Just to give you an idea of what this place I'm in is like:
Seward, Alaska
Distance from Anchorage: 125 miles/2ish hours(depending on numbers of tourists)
Access: car (one of the country's most scenic drives), train, cruise ship, ferry, bush plane
Snow-capped mountains: 360 degrees!
Nearby glaciers: more than 8
Accomodations: lots of RV/tentsites; small B&Bs; a hostel; a few small motels/hotels
Population: <3000 year-round
Population on July 4th: over 10,000
Town Size: 2 miles long, 4 streets wide
Pubs per capita: 1837495
Churches per capita: 1384955
Industries: tourism, fishing, coal, tourism, fishing, tourism...
Adventurous opportunities: great hiking, kayaking, ice field exploring, Sea Life Center, Kenai Fjords National Park, dogsledding, plane tours
Fun facts: -Seward hosts one crazy Fourth of July celebration.
-Mt. Marathon looms over the town and, when there's still snow on it, makes a great sledding run if you hike up in rainpants. On the 4th of July, the town holds a big Mt. Marathon race.
-Everyone here has a dog. I swear. It's insane.
-Seward is actually a rainforest! The annual rainfall is pretty substantial, so I'm glad Oregon has trained me before I came here.
I'm currently living in a "development" called Camelot, on King Arthur Rd. Fishermen, mostly, put in roads a few years ago and, since it's outside of the city limits, no building permits are required. This means anyone can throw up a house on whatever affordable property they find, so there are some pretty interesting characters up there. The family I'm staying with, and for whom I will soon be house-sitting, run limited power off a generator and use a rainwater system rather than hooking up to city water and power. I don't even know if you can do that down in Camelot. Anyways, I'm living there and house-sitting once they leave for a kayaking trip into the beginning of July.
Well, the library's closing so I've got to sign off- hope everyone else is doing well! Love to all!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
I love hearing about Sasquatch from all the contributors, and I don't really have much else to add, except for one life changing experience.
Sasquatch: My group had been waking up at 7am nearly every morning and drinking whiskey before breakfast (yes.. just like the Leftover Salmon song). After our whisky-coffee we would begin pouring vodka into ziploc bags and tape them all over our bodies to smuggle into the festival...they never check the inner calf. Once at the festival we would drink drink drink and smoke so many joints and DANCE it all off until the evening when we would vow that tonight was the night to party!! yet we would always stumble into our tents and sleep by 1am.
So the last day of sasquatch i was tired. I decided to take a little stroll by myself when i stumbled upon a group of boys smushed up next to the fence that separates the backstage area from the festival. The boys all were flapping their arms over the fence to a man wearing a neon orange outfit and construction helmet and neon yellow suspenders. I asked a bored looking boy sitting nearby what the commotion was all about. "They're giving out backstage passes.." Hmm.. I knew that Flaming Lips were headlining that night, in fact they were the sole reason to be there that day, and I knew that they liked wacky people in funky costumes on stage.... so I decided to see about this backstage pass business. So i walked to the fence and threw my arm over, dangling my hand obnoxiously in front of the acid tinted construction guard's face like the rest of the boys. he was trying to restore some tranquility, and so he was mumbling something when his eye caught mine. he noticed my gender and glanced away and then back again. He mumbled again, and the last part I caught: "...mgmd...what we really need is three more girls to dance nude for half a song." Bingo. My calling. Little did he know my extensive experience with public nudity, and yet his eyes glanced back to me when he said this as if challenging me. "OOH ME! I"M GOOD AT THAT!" I yelled to his nervous eyes. He handed me this cloth sticker and I glanced down.... does that say FLAMING LIPS???? I would've settled with the Mars Volta, but now that I see i get to meet Wayne Coyne in my skivvies it became a surreal experience.
I left the fence, called Marleta told her to meet me NOW. We were going to have to get some of those $12 coors lights in us before this adventure. one of those, Flight of the Concords, and a $14 margarita later, I returned to the fence with Marleta in tow and met the fellow dancers. The other nakey girls were young, thin (who figured) and excited. we met each other but i cant remember their names....there are a lot of things i cant remember.
We went back stage and all signed releases. Marleta stayed with the teletubby suit-er-uppers and we went to meet WAAAAYNE. I was pretty drunk and no doubt about it sounded pretty annoying as I grasped his hand to shake it and probably yelled "I saw you in Scotland at Indian Summer!!! You were AAAWESOME!!", while an older, prettier girl demurely shook his hand and said, "we met at a bar once..." to which he replied "ohh I actually remember yoU!!" and he looked sincere. He did not look sincere when he responded to me, "oh that was good fun wasn't it?, good fun." Some girl had a polaroid camera and I basically made her take a picture of me, Marleta and Wayne which he signed. He also signed my backstage pass, "Dana-- you are a great naked gal. Love forever, Wayne". (these would be included in the blog if only I had a scanner.)
Now i'm going to let you in on a little secret. He told us that if anyone asks to say that we were just so infused with the music that we wandered onstage and RIPPED off our clothes to dance around in a mad frenzy. But we actually planned it. We waited offstage until half way through Race For The Prize (one of my favorite songs too) when we ran on, throwing our clothes around our head. I was wearing my acid glasses and a cape. I looked like this:
I dont remember dancing onstage, but my good friend Sara Fischer said she noticed my background in dance and theater because my movements were huge, incorporated many levels and took up space on stage. The next thing I remember is Wayne pulling us all in for a hug and then going offstage.
I put my dress back on, i had lost my acid glasses, and went to stage right where marleta was chilling like a 'tubby. She gave me her hat and we danced there for another hour or so, and when Realize??? played I just wanted to cry. Please listen to this song. It was Marleta's birthday the day before, we had just had an amazing experience at Sasquatch alone, but to be up on stage to a band we both love and to realize we won't see each other until January, was just euphoric and nostalgic. I still have that song stuck in my head. (here is a really interesting coincidence: The only other time Marleta saw the flaming lips was with her friend Dana Schwab, and they were on mushrooms and got onstage and wore alien and santa claus costumes.)
So with that long winded story that probably wasn't very interesting to those who weren't there, I make just one request: please if you see naked pictures or videos of me on the internet (and there are MANY) do not tag my name or send them to someone witht he message "whoa look at dana". I don't care that they're out there or that people see them, but I do care if people are looking up my name for something arbitrary when HOLY SHIT there I am in full vaginal force.
and if you find any good ones because you are a super perv and you're looking for them, SEND THEM TO ME!!!
The Sticks, from Honeybucket 6
So, I feel like Taylor and Sarah have done a good job describing the actual fest. The only thing I would mention is that Battles was the shit, and Flight of the Conchords was disappointing for me...
So, the web I am going to spin for you today is a story about passion, resilience, music, exploration and the human spirit.
As it goes, festivals generally have a lifespan of several days. In the case of Sasquatch, there were three of them in 2008. Our party did not possess the stuff of admittance to the second day, leaving us with an entire day of smoking pot and drinking beer at the campground... however, one can only consume so much substance before boredom sets in.
My younger brother Hugh decided that he was not going to let the man keep him from the festival; he was determined to sneak in. Sarah, my older brother Ned, and myself did not feel the same conviction to jump the fence for Death Cab and the Cure.... So we formed alternate plans to find beer, and hopefully a swimming hole (I am proud to say that the weekend was an earthy experience in that none of our group members showered).
Thecampground was packed bumper to bumper, and our vehicle was completely "parked in" to the middle of a field of grass... Somehow, when the time came that we were heading out a vacancy opened up in such a way that we were able to squeak out of the campground between pitched tents.
We ventured out for our quest of beer, and victoriously acquired our bounty. Ninety cans of shitty beer + six drop top ambers to ease the pain of the macrobrews.... We also found a local who pointed us to a nearby fishing pond, where we were able to jump in to some ice-cold water. Usually I consider myself to be a "polar bear" of sorts in that I can and do oftentimes swim in extremely cold water... My body was not having it at this Ssaquatchian Fishing Pond. I was in the water for a matter of seconds, however it was long enough to be refreshed!
From here, our adventure brought us home to Honeybucket 6 (when you have 10,000 people camping in about 40 acres of grass field.... it is VERY disorienting. So they number the Honeybuckets [porto-crappers] as landmarks so you can find your way home. Ours was just north of Honeybucket 6... hope that clears things up)
We returned to camp to find Hugh fiddling with his tent poles and a 15 x 30 tarp that served as his ground cloth. "I got tackled two times trying to sneak in" he says to us. He tried to jump over the fence and then also just run through the front gate, both times resulted with his face in the dirt. So it seems his mission was altered from sticking it to the man by sneaking into the fest, to sticking it to nature by creating a rainproof outdoor shelter that McGuyver would appreciate. We were able to help him erect this structure when we returned with the van, using its lifted tailgate as the backbone for the shelter. It was a badass shelter, here are a couple pics.
So, the web I am going to spin for you today is a story about passion, resilience, music, exploration and the human spirit.
As it goes, festivals generally have a lifespan of several days. In the case of Sasquatch, there were three of them in 2008. Our party did not possess the stuff of admittance to the second day, leaving us with an entire day of smoking pot and drinking beer at the campground... however, one can only consume so much substance before boredom sets in.
