Belated Sunday Quote Blogging

Sorry I haven't been keeping up on Sunday Quote Blogging over that last 6 months or so. Maybe I should just turn into Random Quote Blogging for any time I feel like it instead. Anyways, here one to hold you through for a bit until life settles down a bit. Enjoy.

"Lloyd, why do you have to be like this?"
"'Cause I'm a guy. I have pride."
"You're not a guy."
" I am."
"No. The world is full of guys. Be a man. Don't be a guy."
~ Say Anything

The Time is Drawing Near

Only 2 more days of work - 1 day for cleaning out my office & working on some last minute office work, & my final day working on the boat. I can't wait to be done with it & on to a new life! Last night was my going away dinner for work. We had a great time. It lasted longer than I expected & a couple people I didn't expect to see showed up.

Things are slowly coming together as far as packing & getting things settled to move. There is still lots to be done, but bit by bit I'm tackling the job. Today I will continue to pack up most of what is left to be packed & probably move at least 1 load of furniture into storage (if the rain holds out long enough).

People have been annoying me this week with their reactions to my move. People who don't know me that well have been giving their negative opinions about what I'm doing. "California? You'll hate it." Or "Why in the world would you want have a job like that?"

Look, it's my damn life & I'm following what I want to do with it. So just keep your negativity to yourself because I certainly don't need it. I make my choices & I live with the results - not you. So butt out damn it. I just don't get why people feel they have to put in their 2 cents about my choices when it's none of their business & I'm not asking for their input. I'm doing something that I must do & no one is going to change my mind about my decision to go.

Maybe it's just this mid-west mentality that bugs me right now. There is just a sense of overwhelming negativity here. I grew up with it & it's still prevolant in this area. The environment in the area of CA where I'll be living & working is so positive, supportive & nurturing. Why have I stayed back in the mid-west so long? Why didn't I run for my life earlier? I can't wait to be back to a place I love doing a job I believe in & that I love. I can't wait to be back doing what I'm passionate to be doing again. And to all those nay-sayers out there: No one asked you for your opinions, so unless you have something positive to say, keep it to yourself.

It's All Good

Wow! Thanks for the positive comments on that last post! Considering this is the first time I've had the nerve to share any of my poetry with anyone (& I choose to do it on the internet where anyone anywhere could see it), well I have to admit I was a bit hesitant. And A, I love those first 4 lines too. Thanks everyone! I think Shannon is right - once I'm back in my mountains, I'll be back into a writing groove again. You should see the amount of journalling I got done in CA last time. I think I did more journaling in 2 months there than I have in the 2 years since I've been back.

I'm also looking forward to the lack of TV I'll have there. TV has been bad news for me ever since I've had access again. I just let myself get sucked in to stupid shows & it keeps me from getting things done that I'd like to do - like reading or writing letters or journaling (or packing).

Heard from an old friend today! Great to talk to him again! Life is good when you have a chance to reconnect with someone from the past. Ya gotta love forgiveness. That's all I'll say about that.

I'll be visiting my Aunt & Uncle in Baltimore this weekend, so I may not be blogging until early next week. I'll have computer access out there, but I'm only there for 3 days so I'm sure they will be packed full of stuff. Until then, make each day a great day! "Optimism is a revolutionary act!"

The Times They Are A Changing

So last night began the process of packing for my big move. My apartment currently looks like hell thanks to the whole process...I'm pretty sure if this was a public building I'd be breaking fire code laws with boxes blocking the clear path to the only exit. But this kind of chaos is to be expected during the whole packing process. It's crunch time - it seems as though once again I've put things off to the last minute. But I'll get it all done in due time...I've had lots of practice at packing, so I'll be good. I once moved 6 times in 12 months time - and that doesn't count all of my other countless moves. Not to mention packing up all my important possessions in the matter of a couple hours for evacuation last time I was in CA. Things will come together in time.

During some of my filtering through papers today deciding what to keep & what to toss, I came across a folder with some poetry I wrote my last year or so of college. Here's one of those poems. I wrote it in April of 2001...that seems like ages ago now.

Kerouac & Me
Kerouac said he would marry his novels
and have little short stories for children.
I, on the other hand, have no interest in marriage
and I regularly abort poetry, for children bore me too.
Death hovered over Jack's pencil,
youth hovers over mine.
My life ahead of me and right now
I'm spending it in some campus coffeehouse
sitting amongst the pretentious crowd
who pretend to be intellectual.
I have no interest in joining them
but I am too lazy to leave.
Kerouac said that "we are all
sealed in our own little melancholy atmosphere."
This much is true.
I only wish these people
would stay out of
mine.

I was chipper ey?! Actually, I like that one for some reason. I was reading Kerouac's "Mexico City Blues" when I wrote that one. I think I went 6 months or more reading nothing but Beat Generation authors & poets. I guess I liked the fact that Kerouac had such a way of drawing me in with his words even though we were from 2 different worlds.

