The Desert Mermaid

So I went on another Eclipse Adventure!

THE BIG TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 2017

ME: Wow, I would have to go slightly north to see totality! I am not up for a traffic-jammed road trip
ME: I volunteer to stay at the Space Place and do Eclipse Activities, allowing my other coworkers to travel!
ME: In exchange, I only ask for a suitcase full of money
SPACE PLACE:
ME: Or the next couple of eclipses guaranteed off
SPACE PLACE: eh, sure

PREVIOUSLY ON ECLIPSE ADVENTURE:

A traffic-jammed road trip!

THE NOT-VERY-CLOSE PATH OF TOTALITY

ME: Good news, bro! I'm gonna be in your direction! How about if I send you a map of totality and you pick a city to meet me in?
MY BROTHER: Oh, you want me to do a traffic-jammed road trip? I see how it is
ME: Also, I will be taking the train because air travel is LITERALLY THE WORST
MY BROTHER: Okay. How's Buffalo, New York sound?
ME: I dunno, how's the springtime weather in Buffalo?
BROTHER: Unpredictable. But you can see my new house and hang out with Burgie for a day!
ME: SOLD

So I bought a make-your-own-unicorn kit as an offering for Burgie and was on my way!

( FRIENDLY FACES EVERYWHERE; HUMBLE FOLKS WITHOUT TEMPTATION )

Vacation achieved!

Spent four days in Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park with my cousins, whom I haven't seen in like 15 years. I took almost no pictures (forgot Mini Addy, my go-to travel companion), so you don't get any. But I assure you, the Tetons are still there.

Though a couple of climate comments (it was ungodly hot) invited some scoffing from my uncle, who is the platonic ideal of the comfortably unwoke entitled white dude. Like, convicted-for-multiple-whitecollar-felonies-and-then-pardoned-by-his-good-buddy-the-governor levels of comfortably unwoke entitled white dude. He also has no self awareness. He once tried to splain how great Dune is to me. He works for an oil company. I'm sure they assured him that the climate crisis is not a real crisis at all.

Somehow I didn't pick a fight with him.

Lotta people there, though. It's a bit overrun. I've heard we're just trampling the National Parks "post" Covid, and I believe it.* I think a lot of people kinda broke under the lockdown portion, with bad coping strategies leading to some serious emotional dysregulation--and, more to the point, cabin fever. Hence the thousands of people stomping all over the visitor centers. But that's just a hypothesis.

Anyway, good to enjoy a few days in my home away from home! What'd I miss?


*Also, uh, sorry for doing some trampling of my own.

Well, off to Sacramento for Thanksgiving with Mom's family. Try not to descend into apocalyptic dystopia while I'm gone.

So! Chicago was pretty fun to visit, I must say. I only spent a couple of days there, but they were pretty enjoyable even if god DAMN my feet hurt.



What is it with skyscrapers? I mean, they look awfully pretty, yes. But to someone who is used to a large sprawling suburban valley surrounded by mountains, they also look like an attempt to give some kind of shape to a flat place. Plus, I'm not used to buildings that take up whole blocks (even small, non-Salt Lake City blocks). But maybe it was just my TOO MANY HUMANS reaction kicking in.

And so many of them are named after companies. Which is just ... telling, I guess.



I like this one just because it's some weird hybrid, and the older one on the left has the nickname of "The Gothic Rocket."

( More Chicago Photos )



The best part of the trip, though, was getting to meet childthursday and Jess! I have known childthursday for quite a while online, and have gotten to watch her meet and form a relationship with Jess through her writing. It was wonderful to finally see her face-to-face, and to be able to celebrate their marriage with them!

(Whenever partygoers asked where I was from, I answered "The Internet!")

( More Photos, Including The Most Magnificent Cake Ever )

Anyway! That's all for this time! Mini Addy's adventures turned out to be pretty photogenic, too, so they'll be up next! Stay tuned!

Hey, guys! Guess who got married?

What? No! No, it's not me. The correct answer is childthursday, who was finally able to get married a few months ago--and now she's having her wedding bash, and I am TOTALLY going. I'm off to Chicago this weekend to toast the happy couple! I'm only spending a couple days, but I'm looking forward to meeting her* and her lovely lady and having a party and eating cake and maybe doing some tourism. And yes, I plan to take pictures.

