more strawberries

i should have known better than to claim the diving has been less productive. tonight, brittian and i struck it rich - in bread, organic monterey jack cheese, org. tomatoes, org. bok choy, even more bread, an herbal garden pot, beer!, still more bread, some cheerful flowers, and org. strawberries. i think brittian even got a couple cool signs that may turn into his next art project. and don't worry mom, i washed everything very well - especially the produce!



the credit for the bread goes to brittian, who encouraged me to check out one more place before we went home, and who also spied the separate trash receptacle some distance from the regular dumpster. he said he followed his nose - and it's a good thing too. there were fourteen loaves of bread, soft, fresh, and almost all of different varieties, wrapped up neatly in individual plastic bags and then again in one big garbage bag. a perfect score.

now we just have to eat it all...

the 411

1. eating
have been trying to make ethiopian food. sometimes with good results, usually with room for improvement. marcella and brittian have been willing co-conspirators, and we're making headway. trying to make injera in particular has been giving us fits.

2. diving
i'm coming to the conclusion my initial dumpster diving experience was a-typical. in my last several forays i've netted less than a quarter of the food recovered that first time. on the plus side, i've gotten a lovely dendrobium orchid for my efforts. and strawberries.

3. hiking
this weekend is the Pacific Crest Trail Association's Trail Fest 2009. tonight and tomorrow my friend john and i are going to be checking out the classes, workshops, vendor displays, and over-all hiker community as i prepare for my thru-hike attempt this summer. i'm planning to leave sometime near the end of april and expect it to take me about five months to complete - much like my appalachian trail thru-hike last summer.

4. thinking
"The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life."
-Anne Morriss

saw this yesterday and liked it. fine, i'll get off my high horse and admit the quote was on a starbuck's cup. now i'm contemplating how it may apply to me...

5. searching
and while i'm on the subject. google has a free 411 information line. it's 1-800-GOOG-411. you can also text "google" (466453) with simple questions, business locations, weather, etc... at no charge other than your normal texting rate. this service has been around for a while, but it seems every time i mention it to someone, they're surprised to learn of it. the google machine is all-knowing and it frightens me sometimes - tap into its power at your own risk.

my buddies

in the past couple weeks, both of my nephews have said things which caused me to stop and appreciate the moment. aiden called up out of the blue while i was still in boston and told me "if i could fly anywhere right now, i'd fly to where you are." oh man.
and yesterday, i got to spend some great one-on-one time with isaac. while we were discussing my next hike (isaac thought i meant a park down the street, but i'm planning on something a little longer...) he turned to me and said "i wish i could go everywhere you go, kevin" and gave me a big hug.

i take a couple things away from those encounters: it feels great to know we've got such a strong bond, though it makes it all the more difficult every time i leave. and i love the spirit of adventure in their thoughts. the fact they are willing and eager to fly, hike, go puts a smile on my face. sure, they don't grasp the realities of those choices yet, but on some level, they understand those desires hold the potential for fun and excitement. and that's enough for now. wanderlust can be awesome.

jack and the bean stalk:

on being content

years ago, i made a conscious choice to question my beliefs at their core, and i found them wanting. what i was looking for - what i earnestly sought - was Truth, and after spending the first 23 years of my life looking for it in the same corner i finally realized it wasn't going to be there for me. the puzzling part about this was how many of the people i knew well, loved, and/or respected had discovered Truth in the very corner i found so empty. they weren't dumb (and still aren't), in fact their intellect often exceeded my own (and still does). they didn't appear to be settling for something they suspected as incomplete or false. but perhaps most striking to me, and in the end a key to recognizing the need for change in myself, was the ready confidence with which they discussed their reasons for their beliefs. i find this intoxicating, and deeply respect (envy is probably a better term) people of all beliefs, faiths, creeds, and what-have-yous, who have found their Truth.

the trouble with stripping away one's core belief structure is it can leave you spinning free into an abyss of endless possibility. no right or wrong, no up or down, and no real direction at all. you're faced with the realization that there may actually be no greater purpose to this life. on the other hand, this can also be a time of excitement, potential, and growth. for me especially, having grown up accustomed to the comfort of a ready-made sense of meaning (christianity), this new position of responsibility proved nearly overwhelming. slowly, and over the course of the next couple years, i arrived at two core concepts which thus far have held up. they are by no means conclusive, nor are they comprehensive; they have come hard-fought, and for me, have the ring of Truth to them. i'll take what i can get.

the first is choice. time and time again this principle has been brought home to me - that there is choice in all things. whether it is straightforward - i.e. "what am i going to eat for lunch?" or more internal - "how will i react to what this person has done beyond my control?" we are constantly presented with opportunities to make choices directly affecting our well-being. we have thoughts, we exist, we choose to be alive. being aware of these choices, and being proactive about making them, is empowering.

