Closeted

Now, only partially so. I've ceded half the closet.

His two drawers won't be enough any more . . .


 . . . because he's moving in.

25 is a fixture. We all knew it was coming.  Now, with talk of coming work contracts being out of state, it pushed our talk up.  We probably would have waited until next year if not for my job situation, but I don't think a couple of months early will make a huge difference.

Neither of us liked the idea of Skeeter(dog) and BJ(cat) being left in the hands of a sitter who would come by for a few minutes twice a day.  It seemed like a big risk to leave the place mostly void of people for months. Then there's the fact that we're already paying two lots of rent and mostly just living here.  If I'm away, then I'm paying the mortgage on a house we're not even in. To that end, this will free up some cash flow for both of us as we trek down the road to being debt free.

We've both been happy leaning towards each other.  I wouldn't say I need him.  I could, and did, live without him.  I would say I want him in my life, it's fuller and happier with him in it.  I would rather want him than need him, but I'll admit it's probably a mix.

We had, what we affectionately deemed, The Debt Ceiling Conference last weekend. We brought all our numbers to the table. What we make, what we owe, what goals we have. It went a million times smoother than I thought possible. It's nice in the short and long term to be on the same page. We talked about upcoming trips, bigger goals, etc. It's indicative of the way we approach a lot of things: straight forward, proactive to avoid problems. It doesn't mean there aren't problems, but hopefully they are smaller.

I thought the prospect of him moving in would be much more stressful. Yet so far, it feels easy and natural.  He gained is own 40% the closet yesterday and a full half of the bathroom. That's in addition to the 60% of the bed he regularly claims for himself.  Such sacrifice!

Arizona and Sedona

Driving near Tuzigoot

After two nights in Flagstaff we headed south to Sedona.  The red rock area that's part way between Flagstaff and Phoenix is a must see. It may not be quite as well known internationally as the Grand Canyon and I won't venture to guess about it's domestic reknown.  I had been to Sedona once as a teenager when we stopped there as a family.  My mom went to school at the University of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff and consequently had spent plenty of time in Sedona, less than a hour drive.

Sedona near Chapel of the Holy Cross

In many ways I prefer Sedona to the Grand Canyon.  The rock formations extend up above car level, not below like the Canyon.  The colors are more vibrant.  The formations lend themselves to imagination.  They are named by what people thought they looked like: Bell Rock, Snoopy Rock, Coffeepot Rock, etc. The colors change a lot as the sun moves.  The color contrast between the bright blue sky, the green scrub brush and the red rock is breath taking.

Jerome Saloon

While staying in Sedona we saw Chapel of the Holy Cross, and day tripped to Cottonwood, Jerome: an old mining town that was nearly abandoned in the 1950's when the mine closed and the population dropped from 1000 to less than 400 people.  The town still has an old west mining feel and is mostly supported by tourism now. We saw the Tuzigoot National monument which is Native American ruins from roughly 1125- 1400AD.  On the drive down to Phoenix we tried to go to V-bar-V to see petroglyphs but it was closed so we made do with Montezuma Well and Montezuma Castle which continued the trend we saw starting with Tuzigoot of really poorly named things. 

Montezuma Well: a self sustaining well with a constant spring in the bottom, middle. Two Native American groups consider it their source of origin.

Tuzigoot is a derivative of Tuzighoot which means crooked water in an Apache language, named for the creek that runs nearby. Tuzigoot (with a different emphasis) means nothing in any language. There was a reference at most National monuments in this area to the Sin Agua Indians.  That name comes from a Spanish explorers name for the  hills nearby, Sierra Sin Agua, though most historians now recognize that there were never a people who referred to themselves or were referred to by others as the Sinaguas. Montezuma, of course, was never in Arizona but the inital discovery team thought that both the well and castle may have been part of the Aztec empire ruled over by Montezuma.  Hey, it was the 1800's, no google back then. There were again references to the Sinaguas at MC and MW.

Old World Brewery sampler.  The Season was Yard Dog - a sour version of the Dark Knight Porter.

The last night in Arizona we stayed in Phoenix due to our 5am flight the following day. I wasn't sure how we'd pass the time until I found a LivingSocial deal for Old World Brewery. Two tasting flights of five samples each, two pint glasses, a six pack for $17. We met Matt, the head brewer and chatted him and another employee up about their beers.  That earned us three more tastes, two off the tanks in the back. The Dark Knight Porter is their most popular beer and I can understand why.  The guys then recommended Angel's Trumpet to us.  Wow.  I wish that Angel's was in Seattle.  35 taps including local beers and imports.  Three taps turned over in the hour and a half we were there.  We each got a six place sampler for $9 and picked different from each other to have the biggest spread. What a stellar selection.  The food was plentiful and very good.  We even saw Matt from Old World again!

Final thoughts on the trip:
It proved to be a very good, potentially important step in my still budding relationship with 25. We got along through navigation snafus, nights of very short sleep, familial trials and lots of time together. We stayed near our loosely outlined budget, neither left the other on the side of a road, and, speaking only for myself, I enjoyed my time immensely for the historical aspects, the romantic possibilities and the breathtaking scenery.

I Survived!

We both did actually.  I didn't kill him nor vice versa, though we all know which was the bigger threat.  I made it through my first trip with a someone-I'm-dating. Prior to this, my only trip with a someone was when I came back to Washington to visit family.  That doesn't really count because the stress was about a 1.2 on the Richter scale, not a 7.5.  There wasn't any flying, setting an agenda, navigating, etc. We had all of that plus he met my mom and step dad.

We flew out at before the crack of dawn on Friday.  It was painfully early, and I'm kind of a morning person. The flight to Phoenix was direct and by the time we picked up the rental car it felt like it should have been three in the afternoon when in reality it was 9:30 am. We snagged a quick bite and headed for Flagstaff, where we would stay two nights.  He very wisely suggested a nap and we were both semi-conscious at best by then. El Capitan provided a great pre-nap snack complete with high class beer  . . . a PBR tall boy in a paperbag.

