...so I decided to it. Now I am stinky and have slept in my car for the past 2 nights. Mostly because of budget, but more because it makes for good stories. Oh I'm so glad I had that itching sensation. Even happier I'm scratching it...
The word of the day is so fun when it pops in my inbox in and fits perfectly in the moment:
Word of the Day for Friday, August 6, 2010
yeuk \YOOK\, noun:
1. An itching sensation.
verb:
1. To itch.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
muchas gracias
I am like a giant thank-you fest, but I'm a very fortunate girl so I will continue thanking on:
*Bill, Julie, Jeff and Bobby~ You guys are the bomb. Thanks! Never a dull moment, things never change and I never want them too all these years later. Thanks for the roof, the feasting on cheese, the laughs and for loving me just the way I am.
*Jerry~ What to say to someone I've known since kindergarten? Thank you for never forgetting my birthday and always being early for it. I'm not sure I have ever told you this, but I absolutely love your "Diggatro!" beginnings to the voice messages you leave. they always make me laugh, and like above know some things will never change and that's just perfect.
*Andrew~ The CD kept me up driving in a part of no mans land I'd never been in before. I was belting out tunes and pretending I could be the next American Idol. (Delirious and tired? Yes, because I can't carry a tune.) Thank you for still being that generous and selfless guy you were 25 years ago. I hope you are being safe over there. Enjoy your visit back home and thank you always for your service. I have so much respect for you.
As days pass, it's impossible for me to say thank you enough to everyone. I have appreciated every email, phone call, text, comment, Facebook message, conversation, card, well wish, meal, bed- all of it. During this trip and beyond, I hope I can be the friend to you all that you've been to me. Not a second goes by I don't think about how lucky I am to have met and know so many kind, fun and generous people.
In the wise words of the one and only Jerry; Here's to kickin' it live and uncut!
*Bill, Julie, Jeff and Bobby~ You guys are the bomb. Thanks! Never a dull moment, things never change and I never want them too all these years later. Thanks for the roof, the feasting on cheese, the laughs and for loving me just the way I am.
*Jerry~ What to say to someone I've known since kindergarten? Thank you for never forgetting my birthday and always being early for it. I'm not sure I have ever told you this, but I absolutely love your "Diggatro!" beginnings to the voice messages you leave. they always make me laugh, and like above know some things will never change and that's just perfect.
*Andrew~ The CD kept me up driving in a part of no mans land I'd never been in before. I was belting out tunes and pretending I could be the next American Idol. (Delirious and tired? Yes, because I can't carry a tune.) Thank you for still being that generous and selfless guy you were 25 years ago. I hope you are being safe over there. Enjoy your visit back home and thank you always for your service. I have so much respect for you.
As days pass, it's impossible for me to say thank you enough to everyone. I have appreciated every email, phone call, text, comment, Facebook message, conversation, card, well wish, meal, bed- all of it. During this trip and beyond, I hope I can be the friend to you all that you've been to me. Not a second goes by I don't think about how lucky I am to have met and know so many kind, fun and generous people.
In the wise words of the one and only Jerry; Here's to kickin' it live and uncut!
8 X 100, plus a bunch of bugs
I've been tracking mileage for a few reasons. One because it is fun. Somehow unplanned, from my start point, until many hours later at my stopping point yesterday, I went to the mile, exactly 800 miles. Couldn't have planned that one better if I tried!
Some more fun things from the road yesterday:
I found another pet exercise area at a rest stop, but I'm wondering where the human is and where the pet is. Or more, is there a human on this sign at all?
I didn't think I managed to get this one because it looked too dark on my camera last night, but happy day- it uploaded like this. Even through my bug-drenched windshield:
Ok, Ok, so it's a little small but it says; Welcome to North Dakota!
Back to bugs. When I stopped for gas I looked at the front of my car in horror. I had seen a few butterflies splattering on my windshield as I drove, but I think I killed every bug in Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota yesterday. And this is just what my license plate looks like:
Juan, Juanita and Pablito were very, very tired as we hit 136,000k:
Anyone out there work for Honda? Hello? I've said it before and I'll say it again; I should so be on a Honda commercial. After several x-country trips, all in different Hondas, driving thousands of miles and never breaking down, and the fact that all of them have had well over 100k on them and then run like brand new? What better spokesperson do you need guys? :)
In case anyone was wondering, yes, it's even freezing in ND in the summer. I woke up to 57 degrees this morning and have never been happier to see a big fat sweatshirt in my back seat:
The people have been lovely here, but lets just say at 57 in August-I won't be moving here anytime soon.
After watching miles, landscape and states fly by yesterday in what was a long day on the road, I couldn't help but to think again that there is nothing better than a summer day driving across the country exploring. Everyone should do this once in their lifetime. I hope to do this every summer moving forward. Imagine all the cool and interesting stuff you could show and teach your kids! I want my next trip across in a convertible. Someone flew by me in one as the sun was setting last night and it looked like way to much fun. There you go Honda! You could design a Blue Lollipop Road series convertible and I could test it for you. It'd have built in chocolate dispensers, a comfy bed in the back somehow and an espresso machine for when I wake up in the morning. There's an idea to take to the bank!
