Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty-Six

1. So cold, but also so sunny.

2. The way the sunlight falls onto everything. And the way, from this view up here, it looks like a dream—a painting you’ve been dropped into.

3. How to get from here to there.

4. There is still this undercurrent of instability.

5. They called it a rout.

6. Sometimes, this extra day between games is a good thing. We could all use a light day.

7. Shoe towers and memories.

8. I don’t remember what this deck of cards means.

9. Salmon and spinach and risotto with a beurre rouge. How could he not want to eat this?

10. We won’t repeat the same mistakes.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty-Five

1. Tuesday that feels like a Monday. Thank goodness I took that Monday.

2. There’s an option at the end of each meditation to rate how you’re feeling. I always scroll all the way to the right—to “great” even though I’m not great yet. Yet.

3. I’m glad we made today happen even though it wasn’t going to happen because two of us messed something up.

4. Spilling tea.

5. And there are days like this, and you feel okay about it all because there is laughter and connectedness, and that’s what you need to get through.

6. I keep forgetting that they’re closed on Tuesdays, so I have to settle for a yerba mate instead of the dirty chai.

7. Headache. Dehydration? Dehydration.

8. Moving in slow motion.

9. Record breakers. Next: score 80+ points. They can do it.

10. Grandma Rose says, “Everybody hits.” I say, “Everybody scores. We’re a balanced team, and when everyone scores, we win.”

11. He says that if we win by 20 or more points, he will buy me a bottle of Champagne. 74-49.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty-Four

1. 4:34 a.m.

2. They’ve changed the decaf coffee. Not bad, but not as good as Naysayer.

3. Maximize what can be done with what you have.

4. Trying to avoid the news.

5. I almost wonder if showing this to them will backfire.

6. All I can think about is taking a nap. Pajama pants and cozy socks on. Slide under the covers.

7. I remember that I didn’t lock up the classroom, so I put my jeans back on and make my way back to the school. It’s suddenly windy, and leaves are swirling around.

8. As long as I get those decaf pods before tomorrow morning.

9. There is a fine line between denial and acceptance.

10. I could use another day. Why do I need another day?

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty-Three

1. Mornings when I can’t sleep.

2. The way the sunlight leaks through the morning fog. Almost holy.

3. So. much. laundry.

4. Enough time to finally clean the bathrooms and sweep and vacuum.

5. Glad they got a win on this one. Even with all of those turnovers. But they always work hard, and that’s what matters.

6. We both eat big chicken burrito bowls for a late lunch. It’s still cloudy and cold.

7. Need just one more day.

8. He says that the girls were patient. I wonder what that means. She says that people were rude and did not say “please” or “thank you.” I guess that is what he means by them being patient.

9. They notice that I still have my tree up. “I’ll try to take it down tomorrow,” I say.

10. He had fun.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty-Two

1. Slow start to the Saturday.

2. Foggy morning coffee run.

3. Feeling it in every muscle.

4. Special delivery.

5. They almost got the win today. Almost.

6. I already know that I need one more day. How do I get one more day?

7. Watching videos of the water washing over the rocks. The rhythms of nature.

8. Traffic on the way back home. The sun is out. The mustard is blooming. And it’s a holiday weekend. A preview of what’s to come.

9. He says that regardless, it’s great that we are having this conversation. And then, as always, how much do I say? When will it be the right time? Probably better to say something now than later?

10. But I think they can handle it.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty-One

1. Friday. Game day.

2. She asks me if I will remember, though. At first, I am offended even though she’s right. I forget about a lot of things these days. However, today, I will remember the blanket and the pillow.

3. I grab a copy of the paper while he pays for the coffee and find the article in the center with a few pictures and giggle to myself because I can imagine what she’s going to say. But they look like they are playing basketball.

4. To have reached the point where there aren’t enough uniforms is a good place to be.

5. I look at all the bags lined up on the sidewalk and it looks like we’re going away for three days not 12 hours. Better to have and not need than need and not have as Mom would say.

6. Standing on the bluffs overlooking the water. The colors of the water today are especially beautiful. The sun is lowering itself in the sky, casting gold against the rugged rocks and rough sea.