My younger brother Hugh decided that he was not going to let the man keep him from the festival; he was determined to sneak in. Sarah, my older brother Ned, and myself did not feel the same conviction to jump the fence for Death Cab and the Cure.... So we formed alternate plans to find beer, and hopefully a swimming hole (I am proud to say that the weekend was an earthy experience in that none of our group members showered).
Thecampground was packed bumper to bumper, and our vehicle was completely "parked in" to the middle of a field of grass... Somehow, when the time came that we were heading out a vacancy opened up in such a way that we were able to squeak out of the campground between pitched tents.We ventured out for our quest of beer, and victoriously acquired our bounty. Ninety cans of shitty beer + six drop top ambers to ease the pain of the macrobrews.... We also found a local who pointed us to a nearby fishing pond, where we were able to jump in to some ice-cold water. Usually I consider myself to be a "polar bear" of sorts in that I can and do oftentimes swim in extremely cold water... My body was not having it at this Ssaquatchian Fishing Pond. I was in the water for a matter of seconds, however it was long enough to be refreshed!
From here, our adventure brought us home to Honeybucket 6 (when you have 10,000 people camping in about 40 acres of grass field.... it is VERY disorienting. So they number the Honeybuckets [porto-crappers] as landmarks so you can find your way home. Ours was just north of Honeybucket 6... hope that clears things up)
We returned to camp to find Hugh fiddling with his tent poles and a 15 x 30 tarp that served as his ground cloth. "I got tackled two times trying to sneak in" he says to us. He tried to jump over the fence and then also just run through the front gate, both times resulted with his face in the dirt. So it seems his mission was altered from sticking it to the man by sneaking into the fest, to sticking it to nature by creating a rainproof outdoor shelter that McGuyver would appreciate. We were able to help him erect this structure when we returned with the van, using its lifted tailgate as the backbone for the shelter. It was a badass shelter, here are a couple pics.
So, the shelter was a complete success... After a while of removing ourselves from the sun under Hugh's new shelter, we decided we wanted to explore the campground. Hugh opted out, so Ned Sarah and I embarked on our journey brandishing my Cool Keys Keytar, the Strumstick and for percussion my Glockenspiel. We started a band called The Sticks (completely different from Mr Roboto or the river of the dead according to the Greeks.... Anyway, five minutes after forming the band we headed out on our first tour. Let me say, I have been in my fair share of bands... Metallicaholix, Bo-Job, Samuel and the Semites, Los Zombis, and Bo.Monro... and I have NEVER seen a band get their shit together so quickly as to go on tour five minutes after formation... that is simply attributed to our will and passion to bring music into the hearts and minds of our inebriated fellow campers.
We walked and we walked... One of the first groups of people we ran into shouted from a distance, "That's a StrumStick!" he proceeded to tell me that he never thought he would see another one... BUT HE WAS WRONG!
Generally how the tour went was, we would walk around until we found people, then we would join their group and pass around our instruments to them so they could make some music. I don't think that I have been told "You made my day!" so many times in such a short period of time. Everyone we encountered was extremely nice, although there was one Colombian who had transplanted to Seattle who was trying to convince me that the war on Iraq was necessary, and that Bush and McCain had a grandeoise plan for the world that would allow our economic prosperity to flourish... I had to hold myself back from interrupting / shouting at him exposing all of the flaws to this grand plan that he spoke of, but we quickly moved on to the next group who were completely into the idea of trying our instruments and clapping along.
One of our audiences was getting an update from his friend who was in the festival on his cellular telephone and he told his friend "Sorry, I need to go, I have my own concert here... The Sticks are performing for us." Ha, he was definitely drunk, and definitely into our music.
The tour continued for a total of some two or three hours, do not really know because time does not matter when you are camping. At the end of our tour, Sarah had gone ahead while Ned and I dropped our drawers and Honeybucketed it up. As Ned and I rounded the bend nearing Honeybucket 6, I was strumming away to my hearts content filling the air with some twangy bluesy Strumstick action as six individuals wearing yellow festival staff shirts approached.
As we were walking by, one of the staffers (who was not really sure of himself...) broke formation and asked me to put away my instrument because saying, "It causes people to gather, You must either put it back in your campsite, or I will take it." This really steamed me up... I wanted to come back at him and tell him cramming 10,000 people into 40 acres of field is actually what forces folks to gather, but I held my tongue.
The Sticks were strummed out... as we were walking back to Honeybucket Six a couple of Joes who were tripping on shrooms joined us, and we all went and sat under Hugh's shelter returning to the indulgence of substances.
I kids you not, even though we were not participating in the festivity itself, it was a remarkable day.
We walked and we walked... One of the first groups of people we ran into shouted from a distance, "That's a StrumStick!" he proceeded to tell me that he never thought he would see another one... BUT HE WAS WRONG!
Generally how the tour went was, we would walk around until we found people, then we would join their group and pass around our instruments to them so they could make some music. I don't think that I have been told "You made my day!" so many times in such a short period of time. Everyone we encountered was extremely nice, although there was one Colombian who had transplanted to Seattle who was trying to convince me that the war on Iraq was necessary, and that Bush and McCain had a grandeoise plan for the world that would allow our economic prosperity to flourish... I had to hold myself back from interrupting / shouting at him exposing all of the flaws to this grand plan that he spoke of, but we quickly moved on to the next group who were completely into the idea of trying our instruments and clapping along.
One of our audiences was getting an update from his friend who was in the festival on his cellular telephone and he told his friend "Sorry, I need to go, I have my own concert here... The Sticks are performing for us." Ha, he was definitely drunk, and definitely into our music.
The tour continued for a total of some two or three hours, do not really know because time does not matter when you are camping. At the end of our tour, Sarah had gone ahead while Ned and I dropped our drawers and Honeybucketed it up. As Ned and I rounded the bend nearing Honeybucket 6, I was strumming away to my hearts content filling the air with some twangy bluesy Strumstick action as six individuals wearing yellow festival staff shirts approached.
As we were walking by, one of the staffers (who was not really sure of himself...) broke formation and asked me to put away my instrument because saying, "It causes people to gather, You must either put it back in your campsite, or I will take it." This really steamed me up... I wanted to come back at him and tell him cramming 10,000 people into 40 acres of field is actually what forces folks to gather, but I held my tongue.
The Sticks were strummed out... as we were walking back to Honeybucket Six a couple of Joes who were tripping on shrooms joined us, and we all went and sat under Hugh's shelter returning to the indulgence of substances.
I kids you not, even though we were not participating in the festivity itself, it was a remarkable day.
Salut d'Aix en Provence!
I've just began my month long adventure in this small southern French town, and I love it already. The tiny streets crowded with people, the countless fountains, and the French wine have forced me to immediately fall in love with France once again.
I arrived in Marseille on Wednesday and took a short bus ride to Aix. After settling into my very small, but very cozy apartment, I took a stroll down the street to meet a few of the other students in my program and have a café. Thinking I was getting a regular coffee, the waiter instead brought me a tiny, and very very strong, espresso. I sipped the bitter drink and go to know the other students in my group. They are all very nice, and after finishing my drink, I retreated to the apartment for a quick rest before heading out to dinner with two of the other students who live in the apartment next to mine.
After dinner we walked up and down the cours mirabeau, the main street in Aix, checking out the restaurants, cafés, and bars. Ironically, one of the clubs we went into was featuring 5 euro beer pong, possibly the most discouraging thing I could find on my first night in France. But we quickly bounced back and went out to a bar last night with some students. O'Shannons was a lot of fun. Besides talking with the other American students, I had my first, may be it very short, conversation with a native. It was great. Feeling motivated and excited, as well as a bit tipsy, my roommate and I headed back to the apartment for a good nights sleep.
I'll be sure to put up some pictures soon.
t
I arrived in Marseille on Wednesday and took a short bus ride to Aix. After settling into my very small, but very cozy apartment, I took a stroll down the street to meet a few of the other students in my program and have a café. Thinking I was getting a regular coffee, the waiter instead brought me a tiny, and very very strong, espresso. I sipped the bitter drink and go to know the other students in my group. They are all very nice, and after finishing my drink, I retreated to the apartment for a quick rest before heading out to dinner with two of the other students who live in the apartment next to mine.
After dinner we walked up and down the cours mirabeau, the main street in Aix, checking out the restaurants, cafés, and bars. Ironically, one of the clubs we went into was featuring 5 euro beer pong, possibly the most discouraging thing I could find on my first night in France. But we quickly bounced back and went out to a bar last night with some students. O'Shannons was a lot of fun. Besides talking with the other American students, I had my first, may be it very short, conversation with a native. It was great. Feeling motivated and excited, as well as a bit tipsy, my roommate and I headed back to the apartment for a good nights sleep.
I'll be sure to put up some pictures soon.
t
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tallinn is a unique place
...as to how small (300 000) yet cosmopolitan it really is. Realized this today as 'Sex and the City' premiered here before major capitols. Not probably a good movie if you liked the series, is my guess, but then again, what do I know.
Arrived last night 1am - still not reverted to the 24-hr format - at my sister's door in Tallinn.
