lasts

Today was my last Starbucks shift; in fact, I just returned home and am just about to throw away my nasty milk and mocha covered shoes. It was a bit sad to go. While I'm very excited to be on my way to Antarctica again this year, I will miss my new friends at the coffee shop and my free on-the-job beverages (mostly the cinnamon dolce latte). I highly recommend Starbucks as an employer and continue to be impressed by their social and environmental integrity. Yes, the coffee prices are a bit high, but they invest in a lot of people along the way. I'm finished working for the company this summer, but I hope to return again sometime! Thanks to Jeremy for giving me a shot at the barista job for a short summer job.

As of tomorrow, I will also enjoy my last week here, in Washington. I have a week to get my life packed up in boxes, finish last minute projects, pore over my suitcase contents, and catch a few friends for last minute social engagements.

Finally, this is the last posting under "the summer tour towards the rest of my life." Don't worry, I'll still be posting my blog here, at this very same address. When you return, you find a new look and new content celebrating my fourth summer in a row!

10 things to look forward to on ice

In 16 days I hope to be headed to Antarctica again and there are plenty of things to look forward to. Here are 10 of those items I anticipate with great delight:

1. Seeing Laura when she comes off the South Pole.

2. Seeing the good friends I met last year again (and making some new ones, too).

3. Sunday morning brunch.

4. The mountains.

5. Quiet.

6. Traveling there and back.

7. The lack of American consumerism (especially at Christmas).

8. Working in support of the National Science Foundation.

9. Sending mail from Antarctica and receiving the packages I sent to myself (or finding I have mail from you).

10. Hopefully, some good wildlife again this season.

finding old friends

Sometimes people come along side you in life who just "fit." You know, you need them right then and there. I am the first to admit that God has blessed me with these people throughout my life!

Earlier this summer, one such friend appeared in front of me as a customer at Starbucks: Kristin. In high school, I knew Kristin with Rachael. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. I met the two of them at summer camp. They were great, energetic people. I appreciated their relationship in light of not having any real close friends at my own school or church. They were refreshing.

Finally, this past week, Kristin and I were able to sit down at lunch and find out who we have become over the past 11 years. Amazingly, the two of us share and abundant amount of similar life experiences and we are both in the middle of a lot of change and uncertainty about direction in life. She invited me to Rachael's birthday party this evening so we were able to catch up a bit in the midst of her four boys running around with other friends and another 10 children!

I would have never been able to track these women down without Kristin's visit to my Starbucks store. It was so much fun to see how God has put the three of us in the same place at the same time again. Their strength of character and enthusiasm for life is inspiring! Who knew?

Ice update: 1 month and counting! I put in my order with REI for some last minute belongings, ordered some amazon.com books to be shipped down to Antarctica for me, and I'm in the process of using up this year's gift cards before I leave the country, have put magazines on hold, and am canceling junk mail catalog subscriptions. My clothes are half packed and bills are being followed up on and paid. The WINFLY (Winter Fly-in) flights arrived in McMurdo this past week. The next cargo planes in will be in October. I will be on the second flight of "Main Body," if nothing changes before then.

saturday of re-uniting

In addition to my class reunion, I also spent some additional time with my friend Jenny, and her boyfriend, Donovan for breakfast. They are from Montana and Colorado, but were in town for the weekend and I was thrilled that we worked out some details to meet on Seattle's Capitol Hill for breakfast. We ate at Coastal Kitchen for a wonderful late breakfast and lovely conversation. Jen was one of my good friends in Antarctica. We tended to talk about our fun(ny) Ice relationships together. I am glad to see that she and Donovan were having such a nice time together on this Washington trip! My breakfast was amazing: Coconut-Mango Griddle Cakes with Vanilla Butter and Caramel Sauce!

After spending some time with them, I had in mind to take the rest of the day quite leisurely until my cocktail party reunion that evening. I went to the Metropolitan Market by Seattle Center and the Space Needle to pick up a grocery lunch, wandered around the park, listened to the light notes coming from the musical fountain there.

Then I headed to Bellevue to reacquaint myself with the city I frequented during my junior and senior high school years. While I felt like I recognized the area, I lost myself in the remodeling and new buildings around the area. I wandered through the mall, and the huge art fair going on reminding myself all the while that it was ok not to rush. This was the first day I had to relax and not accomplish anything in a long time! My city exploration took me also to the newer Lincoln Center in Bellevue, they have this beautiful Chihuly Glass Chandelier hanging in the entrance. I am enchanted by Dale Chihuly's work!

