whoa

it's been awhile since I posted, I've been sick for near on a week now. summer colds are the equivalent to traveling in wet levis- the ultimate in discomfort.
BUT, I've also been planning. this summer keeps evolving. along with London I'm going to visit my friend John in Ireland, and after a week in Utah, will then move on to Boston for the rest of the summer while two of my brothers take over at my apartment here in Seattle. whoosh. I invested in a "Pacsafe" backpack yesterday on a trip to REI, now that I'll be living out of a size roughly the same as a medium fishtank, I thought I'd buy something permanent and resistant to all things bad (people, weather, etc.). also, a travel towel, a compass-thermometer-light-danger whistle, and an inflatable travel pillow. little things are so cute, like little pillows and little danger whistles. then I promptly got dizzy and had to leave the store and come home and rest, but I did it! and hopefully this wet blanket of a cold will go on it's merry way soon too.

Another festival

the older drunken men were especially fond of dancing to the beatle's coverband- "the Seatles". I got asked to waltz (no), so I can't say I never get asked.


these kids were doing Irish songs at the top of their lungs. lots of stamina in the kids these days!


woman showing me how to make jewelry


this is THE best festival food I've ever had- polish chicken and cheese dumplings with cucumber. tomato, and sour cream. I feel sickish but it was worth it. probably the best 6$ I'll spend this summer of my hard earned savings.


ok these kids on stage were called "The Senate", and they were great, I was really enjoying them until the turned a little boy-bandy. one couple started out dancing very well-stepped swing. by the end of the set it was a sea of dancers, I had to vacate my front row seat.


lots of accordians amongst the buskers


my favorite part! community drumming. me and this guy next to me were unabashedly making our own sounds while everyone else was following the leader guy, we kept complimenting eachother because, even if nobody else admitted it, we were good. you just walk up to the tent, find a chair with a drum by it, and start pounding. highly theraputic.


I finished off the day sitting in these comfortable chairs next to a breeze blowing in the doorway listening to these two guys play turn-of-the-century parisian sombas and waltzes. quite relaxing, I really enjoyed being there.
off to see a late-night movie tonight! I don't think it will be quite so relaxing or varied, but friends will be there so it will be good socialness to end the night!

Sad Monkey Day- or, a trip to the Zoo

I don't want to alarm anyone, but the lutherans have united


this triangle of grass closes at 11, so don't even try to go there then

Seattle water torture (this would be much easier with square garbage cans)

4 am
*UPDATE* .. it got worse. at one point the entire half of the ceiling was raining, I freaked out. I had to open the door and build a blanket dam to make the water flow out. but then joseph came over to help and the rain stopped, and it was over and things got better. it's all been quiet for a few hours now. really I'm just up because I wanted to see the finale of the Bachelor. how sad is that. hah.


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10 pm
it looks like this process illustrated below will be repeated multiple times during the night, the landlord says there's nothing he can do until tomorrow. Good thing I don't have to work in the morning, I hear another wave of rain coming.

Rick Steves and I go to Europe

I'm going to London for a two-week visit, my first solo trip abroad. Luckily, Rick Steves travel guide was at the library. Rick Steves and I seem to be simpatico. See if you can catch the line that makes me think this -

"Extroverts have more fun. If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen. If you don't enjoy a place, maybe you don't know enough about it. Seek the truth. Recognize tourist traps. Give a culture the benefit of your open mind. See things as different but not better or worse. Any culture has much to share.
Of course, travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something's not to your liking, change your liking. Travel is addictive. It can make you a happier American as well as a citizen of the world. Our Earth is home to six billion equally important people. It's humbling to travel and find that people don't envy Americans. They like us, but, with all due respect, they wouldn't trade passports.
Globe-trotting destroyes ethnocentricity. It helps you understand and appreciate different cultures. Regrettably, there are forces in our society that want you dumbed down for their convenience. Don't let it happen. Thoughtful travel engages you with the world- more important than ever these days. Travel changes people. It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Many travelers toss aside their hometown blinders. Their prized souvenirs are the strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character."

yes, Rick Steves and I are going to get along just fine. :)

nordic constitution day celebration and a late opera photo

I think our emcee was related to Bob Barker




ever have to fight the urge to see what, exactly, would happen if you pulled the plug?














pat pat


feeding the fjord horses babies


closeup

closeup

I keep getting up so early! today around 5:45am. why is it that when one is obligated to something, 5:45 seems so early, but when one is not obligated to much it's a treat? perspective has an effect on almost everything.
today is the Norwegian Constitution Day celebration in Ballard. I'll post pictures later today. there are fjord horses involved, I am going to find them and pat them and feed them. and photograph them. that is my goal.

Day 1

Tonight, thanks to Cindy who works there, I'm going to a nearby university to attend an informational meeting about their MPA program (masters of public administration). to gear up, I woke up this morning and couldn't decide what to do so I shifted into default and went to TJ Maxx. this made me feel better and I had time to think on the drive over there. (sidenote- my rattling tailpipe stopped rattling on the ride over! this would be a huge relief, except it began rattle-mode again on the way back).
the program in question is probably way out of my budget- possibly in the 27,000-a-year league since it is a private university- but hopefully the experience will merit the trip. as part of resigning I had to give up my treasured and much used bus pass, and now am on booklets until june, so each trip via bus has taken on added significance.
mostly things are good. little rainy this morning, but now it's late afternoon and the sky is sort of that hazy blueish-white that means it would be sunny if there was just a little more day left. not bad as far as days go.

I can do hard things

I had my last team meeting today. it was fun and educational as it always is, but while I was sitting there I looked out the window (we're pretty high up) and saw the blue puget sound, with sailboats and ferries coasting along, and islands in the distance. it looked like a scene from a Vacation Getaways series, all blue sky and sun. I just thought "I can't wait to get out there!".
After the meeting ended and I came back to my desk, my boss marty called.
"so, ron was just wondering if you'd be available for 3D work. I told him I thought probably not since you want to go into management."
"oh, do you mean today or tomorrow?" I said.
"no, you know staying on a bit to do the 3D work, he's scrambling to find someone who can do it."
"oh, yeah. probably not."
"that's what I though, I just wanted to ask."
this has been happening frequently this last week, different job options keep appearing and I have to make a decision about them in the few seconds I'm talking with whoever is giving me the option. just a few months ago working part-time doing 3D work would have been my ideal! I normally would spend at least a few days sorting out the pros and cons of such an offer, and now two or three times lately I've had to push my decision-making into high gear when random offers are made. it's a little scary and I have had moments of wondering what it is I'm doing, why I keep turning down these otherwise perfect options. the only answer I've come up with is that I feel ok about it. when I wanted to put an offer in on a house a few months ago, I felt exactly the opposite, so I trust this ok feeling. but as feelings go, it's got very little strong data backing it up, which makes saying no a hard thing.
but as ward's family says, I can do hard things. :)

Moab

thanks Vanya and Dainon for the pictures!-