Entries this day: River_walk Sarah_walk Uncle_Rick_talk elizabeth gin_in_gijon_austrias jasons_mom z_addicted

River walk

12:18pm EDT Friday 4 October 2002

I'm standing in a river now (across the street from Barbie's house), only as deep as my lower calf on the left foot, standing on a large fallen tree. I'm using the uplifted roots as my computer table. My right foot stands up out of the water on the tree, as if I conquered it.

If by conquer I mean that I did not slip and fall into the water, then yes, I conquered the tree. The main reason I'm not across the river by now is that I don't want to get wet. And some trees have teasingly fallen halfway across the river, on both sides but not at the same point across the river. I can wade through part of the water through which I can see the bottom, but if I can't see the bottom, I don't really want to walk there for fear that I will slip into a deep hole and get my computer wet. That would be bad. Darn non-waterproof computer.. hahaha

Okay, wish me luck.

12:53pm

Wow. I successfully navigated two different trees partway across the river to a sandbar and back. The first tree was a large um, tree (darn my non-knowledge of tree types) slanted from the bank down into the water. Its bark wanted to slough off each time I stepped on it, so I had to be supremely careful to keep from losing my footing. Plus I was wearing shoes, which made me a tad less balanced.

Ended up crouching on all fours like a silly looking hump backed rabbit and made it to a point where I could look down and see the sand through the water. It looked like I could climb off the branch into the water and not slip and not be too deep.

The trunk was high enough out of the water that I chose to face backwards and sorta slide off it into the water. Splash! up to my lower shorts legs, but none on my phone or wallet which I have in my pockets, and certainly none on my backpack or computer.

Walked slowly along the sandbar; the water was deeper than I had guessed it would be. (Hey maybe if I get a waterproof backpack that would be a lot cheaper and allow me to swim across the river with all my stuff.) Did not discover a way across the river, but made it to another much smaller tree trunk that would allow me passage back to shore. This trunk was partially submerged, and had a cool whirlpool sometimes sucking leaves down under the trunk. I could not see the river bottom below this tree, so I walked super carefully across it, balancing as best I could. Balance was good enough to make it without falling. Oh, I had to psych myself out and play like it was a short sturdy brick wall and an error would be easily recoverable. This gave me the courage to walk more quickly across the log and make it to shore.

Put my legs on overdrive to clambor up the steep slope as dirt sloughed off with each step. Made it up to street level in a few minutes.

- - - -

Oh, I had found a golf ball earlier in my trek, which I bounced to a kid on the street. His name is Brian, and I had previously met him as one of Shane's friends. He had chosen to take the day off from school today.

Sarah walk

2:11pm EDT Friday 4 October 2002

I forgot to mention that while we played the string game, Sarah picked up the cat and tossed him onto my hand. Funny stuff.

We went for a long walk today, which started as a run down the golf course, basically chasing two guys in a golf cart for a while. Each time they would get out of their cart to hit some balls, I would have Sarah stop so as to not intrude on their game. Each time they would take a practice swing, she would giggle and say "he missed it" and then when he hit the ball she would say "oooh good hit!" Funny.

We walked all the way to the front of the subdivision and then walked across the tressel of the railroad track and heard a train coming so we stepped off to the side (we were well past the tressel) and waved to the engineer who waved back.

During the walk she kept saying, "I can't believe that I walked this far!!!" and I invited her to test to see if she was dreaming by trying to fly. I wonder if she'll remember to test while she's dreaming now and fly in her dream.

We headed back after feeding grass to the bravest of a heard of cows, who were probably being wary of the electric fence in which they were caged. The fence was actually wooden, with one electrified wire that Sarah accidentally touched and then somehow somehow talked me in to touching. Ow!!!! That was pretty funny that she was able to do that.

I piggybacked her about 1/4 of the way home, and she was asleep soon after we got back. Becky was getting pretty worried since it was relatively dark by the time we got back.

Great great great stuff!

