31 Days of Fresno

Fresno's Hanson Connection.

2010-09-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

I've spent my entire life waiting for Hanson to give a damn about Fresno.

Yes, Hanson. I've followed them for the last 13 years, enduring the nonstop jokes (13 years of "That middle one is a hot girl" is an exercise in patience) and even worse, the ad-lib lyrics to Mmmbop that people think are so clever. I'd long abandoned the notion that maybe they'd fall in love with me (me!) and then come to appreciate the place so close to my heart. Even through my creepy semi-stalker attempts to talk to them (ending in asking them to predict the sex of my unborn, incubating baby or tell me their favorite Steve Martin movie) I entertained no notions that they might suddenly decide Fresno was worthy of a tour stop. Or at least dinner on the way from one place to the next, yeesh, I'm not particular.

So I have to say a big big big thank you to the band Motel Drive for not only rocking it here at home, but for making my night last night as I watched the livestream of them jamming with my unrequited loves before the show in San Francisco. I couldn't think of a better band to represent Fresno to a bunch of Hanson fans and I just really am still all fangirly about the fact that a band that's played at a NOtown function at Audie's opened for HANSON.

You guys just don't get how huge this was for me. And that's okay with me. More Hanson to myself.

If you haven't heard Motel Drive, get out from under your rock (or would that be rockabilly?) and have a listen. They're great. Fresnawesome, even.

(Image stolen from Motel Drive's FB page. You should "Like" them!)

*And a sad note. I had already purchased my ticket for the NIGHT BEFORE and since I couldn't get the extra day away from the fam and work and all of those other non-Hanson obligations all I got of this glory was the webcast. LAME. No wonder I have never succeeded as a Fresnambassador to Hanson.

**And a sadder note... Oh my GOD I was ridiculous when talking to them. I should stick to screaming from the mob.

EDIT: Here is the livestream in 3 parts! Enjoy! Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Thoughts on Travel.

2010-09-15T20:52:00.001-07:00

I spent the weekend in Chico. NOtown Roller Derby sent a team to go bout against Norcal Roller Girls, and well, it's Northern California. My expectations were high.

But then, while wandering around the town, I couldn't help but think to myself "Man, I love Fresno."

Not saying Chico is a crap-hole. Quite the opposite, it's nice. Quaint. Hippie-hipster kids hang out in the park and play bongos. The one homeless person I saw was laying down on a bench reading classic literature. There are like 5 bicycle shops within a mile of each other. This is a place that is pretty comfortable in it's own awesomeness.

That may be partially why I was really missing Fresno, even if I was just there overnight. My BFFF and better half Guinness Wrecker made the comment; "The thing about Fresno that makes it more likeable than Chico is that it isn't concerned with being a stereotype of itself."

And it's true. I felt not-eco/health conscious-enough, despite my TOMS shoes, when I wandered into the health food store. I felt not urbane enough when I ordered my fruit salad (yummy yummy) and Mexican mocha at the cafe. In Fresno you don't need to wear hemp clothing to shop at whole foods and no need to carry your entitled snob card to buy an overpriced coffee drink. Guinness also feared we were maybe in Brigadoon instead of Chico.

I'm not bagging on Chico, It's a really nice place. Decent midnight Mexican food where they don't mind if you've just had a few beers and a shot of Wild Turkey- and no one at the hotel came out to call the cops when we jumped into the pool in our uniforms the second we got back from the game. If it had been OC we would probably be in a jail cell still. Plus, that Fakin'-Bacon-Veganaise BLT sandwich I bought at the health food store was pretty tasty. No complaints there. It did make me appreciate my hometown though- at least I know where I can find a good karaoke bar on a Saturday night if I need one.

(Thanks NORCAL for hosting NOtown! Derby love!)

31 Days- Summer Edition: Mural District

2010-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of the hats I wear is as the Area Representative for an awesome Student Exchange Organization, and one of my responsibilities is... taa-daa... taking the students out for activities around town. I know, right? For all of those out of town friends who never visit me, don't worry, I can practice my "Where would take an out of towner?" answer on these unsuspecting kids while I wait for you to come see me.

Still waiting...

Anyway, in late may I had a few students who couldn't make it to our Art Hop walk, so I wanted to take them out for something really special and memorable that would be so OMGFRESNO that it would blow their international minds.

So, uh, duh, we went on a Mural Walk through Downtown Fresno's Mural District. Did you even know that we have a mural district? I was vaguely aware that yeah, there were a lot of murals, but I didn't know it was an actual thing until this spring.

We started at Iron Bird Cafe with some cold juice blends and took off, drinks in hand, to enjoy some of Fresno's finest public art, set against the backdrop of the businesses, studios and living spaces. Pioneered by artist and developer Reza Assemi, this part of the city has become a vibrant hub of artistic activity.

There is a map that shows where most of the murals are, so armed with that, a few pages printed about some of the artists that contributed to the pieces and an sense of adventure (hey, it's late May and we're walking in the afternoon, that is brave!) we took off. We didn't have to go too far for our first pieces, The Iron Bird Lofts are already known for their public art.

We headed down Broadway, Checked out the Econo Inn, Headed over to H Street to see the H Street Lofts and The Vagabond Lofts, Checked out the Broadway lofts, and went all the way to Tulare, where we fell completely in love with Broadway Studios (pictured) and KJWL's larger than larger than life Sinatra. (We had one of the host-dads along with us and I think this was his favorite of all!) Against the wall of the Cornerstone Church is a mural of sheet music for Amazing Grace.

We made out way back up Fulton and saw a lot of murals that aren't on this map yet, including some pretty cool alleyways. This isn't a tour you can't really enjoy by car, but would be perfect on bike. If you do decide to go and walk the Mural District allot a good couple of hours to really let yourself enjoy the pieces and have a leisurely stroll around. Probably not a good idea to do in 108° heat, either, so plan accordingly before you get out there and check it out.

(Photo is of exchange students Liza (Palestine) and Ploy (Thailand) with yours truly in front of the mural on Broadway Studios in the alleyway sandwiched between them and KJWL. I'm looking for host families for the 2010-2011 school year, let me know if you're interested!)

July has gotten the best of me...

2010-07-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

Clearly the middle of the year is a more difficult time for a blog-a-thon than the fresh new beginning, oh I had such enthusiasm to start July off, and my list was so complete. I'll be working on catching up, but boy-howdy have things been busy around here. I guess the best way to prove my point that there is no excuse for boredom in Fresno is to live the busy Fresno lifestyle, right?

Sorry to disappoint (if you actually were following along) but expect all of those bloggies I had lined up for the whole month (all but the last day were filled in!) to find their way out into the blogosphere eventually! In the meanwhile, enjoy this city!

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 8- Old Town Clovis Farmer's Market

2010-07-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've blogged about produce profusely. I love me some veggies, what can I say? But I do want to take a few moments to point out that Fridays in the Summertime are one of my favorite times because they mix produce and play at the Old Town Clovis Farmer's Market.

While it technically isn't Fresno, its close enough and lets be real- the fruit is coming from Fresno. And Sanger. And all of those little towns I forget exist because I'm a Fresnocentric spaz. So give me this, okay?

I love that you can go and get all of your fruits and veggies for the week and grab dinner in one place. I especially like that I can get Kettle Corn and consider it dinner. Want to shake your butt too? There is live music. Interested in running into an old acquaintance or two? Its bound to happen- I ran into half of the Hanson fan club I was part of in high school last week. (So, it was two people, how many people do you think liked Hanson? We were few but proud.)

Its great because the community really comes together. Everyone mills around, their kids play and dance together, and we get in touch with our local farmers. It was a highlight of the Summer for me growing up and it still is one of those surefire mood brighteners now. Get your produce on!

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 7- Meux Home

2010-07-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Meux Home is a subtle reminder that Downtown is where Fresno really became Fresno.

It stands out on the corner of Tulare and R, a Victorian home that just oozes class and elegance.

And it's a museum.

And a wedding venue.

And a part of our story as Fresnans.

The house was built in 1888, the Meux family moving into it in January 1889, and it was occupied by a Meux family member until the 1970's. These days it is in the hands of the City of Fresno, and you can take a tour of it and get an idea of how people lived here over a hundred years ago. (Without AC!)

I love it because I like anything that requires passion to keep it around. This is a place that requires upkeep not only of the grounds but also of the memories and history around it. When I went for the first time as a kid I was amazed by the concept that Fresno hasn't always been the Fresno we live in today. A Lady's Chair? It filled my mind with the big ole dresses and corsets and awesome hair and hats and gloves and covered ankles. I had never thought about our community as being one of those kinds of places that had, you know... ladies. It helped me to appreciate where I lived at a young age.

Take a tour, see for yourself why this is one of Fresno's beautiful gems.

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 6- KJWL

2010-07-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it may not be as cool with my generation as the time I posted about The Evening Eclectic on KFSR, but I can't fight this feeling anymore...

KJWL 99.3 is freakin' awesome.

Sure sometimes you get stuck in a Celine Dion back to back with Barbara Streisand back to back with Linda Ronstadt rut, but holy cow, despite the divas KJWL always delivers a completely Fresno-centric radio experience. Everything about this station is community oriented- one of the perks of being locally owned, no doubt. They host an Art Hop stop every month and give the featured artists and musicians air time, which I think is pretty awesome. (Also awesome is the GIGANTIC mural of Frank Sinatra by their back entrance.)

They have community oriented segments throughout the day like Eye on Education and Valley Jewels to remind us that whether or not we like Michael Bublé, we're all still part of this city together. And don't even get me started on how stinkin' rad Feleena Sutton is. I've had the chance to meet her and she is just so positive and amazing. (And that Bruce guy is pretty cool too...)

KJWL Shares space with KYNO in the middle of Downtown just steps away from the Fulton Mall, and I love them for keeping it Fresno and really making the space they're in a jewel. (Get it? I'm so punny.) Honestly though, I love them for a lot of things.

I'm sure I could say more, but I'm too busy rocking out to Baby by Bobby McFerrin right now. Who else plays that? NO ONE. Case closed.

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 5- Sprinkler Playtime!

2010-07-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

We like to moan about the heat in the Summer here, "Oh wah, its 184° in the shade." But really, all that a nice upper 90°s- 100° day is, is a chance to get your crazies out in the sprinklers. I was talking to a friend in Washington the other day about swimming and sprinkler time and she was jealous.

That's right.

Jealous of all of this heat.

So next time you wanna complain about the summer heat, just bear a few things in mind-

It isn't Florida-style, we have a mostly dry heat. So you don't need to grow gills to breathe.
You don't have soggy socks from all of the rainfall.
Short shorts? Yes PLZ!
It is the tradeoff for not having to deal with a super cold winter. I'll take heat ANY DAY over a freakin' snow storm. PUH-lease. This is a flip flops all year kind of town.
AND WE CAN PLAY IN THE SPRINKLERS! We're California's year round playground, so let's play it up!

I can't say it enough! Let your inner 4 year old wild! Get a slip n slide! You can't do this crap in Anchorage! And if it is too hot and your swamp cooler just isn't cutting it and you've got scabby knees and grass stains from all of the slip n sliding, we have cooling centers. Because heat, though fun for playtime, is still heat, and you can't let it think it has won.

Okay, I'm gonna give up on writing anything that makes any sense (probably, ironically, due to heatstroke...) and have one more romp through the sprinklers before bed.

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 4- Legion of Valor Museum

2010-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

It is Independence Day, so this is gonna be short and sweet:

Legion of Valor Museum. Go there.

Snuggled inside the Fresno Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the museum is run by volunteers who are passionate about keeping the history of our country's armed forces alive and tangible. It tells a story that is universal, but is also deeply Fresno. I haven't been in for a few years, but it seems like every time I'd drop by there were always a handful of veterans hanging out, just ready to share their stories with anyone who would listen- one of the most valuable things about the museum. Waaaaay better than a History Channel marathon.

The collection of items ranges from uniforms and firearms to newpaper clippings and walls lined with photographs (my favorite part).

If you find yourself downtown with some time to spare, pop in. Admission is free, and it is open from 10:00- 3:00 Monday through Saturday.

Have a safe and happy 4th, everybody!

Image swiped from the Legion of Valor website. Check it out. Then go.

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 3- The 168

2010-07-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this is something I haven't done much of- you know the whole argument that Fresno is a great place to be because of it's proximity to other places...

But really...

I'm just putting it out there, I LOVE the 168.

I love that it just skims the edge of town and then poof, you're headed off into happy camping/hiking/fishing/skiing land. I love that on a clear day you can see the mountains it leads you to so clearly and enticingly. Every time I drive across town on it I think to myself "Who would miss me if I just stayed on this freeway and went and made some s'mores and rocked out with the granite up near Huntington for the night."

My favorite part about the 168 is that it leads to my favorite place worth packing a bag for- Camp Tamarack. It's just below Huntington Lake and it is the place I spent all of my summers as a kid, and I've spent all of my summers directing camps as an adult. I can't look at the 168 without nostalgia washing over me and making me want a crisp Sierra meadow filled with lupine and evergreen and self discovery.

I can point out all of the places my old Accord broke down on that road while trying to get up there- and all of the places the Sheriff stopped to make sure everything was okay. I can show you the turns we always had to take SO SLOW because my sister would get motion sickness. I love this one particular flat slab of rock along the road on the mountainside and I smile whenever I pass it.

And I love the quirky places along the way like that one place with the chainsaw carved wooden bear.

I know it isn't technically IN Fresno, but the 168 is definitely a huge part of my Fresno experience, and I wouldn't let someone visit our part of the state without a drive or two up that highway to see some of the unbelievable beauty our region has to offer.

Where is your favorite place to camp/fish/ski/veg the heck out with a mug of hot cocoa along the 168?

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 2- Dalton Mountain Gang

2010-07-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

For some of the finest foot-stampingest, dance around and clap your hands bluegrass you don't need to travel far. The Dalton Mountain Gang's Fresno roots are apparent with every single note they play. I'm not a bluegrass expert (my knowledge begins and ends with Old Crow Medicine Show and Nickel Creek) but I can tell you this- bluegrass fan or not, you absolutely will love the Dalton Mountain Gang. And lucky you- they're playing a free show tonight at the Clovis Veteran's Memorial Square.

I caught up with bass player Paul Chesterton- my motto is always trust a man with a beard- and asked a few questions about the band.

How long has the band been together?
The band has been been around for about 4 years now, but we've been playing with the current lineup now for about 2 years and that's really when things took off for us. The chemistry and friendship of the people in the band really comes across on stage and we all just genuinely enjoy playing music with each other! We're also pretty new bluegrass players, in the scheme of things. I believe that this was the first actual bluegrass band that any of us had ever been in.

Where did you come up with the name Dalton Mountain Gang?
Well, the name isn't just some arbitrary "bluegrassy" sounding name. There actually is a Dalton Mountain and it's up in the foothills around Squaw Valley, East of Fresno on the way up to Sequoia National Park. Two of the founding members of the band lived on opposite sides of that mountain, so it just fit. Now the "gang" part comes from the reason the mountain got its name. Over 100 years ago, a group of brothers who robbed trains and banks, hid up there and had a shoot out with the authorities. They were called the "Dalton Gang" and some of their ancestors still live up in that area! So we added that little bit of local history into the name.*

How does living in the valley influence your music?
Well, traditionally, the Fresno area, much like Bakersfield, has been a hotbed for country and western swing music. Many of the older fiddlers and guitarists around here played in those kinds of bands over the years. We all learned to play bluegrass music from the local people here in jam sessions, bluegrass music festivals, and the like, so I think we got some of that old country and western swing flavor from those folks. Often, we'll mix in a little bit of country and western swing into our sets as well. Local folk/bluegrass/old-time music legend, Kenny Hall, has left a big impression on us as well! That man is known all around the world and plays here every week in Fresno!