We went to Lowell Observatory that night and saw Jupiter plus four of it's moons.  There is a telescope there that was built about 1906. It was educational and interesting.  The area smelled like the world's best campground, wood smoke and piney.  The staff were all amazingly friendly and knowledgeable. There is a AAA discount and we spend a whopping three plus hours there. I recommend it.

That night we went to Beaver Street Brewery that wasn't far away.  We split a sampler of all eight beers they had on tap, all their own.  A couple were very good, like the Red Rock Raspberry.  A few were disappointing.  My Pesto Cream Cheese bake was stellar though to claim it was unhealthy was an understatement. His chicken soup taste like it had been left out in the woods to get gamey.  ick.

Saturday we went to the Grand Canyon.  I'd never been and was excited to go.  It's a couple hours drive there and we had a stutter start with low tire pressure and snack finding. The weather was good enough but without direct sun the Canyon takes on a strange 2D quality. It looks like all the postcards you've seen.  The closer levels of red rock look 3D and have depth and detail.  The North Rim (we were standing on the South Rim) looks very flat and the edges are fuzzy. The point of focus in the distance isn't really one point but a line.  It's strange but not entirely unappealing.  We spent about six hours walking around, taking in the visitors center and geology museum.  We walked about five miles, walked, sat, snacked, people-watched and really enjoyed the day there.  It was a fantastic day.

I do need to comment on some of the looney toons at national parks.  I understand that National Parks are made for the public, but I don't really like the public.  If I were ever to be ridiculously wealthy I would pay for the privilege to go to some of these sites alone. sort of a "I'll make a huge donation if you close the park for me for half a day" kind of thing. End of March/early April is spring break for some schools and of course lots of folks take their families to the Grand Canyon, but man, why does everyone have children? UGH!! There seemed to be very few well behaved, quiet children.  There were children with whistles, children running around in the walking path of others, etc. We also noted the man who walked out to the edge of the Canyon for photos and the presumed entertainment of his friends.  He was dressed head to toe in Columbia/REI gear which was overkill considering the rims of the Canyon have paths and little trekking. There was a family who had a couple of kids.  They'd gone to the trouble to bring their kids all the way to the Grand Canyon but were "smart" enough to keep one kid in the stroller staring at an ipad so that he didn't get any exercise or enjoy/see/learn from the experience.

 It was nice to see that the US government hasn't caved and put rails and glass on every edge of the Grand Canyon to prevent people from accidentally or intentionally maiming themselves. That said, it did mean that I contemplated throwing a particularly irritating child in to the canyon. I wouldn't but it was a nice thought.

Sunday was Easter.  We found a little place called Bellevia for breakfast.  It was very busy with a high turnover so we didn't wait long.  The Eggs Benedict selection was interesting and different; I had the king crab and jack cheese.  If you need a singular reason to go it's the cafe aloha!! Think mocha but with coconut cream instead of chocolate syrup.  Afterward was a leisurely stroll around town in the sun and some shopping. Sunset crater was our destination for the day.  There were two associated sites there and apparently we missed the third/last/best site.  Other than that, the day was kind of a miss for seeing something interesting and amazing.  The company and weather were good but I got a bit surly and we gave up on the sites.  That evening we headed back in to town to meet up with my mom, stepdad, sister and a couple that are family friends. Dinner at Salsa Brava to wrap up the day before we crashed.

I'll wrap up the trip in Sedona in the next blog post.

Pre-trip Jitters

Today is a big day.  Not because I fly to Arizona tomorrow.  I'm not a nervous flyer, never have been.  I do always get butterflies for about eight to twelve hours before my flight but I reckon that's because I'm nervous about missing my flight.  As soon as I'm at the gate waiting to board, the butterflies take a nap.

Its not because I'm going to the Grand Canyon (finally, right?).

It's not because I'm once again intrusting the lives of my "kids" to someone else.  I happen to have a reliable pet sitter who, as far as I can tell, does well by my cat and dog. I will surely have several days of the shadows when I get back though.  They follow me around relentlessly for at least three days after I get back from any trip longer than two days.

No, today is a big day because tomorrow I go on a trip with someone I'm dating. This is a first. Virgin Territory for me. I didn't even go on a real trip with my ex-husband.  I don't count a trip from Utah back to Seattle to visit family, doubly so because we drove and there was no hotels or equal stressors.

We fly out Friday very, very, painfully early and we'll be back almost as early on Thursday. That means fully six and a half days together. That means practically living together for those days.  We will be eating, sleeping, um . . everything-ing together. He's going to meet my mom and step-dad for the first time too. Which I'm not terribly concerned about but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at all concerned about.

I think we've maneuvered through the minefield of expenses pretty darn well so far.  We haven't been seeing each other so long yet that we've merged incomes and unfortunately, neither of us is independently wealthy.  Instead, we had to have a talk about expected expenses for the trip, how much each of use can afford, how we like to travel (five-star hotels or one-star tragedies?), etc.  We have both put money out for reservations so that if either back out, we're equally screwed.

We've made some rough plans about things we want to see, like the Grand Canyon and a huge telescope, but left the overall itinerary mostly open. I feel like it will be a good "test" (I don't really want to use that word, but have here for lack of the exact sentiment  I want).  People are different when they are under stress, in airports, trying to give or take direction, worried about costs and keeping their partner happy.  To be honest, I'm more worried about him seeing a side of me that surprises him or turns him off than vice versa.  I've cautioned him about the seasoned traveler in me that shuns meandering in the airport and packs sparsely. I'll definitely need to remember that I'm not traveling alone for work and act accordingly.

Wish me luck. You'll hear about it next week, whether you want to or not!

