I was out walking through the neighborhood earlier this evening, as I have done the past few evenings. The time was approaching 10:30, if I recall correctly. Quite dark.
The mutli-street jaunt was going quite well, the evening rather quiet. As I neared the bottom of a hill before ascending the other side... the street around me was suddenly lit with a bluish-white light. My first thought was that a car was coming down the hill behind me, so I moved to the side of the road to stay out of the way, and I happened to look up at the sky as I did.
I saw something bright moving across the sky through the trees. A plane. The thought that followed on the heels of that one was that it was far too bright to be the lights on a plane, and the light was too close and moving FAR too rapidly for it to be a plane. And there was no sound. My next thought was that its movements resembled a bird more than a plane. But most birds are not equipped with very bright lights. Or if they were, they surely would not have been able to move that fast so burdened down.
Hmm, I thought. Maybe I just imagined it. Light reflecting off something. Who knows.
Hmm, I thought again. But the light was not from a car, for there WAS no car behind me. And for a car to illuminate the road where I was it would have had to be coming DOWN the hill towards me. And no car was, nor had been, nor was there any place for such a vehicle to turn off. The sound of a such a vehicle was absent as well.
Now that my brain was firing on a few more cylinders than normally required for just a walk, I realized there was something odd about the light that up until now I had assumed was from a car, and conjured up again the image of the light on the ground which I had just seen scarcely a few moments ago.
There had been shadows of branches in the light cast upon the road.
Therefore logically the light HAD come from the sky.
Knights of Columbus!
What HAD I seen? I am sure it was no plane. Nor a shooting star. A shooting star could possibly account for what I saw in the sky but NOT the light on the ground. Whatever it was, it was quite bright and moved quite fast.
I leave the drawing of conclusions to you, dear readers.
For L and MB.... later homes. (physical representation of said greeting ensues)....... ( oww, now my chest hurts)
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
circle in the square
I love this place. downtown marietta. it's amazing, and I'm going to miss it. the people here are awesome. I've never felt so welcome by complete strangers. and I say it's downtown marietta, but it's really the coffee shop, and the square behind it. inside and out, it's one my favorite places on earth. that I've come across so far. I don't want to leave. but before long I'll have too. I do hope to come back tho.
today I woke up late, again. it's a habit now. get to get rid of it. I showered, and decided to come back here. I was hoping to find the circle. that's what I've taken to calling it. the circle in the square. I love it. it's the circle of people that makes this place what it is. it's specifically the group at the far left table, in the square out back. justin, brian, tom, megan, nicole, stephen, patrick, and so many others. too many to count. I can't remember their name. they make up the circle tho. and that's what I came looking for today.
I hadn't been here 20 minutes when justin walked in. I was inside, but he forgave me. see, the circle doesn't come inside. they might walk thru for coffee, but they're separate from the inside ppl. justin said it was ok that I was inside tho, cause I'm not from around here. I'll learn. ;)
I head outside with him, grabbing coffee on the way out. the wind is a bit chilly and I want something to warm me up a bit. they've got a chess board and brian and some dude who's name I never learned are finishing up a game. justin and tom are next. apparently this is a tradition that's lasted all year at least, countless games between tom and justin. and I must say, it was a pretty exciting game. but in the end, tom took it down. not that y'all care. but I do.
at some point during the game, I meet megan. she's pretty cool, she hears my name, and that I'm from texas and asks me if I'm the film dude. apparently I'm famous. already. I feel all warm and fuzzy. :P
yeah, I'm the film dude. Andy the movie maker. hah! if she had seen the clips I've filmed she prolly wouldn't call me that.
as the evening progresses the circle shrinks. it's down to 4. then justin leaves, and then brian and man who's name escapes me head out. I feel guilty but I head inside to write this up. the wind is a bit too cold, the chairs too hard, to be out there without company. but I'm not too guilty, cause I know that no matter how many times I do this, the circle won't hold it against me.
today I woke up late, again. it's a habit now. get to get rid of it. I showered, and decided to come back here. I was hoping to find the circle. that's what I've taken to calling it. the circle in the square. I love it. it's the circle of people that makes this place what it is. it's specifically the group at the far left table, in the square out back. justin, brian, tom, megan, nicole, stephen, patrick, and so many others. too many to count. I can't remember their name. they make up the circle tho. and that's what I came looking for today.
I hadn't been here 20 minutes when justin walked in. I was inside, but he forgave me. see, the circle doesn't come inside. they might walk thru for coffee, but they're separate from the inside ppl. justin said it was ok that I was inside tho, cause I'm not from around here. I'll learn. ;)
I head outside with him, grabbing coffee on the way out. the wind is a bit chilly and I want something to warm me up a bit. they've got a chess board and brian and some dude who's name I never learned are finishing up a game. justin and tom are next. apparently this is a tradition that's lasted all year at least, countless games between tom and justin. and I must say, it was a pretty exciting game. but in the end, tom took it down. not that y'all care. but I do.
at some point during the game, I meet megan. she's pretty cool, she hears my name, and that I'm from texas and asks me if I'm the film dude. apparently I'm famous. already. I feel all warm and fuzzy. :P
yeah, I'm the film dude. Andy the movie maker. hah! if she had seen the clips I've filmed she prolly wouldn't call me that.
as the evening progresses the circle shrinks. it's down to 4. then justin leaves, and then brian and man who's name escapes me head out. I feel guilty but I head inside to write this up. the wind is a bit too cold, the chairs too hard, to be out there without company. but I'm not too guilty, cause I know that no matter how many times I do this, the circle won't hold it against me.
Friday, February 23, 2007
working man...not really.
today was a fun day. since yesterday I had explored downtown, today I went back with some thoughts on a little project I wanted to do. my plan was to go to businesses in the downtown square, and volunteer for the day. I would walk in, ask to speak to a manager, and then explain what I was doing. it's a project I'm working on, I'm a volunteer for the day. I'm going around and asking for work, so if you've got work for 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 2 hours. whatever. I'll take out trash, I'll clean bathrooms. whatever you have for me to do.
