While highly entertaining, the locals, up until yesterday, were a bit unusual in Idaho. Yesterday, I finally hiked around Boise and found hot springs. At the springs, I met Alan, a wonderfully nice guy camping with his father who shared his pool with me at the Kafjdsknsadsafhsadujs hot springs. The two of us chatted for about an hour, and he pointed me east towards Stanley, where a mountain lake with gorgeous views was located. Alan had been a software guy up until he went back to school in 2005. Now, he is a fishery biologist and backpacks to mountain lakes to...um...count the fish? I listen well. I would have gone on to Stanley, but it was already 4:30 and, since it involved mountain passes that were listed as "Closed in Winter", I took the lower risk route back through Boise.
Driving in the snow terrifies me. Alan expressed his belief that this was a healthy terror...which only increased it. As I drove back through Ponderosa Pine Pass, I was grateful that not a single car came up behind me. The 70 mile drive took me about 3 hours. I did get to practice driving on ice, as the roads were nice and wide with thin patches, so I could "practice" skidding. LOTS of fun in a safe area (mom)...and I feel better now that I know what it feels like to skid on ice. It wont shock me into convulsions.
The pass, springs, and Bogus Basin of Boise (now that's fun to say) were beautiful, and I'm a convert to the thermal waters. I'll keep searching those out...and keep asking strangers to take pictures of me in the bridesmaid dress. My first non-Don photo shoot!
In addition to the physical features of Idaho, something else has help raise Idaho's status. Yakima, WA. My one encounter with a local so far has pushed Idaho ahead of Washington. Mom can stop reading now.
I'm sitting in a Starbucks (the only place I could find with Wi-Fi) and a bear of a man sat down about 4 feet away 2 hours ago. I didn't notice him until he started to chat. Kinda. He seemed nice enough, but his mumbling and blank stares that lasted for 15-20 minutes became unnerving after awhile. I'm not sure if he was just socially akward or generally creepy, so I went with the "creepy" route. Probably 6'6", mohawked, and in Dickies, he tried talking about tubing down the ski slopes and hitting his head over and over again as a kid, and that he still did this. That was all good and well, until he wanted to know where I was sleeping tonight, what hotel, etc. I mentioned that I'd be driving on to Mt. Rainer (I'm not) and camping, so he mentioned bears and that I should stay indoors. Thank you bear mace, and thank you Mr. Creep for giving me an easy opportunity to bring it up. About 30 seconds after I finally started talking to him (first time with a direct look) about how I'd tested the bear mace on my friend and it could drop you so fast...he took off. Phrases like "sprays like a fire extinguisher" and "burning pain that lasted for 30 minutes and dropped him to the ground" helped. I think the look of excitment and maniacal laughter assisted as well.
Moral is that bear mace is intimidating, and when you talk about having already used it on people, the potential psychos run away. Mom - I'm staying in a hotel tonight. The car is getting cramped and I want a night of recovery before tackling the cold of the mountains tomorrow. All is well, and I'm a tough little f***er.
Have mace, will travel.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Oh, Idaho
I'm sitting in a coffee shop listening to the former BDSM submissive barista try to explain to her customer what an icon is with the example of superman...and they are arguing over whether or not he is real. Spiderman is fiction, superman is not. Gonna get my butt kicked b/c I can't keep from laughing...hurts....
This is after the customer has explained how checkers is as complex as chess, and that if his wife puts her arm around a man she is cheating on him...how can the whole state be like Deliverance????
This is after the customer has explained how checkers is as complex as chess, and that if his wife puts her arm around a man she is cheating on him...how can the whole state be like Deliverance????
Traveling with Don, Part II
I make up my mind about people quickly - typically in the first 2-5 minutes of meeting them. This gut reaction rarely fails me; in fact, I can only think of one time in which I've been completely off base. With this quick reaction, I have had a tendancy to scare people who I'm overly excited to have met. Little 5'2" me's exhuberance in meeting someone I think I could be good friends with can be overwhelming.
My gut reaction to Don had been very positive, hence the willingness to invite him on the first 2 weeks of the road trip when I really didn't know him outside of some casual group settings. He's just one of those people who seems so easy going, happy, and fun that there was no question of whether or not we'd travel well together. My gut was mostly correct, but in this case, I'd completely underestimated him.
