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travel

Last day

Oct 15th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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Our last day was hectic. In fact, i’m writing this from the plane as we decend into DFW.

I spent 3 hours getting ready for the day, having breakfast, and packing bags. There was just too much to fit into too little of space. My mom gave Celeste a blanket, two stuffed animals, 3 sweat pant sets, and a huge box of stickers. It was just too much.

Leaving late I still managed to get o my brother’s house for a quick lunch before heading to the airport.

Our wait for the gate in Vermont wasn’t too bad. The airport was very crowded though. Our flight to Detroit wasn’t too bad either and we even managed to secure an extra seat.

However, once we landed in Detroit, we got there late. And the jet bridge was broken. And we alteady had to hurry from C24 to B18 to make our connection. The delays didn’t help.

So we ran.

Only to leave an hour and a half late anyway because of some TSA security issue with the inbound flight.

When we finally left, the flight was booked solid, Celeste fell asleep and I could not get comfortable. For 2.5 hours I tossed and turned and increased the crick in my neck. Ouch.

I can’t wait to land. 12 more minutes. It’ll be good to be home.

A slippery slope

Oct 15th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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Yesterday was filled with fun. Perhaps one of my best days yet.

After getting ourselves ready in the morning, C and I went for a hike up Mt. Philo in order to look over the entire Champlain valley. At least that was the goal. Access tithe park was closed, however. So, we could only access the trail that criscrosses up the side of the mountain. It was steep, and rocky, and covered in mud from the rain the day before. We made it about 1/2 a mike before I needed a break. I put C down on a rock to rest and that’s when she decided she wanted no more walking (which, for her, means being carried by me). So, after a quick rest we headed back down which was really difficult thanks to all the mud. We made it though. C fell asleep on the 10 minute drive home BEFORE 11am, so I think she needed he rest.

While she slept I had a really enjoyable conversation with a friend over IM while fixing my grandfather’s computer. More than anything I was grateful for a little privacy, the first that I’d had since I left home.

When C woke up we ate lunch and then piled in the car to head to my Aunt’s house. The drive over the mountain was beautiful. We stopped at the top and I made a snow ball for C to hold. We took a couple of photos too. It was so cool to see the thick, heavy snow fresh on the evergreens at the summit, followed by a band of gold and red and orange of the deciduous trees in the valley, followed by the grey and black outlines of the mountains of New York followed by the grey, white, and blue band of sky and clouds. I only hope the photo I captured with a toddler in my other arm manages to do it some justice.

My Aunt’s house was lots of fun. Good people, good food, good everything. I only wish I had more time there.

The drive home was a bit tense. The same curvy mountain back road that was so beautiful during the day becomes quite scary at night with no light. Thankfully there was almost no water on the roads which meant the drive was easy and I didn’t have any slips.

As soon as we got home we climbed in bed. I tried to get a good night’s sleep, but I didn’t do very well.

Today we head back to Texas. I miss you all so much. You should probably start the emails and phone calls now so I’ll feel good about myself and know that I’m going to see you all very soon.

After we get up, we’ll have breakfast and pack our bags. We’ll stop in the city to mail something via UPS. Then drive to my brother’s place about an hour north. There, C will get some running around done and hoefully tire herself a hit and get rid of some of the antsies. After lunch we’ll head back tithe city, return the rental car, take a shuttle to the airport, and be headed toward Texas via Detroit.

Weeeee!

here we go

Oct 4th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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(since I took the time to set it up, I decided I may as well test the new blog by email feature. So, this entry was sent via email.)

I’ve been up since 4am unable to sleep. On the plus side, I managed to get a lot done.

All of our clothes are packed. Except Socks, Underware, Shoes, and Belts.

I drank an entire pot of coffee.

I put a Wonderpets movie, 2 Wonderpets episodes, and 2 Backyardigans episodes on my iPod for C to watch. She doesn’t watch TV, so I’m just hoping the novelty will keep her entertained. $2/episode seems like a lot, but whatever.

I got a handle on arranging some of my music. This means my iPod now has better music than before and is filled closer to capacity.

I sorted out a few Facebook and website things in order to make updating while traveling easier. I don’t know why, but I love being able to do so, That being said, you should now see “Jim Reverend”, “Daniel James”, and “Amorphous” pages on Facebook. Fan them. Livejournal updates will not happen any more. I give up. And revjimweb on Twitter should have all of this, assuming everything is lined up right.