Uncle Rick talk

9:41pm EDT Friday 4 October 2002

Just had a great conversation with my uncle Rick, who unfortunately I will not be able to see this time since I didn't really plan ahead as I left Memphis and I've ended up waiting here because I thought Rachel and Hamidah were coming here and it's all just a silly miscommunication problem. But he still says comeon over any time I want. So awesome. I'm sorry that I didn't plan ahead well enough.

He told me about t-mobile, which apparently offers a tri-band phone that can be used all over the world for $60/month or so. I will certainly be getting a new phone when I slide over to Japan next year. I wonder if people will be able to call a US number and get my in Japan. And have my Japan peeps call a Japanese number and get me in Japan, or the US. That would be fly. Or fuck the Japan vs US numbers and have a worldwide numbering system (IP address, or better IPv6 address) to get to a particular phone. Ultra fly.

elizabeth

10:11pm EDT Friday 4 October 2002

Chatting with Elizabeth, a cute college girl friend of Barbie's who is over just to visit. She looks a lot like Marcel's Kayse. She and Becky were talking and smoking in the kitchen, so I stayed out of the stink in the living room.

Elizabeth and I have been talking about travel; she's been to parts of Europe: Germany, Paris, Switzerland I think.

She's a journalism major in school, specializing in public relations. I had to ask her how that was part of journalism, but now I understand. When she retires from her career, she wants to take pictures for National Geographic. I wonder why she doesn't make that her career.

She says she just doesn't see that as a career, but more of a hobby. But why not get paid for what you love?

gin in gijon austrias

date: friday 4 october 2002
from: gin
subj: Gin in Gij—n, Asturias

Cheers!Ê This e-mail thing is so groovy!ÊÊ I got mail again, and I
want to read them all 5 times!Ê I have finally arrived to the
Cantabric Sea, my first beach last night, theʨplaya de españa¨.Ê
Yesterday while walking from a mountain road, i was routed onto the
highway.Ê After all, the ´Camino de Santiago´ is one of the more
ancient roads in Europe, of course it is a highway now.Ê When I got to
town this morning I confirmed the news with 10 government agencies
that this is it, no foot trails or farm roads.Ê I was ready for an
easy road, one with walking paths and blue signs with painted yellow
shells on them indicating the camino.Ê The ´camino´ and life are
becoming more synonymous every step.Ê I lasted about 2 miles on the
highway yesterday before sliding into a bar and drinking a couple of
spiked coffees with cream.Ê

ÊÊÊÊ ÊThere was an 88 year old guy there with crutches behind his
chair.Ê During the civil war of Spain (officially 1936-1939,Êbut
starting back around ´32)Ê his legs were frostbitten.ÊHe lived
outside, fighting, for six years.Ê We talked for several hours. I had
been slightly shaken up after a few close calls with cargo trucks out
on the road.ÊÊ My plan was not to get back on the highway.Ê ÊÊThere is
something about talking with a war survivor, (one of several elderly
men i have talked to this week that survived the war by fighting on
both sides at one time or another during that war- that resulted in
Franco's dictatorship from 1939 to his death in 1974) that reminds me
that the urban assault vehicles that pass me like rockets are not the
worst dangers in life.Ê After talks of history and family and now i
asked him if i could get to where i am now (Gijón) from that road side
bar without getting back on the highway.Ê Ten other people had told me
´no, impossible...´. Without pointing out the obvious, that the 10
mile trip would be converted into a 20 mile trip, he gave me detailed
instructions of how to get here.Ê What a gem!Ê I usually don't take
pictures of those i find the most precious, i don't know why, but i
got a picture of him and bought him a shot of brandy for today.

