December 2005

Tarawera

Hiking into a volcano (Mt. Tarawera): way cool. Offroading in a minivan at interstate speeds to get to said volcano: not so cool. Taking my first helicopter ride away from the volcano: super swanky. The helicopter bobbing in the blustering winds: even swankier with a huge 'ol side of adrenaline for good measure.

Stayin' Alive

Little did we know when we made our dinner plans in Auckland that it would be Bee Gees night at Lord Nelson's steak house and pub.

New Zealand Trip - Day 3

Driving on the opposite side of the road and the opposite side of the car was an exhilerating and quite successful experience. Those fence posts and guard rails were barely grazed and as soon as I score some valium Curt will be fine too.

New Zealand Trip - Day 1

Three movies, two tv episodes, dinner and a contortionist routine that some may call a nap got me through our 13 hour (shorter than I previously thought) flight just fine. The ability to check into our hotel eight hours earlier than planned was like winning the lottery (but without all that pesky money).

A Drive-By Posting

Hello my illustrious blogging family. I'm sitting in Dunedin, New Zealand and had a few minutes so I popped into an internet cafe. The trip has been awesome and I have lots to tell. I've been weeding out all the bad photos as I go and I still have 100 great shots on this memory card. Today I'll post a couple of the entries I've been drafting for your reading pleasure. After 5 straight days of schedule packed ports we have a couple days at sea to rest and recouperate as we make our way to Tasmania and Australia. There's a little over a week left before we return to all the comforts (and obligations) of home. Now, off to sort through some serious e-mail spam...

Adieu

Oh great blogging family, I can't tell you how much I'm going to miss you over the next three arduous weeks exploring new countries, warm climates and pampered existence. While I will have lots of great stories to tell, the cost of internet on the cruise ship will likely mean I won't be posting a single dramatized entry until after my return (and I'm not keen on spending my precious land time in an internet cafe). I will be taking notes throughout so that you, my loyal fans, will not have to miss a moment of the excitement. Oh and pictures up the whazoo. Well, not actually pictures "up the whazoo," but, you know, like a lot of pictures. Yeah. Anyway... I hope you all have great, meaningful and restful holidays. I'd give you all a hug, but I'm so not into that whole group affection scene... (can you say "not enough deodorant in the world?")

Merry Christmas,
Damon

Echo of Things to Come

It's been a great year of change, excitement and growth. Most wonderful of all was meeting Curt and beginning my life with him. The future is alive with possibility and I feel blessed in so many ways. Happy Holidays indeed.

I Ain't Dead Yet

Photo by an aquaintance of Curt, emphasis by yours truly.

Ghost of Christmas Present

Time for My Strip Tease

It's amazing how balmy 65°F feels after living in 56°F for several days. It's equally amazing not having to wear several layers of clothing and a space heater attached at the hip just to be comfortable in my own home. The new furnace is installed and purring like a toasty kitten just in time for us to flee to the summer weather of New Zealand (24°C / 75°F today). Only three more days and we're out of here! My theme for the year: warmer horizons.

Death Defying

Our furnace kicked the proverbial bucket on Monday. It breathed it's last warm, raspy breath sometime around 5am. The new furnace can't be installed until Thursday so we've been living with a space heater following us around the house. What's really freaking me out is that we only need the space heater for comfort. In Alaska, if a furnace went out this time of year it became a matter of life and death (or at least a few bursted water pipes). It just seems wrong to not be tempting fate with this lack of heating thing. I guess I just need a near death experience to make me feel at home.

Slice of Merriment

White Trash Roadtrip

Saturday I went again to see Curt a stage production of A Christmas Carol and to join he and some of his aquaintances for dinner afterwards. At intermission I went to say hello to the group of people who had come to see him perform. I walked down the aisle in what was a really nice theatre, making my way to their row. As I got to their seats I see all nine of them with paper plates in their laps buttering pumpkin bread with plastic knifes and chowing down gleefully. Now, we're not talking about them nibbling on a cookie they had stashed in their pocket, but having a full blown dessert buffet with gingerbread butter spread and everything. I smiled, nodded and returned to my seat.

All That Glitters

Puddle Envy

I'll Tell You Where to Put That Deposit

Even though I have familial connections with Wells Fargo bank, I have been utterly appalled at their lack of customer service and inability to follow through with what they say they will do. After a stupid incident involving me mistakenly trying to deposit a sizable check written from the very same account (instead of my Alaska bank, which is what I was meaning to do). That set off all kinds of alarms (understandably) and of course I'm now considered a hardened criminal.

Accounts were frozen, ATM cards were canceled... it was a fun filled ride, let me assure you. I understand why my error was such a big deal so no angst there. After speaking with three different representatives and them subsequently each speaking with a phone support person, I was passed off to the manager who assured me he'd get back to me the next day. A week later he assured me he'd clear up the problem within 24 hours. Another week passes before I go back in to sit down with him, rehash the incident and promise on the life of my first born iguana that'd I'd never do it again. 3 days later my account was released.

Or so I thought.

What was actually released was one joint account that Curt and I share because evidently my name had become the mark of the devil and anything that bore that name must be terminated (thank God I don't write my name on my underwear anymore). My individual account was still as frozen as my sister's golashes in January. Another call to the manager, more waiting on the phone, more getting back to me... finally that account was thawed as well. I only had to wait a few more weeks to get my ATM cards back...

But wait, there's more.

We just discovered that the savings portion of both those accounts were not, in fact, defrosted and had been pending closure "in 10 days" for the last month and a half. Meanwhile the savings accounts are racking up monthly fees even though we had been told they'd be completely free.

Curt literally spent an hour (that's 60 whole minutes for those on the slow learners program) on the phone just getting that savings thawed enough to close it.