Where is your favorite local venue to play?
You know, lining up our schedules has been pretty difficult, so we don't get to play many local gigs, but this will be our 3rd year playing the Bluegrass in the Park events that they hold in Clovis during the Spring/Summer on Friday evenings and we've thoroughly enjoyed it! Playing outside, on the grass, under the trees is just such a fitting place for this kind of natural, organic music! For the past 3 years, we've been a mainstay at the annual Hobb's Grove bluegrass festival, the last weekend of every September, and that's just a great event that we love every year!

And a fun one- It's your last meal ever- What Fresno restaurant would you have make it for you and what would it be?
Well, I can't speak for the rest of the band, but for me, I'd want Steak and Seafood Teppan-Yaki and some great sushi from the Japanese Kitchen on Shaw! But that's a tough one, because the Luby Chinese restaurant on Willow and Nees has amaaaazing Kung Pao! Maybe I could get them both to work together for a last meal! I'd die a happy feller!

Be sure to get your sweet selves out there tonight and come dance it out bluegrass style with me as we enjoy some incredible valley talent.

Date:	Friday, July 2, 2010
Time:	6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:	Clovis Veteran's Memorial Square
Street:	901 Fifth Street
City/Town:	Clovis, CA

You can buy their brand spankin' new album here!

*I LOVE this about them!

Mike Osegueda got to them before I did, be sure to check out his piece, too!

31 Days- Summer Edition: Day 1- Dick Contino

2010-07-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

While in LA this last weekend for a Fresno Import turned Fresno Export's* wedding I found all kinds of reasons to love Fresno and reinforced a lot of my long-standing loves for Fresno. Of course, I could anticipate the hours of traffic and crazy drivers. I hadn't anticipated the Goodwill find that would send me careening into Fresno-based accordion lust.

We had time to kill, and there was a thrift store across the street, so I went with my ladies of the night, Cho and Elisa, to see what kind of haul we might be able to dig up and drag home. While sifting through the records, I immediately was drawn to one with serious crush potential. A hottie with an accordion surrounded by swooning girls, it's everything I look for in a record. It was to our utter pleasure to read on the back cover that Mr. Dick Contino is straight outta Fresno. The hottest guy to ever play that good old squeezebox, and he's one of us.

This has spurred a whole bunch of internet stalking and chatting my grandmother up, and the consensus is that Dick Contino was hot. And it wasn't just his own hometown supporting him either. In 1947, when Contino was 17 years old, Horace Heidt came to town with a nationally broadcast talent competition, and according to Contino's bio, "Dick gave his rendition of "Lady of Spain" and the bobby-sox audience stomped, clapped, and yelled with frenzy, declaring him the winner by a margin of a full 30 points on the electric applause meter" Contino went on to have a hit single with "Lady of Spain" that made it to #47 on the charts, be a guest on numerous shows including the Ed Sullivan Show and even was in a few movies in the 50's and 60's, including Daddy-O. I especially like this video clip:

OMG, what a stud right? Daddy-O was even resurrected from the vaults and made into a MST3K episode. And to think, he was a student at Fresno High, one of our own- MST3K'd.

Mr. Contino lives in Las Vegas nowadays, and it doesn't look like he makes it home much to play**, but he does still tour and make the music festival rounds. If you're reading this, Dick, I promise I will learn to polka if you make your way through Fresno and I'll be there front row!

If you have any stories about Dick Contino, I'd love to hear them. My parents and grandma got so animated when I asked them about him that I knew that my generation was definitely missing out on a major gem of Fresno's history. I am so excited to have found something else to love about living in Fresno- hometown of the Accordion Virtuoso Dick Contino!

*Congrats, Ben and Aurora Pringle! I'd deal with LA traffic any day for you guys. Especially on the same weekend as the Electric Daisy Carnival. OMG some folks were TUH-rippin on the freeway! The wait isn't so long when the guy in the car next to you is freaking out about his hand's reflection in the rearview mirror.
**...but he does have a smokin' hot wife who can help your back itch with a salve.

All of my information came from the liner notes on the back on the album, Contino's website and the Wikipedia article.

Another 31 Days Ahead

2010-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

It is almost July.

By now, you're feeling the Fresnan's conundrum. You love it, but it. is. just. so. dang. hot.

It becomes a passive, lazy kind of love. You want to shout it from the roof tops, but dear God, there just is no shade there.

It's easy to blog about how fabulous our city is when I have a hot mocha in front of me and am enjoying the fact that I don't have to actually bundle up in January, but not as easy to be witty with heatstroke and sunburn.

My husband just might kill me for another 31 day stint of Fresno-lovin' madness, but the time for blogging it up is NOW! See you all, poolside, on July 1st for 31 Days of Fresno: Summer Edition.

Folks to know in the 'No: Trainer James

2010-05-13T16:36:00.001-07:00

Its no secret that I really freakin' love working out. I also like to comb teh internets for fitness blogs and tips for staying motivated to keep a healthy lifestyle. That's how I found out about Trainer James- imagine my excitement when I discovered that he was a Fresnan to boot! (And we share the same alma mater. Sweet!)

This guy is a powerhouse. He blogs, he offers personal training, he challenges people on his Facebook- he's practically omnipresent with his constant nudging to "Sweat It Out".

This is exactly why I wanted him to be my first "Folks to know in the 'No" interviewee. So without further ado, I bring you James Leath!

When someone comes to you for training, what can they expect?

I plan on being in this business for a long time so one thing they can expect is longevity. I am not a part time trainer or just trying to make money in between careers- I love what I do. Each client is an opportunity for success and I plan each workout accordingly. I am not a licensed nutritionist so I do not prescribe diet plans, however I spend the bulk of my study time on things pertaining to nutrition because of how crucial it is to eat right when attempting to get healthy. I work hard to keep up with the latest exercise techniques and to keep workouts fun and challenging. I like to joke around when appropriate but I take my work seriously so I expect an excellent effort every session.

What is it about Fresno that makes this a great place for you to do your work?

My favorite part of Fresno is two fold: first, the location. I love being only a few hours from the snow, the beach, and the desert. Second, Fresno is big enough to make a name for yourself and at the same time small enough to run into someone you know wherever you go. Fresno is definitely an “it’s who you know” kind of place but the standards are high enough that you have to have the knowledge to really succeed.

When did you know that motivating people to lead healthier lives was your calling?

I have always seen myself as an encourager, but it took me a long time to discover what area I would seek to use that trait for others. My father lost 100 pounds a few years back and that caused his medications to decrease from 10 pills a day to 1 simply because of exercise and healthy nutrition. I saw how much “life” was back into his world and I knew I wanted to help others in that way.

A few years later I watched my first episode of “The Biggest Loser” and found myself running the gamut of emotions every time I watched. Most people watch that show and see the contestants lose weight and think, “That could be me! I could do that!” But I watch that show and see the trainers, Bob and Jillian, and think, “That could be me! I could do that!” To this day it is my favorite show. I may not be on that show, but everyday I wake up before the sun just thrilled that I get to spend the day in the gym helping people get their life back.

If I remember correctly, you were pretty athletic in high school (I was a freshman when you were a senior- it’s cool if you don't remember me, haha!) did that lay the groundwork for what you do today?

Most definitely. My home life was less than ideal so I spent the bulk of my youth in the classroom, the weight room, on the field, or pounding the court. My adventurous youth showed me what the body is capable of and I want others to experience the amazing things our bodies can do. Our bodies were designed to run and jump, not sit and slouch. One of the best parts of what I do is taking someone who has lead a sedentary life and helping them develop their body so they can go hiking, jog their neighborhood, and in some cases join me in a triathlon! I am in a very rewarding career.

Looking at your internet following, they seem to be from all over the place, not just from Fresno. How did all of these people learn about your blog and Facebook page?

Honestly, I am humbled and quite frankly shocked at all the followers that I have had the pleasure of talking to though Facebook. I think the response is good because of two things: First, I am not a sugar-coating kind of guy. I post things like, “You don’t wake up fat,” and “Your lame excuses are why you can’t lose weight” and you either like it or not. I know there are many people out there that know there is no quick fix and they just want some honestly and encouragement to get them to take the next step towards a healthy body. Secondly, I am not trying to sell anything. I have my opinions on certain products but I don’t push people to buy anything. If I find something I like, or a client sends something my way that has worked for them, I share it.

What would you suggest as a good starting point for someone who is just starting to implement a fitness program after leading a pretty sedentary lifestyle?

Actually, that is a loaded question. The normal response is “Just get started. Go to a gym and get your body moving.” Of course, that is not enough and most people need guidance. Hiring a trainer is a great start. Training is expensive but so are the diseases developed from obesity; so really its pay now or pay later. I have quite a few clients I see once a week or every other week to help them spice up their own workout routine but others need guidance more often in the beginning, so they come in 3 to 4 times a week.

If a trainer is out of the question, look at your surroundings and make some changes. First, attack the kitchen. If your diet is full of chips, cookies, cakes, and pasta then it is no wonder you do not have the energy to work out. Start with eating foods that came from a farm, preferably from a local one. Second, its amazing to me how many parents fight to keep sports and PE programs in school, only to get home after work and sit on the couch watching TV for 3 hours, stuff their face, then repeat it the next day. There are numerous studies showing the correlation between obesity and watching TV. According to these studies, the more you watch, the more overweight you are. My bride and I saved over $1200 last year by not having cable. That kind of money can buy some great exercise equipment!

What kind of breakthroughs have some of your clients had in their fitness goals?

Recently, the best man at my wedding has lost over 50 pounds in 4 months by eating right and hitting the gym daily. Last year, I had two clients go from once or twice a week gym visits to competing in a triathlon with me. Currently, I have 3 clients that have lost between 30-150 pounds and are now running on a treadmill for the first time in years, and in one case, running for the first time ever! One woman I am working with has lost 150 pounds in the last year and came in second place last weekend during a two mile walk.

What is the best part about your work?

Every once in a while, someone I am working with will start a story with, “So, this weekend during my run I was...” and I stop them to make sure I heard them right. When clients start doing things on their own, like signing up for a race, saying no to donut day at work, or other “lifestyle changes” I can’t tell you how excited that gets me. Things like that remind me who much I love what I do. Just this morning I received a picture text of a client that has lost over 20 pounds and 6 inches off his waistline in 2 months. He put on an old pair of jeans, stuck both arms down the sides of his pants and his wife took a picture and sent it to me. I saved it on my phone. What a great way to start the day!

31 days of Fresno is a blog about all of the great things in Fresno, so I have to ask- What do you think the best thing about living in Fresno is?

Fresno is the underdog-we are unpredictable. We go from electing a mediocre television star to mayor (no disrespect intended) to a young, vibrant business woman. The world sees our team win the College World series, then we are back in the spotlight as the drunkest city in America according to Men’s Health Magazine. The world looks at Fresno as a pit stop between Northern and Southern California, but those of us that call this place home know it is way more than an empty security bank building and a truck stop off of Herndon Avenue. We have culture. We have history. I believe Fresno is on the cusp of being a major player in California. I hope to be a part of that growth.

Along the same vein, its Friday night, where in Fresno are you and what are you doing?

My days start around 5am and the bulk of it is working with clients. When Friday night hits, I am arm and arm with my bride, wherever we are. A night game at Grizzly Stadium in downtown Fresno is a great time, and I really miss the Falcon Hockey team. Honestly, my perfect Friday night is spent at home with a few friends playing Sequence and sipping on locally grown coffee.

I know, you're totally already inspired and ready to go work out, right? I told you this guy was great! You can reach him by e-mail at james@trainerjames.com or you can stalk him at Synergy Personal Training Studio- just be warned, he might draw you in and have you lifting gigantic tires in no time.

What is the best $1 you've spent today?

2010-05-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

I made a nice little drive-thru adventure of the morning, mostly because my kids were going nuts and the allure of them being strapped into one place, contented by Imagination Movers music playing was just too great for a lazy Sunday.

So I offered to pick up coffee for my dad. And then I realized it was almost lunchtime, so we made a nuggets run- a bad choice, but with a bare pantry its all I could really do... and then I saw it.

My favorite fruit stand, usually closed whenever I happen to drive by it with a the OPEN sign proudly scrawled across the piece of scrap wood and propped up against it.

You know that kind of stand I'm talking about- the little shanty type store front propped up in front of a field brimming with multiple varieties of homegrown delight. I couldn't resist- it is strawberry season and we have my son's birthday party tonight.

So I bought the three cartons of gigantic, perfect strawberries for $5 and then I saw them... purple carrots.

I had heard about them and their tasty wonder from my mother in law, but at the grocery store you practically have to sell an organ on the black market to be able to afford specialty produce, even here in the produce capital of the f'n universe, and it's hit and miss when they'll show up on the shelves or if it'll even be tasty.

But here they were, just picked this morning, dirt still clinging to the roots, the gorgeous plumes of green leaves dancing out of them like a teasing burlesque dancer's fan. I got up the nerve and asked how much.

1 dollar.

A DOLLAR! My Starbucks Venti Iced Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte cost 4 times that and it didn't look pretty enough to make my dad and sister jealous of my find when I waved it out my car window at them as I delivered their coffees.

A steal for a big bunch of carrots! Purple ones!

I got home, closed the doors and windows, looked shiftily around me to make sure no one was watching cleaned them off and without even removing the greens I just channeled my inner Bugs Bunny and took a bite.

Best dollar I've spent today, and probably all week. Bags of baby carrots, machined into their cute little finger shapes, have nothing on this. It was crunchy, perfect and so sweet. Each bite I took I marveled at the deep purple ring that bled into vivid orange in the middle.

I love living in Fresno.

(Image made by me. On my scanner. Because my daughter dunked my camera in the bath tub. I don't wanna talk about it.)

The Ultimate Fresno Bucket List

2010-04-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

In order to be a complete, true 100% well rounded Fresnan, what does it take? What experiences are absolutely essential?

I'm compiling The Ultimate Fresno Bucket List, and I want everyone to help. I'm looking for things like, but not limited to:

Not only watch, but compete in the Inner Ear Beat Down Poetry Slam.
Do a fruit stand crawl and purchase a piece of fresh fruit at each stall at a farmers market. Greater challenge: do this for individual fruit stands out in the country!
Organize a protest (against anything, really) and hold it at Shaw and Blackstone. Considered a supreme success if there is an opposing side.
Dig at least an underground window box, if not a whole garden.
Have tacos with Mike Osegueda. Bonus points for trying at least 5 separate restaurants into one meal. Ultrabonus points for tweeting the whole adventure.

I'll be adding to this as I think of things, and I want everyone's ideas (don't worry, I'll be sure to put your name next to your clever witticisms and sincere aspirations!)

Fresno Tweetup Goes Wild GIVEAWAY!

2010-04-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

You read that right, Fresnans! Which word that starts with F is the only thing to almost match my love for Fresno?

Free!

As in you can get in FREE to the Fresno Tweetup Goes Wild, this Saturday, April 24th from 5-8 PM at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo if you are the very first to answer this trivia question:

Question:
"What animal will be featured in the Zoo's exhibit that is scheduled to open in 2012?"

The only catch is that you must have a Twitter Account (or be willing to make one just for the occasion... and then get hooked on the sweet magic of microblogging.)

So what is this Tweetup that I speak of? Two of my 31 Days favorites, The Fresno Beehive and The Chaffee Zoo are coming together to make this gathering of local Twitterers happen. It's a private after hours event, there are games, drinks, and, oh yeah, Zoo Animals! Even if you don't win on here, you can still go on the cheap by direct messaging @fresnozoo or @fresnobeehive to get on the $5 list to get in. For more info, click here! And if you tweet this event, use the hashtag #wildfresno!

So guess away, and be sure to leave your Twitter name with your response!

Thanks Fresno Beehive for making this event and this giveaway possible!

Downtown Community Arts Collective meets The Lazy Blogger: Just go support them, k?

2010-04-09T14:26:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about the DCAC for a while, but I'm a bad blogger and I'm just gonna pass on this info to you all: Support the Downtown Community Arts Collective (dcac) and all of the great things they do for youth TONIGHT at The Iron Bird Cafe for Iron Bird Cafe and dcac Present: The Gig Is On!