I got downtown about 1pm or so. it was interesting seeing the different reactions. I went to about 15 places, after that I got to where I could tell if someone was a definite no, or possibly might listen. most of the people I talked to didn't listen. almost before I stopped talking they'd say no thanks. almost like I was a used car salesman. but the few people that DID listen, and heard what I was saying were amazing. one of those conversations would go like this:
me explain what I'm doing.
them: so you're volunteering?
me: yes.
them:why?
me:because no one else does.
them:how many of you are there?
me:just me.
them:what cause are you doing this for?
me:I'm not doing it for any cause.
them:why would you do that tho?
me:cause no one does it. so I want to.
them:that's amazing. I've never heard of anything like this. this is incredible.
it was fun. out of the 15 places or so I went, only 3 of them were open to what I was doing. and only 1 let me work. the first place I went, Marietta Pizza Co, had a very nice manager who listened to all I said, but then took it to the owner who said they didn't have anything for me. at the second place, Blimpie's Subs and Salads, I talked to the owner, Bernie. after it taking forever to explain what I was doing, and for him to get over his amazement, he put me the to work. the only person to do it. he had me clean his windows, which were filthy. after a while, I had the semi-clean, and he was getting really busy so I left and told him i might come back later. he said he'd have more for me if I did.
the rest of the places said no, I did come across one fairly nice place where I explained everything and the lady got really excited, said it was really cool, and I was her savior. she said she had lots I could do. then she went into the back to explain it to the manager, and she came back and said by law, they couldn't let me work there. I'm not sure what law that is, or how it works. but she said she was sorry she couldn't use me. oh well.
after walking around for a few hours, it was getting near 4 probably. so I headed back to the car, drove around, went to a cemetery for soldiers, got some interested pictures there. and then I decided I wanted to film this coffee shop I had been to several times, Cool Beans. so I headed back there, walked thru it filming, and outside to where some tables are. then I walked around for a bit more, just looking around again.
about this time there was a group of 5 ppl sitting around a table outside the coffee shop. there always seemed to be groups like that, whenever I went. anyway, as I walked by the group, they noticed my camera, and a guy asked me if I needed something to film. he invited me to sit down, introduced me to the group, and offered me a cigarette. as much as I appreciated the gesture, I did turn him down on that. ;)
I found out his name is Justin, and his friends are Nicole, Stephen, Brian, and Patrick. and they hang outside the back of the coffee shop almost everyday. they were all smoking, and offering them to anyone that walked up. Justin seemed to know every other person walking by, seemed like he had been around a long time. so we talked about random and assorted subjects for quite sometime, just going on about everything and nothing. after a while Stephen left, and then Patrick. they then decided to show me "The Hole" which was this cement..hole.. in the middle of the square. it held like a generator or something, and there was shrubs all around it so you wouldn't notice. seemed like a cool place to hang out. and then they remembered a tree that was famous, and I HAD to see. it's a tree shaped like a rather inappropriate part of the male anatomy. it was a few minutes away by car, so we hopped in Nicole's car, and went to visit it. it was rather...graphic.. but I had a good time with them. after that they went back to the coffee shop, and I headed back here.I do hope to go back and see them more in the future. they're pretty cool people.
so that's my day. in short. tho it's not ended yet. who knows what could happen now. but I'm satisfied with what happened. can't ask for a much better day this that.
here's a tiny vid. the group of ppl, and a clip of the cement hole. the sound wouldn't load for the last part tho. oh well.
I got downtown about 1pm or so. it was interesting seeing the different reactions. I went to about 15 places, after that I got to where I could tell if someone was a definite no, or possibly might listen. most of the people I talked to didn't listen. almost before I stopped talking they'd say no thanks. almost like I was a used car salesman. but the few people that DID listen, and heard what I was saying were amazing. one of those conversations would go like this:
me explain what I'm doing.
them: so you're volunteering?
me: yes.
them:why?
me:because no one else does.
them:how many of you are there?
me:just me.
them:what cause are you doing this for?
me:I'm not doing it for any cause.
them:why would you do that tho?
me:cause no one does it. so I want to.
them:that's amazing. I've never heard of anything like this. this is incredible.
it was fun. out of the 15 places or so I went, only 3 of them were open to what I was doing. and only 1 let me work. the first place I went, Marietta Pizza Co, had a very nice manager who listened to all I said, but then took it to the owner who said they didn't have anything for me. at the second place, Blimpie's Subs and Salads, I talked to the owner, Bernie. after it taking forever to explain what I was doing, and for him to get over his amazement, he put me the to work. the only person to do it. he had me clean his windows, which were filthy. after a while, I had the semi-clean, and he was getting really busy so I left and told him i might come back later. he said he'd have more for me if I did.
the rest of the places said no, I did come across one fairly nice place where I explained everything and the lady got really excited, said it was really cool, and I was her savior. she said she had lots I could do. then she went into the back to explain it to the manager, and she came back and said by law, they couldn't let me work there. I'm not sure what law that is, or how it works. but she said she was sorry she couldn't use me. oh well.
after walking around for a few hours, it was getting near 4 probably. so I headed back to the car, drove around, went to a cemetery for soldiers, got some interested pictures there. and then I decided I wanted to film this coffee shop I had been to several times, Cool Beans. so I headed back there, walked thru it filming, and outside to where some tables are. then I walked around for a bit more, just looking around again.
about this time there was a group of 5 ppl sitting around a table outside the coffee shop. there always seemed to be groups like that, whenever I went. anyway, as I walked by the group, they noticed my camera, and a guy asked me if I needed something to film. he invited me to sit down, introduced me to the group, and offered me a cigarette. as much as I appreciated the gesture, I did turn him down on that. ;)
I found out his name is Justin, and his friends are Nicole, Stephen, Brian, and Patrick. and they hang outside the back of the coffee shop almost everyday. they were all smoking, and offering them to anyone that walked up. Justin seemed to know every other person walking by, seemed like he had been around a long time. so we talked about random and assorted subjects for quite sometime, just going on about everything and nothing. after a while Stephen left, and then Patrick. they then decided to show me "The Hole" which was this cement..hole.. in the middle of the square. it held like a generator or something, and there was shrubs all around it so you wouldn't notice. seemed like a cool place to hang out. and then they remembered a tree that was famous, and I HAD to see. it's a tree shaped like a rather inappropriate part of the male anatomy. it was a few minutes away by car, so we hopped in Nicole's car, and went to visit it. it was rather...graphic.. but I had a good time with them. after that they went back to the coffee shop, and I headed back here.I do hope to go back and see them more in the future. they're pretty cool people.
