Showcase Seven of Four Vagabonds

Leg: Eight
Destination: Clemson and our respective homes beyond
In a Word: Bliss
In a Quote: "You use Princess like you would use Bitch" from a much abused Claire to two fairly unruly guys [thats right, you are lumped together]
In an Image:
--11" of snow in Albuquerque, New Mexico: record highs
--Half-time Clemson Disaster: I decide to walk the streets in the softly falling snow and I am offered TWO hitchhiker rides from Native Americans. I guess I deserve it for walking around in a blizzard looking depressed.
--My Bloodied Forearm: its all Murrelet's fault.
--Crazy Claire: If you havent experienced her, be grateful.
--Clemson Arrival: prayers of absolute thanksgiving and awe for the safety, friendship, natural wonder, and high-strung adventure of it all. Thank you, Lord, for being so breathtaking.

Other Items of Note:
Nathan Elmore: "What Claire revealed in her blog, regarding her travel mates: Ed is, after all, a dandy; Matt is a quote whore; and Leigha often fictionalizes a drunk-ass." Thanks for the Portland advice, the football sympathies, and the summary of friends.

Kevin and Mike: Thank you for keeping us awake in the middle of the night, for being our entertainment (through lies of Pensacola), and for your prayers.

Brandon Loy: Thanks for the entertainment across the country and back. We know it took a lot of time and effort, but we are all extremely grateful. Cheers, mate.

Trey and Lauren: For checking in, trying to feed us, and wanting to be along for the ride, the sites and the memories.

Brad: Appreciate the advice on Tijuana... too bad I didnt listen well enough and still ended up in "the sketch part." but we had fun all the same- sorry we missed ya.

The Johnsons: For the best Christmas I have spent away from home and for making us a part of your amazing family, if only for a few days.

Emily, Greg, and the Andrews: We appreciate the hospitality and warmth that you provided to four dirty nomads.

Kate: for saying: "here this is for you when i cant be here: dont freak out. *breath* youre lovely!"

All and Heatherwood: Thanks for prayers of safety in blizzards and thunderstorms and of peaceful conversations and friendships.

Installment Six of Blizzardy Blustery Bamboozlement

Leg: Seven
Destination: the long journey home...
In a Word: Snow
In an Image: White snow
In a Quote:
Ralph- Do you want to switch before we cross the border?
Murrelet- Fuck you.

Act Five of Sylvan Scenic States

Leg: Six
Destination: Olympic National Park, Seattle, and Vancouver
In a Word: Wonder
In a quote: “I liked it better before you knew me so well” [me to matt]
“’I am enchanted,’ says the Princess.”
In an Image: follow the time scale of our day
1. The Beaches: the cold spray of the Pacific on jagged grey rocks below an overcast sky. This is a tsunami zone, folks. Beware.
2. Cedar Tree: higher than you can crane your neck, observe the rich browns and earth-red tones of the ancient tree that serves as a nurse tree to many
3. Enchanted Hoh Rainforest: gangrenous moss coats the trees like gooey molasses, clinging to everything. Moist ferns covering the forest floor to stifle the intrusion of footsteps. Marshy ponds hidden by brush and forestland
4. Forks: logging town in which the men’s hands are stained with markings from their vocation and faces are wrinkled with sorrows unknown
5. Lake Crescent: steep rocky hills with scattered evergreens dropping drastically into the glacier-fed lake of aqua
6. Hurricane Ridge: snow
7. Ferry to Seattle skyline: through the Puget Sound, gale force winds and icy rain in our faces all endured to witness the fairy kingdom of lights also known as Seattle

*my favourite turn ever is off of 1st onto Pike Street*

Where Have You Been, Where Are You Going?

