Realizations
Ok, so some of these realizations are ones I came to before this trip, but they are magnified by it. Here goes:
I am my father's daughter - odd. I never connected with this during my life; I guess because I hadn't had enough experience with my Dad. Over the years, we saw each other rarely (once or twice a year) until about 8 to 10 years ago when Erik and I moved to Austin. Now, I can recognize him in myself - I can recognize my grandmother in me, too.
I miss my friends; I miss my beautiful Austin. This is not unusual - I have a tendency to pine away for the far away. It took me years to find and develop a 'place' for myself and for years, I thought I was just "passing through" because I've never felt like I belonged in Texas and even after years of being in Austin, I didn't think I had made the kinds of connections - and I should specify, business connections - to keep me there forever. And there are many reasons for why I don't like the way things are done in Texas (this excludes Austin - it is truly an Oasis), specifically politics and business - it's polluted, it's brutal, it's corrupt and short-sighted (unless you're talkin' 'bout buildin' roads) - however, these are universal truths - they are everywhere. So, one must learn to accept and adapt to these universal truths as part of the overall picture or just stay pissed off and 'hate everyone the same' (as my step-father would say). The concept of universal truth is one I have unconsciously been pursuing my whole life and I had come to the conclusion as of late that there is no universal truth - but the above statement is, for better or worse, a universal truth. It is one I find difficult to accept. This move was to find a place that is more balanced in it's approach to life's structures and it is, but I didn't realize until now what a mental and emotional adjustment it would be.
Not to say that it's bad, it's simply different. What is good about it is learning temperance - forcing new neuropathways in the brain. Apparently, you can develop new brain cells right up to the end of life by learning new things - physical or otherwise - this idea is supported by docu-movies like "What the Bleep do we Know?" So, Erik in school (which is very intensive btw) and myself on the job hunt in a completely new place, is so good for our brains and hence, our longevity. What is difficult is leaving all of the people and things we DID love about our home of origin.
Which leads me to my final realization of the day: I learned how much I have affected those I love. Sometimes, it's been hard for me to know how much I am loved until I plan to leave and then those loved ones share their thoughts about how I have affected them. It's takes the decision from 'macro' to 'micro'. I am so much more grateful for Erik and what a special man he is and for my loved ones in Texas.
Signing off in BC,
AW
Friday, April 16, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
I have exactly 15 minutes
to write this entry before I go pick up Erik at the airport.
So, George and I 'land' in Spokane for our last night as a traveling team and stay at the Days Inn in Airway Heights. This place rec'd good reviews online but I should warn you that there is no elevator and the breakfast just straight up sucked (every bit was wheat based, not even a piece of fruit!).
The staff was friendly and very helpful, though, which I greatly appreciated. By the time we tried to start the car, we had discovered that the Element battery had not retained it's charge and we were sooo hungry! One of the hotel staff very generously drove us down the road an Asian Fusion place - Korean food. It was AWESOME! I can't believe it's out in the middle of relatively nowhere. So, I must say 'thank you' to the gentleman at Days Inn for so kindly driving us to food - you rock!
The next morning, George was off to the airport to meet Dino in LA and I continued on my way, alone, to Omak where I would be meeting Erik later that night.
It was a beautiful drive, mostly through First Nations reserves; which means, a single two-lane road up through the mountains around Coulee Dam - well, I should say, you pass through Coulee Dam and then into the Colville Reservation. I'm sure I looked like a fish out of water driving that big truck and hauling that Element - I saw several people stop to stare at me driving by.
Well, the time flies around here - amazingly so, since I haven't been working at all. Well, I should say, I've been meeting people, and running around the area introducing myself to anyone who will listen, but no firm job interviews or offers yet. The secret is not to panic. I only worked a paltry 12 weeks last year and hey, I'm still here, still out of debt, and living with a great family in a beautiful country. As I've said before, I'm one of the luckiest people I know.
I'm going to keep this one brief as each day that passes, some new interesting thing pops up and I can't keep up with it all. I wish you all joy and peace and will write again soon,
AW
So, George and I 'land' in Spokane for our last night as a traveling team and stay at the Days Inn in Airway Heights. This place rec'd good reviews online but I should warn you that there is no elevator and the breakfast just straight up sucked (every bit was wheat based, not even a piece of fruit!).
The staff was friendly and very helpful, though, which I greatly appreciated. By the time we tried to start the car, we had discovered that the Element battery had not retained it's charge and we were sooo hungry! One of the hotel staff very generously drove us down the road an Asian Fusion place - Korean food. It was AWESOME! I can't believe it's out in the middle of relatively nowhere. So, I must say 'thank you' to the gentleman at Days Inn for so kindly driving us to food - you rock!