Anyway, don't do anything nuts without me, y'all! See you after the weekend!


*I love how the internet works. "My friend of many years got married! I'm going to go meet her for the first time at the party!"

My siblings' apartment is a nice setup , with an open kitchen/living area and an airy hallway. They've been gathering furniture for it, and it's getting pretty comfy. The one strange thing, though, was the drifted piles of plasticky and papery and feathery little ditzels and greebles in odd corners.

MY SISTER: Oh, those. Yeah, just be glad there aren't any Starbursts or grapes. All will become clear in time. Anyway, here's the air mattress. Tomorrow we'll go pick up Harley.

Meeting the Kitty

It's been a while since I've had a tiny kitty around. My cat is old and tired, and outdoorsy, able to gallivant around outside if she's bored. I'd been assured by my siblings that little Harley* is in no way an old lady cat. And when we went to pick her up from the friend's house where she was staying, I quickly saw it for myself.

FRIEND: It was great to have Harley back with the other cats! Back when we were fostering her, before you adopted her, the other cats were a little annoyed with her. She's settled down a lot since then!
HARLEY: *streaks by chasing one of the other cats*
MY BROTHER: Thanks again for taking her in again. And for dinner! You guys are great.
HARLEY: LOOKIT ME EVERYONE! THE FLOOR IS LAVA!
FRIEND: No problem! We love you guys! And it's nice to see your sister again.
ME: I am glad to see you, as well!
HARLEY: HI, NEW PERSON! WANNA SEE MY STICK? HERE IT IS! MAKE IT GO! MAKE IT GO!
FRIEND: Indeed! Let's enjoy some dinner!
HARLEY: *zooms by again* MEEP MEEP!

She didn't even slow down after we'd left their excellent dinner and went home. The moment we arrived at the apartment, she launched herself into the nearest pile of the debris drifted in the corners of the house. The ditzels and thingies were her toys. And by god, she liked them. She selected one and brought it to me.

ME: Well, hey, little buddy!
HARLEY: Look! This is my favorite toy! That plastic seal-and-ring thing that seals an orange juice carton! It is the best thing ever! MAKE IT GO!
ME: ... Uh, okay. *toss*
HARLEY: VIEW HALLOO AND TALLY HO! *charges off*

First cat I've ever met who plays fetch.

( More things! Not ALL of them are cat-related! )

Okay, I was supposed to get back yesterday morning, but I hopped on the wrong train* and briefly wound up on Mars and had to sort that out. (My grandmother was thrilled to have an extra day with me, though.)

So I got in at 3 a.m. this morning. And let me tell you, sleeper trains are fun, but they aren't conducive to, y'know, actual SLEEPING, what with the way you have to constantly brace yourself to avoid falling off your cute little bunk. Plus, I think a Benny Hill sketch was going on outside my room--lots of running and doors slamming and possibly a fancy lady whose dress got knocked off and a guy in a bear suit, and who can sleep during THAT?

And then Mom wanted me to come to work today. I'd tell her hell no, except she drove 10 miles through the ice and snow to get me at 3 a.m. and also I need the money.

But by god I am not going to strain my brain. You guys will just have to wait to hear about Train Quest and Adventures With One Hundred Thousand Relatives and Siblings Using Secret Codes and Fun With BART and San Francisco and One Ridiculous Baby Kitty. I am sure you're dying to get the whole story, but dangit I can't even think straight right now. But it'll be forthcoming!


*Don't laugh! They all look alike, dammit!

On Tuesday I'll be traveling to California for to visit my siblings and some extended family for Thanksgiving! Haven't seen my 96-year-old grandmother since she was, like, 92. I'm taking along my ocarina and one of the dolls to start conversations.

And I'll be taking the train! See, I really fucking hate air travel, because do I really need to finish this sentence? So I figure that taking a train instead will at least afford me new and different ways to be stressed out and inconvenienced.

Anyway, also gonna be in the Bay Area for a couple days. I know I've got a few LJ folks in that vicinity, too. Perhaps I'll see y'all there! Anything is possible when you're riding a train!

So a couple weeks ago, my family and I went to Grand Teton National Park. And, this being Modern Times, we all brought cameras. So now, you lucky dogs you, you get to see my vacation slides!