I still need to pack our plane bags, the above mentioned items, and all the random other stuff we’ll need: Laptop, cameras, batteries, sippy cups, blankets, toiletries, stuffed animals, books, etc. I figure I should be able to get to that with C awake. And she’ll be waking up any minute now.

The plan is to go to my dad’s at some point today, hang out there, sleep there, and then get to the airport tomorrow at 5:30am. I’m ready for the adventure. I really think C is going to enjoy it too. Hopefully, she’ll take my attitude toward travel which can be summed up like this: let things go as they go, you’ll get there when you get there, talk to people, watch people, and don’t be afraid to look stupid.

Kyro was a huge lifesaver to me this morning. I honestly don’t even know what he was doing awake or what state of inebriation he was in, but it really doesn’t matter. I was stressing out big time and helped bring me some clarity.

My biggest concern right now is that the kiddo might be sick. I really hope not. I took her temperature while she was asleep and it was 101. So, if she does have a fever, it probably isn’t much.

Enjoy this photo. It’s a picture of her at the park a few days ago.

Posted via email from revjim’s posterous

Travel Preparation

Sep 30th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
1 comment

Things that I need to do in order to prepare and pack for Celeste and my trip to NY and VT, for which the plane departs at 7:30am on October 5th which is in 5 days:

  • Everything

first train home, I’ve got to get on it

Sep 14th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
4 comments
finer details

finer details

It’s saddening and maddening to realize that, these days, nearly every frustration I face is merely a byproduct of a time and work based society without control over our own timeline. Our ancestors did not face these stresses. At one point did we become so dependent on progress that we failed to realize that what we have now is worth living.?

My three step manifesto is going well. I had one failure with #3, but I’ve since course corrected.

C’s mom and I have a new schedule we’re trying with her in the hopes of offering both her and us some more stability. So with the exception of one day a week (Tuesday) and the weekends (which are always wildcards whether I get to spend time with my daughter or not) my days with and without her are now set and are the same every week. I’m slowly picking out what’s going to work best for us. I think that Sunday nights, the only “school night” on which I never have Celeste, will be reserved for me-time. So I’ll put no requirement whatsoever on myself to keep with with any obligations outside of the bare minimum. And I think I’ll reserve Tuesday, the only alternating “school night” for larger projects at home — crafts, cleaning, shampoo making, etc. It’ll make it easier for me to have a set day to postpone larger jobs to in order to help me forget about them and enjoy the rest of the week. And for really large jobs that Celeste can’t help with, I’m only ever, at most, two weeks away. Otherwise they consume me.

This new schedule isn’t the best ever. But it’s certainly a big step in the right direction. As has always been the case with changes like this, I’m now struggling with figuring out how I’m going to manage it all and still put in the time required of me at work. One day at a time, I’m getting out of this.

If I didn’t have the back and forth with Celeste to adhere to, I really think we’d be better off and far happier in a tiny little town with enough land to keep a few chickens, a few goats, and a small garden. Especially if I could find a like minded person or two to share the work load with. Ideally, I’d have a big enough property to put 4 or 5 small houses on with some interesting common areas.

Panic is setting in about our trip to New York / Vermont. Not so much that I won’t be able to make it, but that I won’t be able to live up to the expectations that others are no doubt placing on this trip. I, for instance, have things I’d like to do that have nothing to do with any of my family there. They can come, of course, but it’s more for Celeste and I. I’m worried that our “schedule” will be too much for others to handle. I’ve already gotten two cases of stress. The first was me telling my mom that I was going straight to my grandmothers when we got off the plane. I asked her if she could have dinner for us so that we could see her sooner (knowing she’d want that) and she said that we were getting in too late for her to eat. So then I told her that we’d stop somewhere on the way in and go straight to my grandmas to unpack, say hello, bathe, and get to bed, to which she objected because she wants to see us right away. After I agreed to stop at her place and pick her up for an hour or so and then bring her home, she objected because she wanted to stay at my grandma’s until Celeste went to bed, not realizing how late that might be and not understanding that, once Celeste goes to sleep I won’t be able to leave until she wakes up again.

Ugh. I think I should stop being so prolific. I don’t think anyone actually reads all of this anyway.

Texas Coast: Day 4

Sep 11th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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(This is Texas Coast Day 4, Saturday, September 6th.)

Kids and Dogs

Kids and Dogs

The plan was to go to a park, then take a nap, then have lunch, then go to a petting zoo, then have dinner.

