Late this week Stephanie and I began to seriously consider moving to Vermont. We've enjoyed our time here so much and love what we've seen. So I'm asking myself (and Stephanie) how the heck this plays out with the forming plans of us heading to California so that I can go to the College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture (CRFF) program? Right now, your guess is as good as ours.
CRFF offers what I consider the best instructional and communal learning opportunity with regard to furniture craftsmanship and philosophy and it would be a great starting point for my foray into designing/building for a living. Sadly, the town of Fort Bragg and the thought of living in California for a year haven't really excited both of us. We don't think we'd ever settle out there long-term, and we don't know anyone there. Not to mention, it's wicked expensive for non-residents and I would be in a shop for 60 hours a week. ...There's no real show-stoppers there, but definitely items we're considering.
Considering Vermont, we've been seriously looking through Yestermorrow's site and reading their course catalog, and it seems like it might be a place where Stephanie and I could both grow while living in a place we both love with dear friends nearby. After perusing the website, we found that Yestermorrow offers internships that sound right up our alley: a Kitchen/Garden internship for Stephanie and a Design/Build internship for me. With questions in hand and curiosity in full bloom, we visited Yestermorrow on Saturday.
A current intern, Matt, gave us a tour and answered all of the questions that were in his power to answer. Stephanie and I both loved the facilities and the laid back atmosphere of the school, as well as the location only 30 minutes from our friends Pete and Amy. It's also nestled near tons of hiking trails and blue ribbon fly-fishing streams. The outstanding item that Matt could not answer was how it would work if we both applied and what our chances were of both being accepted. There are some sticky issues with these internships from the get-go in that the Kitchen/Garden gig is for 1 year while the Design/Build internship is 4 months. This also begs another difficult question: "What will I do when my 4 months are up and Stephanie is still committed for another 8?" To answer these, we're going to try to get in to see Kate Stephenson on Monday - she's the director of operations for the school. Depending on how this meeting goes, our plans could be shifted into action a bit sooner than we had originally planned (shocker). Deadline for application to Yestermorrow is October 1st.
Weeeeeeeeeeee!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
happiness = good breakfasts
What could be better than a quiet breakfast comprised of delicious, natural and local ingredients shared with wonderful people? We found our home-away-from-Marie Catrib's at Kismet in Montpelier.
incriminating evidence from the hostel
We took our friends' advice in The Cabin, a hostel in East Andover, Maine and had some frickin' fun already. We played dress up with the really weird clothes that Honey and Bear (the owners) keep around for AT thru-hikers to wear as they do their laundry. Because every thru-hiker needs a curly purple wig...
prepare for picture overload
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Where do I Sign Up to Become a Green Mountain Boy?
Vermont is straight up incredible. Although housing is wicked expensive and jobs are a bit scarce, I really love this place. It's truly green everywhere.
Yesterday I hiked the Waterbury Trail up to Mt. Hunger and saw a 360-degree view of the state from 3500 feet. It was a vicious hike because it had been raining since the night before and the trail was basically a smaller-scale stream. I had to tuck my poles a couple of times so that I could use both hands to pull myself up some of the soaked boulder scrambles. I loved it. It made me a lot more tired than I remember, but I felt exhilarated when I got back to the van. As strange as it might be, this was the first hike of this Summer I did el lobo solo. Stephanie stayed at Amy and Pete's while I was out. I wish she could have seen the summit, but I was glad to move at my own pace for the jaunt. Selfish, aren't I?
We've been toying with the idea of settling in this state because it's so amazing. People in the crosswalks here have the right of way - NO MATTER WHAT. There is a really unique school in Warren, Vermont called Yestermorrow that teaches a bunch of courses on design combined with building. Most places focus on one or the other, but in this school, you learn design elements and then you build whatever it is you've designed. It's mostly for architects, landscape and furniture designers, but I think anyone would benefit from their courses.