Thank you all for giving me the chance of knowing you, to the extent it happened! There may be a few more posts from me here still.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The vegetarian goes chicken killing
Well today I went to a farm to "process" chickens. It was definitely an interesting experience. It began with myself the farmer and his family as well as some neighbors holding hands in a circle as he said a prayer blessing the space and asking God for a smooth processing. From there I started at the end of the line or "quality control" where we made sure the chickens didn't have any remaining feathers or organs. I then moved to the station where they were pulling all the innards out of the chickens. I tried a couple, but felt as though I was mutilating the chicken even though I wasn't. It is amazing how tough chicken skin is. I then went outside to where the chickens were actually being killed. You stick them in a metal cone with their heads poking out. With a few hacks of a knife you cut their throat and they bleed on a tray that funnels to a bucket. I was amazed at how long chickens continue to move after they have been sliced.
It was interesting how oblivious they were to what is going on around them. As their fellow chickens were being killed they were just chillin silently in the trailer. It was incredible how simple and easy it was to grab the chickens neck and cut its thoat. It was not revolting. I did not feel emotionally attached to the animal except in the sense that it was giving its life to be consumed. The most disturbing part was not the killing but probably taking the skin off the chickens feet, I don't know why but chickens' feet freak me out.
The whole process seemed like a very natural thing to happen. Every part of the bird was used whether for food or compost, nothing was wasted. It is crazy how quickly some living animal can turn into something that can be found on a grocery store aisle.
I am very grateful to the people for allowing me to go to their farm and take part in something that I feel like is at times forgotten. Our food comes from living things. It doesn't come prepackaged.
Well, that's all I have about chickens and killing them. I love hearing how everyone it doing.
cheers,
Katy
It was interesting how oblivious they were to what is going on around them. As their fellow chickens were being killed they were just chillin silently in the trailer. It was incredible how simple and easy it was to grab the chickens neck and cut its thoat. It was not revolting. I did not feel emotionally attached to the animal except in the sense that it was giving its life to be consumed. The most disturbing part was not the killing but probably taking the skin off the chickens feet, I don't know why but chickens' feet freak me out.
The whole process seemed like a very natural thing to happen. Every part of the bird was used whether for food or compost, nothing was wasted. It is crazy how quickly some living animal can turn into something that can be found on a grocery store aisle.
I am very grateful to the people for allowing me to go to their farm and take part in something that I feel like is at times forgotten. Our food comes from living things. It doesn't come prepackaged.
Well, that's all I have about chickens and killing them. I love hearing how everyone it doing.
cheers,
Katy
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Heiki and I tear up the city
Heiki and I "tore up the city". Example number #1:
Battling the fierce winds of the Bainbridge/Seattle ferry.
Example #2 Folk life music festival at Seattle Center. Notice population change.
It was so great to have Heiki come and visit, to meet my family, go on walks, eat good food, listen to music, enjoy good conversations, silences, and so forth. So Heiki, thank you for this.
To all: I hope you are healthy and in good spirits!
Summer rocks.
Peace,
Hales.
Sasquatched and Sunburnt
As the haze of pot smoke and taste of warm beer began to clear from my mind, the long-anticipated hot water stung my sunburned skin, reminding me of the four days of glorious indulgence from which I have not yet fully returned. I say "indulgence" because I feel that no other word suffices to describe the complete dismissal of all anxiety, apprehension, and sense of order that occurred as festival goers entered the Gorge Amphitheater for this year's Sasquatch Music Festival. Crowds of people were drinking twelve dollar beers and feasting on seven dollar servings of pizza while sunbathing and tripping on acid. No computers, no homework, no bosses, and only a few scattered sheriffs.
Our schedule for each day: wake up with the sun, share a lazy morning with our Canadian neighbors, join the masses in the euphoric trek from the campground to the festival, lie down in the sunshine with thousands of new friends, soak in hours of tunes, dance until the stars come out, return to the campground for an after party, and retreat to a fortress of blankets for a deep drunken slumber.
The grand finale (a misleading phrase as there was, of course, an after party) was the UFO Show from the Flaming Lips. I don't want to say too much about the show as I know that Dana's description will be infinitely more intriguing than my own, but I will say that it was by far the highlight of the entire festival. The front man came out of a giant, flashing, moving UFO in an inflatable ball and rolled across the audience. There were Telletubbies, an enormous astronaut, a gigantic caterpillar, balloons the size of people, and literally tons of confetti.
The completely overdone and ostentatious Flaming Lips show that probably sent pounds of pollution down the Columbia River and perpetuated the constant eroticization of women was one of the best concerts I have ever experienced. As critical as I am about practically every aspect of mainstream culture and as much as the concert contradicted my environmentalist and feminist ideals, I could not help but feel strangely moved by the crowd, the performers, and the incredible collective joy shared by thousands of people.
As the show concluded, Sam and I were down in the pit, about twenty feet from the stage, and the Flaming Lips played their last song, "Do You Realize." The lyrics resonated deeply with me as I stood with a person who I still love at the end of our amazing relationship, preparing to leave a comfortable and happy life for new excitement and adventures.
Our schedule for each day: wake up with the sun, share a lazy morning with our Canadian neighbors, join the masses in the euphoric trek from the campground to the festival, lie down in the sunshine with thousands of new friends, soak in hours of tunes, dance until the stars come out, return to the campground for an after party, and retreat to a fortress of blankets for a deep drunken slumber.
The grand finale (a misleading phrase as there was, of course, an after party) was the UFO Show from the Flaming Lips. I don't want to say too much about the show as I know that Dana's description will be infinitely more intriguing than my own, but I will say that it was by far the highlight of the entire festival. The front man came out of a giant, flashing, moving UFO in an inflatable ball and rolled across the audience. There were Telletubbies, an enormous astronaut, a gigantic caterpillar, balloons the size of people, and literally tons of confetti.
The completely overdone and ostentatious Flaming Lips show that probably sent pounds of pollution down the Columbia River and perpetuated the constant eroticization of women was one of the best concerts I have ever experienced. As critical as I am about practically every aspect of mainstream culture and as much as the concert contradicted my environmentalist and feminist ideals, I could not help but feel strangely moved by the crowd, the performers, and the incredible collective joy shared by thousands of people.
As the show concluded, Sam and I were down in the pit, about twenty feet from the stage, and the Flaming Lips played their last song, "Do You Realize." The lyrics resonated deeply with me as I stood with a person who I still love at the end of our amazing relationship, preparing to leave a comfortable and happy life for new excitement and adventures.
Sunken Heights
Megan, I first saw this Email a few days ago and thought, "Hmmm must be someone trying to give me a virus." I opened my Email account today and rethought my thought to conclude that I must stop being so cynical. I am glad that I decided to open it because now I get to read about my friends many adventures and keep in touch myself. I have already really enjoyed reading blogs from everyone. I miss you all very much.
I arrived in the Mid-West two weeks ago after a long drive across the country and a stop in Nebraska for job training. Home is a trailer outside of a small town called Americus, Kansas with a girl called Sally. So small in fact, We have to burn our own trash because there is no service to discard of it. We can't create a landfill because then we would have more rodent/coyote problems than we already do. I like the coyotes howling at night but not the roaches that we have in our cupboards. Hopefully, we can convince them that we own the trailer now.
I spend my days working for the University of Nebraska outside at the National Tall-grass Prairie Preserve watching birds, catching birds, recording vegetation, looking for nests, and trying to keep the cows away from me as I do all of this. Needless to say, they are not the smartest of creatures and for some reason they love to surround my truck and lick the windows. I was chased by a bull at Sunken Heights (the family farm) when I was a young girl so it is hard to not have a panic attack when they do this strange activity. I guess it saves money on car washes though. I caught my first wild bird last Thursday. It happened to be a little male grasshopper sparrow. He was a good boy so I successfully measured, took blood, and banded him. It was surreal holding him. He was so fragile and hell he can fly which is something that I will never do. It is strange transitioning from an environment where I am constantly surrounded by people to one where I rarely see people. Sally and I joke that soon we will soon be giving all the birds names and holding conversations about what life is like being a bird.
I went home this weekend to Oklahoma to see my mother/friends for Memorial Day. On Saturday, I spent the day at a friends cabin at Lake Carl Blackwell. Late in the evening, everyone was evacuated from the Lake because an F4 tornado was tearing through Perry, the next town over, down I35 towards Stillwater. We had all been drinking and didn't have a shelter to go to in the area. We had no choice but to watch and wait. Mother Nature gave us a beautifully disasterous show all night complete with rain, hail, and ground shaking lightning that you can only experience here. Luckily, the twister dissipated before it came too close and we came out alright, although people in Perry did not. For anyone that hasn't experienced the terror of natural disaster, I can only say that I felt completely helpless. However, I am happy that I am alive. Please pray/send good energy/whatever it is you do to those that have been and will be affected by natural disaster in my area and around the world this summer.
Sorry I babbled on so long. Be safe and have a great summer. I hold all of you dear.
-Love, Mary
I arrived in the Mid-West two weeks ago after a long drive across the country and a stop in Nebraska for job training. Home is a trailer outside of a small town called Americus, Kansas with a girl called Sally. So small in fact, We have to burn our own trash because there is no service to discard of it. We can't create a landfill because then we would have more rodent/coyote problems than we already do. I like the coyotes howling at night but not the roaches that we have in our cupboards. Hopefully, we can convince them that we own the trailer now.
