Thursday, March 10, 2005

My 5th Build

picture this: 300+ elementary and middle school students line up by class for their morning announcements, and 120 volunteers from the community and The Home Depot surround them for our opening ceremony. the energy was incredible... the middle school dance group led us all in a morning stretch/warm-up. then, throughout the day, all the students participated in "play enhancement projects" (or side projects), like a beautiful mural, a stepping stones project, kids' workshop projects from The Home Depot (i.e. bird houses, etc.), and a photodocumentary project of the day's events... our (adult) volunteers helped with the kids, mounted tiles from a fundraiser, did landscaping, built 2 picnic tables and 2 planter benches, moved 290 cubic yards of engineered wood fiber into a 100 x 50 area, and built an INCREDIBLE playground in just 6 hours!!... at the end of the day, all those same 300+ students came out for our closing Board-cutting ceremony, and they were just bursting with excitement. it was so powerful to have them come out at the end, especially for volunteers to see what and who they'd been working so hard for all day... lastly, the school's choir sang "Rainbow Connection," and the school's principal cut the board amid Silly String, noise makers, kazoos, streamers, clapping, and The Home Depot cheer.

it was such an awesome build that it will be next to impossible to match/beat. i loved the school, the planning committee chairs, my Build Captains (volunteer team leaders), my installer, my Second, and most everyone else. everything ran very smoothly, and if it didn't, my volunteers made up for it... not to mention it was such a beautiful day with perfect weather... it sure will be tough not to compare all other builds to this one.

well, i am beyond tired right now, and i must go to bed... good night.

Sunday, March 06, 2005

dinner and a movie

ate some tasty lettuce wraps, pan fried noddles w/ prawn and curried chicken at Le Cheval (an awesome French-Vietnamese restaurant in Downtown Oakland) last night with Noah. the food was delish, the company tambien... then we met up with two friends to see Million Dollar Baby... i have to say, i enjoyed the film but i expected a little more for some reason. i guess that's hollywood for ya.

Saturday, March 05, 2005

frantic to focused

all week i haven't felt myself... but then again i have also felt some old habits come to the surface. so, really, is this just another part of myself.

from the very first moment of my work week until now, i was swamped with phone calls, paperwork, admin stuff, financial b.s. for work, emails, organization for upcoming builds and God knows what else. there's been little time for me, so i'm finally taking the time this evening to unwind, have a glass of wine and spill my thoughts on to this virtual scroll for all (or none) to read.

early in the week, i was on the verge of tears with the amount of work that piled up. then, despite my exhausted state of mind and body, i made myself go to yoga. again, just like on valentines, it was exactly what i needed to regain a clear, mindful focus on work, life and my "innate goodness."

it's amazing how just 2.5 hours of breathing, stretching, holding poses and being still, yet engaged, can transform your state of mind and your capabilities... i still struggled to get everything done that i needed to get done before the end of the week, but i felt more productive and clear-headed at the same time... the body and mind can do wonders if they work together fully.

speaking of which, thanks to this new clarity and self-healing, love is in the air... nothing to write about yet, but definitely there.

Monday, February 28, 2005

santa cruz

i finally got out of town for a trip (other than for work). i went with my new friend, Noah, to visit his friends in Santa Cruz. we drove down Highway 1 and visited his old stomping grounds (undergrad). we also visited Cafe Brasil, the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse (an old little surfer's museum), the cliffs and park nearby, UC-Santa Cruz, and a fun climbing tree on campus there... i had a great time. i only wish i could hold onto that good feeling forever.