Breakfast was had but by the time everyone was ready to go, it was already time for lunch. So we went to get some food. Afterwards we stopped at the grocery store, took the scenic route through Beaumont home, and then put Celeste down for a nap.

Celeste and Gumbo

Celeste and Gumbo

When she woke I got her ready to go to the petting zoo, but when we got there it was a sad sight to see. There was hardly anyone there, only a couple of sad animals in very small cages plus ponies that walked in circles. So, we decided it wasn’t worth it, and went to the park instead. It was particularly hot that day, so our trip to the park ended quickly.

We made one last stop at the grocery store and then went back home.

Lots of people came over that night for dinner and good times. Celeste swam in the back yard pool, and really enjoyed the Gumbo that was made. We all stayed up late to watch Bonnie spin fire and then sat and talked late into the evening while the toddlers had a dance party in the living room.

All in all, a good day.

Texas Coast: Day 3

Sep 8th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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(This is Texas Coast Day 3, Saturday, September 5th.)

The bucket

The bucket

We started the day out with some breakfast cooked at Justin’s Mom’s house where we were staying. After breakfast, we headed out to an Alligator Farm. We saw Crocodiles, Alligators, Cayman, Snakes and Turtles. A tour guide gave a nice long talk about the animals and even let us touch them. We left the tour because it was rather long and everyone was getting antsy. We were going to eat on site, but the wait was too long so we picked up some BBQ to eat back at the house.

The pink chair on the shore

The pink chair on the shore

After Celeste’s nap we headed back to the beach. This time we’d be meeting lots of other people there. There were 5 toddlers in all and the beach was full of cars and people. I dug a hole in the sand to serve as a private toddler ocean being continuously refilled by the oncoming waves. Celeste had a blast looking for seashells, rolling in the sand, playing in the waves, and walking down the beach and dancing yo other people’s music. She particularly enjoys Tejano.

As the sun was setting and we’d had our fill of sun and sand we packed up and headed back to home base, stopping at dairy queen for a quick meal.

Texas Coast: Day 1

Sep 4th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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Hiking in Huntsville

Hiking in Huntsville

The trip out wasn’t bad at all. Much better than I had feared. I picked Celeste up around 10am and we arrived in Beaumont just before 6pm. She only slept for about 45 minutes of the trip. We stopped for lunch in Corsicana, for an hour or so of hiking in Huntsville, and a handful of additional times for diaper changes, refuelings, and toy fetchings. Celeste really didn’t get cranky until the last 45 minutes or so.

Huntsville State Park is beautiful. Well, I didn’t see all of it. But the bits I did see were beautiful. Even now, the weather was nice enough to enjoy it. In a month or so, it’ll be perfect.

After settling in and playing with puppies and such, we headed out for dinner with a bunch of friends. Then we came back for a bit more play, bathtime, and such.

Celeste was acting a bit strange last night. Most likely because of the lack of a nap and the new environment. She didn’t want to take a bath. Cried the whole time. I’d normally just go with the flow and skip it, but I didn’t know how early we were leaving and she really needed a bath. Putting her down for bed was a huge fight, too. She was clearly cranky, so I brought her to bed like I usually do. Only this time she wanted nothing to do with it. Ordinally, I’d just let her stay up longer. But she was being cranky even when I told her that if she stopped we could go into the living room.

I had to be really stern with her and tell her that I needed her to stop and I needed her to stop RIGHT NOW. Finally, she said “okay” and, with a few little whines here and there, the crankies turned off like a light switch.

We watched a show about the building of the Grand Canyon Sky Walk on NatGeo and she fell asleep in my arms on the rocking chair. She only woke up once in the night. I was worried she’d wake the whole house. But, after 5 minutes or so, she went back to sleep.

Today’s plans are undetermined. A little grocery shopping, maybe some hiking, and some friends to see. Then, perhaps an Alligator Farm or a late night trip to the beach.

Texas Coast, Day I

Jul 12th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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Fuel for Paranoia

It would be an understatement to say that I am generally paranoid. I spent most of yesterday morning packing for my trip and contemplating whether I should just call the whole thing off and stay in Dallas in case something happened or I was needed in some way.

About 2 hours after we hit the road, Jess called to tell me she’d been in a car accident with the baby in the car. Thankfully, everyone is okay. I’ll keep asking to make sure and worrying about it the time I’m travelling because that’s what I do, but I’m so very glad that everyone is okay. But stuff like this doesn’t help to calm my paranoia. Working it out helps, though.

