Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! 2019 New Year Letter

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! Happy New Year to you and yours. 
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LB and the Duke @ Bishop Museum

I pray thee well and hope the new year finds you in good health and spirits. Barring that, I wish you vitality at every stage and any age. As I age myself, I find that “health” resembles moving target more than bull’s eye. I’ve turned my focus to vitality - the state of active, energetic, life with chi - which seems more a state of mind than body, such that vitality can be had from a hospital bed or dialysis chair. Such are the machinations of my mind in 2018.

I began the year by taking BAM (Baconz Adventure Mobile) to Redwoods National Park on the northern California Coast. The weekend was stormy, the rain incessant. I backed into my campsite, opened the sliding door, reached into the refrigerator, popped a beer, put up my feet, and watched the rain thinking, normally I’d be setting up my tent in this mess. Glorious!

En route to my volunteer week in Yosemite, I overnighted in Fresno to visit friend and fellow hiker, Leslie. Yosemite was engulfed in smoke and fire, the north-south corridor through the park was closed to all but firefighters. We drove to the Mariposa Sequoia Grove adjacent to the southern park border, newly opened after a four-year restoration project - the very grove protected by Lincoln’s pen, the very grove in which I had labored the previous summer. I gave Leslie the tour, highlighting the work that had been done to restore the wetlands and meadows within the grove. Work that would hopefully ensure the longevity and survival of the grove. During the two years that I volunteered in all three of Yosemite’s sequoia groves, I learned so much about sequoias and it was immensely satisfying to see the fruits of our labor.

The next day, I drove a circuitous route into Yosemite and to my volunteer week in

Budd Creek Sunset, Tuolumne Mdw by S Dunleavy

Tuolumne Meadows - where a multi-year restoration project was in year three. “I’m checking in for my work week,” I told the ranger at the campground kiosk. His eyes rose to take in BAM, “I thought you were moving in,” he laughed before directing me to our Yosemite Conservancy campsite. Meadow restoration is sooo interesting and the siren’s song to return to Tuolumne in 2019 is strong. Go to Volunteering in our National Parks 8/8/2018 to read more about meadow restoration and my volunteer workweek of 2018 at http://lorinzmuze.blogspot.com

As you know, California’s fires get bigger, hotter, and more destructive. Years of drought have left buku (beaucoup, like uber-plenty) dead fuel on the ground that can ignite a maelstrom from a flicked cigarette, a downed power line, sparks from the rim of a flat tire, a dragging haul chain or mower blade. 

My internal fire-bell began clanging in the wake of the Santa Rosa and Redding fires - cities not too dissimilar from my own. I finally made lists and packed “go-bags;” one for me and one for the cats. I had many discussions with my neighbors - we live against an oak-studded greenbelt after all. “Be not lulled into complacency,” I said, “Because the knock on the door seldom comes with more than minutes to evacuate.” When a “red-flag alert” was called for Sacramento County during the recent Paradise fire, I packed BAM for evacuation. For more on my own fire readiness and national recommendations for disaster, see my blog dated 8/4/2018 entitled Ready or Not - GO! at http://lorinzmuze.blogspot.com

NP Ranger Betty Reid Soskin

Sarah (ex mom-in-law) and I recently spent an afternoon at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, located at the former Kaiser Richmond Shipyard #2. We went to hear Ranger Betty Reid Soskin speak. At 97 years, she is the oldest, serving ranger in the NPS. Employed as a clerk in the shipyards during WWII, she speaks of racial segregation and opportunities provided to all by Kaiser. A self-described “absolutely ordinary extraordinary person,” she says she took every opportunity to better herself and her situation. Now she keeps a vigorous speaking schedule and her lectures at the park are RSVP only. I found her inspirational and insightful.

Methinks: Leia, Alanna, Cora, Ayla

About the fam: Mom will turn 94 in April. She is definitely slowing and her deafness can be frustrating as well as isolating. Gina has spent most of 2018 in Newport Beach, CA helping Lael with new triplet daughters. Born in March, they are starting to take their first steps - triple-trouble for keeping them in sight! My nieces and nephews seem to be doing well. Collin will soon finish a 5-year electrician apprenticeship. Great-nephew Davin is 15; great-nieces Jaydalyn just turned 6 and Alanna will be 3 in a few days.