My outlook on life today is a little different than it was when I wrote that poem. Today I'm still clinging to an idea that "Optimism is a Revolutionary Act!" That thought was brought up to me last week (while watching Say Anything with the commentary on). And it's so true. Trying to keep the optimism I feel when I think of moving on to my new job & new home - when I go to work the world (& the organization) try to stomp out that optimism. But I only have 7 days left of work for such a optimism killing corporation. Woo Hoo!!!

And for those of you who got my e-mail update today, I'm not creative enough to come up with a different Title line for this one. Besides, it fits. I'm wearing it.

More Northern MI Pics

Enjoy!

The Mighty Mackinaw Bridge!

Me & the evil bridge. Good pic though.

A kid flying a kite on the beach in front of the Mackinaw Bridge. I couldn't resist taking this picture. It just struck me with a sense of the carefreeness of childhood & innocence. I wish I could have gotten a more close up shot of the kid with the kid. But I didn't want to come off as creepy...considering I didn't the know kid or his nearby parents. 

What a cool bridge! Too bad I won't ever cross the damn thing - too scary. 

The Bridge from the Lighthouse. 

My other set of parents enjoying the view of The Mighty Mack. How romantic! (Insert cute ooohhhing & aaahhhing here). 

For My Loyal Fans!!!

Wow! Thanks for the response to my posting of my pictures! I wasn't expecting such positive comments about them! You guys rock! So it's time to answer a few of the questions posed in those comments & to respond to some other comments. Here it goes:

First of all, the bridge. Ah yes, the Mackinaw Bridge. I took a ton of pictures of the darn thing, but here's my dirty little secret - I'm never going to set foot (or be in a vehicle) on this dam bridge! No really - I'm serious. I'm scared like hell of suspension bridges - & this one is Mack Daddy of suspension bridges in the Mid-West. Snakes & suspension bridges were my 2 phobias. I managed to overcome my phobia of snakes - that's good enough for me. I don't need to overcome my fear of suspension bridges too. Not gonna do it - end of story. So Ms. C, yes I totally agree that the Bridge Walk is absolutely insane, although my thinking is probably for different reasons than yours on the subject.

And yes, the dog with no face. Well, what can I say. There were only 3 of us & another visitor offered to take our picture in it. Who were we to turn down the kindness of strangers. If she would have offered me Kool-Aid I probably would have drank that too. :-) And besides, that set of parents are cat people.

April - ever since I got ahold of memory sticks for my digital camera (& a spare battery), photography has turned into a pretty heavy hobby for me. But I only tend to take tons of pictures when I'm out of town or out & about at something cool in the area. The wonders of digital are amazing! So I've been getting lots of practice in these days seeing as how I've been able to do a decent bit of traveling in the last year or so. And it doesn't hurt that when I was in college I had a roommate who was a photography major. I went out with her & helped carry her equipment quite a bit when she needed to take some pics for class assignments. I guess I picked up a lot from her in the process. Other than that, I just really like coming home with cool pictures of things I've seen & places I've been. And it adds a sense of pride knowing that I took those really cool pictures. Not that my pics are professional quality. But some of them turn out pretty darn good as far as I'm concerned, so if I'm happy with them, than it's all good. And besides that, it's just a lot of fun!

Shannon - take the munchkin! It's really fun. But take her again when she's old enough to understand it more & appreciate it.

Adele - Ha! I agree about the pronunciation thing! I actually saw a sign in the visitor center explaining the correct pronunciation of both spellings. I won't ruin it here for those who may not know it. And yep - we did go through Potosky. Twice actually. Awesome town!

Here fishy, fishy, fishy! Ha! Yep - I love my Vanna White pose with the fish statue! It's awesome!

And the church was off of some scenic byway along the coast of western MI. I think it was Hwy 161 or something like that. I know it was called the "tunnel of trees" road. Shannon - ask your rents, they'll know.

Thanks to everyone for all the positive feedback & comments! I never knew I had such wonderful fans!!! Catch ya all later yo!

More Pics of Northern Michigan

We spent a day in Mackinaw City & here at Colonial Michilimackac. Go figure - I'm on a mini-vaction & I'm out learning about history. I'm such a dork. It was a great day! We had a ton of fun & even learned a thing or two in the process.

Approaching the fort.

The forts walls from outside.

An entrance to the fort.

The church.

A cannon's view outside of the fort of the bridge.

Me, & my other set of parents doing the corny head through the hole pic opp.

The church steeple at Colonial Michilimackinac. Again, for a girl not interested in religion - yet another church.

A view of Lake Michigan from the boardwalk in Colonial Michilimackinac. I'm sure "boardwalk" isn't the offical name since it was used to keep an eye out for attackers, but it's the best I can come up with.

An awesome shot from the fort of the bridge.

This is cool lighthouse right next to the bridge & the fort.

This is a sea gull who was hanging out next to me while I was taking pictures...he wanted to be a star & posed for the camera.