deleted scenes

6/17 - we continue our search for a watering hole... literally - a decent place to water our swimwear.

6/19 - researching hostels we find the Lucky 13 Ranch for boarding horses.

the smallest offenders... juvenile fish... must be transported to a maximum security lake under the strictest care.



6/21 - can I just say that we'd have never gone ghost town hunting if they weren't highlighted on the damn map in the first place!

7/2 - i was so excited to find tree forts lining the Wisconsin highway in these somewhat remote fields - "DB! Look! Tree forts! I want one!" then i was horrified... "Wait! Those aren't tree forts! Those are for hunting!"

7/18 - i'd like to officially thank DB for being my official note taker when it was my turn to drive.

7/31 - i'd also like to officially thank all our magnificent friends for feeding us, housing us, entertaining us, etc during our adventure. you have no freakin' idea how you saved our arses. gracias mis amigos! shout outs to MK, RC, SE, PL, LE, SW, CI, and LP.

books for daniels

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

Applied Social Research: A Tool for the Human Services

Where to Start and What to Ask: An Assessment Handbook

Urban Social Work: An Introduction to Policy and Practice in the Cities

the waiting game

we stayed at LP's for a few days then headed to DB's parents where we have been since.

so far we have made it out to swim twice. im currently sporting a sunburn on my shoulders and back, so it will be a few days before we can play in the water again. for the life of me i can't figure out why i didn't put on a single drop of the $20 worth of sunscreen ive been toting around the last 50 days.

today i saw a baby moose. ive never seen a live moose (we had a stuffed one in the basement of some science building at WSU), and certainly never a baby moose. if DB's mom hadn't informed me it was a baby, i'd easily have assumed it was a fully grown adult. that should give you an idea of the size of these creatures. it was pretty fluffy and cute.

who knows what we'll do the rest of our time here. we have two weeks left. eventually we are going to have to tackle all our stuff in the basement, get it organized, and decide what to take with us on our first trip August 1st down to our temporary apartment in Brooklyn. we're waiting to rent moving van until we get a permanent apartment in October, otherwise we'll just have to rent a van twice and move our stuff twice.

full circle

7/11
after many miles of detour getting out of Detroit, we finally hit Ohio. We got a couple interesting photos...




Cleveland, OH... sadly, we have no photos of Cleveland, but we did actually really like it there. will we live there next? stay tuned to find out.

Erie, Pennsylvania... left much to be desired and can be summed up in one word and one punctuation mark - "yuck!" this is sad. we were sure it was going to be cute, or weird, or somewhat interesting, but no.

it's important to note that our return to the state of New York on 7/11 is auspicious, or at least exciting. on 7/11/06 we flew out of Burlington VT with a layover at JFK in NYC en-route to California. welcome home, says NY! or as DB says "our turn has come full circle."


no sense in driving all darn night... we stopped and camped in NY. the next morning as i left the women's showers i was approached by a burly fellow "Are you from California? I noticed you have California license plates. Do you have any mmbmsrmm?" Um, what? Oh... that! No, I don't have any of that.

a few people commented on our car, including a friendly 7yr old riding around on his bike... "I love your car!"

7/12
Niagra Falls, NY... again, another one of those examples of when something looks bigger in the advertisements. the falls were pretty wide, but if you weren't prepared to wait a week to cross the border or pay $10 per person, you couldn't get a view to the bottom. i thought this was a pretty cool view though.


Seneca Falls, NY... we got to visit the Women's History Museum, and the Methodist church where the women's sufferage movement began - Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Fredrick Douglas had met and spoken in this famed meeting house. there was a sculpture trail we meandered along, and as luck would have it there was some live music in the park. we like Seneca Falls and i could easily see us buying a place and settling down in this historic little town. i could also see DB and opening our own brewery or art center in this fine old knitting factory on the river.


Chester, VT... nothin' like having friends along the route. LP made us some wicked-good chicken sandwiches and i definitely nominate and crown him future Food Network Star of America for that one.

