Melissa Travels

Healthy Fried Rice

2011-01-24T22:00:00.003+07:00

Author's note - this is not a cooking blog, it's a blog where I bitch about how much my life sucks, and things of that nature. But thanks to the Dutchess and Hungry Guide, I am feeling inspired. So here we go.

Tonight I made Thai Fried Rice, or, as my dad used to joke when I was a kid, "Flied Lice!" (Which you may think makes us terribly racist, but I was too young to know it at the time, plus my dad is certainly not racist - he's just an inappropriate). This is not your typical Thai fried rice...this is my own invention based off a recipe that ends up not resembling the recipe much at all. That's how pretty much all my cooking is. Yes, I live in Thailand, I use Thai ingredients, and I use Thai recipes...but don't for a moment let that fool you that this is actual Thai food! But I like to think it tastes good anyway.

Ingredients:

Chinese Kale (or other vegetable if you prefer. I prefer leafy greens as they're healthy)
Your favorite mushrooms (I'm obsessed with mushrooms. I put them in EVERYTHING)
Garlic, as much as you like (I use a metric shit-ton, cause I loooove garlic!)
Thai chilis, also as much as you like
Some 1-3-day-old cooked rice (I always use brown rice)
1 egg
Cooking oil - 2T
Fish sauce - 1-2T, or to taste
Oyster sauce - 1-2T, or to taste
Meat of your choice, if desired (I used chicken)
Cilantro for garnish

Are you seeing a theme here? Yeah, I am a big fan of the "throw stuff in the wok until the end result is tasty" method of cooking. So, it's safe to say that measurements are not my style. I've put in a few guidelines here for those of you following along at home (you poor, poor people, if you're actually using my recipes to cook).

The ingredients - total cost about $4 USD

First, crush the garlic with the flat side of the cleaver

Crushed garlic. Skins can be removed, or not. Up to you!

Thai chilies - so spicy! Me like :) Crush with the side of the knife, just like the garlic. Slice into pieces. The more cuts you make, the spicier the dish gets.

This is where the magic happens. No, I'm not shitting you. A wok on a stool by the window.

Put about 2T of cooking oil in the wok. After it heats, fry the garlic and chilies until the garlic is golden.

Next, add the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes, until it is mostly cooked.

Then, add the mushrooms and stir fry some more, about another minute.

Add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, and vegetables. If you don't want your kale to be totally wilted by the time the dish is done, don't cook it yet. Stir fry together for less than 1 minute.

Toss in the cooked rice, and the kale if it's not already in there. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes, until everything is tossed nicely and the veggies are cooked.

Push the rice away so there is a round space in the middle of the wok. Pour a bit more oil in, just enough to keep the egg from sticking to the wok.

Crack the egg and drop it in, then scramble it with your spatula. Don't mix it with the rice until it's cooked.

Once the egg is cooked, mix all the ingredients together. Remove the wok from the heat (and turn off the burner of course!). Put rice onto a plate and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Man, I totally need a food photographer!!

Two Years

2010-07-09T00:00:00.002+07:00

On or about this day two years ago, my heart was (figuratively) ripped out of my chest. The love of my life said to me, "I feel like after six months I should know if I want to marry you. And I don't know yet if I want to marry you, so let's break up." Or something to that effect. No amount of begging, pleading, crying, or even logic, would sway him. I just couldn't believe that this relationship that, to me, was all that was good and the way a relationship should be, could seem so opposite to him. That was the end, and thus began a complete teardown and rebuild of the thing known as ME.

I think I was in shock those first few weeks. I barely ate or slept, because I couldn't. I lost twenty pounds (about 9 kilos) in two weeks. I was wild-eyed and feverish, and I began and ended each day (plus several times in between) in tears. There was a knot in my chest that hurt as though someone had punched a hole through me. I resorted to muscle relaxants to make it unclench so I could sleep. (As an interesting aside, my mom has always said that men find me more attractive when I'm happy and smiling. Well, I've never had more male attention in my life than in those few weeks. I think, therefore, men prefer me when I'm vulnerable and weak, not when I'm strong and happy. But I digress.) Long story short, I've never hurt so much in my life, and I think the faded memories of that time have kept me from getting seriously involved with anyone since then. I hate pain!

Around that time I started meeting with an awesome therapist, who I ended up seeing for more than a year, until I eventually moved to Thailand in October 2009. Those first few weeks I went twice a week, and those visits were my lifeline to keeping my sanity. As time passed, I started going weekly, then biweekly, then once every 3 weeks just to check in. I'm so grateful that I took this important step to healing from the hurt, not just from that relationship, but from all the things in my past that had led me to this point.

In the end it took eight months to get over the hurt, anger, and disbelief of the end of that relationship. It took several more months to get over the furious hatred and incredible disgust I felt anytime I thought of him. (It didn't help that since we had everything in common, I saw him around Seattle often. Including, yes, with another girl once.) Would I talk to him now, if I saw him on the street? I don't know...I feel that chapter of my life is closed now, and there would be no point to it. I honestly don't care what he's doing right now, or who he's with. I have no desire to tell him about my (totally awesome) life.

At the same time, I feel like I've peaked too soon. I had the love of my life and it ended. I've dated a few people since then, though not seriously, and nobody before or after him has fit with me so perfectly, in so many ways. (Obviously, there were some flaws, namely that he couldn't tell me he had concerns about the relationship until the day he told me it was over!). These days I very rarely feel the desire to get to know any man as more than a friend. And the ones I do get to know have been largely unimpressive. I frequently get variations of "I'm emotionally wounded/fresh out of a relationship/whatever, and I just can't have a relationship right now. But can we still have sex?" (The answer is NO, by the way. Another part of getting old...I'm too tired to put up with that ;) In the last two years, no man has wanted to get to know ME and have a lasting relationship. I don't know why, though I have some theories. (My mother tells me her theories, which usually make me feel like crap.) My moving to Thailand was my unspoken admission that I will never find love again, and I'm okay with that. I want to enjoy my friends and my dog, and everything else that makes me happy.

All that aside, I've recently, reluctantly, reentered the dating pool, with someone who has been a friend for awhile, almost since I first moved here. It's not going well so far. Take the existing centuries-old differences between men and women, and throw in a helping of Thai-Western cultural differences (and there are a LOT), and see what you get. It's confusing and frustrating, especially when the other person doesn't know what they want. Oh wait, I guess it isn't any different than dating in the Western world after all. LOL! :)

Where I'm going with this sob story is: when Scott broke up with me two years ago, I thought it was going to destroy me. But what actually happened is I grew stronger and broadened my horizons. Most importantly, it set the wheels in motion for my eventual move around the world to my current home, Chiang Mai. And I wouldn't trade the last eight months of my blissful life for anything. This is truly the happiest I have ever been. So I guess I have to say...

THANK YOU SCOTT FOR BREAKING UP WITH ME AND SETTING ME FREE! :)

A Day in the Life of Sadie

2010-04-04T20:09:00.001+07:00

(Sometimes I wish I'd never started a blog, because people expect me to update it. Bah.)

These days I spend large chunks of time in front of my computer in my air-conditioned bedroom. (Cause I have a job! Working from home! For a software company! As a technical writer!!! No this is not a joke. Yes I'll tell more later. Someday.) This means I get to watch Sadie, doing what she does best - absolutely nothing! Spoiled dog :)

Early morning, it's cool enough to sit in the sun

Late morning - it's hot so Sadie digs a hole in the bushes and takes a dirtnap (not literally!)

Afternoon - bring the hot dog inside. "Play with me!"

The request to play forgotten, it's pass-out time

Early evening - Sadie begs to go outside, and hunts critters in the hedge

Bedtime. What an exhausting day that was!!! Yeah, right.

Laos Day 1 - The Journey to Vientiane and First Impressions

2010-01-31T18:58:00.014+07:00

I traveled to Laos today. In order to continue to stay in Thailand legally, I needed to travel to a Thai consulate to change from a tourist visa to an education visa, which I received because I am studying the Thai language. Vientiane, Laos has the closest consulate to my home. So after a 10-hour(!) overnight bus ride to Udon Thani, another 1-hour bus ride to the border at Nong Khai, and a shuttle across the Friendship Bridge, I was processed in by several unsmiling guards and find myself in Lao People's Democratic Republic, where I took yet another minibus to the capital city, Vientiane. My initial impression is that I'm blown away by this city. Due to its past colonization by several countries, most notably France, Vientiane has a cool European vibe to it that Chiang Mai does not. Don't get me wrong, I love Thailand, my new home. But it's quite proud of never having been colonized, and is pretty closed off to outside influences. (Well, maybe Bangkok is different, but I don't know too much about it.) Take music, for example. In Thailand's bars and clubs, you'll hear either (1) Thai music or (2) covers of 5-year-old Jason Mraz tunes. Over and over and over. (Nothing against Mr. A-Z, of course, bu there's such a thing as too much.) In Vientiane, I spent a pleasant couple of hours in a sultry wine bar, enjoying music I've never heard before and some very good wine (another thing Thailand doesn't have!). Also, Vientiane has affordable international cuisine and does not have the dreadful stray dog problem that Thailand has. I am sure part of it is due to the communist government - for all I know, they rounded up all the stray dogs and gassed them en-masse. But so far, I'm having a ball and wondering what's not to love?

Stay tuned for days 2 and 3 when I meet a fellow EFL teacher and we leave the capital city to see the "real" Lao!

The crazy-looking bus I rode from CM to Udon. All the long-distance buses in Thailand look like this!

So disappointing to get to the famous Mekong River and find out it's under construction!

Cute French cafe. Places like this are all over Vientiane. Oh, the bread! The coffee! Yum :)

The Presidential Palace

More pictures here.

Care for Dogs Foundation

2010-01-18T18:22:00.005+07:00

Lately I've been spending 1-2 afternoons a week volunteering at Care for Dogs Foundation. Care for Dogs is a large indoor/outdoor dog shelter about 40 minutes from my house. They house about 150 dogs at any one time, and they do everything from sterilization and rehoming of street dogs, to feeding temple dogs, to rescuing dogs from abusive or neglectful situations, to giving medicine and necessary surgery to homeless dogs and dogs whose families can't afford the care. The poor doggies have been through some terrible situations, and some of them are in horrific conditions when they arrive at the shelter. But most of them still love humans sooo much, even after all the terrible things we've done to them. I regularly find myself gingerly petting some scabby or hairless or disfigured dog after it hesitantly approaches me, unsure of what I might do to it. It's heartbreaking. But these dogs are the lucky ones, since they are at the shelter! All the other thousands of dogs left out on the streets and in abusive homes are the real concern. It's pretty obvious that I'm a n00b, though... whenever a dog gets adopted, everyone at the shelter is so happy because it's one less dog to feed and care for. Meanwhile I get sad because it's usually a dog I became attached to!