Don and I spent 24/7 in very, very tight quarters with very, very poor personal hygeine. The car was filled, cargo to front seat with a pile of crap. We were together the entire time, with the exception of a 30 minute hike and bathroom time (which often took place quickly behind trees and by the car anyway). Coming from someone who has an occassionally excessive need for personal space, I started off worried. Now, after about 12 hours in a Don-free zone, I can honestly say that every single moment was enjoyable. The audio book went unopened, the radio stayed off often, silences were comfortable, and I cannot remember the last time I have thought, laughed, talked, sang, giggled, and simply been so comfortable in my life. Don is one of those rare finds, a person with whom you are so instantly comfortable and compatible with, that you know they will be in your life forever, and you cannot wait to see what kind of adventures they move on to. I have a very small number of those people in my life, and that relationship has always built slowly over time. In the space of two intense weeks, Don went from a virtual stranger to someone I hold in the highest regard.
If you get a chance, I highly recommend that you invite Don on a road trip. He is remarkable. ;)
My gut reaction to Don had been very positive, hence the willingness to invite him on the first 2 weeks of the road trip when I really didn't know him outside of some casual group settings. He's just one of those people who seems so easy going, happy, and fun that there was no question of whether or not we'd travel well together. My gut was mostly correct, but in this case, I'd completely underestimated him.
Don and I spent 24/7 in very, very tight quarters with very, very poor personal hygeine. The car was filled, cargo to front seat with a pile of crap. We were together the entire time, with the exception of a 30 minute hike and bathroom time (which often took place quickly behind trees and by the car anyway). Coming from someone who has an occassionally excessive need for personal space, I started off worried. Now, after about 12 hours in a Don-free zone, I can honestly say that every single moment was enjoyable. The audio book went unopened, the radio stayed off often, silences were comfortable, and I cannot remember the last time I have thought, laughed, talked, sang, giggled, and simply been so comfortable in my life. Don is one of those rare finds, a person with whom you are so instantly comfortable and compatible with, that you know they will be in your life forever, and you cannot wait to see what kind of adventures they move on to. I have a very small number of those people in my life, and that relationship has always built slowly over time. In the space of two intense weeks, Don went from a virtual stranger to someone I hold in the highest regard.
If you get a chance, I highly recommend that you invite Don on a road trip. He is remarkable. ;)
The First Two Weeks
I've been out of work for a month now and on the road for two weeks. I had every intention of sitting down and writing a day-by-day blog on what has happened, but am finding it's more a series of impressions than individual events; there is no story to share at this point. Besides, it's 4 PM in Boise, Idaho (who da ho?), and I have absolutely no idea where I'm going next. Well, that's not entirely true - north west. But the pace and stopping point are not yet determined. I'm waiting on a consulting contract for a 6-week job with my old company and will settle into Seattle/Portland once that hits (after a flight somewhere for 2 days of work). I know I want to backpack 57 miles through Olympic National Park, but I'm not sure when that will happen. I'm settling for a quick and dry summary instead.
11/9 - Dallas
After Jenn's wedding and finishing up with all cakes and obligations, I met up with an old friend (Rip) and had a wonderful time catching up. I hope to stay in touch - he's a lot of fun. From there, off to Kristina's to reconnect with her and my ex-brother-in-law, who is one of the most talented and sweetest people I know. Don met up with me there, we had our celebratory whisky shots and crashed on the couch to take off the next morning.
11/10 - Driving to Colorado
An entire day in the car, getting pulled over TWICE for speeding, and having a highway patrolman who looked about 12 in his Smoky the Bear hat ask what was so funny as Don and I cracked up at the second stop. Hours in the car with someone I barely knew, getting to know each other and figuring out how to best road trip with a virtual stranger. Conversation never lagged. Hoteled it the first night, with a car packed to the brim with both our stuff. Stunning scenary (well, once we got out of Texas). You could see so far that the horizon became two dimensional. A bucket of black paint and an ACME sign, and you'd swear a train would be rumbling down on top of you before you could say "Beep-Beep".
11/11 - Great Sand Dunes, Garden of the Gods, and Melanie's House
I had been to the Dunes as a child, and remembered loving the water and sand. Visiting in the winter was an entirely different experience. After meeting two fellow dirtbaggers heading south, we made it to the Dunes. Driving in the ridges were tipped in white, creating a stunning landscape of sand and snow. We hiked to what we decided was the top, huffing and puffing the entire way. It was a giant playground, with messages in the snow, snow angels and headaches from what Don swore would be a painless flop down into the snow (aka, rock solid sand). We then headed north to stay with an old highschool friend (Melanie) with a quick stop at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.
