Sunset

     I just realized i almost missed my picture of the month to talk about. I'm cutting it close but this picture is worth the wait. We went to Barcelona and Palma recently and i brought along the fancy cam. After a nice dinner at some touristy restaurant, we had a nice family walk along the path by the beach. The beautiful sunny day was coming to an end as a mixture of orange and pink filled the sky. I had my ipod out and listened to "Do You Realize" by the Flaming Lips. I didn't have headphones so i just held it like a cellphone, walking along like a dork. As I watched, the sun slowly started falling behind the mountains. I realized at that very moment that this was my chance to capture this moment forever. I let the Lips finish, and then i literally sprinted down to the beach where these tiki umbrellas were set up. I know I looked like an idiot, but who cares! The sun was sinking quickly, but I made it just in time to take this photo. It always feels nice to capture a little of earths beauty. I will see many more sunsets in my life, and they will all be beautiful in their own way.

German Playgrounds

      First of all, I apologize for the crappy ipod photo, but it's the best i have. Anyways, this is what a german playground looks like. A bunch of jagged wood kept together by some rusty nails. It is ridiculously dangerous, but i guess kids find it fun. A little down the road there is a park made up of only ropes attached to logs that have been wedged into the ground. The kids try to climb across the ropes to make it to the next safe zone. The only problem is that the Germans don't like their children to fail, so dozens of nettles wait below the ropes in case a kid falls. I remember playing don't touch the ground when i was a kid, but i guess they take it seriously over here!

Everlong

     Imagine being stuck at the top of this wheel, in a foreign place, where it all seems like a taunting déjà vu. You recognize it, you know you have been there before, but the memory melted and slipped through your fingers. The wheel is a safe place, you remember it, and remember the feelings associated with it, but the rest of this place is just a dreamlike remembrance of your past. It’s not hard to leave the top, but you can’t bring yourself to do it. The top is where you know you’re safe, but at the same time you feel trapped. The view is amazing from the top, everything is new and exciting, but at the same time everything is new. It’s not the old place you remember so faintly. The wheel is the only thing that hasn’t changed, but compared to the rest of the place, it’s merely a spot to rest and watch the excitement unfold. Unfortunately I have felt stuck in this place. I haven’t been able to bring myself to completely leave the wheel. Sure I’ve stuck my head out to get a breath of fresh air, but I haven’t truly left the wheel. Part of the reason I haven’t left is that I don’t feel a solid base. I feel like I have been floating in the sea, too deep to drop an anchor. I have been searching for the chain, long enough to sink my anchor deep into the solid ground of this sea. The other day while I was riding along, listening to the horrible U.S. pop on the Armed Forces radio station, I heard the first notes of a familiar song. It was a quiet little intro, but I recognized it. Soon it started to build until I felt the full blow of the Foo Fighters. I looked out the window and listened. Although I did not completely recognize the scene, it started to feel more like home. The fog was starting to lift over my memory. The chain became longer, and my anchor became closer to the bottom. Instead of longing to be home, I became more interested in rediscovering this faint memory. I felt more comfortable about leaving the wheel. It hasn’t happened yet, but I know once the chain is long enough, it will.

P.S. Thanks for the nudge grandma. Writing on this blog is just another link in the chain.

Oakley

I saw an Oakley add today, and I thought the model looked familiar...

San Francisco

     

                                  
                            

     I know it's been a while since we went to San Francisco, but I still think it is worth posting about. Ahh, San Francisco. Not very sunny, or warm, but it is still lovely. One of the days we visited the fog lifted unveiling the real beauty of San Fran. The Golden Gate was in plain sight, and Alcatraz was out on the ocean clear as day. It really is a neat city. LOTS OF HILLS, but it gives you some good exercise. Even with all of the neat buildings and colors, the hit of the trip (at least for John) was Mickey, the cute little wiener dog. Mickey was pretty funny. John would just sit there and throw the ball to Mickey. After Mickey was done chewing he would roll it back to John, and the cycle started again. They would have done that for hours. Amazingly, after all of that play with John, Mickey would still be afraid of him. As soon as John broke Mickey’s personal bubble, the little dachshund would scurry off and hide.

    The food there was excellent. It's on the coast so obviously there was some good seafood (which I had plenty of). We went to a great beach, but the water was way too cold. The Monterey aquarium was also thrown into the mix. The jellyfish portion was excellent. Those things really are amazing. John started his interest in photography at Napa valley. I love the picture of him above. I was just scrolling through, deleting the ones he took and i found this one. Nothing better than taking pictures of your reflection, the floor, and Mickey!  As for me, I basically just ate my way around, relaxed, and soaked in the excellent city of San Francisco.