Just because the economy has mood swings, doesn’t mean that you have to follow similar suit. That is where Staycations come in handy. But what about one for the body, heart and mind? About 40 minutes away from our Santa Cruz lair resides the wonderful creative hamlet of Carmel. As most of us already know, that area is the perfect locale for a long weekend getaway, so whether you opt to stay at a Downtown Carmel lodge or hotel—I’d recommend Vagabound Inn or Hofsas House—you might also want to toss something else into the mix: Pampering.

For that, the one portal that registers the biggest mark on our Spa Meter this month is Kush Day Spa. Perhaps one of the most charming and inviting spas in Carmel, it was birthed by massage therapist John Jertberg, and his wife, Monica. Together, they boast more than 15 years of experience and Kush, which has benefited from increased buzz since it came into existence three years ago, offers a variety of treatments to sooth the senses—from Sweedish and warm stone massages to waxing and anti-aging facials.

GT’s Ultimate Thanksgiving Playlist:
10 songs to put you in the giving mood
this holiday
“The Thanksgiving Song” – Adam Sandler
“Give Thanks and Praises” – Bob Marley
“Thank You For The Music” – ABBA
“Thankful” – Kelly Clarkson
“Give Thanks and Praise” – Shaggy
 “Thank You For Being A Friend” – Andrew Gold
“November Rain” – Guns N’ Roses
“I Have You To Thank” – Gavin DeGraw
“Thank you Baby” – Shania Twain
“It’s Thanksgiving” – Nicole Westbrook

NAVIGATING YOGA > Thanksgiving: a time we celebrate with turkey and cranberry sauce, national viewing of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and football games, and by spending time with family. With a holiday that has so many traditions "stuffed" into just one Thursday, it can sometimes seem tedious to take time to be, well, thankful. This year, try keeping your gratitude in check through yoga.

Whether you are a newbie to the practice or a seasoned yogi, yoga can be a wonderful way to give thanks, simply through the asana practice alone. When I teach, I have my students set a dedication for their practice, usually dedicating their practice to someone or something in their life that is important to them. By setting that dedication, your practice is no longer just about the physical exercise, or doing it simply for the enjoyment. It transforms into something bigger than yourself.

As you flow through your next yoga class, keep in mind who or what you dedicated your practice to; doing so will also allow your mind the freedom to stay present, to keep from wandering, as well as to continue to send those positive vibes out there, thereby staying along the path of karma yoga.

SLUG REPORT > Flight machines fueled solely by human power are hard to come by these days. But last Saturday, Nov. 10, San Francisco’s McCovey Cove welcomed a carefully selected 35 teams that tried their hand at human-powered flight. This year’s event was the 10th anniversary of Red Bull’s Flugtag, which in German, translates to “Flying Day.”

Since 2002, teams have jumped at the opportunity to launch their homemade human-powered flying machines off a 30-foot high flight deck in San Francisco. This year, however, was a noteworthy one for Santa Cruzans because a team of UC Santa Cruz classmates and friends competed. Their team, When Slugs Fly, represented our Surf City and the university by dressing up in banana suits and performing a skit prior to pushing their giant banana craft (with the pilot onboard) into hopeful flight.

“It’s such a challenging and fun concept—creating a theme, building a craft and executing it [skit and all],” says Greg Gerschenson, pilot of the When Slugs Fly team.

The big news of the night was President Barack Obama’s re-election. He received 74.7 percent of the reported votes in Santa Cruz County. His challenger, Mitt Romney, received 21 percent of local votes.

California had some notable wins and losses, as well. Although things were not looking good for Proposition 30 last night, the governor’s tax initiative pulled through and is now reported to have passed with 53.9 percent of the vote. Four other propositions emerged victorious—35, 36, 39 and 40—while the rest, including Proposition 34, which proposed repealing the death penalty in California, failed. Sixty-three percent of Santa Cruz County votes counted as of this morning were in favor of Prop. 34.

Santa Cruz County showed a high level of support—65.6 percent—for Proposition 37, which would have required the labeling of genetically modified foods. However, the proposition failed to pass statewide, garnering just 47 percent of the overall vote.

The Coldwater Classic makes waves in Santa Cruz

Local pro surfer Nat Young, who was awarded the Wild Card to compete in this year's O'Neill Coldwater Classic competition at Steamer Lane the day before, wowed spectators' and fueled Santa Cruz pride on Thursday, Nov. 1, when he came out on top during his heat against 11-time world champion Kelly Slater. It made for an exciting start to the 10-day event.

On Wednesday, Oct. 31, the 21-year-old went up against 11 other surfers, including locals Bud Freitas, Noi Kaulukukui, Adam Replogle, Josh Mulcoy, Randy Bonds, Shaun Burns, Josh Loya and Jimmy Herrick, to compete for an O'Neill Wild Card, which is designed to place more Santa Cruz locals like Young in the contest. The other Wild Card was issued to Jason “Rat Boy” Collins.

Can you match these baby photos with the Santa Cruz City Council candidates?

Even city council candidates were babies once. Five of the eight people running for four seats on the Santa Cruz City Council submitted photos of themselves as youngins—Jake Fusari, Cece Pinheiro, Pamela Comstock, Cynthia Mathews, and Micah Posner. Take a look at the photos and try to guess which is which. Then, scroll down to check the answers.

Gov. Jerry Brown visits UCSC to urge a yes vote on Proposition 30

With just over a week to go until the election, and the fate of Proposition 30 at stake, Gov. Jerry Brown stopped by UC Santa Cruz this morning, Friday, Oct. 26, to urge UCSC students to vote yes on the ballot measure. Brown's dog, a Pembroke Welsh corgi named Sutter Brown, is meanwhile making campaign appearances elsewhere in the state.

Prop. 30 is Gov. Brown's way of asking voters to approve temporary increases in sales tax and income taxes on top earners in order to avoid $6 billion in cuts to public education. The cuts will be automatically triggered if Prop. 30 does not pass.