I'm approaching the final countdown to my departure for a week of retreat. This week I've been doing an excellent job of being really, really neurotic. There has been a whole week of pre-travel freakout going on. For other hilarious tales of pre-travel freakout, see related blogs.
It seems that when I travel, I return to my roots. I return to the my early socialization, the messages I received from early, early on: the world is a scary and dangerous place, and you better watch out because you never know when a TV might explode. The way this paranoia manifests in me is wanting to make sure everything is in order before I leave "just in case I don't come back". You know, in case I leave this mortal coil while traveling.
There's really no reason to think that going away for a weekend or a week is any more dangerous than my daily commute to work, and yet I have made lists and lists of things I want to do before I go: cleaning, purchasing things that I maybe might need (like batteries for that 3rd flashlight), ensuring I have twelve kinds of snacks (for a 2 hour drive), can I pay all the bills and mail all the things I need to mail, and get to my safe deposit box and take those clothes to the salvation army and plan the garden I'm going to dig, and make all those calls I want to make, and write my will and write love letters and write the story of my life all before I go away for a week?
And tonight I was able to let go for a few hours and read a book while I ate dinner, and kept on reading after I finished dinner. And ok, maybe I got obsessive and finished the book I was reading so that it would be one more thing I finished "just in case". Tonight I created an "in case of emergency" contact list. I don't expect that anything will happen to me ever, but well, better to have a short list of the important people in my life that don't necessarily have each others' contact information. I'm not distributing the list widely, because, really I don't need to freak out a lot of people by sending them my crazytown list for no really good reason.
And if something terrible were to befall me, I'm putting this out there for the world to know: I'm an organ donor, and I don't want to be in any prolonged vegetative state. Give away my useful bits & pieces (guts, etc) to others who might find them useful, and let me go. Don't bury me in a metal box--a plain old wood thing, preferably sustainably harvested. At this time, I don't have all the documents I keep promising Dad I'll get together...I really will someday soon do those more official "just in case" documents. In the meantime, this will have to do.
Sorry for being all melodramatic and nutty, but, well, you all know me, and this is what I do. It is my pre-travel freakout, countdown to crazytown (or maybe I'm already in crazytown!)
Showing posts with label adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adventures. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
looking ahead
I'm doing a lot of looking ahead, planning, trying to wrangle some control over my life.
I had a delicious and crazy fun Saturday night with my best girl dol and other friends. I love that girl! I found out she has a dream to go to Paris for her upcoming big birthday in November, and I agreed on the spot to go with her. The last time I was in Paris (OK, the only time I've been to Paris) I was there for 12 hours, and saw all the major everything in a crazy rushed way. The idea of going back to Paris 10 years later...oh la la! And I woke up the morning with a word in my head "morocco". What If after the Paris birthday trip, I went to Morocco?
On the shorter travelbug news, I leave on Saturday for a week. I'll be going for the 4th year in a row to a week-long retreat at Shambhala Mountain Center. I'm feeling pretty neutral about it this year. I'm looking forward to being up at the land and spending time with the students, but it is always a lot of work, and I'm usually left feeling pretty exhausted at the end.
I'm curious to see how the next few weeks will go...I'm pretty booked for the next month with a lot of travel plans. I'm gone to SMC March 22-29, back for a week, then back to SMC for 2 days (April 6-7) to set up a retreat, then back for a week, then off to Texas April 12-14 for the Doug-n-Susie wedding-o-rama, then back for a few days, then a giant cooking fest for Passover on the 19th, then an all day work meeting on the 20th. Then likely going back to SMC that week or that following weekend to visit, then going to SMC one more time to take it all down on May 7. Seriously, my first completely un-scheduled weekend is May 3-4! I think that is good, because the following weekend is graduation! I forget every spring is like this. The difference this year is no baby watch...and that I will really miss :(
I had a delicious and crazy fun Saturday night with my best girl dol and other friends. I love that girl! I found out she has a dream to go to Paris for her upcoming big birthday in November, and I agreed on the spot to go with her. The last time I was in Paris (OK, the only time I've been to Paris) I was there for 12 hours, and saw all the major everything in a crazy rushed way. The idea of going back to Paris 10 years later...oh la la! And I woke up the morning with a word in my head "morocco". What If after the Paris birthday trip, I went to Morocco?
On the shorter travelbug news, I leave on Saturday for a week. I'll be going for the 4th year in a row to a week-long retreat at Shambhala Mountain Center. I'm feeling pretty neutral about it this year. I'm looking forward to being up at the land and spending time with the students, but it is always a lot of work, and I'm usually left feeling pretty exhausted at the end.
I'm curious to see how the next few weeks will go...I'm pretty booked for the next month with a lot of travel plans. I'm gone to SMC March 22-29, back for a week, then back to SMC for 2 days (April 6-7) to set up a retreat, then back for a week, then off to Texas April 12-14 for the Doug-n-Susie wedding-o-rama, then back for a few days, then a giant cooking fest for Passover on the 19th, then an all day work meeting on the 20th. Then likely going back to SMC that week or that following weekend to visit, then going to SMC one more time to take it all down on May 7. Seriously, my first completely un-scheduled weekend is May 3-4! I think that is good, because the following weekend is graduation! I forget every spring is like this. The difference this year is no baby watch...and that I will really miss :(
Friday, January 25, 2008
return to the blogosphere
After a very long hiatus, I am going to try to re-commit myself to blogging. The past months, I've been ignoring the blog. I've been 'too busy'. Well, duh, I'm always going to be busy! But I was carrying around a lot of emotional baggage, and doing a lot of putting-others ahead of me.
Some of the baggage I've let go of:
1. The lousy tenants were evicted on January 2! YAY! This was the biggest time-suck ever. The amount of physical time, emotional space, and mental energy this whole nightmare took up was incredible! So finally, after months of not paying anything, these people were removed from my house. I feel sad that they got themselves into a position where they couldn't pay rent, but I am pretty certain they moved in knowing they couldn't pay, and knowing they could work the system to stay there for a while rent-free.
2. The alpacas are all sold. All the alpacas that were for sale got sold. The bulk of the herd was sold to some wonderful people not too far away from where I live, and they picked up Maya, Angel, Kombucho, Amiya, and Samsara on Dec. 26. The check for Brinca (another giant time/mental/emotional-suck) was finally hand-delivered to me mid-day on December 31. I decided to keep Mr. Dash, and moved him to my neighbor Lynley's place on January 1.
3. Work boundaries. A new semester has started, and I find myself working crazy hours again. This has left me exhausted and a little burnt out. One of my employees left in November, and her replacement started the first week of January. In the interim, I was doing 2 jobs. I did get a teeny tiny stipend for this, but not nearly enough to compensate for what it did to me physically. I now have a full staff again, and I'm re-establishing boundaries around my time doing 'work'.
So here we are in 2008, time to take a look at goals and hopes for this year.. I know, I know, we've been in 2008 for nearly a month already! But, like I said, it has taken me a bit to work up to this point. My big goal for 2008: taking better care of ME.
What taking care of Jennie looks like:
1. regular exercise. For a little over a month, I've been pretty consistent about getting my big butt to the gym at 7am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am also going somewhat regularly on Saturday at 8:30am. So here I am, putting it in writing...taking care of Jennie means Jennie consistently exercise 3-4 days a week.
2. going to bed by 10 on school nights. This means I have to set better boundaries around staying up reading, knitting, watching Buffy, talking to friends, etc. Going to bed by 10 doesn't mean starting the getting ready for bed process at 10, but actually turning out the light at 10 or before. How else can I get to the gym by 7am and be well-rested?!
3. seeing/talking to my friends regularly. Ok people, here is Jennie's biggest self-aggressive place. I am bad at keeping in touch with the people I care about. Seems like a no-brainer, right? How hard is it to call the people I care about? Apparently, very hard. There are a bunch of people that I really want to see and talk to on a regular basis, and there is some internal obstacle that keeps me from doing this. I know I do this. So I am going to work on whatever my obstacle is, and just pick up the phone and call my friends!
4. Eat breakfast. Drink tea. Make smoothies and lassis. REGULARLY!
4a. For a long while, I was really great about eating breakfast. In the last month, I haven't been doing a good job of eating in the morning, and I've gotten that pukey feeling at the gym on multiple occasions. I need to eat breakfast. My body needs to eat breakfast.
4b. Drink tea...well, I do this every day. I've been a bad girl lately, and have started drinking more coffee. Jennie's body doesn't respond well to coffee--she knows it. Jennie just needs to drink more tea. Besides, yay for tea!
4c. Make smoothies and lassis regularly. Goodness are these yummy. And they pack in a bunch of good-for-me things like fruit and dairy. For an amazing dairy treat, make a rose or mango lassi: Put in a blender 1 cup plain (not vanilla) non-fat yogurt, 10 ice cubes, 1 Tablespoon sugar (yes, I know that is a lot), and either 1 shot glass of rose water or 1 cut up mango. Blend, drink, enjoy, smile!
5. knit knit knit. I do love the knitting. It is relaxing (except for sometimes when I'm starting a new project), and I can be crafty and make beautiful things. knit, jennie, knit.
Ok, I guess I could go on and on, but 5 seems like a good starting place. Being realistic about what I can do and what I can take on is a big part of self-care. Over extending and over-committing are not good for the Jennie. Perhaps referring to myself in the third person is also not good for the Jennie...oh well, it amuses Jennie to do so.
Some of the baggage I've let go of:
1. The lousy tenants were evicted on January 2! YAY! This was the biggest time-suck ever. The amount of physical time, emotional space, and mental energy this whole nightmare took up was incredible! So finally, after months of not paying anything, these people were removed from my house. I feel sad that they got themselves into a position where they couldn't pay rent, but I am pretty certain they moved in knowing they couldn't pay, and knowing they could work the system to stay there for a while rent-free.
2. The alpacas are all sold. All the alpacas that were for sale got sold. The bulk of the herd was sold to some wonderful people not too far away from where I live, and they picked up Maya, Angel, Kombucho, Amiya, and Samsara on Dec. 26. The check for Brinca (another giant time/mental/emotional-suck) was finally hand-delivered to me mid-day on December 31. I decided to keep Mr. Dash, and moved him to my neighbor Lynley's place on January 1.
3. Work boundaries. A new semester has started, and I find myself working crazy hours again. This has left me exhausted and a little burnt out. One of my employees left in November, and her replacement started the first week of January. In the interim, I was doing 2 jobs. I did get a teeny tiny stipend for this, but not nearly enough to compensate for what it did to me physically. I now have a full staff again, and I'm re-establishing boundaries around my time doing 'work'.