Saturday, February 26, 2005

challenging week

it's funny. when you're feeling really good about life, you'll be thrown some crazy curve balls. i had an incredible week last week, but this week was really difficult. i had major car problems with Tony's car and had to deal with that (on top of a very busy week at work). then i was asked to fly to Fresno, CA, on thursday for a playground build on friday. this news wasn't easy to take, especially because it was unexpected and so last minute, but for some reason i was completely okay with it... first, i was still feeling so great from the week before -- from all the yoga i'd been doing and all the love that i'd been feeling in my life right now... second, i had to fill in for another Project Manager because her grandfather had died the night before, so i felt obligated to be selfless about the whole situation... third, everything worked out in my favor -- from finding plane ticket to Fresno to catching a ride to the airport from an awesome friend. everything went smoothly until... mid afternoon on friday. we had major structural issues at the build and ended up not leaving the site until 7:30! (only to drive back to SF that night.) it was a very long day, but somehow i survived.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Love and live music

this week was incredible. it started off with a surprisingly wonderful valentine's gift to myself -- a 2.5-hour hatha flow yoga session with Dina Amsterdam. i go to her class when i can, but on monday, she had an extra special line-up for us. it was the best thing i could have done for myself, especially on a day like valentine's. she read poems, prayers, quotes and unique definitions of love. her session focused on opening the chest, restoring the heart and calling upon the love within ourselves... the bottom line is that we must fully love ourselves before we can love others. imagine, if everyone really practiced this kind of true love, then the world would virtually heal itself. i guess it's good that we have a holiday devoted to love; it's just too bad that the commercialism gets in the way of that sometimes. here is her sweet valentine email that she sent out to us:

"To all my Yogi and Yogini Valentines ~

For me today is a very special day... releasing all the commercialized mumbo jumbo and underneath all the hooha. Today is a beautiful day. It is a day to honor the spirit. And to celebrate love. To bring love to the forefront of our minds and hearts... and to trust in the truth that the deepest love we will ever know is the love that is our essence. In addition to how we love and honor and acknowledge others in our life, may this be a day that we love and celebrate and cultivate our own light ~ the wellspring from which all our love flows.

As the Buddha offers ~ May you rest in the innate goodness of your heart.

Thank you for being a part of my world and my heart... for bringing such sweetness and meaning to my life.

All love,
Dina"
______________________________

so, then, on wednesday night, i went to go see blackalicious and mos def at the berkeley community theatre. the show was incredible. the venue was a little big for blackalicious, but mos def took the stage by storm. his rhymes, his song, his moves and his talent were to die for. it was so good i was trippin'.

lastly, i went to the thievery corporation show last night. i had a good time and sweated my tail off dancing. it was fun and their music was fly, but i wasn't all that impressed with their stage performance. other than their light show, there was very little "show" to be seen... nevertheless, i was very glad to have gone... it's too bad the social life is so expensive here.

Sunday, February 13, 2005

Installation by day, City Walk by night

as it turns out, the Playground Contractor's Association training was mostly boring and only partially interesting. nevertheless, i have to admit that i learned a thing or two about how to hold our installers accountable and how to work better with them. (note: we always have a qualified playground installer out at all of our builds in order to make sure that everything goes up right... as project managers, we need an installer to concentrate on the structure while we run the day, overall.)

also, yesterday, after we all went out to build a small playground together, i realized how good we are (as a non-profit) at organizing and conducting community-built playgrounds! not to put anyone else down, but i recognized how good we are at having fun, at organizing volunteers and at enhancing the overall playspace during our builds. with all of that in mind, i learned to greater appreciate how we do what we do.

then, last night, Tabitha, Jenna (2 fellow project managers) and I went out with 5 others from the training. (by the way, out of 40 participants in the training, only 4 of us were female... go figure. women rock.) we all went out to the City Walk at Universial Studios... mostly b/c there wasn't anything else to do, but also b/c it was right across the street from out hotel. the venue was bright and a little too "for show"... kind of like Las Vegas... i guess that's Orlando for ya. we ate at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, drank loads of margaritas, went to a few clubs (incl. the Groove, the Latin Quarter, Pat O'Brian's and Decades), and got back to the hotel by 1:30. it was fun to be out with the guys that lead the playground build that day, but i think i pushed myself a little too much... i only had 2.5 hours of sleep before having to head to the airport for a 6:15 flight! yikes! i slept as much as i could along the way, but i'm still very exhausted. thank god i'm finally home.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

trainings and retreats

A few weeks ago, I participated in the National Playground Safety Institute in Columbia, MD. After this 2-day course, I took a 2-hour test to become a Certified Playground Safety Inspector... The bottom line is that I'll be a better playground project manager with this certification, but the curse is that I will never be able to look at a playground the same way again. :)