Some more fun things from the road yesterday:
I found another pet exercise area at a rest stop, but I'm wondering where the human is and where the pet is. Or more, is there a human on this sign at all?
I didn't think I managed to get this one because it looked too dark on my camera last night, but happy day- it uploaded like this. Even through my bug-drenched windshield:
Ok, Ok, so it's a little small but it says; Welcome to North Dakota!
Back to bugs. When I stopped for gas I looked at the front of my car in horror. I had seen a few butterflies splattering on my windshield as I drove, but I think I killed every bug in Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota yesterday. And this is just what my license plate looks like:
Juan, Juanita and Pablito were very, very tired as we hit 136,000k:
Anyone out there work for Honda? Hello? I've said it before and I'll say it again; I should so be on a Honda commercial. After several x-country trips, all in different Hondas, driving thousands of miles and never breaking down, and the fact that all of them have had well over 100k on them and then run like brand new? What better spokesperson do you need guys? :)
In case anyone was wondering, yes, it's even freezing in ND in the summer. I woke up to 57 degrees this morning and have never been happier to see a big fat sweatshirt in my back seat:
The people have been lovely here, but lets just say at 57 in August-I won't be moving here anytime soon.
After watching miles, landscape and states fly by yesterday in what was a long day on the road, I couldn't help but to think again that there is nothing better than a summer day driving across the country exploring. Everyone should do this once in their lifetime. I hope to do this every summer moving forward. Imagine all the cool and interesting stuff you could show and teach your kids! I want my next trip across in a convertible. Someone flew by me in one as the sun was setting last night and it looked like way to much fun. There you go Honda! You could design a Blue Lollipop Road series convertible and I could test it for you. It'd have built in chocolate dispensers, a comfy bed in the back somehow and an espresso machine for when I wake up in the morning. There's an idea to take to the bank!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
bye bye midwest
Things I've seen on the road today. Just to list a few:
1.) People picking their noses. I have written about this before and again I am confused. They are called windows people, but hell- who am I to judge. Dig away!
2.) "Be a flirt and lift up your shirt!" written on the back of an 18- wheeler. (Please excuse me if you are one of the non-skeezy truck drivers out there and ignore this.) I have kept my mouth shut about this for SO long because I hate categorizing people, but really? I have had enough Skeez-dog truck drivers! Your sign would have been funny if you all hadn't tried terrorizing women like me on the road for years. Enough honking, beeping and trying to box me in with your fellow operators on the road you ass. Do they put this as a requirement in your training or something? Get a friggin' life.
3.) Teenage girls singing at the top of their lungs. (So fun, love that.)
4.) Teenage boys in a Jeep (from Virginia no less!) with it so weighed/packed down I wonder if they will make it to wherever they are going.
5.) About 600 silos. By 600 I mean about 9 million. I am from Vermont. I thought I knew what a lot of silos looked like. Nope. Not before driving through the midwest.
So I hit more traffic in Wisconsin and Minnesota than I ever hit going up I95 or in NYC (odd, I know,) but I am still trucking. Seeing more and more state signs like this (I had to be Ok with a rest stop rather than actual road sign today, I nearly crashed the car trying to snap the photo I wanted on the interstate):
I found a place to exercise Pablito too. See him at the very bottom? I always think these PET EXERCISE AREA signs are funny:
A good day on the road, lots more to go. I even talked to a gal pal who lives in Alaska that I went to high school with today. We're going to meet up. YIPPEE! I have literally not heard her voice in 16 years and all it took was one email. I love modern technology.
Coffee is empty. On the road again...
1.) People picking their noses. I have written about this before and again I am confused. They are called windows people, but hell- who am I to judge. Dig away!
2.) "Be a flirt and lift up your shirt!" written on the back of an 18- wheeler. (Please excuse me if you are one of the non-skeezy truck drivers out there and ignore this.) I have kept my mouth shut about this for SO long because I hate categorizing people, but really? I have had enough Skeez-dog truck drivers! Your sign would have been funny if you all hadn't tried terrorizing women like me on the road for years. Enough honking, beeping and trying to box me in with your fellow operators on the road you ass. Do they put this as a requirement in your training or something? Get a friggin' life.
3.) Teenage girls singing at the top of their lungs. (So fun, love that.)
4.) Teenage boys in a Jeep (from Virginia no less!) with it so weighed/packed down I wonder if they will make it to wherever they are going.
5.) About 600 silos. By 600 I mean about 9 million. I am from Vermont. I thought I knew what a lot of silos looked like. Nope. Not before driving through the midwest.