Say Hello, Wave Good-Bye

Exhibit Four of The Trip

Leg: Four and Five
Destination: Redwood National Park, Philomath, and Portland
Vehicle: Trail Blazer... continually in a state of dirtier and smellier (or is that the boys?)
Buddies: Offroading Adventurers and City Slickers
In a Word: Rest: Murrelet and me. Home: Vino and Dandy.
In a Quote: "The good thing is, it did draw blood. And the elk can smell blood from seven miles away." [Murrelet- again. Quote Whore!]
In an Image:
--Icy ocean waves crashing into the rocky, jettied oceansides of California. [in which Dandy and Murrelet wanted to swim- ask them of their suicidal attempts]
--Murrelet "climbing" and surfing down a Redwood tree... a felony? I dont even know!
--7Am- Leigha proclaiming "Dandy has been kidnapped." Murrelet rolls over in bed and mumbles "Or he is out streaking."
--Dinner-Planning- Sleep at Leigha's... A BED!
--Sunday Morning: me in the living room beside the Christmas Tree waiting on the boys to awaken... one hour late... after they make me awaken for the 9 service instead of the 11. Whores, the lot of them!
--A 3-yr old girl sitting to our far left side who served me communion bread. I go no further. I hope you can imagine. She made my Christmas Eve!
--Wandering rainy, splendid and enchanting Portland for the better half of an afternoon- blethering, rambling, and contemplating.
In a Smell: walking into the Johnson home to the delectable smells of lasagna and "home" as well as walking into Imago Dei to the scent of coffee and cookies (5 count minimum)


Peace Out, Lovers.

Portion Three of AltaAmerican Adventure

Leg: Three and Four
Destination: San Diego, Tijuana, San Francisco
Vehicle: Trail Blazer... only dirtier
Buddies: Murrelet [Matt], Dandy [Ed], and Vino [Leigha]-or drunk ass, according to Murrelet-
In a Word: California. Murrelet defines it: "from two inch shots in Tijuana to two hundred foot redwoods in Arcata"
In a Quote: "A dollar for your girl" *in a Mexican accent*
In an Image:
--stars along the horizon in the middle of a New Mexican night- more than i have seen before
--outdoor hippie/ surfer shower: bums in the girls. Vino and i use the boys with Murrelet and Dandy as guardians. cold, cold, cold water. [along with many creepy men using urinals] most awkward moment of my life?
--four Americans with three cell phones about 50$ combined and chapstick in their pockets walking across the America-Mexican border- no security
--the entire scene with the quote: call me for the story
--street performers in San Francisco. Murrelet was less than impressed: "I did the same thing when I was 7 and nobody gave me any money."
--sunset over San Francisco Bay overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and the city: breathtaking.

If you ask me after it is complete, I will show you the video filled with gorgeous scenery of western America as well as false history lessons from professor murrelet, entertaining [and true] narration from Vino, and "A Day in the Life of..." with Dandy. Peace out, lovers.

*departing to enjoy my first night in a proper bed in four nights*

Episode Two of TransContinental Trek

Leg: Two
Destination: San Antonio, TX
Vehicle: Trail Blazer
Buddies: Mischief and Vagabonds
In a Word: LIES!
In a Quote: [well, one's not enough] "I'm in the hospital. I think Ed's in jail." "If I can help out at all (mail a gun? poison?) call me."
In an Image:
--Matt peeing on the Alamo at 5AM
--Claire being a bum [literally]; curled in a sleeping bag on the sidewalk beside the Alamo.
--"Fake" cities in Texas; enchantingly lit oil refineries
--Booze in WalMart in Louisiana [now my personal favourite state!]
--Deceiving our friends and pulling sympathy prayers. The Lie: car broke down in Pensacola; Ed refuses to listen to Claire; Claire slaps Ed; Ed disappears, sulking; everyone pissed; Matt, Leigha and Claire go to the bar; Leigha, the emotional drunk, cries about missing Christmas; Matt, the belligerent drunk, finds Ed, antagonizes, and gets his jaw broken; Ed in jail; Claire and Leigha in shambles!

Off to explore the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and other San Antonian adventures...