the second stems directly from the first. it's being content.
see, no one can be happy all the time. it's not possible. since happiness is an emotion, it is independent of direct choice, but what i can choose is contentment. i've been challenged on this, called out even. i've been told my actions don't bear out this philosophy since if i was truly content with everything, i wouldn't be seeking out activities and situations that bring me pleasure and yes, even happiness. but my point is this: i don't think it's wrong or a bad idea to be happy. who doesn't want to be happy? i simply think we should be aware that it's a fleeting experience, and it's within this awareness that contentment steps in.

we need to feel sadness, hurt, even suffering. it's part of the balance, the yin and yang. without one, its counterpoint becomes point-less. have you ever tried to bake something sweet without adding salt? it just turns out bland and unappetizing. but within the experience of sadness and/or loss, i can choose to be content. i can choose to recognize, accept, and even appreciate what this emotion has to offer and teach me, possibly whilst simultaneously looking forward to a time i will be happy again.

the reality is emotions are temporary; in and of themselves, they're unsubstantial. but working in concert, they help weave the fabric that makes up our very existence and they create meaning in our lives. even buddhist monks laugh. they feel happy. and judging by first-hand accounts i've read, they feel sadness and loss. i'm not an expert on the subject, but i suspect on some level they've merely recognized and embraced the impermanence of these conditions. an emotion isn't any more or less real than anything else. it simply is.

me too.

bombs away

it's true. i really enjoy drinking irish car bombs. and jameson. fortunately for me, so do my friends clint and marcella, so we had fun celebrating st. patrick's day last night! marcella made a very tasty vegan dinner which included colcannon (mashed potatoes and cabbage) and soda bread. for those of you who are wondering, car bombs (the drink) are not vegan. i'm not sure actual car bombs would be condoned by many vegans either, for that matter.

yum

my monday night at mom's:

food for thought

i was catching up on old daily shows and colbert reports and thought this mark bittman interview was worth sharing:

sorry, the clip was taken off their site.

also, while i'm talking about colbert, if you're interested in helping name a space station module after him, click here. it takes about 30 seconds.

where you hang your hat

i was at a party a few years back, and the girl i was there with introduced me to a friend of hers. after the initial formalities, she remembered some sort of irish connection and told him i'd lived in ireland. i was a little uncomfortable with this, but he got interested and asked me how long i'd lived there. i replied "three months" and he rolled his eyes dismissively, saying something to the effect of "that's not living somewhere. i've stayed lots of places for three months and would never say i lived there."

he was right, but so was i.

where i Live has been on my mind a lot recently. namely because where i Live has been changing a lot recently. it's apparent to me my concept and definition of what it takes to Live somewhere may not be the norm. for me, it's very much a mentality and not necessarily connected to time - other than time occasionally being required for the "living mentality" to set in. what i mean to say is there's no predetermined length of time i use to indicate where i've Lived. i feel comfortable saying i've Lived places for as little as two days, and conversely, i've stayed other places for weeks, even months at a time without the slightest feeling of Living there. i've also Lived with other people without being in a set location; we moved around together but with a sense of communal continuity. so, in a sense, the phrase "where i live" isn't entirely accurate either, since Living isn't really contingent on a location.

doing a rough tally i'd estimate i've Lived with over thirty people, in just over fifteen settings, as well as Living on my own in several more situations. on the other hand, i've only had two mailing addresses in my adult life. this is partly because i don't get much mail, and partly because i've had understanding and supportive people helping me (selfishly) keep things as simple as possible.

the mailing address issue brings up another point i've been pondering, and that's the difference between where someone "Lives" and where they consider "Home." for me, the concept of Home is very much wrapped up in my family and friends, and the support network i have in the pacific northwest. i was trying to explain this thought a few days ago and realized anytime i'm headed "back" to the northwest, i begin feeling like i'm going Home.

but it's not quite that simple. [sarcastic smile]

the last couple times i've come Home to the northwest, i've been surprised by the disparate emotions i experience. i think what it comes down to is a dissatisfaction with how i Live when i'm here. a big part of the comfort of Home is it's traditions and familiarity, but the old adage "you can never go home again" contains more shrewd wisdom in it than perhaps i've realized. the real problem, of course, is that i'm trying to reinsert a changed me into a static concept of Home. and then, once surrounded by the familiar places and faces, somehow expect to Live as the new person i became while away. occasionally it works and i catch a glimpse of the "something more" i'm aspiring to, and for a brief moment i'm excited and optimistic i can make it work - can have my cake and eat it too. but these moments are rare, or within such specific relationships and settings that i'm not sure it will be sufficient to create a life around.