So I hit more traffic in Wisconsin and Minnesota than I ever hit going up I95 or in NYC (odd, I know,) but I am still trucking. Seeing more and more state signs like this (I had to be Ok with a rest stop rather than actual road sign today, I nearly crashed the car trying to snap the photo I wanted on the interstate):
I found a place to exercise Pablito too. See him at the very bottom? I always think these PET EXERCISE AREA signs are funny:
A good day on the road, lots more to go. I even talked to a gal pal who lives in Alaska that I went to high school with today. We're going to meet up. YIPPEE! I have literally not heard her voice in 16 years and all it took was one email. I love modern technology.
Coffee is empty. On the road again...
my eat, pray, love
Warning gents; Girly post...
If it's not painfully obvious already, I will tell you that I often have the attention span of a 2 year old. I'm not a big reader as in books. Not because I don't love them or think that reading is one of the best things you can do to educate yourself, but because it usually takes me months to get through one. I read for 30 minutes, put the book down, come back in 2 weeks and reread because I forget what I have previously read. This was not the case when I read Eat, Pray, Love. I flew through the book like I did when The Babysitters Club series when I was 12, as if I couldn't sleep until I read every page. After seeing the preview for the upcoming movie that's been made about Elizabeth Gilbert's journey around Italy, India, Indonesia I have to share a story. I Can't wait to see the movie now...
I finished Eat, Pray, Love on December 5th, 2008 sitting in a red velvety chair facing the door at the Carytown Richmond Virginia Starbucks. (How's that for details. Clearly finishing that last page burned that day in my mind for good.) Like so many other woman out there, I remember after I first started the book, I stopped reading after the first few pages, looked around as if I were on camera and thought; Um, did I write this book in my sleep or when I was drunk or something and someone else put their name on it?! The opening scene when Elizabeth is crying on her bathroom floor, trying to make sense of her life, how she got there, with the guy she was with and what the hell she was going to do next- that was me. (Flash forward to me finishing it a few days later in that Starbucks.) I closed the book and sat staring blindly straight ahead for about a half hour, got up and left trying to brush off the truth and reality of my misery at the time like so many of us do when the world is trying to give us signs to wake the hell up. I was too chicken shit to listen or act back then. I mean I had it "all." Giant diamond, fit, smart, fiance', amazing apartment and about to move to start a fresh new life. All great plans for the future, yadda yadda. I was absolutely miserable then, but why rock the boat and even if I wanted to, where the hell would I begin?
Exactly 25 days after that morning finishing Eat, Pray, Love in that Starbucks and me ignoring what my gut and the world was trying to tell me, my then fiance' woke up in bed and straight dumped me. The world screamed at me "HA HA Diane! You can run but you can't hide punk! We will always find you and make you pay attention whether you like it or not!"
Thank God, Buddha, the stars...
If you knew me then, you know I then shared all the moments that Elizabeth had written about. Talk about feeling like my world collapsed. After a few months of sheer absurdity, crying uncontrollably, not eating or sleeping and thinking my whole life was over, (I'm rolling my eyes at myself right now and laughing. Oh the times in life we can look back and be mortified at what a hot mess we were) something clicked and a big ol' F*CK THIS came screaming out of me and I have never looked back. I am so thankful I was dumped. I mean so, so, so, wicked, totally, mongo thankful. The best lesson I got from those few months of pure hell, was that my hell wasn't about missing some guy or getting dumped, it was because I had left NOTHING for me. Nothing. I had given up friends, volunteer groups, my soccer teams- all of it. I had let work slide and not kicked my own ass to continue being the independent bad ass girl I had been/always wanted to continue to be. I had given up myself and had no foundation, so when I was left alone I felt like I couldn't stand on my own two feet. Talk about hell. There's nothing I can imagine worse than being a go-get it gal and finding yourself feeling pathetic and powerless.
To think that this summer I can feel confident enough to quit my job, sell everything I own, drive across the country to Alaska with absolutely zero plan, knowing no one there, not knowing what I'll do when I get there or after I leave, is pretty awesome considering a year and a half ago I had to call my Mother to ask her if I liked cream and sugar in my coffee I was so lost and sad. I have only $817.00 in my Blue Lollipop Road bank account, 3,000 miles left to just get to Alaska, no job, no home, and even though I have a few loose thoughts on what's next, I still have absolutely no idea where I'll end up or what's in store for me. I am a worry wort even though I have always been pretty carefree too. I have good and bad days ongoing, but I have never felt less worried in my life. I have to credit that to doing lots of hard work and putting myself through hell to get here. Looking in the mirror, looking hard in the mirror is really hard. Being real seems like it should be easy, but it's not. Blue Lollipop Road is my mirror. I write things here that I share with lots of people, and some things I write I've never talked to anyone about. I figure if I put it all out there, I will always have to stay on my toes from now on, I'll be held accountable for things I say and do, and I will never get to the point of losing my foundation again. If putting out the "I'm going to's" here doesn't put enough healthy pressure on me to reach for my stars and keep my solid independent ground, I'm not sure what will.
