Tuesday, October 28, 2008
In Florida
Natties starts on Thursday! I'm in Florida and very excited. I'll be sure to post pictures of the games, if I can get anyone to take pictures. More updates to follow.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Hatteras
I'm in North Carolina. I went out to Cape Hatteras earlier today, and saw a bunch of people out there surfing. I should have walked out there (about a mile from the car) with my board in hand, rather than leaving it in the car.
Last night I wrote this:
To go from the city into the south is a shock to me, almost. Because the south is so unexpected. I did not drive far, I did not but cross one state line, yet here I am. It is like taking a turn down an unfamiliar road and finding yourself in a totally different place. The weather looks and smells just like Bellingham, but it is warm. The fields and landscape is like the Skagit Valley, but there are not mountians, and the sea lapps eagerly a mere six inches below the lay of the land. I haven't reached the Outer Banks yet, so there are no dunes. I've found a small nook to camp in tonight, but right now I am in a resteraunt down the road, eating, waiting for it to get darker, and getting a taste of the south. I didn't realize, until I pulled into the parking lot, where, the trucks lined up side by side, and walking in, when I was greeted with the drawl that caught me off guard, where I was.
Tomorrow I'll go into South Carolina, and stay with a friend in Boiling Springs, and then tuesday I'll head down to Florida
Last night I wrote this:
To go from the city into the south is a shock to me, almost. Because the south is so unexpected. I did not drive far, I did not but cross one state line, yet here I am. It is like taking a turn down an unfamiliar road and finding yourself in a totally different place. The weather looks and smells just like Bellingham, but it is warm. The fields and landscape is like the Skagit Valley, but there are not mountians, and the sea lapps eagerly a mere six inches below the lay of the land. I haven't reached the Outer Banks yet, so there are no dunes. I've found a small nook to camp in tonight, but right now I am in a resteraunt down the road, eating, waiting for it to get darker, and getting a taste of the south. I didn't realize, until I pulled into the parking lot, where, the trucks lined up side by side, and walking in, when I was greeted with the drawl that caught me off guard, where I was.
Tomorrow I'll go into South Carolina, and stay with a friend in Boiling Springs, and then tuesday I'll head down to Florida
Friday, October 24, 2008
Washington DC
I'm in DC, or was today. I wandered around the mall for a while, saw some buildings, and learned a bit about history. And about government. Government by the people for the people... Unfortunately, I ran into a whole lot of fences and police officers, telling me that I don't belong there, that I'm not allowed in. But still, I had a good time walking around. I threw a disc a
cross the 
reflecting pool, I went into the Air and Space museum, and saw a saturn 5 engine, which is amazingly huge. I still need to see a saturn 5 whole sheebang, but I'll see one later, I think.
The monument is cool looking, and the Capitol is on a hill, so it kind of looms.
My favorite was Lincoln. He's a kindly sort, with his big chair and open faced building, and though sort of aloof, he wasn't that far off, so it was an easy walk over to him. There are two speeches on the walls of his building, one is his second term inagurational speech, the other the Gettysburg Address. Both are focused on slavery, which seems to be a focus of mine right now as well. In "Lies my teacher told me", the author goes through the Gettysburg Address a little, to show that it is a speech both about revering the dead who fought there, but also to garner support and give reason for the need to fight the war, such as the ideals of freedom.
So I ended up sitting on Lincoln's doorstep as the sun set, and it was very nice. I guess having Abe around is comforting.
I'll be heading south tomorrow, not quite sure where to yet, but for sure I need to end up in Florida by tuesday night.
cross the 
reflecting pool, I went into the Air and Space museum, and saw a saturn 5 engine, which is amazingly huge. I still need to see a saturn 5 whole sheebang, but I'll see one later, I think.
The monument is cool looking, and the Capitol is on a hill, so it kind of looms.
