Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Wow.
Alaska I love you.
This is the best thing I’ve ever done. Period.
Posting from my phone and cannot wait to share stories and photos when I can get my laptop to cooperate/find internet service…
I’m seriously impressed by your consistency. I think the word fun was put in the dictionary after you came into existence. I will indeed be posting your story and photos soon. Hilarious!
Anyone who is lost on this see comments from this post.
What do you think of this one that popped in my inbox this morning? Pretty perfect eh?
Word of the Day for Saturday, August 7, 2010
mojo MOH-joh, noun:
1. Personal magnetism; charm.
2. The art or practice of casting magic spells; magic; voodoo.
3. An object, as an amulet or charm, that is believed to carry a magic spell.
4. Good luck or favor concerning an event or individual.
I’ve subscribed to Dictionary.com for 2 years and never seen this pop up before. Looks like some karmic force is paying attention.
For someone like me that gets excited by the tiniest of things (especially when traveling) it’s killing me that I can’t stop every 20 minutes and share the next funny, ridiculous or crazy story or photo from Canada. Then again, I’d never get to my destination if I did that and I can’t exactly power up in a bail of hay or a tree. I can however power up in a local diner and look like such a fish out of water you may as well paint my face with; “I’M NOT FROM HERE IN CASE THAT WASN’T PAINFULLY OBVIOUS FROM WHAT I’M WEARING AND THE FACT THAT MY VEHICLE IS THE ONLY ONE PARKED IN THE LOT THAT’S NOT COVERED IN DIRT AND A HUGE TRUCK!!!”
The waitress at the place I’m at definitely used a half bottle of Aqua Net before she came to work this morning. She gave me the twice over like who the hell do you think you are? when I first walked in, but after camping out looking like a complete idiot with my camera and laptop chords all over I think she’s starting to warm up. (I think she feels sorry for me. HA!) She looks like she wants to say something like; Hey sweetie, put that stuff away. We don’t do that around here. Instead she keeps filling my white ceramic coffee cup with that bitter but somehow delicious coffee you get in these places on the road. I am listening to a table of 4 gents behind me gobbling their breakfast. They’re all wearing work jeans with hats, and talking about guns, grizzly bears, loggers, safety hazards and what “they” are doing to the highway these days. Perfect. I’d expect nothing less. There a special place in my heart for people and places like this that are just like the movies and the whatchya see is whatcha get. It’s exactly like where I grew up and will never lose it’s charm or special place in my heart.
Although this quite different from my last Saturday breakfast of fancy-schmancy brioche french toast with fresh berry compote. at Marigold Kitchen in Madison…
…I love it just the same. And I wonder why I can’t figure out what I want to be when I grow up:)
Now three days have passed with no shower and I am so good at rigging my car for sleeping privacy I’m like the firefighters who teach new moms how to strap in the baby seats. After my initial, OUCH- how the heck did I sleep in that position for the last few hours? feeling when I woke up this morning, I had my first thought of Ok Diane, you might be getting a little offensive. That was quickly followed by a, meh- who cares. I don’t really smell that bad, even if I did I really wouldn’t care right now, and besides, this is becoming a game for me. I did think I might get a hotel one night between WI and AK but now? Hell no- I’m fully testing patience and creating the makings of my second longest run with no shower. (My finest record to date is 8 days.) Also, I might be able to charge Honda a huge consulting fee someday when they beg me to help them design the BLR inspired super road-tripping-pimped out convertible sleeper car. My current Honda is like a test lad.
Ooh! A few other gringos just walked in. More out of place travelers like me. Time to order some eggs or something that will not have words like brioche or compote involved , chow down and hit the pavement. (At least I hope it’s paved.)
I have so many photos in my camera and stories from the miles I have cranked out the past couple days I am in sensory overload!
I woke up yesterday in the parking lot of a grocery store in Minot, ND. Talk about need coffee on 2 hrs. of sleep freezing my butt off. I used the browser on my cell phone to see if there was a Starbucks laughing at myself because I actually thought there might be one there. When a Starbucks location popped up I almost fell out of my car seat. (I know Tom, tragic I had your beans in my car but I had to go elsewhere because I hadn’t ground enough for the road on my last stop to use the french press. DOH! The lightweight road coffee of a fast food joint was just not going to cut it either, so Starbucks it was.)
I called the location for directions from my parking lot spot as I am GPS-less. The Barista answered immediately, giving me directions but correcting my pronunciation of the town, telling me “It’s MY-KNOT ma’am. Keep going straight past Kmart. We are right there at the bottom of the hill.
