Channel the Yoda

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Compulsive Urges

Yesterday I felt the urge to visit San Franciso... (weather?)

Today I wanted to move to New York City... (my novel?)

What will tomorrow bring?

Tonight I'm happy to be in Minnesota. (someone's home)

3 months I'll be in Ireland. (with Mindy)

5 months I'll be in Florida. (a graduation)

And at some point

I'll be at a farm (cause why not?)

In Missouri (double why not?!)

Mowing the lawn (bordering Arkansas)

Laughing... (cause life is awesome)

As I love to be.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

12 CRAZY EVENTS OF 2011

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas I like to do:

12 CRAZY EVENTS OF 2011

1. Got lost in the Blue Hills at sunset with no food, water, cell phone service or compass. I did have Chapstick and Kleenex though. Lots of help that was…actually the Kleenex was great for potty breaks.



2. Sat on an edge of a cliff in the Grand Canyon and dangled my feet haphazardly. Freaked my friend out but I didn’t care. It was THE GRAND CANYON!


3. Went on a SEVEN DAY/SEVEN NIGHT ROAD TRIP to Quebec. It is the most ambitious road trip I have ever partaken in.


We cruised through and around Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, and Illinois without any real weather concerns. Once we hit Wisconsin Dells, BAM, snow storm from hell. Luckily Dan has nerves of steel cause I was about to wet myself.


4. Interned at the Jungle Theater for a one woman show where I had to fake tan most of her body in 8 minutes every night. She said I touched her body more than her husband gets to. Huh.


5. Ate snails FINALLY! Check that off my list.


6. Zip-lined over Gators at Gatorland in Florida! My mother wanted to for her birthday. So we did.


7. Joined the Barron Spotlighter’s Theater Board. Quit 2 months later. Not a board meeting kinda gal it seems. Oh, Structure…


8. A large deer slammed it’s horned head into my driver side door while I was going 65 mph on the freeway. I crossed lanes and slammed into the guard wire. My poor, sweet Putt-Putt (CAR) is ca-PUTT. She did me well. Goodbye old friend.


9. Choreographed 2 musicals and 1 high school choir comprised of 80 teenagers. Within that I choreographed my first sword fight (real swords) with no experience and no one died though someone did get stabbed. Oops. I also gave my first choreography workshop to 10 kids, age ranged from 7-9 years old.


I needed a long nap and Advil.


10. Performed on stage for the first time since 2000 AND DID I THROW UP? Nope.


11. My family and I jumped in the Gulf of Mexico at sunset with all of our clothes on. It was warm, salty and awesomely wonderful. I enjoyed it greatly.


12. Wrote my first novel…about digestive disorders and poop. It’s a fictional comedy making a counter attack to Taro Gomi’s children’s book “Everyone Poops.” It will be coming out January 2012! I’m super excited and freaked of course!

Friday, December 23, 2011

CABIN FEVER

12/20/2011

Scramble around,
Get moving,
Cause
Life's a cruising,
Way too fast--

PAUSE!

That's right. I just hit the pause button.

Why?

Cause it's CHRISTMAS CABIN TIME!

Or Holiday Haven in Hayward, Wisconsin.

AT
MALLARD'S LANDING...
http://www.mallardslandinghayward.com/

Strong Coffee and Filters,
Mulled Holiday Wine,
Oberto Beef Jerky,
Easy Cheese in Can,
Gluten-free Crackers,
And
Presents
CHECK!

Run all errands
Known to man-kind
CHECK!

Laundry,
Pack clothes
CHECK!

So what is left?

About a 3 hour drive.

Then...
Rest.
Relaxation.
Laughter.
And Care.

A celebration
With who
I hold
dear.

And that,
Is Awesome
Holiday
Cheer.

Monday, December 19, 2011

COME HERE FISHY, FISHY!

In my quest to prepare for my trip to Ireland (77 DAYS!), I have been on the prowl for information of where to go and what to see.


KINSALE sits on the Southern coast of Ireland at the mouth of the River Brandon. It is said to be a quaint and picturesque port town loaded with history and gourmet cuisine.


What to do:


1. ST. MULTOSE CHURCH
Built in 1190, it is currently still in use!


2. DESMOND CASTLE
Built in 1500, the Desmond Castle has served as a Customs House, an Arsenal by Don Juan Aguilla, a grim, overcrowded PRISON, and houses THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF WINE.
desmondcastle@opw.ie
http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/South-West/DesmondCastle/


3. CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
It was built in 1839 and for the past decade has had extensive restoration done returning the church to its original creation.


4. FISHY, FISHY CAFÉ, SHOP & CHIPPIE
We just have to go because of the name. It is locally caught and prepared seafood only.
March through October it is OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 
http://www.fishyfishy.ie/


March is definitely not tourist season. Therefore many activities will not be available, like the Desmond Castle.

As disappointing as that knowledge could be I look at it as a means to keep us moving onward during our trip. If shops are CLOSED FOR THE SEASON that doesn’t take away the beauty of the city or landscape but it provides give in extracting ourselves from some amazing attractions on a timely basis.


We have a lot of ground to make and this girl wants to experience the sights and sounds of it all or at least what can be done in 3 weeks time without pushing us all to exhaustion.


Weather, rainy with temps ranging from 40 to 70 degrees in one day, will help me keep a steady beat of walking with this Compulsive Traveler’s heart.

Friday, December 16, 2011

IT'S JUST A REALITY CHECK, CHECK

Back!

The full force of life.

Smack to the face--literally; wisdom tooth pulled.

To the grind. Getting by. More than of course.

