I’m alive. Just been lazy with the computer. Summer is just so much more fun spent outside, on the beach and in swimming pools.

This week my uncle Paul invited me out to Black Butte, just outside of Sisters, OR. My friend, Kyle, and I drove out late Tuesday night so we could get in a game of Scrabble (in which I scored over 300 pts) and get up at the crack of dawn, er, noon. Cousin Liz came out with Skylar and Bella and we all enjoyed the resort’s outdoor swimming pool. After several games of ring toss, keep away from Skylar and shark tag the chlorine began to burn the eyes and I had to wuss out.

That night Kyle grilled up delicious sausages (Andouille, Chicken and Turkey) and asparagus and Kiki, Paul’s girlfriend, sautéed brussel sprouts that turned out to be the party fave. Unfortunately, Liz and the kids had to leave that night, so the remaining four of us battled out a game of Spades. After a few yummy sweet and spicy drinks, we’d all had enough and called it a day.

The next day I checked off a major to-do-before-30 and played a game of golf! OK, so it was more of a round of hitting lessons at the driving range followed by practice on the greens while Paul played a single game of 9-holes. And it was fantastic and fun and I’m definitely going to play golf again. And I want my lawn to look like the putting green.

Kyle and I then drove into Bend and visited with his parents, his sister and an adorable mud-faced nephew, Gunner. I was exhausted from golf, so was excited to sit down to a decadent snack at Typhoon (where, conveniently, my friend Elisabeth’s brother is the GM). Unfortunately, we missed Ben, who snagged a chance to leave the restaurant early and left my cell phone behind.

You can imagine my distress the next morning (only yesterday) when I realized I had no cell phone. That meant 3+ hours of driving back to Portland without the internet and without a phone. If you can’t relate, think back to Pee-Wee’s Great Adventures and his fervent cry after asking “what’s wrong with this picture? It’s just me … withOUT MY BIIIIKE!!!”

Good news is that I was able to get a cheap temporary replacement, made it to my hair appointment only 5 minutes late and got a call saying that someone found my phone. And even if they hadn’t I still would have written down this week as one of the best, as time with family and friends can never be lost.

Just a quick shout out to two courageous families, who brought 2 beautiful baby girls into the world recently.

Marley Denise Ballman graces Minnesota with her undoubtedly vivacious (even if only 1 month) soul. I’m so excited for Derrick and Melissa, 2 of the chillest and creative cousins I know. And I can’t wait to get the 2 Marley’s together at some outdoor music festival in a couple of years. (My godson, almost 2, is also Marley.)

Ashley Dawn Lehman squeezed in as a Taurus, on May 20th. She’s blessed with kick ass parents, and I wish her all the best (you can get) in Kansas.

It’s times like these, when people I love and respect choose to create new little people and offer them to our culture and societies, that I remember what a blessing life can be and how important it is for us to keep our environment and our earth healthy. These little soon-to-be-rugrats deserve our natural resources as much as we do. Reduce (save $), Reuse (save even more $) and Recycle (feel good). </friendly environmental plug>

“In the End, Everyone is a Loser.”
- Andrew Ross Sorkin (new york times) on today’s/tonight’s Charlie Rose show.

Some may argue he was talking only in reference to the botched Microsoft-Yahoo deal, but the twinkle in the wunderkind’s eye illuminated omniscience.

Now that I’m down to my last roll of film, I finally have a preview of candidates for my final project. No, I don’t know what that will be, or what it will look like; it’s baking in the oven. The preview is from my first 15 rolls. The final 15 won’t likely be processed until I return.

Check them out and look for your own photo at my Flickr site. Any you like, love or hate? Let me know! You can add comments on any picture, or post your comments here. Thanks!

I hate to rant too much on how much I rock, but I can’t help it … and the Bloody Mary’s are kicking in. Check it out: Best Dressed, SXSW 2008.