Naturally, the shelter accepts donations, or you can sponsor a dog. While they are not a nonprofit organization in the USA at this time, they are working on gaining that status so hopefully that will increase donations and we can help more dogs!

A visitor is coming! You can't sneak into this place...

Shelter dogs happy to see me

Medicine time

Nap time in the shade

Puppy!

Mr. Friendly

More pictures here.

Spirited Dog

2009-12-20T12:53:00.000+07:00

Just chillin' and enjoying the weather... :)

My New Ride

2009-12-16T19:36:00.003+07:00

Here I am, a couple of weeks out of school. Relaxing at last! And working on getting Sadie comfortable in our new environment. I'm going to take Thai lessons in January so I can finally understand what people are saying to me. I've learned a few words, mostly involving food and how much things cost. But that's not enough of course!

Recently I traded in my rental scooter for my very own ride! It's a Yamaha Mio ZR, and it's not something that exists in the States. In fact, nearly all of the cars, trucks, and motorbikes are different here. (Toyota Fortuner or Honda CBR150R, anyone?) They're smaller than in the US, but usually you don't notice. Until you see an actual Honda Civic and it looks like a freakin' Cadillac, it's so big. It's interesting, that's for sure!

Here are some pictures of my new scooter (or motorbike as they're called in Thailand). It's kinda pimped out :) When I finally (a) get a job, and (b) learn how to ride a manual, I'll upgrade to a Honda Dream. I hear they are the best thing around.

Here are some pictures from a road trip I took recently, my first long ride on my new bike! I went in a big loop from Chiang Mai to Samoeng and back to Chiang Mai. It was beautiful. Funny how I've moved smack into the middle of some of the most beautiful and famous motorcycle riding in the world, for those who pay attention to such things. I might have to get more into riding!

View Chiang Mai to Samoeng Loop in a larger map

My Life in Thailand

2009-11-24T19:06:00.008+07:00

is the title of this new google map that my friend Bill tought me how to make!

View My life in Thailand in a larger map

There are only a few pins on it as of yet, because my life has lately been taken over by the hell known as CELTA. I just started the final week, though, so my life will soon return to normal..Except for the fact that, as a full-fledged EFL teacher, I'll have to start job hunting. Eek! And I can blog again - and I'll actually have experiences to blog about, as I don't think you'd enjoy hearing about the inside of a classroom.

In the meantime, please enjoy these pictures of the lovely plants in my garden.

New House & Talat Warorot

2009-10-31T20:46:00.000+07:00

It's been a big weekend. Yesterday I moved into my new rental house, which involved hiring a truck to take me, Sadie, & our stuff from the hotel to the house, dropping off everything, then the truck dropping me off at a scooter rental place a few kilometers away. Then remembering how to ride a scooter, which I haven't done since February (the last time I was in Thailand), and going to Tesco Lotus to load up on a few necessary items.

I lucked out with my landlord, fortunately. He's a nice man who doesn't charge for internet and had the inside walls of the house painted before I moved in. Then again, his mother comes into my garden every morning to pray at the spirit house, so I guess it's all even. I also ended up renting my scooter from a really cool guy, an English bloke named Robin. In addition to renting scooters, he's also an EFL teacher, and lives nearby with his Thai wife and their child. When I had trouble starting the scooter after I brought it home, I called him and he came right over to my place and fixed it - turns out the fuse had blown. Yay for good people!

Today I opened a bank account, then rode the scooter into town to the Talat Warorot, which is a massive day market in the Northeastern corner of the city that has everything you can imagine (and some things you can't). There I loaded up on kitchen and laundry items as well as a sweet pair of rubber slipon shoes ($3) and super comfortable Thai pants ($2.50). Pretty awesome.

All in all, it's been pretty exhausting. I'm not sure if you've ever been in a situation where almost nobody can understand you, or they understand very little, and therefore getting anything done is time-consuming and exhausting. It's been very humbling, that's for sure. And as soon as I'm done with my CELTA course, I'm definitely enrolling in Thai lessons!

Another thing I've noticed a lot, and that I find extremely frustrating, is how most of the Thais react to me. If I'm in the tourist sector it doesn't happen, but when I'm out & about grocery shopping, riding my scooter, and doing the things one does when they aren't just a tourist, I get stared at by people. All the time. OK, no big deal. But then lots of times I'm trying something for the first time, and naturally I do it wrong. And then people LAUGH at me!!! And it doesn't sound like nice laughter either, it seems rather mean-spirited. I think that's pretty fucked up, honestly. When I see a foreigner in the States, I don't stare and laugh at them! Seriously, What The Fuck. Maybe I eventually will get used to it, and will probably stop screwing up so much as I learn how to live here. I hope.

Tomorrow afternoon is orientation for my course, then we jump right into it on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.! (I think that's Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. for you West coasters, since I hear you're changing your clocks). I'm nervous for the course to start, because I know it'll be tough, but also it will be nice to have something to do every day. I can't go shopping at the market all the time, after all!

More pictures here.

Thailand: The Arrival

2009-10-28T16:19:00.000+07:00

Arrived in Thailand a week ago. Sorry for the lack of updates; a few days spent visiting a traditional Thai family coupled with a totally traumatized world-traveling dog makes for a very stressed-out girl. Most of my communications have been in the form of angst-ridden skype sessions with my family, or short cheerful-sounding blurbs on Twitter and Facebook.

Sadie made it one piece, but she still hasn't recovered emotionally. Since we got to the hotel we've been spending a great deal of time in our room where she seems most comfortable. She doesn't like me to leave her alone and barks her head off when I try to leave, which complicates things each day! Luckily I've found a local animal hospital who not only groomed her for $3 USD, but they also babysat her free of charge for a few hours today while I signed the lease on my rental house. When we go on our walks she growls and barks at everyone we see, though at least she now seems to recognize the people we see everyday and doesn't bark at them so much. I feel like a real asshole for putting her on a plane and dragging her to the other side of the world - it's not like she asked to come! And we still have one more change of scenery ahead of us, to our rental house in North Chiang Mai. I think that we'll both be more comfortable there and can finally begin to relax.

And yes, I rented a house! I got a six-month lease on a tiny furnished Thai-style 2 bedroom 1 bathroom at the somewhat extravagant price of 7,500 baht, or about $227 USD/month. I think it cost more because I'm farang and will be taken advantage of everywhere I go, and also because it's furnished. And because I rented it for six months instead of one year. At least by US standards it's freakin cheap. There is a big walled-in yard (the Thais call it a garden), air conditioning in the bedroom, and internet is included. It's in a quiet neighborhood a few kilometers from my school, and close to some restaurants and a Tesco Lotus. I will be getting a scooter soon, and I'm pretty excited about that!

Stress levels are beginning to abate now that I'm nearly done with my odyssey. Phew! My stress coping skills have been over-used to the point of being worn threadbare, where the slightest new problem I confronted brought on tears and/or anxiety. Of course school starts on Monday, but I can't imagine that'll be more stressful than the journey I've already been through!

If selling off your life and moving around the world is difficult, doing it with a dog is at least ten times more difficult. If I can do this, I can do anything. And now you all have someone to come visit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, at least for the next six months!

More pictures here.

The Journey

2009-10-21T09:35:00.001+07:00

I'm posting this from my iPhone before it becomes an iBrick, so it'll be short n sweet! Sort of. In case you want to follow along from home:

Tonight I'll go to SeaTac Airport to check Sadie and myself in for our flight that leaves at 2:00 a.m.(!) Wednesday. The first leg of the flight, to Taiwan, is almost fourteen hours (I plan to spend as long of that as possible in an over-the-counter drug-induced slumber). Then a three-hour layover in Taipae, Taiwan. During that time I'll be trying to find out Sadie is doing, and posting general updates on Twitter and thereabouts. Then, a 3.5 hour flight to Bangkok where I'll collect my luggage and my dog and my friend Ashley will pick us up. We'll spend three days with Ash and her family where they live a couple hours southeast of Bangkok, then on Sunday it's back to the airport to fly to Chiang Mai. We stay in a hotel for five days, October 25-30, while looking for an apartment near school. Then school starts the next Monday November 2nd. Phew!

It'll be a busy couple of weeks, but I look forward to taking my mind off this crazy journey I'm taking ;) I'll check in frequently and keep you posted on my progress!

T Minus 7 Days - Check!

2009-10-14T13:57:00.000+07:00

Eep.

What I've done:

Repriced and relisted my china cabinet, dresser, and computer desk
Taken carloads of stuff to Goodwill
Set up the car donation
Gave bookshelves and lots of kitchenwares to cousin Matty
Sold my bed
Took my bike and snowboard and related gear to my dad's house for storage
Packed up my backpacking gear and 2 plastic tubs with things I want to keep for my mom to take home with her
Received mypassport with travel visa from the Thai embassy in DC!

What I still need to do:

Sell those final three pieces of furniture
Final goodwill trips
Cancel car, home, health insurance
Cancel gym membership
Jailbreak iPhone & break AT&T contract
Take Sadie's vet paperwork to Olympia for endorsement by the USDA (yes, really)
Figure out if all these clothes and things I plan to take with me will fit in my backpack
Probably something else that I'm totally forgetting

Looking at this list I actually can't believe I've gotten so much done, because I feel like I've doing really well at procrastinating and completely ignoring the problem. Actually, I do still have quite a bit to do, given that I only have 7 days, and only 5 business days, left. Eek! Fortunately my mom and sister are coming on Sunday and Monday to help me finish the job, and to provide moral support - yay! My next 7 days are meticulously planned out. I'm even working at the farmers markets on Thursday and Sunday. I'd rather not, but the $$ always helps. I wish I had time to go to the zoo one last time, but I don't think I'll have time :(

Needless to say, I've gotten rid of all the boys. Who has time for such things during a time like this? Not me. For the next couple months I'll be traveling, resting, traveling, looking for an apartment, going through a pretty intense certificate program for 5 weeks, then looking for a job. And them moving again and starting a new job, sometime in December or January, or whenever I get hired. All of this while trying to be the constant for my high-strung dog who is about to have her world and her routine turned upside down. Crikey! I quail with fear at the prospect, especially given that I haven't done shit in the last 9 months. What if I've lost my edge? What if I forgot how to go to work at a regular job? (Not that this will be a regular job, really.) And, oh god, the big one - WHAT IF I HATE TEACHING??? I never saw myself as a teacher. I do think I'll be good at teaching the English language, but will I enjoy it? Time will tell.