Pete gave us the tour of his company, Magic Hat Brewing in Burlington this afternoon. It's pretty cool how this little brewery is growing. We sampled quite a few of their local offerings, so Pete had to drive us home :) Pete works in the lab making sure that each brew that's released for the public is top quality and won't degrade beyond a reasonable level during the life of the beer. He checked while he was in Michigan, and the Magic Hat beer he found was only two or three weeks old! That's pretty amazing if you check some of the other domestic brews that take 3 months to get to a shelf where we can buy them. I highly recommend this beer.
Well, the peeps are getting dinner ready, so I best be heading down to pitch in. Maybe we won't be leaving as soon as we planned...
Yesterday I hiked the Waterbury Trail up to Mt. Hunger and saw a 360-degree view of the state from 3500 feet. It was a vicious hike because it had been raining since the night before and the trail was basically a smaller-scale stream. I had to tuck my poles a couple of times so that I could use both hands to pull myself up some of the soaked boulder scrambles. I loved it. It made me a lot more tired than I remember, but I felt exhilarated when I got back to the van. As strange as it might be, this was the first hike of this Summer I did el lobo solo. Stephanie stayed at Amy and Pete's while I was out. I wish she could have seen the summit, but I was glad to move at my own pace for the jaunt. Selfish, aren't I?
We've been toying with the idea of settling in this state because it's so amazing. People in the crosswalks here have the right of way - NO MATTER WHAT. There is a really unique school in Warren, Vermont called Yestermorrow that teaches a bunch of courses on design combined with building. Most places focus on one or the other, but in this school, you learn design elements and then you build whatever it is you've designed. It's mostly for architects, landscape and furniture designers, but I think anyone would benefit from their courses.
Pete gave us the tour of his company, Magic Hat Brewing in Burlington this afternoon. It's pretty cool how this little brewery is growing. We sampled quite a few of their local offerings, so Pete had to drive us home :) Pete works in the lab making sure that each brew that's released for the public is top quality and won't degrade beyond a reasonable level during the life of the beer. He checked while he was in Michigan, and the Magic Hat beer he found was only two or three weeks old! That's pretty amazing if you check some of the other domestic brews that take 3 months to get to a shelf where we can buy them. I highly recommend this beer.
Well, the peeps are getting dinner ready, so I best be heading down to pitch in. Maybe we won't be leaving as soon as we planned...
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
green mountains outside the window
We made it to Vermont a couple days ago. We're here with Amy and Pete this week and then we're heading back. While they're at work, I think about my mixed feelings of being excited to go back to a place I know, to be productive, to make some money instead of just spending it...and I'm also a little worried because I think it will feel strange. I'm going to want to leap back in but I'll have to wait since we're going to fly to visit Camille on Lummi Island and then fly to Wilmington for the Morrill family get-together. (Isn't it crazy that a multi-city ticket flying from Grand Rapids to Seattle and then to Wilmington was cheaper than a ticket from Grand Rapids to Wilmington? With ridiculosity like that, it's a sure sign that we're supposed to go.) Anyway...it'll only be once we drive back to Michigan with Tim's folks, get my car at their house, and then drive the Civic again for the first time since May back over to Grand Rapids that we'll really stop. Stop, stop, stop. That will be the first week of October -- two months later than originally semi-imagined. But isn't that the way things go?
Today I answered Amy and Pete's phone and it happened to be her dad on the other end. Mark is a cool guy who I liked immediately when I met him at Amy's wedding. We chatted on the phone for about 15 minutes and he asked me the ever-burning question of what I was planning to do after the trip. He mentioned that he'd had the impression from hanging out with me and from hearing about me from Amy that I was a mix of practical and idealistic. It cracked me up a little bit so I had to tell him about the Practical Wonderer title for Fourth Sector. I hear these same things from smart people with insights about who I am, and it makes me feel a little comforted that maybe there is some continuity here...that I'm not just a big blob of contradictions and likes and dislikes, swirling around in an amorphous puddle of blather.
