#176 - bernie, hello son

Google invited me to be apart of one of the test groups for GoogleVoice. I signed up with my same phone number so now, when someone calls and leaves a message, it is transcribed and texted to me. A copy is also sent to my email with an audio version that I can listen to it for clarification. Now one of my favorite things is to have people leave messages. Google tries its hardest to figure out what information this mumbling-fast-speaking-human is trying to convey. Half is a hit and half is a comical miss. It's now turned into a game for me, so call me and leave me a message if I don't answer! Google and I would love to try and figure out what you're saying.

THIS: Call me when you have a minute. Thank you. Hey too much heroin inside the number so when you're free. Gimme a call
MEANS THIS: Call me when you have a minute. I can't text that much so I wrote them down so I wouldn't forget. When you're free, give me a call. Bye.

And THIS is COMPLETELY wrong: Hey Vanessa. This afternoon you're doing well. Well, we're just going well. Hope you are jobs. It's interesting. Yeah, I'd like longer this week and others like the picture. I wanted to tell you. Well, mother break you. Bernie, Hello son tomorrow morning. This is a home hi, yeah, on how to talk to you later. Bye.

Good try, Google.

#175 - on a dare

There are many reasons why John Steinbeck and I are friends, besides the obvious fact that we were both born in the beautiful Salinas, California. He saw the world in such a way that, we the people, tend to overlook. He wrote dozens of novels, short stories, and powerful nonfictions, and in 1962 he won the revered Nobel Prize for Literature. He pulls his readers in and challenges them to see more, see beyond. A few of his great works are: Of Mice and Men - check. The Grapes of Wrath - check. East of Eden - in the process of. Cannery Row - next on the list. The Pearl - the future. Here is an excerpt from Cannery Row:

"Once when Doc was at the University of Chicago he had love trouble and he had worked too hard. He thought it would be nice to take a very long walk. He put on a little knapsack and he walked through Indiana and Kentucky and North Carolina and Georgia clear to Florida. He walked among farmers and mountain people, among the swamp people and fishermen. And everywhere people asked him why he was walking through the country. Because he loved true things he tried to explain. He said he was nervous and besides he wanted to see the country, smell the ground and look at grass and birds and trees, to savor the country, and there was no other way to do it save on foot. And people didn’t like him for telling the truth. They scowled, or shook and tapped their heads, they laughed as though they knew it was a lie and they appreciated a liar. And some, afraid for their daughters or their pigs, told him to move on, to get going, just not to stop near their place if he knew what was good for him. And so he stopped trying to tell the truth. He said he was doing it on a bet—that he stood to win a hundred dollars. Everyone liked him then and believed him. They asked him in to dinner and gave him a bed and they put lunches up for him and wished him good luck and thought he was a hell of a fine fellow. Doc still loved true things but he knew it was not a general love and it could be a very dangerous mistress."

I bring this up for a reason. I am 83 days late for a new finding: This man, Matt Green, is walking across the United States. I think this is magical for a few reasons. Just as he describes in his blog, there is so much of the world you can see, taste, feel, and experience while walking that you just can't appreciate while you are zooming by in a car, plane, or even a bicycle. There is something just so innately human and simple about walking. I love to take walks, especially at dusk, so I just can't image what an experience this will be for him. Everyone he has thus far come in contact with, has been incredibly hospitable and welcoming. It makes me look forward to my adventure next year with even more anticipation. Biking my way around Ireland.

#174 - spontaneity

Last Friday I was invited and then uninvited to a regularly occurring "movie night" (it was abruptly cancelled for that week). Since my night was all of a sudden free, I decided to cruise online to see what happenings there were downtown. Through a series of link-clicking, I came to Matt Pond PA's tour dates. Portland on the 12th! Seattle on the 13th! I sent out a "let's do this!" text to a friend, who actually took me up on my sham of a proposal. I hadn't actually comprehended the details of if we actually go... it was more like a, "hehe... yah right, but cool" text (I'm not, by nature, a spontaneous person). With two aboard the spontaneous-road-trip-train, I tried to gather a few more. Within 30 minutes of the news, the four of us were all hodgepodge-packed and on the road. Friday we left Boise around 6:00 PM and arrived in Seattle at 1:00 AM.

(Concert was in Portland on the 12th you thought? ... WRONG. I misread the website too. Apparently Saturday was the Seattle show, but by the time we figured that out, our excited concert anticipatory wheels were spinning out of control and no mix-up would stop us)

We slept at my wonderfully hospitable brother's house and then all day Saturday (up at 8:00 AM) we cruised around Seattle. This was my first attempt of driving a stick-shift in such a hilly place, but I'm proud to announce that I was successful with no stalls and only one accidental. peel-out (smelt like burnt rubber for about 5 minutes...). We walked from Pikes Place to the Space Needle. Back to Pikes Place. Back to the Space Needle. Back to Pikes Place. Mixed in with that relay was a stop at the Experience Music Project, Holy Cow Records, a good friend's house, and the Pier.

Now for the meat: After our day's excursion, we drove to the High Dive venue. We were one of the first people waiting in line so therefore, got the best seats in the house while we waited an hour and a half for the show to start. Once the concert started though, we were up front and center against the stage. Smoosh opened. They were phenomenal! Three sisters: one 18 years, one 16 years, and one 13 years old. They were all very attractive, and had more talent that than anyone expected. The drummer was easily the best drummer of the night. Wintersleep followed: loud noise with 30 seconds of understandable lyrics that ended up making me extremely dizzy, black out, almost fall over, and have to leave the floor.

MATT POND PA! While they were setting up for the set, he jumped down on the floor to adjust one of his speakers. He said excuse me, with a smile, and was so close to me I could hardly breath. It was a perfect start! They played the most incredible set: I recognized every song but one and he played all my very favorites! I was dancing the entire time and singing for most of it. His stage presence, talent, humor and charisma was heart pounding. Easily one of the top three best concerts I've been to.

The concert ended at 2:00 AM when we hit the road and took shifts driving back home to boise. We arrived back in our beds at 10:00 AM where I proceeded to sleep until 4:00 PM. Much needed...

THE SUM UP: without hesitation, the concert was definitely worth the drive. The friend bonding and fun-having was worth the sleep deprivation. The memories and bragging rights were worth the money spent.

#173 - garage

When I'm an adult, I'll have a garage. Right now I have an under-the-stairs. I know they might sound functionally the same... but really... they're not. One is spacious while one is tiny. One is cement where another is carpeted. One is a room, when another is just a quadrant of the floor. I have aspirations to have more than just a quadrant of floor.

In my garage will be: all four of my bicycles (plus some), a croquet set, and...

A vintage Beamer

A classic Triumph

And a Volkswagen van for the family

and maybe a car that won't need work/repairs/fixing up... haha

#172 - mr. schwinn

I can't say this enough! I *heart* bicycles. I'm excited to possibly start two new projects. One of which is buying an old 1960's style Schwinn Typhoon and fix it up: power-washed, new paint, original decals put on, new fenders. The other is seeing if my Uncle will let me fix up my Grandpa's old bicycle that he's held on to. I'm so excited!! 4 bicycles will fill up my small loft rather quickly, but it's radically worth it.