5 dollars not only gets you an earful of some of the best music in town (Abigail Nolte! Merlinda Espinoza! Dan Rhoten!) it also means that this important organization gets to keep on keepin' on! (If you've never heard of DCAC, click this link. You'll be so impressed!)

A Handful of Honorable Mentions

2010-04-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't slowed down enough lately to write much, but I do want to touch on a handful of things that have been popping up lately.

1. Groupon.
It is everything I love. It feeds the side of me that needs to shop locally. It speaks to my cheapness. It challenges me to try new places so that I can cash in on the deals. Right now you can buy $10 in tasty tea heaven at Teazer's for only $5. Yeah, I can have all of the Monk's Blend drinks I can fit in my bladder, guys. This is either awesomely good or a terrible idea, but I'd like to think that its for the greater good.

2. That whole Google Fiber for Fresno thing.
So we may or may not get to be a test market for internet that is faster than Betty Rocker on steroids, but how freakin' awesome was it seeing the community come together to rally for it? Whatever the outcome, I was pretty proud of our effort.

3. Karaoke
Fresno has some rockin' karaoke spots. No link here, anything I might find would be terrifyingly incriminating. Where do you go to burst eardrums and take names? Last night I found myself at Lancers on Kings Canyon and Clovis and had a great time climbing on their furniture in the name of a better "Fat Bottom Girls."

Okay, time to go bake some vareniks and coffee cake, I hope you all have a swell Easter!

Day 32, Week 6-ish- Springtime!

2010-03-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

Its Springtime! Everything is fresh, crisp and oh so pretty. The whole world seems to have just been painted, the colors are vivid from the recent rain and starkly contrast with the browns and grays of winter as they begin to peek through. The grape vines have little tiny freckles of green beginning to bud on them, the trees are in full bloom and I can feel it in every part of my body that it is time to change, to make everything I touch as beautiful and as full of promise as the Spring in Fresno.

I love this time of year, if it isn't completely and glaringly apparent. Even though I'm allergic to everything on Earth- especially to everything Springtime- I look forward to this time of year here in Fresno. The blossoms are just so pretty, and the bees are out pollinating and doing their buzzy thing, which I love even though, you know, I'm not gonna go frolic in the orchards or anything right now while they're working, that's a bad business for the allergy-ridden.

The Blossom Trail is gorgeous and a constantly beckoning way to spend an afternoon, and I have to remind myself that I have dishes to do in order to anchor myself down and not drive all of Fresno County looking for flowers all day long.

Being inside is so last season. Those dishes just might need to pile up for another day or two with this weather. These days are meant for enjoying, no window should be left unopened, no meal should be consumed inside. This is a call to everyone to come to this season and abandon last season's stress, those grays and browns, and be refreshed. Well, I've blogged enough for one day. Now its time to turn off the TV, take the kids outside and let them feel the excitement of what is to be- it's budding and welling up inside of them too, waiting to burst into full color with a little of that famous Fresno sunshine.

(Photo by Barbara Gordon, from the Fresno County Office of Tourism- Blossom Trail website. )

Day 32, Week 5- iBike Fresno

2010-03-17T08:11:00.000-07:00

Its about time iWrite about iBike Fresno. I think I've been held up by the fact that iHaventBiked at all, and I've felt a tiny bit guilty for it, but the truth is, I am so jealous of people who bike everywhere and iWant that lifestyle.

I became a fan of their facebook in January and despite the fact that I hadn't been on a bike since 6th grade I've pulled out this bike I found with a FREE-TAKE ME sign and begun to assess the work to be done to take me from I wanna, to I will, to iBike.

The whole idea behind the site and the movement is that Fresno is a great place to pedal it up, and it is becoming better with the Bike Master Plan that will make this a much more bicycle-friendly city.

So grab your bike and get out there, enjoy Fresno in a family-fun, eco-friendly, Fresnamzing way. I know that as soon as I can stop wobbling on mine, I will be! 2010 is going to be the year I stop making excuses and start riding!

(Image from iBike Fresno's Facebook. Its cute, no? I've been riding my bike around my field in hopes of gaining confidence on it enough to someday be half as cool as just the logo!)

31 Hours of Rogue- Hours 26-31!

2010-03-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm gonna wimp out early, my energy level is pretty low and I'll be commencing operation: Get kids to bed early in 5...4...3...2...1... (This is pre-blogged, I don't keep my kids up intil 2 AM, its usually the opposite!)

But I have a few things I want to highlight before I go to bed and hope its just low energy and not a cold.

First Get a Rogue Map! You can pick one up at Ashtree Studios or print your own here.

Also of note is The Dumb Drum will have a film you can view during the festival. If you've never read this blog, start. Particularly their "Cross Streets" video blogs. Funniest thing you'll do all day, guaranteed. After you watch those segments, go support them at Rogue as a thank you for the laughter. Clean Up. Mike Brigg's Properties Building, $5.

Friday, March 5:
8:00 pm – Opening Night

Saturday, March 6:
4:00 pm • 6:00 pm • 8:15 pm

Friday, March 12:
6:15 pm • 8:15 pm

Saturday, March 13:
5:15 pm • 7:00 pm

Finally, watch Central Valley Buzz with Chuck Leonard all week because he's been bringing in Roguesters to talk about their Roguey business. 4:00 weekdays! Plus, he's a crack up!

So, Rogueing out, this is Kim Burly, reporting to bed! Enjoy this Festival, it is one of the absolute coolest things Fresno has to offer.

31 Hours of Rogue- Hours 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25

2010-03-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, So I was kind of driving myself crazy with all of these, so I'm gonna finish it up in little chunklets like this to be less anooying. If you liked the hourly posts just use your hand to cover them as you go along and check back hourly, I guess.

Aileen Imperatrice

Aileen gave the idea for the 31 hours of Rogue, she's all about promoting the arts in Fresno, so I'm going to give her a plug here!

Icons

Aileen Imperatrice
www.aileenimperatrice.com

Ashtree Studios – 1035 N Fulton Ave

An icon can be many things. All it takes is something or someone we place a value on and how our emotions react to it. This newest art explores the identity and feelings we attach to these things. Follow Aileen at www.aileenimperatrice.com

“Why Did You Do It That Way?” artist discussion forums:

Ashtree Studios

7:00 PM, Friday, March 5
with Adam Wall and Sergio Huerta
$4

7:00 PM, Saturday, March 6
with Adam Wall and Sergio Huerta
$4

7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 10
with Edward Stewart and Adam Wall
$4

7:00 PM, Friday, March 12
with Sergio Huerta and Edward Stewart
$4

Elizabeth Payne, aka Pro Pain on the NoTown Roller Derby Team will be in Graceland, and from the way she gets this super-excited look on her face whenever we talk about it, I can tell it is going to be gooood.

Graceland/Asleep On The Wind

$5
10:00 PM, Fri., 3/5
7:00 PM, Sat., 3/6
7:00 PM, Wed., 3/10
1:00 PM, Sat., 3/13

Million Too – 1153 N Fulton St.

Two one acts. Graceland is about two devout Elvis fans waiting to be the first to get into Graceland. Rivalry turns into comaraderie as the two women reveal the joys and sorrows of their lives. Asleep On The Wind is a sweet story about a young girl and her older brother who is about to go off to war. He leaves her with many things, the love of Elvis being one of them.

MittenKitten Productions
Fresno, California
imlimpy@yahoo.com
Genre: Dramedy
Rating: PG-13 adult language 60 minutes
Latecomers permitted within 15 Minutes

Charles Tenney

We crossed paths yesterday at Iron Bird Cafe, and I am excited to share his Rogue act here. What a cool topic, I know a few physics fiends who would be really sorry if they missed this one!

Notes on Physics

$3
7:30 PM, Sat., 3/6
8:45 PM, Wed., 3/10
5:00 PM, Sat., 3/13
Latecomers admitted

Spectrum – 608 E Olive Ave.

Songs about physics. Songs about subjects related to physics. Songs tangentially, even distantly, related to one of the above. All performed on voice and acoustic guitar by someone who is supposed to know about these things.

Charles Tenney
Fresno, California
Genre: Music 45 min. Rated: PG-13

Gemma Wilcox
People come from all over to take part in Rogue, Gemma brings us her show all the way from the UK!

Shadows in Bloom

$7
8:30 PM, Fri., 3/5
7:00 PM, Sun, 3/7
5:30 PM, Fri., 3/12
1:00 PM, Sat., 3/13
8:30 PM, Sat., 3/13

Starline – 831 E Fern Ave.

20 NEW CHARACTERS!
From the creator of last year’s Rogue Fest sell-out, hit show: The Honeymoon Period is Officially Over.

Best Female Performer –Victoria Fringe 2009 / Best in Fest –Winnipeg Fringe 2008 / Best Solo Performance –Ottawa Fringe 2007 / Best in Fest –Boulder Fringe 2008 / “An incredibly gifted performer” –Felicia Matlosz, Fresno Beehive / “Sexy, sharp & seemless” –Now Toronto / “She shows you what theater can be” –Orlando Sentinel / “Shape-shifter extraordinaire” –Ottawa Citizen

Gemma Wilcox
www.gemmawilcox.com
London, United Kingdom
Genre – Dramedy/Multi-character Solo Performance
Rating: PG-13 60 minutes
Adult Language
Latecomers permitted within 15 Minutes

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 17, 18 and 19- Man, KSEE is really on the ball with Rogue stuff!

2010-03-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

Sweet! (This is the blogger equivalent of laryngitis)

AND with this last one, I LOVE IT, Randy Morris was my Saxophone teacher and is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

And talented to boot.

$4
2:30 PM, Sat., 3/6
7:30 PM, Sat., 3/6
6:15 PM, Sun., 3/7
Latecomers admitted

Veni Vidi Vici – 1116 N Fulton St.

The show features narration, jazz and blues guitar, world music, sax and lyrics that tell the story of our days. We follow up last year’s psychedelic show with a tribute to its aftermath THE SEVENTIES

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 16- Cap'n Scurvy's Apocalypse Hoedown

2010-03-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of seeing Scurvy at the Fresno Beehive birthday party, and he is an absolute riot. A true performer, he plays up the suspense in his act well, and eats fire, and does other quirky crazy stuff that. And he's vulgar as hell. Don't say I didn't warn you when you're sitting there innocently enjoying some good 'ol fashion vaudeville style comedy and suddenly Scurvy is gyrating on you.

I just love the synopses on the Rogue page, so I'll let them say it better than I would:

Million Too – 1153 N Fulton St.

$5
2:30 PM, Sat., 3/6
1:00 PM, Sun., 3/7
5:30 PM, Sun., 3/7
8:30 PM, Sat., 3/13

Its guerrilla vaudeville Americana with Cap’n Scurvy’s Apocalypse Hoedown Revival! A theatrical comedy snake oil show like no other, with double the spirit and half the dogma. Step right up and be healed of your afflictions, ailments and character flaws through the amazing miracle power of Cap’n Scurvy’s Elixir of Panacea! This show has laughs and thrills, inspiration and denigration, fire eating and machete juggling, miracle faith healing, banjo playing and random audience participation. May contain occassional white knuckle indecency.

Red Triangle Productions
Fresno, California
redtriangleproductions.com
Genre: Guerrilla Vaudeville
Rating: R, Obtuse Language, Vulgarity, Religious
Mockery, Banjo music
50 minutes
Latecomers permitted within 15 Minutes

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 15- Man In Labor

2010-03-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Travis Sheridan is one of those people who always keep me on my toes. I never know what he'll be doing next, where he's going to pop up or how he's going to make me smile from ear to freakin' ear. His Rogue performance this year promises to be typical Travis- amazing. This is what I was able to dig up from the Rogue site. Digging up probably implies a lot of hard work, and I'll let you guys think it was because it might fit in with the theme of his performance a little better than "copy and paste".

Lamaze Instructor did not make the list. What happens to a man who has worked since the age of 6? Well, he can sure as hell “get” a job, but can he keep a job? Join in a comedic journey through a career ladder that includes Victoria’s Secret and spending time in a cult. References provided upon request.

To enjoy the unstoppable (because why would you want him to?) Travis Sheridan, check out the info below.

$5
7:00 PM, Fri., 3/5
5:00 PM & 9:00 PM, Sat., 3/6
9:00 PM, Fri., 3/12
2:30 PM & 9:15 PM, Sat., 3/13
Latecomers admitted

Mike Briggs – 1212 N Van Ness Ave

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 14- Valley Burlesque Society

2010-03-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

You guys know I love the Valley Burlesque Society. Its kind of a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned, its pretty, its funny and its oh so seductive and sultry! Of course they're going to have great shows, and from the looks of things (things being flyers) they have three different shows to leave our jaws on the floor and our hearts aflutter, all at Full Circle Brewery.

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 13- A Drunk in the Night Tank

2010-03-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

Looking for some bawdy fun to augment your Rogue experience? Songs 4 Pints might just be what is missing from your life with their traditional Irish music and fun attitudes- just be sure to keep the beer a comin'!

You can catch this crowd-pleasing quartet at three different shows so be sure to check them out!

$4 (and a pint or two)
6:15 PM, Sat., 3/6
8:45 PM, Wed., 3/10
8:45 PM, Sat., 3/13
Latecomers admitted

Veni Vidi Vici – 1116 N Fulton St.

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 12- Read up on Rogue from The Collegian

2010-03-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

“The whole idea behind the festival is there is not a jury that says this group can do it and this group can’t,” Boone said. “It’s a really neat festival because it’s a great opportunity for people to try things out.”

- Benjamin Boone

Read the whole Shebang.

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 11- Rogue Recomendations

2010-03-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

I trust Mike Osegueda, he's right on about how much the Black Eyed Peas suck, he knows his Tacos, he loves Fresno and he has the cutest dog ever. Plus, his wife is my official unofficial Twitter BFF. A man can't help it if he has great taste. So I trust that his recommendations on the must-see shows of the Rogue will be pretty much right on. He'll be blogging about them all week long, so be sure to check him out on the Beehive!

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 10- KSEE Rogue clip

2010-03-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Also as promised waaaaaaay back when I was still blinking without the use of visine, here is a new story from KSEE 24 on the Rogue Festival (with that dreamy Kate McNight again!)

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 9- Kate McNight

2010-03-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm going to admittedly get a little fangirl-y with this one.

Kate is one of the people who I credit with making me who I am today. Which, I guess might make some of you might want to punch her for, but none the less, she has been a major influence in my life and continues to inspire, amaze and amuse me. She is beauty, strength and good humor all rolled into one. I totally lucked out as a student when I was able to take drama class from her in High School. And I hear she is a Karaoke STAR.

She has been a busy busy bee with the Rogue Festival this year, Directing The Soaps of Paris and acting in Parallel Lives. Check her out, an evening with Kate is cooler than your date!

Parallel Lives
Cal Arts - Severance
$7
10:00 PM, Fri., 3/5
1:00 PM, Sun., 3/7
8:30 PM, Fri., 3/12
2:30 PM, Sat., 3/13

Soaps of Paris
Severance
$7
7:00 PM, Fri., 3/5
1:00 PM, Sat., 3/6
9:30 PM, Thu., 3/11
7:00 PM, Fri., 3/12

(Photo by Joe Osejo, from the Mardi gras parade where she was smokin' hot on the Rogue float!)

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 8- Dinner (at the breakfast hour, how cute of me!)

2010-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

DINNER with Chris Janzen and Jesse Nathan is kind of like the multivitamin of the Rogue world, one show gives you music, poetry and art- how can it not be good?!

From the Rogue Map:

What might a dinner-party hosted by Virginia Woolf
look like if her guests were 17 of the most eccentric
people to walk the earth? This collaboration peers
into this impossible scenario through a mixture of
poetry, music, and visual art.

Spectrum gallery
$4
6:15 PM, Fri., 3/5
1:00 PM, Sun., 3/6
10:00 PM, Sat., 3/6
Latecomers admitted

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 7- Wanderlust

2010-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

This one comes to you from NYC. When we claim to have a pretty big deal performing arts festival here in the 'No, we mean it. People come here from across the country to be part of this. Rock on.

