hooting it up in San Francisco

AHhh! Odd Owl was so good! They played songs I was unfamiliar with, and songs I knew (though not The Way Home or Spiritual Psychic Hannah, which are my favorites).

But lets go to the start of the day. Nathan went off to work, and I slept in many, many hours. I had some oatmeal and tea for breakfast. I toodled around on the Internet. I showered. Then I got around to tidying up. I put a couple things back into my car for storage, and sorted other things into little containers, which fit perfectly under the bed. It is pretty well organized now, though I can't find ANY of my rechargeable batteries. I walked down the street and went shopping at Safeway. Got bacon and eggs and jam and peanut butter and soap and bread and some other things. Also got a sandwich, though it wasn't that great of one. I sat in the sun and consumed said sandwich, and read a bit, and soaked in the warmth of the day.

Then I put some makeup on, and put on tights and a dress and made myself look nice for the Odd Owl show. Nathan had a 6pm meeting, and though we didn't discuss it, it was assumed that when he came home, we'd be off to the show right away. So I was ready for when he came home, which he did at about 7:20ish. Quick as he was back, we were off! We swung by his work and picked up his coworker Oleg. Nice fella. Very chatty and fast to talk as well. I felt positively sluggish compared. Anyway, it was a nice drive into San Francisco. I'm glad I didn't have to drive it.

We found parking right near the venue too! Awesome! The place itself was a bar with a downstairs area for bands to play. Quite cozy. I hugged Carmen and Josh and Phil and Steven the new band member. I didn't meet the fourth Odd Owl though, the drummer guy. Next time I'll meet him. I sat, we chatted, I drank a bit, I drew a lot. My sketches started out quite good, and as I imbibed they got, well, a little more gestural. I'm excited to figure them out come morning. Helen was there, and Phil's dad. It was a great first night in San Francisco, even though the only time I was outside the place was when I was going to and from Nate's car.

The first band, Morning Commute, was good. Nice music to accompany the scene of it all.

Odd Owl. Those cats are so good! And they had new music, which was great. I swayed and danced a little bit. Oleg danced the most of us all. Good for Oleg. Pretty good set, mucho enjoyable. I hope to see them perform many many times in the years to come. And I think they want some more work from me, so that is swell!

The third band was Yellow Dress, or something like that. They had some good tunes. I sang along as best as I could, when the lead singer incited us to sing of course. Part of the way through the set, Nate, Oleg and I left. I hugged the people goodbye, and in parting I was wished many "welcome to the area!" type comments. Indeed! I have arrived, and it is swell.

We stopped by Denny's and got some food. I just got a cheap meal item, and finished off what Nathan couldn't finish. The moocher method of consumption. Now it is 2am and I am ready for sleep. Who know what tomorrow will bring. Today was fun indeed.

Medford, OR to Redwood City, CA

I am in Redwood City! WHoo! Yeah! It is blue skies and all that wonderfulness from here on out!

But first I had to get out of Oregon. Breakfast was bagel and creme cheese, a banana, orange juice, and tea. I checked out of the Super 8, gassed up in Medford, and hit the road. Crossing the mountains was a bit slow going. The road was super gritty, and my car really shows the red mud (I need to give it a wash, make it pretty for Cali). I got passed by a truck towing a camper! I'm in a Prius with no snow tires going up hill on a very gravelly road. Of course I am going slow. Grrr.

The rest of the way was pretty easy. Really scenic views. Lots of fluffy clouds and orchards and hills and blue skies. I listened to Moon Over Morocco and enjoyed myself heartily. I pulled over into rest stops often. I snacked. Didn't get any full lunch on the road. I filled the tank up right before San Francisco, which was good because once I go to SF, the road expanded to five lanes and it was congested. I arrived right at rush hour. It never really fully came to a stand still, but dang I have never been on the road with so many cars. So not used to five lanes, and many different routes to pick. The GPS was very helpful. 101 went straight through, and I kept in all the right lanes. I paid my toll and went through San Francisco. It sure looked like a nice place, from my view from the freeway. I kept going forward, and eventually the Whipple exit appeared and BOOM I was in Redwood City. Just one exit, one right turn, then a left turn and I was at Nate's place! Really simple. I left Medford at 10am, and arrived just a little bit before 6pm.

Nate's place is pretty sweet. It is a lot larger than the photos initially indicated. The bed/divider section of the studio is only half the space. Lots of open space. Moving all my stuff in took no time at all. I think a lot of my things will be left in their boxes for the time being, they just will be stowed in more orderly fashion. Nate went back to work, and I unpacked and hooked up to the super fast internet. It is so fast!

I Googled "food" in regards to my location, and walked to the nearest Thai place and got take away, and I walked back. Ahhh it is so awesome to be within walking distance of things again. Love it. I shared my dinner with Nathan when he returned. We watched Game of Thrones, ate pad thai, drank beer, and ate cake and had a general good time. Whoo! Now Nate is wanting me to play some of his computer games, so I shall do that.

Seabeck, WA to Medford, OR

My alarm went off at 7am, and I managed to roll out of bed at 8:30. Go me! I showered and got right to packing and sorting and putting things into boxes. Pretty soon all my stuff came together. Art supplies, hair stuff, books, more art supplies. The pile started forming and I started getting worried about if it would all fit in the Prius. Before I piled it all in, I paused to have some tea and Cheerios. It was a lovely sunny day in Washington. Luckily, everything all fit! And I didn't even need to cram or do any major Tetris-oh crap I left my Tetris shelves at home! Oh well. Anyway, it all fit! My clothes, my plastic wheely organizer, my portfolio, my Baticelli, everything! It seems like a lot of stuff, but I'll sort it out. At a little bit before noon, I hugged and kissed Ma goodbye. I got in the Prius, and drove off. It dripped a bit of rain. I topped the tank off at Wild Cat Lake, and vroom off I went. The rain came and went. Near to the Washington/Oregon border, the rain came down really hard. I slowed down, and was very careful, and had the windshield wipers at full. It cleared up in Portland, which was the only place traffic really slowed down. I put more gas in my tank near Eugene. Bought myself a hot dog and a Red Bull as well because I was feeling a bit tired. I listened mostly to The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders; switching to Electric Six or Lady Gaga when I felt like just some music.

