5/25/09 In which we ride the wind.

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, "Is it good, friend?"
"It is bitter -- bitter," he answered;
"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart.
-Stephen Crane

My morning started off with a call from Curt. Curt said he was not going to be able to make it back to San Diego in time to meet my flight because while his girlfriend was attempting to drive the two of them back to VT where Curt was to catch a flight home, her car broke down. He was calling to ask me to change my flight.

I told him of my other situation, vented a slight bit without blaming, and tried to get myself calm enough to think. My parents came with me to an internet cafe at the Hawaiian Marketplace. I think the people there felt sorry for me because they didn't charge me for the first hour as I sat there on the phone and on the computer trying to rearrange plans and get things set. I called Ria, because I wanted to know if there was any other chaos in store, and she said no, but she was tired of driving. I made her stay on the phone with me and we made plans.

For the record I would advise people out there not to buy multiple flight ticket packages, because if you miss one of them the whole rest of the series will be cancelled, and on top of that if you have flown one of the flights most of the time you DO NOT have the option to change the others even for a fee.
I will also note that Continental has at least one customer service person who believes that it is a good idea to argue with a slightly sarcastic customer who has just learned this lesson the hard way and is angry. Because of this I will probably avoid flying continetnal in the future. I put a high premium on polite. I can take lost luggage or lateness, but employees who feel the need to argue with someone out a whole bunch of money because of friends plans changing and not knowing obscure airline rules.... well that's where you lose me as a customer.
However I had a ticket from Virgin set up to go from LA to Seattle, and was able to change that one over to whatever type of ticket I needed for their $75 fee.
I turned out that it was actually cheaper to change over the Virgin flight to a Vegas to San Fran flight, and buy a separate ticket from another airline home from San fran than it would be to change the Virgin flight over to a Vegas to Boston Flight. (i think this is because the virgin flight was direct).
This meant I got an extra day in vegas, and got to visit Ria a little early, and she only had to drive me to and from San Fran which was shorter driving, and we were going to get to see her friends who would be in San Fran for the weekend, and see maker faire. This plan made Miss Ria happy, and me well significantly happier than I was. I think I would have been happy, but I was still trying to assimilate everything. Happy came later. Happy came sparkling at me in little doses for the rest of the trip, but the biggest thing was going into the desert to clear the bitter from my heart, and letting it go as I left.

My parents and I went to lunch nearby, and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.
The wedding was beautiful and I couldn't not be happy.
My aunt in the middle with my cousin Brian to the left, and my cousin Brendan on the right.
My cousin Sarah and My uncle Jay
The groom cried, and I LOVE that my cousin married a man who was brought to tears, in a beautiful way, at the thought of getting to spend the rest of his life with her.
It was incredibly sweet.
The wedding and the reception were at the flamingo.
The reception was held on the third floor terrace outside. and for much of the night it was gorgeous
OH YEAH
Remember how I said when we were little my cousin and I used to watch Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory and go the the candy store down the street from my house. (http://www.fariellosconfectionery.com/
I love that even though I grew up in a small town I can find it on the internet ). well this is what Sarah had at her reception.My dad said it was an homage to Sammy's, I'm not so sure, but it made me smile, plus it had little kid pictures of the bride and groom all over it.
They also had a mini photo booth where you could take half your pictures home and put half in the wedding photo album. VERY COOL. I had issues with the photo booth though. I don't always like having my picture taken.
Anyways eating drinking and dancing commenced.
The lasts shot is my cousin Brendan and his girlfriend Katie. Brendan lives in Boston, and I pretty much never see him. This is kind of silly and will likely be remedied in the future, especially considering his girlfriend Katie will be going to Tufts vet school and will probably move to Worcester. Katie is very cool, and we chatted a bit throughout the weekend. I had some really good conversations with both of them, and was really glad about that. I loved finding out that Brendan has grown up into someone with a good sense of humor, a good heart and is smart enough to pick a very cool girlfriend.
SO that was the first part, it was kind of warm early on in the reception, and Sarah's aunt on the other side wished for a breeze to come back. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.
The wind kicked up like MAD. At one point I was standing on the dance floor with my arms stretched out and ACDC was playing (I think it was you shook me all night long) and the wind had kicked up full force so i was just feeling it blow against me.
Unfortunately the massive wind caused a few casualties and a little wedding reception carnage (thankfully nothing living was damaged)
more than one of the lights broke
There were taller standup tables with centerpieces on them and this is from the table blowing over and the contents of the dish scattering
But I think the Bar blowing over was the piece de resistance

