This One Time, at Band Camp. . .
So I feel kind of guilty about not going to see my grandmother this weekend. I love her and all, but it's such a long drive from G'boro to Lexington and my bed is so warm and comfortable...
I dreamt last night that I was riding in the back seat of a shiny retro vehicle, the kind with the 'fins' on the sides, and my grandmother and deceased grandfather were in the front of the car, driving through a classic '50s downtown area. They stop at a soulfood restaurant, and when we go inside we are greeted by Vern, my grandmother's brother who's dying of cancer. He is all-smiles just like he is in real life. It is a walk-through buffet like K&W, but it's backwards where you get your dessert first and your vegetables last. Pawpaw loved the K&W. I believe that was the last place we took him out to eat, besides Hardees, their usual early-morning haunt.
Last night I got a call from Sandra Bennett, my best friend who is currently at the Eielson airforce base in Alaska. It's always so great to hear from her. The last time I saw her was March 2004, and only for a few hours. Keith, her dad, has been traveling by motorcycle since July 3 and his destination is North Pole, Alaska. And yes, there is a North Pole in Alaska for the sole purpose of bringing in tourism dollars. I wish him the best. After Sandra's family visits, she is headed for a vacation in Hawaii. Jealous? Yeah! Of course I cannot imagine how much the beach-bunny misses the sun and the sand.
Speaking of vacations, Sandra and I struck up the idea of me paying her a visit during spring break. I happily shared this idea with Joe, who did not share my happiness. In his P.O.V., I would not be with him for fall break (UNCG Teaching Fellows NYC trip) and part of December (Sandra will be home and her brother's wife will be having a baby) and spring break on top of that, so he would feel utterly neglected.
But what made me sad was that he feels that he can't trust me going somewhere without him. He thinks I'm going to fall into another man's arms just like that. I understand his insecurities, because he actually stole me away from another man, and that one stole me from another and so on, but I know that it's not possible for anyone to love me as much as he does, and no dinky airforce guy can take me away from him. Who knows, maybe seeing Sandra in December will suffice, but March is the best time to visit Alaska and see the Northern Lights and bathe in the hot springs and enjoy a landscape of snow and mountains... when I hear the phrase, "You only live once," the first thing I think about is all the places I want to travel to before I die. Alaska is one of them.
Today Joe and I saw Howl's Moving Castle and ate lunch at Panera Bread. I think HMC is better than Spirited Away in some respects, but Princess Mononoke will always be Miazaki's masterpiece. I'd pay lots of money to see that on the big screen again. One of my favorite films. This evening I'm doing the SCA thing in Reynolds while the UNCG Music Camp kids run amuck... I was a music camper with Sandra seven years ago. It really doesn't seem that long ago. I definitely didn't know then how much time I would actually be spending here, that I would end up going to school here and call G'boro my home. Band nerds are the best. P.S. Sandra: I SEE FEET MOVING!!!
I dreamt last night that I was riding in the back seat of a shiny retro vehicle, the kind with the 'fins' on the sides, and my grandmother and deceased grandfather were in the front of the car, driving through a classic '50s downtown area. They stop at a soulfood restaurant, and when we go inside we are greeted by Vern, my grandmother's brother who's dying of cancer. He is all-smiles just like he is in real life. It is a walk-through buffet like K&W, but it's backwards where you get your dessert first and your vegetables last. Pawpaw loved the K&W. I believe that was the last place we took him out to eat, besides Hardees, their usual early-morning haunt.
Last night I got a call from Sandra Bennett, my best friend who is currently at the Eielson airforce base in Alaska. It's always so great to hear from her. The last time I saw her was March 2004, and only for a few hours. Keith, her dad, has been traveling by motorcycle since July 3 and his destination is North Pole, Alaska. And yes, there is a North Pole in Alaska for the sole purpose of bringing in tourism dollars. I wish him the best. After Sandra's family visits, she is headed for a vacation in Hawaii. Jealous? Yeah! Of course I cannot imagine how much the beach-bunny misses the sun and the sand.
Speaking of vacations, Sandra and I struck up the idea of me paying her a visit during spring break. I happily shared this idea with Joe, who did not share my happiness. In his P.O.V., I would not be with him for fall break (UNCG Teaching Fellows NYC trip) and part of December (Sandra will be home and her brother's wife will be having a baby) and spring break on top of that, so he would feel utterly neglected.
But what made me sad was that he feels that he can't trust me going somewhere without him. He thinks I'm going to fall into another man's arms just like that. I understand his insecurities, because he actually stole me away from another man, and that one stole me from another and so on, but I know that it's not possible for anyone to love me as much as he does, and no dinky airforce guy can take me away from him. Who knows, maybe seeing Sandra in December will suffice, but March is the best time to visit Alaska and see the Northern Lights and bathe in the hot springs and enjoy a landscape of snow and mountains... when I hear the phrase, "You only live once," the first thing I think about is all the places I want to travel to before I die. Alaska is one of them.
Today Joe and I saw Howl's Moving Castle and ate lunch at Panera Bread. I think HMC is better than Spirited Away in some respects, but Princess Mononoke will always be Miazaki's masterpiece. I'd pay lots of money to see that on the big screen again. One of my favorite films. This evening I'm doing the SCA thing in Reynolds while the UNCG Music Camp kids run amuck... I was a music camper with Sandra seven years ago. It really doesn't seem that long ago. I definitely didn't know then how much time I would actually be spending here, that I would end up going to school here and call G'boro my home. Band nerds are the best. P.S. Sandra: I SEE FEET MOVING!!!