so that's my day. in short. tho it's not ended yet. who knows what could happen now. but I'm satisfied with what happened. can't ask for a much better day this that.
here's a tiny vid. the group of ppl, and a clip of the cement hole. the sound wouldn't load for the last part tho. oh well.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
walking
today I went to go meet a manager from the local starbucks but once again, he wasn't there. so i went and walked downtown. awesome day outside. I forget the name of the city. starts with an M. anyway, walked around for a few hours. spent some time in the coffee shop we visited a while back. Cool Beans. still like that place. anyway, hope to go back tomorrow. we'll see. y'all know you'll hear about it.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
permeations of yellow
Andy already covered most of whats been going on lately quite well. Except for the big lady in lime green at Bailey's. But we won't talk about that.
The weather has been quite nice for the last couple days. I took a walk around the neighborhood earlier. It was dark so there's wasn't too much to see. Now, I don't know about y'all but sometimes even the little things can make me hungry. Like getting the mail, for instance. You wouldn't think that walking out to the mailbox could make someone hungry but I think it can. So me being the thoughtful guy that I am, I left a suprise for one house in the form of a peanut butter cracker in their mailbox. Hope they're hungry.
The weather has been quite nice for the last couple days. I took a walk around the neighborhood earlier. It was dark so there's wasn't too much to see. Now, I don't know about y'all but sometimes even the little things can make me hungry. Like getting the mail, for instance. You wouldn't think that walking out to the mailbox could make someone hungry but I think it can. So me being the thoughtful guy that I am, I left a suprise for one house in the form of a peanut butter cracker in their mailbox. Hope they're hungry.
late night GA
yesterday. was too tired to write this last night. now got to remember it all. it starts around 7:30pm, where the fun start. the rest of the day was ho-hum, the everyday stuff that you can read about on other blogs. we don't write about that stuff here. not that what we do is amazing, just that if you want to read what we ate for breakfast you can go to myspace. there are thousands of people there writing on just that topic.
so here we are, it's 7:30. josh and sam are playing pool. the air smells like smoke because it IS smoke. we're in bailey's bar and pub, which to me should be the same thing, but I don't get to choose the name. 2 middle aged men play at the pool table next to us, smoking cigars larger then hotdogs. the waitress is friendly, later I'll find out that they all are. bailey's has got a good staff there.
we're hear for one of our favorite vices. not drinking, nor smoking, nor pool. not even women. we're here for poker. of course. why else would we leave the sanctuary of josh's room, the welcoming fumes which come billowing out when you open the door. home for now. we've left there because there's a poker game going on, and we want in.
at 8 we're seated, there's barely enough room for the approximately 130 people sitting to play poker. there's no room to move, not that you need to. focus on the table that's all. from time to time I look for the others, josh is sitting at a table over my right shoulder, looking very serious. I can't find sam, tho I late spot him 2 tables to my right. can't see how he's doing yet. I start off fine, build up some chips, feeling good. good, but too excited. my 2nd time to play live, I can't stop my knee from bouncing. I hope the table can't see it. the young lady to my left often looks to her husband for help. she seems nice, if a bit too timid for the game. her husband annoys me, tho I shouldn't let it bother me. he's non-stop talking, saying he knows what I have, and when I have it. sometimes he guesses right, sometimes not. I know he doesn't know, but I can't seem to block his ramble out. doesn't bother me too much tho.
I'm out now. it's been probably 30 minutes. maybe 45. I lost track. I can't remember when we started. or what time it is now. I was the first out of the 3. my play wasn't' what it should have been. I'll learn and won't do it next time. sam and josh are still playing. I'm going for a walk, and to get some food out of the car.
we're down to 2 tables. I've been back and watching for about an hour. only 3 people get paid. not money tho, just bar money for baileys. we're not playing for the prize, just the win.
sam's out. 15th. his AK vs T8. the girl hit a straight. that burns a bit.
josh is out a bit later. 12th. forget what he had. good showing by both of them tho.
we're heading to a diner. a classic one, like you see in pictures. inside we go to the far left side, and our waiter comes. I have water, sam and josh get coffee. we order, just a milkshake for me tho. he repeats my order to me, a milkshake right? yes. 10 minutes later the food comes for josh and sam. our waiter confirms I wanted a chocolate milkshake. I say yes. another 5 minutes, he brings me water, and them coffee. assures me that the milkshake is on the way. finally it comes out, over flowing. it's his first one. he's new. taste pretty good tho. sam trying to hide laughter. I look behind me to see why. and regret it. there's a woman that's the better half of a african elephant. the back half, if you were wondering. I'd say she was walking away from us, but I'm not sure you can call it walking. I look away before she sits down, I can't stand to see what the will happen to the chair.
we order dessert. it's cheesecake. I love cheesecake. chocolate moose. :P I know, it's not moose. but if I want to call it moose, it's my right to misspell words on my own blog. we asked the waiter how big the pieces were and he shows us with his hands. only he keeps making it bigger. apparently the piece grows while we eat it. it comes and he was right. it's 4 inches tall. well, maybe not that big but close. quite huge. I eat as much as I can, but can't take much at all. sam eats most of it, not sure how tho. we're all full.