All in all it DID make for a memorable wedding, and unlike say hail or thunder and lightening or any other major weather event we didn't have to go inside and stop partying. We just had to clean up around the carnage, and staff took away anything electrical that looked like bad things would happen.

It was a pretty long day
I have one more story from the night, but first I kind of forgot to put in the bachelorette party story the part where I pulled out my hip scarf and showed the girls some VERY BASIC bellydancing moves. This whole idea stemmed from a facebook conversation with my aunt, and the fact that bellydancing seemed like a perfectly good thing to do while we were waiting for some of the other people to show up for the bachelorette party.
Anyway at the end of the reception I was waiting by the elevator and a group of the grooms friends from Kansas stopped by. This included one of the girls who had been at the bachelorette party. She said "Well it's okay if we have to wait, because this girl knows how to bellydance, and she showed us last night." The elevator door opened at that point. I blushed smiled and noted that one of the Kansas City guys was checking me out. Really though red head, little black dress, and she can bellydance, who can blame the guy for at least checking.
At the moment however my mom was standing 2 feet away from me, and I was waiting for my dad to either day goodnight or take the monorail back with them to the hotel. so I couldn't just give chase into the elevator. Then ultimately after my dad came over I was too exhausted from the stress of the day to hunt down the cute guy from KC who had wandered off into the casino. (I know I'm totally disappointed in me too, but I needed sleep to make my brain catch up to my plans.) I don't remember what day it was but I did see him again, and again it was in the elevator. We chatted briefly, and he seemed nice as well, but again my mom was standing next to me in the elevator. Alas.
Miss Liz went back on the monorail and got some much needed rest after the winds of change blew through her vacation.

5/24/09 In which Liz attends a bachelorette party and hits a snag in the planning.

Sunday morning i met up with my parents. We had breakfast in the Sahara's cafe, which looks like a diner only it has no natural light. It kind of made me crazy. I wasn't sure how I felt about Vegas. There is something about the desert being made into what Vegas is. We hopped on the monorail. (if you ever go to Vegas I think the monorail is invaluable).
In Vegas each Casino has a theme/style. The sahara where we stayed at is an old one, and I think it's theme might be desert/classic Vegas. Harrahs has kind of a Country music theme, (not my favorite
Outside of Harrah's there was a series of carts where they were selling things. For the most part people in Vegas tried to sell my dad, But this girl,
She was selling hippe dresses, and I'm pretty sure my old beat up purse gave me away. Her name is Eden (but she's Israeli, so its pronounced differently). She is amazing with how she can tie up the dress into different shapes. She works for http://www.irisimpressions.com , and not surprisingly I ended up buying a hippie dress. Eden was veyr cool though, I probably wouldn't have bought it if she wasn't SO if you don't want a hippie dress and you see her, run away, because she's just that good.
From Harrah's we walked by madame Tussauds, we didn't go it, but pavoratti was outside.
Then to the Venetian which has a venice theme.
I love that at least vegas puts the money it makes into arts and design.
We saw living statues, and a performing arts venetian style show.
Also there were singing gondola people, but the pictures are too dark.
From there we went to Ceasar's palace where they had a fountain of the gods which came to life once an hour.
There was also a trojan horse replica at FAO Schwartz
And then a walk by aquarium in the back.

