Beth Visits America


  • bethmap.jpg

  • Come see what Beth's up to! She's living in her pickup truck (lovingly known as Tach), and rambling the byways and backroads of America. When she has money, that is. When she runs out, she stops and gets a job until she can drive on again. Stop in here, add your comments, and wish her the best. And heck, if you have a driveway, can she sleep in it?

Beth's 100 Things

« October 2004 | Main | December 2004 »

November 27, 2004

lazy girl

Well shoot, seems to me there should be someway, if photos are already online, to just slap them up here. But either I'm a computer fool (quite possible) and can't figure it out, or I have to download and then re-upload them. Poop.

Well, sorry, but my computer is way too slow and me way to impatient for that today. So I have pictures. But you can't see them.

It's snowing again. And I still like it. I was so giddy when I woke up this afternoon (midnight shift last night), I had to go and frolic, and catch flakes on my tongue. I wandered down to the river, and then on to the cafe for a hot french dip sandwich. On the way home, I was adopted by a big, old Golden, who is still sitting on my porch outside after following me home.

Mmmm, life is toasty and nice sometimes. I think I am going to go make my buddy Nate happy by taking some pictures of old semaphore train signals in the snow. Then hot cocoa maybe. And knitting. Mmmm.

Strange, I just had to change Mmm to Mmmm, cause Mmm was just wrong. Three Ms connotes uncertainty and has a slight sardonic tone, while four Ms, Mmmm, is just toasty and content. Or is that just me. Hmmm. Or hmmmm? Okay, lack of sleep catching up. Why is it that Rach never seems all goofy and weird after two hours of sleep? Ah, she probably just edits herself better.

Lazy girl signing off.

testing, testing

Momma at Cataldo Mission:

http://www.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=17140214/PictureID=368341639/t_=12661652

November 25, 2004

Reading Materials

I've been slowly but surely working through my stash of books. I brought an Ingram sized box full along with me, and I'm about 2/3 of the way through it now. Problem is, all the light and fluffy ones go first. For the past weeks, I've been on a steady diet of serious literary works, with nonfiction about autism and avian extinction thrown in. I was desperate yesterday, so I raided the 'free' bookshelf outside the library. I would have raided the library, but it's only open for an hour on first thursdays of the month followed by a full moon.

I now have several... fabulous, ancient harlequins. They are all set 'abroad', somewhere warm, and they all have the heroine sighing over a forceful, dangerous, but handsome noble of Latin blood. Was this what they were all like, or did someone in this town have a particular fantasy?

"Yet love knew no bounds. In a few days time, she would leave the Castelo far behind, but always she would have in her heart this strange, slightly sinister man whose only words to her were tinged with sarcasm."

Oh dear. Maybe I'll go back to my passenger pigeons.

Speaking of edible birds, happy Thanksgiving! I bought a couple bottles of Martinelli's, and I'm going to be starting a party in the lobby of the motel. It'll be wild. Have fun, y'all.

November 20, 2004

Snow! We have Snow!

All day yesterday it was just drifting lazily down. It was so light, I thought it was ash, or dandruff, but nope, it was snow! And then just before I left my lovely warm coffee shack with its satellite TV, it really started snowing. Yay! There’s even still just a touch left on the ground. Not nearly as impressive as the first snow this year, but this time it feels like it might just keep going. And going, and going.

Am I crazy? I can’t wait for the snow to be piled high. Big mounds of the stuff. I just had a vision of the back yard, full of fantastical snow men and forts. Whaddya call it when you build a little home out of snow? Not an igloo… is that a yurt? Whatever it is, I want to build one. And eat graham crackers inside of it, while watching the snow fall.

Let’s see, other news… I worked a ten hour day at the coffee shop yesterday. Although ‘work’ is really to strong a word. Every now and then I would fix someone a coffee, but for the most part, I sat next to the heater, knitting, and watching Gilmore Girls. And Buffy. And about fifty episodes of Law and Order. That show must be on all day long, on one channel or another.

That is what I call a job.

Today I have the whole day off, and I was planning on starting to tile. Instead, I am going to play hookey and head up to Plains for knitting and companionship. And maybe a hot tub on the way. Woo!

November 12, 2004

Not so Bleh. In fact, Yay!

Okay, I’m back for real now. I was feeling a little sad and lonely for a while, you know, post election blues. I’m feeling good now.

My sister (sister Christy, not sister Rachael), at this very moment, is winging her way to come see me! Yay! I love visitors, and I love sisters! Double yay!

On top of that, I finally have all the tile and supplies and plans ready to mosaic the bathroom floor! Yay again!