When thinking of the Eat, Pray, Love preview I saw last night as I fell asleep, I thought to myself I wonder how many people are going to say to me something along the lines of; "Hey Di! have you seen that movie that's coming out? It's totally like your trip!" I guess it is and I hadn't thought the book at all it until last night.
I ate in NYC (and I've been to Italy and feasted there) I've "prayed" on the road thinking about just about everything (and I've been to India too) and while I haven't been to Indonesia yet, a few of you know about my running joke of making out with a lumberjack named Ben when I get to Alaska, so?...
I'm laughing.
I'm loving my life, understanding more and more about who I am and what I want. I'm loving that I can write all this here and people will read it and appreciate it in whatever way works for them. I love every little moment I've had in my life. I love all the lessons I have learned. I love that I have finally started trusting the process and that I am exactly where I need to be. Best of of all I know that because of things that have been thrown at me and situations that I've been through, I'm less and less fearful of life's obstacles every day. I'm thankful for women like Elizabeth Gilbert who fall apart, pick themselves up and write about it so we can read their stories and learn how to pick ourselves up too.
I have 14 hours in the car today. I better get going...
If it's not painfully obvious already, I will tell you that I often have the attention span of a 2 year old. I'm not a big reader as in books. Not because I don't love them or think that reading is one of the best things you can do to educate yourself, but because it usually takes me months to get through one. I read for 30 minutes, put the book down, come back in 2 weeks and reread because I forget what I have previously read. This was not the case when I read Eat, Pray, Love. I flew through the book like I did when The Babysitters Club series when I was 12, as if I couldn't sleep until I read every page. After seeing the preview for the upcoming movie that's been made about Elizabeth Gilbert's journey around Italy, India, Indonesia I have to share a story. I Can't wait to see the movie now...
I finished Eat, Pray, Love on December 5th, 2008 sitting in a red velvety chair facing the door at the Carytown Richmond Virginia Starbucks. (How's that for details. Clearly finishing that last page burned that day in my mind for good.) Like so many other woman out there, I remember after I first started the book, I stopped reading after the first few pages, looked around as if I were on camera and thought; Um, did I write this book in my sleep or when I was drunk or something and someone else put their name on it?! The opening scene when Elizabeth is crying on her bathroom floor, trying to make sense of her life, how she got there, with the guy she was with and what the hell she was going to do next- that was me. (Flash forward to me finishing it a few days later in that Starbucks.) I closed the book and sat staring blindly straight ahead for about a half hour, got up and left trying to brush off the truth and reality of my misery at the time like so many of us do when the world is trying to give us signs to wake the hell up. I was too chicken shit to listen or act back then. I mean I had it "all." Giant diamond, fit, smart, fiance', amazing apartment and about to move to start a fresh new life. All great plans for the future, yadda yadda. I was absolutely miserable then, but why rock the boat and even if I wanted to, where the hell would I begin?
Exactly 25 days after that morning finishing Eat, Pray, Love in that Starbucks and me ignoring what my gut and the world was trying to tell me, my then fiance' woke up in bed and straight dumped me. The world screamed at me "HA HA Diane! You can run but you can't hide punk! We will always find you and make you pay attention whether you like it or not!"
Thank God, Buddha, the stars...
If you knew me then, you know I then shared all the moments that Elizabeth had written about. Talk about feeling like my world collapsed. After a few months of sheer absurdity, crying uncontrollably, not eating or sleeping and thinking my whole life was over, (I'm rolling my eyes at myself right now and laughing. Oh the times in life we can look back and be mortified at what a hot mess we were) something clicked and a big ol' F*CK THIS came screaming out of me and I have never looked back. I am so thankful I was dumped. I mean so, so, so, wicked, totally, mongo thankful. The best lesson I got from those few months of pure hell, was that my hell wasn't about missing some guy or getting dumped, it was because I had left NOTHING for me. Nothing. I had given up friends, volunteer groups, my soccer teams- all of it. I had let work slide and not kicked my own ass to continue being the independent bad ass girl I had been/always wanted to continue to be. I had given up myself and had no foundation, so when I was left alone I felt like I couldn't stand on my own two feet. Talk about hell. There's nothing I can imagine worse than being a go-get it gal and finding yourself feeling pathetic and powerless.
