summer time

i love it.

i'll be back with some photos soon!!

I haven't done a lot of things in a long time including writing here. truck driving school, aka the last three weeks of my life here in indiana. it's over! i graduated! and now i can legally drive a semi. here's a photo of the range where i spent countless hours tromping through mud, navigating through cones, and hanging out with truck driving like people while enduring this much less than femanin environment. hey, i may be able to drive a big rig and know about getting covered in grease while working on my mopeds, but that doesn't mean i'm not into smelling good, wearing dresses and heals and being a woman. i'm missing my friends loads and can't wait to get on with things. that's all for now, back to work for now. hope to see you all around soon.

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;


Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,


And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.


I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference

-Robert Frost-

two things

two things i tell myself a lot lately

don't forget to remember and remember to forget.

but mostly just the second one for now.

it's helps i think, or maybe the two cancel each other out.

october through january is almost over and i'm getting geared up for somethings to come.

good morning indiana

when i woke up this morning and looked out my window, I saw

i
n
d

i
a

n
a

hello world.

i watched a flick this affternoon called On The Road With Judas.

from that, this thought...

"If you think about it long enough, I think you'll come to the same conclusion. Something tells me to go out there on the road where, where life is for the taking. I Think that's it, i think that's my place. On the road. I mean that's the only thing i've come to, thats the only conclusion I fall at. On tour, when your on the road, you're never home. Maybe your constantly looking for it or constantly running away from it."

maybe, maybe, maybe, that's part of how it is for some of us out there doing our thing. maybe, in part. i only kinda liked this movie, but this thought jumped out at me a bit, just a bit.

i just got a call to come in for an interview for a job in san francisco for thursday.

hello indiana.

hello world.

RV capital of the world, the hurricane has officially hit

I just spent the an hour cutting this apart with a smoldering x-acto knife, by flame of my kitchen stove.

the blade is now dull and done for,

but it worked!!

anyway it was a learning experience, and I figured what I'll do different next time I get the idea in my head to paint something of this nature.

The earlier part of my day went a little like this...

ELKHART — Tough times in Elkhart are getting national attention. The jump in unemployment now has the distinction of being the highest in the country.This weekend the New York Times profiled Elkhart, calling it the "white-hot center of the meltdown of the American economy."(snip)

The New York Times cited labor statistics that showed the jobless rate has increased more than any other metropolitan area in the country, rising 4.8 points from August 2007 through August 2008. Nearly 10,000 people are out of work. The rate is 9.3 percent.“I don't know what to do but just keep beating the trail and trying to find a job,” said Williams.

As Industries Dry Up, Frustration and Despair
Elkhart, near the Michigan border in an area known as Michiana, is the white-hot center of the meltdown of the American economy. Its main industries, the manufacturing of recreational vehicles and motor homes, have fallen apart over the last year because of high gasoline prices. That has taken down ancillary businesses like R.V. parts suppliers and storage warehouses.

The jobless rate in Elkhart has increased more than in any metropolitan area in the country; it rose over 4.8 percentage points from August 2007 to August 2008. According to labor statistics released this summer, nearly 10,000 people were out of work, a rate of 9.3 percent.
“I’m just dwindling to the bottom,” Melinda Owens, 24, said as she emerged from the unemployment office.

City services are on the decline, and hold-ups are on the rise — there were nine armed robberies or attempted armed robberies on convenience stores in just the last two weeks. On Friday, the front-page news of the paper, The Elkhart Truth, was about a local plastic company that was actually not closing its plant.