I ate too much. the food earlier, while I was waiting for sam and josh, plus my appox. 14 glasses of water, plus my milkshake, plus a quarter of sams cheeseburger, plus a few fries, plus some of the cheesecake. I walk to the door, and almost throw up. stupid me. another day. more new experiences.
so here we are, it's 7:30. josh and sam are playing pool. the air smells like smoke because it IS smoke. we're in bailey's bar and pub, which to me should be the same thing, but I don't get to choose the name. 2 middle aged men play at the pool table next to us, smoking cigars larger then hotdogs. the waitress is friendly, later I'll find out that they all are. bailey's has got a good staff there.
we're hear for one of our favorite vices. not drinking, nor smoking, nor pool. not even women. we're here for poker. of course. why else would we leave the sanctuary of josh's room, the welcoming fumes which come billowing out when you open the door. home for now. we've left there because there's a poker game going on, and we want in.
at 8 we're seated, there's barely enough room for the approximately 130 people sitting to play poker. there's no room to move, not that you need to. focus on the table that's all. from time to time I look for the others, josh is sitting at a table over my right shoulder, looking very serious. I can't find sam, tho I late spot him 2 tables to my right. can't see how he's doing yet. I start off fine, build up some chips, feeling good. good, but too excited. my 2nd time to play live, I can't stop my knee from bouncing. I hope the table can't see it. the young lady to my left often looks to her husband for help. she seems nice, if a bit too timid for the game. her husband annoys me, tho I shouldn't let it bother me. he's non-stop talking, saying he knows what I have, and when I have it. sometimes he guesses right, sometimes not. I know he doesn't know, but I can't seem to block his ramble out. doesn't bother me too much tho.
I'm out now. it's been probably 30 minutes. maybe 45. I lost track. I can't remember when we started. or what time it is now. I was the first out of the 3. my play wasn't' what it should have been. I'll learn and won't do it next time. sam and josh are still playing. I'm going for a walk, and to get some food out of the car.
we're down to 2 tables. I've been back and watching for about an hour. only 3 people get paid. not money tho, just bar money for baileys. we're not playing for the prize, just the win.
sam's out. 15th. his AK vs T8. the girl hit a straight. that burns a bit.
josh is out a bit later. 12th. forget what he had. good showing by both of them tho.
we're heading to a diner. a classic one, like you see in pictures. inside we go to the far left side, and our waiter comes. I have water, sam and josh get coffee. we order, just a milkshake for me tho. he repeats my order to me, a milkshake right? yes. 10 minutes later the food comes for josh and sam. our waiter confirms I wanted a chocolate milkshake. I say yes. another 5 minutes, he brings me water, and them coffee. assures me that the milkshake is on the way. finally it comes out, over flowing. it's his first one. he's new. taste pretty good tho. sam trying to hide laughter. I look behind me to see why. and regret it. there's a woman that's the better half of a african elephant. the back half, if you were wondering. I'd say she was walking away from us, but I'm not sure you can call it walking. I look away before she sits down, I can't stand to see what the will happen to the chair.
we order dessert. it's cheesecake. I love cheesecake. chocolate moose. :P I know, it's not moose. but if I want to call it moose, it's my right to misspell words on my own blog. we asked the waiter how big the pieces were and he shows us with his hands. only he keeps making it bigger. apparently the piece grows while we eat it. it comes and he was right. it's 4 inches tall. well, maybe not that big but close. quite huge. I eat as much as I can, but can't take much at all. sam eats most of it, not sure how tho. we're all full.
I ate too much. the food earlier, while I was waiting for sam and josh, plus my appox. 14 glasses of water, plus my milkshake, plus a quarter of sams cheeseburger, plus a few fries, plus some of the cheesecake. I walk to the door, and almost throw up. stupid me. another day. more new experiences.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Another day, more people.
today we woke up late. again. we're working on that. headed out to meet Sara Dzimianski.in Athens, about 2 hours away. it's feels like a long drive, most of it's at 80mph. just keeping up with normal traffic tho. nothing abnormal here. the drive is set to Knicely's life soundtrack. he's picked the music since we arrived in Georgia, and I can't complain. lots of jazz and blues. I don't mind at all.
We miss her road. pull into a small roadside diner, and fishtail in the gravel. and old couple in their Sunday best gives us dark looks as the spray of gravel narrowly misses their car. I don't think Knicely or Sam notice.
We pull up in her drive way, there's a gate. and a sign, which reads something about vicious dogs, do not open, honk and wait. it sounds serious. Knicely tells me to open the gate. why me? I'm in the backseat, SAM should be doing it. but no, it's me. they tell me to watch out for the dog, and drive through as soon as I get the gate open, not waiting for me. I walk to the house, there doesn't seem to be any dogs. (later in the day I'll meet the dog. it's actually a small bear. white. I like it.)
we meet Sara D. she's pretty cool. we go see her goats, who stand up to meet us and release their bowels. interesting way of greeting. we also meet the lady she lives with, Linda. more on her later.
we head out to find dinner, but first we stop by her friends house. Bo and Carrie. these 2 ppl are awesome. I am blown away. they're first of all hobbits. this is not meant as an insult in anyway. it has nothing to do with their height. but they're hobbits. their house is Bag End. I love it. it feels safe. and it feels very underground. even tho it's not. and Carrie laughs and smiles, and BO has a library of old books and stories. everything about them reminds me of hobbits. they're human, down-to-earth. Bo's an Episcopalian priest. I really liked him, and wish I could attend one of his sermons. sadly 2 hours is a bit far to drive. but I do hope to meet them again someday.
from there we went to meet Sara's fiancee, Ronald.(or Ronny.) he appears to be a good ol' boy. he has a really strong southern accent. makes you think he's a redneck. but ya can't judge a ship by it's glass walls. or whatever the saying is. Ronald tells us he has over 13,000 books, and Sara later tells me he's read most of them. he's well educated, knowledgable about philosophy, great people skills. a really neat guy. just got to look past first appearance.
after dinner we head downtown, walk around, find a coffee shop, taste the local brand, and decide we're not in the mood for acting big, so we head back to Sara's house. there we meet Linda again. she's making herself peanut butter on graham crackers. she says something about the recall of peanut butter, and how she's taking a risk. as she puts the jar away she suddenly remembers that she has a whole jar of salmonella, and offers us some. I think what's in my peanut butter is enough and decline. I like her sense of humor tho. she's not at all what I expected. she's opinionated and very intelligent. Sara and Sam go watch TV while Knicely and I sit at the table and talk with her. we discuss government, war, Iraq, Vietnam, and several other topics which escape my mind. we move the the porch so she and Knicely can smoke. she talks more, and we learn she was a paramedic, her husband worked for the Department of Defense, and they traveled alot overseas. she talks about the area that she lives in, and it's history. eventually the cold starts to get to us, and we head in to join sara and Sam. after a while we realize it's pretty late, and so we head home. and that's my day. no amazing activities, just incredible people.
