Life Style

Where am I?  This is a weird little town.

I love that the air smells like pine, but often in town it smells like a lack of soap.  I am not yet settled and very uncomfortable.  I have only taught a few yoga classes since I moved, and I miss it terribly.  To say I am in a culture shock does not fully express my emotional confusion.

A little rating system for you.
Since I have been here I have had the best coffee I have ever had in my entire life, bonus.  Though I have doubled my already absurd intake of coffee and beer since moving, fail.

I went to see a naked body painting bike parade.  Balls on bikes are awesome, bonus.  It was really cold that day, and it was raining so less for me and more for them-fail.

I attended a benefit for Parkinson that was also a kegger for men in suits, bonus.  I never want to see/smell a honey pot mixed with popcorn machine again, fail.  Extra bonus bad hats+beer=picture magnet  

 I got four jobs within the first two weeks of being here, bonus.

Two of them I have already quit because making money in this town is not easy and I am not going to waste my time in a shit pay job, fail/bonus.  As for the circus I am taking private aerial lessons weekly, bonus.  My teacher here is so amazing, but she has me starting at the beginning because I missed a lot of basic safety and strength training.  This means less flying through the air and more pull ups and leg lifts, again combo bonus/fail.  On the family front my mother and grandmother took a three week long road trip across the country stopping for a night in Seattle.  So last week I drove down to spend the day with them, super bonus!  I decided wearing four inch heels would be the best option to wander for hours all of the city's hills, no need to rank this one.  My grandmother was in a  wheelchair I was to push.  Thankfully the wheelchair did not clash with my heels.  Lastly my other brilliant decision, a see through dress (bonus!).  All above combined I found was the best possible way to scream tourist without wearing a fanny pack or having a tan.

After pushing her up the Bell Street hill.  She looks so happy and rested.

In case you missed the jacket...since I have been called Cher most of my life (bonus only if you are referring to 70s or 80s Cher)  I found it proper to have Bob Mackie dress me as well

I want what both of them are wearing

Now for my legions of blogger fans, Christina,  I leave you weaved into my bemusement, which I blame on 60 degree temperatures in July.  I am working on bringing more fashion and fantasy  in the coming blogs.

A double hitter and just  for you Erika.  I miss you and your weird obsessions.  Yes I know everyone has seen this and I am not posting it because I think I found something.  I still love the "I have a turtle" you tube so let us move on.

Well I can not actually promise anything with this blog.  I can say I will drink more gin, eat more tacos, and probably make a fool of  myself in public.  I must go now because I can not look at the photo above any longer.  Also if you did not know I am sleeping in my friends what will be kids room, on a bunk bed.  Here is proof.  Just remember bunk beds are the new 20.

Boisen-Berry

My Dad rocks...

Here he is rocking...Waldo is wearing the cowboy hat

Here he is on a rock...

 

Spending two days in a car together reminded me how fun this man can be.  He entertained me with stories all the way from our Lubbock Taco Villa breakfast burritos, seriously Dallas one bean burrito from here and the In-and-Out craze would monumentally shatter, to the Mormon choir sing along through Utah.  When we finally split ways in Salt Lake City I was surprised by how hard it was to say goodbye.   He was the one making jokes the entire trip about this being our "last" meal together, our "last" time to vacation together, he even took it so far as to joke about it being the last time he would ever see me.  I know he was kidding, well slightly I have a tendency to get very busy and tighten any window that would open up for a visit.  My mother did not have to see me cry.  With her I was able to hold it in till I was alone in my car.  Dad was not so lucky.  Though I would assume that at some point after having two grown daughters he should expect women will cry, and that the crying can come on fast and often unprovoked.

As I drove on towards my new destination now alone I could think of only one thing...a greasy roadside diner.  Luckily there was a menacing storm forcing me off the road promising death by rain or high cholesterol in the name of fresh pie!  I can not sing the praises of the roadside diner people watching and pie tasting.  Utah might have had the upper hand originally with the boysenberry awesomeness until Oregon gave me fresh potato salad and pumped my gas.

Note the Christmas lights in June  

From Utah I traveled to Boise, Idaho.  This town was a bit of a shocker in a few ways.
1.  The city actually looked like a cute place
2.  It is a real town not just an idea
3.  I ran into a fellow yoga teacher from my training (In Boise? random)
4.  The Days Inn was by far the creepiest hotel I have ever stayed in
5.  In order to last the night in said hotel I decided to buy booze which can only be bought in state run liquor stores, all creativly named Liquor Store
6.  Waking up with Del Taco hot sauce packets stuck to your face after passing out watching bad made for TV movies is less depressing than it sounds, and not the first time that that has happened to me.

Yoga Tour of America

Seriously Days Inn what is with the creepy kids camp bedding? 

To add a bit more of an adult feel to the decor this bottle opener was placed next to the shower.  Thank you Days Inn for remembering that it is the little details that make cheap hotels feel more like home (not my home)

When encountering bears in the woods one must always be prepared.  Survival guide pictured here.

Now I know I promised a play by play of my trip across the country with camping out in hammocks and love on the West coast.  Well plans changed.  I ended up really only traveling for five days.  I took yoga classes in every city I went to, and other than getting food poisoning in Portland and going to bed there at 7:30 pm I did not explore the cities much.  I stopped at a few off the highway tourist traps and had a panic attack the entire drive through the Cascade Mountians, so not use to mountian driving.  Sorry to burst the romance bubble, well not entirely.  The trip for me was wonderful.  I saw what I wanted to see.  I drove places on my terms.  I was able to explore more than I thought I would after changing my route, and I honestly had alot of fun.  It might not be a story of Into the Wild magnatism, but I don't die at the end.  The poison I consumed was only a mild sedative, and drunk texting was my only consequence.  I made it to Washington.  It is not what I expected.  My trip was not what I expected.  So far life has not been what I expected, but non of this is bad news.  Leaving behind expectations is what brought me to the Pacific Northwest.  I hate to say I am starting over because I loved where I have already been.  I am mearly adding to what I have built so far, however unstable that foundation may be.    So as I get ready for my morning yoga I will leave you now with the only photo I took in Colorado.  Such a beautiful state...

A doll in a window, holding her head (look close)