I hadn't seen Melanie since we were 15 or 16 and planned to camp in her backyard. I'd remembered her as one of the most interesting people I'd ever met and, half a lifetime later, this still held true. One of the best story tellers I'd ever met, we had a couple drinks then crashed in her daughter's room. Hannah had spent the evening cleaning and doing laundry so we wouldn't have to sleep in the backyard. Donuts in the monring and we were off again for Moab. I hope Melanie and I keep in touch - she's too much fun to go another 15 years without hearing from.
11/12 - 11/13 - Island in the Sky (Canyonlands/Moab)
Every single person I'd talked to about the trip said that Moab was a must. I had no idea what they were talking about but figured what the hell. If the REI guys say go for it, I'm in. I'm now a part of the same chorus. We got to Island in the Sky at night and were completely unimpressed with the terrain. We finally (car) camped and took off for our first night hike...well, after I maced Don. We climbed Aztec Butte and wondered where the hell the canyons were, until we reached the end of the trail. The ground dropped in front of us for an incredible moon lit view of the canyon below. We swore we'd make it back to see this during the day, but never did...there were too many other shiny objects.
The second night at Island in the Sky was our first attempt at backpacking. The park ranger must have hated us - he sent us to Wilhite trail which involved switch backs down a canyon over a landslide with full packs on. NO ONE was out, so we had an entire canyon to ourselves. Exhausted, Don went for shots of the moon while I tried to stay awake until dark at 4 PM. Didn't work. We attempted to eat dinner, then realized we'd left the cooking pot behind, so our diet plan started early. Yay training hike.
As the eternal insomniac, I did manage to wake Don up rediculously early after waiting a couple hours in the dark just enjoying the silence. The hike out was better than expected, and we FINALLY got to shower...at the Lazy Lizard Hostel. Freaking bliss. Who knew a $3 shower could be so good???
11/14 - 11/15 - Arches National Park
Moab had pulled us in, so we decided to nix the Zion/Brice plans and see what else the area had to offer. Next stop: Arches. It was a full moon and, Don being a photographer, wanted to capture the rising moon through the arches. We headed to the Windows area and he set up with the other photographers. I went for the sunset. I sat alone under Turret Arch and watched the sky light up alone. I've never seen color like that. Don and I headed back to the double arches for what was one of my favorite moments - sitting under an arch in the dark, with the only light coming from the brighest moon I've ever experienced. The rocks under and around us were top lit, casting shadows that turned the ground into an alien landscape; where Island in the Sky had been a sepia-toned desert, Arches was blazing in reds, blacks, and whites. We hiked the Devil's Garden by the moon and I fell in love with Utah. The next morning, we ate our foam-textured freeze dried eggs and took off for our next stop: Needles.
11/16 - 11/18 - Needles
11/9 - Dallas
After Jenn's wedding and finishing up with all cakes and obligations, I met up with an old friend (Rip) and had a wonderful time catching up. I hope to stay in touch - he's a lot of fun. From there, off to Kristina's to reconnect with her and my ex-brother-in-law, who is one of the most talented and sweetest people I know. Don met up with me there, we had our celebratory whisky shots and crashed on the couch to take off the next morning.
11/10 - Driving to Colorado
An entire day in the car, getting pulled over TWICE for speeding, and having a highway patrolman who looked about 12 in his Smoky the Bear hat ask what was so funny as Don and I cracked up at the second stop. Hours in the car with someone I barely knew, getting to know each other and figuring out how to best road trip with a virtual stranger. Conversation never lagged. Hoteled it the first night, with a car packed to the brim with both our stuff. Stunning scenary (well, once we got out of Texas). You could see so far that the horizon became two dimensional. A bucket of black paint and an ACME sign, and you'd swear a train would be rumbling down on top of you before you could say "Beep-Beep".