The next morning, George was off to the airport to meet Dino in LA and I continued on my way, alone, to Omak where I would be meeting Erik later that night.
It was a beautiful drive, mostly through First Nations reserves; which means, a single two-lane road up through the mountains around Coulee Dam - well, I should say, you pass through Coulee Dam and then into the Colville Reservation. I'm sure I looked like a fish out of water driving that big truck and hauling that Element - I saw several people stop to stare at me driving by.
Well, the time flies around here - amazingly so, since I haven't been working at all. Well, I should say, I've been meeting people, and running around the area introducing myself to anyone who will listen, but no firm job interviews or offers yet. The secret is not to panic. I only worked a paltry 12 weeks last year and hey, I'm still here, still out of debt, and living with a great family in a beautiful country. As I've said before, I'm one of the luckiest people I know.
I'm going to keep this one brief as each day that passes, some new interesting thing pops up and I can't keep up with it all. I wish you all joy and peace and will write again soon,
AW
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Ok, I'm back!
Well, as I suspected would happen, I cannot find my early notes on the Canadian Odyssey that was my trip from Austin to Armstrong, BC. So what does that mean? Well, I'll just have to write what I can remember (going to use my receipts as a guide). First, as I mentioned, the Hawthorn Suites in Lubbock was simply THE best hotel of the trip, although we did stay at some other really good places too (and some not so good - more on that later). It's too bad I never have a reason to go Lubbock, otherwise, I would definitely stay there on a regular basis - good job!
We were referred to a restaurant called Zoo-kini's in Lubbock - a buffet place and so not my usual choice for a healthy option, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh and varied salad bar.
Next thing that sticks in my mind is crossing over the TX border into New Mexico - for most of the trip up to BC, we hardly saw any traffic at all and that includes this stretch of the trip - it was snowing! There was some on the ground already but none on the road, thankfully and we bounced along without incident. As I also mentioned, I found NM to be extremely depressing with lots of abandoned and decaying buildings and TOWNS - yes, entire abandoned towns. I was fascinated by the who, what, and why of it all. We did stop at Billy the Kid's grave site which is under lock and key - literally, as the tombstone had been stolen on at least two occasions prior. Very curious.
For lunch, we stopped at Casa de Benevidez in Albuquerque - YUM! They did a nice job; excellent hot sauce and tamales!
Besides hardly any traffic, we saw at least one prison every day and traveled through many Native Tribe Reservations. I am trying not to use the term "Indian" as this is not a correct title for the first people that lived here in the US - Canada refers to these people as First Nations and I like that; much more appropriate.
Our next overnight stop was in Durango - I love, love, love Colorado! That is one place that my husband and I have agreed on as a potential place to live in the past and I was not disappointed by this adorable, progressive community. The hotel - Hampton Inn - had a great hotel service, a hot tub, computer access, AND a decent breakfast (most of these hotels do not, including I'm afraid the Hawthorn in Lubbock) AND they have an arrangement with the community rec center there for the exercise gym. George and I took advantage of that! While there, I met a cute couple in the hot tub from Tulsa (also a cute little town) - she was going to school in Durango and he was going to med school in Oklahoma. High school sweethearts with plans to be together - best of luck to them! Dinner that night was YUMMY! Sizzling Siam - awesome Thai food in the mountains - highly recommended!
The next day, we headed out towards Moab, UT - wow, what beautiful country! After hearing about it all these years, it was wonderful to see it in person! We stopped in town at a restaurant called the Moab Brewery where we received excellent service. There was a mistake made on my order (dairy allergy) and the staff made sure to bring me a good substitute and comp'ed a dessert (which I couldn't have anyway), however, I was very happy with their response to the issue and wish every place I visited was that attentive. They have great beer by the way! Definitely worth a stop.
That night, we stayed in Provo at the LaQuinta Inn Town Center - this one was a bit disappointing - the room really needed renovation, the HEATED pool was closed "for the season" and there was no hot tub, and the workout room was a shoebox with 3 machines in it. And this, this is what got me - the next morning as I went to get breakfast (which was disappointing), I saw a small cockroach climbing the wall nearby - eew! That said, though, the staff were friendly and there was computer access in the nice lobby. Fortunately, dinner was fantastic - Bombay House - we found it online but there was not much info there, we just took a gamble. When we got there, they had several "Best Of Provo" articles hanging up, beautiful Indian artwork in the reception area, and some of the best food of the trip. Although Salt Lake and the surrounding area is beautiful, I must admit, it has never been a place that appealed to me even though they are trying to sell themselves as a modern urban center - I was glad to be moving on.