So here we are in 2008, time to take a look at goals and hopes for this year.. I know, I know, we've been in 2008 for nearly a month already! But, like I said, it has taken me a bit to work up to this point. My big goal for 2008: taking better care of ME.
What taking care of Jennie looks like:
1. regular exercise. For a little over a month, I've been pretty consistent about getting my big butt to the gym at 7am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I am also going somewhat regularly on Saturday at 8:30am. So here I am, putting it in writing...taking care of Jennie means Jennie consistently exercise 3-4 days a week.
2. going to bed by 10 on school nights. This means I have to set better boundaries around staying up reading, knitting, watching Buffy, talking to friends, etc. Going to bed by 10 doesn't mean starting the getting ready for bed process at 10, but actually turning out the light at 10 or before. How else can I get to the gym by 7am and be well-rested?!
3. seeing/talking to my friends regularly. Ok people, here is Jennie's biggest self-aggressive place. I am bad at keeping in touch with the people I care about. Seems like a no-brainer, right? How hard is it to call the people I care about? Apparently, very hard. There are a bunch of people that I really want to see and talk to on a regular basis, and there is some internal obstacle that keeps me from doing this. I know I do this. So I am going to work on whatever my obstacle is, and just pick up the phone and call my friends!
4. Eat breakfast. Drink tea. Make smoothies and lassis. REGULARLY!
4a. For a long while, I was really great about eating breakfast. In the last month, I haven't been doing a good job of eating in the morning, and I've gotten that pukey feeling at the gym on multiple occasions. I need to eat breakfast. My body needs to eat breakfast.
4b. Drink tea...well, I do this every day. I've been a bad girl lately, and have started drinking more coffee. Jennie's body doesn't respond well to coffee--she knows it. Jennie just needs to drink more tea. Besides, yay for tea!
4c. Make smoothies and lassis regularly. Goodness are these yummy. And they pack in a bunch of good-for-me things like fruit and dairy. For an amazing dairy treat, make a rose or mango lassi: Put in a blender 1 cup plain (not vanilla) non-fat yogurt, 10 ice cubes, 1 Tablespoon sugar (yes, I know that is a lot), and either 1 shot glass of rose water or 1 cut up mango. Blend, drink, enjoy, smile!
5. knit knit knit. I do love the knitting. It is relaxing (except for sometimes when I'm starting a new project), and I can be crafty and make beautiful things. knit, jennie, knit.
Ok, I guess I could go on and on, but 5 seems like a good starting place. Being realistic about what I can do and what I can take on is a big part of self-care. Over extending and over-committing are not good for the Jennie. Perhaps referring to myself in the third person is also not good for the Jennie...oh well, it amuses Jennie to do so.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
jury duty
I had jury duty this week. I have to admit, I was not on the super-excited end of the scale when I got the notice, but was also not of the mind to 'try to get out of it'.
The story goes like this...
There were about 50 people who had been called in. We all assembled in a big room and watched a video about how jury duty works in Colorado. Then we were all escorted to a courtroom where 25 of us were selected at random to sit in the jury box and in extra chairs lined up in front of the jury box. We were collectively asked a bunch of questions by the judge and people were dismissed and replacement people put in their seats. Next, we were each asked to answer a list of questions in front of everyone else (name, age, education, where/how employed, how long have we lived in Colorado/Boulder County, hobbies, what we watch on TV/listen to on the radio). Then the prosecutor and defense attorney took turns questioning each of us. Then they made their selections about who not to include by having a paper with our names shuttled back and forth between them. When the list of 13 was read, and my name was on the list. There were 13 of us, 12 plus one alternate. We didn't know who the alternate was, so we all were treated and acted equally. After jury selection, we were released for a lunch break and the trial began after lunch. We heard testimony and saw evidence for 3 days, and the case ended late morning on Thursday. We were told we were not allowed to discuss the case with each other or with anyone else to keep us from forming opinions or being influenced by anyone.
We found out who the alternate was right before we went into deliberations. We were in deliberations for several hours. Some of the counts we discussed for a very long time, and even sent a question back to the judge. I feel we really were starting with the belief of innocence until proven guilty. The whole process of trial by jury is so fascinating...that 12 strangers could be randomly brought together to try to fairly determine whether or not the prosecutor has adequately demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
It was a very interesting experience, I learned a lot, and I feel really good about our judicial system after having been a part of it. I am really in love with this crazy country I live in. The defendant is innocent until proven guilty. The burden of proof is on the prosecution, and they must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A reasonable doubt is a doubt which would make a reasonable person to hesitate to act in matters of great importance. Wow. The system of trial by jury is really something to be proud about.
The story goes like this...
There were about 50 people who had been called in. We all assembled in a big room and watched a video about how jury duty works in Colorado. Then we were all escorted to a courtroom where 25 of us were selected at random to sit in the jury box and in extra chairs lined up in front of the jury box. We were collectively asked a bunch of questions by the judge and people were dismissed and replacement people put in their seats. Next, we were each asked to answer a list of questions in front of everyone else (name, age, education, where/how employed, how long have we lived in Colorado/Boulder County, hobbies, what we watch on TV/listen to on the radio). Then the prosecutor and defense attorney took turns questioning each of us. Then they made their selections about who not to include by having a paper with our names shuttled back and forth between them. When the list of 13 was read, and my name was on the list. There were 13 of us, 12 plus one alternate. We didn't know who the alternate was, so we all were treated and acted equally. After jury selection, we were released for a lunch break and the trial began after lunch. We heard testimony and saw evidence for 3 days, and the case ended late morning on Thursday. We were told we were not allowed to discuss the case with each other or with anyone else to keep us from forming opinions or being influenced by anyone.
We found out who the alternate was right before we went into deliberations. We were in deliberations for several hours. Some of the counts we discussed for a very long time, and even sent a question back to the judge. I feel we really were starting with the belief of innocence until proven guilty. The whole process of trial by jury is so fascinating...that 12 strangers could be randomly brought together to try to fairly determine whether or not the prosecutor has adequately demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.
It was a very interesting experience, I learned a lot, and I feel really good about our judicial system after having been a part of it. I am really in love with this crazy country I live in. The defendant is innocent until proven guilty. The burden of proof is on the prosecution, and they must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. A reasonable doubt is a doubt which would make a reasonable person to hesitate to act in matters of great importance. Wow. The system of trial by jury is really something to be proud about.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
thanksgiving
I'm in St. Louis right now, visiting with the family for Thankgiving. I feel so lucky to be able to be home. I know, I know, "lucky" isn't a feeling. I left on Tuesday and drove Boulder to Lawrence, KS. I made really good time, only exiting the highway 10 minutes in Colby, KS for gas, and another 10 minutes in Salina for a peebreak. Total trip time, 8.25 hours. I stayed in Lawrence at a friend of a friend's house and drove with Steve (the friend of a friend) to St. Louis on Wednesday.
The first day back was challenging, but things have been really great the last few days. It has been so nice to see my parents, my grandparents, and my sibs. The last 2 nights I've stayed up WAY too late in snuggle puddles with my sibs watching dvds.
I ate WAY too much at the Thanksgiving dinner, but well, that doesn't seem too surprising. My contribution to the meal was an ugly, but tasty apple pie.
Yesterday, we went to my grandma Betty's gravesite for her headstone unveiling. I can't believe she's been gone 11 months.
Over the last 2 days, I taught my sister Courtney how to knit, and realized how far I've progressed on the knitting learning curve since I learned how in February. I see how she's getting stuck and struggling, and I remember why it took me months and months to complete my first scarf. Hats are SO much easier. I just started making a new scarf with a fancypants cable pattern with two cables on one side, three cables on the other with a seed stich border. This is by far the most complex thing I've ever attempted. There is a pattern that is 12-rows long before it repeats. I think this one might take a while. I'm making it from some gorgeous oatmeal colored wool, Cascade Yarns EcoWool #9008 .
So the drama story in brief: My house is currently being "rented". I put that in quotes because the people who are currently living in my house signed a contract and moved in over a month ago, but haven't actually paid anything. Yes, their security deposit check bounced, their October rent check bounced, and they didn't even bother writing a check for November rent. I'm working with my property management company to get them evicted, but it won't even go to court for another week.
sigh...
Another highlight was breakfast with Doug and Susie! Yay for seeing good friends! :)
Tomorrow I drive back from St. Louis to Boulder, approx. 13 hours and 870 miles.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
what if the world ends, how will I tell the time?
I'm in a strange mood. A giddy, giggly mood. An anticipatory mood, waiting for the sky to get darker and the meteor shower to begin mood. A pester my roommate while he's trying to read mood. A bouncy abundance too many containers of fizzy liquid in my trunk mood.
This evening I went to a friend's birthday potluck picnic at a local park. I brought drinks and macaroni salad. When I say that I brought drinks, I should say that I brought a lot of drinks. When I was at the grocery store, they were having a Buy 2 get 2 free sale. So I got 8 2-liter bottles of various drinks (3 kinds of flavored fizzy water, 1 plain fizzy water, 2 root beers, 1 dr. pepper, and a ginger ale) and two bottles of berry lemonade. Is anyone thirsty? So at the picnic, we only opened one bottle of plain fizzy and one raspberry lemonade and made little fruity fizzy water drinks. I now have 7 unopened 2-liter bottles of fizzy liquid, one half-used fizzy bottle, an unopened strawberry lemonade, and a half-used raspberry lemonade. Um...what was I thinking?! I suppose I wasn't. I was thinking that I was thirsty, and it was really hot outside, and that there would be other hot, thirsty people wanting something nice and cool to drink, too.
Luckily, I have people coming over tomorrow night for our weekly dinner and movie night (K & J, don't bring drinks!)
ah, neurosis, what fun.
A friend's blog got me thinking about aspects of 'growing up' and how it is expected that magic and fantasy must disappear from our lives in order to be 'grown up'. Stupid cultural norms. Nobody wants to really give up magic. I had some good thoughts on this earlier, so I'm going to quote a piece of my comment on that blog
"Growing up doesn't mean realizing the magic isn't there...growing up can mean recognizing that a lot of magic is inside YOU, that you can create magic, that you can believe it, that you can choose to see it, that you can create it for others. ??Your own magic doesn't cease to exist because suddenly you're a grown up. Even in Peter Pan, grown ups could fly if they could get past their own mental blocks. AHA! I've stumbled on something here...I think a lot of 'grown ups' set up mental blocks around magic, they buy into some image of what a grown up should be...power suit and fancy title are the things to aspire to have, right? Crap, I went through a whole phase like, myself. I'm too big and grown up for (insert anything you like here)." ?
