Almost.

I lay under smokey clothes on my bed for what I hope to be the last time. I'm awake at an ungodly hour again, which seems to be the norm for me these days. Lets see... 8:30 a.m. EST... translates to... 5:30 a.m. PST?!

heh. That might take some adjusting.

So will many things on the West Coast, I'm sure. I'm ready for the change, the introduction, the peaceful transition. Our great country is experiencing one right now, and damnit, so will I. The music of the moment? The Dodos. Thank heavens to Stelth the couch surfin' clean hobo who gave me some damn fine tunes. In turn, we dropped him off at a truck stop in West Knoxville. They were headed for Nashville. It was a nice celebration of friends and birthdays.

A sweet friend gifted me some of the most beautiful dresses and clothes last night. It's like a new Oregon wardrobe...which means I'll have to pack again, but that's OK. This is incentive to leave old clothes behind that simply won't make the cut and shouldn't have in the first place.

I laughed last night at the dinner I ate out with my folks. We attempted to go to this new restaurant in Chattanooga, the Terminal, on Market Street. It's a three-story, triangle building deal that seemed to have a nice brew pup atmosphere. That unfortunately came with an hour-long wait. Knowing my own lack of patience for crowded spaces and standing among folks eating while attempting to drink, I didn't want to stay. Before I got a chace to voice that though, there was an exchange between my dad and stepmom that made me laugh inside. It was my dad's own intolerance of the very same crowded spaces and his sensitivity to a comment that I internalized, I saved for myself. It's not every day I see myself in my dad so clearly.

And just the mention of "Laura's last night" brought a flash of tears to my eyes. They didn't last; the excitement took over after an IPA (uuuugh) at Big River. Oregon this, Oregon that. New music from old friends, random encounters planned for Monday afternoon, romanticism over the top (incomplete love? so says Robert Bass), and...the biggest sigh of relief (and some tears) about turning over a (big) new leaf.

It's here! I'm moving across the country on Tuesday! And I'm bringing a hot red dress, pink dress, blue skirt, red skirt and comfy smokin' hot jeans to boot (and boots)! Eeehehehe...

The city center of Knoxville seemed so calm as I drove away yesterday, tears and all as I blasted Belle and Sebastian one more time. It seemed like I could pinpoint all of my friends and cohorts within the city, each buzzing around, each energy in it's appropriate place. I left a place I love so much.

Now I'm at my parents house, fresh from a morning workout and ready for a hike with the pups. I don't think Beau, the new, tiny member of the family (above), will be coming. He's spoiled, but amazingly cute. I repacked all my stuff and I think it will fit. The car is still packed to the brim; I'm unloading at Mom's house tomorrow probably after church.

Cozy, calm and collected. Being with family in Chattanooga is the perfect way to blastoff. I couldn't handle the good-byes from Knoxville. It honestly would be too hard to leave. I'll be nearly overdue by Tuesday here though.

Love in Midtown

Hello, Mister President Obama.

Fourteen and a half hours till OBAMA TIME.

And I've never been happier to be an American. Here's to celebrating tomorrow, leaving this gloomy publication and skippin outta the sometimes ass-backwards South.

Go time.

Christopher Walken has moved cubes; the lists and diagrams from my early days working here have been recycles. Empty cube, empty mind, sleepy eyes.

I wish I could say empty inbox or something, but that's not likely to happen in the remaining 15 minutes of my tenure here at the 9-5. My last day of mindless chugging through articles. It was particularly painful because I couldn't sleep last night. Tossing and turning, moaning about how hot (haaaahahahahahaha....) it was in my room. Ironically enough I cracked the window a bit to make it sleepable. When I awoke this morning, the sun brightening the room, my glass of water in the windowsill was frozen solid.

I'm debating a quick bout of excercise before heading home, but I'm afraid I would quickly pass out after getting home, missing my dinner date entirely. Harumph. We shall see. I could pack a few things, too. That was the other reason I couldn't sleep: as the days pass it's getting harder to turn off the to-do lists in my head. Things I should be doing, things that should be packed, visits to my house that should be made. It will happen, things will get packed, and it will all happen very... quickly, needless to say. Pangs of guilt pass over me as I fail to mention to a co-worker that it's my last day. I'm tired of explaining, and I'm just tired. I wanted so SO badly to sleep well last night, but it evaded me nearly three hours after curling up in my bag.

So I'll sit here and scratch my head, looking perplexed, worried or concerned, whichever one you think, till it's time for me to go.

space and travel

Hobo Traveling: The New 'In' Thing?

Not five minutes after talking to a dear friend about hosting some hitchhikin' travelers this weekend, this article is featured on the front page of NYT. Not only that, but the dude has a damn reality show about his "frugal" travels.