ÊÊÊÊÊ On my little ´credencial´ of the ´Camino´, that if i was
visiting churches or hostels, would be full ofÊstamps recording the
name and the date of my visit to those places, is a map of the various
´caminos to Santiago de Compostela´.Ê From here it says 351
kilometers.Ê Then to Finisterre, at least another 100.Ê My father
reminded me when i spoke with him the other day that i have been as
far as Dallas from San Antonio (Texas) for a month.Ê Inching my way
across my map, with a deadline in mind, isÊsuch a silly sensation.Ê In
Holland i will be, October 24, if I have reached Finisterre or not.Ê
So, the news of today, that the 351 plus kilometers is still entirely
more than that due to my alternative route search was takenÊ with a
contemplative dose of cheese cake.Ê I have to laugh, because i have
been on the same ´lost path´ since the day i left from Le Mont
St. Michelle in Normandy.Ê The priest there looked at me like i was
insane, with the similar tone of the woman in the tourist office
today, and said, ¨there is no foot path to Santiago from here¨.ÊÊMy
motto has become,ʨif i don't get lost at least once a day, there is
no adventure¨. This helps me through the moments a few kilometers down
a dead-endÊmountain path, when i know i must turn back, possibly for
the second or third time.Ê So even thought the clock is ticking again,
there is no use in ruffling my feathers.Ê Feather ruffling is only
effective when there are witnesses anyway.Ê As i learned on the
mountain, to not be happy is not to be unhappy.Ê Emotions are the
costume in front of the act, when there is no stage and no audience,
there is no one to care if i am naked or in a dress. There is no use
in wasting valuable energy on being dramatic if there is no one there
to spend it on.Ê Ecstasy with an aire of placidity is how i find my
way.ÊI talk to most ofÊthe people i meet with the pretense of asking
for directions. I if had found the ´easy road´, i mightÊnot have stuck
with it for long anyway.Ê

ÊÊÊ Now that i am back at the ocean, i will wander on the beach roads,
listening to the roar of the sea, peaking out on the cliffs and rocks
with an occasional white sand beach i could practice head standing
on.Ê I think the group i left Roncevalles with, on the main French
route of the ¨camino¨are getting there today, or this week, they might
be home already.Ê It will not hurt my feelings if i never get to
Finisterre, always setting out on the ´camino´, without a map or
agenda.Ê I am there already, just where i set out to be.Ê

ÊÊÊÊÊÊ I was finally being a bit religious...about journaling in my
little sparkle book.Ê Then I found myself in the Pecos of Europe.Ê
Those mountains made me want to scream.Ê So beyond comment that my
little daily logs with little bitty words lost me.Ê I scaled one of
the canyons, 1200 meters (in the wildest parts of the Pyrenees would
have taken 4 hours),Ê that took me 8 hours!Ê Verticalisimo!Ê It has
been the finest weather of the year in these weeks, the whole time i
was in the ´Peaks´ (an understatement) not a drop fell from the sky.Ê
Thank you for your angels!ÊÊÊÊ My favorite pilgrims wish of the week i
will borrow...¨That you not get tired and continue happily¨Ê (No te
canses y que sigas feliz hasta que llegues).

ÊÊÊÊÊ Until always and always... love and liberty... go beyond, gin

jasons mom

2:12am EDT Saturday 5 October 2002

A woman came to the house looking for Jason, who went out with Shane and someone else for the football game tonight. The game probably ended by 10pm; it's a high school football game. They're still not home even now at 2 am.

I invited her in and gave some input/ideas/etc from my standpoint as a youth advisor and as an ex teenager. This felt really weird to me to be giving advice to a mom on how to raise her kid, not just because I don't have kids, but because he is her 3rd of 4 kids. How can I give helpful advice to someone like that? I dunno, but she seemed quite appreciative of my insights.

She stayed for 30 minutes at least; Becky and Elizabeth came in from the garage and extended the conversation to TV stations and such. Very interesting all the different aspects we have of our lives.

z addicted

2:18am EDT Saturday 5 October 2002

I must be addicted to the internet. Good job to Kate who has decided to blow off livejournal and AIM for an unspecified period of time. It is just silly, but so goddamn addicting, and I can't really figure out why.

Why?

Why is livejournal so interesting? It's something about how it lets me feel connected to these people's lives, how I can have some insights on how they act around others, how I can maybe give some helpful insight to them.

Now I'm reading my email and have been willing to wait wait wait even though this internet connection is so fucking slow it's pathetic! Damn this connection bites my butt.

- - - -

Elizabeth and Becky are back in the garage, cleaning the place up. They've really done an impressive job!

Why do people smoke? Why can they be addicted to something that is so obviously bad for them? And why do cute girls smoke? And guys for that matter? It's so fucking messed up.

Good night.