It was funny being approached by someone with a camera, considering that’s what I’d been doing all trip. Now I definitely don’t mind complimenting people, as it feels soo good!

http://www.styledash.com/photos/south-by-best-dressed-tuesday/706353/

No, it’s not as exciting as riding a cowboy, but helping people gives me a boost of energy even when I’m burning in the hot, desert, Texan sun. (And I like building up the Karma account when I can’t build up the bank account.)

As I leave Sanderson, TX all jazzed from my tuna snack and chat with an old Joe (literally) I spot a white car on the right shoulder. The lights are blinking and the trunk is open and I decide to slow down and ask if everything’s all right. I honestly don’t expect a “no” in this age of cell phones, so I’m surprised when the mother says “actually, we have a flat tire.”

Nestled quietly a mere 9 meters, or 30 feet, from I-10 in a Texan rest stop, I reflect on my recent Louisiana love affair and replenish my body’s hydration system. Currently, I’m en route to Austin Texas, where I hope to be one of 400 people to receive free tickets to a Yo La Tengo show on Tuesday. But I’m tired, so need to calculate how to both sleep and drive 5 hours in only 10 hours … and no, I’m not allowed to sleep while driving.

If only New Orleans wasn’t such an awesome city, filled with fun and friendly people, delicious food and an abundance of liquor and festivals I wouldn’t be in this predicament. Yes, another sign that life on the road can be challenging.

Let me go back to the beginning. As a highway ferry transports me across the Mississippi, I transfer my love of Mississippi into Louisiana. Spanish moss hangs from statuesque oaks, black cats roll on the ground, baiting me to pet them, at the #1 haunted mansion in the world and Jaik’s mom welcomes me with the finest home cooked dinner I’ll have all trip. (I need to take better notes since I’m not quick with French, but the dinner included lots of crawfish in both etouffee and pizza and a French cake with 7 layers of pudding diving a rich, white cake.)

Omaha, NE: Saturday, Feb 23

Hanging out with medical professionals and students has its advantages, including refills on stupid human stories. I figured that with all my raves on awesome people across the states, we could use some laughs at the not-so-fortunately-cool. My top faves from the night:

1. She Don’t Use Jelly (right)

A pregnant woman visits the doctor, amazed that she even got pregnant. “I always used spermicidal jelly. Sure, it tasted bad, but every morning I ate some with my toast.” Yeah, sadly, it is a true story.

2. Skip the Strips - Bleach Your Teeth

A woman comes into the dentist, complaining that she has 0 biters and chompers. While she had teeth, though she didn’t like to brush or floss, she wanted to keep her smile sparkling … so she regularly rinsed her mouth with household bleach. Gotta love those crazy meth heads and their addiction to ingesting cleaning supplies. What’s a little bleach when you’re used to using Draino to make nomobraino to smoke?

These plonkers provide more laughs than the stupid tech support calls! Don’t be fooled, poor sleep deprived residents can lack some serious common sense on occasion - so the laughs don’t always stop at the patients. Share your favorite stupid-human story - it’s OK, you can make fun of me if needed.

Preface: I’m bummed I’ve been such a bum and haven’t jotted down the blogs I’ve written in my head while driving through Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri…so catching up the best I can.

Monday/Tuesday Feb 18/19

Oklahoma bleeds as I leave, and Kansas washes the sunset into a startling, saturated oil painting. My own private art show has me forgetting I’m driving, so I swerve a few times to miss potholes and snap photos.

Driving into Wichita in the dark, I stalk the University, thinking there must be night life. It’s a no-go. So I swing into 2 convenience stores, asking directions to a down-town, or community of bars and eventually discover the Delano district. “Brewing Company” catches my eye and I soon discover a gem of a coffee shop-cafe-bar with free wi-fi. Two hot toddies later, I nearly leave for my hotel without any conversation before I spot an open bar stool and meet the men who would introduce me to this city. (See Karaoke Kansas.)

The following day, I have time to adventure on my own and discover more about the enterprising and creative youth centered here (and take a much-too-short ride on a motorcycle). The maker of the fresh, home-made pizzas, the raw-food chef and dj bartender, and vintage store owner remind me of a nursery rhyme and college town Lincoln.

