Tuesday Bluesday - - it's fall

Holy hannah, is it fall. Yeaa, fall. The season of my birth. The season of sweaters and jackets. The season before the weather gets asinine. It's almost warm pajama time. Begin!

- Stitch n' Bitch is coming together. W00t w00t! It is fun. :) I am remembering how to drink wine from a box i.e. don't support with your neck, support with your hands. This all sounds incredibly dirty.

- Creature Feature this Thurs at 10 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop!!! Does it get any better?? No, sir, it does not..

Weren't there other things to blog about?

- Ellie invited me over for pudding cake & cake. This was one of the best things ever. Then she also gave me lilly bulbs! Good god! I owe this woman some lasagna.. :)

- Made fried zucchini and spicy tomato sauce yesterday. It was delish. I am super duper proud of my tomato sauce, of all things to be proud of. Zucchini muffins were also made Sunday. I am working against my zucchini phobia.

- Today is speeding by. The lake was ran around, and I stared at some geese. The upside of Canadian Geese upclose: they look like super huggable dinosaurs. The downside: when they look at you, they poop.

- I have the "I want to move to Portland" push again. The economy sucks. My house would probably not sell. I want to move to Portland, for no particular reason except for crush of the place. Greedy greedy Jen.

- Started writing. Yea me. Hoping to write like I jog - - it feels good, and it's an easy distraction (i.e. "I should be painting my ceiling, but... I'll be so healthy if I go jogging." See??) Unlike jogging, writing comes with the secret dream-hidden-bonus of the possibility of people paying you money for the words that come dribbling out of one's head. I like that possibility. (and not painting my ceiling)

- No one's going to pay me for jogging. The only useful thing that other's seem to get out of my jogging is geese poop. And geese poop may not be that useful, honestly.

Stitch n' Bitch opens this Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Come! Come!

Onward.

Sunday bloody Sunday....

Indeed!

All my bemoaning about being computerlessness is at an end (hopefully.) Much Saturday morning research was followed by a successful trip to Microcenter (a successful trip to Microcenter is like a successful trip to Kinko's... rare, precious, and not to be unappreciated). I now have a refurbished Compaq Presario somethingsomethingsomething. The height of my geekiness - - which is truly not that high - - I purchased ram. Damn!

I have spent this morning downloading Firefox and Chrome and saving passwords with abandon.. My ability to waste time has now increased 10 fold.

(And all you people I owe pictures to - - I should be able to edit them now! W00t!)

Yesterday was all computery, and then Stitch n' Bitch tech, and then to one of the nicest dinners I've ever been a part of. This lovely couple lives in the sweetest, hidden St. Paul neighborhood. She's from Belgium, he teaches animation at a local art school (and sez HI BUTCH!!). See - - they're amazing already. They live in this perfect midcentury bungalow which they've filled with goddamn beautiful MIDCENTURY FURNITURE. AHHHHHH!!! (Even the wallpaper in their bathroom is original. Their bathroom sink looked like it was styled after the front of a jetliner. Gahhhh...) I have serious boners for exactly that stuff, and here was a house, impeccably styled and filled with it. I think I drooled on anything. And then told them that I was drooling on everything. (They seemed unsurprised by it... I think they may get the reaction a fair amount). And what's more - - they were amazing, gracious, generous - - very welcoming to a freaking out 32 year old furniture ho. Follow that with conversation and wine and the other guests were equally amazing and cool, and... Very lucky. Lovely evening.

Of everyone one at the table, I was the least educated. Now, I've equated higher education with having midcentury furniture and dinner parties with people who make Werner Herzog jokes. I now want my masters. In what, I have no clue. I would love to receive one collecting furniture via Craigslist and attending festivals in the French Alps... Doesn't that sound nice? *sigh* Awesome.

Granted, I know they worked their tucuses off to get where they are. But, it's nice to peek in and wonder.

