Oh, consistent keeper of the days and nights.

I’m on a two day hiatus in Chicago, my convenient bridge between the homes of each parent where my “city family” resides.

Detroit really fared me well (even though I didn’t make it to the actual city once, but I still claim it! = no shame).  Really had a blast hanging with Dad, even though he had to work quite a bit.  We have so much fun just hanging around the house.  Well, he sits on the couch and I was zooming around working on cleaning/organization projects that included me being able to rake in about $200 change (Hallelujah Coinstar!). 

Aside from cleaning projects, there were actual Christmas presents to be crafted: never in my life have I been so devoted (aka had the time for) making presents!  I’ve been putting together photos from our trip in frames (that I pick up on the cheap at TJ Maxx/Marshalls/HomeGoods), knitting hats (getting pretty good at it, already cabling without a cable hook-=booyah!), and even making the occasional CD (by occasional, I mean one). It feels good to do fun little things for people, they’re so surprised by it!  I like that.

I think part of the reason I’ve been able to invest myself in these projects is because I’m no longer looking for a job (though “looking” could be used loosely in terms of what I was doing).  That’s right, a job found me.  Starting January 16^th, I’ll be working at Virginia Family Practice with my auntie. Moving to the Richmond area will be a nice change of pace.  There will be fresh air, windy roads, open space for yoga, perhaps room for a garden, and friendly neighbors. Maybe even a tall-drink-of-water-type, with cowboy boots and a southern accent? A girl could only be so lucky.

Chicago, I bid thee adieux.  I made this decision about a week ago, made the announcement to family and a few friends, but now it’s official in cyberland.  Once I leave tomorrow morning for the Natti (again), I will be returning to my adult home for only one more week in 2012 before heading to Richmond.  So if you want to see me, get at me!  Make a date, we’ll cook some dinner, drink some [insert beverage here], laugh our heads off, shed a few tears, plan for future meet-ups in other cities and countries, go for a bike ride, take a walk, walk a dog, peruse a museum: I’m down for it all. 

What a whirlwind! I was ready to settle in Chicago for a while, get a corporate job, just be focused on money for a year or two to pay off my loans, but Destiny had something else in mind.

It was nice to find out about this opportunity the day before the Smith Family Christmas party, because there are many folks I had not seen or spoken to much in the previous years.  Showing up, when pretty much everyone knows I’ve been a vagabond for most of 2011, and having a plan saved me from pontificating on what I might be or could be doing next and sounding like a total flake and put on the “loser” suspicion list(the aforementioned would have been my strategy prior to getting this job, luckily I can avoid the list now).

Aside from that, what a lovely time it was!  Being able to see the family that I hardly ever get to see is always sooo much fun; the older I get, the less censored the stories they tell are!  It’s so awesome. Those Smith’s are/were some stone-cold party animals, yeehaw. (Just ask Aunt Marlene about the flag pole incident, for example).

I felt like everywhere I went the past two weeks, I was able to spend quality time with people.  Aside from plenty of quality time with Dad and the rest of the fam damily, I spent loads of time with all of my Michigan besties (or at least got to see all of them once or twice). From coffee dates, to beer dates, to party bus dates, to house-party dates, to dinner dates, to grocery shopping dates, I managed to really pack ‘em in.  I feel so loved!  Really. 

I even found someone to momentarily serve as my muse (which I’m always shopping for a new one). This person inspired me to share some things that were difficult to say, to write a short-story about a single night and to make the best mix CD ever (not trying to be cocky, just speaking the truth), which is quite a bit of motivation for a three day period.  The right people can really surprise you.

Thus, the past few weeks have been complete, full of people, love and surprises.  A person can really only be so blessed, right? Good luck is definitely in an abundant supply.

Take today, for example.  I had a little extra money (Coinstar, again) and wanted some Chicago Diner in my life, probably my last time.  I biked over there alone, with a good book in my pocket.  I walked in, stated that I was “flying solo” and was seated at my very own tiny table (which was sheer luck as the place was packed with the end of the lunch-rush crowd).  The waitress was super attentive and had some food tips for me (some funky spicy mustard for my sweet potato fries, was totes awesome!) and even had another server send over a vegan peanut butter mint chocolate chip shake: what!? What an awesome, random thing to do!  I was so puzzled, I asked her “Why me, what’s going on?” And she just answered “It’s a really good day.”  She only charged me for my sandwich, so I tipped her big time.  I’ve never had something like that happen to me, I love good karma!

It just keeps getting better.  I’m looking forward to some more lovely time with the family this week, and for happy holidays and Christmases for everyone I know!!! Much love!!! 

(PS So many horrible quality photos, my bad, I usually try to do better, but I can't blame myself for all of them...)

Hats for Homies.

Birthday girls, guess how old they are?

Get on the bus, Gus!

Friendsies! Old and new!

Slangin' at Slangers.

Baby cakes (face).

Think they can see this one from space?

Tunnel #3 at Wayne County Light Fest: get some, DTE!

Homemade sweater-present.

Classy broads wear argyle sweater dresses, 4-tier pearl necklaces and pink lipstick.

Disco tree.

"I could give all to time except, except what I myself have held."

I feel like all of my recent blog entries have had to do with time and how fast it’s running out.  Well, not “out” but the cushy days of unemployment and hanging-out hardcore are dwindling, to be replaced by a host of other days that stretch endlessly. These new days will lead towards a different way of life for the next few years, one where I’ll be rather rooted and consistent, one where I probably won't be wearing t-shirts and leggings to work anymore.  Perhaps, that’s just what I’m imagining, expecting, anticipating.

Each day that passes is literally passing exponentially than the day before.  It's very hard for me to grasp that I've been home from India for almost three months! What??! How is that possible? India, a land where time passes so slowly, where you hardly ever have to rush to get anywhere (besides the airport!) Maybe I'm being  a bit nostalgic, or I'm not nostalgic often enough. Oh, dear India!

As much fun as this past year has been, and how fun the holidays are so far being spent with friends and family, I’m looking forward to staying put for a while, once I get there (wherever "there" may be).  To spend an entire month (or several, for that matter) in one location without having to change beds or hop on the Megabus every few days will be awesome.  To be surrounded by my meager collection of knick-knacks and to hang my clothes in a closet with only my stuff in it; what a fantasy it seems at this point in time!

I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the holiday season and getting to spend some time with my old man (and the rest of the Harkins/Smith clan!) I’ve really missed him since we got back from our trip three weeks ago.

This past weekend I met up with Aunt Stacy and UK in St. Louis where there was much snacking, drinking and being merry going down!  St. Louis seems pretty cool, I wish I would have had longer than 36 hours to explore; I got a mere taste of the city (but at least I went to City Museum). I never even ate at a proper restaurant, there were so many snacks in our hotel room, talk about being self-sufficient.  I could definitely use some vegetables in my life the next few days…

Before St. Louis I was only in Chicago for about three days after arriving home from Cincinnati, which was another stretch of days melting like snow in the sun!  It felt like I had only arrived when we were headed back downtown so that the ‘rents could go to work on Tuesday and I could catch the bus.  By the time I board that damn blue bus this coming Thursday, I’ll have taken the bus four times in under ten days: ay carumba! It is the cheapest way to travel when you’re a baller on a budget…

To round out my year of traveling I’ll head to Detroit this week for about 10 days, head back to Chicago for a few days, hop on the next bus out to Cincinnati for Christmas, drive down to Atlanta with my step-brother (the fabulous Wilson K!) for NYE, then head back to Chicago via airplane on the 3rd of January, which will end my travels.  Well, temporarily.  I still plan on taking a warm weather trip this winter, perhaps Vegas!?! We shall see where the travel bug bites next.

I’m putting lots of positive energy into having a job to return home to in Chicago by then.  That would require looking for one, which I’ll have plenty of time to do in my downtime in the weeks to come, right? Haha.  Time will tell. In the meantime, I’m just sitting, knitting (hats, for the first time ever!), writing, reading (The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins-so good!) and enjoying these last few morsels of sweet indulgence in doing whatever I want, all day, every day.

Mom likes it when I make the list because I'm organized (7 years working at a grocery store, list-making is a point of pride).

Tree # 2, upstairs.

la table (my Mom is REALLY into decorating for Christmas. REALLY.)

Ah, this would be Tree #1 downstairs (smallest one yet, believe it or not).

"Big booty big booty big booty, aw yeah, big booty." Kids are willllld, love 'em!

St. Louis, looking good...

Some Military Memorial Museum in downtown St. Louis. It's a "powerful" place.

Welcome to City Museum!

Monkeys up the tree.

Baller for a day...

 

"I've been a miner for a heart of gold."

On the road, next to the road, over the road, chickens, bears and tumbleweeds crossing the road: it’s so strange to be off the road!  Waking up in the same bed each morning (well, semi-consistently, I am still currently nomadic, for the record), making my own coffee and breakfast in the morning, hanging out with people besides my dad (and the occasional friend living in the West), cooking dinner with friends: these are all activities that I missed yet seemed strange to return to after three weeks on the run.

The last week really zoomed by, and was a week we traveled many, many miles each day, taking little-to-no time to lollygag.  We definitely tried a few times, including trying to track down the Hoover Dam on a dusty back road (to no avail) or attempting to catch a glimpse of the glorious Grand Canyon (also to no avail, were cock-blocked by the snow). Who would have known that it would be snowing in Arizona in early November?! (“The snow sure is pretty…pretty damn early for the season!!!)