We now move into Idaho - according to my receipts, we stopped at a place called the Wayside Cafe for lunch - I don't remember a thing about this place which means it was not that special. Boise is the first and only time we actually run into traffic and construction - I was quite surprised - what is going on in Boise, ID? If anyone knows, I am quite curious, so please comment. We land in Ontario, Oregon right on the OR-ID border at the Holiday Inn Express. I highly recommend this hotel, too - BUT do not, I repeat do not go to the Holiday Inn (standard) - they charge the same price as the Express but with no breakfast and below-par furnishings by comparison. This was also the first hotel I encountered on this trip that did not offer the same price found online - keep that in mind when booking. That said, they had friendly staff, a great breakfast, AND the maintenance man jumped the Element battery that had died unknowingly the night before - THANK YOU!!
For dinner that night, we went to a great little sushi place called "Ogawa's" - next door is a martini bar where you can order all sorts of flavored martinis from the restaurant to have with your meal. The prices were reasonable too!
So, I also love, love, love Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - Erik and I were engaged at Montnomah Falls while traveling with Cirque/2001 and it just holds a special place in my heart :) Anyway, we stopped in Hermiston, OR for lunch - right on the OR/WA border - at a local place called Farmer's Kitchen. I can't say enough about the healthy menu made with locally produced food and good beer! The service was great and friendly, too with good vibes through out.
Ok, my adopted family has just arrived, so the rest of this will have to wait....
Hope you enjoy reading this!
Arlene
We were referred to a restaurant called Zoo-kini's in Lubbock - a buffet place and so not my usual choice for a healthy option, but I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh and varied salad bar.
Next thing that sticks in my mind is crossing over the TX border into New Mexico - for most of the trip up to BC, we hardly saw any traffic at all and that includes this stretch of the trip - it was snowing! There was some on the ground already but none on the road, thankfully and we bounced along without incident. As I also mentioned, I found NM to be extremely depressing with lots of abandoned and decaying buildings and TOWNS - yes, entire abandoned towns. I was fascinated by the who, what, and why of it all. We did stop at Billy the Kid's grave site which is under lock and key - literally, as the tombstone had been stolen on at least two occasions prior. Very curious.
For lunch, we stopped at Casa de Benevidez in Albuquerque - YUM! They did a nice job; excellent hot sauce and tamales!
Besides hardly any traffic, we saw at least one prison every day and traveled through many Native Tribe Reservations. I am trying not to use the term "Indian" as this is not a correct title for the first people that lived here in the US - Canada refers to these people as First Nations and I like that; much more appropriate.
Our next overnight stop was in Durango - I love, love, love Colorado! That is one place that my husband and I have agreed on as a potential place to live in the past and I was not disappointed by this adorable, progressive community. The hotel - Hampton Inn - had a great hotel service, a hot tub, computer access, AND a decent breakfast (most of these hotels do not, including I'm afraid the Hawthorn in Lubbock) AND they have an arrangement with the community rec center there for the exercise gym. George and I took advantage of that! While there, I met a cute couple in the hot tub from Tulsa (also a cute little town) - she was going to school in Durango and he was going to med school in Oklahoma. High school sweethearts with plans to be together - best of luck to them! Dinner that night was YUMMY! Sizzling Siam - awesome Thai food in the mountains - highly recommended!
The next day, we headed out towards Moab, UT - wow, what beautiful country! After hearing about it all these years, it was wonderful to see it in person! We stopped in town at a restaurant called the Moab Brewery where we received excellent service. There was a mistake made on my order (dairy allergy) and the staff made sure to bring me a good substitute and comp'ed a dessert (which I couldn't have anyway), however, I was very happy with their response to the issue and wish every place I visited was that attentive. They have great beer by the way! Definitely worth a stop.
That night, we stayed in Provo at the LaQuinta Inn Town Center - this one was a bit disappointing - the room really needed renovation, the HEATED pool was closed "for the season" and there was no hot tub, and the workout room was a shoebox with 3 machines in it. And this, this is what got me - the next morning as I went to get breakfast (which was disappointing), I saw a small cockroach climbing the wall nearby - eew! That said, though, the staff were friendly and there was computer access in the nice lobby. Fortunately, dinner was fantastic - Bombay House - we found it online but there was not much info there, we just took a gamble. When we got there, they had several "Best Of Provo" articles hanging up, beautiful Indian artwork in the reception area, and some of the best food of the trip. Although Salt Lake and the surrounding area is beautiful, I must admit, it has never been a place that appealed to me even though they are trying to sell themselves as a modern urban center - I was glad to be moving on.