To think that this summer I can feel confident enough to quit my job, sell everything I own, drive across the country to Alaska with absolutely zero plan, knowing no one there, not knowing what I'll do when I get there or after I leave, is pretty awesome considering a year and a half ago I had to call my Mother to ask her if I liked cream and sugar in my coffee I was so lost and sad. I have only $817.00 in my Blue Lollipop Road bank account, 3,000 miles left to just get to Alaska, no job, no home, and even though I have a few loose thoughts on what's next, I still have absolutely no idea where I'll end up or what's in store for me. I am a worry wort even though I have always been pretty carefree too. I have good and bad days ongoing, but I have never felt less worried in my life. I have to credit that to doing lots of hard work and putting myself through hell to get here. Looking in the mirror, looking hard in the mirror is really hard. Being real seems like it should be easy, but it's not. Blue Lollipop Road is my mirror. I write things here that I share with lots of people, and some things I write I've never talked to anyone about. I figure if I put it all out there, I will always have to stay on my toes from now on, I'll be held accountable for things I say and do, and I will never get to the point of losing my foundation again. If putting out the "I'm going to's" here doesn't put enough healthy pressure on me to reach for my stars and keep my solid independent ground, I'm not sure what will.
When thinking of the Eat, Pray, Love preview I saw last night as I fell asleep, I thought to myself I wonder how many people are going to say to me something along the lines of; "Hey Di! have you seen that movie that's coming out? It's totally like your trip!" I guess it is and I hadn't thought the book at all it until last night.
I ate in NYC (and I've been to Italy and feasted there) I've "prayed" on the road thinking about just about everything (and I've been to India too) and while I haven't been to Indonesia yet, a few of you know about my running joke of making out with a lumberjack named Ben when I get to Alaska, so?...
I'm laughing.
I'm loving my life, understanding more and more about who I am and what I want. I'm loving that I can write all this here and people will read it and appreciate it in whatever way works for them. I love every little moment I've had in my life. I love all the lessons I have learned. I love that I have finally started trusting the process and that I am exactly where I need to be. Best of of all I know that because of things that have been thrown at me and situations that I've been through, I'm less and less fearful of life's obstacles every day. I'm thankful for women like Elizabeth Gilbert who fall apart, pick themselves up and write about it so we can read their stories and learn how to pick ourselves up too.
I have 14 hours in the car today. I better get going...
comment from a reader:
I am a doofus, and just pressed the "reject" button instead of "publish" so I'm copy/pasting it here to share.
THANK GABI! YOU ROCK!
-------
Gabi has left a new comment on your post "1,779 miles down...":
Hi, just caught up with your last posts on BLR, and right after that got my quote of the day and thought it fit perfectly:
"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
We (your followers) hear you and will be here for the entire trip. And what I trip. I hope someone on the news finds out about you soon, I think this makes a great story. Then you'll be able to post a "BLR on the news" link or something similar.
I feel the rush for your next part of the journey!
Good vibes to you and keep on with that strong mojo.
;)
THANK GABI! YOU ROCK!
-------
Gabi has left a new comment on your post "1,779 miles down...":
Hi, just caught up with your last posts on BLR, and right after that got my quote of the day and thought it fit perfectly:
"Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody."
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
We (your followers) hear you and will be here for the entire trip. And what I trip. I hope someone on the news finds out about you soon, I think this makes a great story. Then you'll be able to post a "BLR on the news" link or something similar.
I feel the rush for your next part of the journey!
Good vibes to you and keep on with that strong mojo.
;)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
i love attentive companies
Check it! I emailed the Ian's Pizza folks complimenting their product and service yesterday and quickly go this email back from their Management. Talk about on top of it. This place wins points left and right in my book:
Diane,
This is awesome! Thank you so much!
A link is definitely going up on our website and for sure a print-out
is going up in the staff area of the restaurant so we can all give
Jack his 15 minutes of fame!
I totally agree with everything you said -- I've worked here for 4
years and this is the best group of people I've ever had as coworkers,
hands-down. I'm so glad to see someone recognizing the people who work
behind the counter... they do such a good job with such a wide variety
of people (business folks on down to severely drunken coeds)
every single day and they make it look effortless. I've worked counter
jobs too, and I know it is one of the most demanding jobs ever (there
are definitely days you have to fake it!) and they all make it look
easy.
Of course it helps that the pizza is excellent (duh!) but in Madison
there are so many places to get top-notch food (it's almost
ridiculous...) and I think our staff is what really is the key to our
success.
Thank you so much for recognizing that and for all your kind words.
Next time you are rambling through Madison let me know & I'll hook you
up with a couple of free slices (or a salad & a slice -- our salads
are amazing too!).
Thanks again, and safe travels to you!
Staci
Diane,
This is awesome! Thank you so much!
A link is definitely going up on our website and for sure a print-out
is going up in the staff area of the restaurant so we can all give
Jack his 15 minutes of fame!
I totally agree with everything you said -- I've worked here for 4
years and this is the best group of people I've ever had as coworkers,
hands-down. I'm so glad to see someone recognizing the people who work
behind the counter... they do such a good job with such a wide variety
of people (business folks on down to severely drunken coeds)
every single day and they make it look effortless. I've worked counter
jobs too, and I know it is one of the most demanding jobs ever (there
are definitely days you have to fake it!) and they all make it look
easy.