There’s no way my presence in Dallas would have prevented that accident or any of potential consequences that may follow. It would have likely happened just as it did. The only difference I might have made was in how the situation was cared for afterwards. But Jess is handling it well and calls whenever she has questions or wants an opinion, so that’s good. It makes me feel like she is taking care of everything and that if something needs my attention or if a problem arises she will let me know. As long as I can hold onto that and trust in that, then there is no reason to worry about anything.

I hope working it out is enough to help me let it go.

So that’s that. Enough said.

A Bad Feeling

I’m also starting to see signs that, once again, my intuition can be trusted. This is very good.

Recently (now there’s a vague time word for you), I got a bad feeling about some aspects of some relationships in my life. Yesterday, while I’m fairly sure everything will be just fine in the end, I had a tiny scare that started a zygote of an idea which blossomed into full blown panic. It made me realize that sometimes the risk isn’t worth the payoff and that when my intution is telling me that it might not be, instant gratification is not always the best long term solution.

I continually seek comfort and communion with others and I’m okay with that. I think that’s part of what society is suppossed to provide us with. However, I seem to be seeking it in the wrong places; places that end up leaving me feeling less comfortable and less cared for and more alone. I think, in part, this is due to issues I have with vulnerability. I desire to be close to others but I shy away from the vulnerabilty that generally comes with that. So, instead, I seek action and responses that indicate familiarity and, eventually, comfort, but do so without that initial act of vulnerability. This rarely leads to the response I want which only increases frustration. I’m working on figuring this out. But in the mean time I find myself feeling frustrated and alone in the relationships that I do reach out in. So, while I work on things from this end, I’m hopeful that I find a friendship that will work with me from the other side. It’s not really something you can ask for though. It just has to happen, I guess.

SPOON!

Oh yeah. So, the part of the trip that happned outside of my head. We made it to the hotel around 6:30pm and wanted to get to Stubb’s (the venue Spoon was playing at) by 7pm, so not a whole lot happened before that other than driving and good conversation.

discarded memories

discarded memories

The walk from the hotel to the venue was nice though. I miss walking with a purpose. Celeste and I go on walks often, but the final destination is just back home and the walk, while fun, is mostly purposeless. It’s nice to walk with a purpose. I brought the small point and shoot camera and took a few photos here and there.

The concert was great, despite some technical difficulties. Spoon puts on a good show and when they perform they are just as tight and together as they are on their albums. The sounds was spot on and the bass was just enough to let you really feel the music. Outdoor venues, even in the heat of the Texas summer, are by far my favorite places to see live music.

10 long days

Jun 30th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
12 comments

At the end of this month my ex-inlaws are driving down from Canada to visit with Celeste and Jess. They are staying for 10 days and, of course, they want to see Celeste as much as possible which means, ideally, all 10 days. This is understandable and wonderful and all of those other good words. And I, of course, want them to be as big a part of Celeste’s life as possible. And I want Celeste to spend as much time with them as she can get.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck, too. 10 days is such a long time.

I’m not officially on bad terms with them or anything. In fact, we converse as much now as we did when Jess and I were together. Maybe more. But I also didn’t catch even a hint of an invitation from Jess to come over for dinner one or twice throughout the 10 days.

On the one hand I know 10 days is going to be rough. Very rough. Because I’m just that way. I feel all the important feelings with intense amplification. So I’m inclined to distract myself as heavily as possible: ROAD TRIP. Or debauchery. But a Road Trip is more likely.

On the other hand, on the off chance that something should happen I’d like to be around. Not anything bad. I know she’s in good hands with Jess and even more so with her parents around. And my parents and many of my friends would be happy to step in if something should happen and assistance were needed. I’m not worried at all in that regard. But… if Celeste should ask for me I’d like to be reachable by phone. Or if Jess should decide to give me a night or invite me to dinner on whim, if I’m not around then I’ll feel guilty for not being there. Not because I should feel guilty but because that’s just how I am.

So I’m thinking, whatever I do, I’ll try to get it done in the first 4 to 6 days. That’ll leave me with 4 to 6 more days to recover, get some stuff done around the house, engage in debauchery, and be available just in case.

It looks like the Texas Gulf Coast is the destination of choice. That’s way exciting for me. Believe it or not, I’ve never been.

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