Location, hydration, and hecklers: How to survive a parade
I’ve been in my fair share of parades. From a soaking wet and shivering cold St. Patrick’s Day downpour to a Why Am I Dressed Like a Pioneer in 100 Degree Heat fiasco, I’ve learned that being in a parade is a bittersweet delight. But with these tips you can make it more fun!
What the float!? Pool sharks and other amazing rafts
Last year ’round summer time, I introduced you to my favorite pool float of all time — the inexplicable pretzel float. This year we have a new winner — the pool shark! Just gaze upon it, in all it’s sea-through, metallic-bespotted, adorableness. You know how much I love all things shark, so clearly I couldn’t resist sharing it with mah Homies. But that’s not where the amazing floaty things end. Here are some more rafts that’ll make you say WTF (what the float)?
Dream following: that one time when I had a dream and went on an adventure
One June morning a few years ago, I woke up from a very vivid dream that laid out my plans for the day. In the dream, I’d gone back to the property where my childhood best friend lived, back on my hometown of Bainbridge Island. Like much of the Island in reality, in my dream the land had been completed developed and was almost unrecognizable. I woke up motivated.
Distance? Need? Ability? What makes a person a runner?
I started running reluctantly. I’m a doctor, and everyday I tell people to exercise. After giving people this advice for a month or two, and completely neglecting to engage in any physical activity myself, I started to feel guilty and hypocritical. I made the decision to start running. Both before and after I starting running, people would ask me if I’m a runner. I would smile uncertainly and ponder how to respond. Were they asking because of my body type? Was there something they recognized in my energy that identified me as a runner? Did my two mile runs make me a runner? To me, this barely counted for anything, although I knew that I felt better about myself and my life when I ran.
Fencing hacks: Secret ways to put up a fence without actually putting up a fence
We featured a fabulous post about how to create a safe space for yourself when you’re living in an un-safe environment. One of the issues was that of not being allowed to put up a fence, when you desperately need one. That’s when it was Offbeat Homies to the rescue! So many of you suggested awesome non-fence-type fencing that I thought I’d share their good advice…
Quit “should-ing” all over yourself and get all the endorphins with DANCE WALK
As I was reading through all the brilliant suggestions for offbeat hobbies, I found myself should-ing all over the place. Every time someone mentioned running, my brain said, “Yes, hrm, I really should do that.” Then I noticed every time someone mentioned dancing, I felt longing. When I finally realized what I was doing, I said, “Hey, I could dance.” I stopped, searched Meet-Up for dancing, and found THE MOST AMAZING GROUP EVER.
Sex, death, and recycling: Lessons learned growing up on a homestead farm
Nowadays, homesteading is a cool new trend for city folks to “get back to nature.” I want to encourage those of you interested in homesteading to give it a go! I spent my whole life on a homestead, before it was something trendy. Here are the things I learned from growing up on a homestead farm…
Moving meditation: Why walking commutes are awesome
I grew up in the Midwest, and my family was typical: we drove everywhere. I accepted that as just the way things were until I went to college. I walked a lot as an undergraduate student, and felt the lifestyle change deeply. When I moved to upstate New York for a new job a year ago, my apartment search revolved around finding a place that would let me walk to work. And honestly, my morning and evening commute has become one of the best parts of my day.