Retaining Sanity and Losing Weight

Since I'm waiting to find out where I'll be working next, and with which company, I've got some time on my hands.  When you're working full time, time off sounds great.  When you're waiting to work and don't know when your next paycheck is going to come in, time off can be the kiss of death. If I already knew when and where I was going to start working, I could go on vacation, maybe scuba somewhere or visit some friends on other continents. Since I don't, I end up trying to stay home . . . a lot.  Inevitably, leaving the house means spending money.  I go to Home Depot to get supplies for house projects, I go for acupuncture, I go out to have a meal with a friend.  It all costs.

To try and keep the costs down while maintaining what's left of my sanity (I hear you snickering, I know there's not much left!), I've been hitting the gym.  I already had a membership, so no additional money out the door there.  It gets me out of the house and since it's Spring in the PNW, the weather is more often than not still pretty lousy (see yesterday's post). Not to mention that everyone else is working so it's darn tough to find a hiking/snowshoeing buddy midweek.

I had my first monthly check-in with a trainer in nine months.  Now, I'd gotten on the gym kick not long after I moved back to Seattle.  The problem came first during the holidays as I got out of the habit and when I was on the road.  Sure there was a gym at the hotel, but it didn't have the set up I wanted and really, after an eleven hour day, it was the last thing I wanted to do. So, my first weigh in, measurement check since May of 2012.  Honestly, I knew it wasn't going to be pretty.  I could tell a few ounces here, a few more there had snuck in.  I am up about ten pounds from where I was in May. By May, I had been working out about ten weeks solidly so I was lighter than when I first got back.  That being said, half of that ten pounds I put on was lean muscle and my tape measurements (weight, hips, etc) hadn't changed much.

I've got some goals on the horizon and instead of doing what I usually do, which is: I don't tell anyone that I'm making changes, hope someone notices, am accountable to no one else, and end up falling off the wagon. Intead, I'm telling all of you.  I mentioned that I want to do four mud run/obstacle courses this year.  I'm hoping for one in each month of June, July, august and September.  Anything beyond that is a bonus. The Tacoma metro area also hosts fun runs and pub runs that start as short as two miles.  I'm going to do at least two.  While I realize that I could go out and run on my own without paying an entry fee ranging from $10 to $75, I know I won't.  I hate running.  I'll swim, I'll bike, I'll do the elliptical at the gym, but I won't run unless I'm financially and socially obligated. I know I'm not the only one since these runs have gained a huge following in the last several years.
I want to lose at least fifteen pounds and gain definition, tone and health. I want to be ready for a four day backpacking trip in September.  I want to keep up with the hiking group much better than last year. I want to feel great in a swim suit this summer.

On that note, I'm off to tackle a to do list.  I've gone to the gym the last three days in a row and I'm so sore I could hardly get my coffee cup off the shelf today.  I'm taking the day off the gym and instead doing fun things like hanging artwork, and a closet door, painting patched up dings in the hallway, and cleaning the bathroom.  Wooooooo!!!

Thirteen months and Three Days ago

Thirteen months and three days ago, I flew home.

I left Jakarta.  Its been an interesting year.  I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I can't complain (not that it does any good anyway). In the last year I:

• made a few great friends and some good ones too,
• completed two mud run, obstacle courses,
• went snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking,
• took over the house after mom moved,
• visited California, Oregon, Montana and Eastern Washington,
• worked the majority of the year in a new field where I learned and excelled,
• went to two music festivals and several other shows
• dated and more specifically, I started dating one particular person, 
• started on the path to being a healthier, happier me physically, mentally and emotionally. 

My transition back to the ol' US of A was fairly smooth.  As with most of the big changes in my life, it was in a lot of ways made possible by my mom. She was the one who suggested I get in to Epic training, she housed me when I got home, she supported me as I learned the pros and cons of contracting work. I made myself get out and make connections, make new friends and have new experiences.

There are a few things that I miss about Jakarta.  Mostly the people. It's very hard to stay in touch with people half the world and fifteen hours time difference away. I occasionally miss having a maid but I've managed to get back in the routine of doing my dishes and vacuuming without any tears. I rarely tire of driving instead of taxiing around.  I do hate the cost of the car (insurance, gas, maintenance), but other than after nights of drinking, don't miss taxis much.  I definitely don't miss the lack of outdoor opportunities.  About once a month I get a real hankering for warung friend rice or satay. Other than missing my friends, I miss how far money goes there including traveling for weeks at a time to amazing places.

As you can tell if you've read many of my blog posts, I'm a list maker.  I constantly have to do lists, shopping lists, follow up on lists, etc. I didn't exactly make New Years resolutions but I've got a few lists.

I want to complete:

• 2 or more scuba trips
• 2 or more camp trips 
• 3 or more live music shows
• 3 or more trips to other states (first one at the end of this month!!)
• 4 or more mud runs
• 5 or more kayak outtings
• 8 or more hikes

We (the guy I'm dating and I) also have a to do list.  I'm really excited about it to be honest. It includes things that are touristy Seattle things, some more generic/routine things, some specific to us things. Not only have I met someone who indulges my list making, but also wanting to make a list with me. It's maybe the best list yet.

Pit falls of traveling for work

When you think abstractly about traveling for work it sounds great.  The company pays for your airfare, hotel, rental car and gives you a stipend or reimburses you for food. You'll go to new and different places. It will be FUN! It will be EXCITING!

In actuality it will be EXHAUSTING! It will GET OLD!

Most people in airports don't travel weekly, or even monthly. They stop in the middle of the walkway, they let their kids wander all over, they run into people and things with their rolling suitcases.  Want to know a secret?  When you go through security, get in the line with the most business flyers. They know, as do I, how to go through any mental detector without setting it off.  They won't forget to take their laptop or liquids out of their suitcase.  They will have worn shoes that are easy on/easy off and will know that you have to take off your belt, jacket and scarf. Don't, under any circumstance, get in the line with families, seniors who travel yearly at best, groups of teenagers for school or sport trips. If I could fly for work going to airport that only contained other business flyers that would be brilliant.

Staying in hotels sounds like fun too.  You have a restaurant in the lobby, you can get room service, most have a pool, perhaps a sauna, someone will clean up after you every day. It's also not home.  You don't have all your things there.  There may be a fridge in the room but it will have about two square foot capacity. You want to try to eat healthy right?  That holds three yogurts, two apples, a bottle of juice and one of tea, a small carton of milk, a half dozen string cheese and that's about it. Remember, you have to buy things that either does require cooking or you can make using hot water from the coffee maker or potentially a microwave, though I only get a room with a micro about half the time. Wait, you're traveling. You don't have to eat in your room,  you can go out to eat. Most people like the idea of eating out . . . until they've eaten out for two weeks straight.  The food isn't usually the healthiest, and if it is you're surely going over your stipend.  Not to mention that sometimes you want something prepared exactly as you like it. Frito pie with extra cheese, the fritos and chili in layers, a few globs of sour cream and topped with Sri Racha?  Not in a restaurant.

The only time I watch TV (aside from the rare Hulu binge) is when I'm in hotels.  I don't have a TV or cable/dish at home. I'll admit it was fun to watch the Grammy's and the Academy Awards since I happened to have a big, flat screen TV mounted in my room. Unfortunately, I also learned there are shows called "Swamp people" "My 600lb life" and "My Strange Addiction". There was plenty to scare me away from TV watching.  The first week or two I watched TV most nights.  I'd turn it on for noise in the room.  It wasn't long before I was making two or three passes through the roughly 35 channels and seeing absolutely nothing worth watching, and I do think my "worth watch" bar is reasonably low.  I watched a couple nights of Storage Wars marathons after all.

At least you get to see some cool new places right? Not so much.  When you work nine to twelve hour days, it makes it very tough to go see the city after.  Doubly true for small towns where shops close up early. Not to mention I was going to snow based cities in January and February.  With my luck, I'd get sent to Florida in July. 

Lastly, I didn't really exist.  I got a few text messages from friends asking if I'd died or just dropped off the face of the earth. I couldn't make any plans because even if I was going to be home for the weekend, the odds were high that I'd be exhausted. I'd fly in and get to my house about 9:30pm Friday night.  I had to do laundry and repack, hang out with my "kids" Skeeter the dog and BJ the cat, invariably do a few errands, then it was about 4pm on Sunday and time to head back to the airport. I missed beerfests, birthdays and special events.  I missed 80% of snowshoe season.

Fingers crossed I can find a local job and enjoy some time at home, being out and active, seeing my friends and keeping the "kids" company.

Missoula to Spokane and back again

Apparently traveling for six weeks for work isn't conducive to much other than work and exhaustion.

I spent two weeks in Missoula, Montana. Its a college town, home to U of Montana.  There are a few redeeming qualities, like the local breweries. I went to Draught Works and Tamarack Brewing.  I had Bayern, Big Sky and Kettlehouse beers as well as Whitefish brewing from Whitefish, MT.

Yummy Bayern

My first day in town.  There was snow on the ground all the time I was there.

Tamarack Brewing

There might be lovely things to do in Montana in the late Spring/Summer such as hiking, camping, whitewater kayaking, fishing, etc, etc. In winter, it was just dark and cold.  I walked to work in the dark and walked home in the dark.  I worked eleven of the twelve days I was there and I saw very little of the town as most of it closed up at 6pm on weeknights. My one day off was partially spent doing laundry, but I did get to see it in daylight. It's a quaint town that feels like it's behind the times and underpopulated.  I'm sure the area near the university had a different feel but I was in the old downtown area.

Missoula - My hotel was the big rectangular one on the right.

After Missoula, I spent four weeks in Spokane.  I could easily repeat most of the above about  Spokane. It's a college town, with several big universities around. It would have been great to go snowshoe on Mt. Spokane but that was not to be.  Aside from that, breweries, good food etc. I was there during Restaurant Week and enjoyed an amazing meal at Clinkerdagger. I had company come visit me the last weekend I was there instead of flying back home.  We got to enjoy some sunshine, a long walk around town and Boo Radley's novelty store.

Spokane, Riverside park.  My hotel was the opposite side of the river and north about two blocks.

While I did get to go home three weekends during the six weeks, it often felt it was barely worth the effort. I'd get home about 9:30pm on Friday night after catching a 6:30 or 7pm flight and picking up my car on arrival.  At least part of Saturday was spent doing laundry, repacking, doing errands.  Then on Sunday, I'd leave again for the airport about 4pm. 

All of that considered, it felt wonderful to not have to fly out again on Monday the fourth.  I've been home a week and a half now and have happily settled back in to my routines.  The pooch and cog (my cat who acts like a dog) are both very content that I am home, walking and spoiling, I mean feeding them again. I've been cooking up a storm.  Chili, cornbread, banana bread, chicken, banana bites. It's nice to be able to make what I want, when I want it and not be limited to only a microwave and tiny fridge.

There really is no place like home!

How NOT to blog

Apparently, there are several things that are less than ideal for blogging.

The first, very obviously, is being on the road for work for six weeks working lots and not having a laptop.
I know this seems like a "well duh!" moment, but I thought I could work around it.  I bought a tablet because my laptop is old and slow and cripplingly heavy. I kept the tablet for a whopping three weeks.  It didn't support some of the programs I wanted, I didn't use it nearly as much as I thought I would (like for blogging!) so I got my $250 back. I thought I'd blog the first two weeks I was away when I did have my laptop with me.

I didn't.

I didn't blog when I was home on the weekends.  Granted, I'd fly to Seattle and arrive at home about 21:30 Friday night then leave again for the airport about 16:00 Sunday. That left roughly 43 hours at home. I spend those meager hours enjoying myself and to some small degree, feeling guilty about not doing chores even though that was the last thing I wanted to do.  I only got home three of the five weekends that I was working away so honestly, I don't feel that guilty about not doing chores.(promise and threat, expect at least one more blog about work).