Coming at you, Jackson--and I am all ready for Nature Science. In the back pocket of that vest (damn I love that vest*) are about eight more little pamphlets on identifying plants, animals, rocks, etc..

That hat, by the way, is one I bought earlier this summer. It came with a veritable NOVEL of helpful instructions and other ephemera. Thing deserves its own entry, frankly.

Hey, who's that down in my pocket? Is that Mini Addy? Do you suppose she had adventures of her own in the Tetons? FORESHADOWING!)



Wilderness disco party! WOO!

( More under here! WOO! )

While my family was having adventures, Mini Addy had a few of her own. I'll put those together in the next few days!


*Dad was not sure about it because of the size issue: I was getting it from the men's section, which did not take into account some aspects of my topography. It's tough to find a women's vest with even five thousand pockets, though. For all that, I am really pleased with how it fits!

The first thing I found out about Disneyland was possibly the weirdest, too: I have never been there, and yet I knew my way around. No, it’s not some eerie “I’ve been here before” feeling, neither. It’s because I’ve freaking played Epic Mickey. Turns out the areas in that game weren’t just kind of inspired by Disneyland—they actually matched the layout of Main Street, New Orleans Square, Tomorrowland, etc.. It was … kinda strange, frankly.

ME: I have this overwhelming urge to squirt paint everywhere.

MY BROTHER: Me too. At least we aren’t trying to use thinner.

ME: Unless we get ambushed by that rocking Phineas and Ferb truck again. I am totally willing to melt them.

---

My Favorite Spot, Unsuprisingly, Was Tomorrowland

ME: Innoventions! Dream House! I AM SO THERE!

MY BROTHER: Engineering stuff!

MY SISTER: *sad puppy eyes* Rides?

ME: THE FUTURE!

*we explore the carousel Dream House, brought to you by innovative companies of THE FUTURE buy their stuff!*

ME: Dig! Bedrooms! Of THE FUTURE!

MY BROTHER: Kitchen! Of THE FUTURE! … But where are the cake-baking robot hands?

ME: Impractical computer screen dining room table! Of THE FUTURE!

EXASPERATED CAST MEMBER: You guys realize that all this technology is available now, right?

ME: And you realize this means we’re LIVING in The Future, right?


Cast Guy was not amused. Fortunately, later we found an enthusiastic Cast Girl who was all over Living In THE FUTURE, so that’s okay.

---



I kept getting drawn toward this thing. Not to ride it, just because it’s pretty. Hundertwassery, even!

---

Now, since LucasArts and Disney are BFFs, there’s a harsh truth one must accept about the park: at some point, ( your ass WILL get whacked with a lightsaber. )

---

( Halloween At Dizney: Beware Of Orange Thing )

---

( The Haunted Mansion Manic Holiday )

---



My sister wore this previously-acquired hat all week, making her darn easy to spot. There’s a sticker on the front with Peter Pan on it, which she touched up with a ballpoint pen at some point. The painstakingly written “FUCK YEAH” on it became a problem when we discovered that everyone in the universe wanted her hat. Guess they don’t make them anymore. They’d ask to examine it, and she always swept it off with a flourish so that her hand covered the sticker.

---



My linguist powers tell me this is a pretty straightforward cipher. Hell, if you cross your eyes, you can read it.

This was part of the Indiana Jones ride, which my sister's buddy insisted we go on. Turns out she had good reason. Dang what a fun ride.

---

ME: Say, what have we here? Looks like somebody went to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

SMALL PRINCESS: I did! And my fairy godmother helped me with my hair!

ME: That explains the sparkles, all right. Say, Dude, why don’t you go to the Boutique?

MY BROTHER: Because I’m wearing a hat.

ME: Nonsense. I for one completely support your transformation into Princess Sparklebeard.

MY BROTHER: Well, I would look good in a tiara.

---

( These Are Definitely For Holding Toothpicks )

STORE GUY: You have a point. … I see you also bought a Mickey shirt.

ME: I couldn’t find an Oswald one.

---

And, alas, that was my one regret for the trip. An Oswald shirt is even more elusive than a happy Donald shirt. But if that’s the one tragedy of the trip, then I’d say it was darn successful!