Tuesday, August 04, 2009
portland
saturday morning meant a quick trip to the farmer's market with kelly. i love the farmers market - all the fresh fruits and vegetables, the music, the breakfast burritos. i wish huntington had a saturday farmer's market, but alas, we do not.
after a shower, i left dylan, who's not been feeling well, at home, and kelly on her way out to a work function, to make a little visit to the nike employee store. this is a visit i always enjoy making, and a nice perk of having a brother work for the company. i'll admit it, i like the feeling of superiority it gives me to be on 'the list'. just provide the employee number, my id, and i'm in! though everyone knows how athletic i am;), i am always able to find some great deals. this time, my shopping was limited to a few t-shirts and a very cool jacket.
i learned later from dylan, that even though the store is DEEPLY discounted from retail prices, nike still makes a slight profit from the store. due to the sheer volume of traffic coming through, it is the highest grossing store anywhere.
dylan and i had some downtime at home before kelly's return, and that downtime may or may not have involved a little catnap.
when kelly got back the three of us headed out to meet her mom and sister for a movie. i always enjoy spending time with them and feel grateful to have the connection. i don't think most people get to hang out with their in-law's family, and i always have a good time. doesn't hurt that i'm quite fond of them!
the movie was 500 days of summer, and we all dug it. if you like quirky artsy movies, or if you just like zooey deschanel, i'd recommend it.
the rest of the evening was spent relaxing, and sunday wasn't much different.
i joined dylan and kelly for sunday dinner with her family, then headed back to meet spencer at the house.
we spent some time catching up before dylan and kelly returned, and the four of us spent the evening laughing and talking and playing games.
after a shower, i left dylan, who's not been feeling well, at home, and kelly on her way out to a work function, to make a little visit to the nike employee store. this is a visit i always enjoy making, and a nice perk of having a brother work for the company. i'll admit it, i like the feeling of superiority it gives me to be on 'the list'. just provide the employee number, my id, and i'm in! though everyone knows how athletic i am;), i am always able to find some great deals. this time, my shopping was limited to a few t-shirts and a very cool jacket.
i learned later from dylan, that even though the store is DEEPLY discounted from retail prices, nike still makes a slight profit from the store. due to the sheer volume of traffic coming through, it is the highest grossing store anywhere.
dylan and i had some downtime at home before kelly's return, and that downtime may or may not have involved a little catnap.
when kelly got back the three of us headed out to meet her mom and sister for a movie. i always enjoy spending time with them and feel grateful to have the connection. i don't think most people get to hang out with their in-law's family, and i always have a good time. doesn't hurt that i'm quite fond of them!
the movie was 500 days of summer, and we all dug it. if you like quirky artsy movies, or if you just like zooey deschanel, i'd recommend it.the rest of the evening was spent relaxing, and sunday wasn't much different.
i joined dylan and kelly for sunday dinner with her family, then headed back to meet spencer at the house.
we spent some time catching up before dylan and kelly returned, and the four of us spent the evening laughing and talking and playing games.
and, we're off!
wow, have i been in need of a vacation! i set out on thursday, heading to northern california for a stopover with julie and her family, before making my way up to portland.
on the way, i'd decided to pick up a couple of national parks passport stamps at sequoia & kings canyon national parks. i had debated about whether to stop here or at yosemite since i only had time for one park. ultimately i made the decision based on never having been to sequoia before. though i'm missing the stamp for yosemite, at least i've seen it:)
before even entering the park the landscape began to change, as i traded the somewhat barren california highway scenery for trees, trees, and more trees. and while i have no complaints about living in huntington and my close proximity to the beach, there is just something about mountains and forests. fresh air is the perfect remedy for stress relief.
at every stop i made in the park, i was met with the most delightful smells. i don't know if clean air really has a smell but if it does, this would be it.
i stopped at the sentinel tree and the general sherman tree, which is the largest redwood in the world (by volume), but my favorite stop was an unexpected one. upon crossing over a lovely stone bridge, i noticed a group of people playing in the water below. i just couldn't resist, so i hiked down in my skirt and flip flops (perhaps not the best choice for the day), and did a little wading. i was surprised at how perfect the water temperature was - cool enough to be refreshing, but not so cold as to curl your toes. it was a wonderful break from the drive.
eventually it was time to dry off and get back on the road.
i arrived several hours later at my stopover and headed out early the next morning.
day two saw another national park stop, and one that i was reallly excited about! i'd been to crater lake in my teens and i remembered it as being spectacularly beautiful. i was curious to see if the memory would hold up in my adulthood.
it absolutely did. i wasn't sure if the blue waters of my memory were truly as blue as i recalled. and they absolutely were.
the vivid blue color is the result of both the depth and purity of the water, and it is most certainly a sight to behold.
beyond the water, there were other treasures to enjoy...
the wildflowers
and the wildlife :D
having satisfied my curiosity about crater lake--and picking up the stamp of course--it was again time to get back on the road.
my little detour took kept me off the highway for most of the remainder of the trek, which made the drive extremely enjoyable. i spent much of it parallel to rivers and lakes and pure gorgeousness.
i arrived in portland in the early evening to begin catching up with dylan and kelly and to settle into my home away from home for the next few days.