The second thing that is less than ideal for blogging is happiness.  I know that some people do blog about all the sunshine/smiley/happy moments in life.  I've approached blogging much like a songwriter. Pain, frustration and suffering make for great songs! They are the nourishment needed for poets to create. Happiness, at least in my case, breeds blogging laziness. When I'm (mostly) happy, I don't have anything to rant about (except work of course). I have more patience.  The storm in my soul has weakened from a Nor'Easterner to a springtime Seattle drizzle.

I might be able to talk about my happiness . . . there are two reasons I probably won't.  One - It's hard to be witty and biting and sarcastic about happy things. Two - I understand that things on the internet exist forever.   I don't mind that when I'm snarky.  The happiness in my life I protect to the exclusion of blogs.  It's easy to jinx happiness in my experience. So to that end. . .

Expect a few blog coming up but still containing vitriol about common stupidity, inane life happenings and work, because that's a great thing to vent about.  Don't expect me to extol the details of my happy internal land of sunshine, kittens and ice cream.

Three?

They say bad things happen in threes.  These definitely don't qualify as the world's worst but they should at least be int he world's most inconvenient category.

I woke up this morning at abotu 6:15.  My alarm was set for 6:30 so I rolled over to grab a couple minutes more.  When I woke up again I thought that it felt like a long fifteen minutes and I was right. It was 6:40.  My phone was dead. I somehow managed to get to Missoula without a phone charger, or any other cables actually. I'd borrowed a cable from a friend and used it.  The phone was at about 10% last night and this morning it wouldn't do anything.  I didn't know if it was just a dead battery or certifiably dead. Great. No phone. No way for co-workers or family or anyone to reach me.

I was able to get a charger at the Verizon store this evening when they confirmed it was just a dead battery. He gave me 25% off the charger and drastically (12.99 down to 3.74) screen protectors too. Ok! Back as part of the world!

I got back to the hotel and had a voicemail. It was from my neighbor who is taking care of my dog and cat while I'm away. She'd left a message saying that there was a veritable river of water running down my front porch. She couldn't tell what the source was or what the problem was. Damn.  She also knows my mom and called her about the water when she couldn't reach me.  Mom had another neighbor turn the water for the house off at the streets and he's going to monitor. I have no idea what the damage is.  It could be just the spigot, it could be a full pipe burst. With the water off I could repair the former, I can definitely not repair the later.

I won't be home for another nine days and when I do get home, I'm only home for about 42 hours. I can't schedule repairs since I don't know what's wrong and I won't be there to authorize and pay for it.  That may mean my only day home is spent fixing the house and not showering.  For Fucksake.  Is there a worse time this could have happened?

Now. . . What's number three?

Hi!! Ohhhhh, Montana!!

I'm on the road for work.  This trip has taken me to Missoula, Montana. I'll be here for twelve days. I expect to work at least nine of those days. Here's the break down so far:

Pros -
* Sunny, not super dense low lying fog like at home recently.
* Local Microbreweries - I tried DraughtWorks on Sunday.  They had a great bock beer (De-Bock-ery) and a good ale (Half Nuts Rye English Brown Ale).  I'm hoping to try both KettleHouse and Taproot this week.  I also bought Bitterroot ales at the grocery.
* A payday! Paying the bills isn't overrated!
* A change of scenery doesn't hurt.  I've been walking to and from work, the snow is pretty.  It's good mental stimulation to be working

Cons -
* It's a small town in Montana.  Even though I'm working most days and I'm only here twelve days, how much is there to do?
* It's cold.  Really cold.  Forecasted high of 31 today but I was outside only in the dark at 7 am and 630pm. Snow is predicted on Wednesday.
* It killed a few plans I had at home.  This project backs straight up into one in February with only a weekend home in between.
* Usually for a long stay, I'd be put up in a hotel with a mini kitchen in it.  This time, just a regular hotel which means lots of eating out and cold food in the room.

I've been assigned to the Internal Medicine outpatient clinic.  Ten providers, fifteen nursing staff that I'm helping.  There have been a few other support people but they are all in and out and busy with other things.  I'm the only one dedicated to that floor. They were all very nice and grateful.  No one excessively angry or frustrated. I got free lunch and put in a bunch of hours, which fills out my paycheck. I was busy and on my feet all day which is a pro and con. I'm going to try to get a blog up most days but we'll see how close I get to that.

Baggage Theory

No one gets to thirty without some baggage.  Even those among us who have had less than a thousand first dates.

I've narrowed my philosophy on this one this:

I'm looking for someone who has carry on baggage, not checked.

I've traveled quite a bit so the analogy speaks to that experience.
Carry on baggage means:
you know how to travel light. Work with what you've got.  You're willing to do laundry instead of carry extra clothes. You prefer to fly through the airport, only arriving an hour before your flight, and know how to get through security without setting off a metal detector.

Checked baggage means:
You favor stuff over the mobility to do stuff.  You are potentially inexperienced, taking everything with you, instead of making do and letting go. You have to spend lots of time waiting both to check and retrieve your stuff.

I'm divorced.  That's a phrase I don't say often.  I'm not embarrassed by it.  I'm not proud of it.  But it honestly doesn't come up often in my life.  I usually make a point of mentioning it to people I'm dating/friends at some point.  It has to be a conscientious mention because it never comes up otherwise. He's not in my life, at all.  That's not hyperbole.  When I left, after the paperwork was done, the house was sold, the things divided, I left. I believe when you split from someone, there's usually a very good reason.  I had my reasons.  I still believe they were the right ones, that I was justified. Few people get to know the whole story.