I spend my days working for the University of Nebraska outside at the National Tall-grass Prairie Preserve watching birds, catching birds, recording vegetation, looking for nests, and trying to keep the cows away from me as I do all of this. Needless to say, they are not the smartest of creatures and for some reason they love to surround my truck and lick the windows. I was chased by a bull at Sunken Heights (the family farm) when I was a young girl so it is hard to not have a panic attack when they do this strange activity. I guess it saves money on car washes though. I caught my first wild bird last Thursday. It happened to be a little male grasshopper sparrow. He was a good boy so I successfully measured, took blood, and banded him. It was surreal holding him. He was so fragile and hell he can fly which is something that I will never do. It is strange transitioning from an environment where I am constantly surrounded by people to one where I rarely see people. Sally and I joke that soon we will soon be giving all the birds names and holding conversations about what life is like being a bird.
I went home this weekend to Oklahoma to see my mother/friends for Memorial Day. On Saturday, I spent the day at a friends cabin at Lake Carl Blackwell. Late in the evening, everyone was evacuated from the Lake because an F4 tornado was tearing through Perry, the next town over, down I35 towards Stillwater. We had all been drinking and didn't have a shelter to go to in the area. We had no choice but to watch and wait. Mother Nature gave us a beautifully disasterous show all night complete with rain, hail, and ground shaking lightning that you can only experience here. Luckily, the twister dissipated before it came too close and we came out alright, although people in Perry did not. For anyone that hasn't experienced the terror of natural disaster, I can only say that I felt completely helpless. However, I am happy that I am alive. Please pray/send good energy/whatever it is you do to those that have been and will be affected by natural disaster in my area and around the world this summer.
Sorry I babbled on so long. Be safe and have a great summer. I hold all of you dear.
-Love, Mary
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sasquatch! and more!
I'll let Sam write about his Sasquatch experience when he gets back, but I thought that I'd better put in my two sense before hand as well...
It was a whirlwind of a weekend for sure. Sam, Sara and I drove up on Friday evening. What a fun drive. We listened to lots of good music, talked about languages (and how they are the key to a successful world) and many other things. We arrived at the gorge campground around 10:00 and met up with Hilde and her friends from Montana. After maneuvering our way through the campground we finally found a spot and setup camp. It was so great that we were all together again! Plus Sam's brothers were there! It was a great dynamic.
That night we hung out with a few people, met some crazy Montanans (thanks to Hilde), and finally crashed out relatively early to regain some energy for the next day. We woke up early the next day and hung around for a bit with some very cool Canadians that were camped next to us. It was so great to spend time with people that you just met, but with whom you know you have something really special in common: a love for music.
The whole day of music was amazing. Fleet Foxes, Beirut, Modest Mouse, The Shaky Hands, Joshua Morrison, Destroyer! and many more. I've decided that Beirut and Destroyer were my two favorites, but everyone else was great too.
After a very sad good-bye at 6am the next morning, my friend Stefan and I headed out to Sisters, OR where I caught a bus back to Salem. It was the first time I had driven from Eastern Oregon to Salem, and it was incredible. Oregon has so much more to offer...
I leave for France tomorrow. I'll be sure to keep everyone updated on my adventures there. I miss you all.
t
... Out of breath at 2860 m high
Sup Sup amigos hermosos!
I finally got over the technological barrier and managed to enter to the blog and read all of your posts... which really warmed my heart :) ... it seems like this blog idea is working woo hoo!
Hayls, I wish I could have shared your birthday with you... and as Sam... I share your feelings about birthdays, they don't mean anything without people you love! By the way I sent you something with Sam too... make sure you see him !
I am at home in Ecuador finally, I arrived on Thursday and it is weird, it is good, it is scary, it is exciting, it is sad and it is happy.
Too many feelings, yesterday I kind of wanted to stay in bed all day long thinking about my experience in the U.S. which seemed more exciting than the future... so I did that for a while and then I thought that one more time is about attitude right?. So I organized my room and (after throwing away so many things when I left Willamette) it was impressively easy for me to fill up 3 big bags of things that I realize I don't need anymore.. which felt good.
Ok, I am not telling you many exciting things... but as Hilds says, I wanted to tell you what is on my mind. These last couple of days that I have been back home, it kind of felt like I almost didn't leave, so many things seem the same, and then, I just feel different!
On Saturday it was my niece's "Quinceaniera" party. It was so beautiful, that made me feel good, I was scared that it was going to be too intense to see ALL of my family straight away... but it was lots of fun! I will post a photograph, I would love you to meet my family :) (now on piccie, some day in person hopefully!)
... and Yes... I am so out of breath! This altitude is serious business this days (Heiki, if Montana is high for you... you should give Quito a try) This morning I went to the gym and danced lots of salsa, merengue, and samba! it was awesome but I almost collapse... I was SO red on my face afterwards and I am still feeling tired and it feels like my heart wants to get out of my chest... weird.
Besides that, It feels good to see Quito and the Andes! they are so beautiful. I have also been stuffing myself with fruit and some good granola...it feels so good!
I am not sure about the summer, as for Sarah, it is a bit uncertain for me... I do know I have at least one more year to go at Uni and that I need to work this summer... I will keep you posted!
I can't wait to see you all and in the meantime to hear of your adventures!
Muchos besos y abrazos ricos!
Lu
I finally got over the technological barrier and managed to enter to the blog and read all of your posts... which really warmed my heart :) ... it seems like this blog idea is working woo hoo!
Hayls, I wish I could have shared your birthday with you... and as Sam... I share your feelings about birthdays, they don't mean anything without people you love! By the way I sent you something with Sam too... make sure you see him !
I am at home in Ecuador finally, I arrived on Thursday and it is weird, it is good, it is scary, it is exciting, it is sad and it is happy.
Too many feelings, yesterday I kind of wanted to stay in bed all day long thinking about my experience in the U.S. which seemed more exciting than the future... so I did that for a while and then I thought that one more time is about attitude right?. So I organized my room and (after throwing away so many things when I left Willamette) it was impressively easy for me to fill up 3 big bags of things that I realize I don't need anymore.. which felt good.
Ok, I am not telling you many exciting things... but as Hilds says, I wanted to tell you what is on my mind. These last couple of days that I have been back home, it kind of felt like I almost didn't leave, so many things seem the same, and then, I just feel different!
On Saturday it was my niece's "Quinceaniera" party. It was so beautiful, that made me feel good, I was scared that it was going to be too intense to see ALL of my family straight away... but it was lots of fun! I will post a photograph, I would love you to meet my family :) (now on piccie, some day in person hopefully!)
... and Yes... I am so out of breath! This altitude is serious business this days (Heiki, if Montana is high for you... you should give Quito a try) This morning I went to the gym and danced lots of salsa, merengue, and samba! it was awesome but I almost collapse... I was SO red on my face afterwards and I am still feeling tired and it feels like my heart wants to get out of my chest... weird.
Besides that, It feels good to see Quito and the Andes! they are so beautiful. I have also been stuffing myself with fruit and some good granola...it feels so good!
I am not sure about the summer, as for Sarah, it is a bit uncertain for me... I do know I have at least one more year to go at Uni and that I need to work this summer... I will keep you posted!
I can't wait to see you all and in the meantime to hear of your adventures!
Muchos besos y abrazos ricos!
Lu
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Heaven can wait; I am going to Seattle
Saw that sign when my bus stopped at a layover still in Montana. Tempting as it was, I opted for continuing this journey. Besides, the issue of whether St. Peter would let me through the gates is still quite open.
Getting to Washington State, roamed the streets of a town called Spokane. My training in watching Planet Earth helped me quickly understand that it was mating season - Friday night - for the natives. Saw numbers of natives all lined up in front of the mating sites - 'clubs' - ready and willing to start the mating process. I realized this was another temptation for me and reboarded the bus on time.
Both layovers were tiringly long, especially considering that it was a night bus, making sleeping difficult.
Even though I had sent all my books home (for which they request customs from me, absurd as it sounds), new books keep coming me. Before departing, we had talked about the musical Wicked. As a surprise then, a friend gave me a copy of the book it is based on, and I had it for the road. Basically it is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz from the Wicked Witch's perspective. Very well written book, easy to get lost into.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Day One on the job
I went out on one of the tour boats today for the first time. Deckhand training (finally) ended Thursday with the completion of CPR training; and as I found that I had yesterday off, I decided on the spot to go to Anchorage one last time before the boys leave for Valdez. I enjoyed one of the most beautiful drives in the country for the second time in four days, impressed with how much it had changed already. Between snow melt, blooming fields and flowers, it promises to be a breathtaking and much-photographed drive throughout the season.
In Anchorage, I ran some much-needed errands and also picked up a bike that I found on Craig's List. Timm volunteered to ride it back to Ian's house since all 3 of us left little room for a bike, and promptly got hit by a car. Poor guy! Fortunately, he was fine and the front tire just got a little warped, but it's still ridable.