So here's to magic and silly giggly fizzy liquids. and by the way, we have no functioning clocks in the apartment now other than cell phone clocks. I hate being so dependent on that technology. What happens if there is a cell tower blackout? If the world ends, how will I tell the time?
This evening I went to a friend's birthday potluck picnic at a local park. I brought drinks and macaroni salad. When I say that I brought drinks, I should say that I brought a lot of drinks. When I was at the grocery store, they were having a Buy 2 get 2 free sale. So I got 8 2-liter bottles of various drinks (3 kinds of flavored fizzy water, 1 plain fizzy water, 2 root beers, 1 dr. pepper, and a ginger ale) and two bottles of berry lemonade. Is anyone thirsty? So at the picnic, we only opened one bottle of plain fizzy and one raspberry lemonade and made little fruity fizzy water drinks. I now have 7 unopened 2-liter bottles of fizzy liquid, one half-used fizzy bottle, an unopened strawberry lemonade, and a half-used raspberry lemonade. Um...what was I thinking?! I suppose I wasn't. I was thinking that I was thirsty, and it was really hot outside, and that there would be other hot, thirsty people wanting something nice and cool to drink, too.
Luckily, I have people coming over tomorrow night for our weekly dinner and movie night (K & J, don't bring drinks!)
ah, neurosis, what fun.
A friend's blog got me thinking about aspects of 'growing up' and how it is expected that magic and fantasy must disappear from our lives in order to be 'grown up'. Stupid cultural norms. Nobody wants to really give up magic. I had some good thoughts on this earlier, so I'm going to quote a piece of my comment on that blog
"Growing up doesn't mean realizing the magic isn't there...growing up can mean recognizing that a lot of magic is inside YOU, that you can create magic, that you can believe it, that you can choose to see it, that you can create it for others. ??Your own magic doesn't cease to exist because suddenly you're a grown up. Even in Peter Pan, grown ups could fly if they could get past their own mental blocks. AHA! I've stumbled on something here...I think a lot of 'grown ups' set up mental blocks around magic, they buy into some image of what a grown up should be...power suit and fancy title are the things to aspire to have, right? Crap, I went through a whole phase like, myself. I'm too big and grown up for (insert anything you like here)." ?
So here's to magic and silly giggly fizzy liquids. and by the way, we have no functioning clocks in the apartment now other than cell phone clocks. I hate being so dependent on that technology. What happens if there is a cell tower blackout? If the world ends, how will I tell the time?
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
frazzle
I have been one busy girl! One busy girl with no internet access!
I took the week off to take care of some things that I've been needing to take care of (airport driving, birthday celebrating, birthday celebration recovery time, furniture moving, etc.)
Tomorrow I drive 14 hours to St. Louis to see my folks, see my friend Nick (YAY!), and see a free Ani DiFranco concert down by the Arch on the riverfront in the continuation of my birthday celebration. I've got much left to do and not a lot of time to do it, so there will be more blogging (maybe) from STL.
Also, for those of you who know my friend Adam, please keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers...his father died in a car accident at the beginning of the week.
I took the week off to take care of some things that I've been needing to take care of (airport driving, birthday celebrating, birthday celebration recovery time, furniture moving, etc.)
Tomorrow I drive 14 hours to St. Louis to see my folks, see my friend Nick (YAY!), and see a free Ani DiFranco concert down by the Arch on the riverfront in the continuation of my birthday celebration. I've got much left to do and not a lot of time to do it, so there will be more blogging (maybe) from STL.
Also, for those of you who know my friend Adam, please keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers...his father died in a car accident at the beginning of the week.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
back from the blogout. yes, I'm an addict.
I got back Sunday night from my trip to Boston. While in Boston I had essentially no internet access. I did get online 2-3 times for around 5-10 min, but that was only to check essential stuff (confirming a work interview thing and checking my plane times). So I experienced a myspace and blog and email blackout for 6 days. (those of you who've sent worried emails or have felt neglected, it was the lack of internet access).
It was interesting to watch my mind around the whole thing. The first night I wandered around the BFF's condo with my laptop desperately looking for wireless that wasn't password protected. Alas, there was none. Looking at myself walking around trying to find a connection helped me see how HOOKED I am on this internet thing. Hello, my name is Jennie, and I'm an internet addict.
It was also interesting to get out of the Boulder bubble. I know I live in a bubble, I do. But I forget just HOW different Boulder is from other parts of the US. Maybe it was being on the east coast, maybe it was being with the BFF, probably both things. It was good to get out of Boulder and remember that not everyone is an olympic athlete, 97% of the population is NOT white, many people don't recycle (and there are places where you can't even find recycle bins if you want to recycle), local & organic foods are not as easy to find as one might think, what we think of as expensive real estate in Boulder is laughable compared to some other cities, and wow, I really am liberal.
For those who were wondering about my sister, she ROCKED those boards and she's now an official nurse. Yes, us Hyatt girls are Pretty AND Smart.
Spending time with the BFF was SO fun. It was so good to reconnect and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk. On my arrival day, I got there in mid-afternoon, and we talked for 7 hours straight. We did some touristy stuff (whale watching, clam chowda eatin', downtown walking, more seafood eatin', going to the planetarium, and going to see Laser U2). We talked and talked and talked. Ok, we talked a lot. The BFF is such a good mirror for me...I see what my life could be if I had made some different choices. I see that my choices have taken me on a path that has helped me express parts of me that have always been there. I see in her the best (and sometimes the worst) in me. She helps me remember that I'm smart, I'm capable. She reminds me of the things I've done well, and reminds me of my patterns. I also see in her things I wish I could be...
And I've been dreaming a lot lately. Dreaming of friends that I miss, dreaming of people that I care about. There have also been worrying dreams too. An apocalyptic dream, another dream where one of my students dies (someone I saw today at a work meeting, so I know he's alive). Maybe I need to finish the book I'm reading that has a lot of world ending stuff in it.
And back to the BFF visit. My nerdiness quotient seemed to skyrocket...back to old patterns, I think. At the planetarium show, they did a demo and the person leading it made an incorrect statement calling the part of the moon that is in shadow the "dark side". The dark side of the moon is the side of the moon that is never facing the earth. For those not up on their astronomy, the moon rotates in such a way that only one side of the moon ever faces the earth, the other side is the "dark side". So I grumbled about that. And before the laser show, they had some info about lasers in a slide show, and one of the slides said "the laser is made of Argon and Krypton gas"...really the slide should have said "THIS laser is made of Argon..." because lasers can be made of a wide range of materials, not just gasses. There are semiconductor and even solid state lasers. grumble, grumble. LASER, by the way, stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. whew, now my brain is spinning off remembering the time in grad school when I started asking questions of my profs (he was a chemist). He had talked about lasers in class, and some of the info he gave didn't make sense to me...it seemed he explained some things wrong. he wasn't convinced that I was right...turns out I was and he made corrections in the next class. Yup, Hyatt girls are smart and pretty.
It was interesting to watch my mind around the whole thing. The first night I wandered around the BFF's condo with my laptop desperately looking for wireless that wasn't password protected. Alas, there was none. Looking at myself walking around trying to find a connection helped me see how HOOKED I am on this internet thing. Hello, my name is Jennie, and I'm an internet addict.
It was also interesting to get out of the Boulder bubble. I know I live in a bubble, I do. But I forget just HOW different Boulder is from other parts of the US. Maybe it was being on the east coast, maybe it was being with the BFF, probably both things. It was good to get out of Boulder and remember that not everyone is an olympic athlete, 97% of the population is NOT white, many people don't recycle (and there are places where you can't even find recycle bins if you want to recycle), local & organic foods are not as easy to find as one might think, what we think of as expensive real estate in Boulder is laughable compared to some other cities, and wow, I really am liberal.
For those who were wondering about my sister, she ROCKED those boards and she's now an official nurse. Yes, us Hyatt girls are Pretty AND Smart.
Spending time with the BFF was SO fun. It was so good to reconnect and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk. On my arrival day, I got there in mid-afternoon, and we talked for 7 hours straight. We did some touristy stuff (whale watching, clam chowda eatin', downtown walking, more seafood eatin', going to the planetarium, and going to see Laser U2). We talked and talked and talked. Ok, we talked a lot. The BFF is such a good mirror for me...I see what my life could be if I had made some different choices. I see that my choices have taken me on a path that has helped me express parts of me that have always been there. I see in her the best (and sometimes the worst) in me. She helps me remember that I'm smart, I'm capable. She reminds me of the things I've done well, and reminds me of my patterns. I also see in her things I wish I could be...
And I've been dreaming a lot lately. Dreaming of friends that I miss, dreaming of people that I care about. There have also been worrying dreams too. An apocalyptic dream, another dream where one of my students dies (someone I saw today at a work meeting, so I know he's alive). Maybe I need to finish the book I'm reading that has a lot of world ending stuff in it.
And back to the BFF visit. My nerdiness quotient seemed to skyrocket...back to old patterns, I think. At the planetarium show, they did a demo and the person leading it made an incorrect statement calling the part of the moon that is in shadow the "dark side". The dark side of the moon is the side of the moon that is never facing the earth. For those not up on their astronomy, the moon rotates in such a way that only one side of the moon ever faces the earth, the other side is the "dark side". So I grumbled about that. And before the laser show, they had some info about lasers in a slide show, and one of the slides said "the laser is made of Argon and Krypton gas"...really the slide should have said "THIS laser is made of Argon..." because lasers can be made of a wide range of materials, not just gasses. There are semiconductor and even solid state lasers. grumble, grumble. LASER, by the way, stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. whew, now my brain is spinning off remembering the time in grad school when I started asking questions of my profs (he was a chemist). He had talked about lasers in class, and some of the info he gave didn't make sense to me...it seemed he explained some things wrong. he wasn't convinced that I was right...turns out I was and he made corrections in the next class. Yup, Hyatt girls are smart and pretty.
frazzle
I have been one busy girl! One busy girl with no internet access!
I took the week off to take care of some things that I've been needing to take care of (airport driving, birthday celebrating, birthday celebration recovery time, furniture moving, etc.)
Tomorrow I drive 14 hours to St. Louis to see my folks, see my friend Nick (YAY!), and see a free Ani DiFranco concert down by the Arch on the riverfront in the continuation of my birthday celebration. I've got much left to do and not a lot of time to do it, so there will be more blogging (maybe) from STL.
Also, for those of you who know my friend Adam, please keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers...his father died in a car accident at the beginning of the week.
I took the week off to take care of some things that I've been needing to take care of (airport driving, birthday celebrating, birthday celebration recovery time, furniture moving, etc.)