We now move into Idaho - according to my receipts, we stopped at a place called the Wayside Cafe for lunch - I don't remember a thing about this place which means it was not that special. Boise is the first and only time we actually run into traffic and construction - I was quite surprised - what is going on in Boise, ID? If anyone knows, I am quite curious, so please comment. We land in Ontario, Oregon right on the OR-ID border at the Holiday Inn Express. I highly recommend this hotel, too - BUT do not, I repeat do not go to the Holiday Inn (standard) - they charge the same price as the Express but with no breakfast and below-par furnishings by comparison. This was also the first hotel I encountered on this trip that did not offer the same price found online - keep that in mind when booking. That said, they had friendly staff, a great breakfast, AND the maintenance man jumped the Element battery that had died unknowingly the night before - THANK YOU!!
For dinner that night, we went to a great little sushi place called "Ogawa's" - next door is a martini bar where you can order all sorts of flavored martinis from the restaurant to have with your meal. The prices were reasonable too!
So, I also love, love, love Oregon and the Pacific Northwest - Erik and I were engaged at Montnomah Falls while traveling with Cirque/2001 and it just holds a special place in my heart :) Anyway, we stopped in Hermiston, OR for lunch - right on the OR/WA border - at a local place called Farmer's Kitchen. I can't say enough about the healthy menu made with locally produced food and good beer! The service was great and friendly, too with good vibes through out.
Ok, my adopted family has just arrived, so the rest of this will have to wait....
Hope you enjoy reading this!
Arlene
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The trip to BC
Well, it's been just about a year since I last wrote an entry here but I think moving to Canada deserves a little note if not, a few notes. My plan is to write about the trip up here - one entry per day of travel (and it took 7 days to travel from Austin to our new home in BC). First, I have to tell you that George was generous enough to make the drive with me as far as Spokane - he was amazing, taking over most of the driving and making sure that the car we were towing behind the 26' Penske truck was secure on the tow dolly. A big 'thank you' goes to both him and his lady, Dino, who happens to be a long time friend of ours - going back as far as college in Denton in the 90s.
So, consider this the introduction (and notification for some of you) to our Canadian Odyssey and hopefully, I will be able to make an entry for the next 7 to 14 days.
I did make notes during the trip but will just give you a quick impression today with more details to follow:
First thing, George introduced me to the podcasts of one brilliant sex and relationship guru named Dan Savage out of Seattle and the name of his show is "Savage Love" - I highly recommend that all of you who are in "non-traditional" relationships (or those open-minded 'vanillas') download his podcasts on to your preferred machine and give him a listen - you'll laugh, you might cry, you'll feel vindicated, relieved, and educated after one podcast; you'll get even more if you listen to more than one. I've been thinking about calling him myself.....
Second, everyone in the US should consider why Texas is under so much road construction particularly compared to the areas where we were driving - it's as if a vast majority of state and federal funds were going right into TX road construction. Then, after the "why", ask why mass transit is being virtually ignored in that state.
Here is the route we took: Austin to Lubbock, Lubbock to Durango, CO; Durango to Provo (through Moab); Provo to Ontario, OR; Ontario to Spokane - George left for LA from Spokane and I continued on to BC on my own. The Hawthorne Suites in Lubbock was the biggest surprise and I would say was THE best hotel of the entire trip with beautiful furnishings, easy computer access on every floor and a SALT WATER spa and heated indoor pool. New Mexico was depressing and decayed - marked by our stop at Billy the Kid's (William H. Bonny) grave site in Fort Sumner - I cannot for the life of me understand what is going on in that state and the contrast between NM and Colorado was night and day!
Ok, more later, have to go!
So, consider this the introduction (and notification for some of you) to our Canadian Odyssey and hopefully, I will be able to make an entry for the next 7 to 14 days.
I did make notes during the trip but will just give you a quick impression today with more details to follow:
First thing, George introduced me to the podcasts of one brilliant sex and relationship guru named Dan Savage out of Seattle and the name of his show is "Savage Love" - I highly recommend that all of you who are in "non-traditional" relationships (or those open-minded 'vanillas') download his podcasts on to your preferred machine and give him a listen - you'll laugh, you might cry, you'll feel vindicated, relieved, and educated after one podcast; you'll get even more if you listen to more than one. I've been thinking about calling him myself.....