We miss her road. pull into a small roadside diner, and fishtail in the gravel. and old couple in their Sunday best gives us dark looks as the spray of gravel narrowly misses their car. I don't think Knicely or Sam notice.
We pull up in her drive way, there's a gate. and a sign, which reads something about vicious dogs, do not open, honk and wait. it sounds serious. Knicely tells me to open the gate. why me? I'm in the backseat, SAM should be doing it. but no, it's me. they tell me to watch out for the dog, and drive through as soon as I get the gate open, not waiting for me. I walk to the house, there doesn't seem to be any dogs. (later in the day I'll meet the dog. it's actually a small bear. white. I like it.)
we meet Sara D. she's pretty cool. we go see her goats, who stand up to meet us and release their bowels. interesting way of greeting. we also meet the lady she lives with, Linda. more on her later.
we head out to find dinner, but first we stop by her friends house. Bo and Carrie. these 2 ppl are awesome. I am blown away. they're first of all hobbits. this is not meant as an insult in anyway. it has nothing to do with their height. but they're hobbits. their house is Bag End. I love it. it feels safe. and it feels very underground. even tho it's not. and Carrie laughs and smiles, and BO has a library of old books and stories. everything about them reminds me of hobbits. they're human, down-to-earth. Bo's an Episcopalian priest. I really liked him, and wish I could attend one of his sermons. sadly 2 hours is a bit far to drive. but I do hope to meet them again someday.
from there we went to meet Sara's fiancee, Ronald.(or Ronny.) he appears to be a good ol' boy. he has a really strong southern accent. makes you think he's a redneck. but ya can't judge a ship by it's glass walls. or whatever the saying is. Ronald tells us he has over 13,000 books, and Sara later tells me he's read most of them. he's well educated, knowledgable about philosophy, great people skills. a really neat guy. just got to look past first appearance.
after dinner we head downtown, walk around, find a coffee shop, taste the local brand, and decide we're not in the mood for acting big, so we head back to Sara's house. there we meet Linda again. she's making herself peanut butter on graham crackers. she says something about the recall of peanut butter, and how she's taking a risk. as she puts the jar away she suddenly remembers that she has a whole jar of salmonella, and offers us some. I think what's in my peanut butter is enough and decline. I like her sense of humor tho. she's not at all what I expected. she's opinionated and very intelligent. Sara and Sam go watch TV while Knicely and I sit at the table and talk with her. we discuss government, war, Iraq, Vietnam, and several other topics which escape my mind. we move the the porch so she and Knicely can smoke. she talks more, and we learn she was a paramedic, her husband worked for the Department of Defense, and they traveled alot overseas. she talks about the area that she lives in, and it's history. eventually the cold starts to get to us, and we head in to join sara and Sam. after a while we realize it's pretty late, and so we head home. and that's my day. no amazing activities, just incredible people.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Kennesaw - day one
Slept til about 12 or 1. Got up, met Josh's sister Rebekah. She seems pretty cool. Had some tea, hot chocolate... showers.... (seperately)... all the normal things people do in strange cities with new people.
After a bit, we headed out with Josh to a coffee shop called Cool Beans. Pretty sweet place. Free wifi. Got some coffee, sat out back and discussed many important things such as politics, school, and the purpose of belly-dancers. OK, maybe not the belly-dancer thing. And maybe I didn't talk that much. I mostly listened to Josh and Andy talk. I did throw a few cents in here and there. Then the cold set in and we moved inside. Perused through a copy of Creative Loafing I believe it was called. Quite an interesting bit of reading about all the current happenings around here.
Bit of interest for at least one of you readers... Gillian Welch and David Rawlings were performing this evening, in Atlanta I think. But it was like 4pm by then, and it just wouldnt have been tooo feasible. Gonna try to hit the music scene in the next couple days maybe though.
So then we decided to head over to..... not sure of the name of the park but its where Kennesaw Mountain is. So we went hiking to the top of that. AWESOME views from up there.
But Josh just got back with some Chinese takeout, so I have to finish this later....
Sweet moses. Chinese takeout. crazy. we had rice, sesame chicken, fried dumplings, and beef and broccoli. wow. very interesting food. I'm not much for chinese, but this was pretty good. except that I could NOT get the food to stay on my freaking chopsticks!!! ok, so this WAS my first time using chopsticks, but I didn't realize it was gonna so hard. All I was trying to do was pick up some rice... but NOOOO, my chopsticks start moving out every stinking direction. They were actively working against me. Josh and Andy were on their second helpings, and here I am trying to get my third bite of rice. I finally got the hang of it, though. sorta. not really. But I never resorted to a fork. I should get points for perseverance or something at least.
Ok, where was I?
Ah, yes, Kennesaw Mountain. Pretty sweet I have to say. Where Sherman got destroyed, as Josh informed us. The man seems knowledgeable about a great many things. So we moved on to Little Kennesaw i think it was called, and then Pigeon Hill? Can't remember. Something like that. Scenery was awesome. But what was amazing was how quiet it was there. I mean, we were like in middle of town, granted its a big park, but still, it was cool. No sounds except for planes passing over. Quite relaxing.
Finally, we decided to head back, as the sun was setting, and we had been out long enough to have missed most of rush hour traffic. Took the long way back, around the bottom of the mountain. Got back to the visitor center around 6:45 or so, fairly dark. We figured we'd be the last people out, as the park was probably closing soon.
As we came to find out, the park was ALREADY closed, and everyone, even the employees were gone and all the roads were gated. So we couldn't drive out. And there were no other roads leading out of the park.
Sort of a dilemma we found ourselves in, as you can imagine. Here we are. Daylight's gone, and so are all the people. We have our car, but no way out. The road is closed off by a big iron gate, and there are big wooden fences around the edge of the property.
We searched along the fence near the front gate, trying to see if there was another way to get out. It turns out the fence stopped on one side, near where the woods started, in a deep gully. But whether or not the car could make it up such a steep incline was questionable. And the traffic on the road was pretty heavy.