After all this it was time to head back for the reception and girls night out. Most of my pcitures are form the girl's night out, as the reception involved lots of people I don't know and I was too busy attempting small talk to take pictures.
Here is our beautiful bride at her current ageAnd here she is decked out in bacherlorette finest.
I also got to have a really good conversation with my aunt that night, which was nice. She told me little bits about the family i didn't know.
The reception was in the penthouse so I got some good skyline shots

Also Sunday was the first of the interesting phone calls I got. Jacob called and said the weekend I was supposed to be visiting he was going to be in Canada dealing with a girlfriend issue. I asked him if it had to be that weekend, and it seems he felt it did. This was the first of major upheaval in Liz's travel plans, so keep checking, because what i posted in the beginning as to the itinerary well that's about to change. As of 5/25/09 and we get to play where exactly in the country is Liz. It's a fun and interesting game.

5/23/09 In which Liz Departs for Vegas

Saturday morning I finished packing in pretty much plenty of time, and briefly visited with my friend Kelly before heading off. Kelly is giving a CD I made to our friend Trista who is moving to San Antonio Texas. So Now I have a place to stay and people to visit in Texas. Texas is now officially on the travel list for some point.
On the way to the airport and everything I had some pretty perfect timing.
I stopped briefly at James' house and had enough time to stop in the hammock for about 30 seconds
I need to make a date with that hammock sometime this summer.
Oh and for next summer the tour will be going to I believe Martha's vineyard for the occasion of James and Becky's wedding. I am so very much looking forward to it.
Except for the fact that I couldn't make the key let me into James' house everything went smoothly getting onto my first flight.
I flew to Houston, bought chocolate there, and had enough time to stop and get a massage in a brookstone chair before my next flight.
I got to Vegas at 10ish their time which was pretty late for me. I should have looked around for a shuttle, but instead took a cab, and the price was RIDICULOUS, but it's vegas so if your not awake, you pay. Next time I will know better.
Pretty much by that time I was wiped so I headed off to bed.

5/22/09

So Friday was not a traveling day, but it was an interesting day, and if I had thought to put my card in my camera I would have pictures.
I made friends with a baby duck named Oliver, and held him for a while. He was black and yellow and cute and fuzzy.
Then after that I went to the Red tent Temple, and talked with people about my cousin and my grandmother and how my grandmother was so much a part of the connection between us and how she would like that I was heading off to Sarah's wedding.
I also told Princess stories including one involving a friend from college who when we would play dress up we would say we were pretty pretty princesses.
Friday was a good day.

5/20/09 Liz along the way.

So I started this blog because I was planning adventures and wanted a way to document them. I wanted people to be able to see the wonderful things I get to see in my life. Not just places, but people and how they are terrific, and helpful and funny and wonderful and perfect and whole in who they are in the moment.

I draw a mandala for every person/ household I visit along the way because it is a memento of a moment holding what the person brings and what I see. It is a snapshot of their adventure and my gratitude in being an invited guest to behold.

Writing this blog made me pay attention to the adventure that is my life.
And somehow when you pay attention to something you tend to find it more.
So since that point in time the level of adventure in my life has gone up significantly.
I love being part of adventures with other people.
Sometimes the call of that adventure takes me exactly where I'm supposed to be, and others its like a siren's lure to places I may do better to avoid, or don't fit right for me.
When I go traveling I usually end up exactly where I'm supposed to be, and its funny because even on the unexpected detours, I'm still in the right spot.

Last year's trip was a good mix of planning and then letting go and leaving space for adventure.
I did my best to carry that over into this year.
Only when you have an adventure it changes you.
I guess this is the place where the mandalas come in. I've drawn lots of mandalas, given many away, torn a few up, kept some and I think even lost some. The one's I've drawn on my travels really focused in on what i wanted to capture about the person or place it was for, and the spirit of the moment. After last year's trip I had this idea that it would be good for me to sit and try sometime to see what I could come up with for myself. I kept putting it off, but then someone I know made me make good on my promise to myself, and the act drawing made me much more clear about where I was and what is was that was changing in my life. That first one was pretty fuzzy and had lots of smudges. I've drawn a few for myself since then, and it has really helped me to focus on where things stand for me and all the elements, figures and patterns in my life. The picture at the top is a more recent one.
It's good to be able to look at myself along the way.
It's good to be able to show a picture of things a little more close to home.
I'd like to do more of that. I'd like to post adventures and events that are a little more local to me and not just wait for big trips.