Second, everyone in the US should consider why Texas is under so much road construction particularly compared to the areas where we were driving - it's as if a vast majority of state and federal funds were going right into TX road construction. Then, after the "why", ask why mass transit is being virtually ignored in that state.
Here is the route we took: Austin to Lubbock, Lubbock to Durango, CO; Durango to Provo (through Moab); Provo to Ontario, OR; Ontario to Spokane - George left for LA from Spokane and I continued on to BC on my own. The Hawthorne Suites in Lubbock was the biggest surprise and I would say was THE best hotel of the entire trip with beautiful furnishings, easy computer access on every floor and a SALT WATER spa and heated indoor pool. New Mexico was depressing and decayed - marked by our stop at Billy the Kid's (William H. Bonny) grave site in Fort Sumner - I cannot for the life of me understand what is going on in that state and the contrast between NM and Colorado was night and day!
Ok, more later, have to go!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Final report from SXSW
Whew! What a crazy week this has been! So, as I mentioned before, Sunday was incredibly special and was a greatly satisfying end to the SXSW week. What is it you ask? What could have me sooo excited?
We were invited to a very special private party thrown by Coach Darrell K. Royal - yes, that Coach Royal, the most winningest football coach in UT history! Thrown at a private home in the Hill Country about 45 minutes outside of Austin. It was a gathering of current and future Texas music legends who came together in honor of Freddy Powers, a songwriting legend having written for the likes of Merle, Willie, George Jones, Ray Charles, and more.
Below, are some of the names of those who attended and played this incredible intimate gathering:
Bob Cheevers
BB Morse
James Hand
Below, are some of the names of those who attended and played this incredible intimate gathering:
Bob Cheevers
BB Morse
James Hand
Louie Ortega of the Texas Tornadoes and Sam Folio, part time Tornado and current president of the Musicians Union of the United States and Canada
and one of my new favorites: Waylon Payne
These are just a portion of the amazing performers present at this magical and historical gathering. It was an honor to be at this event! Thanks to Catherine and Freddy Powers and Coach Royal for having us!
BTW, we got there at 4 and didn't leave till about midnight - we just couldn't leave; there was so much more to hear!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Report IV is coming
Ok, so I got home Monday, 2 am after this incredible Sunday house concert and had to get up at 6 to go to work; worked all day, tried to write when a friend in need showed up. Then I had to sleep and now I am up on my way to work again and I have dinner plans, so this story is coming soon and believe me, you'll want to read it.
Coming soon!
A
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Report III from Austin and SXSW
It's late, I just got home from one hell of an amazing night! Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what went on because tonight, I am writing about Saturday's events. It was quite eventful with one giant disappointment. Saturday morning I got up very excited to get on with a day full of good music again - my goal was to see Erykah Badu play at Auditorium Shores that evening in a concert that included 3 days of free music.
First, it was off to Amanda and Robb's crawfish boil - yum! Robb is a great cook and we always enjoy our invitations to share food with them. We were there only briefly before heading downtown for the show. We got down there easily with very little traffic, parked with no problems not even a line, then walked over to the Shores and into the grounds with no line! How lucky! Picked out a spot on the left of side of the stage and waited, and waited (we got there at 5:15)....7 o'clock came and went but we were patient knowing that Erykah the Egyptian goddess, prophetess, poetess was going to make us forget the hard dusty ground below our butts because we would be dancing!
Finally, the band comes out, plays a couple of songs then leaves the stage - several minutes pass and we were all wondering if that was it. Then comes Erykah, she plays two songs then leaves and that, folks, was it. There was apparently some travel delay, but it took the melody right out of my day's song. Completely disappointing.....
Erik did his best to cheer me up and we wound up walking around 6th Street. There were people everywhere, 6th was blocked from Congress to 35. We made it to Mother Egan's by 1 am to see another co-worker from Dallas, Dylan, play his showcase with one of his bands, The Crash that Took Me. That cheered me up - very talented group - I heard the influences of Flaming Lips and Smashing Pumpkins. You might also know Dylan from DARYL. Go, Dylan, go! All of them are very talented but the bass player and the drummer stood out I thought and later I heard they were a married couple and that he got his start drumming for speed metal bands! Good chops, y'all!
Anyway, it's been a long time since I've seen 3 am, but see it I did and it was good...
Sleep well and tune in tomorrow when I will tell you about today's amazing adventure - made up for the Erykah thing and thensome.
I'm not completely done with this entry - links and possibly video will follow!
Good night,
Arlene
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