Fortunately they did notify us about all these problems and closures and... wait. Nope. Didn't happen. A week after finally getting everything cleared I get a letter stating there was a problem with my deposit.

No shit.

Curt had the grand pleasure of receiving no notices whatsoever (not even jointly). It's all part of the paper reduction act, I'm sure. "We now screw you online to save our precious trees."

Glad we could help the environment.

Whew. Okay, that wore me out. I'm gonna sit down now. Talk amongst yourselves.

Next to Godliness

Evidently it's been a good financial week at the paper because for the first time since I've been here the men's bathroom actually has some handsoap. I feel like royalty.

Oh the Drama

Broken bones, arms bent to new proportions, holes in skin, dripping blood... When my brother hangs Christmas lights, he takes the term "serious decorating" to a whole new level. Marthy Stewart would be proud at his level of commitment.

Goldsworthy

Earlier this week I watched the documentary Rivers and Tides featuring the art and perspective of artist Andy Goldsworthy. His work is all nature based and created in nature. He has a strong connection to the earth and finds/organizes tremendous beauty there.

One of the pieces that really captured me was him spending hours merging bits of icicle into a spiral around a rock. This piece is similar to the one he made in the movie. That site (Smithsonian Magazine) has several other photos of his work as well.

A lot of his work has a lot of tension in it, working up to the line of collapse in a piece. He enjoys that risk and learning to work with the material to acheive his goal. His arches are a perfect example of finding that balance.

Goldworthy's book Time shows how he creates his work to interact with and be affected by nature: working to get a project done as the tide comes in to consume it, creating a work so that time will age certain portions to a darker finish than the rest, finishing an ice sculpture before the morning sun melts it away...

The range of his work is wide, but always involves organic shapes and frequently involves circles or squiggly lines. He has done several commissioned pieces in which case he brought elemental pieces into the space. I find his work amazing and the video was inspiring.

Flog Me Anyday

I sit here in the office just about to head out for the day and one of my coworkers puts on a Flogging Molly cd and now I don't want to leave. I've never heard the group (though I have heard of them). I love their music. Irish, wacky and fun. I ask you, who wouldn't love that? I mean really.

Culinary Transformation

The first phase of our new kitchen remodel is done. I say first phase because we've also decided to upgrade the lighting and paint the little bit of wall that shows. You know what they say: give a queer a remodeling project and he decides to recreate the earth.

The new digs is such a tremendous improvement over the old kitchen that it's hard to imagine how we ever lived with that white tiled hell. We both just want to hang out in there and bask in it's beauty. Once the lighting is in, I'm pretty sure we'll be moving our bed in there...

Note: there are two photos showing the old kitchen. I've separated the links to make them more obvious.

Private Reflection

Sail Away

Um, yeah. So don't hate me or nothing. I mean, it's not like I want to rub your noses in it (seriously). But, well, um... Curt and I are going to New Zealand and Australia for the holidays. On a cruise. For like three weeks. I'm so freakin' buzzed about it I can hardly believe its happening. You know I'm going to come back with hundreds of photos right? And you also know that I'll subject you to each and every one? K. Just so we're clear.

Bah

I'm sitting here at my part-time job and we're listening to Christmas music. All the 50's, sappy, syrupy voiced classics which inspire me to want to shoot myself in the head. In fact, I think as I sit here the Christmas spirit is slowly being sucked from my very being. Quick someone give me either an ancient Silent Night or even a Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. This golden age crap is constipating my merriment.

Forced Fun

Curt and I put up the Christmas tree a few days ago. While there was no nostalgia for me in decorating (since I have no decorations of my own) it was still fun to do it and start getting me geared up for the season. I think this is the first year since losing Melissa that I've actually wanted to get in the Christmas spirit. Later this week I see (twice) the Christmas Carol production that Curt is in. Next week we see an awesome musical production of White Christmas. Meanwhile I'll pass the time with LaunchCast's Christmas stations. Hm, suddenly it's sounding like I'm forcing the holidays upon myself. Perhaps I am, but I really want to get back to the "merry" in Merry Christmas.

The Path is Bright Today

I sang in church this morning. It was very powerful for me and I received lots of positive affirmations about it as well. This church doesn't scream it to me, yet each week I've been strongly blessed. Even if it's just where God has me for the short term, I'm really glad that I "stumbled" across this place.

Later this afternoon I went into San Francisco to meet a new friend and some of his friends. They are all great guys and I had a really nice time just hanging out.

I'm making new friends, finding spiritual connections and getting out of the house. Definitely a day of positive ventures.

Here's Your Sign

Someone has finally found a use for all those road signs you stole in high school.

Global Warming

Would it be considered innappropriate work behavior for an ad rep to grab his cahones and say "What do you think you call these?" in a room full of people of both genders? Having worked at home for several months now, perhaps the sexual harassment laws have changed...

Avoidance Techniques

Heading to the coffee shop everday (at least once) is evidently a ritual that is sacred above all else at my new job. The entire graphics department abandons our computers and walks across the street for a caffeine fix. Ad reps come into graphics and think that the second coming has arrived and only the designers were chosen (duh). The outing is much more than a chance to dose up on our drug of choice. It's evidently a major social time. The coffee divas know each of us by name. It's a time to share new stories, to shoot the breeze and to stand around pretending to have really important things to discuss so that we can avoid working as long as possible. While I'm not generally a big fan of ritual, who I am to argue with such a time honored tradition? If I must suffer drinking smoothies and chatting about nothing of consequence all while dodging the duties of my job... it's something I'm willing to do for the sake of tradition.

Tell Me Something

When the conversation started with an ad rep saying, "I really am a nice person, I am," I knew the conversation wasn't going to go well.