Tomorrow I drive 14 hours to St. Louis to see my folks, see my friend Nick (YAY!), and see a free Ani DiFranco concert down by the Arch on the riverfront in the continuation of my birthday celebration. I've got much left to do and not a lot of time to do it, so there will be more blogging (maybe) from STL.
Also, for those of you who know my friend Adam, please keep him and his family in your thoughts/prayers...his father died in a car accident at the beginning of the week.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
heading to boston
I love having external reference points. I love keeping this blog as a way of tracking those reference points.
Tomorrow I leave for Boston to visit the BFF (ya know, best friend FOREVER). Last May, I went to Nashville for the BFF's graduation from medical school and blogged about my ritualized pre-travel freakout which includes cleaning, shopping, and running other errands that don't really need to happen right before I leave town when I have other things to do.
And, I realized that as I've been patting myself on the back for doing such a good job of NOT having a pre-travel freakout, I've been doing all the pre-travel freakout stuff. This morning, I went to the mall to return a pair of pants I bought a month ago. I could have waited 5 more days until after my trip to do this, but I didn't. And while I was at the mall, there was a sale at Victoria's Secret, and well, I need new underwear, right? and they only have a sale every 6 months, and well, I was able to get 3 bras for $50, when they normally cost $34 each! Ok, fine, I could have gone shopping with the BFF in Boston, but it felt like I needed to take care of this stuff NOW.
And I cleaned out almost all the stuff from the trunk of the car that has been sitting in there for months. And I started to organize my closet...sigh.
In some way, it is comforting to have this ritual, to have this thing that I can count on, an internal crazy clock that says "now it is time to clean and shop".
I'm looking forward to the trip, to seeing the BFF. I haven't seen her since last May, and we don't do a good job of staying in touch via phone or email between visits. But we've got that connection going back years and years that whenever we get together things just fall into place. She's doing her residency now at Mass General Hospital. Crazy to think that she's a PhD and MD and this was her dream going way, way back, and she's DOING IT. I just hope she's happy. I guess I'll find out :) I'm so excited to see her!
Boston could be interesting to explore, as I've only been there once before the spring break my junior year (or maybe senior year) in high school to check out Boston University. That trip was just me and Dad. It was the first time I felt like an adult. I was looking at college and my Dad wasn't treating me like a kid. We ate clam chowder, I drank coffee for the first time, I got a nosebleed on the T (public transit). I remember walking around on Harvard's campus and seeing some of the historical stuff in Boston, and thinking that there was a real chance that I could move to this old, American city and live there for several years. It will be interesting to go back and be in that city 12-13 years later.
Tomorrow I leave for Boston to visit the BFF (ya know, best friend FOREVER). Last May, I went to Nashville for the BFF's graduation from medical school and blogged about my ritualized pre-travel freakout which includes cleaning, shopping, and running other errands that don't really need to happen right before I leave town when I have other things to do.
And, I realized that as I've been patting myself on the back for doing such a good job of NOT having a pre-travel freakout, I've been doing all the pre-travel freakout stuff. This morning, I went to the mall to return a pair of pants I bought a month ago. I could have waited 5 more days until after my trip to do this, but I didn't. And while I was at the mall, there was a sale at Victoria's Secret, and well, I need new underwear, right? and they only have a sale every 6 months, and well, I was able to get 3 bras for $50, when they normally cost $34 each! Ok, fine, I could have gone shopping with the BFF in Boston, but it felt like I needed to take care of this stuff NOW.
And I cleaned out almost all the stuff from the trunk of the car that has been sitting in there for months. And I started to organize my closet...sigh.
In some way, it is comforting to have this ritual, to have this thing that I can count on, an internal crazy clock that says "now it is time to clean and shop".
I'm looking forward to the trip, to seeing the BFF. I haven't seen her since last May, and we don't do a good job of staying in touch via phone or email between visits. But we've got that connection going back years and years that whenever we get together things just fall into place. She's doing her residency now at Mass General Hospital. Crazy to think that she's a PhD and MD and this was her dream going way, way back, and she's DOING IT. I just hope she's happy. I guess I'll find out :) I'm so excited to see her!
Boston could be interesting to explore, as I've only been there once before the spring break my junior year (or maybe senior year) in high school to check out Boston University. That trip was just me and Dad. It was the first time I felt like an adult. I was looking at college and my Dad wasn't treating me like a kid. We ate clam chowder, I drank coffee for the first time, I got a nosebleed on the T (public transit). I remember walking around on Harvard's campus and seeing some of the historical stuff in Boston, and thinking that there was a real chance that I could move to this old, American city and live there for several years. It will be interesting to go back and be in that city 12-13 years later.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
to winter park and back
I went to Brooks and Lisa's Wedding this weekend up near Winter Park. So beautiful...the whole thing! I drove John up there and back (2 hours each way) and we caravaned with Dolly & Adam. We had lots of time in the car to contemplate on the nature of the world. Here's some highlights of the topics we touched on:
• amerigo vespucci--who was he? a map maker? an explorer? *
• relationships. lessons from the past.
• why I'm really, really sad that Chad is moving away
• the joy of beef jerky...mmm, salty. (no, I didn't have any, but I sure did sniff it!)
• how beautiful the wedding was. How happy we are for Lisa and Brooks (the Witters!)
• incubus
• the part of the reception where I cried and cried
• the history of the philly cheese steak and how long has cheez whiz really been around? **
• how cool Adam is, and how much we love Dolly.
• melty, melty reeces peanut butter cups (and how to eat them without glopping chocolate all over yourself and/or the car
• my upcoming trip to Boston
• the kinds of nintendo games I played when I was a kid (remember the Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers game? oh, yes, I was a dork, too. But a dork with much younger siblings. My brother wanted me to beat that game. I think I did, too.)
• why would anyone name their hot sauce company "Captain Spongefoot"?! maybe becasue it is super, super funny. I crack up every time I say it.
*Amerigo Vespucci, explorer, was credited by a german mapmaker as the first one to "discover" the "new world" and thus the Americas were named.
**The philly cheese steak was created sometime in the 1930s. Cheez Whiz, a traditional topping on the cheese steak, was introduced around 1958. Looking into the history of Cheez Whiz lead me to some inadvertent information about Velveeta. This 'cheese food' has been marketed since 1923. There are some funfacts about Velveeta on these site:
http://www.monroecheesefestival.com/history.shtml
http://www.kraftfoods.com/Velveeta/Timeline
• amerigo vespucci--who was he? a map maker? an explorer? *
• relationships. lessons from the past.
• why I'm really, really sad that Chad is moving away
• the joy of beef jerky...mmm, salty. (no, I didn't have any, but I sure did sniff it!)
• how beautiful the wedding was. How happy we are for Lisa and Brooks (the Witters!)
• incubus
• the part of the reception where I cried and cried
• the history of the philly cheese steak and how long has cheez whiz really been around? **
• how cool Adam is, and how much we love Dolly.
• melty, melty reeces peanut butter cups (and how to eat them without glopping chocolate all over yourself and/or the car
• my upcoming trip to Boston
• the kinds of nintendo games I played when I was a kid (remember the Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers game? oh, yes, I was a dork, too. But a dork with much younger siblings. My brother wanted me to beat that game. I think I did, too.)
• why would anyone name their hot sauce company "Captain Spongefoot"?! maybe becasue it is super, super funny. I crack up every time I say it.
*Amerigo Vespucci, explorer, was credited by a german mapmaker as the first one to "discover" the "new world" and thus the Americas were named.
**The philly cheese steak was created sometime in the 1930s. Cheez Whiz, a traditional topping on the cheese steak, was introduced around 1958. Looking into the history of Cheez Whiz lead me to some inadvertent information about Velveeta. This 'cheese food' has been marketed since 1923. There are some funfacts about Velveeta on these site:
http://www.monroecheesefestival.com/history.shtml
http://www.kraftfoods.com/Velveeta/Timeline
Thursday, May 31, 2007
solo road trip day #8: the journey home
so I'm back in Boulder!
Yesterday I completed the solo road trip by driving 435 miles from Santa Fe to Boulder in 6.75 hours. The day started with a lovely breakast at my B&B followed by a little reading in my room followed by a 1 hour massage. heaven. walking out of there, I was a little woozy, so I took myself to Trader Joe's (oh I miss my TJs) and got some snacks for later (yay for TJs brand of TastyBite, jasmine green tea, and papadum chips) and a kombucha from Pharmaca. I filled up the car (even though I could have gone another 250 miles without a refill) since I needed a little bit of time and space after the massage before getting on the highway.
I left at noon and drove and drove and drove through mountains and prairies and mountains again. The roads were once again eerily empty. I stopped after 4 hours for a snack at Cracker Barrel (fried okra, turnip greens, greenbeans and a big glass of milk)...I do love me some southern style greens. Back on the road, massive yucky construction rush hour traffic in Colorado Springs, but even with that delay I was parked at Dolly's by 6:40. I got home, nobody was there, so I showered the road grime off, called my parents, sent a hello text, and sat down for 2 minutes when Dolly and Adam came home. Dolly's first words to me were something like "oh my god, you're so clear! you're glowing!" crazy, eh?
The trip was amazing. I feel so...myself. I feel integrated and whole and connected and happy. I seriously need to do this more often than once in a lifetime. I'm not sure solitary retreats are for me, but solo road trips sure are.
so I'm back, I went to my therapist this morning and then I went to work. I tried really hard to do work and was pretty successful until mid-afternoon when the bordom kicked in. holy crap do I miss having the teachers and students around. I miss the activity and the challenge. I'm sure this is good for me...the gap of summer helps me appreciate the school year all the more. If I never had the gap, I'd probably eventually get burnt out and resentful and not enjoy the crazy, busy, full, rich worklife. So the gap of summer is good. I just wish it wasn't so freakin' long! ;) well, it gives me time to solo road trip and group road trip (i've got some maybes) and to travel to Boston in June to see the BFF and to have time connect with old and new friends. so maybe summer isn't so bad, afterall.
Yesterday I completed the solo road trip by driving 435 miles from Santa Fe to Boulder in 6.75 hours. The day started with a lovely breakast at my B&B followed by a little reading in my room followed by a 1 hour massage. heaven. walking out of there, I was a little woozy, so I took myself to Trader Joe's (oh I miss my TJs) and got some snacks for later (yay for TJs brand of TastyBite, jasmine green tea, and papadum chips) and a kombucha from Pharmaca. I filled up the car (even though I could have gone another 250 miles without a refill) since I needed a little bit of time and space after the massage before getting on the highway.