Today equals work. I don't wanna go to work. But I messed up, and now have to. I would rather be at Creature Feature. (I generally don't mind the Museum. It's just been a LOT of museum in the last three weeks. And I'm missing Creature Feature. :( )

Speaking of:

CREATURE FEATURE! This coming Thursday at 8 p.m. at the Brave New Workshop! (and all Thursdays through October) annnd...

STITCH, BITCH n' DIE! This coming Saturday & Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl (and all Saturdays and Sundays through October)

Onward.

Doing more before 9:00 a.m....

.. than most people do everyday! ... well.. sometimes.

Yesterday just felt so damned.. disjoint. Nothing fit together, even though one thing happily slid into the next. Maybe it was sitting for three hours at an internal "Job Fair" (which felt like a honest to goodness job fair, people trying to sell each other to each other.. help!). And maybe, it was traffic on the drive home. My rhythm of "wake up, hit one work, hit next work, do shows, go to rehearsal" felt all false n' shit. Dingdongdangit. Gross.

However, this morning I was a paragon of getting stuff done. I went to Kinko's in Uptown (I have yet to spot the Kinko's of northern Mpls), ran around a lake, got puppydogtails and coffee from Isle's Coffee & Bunn (which, after running, was like smoking a pack of Winstons i.e. AWWWWWESOME), went to a random audition (I guess I'm a "Kathy Bates" type), and sped my way to work.

In this industriousness, I managed to smear gum on my driver's side window.. while driving. Made worse when I instinctually tried to open the window to get it off. Hah! I am a living metaphor.

This audition was for a fishing net company, and we were told to come dressed as Northern MN-nice. It was neat to see all of the familiars dressed up in their grungies. It was like "Pajama Day" at school, except instead of pajamas, it was mom jeans and flannel.

There was even free lunch today! My god! I owe someone some free lunch! (With fruit and coffee even!)

Fifteen minutes later, the free lunch has formed a freelunch lump in my stomach. I shall burp freelunch for the next five hours. This is the price one pays for freelunch.

All that stuff I need to do still needs to get done. Worried that the worries and disjointedness of yesterday will follow me into today. No matter!

Onward.

Just the way you are...

I had my tarot read a couple of weeks ago... (I know someone for reals and really good -- and cheap! -- if you're interested) The excellent advice from the reading was this:

- do things that will give you pleasure -- not the short term, debaucherous hang-over-forming sort of pleasure, but rather a pleasure comprised of satisfaction. Doesn't that sound nice?

- figure out what causes you this pleasure.

How to find out (this gets all new agey goony -- forgive me): go lookin' for the Chariot (movement while being still) by concentrating on the Priestess (intuition) and the Hermit (go get by yourself).

Huh, I said. These are not bad goals. I will take advantage of time by myself by pondering and relaxing. (there's another change coming, like a page flipping in a book). I will trust my vibe. I will relax. However, ISN'T THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW????

My 'meditation' time was spent cleaning the oven. I also watched some Venture Bros. while sanding a $3 Salv Army score. Goddammit. My inner child is working out its OCD. My painbody is all type A. I really think there's probably some things I should probably be doing. I posed a couple of these things to myself (Go get woodchips. Measure ceiling. Figure out how to winterproof windows & doors... Hrm. I may work on those. Memorize. I might do that too.), but I think I might compromise by exercising (I ran around Lake Calhoun yesterday and didn't die! W00t!), making dinner (hellooo, grits..) and doing some calling. Being by myself -- kinda. But it's so much.. easier to be distracted.

Need to purchase a new laptop. I've changed the harddrive in my old one 3 times. I've had my current one for about 5 years. It's time. Ahhh, money. However, now the world makes 10 inch laptops! They're adorable! Like little midget laptops! Pondering one of these. Will have to purchase separate CD drive, but.. still! ...maybe I just want a laptop that's proportionate to my tiny dog, car, and income.

'Used a laminating machine today. Laminating machine are like crack. Can I laminate something for you??