Wish me luck...

Check

2009-09-26T01:01:00.000+07:00

What I've done:

Sell couch, TV, DVD, microwave, ottoman
Accepted an offer to buy my bed in mid-October, right before I leave
Promised my bookshelves to my cousin (not the crazy one)
Found homes-away-from-home for my bike, snowboard and gear, backpacking gear, and a few other odds & ends I don't want to part with
Took Sadie to the vet for her Thailand-required checkup
FedExed my visa application to the Thai embassy in DC
Cancelled my Comcast internet & cable

Still need to do:

Reprice and sell items that haven't sold yet, like the china cabinet & dresser, and a few other things
Take lots of stuff to Goodwill
Cancel gym membership & setup cancellation of electric account
Jailbreak iPhone
End AT&T contract
Research car donation process
Get water bowls for Sadie's travel crate
Take bookshelves to Matty's house, and some kitchen stuff too
Probably something else that I'm totally forgetting

Maybe it doesn't seem like a long list, but I look around my house and it sure doesn't look like I'm moving to another country in less than four weeks! Actually I think putting it in list form like this will help me tackle what's left. And the closer I get to T-day, October 21 (that's Thailand-day or Travel-day, I'm not sure which), the more stuff I can get rid of, cause I won't need them anymore, of course. No rest for the wicked!

Also, in bizarre, unrelated news, it's raining men. Seriously, WTF?! A family I know recently set me up with a good friend of theirs. He turned out to be really cool and we had a lot in common, and we went out a couple times and had an awesome time. He's just left for a six-week stint in Madison, Wisconsin though, so that effectively ends that budding situation, since I'll be gone by the time he returns. He's a doctor who travels around the country filling in for other doctors, but his home base is Seattle. Then on Wednesday, I met not one but two guys, both of whom asked me out. I met guy #2 at the farmers market during the day and guy #1 later that night at a show at the Sunset Tavern. This is kind of unusual for me, so I'm stoked but mystified. Anyway, I have a date with guy #1 tonight and a date with guy #2 tomorrow.

So, busy busy busy is the word(s) of the day, and every day till I leave. Time is flying!

The Decider

2009-09-04T12:04:00.001+07:00

Someone whose opinion I greatly value said to me, "I shouldn't have an opinion, but I do. Sell everything you own, it's not worth keeping. Move to Thailand. I think it's a creative solution to your current job situation (or lack thereof). And what a great adventure!"

It helps that I've started thinking about Thailand as a 1-2 year plan instead of a 5-10-year plan. The mystery city from my last post will be there, whenever I'm ready for it. I'm excited for my Thai adventure once again. It's gonna be tough and it's gonna be scary, but I'm tough and scary and I can handle it. I'm going to buy a scooter, it will be awesome! (And maybe someday a motorcycle, but I don't want to get ahead of myself at this point.) The flight is booked. Now I just need to sell my stuff - ugh!

Sea Change

2009-08-27T01:35:00.001+07:00

Fall creeps slowly toward the Pacific Northwest. The shadows grow longer and show themselves earlier, and though most days are still pretty hot, the nights have been getting downright chilly. I'm still doing some part-time work on the side while successfully avoiding getting a day job. Texas and I aren't friends anymore, and that's probably a permanent situation, unfortunately. But life goes on.

As most of you know, for the last few months I have been preparing for one of the largest changes in my life: moving to Thailand. The plan right now is to fly to Chiang Mai on October 21, go to school to learn how to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL), then get a job in Thailand doing just that. I was looking forward to shedding my possessions and my life as I know it and plunging feetfirst into a new experience.

The last week or so, I've been starting to have some serious doubts about this plan. Maybe I don't want to get rid of everything I own just yet. Maybe I don't want to go around the world from everyone and everything I know. And I'm seriously fretting about the effect the 19-hour plane ride will have on my poor little dog, stuck in her crate alone the entire time.

The one thing I do know is that I don't want to remain in Seattle. I am adamant about that! I'm sick of the cold weather, the dark winters, the passive aggressive people. Not to mention it seems like I run into an ex-boyfriend or somebody I've dated at least once a week. Enough already!

I'm currently kicking around a new idea...I'm not prepared to reveal all yet, but it's someplace warmer than Seattle, with a lower unemployment rate and a lower cost-of-living. I'm scoping around there for job opportunities, and I've made plans to go there to visit a friend in the near future.

My mother asked me, Is this a sea change or just cold feet? At this point I don't know. I'm going to sit with this decision for a bit, and talk with my therapist next week to get her insight. Whatever happens, I will of course keep you posted!

On the Road Again, Goin Places that I've Never Been

2009-08-02T19:18:00.000+07:00

(Okay, the second part's not true. And I meant to send this BEFORE I left, not after I got back. But video uploads will do what they may.)

Heading to the land of skinheads & potatoes for a couple of days, back on Tuesday. In the meantime, here's a fun video companion to Stacy's recap of the awesome night with Stacy, D. Baggins, and The Tall One. It's awesome - when the DJ starts flagging, Stacy gets him him going again. That's cause she's amazing like that!

Let's Steal a Humvee and Pick Up a Hooker

2009-07-28T02:23:00.000+07:00

I have a new young friend, Texas. Texas and I met at a show a couple months back, and over time have evolved into an unlikely friendship. Unlikely, I suppose, because Texas is about a decade younger than me, and hails from the Land of Dubya. Texas is a lifelong gamer and is continually amazed how I know NOTHING about games or game systems. I on the other hand am continually amazed how he knows NOTHING about bands like Nirvana or TV shows like Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure. It works though - probably because we always have a lot to talk about.

The other day I was at Texas's place surveying the complicated array of game systems. I'm not sure how many systems there are out there (I lost touch after the grey-boxed Nintendo Entertainment System, if that tells you anything), but I'm pretty sure he has them all. Texas was showing me the online features and helping me create an avatar for myself, when suddenly a thought occurred to me. "Hey, have you ever played a game called Grand Theft Auto? I've heard of it and I have always wanted to play it."

Texas sighed patiently and plucked the game off the shelf. "I have it right here." He popped it into one of the systems and fired it up. He started to play while I watched and learned and asked questions. The conversation went something like this:

Me: So I hear we can steal cars? And get hookers?
Texas: Yes, though I always steal a motorcycle (Texas is a big motorcycle fan and rides one himself)
Me: Well cool, then let's get a hooker!
Texas: Okay, I think I know where to find some...first we have to steal a car because they won't come with you on a motorcycle.

Later, after the hooker has been acquired and "services" performed:

Me: Now can we beat her up or kill her?
Texas: Well we can't shoot her since the cops took our weapons, but we can run her over and get our money back.

Unfortunately by this time I was at the controls, and my driving skills leave something (much) to be desired. Instead of running down the hooker, I ran over an innocent bystander, knocked down a street lamp, and banged up the car some more before getting out of the alley where it all went down. This inspired new lust in me, and I spent the rest of the time laughing maniacally, stealing bigger and better vehicles and running over random passersby. Eventually though, by the time I had stolen a big yellow Humvee, the cops were not amused by my antics and cornered me. I eluded them once by driving over the freeway divider and heading the other direction, but it was too late. The helicopters were out in force and I was quickly cornered again. By this time, the Hummer was badly damaged and on fire. As I climbed out to run away, the Hummer blew up and I died. The end.

But I feel round 2 coming on...a friend recently told me you can actually shoot up a strip club in the game. AND I found out the game actually has a storyline, and actual objectives to achieve while playing! I don't really think that's necessary, but it's a reason to play again I guess.

Custom Bumper Stickers

2009-07-21T08:59:00.001+07:00

"No minimum order"? So I can order just one? Cause I only need one.

Custom Bumper Stickers

Melakwa Lake

2009-07-20T01:13:00.000+07:00

Last Tuesday Sadie & I hit the trail for a day hike to Melakwa Lake. I'd wanted to do an overnight trip, but the weather turned to poop and Sadie fell ill for a couple days (she's fine now), so I decided a day hike would be more prudent.

I know people who do this hike every year, but this was my first time. And dammit if it didn't show me how out-of-shape I have become! But that's not the important part. The hike is gorgeous - expansive views nearly the entire hike up, and the lake itself is gorgeous. I will have to go back and do an overnight for sure.

On the way up there is a river crossing. Well, there are a few, but on this particular one the bridge is out. It's no big deal, because you can hop across rocks & logs and get to the other side just fine. Then there are lots of flat rocks where the river has carved them down through the centuries. It's quite lovely, and we spent a few minutes there. But then somehow this caused me to miss the trail on the other side. I felt pretty silly, because Melakwa Lake is one of the most popular hikes around these parts (I don't think I'd ever do it on a weekend, for example), and I'm pretty sure nobody has lost the trail before. Oh well. Sadie and & thrashed around in the underbrush for awhile, finding nothing. Finally I let Sadie off the leash and she led us right to the trail! What a smart dog. And good for something, which is nice to find out.

Anyway, we made it to the top, me cursing my laziness of the last six months and vowing to get serious about working out again. At the lake, which was totally fogged in even though the rest of the hike had been mostly sunny, I made lunch with my backpacking stove, rested a few, then turned around and came home. All in all, a good day.

Today we are setting out again, on an overnight trip to a secret location near Stevens Pass. If I don't get eaten by the bears, I'll be back with a trip report soon.

heading up the trail

passing under I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass

One of the pretty waterfalls along the way

Yeah, the dog carries her own weight

Unfortunately, the lake was clouded in. But still gorgeous!

And the hair gets cut again

2009-06-24T11:06:00.001+07:00

It's like I can't stop! Okay, no, I'm stopping now.

First,

And then,

And finally,

Okay, not any shorter, I promise.
(And yeah, I've put on weight, too. Leave me alone.)

I Forgot to Mention

2009-05-31T22:15:00.000+07:00

I am in Mexico. Due to several unforeseen events (aka the perfect shitstorm) I haven´t had the opportunity to post much. Part of the events include my laptop dying while I´m here, so no pictures for awhile. I am happy to report that the wedding went out without a hitch, and nobody died, and everybody got bailed out of jail that needed to. Yes, I´m serious - it was touch and go there for awhile!

