Continuous Vacation
At 3pm on Wednesday of last week, I left work and haven't been back since. Tomorrow is another scheduled day off, then it's my final week of work before everything changes. Everything has already been changing, of course, in fact this change has been a long time coming. Rather than rush headlong into it, I continue to have downtime and reflection time.
On Independence Day I packed up the car with camping gear and Stella and headed around the Puget Sound up to the Olympic Peninsula. I know I keep saying it, but having a car here is so life enriching. I drove for two hours to get out into nature and completely off the grid, without a cell phone signal. Where many of you come from, two hours in a car is no big deal. You may spend that amount of time driving every day. I don't.
For years now, more than a decade in fact, I've lived in cities that I found extremely difficult to leave. For all the time I spend in Saigon, I can count the trips out of town without adding more fingers than I was born with. I never went farther north than Da Nang except the first week of being there, with the whole family. I went to Thailand once for a few days but only was in airports of other Asian countries. That's no different from my time in Dublin, all those years ago, when I thought I'd be able to make side trips on weekends. I never did. The only times I left New York for someplace other than Michigan were either for production work or to visit Boston and Philadelphia. And yes, I've laid in bed many nights thinking how I really needed to get out of town more. Have car, will travel, as I've at long, long, long last rediscovered. Gas is expensive, insurance is expensive, licenses are expensive, the car and maintaining it are expensive. But it's all worth if for the huge increase in available experiences.
I spend a couple nights in a tent at my friend's mom's property in Hoodsport, WA, near Cushman Lake and not far from the Hood Canal. Stella the dog joined me for the trip and the entire time I was her people - we looked after each other. Twice I hopped in a car to go to into town, leaving her behind, and she paced anxiously until my return. If there was any doubt, I can now say for certain that Stella is my favorite dog ever. She was the perfect travel companion, the perfect guest, and the perfect non-alpha dog of the pack (there were four others at the campsite). We even shared a little tent and for the first time ever, I slept two full 8-hour nights on a sleeping pad. That has never, ever, ever happened before. I guess this is the most relaxed and together I've felt in a very long time.
We avoided almost all the fireworks by being away during that stretch. Like many dogs, Stella isn't at all fond of invisible distant explosions. I tried to ease her anxiety each time something popped and for the most part she got through it like a champ.
Eric and Angela got back late last night so after picking them up from the station I spent another night at their place. We dilly dallied all morning, sleeping in late. Eventually they decided they would go garden and that we'd run in the evening. Since I had taken my mountain bike and all my riding gear with me when I went down there on Wednesday, I wasn't about to skip out on a ride even if it meant I'd be riding alone.
I went east to Duthie and rode in the heat, sweating a lot. There was an Evergreen event going on that I came across. I watched for a bit but didn't get involved. It looked like a downhill jump competition and based on the number of vehicles with bike racks parked within a mile of the trailhead, there were a lot more people present that I didn't see. Riding alone wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped so I didn't end up staying too long. The heat was getting to me, too, not to mention being under-conditioned.
After the ride we went running. I picked up Phil to join us and we did a loop through Jefferson Park then around the golf course. It was a very summer night, even at 7pm, and the heat and sunshine sapped plenty of energy out of all of us. We ran a little under four miles before heading back home.
I packed up all my stuff, dropped Phil at home, then came home for a much needed shower. I was in no mood to cook dinner (I don't think I even have anything to cook) but was in all sorts of mood to get sushi. I couldn't find anyone to join me and since it was getting late, I settled from Chiang's instead. Noodles and dumplings are more than enough starch to get you feeling full quick and what remains is enough for at least two more meals.
I'm now trying to catch up on some TV shows recorded while I've been away. Staying focused is touch not least of all because I'm ready to lay down and zonk out at any minute. All the sunshine has me just sapped of energy, but what a lovely weekend it's been. Tomorrow is one more day off and I expect to take it a little easier than I took today.
On Independence Day I packed up the car with camping gear and Stella and headed around the Puget Sound up to the Olympic Peninsula. I know I keep saying it, but having a car here is so life enriching. I drove for two hours to get out into nature and completely off the grid, without a cell phone signal. Where many of you come from, two hours in a car is no big deal. You may spend that amount of time driving every day. I don't.
For years now, more than a decade in fact, I've lived in cities that I found extremely difficult to leave. For all the time I spend in Saigon, I can count the trips out of town without adding more fingers than I was born with. I never went farther north than Da Nang except the first week of being there, with the whole family. I went to Thailand once for a few days but only was in airports of other Asian countries. That's no different from my time in Dublin, all those years ago, when I thought I'd be able to make side trips on weekends. I never did. The only times I left New York for someplace other than Michigan were either for production work or to visit Boston and Philadelphia. And yes, I've laid in bed many nights thinking how I really needed to get out of town more. Have car, will travel, as I've at long, long, long last rediscovered. Gas is expensive, insurance is expensive, licenses are expensive, the car and maintaining it are expensive. But it's all worth if for the huge increase in available experiences.
I spend a couple nights in a tent at my friend's mom's property in Hoodsport, WA, near Cushman Lake and not far from the Hood Canal. Stella the dog joined me for the trip and the entire time I was her people - we looked after each other. Twice I hopped in a car to go to into town, leaving her behind, and she paced anxiously until my return. If there was any doubt, I can now say for certain that Stella is my favorite dog ever. She was the perfect travel companion, the perfect guest, and the perfect non-alpha dog of the pack (there were four others at the campsite). We even shared a little tent and for the first time ever, I slept two full 8-hour nights on a sleeping pad. That has never, ever, ever happened before. I guess this is the most relaxed and together I've felt in a very long time.
We avoided almost all the fireworks by being away during that stretch. Like many dogs, Stella isn't at all fond of invisible distant explosions. I tried to ease her anxiety each time something popped and for the most part she got through it like a champ.
Eric and Angela got back late last night so after picking them up from the station I spent another night at their place. We dilly dallied all morning, sleeping in late. Eventually they decided they would go garden and that we'd run in the evening. Since I had taken my mountain bike and all my riding gear with me when I went down there on Wednesday, I wasn't about to skip out on a ride even if it meant I'd be riding alone.
I went east to Duthie and rode in the heat, sweating a lot. There was an Evergreen event going on that I came across. I watched for a bit but didn't get involved. It looked like a downhill jump competition and based on the number of vehicles with bike racks parked within a mile of the trailhead, there were a lot more people present that I didn't see. Riding alone wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped so I didn't end up staying too long. The heat was getting to me, too, not to mention being under-conditioned.
After the ride we went running. I picked up Phil to join us and we did a loop through Jefferson Park then around the golf course. It was a very summer night, even at 7pm, and the heat and sunshine sapped plenty of energy out of all of us. We ran a little under four miles before heading back home.
I packed up all my stuff, dropped Phil at home, then came home for a much needed shower. I was in no mood to cook dinner (I don't think I even have anything to cook) but was in all sorts of mood to get sushi. I couldn't find anyone to join me and since it was getting late, I settled from Chiang's instead. Noodles and dumplings are more than enough starch to get you feeling full quick and what remains is enough for at least two more meals.
I'm now trying to catch up on some TV shows recorded while I've been away. Staying focused is touch not least of all because I'm ready to lay down and zonk out at any minute. All the sunshine has me just sapped of energy, but what a lovely weekend it's been. Tomorrow is one more day off and I expect to take it a little easier than I took today.