"You've already fantasized about NEEDING a pegleg.... haven't you?"
Yes.
I absolutely did.
Not just when I was a kid,
playing patches-and-swords
but just last week.
That is a nearly-direct quote from
my longtime friend The Mermaid,
after I told her how my
best-bud-camping-trip
total-eclipse-viewing
extravaganza went.
We were talking over the phone,
but I heard her cock her eyebrow
and ask me
whether I'd fantasized *enough*
to know WHICH LEG I would dedicate
to the cause of
needing an artistically-carved
Sailor-made pegleg.
Because she KNOWS me.
Gemini's, yo.
We *know* we're crazy,
and think it may be the best thing about us.
(That's just an aside
'bout my insidious insides)
Anyways, about the Eclipse-a-ganza
let me just shout out,
that I found out that apparently
although I am a very scattered person,
I may be the most organized,
and management-focused of the four of us.
I told them
(well, practically told them)
over a year ago,
that the four of us,
and our families
WOULD be in the woods,
camping,
with a perfect eclipse view
OR ELSE
I would rain FIRE UPON THEIR HOMES!
BURNINATING ALL THE COUNTRYSIDES!!
No, wait.
I told them they could come,
or not come
but it WAS going to be awesome
and I'd like them there.
The Short Story, if you're not into my
straggering descriptions
you can simply know
IT WAS AWESOME.
All of it!
And the pegleg thing gets explained!
[The long and tall of it under here.....]
I haunted and hunted
and got JUST THE PLACE I wanted.
A 3 bedroom,
8 bed U.S. Forest Service cabin with
running, potable water
indoor bathroom,
hot showers,
propane fridge/stove/oven,
fireplace,
plus private/personal view of meadow,
large front yard,
no nearby campers, left alone at night,
short walk to paths/hikes/lakes,
short drives to seriously scenic scenes,
in the path of totality,
AND clear view of it from our picnic table?
what more could ya be lookin' for?!
So.... that's where *I* was!
In the forested foothills of Mt. Hood
in a 1930s ranger cabin
with 8 of my favorite people in the world
to camp,
talk/laugh/sing/play games,
and watch a total eclipse of the sun
*together*
AND IT WAS AWESOME!
One friend (J) lives in SF, CA
another friend (M)
and his wife (C) and 5 year old son (G)
is in Tacoma,
The other friend (Ris),
and her boyfriend (Z) and new baby (B)
live in my city
and we all
met in the juicy middle
to be see
something "awesome"
in the traditional
sense of the word.
Sailor and I booked it
Thursday-Tuesday
with the Eclipse on Monday
that gave us plenty of time to
enjoy the cabin/space/location
AND the event.
He and I arrived first,
romantically-minded
for 2 days
until Saturday when Everyone Else
(My 3 besties from High School
and our growing families)
planned to arrive.
Interruption:
I have a bad habit of getting hurt on vacation.
[(Story?)]EVERY accident is stupid, right?
I usually get hurt:
Within a short-time from my arrival time
and also
Without any sort of medical care available within
an hour of driving.
I like *remote*, OKAY?!
Our cabin was dirty, dusty and a bit gritty...
but loveable
(just like me?)
and it was a new moon
so looking at the night sky
from some dark mountains
really offered a beautiful view
of the Milky Way.
I love the dark.
I love the night.
I love feeling my eyes
open
and
open
and
open
filling their pools
with stars
and more stars
and more stars
to fall in.
(Or their photons, at least)
Sailor, literally feels at home
buckled to the top gallant yard
of a mainmast
over the open sea
and hard deck
is *really* uncomfortable
in the forest;
which is my natural 'home'.
He shines flashlights
everywhere,
carrying several,
to ensure proper viewing.
The first night,
I tolerated it.
We'd arrived after dark
and needed to settle in.
The second night,
I wanted to keep the flashlights off more.
I wanted to invite the dark in.
I. Love. The dark.
Sailor, is perfect in every way.
But that doesn't stop me from
trying to tell him what to do sometimes.