And then again, from other smart people whose opinions I trust, I get the same advice: chill out and don't take every bleeding thing so seriously. And if you can manage that, try having some fun too. Amy told me this over tea and a wonderful molasses crinkle at the Langdon Street Cafe in beautiful Montpelier. It's the same advice Camille gave me about a month ago, and I know plenty of other people have. Maybe the best way for me to take this advice right now is to stop all the worrying about whether or not I'll have it all figured out by the time we get to Grand Rapids, and whether or not I'm letting anyone or myself down by not knowing, or if I'll wreck my entire future by not knowing. Why are these things always easier said than done?
Anyway...I'm going to head down to the kick-ass co-op and get some risotto fixins for dinner tonight. I also need to pick up a small canvas at the local art store so that I can paint a picture to send back to Bear and Honey at the AT hostel we stayed at before leaving Maine and crossing the White Mountains in New Hampshire. (P.S. Now that I've seen them, I definitely want to do the Presidential hike through there on some future vacation.) I did a stupid thing and painted my first picture ever and then couldn't say no when asked to give it away. So now I have to pay for it and do an even stupider thing, which is paint and mail them a different one and ask for my other painting back. It's a long story, but I feel like a real moron about it.
Today I answered Amy and Pete's phone and it happened to be her dad on the other end. Mark is a cool guy who I liked immediately when I met him at Amy's wedding. We chatted on the phone for about 15 minutes and he asked me the ever-burning question of what I was planning to do after the trip. He mentioned that he'd had the impression from hanging out with me and from hearing about me from Amy that I was a mix of practical and idealistic. It cracked me up a little bit so I had to tell him about the Practical Wonderer title for Fourth Sector. I hear these same things from smart people with insights about who I am, and it makes me feel a little comforted that maybe there is some continuity here...that I'm not just a big blob of contradictions and likes and dislikes, swirling around in an amorphous puddle of blather.
And then again, from other smart people whose opinions I trust, I get the same advice: chill out and don't take every bleeding thing so seriously. And if you can manage that, try having some fun too. Amy told me this over tea and a wonderful molasses crinkle at the Langdon Street Cafe in beautiful Montpelier. It's the same advice Camille gave me about a month ago, and I know plenty of other people have. Maybe the best way for me to take this advice right now is to stop all the worrying about whether or not I'll have it all figured out by the time we get to Grand Rapids, and whether or not I'm letting anyone or myself down by not knowing, or if I'll wreck my entire future by not knowing. Why are these things always easier said than done?
Anyway...I'm going to head down to the kick-ass co-op and get some risotto fixins for dinner tonight. I also need to pick up a small canvas at the local art store so that I can paint a picture to send back to Bear and Honey at the AT hostel we stayed at before leaving Maine and crossing the White Mountains in New Hampshire. (P.S. Now that I've seen them, I definitely want to do the Presidential hike through there on some future vacation.) I did a stupid thing and painted my first picture ever and then couldn't say no when asked to give it away. So now I have to pay for it and do an even stupider thing, which is paint and mail them a different one and ask for my other painting back. It's a long story, but I feel like a real moron about it.
Friday, August 15, 2008
swimming in the ocean!
Today I swam in the ocean for the first time. My legs are still salty slippery. Wee!
Thanks to all the commenters for boosting me up while I was down, by the way.
The sun came out the next day and I felt much better as I learned about jibs and tacks and mainsails and tillers and all kinds of other crazy sailing terminology that I've since forgot. Sailing = fun + confusion. Aside from the sweetness of the lesson, Tim and I were also able to stop while we were having fun. Ususally we blow right by fun and tire ourselves out and then start fighting. Woo hoo!