I wandered some more and found myself at my favorite and my first Starbucks at NE 8th in Bellevue. I sat, read, and wrote a bit there while the world went by.

Eventually, I picked up and settle in at the park to read and people-watch before heading over to the class reunion. It was a fun day to explore and roam as I pleased!

party like it's...

I had my 10 year class of 1997 reunion last night. Despite my apprehension over seeing a select crew from 76 of us graduates from my high school, I had a great time. In fact, I didn't leave the party until 1:30am (arriving home shortly after 3am)! I'm definitely not used to be doing that sort of late-night carousing, but it was worth it to see the familiar, albeit, slightly more grown-up faces. (At left: Andrea and Nathanael).

It was a nice surprise to see the guy who almost didn't graduate as successful in the real estate industry, and to find that a few folks found spouses in our class. I also caught up with the three other people who went to college with me. I was pleasantly surprised to talk to a few people who I did not know well in high school and also disappointed that a couple of those who I did spend time with were not able to make it. (At left: Andrea A. and Jens).

True to what I've heard about 10 year reunions, it seems like many of us are still not settled and find ourselves wandering, or not quite in the place we want to spend our lives in. There were a good number of people who have moved back to Washington in the past year, or two, and a small contingency of those who have stuck around, or moved between Seattle and Portland. Some kept in close contact with each others and others, like myself, hadn't seen classmates in years! (At left: Brian, Tracy, and Mike).

The reunion turned out fun and interesting. I'm glad I went.

good things

I received the most curious package in the mail the other day; all the way from New Zealand. It was from two of my most favorite Kiwi friends, Jeremy and Kirrin. They had promised me the "tried and true" recipe for my favorite dessert, pavlova, since I've had a difficult time whipping it up. I didn't expect they would send the entire Edmonds Cookery Book! They even went through and marked their favorite, or most challenging recipes in addition to noting the page pavlova is on! This little gift had me nearly tearing up, I was laughing so hard when I got it.

This morning was an a.m. of accomplishment. It started with a dentist appointment and a prayer that went something like this: "Dear Lord, I don't know if it's possible to not have a crown, but I really don't want one and can't afford it right now." Well, God was merciful. And, at the end of the appointment I had to offer another little prayer of "thanks" since this dentist is quite confident that I can do a small filling to fix the problem. Make a few small fillings in as many teeth, but those are covered by insurance. The dentist can also fit me in on Thursday morning since I'm in a rush for this work to be done.

Then I went to REI to buy some wind pants for my hiking excursion next week (and for Antarctica). The kind on display did not fit me well, but I found some on the sale rack. To make a long story short; by some sort of snafu, I got a $150 pair of wind pants for $20!

Now, the good things are important because they balance coming home to a keeping track of Antarctica paperwork. My HR paperwork should be finished. And, I'm nearly done with my medical and dental qualifications! My friend, Lucas, likened it to a puzzle; although, trying to get all the pieces in the same place at the same time is the trick! Then I still have to put them together!

m is for mitzels

On Saturday, I was headed down to a Mariner's game. They were playing Detroit, and my aunt and uncle invited me along with their church group of 7 others to watch the game. The picture is at game time. You'll notice we're not sitting in stadium seats! If it looks more like the parking lot of, let's say, a Dairy Queen, you might be on the right track!

On the way down (within 25 miles of Safeco Field), the van we were driving decided to give up the ghost. We petered out, safely, on an exit ramp and began making alternate plans. In the end, we never made it to the game and ended up having a couple of nice folks come down and pick us up. We spent the interim time at Mitzels restaurant (I had some Ivar's Clam Chowder; yum)!

The game turned out to be a great one and the M's won. For us, it certainly made for a somewhat adventurous evening even though we didn't get to the ballpark!.

talk of ice on a warm summer's day

Who knew four people could talk about so many things "McMurdo" in one afternoon! My friend, Elizabeth, who lives in Bellingham and also spent time in Antarctica last fall called me up to tell me that our mutual friends, Ben and Krista, were in town (from Massachusetts and Wisconsin, respectfully).

Within a few minutes, I was packed and ready for a big bike ride with them down to Larabee State Park. We took our picnic lunches and chatted nearly all the way. Much information was exchanged and stories were told about our 4 months down there.

