Virtual Walk Week 3

Well, this week was a bit more productive though it wasn’t all from walking.  I’m including other activities in my total so there’s a Fluidity session and a Yoga class in there as well.  I also started training for the Couch to 5k on Friday so part of this (a small part) was running, not just walking!

My total for the week is: 23.53 miles.

On this walk I would have visited:

• Woodson
• Marshland
• Clatskanie
• Delena
• Alston
• Ranier
• Lindbergh

Total miles walked so far:  51,83

Virtual may be it for a while

I’m so bummed. It looks like the trip I’ve been planning is on the back burner for a while. Not sure when or if it will be rescheduled which is a bummer.  I’d sort of set my heart and mind on going away for a while so now I have to adjust to being stuck in Portland for a while longer.

So, virtual walking it is…at least for the foreseeable future. I might get to go skiing tomorrow though which would be wonderful!

Virtual Walk Week 2

The walk this week was a bit pathetic.  I only walked a measly 8.3 miles.  Ugh.  I was just a lump, but now I’m really motivated for next week.

Had I gone on this walk I would have walked through/near the following places:

• Clifton, OR
• Wauna, OR
• Oklahoma Hill, OR
• Westport, OR

I would have seen sites like this:

Total distance walked to date: 28.3 miles.

Virtual Walk Week 1

In week 1 I walked 20 miles.

Virtual Walk Around the World W1

I started my virtual walk around the world in Astoria, Oregon.

“The area of Astoria and Warrenton is a nationally significant historic region at the western end of the Lewis & Clark Trail. Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies; a place that takes visitors back to simpler times, its architecture dominated by hundreds of Victorian homes clinging to steep wooded hillsides and with a revitalized 1920s era downtown; all set against a backdrop of tremendous natural beauty in the temperate rain forest at the mouth of the Columbia River. Visitors have an opportunity to escape into an appealing, intriguing past. Unspoiled and generally uncrowded, Astoria and Warrenton nonetheless have several first-class interpretive attractions including Fort Clatsop, the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Flavel House, Fort Stevens State Park, the Astoria Riverfront Trolley and the Astoria Column. The area has an extraordinary sense of place and feeling of history.”

On this part of my walk I traveled along Leif Erickson Drive (also Rt. 30) through:

• Tongue Point Village
• Navy Heights
• Biddle
• Svenson

Had I actually done this walk here are some sights I would have enjoyed along the way:

Images from this site: http://englishriverwebsite.com/LewisClarkColumbiaRiver/

Combining Interests

Currently there are 2 main interests in my life:

1 – traveling
2 – getting back in shape

Since I don’t have the funds to travel at the moment I’ve decided to combine those interests and do a virtual walk around the world. Each week I’ll post my route and what I would have seen had I actually done that walk. It’s not a fulfilling as actually vising these places, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll also track my progress on a Google Map.

Pondering

It’s funny how things can change in life. You’re chugging along and things may not be stellar, but there are no significant problems. Then one choice, one instant changes everything. Suddenly your life is tumbling out of control and you’re not certain which way is up and whether or not up will ever really be there again. One decision could potentially change everything…not just for you but also for people you care about. And, if that’s not bad enough, you don’t even know for sure what the long term impacts will be until weeks or months later. It could be a ripple or it could be a tidal wave. Only time can tell.

One thing is certain – ripple or wave, things will never be the same again.

I’m a big old nerd

First, I haven’t updated this in *forever*.  Not because I haven’t had anything to say but because my internet connection is limited.  To save cashola I’m forgoing having internet at home and I’m only using cafe access.  It’s nice to save the $50+/month, but it’s not overly convenient.

Second, I’ve taken a PT job working at a Borders and I love it.  So fun and I get to borrow, read and return travel books so that rocks my world.

Third, I have a write-up from my trip to Phoenix in October, but I have to find it before I can post it.    The problem with a new laptop is that things save in random places…kind of a pain!  But I hope to find and post it in the next few days.

Fourth, I’m in the process of developing a database (yes, you read that right) to track the places I want to visit (or those I have already).  That’s the thing that makes me a nerd.  Once I get it set I’ll upload the lists.  Yes, I’m a nerd…and I kinda like it.