I left at noon and drove and drove and drove through mountains and prairies and mountains again. The roads were once again eerily empty. I stopped after 4 hours for a snack at Cracker Barrel (fried okra, turnip greens, greenbeans and a big glass of milk)...I do love me some southern style greens. Back on the road, massive yucky construction rush hour traffic in Colorado Springs, but even with that delay I was parked at Dolly's by 6:40. I got home, nobody was there, so I showered the road grime off, called my parents, sent a hello text, and sat down for 2 minutes when Dolly and Adam came home. Dolly's first words to me were something like "oh my god, you're so clear! you're glowing!" crazy, eh?
The trip was amazing. I feel so...myself. I feel integrated and whole and connected and happy. I seriously need to do this more often than once in a lifetime. I'm not sure solitary retreats are for me, but solo road trips sure are.
so I'm back, I went to my therapist this morning and then I went to work. I tried really hard to do work and was pretty successful until mid-afternoon when the bordom kicked in. holy crap do I miss having the teachers and students around. I miss the activity and the challenge. I'm sure this is good for me...the gap of summer helps me appreciate the school year all the more. If I never had the gap, I'd probably eventually get burnt out and resentful and not enjoy the crazy, busy, full, rich worklife. So the gap of summer is good. I just wish it wasn't so freakin' long! ;) well, it gives me time to solo road trip and group road trip (i've got some maybes) and to travel to Boston in June to see the BFF and to have time connect with old and new friends. so maybe summer isn't so bad, afterall.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
solo road trip day #7: glowing smushpot of love
So it just keeps getting better. Today i slept in again (8am!), showered, and then had breakfast at my B&B. So delightful to have delicious food prepared for you. There was wonderful fruit salad, homemade granola, and freshly made vegetarian corn/squash/pepper/tomato tamales with really good avocado on top. Super yum. After breakfast I walked to the Georgia O'Keefe Museum and spent some time there learning about her life, her work, and enjoying her art.
After the O'Keefe museum, I wandered around downtown Santa Fe, stopping in several of the art galleries (there seem to be hundreds of art galleries). My favorites were one whose name I can't remember with local artists and the other was the Chuck Jones Gallery. Oh, if to only have thousands and thousands to spend on art...oh well, looking is free! I wandered along the river and came across some really beautiful, bizarre carved wooden saints (see photo album). I bought a few pieces of jewelry as gifts (though I'm tempted to keep for self). I had lunch at a lovely place with a covered patio so I could be outside without frying (I think I'm developing my summer arm-only tan). After lunch, I walked and walked and walked some more. I went to a great used bookstore that really reminded me of the creepy bookstore in Buffy. There was even a section on the "occult". I bought two books, one lovely compilation of Shakespeare (all his plays and poems in one volume) and a copy of "Verses from the Center" by Stephen Batchelor, a book that I had borrowed for months from someone at work that has a wonderful translation of Nagarjuna's "Mulamadhyamakakarika" (for those who care). I then returned to my room and lounged/read/relaxed for half an hour before going to my SPA treatment.
Well, I thought yesterday was luxurious and pampering and indulgent, and it was, but today's treatment was bliss.
It all began with a foot scrub while sipping Jamu tonic which was some sort of chilled, fruity, herbal infusion. After the foot bath, I had a 1-hour, hot jasmine oil massage. I think yesterday's adventure in nakedness was just preparing me for today. Sure I've had professional whole-body massages in the past, but it usually takes me a good part of the massage to get comfortable with my own naked body being touched by someone else even with the covering and draping. Anyway, I had no shame holding me back, and I was able to enjoy the whole hot oil massage experience.
After the massage, I was covered in warm towels for a few minutes while my massage therapist prepared the body scrub. Section by section, I got another layer of hot oil rubbed in, I was then sprinkled with a turmeric, sandalwood, and rice powder, after the paste was scrubbed in, that section was then slathered in a mixture of honey and yogurt and then covered back up as she repeated the process over the rest of my body. After I was covered head to toe, I had 10 minutes in a private steam shower where I got to sit in the steam and let my whole body mask soak in. While I was steaming, my massage therapist prepared my bath.
After the steam shut off, I showered, and then climbed into my giant, granite bath tub that was filled with lovely warm water and hundreds of rose petals. There was ginger tea and a small plate of fruit and chocolate on the edge of the tub. Divine. 30 minutes in the tub is a long time to sit and think and try to float. For me, trying to float doesn't work. I discovered that when I was able to really let go, to not think about it, I was floating. So interesting to notice my breath, to notice the thoughts coming and going.
Laying in a tub covered in rose petals...what a silly thing, what a wonderful thing. Laying in the tub, sipping ginger tea, with soothing music playing quietly, I thought about the word sensual. Sensual means experiencing through the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). This spa package certainly hit all the senses. I find it interesting how the mind can make connections to memories based on sensual experiences...the taste of ginger tea reminded me of my first Naropa Orientation party where a first year student made ginger tea. The little plate of fruit and chocolate reminded me of spending time with my ex-sister-inlaw in Hawaii. The bath got me thinking about my mother, wondering if she ever has treated herself to this kind of experience. How I learned from my mother to take care of everyone else in your life before you take care of yourself. How I want to take care of her, to treat her and pamper her while I still can. When my time was up in the tub, my massage therapist rang a little bell to let me know it was time to get dressed. Is it all over so soon? And yet it feels a lifetime.
My outer self is radiating. My inner self is radiating. I am soft, I am melting, I am a glowing smushpot of love.
After the O'Keefe museum, I wandered around downtown Santa Fe, stopping in several of the art galleries (there seem to be hundreds of art galleries). My favorites were one whose name I can't remember with local artists and the other was the Chuck Jones Gallery. Oh, if to only have thousands and thousands to spend on art...oh well, looking is free! I wandered along the river and came across some really beautiful, bizarre carved wooden saints (see photo album). I bought a few pieces of jewelry as gifts (though I'm tempted to keep for self). I had lunch at a lovely place with a covered patio so I could be outside without frying (I think I'm developing my summer arm-only tan). After lunch, I walked and walked and walked some more. I went to a great used bookstore that really reminded me of the creepy bookstore in Buffy. There was even a section on the "occult". I bought two books, one lovely compilation of Shakespeare (all his plays and poems in one volume) and a copy of "Verses from the Center" by Stephen Batchelor, a book that I had borrowed for months from someone at work that has a wonderful translation of Nagarjuna's "Mulamadhyamakakarika" (for those who care). I then returned to my room and lounged/read/relaxed for half an hour before going to my SPA treatment.
Well, I thought yesterday was luxurious and pampering and indulgent, and it was, but today's treatment was bliss.
It all began with a foot scrub while sipping Jamu tonic which was some sort of chilled, fruity, herbal infusion. After the foot bath, I had a 1-hour, hot jasmine oil massage. I think yesterday's adventure in nakedness was just preparing me for today. Sure I've had professional whole-body massages in the past, but it usually takes me a good part of the massage to get comfortable with my own naked body being touched by someone else even with the covering and draping. Anyway, I had no shame holding me back, and I was able to enjoy the whole hot oil massage experience.
After the massage, I was covered in warm towels for a few minutes while my massage therapist prepared the body scrub. Section by section, I got another layer of hot oil rubbed in, I was then sprinkled with a turmeric, sandalwood, and rice powder, after the paste was scrubbed in, that section was then slathered in a mixture of honey and yogurt and then covered back up as she repeated the process over the rest of my body. After I was covered head to toe, I had 10 minutes in a private steam shower where I got to sit in the steam and let my whole body mask soak in. While I was steaming, my massage therapist prepared my bath.
After the steam shut off, I showered, and then climbed into my giant, granite bath tub that was filled with lovely warm water and hundreds of rose petals. There was ginger tea and a small plate of fruit and chocolate on the edge of the tub. Divine. 30 minutes in the tub is a long time to sit and think and try to float. For me, trying to float doesn't work. I discovered that when I was able to really let go, to not think about it, I was floating. So interesting to notice my breath, to notice the thoughts coming and going.
Laying in a tub covered in rose petals...what a silly thing, what a wonderful thing. Laying in the tub, sipping ginger tea, with soothing music playing quietly, I thought about the word sensual. Sensual means experiencing through the senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell). This spa package certainly hit all the senses. I find it interesting how the mind can make connections to memories based on sensual experiences...the taste of ginger tea reminded me of my first Naropa Orientation party where a first year student made ginger tea. The little plate of fruit and chocolate reminded me of spending time with my ex-sister-inlaw in Hawaii. The bath got me thinking about my mother, wondering if she ever has treated herself to this kind of experience. How I learned from my mother to take care of everyone else in your life before you take care of yourself. How I want to take care of her, to treat her and pamper her while I still can. When my time was up in the tub, my massage therapist rang a little bell to let me know it was time to get dressed. Is it all over so soon? And yet it feels a lifetime.
My outer self is radiating. My inner self is radiating. I am soft, I am melting, I am a glowing smushpot of love.
Monday, May 28, 2007
solo road trip day #6: body body
What a wonderful, wonderful day! I woke up LATE, had a very late breakfast (almost lunch) at a cute local cafe in Albuquerque, and then drove toward where I thought the mountains were. Turns out I was wrong and headed toward the city. I realized that I was NOT interested in city stuff or museums today, and turned around and headed back east to the mountains. I had seen info on a scenic road through the mountains that would eventually lead to Santa Fe, so I hopped onto that road instead of getting on I-25. I am SO glad I did. I got to drive through the mountains, windows open, with Bruce Springstein serenading me (loudly)! Yay for scenic drives :)
I landed in Santa Fe and kept driving, feeling my way toward town. I eventually stopped in a parking lot to look up directions to my B&B only to discover that I was about 3 blocks away! My internal compass seemed to be working well today. I got to the B&B and checked in, got my stuff unloaded, had a little down time lounging on the super comfy bed, and then got myself back out on the road to a Japanese-style bath house just 20 minutes from my B&B.
Upon arrival, you are given a standard-issue kimono/robe, a locker key, and a brief tour of where to go. I opted for the "women's bath" which is a women's only section. I was really pushing my edges here since I'm generally freaked out by water and nakedness, and let me tell you, this place has an abundance of both. Well, I'm ok with other people's nakedness, and I'm ok with my own as long as nobody is around but me, but the idea of being naked in front of other people...well, there's a full-body blush. I don't even shower at the gym because I can't handle the being naked in front of other women part.
So getting to the tub took me a few stages. I had to start in the sauna in my kimono, then moved to a lounge chair in just a towel, then finally the full monty in the tub. After a few minutes in the hot water chatting with other great women, the whole being naked thing stopped being a big deal. Well it stayed a little deal, but was mostly fine :) I bounced between being in the hot tub, sitting on the edge of the tub with my feet in to cool down, getting back in to get really hot, then dashing to the cold plunge, getting so cold my feet started to spasm and then warming back up by sitting meditation in the sauna...all naked! I did this for over 2 HOURS. I have new-found comfort with my body. Sure I don't have a perfect body, but there sure wasn't anyone there that did. Everyone has flaws and scars and lumps and too much of some things and not enough of others. Right, being human doesn't mean being perfect. So I have a big butt and I don't have giant boobs. So what.
