Day 32, Week 6-ish- Springtime!

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

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!)

Day 32, Week 4- The Iron Bird Cafe

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!

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

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

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.

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!