Last post in August/Vacation Round-up

So, I don't like #1 girl singers or #2 popular music, but this song is an exception.  I don't know why, but I like it.  So listen if you want, while I post some pictures from vacation.



I spent the weekend with my friend, Sarah, in Austin, TX.

In the sidewalk outside a restaurant.

Sarah and I spent the weekend sans family.  Our first stop was a wildflower center.  Huge disappointment.  The best part was the swings.

This was the only flower I saw.

That night we went to a piano bar.  Songs were up to $100 a pop.  Ridiculous.

We didn't realize it beforehand, but we went to the piano bar in the entertainment district of Austin, and at night during the weekends, the police blockade off the entire section of the entertainment district for nightly partying.  I wish I could describe the atmosphere....it was incredible:  huge crowds of people wandering the open blocks, stopping in bars, talking, eating. It was awesome.

There were also some characters in the crowds, catering to tourists like me.....  I couldn't resist a picture. And yes, I totally put money in his underwear.

The next day we had an enlightening day in Austin, visiting first the state capital building (site of a recent popular filibuster!):

Texans love their lone star, and you saw it EVERYWHERE.  

Just in case you didn't know where you were.  

 After that we went to one of the art museums:

Part of a large art piece. These were all animal bones.

Heh heh.  I want to make him my profile picture.

View of Austin from Ladybird Lake.

 That night we went on a boat tour to see the Congress St bats:  the largest urban colony of bats in the world.  You can see all the people on the bridge waiting...

It sounds kinda gross to see a million bats at once, but it was really very awesome.

Bats heading into the sunset.

Next stop...Pennsylvania.  These are in no particular order.  Also, I omitted any photos with kid faces.

My brother and I rocking our Sevenly tshirts.

Emily playing with both dinos and Polly Pockets.  They were living in harmony.

First day of school for Andrew and Sarah. 5 out of 6 adults using their cell phones.

Emily wouldn't have her first day til 2 days later.

Dinner with an Amish family.  The (hard to see) rainbow tells you you're in the right place.

My nieces and nephews are all beautiful and full of energy.  

A day at the amusement park!

Heh heh. Sorry, Eden.  I couldn't help it.

Some kiddie rides only allowed adults on certain places.  Jonathan trying to balance on a reindeer.

Swings!

Shaylah and Eliana on a roller coaster (very back row).

Yeah I went on that.  Not my favorite.

Kiddos at the end of the day...before the downpour.

Impromptu "football" game at my sister's house.  

Eliana's rendition of me in chalk.

I convinced my mom to eat fried pickles.

My friend Erin visited from Philly and knitted me a birthday present.

Crab feed!

Andre practicing his baton skills.

Mrs Pickles.

First day of school for Eliana!

I'm really glad I don't have to re-do elementary school.  Or any type of school for that matter.

And as always, the end of vacation.  Atticus and I were happy to see each other.

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen. 
~E. Kubler-Ross

Home

Back at home.  Long day of travel yesterday, with cancelled flights, rerouting, delayed take-offs.

Soon time to get my dog, buy food, mow the lawn.  Back to normal life.

A sign in Austin, TX.

People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness.  Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost.
~ Dalai Lama

The first post in August

Somehow over a week has gone by without me even getting into blogging world.  How did that happen?

I have a feeling because I haven't cooked in three weeks (not in the mood - too hot, no motivation, no new ideas), and have been busy at the normal things in life, a week just flew by.

But things are good, great and wonderful.  Four more working days til I'm on vacation.  10 more days until my TX/PA trip.

The trouble will be maintaining what little motivation I have for the rest of the work week.

Her heart sank into her shoes 
as she realized at last how much she wanted him.  
No matter what his past was,
No matter what he had done.
Which was not to say that she
would ever let him know,
but only that he moved her chemically
more than anyone she had ever met,
that all other men seemed pale beside him.
~ F Scott Fitzgerald

12-6-4

Here's some tired morning things...  Just remember I worked a 12 hour shift after 6 hours of sleep and I've ingested 4 cups of coffee, so my body doesn't know whether to shut down or speed up.

Someone called me a free spirit today.  Am I really a free spirit?

Two vendors at the farmers market last night said they saw me at other places around town this week.  One of the vendors is going to start saving me spinach because I get there too late every week and it's always sold out.  Awesome.

Do you ever have something completely wonderful happen that you just want to hold on to the feeling that came from that moment and then bring it back as needed?  I had one of those today.  I'm still smiling about it.

Happy birthday greetings to my sister and brother in law!

For Michelle.  My early morning masterpiece.  I was obviously at work.

The world would be better off if people tried to become better.

And people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off.

~ Peter Maurin

Some Cash for you

Johnny that is.  I've been listening to this song on repeat lately.



I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.  The brave man is not he who does not feel fear but he who conquers it.
~ Nelson Mandela

The silence

It's moments like these that I can't help but sigh in contentment....sunburnt, sore from 2 hours at the gym, drinking a beer, and listening to my dog snore.  Does it get much better than this?

Our attempt at a self portrait.

To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul.  To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.

~ Deepak Chopra

Sunday events

Started my day off at the Kitsap Pride festival.  It was a great people-watching venue.  I also met my friend Virginia's parents, who were visiting from Alaska.

They invited me out to lunch, where we had Korean BBQ.  I've never eaten Korean before.  Virginia's parents are world travelers, and I was educated on (many things, including) the Korean food experience.

Appetizers.  Dad - I had Kimchi!!  The spinach in the lower right was my favorite.

I can't remember what this was, other than meat served on a hot cow plate.

This evening I went to visit my friend Kristen.  She and her husband just bought an awesome house (20 minutes closer to me than before!) that includes over 5 acres and 150 feet of shoreline. The trek down to the water was a little hairy - the trail was a steep incline and was completely overgrown.  I was also not dressed for the occasion: in shorts and slip-on shoes.  

Anyways, I made acquaintances with the stinging nettle.  It got on both my knees, my left ring finger (random!), and the underside of my right forearm.  I guess it's not so bad - it's like a low-level burning (like when you first scrape your knee on the sidewalk), only it doesn't go away.  Actually, I take that back - I'm on about hour 5 and it's actually really really irritating. Supposedly it'll go away eventually.   

The trek was totally worth it.  Look at this view.  Between the land on the left and right is West Seattle.  It shows up in person, just not in the picture.  

They're planning on clearing out a lot of the brush, improving the trail down, and setting up a place to camp and have campfires on the beach.  I'm excited.  I have no problem inviting myself over.  

We took a walk down the beach.  The neighbors are few and far between.

The freaky looking barnacle encrusted crab shell.  Made me laugh. 

Kristen's neighbor has a mansion and puts on weddings.  We spied on this wedding through the trees.

 

I wish this had turned out.  Mt Rainier was in the distance.  

Not bad for a random Sunday in July.

The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.
~ Karen von Blixen-Finecke