Anyways, I started today with little clue of what to do or expect. Training left me only with a strong dislike of OSHA and pretty strong feelings of impatience to be actually doing something. I got put with a really stellar crew: one guy was actually from Maine, and all were really friendly and fun to be around. My first day was long but so amazing: we saw orcas, humpbacks, a black bear, bald eagles, puffins, mountain goats, seals, sea lions, massive glaciers... we unloaded at the Fox Island lodge for a salmon bake dinner and skipped rocks on the most amazing beach. Every single rock is perfect for skipping. I've heard they have a big rock-skipping contest there at the end of the summer. Sounds like my kind of place! The day was long, but I got 2 free meals out of it and enjoyed my time. My water bottle is currently full of freshly-melted glacier water!
For the last few days, I have been noticing all of the other opportunities around me in Seward that sound very tempting. There's a culinary academy and jobs through the National Park Service doing trail maintenance, and I'm sure I could find a job cooking if I wanted to. I miss cooking a lot and I'm not a huge fan of all of the overhead at this company, so we'll see. I'm definitely going to get what I can out of it, but not overlook other doors that might open up along the way.
I'm spending tonight (um, squatting) in employee housing- there's an empty bunk and my friends who live here offered it up, even though the company is still trying to tell me that they're all full. That's ok, though- I have a cabin on and off, but maybe not permanently, that's 3 miles out of town, owned by a really nice couple who already feel like they're my foster parents. I'd rather live there when possible and scramble for a couch/throw up a tent when it doesn't work out than live here in what feels like an overcrowded dorm. It's nice to have my own space to come home to away from where I socialize.
In Anchorage, I ran some much-needed errands and also picked up a bike that I found on Craig's List. Timm volunteered to ride it back to Ian's house since all 3 of us left little room for a bike, and promptly got hit by a car. Poor guy! Fortunately, he was fine and the front tire just got a little warped, but it's still ridable.
Anyways, I started today with little clue of what to do or expect. Training left me only with a strong dislike of OSHA and pretty strong feelings of impatience to be actually doing something. I got put with a really stellar crew: one guy was actually from Maine, and all were really friendly and fun to be around. My first day was long but so amazing: we saw orcas, humpbacks, a black bear, bald eagles, puffins, mountain goats, seals, sea lions, massive glaciers... we unloaded at the Fox Island lodge for a salmon bake dinner and skipped rocks on the most amazing beach. Every single rock is perfect for skipping. I've heard they have a big rock-skipping contest there at the end of the summer. Sounds like my kind of place! The day was long, but I got 2 free meals out of it and enjoyed my time. My water bottle is currently full of freshly-melted glacier water!
For the last few days, I have been noticing all of the other opportunities around me in Seward that sound very tempting. There's a culinary academy and jobs through the National Park Service doing trail maintenance, and I'm sure I could find a job cooking if I wanted to. I miss cooking a lot and I'm not a huge fan of all of the overhead at this company, so we'll see. I'm definitely going to get what I can out of it, but not overlook other doors that might open up along the way.
I'm spending tonight (um, squatting) in employee housing- there's an empty bunk and my friends who live here offered it up, even though the company is still trying to tell me that they're all full. That's ok, though- I have a cabin on and off, but maybe not permanently, that's 3 miles out of town, owned by a really nice couple who already feel like they're my foster parents. I'd rather live there when possible and scramble for a couch/throw up a tent when it doesn't work out than live here in what feels like an overcrowded dorm. It's nice to have my own space to come home to away from where I socialize.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Taking Glacier
Thanks to some of the most wonderful and generous people I have met (thanks to whom we also got an inside tour of the state supreme court), we have been spending the past few days near Glacier National Park, and venturing into the park each of those days. We hiked to Quartz Lake, bicycled up the part of Going-to-the-Sun Highway that was plowed clear of snow, kayaked on Swan Lake.
Also managed to drink a few bottles of good beer and wine and make my first pesto ever. Lacking a blender or a food processor (a monitoimikone in Finnish, one of the most inappropriately melodic words I know), we cut all the pesto components with chef knives, mixed them and ate the delicious concoction with farfalle, goat cheese and olives.
Also managed to drink a few bottles of good beer and wine and make my first pesto ever. Lacking a blender or a food processor (a monitoimikone in Finnish, one of the most inappropriately melodic words I know), we cut all the pesto components with chef knives, mixed them and ate the delicious concoction with farfalle, goat cheese and olives.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
hey yall.
with sincerity i hope all is well. my thoughts are with all and my regards belong to friends as we search for adventure and live intrigue, perpetually stumbling with purpose towards attainment of fun and a stock of knowledge for knowing, development of relationships and thoughts, arts, gasps and glimpses, big question marks, a casual shrug of the shoulders and sometimes a raised eyebrow that's razed by the guttural reply: huh.
and it's important to constantly propose the question: sup sup? because it is so easy to loose touch through distance and varying experiences, feelings and flows, goals and so on, or so forth.
after a brief overview of the posts from all yall, one of those smiles came across my face, and i raced to read them all. i look forward to more to come.
but in brevity, and in using the oh-so-limiting medium of language, i hope to give an update to my personal whereabouts, plans, feeling, thoughts, etc...
- this year has been gorgeous. reed college is interesting. i still don't know what to make of it, or my experience, the all encompassing intensity that reed college is. academically, socially, whatever. and so due to my current inability to express my experience this year with reed, i will merely say: it is interesting. but commuting downtown to portland state and experiencing the university scene has been much appreciated. a very different feel from reed and willamette. exposure to city life has forced me to approach living differently and the exposure to so many people of difference has raised a lot of big questions for me.
this past year has been filled with so much thought and personal reflection, fueled by different studies in different disciplines, engagements and interactions with people and places. to grossly simplify, i think as a result of everything this year, i have come to a feeling of anomie. which has been exciting and intimidating simultaneously. reading copious social theory and modern philosophy dealing with weber, marx, durkheim, nietzsche, bourdieu, derrida, foucault, existentialism, deconstruction, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, exchange theory, phenomenology, feminist theory, modern/postmodern theory. it has been so nice to find time to become acquainted with different sorts of social theory/philosophy. but studying myself and other people has ultimately led to multitudinous questions and very few answers.
portland is truly incredible. i have been living with beautiful people and surrounded by absurdity, privilege, excitement, angst, struggle, reflexivity, adventure, so much fun, sadness, question marks, exclamation points, laughter, music, city life, academia, stimulation, elation, frustration, whatever.
life i guess.
it has been a hectic few months. trying to figure out classes, credits, transcripts, major, graduating, scamming institutions, dealing with bureaucracy, solidification of plans, and so forth. time and its limits have become obvious to me over the course of this year.
i've been traveling around the northwest, sailing sailboats and meeting other university students, and it has been oh so good.
currently trying to finish an ethnography i'm writing on heterosexual male youth who strip at gay clubs. it has proven to be exhausting. i've been spending way to much time at the silverado downtown, talking with strippers and clients and owners. becoming accustomed to nude men...
after several failed attempts at trying to find work in an alaskan fishery, i think i will spend summer in the seattle area, making money, merging with family and friends, and preparing for school in amherst, ma next year. again preparing for a little more transition, adventure, and shit to set straight and what-not.
however, with excitement i recently figured out that i'll graduate nearly a year early with a liberal studies major, hopefully freeing up some time to travel, make music and thoughts, pick up readings that have been only slightly penetrated. get away from school and everything else.
i'll finish up with school come mid-june. really looking forward to it. anyone and everyone that is in the northwest should come visit and find intrigue, excitement, etc.
again, hope all is well. hopefully specificity will come in the near future.
much love,
tyler
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
i might be the nicest brother ever...
probably not, but let's just say i filled up my suitcase full his junk from school, 85 lbs total... to be turned away and asked to break apart the bag into another bag (which i didnt have) had to scrounge for a box to fill so i could check two, and pay extra.... ooof... i will elaborate more but i have a plane to catch, IM ORGON BOUND!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Buttesup!- aka our adventure to the weirdest town on Earth
Early Sunday morning, it wasn't even 10 yet, we headed south, my brother, sisters, the crazy Estonian and me. As we drove down the interstate my older brother jabbered on about Montana History. He informed us about the gold rush, the famous Butte copperkings, and the old mansion that he occupied during his college years. His chatter ceased as we reach our primary destination, a landmark that Oakley (brother) had been talking up for weeks - the Ringing Rocks. As we stepped out of the car an elderly cohort of Montanans were talking about their favorite county western songs while taking a quick break from fourwheeling. After greeting these friendly folks my brother promptly handed each of us a hammer and urged us onto the mountainous pile of unassuming volcanic rocks. This may sound weird, and maybe it's hard to comprehend, but seriously there was just a huge pile of rocks awaiting us. So we dutifully began climbing the rocks, tapping on them with our hammers. Lo and behold, just as we had been told , the rocks chimed like a giant heap of naturally formed church bells. It was magical.
After our musical talents expired, we piled back into the car and traversed the wild montanan terrain to Butte. At one time one of the biggest cities in the West, now it requires vivid imagination to picture its former glory. It even does not have a downtown, but rather something called an 'uptown.' The local favorite sandwiches are ones with a fatty pork chop, one of which Heiki promptly consumed. We spent the rest of the day lazing around - playing tennis, drinking coffee, and trying to avoid the ghastly winds - all in the shadow of the Berkley Pit, one of the biggest Superfund sites in the US. The pit used to be populated by a mutant-looking dog, whom we missed during this trip, however. All we saw was a huge statue of Mother Mary, arguably the size of the Statue of Liberty that the locals had for some reason erected in the mountains far above Butte. It is sure we missed many other weird wonders the place has to offer.