Stay tuned for San Diego update

Part One of Winter Break Extravaganza

Leg: One
Destination: Orlando, FL
Vehicle: Subaru and Trail Blazer
Buddies: Catherine, Leigha, Ed, Kevin, Matt, and Mike
In a Word: Ridiculous
In a Quote: "I want to roll my window down but I'm afraid the wind will blow out my soul!"
In an Image:
There are no digital pictures loaded yet, folks. But I'll try to put words to the pictures.

--Leigha standing in a parking lot at night with a
smoking BBQ sign behind her wearing flippers
--Kevin lighting a four-wick candle in the back seat of the subaru
while Catherine dodges Jax traffic
--Ed knitting beside Matt who is tailing Kevin
[many comments here] and wearing blue-reflecting sunglasses

[In case you are confused: I am roadtripping across the country this Christmas. Its quite phenominal and unexpected and scary. Everytime I find wireless- I will update with pics and quotes and memories of the trip... stay tuned!]

Shout Out to Berlin

"Berlin is a city condemned forever to becoming and never being."
“Berlin ist eine Stadt, verdammt dazu, ewig zu werden, niemals zu sein”

(Karl Scheffler, author of Berlin: Ein Stadtschicksal, 1910

berlin wall and death strip
image by Theirry Noir

Berlin does change all the time. Look at its history. Crazy changes- not just subtle ones. Seems like every time someone new came into power, the whole city was in overhaul. I just wanted to include a few images of site in Berlin that stand no longer. These were taken by my professor, Jennifer C. McStotts, on our trip to Berlin June 2005.

Mauermuseum (Wall Museum). Sections of the wall were taken from various spots throughout the city, reconstructed, and painted over. An atrocity according to preservationists. And a cross memorial for the boarder guards who died during the division of East and West Berlin. My point is that it was once in Berlin, and it has now been torn down and replaced by something else.

Palast der Republik. This was probably my favourite building in Berlin. It stood across the street from the Berliner Dom. Made of bronze mirrored glass, the building is an eyesore to old Berliners who know that it was built after one of their favourites (Berliner Stadtschloss) was torn down by the German Democratic Republic. so they tore down my favourite. [asbestos has something to do with it.] GoogleEarth shows me that it is currently being deconstructed.

And for an image of the bhan traveling over oberbaumbrucke, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ubahn_oberbaum.gif

emily.

my introduction to emily dickinson was through my mother. she has introduced me to most of my literary experiences. i grew up knowing that mum had "im nobody" posted on her dorm room door at Tift College. somehow, i always knew there would come a time when i too would post it.

now is that time.

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us - don't tell!
They'd advertise - you know!

How dreary to be somebody!
How public like a frog
To tell one's name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!

This comes after a long night during which much happened that i do not wish to discuss with the public. its all between the lines anyway. how well can you read?

[2:26AM]

"maybe i am irretrievably sad"

i dont do sappy. i dont cry during movies. i cant. i have tried. [you know, in an attempt to be a better, more appropriate girl.] then i realized crying is overrated. i know plenty of people who cry and it doesnt solve anything. especially tears for imaginary characters.

but i did cry on saturday. i had a shortstory to write for my fiction class. my brother insisted that i read "the red convertible" first. so i awoke early and grabbed a cup of coffee. i cozied up with my warm mug, welcomed the fresh morning air through the porch door, wrapped myself in blankets, and cried.

have you read the story? i dont want to ruin it for you- but please, read it. its about the relationship between to brothers that, once amazingly beautiful, was irreparably jarred by war.

no one should have to go through that. no one should be forced to watch his world turn upside down because of circumstances way beyond his control or understanding. its not fair. and so, my heart broke. for the boy. and for myself- because i have never experienced something so harsh and because i know its inevitable and because i fear it will break me. and for the people whose lives will change because i have broken.

you cant only be marty. when he walked back home from the river, marty became stephen.

i suppose i should forgive. is it ever our fault that we change? how can i blame him for it?

I loved my friend.
He went away from me.
There's nothing more to say.
The poem ends,
Soft as it began--
I loved my friend.

- Langston Hughes