June 2007

Roadtrip Day 1: Texas & New Mexico

Mom and I began our Crazy Summer Roadtrip A La Thelma And Louise But Without The Murders and Driving Off Cliffs this morning.(I’ve posted my photos on Flickr.) It’s funny how your perception of how long you’re spending in the car (or, I suppose, any mode of transportation) is relative to your total travel time. For instance, the 4-1/2 hour drive to Houston from Dallas seems to take absolutely forever, yet the eleven hours we spent in the car today seemed to go by fairly quickly, and I think that it’s because I know we have another three or four full days still to drive. So does 1/4 of a journey always feel like 1/4 of a journey, no matter how long that journey is? At any rate, we spent most of today in Texas. I’ve lived here my whole life (sigh) and I still marvel at the fact that one can drive literally all day and still be in this same damn state. That being said, West Texas skies are amazing. So big. Here is the route for today: 635 to 35 in Dallas.35 to 380 in Denton.380 to 287 in Decatur.287 to 40 in Amarillo.40 to 385 in Vega.385 to 87 in Dalhart.87 to 25 in Raton, NM.And 25 to Trinidad, CO, which is where we are right now. Just outside of Amarillo, we stopped at Cadillac Ranch. I have wanted to see Cadillac Ranch ever since I first heard of it years ago, and now I am very happy that I can cross this one off my Must Do Before I Die list. It seems a little less “larger than life” than I was expecting (Cadillacs 20 feet tall? Not so much), but it was still pretty cool. Normally I really like New Mexico, but today it […]

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ShinyGirl Across America

Our new web designer started at work this week. There’s a lot for him to absorb but he’s doing a fine job so far. I’m having to learn how to be a boss, which is kind of weird. I’m spending a lot of my time this week training him, and I’m not getting much of my own work done. However, after tomorrow I do not have to care for a week and a half. I’m leaving on a roadtrip with my mom from Dallas to Seattle. Two women, a hyperactive labrador retriever, and an angry cat, 5 days, 2500 miles. There was a slight change in plans last week, and now we are driving Mom’s comfy Honda Accord instead of Dad’s small-cab stick-shift pickup truck, with the dog in the middle and the cat carrier under the passenger’s feet! I plan to take lots of pictures, stop at weird roadside attractions, and blog from the road! Love you, laptop. 🙂

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Urine Trouble Now!

A couple of friends and I were IM-ing this evening and somehow the subject of drinking one’s own pee came up in the course of conversation. I have another friend who allegedly tried this “health practice” a number of years ago, but I declined to witness said event or even ask any questions about it so I don’t know what became of her experiment. According to some New Age websites, Urine therapy refers to one of several uses of urine to prevent or cure sickness, to enhance beauty or to cleanse one’s bowels. Most devotees drink the midstream of their morning urine. Some prefer it straight and steaming hot; others mix it with juice or serve it over fruit. To which I say, why not just fill your potty with sliced strawberries and apples and save yourself having to wash a dish? Many modern Japanese women are said to engage in urine bathing. The truly daring use their own urine as an enema. Urine is said to be effective against the flu, the common cold, broken bones, toothache, dry skin, psoriasis and all other skin problems. It is said to deter aging and is helpful with AIDS, allergies, animal and snake bites, asthma, heart disease, hypertension, burns, cancer, chemical intoxication, chicken pox, enteritis, constipation, and pneumonia. Hmm, if I break a bone or am unlucky enough to get cancer, instead of seeking medical attention perhaps I will just grab a solo cup and head for the bathroom.

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Caught red-handed showing feelings

I’d forgotten how much I love Pink Floyd’s film “The Wall.” We saw it at the Inwood last night at midnight with Brittney and Chris. We weren’t the oldest people in the audience but we definitely fell in the high end of the range. Near the beginning of the film, someone’s cell phone rang. The girl sitting in front of me turned to her boyfriend and asked, quite seriously, “Was that in the movie?” Sigh. Doc’s cluster headache cycle is just not going away. No screaming bad ones, but he has a headache almost constantly since about February. Saturday we went to three different health food stores looking for this capsaicin nasal spray which is said to help with migraines and anecdotally with some peoples’ clusters too. The first one was just a distribution center in an office park (closed), the second one was Roy’s Natural Market (closed on Saturdays… seriously, WTF?), and Whole Foods did not carry it. We may have to order it online. Our Whole Foods trip wasn’t a complete wash though; we spent a long time staring at the fabulously gorgeous desserts in the dessert cases. They are too pretty to eat. I just want to look at them all day! I purchased a new bottle of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile Soap. I love this stuff. The label, if you aren’t familiar with it (and if you’re not I suggest you read it!), will lead you to the conclusion that dear old Dr. Bronner was nearly all his pancakes short of a stack, but by God (pun intended) he can make some damn fine environmentally friendly non-sodium-lauryl-or-laureth-sulfate-containing liquid soap. It’s expensive but a little goes a long long way.

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Miso, miso

I have to do this, it’s been running through my head for days now (this mixed with First Born Unicorn and Crumbelievable!) Remember the time we had that soup? Soup, soupOh tasty soup, soupOh spicy carrot and corianderChilli chowderCrouton, crouton: crunchy friends in a liquid brothI am gazpacho, oh!I am a summer soup, mmmm.Miso, misoFighting in the dojoMiso, misoOriental prince in the land of soup!

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Mansquito

On Sunday morning I woke up early, as I seem to be prone to doing lately, and went for a jog at 8 a.m. As I left the house, the weather was cloudy, humid, and still. I like to run in a hilly neighborhood a few blocks north of my house, and to get there I walked along the edge of a large park. By the time I felt the first bite, a few dozen mosquitoes had attached themselves to the backs of my legs, happily sucking my blood and leaving their little disease-ridden venom gifts in return. I freaked out and frantically tried to swat them off (managing to satisfactorily squish a lot of them), but more kept coming at me. I took off running and realized that a big cloud of mosquitoes was following me! It took me several blocks, a couple of right angle turns, and a lot of swatting and smushing to get rid of them. Passing drivers must have thought I was having some sort of insanity fit, flailing and running and slapping myself. I guess that I walked through a low-hovering cloud of them somewhere along the edge of the park. It’s no surprise with all the rain we’ve been having. Every time I walk out of my house, even if it’s just to get the mail, I end up with 2 or 3 bites. I’m itchy as all hell today. If you notice me exhibiting flu-like symptoms in the next few weeks, alert the paramedics that I might have West Nile virus. On a semi-related note, one of my favorite made-for-SciFi-Channel movie titles is “Mansquito!” It sounds like a terrible movie, but what an awesome title!

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First Born Unicorn

On Friday night, Doc and my Mom and I watched a nifty old movie, “The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao.” Tony Randall plays Dr. Lao, Medusa, the Abominable Snowman, a serpent, Pan, Merlin, and Apollonius of Tyana (the blind seer). It also stars Barbara Eden, pre-Jeannie. I love the classic special effects – cheesy and obvious to our 21st century eyes, but undoubtedly stunning for the time. Also, we discovered that the line in the chorus of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication” is, indeed, “FIRST BORN UNICORN.” Seriously. “First born unicorn, hard core soft porn.” I just… I have no words. How can I possibly have words to describe that?

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