Michigan Me

7/6/08
we drove straight through from Chicago to Detroit. it wasn't so bad. it's only a few hours away, and that is fantastic news. we did stop in Ann Arbor, because we've both heard so much about UM and it is a possible candidate for DB's doctorate program in the next few years.

because we are expert planners, we planned it so we'd arrive when SW was home from work - and although we were a bit confused about where to go (google maps just says "turn right on X Street" but not exactly where the apartment is within a complex) SW was able to expertly tell us how to find her unit.

i was extremely impressed by SW's incredible organization. she had not only got us a handful of free museum passes, but she single-handedly typed up a list of neighborhoods, activities, and eateries that we might want to check out while visiting. if SW were applying for the position of concierge at my hotel, i would easily hire her at top pay. librarians are rad.

7/7/08
no museums are open on Mondays, so DB and I mostly hang out around the apartment, hoping the kitties will pay attention to us, snacking, and investigating the fabulous info our guide has provided. we hit a local Trader Joe's and my favorite street name is Bamlet because it's an adorable word.

7/8/08
although i really did want to check out the Henry Ford Estate and was curious about the Ford F150 tour, we picked the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History for our first stop. this was a pretty rad museum. not only is it a beautiful building, but the exhibits are really unique and moving. there are a couple galleries devoted to art which housed a collection of paintings, a collection of stained glass art, and an impressive collection of jazz-themed quilts.

the permanent exhibit takes you through the African American experience, starting with the birth of humanity in Africa, continuing to the tribal life in Africa, the capturing, transporting and enslavement of Africans as they were brought to the Americas, and the experience of African Americans through American history through the present. the most intense part of this exhibit is walking through a simulated journey in the dark bowels of a slave ship with dozens of wax slaves and a matching soundtrack.

the evening activity was SW and JT's hockey practice. it was my first time at an ice rink, and certainly my first exposure to hockey, and it was so fun to watch SW and JT all cute in their hockey gear sliding around whacking a puck.

7/9/08
we also visited the Cranbrook Art Museum which specializes in the Arts and Crafts movement, and had a fantastic exhibit of craft-work, including quilts and ceramics.

SW and JT took us to see Wall-E at the largest drive-in in the world! Ford Drive-In. it was DB's first time at the drive-in and he wishes there were more for us to frequent. Wall-E was cute.

7/10/08
every time i go to a contemporary art museum i realize that i'm not really into contemporary/modern art... and i'm more of a crafter. Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit was another great reminder of how un-hip i am. i do appreciate modern/contemporary art and think it is valid and important, i just don't enjoy it.

on the way to and fro the MOCAD, we passed the infamous 8 Mile. the number of abandoned and gutted homes, apartment buildings and businesses in detroit is pretty unbelievable, and at another time i'll reveal the plans DB and i have come up with to save detroit.

and of course, there is nothing like a round of put-put golf in the fancy suburbs after seeing a city ravaged by poverty. DB won 50 to 55, but i did have a hole in 1. i should probably also mention that DB also had a hole in 1.

7/11/08
we had a good visit, got to see some art, a bit of Detroit, and that made it sad to say bye-bye to SW and JT. they were awesome hosts, as are Mr and Mrs Meow who warmed up to DB and me enough to let JT get a little sleep.

i miss living near my friends.

vulva skyline

This is where I acknowledge the good bits about my Chicago stay...

7/3/08
Lake Michigan is enormous. I mean, it looks enormous on the map, but when you really get up close and personal... you're pretty sure you're looking at another ocean. The water along Lincoln Park was so green/blue it was getting close to Caribbean. And the breeze that flows off the water is absolutely necessary for maintaining comfort in toasty Chicago.

Oddly, I felt the need to dress in layers. Some moments I was ridiculously hot, and others, such as in the shade and/or while a breeze was blowin', I wished I had worn jeans and a jacket. And nights easily chilled me enough to need those jeans.

The houses and buildings of Chicago are mostly brick, which I find attractive and interesting. In fact, I think I consider brick to be a necessary component of city housing. It really makes a difference, adding character and creating good feelers.