Ahhh, coffee. I met a nice man there as I worked and gave him my business card when he asked what I was doing. If you are reading this now- Hi! Sorry I never got your name…) I worked a bit and on my way. Got to Portal, ND and had to snap a photo of the post office:
I was SO excited to hit the border thinking that bells and whistles would go off and I’d be in Disneyland or something. I had fantasies of the border patrol interrogating me and searching my car. Well? Nothing. Sigh. It was so easy breezy and uneventful I was almost bummed. The saving grace was that the border patrolman was a good looking guy. Whew. (I wonder why the heck he’s hiding in Portal, ND?) Here are the signs and such going through the inspection station. (I took them through my bug-stained windshield as I figured they might shoot me if they saw me taking photos here. I think that might be illegal or something…
So nope. No big WELCOME TO CANADA! sign. (Admittedly my heart broke a little. If there isn’t like the biggest sign I have ever seen when I get to the Alaska border I swear I’ll draw one in my own blood just so I can jump and scream in front of it and take photos.) I had to settle for this:
I have started talking out loud more and more to myself lately, so when I saw this sign I said aloud sarcastically. “Sheesh, thanks Canada. Do you know how far I’ve driven?”
I jumped back in my car and the first thing I saw out of the inspections station was this, which made me happy again:
I considered for a few seconds leaving my car as a trade and taking that beast instead of the Honda, but on I went. Almost 800 miles and some of the flatest and most repetitive country I have ever driven in my life. About 800 more miles yesterday. It felt as if I went to the border of Kansas and decided I was going to drive across and back 5 times. I mean holy Central Canada flatness! Insert Jack Palance’s scene here from the movie City Slickers (My favorite movie ever by the way.) singing; “Tumblin’ tumbleweeds” (I’m laughing out loud in a Tim Horton’s watching the trailer for the 5th time…) .At one point in the day I found myself stuck in the middle of nowhere at a gas station run by a couple of teens because Wachovia put a freeze on my bank account. Even though I informed them of my travels, the nice smiley teens swiped my card and DECLINED! Photos of that to come.
More car sleeping and still no shower, but must run for now. Laptop is out of juice and no outlets here in no mans land. Lets just say I have covered a lot of ground in maple leaf country and I’m finally seeing green again instead of brown. The final frontier is getting closer and closer!
You know that scene in Home Alone where Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) runs, slides and says “Yesss!!! Yesss!!! and pumps his arms because he had just successfully pulled one of his tricks on the robbers?
That’s me right now.
After being on the road in the middle of nowhere in central Canada all day yesterday, amidst my joy and anticipation of everything that lies the next mile ahead, there were (and are fairly regularly) moments of; What the bleep am I doing? What am I stupid or crazy? Where the hell am I going to work and what am I going to do with my life after this? We all know that even when we do things that feel so right, there are those little voices and things that pop up to make us doubt ourselves. Thankfully I channel the friends and family I have, what I believe I can do and keep repeating to myself TRUST THE PROCESS DIANE. (Thanks Astro.) I keep on trucking.
(This is where I side note this story and expose my short attention span.)
When typing the above and thinking about how to convey how I shut the doubting voices up, it reminded me of this great t-shirt I saw in a chocolate shop in San Francisco a few years back. It read:
‘There’s a skinnier me inside that’s trying to get out.
I usually shut that bitch up with a piece of chocolate’
I so should’ve bought that shirt.
Back to the story at hand…
So I have been offline for about 35 hours and that feels like decades for a road tripping, Facebooking, Twittering, emailing, trying to figure out where I’m going to stay in Alaska blogger like me. I’ve been jumping out of my pants to upload photos and share more stories. I have enough for a book from only yesterday, but to share an email that came in just now:
Read your blog the other day after returning from vacation. I love my family dearly, immediate and extended, and it is good to see them always, no matter the circumstances, but I’ve a larger itch to scratch.
You’ve converted me.
I have 12 days vacation remaining this year (maybe a couple more at Christmas, they don’t count too strictly then).
And, if I want to “scare” myself into a depression, I could count the vacation days remaining until I retire. It’s about 300. I’m sure I’ll gladly and happily use half of them on both wild and mild adventures with my son.
But, I refuse to use any vacation days doing anything I can squeeze in during the workweek / weekends I am in town. I will not take vacation to paint my garage, set up my workshop, relax, cycle, (although a cycling vacation would be different and is allowed), fix my car(s), do any home repairs / home improvements, etc.
Instead, I’m going places and doing new things. By myself, with my son, with others, all of the above, it doesn’t matter. After you left your visit through here, I tacked a map of the world on my wall as a symbolic reminder my world has grown too small. Who I know, whom I meet, what I try, experience, and risk.
I have more thoughts; stories from jury duty, vacation, etc., but will save for future emails.
Be safe. Keep pollinating.
You’ve converted me. I’m pretty sure you’re smiling right now.
SMILING?! Smiling?! You can say that again (Insert the Home Alone scene here.) That’s me right now.
This email is EXACTLY the thing that keeps me believing and trusting myself and that I’m doing what I should be. This is what shuts up those doubts I have. Words like these tell me I’m paying it forward without even trying. I believe that life is about paying it forward; Living and believing in what you love and always give back
The person who wrote this email to me is one that is kind, generous, smart, sweet, driven, honest, loyal and fun. Thing is, I’m not sure he knew this a few years ago, and I’m pretty sure he might doubt a few of those things now, but he’s getting there, and not because of me. To say that the look on the faces of people when telling them we’ve become close friends would be puzzlement is an understatement. We are so far different it is comical, but get along perfectly.