11/11 - Great Sand Dunes, Garden of the Gods, and Melanie's House
I had been to the Dunes as a child, and remembered loving the water and sand. Visiting in the winter was an entirely different experience. After meeting two fellow dirtbaggers heading south, we made it to the Dunes. Driving in the ridges were tipped in white, creating a stunning landscape of sand and snow. We hiked to what we decided was the top, huffing and puffing the entire way. It was a giant playground, with messages in the snow, snow angels and headaches from what Don swore would be a painless flop down into the snow (aka, rock solid sand). We then headed north to stay with an old highschool friend (Melanie) with a quick stop at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.I hadn't seen Melanie since we were 15 or 16 and planned to camp in her backyard. I'd remembered her as one of the most interesting people I'd ever met and, half a lifetime later, this still held true. One of the best story tellers I'd ever met, we had a couple drinks then crashed in her daughter's room. Hannah had spent the evening cleaning and doing laundry so we wouldn't have to sleep in the backyard. Donuts in the monring and we were off again for Moab. I hope Melanie and I keep in touch - she's too much fun to go another 15 years without hearing from.
11/12 - 11/13 - Island in the Sky (Canyonlands/Moab)
Every single person I'd talked to about the trip said that Moab was a must. I had no idea what they were talking about but figured what the hell. If the REI guys say go for it, I'm in. I'm now a part of the same chorus. We got to Island in the Sky at night and were completely unimpressed with the terrain. We finally (car) camped and took off for our first night hike...well, after I maced Don. We climbed Aztec Butte and wondered where the hell the canyons were, until we reached the end of the trail. The ground dropped in front of us for an incredible moon lit view of the canyon below. We swore we'd make it back to see this during the day, but never did...there were too many other shiny objects.
The second night at Island in the Sky was our first attempt at backpacking. The park ranger must have hated us - he sent us to Wilhite trail which involved switch backs down a canyon over a landslide with full packs on. NO ONE was out, so we had an entire canyon to ourselves. Exhausted, Don went for shots of the moon while I tried to stay awake until dark at 4 PM. Didn't work. We attempted to eat dinner, then realized we'd left the cooking pot behind, so our diet plan started early. Yay training hike.
As the eternal insomniac, I did manage to wake Don up rediculously early after waiting a couple hours in the dark just enjoying the silence. The hike out was better than expected, and we FINALLY got to shower...at the Lazy Lizard Hostel. Freaking bliss. Who knew a $3 shower could be so good???
11/14 - 11/15 - Arches National Park
Moab had pulled us in, so we decided to nix the Zion/Brice plans and see what else the area had to offer. Next stop: Arches. It was a full moon and, Don being a photographer, wanted to capture the rising moon through the arches. We headed to the Windows area and he set up with the other photographers. I went for the sunset. I sat alone under Turret Arch and watched the sky light up alone. I've never seen color like that. Don and I headed back to the double arches for what was one of my favorite moments - sitting under an arch in the dark, with the only light coming from the brighest moon I've ever experienced. The rocks under and around us were top lit, casting shadows that turned the ground into an alien landscape; where Island in the Sky had been a sepia-toned desert, Arches was blazing in reds, blacks, and whites. We hiked the Devil's Garden by the moon and I fell in love with Utah. The next morning, we ate our foam-textured freeze dried eggs and took off for our next stop: Needles.
11/16 - 11/18 - Needles
Keeping with tradition, Don and I arrived at Needles in the dark. We'd seen the area from above at Island in the Sky, and the terrain was riddled with cliffs rather than brush. Again, car camping, we hit up the visitor center in the morning after spending 2 hours talking with a very paranoid park ranger. Who know they carried yellow tasers?
We wanted to backpack, and the park ranger set us up with a hike through a couple of the canyons. I HIGHLY recommend reading the trail guides before setting your course. If the trail is described as "difficult", don't try it with a 50 lb. pack on your back. Especially if one of the 4 mile sections is expected to be an all day hike. All told, we covered 28.2 miles in 48 hours, with a significant portion being straight up and straight down. If you ever make it out there, do NOT miss the joint trail, where a maze of cliffs, shoulder width apart, provide sand-covered paths in any direction. We camped, again in complete isolation, beneath the Needles and fended off a very persistant raven in the morning.