We considered the option of calling someone to come get us. Or getting out ourselves.
We decided to go for it. Josh and Andy decided to wait there, figuring the less weight in the car the better.
First, I had to jump the curb to get out of the parking lot, and got it into position near the road. All done without the lights so as not to attract unwanted attention. And all the time hoping no cops happened by.
Finally the traffic let up for a bit, I flicked the lights on, drove down the enbankment from the parking lot, slowed as I neared the road, and gunned it up the incline, trying to stay away from the really steep part, and at the same time not hit the fence. I really didn't want to flip the car over on top of the fence.
Thankfully I made it without incident, and pulled back around for Andy and Josh. Definitely made the hike worth it. My retelling doesn't really do it justice, but here's the video Andy shot of it. It was dark on my computer but, for some reason its like totally black on YouTube. It's almost not worth putting on here cuz you cant see anything. oh well.
Now to let the chinese food settle, and to watch the Illusionist. My second time, Josh and Andy's first.
After a bit, we headed out with Josh to a coffee shop called Cool Beans. Pretty sweet place. Free wifi. Got some coffee, sat out back and discussed many important things such as politics, school, and the purpose of belly-dancers. OK, maybe not the belly-dancer thing. And maybe I didn't talk that much. I mostly listened to Josh and Andy talk. I did throw a few cents in here and there. Then the cold set in and we moved inside. Perused through a copy of Creative Loafing I believe it was called. Quite an interesting bit of reading about all the current happenings around here.
Bit of interest for at least one of you readers... Gillian Welch and David Rawlings were performing this evening, in Atlanta I think. But it was like 4pm by then, and it just wouldnt have been tooo feasible. Gonna try to hit the music scene in the next couple days maybe though.
So then we decided to head over to..... not sure of the name of the park but its where Kennesaw Mountain is. So we went hiking to the top of that. AWESOME views from up there.
But Josh just got back with some Chinese takeout, so I have to finish this later....
Sweet moses. Chinese takeout. crazy. we had rice, sesame chicken, fried dumplings, and beef and broccoli. wow. very interesting food. I'm not much for chinese, but this was pretty good. except that I could NOT get the food to stay on my freaking chopsticks!!! ok, so this WAS my first time using chopsticks, but I didn't realize it was gonna so hard. All I was trying to do was pick up some rice... but NOOOO, my chopsticks start moving out every stinking direction. They were actively working against me. Josh and Andy were on their second helpings, and here I am trying to get my third bite of rice. I finally got the hang of it, though. sorta. not really. But I never resorted to a fork. I should get points for perseverance or something at least.
Ok, where was I?
Ah, yes, Kennesaw Mountain. Pretty sweet I have to say. Where Sherman got destroyed, as Josh informed us. The man seems knowledgeable about a great many things. So we moved on to Little Kennesaw i think it was called, and then Pigeon Hill? Can't remember. Something like that. Scenery was awesome. But what was amazing was how quiet it was there. I mean, we were like in middle of town, granted its a big park, but still, it was cool. No sounds except for planes passing over. Quite relaxing.
Finally, we decided to head back, as the sun was setting, and we had been out long enough to have missed most of rush hour traffic. Took the long way back, around the bottom of the mountain. Got back to the visitor center around 6:45 or so, fairly dark. We figured we'd be the last people out, as the park was probably closing soon.
As we came to find out, the park was ALREADY closed, and everyone, even the employees were gone and all the roads were gated. So we couldn't drive out. And there were no other roads leading out of the park.
Sort of a dilemma we found ourselves in, as you can imagine. Here we are. Daylight's gone, and so are all the people. We have our car, but no way out. The road is closed off by a big iron gate, and there are big wooden fences around the edge of the property.
We searched along the fence near the front gate, trying to see if there was another way to get out. It turns out the fence stopped on one side, near where the woods started, in a deep gully. But whether or not the car could make it up such a steep incline was questionable. And the traffic on the road was pretty heavy.
We considered the option of calling someone to come get us. Or getting out ourselves.
We decided to go for it. Josh and Andy decided to wait there, figuring the less weight in the car the better.
First, I had to jump the curb to get out of the parking lot, and got it into position near the road. All done without the lights so as not to attract unwanted attention. And all the time hoping no cops happened by.
Finally the traffic let up for a bit, I flicked the lights on, drove down the enbankment from the parking lot, slowed as I neared the road, and gunned it up the incline, trying to stay away from the really steep part, and at the same time not hit the fence. I really didn't want to flip the car over on top of the fence.
Thankfully I made it without incident, and pulled back around for Andy and Josh. Definitely made the hike worth it. My retelling doesn't really do it justice, but here's the video Andy shot of it. It was dark on my computer but, for some reason its like totally black on YouTube. It's almost not worth putting on here cuz you cant see anything. oh well.
Now to let the chinese food settle, and to watch the Illusionist. My second time, Josh and Andy's first.
Tennessee to Georgia
Before heading out of Memphis, we ate lunch with Mr. Trimble and Daniel at the Tasty Buffet. A Mongolian BBQ Sushi Bar. Quite an interesting place. Odd assortment of food. But it WAS tasty. And they had ice cream and jello, too. Can't go wrong with that.
Drove up through Nashville, and down to Chatanooga. I'm really not sure if that's spelled right or not, but i'm too lazy to look it up. And its not really that important to this post.
We stopped at the Lookout Mountain in Chatanooga to check out the view, even though it was like 9pm. Here's a video Andy made:
After that we headed downtown to find a cafe Knicely told us about.
And we looked. and looked. and looked some more. and it wasnt there. (Turns out it was on the other side of the river) So finally we gave up, and parked and walked over to another restaurant he had told us about. It closed like 5 minutes before we got there. So we walked over to ANOTHER restuarant we had seen while looking for the other one. It turned out to be a bar.
So we left, and got Taco Bell on the way to Knicely's. Had about an hour to go.
Now, may I state for the record, that Josh is... well... not the best at giving directions.