Somehow he’s trying to credit me with “converting” him. HA! Little does he know he has done way more for me than I could ever do for him but I guess that’s how things like this work. I certainly cannot take the credit. My credit goes to a student exchange program and two friend that aren’t here in physical form anymore. Those are the some of this big things I channel to constantly remind myself the world will always bigger than me, and that it’d be a sin not to laugh and love as much as possible every day.
So thanks G, but all I’m doing is fumbling through my life trying my best to keep the good in mind instead of the bad and respecting the gifts I’ve been given. I’m thankful you saw my heart instantly even though you met me at my rock bottom. I love that you’re taking life by the kahonas. You deserve it. Oh and did you hear? Apparently jorts are hip these days…and you didn’t think you were cool. Pshaw!
I know that not everyone that reads this blog is a “Follower.” Like my mom for instance. She’s so funny, still can’t figure out how to add herself after almost two years but always tells me she tries which is one of the bazillions of reasons why I know she’s loves me as much as she does. I know it doesn’t matter if my follower number is high, I have analytics, I can see how many people read here. BUT! I think it is awesome that I am now about to go over the 100 mark of people who actually want to put themselves and their photo on my blog.
Love! Support! Encouragement! Wahoo! Thanks guys!
After clocking 1,600 miles the past two days in the little Honda that could, the one added new follower since yesterday will help fill my bucket o’ energy for the next 1,600.
…so I decided to it. Now I am stinky and have slept in my car for the past 2 nights. Mostly because of budget, but more because it makes for good stories. Oh I’m so glad I had that itching sensation. Even happier I’m scratching it…
The word of the day is so fun when it pops in my inbox in and fits perfectly in the moment:
Word of the Day for Friday, August 6, 2010
yeuk YOOK, noun:
1. An itching sensation.
verb:
1. To itch.
I am like a giant thank-you fest, but I’m a very fortunate girl so I will continue thanking on:
*Bill, Julie, Jeff and Bobby~ You guys are the bomb. Thanks! Never a dull moment, things never change and I never want them too all these years later. Thanks for the roof, the feasting on cheese, the laughs and for loving me just the way I am.
*Jerry~ What to say to someone I’ve known since kindergarten? Thank you for never forgetting my birthday and always being early for it. I’m not sure I have ever told you this, but I absolutely love your “Diggatro!” beginnings to the voice messages you leave. they always make me laugh, and like above know some things will never change and that’s just perfect.
*Andrew~ The CD kept me up driving in a part of no mans land I’d never been in before. I was belting out tunes and pretending I could be the next American Idol. (Delirious and tired? Yes, because I can’t carry a tune.) Thank you for still being that generous and selfless guy you were 25 years ago. I hope you are being safe over there. Enjoy your visit back home and thank you always for your service. I have so much respect for you.
As days pass, it’s impossible for me to say thank you enough to everyone. I have appreciated every email, phone call, text, comment, Facebook message, conversation, card, well wish, meal, bed- all of it. During this trip and beyond, I hope I can be the friend to you all that you’ve been to me. Not a second goes by I don’t think about how lucky I am to have met and know so many kind, fun and generous people.
In the wise words of the one and only Jerry; Here’s to kickin’ it live and uncut!
I’ve been tracking mileage for a few reasons. One because it is fun. Somehow unplanned, from my start point, until many hours later at my stopping point yesterday, I went to the mile, exactly 800 miles. Couldn’t have planned that one better if I tried!
Some more fun things from the road yesterday:
I found another pet exercise area at a rest stop, but I’m wondering where the human is and where the pet is. Or more, is there a human on this sign at all?
I didn’t think I managed to get this one because it looked too dark on my camera last night, but happy day- it uploaded like this. Even through my bug-drenched windshield:
Ok, Ok, so it’s a little small but it says; Welcome to North Dakota!
Back to bugs. When I stopped for gas I looked at the front of my car in horror. I had seen a few butterflies splattering on my windshield as I drove, but I think I killed every bug in Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota yesterday. And this is just what my license plate looks like:
Juan, Juanita and Pablito were very, very tired as we hit 136,000k:
Anyone out there work for Honda? Hello? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I should so be on a Honda commercial. After several x-country trips, all in different Hondas, driving thousands of miles and never breaking down, and the fact that all of them have had well over 100k on them and then run like brand new? What better spokesperson do you need guys? 🙂
In case anyone was wondering, yes, it’s even freezing in ND in the summer. I woke up to 57 degrees this morning and have never been happier to see a big fat sweatshirt in my back seat:
The people have been lovely here, but lets just say at 57 in August-I won’t be moving here anytime soon.
After watching miles, landscape and states fly by yesterday in what was a long day on the road, I couldn’t help but to think again that there is nothing better than a summer day driving across the country exploring. Everyone should do this once in their lifetime. I hope to do this every summer moving forward. Imagine all the cool and interesting stuff you could show and teach your kids! I want my next trip across in a convertible. Someone flew by me in one as the sun was setting last night and it looked like way to much fun. There you go Honda! You could design a Blue Lollipop Road series convertible and I could test it for you. It’d have built in chocolate dispensers, a comfy bed in the back somehow and an espresso machine for when I wake up in the morning. There’s an idea to take to the bank!