Wednesday, July 16, 2008

My Little Beanie-Weenie!


So my life has been, since Monday, primarily occupied with the training and entertainment of my new longhair dachshund puppy, Bean. I love her to little pieces of pieces, even though she can be a perfect terror sometimes. <3 To read daily updates on our struggles and successes and general gab on my ideas behind dog training, visit Bean's blog at http://doxiebean.blogspot.com/ . I'm going to talk about NON-Bean related things in THIS blog, so as not to sound like a total mushball insane dog person, but trust me, it's all a show.

So I went to Miesha's place Thu-Sun, and it was an absolutely AWESOME time. We played, shopped (welllll, grocery shopped) ate delicious food, and saw one HELL of an awesome concert! Now that I look back, I can't believe I got to see Eddie Izzard. He's really like, the ONLY celebrity I "follow" in any way - like I know some of his history and I've heard all his routines and noticed his appearance in movies and tv and such. We (Miesha and I) agree it was hardly his best show, but even Eddie's worst routine would be better than LOTS of comics' best, so it was still lovely and a good time was had by all. Miesha and I had some good talks, which were mostly (and unfortunately) about me, and about religion and my current struggles with it. I excuse myself a little since I was having SUPER CRAZY HORMONE days, like crying at ridiculous things and getting irritated or angry for no good reason. Stupid hormones. PMS is the pits! But still...it's nice to process yourself outloud sometimes, and Miesha was nice enough to let me. Love you sister. I don't talk much about my feelings on this subject because I feel mostly prickly and conflicted and don't much like to talk to people who are...well, less conflicted. But it was good food for thought anyway.

On the way home we stopped by Dom and Kelsie's and I got to meet a baby related to pigpigpigpigpigpig and pigpig herself! The rule is you can attatch as many "pigs" onto her name as you feel like at the time, you see. Well pigpigpig is SOOOOO full of little babies! She looks like she has two fur covered barrels strapped to her sides. I was informed by mom that I'm not allowed to have one, and since I have Bean now it wouldn't be fair to a baby guinea pig since I give so much attention to my dog and the guinea pig wouldn't get played with enough/much. But still...it'd be adorible! I also got to see his ridiculously flourishing flora fruit and vegetable plants and his chickens. Chickens with feathers on their feet, that do not yet lay eggs. Right now, all they do is eat, poop, sleep and make noise. Like a baby, but without the cuddling and with more feathers. AND they gave me PRESENTS! It was like the birthday that wouldn't end! A ridiculous amount of wonderful presents which made me feel sheepish and wonder what I did to deserve presents of that amount. I guess they like me. lol.

I could see myself living ala Dom and Kelsie. Really. Off on my own in a wooded place. I'd want the house already there, but I'd love to keep my own garden, and I'd have lots of roses that the deer would probably come out of the woods to munch on in the thoughtful manner that deer prefer when destroying carefully tended flora. And maybe a kiln out back. I'd have a studio with a wheel, and a big easel and a light box and a desk for crafting with wire and paper and such. And my kitchen would be my own and I would know everything in every cupboard, and it would be filled only with food I liked, and I could eat as much or as little of any item as I wanted. I would wake up on a clear, cold morning and wrap up in a shawl and take a hot cup of tea to the front porch and just sit on the steps with my dog and watch the sun move and the birds fly and the time pass.

I've always seen myself living alone. Sometimes I think that's lonely, but most of the time, and now included, I just think it's ideal. To live all on my own, I can have all my eccentricities without critique, and I have no one to ask permission from and no one to apologize to. I can just be. When you're with other people, how do you just "be"? I, at least, am always focused on the needs and concerns of the other person or people. I try to help myself "not care" what other people feel or think about me, but until I'm away from people I always feel an under-current of stress, a certain degree of tension in everything I do and say and think about. I don't think of myself as high-strung really. As soon as I get away and on my own it's all so much better and I'm just content. Alone is where I learn, and where I make art, and where I sing, and where I am happiest. It seems to me that people think that those who choose to live alone and away from others are weird and maybe dangerous. Well, for weird, I fit the bill. But I am extremely not dangerous, lol. And of course I'd go to the town and spend cash once a week or so with groceries and some socializing. I wouldn't be completely cut off, I do like interacting with people...just not all the time. Not even the majority of the time. And well, I think that's ok. As long as I do good in the world and make some kind of difference, I think I'll be alright.

And...that's enough thought for now, it is SO bed time.

<3 me.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

I'M GETTING MY OWN DOG!!!

So today was my parents 31st wedding aniversary. That doesn't sound like it's connected to the title, but it is. So I made delicious lemon bars and helped set the table and make dinner. As we were sitting around at the end of the meal, Mara told us about this strange dream she had (I'm sure she'll relate it if you ask her) and then I mentioned (pout pout) how I seriously dream about having my own puppy or kitty every night. And I do. And dad said "now don't get all excited...etc etc...but I know someone with a dachshund who is looking for a new owner!" and I said "of course I say yes. I want my dog. That sounds like my dog - girl, small, cute! Meets my dog standards! But I was outvoted on this before since it's not my house." And mom and dad must have had a small conversation then, and they agreed to let me have my dog! They're going to pay for her, (my birthday gift! whee! Happy birthday to me!) and Mara is going to help me buy toys and bed and food for her! YAY!!!!

SO then Dad called the breeder/owner up (her name is Carol) and arranged for us to go up to her house right then and see the little girl. Her name is Annie right now, but I intend to rename her Bean - she's young enough to take to a new name pretty readily. My little Bean! Yay! She's a chocolate dapple longhair dachshund, and will never get above 10 lbs. Travel sized! We visited with Carol and Bean and her dachshund compadres, and Carol decided she unreservedly thought I would be a great owner for her little baby. Oh I'm so excited!

She looks A LOT like this, because this is her mommy!:


So that happens on Monday!

Tomorrow I go to a job interview with a photography company, which I look forward to. It's in the morning. I just don't know what to do with myself until I get my dog. Thankfully on Thursday or Friday I'll be going up to Bellingham and I'll have Miesha and my fam to distract me starting then. But honestly. OMG. I'm going to have my dog!


I'M GOING TO HAVE MY DOG AND LIFE IS GOING TO BE MORE AWESOME THAN EVER I'M SO EXCITED AHHHH!!!!


<3 me

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

The great camping trip 08! (1)

























Pictures from the great camping trip 08! (2)

I'm sick of trying to make these pictures flow in the way I want...so I'm just gonna spit em out here. Enjoy.































One great hike...


It's been a long time since I posted....so now you get lots of pictures. This post will focus on the highlights of a hike dad and I took up Cape Horn. The above picture is of some nearly spent larkspar - it was blooming all over the place on our way up!





















it was gorgeous. I huffed and puffed the whole way. The final pics are my two favorites: