Spirited Dog

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

My New Ride

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

(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

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

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

Custom Bumper Stickers

Melakwa Lake

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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?

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

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

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