The busiest spot in town seems to be the unemployment office, where 20 people stood in line on Friday and streams more passed through. Bryan and Christy Fisher were among them. The couple lost their house to foreclosure this year, then found one to rent; next week they will downsize to an apartment. (Article from the New York Times)

here's one I delivered awhile back!! The Hurricane :)
Today I found these articles describing the situation here in Elkhart. Today this was my life. Standing in line at the unemployment office. I went there with the intention of applying for a grant that has been made available to the workers of the RV industry. It's no joke here, it was just like the article said. Bunches of people in line, and apparently a slower day than usual with the roads an icy mess and the dropping temperature. The RV industry has been a big part of my work life and travels over these past two years. Since this past July the gaps between assignments have grown and many workers in the area have been laid off. Welcome to 2009!! So I've been thinking for awhile about several different options for life changes and work opportunities. That's where I'm at and what I'm up to right now. I'm going back to that place in the morning to finish the application process for the grant, then we'll see what happens from there. I'm real sad, I loved hanging out in RVs and getting paid to explore America and getting to go out to Cali so often too. It's also real sad for all the families that are now struggling here because of the economic loss this place has been experiencing. But life is good and I'm motivated and hopeful. I have a feeling 2009 is going to be a good year. Something has got to give. So with all as it is, for now, it looks like I will be up north here in Indiana for a bit and then onto what's next.

I'll most likely be found here doing one of these activities.

at ice breaking a sweat.
lounging at matt's.
at the unemployment office doing something.
watching films.
at the shop working on putting things back together again.
with friends.
shoveling more snow out of the drive way.
making things in the kitchen.
painting.
making tea and taking bubble baths.
writing more.
thinking about warmer weather.

much love to you all, I'll be around and about soon, i hope, after taking care of some things here. good night all and sleep well tonight.

staying warm

Am I losing my option for my work to continue driving or am I waiting for the come back?

I called my IN dispatch today, he sounded doubtful.

I called my NC dispatch tonight, he sounded hopeful.

Am I going to stay here or leave again?

I have a plan, but am feeling so open to being in one place for a bit or continuing with the travel.

The truth is I've gotten used to it just as my option for it has began to change in major ways.

My time here in Indiana has been good, hellishly cold, but good. I've had many great opportunities to reconnect with old friends from the past and to hangout with some of my favorite people. There's been talk of xylophones and face paint, relationship stories that could entertain for hours, the continual drinking of tea and warm faces to share it with. The people i know amaze me.

My travel back to this place was a whole crazy bunch of problem solving though, you know the joys of travel add some flashbacks from the movie planes trains and automobiles. I try not think of that movie, but sometimes it happens. I was booked on a flight into Vegas the evening they closed the airport down due to a huge snow storm....but my luggage, with all my clothes went to Vegas and I went back to San Francisco. So I missed the only flight that week going to south bend the following morning. then back to the airport the next day to get my bag, which was still in Vegas, then back to sf, then finally bought a new flight for the following day and spent my third extra day in the city (in the same clothes), but could stand it no more. I then went and bought some fresh stuff to wear, and in that extra time met this awesome girl, who had opened a boutique in the city and we had some great conversation. Once into Vegas, i had a huge delay and in this time had a interesting talk with a marine about life and also learned a lot about life in the marines. Then on my way out of Denver was held up on the runway due to a flight on fire on the runway (but worded much more kindly for us passengers on board our flight), but eventually made it safely into Indy. Because of the rerouting of my flight, i was able to spend some quality time and a drive home for Christmas with my high school best friend. I was so jet lagged, but at least the adventure had a lot of positive extras. Being home was busy, but really important. This year was a special one for our family and I'm pretty thankful everything worked out for me to be home for it.

Now I am here. It's four degrees below outside my walls right now. I wake up and shovel loads of snow out of the drive way each morning. I get around and make tea, shower, and then find ways to get a lot done and be productive. sometimes just read, sometimes just write. I can imagine having a quiet cottage someday on the edge of a mountain or overlooking a calm lake, and going there to write, and watch the sun come up. a place to go to sometimes. a place to breath fresh air and make love. a peaceful place with a kind setting and a warm temperature.

I have to wrap this up now and get to some research.

goodnight dear friends. stay warm and safe out there tonight.