I'm proud of the fact that my baggage is carry on. Maybe it's because I've evolved as I've traveled.  I take less stuff.  I won't break my back to have an extra change of clothes.  I know that if I forget my ________ (toothbrush, flip flops, etc) I can buy them there.  I know it's easier to buy liquids like shampoo wherever I'm going. I like not waiting in line to hand over my bag only to worry if it will show up at the same place and at the same time that I do. I like flinging my bag on my back and being boat/bus/hike ready.  All of that is true when I travel.  Most of it is also true for my emotional baggage.  I like that I'm not being crushed under the weight of past hurts. I feel that I've learned from past mistakes, I acknowledge their role in shaping who I am now, and importantly who I date now..

I usually say that I got out of a marriage about as well as anyone could. No kids, we sold or split the rest of the "things" we had together.  I went to see a psychiatrist even when he wouldn't.  I made peace with my decisions, let myself off the hook for some of the bad ones, resolved to make fewer bad ones in the future and enjoy my life.

Right now, most of my dates are from online sites.  For better or worse, that means I can filter who I date with a simple check box.  While there currently isn't a "beard" or "no beard" box to check, I do filter out men with kids.  Kids is a level of baggage that some with staff and ex's and and and  . . . .WHOA. I don't even know if I want my own yet but I'm sure that at this point, I don't want someone else's.  They may be great kids (because doesn't everyone think their own kids are great?) but they come with an ex-wife or ex-gf who is permanently attached to them.

I'll have you know I had some great visuals, but for the second post in a row, I can't upload pictures again!  ARGH, damn you Blogger!  --UPDATE: HAH! I found a work around!

2 months? Holy . .

It's infinitely interesting to me how time is so elastic and infinite and undefinable.  Yes, I suppose we as a people have defined it by breaking  time as a whole into days and hours and seconds. Yet there are episodes in life when time flies. When a year is gone and you haven't even lifted your head to see it zoom by the window.  There are other periods when a day lasts eons and even staring at the clock doesn't mean you can will it to drag by a tiny bit faster.

My life these days is a fairly random mix of these two I suppose.  I both knew it had been ages since I blogged and didn't really feel the time sliding by as it went. The last two months have been a bit chaotic, though not in an entirely undesirable way. 

Between October 30th and November 24th I spent only four days at home in Seattle. The rest was in Southern California.  First, a ten day trip to visit my mom and best friend Ana.  That was a chosen, vacation -type trip. I enjoyed my time there and trucked back home with a smile on my face.  The day after I arrived home I was contacted by a company, SSI, that I have been working with.  They needed someone to rush down to  California to help at a clinic.  Funny enough, it was the exact area my mom was working and only about 15 minutes from where Ana lives. More rants about this company later.  They sent me down to work in Torrance from Nov 11-16th.  I asked to have my flight back delayed a week as was able to spend Thanksgiving with my mom, stepdad and about twenty members (no exaggeration) of his family. It was nice to see them for the holiday since I had sworn I would not fly for turkey day.  Too many crazies.  Since my flight was the 11th, it was actually ok. I'll probably do a separate post about Thanksgiving.  At least it gives you a timeline for why I haven't blogged.

I returned home on the 25th and have been cleaning, recovering, shopping and seeing friends since. I know I need to get back to blogging; for my own benefit more than anyone else's. Blog you can expect to see this month:
Awful drivers
DNR
Seasons/daylight
Online dating!!
Crush
Holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas
More dating
Updates
Wintering

Da da daaaaa. . . . Unemployed!

It's official, I'm unemployed. 

I just filed for unemployment benefits for the first time EVER. As a contractor, I knew my contract was finite. The end came slightly more abruptly and in a less courteous manner than I'd have hoped for, but I knew it was coming.  The nice thing about being a contractor is that you do know it's going to end.  When I was let go/downsized from a job before it was a surprise and upsetting.  This time it was a good thing.  Being without a paycheck isn't a good thing but getting a final answer was.  VMC was being mysterious about what they were going to do with me (end my contract, move me to another department) and that made me more anxious than having a decision. 

I'm working with several contracting firms and recruiters.  I'm applying to everything in the field and can interview any time.  It looks like there will be several projects starting in October and I should be well placed to take a position on one of them.  Lots of options too: local, travel, longer term, very short term. Hmmmm, what will be next on my agenda?

I am in that old catch 22.  I wanted to travel but didn't have any time to do so with work and no vacation days.  Now I have the time but since I don't know when the next paycheck will come in, I shouldn't spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a trip just yet.  When I lock in a new job, then maybe. Although, Portland and California are so close they don't really count as travel, right?

With that, I'm off to a phone interview. Fingers crossed!

Diving head to head

Koh Tao is great diving for coral reefs, wildlife and a great first experience.  Pattaya is very different.  I would've hated the place if I hadn't been diving.

Pattaya is one of the original places in Thailand for sex tourists.  There were lots of bars that were full of single women at each table, waiting for men to come in "looking for company".  There weren't as many girly bars - topless, strip clubs, etc-as in Phuket. But the men were older, more desperate, creepier. There were men traveling in twos or threes picking up girls who looked young enough to be their granddaughters, although it's hard to estimate age in Asian women. Aside from my first part of a day walking around, I spent every other day I was there out on the boat.  That's the best way to pass time in Pattaya.

The best diving in Pattaya is the wreck diving.  There are three wrecks, two intentional sinkings that are mast upright and nearly identical except one has been down eight years and one has been down five. The third is a ship that was used as a cargo ship in World War Two after the Japanese took over Thailand. It's been down since 1945. It is on it's side with cargo spilled, holes cut in the hull when they salvaged the engines and oil barrels, and it's covered in sea life. After doing two wreck dives the first day I decided I might as well get my Wreck Specialty certification.  I spent two days doing four dives on the Hardeep, the WWII wreck. I mapped it, lined in and out and in general, thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Pattaya beach

Good eats at the night market.  And pork to boot!