I had a fantastic time catching up with the three under beautiful skies and kind temperatures. It was wonderful to chat with them and learn about what they intend to do next in life. I'm so glad I was able to spend the afternoon out with them!

To cap off our day, we had a picnic/potluck outside. We talked and talked until I knew I really had to get home to put away some of the 1/2 completed projects I abandoned to join them on the bike ride earlier! I love being around beautiful people accented by an amazing outdoor kind of day!

surprise visitors

I had a couple of surprise visitors the last few days. First, my brother, Matt, and his friend, Juliet stopped by on their way back to Alaska. They are both working as researchers on the fishing boats up there and have taken a short contract beginning this week. I had a nice time with them. We had tremendously good Greek food on Tuesday evening at Cafe Akroteri. We also made a point to occupy some time at the REI store within walking distance of my apartment.

Yesterday afternoon, I also reacquainted myself with Toby. He was a friend of mine when we lived in Washington and went to a fair number of youth group retreats together. We scheduled a lunch and chatted about the various parts of the world we've each visited. It's quite amazing how two people from the same place can have such different life experiences! He deploys back to Baghdad at the end of this week as a Captain in the Army.

goodbye spring!

For my last day of spring, I enjoyed a day off from work. In the morning, I tried out my brand new coffee press (I get a very nice discount at Starbucks, you know) and later, couldn't resist pulling out my old Krups Espresso machine to whip up a mocha! I highly recommend this brand of coffee appliance. It's been 10 years since I made this purchase and it is still turning out great hot beverages!

Last weekend, I moved into an apartment I'll be sharing with Emily (a recent college grad) for the summer. I have spent the last few days trying to unpack, reorganize, and then repack boxes I won't need this summer; a tedious, but necessary task.

I had called up some friends earlier in the week, and so Aaron and Elise, with little Eva, who invited me out to Birch Bay for a cookout on the beach in the evening. I enjoyed meeting some new people and getting to know Aaron and Elise better, too.

The weather couldn't have been lovelier and even on the water, the temperatures stayed pretty warm most of the evening. There's something heartwarming about roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire near dusk on a beach; watching the tide slowly ebb up the shore.

slug slime and spitbugs

It's another rainy day in Washington; complete with an early morning opening shift at work (beginning at 4:30a)! The rain tends to bring out the best beautiful ever-green scenery in Western Washington, but also gives some interesting creatures a place to inhabit. Two such creature I regretted sticking my fingers into while gardening were and slugs and spit bugs.

Little green or brown spit bugs sit on grasses or green plants and protect themselves by creating a nice frothy foam around their tiny bodies all the while sucking juices from the plant. I just read that they are also better jumpers than a flea!

The slug is nearly as messy to step on as dog doodoo. This harmless creature usually scares me every time it appears in front of my feet. They have a nice set of feelers out front and a pretty jelly-like substance. If you "salt" them, they will slime out, die and leave a puddle of sticky ooze behind. They also enjoy beer. So, if you pick up a heavy beer can on the side of the road out this direction, it's likely full of prisoned slugs.

In other news, I've been observing a lot of hills around the Bellingham area on my runs and bike rides. On Monday, my Ice friend, Elizabeth and I went on a bike ride for 30 miles, or so. Some of the hills were quite painful, but I made it full circuit with her. Inspired, by that success, I decided to run the entire length of the Woburn/Yew Street hill where I've been living. This turned out to be a 25 minute entirely upward accomplishment. I have yet to measure the distance, but I'd guess it is nearly 2 miles. That make the challenge of Scott Base Hill in Antarctica look like an ant hill.

Well, it looks like I got 4th place in the snapfish photo contest. I haven't been contacted about my prize (a gift certificate). It was a pretty poorly run contest for the most part; very confusing, and uninformative for the contestants! But, thanks for your support and votes!

familiar faces and comfortable places

On Sunday morning, I drove a bit further than usual to church in Lynden and experienced a familiar place with grown-up eyes. I enjoyed a beautiful sense of coming "home."

Driving up to Mountain View Christian Reformed Church is a trip down memory lane. First, there is the sign with the house I spent nine years of life in, tucked behind it and the much taller trees and bushes in the front yard. There is still a rose bush on the side of the house, but a large obtrusive fence closes in a small portion of the huge backyard. The old tree house dad had to built in two trees is still hanging on the side of the tree (a bit of a dilapidated gray color, rather than the fresh light brown when it was first put up), and a gazebo appears to be added in the small fenced in enclosure. The big maple tree we used to play in was chopped down, and the big hill, I used to be scared to ride bike down seems to have flattened out into nothing.