Martin Dockery will be performing his theatrical monologue at The Million Too, right next to The Million Elephant. Just watching the little video clip on the Wanderlust web page it looks pretty amazing. Check it out:

$7
7:00 PM, Thu., 3/11
7:00 PM, Fri., 3/12
11:30 AM, Sat., 3/13
5:30 PM, Sat., 3/13

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 6: Eating Out, Rogue Festival

2010-03-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Gonna suppress all giggling about that until later, this isn't necessarily one of the Rogue performances, but it is one of those nifty blogs I was yammering about 6 hours ago. You need to eat, and you may even need to eat out *snicker* while you're in between shows, so Eating Out Fresno has jumped on this opportunity to review the dining of the Tower District just for the occasion. Snarky, fun, and not for those lacking in humor- this is a great blog to read anyway and promises to be an great guide to Rogue food.

(If you couldn't tell by the title, uh if you click the link it'll launch you into vulgarlanguageland, so uh, be warned. That is all, Fresno.)

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 5: Cisco Anguiano

2010-03-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

An LA native, Cisco Anguiano moved to Fresno last April. He's been playing guitar for four years and will be dazzling his audiences with a range of techniques on acoustic like tapping, percussion and harmonics. Just take a listen on his myspace page (linked above) and I'm pretty sure you'll agree that this is one show to put down in ink on your Rogue planner!

KP's Actor's Gym
1470 N Van Ness Ave Fresno, CA 93728
$2
8:45 PM, Fri., 3/5
5:00 PM, Sat., 3/6
7:30 PM, Thu., 3/11
Latecomers admitted

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 4: Pipe on the Hob

2010-03-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

Probably one of my favorite bands to listen to live here in Fresno, Pipe on the Hob is well known for their amazing Irish and Scottish music. They play a different set each show so if you happen to fall in love (and I warn you, you might!) you have more chances to hear them before the festival ends.

$4
6:15 PM, Sat., 3/6
10:00 PM, Fri., 3/12
7:30 PM, Sat., 3/13
Latecomers admitted

Spectrum – 608 E Olive Ave.

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 3: Burning Man and the Reverend Nuge

2010-03-03T02:00:00.000-08:00

Swiped from the Rogue Map, Burning Man and the Reverend Nuge is, "The magic and mayhem of one man’s journey from Pentacostal preacher to atheist street magician looking for enlightenment at the annual Burning Man festival in northern Nevada. CRITIC’S PICK - Cincinnati Citybeat, FABBY award winner- Orlando Fringe"

This looks pretty freakin' sweet guys. And look, he's totally happy to be coming here to a non-snowy place! Lets give him a great turnout for his Fresnenthusiasm!

Friday, 3/5 10:00 pm
Satrurday, 3/6 5:30 pm
Sunday, 3/7 1:00 pm / 5:30 pm
Friday, 3/12 8:30 pm
Saturday, 3/13 2:30 pm

More info: Minnesota Fringe

31 Hours of Rogue- Hour 2: Tony Blanco's Traveling Magic Show

2010-03-03T01:00:00.000-08:00

Do you need a little more Magic in your life? Check this out:

Tony Blanco’s Traveling Magic Show is a celebration of Magic, Mime, Storytelling and Circus Arts. Fresno’s Marvelous Magical Entertainer features a traveling magic show like those that traveled the roads during vaudeville times now with a modern twist. The show also features lots of family fun in which Tony has created a wonderful show that is an interactive program. Magic, Stories and Music are strong parts of his program which inspires young at young at heart.*

4:00 PM, Sat., March 6
8:30 PM, Sun., March 7
11:30 AM, Sat., March 13
5:30 PM, Sat., March 13

Dianna's Studio 826 North Fulton (Tower District)

60 minutes
Children Very Welcomed
$7.00 Tickets sold day of the show arrive at least 1/2 hour before the show to purchase tickets

Latecomers permitted within 15 Minutes

"Tony Blanco has a nice rapport with kids, no doubt about it. He doesn't treat them too sticky-sweet, but he's also not in any way curt or dismissive with them as he tries to inject a small dose of grown-up humor into the proceedings." Donald Munro - Fresno Bee

*As sent to me by the magical Tony Blanco himself!

31 Hours of Rogue: Hour 1- What is Rogue Festival?

2010-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

What is Rogue? Rogue is the time of the year when Fresno becomes saturated with performance art. Dripping with theater, oozing with music and overflowing with opportunities to support local (and not so local) artists and discover something new.

Admittedly, I haven't been involved with Rogue before. This is going to be the first year I'll be making it to performances, last year was the first time I'd heard of it but I had just had Mollie and I wasn't going anywhere. Pretty ridiculous though, that I didn't even know about this until LAST YEAR. Rogue is entering its 9th year.

Okay, so I was going to do a mega blogathon for 31 hours of Rogue and it was going to be crazy awesome.

But... life got in the way.

SO.

I'm going to share with you the awesome stuff people have been sending to me- trust me these are some performances you won't want to miss, and I'll also link to all of the other more on the ball bloggers as I see the stuff they're posting about. I had visions of interviews and vlogs and the like, but, you know.

You know.

In the meanwhile, check the blog for the next 31 hours because I will be posting all of the cool stuff on Rogue I can get my hands on as a pre-Rogue tailgate party!

Day 32, Week 4- The Iron Bird Cafe

2010-03-02T15:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so its new, and it hasn't had a lot of time to become a staple of Fresnawesomeness (a whole two days!), but I'm just going to throw this out there- I predict Iron Bird Cafe is going to be becoming my favorite coffee shop. And when I go for lunch, it might even make it up there near Cosmo if the food is as delightful as it looks on the menu! I wasn't even planning on blogging today, but this is definitely 31 days worthy.

I came in with my kids and they were so nice, despite the inevitable melt down my un-napped 3 year old had. (I know, right? Some day I'll learn just to stop leaving the house. For the record, he still hasn't napped.) I ordered a mocha and to my taste buds, deadened by repeated Starbucks offenses, it was a very rich and flavorful experience. This is the kind of coffee I want to be drinking while taking a Mom's night off- sitting at one of their tables or comfy chairs and reading "War and Peace". Or "Potty Training for Dummies", which is probably more believable of my reading list these days.

But what I really like about the Iron Bird Cafe, and what makes it bloggable is that it is located at the Iron Bird Lofts on Divisadero, another great reason to make your way downtown. The bottom line is this, folks. Unless we have places like Iron Bird breathing life into downtown and bringing first rate "uptown" style places into our downtown, we can kiss it goodbye. I know there is a large part of Fresno that is willing to do that and they've written the whole place off as a "do not enter" zone on their maps, but Downtown is one of our essential organs. If it fails, the rest of the ~~body~~ city is going to have a harder time functioning optimally. Moving everything further out North and ignoring the center of our city is like giving a mani/pedi to someone who is suffering from a heart attack. Extremities look great, but, well, damn.

We need to step it up and be sure to make these places that Dare to Downtown succeed because they're not just serving our need for coffee and lunch. They're supplying the heartbeat, lifeblood and oxygen to the rest of the city. This is what people see when they come to Fresno on business, for conventions, or are just taking a pit stop off of the 99. What we put within their reach will determine what they'll think of us when they leave, and if they'll come back.

That is what I, in just a few sips, have come to love so much about The Iron Bird Cafe, as well as all of the other business owners who believe in Downtown Fresno. Plus, they're open late. Later than Starbucks. (11:30 on weeknights, 1 on weekends. New hot date spot say WHAT?!)

**Edit**- I just went again, loved my mocha again (I should have tried something else, but I couldn't get the flavor out of my mind. You understand.) but found out that they're closing at 9:30 right now until they can determine that they have enough customers late. So get your coffee drinking butts down there this week in the evenings and make sure we make it known that there is a need for late night stuff downtown!

My Super Sweet Frewsnawesome Birthday!

2010-02-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I celebrated my 27th birthday, and I did it with some of the best that Fresno has to offer.

First, a few of my friends from NoTown dropped by for Burlycise (meaning 30 minutes of cardio that we couldn't wimp out on like we probably would have done if we had been on our own) and we now have... Burly's of Steel....

Then I headed over to KYNO to chat with Bill McEwen. KYNO is kind of a valley legend, playing top 40 when my parents were kids, and now it's a news-talk station. And its in a really cool building downtown- you can check it out for youself, KYNO and KJWL participate in art hop once a month. Bill McEwen was pretty great, I left there with a silly 'ol grin on my face.

Immediately I headed over to Cosmopolitan. What else do you do on your birthday when you find yourself downtown at lunch time? Declaring that calories can definitely spill over the daily allotment on my birthday, I ordered my dear and precious Cheddar Burger, and some sweet potato fries. (Yes, I do realize that the calories burned in Burlycize barely even covered the amount in the bun. shut up.)

Doug was wonderful and had taken the day off, so we enjoyed our lunch and then decided to give the zoo a shot, even though it was still pretty dark and stormy looking outside.

Best decision ever. If you ever want to get the whole zoo to yourself, go when it has just stopped raining. The animals were all active, the staff were ready to answer any questions because, hey- we had the zoo to ourselves, and the kids had a blast alternating admiring the animals with puddle-hopping.

Afterward we tried a new Mexican restaurant, La Kebrada. It was killing me knowing I had Mexican food within arm's reach but we hadn't tried it yet, so I told my whole family it was time to try something new. It was great!

La Kebrada has been open for about 2 months, they aren't serving beer yet, but that's just a matter of time. Its located on the corner of Belmont and Marks, and the inside is really cute, very clean and neat, with some really cool wooden table tops on the booths. I had to ask about the name, and it is after a place in Acapulco famous for cliff diving, which is where the restaurant owners are from.

I topped the evening off with my favorite drink at Teazer (Cherry Monks Blend, if you must know. Tastes like a cupcake!) and a teapot cookie, and my favorite photographer-wiz-kid, Jennifer Emerling. And now I'm basically still very full from all day yesterday, but also very happy. Probably one of the best birthdays I've ever celebrated, and all local! (Even my trip to Save Mart for formula technically fits that bill, since Save Mart is a Central Valley owned business!)

(Photo by Doug and his trusty Doug magic, of Cary and I hanging out and watching the orangutans do their orangutan thing.)

Hopefully this will hold you all over, I probably won't be blogging on Saturday, instead, look for my real blog to hit next Wednesday or Thursday. This one will take a little more effort and time and maybe just a touch of Fresninsanity.

Day 32, Week 3- Fresno is great for making healthy lifestle choices

2010-02-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

Obesity is a real problem in the United States and especially here in the San Joaquin Valley. It is affecting our children and youth more than ever and is causing major health problems for our adults. Clearly this is one of Fresno's greatest challenges.

Luckily, we also live in an area where it is easy to adapt to a new and healthier lifestyle- Fresno is made for outdoor play! In fact, it is one of the main components of the Fresno Brand Platform- California's Year-Round Playground.

Spring seems to hit Fresno a month early every year and lasts into May and those sunny and gorgeous days just beg to be played in.

Summers can be hot- and for a few weeks there in July and August downright scorching, but they're also great for evening swimming. Summer mornings are beautiful and perfect for a walk or run.

Our Autumn season seems to last for only a few fleeting moments when the heat turns down a notch in October, in a week of crisp but still manageable-in-a-t-shirt weather before the chill comes in. However- our Winters are so mild that they're really like Autumn everywhere else, so of course outdoor fitness is great all Fall and Winter too.

We have biking trails, walking trails, and playgrounds galore - just like adults, kids need that 30 minutes or more of physical activity!

Starting a new healthy routine can seem daunting, but Fresno also has several supportive communities to help get your program up and running- many of them free or cheap. Spark People is a huge website for calorie counting, tracking fitness and connecting with other people trying to lose weight, and SparkFresno is the official spark team of Fresno. They have meet ups monthly, and chat in message boards offering support and advice all for FREE! There are also always programs like Central Valley's Greatest Loser, Team in Training, and joining your local roller derby team *ahem* to get support and make friends while getting in shape.

But really, back on the roller derby thing- I know I harp on it a lot- its my passion- BUT there are all kinds of fun sports to get into here even as an adult. Rugby, Kickball, Roller Derby, Petanque, If you're game, there probably is a sport for you to play. If you love to ride your bike, you can find a likeminded community in iBike Fresno. We have great BMX Track at Woodward Park, too!

Trails, teams, and beautiful sunny days aside, there is one more reason why Fresno is conducive to making healthy changes, and I've touched on it before- the produce!

Everyone knows that the foundation of a good diet lies in getting full servings of veggies and fruit. We live somewhere where making this happen can never get boring. You can join a CSA if you're adventurous and want a variety of fresh fruits and veggies every week- even in the dead of winter your box will be filled with beautiful treats all in season and filled with nutrients that you probably can't even pronounce.

Finally, we're close to some of the most beautiful places in the united states for skiing, hiking, cycling and surfing. I don't like to point people out of Fresno, but in this case it can't be overlooked. Within a few hours you can be skiing Sierra Summit or hiking Half Dome. You can be enjoying the surf at the beach of your choice in anywhere from 2 hours to 8, try doing that in Iowa.

Sure, we have tasty hamburgers*, but we have the perfect places to work off the calories, whats not to love about Fresno?

(Photo stolen from... somewhere.)
*I am a firm believer in moderation not restriction. If I had to live life knowing I could never taste a cheeseburger again I probably wouldn't live long enough to see another day of Fiber One cereal. Fresno has definitely done me right on the healthy lifestyle front, i don't like to pay much for anything so the walking trails are a godsend. If you're looking to start down a healthier path but don't know where to start or need support I'm always down to be a buddy!
**I didn't mean to get all preachy or anything, I know there is nothing more irritating than an enthusiastic dork.

Day 32, Week 2- We're a Parade of Drunkards. I mean, we have busy weekends!

2010-02-12T23:41:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here on the cusp of yet another weekend where I can't possibly fit in everything that I want to do. This is something that always happens here in Fresno, and its almost every night of the week, not just weekends.

This weekend seems like its extra-filled with great stuff, though. First of all, my sweet little Mollie is turning one today. Last year, had I been blogging, I would have been singing the praises of the anesthesiologists of Fresno. Of course, to add to the crazy weekend is Valentine's Day on Sunday- these two non-Fresno related events are already making for a scheduling nightmare.

But then you bring out ALL OF THE STUFF TO DO on top of everything else, and well- you know how Hermione is able to be in multiple places at once in Harry Potter? Yeah, lets make that happen, please.

Specifically, I want to talk about two things that I think are awesome taking place this weekend.

First is the Wine and Chocolate Lovers Weekend. I'm sure that by now you've all heard that another highly reputable source has ranked Fresno on a list as the Drunkest City in America. Okay, guilty as charged- we have some kick ass wineries here, whats not to be drunk over? What I think is great about the Wine and Chocolate Lovers Weekend is that it is free, so if you know nothing about wine you don't have to spend your child's college fund to get a little taste of everything to figure out what you love. Its a little bit of Napa or Paso Robles, but without having to travel. And your designated driver doesn't get the fuzzy end of the lollipop either, its wine and chocolate. Everyone wins! The Doug and I are hoping to find a sitter for just a few hours to be able to hit up a few of the spots and taste a little bit of Fresno's best. You can also get seats on their wine trolley so you don't even have to worry about getting from place to place.

Also happening this weekend is the annual Mardi Gras Parade in Tower. I'm a sucker for parades, they're so much fun and they bring out all kind of folk from all over the community to come and see the floats and feel the excitement. If you have never made it out to the Mardi Gras parade, you should definitely check it out. It starts at 1:00 and it goes through the entire stretch of the Tower District along Olive. The floats are made by different local organizations, and it is always so cool to see what different clubs, sports teams and activities there are here. (to add further to the scheduling issues) I'll be out there with my NoTown girls skating around throwing beads and candy and meeting as many people as possible. If you make it out there, be sure to say hi if you see me! Free hugs!