Tomorrow features some long term time at the museum again.. (all for nice stuff, but still.. It's a long day). Wednesday features some dropping off of said laminates (so pretty! So easily addictive!) and some Stich n' Bitch (Sat & Sundays in Oct @ the BLB!!).

But my favorite comes soon: Creature Feature!!!! Thursdays in October at the Brave New Workshop!!! Aghhhh!!! Creature Feature is even better than laminating machines by.. like.. a million. Promise.

Onward.

Buy my stuff!

Super short post...

- Buy my stuff! I'm on garage sale day number two! And, indeed, people have bought some of my stuff. I am pleased. I never thought sitting in a garage and staring at our extras with two other ladies could be so dang pleasant and relaxing - - but it is.

- Garage sale is also forcing me to stay in one place for hours on end. Bwaha! Delightful!

- Privacy NanoForum a'go! So happy. So pleased.. whew.. Collapse begins!

- Went to an art show last night (after feasting on the roast shoulder of something adorable.. it was very tasty though) with PIC last night, and had the loveliest of nights. Artists were cool, friendly, engaging, and fun! Art was just plain ol' cool. I purchased art!!! (a small necklace for myself, for my birthday) I got to hang out with the very cool artist herself, a bunch of other artists, and PIC in the artist's rockin' studio/pad/office. NEAT!

- There's a sweet spot on the Mississippi River behind this gallery that now Drew and I have been to twice (first for a solstice party - - when we froze our asses off, an possibly climbed over a fence and trecked through ice and snow to get to - - and now for a gallery open). It's sandy beach that looks over industrial to your front, river to your right, and downtown to your left. There's a bonfire. Good people come to appreciate this place, and they bring other good people. It's officially one of my favorite places in Minneapolis, and one you can get to so so rarely, if at all. Very lucky when we can.

Looking forward to this evening.

I got my running stuff back!! YEAA!! Thank you! Tomorrow's run is gonna kick my butt.

Onward.

Blah blah blah, going crosseyed a tad..

- I got cast! Yeaaa, happy & proud. However. I can't take it as I'm cast in something I committed to (this thing pays well & should be fun... Hopefully.. It shld be). Sad to turn good stuff with good people down though...dangit. :(

- If u can, try not to start your day getting reprimanded. I am resenting it as I let it hurt and steal my energy. Boo.

- I have a forum to run on Thursday. The organizing of this particular forum has been one of the most disjointed messes ever. Nice work, Jen? Non! However, did I also have to write the scenarios & did those come good? Oui! It was a see-what-Jen's-strengths-&-weaknesses-are party, as gross and/or as that sort of party can be...

- Did a commercial thingie. Yea! That was fun, I think.

- Cutest Monkey audience yesterday. So lucky.

- Had potluck dinner with friends -- success!! I made paprikas, which is basically stew with a LOT of paprika and floaty-dumpling things. The cat gives paprikas two paws up.

- I got some bizzness to take care of, lest the world explodes. Do/survive forum, make posters, memorize lines, write sketch, run garage sale -- this is all important on Thursday, Friday and Monday. Blurgh!

- I left my running shoes at a friend's house... Arghhh! A run would probably help.

Onward.

Okay...

I read Mike Fotis' latest post and I wanted to cry. Or at least destroy all crappy clerks. Mike - - I'm so sorry. They will burn in customer service hell.

- Thursday sped by. Coffee with Mr. Venske was lovely and I owe him some info. Yea! I also enjoyed a delicious bagel. Huzzah for delicious bagels!

- Youth coaches met. It was good. I was also told to start being not such a softie. Very well. I will let my edges show through.. Seriously kids - - do you really want seven years of improv teaching and/or embitterment to come shining through? You all are brilliant - - however, my lack of ability and/or time and/or ... you get the point. Gack!

- Had my tarot read! That was wonderful! Me and some certain major arcana are going to chill. I received some good plans and perspective - - very nice. :)

- Talked to Mr. Jennings, which was awesome. I'm so damned proud of him.