But, the view is the same. Mount Baker looks down on the area with his long nose and crooked mouth (I've always seen a face in this mountain). The trees are a bit taller, and a few more houses have gone up in the neighborhood, but it looks the same and the neighbors who I grew up with are still living in their homes. It almost seems like a miniature view of what I remember, but, I imagine, that is because I've gotten taller; not because the ground is any smaller.

The church has stayed much the same as well over the last 18 years since we've lived there. There has been an addition put on, but the building I was familiar with still stands with its' white steeple on top, the woods we used to play in still tower behind the building, and massive parking lot for our games of cops n' robbers is the same dimensions as when I whirled my spokey-doke laden purple banana seat around the parking spaces and sidewalks.

And, inside, there were so many familiar faces. Families have grown up. The people who I thought were old in the church when I was there are still around (and still old; or rather, are truly old now). A lot of familiar faces greeted me with recognition, or knew which family I belonged to, but couldn't guess which of the three girls I was. Most wanted to know what brought me through the doors and what the rest of my family is up to.

I made some good re-acquaintances. It's nice to move into a community where I have a loose connection to a few people. I was able to join some family-friends for lunch after church. I had a fun time meeting their new family members and catching up on some of the years gone by. In some ways it's almost like I can pick up where I left off. The day was a fun reminiscence of my past life, which is now my current place in the world.

At the end of the day, and the weekend, it began to rain. The cooler air feels refreshing and clean. While, I don't mind the relief from our warm sun, unfortunately, this weather is due up for the next few days. I suppose, it is Washington, after all!

brilliant brandi

I missed coaching track and field this year. My javelin throwers were such an important part of my week during the spring. So, I followed their progress this season even though I was not able to coach them and was pleased as punch when Stephanie (left in picture) and Brandi (right in picture) both qualified for nationals. Unfortunately, Stephanie ended up with an elbow injury, but Brandi went on to take 5th place at the NCAA Division III Meet this weekend. Not only that, but she had the best throw in DIII javelin throwing this season and is also qualified to participate in the USA Track & Field meet this June (this is a very big deal).

It seems trite for me to say that God revealed himself to me in significant ways through my collegiate javelin throwing. But, learning and competing in this one discipline encouraged my faith in so many ways. Sometimes it's the littlest things that have the biggest impact. I hope even a portion of what I took from my experience I gave back while I coached (and hopefully, I'll have that opportunity again soon).

playing tourist in seattle

The weather outlook was positive on Sunday evening, so I arranged a stay with my friend, Susan, in Seattle on Monday night. I can't remember the last time I saw Susan. It must have been at least nine years ago. She was actually in my sister's class in high school, but we played a little volleyball together and have managed to keep in touch over the years. Between the two of us (especially Susan), we have covered a good portion of the world! I had a marvelous time catching up with her for a few brief hours. She is a wonderful and very beautiful person.

I spent the morning wandering around Seattle. I found the flagship R.E.I. store there and wandered for a bit before heading down to Pikes Place Market for a few hours. I wish I had more time to spend wandering through the eccentric shops, fruit stands, and fish vendors. The atmosphere is best described as "colorful."

After a lunch at The Market with Susan, I took a trip across Lake Washington to my high school for a quick peak into the classrooms on campus and brief "hellos" to a few former teachers. I am astounded and impressed that so many familiar faces are still there. I know many of the teachers I had were dedicated to their students and to serving God in their place in my school.

I met up with Massie from Antarctica in Bellevue for an afternoon jaunt through a park. It is refreshing to have such new friends and new perspectives on life and I appreciate being able to keep in touch with a few people who have the same strange Antarctic experience!

I sat in a bit of 405 traffic before sitting in line for the Mukilteo ferry to Whidbey Island. This was a last minute decision. I wanted to walk on the ferry from Seattle today and take a round trip on Puget Sound, but I ran out of time, so instead, I detoured my trip back north to Bellingham on The Island. While waiting, I indulged in (and burnt my tongue on) Ivars famous clam chowder. I can't believe I hated the stuff growing up! It was the perfect supper with some fruit and veggies I picked up.

The ferry ride is a true Washington experience. It has always been a treat to take a trip; whether for a family outing, a volleyball tournament, or field trip. Once you and your car are in queue for the boat, you are free to roam around for awhile before the boat docks. Then they load all the cars and people on the ferry. I even was able to load my car on the second level of parking! The warm weather allowed for people to be outside and enjoy the view and fresh salty air before returning to their cars drive off the onto the island.