And, quickly, to elaborate on Tim's last post so Emmy Lou doesn't get all the credit, let me describe these four dogs because they are hil-ar-i-ous. Emmy is a beagle/rat terrier mix with a head slightly too small for her body. She's shy but extremely sweet once she gets over it. Dotty is a beagle mutt of some sort who I thought was too old to move and got suckered into pampering her until I got a leash out and she saw it and went insane. She also cannot avoid any puddle, no matter how big or how small. Shemya is a dog that looks like a pure black lab until she stands up, and then you can see that she's a mix with a basset hound. Looking at her is like looking at an optical illusion. So is listening to her: she snorts like a pig when she's on a walk. And then there's elegant looking Phoebe, a beautiful but unfortunate golden retriever who her own loving rescuer/owner has admitted "is no genetic prize." She's had 2 hip replacements; her first at 9 months. The dogs are a motley pack who sometimes sit on the couch and for no reason humans can understand, tip their noses to the ceiling and are lead by the beagles in howling at either the joy or the ennui of their lives.
And finally, the last thing I have to say on this super quick little post: no matter how calm the ocean looks, it's really not. All it takes for one to understand this is to get out on a dingy and try to drive in 4 foot waves to an old lobster boat that doesn't look trustworthy and sounds like it is going to fall apart outright when started.
I'm on a guest computer so I can't post the pictures from these extravaganzas, but I shall. We're with Alexa/Skywalker, one of the people that Tim/Sheriff walked the AT with. I've been getting to hear another side of the stories Tim has told. She also makes it sound like a chosen misery endured to figure something out about life, the universe, and everything (but I don't think that she came up with 42 after Katahdin).
It's time for a night with London Porter and Mint Newman-Os. After this weekend, it's to Vermont for a stay with Amy and Pete, and then we make the last leg back to our lake-locked, depression-enduring, four-seasoned, friend-and-family-filled, ham-on-bun-eating, auto-driven, deer-wandered homeland. Ah, Michigan.
Thanks to all the commenters for boosting me up while I was down, by the way.
The sun came out the next day and I felt much better as I learned about jibs and tacks and mainsails and tillers and all kinds of other crazy sailing terminology that I've since forgot. Sailing = fun + confusion. Aside from the sweetness of the lesson, Tim and I were also able to stop while we were having fun. Ususally we blow right by fun and tire ourselves out and then start fighting. Woo hoo!
And, quickly, to elaborate on Tim's last post so Emmy Lou doesn't get all the credit, let me describe these four dogs because they are hil-ar-i-ous. Emmy is a beagle/rat terrier mix with a head slightly too small for her body. She's shy but extremely sweet once she gets over it. Dotty is a beagle mutt of some sort who I thought was too old to move and got suckered into pampering her until I got a leash out and she saw it and went insane. She also cannot avoid any puddle, no matter how big or how small. Shemya is a dog that looks like a pure black lab until she stands up, and then you can see that she's a mix with a basset hound. Looking at her is like looking at an optical illusion. So is listening to her: she snorts like a pig when she's on a walk. And then there's elegant looking Phoebe, a beautiful but unfortunate golden retriever who her own loving rescuer/owner has admitted "is no genetic prize." She's had 2 hip replacements; her first at 9 months. The dogs are a motley pack who sometimes sit on the couch and for no reason humans can understand, tip their noses to the ceiling and are lead by the beagles in howling at either the joy or the ennui of their lives.
And finally, the last thing I have to say on this super quick little post: no matter how calm the ocean looks, it's really not. All it takes for one to understand this is to get out on a dingy and try to drive in 4 foot waves to an old lobster boat that doesn't look trustworthy and sounds like it is going to fall apart outright when started.
I'm on a guest computer so I can't post the pictures from these extravaganzas, but I shall. We're with Alexa/Skywalker, one of the people that Tim/Sheriff walked the AT with. I've been getting to hear another side of the stories Tim has told. She also makes it sound like a chosen misery endured to figure something out about life, the universe, and everything (but I don't think that she came up with 42 after Katahdin).
It's time for a night with London Porter and Mint Newman-Os. After this weekend, it's to Vermont for a stay with Amy and Pete, and then we make the last leg back to our lake-locked, depression-enduring, four-seasoned, friend-and-family-filled, ham-on-bun-eating, auto-driven, deer-wandered homeland. Ah, Michigan.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Inertia
The sci-tech encyclopedia defines inertia as the property of matter which manifests itself as a resistance to any change in the motion of a body. Word.I think I've hit that point where the forces that propel me down the road have balanced with those pulling us back home leaving me in a sort of state of paralysis. I feel the urge to go, but don't want to move at the same time. But this all varies with whatever environment is current, of course. If we're sleeping on the side of a road and haven't been clean in three days, my urge to move is quite strong. On the other hand, since we've been living with our friends, Steve and Nancy, in their beautifully comfortable home overlooking Penobscot Bay, we're a little more disinclined to budge.