But I miss the road. I miss my companion.

Heck! I'm craving ICE TEA, BEEF JERKY and worse POUTINE (fries and cheese curds smothered in gravy.)

It solidifies what I thought of this girl, you see...

A traveling fool for love
I guess I tend to be...

And I'm learning,
There is nothing wrong
With me.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

HELLO ARGENTINA! CHILE JOURNALS JAN 9TH

JANUARY 9TH

BUENOS AIRES HOSTEL


So we arrived in Buenos Aires and realized we did NO RESEARCH on money exchange! Or where the airport is in relation to the actual city!

So um, when we arrived and went to pull out money imagine my fear when I look at the ATM screen and it’s all in Argentine pesos and I have no idea how much I am pulling out! And see, there isn’t much left in that Wells Fargo Account and I cannot go over!

I am in a freaking foreign country—more foreign to me now then Chile! I can’t fix it if I’m overdrawn! I don’t even know where to find internet!


But now I do. We lucked out completely. Outside the airport stood tons of taxis and they said you can’t take a bus—and to be honest we didn’t even know where a bus would take us anyway.


K had a job interview at a Star Bucks in the business district of Buenos Aires. I was just glad for a Starbuck! Now that I know that they have real coffee! Yep, you read me correctly, REAL COFFEE! You need to ask for Café del Dia! Coffee of the Day and it is beautiful! No instant for this girl or that damn French press which was sorta good but not...

The guy who was giving K a job interview helped us find a hostel too! His girlfriend works for hostel and had a vacancy—totally cheap too. I mean, we have just a tiny bed and then mattress on the ground with no pillows or blankets—but it’s hot anyway and I have Chongo, my travel monkey pillow—and it just feels so good to be out and away from Chile after all that mess. 

I just want to see what the rest of the world is like!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

AN INFORMANT WHISPERS IN MY EAR...


Bonjour! (From Quebec!)

I'm still basking in the post road trip glow but I've just been informed that there are...

89 DAYS UNTIL IRELAND!

I need to put aside the French and pull in the Gaelic.

Tomorrow.

Today, I flipped 800 rounds of lefse and can't feel my arms or brain cells.

Ha Det! (Goodbye from my Norwegian Lefse-Making Brain!)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

ROAD TRIP ENDETH...


Minnesota, Wisconsin, UP Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, Ontario, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota...

7 DAYS, 7 NIGHTS

We made it home safe last night.

Lots of driving.

Lots of laughing. Chatting. Car dancing. Rapping. Eating (cheese curds and jerky). Trees. Diner talk. Snow and rain. Expensive gas (OH MY CANADA)! Hotels, no motels, and a Red Roof Inn (never again).

Pubs and beer.
Jameson and popcorn.
And BONJOUR QUEBEC CITY!

Wine tasting.
Banjo buying.
Dart throwing.
HITLER'S STAFF CAR viewing.
POGO'S are corndogs if you didn't know.
Didn't gain a freaking pound POUTINE eating
All their wings are breaded (NO GF FOR ME).

MONTREAL traffic in total construction East and North.
WISER'S WHISKEY tastes like Sambuca.
UPPER PENNISULA is not a place to get lost on EMPTY.
Milwaukee's finest cafe (THE PLAZA).

Mixed c.d.’s keeps us a rocking when the coffee stops a knocking.
Pushing through when the other’s lids are falling.
Motion sickness settling.
Snow storm moving in.
So close Minnesota
Bladders gonna hold it—

JOLLY GOOD ROAD TRIPPING TIME!

Breath out.

Decompression commenced...

And I didn't even cover half of what we did or saw.

It was just that awesome.

Friday, December 2, 2011

ROAD TRIP UPDATE YO!

Red Roof Inn outside Detroit...enough said.

We are getting ready to hop in the car for another 11 hour day of driving, diners, jerky, cheese curds, and the open road.

Yesterday we drove from Quebec City, QC to Detroit, Michigan with stops at gas stations and...THE WORLDS LARGEST TIRE!

It's big.

I would describe more but I so need coffee to speak and my IV is currently empty.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

COFFEE PLANT IN MY STOMACH

Drinking coffee in Quebec City...CAUSE WE MADE IT! And they said it couldn't be done.

And now I blow a raspberry at them.

It's been a trip!

A blur of car rides, hotels, diners, gas stations, SNOW and sleet, pubs, a Parliament Building, poutine, a passed out drunk guy in the elevator (last night), Donkey Kong, War Museums and tons and tons of coffee, cheesecurds and beef jerky (not Jack Links).

Now it's time to head back. We leave in 50 minutes and in typical Compulsive Traveler form I am not packed, showered or dressed.

It is my way of being passive aggressive...to myself of course, because I'm not ready to go home.

And today IS the day we turn around and head back.

Two days of driving 10 hours to get us back to Wisconsin by Friday night is the goal. This came about because of a decision to stay an extra day in Quebec City...TOTALLY WORTH IT!

But now we need to bust some ass to get home by the timeline we've constructed, a timeline that must be adhered because there are events that again need to be reckoned with.

Don't you fret world, it's gonna happen! Okay I haven't had enough coffee yet this morning to give a fist pump to that statement BUT it's brewing inside me or I've finally grown a coffee plant in my stomach.

Now I must either shower or smell for 2 days straight in a car. I don't care but my partner in crime may object and he's bigger than me.

Either way it's time to bust--18 minutes!

PS-Quebec City is beautiful, old, very French with a blend of British Crown. They are very friendly and I had the best freaking spicy lamb sausages at Pub Sainte-Alexandre last night!