Although the trail at Edey's Landing that Susan recommended was closed, I did find Deception Pass quite amazing at sunset. I took the quick hike down to the shore just as the sun had a particularly nice glow on everything this evening. This stretch of the island helps me recall so many little icons that represent our trips to grandma's house: the ice cream shops, fruit stands, oil refinery, bridge, naval base, windmill hotel, Pass Lake, and on and on!

I probably should have stuck around to watch the sun completely dip below the waters of Puget Sound, but the temperature cooled off quite quickly and I went on my way.

It was such a gorgeous day to be outside and take in God's great creative works and catch up with his important people who are my friends. I am glad I made the trip!

why-oming and mononot-ana

Two states, I remember being long and difficult to patiently drive through were Wyoming and Montana. However, this time, as I drove through this part of the nation, I founds joy in the hills and mountains. It's been more than 10 years since I last visited this part of I-90, but there are still familiar spaces and places along the way. My first stop in Wyoming was at Devil's Tower. This unique landmark is the remnants of volcanic activity in the area. Legend says that a giant bear chased down a group of girls and they stood on this little rock and prayed that it would save them. The rock grew and put them into the sky where the bear could only claw at them and leave the vertical gashes on the sides. Well, as fantastical as giant grizzlies and growing rocks sound, I'll leave this one to the God of Creation!

As I drove through Wyoming's rolling hills, I encountered some red hills. In some places, these mounds would be a state or national park. Here, there is a sign indicating their existence and I think there may have been camping nearby. However, when the Bighorn Mountains are only a hop, skip and jump away, these little red hills have no contest. This makes me wonder how we value and treat our land. Often times we push aside the importance of the earth we reside on because there is something bigger and better next door. But, I can appreciate South Dakota's preservation of grasslands, even as the fringes of the Badlands are host to towns and buildings. Every area has it's peculiarities and value. I suppose what I am trying to say is that saving some places for our enjoyment is important, but so is caring for the spaces we occupy.

I hopped over the border into Montana and saw that the first rest area was 57 miles into the state. I think they do this to indicate just how long you will be traveling in the state. Whereas most states have an info center within 7 miles of their border, you have to wait 57 to get to the Montana visitor's stop. Driving through the state, I looked at my map and predicted what mountain ranges I was weaving between. Every now and then, a sign would confirm my guess.

For the evening, I stopped by Shuttle Char's house. I got to know her a bit in Antarctica as a wonderfully patient and pleasant person to be around and her hospitality for the evening was beautiful. In fact, Char is simply a beautiful person all the way around! I enjoyed my stop in Bozeman with her and the next morning she sent me on my way with enough snacks to last me more than the rest of the day in the car. She also recommended a pit stop at the Wheat Montana Bakery. I picked up an over sized caramel cinnamon roll there that had me feeling a bit sick from sweetness when I finished it! But, it put a smile on my face.

iowa

Traveling to Pella from Chicago was a nice 5 hour drive. I stopped a few times to stretch my legs and pick up the Iowa State map. My visit with Carrie and kids in Pella comes during a pretty good rainstorm. Driving across the border into the state, I encountered some pretty amazing clouds forming over I-80! The produced an amazing amount of percipitation.

I was thrilled to spend some time with Carrie and kids while her husband was out of town. We sort of sporadically see each other and still have a great time talking together! Carrie was one of the first friends I made at Calvin. After I was cut from the volleyball team my freshman year, she marched me straight into the track & field coach's office the next day to get me on the track team as a javelin thrower; an important introduction for the rest of my college career! She has two beautiful children now who were fun to spend some time with!

My second Iowa stop was with my cousin, Lorinda. Her husband, Ryan, was working late, so I enjoyed talking with her and watch little Kendra smile and play. It's so amazing to remember growing up together and see how our lives and perspectives have changed and yet, still connect us as cousins!

the last supper

Today I spent some time with Meredith over a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I enjoy talking with her about life and her plans for the future and college life! She will be studying in Russia next year!

I also spent one last piece of time with Emily (and Morgan) this afternoon. She is a fabulous friend and I enjoy talking over the cares of life with her. I always come away with a fresh perspective on things when I leave her!