The obvious way to end this lazy day was with dinner and a movie. So we went to an old family favorite to grab some sweet grub - the Pekin restaurant (if you come to Montana, I'll take you there). Entering an old dusty building, like any in Butte, we climbed up the creaking stairs and ended up in a corridor lined with entrances to booths. No, there were no tables under the window - the old Chinese miners liked their privacy. Each booth was protected from bypassers with a pink curtain. The color of choice of the owners for the restaurant was worn out pink, of all possibilities. The aged waitress poured us some tea and icewater. In an attempt to avoid the consumption of meat, we inquired into the substances going into the sauce that covered the vegetables. 'Just a very light brown gravy,' said the waitress comfortingly. Now that was reassuring.
After our fine dining experience, we drove out to the last standing drive in movie theater in Montana. Neither of us had every sat outside below the stars, the moon rising on our right while the sun set to our left, and watched a current flick on the big screen. But it seriously was a lovely setting. So there it was the end to a fun filled day, in the fresh air embraced by mountains watching Leatherheadsand drinking Moose Drool brew. What a day!
After our musical talents expired, we piled back into the car and traversed the wild montanan terrain to Butte. At one time one of the biggest cities in the West, now it requires vivid imagination to picture its former glory. It even does not have a downtown, but rather something called an 'uptown.' The local favorite sandwiches are ones with a fatty pork chop, one of which Heiki promptly consumed. We spent the rest of the day lazing around - playing tennis, drinking coffee, and trying to avoid the ghastly winds - all in the shadow of the Berkley Pit, one of the biggest Superfund sites in the US. The pit used to be populated by a mutant-looking dog, whom we missed during this trip, however. All we saw was a huge statue of Mother Mary, arguably the size of the Statue of Liberty that the locals had for some reason erected in the mountains far above Butte. It is sure we missed many other weird wonders the place has to offer.
The obvious way to end this lazy day was with dinner and a movie. So we went to an old family favorite to grab some sweet grub - the Pekin restaurant (if you come to Montana, I'll take you there). Entering an old dusty building, like any in Butte, we climbed up the creaking stairs and ended up in a corridor lined with entrances to booths. No, there were no tables under the window - the old Chinese miners liked their privacy. Each booth was protected from bypassers with a pink curtain. The color of choice of the owners for the restaurant was worn out pink, of all possibilities. The aged waitress poured us some tea and icewater. In an attempt to avoid the consumption of meat, we inquired into the substances going into the sauce that covered the vegetables. 'Just a very light brown gravy,' said the waitress comfortingly. Now that was reassuring.
After our fine dining experience, we drove out to the last standing drive in movie theater in Montana. Neither of us had every sat outside below the stars, the moon rising on our right while the sun set to our left, and watched a current flick on the big screen. But it seriously was a lovely setting. So there it was the end to a fun filled day, in the fresh air embraced by mountains watching Leatherheadsand drinking Moose Drool brew. What a day!
Rightfully is it called the Big Sky Country
...for the azure blue sky here is as wide open above you as it possibly can get. We are high, high above sea level and you really can feel how much more effort it takes to breathe. The air is dry and with the wide expanse of sky and space around you there seems to be almost too much light. Although Montana is far from being flat, there is little to obstruct the view but the nearest mountains somewhere far away.
It has been hot while I've been here, mostly very little clouds. The Clark-Snustads were saying that Helena gets at least 250-300 days of sunshine per year. Quite the opposite from Oregon then and being here does really feel like being in another country.
Anyway, after the things I described in a post that appears to be lost from this blog, we spent a day on the Missouri River. Another hot day, quiet and slow flow. The river was amply populated, by people flyfishing, pelicans, beavers...
It has been hot while I've been here, mostly very little clouds. The Clark-Snustads were saying that Helena gets at least 250-300 days of sunshine per year. Quite the opposite from Oregon then and being here does really feel like being in another country.
Anyway, after the things I described in a post that appears to be lost from this blog, we spent a day on the Missouri River. Another hot day, quiet and slow flow. The river was amply populated, by people flyfishing, pelicans, beavers...
Into the unknown?
Now that I've arrived in Anchorage, aired out and cleaned out the car, and showered, I'm heading off to my summer job in Seward (about 2 hrs. from here) in the morning. I feel like the real adventures are finally going to begin once I leave behind my last 2 Willamette buddies for a town I've never been to and where I don't know a soul. Heck, I don't even know my plans for housing starting tomorrow morning! More than anything, I'm feeling super curious as to how things are going to play out and settle down. It's been a long time in limbo since classes ended and I'm ready for the next straight patch of road. Sometimes I feel like the turning points and corners of a journey might be the most exciting, but it's nice to be able not to think about the next step, sit back and reflect as well.
I'm going to try and unplug as much as possible this summer, but post occasionally, so best wishes to all of you! Hopefully I'll get my feet up some of those great mountains I've been admiring for the last two days- I'm dying to hit the trail. Thanks for all of the stimulating conversations and adventures that have helped lead me to this crazy-amazing place I'm at now- I've learned and grown so much lately, thanks to many of you!
Love, Jules
PS- Latest music for me has been Nickel Creek, the Dixie Chicks and the Wailin' Jennys (bluegrass/folk), Braille, Zion I and Common (hip-hop/rap), Third Eye Blind (thanks, Timm and I-town) and Rage Against The Machine!
I'm going to try and unplug as much as possible this summer, but post occasionally, so best wishes to all of you! Hopefully I'll get my feet up some of those great mountains I've been admiring for the last two days- I'm dying to hit the trail. Thanks for all of the stimulating conversations and adventures that have helped lead me to this crazy-amazing place I'm at now- I've learned and grown so much lately, thanks to many of you!
Love, Jules
PS- Latest music for me has been Nickel Creek, the Dixie Chicks and the Wailin' Jennys (bluegrass/folk), Braille, Zion I and Common (hip-hop/rap), Third Eye Blind (thanks, Timm and I-town) and Rage Against The Machine!
Alaskan Highway Adventures
Sup’ Sup’ from I-town , Trobb, and Hoo-lee-a,
We have arrived in
Owner: “Ohh, the Tree Brew variety pack! I usually get this when I go golfing with my buddy… good choice”
Timm: “Oh, ball Golf?”
Owner: (blank stare)
…awkward pause
Timm: (imitates a golf swing, smiles desperately)
Owner: …yeah. Golf.
The night was spectacular – we can’t remember the last time we had seen such a clear sky. We slept well, and split early in the morning to avoid any chance of actually paying for our site. After a solid day of driving (freakin 800 miles), we found ourselves stranded in the middle of
The next morning came and began to pass before any of us awoke from our, erm, drunken slumber. So much for the early start. At least our attempt to scam the government succeeded: we pulled out and hit the open road in record time. The last miles of the
Scope the pics at: http://s286.photobucket.com/albums/ll84/b_i_g_dumps/?albumview=slideshow
Your friends in the north- Ian, Timm and Julia
Sunday, May 18, 2008
a weekend in florence....
Oregon, that is.
I'm sure Megan can attest to this, but the Oregon coast will never cease to amaze me. On Friday, four of us drove down the coast to Florence for the weekend. My roommate Kyle has a house there near the beach, so his brother, or friend Tristan and I spent the weekend enjoying the sun, riding bikes, and swimming nude in the lake.
Every year Florence has a spring/summer festival called Rhody Days (short for rhododendron), and this just happen to be going on this weekend. On Saturday, we rode our bikes into town from Kyle's cabin, and spent the day walking around "downtown" and soaking up the unusually hot weather. For some reason, this weekend attracts hundreds of bikers....motor bikers, that is. I think I could have spent the whole weekend just walking around and looking at the different people there. That culture is something that I may never understand....
That afternoon we rode our bikes over the Siuslaw bridge to the South Jetty, a beach that is know for its good surfing. We didn't do any surfing, but the beautiful 5mile bike ride to the beach in running shorts and no shirt made up for it. That night we made a fire in the back yard and hung out with Kyle's high school friends.
The drive back today couldn't have been a better end to such a beautiful weekend. On our way out of town, we drive up to the top of Cape Perpetua, a small peek that overlooks the coastline and ocean. I have never seen anything like this. A fog had formed over the ocean, and it stretched further out to sea than we could see. The only part of the ocean we could actually see was where the waves crashed onto the beach. As the fog rolled onto the land, it moved up the side of the hill where we were standing and slowly dissipated. I am certainly not doing it justice, but hopefully these pictures will help. I miss you all.
t
P.S.
Dana! I just finished The Kite Runner! It's a painfully wonderful read. Now I'm reading Blink and, Taylor, I'm listening to I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) by the proclaimers.
Peace all
NOLA
Last night was a good one... Did not get to the hotel until 5 in the morning. We partied for a couple of hours with adults (including Charlie Brown, my dad) until about 2 am, then my brothers and I went off to a local dancetorium where the party was rolling well past 4am... Lots of walking involved.
I want to write more, but we are going to an open mic night to meet Madeline Yoste. She is performing and has offered to let me borrow her guitar if I would like to perform. EXCITING!