So we take the exit, which i'm still not sure is the one we were supposed to take. Because the one I think if we had taken the NEXT one, we would have been on the one Josh meant. Anyway, we finally figured out which road to get on after we turned off I-75. Then I think that was the one we were supposed to follow til it dead-ended. Except that when we got to a red light, the road that kept going straight was a different name than the one we were one. So is this what he meant by dead-ended? I mean, its not a dead-end, the road keeps going obviously, but its a different road.
You get the idea. This went on for at least half an hour. But we DID finally make it. And stayed up half the night talking to Josh. I went to bed about 2 or after. Andy said he didnt go to bed til 6 or something. Anyway. That's all for this post.
Drove up through Nashville, and down to Chatanooga. I'm really not sure if that's spelled right or not, but i'm too lazy to look it up. And its not really that important to this post.
We stopped at the Lookout Mountain in Chatanooga to check out the view, even though it was like 9pm. Here's a video Andy made:
After that we headed downtown to find a cafe Knicely told us about.
And we looked. and looked. and looked some more. and it wasnt there. (Turns out it was on the other side of the river) So finally we gave up, and parked and walked over to another restaurant he had told us about. It closed like 5 minutes before we got there. So we walked over to ANOTHER restuarant we had seen while looking for the other one. It turned out to be a bar.
So we left, and got Taco Bell on the way to Knicely's. Had about an hour to go.
Now, may I state for the record, that Josh is... well... not the best at giving directions.
So we take the exit, which i'm still not sure is the one we were supposed to take. Because the one I think if we had taken the NEXT one, we would have been on the one Josh meant. Anyway, we finally figured out which road to get on after we turned off I-75. Then I think that was the one we were supposed to follow til it dead-ended. Except that when we got to a red light, the road that kept going straight was a different name than the one we were one. So is this what he meant by dead-ended? I mean, its not a dead-end, the road keeps going obviously, but its a different road.
You get the idea. This went on for at least half an hour. But we DID finally make it. And stayed up half the night talking to Josh. I went to bed about 2 or after. Andy said he didnt go to bed til 6 or something. Anyway. That's all for this post.
random bits.
Alrighty. finishing up any thoughts on Memphis. it is of course, sam's birthplace. and he made some ridiculous claims to "remember" certain things, tho he was less then a year old when my family left...but whatever makes him feel special...
we stayed with Jim, Marilyn, and their daughter Joy. they were very hospitable, and we might even stop by again, if the opportunity presents itself. we met Keith, their neighbor, and on tuesday, Kimberly, (a young woman from their church,) joined us for dinner. they both were pretty cool. we also got to see the Trimbles' son, Daniel. the city itself didn't amaze me, seemed too much like texas. I didn't feel like we were out of Texas until east Tennessee.
couple of random notes on the drives. on the one between Lufkin - Memphis we drove through a town with an awesome name. Arkidelphia, AR. that's an awesome name for a town.
and between Memphis - Atlanta:
a billboard from Jesus.
I LOVE YOU.
COME TO KNOW ME.
(signed, in cursive,)
Jesus Christ
in georgia, they're always looking for ways to let the common man make some money.
often along the highway we'd come across signs that looked like this:
$1000.00
Throwing
Trash On
Highway
(if you have a magnifying glass, you could see the little writing that talks about the fine.)
and lastly, a billboard advertising an unusual gas station. we came upon the "Adult Food and Fuel Store." that's right folks, x-rated fuel...what is this world coming too.....
we stayed with Jim, Marilyn, and their daughter Joy. they were very hospitable, and we might even stop by again, if the opportunity presents itself. we met Keith, their neighbor, and on tuesday, Kimberly, (a young woman from their church,) joined us for dinner. they both were pretty cool. we also got to see the Trimbles' son, Daniel. the city itself didn't amaze me, seemed too much like texas. I didn't feel like we were out of Texas until east Tennessee.
couple of random notes on the drives. on the one between Lufkin - Memphis we drove through a town with an awesome name. Arkidelphia, AR. that's an awesome name for a town.
and between Memphis - Atlanta:
a billboard from Jesus.
I LOVE YOU.
COME TO KNOW ME.
(signed, in cursive,)
Jesus Christ
in georgia, they're always looking for ways to let the common man make some money.
often along the highway we'd come across signs that looked like this:
$1000.00
Throwing
Trash On
Highway
(if you have a magnifying glass, you could see the little writing that talks about the fine.)
and lastly, a billboard advertising an unusual gas station. we came upon the "Adult Food and Fuel Store." that's right folks, x-rated fuel...what is this world coming too.....
small update
Memphis. Dreary. gloomy as they come. or rather, it's the weather that's made it like this. it's been grey and wet all day. harder to concentrate on my thoughts in the rain. too cold. rain feels like ice, tho it's not. we woke up late. showered, ate, and headed out to find Daniel, the son of the people we're staying with. at a bike shop 2 blocks away there's a shaggy face, an unshaven hippy boy that has hair that goes down and out, mostly out tho. he lets us know there's nothing to do in memphis but working and biking. there's probably more then this, but this is all he has for us so far. we eat a burrito in a shop that's trying to look like mexico. the burrito reminds me of a small landmine, so tightly packed that one bite could result in a small explosion of pulverized chicken and lettuce fragments. delicious tho. we drive him back to work and head to the University of Memphis. there we come across the building being demolished. which is interesting to watch, tho the breeze keeps it a bit too cold to stand still for long. also the crew seemed to be using a ball that was too small. they weren't getting much done. after watching that for a good while, we head out to look for wireless internet, returning about 1 hour or so later without having found any. we had heard a few places that should have it, but none of them did. (if anyone knows any, let us know. we tried starbucks and best buy and neither worked.) back at U of M, we found the library to huddle down in. it's a simply horrid day out. stinging rain and biting wind, and all that. no time to be exploring. I settle down on the 3rd floor to read On The Road by Jack Keroac, Sam's off whoknowswhere looking on other subjects. after that we check the demolition again, but it's slowed down, the wrecking ball no longer at work. we head home for dinner with the Trimbles.
oh, a couple of notes. as far as videos go, I know they make you dizzy. you try filming with a tiny camera in below 30 degrees weather. it's hard. but I'll work on it.
that and some of you may get that these updates are sometimes a few days late. I write them when I can, then post them as soon as possible. sometimes that's not for a day or two. sorry.
oh, a couple of notes. as far as videos go, I know they make you dizzy. you try filming with a tiny camera in below 30 degrees weather. it's hard. but I'll work on it.
that and some of you may get that these updates are sometimes a few days late. I write them when I can, then post them as soon as possible. sometimes that's not for a day or two. sorry.
