Season's First Snowfall

Wednesday night we watched the presidential debate on Nick's couch. Phil propping up the freshly bandaged heel of my quick first aid work, not wearing boots had stepped in glass. It made a bloody mess, I could see blood the next morning in the rocky side yard. I got to work making pesto out of Nick's basil harvest listening to the perfectly coifed candidates verbally joust. We had a bunch of pesto and linguini served up in no time with my fast chopping.

Of course it would only make sense to watch Drive afterwards. Amidst the "I am going to dress up like Ryan Gosling for Halloween" and brutality of the scenes I got very annoyed with the theme song. A sickly sweet song, "a real hero and a real human being".
As if stomping someone's face in makes you any more or less real. But we will address the subject of reality later. Mostly I am annoyed with the song. Otherwise it is an entertaining film.

Nick offered Phil his hospitality despite the fact I had told Phil days back that he was on his own. In the morning Phil rushed off to offer his foreign support at the Obama rally. Nick and Mark went about their daily lives leaving me the house to myself. I thought about seeing Obama and then decided the house was too dirty. So I spent a pleasant day singing and cleaning, an action I hadn't realized I missed. I felt very accomplished when Nick came home and gave me a couple more tasks, including some crockpot cookery. Saying, "you shouldn't let someone know you are a good cook."

Phil limped back, grabbed his gear with the intention to find some hot young democrats to take him in for the night. So I said my final goodbye as he refused reiki again. Though after going inside realized he had forgotten his Platypus water bladder, stupid looking thing and his only way of water transport. So I let him know while he was out "campaigning".

I swiftly finished the little cleaning I had left and jumped in the car with Nick to go watch a soccer game. He is the varsity coach of the Tigers, an unruly animalistic clan of teenagers who dominate the field. Nick had forgotten to wash the right uniforms and I had finished the laundering of the wrong. I caught wafts of them as they walked past me which seemed to strike fear in the hearts of their opponents who lost 4-2.

It was a very exciting game with yellow and red cards for profanity, over exuberant celebration (one kid did a flying leap, twist catching his cousin around the neck and torso with his thighs sending both of them into a harmless roll which they popped up from, it was very impressive) and totally bunk referee calls. The referee's must have felt bad for the other team and were making poor to no sensible calls.

This upset Nick who got his own yellow-card for arguing with the refs, and later divulged to me that he gets one nearly every game.
The kids all had quite a bit of personality, enough that I was glad I don't speak much Spanish. Nick had told me his struggles with trying to give them direction and then I met them and understood. He is a good coach, offering his constructive criticism to my own endeavors as well.

They didn't really say one word to me till after the game when one asked if I was the coach's wife. Nick told me later that the kids were talking about me in terms that would have made me blush. Later back at their school we checked to see that they all had rides home and they swarmed the car climbing all over it making it violently rock while saying things I could more easily and unfortunately understand. It was quite a hoot and I think they are a promising team.

We returned home to find Mark and Phil hanging out. I took Phil down the street to Molly's house to hang out. We sat there with the other roommates for awhile. Claire listened to Phil and I argue spirituality and science, she said "it is like a tv show!"
Phil lost the debate as he wasn't in the vortex. I grabbed a guitar and started singing and the party commenced. More and more people showed up, Phil was swept up in the interest and mystery surrounding him. As I helped start a fire outside made out of a broken daybed frame with a heart theme and sang over the top of the guitar stylings of others. I spent most of the evening singing. When it was time I walked home with Nick and Phil seemed to have found a comfy bed to stay in or at least one of the couches.

In the morning I awoke to the seasons first snow. I wished Nick "Feliz Cumpleanos!". Brushed the snow off my bike and laughed hysterically when I noticed Phil had left all his gear on his bike untarped. Phil came by to get his bike and say goodbye. I told him to be safe, stay warm, and ride like hell. We parted without the much ado of friends who will see each other again. Que Sera!

Phil said that I block out reality when in all actuality he hasn't taken the time to recognize there is much more to reality. Immediately dismissing the power of prayer and meditation because they supposedly are not proven by science to be effective is like continuing to believe the Earth is flat. Not having an openness to even just try is like drinking the hemlock potion of your own spiritual demise.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing. I harvested all of Nick's basil, hung it to dry, went shopping for some snacks. I wandered over the first Friday art night and went through some of the different galleries. Some of the spaces were very cool, I especially liked the live work studios. I saw Stephanie's art, big ethereal feelings concreted on canvas.
A lot of the art was cool and I always enjoy talking to the artist about their art. I also stumbled upon the whomp truck. A collective of djs roll this thing around as a mobile party.

I met up with the birthday boy, his roommate Mark and his brother John (two of the best looking men I have ever seen) and some other people at The Renegade brewery. I had a very good IPA before we decided to go back to Inca St. Guests ate the veggie platter I made and I sat happily talking to and meeting everyone. A group of us went to Shwervsi a bar one block away. The band was playing psychedelic rock that no one could figure out how to dance to till I showed them how it's done. Bars close in this state so we went home to sleep and rest my tired dancing feet.

Today and yesterday I slept long wonderful sleeps to make my rest complete. I planned my next move and tried to track down a bivy sack as Phil has the tent. While I slept I took stock of the situation. I will be alone for the next 900+ miles of the journey as fall commences. I am a bit worried about money but people always have me in mind. My father Ron spent an afternoon fixing a hole in someone's roof to send me $80. Another friend Dan is going to pay my phone bill in exchange for some Jewelery. Jodi also purchased a "not yet made custom piece of Allida jewelry". Everyone's help has been fantastic. I know being alone might make the journey more of an adventure but I am excited for it. And I think I will have more time to write.

It has been very nice to rest up, thanks to my hosts Nick, Mark, and Nesta. Nesta is the best dog, she is 13. We have been hanging out sunning on the porch together and going on short walks. I have to take the coolers out of the windows today to earn my keep. You can tell I met Nick when I worked as Jennie of all trades at the Duncan Little Creek Gallery and Bar. He knows I can clean,cook and fix most anything. Don't tell him I can sew an unravelable button. Also the bike storage in Nick's house is amazingly stylish and practical.