I have a lot of pictures, including pictures of my favorite Tulane grad on the way. Also, stay posted for my dad's close encounter in a gay bar!
Peace and be well. More on the way soon.
I want to write more, but we are going to an open mic night to meet Madeline Yoste. She is performing and has offered to let me borrow her guitar if I would like to perform. EXCITING!
I have a lot of pictures, including pictures of my favorite Tulane grad on the way. Also, stay posted for my dad's close encounter in a gay bar!
Peace and be well. More on the way soon.
The market
Hey all,
I went on my first market adventure yesterday and interviewed some farmers selling their produce there. All the farmers I interviewed were so different in age, history, farms etc. It was exciting to finally be doing some field work. Interestingly, when I first began the interview the farmers were kind of reserved, but as the conversation progressed they opened up and told me so many random facts about their history's and lives. One of the ladies talked about how she started working on the farm because she was helping her pregnant daughter who had just begun working on the farm. I don't really know what I am hoping to find from listening to these farmers. Maybe just a better understanding of farmers in the valley and how they impact my life. Who knows, but I'm excited to hear more stories.
My summer reading is kind of boring, lots of books on soil. Just finished one on mushrooms and how they are going to save the world.
I love hearing about what everyone is doing.
Puppies, rainbows and sunshine,
Katy
I went on my first market adventure yesterday and interviewed some farmers selling their produce there. All the farmers I interviewed were so different in age, history, farms etc. It was exciting to finally be doing some field work. Interestingly, when I first began the interview the farmers were kind of reserved, but as the conversation progressed they opened up and told me so many random facts about their history's and lives. One of the ladies talked about how she started working on the farm because she was helping her pregnant daughter who had just begun working on the farm. I don't really know what I am hoping to find from listening to these farmers. Maybe just a better understanding of farmers in the valley and how they impact my life. Who knows, but I'm excited to hear more stories.
My summer reading is kind of boring, lots of books on soil. Just finished one on mushrooms and how they are going to save the world.
I love hearing about what everyone is doing.
Puppies, rainbows and sunshine,
Katy
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Tradition of Birthdays.
Today I woke up to a kitchen swarming with 20 balloons, and the song "they say its your birthday" by the Beatles blasting through my house. Thank you parents.
I am usually pretty apathetic towards the idea of celebrating my birthday. Yeah, I was born this day 20 years ago. Cool. But special treatment because I was born this day 20 years ago, really? I guess it becomes problematic only when the attention is superifical. Like it's been ingrained into peoples heads to say happy birthday, the same way you might say 'it was nice to meet you', or 'how are you'.
So my conclusion today was that birthdays are something special when you are surrounded with the people who really do care about you, and really do wish you a happy birthday. While I was bummed that I couldn't be with all freinds spread out around the country and across the world, I was lucky enough to spend time with family and freinds from high school today, and, having had a genuine experience with them, I feel like birthdays are something special and not to be overlooked.
I am usually pretty apathetic towards the idea of celebrating my birthday. Yeah, I was born this day 20 years ago. Cool. But special treatment because I was born this day 20 years ago, really? I guess it becomes problematic only when the attention is superifical. Like it's been ingrained into peoples heads to say happy birthday, the same way you might say 'it was nice to meet you', or 'how are you'.
So my conclusion today was that birthdays are something special when you are surrounded with the people who really do care about you, and really do wish you a happy birthday. While I was bummed that I couldn't be with all freinds spread out around the country and across the world, I was lucky enough to spend time with family and freinds from high school today, and, having had a genuine experience with them, I feel like birthdays are something special and not to be overlooked.
Mistaken Identity
Hey Friends,
When you post make sure you are logged in as yourself. Posts are showing up with the wrong author.
-Claire
P.S. It was 103 degrees today in Davis and I spent the day on my bike looking for jobs!
98 degrees...on the Oregon coast
Hello you motherlovin travlin bearcats you...
Well, I am home. I wasn't to excited at first given the massive loads of stuff I had to unpack into my petite room and the rainy weather. Yet now the sun is out and hot, I'm freckling and earning cash. Yesterday I went to the annual Trash Bash at the local recycling center. There was food, live music, beer, and trash art. Every year locals design outfits out of trash and put on a fashion show. It was very entertaining and I saw a lot of people I haven't seen for a long time. I will post pictures later. As for traveling, like Claire, I am drowning in the all of the little details Ms. West forgot to mention. For example, I just discovered I have to prove I have 5,000 dollars to support myself with in Denmark. That money is something I don't have, yet I have to prove I do in the next week or so. Besides the details, I'm more than excited for my travels and to relay my adventures back to you guys. I'm missing you all so much, but I can't wait to here where the bearcats are wandering. I need to go, because Marleta is waiting at my house! Yay.
XXOO all
Megan
gator sighting!
GATOR SUP! (you can barely see it in this pic)
LB (llama mamma) and i trudge through some thickness this morning.
woke up and it was pouring with lightning and thunder (i forget this happens sometimes after living in oregon for so long)
jumped onto a bus and went out into the bush about an hour outside of NOLA. the number of trash heaps and completely vacant buildings is astounding. you would not believe how many hundreds of apartments, houses and housing projects still stand vacant down here.
we bussed across lake ponchetrain
(you can see where a bridge goes right across the center) the lake only gets to be about 8-15 ft deep. this drive exposed me to some of the most affected areas of the hurricane.we went onto the honey island swamp tour, which was really hellz cool. it was pouring rain when we went out, which is a sobering way to do it. but it is also was very enjoyable (probably mostly because our skiff was covered)
my mind was thrust backwards to high school reading josef conrad's "heart of darkness." i felt i could definitely relate to Marlow and his struggle to deal with human nature in the thick of the african congo... but this was not that, but it just totally reminded me of it due to the circumstances.
our tour guide was a full blown cajun... old-fashioned. he grew up on the bayou out in the bush of louisiana. 75 miles from new orleans in a rare city that to this day still does not have a fast food joint (pretty rare i would say) he spoke slowly with a thick cajun accent. he really was a great tour guide. "we are going to be going on a swamp tour together. that means we are going to be navigating through narrow waterways. that means if it looks like we are going to hit a tree, then we are going to hit a tree!"
he warned us that it was entirely possible that snakes will fall onto the boat. my mom (llama momma, LB) was kind of nervous.
this post is getting cut short AGAIN. i am going to post a few pictures, and hope to continue spinning this later.
for all pictures, check out the facebook
Friday, May 16, 2008
Claire here
Hello friends,
Time for my first post on sup sup. I have been at my mom's house in Lafayette, California spending time with my grandparents who are visiting from Wisconsin. I have been enjoying the 96 degree weather. My family spent yesterday morning in San Francisco at the Palace of the Legion of Honor (an art museum) looking at the Annie Leibovitz exhibition. After lunch at the museum, my mom took her parents home and my brother and I spent the day in SF. We walked from the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, down Haight Street and all the way to Union Square. Then we took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to The Mission were we met up with a friend. We ate Mexican food in Dolores Park and then took BART back to Lafayette. I wish we could all spend time together in San Francisco.
I am currently up to my ears in paperwork for my trip to Italy and I recently received an email Stacy West about how I missed the last study abroad assignment, oops. Hopefully I will get everything sorted out.
Today I am finally going home to Davis (where my dad lives and where I grew up). The first thing I have to do is find a job, hopefully one sheltered from the blazing valley sun.
Hope you all are having fantastical summers so far.
-Claire
Time for my first post on sup sup. I have been at my mom's house in Lafayette, California spending time with my grandparents who are visiting from Wisconsin. I have been enjoying the 96 degree weather. My family spent yesterday morning in San Francisco at the Palace of the Legion of Honor (an art museum) looking at the Annie Leibovitz exhibition. After lunch at the museum, my mom took her parents home and my brother and I spent the day in SF. We walked from the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, down Haight Street and all the way to Union Square. Then we took BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to The Mission were we met up with a friend. We ate Mexican food in Dolores Park and then took BART back to Lafayette. I wish we could all spend time together in San Francisco.
I am currently up to my ears in paperwork for my trip to Italy and I recently received an email Stacy West about how I missed the last study abroad assignment, oops. Hopefully I will get everything sorted out.
Today I am finally going home to Davis (where my dad lives and where I grew up). The first thing I have to do is find a job, hopefully one sheltered from the blazing valley sun.
Hope you all are having fantastical summers so far.
-Claire
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Oh the Singing Revolution! I hope the Clark-Snustad's enjoyed. Maybe you can introduce it to the Weed family as well. I just want to remind you that I live on an island 35 min. away from Seattle. So when you are making your plane ticket for the 25th, if there happens to be a flight that is at a more "polite" hour of the day that might save you some sleep...
Also, these freinds that you encountered in the pub, where they new freinds? Or Snu-stads?
Or bears?
re: big easeSUP
Sam, I just have to ask, who is llama mamma?
Hope the New Orleans is treating you well!
big easeSUP
yoyo,
so i finally made it out of 97301, and am writing to you from the big easy, nawlins, NOLA
hotel is 2 blocks off the french 1/4
wait a second, IM IN NEW ORLEANS!
