countdown to normalcy

(Otter Cove on a lovely but chilly August night.)


Normalcy? (What IS that? Does it exist for me in Burien?) Perhaps not normalcy, but the life I left to come here for, Walter, school, family. The challenge will be to hold on to what I've learned/seen/done etc. while back in civilization. (You know what I'm talking about, eh Angie? Hopefully being here for 3 months will help things stick...)
Brought the first load of stuff home this week, hoping I get the rest to fit in the wagon, didn't have time to put the storage pod on the rack.

Oh crap, I have to find a job!

Sunday is my last day at work, Chef Janay's too! Big doings are in store no doubt, must plan to sleep in on Monday.
Nathan and I are going on a "date" that evening, dinner at the New Leaf Cafe, and I'm reating myself to a night at the Outlook Inn, then it's on the road. May do a quick tour of Shaw and Lopez on my way home, haven't beent to either island this summer.

Tom and Jan came to visit this week, a short stay but nice. Thanks, you two!
Okay, I'm off to craigslist to peruse the job market - oh this is going to suck. The last time I had to go looking for work was when I applied at the Wild Ginger - 1992! (and that was easy because I had several friends there giving reccomendations)

Woe is me.

But, hey! The sun's out! Looks like my last week here will be the summer that avoided my tent.

(Wildlife, foot included to show scale, not intending to step on this fella'... how do you tell if a jellyfish is a fella'?)

Looking forward to being home -

Two weeks to go and then I will:

Sleep in my own bed
In my warm, dry bedroom
Next to my adorable dog
Just a few steps from my own bathroom
That I won't need shoes to get to

And I will miss my cat...

the month in 500 words or less (or more...)

(in the Mt. Constitution forest)

(The dot-dot-dot is for you, you know who you are...)

Okay, I know I have been a bad blogger so I have decided to give you everything that has happened and pictures too, which are worth 1000 words, which is good, because I am not writing that many today. I'll fill in later. Or you can ask questions, if you actually dare to comment, you, you... people.

Okay, apparently I lied about the 1000 words, I talk too much...

First - there are only three weeks until my departure, so if you are coming, then COME!

Okay, where did I leave you? uhhh~~~~~

Well, that took a while, but I think I've got it figured out. The week after my bike ride I hit a low, a big low (is that an, um... oxymoron? Yeah, thanks Karyssa.) Anyway, I was feeling really down and for the first time began to wonder if it was the right thing to do to come here and all that. Well apparently the Island was listening because shortly after that I (here it is, a one-liner, day-by-day account of the past month)

I:
Hung out with a hippie folk singer
Met a friendly gal from Vancouver, BC.
Spent a day in town meeting locals and talking to strangers, came a cross a lot of goodness and interesting folks, renewed my enthusiasm for this place
but... I also learned much about Doe Bay from former staffers and other locals - the place doesn't have a very glowing local reputation.
That needs to change.
Heard some great music including: the hippie folk singer for a couple of nights, then one of the best and most fun open mic nights at the cafe.
Met a guy named John, a kundalini yoga instructor/singer/really good guitar player.
Chatted with Canadian gal and her son (he was sleepy and ignored me mostly)
Hung out in the back of the hippie folk singer's van with the yoga singing dude and Freddy).
Laughed at and visited with the friendly gal from Vancouver and her son, Angie and Estevan, while they played Brain Drain in Otter Lodge
Spent some time hanging out with with Angie (recently separated, so no romance for Lance, boo hoo) and Estevan a bunch, dinner, swimming, campires, hula hoops, glowy things, they are lots of fun!
Picked up Carlee and her "friend" Elliot. (He's not "special" if you were wondering, just caught him emphasizing)

Shared cheesecake with Estevan while Angie had tea, Carlee and Elliot had dinner.


Hung out at the ferry line and goofed off.

Mom and Walter came to visit.
Carlee, Elliot, Mom, Walter and I went up Mt. Constitution, wandered around.
The void in the trees in the center of this photo is where the yurt Carlee and Elliot stayed in, Angie and Estevan stayed in one right on the beach, it's just inside the canopy of the big tree nearest the water - very cool places, both.

Hung out with Mom and Walter, another great open mic night.
Toured George's Orcas Farm, one of the Cafe's purveyors, he's got an amazing place, this is just a tiny bit -


Missed my new friends from Vancouver so... I went to see them!
Car broke down at the border!
Home for a bit, Orson very sick
Back to the island, Orson at the vet.
He didn't make it
Back to Burien for a family meeting
VIA FLOAT PLANE! (here's rush hour at the Rosario dock, my plane is at the end of the dock)

So cool! So fun, sat in the co-pilot's seat on the way down, flew at about 1200 feet, so much to see at that altitude. Definitely want to do that again.
(Analog gages reminded me of my TR-3)

My view - the blur is the propeller

Heading back to the Island- Lake Union, check out the Space Needle!)

This is how high 1000-1200 feet above sea level is (Fisherman's Bay on Lopez Island)

It's been an interesting week at work
Co-worker 1 fails to show up for work, 2 days in a row, gets pulled from the schedule for a week, disappears, later shows up married to the guy who rides the big-wheeled bicycle around Eastsound (after knowing him for a week!), quits.
Co-worker 2 fails to show up for work, instead shows up at a bar where chef is waiting for a ferry, "Why aren't you at work?!", quits or gets fired, not sure...
Meanwhile, back at work that night - ME, BY MYSELF!! Not supposed to be! Haven't set up or run the line for dinner by myself, haven't worked the line at dinner without Janay or Abigael there to step in. Freaking out! Freaking out! FREAKING OUT!!!!!!!!!!
The cafe tried to kick my ass, and I, well, I kicked back! Really busy night, people waiting to get in!!! I DID IT!! I handled it, didn't think I could. Stayed in good spirits, got the food out, lots of compliments! BIG FRICKIN' WOW!!! And I mean this, it was a huge deal and a giant hurdle.
So, thanks co-worker 2, if you hadn't bailed on me (you... nope, won't say it) I wouldn't have known I was capable. A silver lining in every piece of crap, that's me.
Not the crap.
Feeling pretty good.
Today's my birthday! Got several wishes and songs, and sorry mom, "squeeze the monkey" was cute, if a little confusing, but Estevan and Angie win the best birthday song this year, a duet!

Good night... (from the spot)

Summer my ass!!

Farewell my friend

I know I've promised to catch up on my blogging, but this entry is devoted to my long-time friend, companion and kitty, Orson. Home is going to be a sadly different place when I return, I really wasn't ready for him to go, I suppose we never are, are we?

So long buddy...

This Island is like a crazy ride!

Sorry I have been absent for a bit, lots has been going on, some things I'm not even sure how to put in words yet. Just wanted to say hello and I'll get around to more entries in a day or two.

Here's a pretty picture to hold you over. Summer squash blossom from Orcas Farm, one of our suppliers. (It's about a mile up the road.)

Where the deer sleep...

Behind my tent is a small hill and I've often wondered what was up there. Not sure where the boudaries of the property are, so I've wondered "Is there a house up there? More woods? A pickle factory?..." Well I finally wandered up the hill, which also gave me a new view of Benjamin. So I crested the litle hill and saw a small clearing in the undergrowth about 3 feet by 4 feet, completely clear of vegetation and smooth. Very weird, I thought but woandered a little further, just a few steps away there was another and then a few more and I realized, "Wow, I'm in the deers' bedroom, how cool!
These are just two of the spots.