Fifth, and last, is that this weekend is the BnA Holiday bash.  Should be very interesting to meet all these worldly travelers and even more interesting to have one crashing on my air mattress for a couple days prior.  I see stories in my future.

cheers!

Me on Moving

Well, it’s official.  The dead bugs have been evicted, all my crap has been delivered and unpacking is in progress.  YAY!  I missed my stuff.  It was kinda like Christmas unpacking since I hadn’t seen anything in 6 months.  Now I’m busting butt to get it all organized and put away. I’m about 90% unpacked at this point and have mountains of laundry to do (it’s all clean, just smells musty from being in storage).

Things I learned from this move:

1 – When loading a truck for a long-distance move you have to be much more aware of how you pack.  There was damage done to several pieces of my furniture due to rubbing.  And a couple of my plastic bins collapsed. Luckily nothing major was damaged and with some polish and slip covers all is well.

2 – Movers in Portland are *much* cheaper than in DC.  What would have cost me $400 in DC cost me $120 here.  WOOT!

3 -  No matter how complete your previous place was there will always be things you need to buy for your new place.

4 – I have way too many books.  I measured for shelves and I need over 50 linear feet of shelving to house all of my books.  That’s just insane.  Really.  Crazy.

All-in-all I’m happy to be settled into my new place and REALLY happy to not have to come home to psycho chick any more.

Vagabondette returns to Jonestown

For the last month I’ve been traveling.  I spent 2 weeks in the midwest visiting my birth family (and doing a bit of business) and 2 weeks in DC visiting my chosen family (aka my friends) and throwing my worldly possessions onto a truck to be transported out to Portland.

The day before I left for my trip I signed a lease on a new apartment.  It’s in a great location, a reasonable price and a decent size.  The only problem was that the guy who lived there before me had a moth problem (note to former tenant:  If you like to bake, keep your dry goods in air-tight containers because moths love that stuff!!).  My landlord supposed that since there would no longer be food in the house, the moths would die out on their own and the problem would be solved.

Alas, it was not to be.  I received a call from my landlord about 10 days ago telling me he’d been back into my unit and the moths were not only still alive but they seemed to be multiplying.  Solution?  Exterminator.  I was warned that the bug guy would be coming into my unit and that I’d want to wipe down the counters well when I returned because there’d be bug killer on them.  Yuck, but ok.

I anticipated, upon my return, that there would be some sort of chemical odor in the house from the spray.  I figured I’d find a few moth corpses to deal with but that a quick wipe down would solve the problem.  Wrong.  Oh so very wrong.  Nothing in my wildest dreams prepared me for what I encountered upon my return to my once-spotless apartment.

Instead of the random dead moth or two that I anticipated, I was greeted with…Jonestown.  Yep, the mass suicide place.  Because although it seems unlikely, I’m convinced that every moth within a 3 block radius came to my apartment to die.

Opening my door I was treated to the sight of literally hundreds of dead bodies. The majority were on the floor, I’ll assume they were overcome by the fumes.  But the ones who were caught in direct spray were the worst.  Dissolved into grey blotches or streaks (depending on whether they were on a flat surface or a vertical one) there were dozens of dried puddles of poison with melted moth in the center.  Nasty.  Just nasty.

I did what any normal person would do…I dumped my stuff and fled to a friend’s house for the night.  But now I’m back…and it’s time to do battle.  Farewell moth carcases.  I have to remove you to an alternative final resting place.

Boat Show Goodness

I went to my first boat show on Saturday in Annapolis, MD with my friend Sean, another sailing fan. I have two words for you:

Sailboat Envy

It was really amazing to see what can be done in such small spaces. We were there for several hours and viewed everything from a 36′ mono-hull to an 80′ cat (which was HUGE!) and many things in between. Even with all the huge boats, the glitz, the tricked out gadgets, etc., we both agreed that the smallest boat (which also happened to be the first boat we saw) was our favorite. It was a good size, laid out well and roomy enough to live aboard comfortably. And it was a relative bargain at only $140k. If only…

Benefits of the show:

1 – I got to see a bunch of cool boats I’m now lusting after
2 – I got to get info on working for some charter companies
3 – I got feedback on my idea about taking that ASA cert class
4 – I got to spend time with my friend Sean
5 – I got a better idea of what I’m in for size-wise on the trans-atlantic I’m trying to get on

Drawbacks of the show:

See #1 above.