My favorite was Lincoln. He's a kindly sort, with his big chair and open faced building, and though sort of aloof, he wasn't that far off, so it was an easy walk over to him. There are two speeches on the walls of his building, one is his second term inagurational speech, the other the Gettysburg Address. Both are focused on slavery, which seems to be a focus of mine right now as well. In "Lies my teacher told me", the author goes through the Gettysburg Address a little, to show that it is a speech both about revering the dead who fought there, but also to garner support and give reason for the need to fight the war, such as the ideals of freedom.
So I ended up sitting on Lincoln's doorstep as the sun set, and it was very nice. I guess having Abe around is comforting.
I'll be heading south tomorrow, not quite sure where to yet, but for sure I need to end up in Florida by tuesday night.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
In Maryland
I'm on the verge of DC right now. Two days ago I was in Rhode island, I went out to Cape Cod, and I went to Plymouth, to see the Mayflower 2.
Speaking of Plymouth, I totally understand a lot more about why they landed there. I will explain. Initially, the Pilgrims (which I am learning did not call themselves that, but that's the word I've got) met up with the coast somewhere near or at Cape Cod, and they followed the cape around the corner, to protected waters. (or so I am lead to believe) So they landed at Provincetown. (Thats a link to a map, so open it up to get an idea of the area)
Then they discovered that Cape Cod is a barren sandy spit, and there isn't any water there, and not much grows there. Not a good spot for a settlement. So they head for the mainland, and I would imagine that they head along the inside of the cape, slowly going along the shoreline, until they ran into the first water. There is a nice little stream right next to Plymouth, and its (as far as I could see) the first water in that direction. Otherwise, had they just crossed the bay directly, they would of had a good chance at hitting the area north more (like Boston).
Anyways, I thought it was neat to see the landscape there.
Then I drove to Altoona Pennsylvania, where Clare and Joe live (friends from Bellingham) and saw a lot of wonderful colors of the autumn leaves and such. Then today (Thursday) I drove from Altoona to the DC area, stopping at Gettysburg.
Gettysburg is a name from history... Lets see, what happened there? Some sort of address, I believe, about the freedom of all peoples, four score and seven years ago...
but also a great and terrible battle happened there. The fields that still stand clear leading up to a hill where the Union troops held ground during the confederate attacks. I can understand why the union retreated up to the hill, when attacked, because its a wonderful place to see a commanding view of the area, and to have a nice easy shot down at anyone trying to kill you. Many people died there, and I could feel it a little in the wind. The sun was shining brightly, the torch on a memorial burning, (the eternal flame) but the huge fields (to the south of the hill, where I don't think much of the battle was fought, in actuality) made me think of the sorrow and loss that happened there. Something about a large plot of land devoted to open air alone in this busy contryside makes me feel a little empty inside. From there I drove on through the brick town of Gettysburg, where the red bricks, like the color of dried blood, try to emphasize the noble spirit of the nation, and the red leaves fallen on the ground remind me of the war we seem to always be involved in. Ah, the spirit of patriotism really comes out in the fall.
But I will be heading further south, into warmer climates.
Tomorrow I'll go into DC for the day.
Speaking of Plymouth, I totally understand a lot more about why they landed there. I will explain. Initially, the Pilgrims (which I am learning did not call themselves that, but that's the word I've got) met up with the coast somewhere near or at Cape Cod, and they followed the cape around the corner, to protected waters. (or so I am lead to believe) So they landed at Provincetown. (Thats a link to a map, so open it up to get an idea of the area)
Then they discovered that Cape Cod is a barren sandy spit, and there isn't any water there, and not much grows there. Not a good spot for a settlement. So they head for the mainland, and I would imagine that they head along the inside of the cape, slowly going along the shoreline, until they ran into the first water. There is a nice little stream right next to Plymouth, and its (as far as I could see) the first water in that direction. Otherwise, had they just crossed the bay directly, they would of had a good chance at hitting the area north more (like Boston).
Anyways, I thought it was neat to see the landscape there.
Then I drove to Altoona Pennsylvania, where Clare and Joe live (friends from Bellingham) and saw a lot of wonderful colors of the autumn leaves and such. Then today (Thursday) I drove from Altoona to the DC area, stopping at Gettysburg.