PEACE, and more latez
-bo
ps, i am hoping to meet up with lucia tomorrow... so if anyone needs me to distribute any brazos (already delivering one for hayley) you can txt me at 503.507.2882.
expect some pics after i get back.. unfortunately i did not bring my card reader.
so i finally made it out of 97301, and am writing to you from the big easy, nawlins, NOLA
hotel is 2 blocks off the french 1/4
wait a second, IM IN NEW ORLEANS!
PEACE, and more latez
-bo
ps, i am hoping to meet up with lucia tomorrow... so if anyone needs me to distribute any brazos (already delivering one for hayley) you can txt me at 503.507.2882.
expect some pics after i get back.. unfortunately i did not bring my card reader.
Reading! and Music!
Like Hayley, I'm going to try and get into some more Herman Hesse this summer. I'm just about done with Journey to the East, and it has been wonderful. Very short and simple, but still Hesse's style comes out. I also want to read Steppenwolf and whatever other books of his I canfind at the book bin. I took an African American literature class this past semester, so I'm hopingto continue with that as well.....
If anyone has any music recommendations, that would be very cool. What has everyone been listening to lately?
t
If anyone has any music recommendations, that would be very cool. What has everyone been listening to lately?
t
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Book Recommendations
Jacob Needleman, Money and the Meaning of Life. Examines the relationship each of us has to money and how this mirrors our attitudes to life in general. Uses references to parable, religion, philosophy and economics.
Philippe Sands, Lawless World. I actually haven't started this, but this is supposed to be one of better accessible introductions of what international law really is. Also highly critical of US and UK administrations
Marcus Buckingham, Now, Discover Your Strengths. Suggests that you should really figure out the few things you are really good ("talented") in and just develop those. Includes a really good personality test to figure out the talents.
Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication. Teaches one to communicate in a way that is both real, assertive of your needs and respectful of others and their needs. Audio is even better than the paper book.
Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning. Thoughts on what is this that makes one survive regardless of circumstances. Frankl was a psychologist who was sent to four camps, one of them Auschwitz, during World War II.
Philippe Sands, Lawless World. I actually haven't started this, but this is supposed to be one of better accessible introductions of what international law really is. Also highly critical of US and UK administrations
Marcus Buckingham, Now, Discover Your Strengths. Suggests that you should really figure out the few things you are really good ("talented") in and just develop those. Includes a really good personality test to figure out the talents.
Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication. Teaches one to communicate in a way that is both real, assertive of your needs and respectful of others and their needs. Audio is even better than the paper book.
Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning. Thoughts on what is this that makes one survive regardless of circumstances. Frankl was a psychologist who was sent to four camps, one of them Auschwitz, during World War II.
days go by...
Alright…here I go…I’m diving into the world of blogging. This is so exciting#$(%)*$#^ I can’t wait to hear all about the unique adventures that await you gals and guys while we’re all separated. I wish I had something more exciting to write to you lovely people about, but, alas, I am sitting at work in a small cubical passing the hours totaling checks. Oh, it’s good to be home…
I’ve been sitting here listening to This American Life all day and I can’t stop thinking about how much I enjoyed the past year with all of you. I really feel lucky for all the adventures that we’ve shared and for all the exploration that is yet to come. Just thought you people should know what’s on my mind…you all mean a lot to me.
Stay tuned: Adventures to come.
ps i love all of you very much
dreamy
You guys all rock a whole lot. This is gonna be a really fun blog.
Right now I'm accepting the solitude of Southern Oregon trying to look at it as an opportunity to be really connected to the area. I am going on hikes, sunbathing on my deck, taking my dog to the dog park and to the rivers. And I'm reading:
The Kite Runner
The New Yorker magazine
Adbusters magazine
100 Hikes in Southern Oregon
In Defense of Food
What are you guys reading?
Also, I had a dream with Elsa, Sarah, Claire and others. We were all wrestling but then it just turned into a cuddle fest because we all wanted to say good-bye to Sarah and in the dream we all cried. It was really sweet. I miss you guys a lot.
Dana
Right now I'm accepting the solitude of Southern Oregon trying to look at it as an opportunity to be really connected to the area. I am going on hikes, sunbathing on my deck, taking my dog to the dog park and to the rivers. And I'm reading:
The Kite Runner
The New Yorker magazine
Adbusters magazine
100 Hikes in Southern Oregon
In Defense of Food
What are you guys reading?
Also, I had a dream with Elsa, Sarah, Claire and others. We were all wrestling but then it just turned into a cuddle fest because we all wanted to say good-bye to Sarah and in the dream we all cried. It was really sweet. I miss you guys a lot.
Dana
Address-sup.
Hi Friends.
Can everyone write the address of the place they will be residing this summer?
Thank you.
AND if you are so inspired, you should write your favorite book and/or suggested reading.
You are cool.
Hayley
missing blanket? Earings?
First off, someone left a blanket at my house the other night, so if it is yours I'll keep it until you get back. I also found some earings....
I told Hayley and Timm this the other night, but I feel so lucky to have met all of you. It has been a crazy but amazing semester, and I have you guys to thank for it! I'm so glad everything was able to culminate with the slumber party, although I was quite bummed that I missed out on the nest. Nonetheless it was a perfect last night.
I'm slowly getting adjusted to the life of a Salem Townie(?)....Things here are a bit lonely, but I'm trying to keep busing before I leave for France. Lost of reading, writing, cooking, and seeing the few people that are still here. I'm planning on riding my bike to McMinville this weekend. I'll let you all know how it goes.....
T
I told Hayley and Timm this the other night, but I feel so lucky to have met all of you. It has been a crazy but amazing semester, and I have you guys to thank for it! I'm so glad everything was able to culminate with the slumber party, although I was quite bummed that I missed out on the nest. Nonetheless it was a perfect last night.
I'm slowly getting adjusted to the life of a Salem Townie(?)....Things here are a bit lonely, but I'm trying to keep busing before I leave for France. Lost of reading, writing, cooking, and seeing the few people that are still here. I'm planning on riding my bike to McMinville this weekend. I'll let you all know how it goes.....
T
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Back in the Tron
I second everything that Sam wrote. Well put.
Today I have been filling out paperwork for my new school, and it feels weird to say the least. I am planning to update my resume tomorrow and then begin an aggressive job hunt in downtown Portland. However, I am having second thoughts about staying here for the summer, and I'm still kicking around ideas regarding some way in which I can be somewhere new and be making money. Beaverton feels less like my home than my parents' home, and I foresee myself feeling isolated if I stay here all summer. There are definitely benefits of being here though; I don't pay rent, my family is awesome, and I will hopefully be able to reconnect with some high school friends and establish some kind of roots. As with all other aspects of my life right now, I am conflicted about my summer plans.
Incidentally, I feel so lucky to have wrapped up my experience at WU with such an amazing week. The picnic, the Silver Falls trip, catering, and our group nap reminded me of all of the warmth and brilliance that you all have shown me these past two years. You have inspired me to be more adventurous, reach further and higher, and genuinely value differences. Thank you all for everything that you have given me. Much love, my friends.
Today I have been filling out paperwork for my new school, and it feels weird to say the least. I am planning to update my resume tomorrow and then begin an aggressive job hunt in downtown Portland. However, I am having second thoughts about staying here for the summer, and I'm still kicking around ideas regarding some way in which I can be somewhere new and be making money. Beaverton feels less like my home than my parents' home, and I foresee myself feeling isolated if I stay here all summer. There are definitely benefits of being here though; I don't pay rent, my family is awesome, and I will hopefully be able to reconnect with some high school friends and establish some kind of roots. As with all other aspects of my life right now, I am conflicted about my summer plans.
Incidentally, I feel so lucky to have wrapped up my experience at WU with such an amazing week. The picnic, the Silver Falls trip, catering, and our group nap reminded me of all of the warmth and brilliance that you all have shown me these past two years. You have inspired me to be more adventurous, reach further and higher, and genuinely value differences. Thank you all for everything that you have given me. Much love, my friends.
love you all
my hair is all tangled, and so is my mind
a lot of things going through my confused skeleton
however, there is one thing that is crystal clear...
i am very fortunate to have gotten to know you, and your amazing group of friends!
i have many great memories thanks to you. i have never known such a conscientious, bright, fun, wild group of young adults. and i just wanted to say thank you.
(i nabbed the post title from one of my favorite cloud cult tracks off of their latest album. i recommend checking it out. it is really just what felt right at the moment...)
that is all for now
but dont you worry,
more tales will be spun
from 97301
Sup Sup Ya'll
Missing ya'll on the beautiful Oregon coast...I hope the beginnings of your adventures are going well.
Tidings from Montana
So this bearcat has ended up in the wilderness of Montana at HildSup's home with ten acres of rocks, trees and mountains in their backyard. Some deer ran past their front door as I returned this morning from a walk.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Greetings Bear-Catz.... GRRRR!!!! meowowooowwweeiee!!!
To our fellow Bear-Catz,
As some of you may recall, it was discussed at our pic-nic adventure Friday that we should start a BLOG !@#$%!!!! so that we can keep in contact allllllll year long and tell allll kinds of bear-cat adventure stories to one another.
Let's see if this works.
Yours truly,
Hales, Sars, Luciiiiiiiiia
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