The week following this training, I joined my entire staff (38 people from D.C., Chicago, Atlanta and Redwood City, CA) for an all-staff retreat (and then a project management retreat for 14 of us afterward) at the Hershey Hotel in PA. It was really exciting to re-discover the incredible matrix of this non-profit and to learn all about how it will expand. I feel so honored to have the opportunity to be a part of this organization, but sometimes I ask myself, why me? How do I have this chance?... Enough with the doubt. I'm just excited about advocating for play, about empowering community groups to organize and create social change, and about building 188 playspaces (total) across North America over the next year! Yay for kids!

This week I'm in Orlando, FL, for the National Playground Contractor's Association. Project Management sent three of us to learn all the tricks of the trade in laying out and constructing playgrounds so we can train the other project managers... You may be asking yourself, How come she's doing this training? I thought she'd already been building playgrounds... Well, we've never learned the specifics about reading playground blueprints, laying out holes from a footing datum, using a laser level to transit holes, etc... Sound interesting?... Yeah, it will probably be loads of fun... Okay, maybe not fun, but probably educational and beneficial for work.

work... work... work... I've got to get my head out of work. Write and take me away if you please.

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Spirit Rock

today was beautiful. my-soon-to-be sister-in-law, Mardie, and i spent the entire day at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County (N of SF) at a daylong meditation retreat called the Foundations of Vipassana Practice with Mark Coleman. basically it was all about being mindful. here's the class's description:

"The Buddha stated that the practice of mindfulness is a vehicle for liberation and freedom. In this day of silence of sitting and walking meditation we will explore the fundamental aspects of Vipassana (Insight) Meditation. There will be thorough meditation instructions, Dharma teachings and discussion that will help bring to light the practice of mindfulness - the most essential Buddhist meditation practice."

we did 20 and 30-minute meditations -- sitting, walking, standing, eating and sitting some more. it felt so good to be still, breathe and enjoy the present with a new developed appreciation for being human... so calm, refreshed and clear-headed -- it's amazing.

Friday, January 14, 2005

the Strip








out on the town. cruzin the Strip in Vegas last night after my design day meeting in Pahrump. i stayed at the Monte Carlo and visited the Bellagio and NYNY.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

playgroung PR

I just found this article about my build in Tulsa (11 Nov 05). Check me out... Also, check out this awesome little promo video about a recent KaBOOM! build in Boston.

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

back to the grind

okay. (if anybody's out there) i may be little late on the uptake, but nearly 2 weeks into the new year, and i'm starting out just great. no really. things are going relatively well for me. (relatively as in relative to what life has offered me thus far... not relative to the rest of the world b/c i can't even imagine going there... it's unfathomable.)

i returned home to SF on the 3rd from my home in the mountains of north carolina. being with the fam was great, but a little hectic and a little stressful. with that many loved ones around, everyone wants to know everyone else's business, so there's very little privacy most of the time. regardless, it was nice to rest and be thankful for family, food and... new life. yes! there will soon be a new Deifell among us -- the first of the next generation! child of my brother David and his wife Elizabeth! it's so exciting!... and yet i'm so far away. :(

nevertheless, it was nice to return west and to call this place home too. i'm settling in again... but not for long b/c soon the travel for work will pick up again. i leave for a day trip to Pahrump, NV, (65 miles west of Las Vegas) tomorrow to begin another playground project there with the Salvation Army. next week i go to Columbia, MD, to take a course and a test in playground safety in order to become a certified playground installer. the following week we have our staff retreat in Hershey, PA... to know more about where i am and when, see my itinerary list to the right.

other trivia about the life of hope-alicious:
-"hope-alicious" replaced "hoperino" at Burning Man 2004
-bought my tix to BM 2005 (and i can't wait!)
-got a new jacket & pants for biking to work during the cold, rainy season here
-eating healthier: little to no sugar, more greens, more balance, etc.
-tried out an indoor rock-climbing gym near my house (as a guest of my roommate)
-skipped my yoga class tonight b/c i'm poor now (after the holidays and BM tix)
-attending Spirit Rock mediation center this saturday for an all day meditation retreat... more on that to come.