I certainly did not expect much of a send off, but Dave and Mary arranged a good-bye dinner with their family this evening. Erin and Ryan were also able to join us at Red Robin (of course) for an evening out. Heather, Nate, Phil, Jen, and little Ashley all came out so I could have one last Banzai Burger in Illinois. It was pretty spectacular! I will most definitely miss my friends here.

Tomorrow, I finish packing, run a few last errands and head down I-88 towards Iowa. My tentative plan looks something like this:

Day 1: to Pella, Iowa.
Day 2: Pella to Orange City, Iowa.
Day 3: Orange City to Rapid City, South Dakota (I wanted to camp here, but I got a hotel since the campgrounds are not open for the summer yet).
Day 4: Rapid City to Bozeman, Montana.
Day 5: Bozeman to (hopefully) Seattle, Washington.
Day 6 or 7: Make my way up to Bellingham, Washington.

lexi's wedding

My friend Lexi was married today to Matt. Lexi and I met at Calvin College my freshman year and she has been a friend ever since. Our meeting was quite candid. The two of us ended up in an interim (January term) class together called The Dead Sea Scrolls. Our initial friendship was based on being two of only a few women in the class. Then we also both had a mild interest in the two other socially-ept students in our class; they happened to be of the opposite gender. Our mild interest may have been a bit more like an infatuation. We were so smitten that we did things like sit in front of the boys so they could fall asleep, undetected, during the movies (even the professor fell asleep during them)! Even when nothing matriculated from our attraction, the four of us spent most of our class time together and ended up pairing off for our term paper. From that January on, Lexi and I kept in touch.

We were even roommates in Lisle together a few years back; Lexi was one of the best roommates! We would run to Dairy Queen together, have super-loud conversations across the apartment about our dramatic day at work, or the latest interesting man. We used to get the Calvin Alumni Magazine (The Spark) and page to the end where all the marriages and babies were listed to see what had happened in the past months to our friends and acquaintances.

Well, Lexi, I'll be looking for your announcement in a few months! Congratulations. I am thrilled that you found Matt.

singed, by not burned out

I received a change of address confirmation for one of my accounts yesterday. It changed my address from Lisle, Illinois to Lisle, Illinois. As many times as I have moved, this one already gets the "most-challenging" award for address changes. One company even reverted back to a previous address! Even though I've been unemployed, I feel like I have a full time job right now just getting new bank accounts, fixing things that went wrong while I was away, and repacking my belongings to fit in my car.

I spent a little over a day at my Aunt Shirley & Uncle Glenn's house at the beginning of the week sorting through my possessions, and labeling them into one of three categories: garage sale, mailing items, and stuff to squeeze in the car. I put 10 boxes in the mail and managed to combine the garage sale and car items in one load after that! Now, I have a bit of restructuring to do in my car.

My time in Illinois is quickly coming to a close and I can feel that I have accomplished a lot. Thursday my body told me with a near-midraine that it was time for a break. So, I watched a movie in the morning and eventually got going.

The highlight of the time spent here is seeing friends and catching up from the past six months. Emily and Erin made time for one last "girl's night" before we all move in different directions. We used to meet every week for a meal with Emily and conversations of life, career, school, and love. I think those long evenings taught me that it was ok to spill over the sides of the mold that society creates for us (hence, my trip to Antarctica and some of my other quirky idiosyncrasies). Their love and friendship is treasured and the close proximity we shared will be missed as Emily and family move to a new house, Erin & Ryan move to Kentucky, and I head off to Washington.

I've spent some time at a track meet, marking the progress in athleticism and character of the athletes I coached, and chatted with Brandi, perhaps the most "natural" javelin thrower I've ever known for a morning. I had coffee with Jay to catch up with the story of his family and life. I've enjoyed dinner with Dave and Mary, Erin and Ryan, and Phil, Jen, and little baby, Ashley, too.

Today, I'm out enjoying the weather. It's just over 70 degrees and sunny outside. I ran out to the REI garage sale and ended up with a nearly-new pair of glove liners, and the coolest camera tripod ever. My camera loves it so much that it took a self-portrait to show you the new set of legs. I fixed my windshield wiper fluid squirter (or rather, I pretended like I was just going to buy the part and fix it myself, asked all kinds of questions about how to do it and how much the labor would cost if they installed it, and ended up with two nice gentlemen at the Honda dealership to install it for free).

This evening I will mix and match an outfit from the remainder of clothes I have (hopefully) suitable for a wedding and then begin filling up the car again for my trip west.