I didn't die of embarrassment, and I didn't drown (two things I was concerned about), and I would certainly go back another time. I'm not sure I'd be up for the "communal tub" that is mixed men & women...that's a whole other level of body stuff that I'm not ready to explore yet.
I am rested, I am hydrated, I smell good, my skin feels nice, I had an adventure and learned some things about myself...all for $20. What a bargain!
I landed in Santa Fe and kept driving, feeling my way toward town. I eventually stopped in a parking lot to look up directions to my B&B only to discover that I was about 3 blocks away! My internal compass seemed to be working well today. I got to the B&B and checked in, got my stuff unloaded, had a little down time lounging on the super comfy bed, and then got myself back out on the road to a Japanese-style bath house just 20 minutes from my B&B.
Upon arrival, you are given a standard-issue kimono/robe, a locker key, and a brief tour of where to go. I opted for the "women's bath" which is a women's only section. I was really pushing my edges here since I'm generally freaked out by water and nakedness, and let me tell you, this place has an abundance of both. Well, I'm ok with other people's nakedness, and I'm ok with my own as long as nobody is around but me, but the idea of being naked in front of other people...well, there's a full-body blush. I don't even shower at the gym because I can't handle the being naked in front of other women part.
So getting to the tub took me a few stages. I had to start in the sauna in my kimono, then moved to a lounge chair in just a towel, then finally the full monty in the tub. After a few minutes in the hot water chatting with other great women, the whole being naked thing stopped being a big deal. Well it stayed a little deal, but was mostly fine :) I bounced between being in the hot tub, sitting on the edge of the tub with my feet in to cool down, getting back in to get really hot, then dashing to the cold plunge, getting so cold my feet started to spasm and then warming back up by sitting meditation in the sauna...all naked! I did this for over 2 HOURS. I have new-found comfort with my body. Sure I don't have a perfect body, but there sure wasn't anyone there that did. Everyone has flaws and scars and lumps and too much of some things and not enough of others. Right, being human doesn't mean being perfect. So I have a big butt and I don't have giant boobs. So what.
I didn't die of embarrassment, and I didn't drown (two things I was concerned about), and I would certainly go back another time. I'm not sure I'd be up for the "communal tub" that is mixed men & women...that's a whole other level of body stuff that I'm not ready to explore yet.
I am rested, I am hydrated, I smell good, my skin feels nice, I had an adventure and learned some things about myself...all for $20. What a bargain!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
solo road trip day #5: texas to albuquerque
Today has been another interesting day. I woke up early EARLY when I heard Doug getting ready for work. I wanted to make sure I was awake to say good bye...I don't know how long it will be before I see him face to face again. He left for work at 5:30am! crazy army hours. I respect him so much. I don't agree with this war we're in, but we're in it. Doug and everyone else in the military doesn't just do a job, this is their LIFE. And chosing to serve your country doesn't just impact your life, it impact the lives of all those close to you. When he gets sent, his partner Susie will be impacted, his friends and family will be impacted, and ripples out and out and out. So on memorial day eve, I want to take a moment to say thank you to Doug and to Bryan and to all those I know and don't know who are serving this country so that I can chose whether or not to practice any religion, and I can chose to use birth control and I can chose to be married or not and I can chose to have fries with that (or not) and I can chose to take my freedom for granted (or not) and I can chose to vote and participate in the political process, and I can chose to spend way too many hours on myspace and so I can take solo road trips.
After Doug left, I went back to sleep and didn't wake up until nearly 9am! I showered, ate breakfast with Susie, and then got on the road at 10:30am. What a luxurious late start! I drove and drove and drove through Texas and New Mexico. I had no plan for where I'd be tonight other than knowing I'd be somewhere between Copperas Cove, TX and Santa Fe, NM. I decided to take a detour and go to Albuquerque. I'm now snug in my very swanky $40 motel room with free wireless, cable TV, a microwave, a mini fridge, and two queen beds. This is way more plush than my $30 motel room in Roswell, NM that didn't have any hot water for my sink or shower (seriously). There is even a little sampler freebie bag with EmergenC, face cream, tylenol, and granola bars!
I know this might sound weird, and Doug would probably say that it is my hippie, liberal side talking, but I put a little intention out there for an inexpensive, clean, easy to find, nice place to stay tonight. I said the word "indulge" again in my head and poof! here's this amazing room. So I feel like the universe is taking care of me. :)
I have no idea what I'll do in Albuquerque tomorrow. I'm only an hour or so from Santa Fe, and can check in as late as 8pm, so I will spend some time exploring. I was pulled here for a reason. i chose not to take the more direct road to Santa Fe when I had the chance, and something inside me said Albuquerque. Maybe it was all the 'q's and 'u's on the signs.
All I know is that when I was an hour from here, I could see the mountains in the distance, and I started to weep. Tear were summersaulting down my face. Maybe I'm just a mountain girl, maybe there is something more. I am curious to see what gifts the universe will give me tomorrow, what lessons I will learn, what adventures may happen. For now, I need to get some rest...my neck and shoulders are sore, and I am tired. 670miles in 11.5 hours today.
After Doug left, I went back to sleep and didn't wake up until nearly 9am! I showered, ate breakfast with Susie, and then got on the road at 10:30am. What a luxurious late start! I drove and drove and drove through Texas and New Mexico. I had no plan for where I'd be tonight other than knowing I'd be somewhere between Copperas Cove, TX and Santa Fe, NM. I decided to take a detour and go to Albuquerque. I'm now snug in my very swanky $40 motel room with free wireless, cable TV, a microwave, a mini fridge, and two queen beds. This is way more plush than my $30 motel room in Roswell, NM that didn't have any hot water for my sink or shower (seriously). There is even a little sampler freebie bag with EmergenC, face cream, tylenol, and granola bars!
I know this might sound weird, and Doug would probably say that it is my hippie, liberal side talking, but I put a little intention out there for an inexpensive, clean, easy to find, nice place to stay tonight. I said the word "indulge" again in my head and poof! here's this amazing room. So I feel like the universe is taking care of me. :)
I have no idea what I'll do in Albuquerque tomorrow. I'm only an hour or so from Santa Fe, and can check in as late as 8pm, so I will spend some time exploring. I was pulled here for a reason. i chose not to take the more direct road to Santa Fe when I had the chance, and something inside me said Albuquerque. Maybe it was all the 'q's and 'u's on the signs.
All I know is that when I was an hour from here, I could see the mountains in the distance, and I started to weep. Tear were summersaulting down my face. Maybe I'm just a mountain girl, maybe there is something more. I am curious to see what gifts the universe will give me tomorrow, what lessons I will learn, what adventures may happen. For now, I need to get some rest...my neck and shoulders are sore, and I am tired. 670miles in 11.5 hours today.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
solo road trip day #3 & #4: doug and susie time
Friday, May 25. Susie had to work today, so Doug and I had some just us time. We talked, we went to a great place for lunch, we played Munchkin, and we watched many many episodes of Highlander (TV series). Doug, Susie and I all went out to dinner together (chinese food) and then went 'on post' to get some provisions for the evening. We talked and played munchkin and the wii (whee) and got pretty silly.
Susie and I eventually decided to go on a walk. It was raining that drippy, misty, slow-soaking rain when we went out. It's been raining here since Thursday evening, so everything is pretty saturated. We walked and talked about our lives, how hard it is to admit when you've made a mistake, how hard it is to look at yourself, how hard it is to love yourself, and how all these things are essential. All these things make you stronger. Susie is one awesome woman, and I'm so happy that she and Doug are together. They both seem really happy and good for each other. Doug came out to find us after 45 minutes. We came inside, got some refreshment, and then went back out and walked & talked some more. We were probably out another 15-30min when it started raining hard, and we finally came in for good. We all talked a while longer before finally calling it a night at 2am. Yay for connecting and reconnecting with friends.
Saturday, May 26. Slept in...and that felt so good. Susie had some solo shopping time today, so Doug and I spent some more "just us" time together. We talked, played wii, went to another great place for lunch, and then came back to the house and watched more Highlander tv series episodes. (yay for geeking out on highlander!) Doug, Susie, and I went to dinner at a great little mom 'n' pop italian restaurant (yum) and then got icecream at another little mom 'n' pop place (double yum). We came back played more wii and munchkin (yay for geeking out on video games and munchkin). Tonight is early bed time for everyone. Doug has to leave for work at 6am (stupid army hours) and so has to be in bed early. I'm trying to get sleepy too since tomorrow is my departure day.
The big solo adventure will resume...I dont know where I'm going to stop tomorrow, but it will be somewhere between Copperas Cove, TX and Santa Fe, NM. I have no city planned, and certainly no lodging secured. I'm going to really push my edge on this one and see where I land. Spontaneity is not something I'm good at or comfortable with. I like plans, I like security, and it is high time for me to come back to being playful and trust the universe (and myself).
Susie and I eventually decided to go on a walk. It was raining that drippy, misty, slow-soaking rain when we went out. It's been raining here since Thursday evening, so everything is pretty saturated. We walked and talked about our lives, how hard it is to admit when you've made a mistake, how hard it is to look at yourself, how hard it is to love yourself, and how all these things are essential. All these things make you stronger. Susie is one awesome woman, and I'm so happy that she and Doug are together. They both seem really happy and good for each other. Doug came out to find us after 45 minutes. We came inside, got some refreshment, and then went back out and walked & talked some more. We were probably out another 15-30min when it started raining hard, and we finally came in for good. We all talked a while longer before finally calling it a night at 2am. Yay for connecting and reconnecting with friends.
Saturday, May 26. Slept in...and that felt so good. Susie had some solo shopping time today, so Doug and I spent some more "just us" time together. We talked, played wii, went to another great place for lunch, and then came back to the house and watched more Highlander tv series episodes. (yay for geeking out on highlander!) Doug, Susie, and I went to dinner at a great little mom 'n' pop italian restaurant (yum) and then got icecream at another little mom 'n' pop place (double yum). We came back played more wii and munchkin (yay for geeking out on video games and munchkin). Tonight is early bed time for everyone. Doug has to leave for work at 6am (stupid army hours) and so has to be in bed early. I'm trying to get sleepy too since tomorrow is my departure day.
