30 Karleeisms (all those tiny things that help to define me as a person)

1.   I’ve lived in 7 states and over 21 homes.  The states include California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Texas. I’ve lived the longest in Kentucky and California.

2.  I am the oldest of 7 siblings. 4 boys and 3 girls—but I will always be number 1—pichaw.

3.  I am me, and I’ve always been me.  My body and circumstances around me have changed, but not me.  At my core, I’ve always been the same person.

4.  I’ve always been the best person I can be.  That means I treat everyone I come across, regardless of who they are, with respect.

My most recent creative endeavor

5.   Challenge me creatively. I will always find a way to succeed. I can guarantee it.

6.   I don’t take bullshit easily, so please don’t bullshit me.

7.   I’ve always wanted to be a voice actress.

8.  I’ve never considered myself to be very interested in political, on-going debates.  I am moderate.

9.   I am an advocate for social justice.

10.  I love to travel. I've currently been to  California, Nevada, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Minnesota, Chicago, Arizona, New Mexico,Oregon, Washington, Georgia, West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Canada (Toronto Area), Mexico (the Yucatan Peninsula as well as Julachuca on the peninsula).  Now that I've covered a good chunk of North America, I would like to travel the rest of the world.

11.  I advocate people. Period. No one should be treated any different than how you want to be treated. Take some time to think about that.

12.   I love learning about other cultures. The media really digs in a blur of ethnic stereotypes and so many people are blinded from preconceived notions of people.

13.   I am particularly over honest about things (I always feel guilty for lying. Always).  I tend to only lie when I’m scared.

14.   I have a degree in English and Linguistics. Other than my occasional blog and creative free-write I haven’t done much with my degree so far.

15.   I have NO IDEA what I want to do with my degree. And, unless you know someone, your dream job becomes less and less of a reality every day (yes—this concept is rather depressing).

16.  I keep those close to me who believe in me as a person.  You know who you are. Thank you.

17.   I have a brown belt in Judo.

18.   I play 5 instruments (hopefully, I will learn to play the guitar sooner rather than later).

19.   I love anime. Period. I really think it’s unfortunate that people have this pre-conceived notion that if you like anime you must be “weird” or “odd”. I tried to hide my love for years, but admiring anime is something you don’t ever grow out of.

20.   I love stories and books. Fantasy is particularly my favorite, but I’ve always loved reading almost any type of story.  It helps to define you, and it helps to define your culture. I love love love to read. I have hundreds and hundreds of books on my bookshelf for all those sleepless nights I’ve spent reading. Some of my favorites include: "Memories of a Geisha," and "The Count of Monte Cristo"

21.   I’ve always felt as if I’ve been a particularly good advice giver. If you need some advice, don’t hesitate to ask.

22.   I have a hereditary tremor.  So, I shake. I am not nervous or tired, and this is not something I can control. When I am employing the use of my muscles, at any point, I shake. I've noticed that if I am hungry, anxious or my blood sugar is out of whack, I will be more shaky than normal.  This particular ism gives me the natural ability to be clumsy and break things (this happens OFTEN). Unfortunately, this will only ripen with age.

23.   I’ve always always always felt as if my purpose in life was to be a great Mother.

My name is Toby. I am the best.

24.   I’ve always had a more serious demeanor. I get easily irritated when people don’t take me seriously.

25. I've always been over protective of my siblings. You mess with them, you mess with me.

26. I love to organize. You name it, I will organize it.

27. I had braces for 8 years, and my teeth
 still aren't completely straight.

28.  I love my dog Toby. He is the best.

29. Other than english, I've studied two languages: 1. Spanish & 2. American Sign Language

30. I believe in God. I’ve believed in God almost all of my life and that won’t ever change.

The River's Simplicity

I went to the river yesterday with some friends and half of Santa Rosa. Walls of trees, cars and fences greeted us along a small, beaten roadway. The frustration of tiny parking spaces and distance prompted both Ryan (my boyfriend) and AJ to return to the river’s entry point. Carrying all the river toys and a dog was at the bottom of our list, so Amanda, Sarah, Joel, Toby and I were thrown out of the cars as AJ and Ryan went to hunt for open parking spaces.

My right hand gripped a small red cooler and my left hand held the leash of an overly excited dog.  The deflated, yellow rafts that were once comfortable on my shoulder slid down into the crease of my arm as I braced for the ride down the narrow, dirt-covered path.  As the leash tightened, my brown flip flops cut into the tops of my feet, and I began my slow fight with Toby down the hill. Toby’s green and brown polka dotted collar pressed against his throat prompting a symphony of chocking and wheezing; his brown, fluffy muscular body stretched 4 feet in front of me and my feet—incapable of staying still—beat the ground, quickly and inconsistently. It wasn’t until I was halfway down the hill that Amanda grabbed the tight, black leash to help lessen the intensity of what could have been my death (or at least an uncomfortable afternoon).

After locating ourselves at semi-open beach spot, I went and stood in the river with Toby. Toby, never having been to the river, took the opportunity to utilize the space to the best of his ability. He peed; he swam; he greeted people; he swam some more; he got out of the water; he got back into the water; he ultimately attempted to poo in the water—that I wouldn’t let happen. So, instead of pooing in the water, Toby ran up the small, gravelly embankment to park his fluffy butt next to a group of people (that was a fun apology).  When his business was complete, Toby went to tackle the same few activities in a repeated cycle.

The river flowed smoothly splashing against my waist; people floated by on their boats. Small fish snuck past my toes and children made it their business to cover the passerby with water. Turns were taken drifting down the river; Amanda and Sarah disappeared floating aimlessly with the current.  It wasn’t long before the guys followed suite. I stood my ground and watched my friends disappear around the river’s bend, while Toby spent all of his energy swimming upstream.

My friends returned walking against the current with the boats dragging behind them. Warm rays prompted me to join the masses, so I grabbed my yellow boat, passed the dog to Ryan and set down the river with Sarah, Amanda and Joel. Impatience landed me in the water quickly. I anchored my torso on the boat’s side: my legs dragged inconsistently on the river’s bottom as water snuck past my waist filling the space where I sat moments before. To save my boat from a quick death, I jumped in the water and used the access to cover my friends.

All in all, my day was memorable.  I had been invited to revisit summers of my past.  Several remarkable vacations were spent travelling down the Truckee River with my sister and father. Fighting rapids, playing on embankments and watching hoards of people were an immediate must of our yearly adventures. Those moments leading up to sunburns and tired evenings were consistent and unbiased. Even as I grew older, I searched for the simplicity of those days. I searched for the uncomplicated mess and understanding (the type of understanding foreign to many); I searched to share those memories with friends that I care about (of course, Toby counts).

The Russian River has now carved its way into my existence (and, hopefully, my friends will agree).  Before this summer has ended, I’m sure you will find me floating aimlessly—with beer and friends—along the river’s current making new memories to hold closely with the old.