil pricing is $97.26 per barrel on the NYMEX (compare to red line/right axis).  And, according to AAA and their fuel gauge report, the nation wide average price for 'regular' gasoline today is $3.67 per gallon (compare to blue line/left axis).  

Ever refining my knowledge and understanding.  I hope it's helpful to you too.

cheers,

lisa liv

funny random goings on... that's my life

I'm at the mid-point.  No, not a mid-life crisis.  The mid-point of summer.  I'm enjoying being home but now can't help but switch into the mode of preparing to head back to Norway.  I'm excited to head back, but there's so much I'd like to do before I go.  Where has the summer gone?!

This summer has been a whole collection of states.  It's fun to see friends and family, spend time at the beach and enjoy moments with my nephew.  My parents are working on a kitchen remodel which provides opportunity for introspection as we go through things and spaces from my childhood.  I have not tried to do one thing musically and amazing opportunities keep coming my way.  I can't help but step back and think 'hmmm, am I ignoring the signs of the universe telling me something?'  I'm also continuing to learn which I love.  San Diego is supporting research and business in renewable energies and it gets me very excited. 

A highlight of the summer was last week getting to play a few songs at the Belly Up (in Solana Beach)- wha wha what?!  Unreal.  I never really imagined getting to play a venue like the Belly Up.  Thank you Barry Rosenbaum for making that happen.  

Lastly, a few fun energy items:

Did you read about the pope-mobile?  The Vatican says a hybrid Popemobile is on the way.  All electric vehicles are not fast enough but the Pope's gas guzzling Mercedes is on the way out.  

According to Google business news, the Chevy Cruze was the most popular car on the market last month (in the US) and Chevy will be coming out with a diesel version.  The diesel version will get up to 50 miles per gallon. Cool!  

Also, in going through things in my room I came across a file folder of clippings and the like on items pertaining to sustainability, energy, conservation, etc.  I tore out an article in 2007 from a Wired magazine on the notion of an 'eco-city' in China being designed called Dongtan (foretelling of my future studying Environmental Econ?).  I re-read the article and it sounds pretty darn neat.... '.. a city powered by local, renewable energy, with sufficient buildings clustered in dense, walkable neighborhoods; a recycling scheme that repurposes 90 percent of all waste; a network of high tech organic farms; and a ban on any vehicle that emits CO2.'  I googled Dongtan to check in on the progress and it seems the project has been stalled.  Stopped?  Who knows.  Might something like this happen in our lifetime?  I hope so!

sandman's a callin,

lisa liv 

Happy 4th of July!

It's noon (PST) on the 4th of July and I'm really grateful to be home today.  I've been down to the beach to help with some party set up.  There's nothing like the beach on 4th of July- it's insane.  Every inch of sand is packed.  Tents, tables, streamers, BBQs and jolly spirits all decked out in red, white and blue.  I'd like to give a shout out to the lifeguards and police men and women on duty today- y'all rock and thank you for keeping us safe on this celebratory day.

It's a beautiful sunny day and I'm heading down to La Jolla Shores beach to celebrate in true American style.  BBQ time!  And, I'm going to try some stand up paddle board for the first time- soooo excited.

I read a great article in the Union Tribune this morning which really resonated.  We, Americans, have a tendency to gripe about all the things wrong with our country, things we don't agree with and things we are not happy about.  But, really, we live in an amazing country and are so fortunate to be born here.  Today, we celebrate the independence and freedoms we are afforded being here.  May God bless America.

Now off to some Stand Up Paddleboarding!  Wishing you and yours a very happy, fun and safe 4th of July.

Sunny love,
lisa liv