The big solo adventure will resume...I dont know where I'm going to stop tomorrow, but it will be somewhere between Copperas Cove, TX and Santa Fe, NM. I have no city planned, and certainly no lodging secured. I'm going to really push my edge on this one and see where I land. Spontaneity is not something I'm good at or comfortable with. I like plans, I like security, and it is high time for me to come back to being playful and trust the universe (and myself).
Thursday, May 24, 2007
solo road trip day #2: flying and going deeper
Today was a totally amazing, awesome day! It started out with waking up to realizing that the universe really is trying to help me out. Ok, let me go back in time...
Yesterday, before I left Dolly's house, I pulled 3 cards from her "Angel Cards", something she does every day and that I've started to do too. These are little cards that have words for support, guidance, inspiration, etc. My 3 cards: Healing, Transformation, Freedom. interesting, eh?
In my yesterday blog, I didn't mention that when I came back from dinner, I had a conversation with 3 men. I had parked the car in the motel lot, got out, and a few spaces over there were 2 men sitting on the tailgate of their truck drinking beer and chatting. When they saw me, they started chatting with me as I unloaded the car. Being a woman alone on the first night of the trip, I was a little hesitant to get too friendly, to give out too much info about myself. I noticed my guardedness, my lame excuse for leaving and retreating to my room.
This morning I woke up and said, hey, that was a missed opportunity last night. The men were friendly, and seemed genuine. They wanted me to know they were native american. They wanted me to talk to them. Girl, if you're going to have an adventure, go have an adventure! I thought about the Book of the Dead...this wasn't my only chance. I will have another opportunity, I just need to look for it, not be afraid.
so i got myself a lovely $3.00 breakfast at the Roswell Cover-Up Cafe (and Weather Balloon Monitoring Station). I had the flying saucer special (2 eggs sunny side up, hash browns, toast and coffee). You'll need to check out the photos in my picasa album to see the alien head street lights. What a goofy town.
I was feeling really good this morning, so I decided to go to Carlsbad Caverns. It twas SO SO worth it. Carlsbad Caverns is a giant cave system near Carlsbad, NM. There were several options for touring the caves, and I chose the $6 "self-guided" tour. You could choose to take an elevator directly from the visitor center (at the surface) to the "Big room" or take the "Natural Entrance". I chose the Natural Entrance route, which descends 750 feet over 1.25 miles and meets up in the Big Room. For a big National Park, I was surprised at how non-crowded the place was. It was really wonderful being able to hike down the trail with very little interaction with other people. I stopped a few times during the descent to write. Here's some transcriptions from my journal:
"Walking down dark twisty slippery path ways. My hand on the wet metal hand rail, feeling the moisture slide beneath my fingers as I go down deeper and deeper. I've passed all the people. I am alone on this descent, down into the womb of the great mother. Away from all human voices, away from the screeching of bats. Away from sunlight and cloud and wind. Only the sound of dripping water. It is dark. I descend faster and faster down the hill. I am almost running, almost flying. Something hits my pinky finger as it slides along the bar, and my hand recoils from the railing as if bitten. My mind slowly reacts: water drop. Nothing to fear. I go into the womb, into the grave. So dark and calm and moist and musty. I am cheerful. I am alone."
"I reach the Great Room. The Main Womb. And it is filled with phallices falling from the ceiling and reaching up from the floor. Everywhere I look in this womb. Emptiness and form. I reach the place with a lookout into a deep, dark hole. I cannot see the bottom. I lean far over the railing. This is not like me! I never get close to the edge like this, never lean over. But today I lean over, and I am not afraid."
I know now the cave dreams from a few nights ago were calling me here to this place. I felt so free, so alive. I felt connected to my beginning and my ending down deep within the earth. I will come back to this place. It is only a long day's drive from Boulder, after all.
I left the caverns at 12:45, and I drove and drove and drove though the last bit of New Mexico and into Texas. The roads are empty today again. I am delighted to have so much open space all to myself. I listen to my 2 new CDs purchased at the Caverns bookstore. I listen to Neil Diamond and sing loudly. I listen to my new CD mixes given by a friend before the trip for the second and third time. I drive for hours and hours. Who knew that Texas was so beautiful?! It started out in the West with vast flat lands with huge buttes, and then morphed into a land full of trees and creeks and wildflowers and goats. Hundreds of goats munching on grasses and flowers. So beautiful. When the sun went down, the rain began. Sheets of rain so hard and furious, I had to slow to 25mph for quite a while and was still edgy. Flooding on the sides of the roads, water pooling up in the intersections in the little towns. The lightening is so fantastic it blinds me. Mini-moments of just bright light and no other sensations. Lightening and rain and rain and rain.
I finally arrive at Doug's house. He comes out to greet me and we are both getting soaked as we hug. It is SO good to see his face. I hardly recognize this man. Even though I saw him a year ago for an hour, the last time I really spent time with him he was 16 and I was 18. We stayed up a while talking, and now he's asleep and I'm writing this.
Such a glorious day.
Yesterday, before I left Dolly's house, I pulled 3 cards from her "Angel Cards", something she does every day and that I've started to do too. These are little cards that have words for support, guidance, inspiration, etc. My 3 cards: Healing, Transformation, Freedom. interesting, eh?
In my yesterday blog, I didn't mention that when I came back from dinner, I had a conversation with 3 men. I had parked the car in the motel lot, got out, and a few spaces over there were 2 men sitting on the tailgate of their truck drinking beer and chatting. When they saw me, they started chatting with me as I unloaded the car. Being a woman alone on the first night of the trip, I was a little hesitant to get too friendly, to give out too much info about myself. I noticed my guardedness, my lame excuse for leaving and retreating to my room.
This morning I woke up and said, hey, that was a missed opportunity last night. The men were friendly, and seemed genuine. They wanted me to know they were native american. They wanted me to talk to them. Girl, if you're going to have an adventure, go have an adventure! I thought about the Book of the Dead...this wasn't my only chance. I will have another opportunity, I just need to look for it, not be afraid.
so i got myself a lovely $3.00 breakfast at the Roswell Cover-Up Cafe (and Weather Balloon Monitoring Station). I had the flying saucer special (2 eggs sunny side up, hash browns, toast and coffee). You'll need to check out the photos in my picasa album to see the alien head street lights. What a goofy town.
I was feeling really good this morning, so I decided to go to Carlsbad Caverns. It twas SO SO worth it. Carlsbad Caverns is a giant cave system near Carlsbad, NM. There were several options for touring the caves, and I chose the $6 "self-guided" tour. You could choose to take an elevator directly from the visitor center (at the surface) to the "Big room" or take the "Natural Entrance". I chose the Natural Entrance route, which descends 750 feet over 1.25 miles and meets up in the Big Room. For a big National Park, I was surprised at how non-crowded the place was. It was really wonderful being able to hike down the trail with very little interaction with other people. I stopped a few times during the descent to write. Here's some transcriptions from my journal:
"Walking down dark twisty slippery path ways. My hand on the wet metal hand rail, feeling the moisture slide beneath my fingers as I go down deeper and deeper. I've passed all the people. I am alone on this descent, down into the womb of the great mother. Away from all human voices, away from the screeching of bats. Away from sunlight and cloud and wind. Only the sound of dripping water. It is dark. I descend faster and faster down the hill. I am almost running, almost flying. Something hits my pinky finger as it slides along the bar, and my hand recoils from the railing as if bitten. My mind slowly reacts: water drop. Nothing to fear. I go into the womb, into the grave. So dark and calm and moist and musty. I am cheerful. I am alone."
"I reach the Great Room. The Main Womb. And it is filled with phallices falling from the ceiling and reaching up from the floor. Everywhere I look in this womb. Emptiness and form. I reach the place with a lookout into a deep, dark hole. I cannot see the bottom. I lean far over the railing. This is not like me! I never get close to the edge like this, never lean over. But today I lean over, and I am not afraid."
I know now the cave dreams from a few nights ago were calling me here to this place. I felt so free, so alive. I felt connected to my beginning and my ending down deep within the earth. I will come back to this place. It is only a long day's drive from Boulder, after all.
I left the caverns at 12:45, and I drove and drove and drove though the last bit of New Mexico and into Texas. The roads are empty today again. I am delighted to have so much open space all to myself. I listen to my 2 new CDs purchased at the Caverns bookstore. I listen to Neil Diamond and sing loudly. I listen to my new CD mixes given by a friend before the trip for the second and third time. I drive for hours and hours. Who knew that Texas was so beautiful?! It started out in the West with vast flat lands with huge buttes, and then morphed into a land full of trees and creeks and wildflowers and goats. Hundreds of goats munching on grasses and flowers. So beautiful. When the sun went down, the rain began. Sheets of rain so hard and furious, I had to slow to 25mph for quite a while and was still edgy. Flooding on the sides of the roads, water pooling up in the intersections in the little towns. The lightening is so fantastic it blinds me. Mini-moments of just bright light and no other sensations. Lightening and rain and rain and rain.
I finally arrive at Doug's house. He comes out to greet me and we are both getting soaked as we hug. It is SO good to see his face. I hardly recognize this man. Even though I saw him a year ago for an hour, the last time I really spent time with him he was 16 and I was 18. We stayed up a while talking, and now he's asleep and I'm writing this.
Such a glorious day.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
solo road trip day #1
warning: this blog is boring. sorry readers, but I'm tired and I'm pretty sure this is borning.
I had a busy, emotional day yesterday followed by a wonderful, grounding evening. I got to have dinner with a friend and had good food and really good conversation. I was a bit of a chatterbox, but I think that happens when I start telling stories. After dinner I went back to Dolly's and talked a lot more. I was so excited for my trip I woke up multiple times in the night thinking it was time to wake up! I had a really crazy dream in which I was trying to get to Shambhala Mountain Center, but the only way there was through a series of caves, and the caves were flooded (not to the ceiling, but with big lakes replacing the paths that I 'remembered'. I was pretty freaked out by the idea of abandoning the car and trying to swim across these flooding trails to get to SMC. I eventually did get in the water and crossed one part successfully. I was floating really well. Floating on my back, even. When I got to the other side I looked around the corner and saw there was another deep lake that needed to be crossed. I said, this is crazy, even if I do get across and get to smc, how will I get all the stuff back? I'm going to get all our stuff in the big red plastic boxes...that stuff won't float! Luckily there were others around who had experience with floods and when we decided to come back another time, the waters had all receded. weird, eh?
So on to the road trip.
I left Boulder this morning at 7:30 am with a plan to drive and drive and drive all the way to Roswell, NM. My hope was to arrive by 4pm so I could have an hour at the International UFO Museum & Research Center before they close at 5pm.