These are just two of the things that are filling up my weekend, but there are always a million other things happening. I love that Fresno is a city where there is just no excuse for boredom. You're just making excuses for the sake of making excuses!

(Photo is the flyer for the event. Totes cute!)
(Okay so I'm the girl who needs the wine education. I'm a lot like the guy from Sideways who is all "Mmmm Oak-y"... What? I come from a long line of proud Franzia Boxed Wine drinkers, okay?!)

Day 32, Week 1. Creative Fresno

2010-02-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

I had never been to a Creative Fresno Creative Blender until last month. I don't know if it was the whole "bringing creative professionals together" thing that threw me off- after all, I'm a lot of things, none of them professional. I just had never thought to check it out.

Of course, now that I have I am in love.

(It happens to me all the time when Fresno is involved, I'm such a Fromantic. Okay. Maybe Fresno and Romantic are two words that weren't made to be mashed into one superword. Despite that, I still think that it's Fresnawsome.)

Creative Fresno is great because their whole reason for being is to make Fresno a place that we can be proud of, a place where "smarties" want to be. In addition to the Creative Blenders- which are mixers for these creative folk to make connections and bounce ideas around, held at a variety of locations around the city- CF is behind the Mural Project which brings all of that great public art to Tower and Downtown; Pecha Kucha Night, an evening of presentations made by designers to share their work; the re:FUSE festival, a showcase of Fresno's musical talent; and the Fresno Filmmakers Forum, bringing those who work in the field together. Basically, Creative Fresno has their hands in lots and lots of projects throughout Fresno's creative communities.

I like Creative Fresno because they do all of this without being pretentious. Its a laid back crowd who are all just really excited about the possibilities within Fresno. We live in a city on the verge, and CF recognizes this and is pushing it forward in a very real, tangible way.

(Photos taken by me at the February Creative Blender held on 2/5/10 at Twee Boutique.)
P.S. You'll notice its called "Day 32, Week 1"... That is how I'll be dealing with these weekly postings from here on out. Its gonna be a whole year of Day 32, because I like it to be a little on the ridiculous side. Then next January we'll see how things reinvent themselves!

Day 32- The Great Thereafter.

2010-02-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

All month I've been asked "What happens on day 32?"

I guess an evaluation of the month that just passed. How did this project grow, was it a success? Did I learn anything about Fresno? About myself? Has anything changed over 31 days?

Well, I'm sitting in my GAGAbow and lurking on the Beehive and sipping blueberry tea, so not too much has changed on that front. But beneath the kanekalon hair and tasty tea breath I think there have been some pretty big changes.

On the Love for Fresno front, I started it because I defend my lady's honor when I can,and Fresno is a lady, but after really picking Fresno apart and getting into the meat of why I came back here after living somewhere "cool", it really intensified my devotion to seeing things through with this city and helping to make it a great place to stay. Talk about the mother of run on sentences. Yeesh!

I found a lot of like-minded people who are pretty passionate about Fresno, and I learned some really cool tidbits I didn't know before the 31 Days started- William Saroyan co-wrote Come On A My House? What?! How did I not know this?

I drove around town with more purpose- meaning I was scouring the businesses and buildings wondering how many of these places I've never been would have made it on my list had I known about them. Sounds like a challenge to me. A dare, even.

Aside from the Fresnobsession, it felt really great to write with a purpose every night. Granted, some nights I was pretty tired and would rather gnaw my arms off than have to figure out how to eloquently (or at least coherently) put my thoughts down. Overall, though, it was a wake up call to the excuse I've given myself for years for not writing more- I don't have time to do it. Hopefully I can keep that in mind and make some more time for what used to be my favorite pastime. I definitely know I'll be writing on this 31 days blog at least once a week. You can't keep Fresno in the confines of a month!

I'm really amazed at the response to the blog, and I want to thank everyone who is reading this for being so supportive.

I hope that I can keep up the same spirit of Fresno Adventure throughout the whole year, and I'd love if you could all direct me to some place I'd left off of my list. Number one best thing about Fresno? There is an endless supply of things to do, people to see, places to go. Send me there!

Now... time to go crochet for a few days straight- I didn't get to craft at all last month I was so Fresno-Focused!

Day 31- Fresno is full of people who actively work to make it a better place.

2010-01-31T09:29:00.000-08:00

As evidenced by how many people stepped up to the 31 Days of Fresno challenge, read along, commented and talked about it, Fresno has some amazing people living here who want things to be great. We are not a stagnant community, we're not interested in standing still, we're always looking for ways to breathe even more life into this place. Fresno is an easy place to make a difference because we do have that "Small Town Feel", anyone who wants to try something just needs to put the effort and heart into it and usually Fresno will show up. We have Pecha Kucha Night, Poetry Jams, and now kickball, all of these things because people took a chance on an idea to bring something new to Fresno. I love it.

I've heard its used as an insult that Fresno turns out in mass for new restaurant opening or new places, but how is that bad? We're curious, we see the shiny and have to check it out- it beats being wary of new things and never going, causing all new ideas and places to fail immediately. Or worse- no one trying new things at all.

We're in this city together, and ultimately the place you live is only as great as you make it. I'm glad that so many Fresnans* are up for the challenge.

Watch this video Ryne and I made to sum up our 31 days and explain how 31 Days of Fresno is going to continue on through the rest of the year. A hint- it'll take some participation on your part to make it work...

*What, a girl can't link to her friends?

Day 30- Fresno is a place where things are made.

2010-01-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

On the Fresno flag, one part of it is agriculture, another sunshine, and the other part shown is industry. I didn't think it would be fair to that very important side of Fresno to make it 31 days without giving a nod to the cool stuff that is made here.

Pelco is the obvious company to mention first- you can find Pelco's systems all over the world, and you also see license plates all over Fresno that read PLCO. Its pretty huge, and even with the lay offs and hits that the economy has given it, it is still one of the most recognizable brands out of Fresno.

That said, I want to talk about a company that isn't as well known (which I can't understand why...* ) Keiser Sports and Health Equipment. Keiser manufactures fitness equipment, and the whole process from engineering to shipping the pieces out is done here in Fresno. Keiser was started in 1976 by brothers Dennis and Randy Keiser, and if you wanna talk about real smarties, well, I can't even seem to make my own breakfast but every year it seems like there is a new piece of pneumatic-awesomeness, or an addition to the pre-existing awesomeness that the duo and their engineering team come up with.

Worldwide Keiser is becoming a major force in the fitness world (force... that's funny because they sell a force machine.) and being recognized for its merits- being able to train consistently because there are no weights, its all pneumatic, the minimal equipment needed because, well its all pneumatic, and gosh golly gee, the inherent safety of using it because its... okay you get the picture, pneumatic. No weights dropping on your foot!

Keiser has been putting Fresno on the map in fitness equipment, LT uses Keiser equipment** (That's right, I know enough sports lingo to know that LT isn't just a sandwich missing its most important ingredient...) and the M3 bikes are selling like (lowfat) hotcakes because it does one thing so many other stationary bikes don't do- it S'sTFU! Its quiet, its smooth, its like riding a bike through butter (Margarine? Olive Oil?) and its just plain pretty. And, hot damn, its all Fresno. Also interesting, Keiser hasn't fared too poorly during the recession, a lot of their business is overseas in Spain and China.

I worked for Keiser for a year, and it was just so cool to see the process of manufacturing these things and becoming aware of the fact that everything we use is somehow part of someone's livelihood. I had never considered that side of things even though my dad has worked in the field his whole life. I really started to appreciate all of the small locally run businesses that operate out of downtown Fresno and how they work together and help each other out.

I think that this is one thing I love the most about industrial Fresno, they buy each others products, they support one another, and they take care of Fresno by using those downtown buildings. Fresno Tent and Awning operates out of the first brewery in Fresno, and they are so proud of that fact and of their place.

I was only a receptionist, so you know, my real knowledge of the manufacturing of stuff is pretty limited (as proven by my use of the technical term "stuff"- I put warning stickers on parts for machines when the phones weren't busy- that's how I got my hands in.) but it is one thing that Fresno can and should recognize. We have so many men and women working behind the scenes on things that people the world over can appreciate and use- Fresno plays a major part in protecting important places and also in training elite athletes in major sports***, among the thousands of other businesses in Fresno with equally important and wide reaching work, which I think we should really take immense pride in.

(Picture from Keiser's web site.)
*Seriously... come ON local gyms- this is top notch equipment with great customer service and like, the best bearded guy to supervise the assembly aspect, like, ever. I can testify that there is a lot of care and attention put into this stuff, but would you expect any less from a Fresno company? We're hard workers. Buy local!
**11 seconds into the video you can see some hot Fresno-made action.
*** DREW BREES. Major, like superflippinbowlmajor.
Super PS- this was mostly typed with a sleeping 1 year old in my left arm, so please excuse any glaring errors, I'll fix 'em as soon as I've regained use of all of my typing appendages.

Day 29- Woodward Park

2010-01-29T00:45:00.000-08:00

I haven't covered enough North of Belmont this month, so I really am excited to make day 29 all about one of the most beautiful places in Fresno, Woodward Park.

Located, as I like to say it, way the hell out there at Friant and Audubon, Woodward is always worth the drive for me. (Which has been shortened thanks to the 180 which comes right to my doorstep- takes me 12 minutes if traffic is nice!)

The beautiful rolling hills, the calm water, the evil geese*- its all part of the Woodward Park experience. Woordward park has been a place to party, a place to relax, a place to enjoy music and performing arts, and I won't lie, a place to make out. Oh come on , you know you've had more than a few dates there! The picnic, the stroll through the park, the secluded romance of the whole thing makes for a perfect date spot. (Until all of the Clovis Unified cheer squads invade your peaceful spot to take their team photos. Its hard to fall in love to the sound of hundreds of UGGs being removed.)

The Shinzen Gardens are an extra special part of the park, and my favorite thing about Woordward. I love the trees and the colors. The whole thing is maintained so beautifully and created to be a real meditative and tranquil experience. Plus, koi are the coolest fish ever.

The trails that go through the park are wonderful, they overlook the San Joaquin River below and are a lovely way to get in those darned recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day.

I've seen my fair share of concerts there- Kiss Country always blows my mind with the acts they bring in for the $5 concert series- remember seeing Billy Currington when he was just an (adorable) opening act? I remember going as a kid and dancing with my mom to oldies cover bands during the concerts in the park. I can recall the smell of the late summer in Woodward Park even now, in winter. Dust and those silvery green weeds that grow all along the parking area for the concerts, kind of bitter, kind of sweet, but completely comforting.

Another cool thing that happens at Woodward is the Woodward Shakespeare Festival. Theater out under the sky, classic works brought to life all summer long here in Fresno. What better way to get our kids and youth started on these pieces (That they'll have to read anyway in English class) than to see them performed by enthusiastic, passionate and talented actors here in Fresno? Love it.

No matter how you look at it, Woodward is a place where good memories are made in Fresno. Even if the Geese are completely nuts.

(photo from Shinzen Garden website)
*I once got bombarded by geese, hissing and honking at me for bread or blood, so my date and I jumped up onto a picnic table, only to be completely surrounded by a sea of angry feathers. Some kindly bicyclist managed to get their attention off of us and we scampered away. I never followed through on it though, I hope he survived.

Day 28- A place to put your roots down

2010-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's getting close to the end of the month, so the topics I've considered a lot more work or more personal have all been pushed to the last few days here. That said, tonight is going to be on the personal side- it is probably the number one reason that I love Fresno so much.

Both of my parents have families that have been in Fresno for generations. My Dad's parents started out in Oklahoma and moved to Madera in 1946 when my grandpa was out of the Navy, and then they moved to a house on Clovis Avenue in 1957.

My maternal Great Grandmother came to America from Russia in the Early 1900's. Our family are Volga German, a colony of Germans who lived in Russia along the Volga River. Catherine the Great brought them into Russia, promising them that they could live according to their German traditions, but when she passed the promises were no longer kept and the Germans started to immigrate to America. A large group of Volga Germans have settled in Fresno since they first arrived in 1887, and with them, my family.

My Great Grandparents Mollie (Bitter) and Jack Lust bought the land that I live on now in 1935, and started out with just a shack that was already here. Their whole house was the space of my living room, and my grandma remembers that there were gaps between the slats of wood. In time, they added on and built up the house, and it became the house I live in today in 1947. The photo I used today is of the cement in our back yard that has PB 7-46 written into it by my great grandmother's brother, Peter Bitter. We just remodeled the bathroom and found remnants of the original wallpaper behind the sheetrock, and in the cabinets, my great grandpa's signature.

Something I've heard often this month has been that people love Fresno because it is a place they chose to live out of everywhere else in the world. I'm so glad that Fresno has that same draw as a place to put down roots now as it did when both sides of my family were looking for a place to settle. My roots are so deep now that even if I were to move (gasp!) I'd never be able to fully leave, nowhere else would feel like home. I love Fresno because it is a place where generations of families stay by choice and add on to their family histories from the still bountiful Central Valley. I think it makes for a rich and beautiful chapter in my family's story.

I wanted to end today's topic with a few of the quotes from people who have decided to make Fresno their home.

Bill Sidhu

Grew up in London lived in Washington DC, been to Paris Rome Madrid too many to name all..... and Fresno was my CHOICE

Petra Wolf

From Hamburg, Germany straight to Fresno...15 years ago. I really got to like this town!

Ryne Santos (From his Heck Yes Fresno Tumblr!)

I’m technically not a native of the city. I was born in San Diego as a US Navy child; thus I’ve lived everywhere with San Diego yielding the fewest years I’ve stayed in one area at approximately 2 years. I’ve also lived in Guam (5 years), Adak, Alaska (2-3 years), Bremerton, Washington (3 years), Yokosuka, Japan (4 years), and now this is the longest I’ve ever been grounded in one place at 8 years and counting.

Glad all of you decided to put down roots!

(Photo by me, of my concrete.)
(We named our daughter Mollie after my Great Grandma. I really wish she would have hyphenated her last name, how cool would the name Bitter-Lust have been?)
(I love hearing about how people ended up here- every family has their own story, please share yours with me in the comments!)

Day 27- Vintage, Vintage Everywhere!

2010-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has ever seen my wardrobe probably has noticed one major trend- I don't really shop very often. I think half of my closet is roller derby t-shirts*, a good quarter is outlandish outfits I might wear once a year- you never know when a Marilyn Monroe dress, a gypsy scarf-skirt, or a Final Fantasy Tactics White Mage** cloak might come in handy. Or hot pink cowboy boots.

That last quarter is blissfully vintage. I say blissfully because that stuff just doesn't wear out, and when you hate looking for new clothes as much as I do, this is really important.

Truth be told, the only stores I haven't hyperventilated in, had a nearly-homicidal episode, or broken down and bawled my eyes out in the fitting room have been vintage shops. Its easier to blame something not fitting on the "weird sizing they used back then." instead of late night chocolate chips and popcorn.

Fresno luckily has some awesome vintage and secondhand shops.

Yoshi Now! is kind of a paradise for anyone who collects and appreciates funky old junk. I love going in and seeing what awesomely weird stuff they've brought in since my last trip. It almost feels like a pop-culture history lesson going in and seeing the tables, chairs, dishes, and clothes upon clothes upon clothes that fill this emporium of the retro. A very cool thing about Yoshi Now! is that they're more than just a crazy vintage shop, they're also a venue and a flea market. Several times a year, they open up their parking lot to anyone who has something to sell to set up shop and peddle their wares for free. FREE, FOLKS! They always provide live music from some of the coolest bands in town, hold raffles and make it more of an event that a flea market. In addition to that awesomeness, my girlcrushfavoritepersontoeverholdaukulele*** always makes sure to do a quick set at Yoshi before she performs a full set elsewhere when she makes a tour stop through Fresno. Why? Because she, a world traveler, thinks that Yoshi is just the coolest.

Just down the street from Yoshi Now! is a whole block of thrift stores on Van Ness. I like to hit these up when I'm looking for a particular item, if you have no luck at one, at least there are many more racks to comb!