Going to keep this short cause this Mexican keyboard is really odd. Time to go and finally start enjoying this vacation! TTYL

Friday Randoms

2009-05-23T05:33:00.000+07:00

I like to take pictures of random things while I'm driving. Okay, not while I'm driving, exactly, but when stopped in traffic. Yes, I carry my point and shoot wherever I go. Is that strange? I always used to see cool things when out and about and wish I had my camera with me. So I started carrying it all the time. Works for me.

Hee hee! I think I'm mentally 12 years old. (I hope no horny teachers are reading this.)

This took me a second... then I said "OMFG I have to have one!!!"

Sadie and her +1 enjoying the sunny day on our deck

New Dress

2009-05-22T06:50:00.001+07:00

Recently I was telling a new friend who lives in Chicago that men never approach me in Seattle. When I go other places, it happens. But in this town? Abso-fucking-lutely never. (Which translates to about once a year, and - surprise - they are guys who moved here from somewhere else. )

New Friend suggested I "go into a boutique and buy a cute new dress." After I finished laughing hysterically (like I said, he doesn't know me too well yet), I decided he might have a point. Plus I wanted a cute dress to wear to the wedding in Mexico next week. So I went to Goodwill and found this sassy little number for about $10 - it was on the 'designer' rack, which costs more than standard Goodwill pricing. However, it was black and white, which was a little tame for me. Therefore it was off to the fabric store to buy some RIT dye to jazz it up a bit. My efforts are displayed below.

So, Sane, this one's for you... don't say I never took your advice ;)

Unusual Thursday Afternoon

2009-05-02T12:10:00.000+07:00

Yesterday evening Sadie and I went for our standard walk. As per usual, a squirrel ran by and Sadie chased it. But this time, for the first time ever, Sadie actually caught it. I couldn't believe it, and I don't think she could either. It was pretty interesting to watch, because Sadie's a dog just being a dog, and also because it was surprisingly not gory (I can't handle gore). The sick thing is it took awhile. A long while. There was lots of cat and mouse action going on. I didn't pull Sadie away, because I thought it would be even more cruel to leave the squirrel lying there dying a slow death.

Anyway, Sadie eventually finished the job and picked up her prize in her mouth with the intent on taking it home, I am sure. So the rest of the walk was spent with Sadie marching proudly along and me slinking along in shame. Of course it was such a nice day that ALL my neighbors were out for evening strolls. And I was definitely not imagining the shocked looks and horrified whispers behind my back. Even the cars driving by slowed down, the drivers staring in horror. That was the longest dog walk I think I've ever taken.

Of course, being the sick bastard that I am, I snapped a picture with my cell phone cam. I sent it to 'home' in my address book, intending that it would go to my email so that I could forward it to interested parties. But a few minutes later, when I got a frantic text message back from 'home' saying "Who is this???" I realized that I accidentally sent it to my old work BlackBerry - a phone number that I no longer have.

So, yep, I just sent a picture of my dog killing a squirrel to a total stranger. I thought the person would just let it go, but noooooo, they had to start freaking out and demanding to know who I am. I said "Does it matter? My name is SadieMBeagle. Do we know each other?" And they wrote back "NO" and that was the end of it.

And I finally pried the squirrel from Sadie's jaws and got her back in the house. Now she's kind of depressed. I guess stuffed toys no longer cut it once you've had actual squirrel.

Road Trip Recap - Kalaloch to Forks to La Push to Sequim

2009-04-23T06:28:00.000+07:00

Sunday through Tuesday I took a circular road trip along the Northern Washington coast. It was the perfect time - the weather was beautiful, and since it was not the weekend traffic was nearly nonexistent, I was able to get great camping spots, and I was left in blissful solitude most of my trip.

As you know, I had some trepidation about making this trip...the last time I was in the area, it was 1995. I was a depressed 19-year-old Coast Guard enlistee, fleeing from the desolate area and vowing never to return. 2 years after I left, while I was stationed in Boston, MA, there was a tragic accident at the station and three Coasties died during a rescue, including two former coworkers of mine. One of them was my good friend and mentor. It was several years later that I reluctantly acknowledged that I had to go back, if not for me, then to pay my respects to my friend.

Finally, Sunday was the day. I packed up the dog and my camping gear and set out in the sunny afternoon. I arrived at Kalaloch campground in the early evening and set up camp at a beautiful oceanside spot - another one of the benefits of unemployment is being able to camp midweek. Sadie and I played on the beach, then I made dinner and did some reading, then it was time for bed.

Sadie romping on Kalaloch beach

The next morning I broke camp and we headed for Forks, Washington. I was both excited and fearful to see it again. I remembered Forks as this dismal little podunk town populated with out-of-work loggers - this was shortly after the spotted owl controversy that severly limited logging in the Washington coastal rainforests - and punk-ass high-school kids. I was pretty impressed with myself, having spent part of my young life in Seattle, and did not want to mingle. (Actually, I didn't know how to meet new people...I used to be really bad at that. But I digress.) And always the dark and the rain. Oh god, the rain. Maybe good for a vampire family, but not good for people suffering from S.A.D., that's for sure.

And...Forks was nothing like I remembered it. I'm sure it helped that it was sunny. And that now I'm 33 years old, not 19, and can appreciate small towns. There are cute Victorian houses there. And of course the surrounding Hoh Rainforest is absolutely gorgeous. If you've never seen it, you must go. Seriously. I'm not sure how the logging industry is going these days, but the whole town has been revitalized by the Twilight series. There are shops selling Twilight merchandise, several Twilight tours, and the visitor's center even has a 'Twilight map' that shows all the locations mentioned in the book, including Bella's and Edward's homes. Everyone I talked to in town seemed excited about the Twilight phenomenon. The punk-ass kids were still there, but that's small town life for you.

The city of Forks welcomes you

And lest you think the residents of Forks are annoyed by the renewed interest in their tiny town due to Twilight, here is some evidence to the contrary:

A note from Esme Cullen to visitors of the "Cullen family residence," which is actually a B&B.

Dr. Cullen has his own parking spot at the Forks Community Hospital

The Swan residence, which is a private home, has a sign outside for visitors

After my Twilight self-tour, I was off down the road to La Push to see the Coast Guard station that was my home for a little more than a year from 1994-1995. I visited the memorial at the station and it was more emotional than I thought I'd be. I'm getting to be such a sap in my old age.

Then I took Sadie to First Beach, which is another location from the Twilight series. For some reason, they renamed it in the movie as "La Push Beach," though it was written correctly in the book. Lame.

I'm pretty sure that's Jacob the werewolf in the distance...

Finally, the memory lane jaunt mostly concluded, I pointed the car East and drove through the beautiful rainforest and past Lake Crescent, stopping once for rumination. How could I have ever hated this place??? Its forested beauty is intoxicating.

I ended the second day at Sequim Bay State Park, which was mostly deserted - only 2 other campers besides me. On the beach I found this strange object. WTF is it??? I feel a sci fi story brewing...

Radioactive dinosaur egg?

Yesterday I came home and resumed the regularly scheduled programming of my life. The end.

More pictures here.

Pilgrimage

2009-04-20T01:26:00.000+07:00

Many eons ago, I was in the United States Coast Guard (yes, it is real military - one of the five armed services). For the first couple years, I was stationed at Coast Guard Station Quillayute River in La Push, Washington. I was 18 years old, living on the remote Washington coast on an Indian reservation. Yeah, I loved it about as much as you'd think.

You can imagine my surprise when, in recent years, La Push and Forks, Washington have gained worldwide fame at the setting of the immensely popular Twilight series of books and movies. These days, crazed fans flock to Forks to view Bella Swan's home, Forks High School, Forks Police Station, and of course they go down the single road to La Push to wander First Beach.

I haven't been back to the area since I moved away in 1995. For awhile I didn't want to go back ever. Then a few years after I left, some of my former coworkers were killed in a tragic accident just off First Beach...After that I realized I needed to go back, for them if not for myself. And last week I saw the Twilight movie for the first time, then read all the books in the series. It was funny to read the books and watch the movie and know that I used to live there (unfortunately the movie was not actually filmed in Washington, but they did a pretty good job faking it).

I've decided I'm ready. Fourteen years after I left, I'm packing up the dog and the camping gear and going back. Back to visit the old Coast Guard station, play on the beach, and pay my respects at the memorial statue that was erected in remembrance of my friends. I'll let you know how it goes.

James Island at the mouth of the Quillayute River, as seen from First Beach

Cut.

2009-04-16T13:14:00.000+07:00

I'd been thinking about it for a few months. I almost did it before going to Thailand in February; it would have been helpful in the steamy heat. But a friend said, "no, I like it long," so I didn't. One of the reasons I always wanted it long was because guys like it, isn't that silly? Of course, the boys never did come running once I grew it out.

Finally it was time. I liked how it looked, but it was getting to be quite a pain. It would get stuck under me while I slept, my head would pin it against the couch cushions, and when snowboarding it was really in the way. Finally last Friday I took the plunge.

Much better :)

Sunny Daze

2009-04-08T02:01:00.000+07:00

After a wild weekend spent in the upper RV lot at Stevens Pass, Monday was a day for in-city relaxation. The 70-degree weather almost made me want to head out of town again to go snowboarding or find a hike, but really I'd had enough of driving to the mountains, as it seems that's all I do lately!

In the morning, in furtherance of the "Melissa's green condo initiative," I installed a flourescent bulb in the hallway. Previous installments consisted of thermostats and dimmer switches, which along with the new bulb, are proven to save energy - and money. Yay for saving money!

After that, the weather had warmed sufficiently for a walk to Greenlake and some squirrel huntin,' or as I call it, squirreling. Squirreling has gotten much more entertaining since Sadie learned how to climb trees several months ago. Each time we go, Sadie climbs higher and higher - she's a very precocious beagle. Yesterday she was so far above my head that I actually was worried for the first time about her falling or her leash getting caught up in the branches. Eek!

More tree beagle pictures

Today the high temperatures continue and I had planned to go snowboarding in the afternoon. But I woke up with back pain like a rail spike had been drilled through my right shoulder blade. Ouch! Sometimes I sleep on it wrong and that happens. I feel like I should hit the slopes every chance I get because this might be the last winter I experience for the next several years. But I think my brain is starting to get over winter and yearn for summer already, as I really don't mind that I didn't make it to Alpental today...