Gettysburg is a name from history... Lets see, what happened there? Some sort of address, I believe, about the freedom of all peoples, four score and seven years ago...
but also a great and terrible battle happened there. The fields that still stand clear leading up to a hill where the Union troops held ground during the confederate attacks. I can understand why the union retreated up to the hill, when attacked, because its a wonderful place to see a commanding view of the area, and to have a nice easy shot down at anyone trying to kill you. Many people died there, and I could feel it a little in the wind. The sun was shining brightly, the torch on a memorial burning, (the eternal flame) but the huge fields (to the south of the hill, where I don't think much of the battle was fought, in actuality) made me think of the sorrow and loss that happened there. Something about a large plot of land devoted to open air alone in this busy contryside makes me feel a little empty inside. From there I drove on through the brick town of Gettysburg, where the red bricks, like the color of dried blood, try to emphasize the noble spirit of the nation, and the red leaves fallen on the ground remind me of the war we seem to always be involved in. Ah, the spirit of patriotism really comes out in the fall.
But I will be heading further south, into warmer climates.
Tomorrow I'll go into DC for the day.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Rhode Island....(still)
I went down to Newport today, and saw a number of things that were really cool. I saw America3, the America's cup contender from a while ago, and a bunch of boats out in the harbor and walked around a marina, and then went to the coast to check out the surf. Which, it just so happened, was very nice. So I put on my suit and went in, and it was lovely. The air is rather cold now, but the water temperature was around 60, so it was really nice. Warmer than the air, in fact. I could have stayed in for a long time, with my 4:3 suit on. I caught some nice rides, and got my head into a barrel, but the rest of me wouldn't fit, (small barrel) and had a great time playing around in the water. Tomorrow I'll go to Cape Cod, and then wednesday I'll head to Pennsylvania.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Rhode Island
I am in Rhode Island. It is a great place, and kind of like Bellingham in some ways. Lyra and Andrew (in the pictures) showed me around town a little bit, to this place that looks a lot like Boulevard Park (and if you haven't been to Bellingham, you should go and visit Boulevard Park)
there was a great statue holding a frisbee, by coincidence....
the wind was blowing really hard, so I climbed up a flagpole to flap a little. Then we went to this play, about the slave trade in Providence RI. A lot I didn't know. Did you know that 1000 slave voyages were made from and to Rhode Island, and Providence was a major slave trade port?
I did not. And as I head further south, and we as a nation head towards looking for the content of our leader's character (as opposed to the color of their skin), race relations are coming at me from all over.
I feel guilty sometimes. Guilt, like a poison from priests seeking control over their congregation, like a mandate from the powerful to the not. But I am guilty for being white, where whites have punished and enslaved. In Kingcome, I could feel the bite of my skin on my consciousness. I could imagine the pent up hatred brewed from generations and years of inequality, painted boldly across my face, but I could do nothing. Now here, too, the guilt comes. Is this why history is so painful?
DC will be tough, I am sure, for though the white rule prevails there, it is the powerful that make me feel ashamed the most.
And further south, I cannot guess what I will find or feel.
there was a great statue holding a frisbee, by coincidence....
the wind was blowing really hard, so I climbed up a flagpole to flap a little. Then we went to this play, about the slave trade in Providence RI. A lot I didn't know. Did you know that 1000 slave voyages were made from and to Rhode Island, and Providence was a major slave trade port?
I did not. And as I head further south, and we as a nation head towards looking for the content of our leader's character (as opposed to the color of their skin), race relations are coming at me from all over.
I feel guilty sometimes. Guilt, like a poison from priests seeking control over their congregation, like a mandate from the powerful to the not. But I am guilty for being white, where whites have punished and enslaved. In Kingcome, I could feel the bite of my skin on my consciousness. I could imagine the pent up hatred brewed from generations and years of inequality, painted boldly across my face, but I could do nothing. Now here, too, the guilt comes. Is this why history is so painful?
DC will be tough, I am sure, for though the white rule prevails there, it is the powerful that make me feel ashamed the most.
And further south, I cannot guess what I will find or feel.
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