7/4/08
DB and I went on a walk to escape the video games and stopped at a little coffee shop under the el (elevated train). I grabbed a decaf soy mocha which rocked, and then we headed to Wrigley Field, just to say we went there. Of course, it was closed, so we merely walked by, but it was exciting, and we are pleased. After a few lefts and rights we also somehow stumbled onto the Whole Foods used in the Food Network's Top Chef.

7/5/08
The day we "saw the city" we got off the el at Monroe and speed-walked through some sculptural area where DB and I insisted on walking through "the bean" - this giant shiny metal bean that produces a wild optical experience when underneath looking up into the center. The Taste of Chicago was happening, so our guide walked us around the really long and presumably beautiful park he otherwise would have walked us through... but along the way to the Field Museum he did pop us back into the park for a moment so we could see this huge and lovely water fountain.

DB and our host/guide explored the Mythical Creatures exhibit at the Field Museum while I sat outside and read. I did walk around a bit to check out these giant art globes, and I heard a snippet of an architectural tour discussing the buildings along the skyline.

Apparently one of the buildings was designed by a "feminist architect... and you can use your imagination on that one." I think this means that the building could possibly look vulva-esque rather than phallic. Although the info wasn't necessarily presented well, I did love that that is one of the snippets I heard. I love feminist buildings and I think there should be more of them. Imagine an entire city of feminist buildings....

Before DB and our host/guide completed their museum tour I decided to take my experience into my own hands and walked through the park we skipped on the way to the museum. I loved walking around alone and decided to hunt for coffee. I found a Dunkin' Donuts near Van Buren and nestled in for a chocolate glazed donut, a decaf with cream and sugar, and a chapter or two of my book. My first Dunkin' Donuts in two years... mmm, it's good to be going home.

Outside there is a guy crawling around on the ground, looking like he may cry, begging for money. It's easy to tell that this is his gig. This is what he does, daily. It's hard to tell if his face can make any other face besides the crying face. It's painful to watch, so I try not to.

As I read, I look up and see a black man in a wheel chair wheeling by... he smiles at me in his bushy gray wig and waves. This man is so full of joy I can't help but smile and wave back as he passes. He's made my day, and I kinda wish everyone was like this. I see the crying man again and wonder if he'd have better luck if he were smiling instead.

So Long Chicago

July 3 - 6

I have to be honest - I'm disappointed in the Chicago portion of our trip.

Our host was kind enough, we had a place to sleep, and several of our meals out were paid for... these are indisputable benefits, bonuses, and perks that I am fully grateful for receiving.

So what's the dilly-o?

1. I'm tired of being ignored.
2. I wanted to see more of the city
3. I don't enjoy watching people play video games for hours on end

I'm tired of being ignored by DB's friends. My friends don't ignore DB. They actively include him in conversations, ask him about himself, and respond to his comments and questions. Whereas DB's friends do not offer the same courtesies to me... We call it "the invisible girlfriend phenomenon," and we've seen it before. Anyway, 3 days of being ignored was a bit beyond my tolerance level.

I wanted to see more of Chicago - and I'm sure there was more to see.

Day 1 - We walk to the lake. DB and our host play chess while I read.

Day 2 - We watched our host play video games, excuse ourselves for a walk around the neighborhood, come back for more video game watching, then attend a 4th of July party our host wanted to attend. (DB and I aren't much for big parties, we're more the wine sipping and cheese board types.)

Day 3 - The big day in the city. Our host had told us all these great things about the city, yet I got this feeling that he felt obligated to be our tour guide and didn't want to, like he'd rather be home playing video games. When we finally arrived downtown, he bolted so fast that we didn't have a chance to really look around since we needed to keep on the look out for which direction our host / guide, had gone. We even asked him to slow his pace which he did... a tiny bit. I'd have prefered our host send us off on our own if he didn't really feel like showing us around. And since I was an "invisible girlfriend" I didn't feel like I could really state that maybe we should do our own site seeing.

Day 4 - We left for Detroit, MI.

Of course there is more that I didn't appreciate, but I don't want to dwell on any additional details. I wash my hands of Chicago.