of course, i know i'm not the first one to think these thoughts, and feel these feelings. and for now, i'm simply looking forward to seeing my family. specifically and especially (no offense anyone) my nieces and nephews. i miss those guys...

k'naan part II

tuesday night was my second k'naan concert in just over a week and i enjoyed myself even more because i went with my cousins who are big fans too. this seattle venue was bigger than boston's, and the crowd was great. one of the opening acts was gabriel teodros, half of abyssinian creole - i was almost as excited to hear him as i was for k'naan. as a bonus, khingz (the other half of ab creole) showed up and they performed three or four songs together. because of k'naan's somalian background and teodros' ethiopian roots there was strong east-african representation and awesome energy in the audience.

a fun night with good friends/family and hip-hop with a positive message.


los primos:


at the show (apparently i felt it was a night for pointing):


the k'naan himself:


abyssinian creole:


k'naan:

roomies

one of the highlights of my stay in boston was my living arrangement. when i realized i was going to need a semi-permanent place to hang my hat i searched for sublets on craigslist and the first one i responded to sounded perfect. it turned out i was the only one they responded to as well. if only all craigslist encounters were that easy!

the laid-back, fun atmosphere of the apartment was exactly what i was looking for, and i quickly became friends with samantha, james, jenni, and heather. whether we were cooking food, going out for drinks, playing board games, discussing the latest social scene, or even catching the occasional (ok, maybe more than occasional) reality tv show there was always something going on. here are some pics from my last weekend. jenni's not in them 'cause she was out of town.



thanks for the great times guys! hope to see you again...

freedom trail

it was chilly yesterday, but the sun was shining and i've been wanting to check out the freedom trail, so i decided it was as good a time as any for the walking tour. i couldn't see being in such a historic city without taking in some of its more famous landmarks. i'm not going into too much detail for each picture; the above link has a short history of each stop and there is an abundance of information on many other websites.

the state house:

park street church and granary burying ground:

king's chapel: ben franklin statue and first public school:

old south meeting house:

old state house and site of boston massacre:

feneuil hall:

what you'll see of paul revere's house if you're taking the free version of the tour:

old north church (of the signal lantern fame) and paul revere's statue:

uss constitution (ol' ironsides):

bunker hill memorial:

inside the uss constitution museum i met dick remillard, a member of the local model shipwright guild. he was full of information about the amazing model ships on display, including one that he had built from scratch: the kohala. it took him seven years to complete, and he casually discussed alterations and repairs which took up to six months. it was easy to see why i read modeling requires three things: patience, the ability to concentrate on one thing at a time, and a colorful vocabulary. another modeler said: “real model shipwrights don’t cry, they take a shot or two of whiskey and start over.”
here's dick and his ship:


by the time i made it home, i'd been walking for 5 1/2 hours. it's been a while since i've done that - and on pavement the whole time no less. my feet were a little sore to say the least. where'd my thru-hiker legs of steel go?

k'naan

the somali-born hip-hop artist k'naan (pronounced kay-non) played a show six blocks from my apartment last night. i've been a fan of his since i heard him on the seattle radio station kexp (they play great new music - check out their archived shows) back in 2005. i bought the album "the dusty foot philosopher" and have pushed it on anyone who would listen ever since so i was stoked to find out he was going to be practically next door. it was an awesome show. his latest album "troubadour" was just released this past week and not surprisingly i like the new stuff a lot too. and as luck would have it, i'm going to see him again in seattle on the tenth.

this is from "wavin' flag."

freeganomics 101

last night my friend jess and i went dumpster diving. i've been curious about it before, and have friends who are regular practitioners (dumpster monkeys is the term, i believe), but neither of us had tried it before. so, armed with several bags, headlamps, and enthusiasm we set off a little after midnight to see what we could find.

after striking out at several smaller restaurants/coffee shops we finally hit pay-dirt at a desserterie (it's a real word i promise, it's on their website) with ten loaves of bread, then we struck real gold at a specialty/health food grocery store. tons of produce. more than we could carry really.

dumpster diving appeals to me on a couple levels. not only is my impact being reduced, but i'm helping reduce - or at least salvaging the value of - impact which might otherwise go to waste. and i get to be cheap to boot. a win-win if you ask me. i'm sure i wouldn't qualify as a freegan yet, but it may not be a stretch in the future...

in the meantime, i'm a night owl anyway, so why not do something more productive than watching another movie or the daily show and colbert report?

well, i'll still find time to watch the daily show and the report. gotta keep my priorities in line.