7. The three of us are standing on the edge looking down at the sea lions and the crashing waters. An older couple and their dog make their way past. “Did you see the whale? It’s the first one we’ve seen of the season. Look out there against the horizon and you’ll see them blowing water.” They continue on and the three of us stare silently out at the sea. There’s one and another and another and another. We realize that we’ve been staring down at the water below that we had failed to look beyond the bouys. And isn’t that a metaphor for life? How often are we staring so hard at what’s right in front of our faces that we fail to see the beauty beyond the horizon?

8. 42-41 road win against a tough opponent. This team. Record breakers.

9. “I think I ran over some baby piggies.”

10. Crawling into bed. TGIF.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty-One

1. In the dream, I am walking through Trader Joe’s and see a newborn baby all bundled up, resting on top of a stack of boxes. I pick up the baby and decide that I’m going to take care of it. But I can’t find any formula to feed it. In the next store, the formula is locked behind the glass.

2. Hot-sauce burpee.

3. So much laundry.

4. I am the first one in the office, so I keep her on speakerphone as I turn on the lights and make my first cup of decaf.

5. It just might be okay after all.

6. In telling the story, he says the words “soccer” and “Mr. Rapinoe,” and there can only be one. We talk about basketball and building a program and he understands the significance of going from 4-20 to 7-8 with half a season to go.

7. I could fight it, but I don’t have the energy to.

8. To see three colleagues in one place is something that never happens—especially not in a middle school gym.

9. Well. That was fun.

10. What is the baby?

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Eighty

1. A Wednesday that feels like a Friday. Grateful it’s a work-from-home day.

2. I go in, even though I am in my slippers. It’s a brighter, cooler, more comfortable space now, and I’m sure it’s going to be a hit in town.

3. It’s hard to care when you don’t care. And it’s hard not to care when you are used to caring very much about a lot of things.

4. The sun is bright, but it still feels cold.

5. Tliyuda and Barbacoa = best lunch I’ve had all month.

6. She tells me that she has a list of people who made it big later on in life. There is still plenty of time.

7. Goal setting.

8. Unplanned Gott’s dinner. A glass of wine and conversations about making it work with all that you have going on as a mother, a wife, an employee.

9. Rules for living (Dr. Pratima Raichur):

   1. Simplify your day.

   2. Prioritize proper nutrition.

   3. Sleep well.

   4. Notice your thoughts.

10. Too tired.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Nine

1. It takes me a minute to remember that the sound I am hearing is coming from the speakers. The playlist is cycling through nature sounds.

2. I tell him that I have a good feeling about today. Something that feels different. Something about them feels different.

3. So cold.

4. It’s always a game of how much information is too much.

5. Another cup of noodles while typing and trying to think of new ways to say the same things.

6. I think we’re more excited than scared, and that’s a much better place to be.

7. Thinking of all the people I need to text, email, or call. Thinking of all the things I’d like to make room in my brain to do. Seeing all the school emails popping in to remind me that the spring semester begins soon and that I need to do my FAFSA and I need to find an internship. An internship. How will I have time for an internship?

8. Tight game. I can see the frustration on the faces of the opposing team. That’s a good thing. We go into the locker room tied 17-17.

9. 39-29. So close. But so far. But so close. The closest margin of defeat in 10 years is just fine. And we’re still 7-8 and 2-3, and that’s still better than we’ve been in 10 years. This is still the best team. And I think they are finally starting to believe it.

10. But still, there are small signs along the way that let you know you’re doing something right.

11. Too much adrenaline for a Tuesday night.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Eight

1. Monday, Monday, Monday.

2. We settle for our 12-minute call.

3. How embarrassed I will be to be associated with this now.

4. I step outside to get my water bottle. The sun is bright, the air is crisp, and the breeze is cold.

5. The only thing about being in the office is too many snacks: Danish butter cookies, Hersey nuggets, sour cream and onion chips.

6. The theory is that if they can see it, then maybe they will better understand it. And then, maybe they will make different choices.

7. We walk back to the gym, and she says she’s excited. I’m excited, though I feel as though I must always temper my excitement should that excitement make everyone else nervous. But this is a different team. A better team. A winning team. And if nothing else, we will definitely not lose by 46 points again.

8. Did they really just do that? They really did. A little thing that is a big thing. It's amazing what a little bit of focus can do.

9. High fives all around.

10. Driving in the car with two baguettes balancing on the center console.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Seven

1. Watching the morning light fill the room.

2. I read my brother’s post, and remember that he also used to write poetry. It’s a sweet, sweet reflection.

3. Thick socks.

4. Blue sky and green hills studded with mustard. A scenic drive is always good for the soul.

5. I feel a swell of gratitude and text to let them know how much I appreciate them. None of this would have been possible without them.

6. He is always so much more talkative on these Sunday afternoons and that’s how you know he’s feeling good about himself.

7. Still not sure how any of this is going to work out. But it will. It will?

8. This little mentor group always gets me so excited.

9. I tell them they can think big, no limits. But they say no cruises. “Noravirus. I’m not getting sick.” “Stable governments.” “There are no stable governments.”

10. Sunday Scaries.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Six

1. I don’t think I’ve heard the alarm yet. I take a look at the phone. No. It’s not time.

2. Yoga instead of weights today - a good day.

3. A stop at Sunshine after drop off because sometimes you just want a drip coffee.

4. I tell her that I am just trying to get back to having a routine that makes me feel good.

5. Nerds candy.

6. I’m late to our lunch of tacos in the park. It is picture-perfect outside. People are trying to play pickleball, and another guy at a table is eating lunch with a small dog sitting beside him quietly.

7. I see what’s happening here, and I don’t think I like it.

8. It’s hard not to think of the fires. It’s hard not to think of your own experience of the fires. It’s hard not to think about what you would do if it happened to you again.

9. Just can’t do it, can you?

10. Sometimes, soup is all you need.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Five

1. Work.

2. Bright sunshine and warm air on this Wednesday morning. Realizing that fires are more significant than I thought.

3. There are so many piles of clothes on the sofa.

4. I decide to stay in my jeans anyway because, well, I’m just more comfortable this way.

5. Processes.

6. Are three beverages too much for a 2-hour meeting? I don’t think so.

7. She asks me how I do it. I tell her I make it a priority; it’s just for a short time, really. And thankfully, people seem to be supportive of letting me continue with it.

8. Antelope = Action.

9. I walk in and see not just one, but three of them working. This is good. This is very good.

10. I hope they will get it. I hope they will understand that this is something different but just as important. Intangibles that create tangible results.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Four

1. Still adjusting to being beholden to the alarm clock again.

2. Game day.

3. I burn the remaining wishes and pull cards until there is just one more wish left. I unfold the slim piece of paper to read it and laugh to myself because it is one of my biggest wishes. But it’s not impossible.

4. We talk about going back. Could we go back now that this one thing has changed? So many things would have to change, wouldn’t they? But we just miss the people.

5. Well. That was weird.

6. Disappointed but not surprised.

7. Grocery store hugs.

8. She asks me about my day at work. I tell her that two people have quit and another is about to go on leave, so it’s just an interesting time. It’s an interesting time.

9. All of a sudden, nerves. Like it’s my very first game. What an odd feeling.

10. One of the more significant deficits of the season. But the gap didn’t seem that wide. But also, it was big.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Three

1. Monday.

2. Decaf in my new little ceramic tumbler that I bought from the odd little gallery and shop on the wharf. Reminds me of my dream of living on the coast making pottery. And based on all of the ceramics I saw, that is not an uncommon dream.

3. I rinse the grapes and pull them off the stem, one by one. I know what it is: I like being home. I like making breakfast. I like getting my laundry done. I like looking through the window at the trees. I like having my own bathroom.

4. Par for the course.

5. These tight quads will be the death of me.

6. Eight-word mantra.

7. You can let it be easy.

8. Is that really 70 degrees I see in the forecast?

9. He asks me how practice was. “Fun,” I say. Fun for me, not sure how much fun it was for them. “But they felt present.” Being present is good.

10. Those glances.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-Two

1. Awakening to the sounds of someone rustling around in my bedroom.

2. Too early to be this upset about things like this.

3. Doing the things you don’t want to do, like cleaning the toilets.

4. The use of the word “tired” to cover a wide range of feelings like anger, annoyance, frustration, anxiety, depression, confusion.

5. I blame this stomachache on the cup of bisque and the three large scoops of ice cream.

6. I do not know the source of all this soreness, but I’ll blame the hotel bed and the hours spent sitting on wooden bleachers.