Hello Wisconsin

July 2nd - Minneapolis, MN to Madison, WI

I wasn't sure what to expect in Wisconsin. My only "experience" with WI has been "That 70's Show" which I find pretty fantastic, but not necessarily a provider of much actual state history or geography.

What we saw were a helluva lot of brick silos - one with a pumpkin perched on top (see below). I think I'd like to have a nice cute brick silo of my own some day. Oh, and a ridiculous number of water-parks. And an unholy number of Christmas tree farms. I can only imagine that Wisconsin exports Christmas trees to the rest of America, and possibly Canada, in order to justify the number of trees they grow. I am certain there aren't enough people in the local states to support these farms.

DB was able to find Wisconsin's highest altitude in the back of our atlas... something around a couple thousand feet. This provided a great deal of giggles for me as I repeatedly exclaimed "Wisconsin's highest point!" and pointed at a nearby hill.

We also saw a very interesting rendition of the "deer crossing" signs, of which I wish we had a photo to share. The silhouette of the deer is a bit more vertical, with a bit larger body and head, giving the slight appearance of a potato.

Ironically, even though we saw at least 7 state troopers pulling folks over on the hwy, there was something about all the firework stands claiming "bigger, louder, deadlier" that just gave me this overall feeling of unease.

Our favorite cafe in Wisconsin is definitely Acoustic Cafe... In fact, it's just about the only business still open in downtown Au Claire which appeared to have an 80 percent vacancy rate in their businesses district. Ouch! Too bad, because it's actually an adorable town. Interestingly, the sprawl that surrounds on the way between the town and the interstate seems to be thriving (this is where all the chain stores).

Madison is kinda cute. If I hadn't already pledged my allegiance to Minneapolis, I'd live in Madison. Maybe. Do I get free cheese for saying that?

Anyway, we stayed in a hostel. I thought it was pretty rad. DB had some weird anxiety thing about it, but maybe that was the Uno's cookie talking.

July 3rd - Madison, WI to Chicago, IL

Got some cheese on the way to Chicago, and ice cream, too. Can't go to Chicago without stopping for ice cream along the way, I always say.

facebooking

i had been invited to join facebook over a year ago by a coaching colleague. because im a bit of a snob, i ignored the request. after all, i was already a member of friendster, linkedin, and probably several other networking sites i've forgotten about since joining.

yet, while hangin' here in Mpls (that's short for Minneapolis), LE was talking about playing scrabble on facebook with various friends, and how fun it was, and how our lives would be improved 100 times if only DB and i would join, too.

then yesterday, while i was reading and waiting for laundry to finish, DB was being his mischevious self. i came up to see what he was doing... he was editing his new facebook profile.

ET TU BRUTE

so now, instead of driving to Madison, Wisconsin, experiencing the best cheese america has to offer, i have spent the morning facebooking.

ye ole curiosities

Departure Date: Sunday, June 15, 2008

Days on the Road: 18

Laundry Doings: 4

Hotels Nights: 2

Rest Stop Nights: 1

Nights Slept in Car: 3

Mosquito Bites: Me - 9, DB - 0

Fast Food Stops: 0

Chain Restaurants Eaten At: 2 (Chili's and Outback Steakhouse)

Brewpubs Visited: 6 (WAx2, ID, MT, SD, MN)

Ice Cream Cones: 4 (per person)

Current Location: Minneapolis, MN

Total Miles Traveled: 3017.1

Distance From Seattle: 1666 miles

Total Mileage on the Car: 11030

Hubcaps Irreparably Damaged During 10k Mile Servicing of Car by the Black Hills Toyota Service Center in South Dakota: 1

Major Mountain Ranges Crossed This Trip:

• Cascade Mtns (WA)
• Rocky Mtns (MT)

Major Rivers Crossed This Trip:

• Columbia River (WA)
• Missouri River x4 (SD)
• Mississippi River x2 (MN)

Next 3 Destinations:

• Madison, Wisconsin
• Chicago, Illinois
• Detroit, Michigan

Number of Meals with Eggplant in the last 4 days: 3

Networking Websites Joined: 1

Networking Websites Quit: 1

Favorite City So Far: Minneapolis, MN

Smelliest City: Pierre, SD