- Booze & Cruise! Drew lent me one of his roommate's bikes, and we tooled through DT Minneapolis (race the bus!), biked over the Stone Arch Bridge, ended up at a Polka Festival, grabbed dinner at Tuggs, biked to Red Stag, met Ole-the-bartender (who rules), had bacon dessert, walked to the Vegas Lounge, killed on "Midnight Train to Georgia", and biked our butts back. Such good times! Such loveliness!

- Minneapolis by bike is the prettiest Minneapolis.

- Woke up moderately okay (though sore) and took a 10 a.m. voiceover workshop which made me about jump out of my skin. Not in that excited way, but in that "aghhhhhhh... this gives me nothing!".. The workshop was mostly made up of talking about the business (yeah.), who's really good in the businesss (yeah.), why they're good (yeah.) and just sitting there, doin' nuttin'. However, five minutes before the workshop was over, he finally had us read some copy - - and that was actually fun. And he showed himself to be a wonderful coach. Argh. Will I try to go into voicework? Chances are - - no. It costs money up front and the market is flooded. However, does it pay well for not alot of work? Oui. Who knows. It was a lot for slightly hungover and very tired me to take.

- Saw some of my favorite people in the world (i.e. Steve A. and Sharon S. of TRP).

- Loveliest of weekends! Pizza with nice people and their new house, cleaning PG's place (which I adore - - it feels so good all clean and stuff.. whoosh!), buying a shower curtain, getting dinner at Eli's.. yum yum yum.

- Creature Feature starts soon!!!!!!!!!!!! Thursdays in October. We had rehearsal on Sunday. My eyes were watering with funny. How can this be so much fun? It's just that much fun. W00t!!!!!

I'm a bit all over the place. Apologies. More stuff to come.. mebbe.

Onward.

Luckier than we deserve...

Okay... Scratch above post. I need to make it to 1 p.m. tomorrow.. Then we'll deal with the week after.

- I worked. Worked worked, or some version of worked..

- Saw an awesome kid from the Steppingstone Improv thingie.. His name is Kyle.. Not Mark or Sherman or Mikey or whatever under god's green earth I called him. He is lovely and awesome.

- Restuffed lines back into my head. Lines felt like marshmallow fluff--possibly ready to tumble out at any moment. Or expand in a microwave.

- Fun person I got to play with at callbacks yesterday is actually the boyfriend of my old roommate. Said boyfriend now lives with dear friend Pogi, who almost took old roomate's room before she moved in. This world is strange & small.

- Did show. Given that these show are generally company buy-outs, you never know what sort of feel the audience is going to have, and 'tend to expect the worst. Alas, this was one of the best audiences ever, and the food service fed us afterwards (which never happens -- I ate like a conference go'er i.e. more than I should. Like a king.), and the show itself was just damn fun. So lucky.

- Lee said that the walleye they fed us was not actually walleye, but some Russian walleye substitute called "Xander". (Please insert "In Russia, _something_ _somethings_ you" joke here.)

- Hung out with two ladies from CT at the hotel bar afterwards, totally enjoying their out of town conference experience. Might hang out with them tomorrow, as they are a hoot, damned generous and funny. :) Yea for new friends! (and sweet lite-New England accents) We laughed alot.. Good people. :)

- Getting to bed to read and be super on top of things tomorrow. We hope.

Onward.

Don't let up 'til you get through today...

I can't stop, even though it's suuuuper tempting. If I can be prepared for tonight, then the rest of the week should slide, right? Hopefully right.

My neighbor Dan decided to talk to me... A conversation with Dan lasts a full 15 minutes, and he'd happy have it last more. Dan does not say hello. Dan has stuff to say. It's not necessarily a conversation to begin with, but rather a happy-toned Dan monologue of gloom. Dan informs me, in a happy tone, but yet disgusted, of who's been broken into and how little the house next to him is selling for, and how many crack dealers he's seen.. Mostly doom and gloom. Today's missive (which unfortunately came when I was damn'd late for work) ended with his tale of stupid heroic awesomeness.