7. He can tell through the camera that the Christmas tree has not been watered in quite some time.

8. The little things become the big things.

9. Thumbs up on the chilaquiles.

10. Lead with joy. Take bold action. Embrace softness.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy-One

1. A rumbling stomach upon awakening.

2. A thin sliver of pale gold light. I suggest the donut shop for a pastry and a coffee.

3. Everything is glistening in the morning sun.

4. Maple. Mexican Hot Chocolate. Choco Coffee. Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake. A large decaf Americano.

5. We make our way down the path toward the water. Out the corner of my eye are three children in bathing suits who clearly intend to get into the frigid water. Why not?

6. Thunderous waves. The red-brown of the rock. Trees shaped by coastal winds. Tiny waterfalls. Here, the dirt is full of crushed oyster shells. Over there, hard chunks of white rock.

7. As we walk, he entertains my daydreams of running a bed and breakfast. “I’ve had this dream since high school,” I say. “No joke.”

8. I walk over and see an almost intact abalone shell and an oyster shell larger than my hand.

9. Ahi poke bowl, oysters, a cup of crab bisque, and a few glasses of Husch Sauvignon Blanc.

10. Actually. Yes. I could live here.

11. The loudest we’ve been. The hardest my hands have hurt. Is there such a thing as a thrilling loss? As an adult with perspective, you understand that it’s not the end of things, but as the one who thinks they failed their team, it is indeed the end of things. As an adult, you understand that growth only happens from failure. New visions, new beliefs, new actions = new you.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Seventy

1. Room darkening curtains for the win.

2. Soft water.

3. One glass of orange juice, one cup of decaf, and half a Belgian waffle with powdered sugar, butter, and syrup. Still cold. Still damp.

4. I purchased an overpriced computer charger and another cup of coffee to go.

5. What I want is the beach, but it is raining, so I will have to wait.

6. It’s warmer in the gym and less humid than the day before. We pick our seats for the day. I watch the games and work until the battery dies, decide there is no need to continue.

7. If I could go back, would I? I would only do so because I miss the people.

8. In just 36 hours, I’ve learned new things about myself and remembered old things about myself, and this is why it’s important to get out of the places that are so comfortable for you. Growth and insight happen at the edges.

9. Black sky. The sliver of light from the waxing moon. Faces illuminated by the flames. The sound of the water crashing onto the shore.

10. I tell him that I think, sometimes, because I seem to be comfortable navigating spaces and conversations, that people forget that I am still Black.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Sixty-Nine

1. If I don’t do it, I will think about it for the rest of the day.

2. The best part of morning practices is being there before everyone else, drinking decaf, and blasting Incubus and Smashing Pumpkins.

3. Almost eight.

4. The older I get, the more car-sick I get. I remember that I must do this drive in just a few short weeks.

5. The part of the drive on Highway 1 where you finally see the ocean crashing against the shore and the craggy thumbs thrusting from beneath the surface of the dark waters.

6. “You used to do the girl’s program at St. Helena, right?” “I still do,” I say with a smile.

7. I look in the back seat and don’t see my bag. I see everything else but my bag. I take a step inside the motel room and then step right back out and sit in the car. And I had just said that the room number was lucky. I just need to get to the water.

8. She says that she’s surprised that I was able to find underwear, that it’s always the first thing to go on the wall.

9. Who are the people rating this at 4.5 stars?

10. Can feel it. But there are no words for it yet. I won’t rush its formation. All things in due time.

Ten.Two Thousand, Three Hundred & Sixty-Eight

1. Slow.

2. First hours of the first day. Shower. Oil. Decaf.

3. He tells me that I won’t miss the group. Just drive about a quarter of a mile, and I should see them.

4. She and I end up sticking together for the hike. We talk and talk until we get to the point where we begin to climb. I tell her that this is my first time at this park, too, even after four years. Sometimes it is so hard to be a tourist in your own town.

5. So many lady bugs my skin begins to crawl. Never seen such a thing. Hundreds, probably thousands of them on logs and branches and leaves that line the path. “They’re good luck,” she says.

6. I tell her that this morning, I wrote in my journal how I was so close to this age that at one time seemed so far away.

7. “What would 40-year-old you tell 27-year-old me?” “Learn how to set boundaries sooner than later. Nothing is permanent. Life is a series of choices—make the hard decision; what comes after is easier than you think. The hardest part is just making the decision.”

8. Trust your gut.

9. The hike ends right as the rain begins to drip onto our eyelashes and cheeks.

10. Nature takes it time, yet everything is accomplished.