Of course it helps that the pizza is excellent (duh!) but in Madison
there are so many places to get top-notch food (it's almost
ridiculous...) and I think our staff is what really is the key to our
success.
Thank you so much for recognizing that and for all your kind words.
Next time you are rambling through Madison let me know & I'll hook you
up with a couple of free slices (or a salad & a slice -- our salads
are amazing too!).
Thanks again, and safe travels to you!
Staci
1,779 miles down...
...3,000-3,600 to go.
Yeah, that many.
I ended up staying in the Midwest a bit longer than expected, to help my friends out with their kiddies and earn a few extra bucks. It feels good to help them out and maybe pay back one of the hundreds of things they've done for me. The few bucks don't hurt either considering I'll be out of loot on 2 weeks. From here I blast through Canada as fast as I can. This could take 4 days if I drive like an absolute madwoman or about a week if I manage to go at half super-psycho speed. The tires and oil are re-checked, I have piles of maps and books, and I'm looking forward to the look on the border patrol face when I say: "Hello sir! Just driving from the east coast on through to Alaska!"
I've learned that Verizon service is .69 a minute so there will be no chatty chat time in my next week or so via phone. $1,000 cell phone bills don't exactly fit into my budget. Turns out my broadband card is a little more pricey over the border too which is a bummer. Unless I find a random internet cafe'/coffee shop when there aren't even gas stations for hundreds of miles through some spots, I'll be missing from here a bit. I'll do my best to post what I can from 8/4-8/11. It'll be a miracle if I get a shower during that time period so we shall see! (No, hotels don't fit in the budget either. I like to be clean and all, but I once went 8 days without a shower when traveling and lived through it so I'll be fine.)
There are 12 days until my birthday which I am so going to be in Alaska to ring in. 15 days until the anniversary. I've got a few thoughts on how I'll spend that day, but undecided at the moment. I'll be posting photos of the "Welcome to Alaska" sign here sooner than later. Please be patient if my posts are spotty or sporadic. (although a week without a shower and very little sleep and you probably won't want to hear from me- I could get very cranky:) Thank you for following me this far. It's been an amazing ride already and only going to get more interesting. If this ends up being nothing more than a conversation around a dinner table someday 40 years down the road with one of you telling the story:
"Remember that summer Diane was determined to make it to Alaska and she didn't realize she hadn't calculate that she'd have to have enough $ to actually get there and back to somewhere? She got stuck in that job gutting fish for a month after she had to hitch hike to make it there in the first place because her car caught on fire halfway through Canada after her tires all blew out? Remember that moose had run into her car too because she left chocolate on the front seat? Oh my gosh and that was after the border patrol had strip searched her because they thought she was nuts or a drug smuggler?!" (then lots and lots of laughter and teasing would follow...)
-It'd be Ok with me and all worth it. (Not to mention very funny.)
In doing some research I found that female life expectancy in the U.S according to different resources was between 78-82. I'll take 80 for an average for now. That means I'm "expected" to live for 29,200. This is only if I am way lucky. As of today I've lived 11,668. That means I likely have 17,532 or less days left to try to learn all I can, make a positive mark on the planet, create good stories, and share as much love and laughter with my favorite people as possible. The days continue to fly too fast so I figure I'm just trying to be conscious of the clock.
The point of this is certainly not to suggests we should all race around like buffoons against time and never enjoy the simple moments we are in. It is however, to say that if there's something/somewhere you've wanted to do, say, go, try that is always in the back of your head, it's probably your own clock ticking and telling you to do it. The only thing in life that's for sure is that the clock doesn't stop for anything.
Here's to respecting time and trusting the process.
Yeah, that many.
I ended up staying in the Midwest a bit longer than expected, to help my friends out with their kiddies and earn a few extra bucks. It feels good to help them out and maybe pay back one of the hundreds of things they've done for me. The few bucks don't hurt either considering I'll be out of loot on 2 weeks. From here I blast through Canada as fast as I can. This could take 4 days if I drive like an absolute madwoman or about a week if I manage to go at half super-psycho speed. The tires and oil are re-checked, I have piles of maps and books, and I'm looking forward to the look on the border patrol face when I say: "Hello sir! Just driving from the east coast on through to Alaska!"
I've learned that Verizon service is .69 a minute so there will be no chatty chat time in my next week or so via phone. $1,000 cell phone bills don't exactly fit into my budget. Turns out my broadband card is a little more pricey over the border too which is a bummer. Unless I find a random internet cafe'/coffee shop when there aren't even gas stations for hundreds of miles through some spots, I'll be missing from here a bit. I'll do my best to post what I can from 8/4-8/11. It'll be a miracle if I get a shower during that time period so we shall see! (No, hotels don't fit in the budget either. I like to be clean and all, but I once went 8 days without a shower when traveling and lived through it so I'll be fine.)