Okay, I may have cheerleadered myself into a good mood, but at least I’m there, damn it.

I am desperately craving a digital camera. I taught myself how to tat! It actually comes far more naturally to me than knitting, and I have made the cutest little trim that is destined for a pillowcase or something. And there’s no one to ooo and ah, damn it! I think I’ll take it with me when I go to Spokane to pick Christy up, search down some LYS, and shove it in someone’s face. "Look! Look what I did! Appreciate!"

Although Christy will definitely appreciate. Yay! Visitors! Sisters! Yay!

I have far too many things in the air right now. I know, given the rate I work at, that I need to get going on any Christmas present projects, but I really don’t want to put down my Montana sweater. I still only have the back and one sleeve almost done, but I need to finish it so I can wear it at least once during the winter here. Preferably more than once. I’ve started allocating time and spaces. The guy sweater present is the coffee shop job; perfect for sitting in a warm booth, smelling the brew, and watching Charmed. The tatting stays at the motel; small, easy to hide, takes a bit of attention still. And the Montana sweater must be done in my comfy big knitting chair, the one that faces the mountain out my back door, and where I can kick my feet up on my rocker.

If I start anything else, I’m going to have to leave one on my bedside table, one next to the toilet, and one on top of my computer. And one in my car, but that’s just not safe. Which means I have to finish something. Poop.

Weather here is cold, but we haven’t seen any more snow yet. It’s just around the corner, though. I feel like I’m on tiptoes, waiting for it. I’ve made two massive trips to the supermarket for canned stuff and water, and I took advantage of the one sunny day we had to paint the new front porch and the trim. Well, the front half of the trim, anyway. I may have been a little nostalgic for San Francisco, though, in my color choices. The cute blue house now has maroon trim and a porch with pink highlights. Maybe a wee bit Victorian, but it is the Blue Castle, right? It needed a spiff.

At the same time, I also finally took down the Christmas lights. I can’t believe that took me so long. I can’t believe that I am going to be putting them up again so soon. And yes, I am going to decorate. My parents never did more than a bit of luminaria, and I always agreed with them, thinking the subtle touches were better; the tree through the window, the glowing bags on Christmas Eve. Plus way cheaper. Yay cheapness. Still, in Minneapolis I saw what Christmas lights are supposed to look like, blanketed by snow, and I was hooked. I want that snowy glow.

Crap, I should NOT be thinkng Christmas. It’s way, way too early. It’s the project thing, and the fact that there is eggnog at the coffee shop now, and if there’s eggnog, you have to drink it. I even found myself eyeing the Soulfull Christmas CDs in my collection the other day. No! I will hold out untill after Thanksgiving. And there will be not another word about it. And I apologize for even bringing up the subject.

November 02, 2004

Yay for Ghouls

Mmmm. I love Halloween. Oh, have I mentioned that already?

The night before I spent at Rancho Nicasio, dancing madly and tearing up occasionally as Lee Press On and the Nails performed their final show ever. That's ever and always, folks. An era is dead. Sigh. Still, for those about to commit ritual suicide, don't despair. You can still catch Lee backing up the fabulous Lesley Pressley in Viva la Diva.

I sound like a bizarre press release. A good time was had by all... There were about sixteen of us there (my friends, not total audience members - the place was packed), and we just went nuts. Deb flew in from Mexico, me from Montana, and we had one guy at our table who came from Pennsylvania, just for this show. And it was so worth it. They played all night long, and they've never sounded better.

The next night was Halloween, so I headed, already hungover, for the Castro. Maybe we just left too early, but it seemed almost... ghostlike, and not in a good way. It was not the crush that I had been expecting. And a good half of the people there were just gawkers. The best costume was sushi, and I only saw one near-naked guy. And no knifings. Tame.

We left early and went back to the apartment to get really blasted and watch Bubba Ho Tep. Much fun.

Now... I'm about to leave to fly back. I don't want to go. I've been talking about the amazing beauty of Montana, and how it just rocks, but I think I've just been trying to psych myself up. I haven't been mentioning the fact that I am broke getting broker, still don't have a bathtub, and haven't met a single person I would call friend. Okay, maybe one. I just spent a wonderful weekend with my sisters and friends, and now I don't want to leave!

We'll see. Here in the Bay Area I have a friend ready and willing to move in with me, and a possible job offer as assistant dyer in a yarn warehouse. There I have a graveyard motel job and an empty house. But there's snow! And... okay, I can't come up with an and.

Sigh. I like Montana, and I like to finish what I start, but I'm just not cheery at the moment.