Our departure point for diving

Hardeep wreck info

After Pattaya I headed to Aryutthaya, a city that used to be a royal capital.  It's a small city just north of Bangkok that is an island of sorts.  It's a couple square miles of land completely surrounded by rivers. It has more temples per square inch than anywhere I've ever seen. They're gorgeous. I took a riverboat ride at sunset that showcased three of the oldest and most beautiful. I stayed three nights, but didn't get as much time in town since it took me almost a full day to get there even though it's not far from Pattaya.

Temple from the river at sunset

Very old temple in a park

My least port of call in Thailand was Bangkok.  I didn't see much of the city.  By that point my ankle was still swollen and very painful.  It was limiting my mobility.  I even made an appointment with the doc from Thailand for the day I got back.  The cut on my left foot that I mentioned previously? It was infected.  I'd sought assistance at a pharmacy in Pattaya but with all the time in the ocean I think it never dried or I got a bug from the sea in it.  I was almost as painful as the ankle.  I was exhausted mentally and physically so stayed pretty close to my hotel.  Consequently I only saw two markets and a mall.  Two of the three were straight across the street from where I was staying. I did get to see some pretty great public art.

Street art.  This is one of three giant tigers

Happy year of the water dragon

Treasure is where you find it.

I arrived in Jakarta at 1am, picked up a key to my friends place from her at a bar, and collapsed into her guest room. The weekend led to a debridement of my cut, a wrapping of my ankle and then just rest.

Thailand returns and the diving begins

I'm still trying to find my rhythm here in Seattle. Hence tomorrow being today which was actually six days later.

I left off at my arrival in Koh Tao. I showed up with a busted ankle but otherwise ready to get my Open Water (OWD) scuba certification. Koh Tao is a tiny island that is a diving mecca.  It's reputed to be the cheapest place in the world to get certified.  Koh Tao is the most northern of the three islands off the east coast of Thailand and the hardest to get to.  It has over 25 dive shops and more than a dozen dive sites.

Phoenix Divers shop patio

The pink beast

After talking to the shop I wanted  to do my cert with, we decided I'd wait a day to start.  Tuesday was a rest day, and most of it in a restaurant or in my hut to stay off my feet.  The dive shops are competitive and offer great packages. With my OWD I got four free nights lodging in a little hut.  Nothing fancy but enough room to spread out.  The fan was enough and the mozzie net greatly appreciated. The course was a half day the first day, all classroom work watching videos and doing worksheets. Day two was coursework in the morning and pool "diving" in the afternoon.  Its the first time we gear up and practice the required skills. Day three is the written test and afternoon dive in the ocean while completing skills.  Day four was a morning dive and then we were finished. There were only three of us in my class and Al, our instructor, said we were the easiest class he'd had in a long time.  No one failed their test or skills and we had a good time along the way.

Outside my hut

I was hooked from the first dive.  I grew up a pool rat, starting on swim team at age six and working as a lifeguard and swim instructor for nearly nine years.  If I'd grown up in a warmer climate I guarantee I would have gotten my certificate much sooner. The only downside, something learned since Koh Tao, is that the diving SO good that it makes everything else pale in comparison.

Last dive for OWD!!

I finished my OWD and the two guys in my course both left the island.  I took a day off and then went straight into AWD, Advanced Open Water Diver. No one else signed up so it was just Al and I.  No jump in price even though it was a private class, AND because it was my second course with them I got a discount. I'm now cleared to dive up to thirty meters, in low visibility/at night, using navigation techniques and a dive computer and I have perfect buoyancy. I also managed to put a gash in the outside of my left foot too.  Remember that for later.

In all I was on Koh Tao about ten days and was hard pressed to leave.  I didn't see much of the island except what was in walking distance of Phoenix Divers and I didn't mind. The food was close and good, or good enough.  At night the vibe was mellow.  There was a bar with a great fireshow, even better than Koh Phi-Phi.  And here's the kicker.  The performers are under 15 years old. Next time I'll rent a motorbike and see the peaks and other coves on the island. From Koh Tao I could have taken two boats to a bus or train to Bangkok.  Instead I spent a little more and saved myself a day of travel.  I took the local boat to Koh Samui, spent the night and then flew out to Pattaya in the morning.  Bangkok Airways gets a big gold star from me.  Free deli snacks and beverages at the airport, food on the plane, nice attendants and all for a flight that was just over an hour.

I'd booked a bed in a eight person room in Pattaya.  I got in and found Mermaid Divers on my first afternoon. After walking around the city for an estimated five miles and seven hours, I went back and found I'd lucked. I was the only one in my room. Mermaids picked me up in the morning and we went out diving.

An outline of diving in Pattaya and contrasting it with Koh Tao, Bangkok, Arutthaya and (hopefully) a wrap up of Thailand tomorrow.

Thailandia

Knowing that I was leaving Indonesia, I took full advantage of my last school holiday with a trip to Thailand. Luckily my friend Donna was also on holiday and decided to join me.  We flew to Penang, Malaysia on Christmas.  It was a very, very early flight and we'd both been up all night. I spent Christmas eve in a bar on the scrungy backpacker street in Jakarta surrounded by friends. It was a great night despite recovering from a stomach bug. Donna and I spent the morning of the 26th enjoying Penang and then caught a quick flight up to Phuket.

Phuket is one of the two big ports in Thailand. It's a large island off the west coast ringed with beautiful beaches. We elected to stay in Phuket town as opposed to the tourist strip.  I really liked Phuket town.  It has the feel of an artist community.  It has a smaller, quieter feel. We made the bus ride to "downtown" for a "transvestite extravaganza".  The ladyboys and shows are a big draw in Phuket.  It was fantastic.  The ladies were all so beautiful and the performance mesmerizing. The night life in general was completely a different world from Jakarta or anywhere else. We went to a ping-pong show.  Modesty and potential embarrassment prohibit me from explaining exactly what that was but I'm sure google will help you.A day boat trip to James Bond island was a nice day activity.