There are 12 days until my birthday which I am so going to be in Alaska to ring in. 15 days until the anniversary. I've got a few thoughts on how I'll spend that day, but undecided at the moment. I'll be posting photos of the "Welcome to Alaska" sign here sooner than later. Please be patient if my posts are spotty or sporadic. (although a week without a shower and very little sleep and you probably won't want to hear from me- I could get very cranky:) Thank you for following me this far. It's been an amazing ride already and only going to get more interesting. If this ends up being nothing more than a conversation around a dinner table someday 40 years down the road with one of you telling the story:
"Remember that summer Diane was determined to make it to Alaska and she didn't realize she hadn't calculate that she'd have to have enough $ to actually get there and back to somewhere? She got stuck in that job gutting fish for a month after she had to hitch hike to make it there in the first place because her car caught on fire halfway through Canada after her tires all blew out? Remember that moose had run into her car too because she left chocolate on the front seat? Oh my gosh and that was after the border patrol had strip searched her because they thought she was nuts or a drug smuggler?!" (then lots and lots of laughter and teasing would follow...)
-It'd be Ok with me and all worth it. (Not to mention very funny.)
In doing some research I found that female life expectancy in the U.S according to different resources was between 78-82. I'll take 80 for an average for now. That means I'm "expected" to live for 29,200. This is only if I am way lucky. As of today I've lived 11,668. That means I likely have 17,532 or less days left to try to learn all I can, make a positive mark on the planet, create good stories, and share as much love and laughter with my favorite people as possible. The days continue to fly too fast so I figure I'm just trying to be conscious of the clock.
The point of this is certainly not to suggests we should all race around like buffoons against time and never enjoy the simple moments we are in. It is however, to say that if there's something/somewhere you've wanted to do, say, go, try that is always in the back of your head, it's probably your own clock ticking and telling you to do it. The only thing in life that's for sure is that the clock doesn't stop for anything.
Here's to respecting time and trusting the process.
Monday, August 2, 2010
1 date. 2 cities. 1 cause.
Mark your calendar!
Some pals of mine on the east coast have put together an event for next Wednesday 8/11 to raise funds for the disaster in the gulf. There will be 2 events on this 1 night. The events are in Richmond, VA and Washington, DC and all proceeds with go to the National Wildlife Foundation.
Click here to register for the Richmond event at the Glave Kocen Gallery, or click here to register for the DC event at Policy Restaurant and Lounge.
I encourage you to go out for this event and rally some friends to go with you. We all know it's going to take years for this clean up so here's a perfect way for you to help and get out to meet other people who want to make a difference too! Spread the word around your office or neighborhood:
121 Gulf Event
I'd be there if I was on the east coast DP and BJ! I feel so lucky to have people like you guys with big hearts in my company of friends. Good luck!
Some pals of mine on the east coast have put together an event for next Wednesday 8/11 to raise funds for the disaster in the gulf. There will be 2 events on this 1 night. The events are in Richmond, VA and Washington, DC and all proceeds with go to the National Wildlife Foundation.
Click here to register for the Richmond event at the Glave Kocen Gallery, or click here to register for the DC event at Policy Restaurant and Lounge.
I encourage you to go out for this event and rally some friends to go with you. We all know it's going to take years for this clean up so here's a perfect way for you to help and get out to meet other people who want to make a difference too! Spread the word around your office or neighborhood:
121 Gulf Event
I'd be there if I was on the east coast DP and BJ! I feel so lucky to have people like you guys with big hearts in my company of friends. Good luck!
took the words right out of my mouth
My favorite thing about the NY Times is the travel section. The feature travel spot on the front, 36 hours and why we travel are the perfect things to check out with a coffee on a Sunday morning. I daydream of somehow hitting up each place I read about in one lifetime. I love the photo from yesterday of Timothy Williams traveling in Crete and a part of his quote:
"Travel is freedom, and the smallest things become and adventure. It's a departure from the everyday that reminds you that there is a huge world out there worth exploring."
Hmmm, I wonder where I can find this guy and if he's single...
"Travel is freedom, and the smallest things become and adventure. It's a departure from the everyday that reminds you that there is a huge world out there worth exploring."
Hmmm, I wonder where I can find this guy and if he's single...
favorite spot?
I'd like to know, what's your favorite U.S city and why? The favorite place you have either lived in or spent a bunch of time in. Please post a comment here if you have a few minutes.
Thanks for any feedback!
Thanks for any feedback!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
another round of thank you's
*Thanks to Al for Windy City fun as usual. Feasting and catching up continues to be fun year after year. Who would think two girls could clear a table at Osteria like this at lunch time?
*Thanks to JW and Nelsy. I'd expect nothing less than a tour of another house renovation, a 4-wheeler show and a beer with some pizza. Good old Kaiser's Pizza & Pub in Gurnee, Illinois. Here's a photo from the walls for your archives:
*The final midwest thanks goes to Bill and Julie for my Wisconsin Capital area burb stay. Holy cheese-fest and gorgeousness!
Love you guys. It's was great spending time and feasting with you all!