Also, while driving through the snow-capped, northern Arizona countryside we thought we could take a short-cut back to the freeway to get to Flagstaff, but the road was rough and covered with snow.  When Dad took a glance at it and thought about turning he said “I don’t think so, Tim!” Oh, joy!  We really had been watching entirely too much TV at night (“Yeeeeeap!”)

The following day, after several busts in northeastern Arizona, we were hoping for a jack-pot in northwestern Arizona, thus we cruised through the Petrified Forest National Park (not to be confused with a  National Forest, as there are random, pretty geode-like stump/rocks everywhere, not a tree born within the last 10 centuries in sight!) and the Painted Desert.  Both were esthetically beautiful, but after the Badlands and Death Valley, it all starts to look the same. Sigh.

On the same day, on our way into New Mexico, we also got stuck in the worst (and only) horrible traffic jam of the trip: we sat on a service drive for close to two hours, moving a mere eight miles.  An impatient, caged young beast I was turning into, as I declared “there better be dead bodies all over the freeway to close it down like this!” We still don’t know what happened there that day, except to know the travels of thousands of people were slowed down for hundreds of minutes.

To pass the time during these long, drug-out, driving days confined to the small cab of a truck, and to avoid losing my mind (which ensued eventually), I started joking that aliens and spaceshisp were everywhere.  You probably had to be there, and we didn’t come close to Roswell, but it just seemed fitting.  No longer would Dad be pulled over by airplanes, but now spaceships were involved in the monitoring of high-speeds in the desert. New Mexico is definitely very boring to drive through, as is northern Texas (the Panhandle), it’s just so damn flat, with not even cornfields to line the sides of the road! I saw an honest-to-God tumbleweed cross the road in Texas.  My boredom got the best of me a few of the days and I ended up getting a bit stir crazy, to the point of flinging myself around that tiny little cabin and biting the OS bar.  More than once did Dad have to exclaim “Stop biting my truck!!!” Whew. Once again, read: caged animal.  I have more excess energy than a puppy and I need to move to stay sane…

Finally, we made it to Chicago, at 10am on Friday morning.  The day was a whirlwind of shopping, friends, an early birthday party and plenty of beer.  Too much, even.  I’m still recovering, I might need to take it easy the next year or so, haha. I spent my actual birthday raking leaves and inhaling the scent of fall, listening to good music (oh, Neil Young), brunching with a dear friend, and cooking an amazing dinner (by cooking I mean watching, mostly and preparing the easiest dish of the feast) with the loveliest of lovelies (the fabulous Emily & Adrienne Smith and the fantastic Misha Stone).  There was laughing, drinking, cooking and eating a-plenty!  We even had a chance to wind down the evening with my favorite birthday movie (16 Candles), which my birthday doesn’t ever seem right without.

The following week was another blur of faces, drinks, Honky Tonks, live music, recorded music, beer, jukeboxes, tacos, burritos, bars, couches, bestie-reunions (Pocket-o Pequito and Rockin’ Richie!) and True Blood. Wayyy too much True Blood, actually, both written and recorded, haha. Shameless laziness and recovery left a little too much idle time available for these avenues of wasting time (setting it on fire). It’s obviously why I’ve had zero time to blog the past week since the return of our adventures!

As for now, I’m at Holiday Stop #1 (Momma Susan & Poppa Ken’s Palace = Aristides Estates) and I’ll be here until the 29^th.  On Wednesday, family members from Michigan will head on down to start cooking, eating, drinking and merry-making for Thanksgiving, which will hopefully still be a blast, sans the wonderful Aunt Stacy & UK (who I’ll meet in St. Louis in two weeks to make up for their absence).  So, Happy Thanksgiving and much love to all!!! <3

 

Trying to find the (damn) Hoover Dam!

"How pretty the sky is! I ought to go there on a rocket that never comes down."

Uh, this would be Arizona, if you couldn't tell...

Way to pollute the air, Arizona! Get some!

 

Jurassic Park.

This is actually in a different location than the previous, believe it or not.

Note the stumps. Some forest.

 

 

 

More brilliant rock formations.

Silverado photo shoot. Look for the ad campaign.

Definitely one of my favorite photos of the trip.

The Valley of Death

As promised, some photos from Death Valley National Park, where we took so many pictures that we've hardly taken any since, haha.  But WOW, how beautiful it is there?!?! The sky and mountains and valleys go on forever, it's like you forget that there's a life that exists outside of being there, like a new country, another planet.  See for yourself.

Morning shot of Mt. Whitney (Independence, CA)

True story, we were there.

Harkins' on the loose!

 

Heading to the bottom of a valley, which one was the Valley of Death? Still not sure.

Dry. Very dry.

Going down?

Posing (Actually, just fixing my hair)

Natural Bridge.

Artist's Palate.