We BARELY made it to our second campsite. We started with a day hike to Druid Arch, then headed to Big Spring Canyon. The trail (and I use that term loosely!) climbed in and out of canyons and through sand filled gullies, with signs changing the expected distance over and over again. Chimneying up between walls in full packs, holding on to rock out croppings as we traversed ledges and jumped across rifts in the boulders, our legs were shaking long before we reached flat land. Once again, sleep we sank into sleep almost before cooking dinner...and I popped awake at what I thought was sunrise. Unfortunately, I didn't bother to check a watch until I convinced Don to get up too. At 3 AM. The pre-dawn hike out (because coffee was brewed before the time was noted) felt like a walk on the moon. Well, except for the fact that our tired bodies felt gravity WAY to intensely. We made it out before 9 AM and that trip was probably the highlight so far...and the point at which Don and I went from casual buddies to fast friends. The car rides, jokes, macings, discussions of philosophy, and random songs had taken us far, but I think the grueling torture of that 2nd day's hike sealed it. Perfect.
11/19 - Idaho Falls
I could have stayed in Moab for another couple of weeks, but it was time to move on to the next area. Our will gave out in Idaho Falls as we were heading towards Yellowstone, or Hot Springs, or Grand Tetons...at this point, I have NO idea where we thought we were going! Ready for people, we found fabulous, greasy food in a dive bar...and made friends with the locals. I don't think I could live in Idaho Falls. Phrases like "riding the balony pony" and a notable lack of teeth were evident. Best. Bar. Ever. Intended to pop in and out, but ended up staying well past close, getting offers to stay with relatives in various places, and finding out where to go all over the US. Even met 2 more dirtbaggers - one who followed ski season and one who just got back from wolfing (?) it in Ireland. Who know so many people LIKED subjecting themselves to poverty???
The next morning, we changed plans at least 3 times before taking off to Montana/Yellowstone.
11/19 - Chico Hot Springs
Don is a hot springs afficiando. I've yet to experience a natural hot springs, but we found an old, resort-style one in Chico. There we met up with a few people from Seattle/Portland and got even more info on where to go. I will be searching for hot springs on the rest of the trip...and meeting up with the new friends from Portland when I finally get there. I learned I like Gin (juniper berries in Moab convinced me I would...Chico proved it). We'd also been tipped off to some good campgrounds towards Yellowstone, so we took off. I was exhausted by the time we got around to setting up camp...so I slept in the car and Don politely set it up. Then off to Yellowstone.
11/20 - Yellowstone
Yellowstone was less impressive than I expected...though I may have simply been experiencing park fatigue by then. Most of the park was closed, and I WILL go back to see the more impressive features during another part of the year. We spent a couple hours in Gardiner chatting with the locals (with me tugging on Don's sleeve bugging him to get a move on into the park). Armed with two canisters of bear mace, a bell, and constant chattering, we hiked out to a suspension bridge, around 3 Bison, over lots of poop, and past some crop circles built by illiterate aliens. The other hikers must have thought we were paranoid freaks. We used an elk call to converse (badly) with a herd and watched bison head butt and decided the Grand Tetons were on the list for the next day. Back to the car, back through West Yellowstone, and an early night as I freak about being in a car while it's snowing.
11/21 11/22 - Grand Tetons
Yup. They're grand. And the first place we didn't hike or camp. We set up camp in the national forest where Elk season had just opened, which cracked me up...as the hunters line up just north of the Elk Refuge and try to pick them off before they make it to safty. Oly-oly-oxen free. We did see the hunter's camps, which were lined with carcasses and various body parts. Not to mention the Elk Head Drop which, to our shock, turned out to be a literal name.
Our campsite was perfect - top of a cliff, rapids below, tree-lined mountains on two sides...and it went completely unused. We went into Jackson and met Shannon from South Carolina, who worked at one of the resorts. A few drinks later, he's opened up the pool and hot tub and we're swimming all night and crashing in one of the rooms. Yay free. :) Shannon was, well...not good with names. So he'll have some fun stories to tell about swimming with Dan and Kelly this week. We didn't make it back to break camp until the afternoon and, with a 4:30 sunset, decided to grab some pics and take off to find some hot springs. Never found them, but the drive was worth it. Back to Idaho Falls and another hot springs quest. This time we ate at a steak place that stayed open every day of the week from 9 AM to Close...and spelled it out just like that day by day. The CFO from my old company is from Idaho Falls. This is significantly more shocking to me now. He's a bright man....
11/22 - Craters of the Moon
Once more, entirely different. A massive bed of lava rock, we mini-spelunked through lava tubes and admired the complete change in scenary before moving on to...