I mean this week alone has included (among other things) The Green St Music series at the Lucky Dog (http://www.luckydogmusic.com/), a friend's first summer barbeque, the knitting girls (in their current incarnation) last big night out on the town for a while, and will include a red tent (http://www.kalimahealingarts.com/Red_Tent_Temple.html)
All of those adventures involving much less travel than my flying to Vegas on Saturday, but still involving. terrific, helpful, funny and wonderful people.

Like I told someone earlier this year, there are lots of good people out there.

But there is a way in which I am reluctant to put everything out there. It's easy to talk about travels to see old friends, because things are clear. Life in the moment is still evolving, sometimes the picture is messy or fuzzy and quite frankly sometimes people would not want me with my little camera showing them off to the interwebs (as my friends say)

And I LIKE that this blog is about adventure, and things that might be a little out of the ordinary. I want to keep it that way.

But I like being in the practice of finding adventure in my own backyard, and I love showing it to others. Besides some days I think everyone's life is it's own tour de force, qualifying for the label Not a Rock Star Tour.
So along with the big trips, you might see a few more Liz along the way mandalas and posts, and a bit more local fare.

Happy adventuring all.

Planning for the 2009 west coast tour (5/13/09)

HI!
Long time no post.
I've been having adventures of a varied and different sort for the past 10 months, but I figured I should start with the things I never got around to posting from July/August, before getting into the 2009 tour.
So here is the finished version of Jacob's tour poster, and then the two scarves made for my Seattle boys
Here's Jacobs,

Here's Dan's They were both pretty big
After that I kind of got into knitting baby blankets because a bunch of my friends got pregnant/had kids, and I was welcomed into a wonderful group of ladies who have vast knitting knowledge.
In other posted about news I did end up going to a UCONN women's game, It was great and UCONN rocked as usual (Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi were in the seats behind the team). I would post pictures, but I forgot my camera, and I don't feel like asking Trouble for his pictures.
And well there were lots of other adventures too, but those are stories for another time and place.
Meanwhile back to the 2009 tour.
On Saturday May 23rd I will be flying into Las Vegas late in the night.
I'm staying at the Sahara hotel. So if you find yourself in Vegas between the 23rd and the 26th look me up I may give you crash space.
On Sunday May 24th I will headed to a bachelorette party for my cousin Sarah. This is Sarah and I.
Okay so we're a lot older and bigger now. When we were little Sarah used to come over a lot and we would watch Annie and Charlie and the chocolate factory and walk down to the candy store. Our grandmother died before I turned 10 and after that we didn't get together as much, so I have old pictures.
ANYWAYS Sarah is getting married in Vegas. Bachelorette party is on the 24th.
Monday May 25th = Sarah's wedding.
Tuesday May 26th I am flying to San Diego to visit Curt.
(I'm not reposting Curt pics you can look him up under yellowstone)
Wednesday May 27th - Hang out in San Diego (Potentially Ride on bakc of motorcycle) Thursday May 28th- fly into Monteray CA and visit Ria.
Ria has a court date that day. Hopefully it will be her last. She has had a stalker whom she is trying to get a permanent restraining order against. However she also has lots of fabulous friends who put there money where there mouth is and helped her with legal fees because everybody deserves to be safe. You can read about it here http://riamegnin.chipin.com/anti-stalker-legal-fees
Ria's reward for making it through court is that she gets to again come and travel with me. Ria is currently my favorite traveling companion.
Friday May 29th Drive down the coast from Monteray to LA, and Liz REALLY wants to see the beach at Santa Monica.
Saturday May 30th- Morning in LA then fly to Seattle ( like I said I HAD to go back to Seattle)
Sunday May 31st - I get to hang with Darya and Jacob in Seattle. I fly out that night and take a red eye home.
Monday June 1st = REST

So that's this years tour. My next challenge in planning is to figure out how to use RSS feed to post this in places my friends read

For those of you iching for more travel blogs who can't wait til I head out, my friend Jen and her family are currently on a cross country trip themselves for a much broader and cooler purpose which is creating videos to help educate the kids in America about the environment. Here's there blog
http://www.ourrenewablenation.blogspot.com/

Liz is trying to manipulate technology and possibly failing