Friday, August 23, 2002
miscellany: rainier, defiance, and tolmie (bowles, too)
Since livejournal's down and I'm about two minutes from falling over, I thought I'd just update this puppy here instead and link it tomorrow. This is because I'm impatient AND lazy. It's a great combination.
I was having one of those meltdown days. I'd listen to the news and it would piss me off, make me cry, or make me crazy. Sometimes, all three. So I'd turn off the news, and someone would email me with something else. Or there'd be an account of evil police brutality against ten-month-old babies, and I'd just go monkey-brain nuts.
So a letterbox day was in order. I printed every single letterbox clue that I haven't yet picked up the stamp for, shoved them all in a bag with my 'boxing stuff, and threw on the tennies. (I figured I'd just go over to Redmond, first, which is nice and flat and paved. Silly me.)
The traffic was nightmarish, and listening to the local Bad '80's Rocker Music station wasn't helping either. I turned around and skipped Redmond....and went to Olympia instead.
Four stamps, five trails, and 120 miles later, I've had a mental health break, and it was quite nice, thank you. Got stamps at three of five locations, including two mystery locations that I figured out the clues for. (And I have one more mystery box in Tacoma to get before this is all over, too. Woohoo!) There are a good fifteen that I didn't have time for, since it was already three o'clock or so when I hit the first box. And one of the trails was a five-mile-trail-run, no less. My ass was burning, but I was up against the sunset.
Point Defiance was faboo. Didn't get either of the stamps (one place was full of spiders where I think the box may have been, the other was too dark and I had huge blisters on my ankles, so I gave up...), but the place is amazing. Beautiful. Views of Gig Harbor and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and Rainier. A zoo, and Canadian Geese in droves. (AAAALL we are SAYing....is GIVE GEESE A CHAAAAAANCE.... *squick*)
On to another subject: Rainier. Tahoma. The -big- mountain. I'm fiercely in love with it, and I have this sinking feeling that it's going to kill me. Of course, to a symbolist, Death could be all about drastic change, and it could be about being six feet under. We'll see. I'm holding out for the former, of course.
On livejournal, I posted a quote that's on Brandon Lee's grave, which is in his final interview on the Crow DVD. Something about not knowing when you'll die and questioning how many full moonrises you'll see. People gently (and not so gently) pointed out that this is actually Paul Bowles, from "The Sheltering Sky". And wouldn'tjaknowit, it IS Bowles. Turns out that quote was picked by Brandon and was on his wedding invitations, and was given quite a bit of "whoa dude, deeeeeep"ness after he was killed....but wasn't mentioned on either the interview OR his memorial stone. Don't worry, though, you Amateur Copyright Police out there -- it's attributed elsewhere.
I think that's it. For now. Later, when I get up from this coma, I'll post lists. I have lists in my head.
-----e
hikerbabe.
Posted by beth @ 10:24 PM PST [Link]
unexpected nostalgia
I'm not sure what brought it on, but I'm feeling very clingy and sad all of a sudden. Nostalgic for California and H and the pug. It makes no sense -- there's sun today and the weather's just right for bike-riding, and I just snuggled with the woobs, and IQ is, for all intents and purposes, done.
So why do I feel like someone's wringing out my heart like an old rag?
---e
who hates sad-sentimental.
Posted by beth @ 07:48 AM PST [Link]
Thursday, August 22, 2002
production wall
So I've been insanely productive all day. (As you can see by the lovely crossed-off items on the list below.)
My dilemma now? Go get groceries and maybe an odometer, or take a big fat nap...?
The nap's winning, of course.
----e
sleepyhead
Posted by beth @ 02:58 PM PST [Link]
the ever-present to-do list
In an attempt to be more organized, here's what I need to do today:
enter everyone into the db that isn't already there
fulfill outstanding orders
- at least work on the website
finish putting covers on IQ7 remaining copies
- go get an odometer
go get stuff for dinner
start laundry
carve the eastlake (chg. new personal) stamp
- design the Circular carving for Kanan
- answer email/
last ten comments.
In order to be honest, however, here's what's more likely to happen:
- Futz around with email and give up.
- fold a couple IQ
- sort a little laundry
- get gas and take off for Olympia to get a letterbox.
- pick up dinner at the last minute.
Well, y'know...I've been working A Whole Lot the last couple weeks. I'm brain fried.
-----e
sizzling since July.
Posted by beth @ 11:11 AM PST [Link]
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
busy is a good thing
I was down for the count all day yesterday. A migrane hit me with the force of a Mack truck on ephedrine, and I really thought I was going to have to just cut off my head to alleviate some of the pressure. Luckily, such drastic measures were not necessary.
This morning, before noon, I did the dishes, answered roughly 60 emails/comments/snail mails, put the rest of the commercial orders in envelopes, sealed them with packing tape and addressed them, took the whole shebang to the Post Office and stamped (with an $.80 and a $.03) more than 250 envelopes. I talked to Office Depot about the covers, and will be leaving in a few minutes to work out the printing for the last 100 covers before being completely, entirely, and utterly FINISHED with IQ#7.
It's a damn good feeling, I must say.
Now for laundry, storage issues, and the website. And Ben wants me to start calling the retailers today, too, but there isn't time yet. Next week, after they've had a chance to peruse and order.
Yesterday, while the migrane was starting to fester and I was trying to get things collated, I got a call from a lady that owns a store in NY state. "I LOVE your magazine!" she said over and over, "I have to get this for my store!!!"
Now those....THOSE are the calls I don't mind getting. :)
-----e
busy bee/entrepreneur. :)
Posted by beth @ 12:52 PM PST [Link]
Monday, August 19, 2002
oracle wind
Some days, just the act of breathing seems like prophecy.
The trail of black feathers may have been leading here.
----e
Posted by beth @ 12:36 PM PST [Link]