Enjoying the morning

Sun Hound

A Bad Day Turns Into Good

2009-04-03T03:09:00.000+07:00

Yesterday started out pretty crappy. There were a number of reasons: someone I was starting to care about decided he isn't in a place to return those feelings right now; I have a lot of big, and I mean BIG, life decisions to make all at once; and to top it all off I kept getting bloody noses (a British reader might wonder, 'Huh? We've all got one," but stick with me here). By the time I reached Alpental at 9:45 a.m., my nose had bled twice. Once I got to the bathroom at the mountain, it started going again! Sheesh. I considered turning around and going home. If my nose is going to bleed every time I land on my face, this is going to be a pretty crappy day, I thought. But I stayed.

And thank goodness for that! I had the best day I've ever had on the snowboard. By that I mean everything was working right, I was working right, going fast, carving turns, getting off the lifts without falling, and slaying some mad pow. I usually don't go up Chair 2 by myself because it's expert terrain and it seems like every time I go up there alone I suffer a near-NARSID experience with nobody around to save me. Finally I could no longer take the temptation and up Chair 2 I went, determined to stay on the well-populated in-bounds routes. There weren't any people waiting for the lift, which is unheard of!!! The rest of the day I had a great time, riding runs I'd never done before and learning how to ride in the trees. It was great fun. At lunch I met a couple guys in the lodge who turned out to be lawyers. We spent the rest of the day making wildy inappropriate jokes and riding awesome pow-laden runs. I was gleeful and blissed-out - it was like a high. I won't ever become one of those "no friends on a powder day" kind of assholes, but I at least understand why some people do. And it felt great to be able to ride double black diamond runs and not be afraid. All in all, an awesome day! :)

Buried again...note the fresh lines down the hill from me.

Imprints are all that remain after I molested the fresh pow

The rest of the snow pictures

Why Am I Stuck?

2009-03-17T06:40:00.000+07:00

Can't bring myself to finish my Thailand posts or respond to emails from friends. Can't bring myself to finish the essay part of my CELTA application. Can't bring myself to proactively search for jobs in Seattle. Can't seem to do anything but frolic and play. Arrgh, where's my motivation???

Pictures

2009-02-22T10:41:00.000+07:00

I'm home, I'm exhausted, here are some pictures. Cut me some slack, I'm at the end of my second Saturday in a row! That's right, yesterday was Saturday for me. And so is today, of course. Chalk it up to a 15-hour time difference and a 10-hour layover in Seoul. It's like Groundhog Day. Very fun, but sooo exhausting. Now I am home with my own computer and peripherals so I can take the time to fix up my blog and photos.

Thailand - Phuket to Koh Phi Phi

2009-02-15T22:17:00.000+07:00

Today I took the 1.5 hour boat ride to Koh Phi Phi, which is famous for being one of the most beautiful places on earth, and also for being the setting of the 2000 Leo diCaprio movie The Beach. I've wanted to come here ever since I saw that movie. Of course on Christmas Eve 2006, Koh Phi Phi gained worldwide fame as ground zero for the tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people. I can't believe I'm standing in the place that was flattened by such an amazing force of nature. And even now, more than 4 years after the fact, there are still piles of rubble here and there that have yet to be cleared.

The village itself is pretty disappointing - it's a total party scene. I'm surrounded by hordes of tanned 20-something Eurotrash, and the village walkways (there are no roads) are lined with Thais all trying to get our attention to sell things, or rent a room to us, or whatever. I finally had to put the iPod on to drown it all out. I was all set to pack up and head to Koh Lanta or Krabi tomorrow, but I've decided to give this place a fair shake. It's actually quite beautiful when you get away from the madness, after all. Tomorrow afternoon I'm doing a 1/2 day snorkelling trip to Koh Phi Phi Leh, which is the uninhabited "little sister" island to this one.

For now, tho, later taters. It's 10:30 p.m. and I was up till 2 a.m. last night in Phuket!

Thailand - Phuket to Koh Phi Phi

Thailand - Phuket and the Best Valentine's Day EVER

2009-02-15T22:04:00.000+07:00

What a day. Started with me dashing all over Chiang Mai in the early morning, buying more fabric for Mom and silk for Kristine. Done. Phew! Then it was off to the airport to catch my plane to Phuket to start the final leg of my journey. That would be the hedonist beach bum leg.

I was feeling a bit blue because it was Valentine's Day, and I just saw my ex boyfriend with another girl a few weeks ago so my overactive imagination was torturing me as it often does. Then the airline told me they didn't have a seat for me on the plane! I bought a ticket dammit, I better have a seat. "You're lucky," said the checkin lady. Phew, I thought, I get a seat. "We're upgrading you to business class because we don't have a seat for you in economy." YESSS! This kind of stuff never happens to me, and I was pumped. I enjoyed a nice 2-hour ride in the lap of luxury, or at least in the lap of business class.

I'm going to wrap this up for now, but the magical night I had consisted of a great restaurant, sharing a table with a German guy, dancing, a drag show, dancing on tabletops with the drag queen, shimmying with cute Thai boys, getting a scooter ride home from 1 of them. It was such a great night :) "What happens in Phuket, stays in Phuket."

Thailand - Phuket and the Best Valentine's Day EVER

Thailand - Chiang Mai Part 2

2009-02-15T21:54:00.000+07:00

Sorry for the long radio silence... I've actually been doing fun things at night when I usually update blog and photos. And now I'm on Koh Phi Phi where the internet is expensive and really freakin' slow, so I'm just going to put placeholders in for now. (We know how that goes when I do that.) Anyway. In a nutshell:

Chiang Mai the 2nd time around was great fun. I rented a scooter, my new favorite form of transport, and headed around town then into the mountains to see some Wats. Then later that night met my new friend, Mimi, to go to the Night Bazaar to do my shopping. Mimi lives in CM and I met her the first time I was there a few days ago. Wats: done. Shopping: done. We went to a really cool restaurant called the Riverside, and that's where everyone hangs out apparently, cause it was jumpin.

Thailand - Chiang Mai Part 2

Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai

2009-02-13T09:12:00.000+07:00

No blog entry till now because I didn't upload yesterday's pictures till now. Not much of a blog entry at the moment, because it's 9:15 a.m. and I'm heading out to see the sights in a few minutes. But I will write more when I get back.

I'm staying at a lovely guesthouse, Awana House. It's awesome so far, the people are very helpful (they gave me their business card to show to taxi drivers so they can get me home), and it's in a great location. I highly recommend it.

Here are yesterday's pictures. Enjoy.

Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai

Thailand - Pai

2009-02-11T20:05:00.001+07:00

Alternate title: Dogs and Chickens and Water Buffalo, Oh My!

The day started as it always does, with a double mocha and Thai food. Delicious as usual. Then I set out on foot for Wat Phra That Mae Yen, which is 1km out of town. It was a beautiful walk, and after stopping for more coffee I ascended the many steps to the Wat. After the Wat I had planned to go to Mae Hong Son today, because honestly Pai wasn't really doing it for me. Seriously, I can go to Port Townsend to see this action! But before I caught the bus out of town I decided to rent a scooter and check out the countryside and see a waterfall. And riding around out there in the countryside, I decided to stay here another night. There's so much more to Pai than just the little town. It's the country out here! I saw many creatures, pictures of which you'll find on my photo page.

Up to now I've resisted taking pictures of dogs because, well, I know not everyone is as obsessed with them as I am (believe it or not). But the fact is, Thailand is full of dogs. Some with homes, many homeless. They're not like U.S. dogs either...they don't live inside the house, they wander around the neighborhood, and they are really skinny. The homeless dogs wander anywhere they want to. I just saw a dog sleeping under a bench that I saw last night near my guesthouse on the other side of town. Last night it wanted to be my best friend, tonight it was napping and wanted nothing to do with me. Hmph. Many Thais are Buddhist, and I guess that's why they leave the dogs alone. If a dog wanders out into the road, cars go around it. If it wanders into a restaurant, all of which are open-air, it's allowed. Dogs lounge around everywhere. I, of course, love it. There are several pictures of dogs in today's photo album so you can see what I'm talking about.

After the walk to the Wat, I took the scooter to Pai Canyon. This is a large canyon that has raised, naturally-formed narrow trails throughout. It's pretty amazing. After the canyon I came back to town to find a new place to stay and have some lunch. I ended up in a cute, tiny bungalow at Golden House guesthouse for 400 bhat, or about $12 US. Then it was back on the scooter to Pam Bok Waterfall. A short dusty trail led to the falls, which were actually not that overwhelming compared to falls in Washington State. But the water was warm and I waded a bit. It was fun. Then I rode to Tha Pai Hotsprings, which are in a national park. I paid 200 bhat to get in. This is the farang (foreigner) price. Ashley told me that Thailand residents get in for 20 bhat, one tenth of the price. She is pretty bothered by this, even though she gets the Thai price. I don't mind, because it's still only $6 US. After my soak (going in a hot, hot spring in Thailand? I must be crazy), I dressed and came back to my bungalow. By this time it was 4 p.m., so I rested for awhile and went through the pictures in my camera in preparation for tonight's blog entry.

After a brief rest, and a thorough reapplication of DEET, I headed out to the Sanctuary Restaurant for some dinner. It turned out to be only a snack though, because they were out of green papaya salad. Bummer. But that means I get to eat more tonight at yet another delicious restaurant or street cart! No complaints there.

I just got done with a facial, which I opted to do tonight instead of another brutal Thai massage. I thought the price was a little outrageous at 350 bhat (about $11.75 US), but the heat & humidity, mosquitos, and DEET applications created an emergency situation. I think tomorrow I will get a reflexology massage.

Tomorrow I take the bus to Mae Hong Son, then fly back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon. Yes, I am a major wuss - I booked a plane ticket because I refuse to sit through 2 hours of carsickness on the way back. And I'm taking a dramamine for the bus ride to Mae Hong Son, just in case. I will be in Chiang Mai for 2 days and I plan to do lots of shopping at the Night Bazaar.

Thailand - Pai

Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

2009-02-10T20:51:00.000+07:00

Today I made the journey from Chiang Mai to Pai. I know I said I was going to Mae Hong Son first, but I'm going there tomorrow.

After a lovely coffee this morning and picking up my laundry, I headed off to Pai in a minivan along with 9 other intrepid souls. I'd been warned by Erin and by Lonely Planet that the long and winding road could make you feel carsick. But holy mother of GOD, I was not prepared for 2 hours of winding carsick HELL. You've been carsick I'm sure. Now imagine it for 2 freakin' hours. I managed to hang onto my cookies, barely. Ugh. I made a video so you can see what it was like. Enjoy, and hold onto your cookies.

From Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

Upon arriving in Pai and checking into the Breeze of Pai Guesthouse, I laid on the bed for a few minutes until my tummy calmed down. Then it was off to explore the streets of Pai. And there are hippies as far as the eye can see. Lots of white hippies, but also... Thai hippies. I've never seen such a think. We're talking dreadlocks, hemp clothing, and the whole hippie shebang. It's fascinating. How narrowminded of me to think that hippie-dom was strictly an American phenomenon. Speaking of Americans, I hadn't run into a single one in Thailand...until I got to Pai, where there are tons of them. I'm not sure why that is.

After walking around and exploring, and stopping for dinner, it was time for another Thai massage. This lady was completely different from the one I got yesterday. Today the massage hurt. Lots of pressure points were pressed. It was painful throughout, but I felt much better after. I could get used to this. I could get used to a lot about Thailand.

The mosquitos seem to be getting worse the further North I get. Despite constantly bathing myself in DEET, they are making a meal of me. I guess I will have to get a higher concentration of bug spray at the drugstore tomorrow. I spend my days covered in a mixture of sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray. No wonder my arms are developing a bumpy little rash. But it's a small price to pay for the awesomeness that is Thailand (did I mention that it's 9 p.m. and I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt?).

Tomorrow morning I am walking 1 km out of town to see a Wat that is several names long. After that I may go to the Pai hot springs, then it's off to Mae Hong Son via a 3-hour bus ride in the afternoon/evening. More updates later!

Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai

Thailand - Rayong, etc.

2009-02-09T21:33:00.000+07:00

Don't feel too much like blogging, oddly enough. But in a nutshell,

I had a nice uneventful flight(s) to Thailand on Wednesday.
My friend Ashley got my arrival day mixed up, and fortunately I had her number so was able to roust her from her bed to come pick me up.
It took 2 days to get over the jet lag. Those 2 days really sucked, because I would start to get tired at noon (9 p.m. PST), and get progressively worse until I fell into bed at 8 p.m., then wake up at 5:00 a.m. Yesterday I finally made it through the day without feeling tired. Yay!
I arrived in Chiang Mai today after 3 days with Ashley and her adorable daughters, and I'm travelling to Mae Hong Son tomorrow. From there to Pai, from Pai back to Chiang Mai, where I will stay for a couple days till I fly to Phuket on the 14th.
Valentine's Day can suck itself.
Thai food is so amazing. I may never eat Thai food in the states again, because it doesn't compare to this. After a couple painful and embarrassing episodes, Ash taught me a useful phrase: "Mai phet!" which means "not hot!" I have used it many times since then with great success.
I got a cell phone for $15. All cells in Thailand are prepaid, and I thought it was a good idea for emergencies. Of course it's also helpful for calling the folks back home, also very cheap.
There are internet cafes and laundry places on every corner. Both are cheap. When I finish up at this internet cafe, I am going to sleep at my guest house and picking up my laundry in the morning.

I don't even want to attempt to add pictures to this post - who knows how long it'll take. So here you go: Pictures here. Sawatee kha.

January 20, 2009

2009-01-22T02:26:00.001+07:00

Quite possibly the best day ever. Cousin Erika and I already had tickets to see Tapes n Tapes at Neumo's, so we headed up to Capitol Hill early to partake in the festival atmosphere that was sure to be in effect. (Note to you California dwellers - Tapes n Tapes are heading your way! Check 'em out.)

Sure enough, a giant costumed group was marching down the street, chanting and drumming. Our outfits weren't up to snuff to participate in that glamorous group, so we moved on to the Cha Cha Lounge.

At the Cha Cha we met this lovely lady. Why was she wearing this outfit? "I have a closet full of costumes, and I've always wanted to wear this onesie. Today seemed like the perfect day!" What a great answer. I totally loved her, and I'm starting to think I need to get some costumes of my own. Halloween doesn't have to be just once a year, especially when you're on Capitol Hill!

Yes we did

Finally we ended up at Neumo's for the great Tapes n Tapes show. Lots of Obama shirts in effect, including on the lead singer. Woooo!

Hope

More pictures of the evening here.

In Between Trips

2009-01-19T16:02:00.000+07:00

What have I been doing lately? Well, not traveling. Not snowboarding in the last week either, due to the current crappy snow conditions. And not working. (Not finding any work, either, which is starting to worry me.) The last week of December when I got home from my road trip and for awhile after my last official day of employment, December 31, I was a flurry of energetic activity.

I made an apron

Flirty Skirty (no I'm not trying to be anonymous, I'm just horrifically unphotogenic)

I painted the trim in the hallway (this project was started in September when I was on vacation)

Oh, and something happened that I've been dreading for months - last Friday my cousin and I were out at a music show and we saw my ex with another woman. Even though I knew it was inevitable, it still hurt like shit when it actually happened. I guess I can no longer pretend that he just wasn't ready for a relationship; I have to actually take some accountability now for some things. What a bummer.

Moving on...I fly away to Thailand on February 4th, 2 weeks from Wednesday! I'm both excited and scared. This is definitely the biggest adventure I've undertaken on my own (unless you count homeownership, which still scares the shit out of me, even though it's been almost 1.5 years since I bought my condo). Yay for tropical countries!

Snow Pr0n!!!

2008-12-30T14:01:00.001+07:00

I've been snowboarding a few times since I got back from my road trip one week ago. Now that I'm officially unemployed instead of unofficially "working from home," I can fully devote my attention to the pursuit of... pursuits. Like snowboarding. And the gym. And soon I'll add the climbing gym to my repertoire. Wahoo!

And I promise to complete my road trip posts...one of these days when I don't snowboard every other day?! Hmm. No, really, now that the dastardly holiday season is nearly over, life should settle down to (nearly) normal, right? It's not like I hate the holidays or my family or anything like that, but seriously, a 5-week holiday season is a total PITA.

Crystal Mountain, the day after Christmas 2008

Ah yes. This is where it belongs, not in my hallway!

Mmm, freshies :)

Cooking Your Dog

2008-12-25T07:35:00.001+07:00

Oh dear.

see more pwn and owned pictures

Road Trip: This is the End

2008-12-23T08:44:00.000+07:00

Today I completed my road trip with a jaunt from Portland to Seattle a/k/a my home. I swear I will add text to these last few posts soon, but I'm just exhausted right now. I will have plenty of time for such things in the coming weeks.

Find all these pictures and more here.

Hungover? No, just sleepy

Portland was completely encased in ice. Literally.

One of five accidents I saw on the way home, though after Portland I thought the roads were pretty nice.

The snow in my unused parking spot at my condo in Seattle

Soon, my sweet...muah!

Road Trip: Florence to...Portland, not Seattle

2008-12-22T13:33:00.001+07:00

Next up: Dunes and snow. Someday I'll actually complete these blog entries, but for now I do hope you find the pictures sufficient. I hope to get home tomorrow. Of course, I hoped to get home today and I'm in Portland. Utter armageddon on the streets. Thank goodness for Subaru!

The rest of the pictures are here.

Dunes in Southwest Oregon, just south of Florence

Sadie really, really likes the dunes

50 miles south of Portland on I-5, things started to get bad

I-5 heading north into Portland

Road Trip: Arcata to Florence, Oregon

2008-12-21T10:28:00.000+07:00

Arcata to Florence was a beautiful jaunt north along the coast. Sometimes the weather was nice, but mostly it was high winds and rain (I happen to think that qualifies as 'beautiful'). I was kind of dragging by this point and pretty much just wanted to get home. There's something about not being able to get home (due to the weather in this case) that really makes you want to get there!

Once I arrived in Florence I checked into a hotel which unfortunately was really crappy. I'd had good luck with the hotel sitch through the entire road trip though, so I guess I won't complain too much. Next time I will do my homework before I get to a town. Although I didn't do that before I ended up in Sonoma and ended up in a great place! Actually, the entire Sonoma side-jaunt was unplanned, but I'm glad I ended up there.

Northern Coast of California

Elk! From the largest Roosevelt elk herd in the world

Beautiful redwoods. So that's what the big deal is about...

Bandon, Oregon

The Sadie-ear-windometer says that we are at gale force

More pictures here

Well, wonders never cease

2008-12-21T09:41:00.000+07:00

I'm holed up in Small Town, USA (a/k/a Florence, Oregon), and we are experiencing a storm similar to Seattle's except with rain instead of snow. Internet connection is pretty crappy, and after about 20 minutes of finagling I've managed to coax a tenuous signal out of the air. Not sure how long it'll last. I have to go eat dinner now, but if this wifi cooperates later I will update last night's post and write tonight's. And pictures! Dunes, big trees, and elk, oh my.

Okay TTYL.

Road Trip: Sonoma to Arcata and Spots In Between

2008-12-20T13:00:00.000+07:00

After my wildly refined night in Sonoma, I awoke rather...slowly the next morning. I sneaked the dog out of the room (oh, the things we do) and headed into town to find sustenance. But how to find good coffee in this town? Of course. I found a man sitting on a park bench drinking coffee and asked him where I could find some for myself. He very helpfully directed me to the Basque Boulangerie just across the street. And yes, the coffee was delicious! There were dozens of delicious-looking pastries available to drool over, but unfortunately Sadie started barking at delivery men and we had to boogie out of there. After wandering around some more and making a brief stop in Three Dog Bakery (we go there all the time in Seattle!), we hit the road for points north.

Mendocino was beautiful on the outside, but I was a bit perplexed by something that happened to me there. I needed to change a headlamp bulb in my car, and I had bought one at an auto parts store in Sonoma before I headed out of town. As it was getting dark when I was in Mendo, I decided I'd better get that baby in there before finishing up Highway 1, or "22 miles of misery" as my friend calls it. I had some difficulties getting the old bulb out of the socket, so all told it took me about 15 minutes to complete the switch. For the 15 minutes I was parked by the side of the road with my hood up, lots of people drove by. And nobody stopped. What the hell?! Where are all the friendly Californians I've met my entire trip? I decided Mendo is dead to me (what isn't, really) and hit the highway with Arcata as my destination. Later that night, I was out with my cousin's friend Brooke in Arcata and I told her this story. "It's not that they don't want to help you," she explained. "It's Mendocino. They don't know how to do anything menial." For some reason this cracked us up. That's pretty sad, but it's pretty funny!

Arcata...I think maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for Arcata. I understand that it's a pretty cool place, but I didn't see much of that, unfortunately. Homeless kids with dogs on ropes begged for change and smoked weed in the town square. And I saw a guy in a homemade t-shirt that said, "Dominate me with your cunt." Really, do I need to say any more?

Sonoma town square in the morning

Mendocino

Mendocino

The end (or beginning) of Highway 1

Here's t-shirt guy trying out his moovs on an unsuspecting lady. She didn't succumb to his charms. And yes, that is indeed a Native American 'dream catcher' attached to the back of the shirt.

More pictures here

Road Trip: Mysteries and Wine Country, etc.

2008-12-19T13:00:00.000+07:00

This morning started out with a frustrating trip to Walgreens to get a prescription refill. I won't go into detail here, but let it be known that Millbrae California is DEAD TO ME. I hate them, I hate their google map directions, and I hate their inhabitants. That is all. Moving on...

Driving to San Jose from my hotel, the weather and the surroundings were beautiful.

In San Jose, I went to the Winchester Mansion. I'd read a story about it as a kid that said Mrs. Sarah Winchester built the strange parts of the house to confuse the spirits of people who'd been killed by Winchester rifles. I always thought it was a normal house with some weird spirit-foiling additions. Today on the tour I learned that a psychic told her that to keep the spirits confused, Mrs. Winchester had to keep up construction on the house constantly. Therefore, the house remained under construction 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 38 years until Mrs. Winchester's death in 1922.

It turns out that, far from being normal, the entire house is pretty wacked out. Staircases that go nowhere, doorways that go nowhere, and even a chimney that goes nowhere. Plus cupboards opening onto walls, windows in the floor, "easy riser" staircases built into hidden closets for Mrs. Winchester. I don't care what they say, Sarah Winchester was batshit insane.

After the Winchester Mansion, I drove to Santa Cruz to see the Mystery Spot. Far from being simply a place that men need to learn more about, the Mystery Spot is, in my expert opinion, fucking crazy! I took pictures, but even those don't do the spot justice. You need to just go there yourself. Seriously. Gravitational (or whatever) forces cause people to gain or lose inches of height based on where they are standing. It also causes people to have to fight against a strange force that wants to push you in a certain direction. Balls roll uphill, and none of it's an illusion. It's just wacky gravity (or aliens, or whatever theory you prefer. I go with gravity and/or magnetic fields myself.)

I finally got a bumber sticker to cover up the Obama/Biden sticker. Because, you know, they won.

Well. You know what they say... "the best laid plans" and all that. The great thing about road trips is that plans can change, and you should never be in a hurry. As you know, I'd intended to be in Ukiah tonight, but thanks to delayed timetables and San Francisco traffic, I'd only made it to Petaluma by 7:00 p.m. I'd been stuck in traffic for 2 hours and was at the point of weeping, so I decided to get off the freeway and find a place to stay for the evening. I wasn't thrilled about staying in Petaluma, but what choice did I have? Until I exited from 101 and saw the sign, "Sonoma 17 miles; Napa 24 miles." My eyes opened wide. I heard angels singing a chorus. 'Wine country? I'm this close to wine country?!' I thought. A phone call to my mother plus a AAA tour book led me to the Best Western Inn in Sonoma, which takes dogs, has a surprisingly awesome room with a king size bed and a fireplace, AND has a free breakfast that is delivered to your room! Kind of hard to beat that. Plus they have free parking and coffee, and it's one block to the center of Sonoma. Which is a good thing when you've had a few glasses of amazing wine and you need to get back to your dog and make sure she's not barking in the hotel. Or, ahem, so I've heard.

My room in Sonoma. King-size bed and a fireplace!

I went to dinner at A Girl & A Fig, which is on the Southeast corner of the town square in Sonoma. It was pretty great. Not the food, which was tasty but not amazing, but the people I met! The bartender, Mark, was cool, plus after the dinner crowd left (I got there late due to getting to town around 8 p.m.), all the local service industry folks rolled into the place and I got to chat with them. It reminds me of Port Townsend, though maybe not as dysfunctional. One can only hope. I was chatting with an attractive, shy guy, and at the end of the night he had to take off because of a conference call in the morning. I gave him my info in case he's ever in Seattle, and he gave me his card. He's a winemaker! Well, I love wine, so maybe it's a match made in heaven. Or something. At any rate, I had a really fun time tonight.

The cozy bar at A Girl and A Fig

My revised schedule has me staying in Eureka, CA tomorrow (Friday) night and Reedsport, OR on Saturday night. I hope to be home on Sunday. But as long as I'm home by the 25th, I guess I'm ok.

More tomorrow night, hopefully from Oregon! More pictures here

Road Trip: In the City

2008-12-18T13:00:00.000+07:00

Today was another beautiful sunny day, and I didn't even need my down jacket till about 4:00 p.m. this afternoon. Much of the day was spent in the car, driving around seeing all the important sites. Molly drove, since she lives here, but we took my car because it has the fidorido. Of course, after a couple of hops in and out of the car I just held Sadie on my lap. We weren't going very fast anyway.

We are light on pictures today because I was silly and forgot to charge the battery in my camera. The below pictures are courtesy of my cell phone. [EDIT: added a couple of pictures from the camera now that it's charged.] Of course, I also forgot my phone in the car during one walking excursion, so maybe pictures weren't meant to be taken today. I think I have plenty already!

Getting Sadie out of the room and into the car this morning was quite difficult. I think she's had enough of this road trip. Too bad for her that we're a 2-3 day drive from home.

First a delicious pastry and coffee at La Boulange near Molly's place.

Boulange dogs

Then we drove the long way through Golden Gate Park, checking out the new science museum, Stow Lake, and the polo fields, before heading down to Ocean Beach in the Sunset neighborhood.

Sadie loves Molly, so they were happy to walk down the beach together while I took pictures of the surfers. Unfortunately, none of those came out! Dang it. Later we let Sadie off the leash and she played chase with another dog. That tired her out to the point where she tried to drink the ocean, though much choking and gagging convinced her that it was not a wise choice.

When taking a driving tour of San Francisco, of course you have to drive down the Russian Hill section of Lombard Street, the "crookedest street in the world"! It was like an amusement park ride, and pretty popular with the tourists based on the attention it was getting. Man, I would hate to live on that street, not only because of the difficulty of getting in and out of your home, but because of the constant traffic.

We saw many other interesting places today, and unfortunately I have forgotten much of it. There's so much to see! I should have taken notes. But I will recap some of it: Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Twin Peaks, SOMA, Fisherman's Wharf, Financial District, Sunset.

Oh, at Fisherman's Wharf I tried In-n-Out Burgers for the first time. Um, sorry, but what's the big deal about that place? Maybe it got too built up for me, so when I finally tried it, it was just a...burger and fries. Call me crazy but I'll take Dick's Drive In any day. Also at Fisherman's Wharf we went to the Buena Vista and had an irish coffee, where the drink was invented. It was delicious! Later in the afternoon we took Sadie to the dog park in Cole Valley near Molly's place, then relaxed in her adorable apartment until it was time to meet Cinthia for dinner in the Haight. We ended up getting takeout because the restaurant was packed, which was even better because we went back to Molly's place and ate dinner and had wine. The night ended with plans to meet up soon in Seattle, since both Molly and Cinthia will be there for the holidays. Now they can see my condo! I'm very excited :)

Tomorrow I get up early and leave the city. I'm heading down to San Jose to see the Winchester Mystery House, then back down to Santa Cruz really quickly to see the Mystery Spot. I guess tomorrow is 'mystery day.' Props go to Ryan for suggesting these intriguing sights.

After Santa Cruz I'm winding back up the coast on Hwy 1 to 101 and hope to make it to Ukiah,California to while away the evening in the economical digs of Motel 6 once again. The night after that (a/k/a Friday for you working stiffs) I want to be in Newport Oregon, before cutting back to I-5 for the rest of the trip. The night after that (Saturday the 20th) I hope to be HOME! Yes I love it here, and the road trip has been fun. But my car is full of maps and papers and this and that and general stuff, and I'm living out of a suitcase. And the whole car experience has been really tough on Sadie. I now feel like a terrible mother for subjecting her to this, but at least now I know she can't go on road trips anymore. I know that snow and ice armageddon has hit the states of Washington and Oregon, which is why I'm taking the coast.

See you Seattleites soon! More pictures here

Road Trip: Half Moon Bay, etc.

2008-12-17T12:45:00.000+07:00

Today I went to the coast, starting in Half Moon Bay and working my way down to Santa Cruz. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful and sunny. It was still cold, but at least I was able to shed the down jacket in favor of a hooded sweatshirt.

There were a lot of rusty sculptures lining the road to Half Moon Bay.

When I arrived in town, I found the visitor's center and got the lowdown on where to eat and where to take the dog to work off her excess energy. That led me to the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, where I had a delicious lunch and discovered that, much to my dismay, the seas were flat at the world-famous Maverick's and there wouldn't be any surfers to watch. My waiter at the brewery said that there might be some people surfing a few miles north at Montara State Beach. No surfers there, either, but it was a beautiful beach with curling waves, and Sadie and I had a nice walk there. Sadie rolled in a dead bird carcass, which pretty much made her day. I was not quite so enthused.

After that we jumped back in the car and headed south to Santa Cruz to see the famous boardwalk and the Mystery Spot. It's funny how before I went on this road trip, driving 50 miles was a huge deal to me - I don't really like driving that far. But now it's a drop in the travel bucket. Not that I plan to become a roadhog once I get home!

We stopped at San Gregorio State Beach, but didn't stay long because the sign said 'no dogs on the beach.' I'm a law-abiding citizen, especially when I think I might get caught. Plus I was running out of time because I was due back in the city at 4:40 to pick up Molly at the airport. Molly actually lives here in San Francisco, but she was in Seattle visiting family. Since I'm here, I offered to pick her up at the airport. I thought that was pretty funny since I don't even live here, but I'm glad it all worked out!

Finally we arrived in Santa Cruz and hit the boardwalk. The place was deserted - most of the shops were closed, and the boardwalk was closed. The good news is there was plenty of parking! We had taken but a few steps onto the deserted boardwalk when a security guard appeared and said, "Excuse me, ma'am. Unfortunately no dogs are allowed on the boardwalk." I said, "are they allowed on the beach?" He said, "No, but that's not our area of responsibility." I asked, "so if we run across the boardwalk to the beach, you didn't see anything then?" He laughed and said, "that's right." So we scampered. As far as beaches go, it wasn't nearly as impressive as the rest of Half Moon Bay, but the sun was shining on me and it was quiet and peaceful, and that was enough. Then it was time to jump on the road back to the city to pick up Molly. I really enjoyed my drive down Highway 1 a/k/a Cabrillo Highway, and I think I will head down to Carmel after I leave San Francisco and work my way back up to Santa Cruz from that direction.