I stopped at many rest stops. One past Olympia, one that was 95 miles to Eugene, then one further down I5, then once again 40 miles from Medford. I was originally planning to cross the border and look for a hotel there, but with night came more rain, and I didn't feel like slugging through the dark wetness, so I pulled into Medford, found a Super 8 and got a room.

Oh, it also hailed something fierce around Albany/Salem (I forget). Just really horrible hail. And some of the rain was suspiciously slushy. The Pacific Northwest is really not trying at all to win me back.

Interesting how a hotel room in Oregon has more amenities than the ones in Vegas. Big fridge, free internet, huzzah! There is also breakfast included. So I'll get up, eat, then head out for Redwood City!! Yay! Will fill up the tank before I get back on I5. The snack bag mom packed is only about half depleted.

So close to the Bay Area!

Eight hours on the road isn't that much, but the weather sucked. I think if the weather was nice, and I got an early start, I could have driven a lot more. But when it is dark and raining, guhh.

pack it in, pack it out

My legs hurt! Been standing on them, and straining against them as I haul all these things around. I laid out all my clothes in neat little piles on the bed. Did a load of laundry as well. All my clothes are clean and ready to go. I think I did a pretty good job editing it down. I could probably do with even less clothes...I'm going to try and wear dresses more often. Biking around really limited my wardrobe to pants, so now that I'm driving, I'm going to try and dress a little better. Ahhh I'm tired. This will probably be a rather rambling entry.

My clothes are packed into a suitcase and a plastic tub. The jackets, shoes, socks, undies, and scarfs are separate. I'm not sure how warm/cold to pack. I am headed south, yeah, but I know San Francisco gets the ocean winds in. Well, I can always pass things back off onto Mom and Dad if they visit in the motorhome. It's really just a couple coats, which are always good to have.

I selected seven paperbacks and seven art books to bring with me. Books I can reasonably read, and not just let them collect dust.

Need to find my bike helmet.

The things that are left art my makeup, hair stuff, art supplies, and computer related stuff. Not so bad. I want to leave before Mom leaves tomorrow. So before 11. Leaving super early is only really if I plan to do it in one shot. I think I might find a motel in Medford, or right over the border. Get through most of Oregon. I'll see how I feel. I'm pretty tired right now, so I think I'll go to bed and finish up in the morning. GOODNESS, I leave tomorrow! It seems so sudden, though I've been in Seabeck for 10 months. I haven't done nothing in this time, but it has been a long while.

Time to get a job and get a life and do things and have fun.

Finished Bron/Broen. Quite sad. Good drama.

Oh, went into town and dropped off some stuff at Goodwill. I think I won't have a problem fitting the stuff into the Prius.

AHHHHHHHHH!!! Tomorrow, I leaaave. Holy cow!

about to roll out

Uh oh, I'm starting to stay up late again. Not good. I'm sitting in the computer room/guest bedroom. I got a tablet. A Wacom Bamboo Create. The small Intuos was discontinued, but the Create came with the same programs, and has a larger drawing space, so that is good. Also, when using a dual monitor set up, having the larger tablet is good, because the mouse space corresponds to both screens. A smaller tablet may not extend so freely. Anyway, I've been playing with the tablet, figuring out the programs. Adobe Photoshop Elements sucks though. Really not good. But Gimp has been working out.

I spent the day sorting through things. I tried on a bunch of clothes, and was amazed at how many of them fit better than they once did. I lost weight, even though I'm softer in the chin in stomach. Weird. Anyway, tried on clothes. And went through my very last bucket of stuff. Then I sorted the tubs and took the tubs to the space over the garage. Tomorrow I will finalize all my clothing selections, take a final trip to Goodwill, wash my clothes, and then take things back up to the cabin for long term storage. Art supplies, technology, clothes, some art, cooking implements. This is what I shall bring. Oh and check book and bike helmet and toiletries and things...tomorrow I pack it up. Day after tomorrow I leave.

HOLY CRAP.

Anyway. Lots of sorting. Getting on with it I am I am.

...I should at least plan

Game of Thrones premiered tonight! So excited! It was so good! I need more exclamation marks: !!!!!!!!!!. There. That should about do it.

I put away all my books and went through all the boxes in the minibarn. I still can't find my rice cooker. Put away my magazines as well. Missing some issues, but no biggie. They'll turn up in this house.

I'm down to one bin in the cabin to sort through. Found my favorite shoes. So I need to go through that last bin, as well as organize the stuff that is laying out and unsorted. I still haven't tried on the clothes. Two days.

Dad has gone again.

It was legitimately sunny, though not warm.

I took down my wheely plastic thingy, which will make for a good movable storage thing.

It is nice to have my books put away, though they are in a horrible order. I should rethink the whole have read/reading/haven't read system, but oh well. Maybe the seemingly unintelligible system will keep mom's hands off my books. She bends books.

Not the most productive day, but I did do some good things. Do I want to over plan and potentially over pack? Or under plan and pack in a hurry and forget things that I probably won't need?