I <3 the interwebs

Just a few links of random goodness from my time re-communing with the internet since I've been home from my trip.

1. Handmade wooden rowboats, kayaks, and canoes by Stewart River Boatworks, via elseachelsea



I would die to own that last one, but something tells me it wouldn't fit very well on the Yaris.

2. Michael Jackson's iconic performance of Billy Jean at the Motown 25th anniversary special. One of my favorite Michael Jackson songs, and his debut to the world of "the moonwalk." At the Bees game on Thursday, they played The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back as a memorial, and Cameron and I really got down belting out that classic.

3. I completely forgot to check out the Ace Hotel in Portland, so I visited their website instead and was really impressed by the way they capture the character of each city their hotels are located in through photo montages.


Palm Springs


New York


Seattle


Portland

In my head I was crafting a more luxe, indulgent vacation along our road trip route as a possibility for some future special occasion (honeymoon? anniversary? celebration of scoring a great job?). It would probably include staying here at Crater Lake and at the Ace or here in Portland.

4. Maira Kalman's latest illustrated blog for the New York Times makes me really want to visit Monticello the next time I am in Virginia (which I hope won't be too far from now).


5. Cameron and I saw Away We Go last night at the Broadway and loved it (word to the wise: you get a free small popcorn when you see a film opening weekend this summer...if you ask!). The film really hit home to us in a lot of ways, as we're sorting through some of the same issues as the John Krasinski/Maya Rudolph couple: longing to move somewhere new where we "fit," trying to find friends we can relate to, and deciding if/how the marriage/babies/raising a family options will fit into our lives as a couple. I loved how the film depicted this couple encountering and interacting with other couples, each of which have figured out their own (sometimes ridiculous) methods for creating and raising their families and many of which are eager to provide a barrage of unsolicited relationship, child rearing, and life advice. It was a nice reminder for me that there is no one correct path for these things, only the one that fits you best - the way you create your own "family."



Perhaps Cameron and I will peruse this helpful little article the movie website provides titled "Away You Go: Websites for Moving Elsewhere." :)

p.s. If you're wondering which direction my current dreams for a future life are taking me, take a gander at this couple. Don't even get me started on their perfect engagement photos, wedding, and the perfect little home they now own in Nashville, Tennessee (Music City USA, The Volunteer State, Vanderbilt University? Come on!)

Happy weekends!

pranayama & other good things

In the past week:
I have taken a road trip with my best childhood friend, who remains my closest female friend and confidant, through Boise, ID, Bend, OR, Crater Lake National Park, OR, Eugene, OR, and Portland, OR.
We did not receive any speeding tickets.
The car tires did not pop, and the car had minimal mechanical problems, none of which we could not solve on our own with common sense.
We did not fight, but learned of each others' differing life perspectives, goals, and philosophies with mutual respect and curiosity.
We have supported each other through momentary life transitions and hardships.
The weather was beautiful and worked always in our favor (with the exception of the shocking 6-foot snow drifts at Crater Lake and the road closure of most of the roads and some of the trails there due to snow - we still slept relatively well and survived the cold temperatures, and were blown away by the lake.)
We built our first successful campfire on our own without the help of any outdoorsy Eagle Scout-type boyfriends (who we will always appreciate, but it's nice to know we could do it on our own if pressed.)
We grew closer and built amazing road trip memories.
We Couchsurfed for the first time.
We met kind and gracious new friends on the road who welcomed us into their homes and shared their love for their cities and states.
We enjoyed each place we visited almost equally and were able to spend time with old friends and family.
I passed out asleep at the airport gate and on the plane on the way home because I felt so exhausted and fulfilled by my trip.

Today:
I practiced yoga and meditation and repeated the mantra "Give me confidence. Give me strength. Give me comfort. Give me confidence that I am right. Give me strength that I can do this. Give me comfort that all will be well" - in response to my current situation and a stressful confrontation I had to go through this afternoon.
I think I handled the situation gracefully and gained confidence in my ability to make it through unpleasantries with my dignity intact.
I felt fully supported and encouraged by my friends, family, and partner.
I will attend my first Bees game of the season to allow myself to de-stress, treat myself, and enjoy the beautiful city in which I live.

old dominion state of mind

Went to Lagoon amusement park on Thursday with Cameron and my eldest sister, niece, and nephew - funnel cake, french fries, skyride, ferris wheel, carousel, scrambler, the Samurai, the Wicked. With a side of Vitamin Water, decongestant, scattered t-storms. I love Lagoon most because it is the playland of Baby Cameron...somewhere in that scruffy grown man's eyes is the same little toddler who was just dying to ride the kiddie airplanes, and he comes out most vividly when we visit Lagoon. He still gets excited to eat junk food, ride roller coasters and carnival rides, and play (and win!) water-squirting, balloon-popping, basketball-shooting, duck-bobbing, knock-over-a-pile-of-milk-bottles-with-a-beanbag-ball type amusement park games. This makes him the perfect companion for state fairs, carnivals, water parks, and amusement parks of all varieties.

Of course, Lagoon will never come close in my estimation and adoration to my childhood playland, Kings Dominion, of Doswell, Virginia. There remains no more magical place in my eyes than the Hanna-Barbera land of my childhood and the Paramount park of my youth. Here, some nostalgia from the web (most of it before my birth, but it captures the mood I remember precisely:

Map of the park circa 1978, featuring "Candy Apple Grove" and "Happy Land of Hanna-Barbera"

Eiffel Tower/Hanna Barbera characters image from flickr user Mr. Flinstone

Yogi Bear's Cave image from flickr user nemo_434, who has a complete set of early 80s goodness
(also click here for a great 1981 park entrance shot and a set from Eric E Haas)

And some of my favorite shots from my most recent visit to Kings Dominion with Cameron and Melissa in the summer of 2007:

The classic Eiffel Tower shot

The Grizzly, rarrr

Melissa and I had this entire children's roller coaster train to ourselves...and barely fit in the seat

Scooby Doo, the Ghoster Coaster, still holdin' it down

Cameron's first ride on The Outer Limits: Flight of Fear. Classic.