In his early 20’s, Adam (for the sake of this writing) opened a pizza shop off the main strip. For some (skeptic) reasons including shady inspections and tough codes, he closed the store but continues making fresh, frozen pizzas for local bars and cafes. All ingredients are local (and organic?), all the way to the Kansas wheat. Without knowing it, I sample one and think it superior to the frozen bar pizza I had expected.

A Vagabond bartender, Andrea carries her 5′10” frame with confidence and a charisma that says while she’ll give everyone a chance and has an innate sweet nature, she won’t take any shit. As she hands my new friend Joe a CD, which he hands to me for my road trip, I know it’s going to be technically suave and innovative. (And it turns out to be enjoyable - a fresh and fun break from the CDs I’ve been rotating.) She’s been DJ’ing for 8 years and hypes up a recent KC show … the electronic scene here is growing. Joe and Myspace confirm the word across the street that Andrea is also an excellent raw food chef. Not having a store yet, she hosts classes and, one can only imagine, some tasty dinners. » MySpace: DJ Primmitiv (and Andrea the Raw Food Chef)

Across the street, Harmonious Posh Vintage catches my eye, and as I rustle through the racks I think of Lisa, my fashion maven from Portland. (Portland is so saturated with fake Vintage, this is a diamond in the rough. And then I think of all the estates likely filled to the brim with forgotten jewel’s.) The owner, Heather, works the counter and enjoys filling me on how long she’s had the store (a year in this location) and a recent fashion show. Her brown eyes share optimism and excitement for fashion in the center of America. She doesn’t share her age, but I guess she’s my age, which she wears well with smiles and vintage-modern print scarfs playing up her dark hair in pony tails. Not only has she established herself in a hip fashion scene, she contributes to it’s growth and appeal. So she’s playful and lets me pose her for some old-fashion black and white portraits. » Harmonious Posh web site

On the west side of town, I meet up with my best friend from childhood through high school, who works as an ER nurse. I’m glad the auditions for the Darwin Awards concluded yesterday, as it gives us ample time to catch up. She’s 6 months pregnant and not loving it (the “being” pregnant - she’s certainly excited for the family). I do my best to swap stories of my close friends who’ve gone through it, as I have not made any decision towards having children yet. She still has the beautiful grey-tinted eyes, one blue, one green, and homecoming queen smile that had (and likely still have) all the boys crazy for her. A sweet nostalgia wafts in as I remind her of my favorite birthday (she gathered the gang with a cake and candles on a country road) and her knack for story telling. Something settles in her, she contemplates her creative counterpart and foreshadows giving thought to writing a children’s book. (I know some great illustrators, I offer.) Wow, it’s difficult for me to leave, but I know she has work to do and lives to save.

Thanks people and places of Wichita - I remember why I love the midwest.

Finally! After 3 sober, singless weeks, I find karaoke in Kansas. After I finish writing a post on being sick, I pack up my things and start to head out, when I decide to sit at a single open spot at the bar. The men are friendly and I easily contribute to their conversations on the Simpsons. It also gives me a great way to introduce myself as being from Portland, home to Matt Groening. One thing leads to another and I ask about karaoke. Turns out that there’s a bar offering it 7 nights a week and these guys actually enjoy checking it out.

Maggie’s Scotch and Soda is slightly larger than the Sugar Pine, but the locals are similar. The selection reminds me that I’m now in the heartland/cowland … lots and lots of country I’ve never heard. And so I’m surprised by a few gems that I make note of - it’ll be fun to bring these back in Portland. “Some girls doin’t like boys like me, but some girls do.” “Save a horse, ride a cowboy.” My favorite: “well, I ain’t first class, but I ain’t white trash.”

Jack and Joe mention Kamakazie Karaoke, when you don’t know what song you’ll be doing. As the name suggests, it can be dangerous. Jack’s last experience had him singing “Girls just want to have fun”.

So far, Wichita has my thumbs up!