After I picked up Molly at SFO, we drove to her absolutely darling apartment in Cole Valley, which is a neighborhood just a few blocks from the Haight. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant in Cole Valley, which was good but not otherwordly good like Mona Lisa, a restaurant in North Beach. Seriously. If you're in SF and you want Italian, you MUST go there. That's where Molly and I ate in June when I came down to visit.

Molly's apartment in Cole Valley - most adorable!

So far I've had a Marin day and a Half Moon Bay day, with a bit of the city thrown in at night. Tomorrow is all city! Molly is taking me on her special tour, and I am finally going to go to the tourist spots. I'm dying to go to Lombard Street!

As always, more pictures can be found here

Road Trip: San Francisco! And Areas Nearby

2008-12-16T13:00:00.000+07:00

What a day - I am exhausted! Too exhausted, in fact, to write a coherent update for now. I'll add some text in the morning when I wake up. For now I'll leave you with some pictures and: Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, rain squalls, Lincoln Park, Golden Gate Recreation Area, and the Mission. Oh god, the Mission. I am so glad I have friends who live here. I wish I lived here. I love San Francisco so much I want to marry it. If not for my condo I'd move here in a heartbeat. Damn, you, mortgage! Damn you.

EDIT: Okay, time to fill in this post. The day started with a trip north up Highway 101 from my hotel, over the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County. I like that part of Hwy 101 because it actually winds through San Francisco proper, and is a nice way to see some sites while staying on the highway. All day the weather was frigidly cold and occasionally rainy, with some sun breaks in Marin. Apparently this weather is a freak occurrence that just happened to occur during my visit. Oh well - at least I'm used to it, since it feels like a Seattle winter. And I have my down jacket, hat and gloves, which I've worn part of every day!

Sadie: uncooperative Me: unphotogenic

I had mixed feelings about driving into Marin County and up the road near Mill Valley, because the last time I was here my boyfriend's family lived here. Now my ex's family lives here (ha ha, get it?). Once I was there, though, driving along the winding Panoramic Highway to Stinson Beach all that was forgotten in the beauty of the moment. The sun was shining, the views were beautiful, and the smell of the eucalyptus trees was amazing. There were very few people on the roads and I arrived in Stinson Beach without incident.

It's always sunny in Marin County

Stinson Beach

On the way back from Stinson Beach I took the shoreline highway instead. Such beautiful views! A sudden storm whipped up when I was driving along the ridge and it was so windy and rainy I thought I wouldn't get out of the car anymore till I got back in the city. Then Muir Beach came along and I decided to stop being a chickenshit and check it out. Good thing, because that storm cleared as quickly as it arrived and the sun was shining once again.

Muir Beach lookout hike

Look at this little guy! I found him on my hike at Muir Beach

Later in the evening I met Cinthia and Mike in the Mission for some frites and bar crawling. I'll just say that the night was pretty awesome :) But, again, freezing. Note the down jacket in the picture below.

Cinthia, Mike, & me at the end of the evening. Yay for local friends who take you cool places!

As always, more pics can be found here

Road Trip: Grants Pass to San Francisco

2008-12-15T11:28:00.000+07:00

The second day of our road trip started auspiciously, as Sadie and I shed our divey Motel 6 digs in anticipation of a fun drive and a lovely 4-night stay at the San Francisco Airport Marriot, which I got for $60 a night courtesy of priceline. Props to my sister for teaching me the trick to getting swanky digs for cheap. Never accept less than three stars!

First, a necessity: coffee! I saw these Dutch Brothers coffee stands all over the place, and the coffee was actually really good. I will surely go back, especially as I've seen them quite a lot around here. Had a nice chat with Mr. Barista about my trip. He asked about the road conditions between Seattle and Grants Pass, and I told him they were great, except for one kind of scary spot. Then I was on my way.

Coffee? Why, yes I will.

After that I stopped in Ashland, Oregon, which boasts the famous annual Shakespeare Festival. Ashland is very cute, cool, and funky, and I hope to go back sometime. It reminds me very much of Hood River, Oregon.

Like Port Townsend, only cuter!

Then it was on through the Siskiyous to Weed, California. I went there looking for Snoopy's brother (who I though lived in Weed but it turns out he lives in Needles. Doh! No wonder they didn't know what I was talking about), but all I found were these kooky artists, Arthur and Isaiah. I walked around town and had coffee with Isaiah and he showed me their joint art studio. Isaiah said he was looking for some inspiration for his art and he thought the Creator had brought me to Weed to meet him. Hey, if it helped him get past his "block," I'm okay with whatever he wants to think. Isaiah is an interesting guy, but I finally had to leave to flee the talk of love and vibes, man.

Not named after the tumbleweeds that were everywhere like I had thought

After Weed, the snow started coming down hard and the conditions quickly got fearsome. The whole experience was pretty terrifying, even thoughI know how to drive in the snow. I think it's because of the sheer length of the mountain crossing - in Washington state you go over one pass and you're done. In the Siskiyous IT NEVER ENDS. It's mountain pass after pass after pass. I won't go into details because I don't want my Mom to cry. Suffice it to say that the car, the dog, and I are all in one piece.

After coming down the passes, the snowstorm turned into a simple rainstorm. Still sucky, because the visibility was limited and there was some hydroplaning going on among various cars. But still waaaay better than the Siskiyous experience! I think I will take highway 101 up the coast on the way back, at least to Eugene.

The what?! Oh, the BASShole. Snicker.

The rest of the drive it was pouring down rain the entire way. When I say 'pouring down rain,' I think I will sum it up with this one observation: it was so bad, the California drivers were driving 10-20 miles BELOW the speed limit. And that's all I have to say about that.

Coming into San Francisco I came into traffic once I got on the San-Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and onto Highway 101 South toward my hotel. I was actually glad to slow down to 20 miles per hour, it was relaxing! It ended up taking us, with stops and weather difficulties, 10 hours to get to San Francisco. Just a tad bit longer than the 6 hours that google maps predicted. Needless to say, Sadie and I are exhausted. I left her sacked out on the king size feather-bed and came down to the lobby bar to blog. Now I am heading upstairs to get some much needed rest myself!

I may never get out of this bed. Ever.

More pictures can be found here

Road Trip: Seattle to Grant's Pass

2008-12-14T14:33:00.000+07:00

Let me start by saying that I don't really count today as part of the road trip. Well, not the fun part at least. Today was a slog down I-5 to get to Grant's Pass before making my way to the Bay Area tomorrow. And it took quite a bit longer than google maps led me to believe... not 6.5 hours, more like 8 hours! Add in some harrowing episodes with snow blizzards and rain squalls, and you have one exhausted girl and one exhausted beagle who are glad to be settled in for the night.

The day started off at Magnuson Dog Park, where Sadie burned off some steam before I loaded her into the car for our journey.

Playing chase at the park

It was pretty windy

Then off we went down I-5 south. I put Sadie in a FidoRido, which is a carseat for dogs. Laugh if you will, but what do you think happens to an unrestrained animal in a car that gets in an accident? You get a furry, four-legged projectile that can cause serious damage to itself or to the human occupants of the car! Not to mention if I don't buckle Sadie in, she tries to climb in my lap because she's afraid of the car. Maybe I'm a horrible person for making Sadie even ride in the car, but I think the fun places we go far outweigh her discomfort during the ride. I hope.

Sadie is not a fan

We saw our first snow at the Toutle River rest stop at milepost 54 in Washington!

Finally, just before 10:00 p.m.(!), we pulled into the lot of the glorious Motel 6 in Grant's Pass, Oregon. Say what you will, but Motel 6 is economical and they always take dogs without a fee.

We are off to sleep. Stay tuned for a more interesting update tomorrow, when I will have (a) done more interesting things, and (b) get to my hotel many hours before 10 p.m. and can therefore write a more lucid post.

More pictures can be found here

Upside Down Dogs

2008-12-13T16:19:00.001+07:00

I love this site. My favorite upside down dog of the moment:

Upside Down Dogs

The travels are about to begin...

2008-12-12T16:27:00.000+07:00

Recently I decided not to go to work anymore. Well, I've been working from home, because since I didn't have anything to do anyway, working at home seemed like a good idea. As of Thursday, I made it official. I am working from home until my official last day of work on Friday December 19th.

Saturday the 13th I begin my road trip. Sadie and I are going to beaglefest from noon to 2 p.m., then we will jump in the car and it's off to California! The first night we're staying in Grants Pass Oregon, then Sunday the 14th through Thursday the 18th we're staying in San Francisco, seeing the sights and visiting friends. Thursday the 18th we're making our way down the coast, stopping in the dog-friendly mecca of Carmel-by-the-Sea and the new-age-friendly mecca of Big Sur, before resting our heads in Santa Barbara that night. Friday the 19th, after bumming around the town and beach a bit, we're back on the road to Seattle. Because there's no place like home, as Dorothy said. Depending on how long the return trip takes, we should be home on the 21st or 22nd.

Stay tuned for updates and photos from the road. Peace out!

If this is wrong, I don't want to be right

2008-12-10T03:41:00.000+07:00

Am I going to hell because I laughed at wheelchair-bound cross-dressers with cerebral palsy? I don't think so, because really I'm laughing with them. Right? Be sure to also check out 'Punks on Wheels' and 'Boys on Wheels.'

Coolest Ironic Tee Ever?

2008-12-07T15:48:00.000+07:00

Okay, you don't have to get me anything for Christmas, but in case you were looking for just the perfect thing, how about this tee shirt tee shirt?

Lonely and Begging to be Ridden

2008-12-07T02:34:00.001+07:00

Donde esta la snow!!!

Proposition 8: The Musical

2008-12-07T01:20:00.001+07:00

This is fantastic. Oh, if only it had turned out this way!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Best. Idea. Ever.

2008-12-07T00:34:00.000+07:00

How about a sleeping bag you can walk around in? This brings a whole slew of possibilities to winter backpacking!

If you have to say it aloud, it's probably not true

2008-12-06T07:38:00.000+07:00

A few things come to mind:

I'm a nice guy
I'm a good catch
I'm great in bed/I have a giant penis/etc.
I'm awesome
I'm attractive

Am I forgetting any?

New Camera

2008-12-06T07:32:00.001+07:00

Well, me being me, this blog will naturally have other random stuff on it besides traveling. Especially because I won't be traveling 24/7, so this blog could get rather boring in the in-betweens.

So. My camera crapped out recently, so I bought a newer version. Here are some of my first photos. Of Sadie, natch! (God I need to get a life.)