Okay, now I'm going to interrupt day 27 with a soapbox-y rant. Bear with me. I love Retro Rag in Tower District. It was my first experience with vintage clothing, and I still have the first vintage shirt I ever bought there- a lavender T shirt that says "50 isn't old... if you're a tree" on it. What? I was 16 and I thought I was clever. I like that it is more of a boutique than other vintage shops, and they carry new clothes -a great way to compromise with a shopping buddy who never buys anything pre-owned . What I don't like is news I just got from Corie, my favorite Retro Rag employee- that they're having a hard time in this economy. I know I'm definitely not shopping like I used to- which was already pretty rare- but the thought of a Fresno without Retro Rag is almost unbearable.

I don't know if you guys are familiar with the 3/50 project, a national campaign to save mom and pop stores by asking people to identify which places would be sorely missed if they closed their doors forever. From that list, you're encouraged to choose 3 places and spend at least $50 a month among those, putting money back into the local economy and saving your favorite haunts. Money is tight, but if everyone even dropped in to their favorite shops or restaurants and spent 10 dollars that would be something. We're all in this community together and we need to ensure that these places that add local flavor survive this economically bad time. Retro Rag isn't the only place affected by the economy, many of the staples of the Olive strip have been seeing decreased sales.

Where would you miss? When was the last time you stopped in?

/rant.

*Whew* it feels good to get that off my chest. Buy Vintage. Buy Local. Love Fresno!

(Photo Credit to Ryan Smith/The Collegian. Google Image Search is a lifesaver! )
*Not for the faint of heart. Derby Girls have a warped sense of humor. Just sayin'. Don't say I didn't warn you.
** Shut up it was a long time ago. But I did a SUH-weet job on it. My ex had the matching boy version. You can all geek out appropriately now. Or just shake your heads and unfriend me on Facebook.
***If you were too lazy to click the link, Its Uni and her Ukelele. Shame! You're missing out on playsuits and muppetesque puppets and ultimate cuteness!

Day 26- Fresno is a great place to raise kids

2010-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've said it before, but let me echo that I am so happy to be bringing my children up in Fresno. There are a lot of kid friendly programs and places and a whole lot of support for moms.

I'm fairly new to the mommy scene here (Almost 3 years) but I've been impressed with all of the things my toddler could be doing on any given day. There are toddler soccer classes, play groups, dance classes, and much more that I haven't even unearthed yet.

There are some great parks and trails in Fresno and the Fresno area. We go to to the park at Clinton and Brawley all the time because it has great play equipment and is covered, plus it's close. When I'm more motivated to buckle the kids up and go for a drive out to Clovis, I love taking the kids out on the Clovis trails, which have a bazillion parks dotting the way.

And of course, the zoo membership has kept me sane and my kids busy for the last year and I look forward to many more years of membership.

Also cool is Central Valley Moms. Part blog, part forum, part AWESOME, CV Moms is a way for moms in the valley to connect, share and get through this adventure called parenthood together.

Like I said, I'm relatively new to the parenting scene in Fresno, so what do you like to do with your kids? Where do you find support?

(Image of my son Cary playing at a park in Clovis off of the trail. Taken by the paparazzi.)

Day 25- PANCAKES.

2010-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

I like to think with my tummy, and my tummy thinks that Fresno has some pretty fantastic breakfast spots.

Oh come on, you know you wish you could have breakfast every meal. Don't act like I'm the crazy one for making Pancakes a reason to love living in Fresno.

I have to say my big super ultra mega top pancake experience comes from Batter Up. You can basically put anything they have in their pantry in a pancake. In the morning everything is just static to me, but I can always very clearly hear my husband when he says "Mumfubuzzmmuuhmmnnnhhuyushhhhmmmmzzzz Bacon cheddar pancakes?" Uh yeah, do velociraptors get repelled by grape juice? (Answer is: Probably. Very likely.) Their short stack consists of two pancakes the size of my head. Maybe even the size of Doug's head. Also, they're kid friendly, they have a chalk board in the corner for kids to go nutZ on and then come back to the table covered in fine pink and blue and green dust for optimal enjoyment of pancakes.

Mak's Landing in the Chandler Airport gets a close second, though. Once again, pancakes the size of the plate that turn into sumptuous morsels of doughy syrupy joy, but with the really cool added bonus of getting to watch planes land and take off just outside the window.

For the fine-dining pancaker, of course there is Patio Cafe in Fig Garden, which in addition to perfect pancakes has some of the best dang omlettes ever. The atmosphere reminds me of having breakfast at a restaurant on the coast... casual but at the same time really special. And I'm pretty sure you should order a mimosa with your pancakes. Why not? Be sure to click the link, you're gonna love the music. I'm finding myself swaying back and forth muttering "Pancake" in a very seductive, Barry White way.

Everyone has a place they go for those pancakes that haunt their dreams, where do you pancake it up?

(Photo by me of a Batter Up masterpiece!)
(I know you're questioning my judgment on the whole bacon cheddar pancake business, but don't knock it until you've tried it.)

Publish Post

Day 24- Luftenburg's Bridal

2010-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

I just got home from the wedding of two wonderful people, so I decided to dedicate day 24 to newlyweds Shelby and Doug MacNab and make the theme of the day a bridal one.

Luftenburg's is a triple threat, made of win on every front. It's in the Fulton Mall. It has been in business for 67 years (as evidenced by the kick ass signage). It's locally owned and not part of a chain. I love it because its such a staple of the Fresno wedding experience and it has been that way for so many brides throughout the years.

I found my dress there*, I told them what I wanted and somehow they pulled the image I made up in my fantasy world out into reality for me. No, really, I think they have a Kim's Fantasy World Portal there. It wasn't even out on the racks, they said it had "Just come in"... yeah, a likely story.

My mom and I made every trip down there an adventure and we'd sample all of the restaurants and stop in at the shops along Kern, it really made the experience unique and special and very, very Fresno.

My sister will be getting married in October and after hitting up all of the shops in town, she found the perfect dress there, as well as great service. I'm hoping she decides that she wants to get the bridesmaids dresses there too just so I have more excuses to go in.

I worry that people might be hesitant to shop there, its not all ritzy glamor like many of the other shops in town are. I can say that the times I've gone in I've had such a positive experience with the staff and they way they worked with me that I recommend it to everyone to at least go and check out while hunting for the perfect gown. If nothing else, it'll get you downtown and give you the ideal opportunity to stop a few blocks away at Cosmopolitan afterward for a tasty sandwich. Mmm, or hit up the farmers market. Ooooh, or drop in down the street at Teazer. Lets face it, Luftenburgs is just a great bridal shopping destination that gives you all kinds of excuses to get your grub on.

And really, isn't that what life is all about; trying on pretty things and then chowing down, while basking in the glory of supporting mom and pop businesses?

(Photo pilfered from The Luftenburg's website)
(CONGRATS SHELBY AND DOUG!)
*Okay, so maybe that marriage didn't last, but that dress was A-MAZING. And I've gotten plenty of mileage out of it, and always looking for more chances to put it on. Seriously. It has a hoop skirt and everything, I feel like Little Bo Peep. And you know, the other good thing about the location is that its right by the county clerk's office, so you're probably gonna end up downtown ANYWAY, might as well shop there, too.

Day 23- Central Unified School District

2010-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

I wouldn't feel right ending 31 days of Fresno without putting Central Unified School District in there somewhere. (I can hear my husband groaning already. Clovis, what can you do?) As a Central High School Alum*, I'm pretty proud of the little district that could.

I'm not the only one in my family though that went to Central- my mom was a Grizzly, as were my grandparents (Sweethearts!). Right now we're living so close to Madison Elementary, where my Grandma was a student, and then my mom and aunt were students. I am so excited for my kids to start kindergarten and be 4th generation Central kids.

I also experienced Central from a different perspective, I worked for a few years as an aide with the After School Program at Madison. I loved it even more when I saw behind the scenes and got to know the teachers and administration. Fate and a lot of chaperoned field trips has made my dad close friends with most of the science department at Central West, and I've been able to see how much heart they all put into their jobs as teachers.

I remember as student the teachers who went that extra step, and they're still some of my favorite people. Heck, even the teachers who I didn't like were probably great in retrospect, they just taught crappy subjects. Not their fault that they were good at math and made a career out of it.

I know this is probably pretty universal, though. There are a lot of great things to be said for Fresno Unified, and I'll even cave just this once and admit that my husband's alma mater Buchanan, and Clovis Unified are pretty great too. We have educators who work with shrinking budgets and dwindling paychecks and yet still bring their love of learning and passion for what they do with them every day into their classrooms.

Karen Marguth posted this**, and even though it is about Fresno Unified, I think it really speaks to all of Fresno; "Working as a teacher in the Fresno area means that you are helping to make a difference where it's really needed. You are a part of something important, at a time and in a place where so many lives can be improved."

So, to the educators and administrators of Central Unified and beyond, I applaud you. You're doing a great job.

(Image from Central Unified School District's website.)
*Yes, that is from my sophomore yearbook. Yes those are pull tabs from soda cans in my braids. No, I do not regret the Payless knock off Doc Marten wannabe boots with sparkly nail polish over the black fakey leather and the "Goddess" laces. The Zac Hanson braids may have been a bit much, though.
**January 2nd in the comments on my blog for the day.
(Also, if I don't blog tomorrow, its because Doug killed me for putting that link up to... wait... I guess you'll have to click it to figure out the mystery of the missing Burly. Also also wik- Bowl cuts are hot.)

Day 22- Fulton Mall Art and Architecture

2010-01-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Have you been down to the Fulton Mall lately? No? Why not?

Its worth the drive downtown just to check out the public art and the cool buildings. I didn't realize how cool until this summer when the Downtown Associaton had a viewing of a film from the 1960's called "A City Reborn" and there was an awesome walking tour of the mall before the film was shown.

Did you know we have a sculpture by Renoir? Like, the Renoir? Its one of only 6 in the world like it, and of those six, its the only one you can actually go up to and touch. Pretty rad.

Stan Bitters, an artist who has pieces at the mall, is apparently a distant relative of mine, and every time I go to the mall, my mom reminds me of this. Its a good thing I like his art.

People always say Fresno doesn't have the skyline of a big city, and our buildings don't wow them, but I think that many of the buildings on the Fulton Mall are beautiful and definitely wow-worthy. The details that were put into the design to make these buildings stand out blows me away. The extent of my architecture knowledge is solely from reading The Fountainhead, so I don't think I can really say much beyond "Ooooh pretty!" But I can direct you to The Downtown Association's Historic Buildings, and awesome Fresno Architecture Blog, Arc Hop.

I love These buildings, and the history behind them. I hope someday we can take care of our mall and bring back that vision in the 60's when the mall was a hub of entertainment and community activity. I wish I could have seen it in its heyday.

(Photo by me of the Bank of Italy building.)

Day 21- Tacos!

2010-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

I may not be the top taco connoisseur in Fresno, but my tummy knows a thing or two about tasty tacos in the Fresno area. It seems like almost every shopping center has at least one Mexican restaurant, which is fine by me- and there are always new places springing up to try out. There are a few stand out taco places here though that I'd like to mention in particular in my ode to Fresno's tacodom.*

Al Rico's Taco's on Ashlan and Marks was the first place I fell in love with aacos. I was in high school and my boyfriend and I would walk there and nomnomnomnomnom the heck out of their 2x$1 deal. Now the price has gone up to $1.25, but its still a steal- and they're open til 10- in fact my husband is trying to talk me into driving there as I type this.

Chris' Meat Market on Kern downtown is another delicious destination. How many 4 AM adventures ended up there when I was still cool enough to be out until 4 AM? Too many tacos to count, my friends.

My Husband got me hooked on Tacos Tijuana on Ventura- another midnight cravings place with some incredible food. Killer carne asada.

I know there are many, many more, but quite frankly I'm fried from the wee one crying (its bedtime) and I'm thinking about nipping out for a taco myself. Share your favorite taco haunts! Tacos make the world go round and are part of the yummy side of Fresno!

(Found the image on Ebaums world. Couldn't resist posting it. You know how that goes.)
*This is just a quick overview, I wasn't even planning on doing tacos today until I started thinking about how badly I want one! If you wanna know more about any of these places your best bet is just to go. Tacos are dirt cheap, anyway so its not like you'll be out anything and you can check "Taco Adventure" off of your bucket list.

(Also, there's a new place that just opened on Belmont and Marks, anyone been yet? I'm planning on going very soon to check it out! Tacos that are within an arms reach? (if I had 2 mile arms) YES PLEASE!)

Day 20- The Tower District

2010-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Tower District once was described by one of my friends as "the only place in Fresno that has a scene." While I don't completely agree that its the only place, that has stayed with me through many years- well, at least long enough that I've forgotten who said it. The truth to that statement is that Tower really does have its own flavor, attitude and feeling. Driving down Olive you can perceptibly feel the atmosphere change as you get closer and closer to the Tower Theater- that beacon of what I would consider to be Fresno's live entertainment district.

I wanted to save Tower for later in the month because it really is just such a big undertaking to do it justice, however, here at day 20 I'm no more prepared to gush about all of the great things Tower has to offer than I was on the first. With no clue which direction to take first- art, food, music, people, events.... I'll begin with the strongest statement I can make about the Tower District and how I feel about it in relation to Fresno: If a friend were visiting Fresno for the first time, I would take them to Tower first.

I would like people who have never seen Fresno to at least leave with thoughts of a street lined with (mostly) locally owned businesses, beautiful public art and fun people in their mind.

Tower has everything that I look for in places I go to visit. I realized this while my family was vacationing in Morro Bay last weekend. All of the places we all go nuts for over by the coast are here in Tower, but better and less tourist-generic. No seriously, just for one example; my dad will go to the coast, not to see the waves but to buy as many cheap albums on vinyl as he can convince my mom that he needs, never mind that we have an awesome record shop here as well as all kinds of thrift shops to check out.

I am very proud of the Tower District. I love when there are parades and people line the streets to watch and celebrate whatever the occasion is together. I love the sit down dinners and the on-the-go options. I love that, in the rare event that my husband and I get a date night, we can always find something to do- sometimes its hard to choose between the venues. I love that there are always a handful of people that I've never actually seen sober, but can be counted on to be in the Livingstones patio. I really love that I can get a yummy coffee drink or a delicious tea- or both, one in each hand if my mood dictates. The Tower may not be the only place with a scene, but the scene there is definitely exciting and unique and one that I wish I could spend more time in.

What do you love about the Tower District?

(Photo credit to the absolutely awesome Joe Osejo. Who rules? Joe rules. For realz.)
(I hope all of the places I linked to are still open, its hard to tell with the way places keep closing thanks to the economy. Makes me sad!)

Day 19- Yogi Shalom

2010-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has taken a yoga class at Fresno City or Fresno State in the last 30 years probably is familiar with the voice of Yogi Shalom filling the room from his recorded hatha yoga sessions. The founder of Yoga of the Old Masters and The Yoga Center here in Fresno, Yogi Shalom has dedicated his life to helping other people find balance and live healthy lives. He's all the proof that you need: he practices what he preaches and it gets the results he promises, at almost 88 years old he's in better shape than most twenty-somethings I know.

If you've ever been to one of his classes at The Yoga Center, you're familiar with the comfortable, comical atmosphere that he brings with him wherever he goes. More times than I can count he's cracked jokes before class starts, or sometimes in the middle of a session, but it never detracts from the relaxing feel of the class. In the last year he's stopped making the bi-weekly trek down from Auberry to teach, but he's still living a holistic lifestyle and spreading the gospel of Yoga and healthy eating from his yoga studio he's set up in his home.

Something that makes Fresno super-ultra-mega-rad in this situation is that the local learning institutions have been using their yoga curriculum from someone who is also from the community instead of ordering yoga sessions from somewhere else.