11/23 - Boise
The drive to Boise involved another (failed) quest for hot springs. This time, it was snow/ice that foiled us, as the passes were getting more treacherous than Don was willing to navigate. We'd already booked a room in Boise and, after stopping for WONDERFUL Idaho sushi, slept about 3 hours before I took Don to the airport. Back to the hotel for more sleep, I then reset the car for a solo drive and came here to blog.
11/23 - Now
And here I am. Alone on the trip for the first time. I'm still not sure where I'm going tonight, but will be figuring that out shortly. So far, this has been an amazing experience, and I was sad to see Don go. I'm excited to start the next leg of the adventure - Act III at this point. I expect to meet up with some great friends in Portland/Seattle and am trying to determine how long it will take for me to get there. I'm thinking at least a week, but who knows? I only answer to myself now.
Cheers.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Traveling with Don, Part I
Don is joining me for the first 2 weeks of the road trip. Don and I figure we've spent a total of less than 10 hours together prior to this trip. Basically, we knew nothing about eachother when we started except "you seem fun"!. That was enough to commit to about 2500 miles and 14 days of constant togetherness, sharing a tent that BARELY holds 2 sleeping bags.
And it's been amazing. Don is the PERFECT partner to start this with. We are both insanely optimistic people. Everything is perfect, exactly as it should be, exactly how we would have chosen it, etc. etc. etc. As Don puts it, we are continuously "blowing bubbles up eachother's asses". If a cynic had been in the car with us, we would've been garrotted from the backseat by New Mexico. Instead, the insane cheeriness went on and on and on, with each of us excalating the happy factor to complete bliss. Then I maced Don.
In my defense, it was not intentional. I was testing out the bear mace to make sure I could work it right before asking Don to lock the car. Which is exactly where I was testing the bear mace. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. He walked into the cloud and it was like hitting a wall - the coughing/sputtering/clutching was instantaneous. And continous. It's amazing how much mace those things put out. And how still the air is here in Utah. However it happened, I maced Don right before our first night hike.
He was a good sport, but you could see it was still bugging him as we climbed the buttes. I couldn't help but giggle maniacally every time I thought "I maced Don" and he giggled along...but there wasn't quite the same glee there. However, the next morning, all was well again. As Don, the eternal optimist put it..."At least we now know it works.".
And it's been amazing. Don is the PERFECT partner to start this with. We are both insanely optimistic people. Everything is perfect, exactly as it should be, exactly how we would have chosen it, etc. etc. etc. As Don puts it, we are continuously "blowing bubbles up eachother's asses". If a cynic had been in the car with us, we would've been garrotted from the backseat by New Mexico. Instead, the insane cheeriness went on and on and on, with each of us excalating the happy factor to complete bliss. Then I maced Don.
In my defense, it was not intentional. I was testing out the bear mace to make sure I could work it right before asking Don to lock the car. Which is exactly where I was testing the bear mace. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. He walked into the cloud and it was like hitting a wall - the coughing/sputtering/clutching was instantaneous. And continous. It's amazing how much mace those things put out. And how still the air is here in Utah. However it happened, I maced Don right before our first night hike.
He was a good sport, but you could see it was still bugging him as we climbed the buttes. I couldn't help but giggle maniacally every time I thought "I maced Don" and he giggled along...but there wasn't quite the same glee there. However, the next morning, all was well again. As Don, the eternal optimist put it..."At least we now know it works.".
Thursday 11/6/08 - Thursday 11/13/08
Finally stopped to write. This will be brief, as I want to get back out there. Haven't been out long enough to crave the coffee shop yet!
Pre trip:
Thursday (11/6) was spent alternately bawling my eyes out and icing cakes for Jenn's wedding on Saturday. After making a few HUGE mistakes (like the wrong pan size on one layer) I finally finished with Chris's help and finished getting ready. Planning on getting up at 4 AM to finish cleaning/packing, I passed out and work up about 30 minutes before my renter got in...to a TRASHED house. Cleaned like mad, threw anything not put in storage into my car, neighbor Patrick loaded the cakes. Drove off. Dropped cakes off. Got pedi/mani (great way to start a camping trip, no?), went to rehersal dinner, had girl time (first time in how many years that Jenn, Steph, and I were together???), went to BEATIFUL wedding where one of the most wonderful people I know tied her life to a man she loves. Wonderful, fabulous reception followed, caught up with people I hadn't seen in ages (and some that I missed terribly and hope to stay in touch with), crashed at Kristina's (standard crash there), Don made it up to Dallas, and we were off.