The Avalanche

Cameron and Melissa on the front car of The Shockwave

Ah, nothing will ever mean summer quite like riding the Rebel Yell backwards, running past the Eiffel Tower to get one last ride on the Berserker before park close.

the upbeat

This week has been hard. A doozy of bad luck, ill health, and getting unexpectedly slammed by "the man." For a moment, I let myself be consumed by self-pity and tears. Then Cameron intervened and brought me reassurances along with a small gift: a harmonica. So that I could play the blues.

Thenceforth, I have been trying to hold on to shreds of optimism that good will come out of difficult situations, and even if not, I should brush my shoulders off and move forward, harmonica in hand. Yesterday was one such (minor) series of blunders: got things together too late in the day to make it to either the opening day of the Farmers Market or the KCPW Rummage Sale, as I'd been planning; instead, shared a lovely lunch with Cameron in the Avenues while planning to load up the Diana camera and take it for a spin at the Great Salt Lake Sailfest and Saltair. Fate was stacked against us, however: my sister, en route to California on the same westward highway we needed to take to the marina, called to let us know the road was closed in both directions due to a fatal accident and wouldn't open for several hours; all three photography shops we went to to buy 120 film were closed; and a mean thunderstorm rolled in, spoiling our plans to frolic on the water in the open desert. So we counted our losses and went to the movies (with delayed California-bound sister in tow).

Photographic proof that, at the end of the day, the time was well spent:

p.s. I even made it to my niece's adorable ballet recital, where she played a cancan doll with a broken arm.

p.p.s. I highly recommend The Brothers Bloom, one of the most all-around entertaining films I've seen in a long time. Very funny and touching relationships between Adrian Brody's character and his brother (the ever-adorable Mark Ruffalo) and Rachel Weiss's character, Penelope. Beautiful imagery - the type of sets and scenery where I kept whispering to Cameron, "I want to ride on that boat," "I want to be on that train," and he responded, "I want to live this whole movie." The plot, which you can gather from any trailer or synopsis, is clever and imaginative and original. Even the marketing of this movie is creative - from the website:

The Brothers Bloom

a romantic globe trotting 

con man caper movie

presented for your pleasure a full color all sound kinetoscopic motion picture extravaganza

watch -

comedy! adventure! romance!

awaits all, young and old alike,

on this most unique international pleasure cruise

characters -

some unsavory, some genteel, but all

fascinating and performed to the highest thespian standards

a story -

guaranteed by the creators to

entertain & edify

with twists, turns, chills, thrills, & one

drunk camel

learn! -

all manner of minutia awaits to satisfy

even the most voracious curiosity

in anticipation of our con man

movie. roll up! roll up one & all

make way, make room for

The Brothers Bloom

oh deer

That rut I mentioned last time is only getting deeper, as I'm pretty sure I'm coming down with the most dreaded ear-nose-and-throat aching-clogged-and-sore combo. Sitting by my lonesome craving popsicles and paging through the blogs of strangers. To remain positive, I offer the following: the above photo, courtesy of Devin's chance encounter with this pair of deer at Chelsea's graduation party Saturday; and, a la Taza and Husband, I share with you my little list of 10 things that make me terribly happy:

1. thunderstorms and the thick misting humidity of Southern U.S. climes

2. sharing Coca Colas with Cameron at Blue Plate and other divey diners

3. the two little lives whose happiness and wellbeing I've taken responsibility for - Frankenstein and Finnegan

4. this polaroid

 

as well as this picture

5. the way Frankie curls up and sleeps, in order of frequency, a) burrowed and balled up underneath blankets b) underneath and on top of chairs c) in her pet taxi d) inside drawers; the way Finn insists on sleeping a) between your legs b) on your lap c) on top of anything you're trying to read

6. the first day of school

7. walking across the world's most famous bridges

8. libraries & college campuses

9. travel by train

10. the smell of a perfectly chlorinated swimming pool or jacuzzi

car camping

I've hit a bit of a rough patch in terms of productivity this week - just burning out and losing momentum on the job search front, allowing myself to become a little discouraged and apathetic. I've really "accomplished" little all week, unless you count some basic house cleaning and (much needed) car vacuuming.

But in general, I'm in good spirits and have not once regretted my decision to willingly step into the abyss of The Great Recession as one of the millions of faceless unemployed. It's given me a lot of time to craft dreams of how I'd like my life to be - light on the stress, heavy on the fresh flowers and napping felines, no conniving businessmen, and plenty of Yaris daytripping (and, eventually, travel by train and plane to more faraway places). Morning tea ritual, evening novel reading, lots of blogs and articles in between. Focus on quality of life and companionship rather than acquiring stuff and things.

Case in point: Two weeks ago, Cameron and I took a little time in the middle of the week (ah, the luxury!) to gather our bearings at a secluded camping spot in the Uinta National Forest. The route was an unmarked, steep dirt road up the mountainside, and our company once settled in was wildflower meadows, quaking aspens, a crackling campfire, and the resident deer who poked around while we slept.

May Roundup

Jobs Applied For: 8 (this number always seems shockingly low)
Gym Visits: 9
Movies Watched: 4
Books Completed: 1
Bicycle Rides: 1
Nights Spent Camping: 3 (one in Uinta National Forest, two at Bryce Canyon National Park)
Baseball Games: 0
Games of Fetch: 2 (one for each camping trip)