And Karma, who we all know LOVES to laugh
reminds me
why
Sailor is perfect in every way
and to leave him the F alone.
I am shining the red flashlight on my path out to the meadow
feeling it is a compromise.
It is a short walk, down a cobbled path and stairs.
Short, but treacherous.
Sailor's sonic-super flashlight
made my small red pathway disappear
bleached to a cold white
heavy-shadowed glare.
He is trying to light my way from behind.
He's SO sweet, but that doesn't stop me.
As I half-turn to admonish his bright flashlight
-when attending to star-gazing-
I trip and fall off
the short, but precarious, pathway.
Twisting one (1) knee and one (1) ankle
and bumping one (1) other knee badly into a rockwall.
Sailor... had a perfect
well-lit view,
of course.
And to tell you HOW perfect he is?
He didn't even snigger.
He just worried and helped
because,
(we can all repeat it)
he is perfect.
So, the first day we packed,
drove for 8ish hours,
arrived in the woods after dark,
made our bed,
laid in it - slept.
Second day,
We enjoyed walking around,
investigating places,
the nearby lake,
the abandoned cabins,
cleaning our own cabin, settling in.
That night, I fall on my knees [see: "Story?: An Interruption"]
mid-admonishment of a very kind and gentle
(and sorta afraid of the dark)
man.
Cruel and poetic karma!
After the fall, I could hobble.
That's a good sign,
right?
The next morning, I could NOT hobble.
That is a bad sign,
right?
Our first aid kid was prepared for my USUAL style of accident.
Puncture wounds, bruising, and large cuts.
Sprained/hurt knee?
Nope.
Fuckall.
Sailor is going to drive to the nearest cell service,
call the 4 adults (and two children) we are expecting,
tell them to bring ace bandages, LOTS of ibuprofen,
blue ice, knee brace,.... crutches maybe.
I could barely *move*.
But, the car.... was dead.
Sailor serviced the car,
but without luck.
He comes in, "Well,... guess I'm going for a walk."
It is 4 miles to the nearest known cell site.
I look at him.
"Why do you look so concerned?"
I do not really feel that concerned.
I am:
In a daydress, drinking a beer, reading a book
with my leg propped up in bed,
in a cabin,
in a beautiful meadow.
Plus, I inform him:
People will arrive, they will have cars that work.
We can figure out what is needed *when* they get here.
All else?
Fuck it.
Plus, ONE of the adults attending just happens to
be a practicing DOCTOR of Physical Therapy.
She will tell me what I need to worry about.
Until then?
Let's cuddle and watch the trees!
I am NOT high-maintenance.
Sailor, my Delightful Manfriend,
is....
...let's just say he's an angel.
I was alternating between reading/napping
and he brought out his carving box
(it's his favorite thing to do when camping)
and he hunted out to hew
from among the nearby copse of trees
just the right branch crotch
into a crutch
for me.
And he made me a beautiful
and functional
crutch!
I had to break the bad news
(I'm sure he already knew)
that if HE ever needed ME to carve a crutch
for him,
he'd STILL have to carve it himself.
But, I was also quick to point out
that I suddenly feel much better
about the idea that if I ever needed a leg amputated,
I am pretty sure,
I would have
THE BEST,
most beautiful,
most useable
pegleg
anyone has seen.
He looked at me with big brown eyes
and sincerely said,
"I sure hope so.
I would try my best."
I remind you at this point:
He made me a (really nice, very useable!) crutch,
after I hurt myself,
while remonstrating him
for using a flashlight
(so he wouldn't trip)
which he didn't even laugh at me for that.
This is where we started.
This is where I was when I said I was
talking with my great friend The Mermaid,
as she audibly smirked over the phone,
because she knew, that I knew
that the thought of
lovingly/artistically carved
peglegs
is absolutely WORTH fantasizing about.
Gemini's are weird.
So..... that was the first 2 full days at the cabin.
The next three days are where EVERYONE SHOWS UP!
We have one new person to the group (and a new child)
but the REST of us... including significant others,
have all known each other
for decades.
The oldest relationship there between
Sailor and my best friend Ris
who met in 2nd grade
almost 30 years ago.