I too have relied on the kindness, openness and hospitality of total strangers. I'm a couch surfer through and through, and I met some wonderful folks while doing it. In fact, I'm going to live with some of those kind almost-strangers at the other end of my plane ride in two weeks. The kindness gives me faith in other people, that PEOPLE, collectively, are inherently good and want to help. If you remove the monetary aspects of relationships, it still comes down to an exchange: a bed to sleep in, an open home, in an exchange for strange new music. A bottle of Southern whiskey. A few French lessons, the promise of a tour guide later on in my own traveling. Sometimes, it's a more emotional exchange; admittedly, there is a level of attraction present in couch surfing. But I won't delve into that quite yet.

Haahahahaha...

Why is it in my last two weeks of work that I finally SEE the conservative slant?

Excuse me -- conservative LANDSLIDE.

Have I been avoiding it? Hiding in the closet or something, totally oblivious of the ignorance and close-mindedness that my paper pukes out? Or does it have something to do with the fact that the mayor of my future city is gay. And folks there love it. Hell, I love it.

This full moon is makin' folks (including me?) absolutely crazy! Nuts!

The relationship between two folks living together is inextricably complex. Thank god I'm ending one of those. I'm excited about the next one, and all the things in store for me in Portland.

To my roommate: Bah humbug, fuck off, and I hope you shine shine shine without little sis on your radar. Also, I hope you send me photocopies of all the notes you're going to miss leaving me. I honestly will get a kick out of that. Thank god we're done sharing, and I'm cutting off the KUB sooner than you think.

beautiful day in the neighborhood

Warm energy pouring over me, positivity in my cup, heaven at my fingertips.

My legs are sore, my head is all fuzzy and I can't believe the SYNCHRONICITY today. The world is conspiring to shower bountiful blessings on me.

Or rather, I lifted myself above the paranoia and gloomy tension of last night, a feeling that almost kept me away and awake.

Skipping out of work turned out to be the best thing for me today. I woke up from heavenly sleep, resisting my alarm multiple times and giving my mind the rest it needed. I got a call for freelancing before I even unzipped my cocoon and skipped off to the coffee shop with a cream cheese and jelly bagel in my belly.

Three cups of coffee and a little enlightenment dumped Broken Social Scene tickets, an amazing job opening and $25 in my lap.

Today's vision: concentration, blue skies and pretty clouds, blustery bike rides, cover letter writing, chilly digits.

Power to bus advertising!

Finally, some ads I would enjoy seeing in the States.

In the emotional, bittersweet chaos, I try to cling to something and come up empty handed.

There is nothing to grab though. Rain gear in hand, I will embark on a beautiful journey, and I will do it alone.

I spy with my little eye...

If I failed to say it earlier....

happy, happy new year! Welcome, 2009. I think I like you.

Other likable things: biker butts, blueberry mead, sly glances and foggy mornngs.

comfortably close

The sound of rain, too much 'nuts n bolts' and a shaky smile haunt my work experience this Saturday. My previous post was laden with my fear of two weeks' notices, something I despise. Why give them? I just want to go, now, whenever I want. No, I don't want to allow you to plan ahead! Why be so kind?

I will, though, especially after seeing that a boss has already put me down to work the weekend before I'm OreGONE. Yeah, right. Two weeks, that's it. And I'm outta here, see ya later, kiss my white hiney.

I'm headed for coastal collaborations with ET exiles. (This just in from Wikipedia. Self-exile: I'm avoiding death in my household.) The boxes are stacking up, most of them Chattanooga- or Rising Fawn-bound. The folks are kindly serving as a temp storage area till I decide to establish a residence of my own. Chances are I won't, or I won't ever need those things again. I'm having a hard time parting with some of my favorite books, favorite headlines, favorite costume clothes that just won't fit in one of my three bags or packages.

So the whittling-down process has begun! If you wanted anything (cork boards, weird shoes, even weirder shirts), too bad. A big haul was loaded in the Exploder and is headed for Goodwill at my earliest convenience.

con·ve·nient adjective
Middle English, from Latin convenient-, conveniens, from present participle of convenirecom- + venire to come — more at come to assemble, come together, be suitable, from

1obsolete : suitable , proper
2 a: suited to personal comfort or to easy performance convenient time> b: suited to a particular situation convenient excuse> c: affording accommodation or advantage convenient to deal with both problems at the same time>
3: being near at hand : close convenient to the train station>

— con·ve·nient·ly adverb

Are friends anything more than a convenience? Or rather, do friendships form based on convenience? I've conveniently not spoken with friends because it was an inconvenience or just flat out unbearable. I've ended relationships because it was convenient. I think I'm tapping a larger process of intercommunication, but I'm too sleepy to expound on such thoughts.

Another slow night at the paper. Another dance party.

Outta here!

Once upon a time there was a Belle and Sebastian song. The lyrics went something like this:

Oooh get me away from here I'm dying....

The year is a hit, I'm not gonna lie, but sis and I got in a fight that is pushing me to get a flight outta here faster than the end of January. Just gotta talk with my bosses and seal the deal. The cash is in the bag, I'm ready to RUN.

You thought I was cute. I'm a malicious slob, apparently. And I will never, ever EVER live with that maniacal bitch again. Mark. My. Word.

Couchsurfin Knoxville till then. Let me know if you want an LJ visit.