Some kids were kicking in doors and going through houses a block up (I swear this is not a regular occurence, although we heard about this happening more this summer). Dan spotted them in his minivan, turned his damn van around, drove the wrong way up a one way street, drove onto the lawn, and "captured" them. Or at least chased them back to their house, where the cops were waiting. Holy crap!!

We both agreed that this was stupid of Dan, but pretty awesome.

And now the rented house that these thugs (teens though they were - - but still acting like thugs) lived in - - empty.

Happy call back last night - - lesson learned #5 - - if you 'act' drunk, you'll have to sober up. Shirley temples were my liquor placebo, and they worked! Damn!

Dinner with PG over a kitchen counter was lovely, got to run around a lake, and then fell asleep, reading. Pleased. MUST NOW RE-STUFF LINES INTO BRAIN AND PREP FOR WEIRD STUFF TOMORROW. GO GO GO.

Not letting up, gonna do it.

Hoping your day is good.

Onward.

Run rabbit - - really?

Writing a blog feels a tad... indulgent.. as there's stuff I need to do (but I'm a tad worried that I'll just run around in a circle if I don't focus)

- Monday, I worked. Makin' money, hopefully...

- THERE'S STUFF TO DO!

- Heyyy, I'm called back for that 'big interactive show' - - I didn't know that I was called back until yesterday (it could have been a late call i.e. someone dropped out.. ah well..) This still does not affirm my ability to tell a boner joke.

- Creature Feature rehearsal was all shades of fun. Damn. It's funny how just a couple new peeps (and shaking the whole format up) can change the entire flavor of a piece. (it may seems incredibly obvious, but.. it was nice opening up a box of crayons - - smells the same, but the colors are all different - -exciting!) W00t! I'm giddy.

- HUZZAH FOR THE BOZICS!!! Nice work all.. :)

- Strangest dream last night... I feel like I need to apologize to Shanan W.. I totally trashed her house, with some help. Sorry!!

Onward.

"and now, I 'spose its time for four cones..."

It's Iowa! Welcome back, Cotter... The land of eye contact and steak and potatoes...

- Mom goes to work, I clean the kitchen. We run to mom's car mechanic (at what used to be "Homer's" and is now called "Not-Homer's") about four times.

- Mom makes steak and potatoes for dinner. Literally. Delish.

- Drive about 30 miles to Vermillion S.D. to visit my old high school buddy Brett. Brett now lives in a huge trailer, smokes Marbarol Reds, works as a killerdiller baker in a grocery store, and can't stop telling stories or giggling. We go get drinks at the PrairieInn, a combination bar/hotel/bowling alley. It felt like coming home -- seeing Brett was... awesome.

- Wake up at 11?! Drive back up to South Dakota to meet my grandpa and his girlfriend at a joint called "Tobie's". Grandpa seems to be doing awesome, seems sharp as a tack, and despite some physical problems which are in-general sad, is currently doing a lot of stock day trading on the internet. This gives my mom tiny heart attacks.

Tobie's is rumored to have the best fried chicken in the area... Ohmigod.

* I demolish what was once the breast of a living thing. The skin is incredible. It was foodpornirific.

* Everything on my plate was a varying shade of beige. To drink, coffee. We danced the light brown fantastic.

* Pam, my grandpa's girlfriend, was being harassed by a fly. She asked the incredibly nice waittress for a flyswatter, smashed the bug into another table and said "Got 'em"

* After Pam had killed another fly, and we had devoured whatever was on our plastic plates, Grandpa says to the waittress, "Well, I 'spose its time for four cones." At Tobie's, I think as part of the meal, they give you ice milk cones. Almost as a reward. Brilliant!