From Phuket we went to Koh Phi-Phi (pronounced pee-pee).  Koh is Thai for island. It is a party center for gap year kids with time and liver cells to burn. We were only there for two night but one of them happened to be New Year's Eve. We did drink and carry on but not nearly as long as some of the kids. We also got out on a longtail boat for a snorkel trip and saw turtles!

Reilay, near Krabi, would be the last place Donna and I visited together.  It's a small town that's a rock climbing mecca. The beaches are short and rocky for the most part, although there is a beautiful sandy beach surrounded by limestone boulders/cliffs. Unfortunately a good part of our time there was eaten up checking on bus and train availability.  After Donna left, I went for a half day rock climbing trip.  The rocks were busy but the belaying lesson went well.  I was the first one to go up.  Our course wasn't set for beginners as it zig-zagged up.  I was about a quarter of the way up went I had some trouble finding a handhold.  I slipped three times before I found my way.  The first slip was a big one.  The guide hadn't taken enough line in and I dropped about two or three meters (I was told) and whacked my right foot. I made it to the top  but when I got down and the adrenaline wore off I realized how bad my ankle was. It swelled up a lot very quickly and I had to call off any further climbs.  It made the transportation day I had planned seem long.

My next stop was Koh Tao.  It's the northern most of a three island cluster off the east coast. It's not an easy trip from Reilay to Koh Tao and mine was less easy than I'd hoped.  A longtail boat to Krabi, a van, a bus.  Upon reaching Surat Thani on the east coast I found out that the overnight boat to Koh Tao wasn't running due to weather.  I met Francesca who was in the same boat.  We elected to stay the night and catch the morning boat.  The bus picked us up in the morning for an hour ride to the port.  The boat was actually two. One that made a stop in Koh Samui and went on to Koh Phangan, then a change for the last boat to Koh Tao.  A day and a half later, I limped in to Koh Tao.

More tomorrow!

Hiatus Ended

I'm back! Back home even, though "home" means lots of things. I"m back in Seattle.  I'm sorry I've been away so long.  The last two months in Asia were very busy ones.  I'll be blogging about Thailand, Bali/Gilis and a Jakarta wrap up this week. Shortly after returning to Seattle I was on a plane again.  Off to Puerto Rico for a wedding. Hence the long delay in this blog.
I'm trying to get in a groove again.  It's a big change coming back. There's snow in the forecast for today and tomorrow. I'm wearing long underwear everyday.  I've got knit hats, gloves, scarves and I'm still usually cold. I'm waiting for interviews so I don't have a routine at all. I'm keeping very busy despite not working.  There's lots to be done around the house: painting, organizing, repairs. I'm happy to be a help to my mom. I've been away for so long it feels good to see her and my sister more regularly. I'm trying to take advantage of being back in Seattle in lots of ways.  I've joined several meetup groups.  They are activity or interest based ways to meet new people.  Concert goers, hiking, happy hours, and snowshoeing are a few of mine.  I went to my first meet up last week and have two more this week-hiking and biking. Outdoor activities were virtually impossible in Jakarta.  Now I can do heaps of things. As the weather gets better there will be camping, water sports, etc.  Woooo Hooooo. I almost forgot what it's like to live in a city where the air is transparent and fresh, not gray and polluted.
I'm also having a big adjustment in my social life.  As I said, I'm trying to get out and meet some new people.  I've only got about three people I still know here.  In Jakarta I had a great group of girls who I saw all the time. There was always someone around for a salon days, dining, drinking, etc, etc, ETC! Now there's no one.  Sigh.  I know there will be people, there just aren't any yet.  Baby steps right?
Thailand part one tomorrow.  Now, off to pack comforters, change sheets and make a drop at goodwill.
Hasta mañana.

Away again

As you might have guessed by my lack of blogs recently, I'm traveling again.  This time it's Thailand.  I'm taking advantage of my last big holiday break before I leave SE Asia.  I'll be on the road for nearly a month, all in Thailand.  The first week and a half I'll have Donna, a great friend from Jakarta, along as a traveling companion.  Then I'm flying solo.  I arrived in Phuket two days ago and have been packing the days full so far.

I don't know if I'll get any blogs up while I'm on the road but I'll definitely pick up again when I get back.  I do apologize for the lack of blogs before holiday.  That was a combination of busy life and lack of interesting writing topics.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/other and Enjoys ringing in the New Year with someone they love. Catch you in 2012!

A Rare Moment

I'm not speechless but I do find myself with little to say.  I've been very busy trying to make the most of my remaining time in Indonesia, I rarely have an evening to myself. I have consolidated the radio show and business class into a single night of back-to-back busy-ness and fill at least three of the other four weeknights with dinners/get togethers.

It's year end at work which means overall reports.  If you'd like more information on that please see this blog.  I am happy to report that I finished the grade 4 scores a day before they are due and with much less stress and hassle than previously.  Its makes sense that I'd have my system down pat about the time I leave.
I've also lined up several upcoming trips.  My friend Donna and I will spend Christmas Day winging to Penang, Malaysia to spend a night and then truck up to Phuket, Thailand.  We'll travel together for about a week.  After she returns to Jakarta, I'll carry on for almost another three weeks.

I have a ridiculous five days of work at the end of January to complete my contract.  It's not even a Monday - Friday; it'll be Wednesday-Friday and the following Monday and Tuesday.  I'd hoped to squeeze in a trip to Lombok and the Gili Islands in February but that is in serious doubt now.  I'll have to wait until then and see if I have any cents left (note the intentional spelling there).

I return to the land of red, white and blue the second week of February with hopes of an interview that week.  I'll be at home long enough to unpack and rest before going to Puerto Rico for a wedding of two fantastic people I met in Spain.  Lord knows I couldn't pass up the opportunity so I'll be there a week.

That aside, there are a few things in a bigger picture but that picture is a bit fuzzy now and shan't be discussed yet. Hopefully I'll find something adequately inspiring to write you about tomorrow.