The trip...
Don LOVES to drive. In the 1600 miles logged so far, I've driven about 100. We went straight to the dunes and have slowly downgraded accomodations. Hotel to friend's daughters room (Melanie, so great catching up with you...we need to stay in touch. Your stories win), car camping, backpacking. We're currently in Moab, and I understand why everyone is in love with this place. We've done Island in the Sky and are heading to the Arches, then Needles. Instead of going to Zion/Brice we'll turn north at the beginning of next week for Grand Teton's/Yellowstone, then angle towards Boise. Weather is perfect - nights around freezing, days chilly. I'm in heaven and don't want to come back. And this is day 4 of 80+. Yay vacation.
Things to remember:
Getting pulled over 2 times in Texas; "Ya'll find something funny here"; 62 year old Russian hottie that wouldn't shut up; Fellow dirtbaggers heading south; buying the only good coffee in Ute from a run away; snow in the saharah; "It won't hurt if you jsut fall over"...lying bastard; Catching the garden of the gods at sunset; turning out first night backpacking (in our own canyon) into an unintentional fast.
Pre trip:
Thursday (11/6) was spent alternately bawling my eyes out and icing cakes for Jenn's wedding on Saturday. After making a few HUGE mistakes (like the wrong pan size on one layer) I finally finished with Chris's help and finished getting ready. Planning on getting up at 4 AM to finish cleaning/packing, I passed out and work up about 30 minutes before my renter got in...to a TRASHED house. Cleaned like mad, threw anything not put in storage into my car, neighbor Patrick loaded the cakes. Drove off. Dropped cakes off. Got pedi/mani (great way to start a camping trip, no?), went to rehersal dinner, had girl time (first time in how many years that Jenn, Steph, and I were together???), went to BEATIFUL wedding where one of the most wonderful people I know tied her life to a man she loves. Wonderful, fabulous reception followed, caught up with people I hadn't seen in ages (and some that I missed terribly and hope to stay in touch with), crashed at Kristina's (standard crash there), Don made it up to Dallas, and we were off.
The trip...
Don LOVES to drive. In the 1600 miles logged so far, I've driven about 100. We went straight to the dunes and have slowly downgraded accomodations. Hotel to friend's daughters room (Melanie, so great catching up with you...we need to stay in touch. Your stories win), car camping, backpacking. We're currently in Moab, and I understand why everyone is in love with this place. We've done Island in the Sky and are heading to the Arches, then Needles. Instead of going to Zion/Brice we'll turn north at the beginning of next week for Grand Teton's/Yellowstone, then angle towards Boise. Weather is perfect - nights around freezing, days chilly. I'm in heaven and don't want to come back. And this is day 4 of 80+. Yay vacation.
Things to remember:
Getting pulled over 2 times in Texas; "Ya'll find something funny here"; 62 year old Russian hottie that wouldn't shut up; Fellow dirtbaggers heading south; buying the only good coffee in Ute from a run away; snow in the saharah; "It won't hurt if you jsut fall over"...lying bastard; Catching the garden of the gods at sunset; turning out first night backpacking (in our own canyon) into an unintentional fast.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Halloween in a nutshell
Benjamin Frankenstein, Robot Linclon. Best Oscar the Grouch ever. That dead baseball guy. Drooling two-face and baby Superman with parents. Dapper vampires. Blueman Smurf mullet thing. Mr. Tinkerbell in an itty bitty leoptard. Getting invited to a party in Thomas's pants. Giant Gene Simmons with cod piece. Duff Beer. Finding that I can in fact create satanic peni, vulva hats, and mating poodles out of balloons...not to mention that a platapus looks just like a mouse. 70's horror. Dueling beauty queens. Marge Simpson passing out in John Holme's lap. Learning I'm still short enough to get free candy when mistaken for a tricker-treater. Bloody wedding cakes. Merging all circles. Seeing friends for < 1 minute then wondering where the hell they went. Birthday lap dances. Babbling drunken passengers of the 3 AM Christie taxi service. Thinking I should go help clean up, but needing to go to the cake store instead. Learning tequila + grapefruit juice is a lousy drink to wake up to. A great way to launch the last week to takeoff, with (almost) all my friends together. I'm gonna miss them terribly.
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