About me: I am 2 years and 3 months from retirement - yes, I’ve begun the countdown. I continue working in an adult medicine clinic and recently noticed that I am feeling much more comfortable in that role. Initially, I was so uncomfortable. It took me many months to realize that my career has been spent in a hospital, where I could order a test to justify the discharge of a patient and make myself feel more sure and comfortable. That is not how it works in a clinic. I am responsible for a thorough assessment that paints the picture for stable or not, urgent or emergent, discharge home or send to the ED - you get the picture. So while I have always enjoyed my work, this job is increasingly enjoyable as I feel less stress over mistakenly sending a very sick person home. I continue to do some insulin management for my docs: pre-op tune-ups, patients on chemo, dialysis or immunosuppression meds secondary to transplant. Their drugs make blood sugar management extremely challenging. It takes time, thought, careful calculation, and continues to be one of the most interesting tasks I perform. My docs are super appreciative.

I also continue to lecture to the graduating UCSF NPs on inpatient-outpatient diabetes care. To that end, I was bestowed with the title: Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF. No pay but... I’ll take it! 

KaBang! Kimi, me, Malia

The most fun thing I’ve done this year was put together a girl-band called KaBang! (a mashup of Kaneko, Bacon, and Yang). We met through various ukulele groups and are now performing as a trio. Suuppah fun man! Hear us sing Soft Green Seas for Mace’s 61st birthday here: https://www.facebook.com/lorinz.muze/videos/10213452230643275/?t=15

I’ve included some of my more interesting reads of 2018: I’d recommend them all. Fascism: A Warning (2018) by former Sec. of State Madeleine Albright. To label her a highly intelligent and worldly writer is an understatement. Becoming (2018) by Michelle Obama inspires one’s humanity and goodness. Fear (2018) by Bob Woodward. If half of it is true (it is - meeting transcripts were obtained through FOIA requests) …OMG it IS insanity in the White House - of the undiagnosed and under-medicated variety. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up-The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (2015) by Marie Kondo. Sigh, my house is a work in progress… The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), in this book Joseph Campbell, discusses the journey of the archetypal hero found in all world mythologies and religions. I found this a fascinating juxtaposition to my Christian upbringing. The Plot Against America, (2004) a prescient novel by Philip Roth in which “America First” nationalists and Nazi’s win the Presidential election of 1940, thereby allowing closeted racism to reemerge. Did I say prescient? I am currently reading What the Buddha Taught (2017) by Wapola Sri Rahula. It is considered one of the best introductions to Buddhism - a philosophy that resonates in me. Oh, and if you saw and loved the movie, Notorious RBG - the book is waaay good! A tireless warrior for women, I for one, keep Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in my prayers.

Kittens: Koa and Kea

What’s on tap for 2019? I travel to India for 3-weeks starting 2/16. Traveling with workmates who speak the language, visit often, and invited me,  and honorary baby-brother and best travel buddy John, to tag along. So most of my 2018 vacation days have been hoarded for this trip.

I plan to be home in April for Mom’s 94th. I hope to get picked for a fall workweek in Yosemite. I’d love to attend a week-long yoga teacher-training this summer but will have to see if the dates work with the vacation schedules of my fellow NPs. I hope to take ukulele lessons from an excellent teacher originally from Oahu.

The rhythm of my life moves at a very predictable pace. I work and in the evenings I either attend ukulele rehearsal or yoga. It’s uncomplicated and follows my simple recipe: meaningful work, significant relationships, exercise, art: music and writing. These are the five components that dominate my calendar and are colored in green. If my calendar is lacking in green - I know I will soon feel out-of-sorts and work to put more green in my calendar.

How you? I would love to hear. 

Do Aloha, Be Aloha, do-be-do-be-do-Aloha ~ Lorin