on the way, i'd decided to pick up a couple of national parks passport stamps at sequoia & kings canyon national parks. i had debated about whether to stop here or at yosemite since i only had time for one park. ultimately i made the decision based on never having been to sequoia before. though i'm missing the stamp for yosemite, at least i've seen it:)
before even entering the park the landscape began to change, as i traded the somewhat barren california highway scenery for trees, trees, and more trees. and while i have no complaints about living in huntington and my close proximity to the beach, there is just something about mountains and forests. fresh air is the perfect remedy for stress relief.
at every stop i made in the park, i was met with the most delightful smells. i don't know if clean air really has a smell but if it does, this would be it.
i stopped at the sentinel tree and the general sherman tree, which is the largest redwood in the world (by volume), but my favorite stop was an unexpected one. upon crossing over a lovely stone bridge, i noticed a group of people playing in the water below. i just couldn't resist, so i hiked down in my skirt and flip flops (perhaps not the best choice for the day), and did a little wading. i was surprised at how perfect the water temperature was - cool enough to be refreshing, but not so cold as to curl your toes. it was a wonderful break from the drive.
eventually it was time to dry off and get back on the road.
i arrived several hours later at my stopover and headed out early the next morning.
day two saw another national park stop, and one that i was reallly excited about! i'd been to crater lake in my teens and i remembered it as being spectacularly beautiful. i was curious to see if the memory would hold up in my adulthood.
it absolutely did. i wasn't sure if the blue waters of my memory were truly as blue as i recalled. and they absolutely were.
the vivid blue color is the result of both the depth and purity of the water, and it is most certainly a sight to behold.beyond the water, there were other treasures to enjoy...
the wildflowers
and the wildlife :D
having satisfied my curiosity about crater lake--and picking up the stamp of course--it was again time to get back on the road.
my little detour took kept me off the highway for most of the remainder of the trek, which made the drive extremely enjoyable. i spent much of it parallel to rivers and lakes and pure gorgeousness.
i arrived in portland in the early evening to begin catching up with dylan and kelly and to settle into my home away from home for the next few days.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
adventures in nail salons
tonight, on my way to visit the d family, i made a stop at my favorite nail salon. after my polish change was complete, i sat waiting for the 'safe zone' to arrive. the safe zone, of course, being that magic moment when it becomes safe to exit the salon, dig through your mary-poppins like purse for the keys you forgot to extract prior to the manicure, get into your car, and bash your nail into the door (as always inevitably happens) without said nail showing any evidence of the disastrous run in.
so while i sat and waited for the safe zone, i did what everyone does in a nail salon, i passed judgment and i eavesdropped.
the judgments and the eavesdropping went pretty typically for awhile, until a somewhat slovenly and grumpy looking woman entered. i mean, she looked reaallly grumpy. she sat down and as her asian nail lady, or rather, her nail technician (to be pc) was preparing her station, i heard the grumpy slob ask if she (the nail technician) knew what a scarab was. the answer was no, and she proceeded to explain the general history of the scarab and pulled out a little box. she told the nail technician that scarabs were tokens of good luck, and meant to bring their owners long life and happiness.
she pulled out a little box, and though i couldn't see its contents, i have to assume that there was a representation of some sort of a scarab. the nail technician complimented the token, and i lost track of the conversation for a moment while i checked my proximity to the safe zone. when i returned to eavesdropping, the nail technician was handing the box back to the woman, who then said 'no, that's for you. i brought it for you.'
now at this point i'm thinking, wow, that was a really nice gesture. this grumpy looking woman apparently has a big heart, bringing her favorite asian nail lady a little gift like that. then it became clear that this was not her 'favorite asian nail lady,' but rather the one who happened to be available when she walked through the door.
i was instantly shamed by my judgement and grateful for my eavesdropping. i don't remember the last time i witnessed a truly random act of kindness, and it served as a reminder to me that those little thoughtful gestures have the power to change days and create smiles. not to mention that random acts of kindness have the power to affect more than just the recipients. you never know when there will be someone listening in on your conversation who might might be deeply impacted by your example.
so while i sat and waited for the safe zone, i did what everyone does in a nail salon, i passed judgment and i eavesdropped.
the judgments and the eavesdropping went pretty typically for awhile, until a somewhat slovenly and grumpy looking woman entered. i mean, she looked reaallly grumpy. she sat down and as her asian nail lady, or rather, her nail technician (to be pc) was preparing her station, i heard the grumpy slob ask if she (the nail technician) knew what a scarab was. the answer was no, and she proceeded to explain the general history of the scarab and pulled out a little box. she told the nail technician that scarabs were tokens of good luck, and meant to bring their owners long life and happiness.
she pulled out a little box, and though i couldn't see its contents, i have to assume that there was a representation of some sort of a scarab. the nail technician complimented the token, and i lost track of the conversation for a moment while i checked my proximity to the safe zone. when i returned to eavesdropping, the nail technician was handing the box back to the woman, who then said 'no, that's for you. i brought it for you.'
now at this point i'm thinking, wow, that was a really nice gesture. this grumpy looking woman apparently has a big heart, bringing her favorite asian nail lady a little gift like that. then it became clear that this was not her 'favorite asian nail lady,' but rather the one who happened to be available when she walked through the door.
i was instantly shamed by my judgement and grateful for my eavesdropping. i don't remember the last time i witnessed a truly random act of kindness, and it served as a reminder to me that those little thoughtful gestures have the power to change days and create smiles. not to mention that random acts of kindness have the power to affect more than just the recipients. you never know when there will be someone listening in on your conversation who might might be deeply impacted by your example.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)