Ha!
I absolutely did.
Not just when I was a kid,
playing patches-and-swords
but just last week.
That is a nearly-direct quote from
my longtime friend The Mermaid,
after I told her how my
best-bud-camping-trip
total-eclipse-viewing
extravaganza went.
We were talking over the phone,
but I heard her cock her eyebrow
and ask me
whether I'd fantasized *enough*
to know WHICH LEG I would dedicate
to the cause of
needing an artistically-carved
Sailor-made pegleg.
Because she KNOWS me.
Gemini's, yo.
We *know* we're crazy,
and think it may be the best thing about us.
(That's just an aside
'bout my insidious insides)
Anyways, about the Eclipse-a-ganza
let me just shout out,
that I found out that apparently
although I am a very scattered person,
I may be the most organized,
and management-focused of the four of us.
I told them
(well, practically told them)
over a year ago,
that the four of us,
and our families
WOULD be in the woods,
camping,
with a perfect eclipse view
OR ELSE
I would rain FIRE UPON THEIR HOMES!
BURNINATING ALL THE COUNTRYSIDES!!
No, wait.
I told them they could come,
or not come
but it WAS going to be awesome
and I'd like them there.
The Short Story, if you're not into my
straggering descriptions
you can simply know
IT WAS AWESOME.
All of it!
And the pegleg thing gets explained!
[The long and tall of it under here.....]
I haunted and hunted
and got JUST THE PLACE I wanted.
A 3 bedroom,
8 bed U.S. Forest Service cabin with
running, potable water
indoor bathroom,
hot showers,
propane fridge/stove/oven,
fireplace,
plus private/personal view of meadow,
large front yard,
no nearby campers, left alone at night,
short walk to paths/hikes/lakes,
short drives to seriously scenic scenes,
in the path of totality,
AND clear view of it from our picnic table?
what more could ya be lookin' for?!
So.... that's where *I* was!
In the forested foothills of Mt. Hood
in a 1930s ranger cabin
with 8 of my favorite people in the world
to camp,
talk/laugh/sing/play games,
and watch a total eclipse of the sun
*together*
AND IT WAS AWESOME!
One friend (J) lives in SF, CA
another friend (M)
and his wife (C) and 5 year old son (G)
is in Tacoma,
The other friend (Ris),
and her boyfriend (Z) and new baby (B)
live in my city
and we all
met in the juicy middle
to be see
something "awesome"
in the traditional
sense of the word.
Sailor and I booked it
Thursday-Tuesday
with the Eclipse on Monday
that gave us plenty of time to
enjoy the cabin/space/location
AND the event.
He and I arrived first,
romantically-minded
for 2 days
until Saturday when Everyone Else
(My 3 besties from High School
and our growing families)
planned to arrive.
Interruption:
I have a bad habit of getting hurt on vacation.
[(Story?)]EVERY accident is stupid, right?
I usually get hurt:
Within a short-time from my arrival time
and also
Without any sort of medical care available within
an hour of driving.
I like *remote*, OKAY?!
Our cabin was dirty, dusty and a bit gritty...
but loveable
(just like me?)
and it was a new moon
so looking at the night sky
from some dark mountains
really offered a beautiful view
of the Milky Way.
I love the dark.
I love the night.
I love feeling my eyes
open
and
open
and
open
filling their pools
with stars
and more stars
and more stars
to fall in.
(Or their photons, at least)
Sailor, literally feels at home
buckled to the top gallant yard
of a mainmast
over the open sea
and hard deck
is *really* uncomfortable
in the forest;
which is my natural 'home'.
He shines flashlights
everywhere,
carrying several,
to ensure proper viewing.
The first night,
I tolerated it.
We'd arrived after dark
and needed to settle in.
The second night,
I wanted to keep the flashlights off more.
I wanted to invite the dark in.
I. Love. The dark.
Sailor, is perfect in every way.
But that doesn't stop me from
trying to tell him what to do sometimes.
And Karma, who we all know LOVES to laugh
reminds me
why
Sailor is perfect in every way
and to leave him the F alone.