Demolition
Another sight we encountered on the UM campus, an old building being demolished. (here sam leaves to take a shower, and andy takes over the post.) it's the simple things in life, and this was pretty simple. but interesting enough for us to stay and watch.
At that rate of demolition, that building will still be standing in the year 2010. I swear, i don't know if the guy in the crane was an idiot or what, but he was accomplishing nothing. Maybe they needed a bigger wrecking ball or something. Or heck, just implode the dang building.
At that rate of demolition, that building will still be standing in the year 2010. I swear, i don't know if the guy in the crane was an idiot or what, but he was accomplishing nothing. Maybe they needed a bigger wrecking ball or something. Or heck, just implode the dang building.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Yesterday we were walking on the University of Memphis campus and we came upon a strange and wonderful machine.
anyone with half a brain can recognize this as a creation of septimus bean. or if you don't know the name, go get the book.
if you've never read Septimus Bean and His Amazing Machine, then pull up your favorite online book store and order it. or maybe check and see if your library has it. however you do it, you should read the book.
anyone with half a brain can recognize this as a creation of septimus bean. or if you don't know the name, go get the book.
if you've never read Septimus Bean and His Amazing Machine, then pull up your favorite online book store and order it. or maybe check and see if your library has it. however you do it, you should read the book.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
a bit more
memphis. rainy and cold. we were putting off going north cause it's too cold there. what a stupid idea. it's freezing cold here and this is the south! oh well.
our vehicle of choice. buick.
and here's a random rest stop right outside of texarkana, right before we went to AR. it was pretty neat, it had free wireless internet.
our vehicle of choice. buick.
and here's a random rest stop right outside of texarkana, right before we went to AR. it was pretty neat, it had free wireless internet.
First Leg
Well, we finally managed to get out of lufkin around 1:30, amidst a torrential downpour. But packing the car in such weather ended up with everything just thrown in where it could fit. But at least we didn't forget anything. That we know of yet.
Here's a video we made as we were leaving Lufkin.
So we made it up through the great state of arkansas and into tennessee. The whole trip from Lufkin to Memphis only took about 8 hours. not too bad, considering Yahoo Maps said it would take like 11:10. But what do they know.
Stayed up late talking to Jim and Marilyn, and their next-door neighbor Keith. They're interesting folk. Should be here a day or two, then heading to Atlanta.
NOTE: Andy says to remind all kids not to talk when you're eating. Very rude.
Here's a video we made as we were leaving Lufkin.
So we made it up through the great state of arkansas and into tennessee. The whole trip from Lufkin to Memphis only took about 8 hours. not too bad, considering Yahoo Maps said it would take like 11:10. But what do they know.
Stayed up late talking to Jim and Marilyn, and their next-door neighbor Keith. They're interesting folk. Should be here a day or two, then heading to Atlanta.
NOTE: Andy says to remind all kids not to talk when you're eating. Very rude.
Monday, February 12, 2007
prep work
packed today. and yesterday. but more today. short notice as we're leaving tomorrow. oh well. sam said we should put the food and ice chest in the back seat so we could eat on the road. I disagree, suggesting if it's in the trunk then we're forced to stop to eat...and seeing as we're in no rush to get anywhere, a reminder to take our time should help. sam thinks about this, and announces he has a better idea. he says we should put the food and ice chest in the trunk, so we'll be forced to stop to eat. I decide to let him get away with this.
as always, I'm writing in the middle of something. we've just stopped for food for a going away party tonight. (somewhat small, I think it's gonna be like 8 people or something.) walmart is especially busy at this time on a sunday. and unusually happy. usually I find walmart kinda depressing. today there are people laughing, and smiles everywhere. but then again, it's not unexpected, it IS the Lord's day today. ;) I almost laughed out loud at a girl that looked to be about 7 years old. she was extremely busy talking on her headset for her cell phone. starting a bit young, but what do I know.
as we're leaving tomorrow, I have been thinking alot about our trip and what we'll need, what we'll do and so on. but while I've had plenty of thoughts, I haven't had so many feelings. for some reason my thoughts and emotions are separate on this issue. could be a good thing tho. not sure. nevertheless, the only feeling that has fought it's way to the outside is a slight sense of apprehension. there's so much unknown I can't help it. but I think that's what life is all about so I'm not put off by it.
got to run now. or rather, knowing me, amble...I never run. there's things to do, food to prepare. people to see. and so on.
here's a quote I've been thinking on. if you have any thoughts on it let me know.
"How is it possible to feel nostalgia for a world I never knew?" -The Motorcycle Diaries
as always, I'm writing in the middle of something. we've just stopped for food for a going away party tonight. (somewhat small, I think it's gonna be like 8 people or something.) walmart is especially busy at this time on a sunday. and unusually happy. usually I find walmart kinda depressing. today there are people laughing, and smiles everywhere. but then again, it's not unexpected, it IS the Lord's day today. ;) I almost laughed out loud at a girl that looked to be about 7 years old. she was extremely busy talking on her headset for her cell phone. starting a bit young, but what do I know.
as we're leaving tomorrow, I have been thinking alot about our trip and what we'll need, what we'll do and so on. but while I've had plenty of thoughts, I haven't had so many feelings. for some reason my thoughts and emotions are separate on this issue. could be a good thing tho. not sure. nevertheless, the only feeling that has fought it's way to the outside is a slight sense of apprehension. there's so much unknown I can't help it. but I think that's what life is all about so I'm not put off by it.
got to run now. or rather, knowing me, amble...I never run. there's things to do, food to prepare. people to see. and so on.
here's a quote I've been thinking on. if you have any thoughts on it let me know.
"How is it possible to feel nostalgia for a world I never knew?" -The Motorcycle Diaries
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