I also probably should mention here that Yogi Shalom is also known as Charles Schoelen, or in other words, my grandpa. This makes day 19 special for two reasons- one being that I absolutely love yoga, the Yoga Center and his CDs, and two being that Fresno is a place where my whole family lives, and that makes Fresno important to me. This is a place that he and my grandmother chose to settle down with their family, and I am so happy that they did. I love a city that supports their local yogis!

(Photo from The Yoga of the Old Masters website. So are these photos:

Totally awesome. Yeah, can YOU do that? Well, you can if you do yoga, I guess...)

Day 18- Central Valley Talk

2010-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

I'll admit, I really had never watched much Central Valley Talk up until a month or two ago. I didn't know it existed.

Now that I've been educated in the awesomeness I tune in at random throughout the day to see what I can see, and I think its is just too cool. People who aren't necessarily career TV personalities have a major voice here and do a great job hosting shows that cover parenthood to Fresno nightlife.

What strikes me as 31-days-worthy is the dedication the hosts of the show and people who make it happen behind the scenes have to Fresno, the various 'scenes' in town and promoting the things that make Fresno rock. If you're having a hard time figuring out what bands are up and coming, which events are going to be hot, or what the meaty issues are in Fresno, chances are you'll be able to hear about them on CVT. I've had the opportunity to go the Central Valley Buzz with Chuck and Joey and just from hanging out in the studio with them I've come away feeling like my Fresno IQ is higher- they know exactly whats going on in town, down to what kind of hot dog to order at Tower Dogs!

These shows regularly bring in local artists, musicians, poets, and weirdos like me and give them a chance to get their name, ideas or product out there. What an opportunity!

Central Valley Talk is on Digital Channel 33.1, or can be viewed on their website at any time. For more information on CVT and who they are go here. And then watch a broadcast, or just listen, but either way, check it out. I didn't know it existed until a few months ago and I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people who have yet to hear about it so spread the word and let your friends know about this awesome locally produced media gem.

(Photo is from another PRT SCRN magic trick I did, because I can crop. Watch on the web and you'll likely see this same image!)

Day 17- Tri Tip

2010-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Anyone from Fresno has probably at least once experienced the confounded look on an out-of-towner's face when talking about tri tip. This is fairly common- the use of this cut of meat wasn't really done for much other than ground beef up until the 50's when some smarty in Santa Maria decided that it was the best cut of meat ever and it should be enjoyed.

Though it is gaining popularity, tri tip is still mainly found along the central coast and ding ding ding! Right here in Fresno and the valley.

Its so popular that everyone you know has the best recipe for the most tender and flavorful roast. My husband likes Pappys, my dad uses wine and garlic, my mother in law swears by local seasoning maker Raven. Its discussed at bar-b-que's out of hearing range of the host and shared on internet forums, where people from near and far all ask "Okay, so what cut is it?" Tri tip is definitely a tasty Fresno food, so how do you prepare yours?

Day 16- Huntington Boulevard

2010-01-16T00:48:00.000-08:00

Today is devoted to the second street in my 31 days- Huntington Boulevard.

Huntington is a beautiful, well loved and cared for neighborhood that is on the cusp of downtown and it is a beaming example of what taking care of our beautiful historic places can be.

I chose Huntington because I spent a year living in the condos at the end of the boulevard at R street. I loved walking it, with its full trees and homes full of character. I loved skating it when we were just starting to form a roller derby team and I had to prove to myself I still could stand up. I loved syaing hi to people as I went by, and there being an abundance of people to say hi to. Huntington is a very busy walkway, and its easy to see why.

As a kid we would always check out the lights along Huntington instead of Christmas Tree Lane because it was geographically closer to our house and we could walk it on any night we chose. I can still see my favorite displays even now years later in my mind.

A quick Google search turned up the Historic Huntington Boulevard website, which has a detailed history on the street, and it even gives a virtual tour of the neighborhood homes. Its wonderful to see a neighborhood that takes such pride in where they are and where they came from.

(Photo from the Historic Huntington website)

Day 15- Valley Burlesque Society

2010-01-14T23:59:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this is as opposite as two days can be from one another, but today I choose Valley Burlesque Society as one of Fresno's gems.

Most recently I saw VBS perform at the Fresno Beehive party, and the routines were great, a perfect combination of fun, tease and well, fun again.

Before you get all moral high-horsey on me and say "What? She chose stripping as one of her favorite things?!" I just want to clarify, burlesque isn't stripping. Its more of a playful and (mostly) tasteful removal of clothing. It brings back a lost art of waiting and anticipating but never quite seeing all that is there, leaving the best parts to the imagination. Its all in the tease.

Valley Burlesque Society teaches this art and holds performances several times a year, including participation in the Rogue festival. They welcome all women of any level of dance experience and body type, emphasizing that burlesque is for real women with real bodies.

What I love about this is that it is a way for the women of Fresno to feel empowered and sexy while being active. They don't require the Basics of Burlesque students to perform, though it is one of the perks, and students come away with knowledge of how to make a burlesque costume.

So next time someone complains that there is nothing cool to do in Fresno, point them to a Basics class, or one of their shows. I think they might change their tune before that first satin glove even falls to the ground.

(Image from the VBS website and blog.)
(What, you were expecting N00DZ? You'll have to go to the show!)

Day 14- Break The Barriers

2010-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite non-profit organizations in Fresno is Break the Barriers, a gym that integrates children (and adults!) of all abilities. What started as a backyard gym for Deby and Steve Hergenrader to work with disabled gymnasts has become one of the most unique and thriving organizations in Fresno, and in the nation.

That's right, folks, I said nation. The vision of Break The Barriers to integrate all levels of ability is one that is thus far not matched elsewhere.

And this gym is hoppin'. I find my way down there at least twice a week and there is always a buzz of activity and fun when you walk through the doors. In addition to gymnastics, BTB offers dance, sign language, martial arts, personal training and a brand new Wii workout program.

My son is in the Creative Movement and Tap class for 2 and 3 year olds and is actually just starting his 3rd term. It has been awesome watching him learn to listen to other adults and interact with other kids. I also go there to work with their personal trainer Lamont Nash and it has been a very positive experience for me- one that has lost me almost 13 lbs so far!

But all of these things are just a small part of what is so amazing about Break The Barriers. The other side of what they do is have a really kickin' performance team, The Barrier Breakers. The team has traveled all over the world bringing a message of ability awareness along with a great show.

Plus, they have some of the loveliest receptionists on the planet.*

I love Break the Barriers because they do so much for so many in Fresno.

(Photo from Break The Barriers webpage.)
*My sister is one of these receptionists. Of course she's lovely, she's related to me!

Day 13- Triangle Drive In

2010-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

I hate to use two pictures of myself in a row- but this is me in my natural habitat. Triangle Drive In is on Belmont right by the 99 and is one of my long standing reasons for loving this city. They blast KJewel, they have Coca-Cola memorabilia everywhere, the tables have green benches outside, and the burgers are fantastic.

I know, this is also the second hamburger to appear in my 31 days so that probably says a lot about me, but if you haven't had a jumbo cheeseburger from Triangle then I just really don't think you can judge me.

Triangle has been in business since 1963, situated on a triangular lot across from the cemetery and up the street from Motel Drive. Sure you might see the occasional pimp conducting his business, but really, you'd just be at home watching it on COPS anyway, why not get a live show? The milkshakes are worth it, as is the friendly service and food that hasn't slipped in quality at all since I've been a patron- a least 25 years- I know my parents were bringing me there as soon as I could gum french fries.

There aren't a lot of healthy options on the menu, but you can count your calories another day, the chicken burger is just too delish for that kind of nonsense. Plus, the breaded mushrooms rock and the clam strips are to die for.*

Its a great little spot, one where I always run into people I know, and one where I'm constantly bringing people to try. No one has left disappointed yet.

(Photo Credit to Jennifer Emerling. Burger credit to Triangle.)
* I'm super allergic to shellfish. I'm pretty sure that if the doctor ever tells me I have one day to live, I'm just going to have a Triangle clam strips bender and go out in a blaze of anaphyllaxis glory.

Day 12- Storyland

2010-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

I love Storyland.

It is such a cool place to go- gigantic mushrooms? Okay! A castle, a chapel, and the cutest bathrooms in the universe? Even better.

When I was a kid I was in a play there in the theater. I was there so often one summer, I remember thinking I was so cool like I was the queen of the kingdom. I was cool. I am cool.

Its great that I can still go and feel the exact same way as an adult as I did as a kid, the allure of brightly colored houses and stories being told at the turn of brightly colored keys is just too much. I can't resist going and feeling like a real fairy tale princess.

I love that there is this little enchanted oasis in the middle of our city that kids and adults alike can escape to and satisfy their need for fun, funky fairy tale houses and waist high fairy tale characters. Storyland is a real treasure and is something that I really love about living in Fresno.

(Photo by Jennifer Emerling. Photo of myself, Aurora Armijo and my sweet little Mollie still in the Belly. If you want to impress your best friends on their birthday, plan a picnic and head over to Roeding. After you've avoided/taunted/had your sandwich stolen by/run away from the geese, Storyland is the best. Ah, memories.)

Day 11- Produce and Agriculture

2010-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

I went to school for two years in Orange County and I never appreciated the abundance of produce in Fresno more. You'd think "Yeah, a county of oranges, SUH-weet!" about OC, but yeah... not really. I remember a lot of the produce I consumed was kind of... soggy. Maybe it was just dorm food (likely) but it was absolutely nothing like I was accostomed to. (Read as: spoiled by.) I became a total produce snob, when it was cantaloupe season I got offended that it wasn't as sweet. When it was time for grapes I was mad that they weren't as crisp but already well on the road to raisinhood.

The real kicker, though, was bringing home one of my boyfriends who was from Southern California to meet my family and see Fresno. We're driving along the 99 and he asks me "So are we going to see some grape orchards?"

Orchards, folks.

Now, I'd like to think that was an isolated event and not all SoCal folks are like that but even so I am proud to be from Fresno for the plain and simple fact that I can recognize with some level of accuracy the difference between vines and trees, and am able to identify them properly.

Its pretty bad ass, in fact, that all I'm going to need to do to tell my children about the food they eat is take them on a walk down our street. We'll be able to see apples, oranges, cherries, peaches, apricots, persimmons, lemons, grapefruit, strawberries, pecans, almonds, pomegranates, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs. And thats just between our house and my grandmother's house 3 doors away. Everything can grow here, we are able to enjoy delicious fresh fruit and veggies all year long in Fresno without even having to go to the grocery store. (Though we do, because that's how we roll in 2010.) Our farmer's markets are always full of seasonal delights, all it takes is driving, biking, or walking to one and BAM! You're in fresh produce heaven.

I'm pretty pleased that living in Fresno has helped me to be more aware of the origins of the stuff I put on my plate. And then shortly after its on my plate, into MAH BELLEH.

(Picture taken by me of the late Chairman Meow, inspecting the bounty of the land. He is pleased. May he rest in peace.)

Day 10- Fresno is a Faithful Place

2010-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Something that makes Fresno a unique place for me is its faith communities. I'm not just talking about the fact that you can find a church on every corner in some parts of North Fresno, either.

One of the things that I hear a lot from out of towners is the assertion that Fresno is the Bible Belt of California, and maybe we are, but I don't see that as a negative thing like their tone of voice implies. We have soul and spirit and faith. We have a huge cultural mix, which means that our collective religious environment is influenced by many backgrounds, styles of worship, religious practices and opportunities for spiritual enrichment. For the most part, these faith communities all get along and work together to make Fresno a better place. I worked at The Big Red Church for about 5 years and I saw a lot of this interdenominational and interfaith cooperation firsthand.

One look at the Church World Service CROP WALK Fresno page will tell you that multiple congregations come together for this annual walk to combat hunger and poverty. Every year it is hosted by a different congregation, past walks have been hosted by Memorial United Methodist, Islamic Cultural Center, United Christian Church and Westside Church of God. Click the links, I dare ya, you'll see four very different congregations- and those are just the hosts for the last 4 years!

Another collaboration of note between churches is Fresno Metro Ministry. From their website, FMM "is an ecumenical and interfaith non-profit engaged in community problem-solving, advocacy and community organizing around several primary community issues." Fresno Metro Ministries is very active in nutrition education and obesity prevention, cleaning up the air, and making sure that the city of Fresno is using its land wisely. Pretty cool stuff for a bunch of church people, if you ask me.

One of my favorite faith-based organizations is Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, or FIRM. FIRM helps refugees make Fresno their new home by providing employment services, working with the elders to help them pass the US citizenship test, advocacy and even community gardening. They work with 6,500+ Southeast Asian, Slavic and African refugees in the Fresno area annually. Its very cool to see everything a small non-profit is able to do in our community. I highly recommend volunteering some time or donating to FIRM, they're an absolutely amazing example of what our church communities can accomplish when they work together.

The youth of our city are also proving that getting along and celebrating diversity in Faith is possible with the Interfaith Youth Alliance. Coming up on January 23rd is their Concert for Unity, which will give patrons a chance to experience sacred music from Sufi, Hebrew and Christian traditions while supporting IFYA. Bullard, Hoover and Clovis East high schools even have interfaith clubs.

One more thing that happens every year that pulls in people from all over the Fresno faith map is coming up at the end of this month. The annual Taize Prayer Weekend is January 29th and 30th at University Presbyterian Church. If you've never heard of Taize, its a style of worship that comes out of the Taize monastic community in France. The music is simple and repetitive so that one can sink deeply into it and find a peaceful place to engage in prayer. Its a very different experience and one that is restorative and inspiring, and its pretty rad that here in Fresno we have a group of people who are passionate about sharing it.

For those of you reading this and going "Yawn, I'm not into fiction" Fresno has a, well, not faith community, but you know... a community for you too! Central Valley Alliance of Athiests and Skeptics is a group of people who, "believe that human rights and ethical questions are best examined from a human perspective, and that morality makes better sense when it is based upon empathy and sympathy for others instead of being based on blind religious dogma." (from the CVAAS website.) I appreciate that there is a secular group of people who are asking those questions and working together within our community, promoting a more positive view of Atheism. For many, Atheism is an important part of who they are and how they identify themselves, its great that there is a community to share that with.

As you can tell by the super extendo blog length, I've touched on one of my greatest passions, and one of the main things I love about living in Fresno.

(Photo by Frank Saxton of Earth Prayers, local photographer-philosopher.)
(I really really wanted to use the phrase "Fresno is a place to get your God on" as the title, but I refrained as some might find it offensive, even though it CLEARLY is awesome. So I'm putting it down here because no one ever reads the crap in the parentheses anyway.)

Day 9- The Beehive

2010-01-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

There are some seriously great blogs in Fresno, a whole lot of them, but one of my favorites hands down is The Fresno Beehive. Gossip, news, local interest, celebrity bashing, local celebrity bashing, humor and MADE OF WIN, the Beehive does it all.

It gets its readers involved (heck, it even gets all of those other cheeky bloggers involved, too!) and sometimes stirs up controversies and brings things to light that otherwise might go unnoticed.

I made sure to holla at the BH today because tonight they're celebrating their 5th birthday over at Full Circle Brewery in a gigantic bash that promises to be the party of the year. For free. Yeah, I know, how can you go wrong?

People get very involved with the Beehive, some of the comments in hot topics go on for miles and miles. I like seeing that kind of involvement from folks that are all over Fresno with completely different viewpoints.

I love reading the blogs on the Beehive because it shows the snarky sides of the writers of the Fresno Bee. Totally entertaining, very engaging, and better than reading a cereal box, I like to start my day off with some Fresno Beehive action. Scoopy's got my heart, what can I say?

(Picture from my to-do list. I mean, www.fresnobeehive.com)
(Its late, my kids are crazy and I'm a little loopy so if you have a blog that I didn't link to, please leave it in the comments. I may not even know about your awesomeness, and I'll have a whole new reason for not doing my laundry or dishes. Please give me more excuses to put off my cleaning. Please?)
(Also, check out Fresno Beehive's Facebook Page!)