I am shining the red flashlight on my path out to the meadow
feeling it is a compromise.
It is a short walk, down a cobbled path and stairs.
Short, but treacherous.
Sailor's sonic-super flashlight
made my small red pathway disappear
bleached to a cold white
heavy-shadowed glare.
He is trying to light my way from behind.
He's SO sweet, but that doesn't stop me.
As I half-turn to admonish his bright flashlight
-when attending to star-gazing-
I trip and fall off
the short, but precarious, pathway.
Twisting one (1) knee and one (1) ankle
and bumping one (1) other knee badly into a rockwall.
Sailor... had a perfect
well-lit view,
of course.
And to tell you HOW perfect he is?
He didn't even snigger.
He just worried and helped
because,
(we can all repeat it)
he is perfect.
So, the first day we packed,
drove for 8ish hours,
arrived in the woods after dark,
made our bed,
laid in it - slept.
Second day,
We enjoyed walking around,
investigating places,
the nearby lake,
the abandoned cabins,
cleaning our own cabin, settling in.
That night, I fall on my knees [see: "Story?: An Interruption"]
mid-admonishment of a very kind and gentle
(and sorta afraid of the dark)
man.
Cruel and poetic karma!
After the fall, I could hobble.
That's a good sign,
right?
The next morning, I could NOT hobble.
That is a bad sign,
right?
Our first aid kid was prepared for my USUAL style of accident.
Puncture wounds, bruising, and large cuts.
Sprained/hurt knee?
Nope.
Fuckall.
Sailor is going to drive to the nearest cell service,
call the 4 adults (and two children) we are expecting,
tell them to bring ace bandages, LOTS of ibuprofen,
blue ice, knee brace,.... crutches maybe.
I could barely *move*.
But, the car.... was dead.
Sailor serviced the car,
but without luck.
He comes in, "Well,... guess I'm going for a walk."
It is 4 miles to the nearest known cell site.
I look at him.
"Why do you look so concerned?"
I do not really feel that concerned.
I am:
In a daydress, drinking a beer, reading a book
with my leg propped up in bed,
in a cabin,
in a beautiful meadow.
Plus, I inform him:
People will arrive, they will have cars that work.
We can figure out what is needed *when* they get here.
All else?
Fuck it.
Plus, ONE of the adults attending just happens to
be a practicing DOCTOR of Physical Therapy.
She will tell me what I need to worry about.
Until then?
Let's cuddle and watch the trees!
I am NOT high-maintenance.
Sailor, my Delightful Manfriend,
is....
...let's just say he's an angel.
I was alternating between reading/napping
and he brought out his carving box
(it's his favorite thing to do when camping)
and he hunted out to hew
from among the nearby copse of trees
just the right branch crotch
into a crutch
for me.
And he made me a beautiful
and functional
crutch!
I had to break the bad news
(I'm sure he already knew)
that if HE ever needed ME to carve a crutch
for him,
he'd STILL have to carve it himself.
But, I was also quick to point out
that I suddenly feel much better
about the idea that if I ever needed a leg amputated,
I am pretty sure,
I would have
THE BEST,
most beautiful,
most useable
pegleg
anyone has seen.
He looked at me with big brown eyes
and sincerely said,
"I sure hope so.
I would try my best."
I remind you at this point:
He made me a (really nice, very useable!) crutch,
after I hurt myself,
while remonstrating him
for using a flashlight
(so he wouldn't trip)
which he didn't even laugh at me for that.
This is where we started.
This is where I was when I said I was
talking with my great friend The Mermaid,
as she audibly smirked over the phone,
because she knew, that I knew
that the thought of
lovingly/artistically carved
peglegs
is absolutely WORTH fantasizing about.
Gemini's are weird.
So..... that was the first 2 full days at the cabin.
The next three days are where EVERYONE SHOWS UP!
We have one new person to the group (and a new child)
but the REST of us... including significant others,
have all known each other
for decades.
The oldest relationship there between
Sailor and my best friend Ris
who met in 2nd grade
almost 30 years ago.
Ha!