Our trip of a few months is nearing its completion as we head a little further Down East to visit one of my trail buddies, Skywalker, and then on back to Vermont to Amy and Pete's place. After that, it's back to Michigan for us and I think we'll be ready. But for the past few days, we've loved our time in Lincolnville with Steve and Nancy. We've walked four dogs, sailed boats, motored an ex-lobster boat across the bay, eaten amazing gourmet meals and generally lounged like Emmy Lou, above.
She's eye-balling me now like she can tell I typed her name, so I guess that means we'll be off for a walk shortly. I think we're going to try to stop by the Windsor Chair Company which is just around the corner. I hear the shop's for sale if anyone out there is looking to build some furniture...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
in Lincolnville, Maine
I got some lip from BozoByker yesterday for not having posted in the last 10 days. I guess I feel a little bad, but I think, Dad, that only you and Mom are reading this thing. Isn't it always the way that when everybody else loses interest, at least your parents are still keeping track?
I've been waiting to get to Maine since we started the trip. It's been this mysterious geography that has captured my imagination and, in all honesty, kept me committed to continuing our travels because I didn't want to end the trip without getting here. Isn't it always the way that when you yearn for something you don't know for so long, it's not what you had pictured? It reminds me of a quote that I read a while ago in Yoga Journal that is true but a bit depressing if you take it too far: "Without hope there is no disappointment."
I guess it's not that Maine isn't cool, but it's been grey and cold since we got here a few days ago and we've been in places people love to come for vacation during the busiest tourist time of the year.Since we crossed back into the east, I've been doing a lot less writing in general. Despite the rockiness of our start and figuring out how we were going to do this trip, it seems like we took our time a lot more in the west and had many more days to ourselves. The eastern part of our trip, thankfully, is a lot more about visiting people. Even with all of the pain that it seems a lot of people are going through in their lives, we've had a spectacular time seeing friends and family. I don't think if we hadn't taken this trip that I would ever have gotten to spend the kind of time with some of Tim's friends that I have. For the people we've seen, the eastern half has been worth it.
But I have to say--because I'm me and I can't not say it--that the east is not hospitable to the wind-born traveler the way the west is. Towns here padlock their water pumps and don't have nearly as many public toilets (or secret little squat spots) as the west does. It's ironic that through Nevada and Utah we never really had an issue with water, yet in ocean front Connecticut we got seriously dehydrated. People notice if you aren't showered that morning. The traffic is unbearable. And the beautiful ocean scenery is now available only for the highest bidder. I despise our country's lack of thought about the Commons and about public land, and I equally despise the general populace's lack of responsibility that has fostered the idea that everything needs to be locked down when not in use. It's been a kick in the teeth to wander back into civilization and be reminded that I live in a country in which people are always concerned most about themselves...and that I'm probably infected with the disease too.
I guess I'm homesick. I had such a great time playing with the nieces and nephew, hanging out in Katie and Jacob's full house in South Carolina. Ahhh...a full house and a family nested together in noisy, joyful domesticity! I didn't want to leave, except I knew that by leaving it meant that I'd be back in some place I would be able to get around in without a prayer and a map sooner than if I didn't. As the rain poured down in a storm blown in by the Atlantic today, I sat in Steve and Nancy's house up on a hill in Maine, sipping tea and looking out at the weather instead of being in it. Ahhh...the peace of a quiet, furnished kitchen!
I can't think of a good way to wrap this up. I'm just a little blue today, like the weather.
And, just for the record: no, I haven't figured out yet what I want to do for a job. I'm guessing it'll be a while yet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