Day 8- Chaffee Zoo

2010-01-08T00:45:00.000-08:00

Wild animals, beautiful vegetation, and all of the wonder and learning that comes with it- That is what I love about the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.

We go to the zoo all the time- when the weather is nice we go weekly. I have 2 kids under 3 years of age, the Chaffee Zoo is a lifesaver. It gets us out of the house, we can try out new words, practice our animal noises, and run a little wild ourselves. We have a family membership, and are beginning our second year as members. Even without a membership, its cheap entertainment, adults are $7, kids $3.50.

I personally love the cute little black footed cats, I could watch them all day. My son is a big fan of the "Oh-Fwents", and we have to head over to them first thing every time. The bird shows are great, the rainforest is amazing, the petting zoo is fun, even the gift shop is awesome.

The zoo is open almost every day of the year, they have fun after-hours things like Zoo Boo and Zoo lights, and my favorite part- in the summer they open an hour earlier for members. All summer long we still went weekly, but at 8 AM instead of 9. I absolutely love the wild side of Fresno.

(Photo taken by me, of my son, You can see my husband in the background, probably pretending to be with another family. I would if I were him.)

Day 7- Art Hop

2010-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking. ArtHop huh? Didn't you say you were gonna leave the art to the big leagues? Okay, so I lied. I am a crafter, but I do appreciate art. Fun Kim + Art story: I seriously just spent 10 minutes trying to write out ArtHop all fancy-like to use as a picture before giving up and settling on this map pilfered from The Downtown Association. I know my limits.

ArtHop is just cool, though. Local artists get a chance to shine. People who may not be comfortable just walking into a gallery on any other day have a chance to come out when they know there will be an event. It gets people involved as a community in the arts. Plus its art, who doesn't love art?

And its tonight! Get out, grab something artsy, some fancy tea or a latte from one of our local shops, and go hop it up. This is something that makes Fresno very unique and adds a bit of adventure to an otherwise mundane day of the week. I mean seriously, Thursday, WTF? Its not like it has a fun nickname like "Hump Day" Its just stuck between the hump and the fan favorite day, so go show Thursday some love and respect and get out and discover some of the incredible artists we have here in town.

(Photo by Google, via The Downtown Association, plus some clever Prt Scrn button magic. That's right I can crop, which is underrated as an art form, by the way. I got especially artistic with the one border on the side. Or maybe I just didn't notice it until now... You'll never know, I'll never tell.)

Day 6- The Evening Eclectic

2010-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

This is something I've only recently fallen in love with in the last year, but Day 6 definitely has to go to The Evening Eclectic on KFSR 90.7. I really fell in love, okay?

Now, I want to make it abundantly clear that I can shake my booty to Lady Gaga and The Jonas Brothers like any other ~~preteen~~ person, but when I'm looking for new music, local bands and commercial free radio, I find myself tuned in on weeknights.

What I like about listening to EE isn't the super duper indie-elite feeling I have after correctly identifying 3 bands in a row, even though that is a total bonus since I've never known how people stay on top of all of those bands. No, its the passion that each of the DJ's bring to their sets for the music, sharing backstory on the bands and sometimes even bringing in musicians to do live sets in the studio. They give local musicians a way to get their music out there, and they help people like me who don't get out very often keep abreast of the local music scene.

I also like that they post their playlists. Because so much of what is played is stuff I've never ever heard, its nice to be able to go back and say "Okay, I remember that song about the guy killing his kids*... so it was 3 songs after that..." My iTunes downloads went from just Imagination Movers and Blues Clues episodes to being totally cool and you know... indie. Now I'm that girl who when you get in the car with her you have no clue what is playing, but it sounds awesome. Thanks KFSR, you make Fresno sound great!

(Image is straight up swiped from KFSR's website, like I could make anything that nifty. Check their other programming, they have something for everyone, from Jazz to Bluegrass to Mediterranean-coming soon. Oh, and I really love that they play A Prairie Home Companion. Garrison Keillor rules.)

*This was playing on my way home from derby practice Monday night 9:30ish. I was like, "OMG THIS IS SO ECLECTIC!" and didn't fight the feeling. Of course, I think I may have seen this song as a free download at Starbucks so maybe its not the most indie choice out there. My favorite recent artist that EE has turned me on to is Thao with The Get Down Stay Down. Oooh and Kitty, Daisy and Lewis. And local band Wheels of Fortune. Awesome.

Day 5- The Cheddar Burger at Cosmopolitan

2010-01-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I was the most excited about day five of this project because it meant that I got to break my diet and order my favorite food in Fresno guilt free. (I did it for the greater good... right?)

I love Cosmopolitan. The food is excellent and consistently OMFGAMAZEBALLSGOOD, the staff is friendly and the service is surprisingly fast for the amount of customers they get for the 12 o'clock hour every afternoon. I love the bar with its Old Fresno feel, I love the framed articles clipped from the Bee over the years that they have on the walls while you wait to order. I love when they have specials that blow my mind like pulled pork sandwiches or pot roast. I love that they don't get too upset when my kids make a mess with the saltines that were intended for my #2 special (Soup and half sandwich and a drink) and oh boy do I love that Cary, my 2 year old, said Cosmo as one of his first words.

But more than all of this, I love the Cheddar Burger. Its gigantic, juicy, flavorful, and it would even make cocky old Carl's Jr. feel pretty damn junior. I dream about it. I make my friends order it. I lick my fingers, and if no one is watching, the paper on the tray as well. It is my absolute hands down favorite burger in the universe. And its in downtown Fresno, and I love it even more for that.

(Photo taken by me just before I had a cookie-monster-esque moment on it and grunted and slobbered my way through the whole thing. Be lucky I'm not licking the computer screen right now.)

Cosmopolitan is located at 1546 Fresno Street, at the corner for Fresno and G.
(559) 266-8662

Day 4- Fresno is a Foggy Place

2010-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

It may not be so great in that I-drive-a-fog-silver-car-down-Kearney-every-day sort of way, but gosh golly gee, I really love the Fresno fog.

I like when it gets all socked in and I can pretend that I live inside a cloud. I like watching it descend, and noting how certain parts of my street get denser fog than others. I love that everything feels quiet and calm like the world has been wrapped in cotton batting.

I am probably close to alone in this. (I only say close, because someone else posted Fog as a favorite thing!) Fog is dangerous, people don't take it seriously and drive without their lights on, there are a lot of reasons to dislike Fresno fog.... but gosh golly gee...

When I was in high school I remember living for foggy days. I think every student that goes through Central High School, or any district that has foggy day schedules, becomes an expert fog-predictor. We'd all get so excited when it was a bright sunny day after a soggy wet one, praying it was enough to make a plan C or D- enough to give us 3 extra hours to sleep in, make out with boyfriends, or torment teachers who probably wished we hadn't come in early and had stayed home making out with our boyfriends.

When I was in 6th grade at Roosevelt Elementary, I remember playing hide and seek out in the soccer field before school one day- no need to find cover! Fog was a magical shroud, and it just came down to luck and being able to stay still and quiet enough not to be detected.

Every Christmas I love looking at Christmas lights in the fog, seeing the halos of light in the mist. Its so much more beautiful. The midwest can keep their white Christmases, I want a gray one.

(Image from weather.com)

Day 3- Fresno is a Crafty Place!

2010-01-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

There is always a lot of buzz about Fresno's art scene, which is truly awesome, hence the buzz. However, I am not an artist- I'll leave that territory up to the folks who are able to draw a straight line and I'll just go and admire their talent at Art Hop. I'm a crafter, so I'd like to take a few moments to share about the awesome environment for crafty folk like myself here in town.

For the longest time I would only think to go to specialty yarn shops while traveling out of town- it never hit me that there might be local yarn stores just as well stocked with unique yarns as those along the coast. Then I stepped into Janna's Needle Art at Fresno and Shaw. Gorgeous yarn wall to wall, people in the back working on projects and love for fiber arts through and through. Not much later, I was walking through the Tower District and realized that I'd walked by a yarn shop hundreds of times without knowing it was a yarn shop. Ancient Pathways is not just a yarn shop, though. You can learn how to spin your own yarn, buy yarn that is locally crafted and hand dyed, and become part of a real crafting community.

Recently Twee, a brick and mortar store of handmade goods, opened up in Tower. Only a few steps away from Ancient Pathways, Twee specializes in all things cute and local. They operate on a 60/40 consignment basis, 60 to the artist, and provide an alternative to Etsy and other internet sites for local crafters to peddle their wares.

Speaking of Etsy, this fall I found out about the Fresno Etsy Especial group, a band of Etsy sellers located here in the city who joined forces to make awesome things happen such as the Cirque Du Noel, a handmade bazaar that took place in December.

There are also tons of places you can go for beads, scrapbooking, stamps, and all kinds of DIY projects- I know I'm missing a lot in here. I'd love for you Fresno crafters who are in the know to leave those places and their locations in the comments so I can just go out and find more and more things to love about being a crafty lady in Fresno.

(Photograph taken by me of my bag of goodies I bought tonight at Twee. Yes, your vision is great- that IS a City of Fresno flag necklace, $10. They have magnets, too!)

Day 2- Fresno LOVES Roller Derby

2010-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

You may not have heard yet, but Fresno is the home of two roller derby leagues, NoTown Roller Derby and Central California Area Derby.

I play for NoTown, so you know that this had to be one of my favorite things about Fresno. In fact, playing derby has made me even more keenly aware of my love for this place.

That said, I can very confidently say that Fresno loves Roller Derby, enough to support two teams in numbers that surpass what many other cities pull in. Last season both teams were able to play to crowds of at least 500, and up to 900. The fans cheer, get involved and with each bout, are learning the game more and more. Roller derby is a very in your face (in your lap, if you sit in the suicide seats on the ground by the track) fast paced sport, its just as athletic and physical as it is entertaining. Its pretty exhilarating to watch and easy to get involved in, even if you still haven't learned all the rules. Its even more exciting to play.

When I've traveled to out of town bouts, even though the fans are engaged, they never seem to be there in mass like our home bouts. My theory is that Fresno just gets behind its sports teams. The Monsters Hockey team is new, but already has a great and loyal following. During any season, you will find people wearing Grizzlies hats, and every sport from Fresno State is supported year round, lots and lots of red in our city. Its pretty sweet to live in a city that backs up their teams.

Its just cool that Fresno has so many sports options. I actually never liked sports until I got involved with roller derby in 2006, but I found one I was able to do despite my complete lack of grace. Now I watch football, baseball and hockey without bringing something else to do (I used to bring philosophy homework with me to Angels and Lakers games when I lived in OC) and I get into the games. Also, if Fresno wasn't a place conducive to roller derby, I'd never have been able to stomach falling in love with a Raiders and Giants fan meathead! Thanks Fresno for helping me to appreciate sports and athletics. Without you, I wouldn't have my pretty babies.

Photo of Betty Rocker #13, NoTown Roller Derby by MFV Photography

(If you haven't seen a Roller Derby bout, NoTown is playing in Paso Robles vs Central Coast Roller Derby on January 16. We all love that Fresno is only a few hours away from everywhere, right? If you can't make that, our home season starts in February, the season schedule should be up soon! CCAD has a pretty full season as well!)

Day 1- Kearney Boulevard

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

I want to start off my 31 Days of Fresno with something that has been one of my favorite things since I was a kid. I freakin' love Kearney Boulevard. As a little girl, it seemed to be the epitome of being a Californian, what says sunshine and glamor more than a street entirely lined with majestic palms? We'd drive to my Great Grandmother's house (now my home) and I'd stare up at these perfectly spaced glamazons, interspersed with oleander and eucalyptus and I knew I was cool. Just real cool.

Kearney Boulevard leads up to Kearney Park from Downtown Fresno, and for about 20 Miles it dots the Fresno skyline with palms until it hits Kerman. Sure its on the West Side, bit I'm on the West Side, too. West side doesn't mean the same thing to me as it does to most Fresnans.

When I learned about M. Theo Kearney and the history behind my favorite street in Fresno, I was drawn in by the romance and glamor of having a REAL socialite, someone who went to only the best spas in Europe and hung out with only the social elite. He saw Fresno as a remarkable place for agriculture and did everything he could (and he was filtystinkinrich, he could do a lot) to make Fresno the capital of agriculture. He was the Prince of Fresno. And he had a Dreamy McDreamerson beard. Slap me with an aristocratic happy stick.

Kearney wasn't just a hunk with a lot of money, though. He was smart too- Smartagious even. Starting from scratch, his main ingredient for wealth was in Raisins. And he didn't stop there- hHe wanted this place that he had decided to live to be the best place to live- especially if you're into agriculture. He left his entire estate to the University of California to benefit agricultural education. Badass.

I'm bummed that Chateau Fresno never was realized. The Mansion is great, but how awesome would that place have been? I almost wonder how Fresno would be different if it had been built? That, my friends is World Class.

I know it goes through a part of town that most people won't even go near, and it has quite a reputation with some of the sites along the way (Running Horse, the whole effing West Side... My house) but its a pretty cool drive on a sunny day, and if you have nothing to do, its nice to put on some community-supported radio, roll the windows down and just drive the whole stretch.

I love you, Kearney Boulevard!

(Photo credit goes to me and my car, driving down Kearney this afternoon. You know you're amazed at my skillzzzzzz. Oh man, I should win like, photographer of the DECADE.)

This is the Tailgate Party!

2009-12-30T23:25:00.000-08:00

31 Days of Fresno is starting on Friday, but I'm having a hard time waiting. I thought I'd do a little backstory before I jump in with all of the Fresno lovin'.

I'm a native Fresnan. I grew up close to Roosevelt high school, and moved out to Central Unified in junior high. In high school all I could think of was moving out, somewhere more glamorous so I could become rich and famous and the next Lady Gaga, except we're going back in time, so I guess it would be the first Lady Gaga. Even when, in mid high school, I shifted from wanting to be an actress or even just a celebrity (because lets face it, the drive was there, the talent was elsewhere) to maybe a poet or journalist I was still angling to get the hell out and never look back.

So I got out, I went to Chapman University in Orange, CA. It was great at first, and Orange has an Old Town Clovis feel to it, so I wasn't entirely in a strange place. I was met with the standard OC response of "Oh, I'm so sorry" whenever I told people where I came from, but I just kind of laughed it off and said whatever, its home! A few friends even called me Fresnaw as a nickname.

After my first year and a half, I started really missing home. I'd drive home weekly with the excuse of wanting to do my laundry, but everyone knew I just missed home. I followed the LJFresno community on Livejournal and I wished I had known about all of the fun, creative things happening in my hometown before I had left. By the end of my 4th semester I was ready to move home.

Since then, I've fallen absolutely in love with Fresno. The food, the way that creativity is encouraged and applauded, the old buildings downtown, new music, and the sense of belonging to a community all have held me here. I still get surprised when I hear someone badmouthing Fresno, especially a Fresnan. In my opinion, home is what you make of it. Regardless of where "home" may be, if you can't think of at least 31 reasons why you would make it your place, maybe it is time to either seek out reasons to love where you live, or live somewhere else. I hesitate to say live somewhere else, though. If you can't find a single good thing about a place culturally diverse and rich in the arts, and filled to the brim with good people who are actively trying to overcome the major issues we face with poverty, gangs, education and drugs, who is to say that you'll like anything about your next city? We've got problems, but we've also got heart.

I'm a Fresnoptimist- I see the issues we have as a city- our image being the least of those- as somewhere to get started. No great city ever became great without the community stepping up to the challenges at hand, finding solutions and making sure they were followed through on. I hope that throughout the 31 days of Fresno everyone who participates will not only grow their appreciation for their hometown, but they'll also begin to explain to out of town friends and relatives why Fresno is worth sticking up for. People who even moderately tolerate Fresno are encouraged to participate, it would do them good to think long and hard about the things that make Fresno special.

Okay, its late and the cold meds I've taken are definitely starting to kick in, so before I go all apeshitcarebears on everyone about how Fresno is the happiest place on Earth, I probably should end it here. Stay tuned, I'll be getting this big old ball of Fresno devotion rolling on January first!