*Thanks to JW and Nelsy. I'd expect nothing less than a tour of another house renovation, a 4-wheeler show and a beer with some pizza. Good old Kaiser's Pizza & Pub in Gurnee, Illinois. Here's a photo from the walls for your archives:
*The final midwest thanks goes to Bill and Julie for my Wisconsin Capital area burb stay. Holy cheese-fest and gorgeousness!
Love you guys. It's was great spending time and feasting with you all!
get up and out in madison
I just finished up an 11 mile bike ride with a couple of friends on the Capital City Bike Trail. This is after going for a run around lunch time. (I've got to do something to burn off all this great food I'm eating on the road!) The city of Madison and surrounding towns have more parks than I've ever seen in my life and so many bike trails it'd take months to hit them all. It's so green, lush and corn-field covered here it's like being in the movies. The exact replica of my summers growing up in Vermont, just a few less mountains. This is the haven for Locavores, the fit and the want to be outside adventurers. If you can hack some cold winter temps and a bit of snow, like a mid-sized city and are an active person- I'm not sure you'd be able to find a better place than Madison to live in the states. I'm super excited I have good pals here so now I have an excuse to come back again to visit soon!
meet jack
Here's another ditty! My second road person named Jack!
Jack works at a place called Ian's Pizza. I wandered into Ian's randomly during a late afternoon last week. I was greeted by the friendliest chatty young guys you could hope for as a first time customer walking into a place. This isn't the typical pizza joint that the staff half mumbles hello and chucks your pepperoni slice at you. These guys were great sales people, knowledgeable about all the ingredients and aware of everything/everyone that was there. I chose a slice covered with pesto and fresh tomatoes and they informed me that the pesto was made from fresh basil that came from a farm in northern Wisconsin. They offered to make any kind of slice I wanted or add any additional toppings on my slice but I stuck with my initial choice and it was fabulous. On my way out the door I spotted this guys t-shirt that said "Get your mac on" and then realized one of their pizzas was actually mac n' cheese pizza. Whoa. I introduced myself and asked what his name was and if I could take his picture to post here and he happily agreed. He then grabbed a slice of the mac n' cheese to pose with:
I paid another visit to Ian's (different location) late night a day later with some friends. Even though my second time round the place was swamped with stumbling wasted college kids and the line was 20 deep, the staff showed no signs of annoyance or frustration. They were again smiley, helpful, efficient and cranked out the hot slices accommodating every customer perfectly with exactly what they wanted. I grabbed a few slices so we could try the bbq chicken, the mac n' cheese, and another pesto tomato. All delicious.
I'm a huge fan of Ian's. Not just because of the yummy pie, but because of the fantastic, friendly service and overall vibe of it. The staff all clearly love their jobs and they sell a quality, fresh product. It's a pleasure for a foodie like me who's on the road, eating food in all kinds of places, to watch a well-oiled machine of kick-ass food and service. I've found you usually only get one or the other, not often both. Ian's covers it.
Go Ian's and thanks to Jack and Tyler at the State Street location. Keep smiling and doing what you're doing!
Jack works at a place called Ian's Pizza. I wandered into Ian's randomly during a late afternoon last week. I was greeted by the friendliest chatty young guys you could hope for as a first time customer walking into a place. This isn't the typical pizza joint that the staff half mumbles hello and chucks your pepperoni slice at you. These guys were great sales people, knowledgeable about all the ingredients and aware of everything/everyone that was there. I chose a slice covered with pesto and fresh tomatoes and they informed me that the pesto was made from fresh basil that came from a farm in northern Wisconsin. They offered to make any kind of slice I wanted or add any additional toppings on my slice but I stuck with my initial choice and it was fabulous. On my way out the door I spotted this guys t-shirt that said "Get your mac on" and then realized one of their pizzas was actually mac n' cheese pizza. Whoa. I introduced myself and asked what his name was and if I could take his picture to post here and he happily agreed. He then grabbed a slice of the mac n' cheese to pose with:
I paid another visit to Ian's (different location) late night a day later with some friends. Even though my second time round the place was swamped with stumbling wasted college kids and the line was 20 deep, the staff showed no signs of annoyance or frustration. They were again smiley, helpful, efficient and cranked out the hot slices accommodating every customer perfectly with exactly what they wanted. I grabbed a few slices so we could try the bbq chicken, the mac n' cheese, and another pesto tomato. All delicious.
I'm a huge fan of Ian's. Not just because of the yummy pie, but because of the fantastic, friendly service and overall vibe of it. The staff all clearly love their jobs and they sell a quality, fresh product. It's a pleasure for a foodie like me who's on the road, eating food in all kinds of places, to watch a well-oiled machine of kick-ass food and service. I've found you usually only get one or the other, not often both. Ian's covers it.
Go Ian's and thanks to Jack and Tyler at the State Street location. Keep smiling and doing what you're doing!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