I had quite a lovely morning. The weather in Boulder was cool, and there wasn't much traffic in Denver. Things were pretty smooth sailing for the morning. I had good music: my ipod was set on shuffle, so I got a great mix of my tunes. It was so fun to get a Peter Gabriel song followed by Billy Idol followed by Death Cab for Cutie followed by ABBA followed by ZZ Top followed by Rickie Lee Jones (and on and on and on).
Since I was with just myself, I gave a big cheer when I reached the New Mexico border. Unfortunately, I didn't think to try to get a photo of the border sign. It really isn't that interesting, I suppose, so you can just imagine a big sign that says "welcome to New Mexico".
Hm. this really is a boring blog so far. Let's try to spice it up....oh, wait, I was in a car all day by myself...not too much exciting stuff to report. I stopped for food and fuel in Raton, NM, and had what I think will be the only fast food on this trip. McDonalds fries seemed like such a good idea at the time...yuk. There was a pretty nasty construction traffic on NM-84, with multiple long periods of being stopped in a line of cars waiting for a pilot car to lead us through the tangle, and I got seriously delayed.
I finally made it to Roswell after 9 hours and 560 miles. Sadly, even going straight to the UFO museum, I only got there 5 minutes before 5pm. They let me in for free and I jammed through the exhibits. No time to read captions on photos, just looking while walking past! I was surprised that the museum was more substantial than I would have thought. I zipped through to the gift shop before they shut down and got myself a new mug with the International UFO Museum logo on it! I think this is better than one with a cartoon alien face, don't you.
After the museum, I located my motel, checked in, unloaded a little, spent a little time laying on the bed reading blogs and checking weather forecasts for tomorrow before gathering myself up again to get some dinner. I ended up at a cute local place called "Nuthin' Fancy Cafe". I had black-eyed peas, cornbread, and fried okra for dinner while reading a Neil Gaiman book. Not as good as having company, but the food was tasty and filling, and I enjoyed having a little reading time today.
tomorrow I had hoped to go to Carlsbad Caverns, but I heard a rumor that there is a lot of construction on the road to Carlsbad, so I'm thinking about skipping it in favor of a better route. I figure I'll see how I feel in the morning and make a decision then.
I did take some photos today while driving (yes, it could be dangerous, but I only pulled out the camera when there were NO other cars around. I promise!) You can see today's photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/1JennieSanchez
will update ya'll from somewhere in TX!
I had a busy, emotional day yesterday followed by a wonderful, grounding evening. I got to have dinner with a friend and had good food and really good conversation. I was a bit of a chatterbox, but I think that happens when I start telling stories. After dinner I went back to Dolly's and talked a lot more. I was so excited for my trip I woke up multiple times in the night thinking it was time to wake up! I had a really crazy dream in which I was trying to get to Shambhala Mountain Center, but the only way there was through a series of caves, and the caves were flooded (not to the ceiling, but with big lakes replacing the paths that I 'remembered'. I was pretty freaked out by the idea of abandoning the car and trying to swim across these flooding trails to get to SMC. I eventually did get in the water and crossed one part successfully. I was floating really well. Floating on my back, even. When I got to the other side I looked around the corner and saw there was another deep lake that needed to be crossed. I said, this is crazy, even if I do get across and get to smc, how will I get all the stuff back? I'm going to get all our stuff in the big red plastic boxes...that stuff won't float! Luckily there were others around who had experience with floods and when we decided to come back another time, the waters had all receded. weird, eh?
So on to the road trip.
I left Boulder this morning at 7:30 am with a plan to drive and drive and drive all the way to Roswell, NM. My hope was to arrive by 4pm so I could have an hour at the International UFO Museum & Research Center before they close at 5pm.
I had quite a lovely morning. The weather in Boulder was cool, and there wasn't much traffic in Denver. Things were pretty smooth sailing for the morning. I had good music: my ipod was set on shuffle, so I got a great mix of my tunes. It was so fun to get a Peter Gabriel song followed by Billy Idol followed by Death Cab for Cutie followed by ABBA followed by ZZ Top followed by Rickie Lee Jones (and on and on and on).
Since I was with just myself, I gave a big cheer when I reached the New Mexico border. Unfortunately, I didn't think to try to get a photo of the border sign. It really isn't that interesting, I suppose, so you can just imagine a big sign that says "welcome to New Mexico".
Hm. this really is a boring blog so far. Let's try to spice it up....oh, wait, I was in a car all day by myself...not too much exciting stuff to report. I stopped for food and fuel in Raton, NM, and had what I think will be the only fast food on this trip. McDonalds fries seemed like such a good idea at the time...yuk. There was a pretty nasty construction traffic on NM-84, with multiple long periods of being stopped in a line of cars waiting for a pilot car to lead us through the tangle, and I got seriously delayed.
I finally made it to Roswell after 9 hours and 560 miles. Sadly, even going straight to the UFO museum, I only got there 5 minutes before 5pm. They let me in for free and I jammed through the exhibits. No time to read captions on photos, just looking while walking past! I was surprised that the museum was more substantial than I would have thought. I zipped through to the gift shop before they shut down and got myself a new mug with the International UFO Museum logo on it! I think this is better than one with a cartoon alien face, don't you.
After the museum, I located my motel, checked in, unloaded a little, spent a little time laying on the bed reading blogs and checking weather forecasts for tomorrow before gathering myself up again to get some dinner. I ended up at a cute local place called "Nuthin' Fancy Cafe". I had black-eyed peas, cornbread, and fried okra for dinner while reading a Neil Gaiman book. Not as good as having company, but the food was tasty and filling, and I enjoyed having a little reading time today.
tomorrow I had hoped to go to Carlsbad Caverns, but I heard a rumor that there is a lot of construction on the road to Carlsbad, so I'm thinking about skipping it in favor of a better route. I figure I'll see how I feel in the morning and make a decision then.
I did take some photos today while driving (yes, it could be dangerous, but I only pulled out the camera when there were NO other cars around. I promise!) You can see today's photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/1JennieSanchez
will update ya'll from somewhere in TX!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Ani concert in STL
My life is in chaos right now. I'm crashing at my best girl Dol's house for now and trying to sort out what next.
I haven't been on this myspace land in a bunch of days and am now taking a few minutes break before my 4 hours of meetings begin at noon. There was a bulletin post from Ani DiFranco about tour dates, and she'll be in St. Louis on July 20 playing a FREE concert on the riverfront. That's only 4 days after my birthday!
Anyone want to road trip to my hometown of STL to see a free Ani concert in celebration of my 30th Birthday? (or for the folks in STL, you wanna meet up for this?!)
We can even stop at the Oz Museum in Kansas on the way or stay at the fun B&B I visited with my sister Lindsey last summer.
I haven't been on this myspace land in a bunch of days and am now taking a few minutes break before my 4 hours of meetings begin at noon. There was a bulletin post from Ani DiFranco about tour dates, and she'll be in St. Louis on July 20 playing a FREE concert on the riverfront. That's only 4 days after my birthday!
Anyone want to road trip to my hometown of STL to see a free Ani concert in celebration of my 30th Birthday? (or for the folks in STL, you wanna meet up for this?!)
We can even stop at the Oz Museum in Kansas on the way or stay at the fun B&B I visited with my sister Lindsey last summer.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The two hour haircut
Today I got my hair cut. Perhaps the last major haircut before I shave it all off later this summer.
aside: yes, I am planning to become the bald miss J in a month or so. I've been thinking (and talking) about doing this since last summer when I finally got my hair down to my waist. Since it was right before the start of school, I opted for short but not too short.
But back to the story. Today I had a haircut that took 2 hours. It is shorter, it is cute, and it was really a bright spot in an otherwise all-around cloudy/glum day.
My stylist, Robbie is awesome. He's sarcastic and opinionated and can hold a conversation with me for 2 hours about politics, religion & spirituality, music and math/science. How often do you find that in a stylist?! The only time we talked about the weather was when we talked about global warming! He is really the first person to ever cut my hair to really want to TALK to me. I usually get the people who only want to ask the same general "I'll ask you about yourself but don't really want to know" questions. With Robbie, I just put it all out there and it got met. When he learned that I have a degree in physics, he responded "cool, my girlfriend is getting her degree in engineering." Not the typical response :)
Perhaps 2 hours is excessive for a haircut, but let me tell you, having someone in constant contact with just you for 2 hours is pretty amazing.
I forgot how wonderful it is to have someone else wash my hair. I get my haircut at an Aveda salon, and they don't just get your hair clean as fast as they can, but they work in a head and neck massage before, during and after the hair washing. heaven.
After he cut my hair, he spent nearly 30 minutes styling it. My hair is wavy on its own and can be pseudo-curly with a little help. He created curls on my entire head lock by lock. I can't even describe how awesome it was to have him brush my wet hair straight and then starting at the back of my neck finger twist every single lock of hair. And then blow dry it with the diffuser! Goodness, I could never replicate the same thing on my own.
Thinking all this over, I'm hesitating about getting rid of my hair completely...there's something really relaxing and therapeutic about this whole haircut thing.
aside: yes, I am planning to become the bald miss J in a month or so. I've been thinking (and talking) about doing this since last summer when I finally got my hair down to my waist. Since it was right before the start of school, I opted for short but not too short.
But back to the story. Today I had a haircut that took 2 hours. It is shorter, it is cute, and it was really a bright spot in an otherwise all-around cloudy/glum day.
My stylist, Robbie is awesome. He's sarcastic and opinionated and can hold a conversation with me for 2 hours about politics, religion & spirituality, music and math/science. How often do you find that in a stylist?! The only time we talked about the weather was when we talked about global warming! He is really the first person to ever cut my hair to really want to TALK to me. I usually get the people who only want to ask the same general "I'll ask you about yourself but don't really want to know" questions. With Robbie, I just put it all out there and it got met. When he learned that I have a degree in physics, he responded "cool, my girlfriend is getting her degree in engineering." Not the typical response :)
Perhaps 2 hours is excessive for a haircut, but let me tell you, having someone in constant contact with just you for 2 hours is pretty amazing.
I forgot how wonderful it is to have someone else wash my hair. I get my haircut at an Aveda salon, and they don't just get your hair clean as fast as they can, but they work in a head and neck massage before, during and after the hair washing. heaven.
After he cut my hair, he spent nearly 30 minutes styling it. My hair is wavy on its own and can be pseudo-curly with a little help. He created curls on my entire head lock by lock. I can't even describe how awesome it was to have him brush my wet hair straight and then starting at the back of my neck finger twist every single lock of hair. And then blow dry it with the diffuser! Goodness, I could never replicate the same thing on my own.
Thinking all this over, I'm hesitating about getting rid of my hair completely...there's something really relaxing and therapeutic about this whole haircut thing.
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