Monday, December 27, 2004

holidaze

i don't know what it is, but writing has just become a chore lately. i have so much to say, but not the voice for it on paper. i haven't been particularly busy lately, just distracted. now so much has happened that i don't know where to begin...

today my entire immediate family, et al, celebrated christmas--opening presents, one by one, around a freshly-picked, minimally-decorated tree from the High Country (Boone, NC). we're all together this holiday season in our mountain house in Black Mountain, NC. being together and in the mountains is a divine experience. it so rare that we can (1) gather together like this (2) in a place we all consider "home." i love it. it's fun to share stories, laughter, pictures, lessons, gifts, food and good times with them... i am blessed to be a part of this family.

more stories later... for now it's just nice free from work this week.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

fourth build

From the director of program management (12/10):

[This week] Hope was in Panama City leading a build with The Home Depot and the Boys and Girls Club of Bay County. She and Bobby (her Second)definitely appreciated the good Florida weather. Hope ran a good Build Day and in spite of a lower turnout than expected - throughout the day there were 70 volunteers from The Home Depot and 40 from the community but only 50 of these volunteers worked at any given time. CJ did the install and did an OK job. In addition to building the playground and carrying the mulch, a few volunteers helped to fix up a sandbox and paint logos (of The Home Depot, KaBOOM! and the Boys and Girls Club) on the walls of a building that faced the playground. They volunteers enjoyed the beautiful weather and the edlicious breakfast of French Toast and sausage which was provided and cooked by a Board Member! In addition, the kids inspired the volunteers with the cheers they led at the Board Cutting. There was a lot of media out for the build, including NBC (who came out twice), ABC, The News Herald (a local paper) and 2 radio stations who did live remotes and also helped volunteer! The day ended with an on-time Board Cutting ceremony where the kids did cheers for the volunteers.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

House Concert

okay, i am still alive and kickin' it. sorry i dropped off my blogspot for a while. it seems as though i'm online so much for work that i haven't devoted any online time to personal webspace. here are some highlights since my last posting:

-assisted another project manager's playground build in Fort Myers, FL
-celebrated Thanksgiving with my parents in Wethersfield, CT
-hung out with two friends in NYC--Marit Milien(a former Swedish exchange student that lived w/ us in 1995) and John Boyd (a childhood friend from summers in western NC)
-have done loads of paperwork, conference calling, emailing and planning for my current project in Panama City, FL (build day = this friday, december 10)
-saw The Incredibles and Ray in the theater
and...
-helped my brother Tony and his fiance Mardie host a house concert with The Weepies.

here's an email about the event that Mardie wrote to friends and family:







From: Mardie Oakes
Subject: The Weepies concert

Hi everyone,

Our house concert was wonderful last night! Hope and Bryan (Tony's college friend) worked with us all day to get the place ready for 60 people to decend [including Julia Butterfly Hill!]. The coolest part for me was when the Weepies were warming up before people came. I was cooking in the kitchen and they were playing in the living room. I often cook and listen to their CD from the stereo in the living room, so it felt very familiar, but every time they stopped in the middle of a song I'd start smiling uncontrollably because it would vividly remind me that they were REALLY playing in the living room. Everyone seemed to really like them - we had about 55 people come (the picture of the crowd is terrible but shows you how we packed them in) and my guess is they sold about 60 CDs - people were getting lots for Christmas gifts. They are just finishing a 40 show 4 month tour, and we were the last of 7 house concerts and they said ours was the best - we had very friendly and open people, great space and lighting, and just a good "vibe" - of course they may tell everyone that but it seemed for real to us!

Love Mardie
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