(★★★★★) Another lovely Fourth of July weekend.

(★★★★★) I carb-loaded in solidarity.

(★★★★★) I'm so glad to be home.

(★★) It's just too much.

(★★★★) Nice is... Nice enough.

(★★★★★) Apparently the world is divided. I am Team Washcloth all the way.

(Zero stars.) How could I be so sick for 10 days? And why did I wait eight days to get medical advice?

(Zero stars.) Hitting the gym to "sweat it out" is probably not the smartest idea, but what else am I supposed to do?

(★★★★) I guess I gravitate to early mornings and nature, wherever I am.

(Zero stars.) Well... I'll never do that again.

(★★★★★) The upside of getting a "late start" on the morning run.

OMG it's today. Here's what I'm doing, thinking and feeling.

(★★★★★) This is where I want to be on my birthday week.

(★★★★★) I'm soaking in the last minutes of holiday break, and reflecting to set the memories.

(★★★★★) Happy New Year! The accountability to last year's resolutions is dawning on me.

( ★★★★★ ) This trip had it all. It had axes! It had fire! Plus normal stuff: Friendsgiving with Wisconsin expats and Seppi’s veggie...

(★★★★★) I’ve visited the Tahoe area before, but this was my first solo Barb-style trip. I can’t wait to come back.

(★★★★★) Ten years ago I left Minneapolis for an uncertain future in the Bay Area.

Another year, another Yosemite pilgrimage! This was a pretty good one. I could have worked less (boo!) and planned some bits better, but overall it was the getaway I needed. The soundtrack to this trip was Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women by Maggie Martens – plus the Spooked podcast, for seasonal spirit. See my general guide to visiting Yosemite if you feel inspired! Day 1, Oct. 16 Drove up from Menlo Park , arrived around 2 p.m. a

Renting a VRBO 30 minutes from home: Weird or Awesome? Verdict: AWESOME. The glowing reviews for this charming cottage in the redwoods...