- Pam & Grandpa have permission to go get some free apples. We drive to Tobie's widow's place (Tobie was a pretty wonderful guy) where we're supposed to pick windfall apples (apples that are already on the ground). Pam starts picking apples off of the trees. Mom and Grandpa begin to get nervous. Pam comes up to me, with an excited mischevious look on her face and says "Look wat I found. Pears." Indeed, Pam found this widow's pear tree and was picking un-permissioned pears. Scandal! This is when I realize that my grandpa's 91 year old girlfriend is trouble. However, she likes to make you a partner-in-crimes, and suddenly here I was, already to sneak pears with Pam. Super trouble!

- Mom makes a mention to grandad about Pam's unlicensed "tree" apple stealing, and Grandpa sighs, and says, basically, that he would move out of Pam's place "if only I could tie by own shoes..."

- As mom puts it, the generation who grew up during the depression are this mix of incredibly generous and incredibly cheap. It's true.

More stuff later. Thinking of the Bozics -- love to all!! :)

Onward.

Back in Sux...

Greetings from the south & west...

- Last couple of hours before boarding the plane were lovely... Tromped and sweated around Olympia Forest, west and north of Seattle. Lesson #554 - I have no idea what "steep" means... More slugs, a squirrel and two deer!

- I got booze on the plane! Exciting! Silly!

- Crash asleep after watching crazy Sarah Pelin. She is my Cruella de Ville and Tammy (Faye?) Baker, all rolled up in a crazy Chrisitan pita.

- A couple of errands around Thurs. Ended up in DT St. Paul, and took back any blogging bravda re: the RNC. Troops of police in riot gear. Not cool. Utterly surreal. They're just cops, but now they're cops nervous about beating someone up. Aghhh...

- Turns out many members of the RNC weren't eating in DT St. Paul... Nor on the strip in Mpls. Talked to a restaurant mgr who had been talking to other restaurant mgrs... Where the hell did these people eat? Are they all staying in Bloomington? (which, granted, I can't blame them for leaving warzone-ish St. Paul).

- Left for Sioux City around 7:30 p.m., after a meeting, and then unexpectedly meeting new friends. Yea for Ohio! :) Arrive about 1 a.m.

- Back in Sux City.. It's nice to be here on a non-holiday, and for no other reason than just to be here. I get to look around with non-colored eyes, before all the changes that happen to a city blend with all the other familiar.

- It's still crazy industrial. The industrial you don't notice as a kid, but acknowledge as an adult that that gravel pit has always been there.

- People can 4-way stop around here. Delicious! I'm going to 4-way stop my way all over this b*#&h. :)

- I told mom that Mrs. Pelin was crazy, and she nodded and said "She's from Alaska.. They're all crazy."* **

- Mom declares conventions as BS, and that all politics are bought and sold anyway. My mom is the nicest, funniest, smartest, sweetest woman ever--underlined with a thick black line of realism... Pessimism... Realisim

- We discussed supreme court decisions after the election. Here's the thing: I have no idea who she's voting for. But we both agreed that the supreme court possibilities are frightening.

- Meeting an old high school friend tonight, someone I haven't seen for maybe 12-13 years. We're getting beers in Vermillion, SD. ... Weird! Surrealific!

Wish us luck & luck to u... See u Sunday!

Onward.

* My mom trusts Alaska about as much as she trusts.. um.. the government. Corporations. Pharmaceutical companies. Nationally mandated smoking laws. (and she's a non-smoker). Taxes. Long story. Alaska = crazy and not to be trusted!

** I think Sarah Pelin may feast on beluga butter and flosses her teeth with seal whiskers. I'm hoping the wolves stage some sort of sit in.

I will come back and deal with reality...

Thus begins the route home. Agh. So much of what I read from MSP are (probably definitely) justifiably pissy missives regarding the RNC. I know things like debt and republicans (and a police state? Jesus. Give me a break. And on top of that, why are you surprised?... Yes, you've got 5 a.m. embittered Jen -- good morning) wait on the end of this trip.. I don't mind work... But... Urgh. The transition from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. has been an important one today. Counting the blessings that MSP holds to stay sane (fun... PIC...), but right now, picturing how to give it all up and how to make a living in Victoria.

- Drove back across the island. Lovely day, lovely weather... Stopped at Cathedral Grove (purty!), stopped at a couple of gas stations... Took our time.

- Welcome to Victoria! Where Vancouver felt like San Francisco Disney World, Victoria feels like Mpls. I officially like this town -- it feels livable. The downtown area is filled with old buildings, all bustling and full of commerce. The city's clean. Relatively safe. (like St. Paul, but if people lived in and internationals had a reason to visit St. Paul) People are nice (my Canadian mantra). There's homelessness, per any large city, and Canada's got its share of shameful spots. But I like it. Period. I could live at the hostel for a couple weeks.. Get on my feet...

- Stayed at the Oceanview Backpacker's Hostel, which I adored. Super clean, super tiny roon with high ceilings and a sun roof (yea for fourth floor). All painted by artists who had stayed there. All run by people who live there. Very cool, very clear on how to live there, all filled with people of all different accents. Happy.

- Ate sushi at Koto Japanese. Adorable waittresses. Banana tempura!

- Woke up at 4 a.m.. Back in line in our car for the ferry. More sitting.

Can't complain. Super duper trooper lucky. Looking forward to seeing those I love. And there's coffee on the ferry, which will help sanity some too...

Onward.

Experiencing white man's map envy..

Welcome to Vancouver Island, Land of the beautiful wet... It's Endor-ific! This whole island should be teemimg with sasquatch.

- Vancouver Island takes about 3 hours to cross. Couple that with a 1.5 hour ferry and a 2.5 hour ferry wait and suddenly we've been sitting/traveling the entire day.

- Tofino, tiny town on the Pacific Rim, was filled. It turns out Canadians also celebrate Labor Day -- however, they simply call it for what it is: "The Long Weekend". People are unintimidatingly laid-back.

- We found a place in Uclucet -- "The Little Beach Resort". We can see the sea, and have a kitchenette in a tiny half cabin-thingie. The guy at the front desk was a surfer and kayak-guy and said that eveyone knows everyone.

- This is not the "eh" brand of Canadians, this is the "hey" brand of Canadians. Take English, lilt it like Irish, sprinkle some Northern North America "oah"s and you've got the B.C. accent. "Beautiful boaht, hey?"

- There is one road to Tofino/Uclulet. It is highway 4. It twists and turns and ups and downs though massive forests, punctuated by greyblackblue rock and moss.

- Beach! Trees! Water! Wind! Surfers! (Tofino is the surfing capital of Canada -- who knew.) Big rocks! Europeans! Twisity roads! Pretty! Repeat!

- Saw two slugs, 4 inches across and 1 inch thick. Held a spiny star fish.

- People come here to surf. Anyone our age has that beautiful basted by salt, baked by sun look. I want to learn to surf and become a surf instructor in Tofino. It's what our sea kayak guide does, and she was hyper cool.

- Met Dan the sea plane pilot... Maybe early 30s, blonde fu-man chu, short hair, wearing aviator glasses. Had hairy blonde ear lobes. Spends his summers playing sea plane taxi and surfing and camping and hiking, and his winters traveling around the world, surfing. Yes, people live like this! Amazing to me!

- Grilled last night, after a beautiful day (lovely lunch at a place called Sobo. I could eat raw oysters and drink cold beer for hours, if you let me)

- Saw Sydney Inlet, one of the 5 remaining old growth inlets on Vancouver Island (out of an original125). Loggers would eat the world, if they could.

- Finally, its so quiet. So beautifully quiet.

- According to Canada, pizza comes from Boston and chowder comes from Manhattan.

Hoping to be in Victoria tonight. Taking the ferry and flying back tomorrow.

Onward.