trip/spring break

Lake Tahoe - We snowshoed into a blizzard, but did find the cabin and once we got the fire going it was really cool. The next morning was sunny and calmwith a gorgeous view. As we trekked back in the pristine snow, we realized how much of the 3 miles was uphill. Like steep incline uphill. Since we'd had our heads down, faces frozen, we couldn't focus on the daunting hike. That was a very good thing. Tim was almost silent the hour and a half it took to get there. All in all it was a great adventure and we both slept soundly in the little loft.

Reno was fun yet not exactly lucrative. We ate lots, played at every casino for about two and half days when our gambling streak turned. We then people watched and went on a two hour timeshare deal. Easiest $75 I've ever made. That got us gas and home.

Lindy and Greta pushed their Extra Large Dogloo over. Christian's best friend said she was gone the day before we got home. From the dog prints on top of the Dogloo and the scratch marks on the six foot fence, it seems plausible that Lindy once again escaped for adventure. Greta has moped and whined. I'll keep you updated on Lindy's possible return.

Im back into full writing swing and will be sending the first 5-7 chapters to any willing readers. Mom is the only faithful reader/editor thus far. Dad, one chapter does not count. Four years of my life and that's all you can manage??

My tulips are coming up. I am most proud. Don't ruin the moment by comparing your little gardening/yard projects. This is a 100% change from last year.

Our creek will eventually be getting chinook and steelhead in the coming years do to the "Federal license requirements associated with their dams on the Deschuts River, Portland General Electric andthe Condfederated Tires of Warm Springs...and their efforts to reintroduce these native fish species to their historic habitats."

Traci

My time is getting short.

I only have 2 more days at home. It turns out that my hubby will be here for about 3 hours while I am still home, but he is going to come to Desert Aire with me for a day or two. And while I will have to work I can at least see him in the evening.

I seem to have gotten some things accomplished while I was home. I have finished the "outside" part of the window to wall project. I picked the one can of white paint I found in the garage but once dry it turned out not to be quite the same, however it blends well enough to be bearable for awhile. I still need to add more mud to the "inside" (bathroom side) of the new wall. I had the entire livingroom covered in dust after sanding the drywall mud, but with a good shopvac round and then a follow up with the regular vaccuum I think most of it has been collected. I still really like my vaccuum.

I also planted the plants that my parents bought me for my birthday. They look very nice. I am trying to figure out what to do with my backyard. I would like to build some sort of wood shed to keep the wood dry without all the tarps that never seem to stay on. I am also thinking about some sort of edging to my flowerbeds. I have lots of natural rock but that can get somewhat sloppy looking. I could also see using those terracing blocks if it wasn't too expensive.

I took Ada to work with me today and she got to go for a boat ride which she always enjoys. I think that is all of my updates, let's here yours.

success!!!

LA_fishingsm
Originally uploaded by wgrudd.

Our fishing efforts were not in vain. This fish is called a sheepshead (because of the cute sheepy wittle face, and the buck teeth used to break through oyster shells). These are a delicacy in
some Vietnamese cultures. Brings back fond memories. Normally these guys will swallow the hook and create a bit of a "project" in getting your lure back. Notice the friendly spines on the back, and they can bite if you use anything but pliers. Dad and I gave him a lot of space/respect. We also caught an eel, but didn't get a shot of him. Creepy.

Had some boiled crawfish yesterday before heading out with the family on the boat bringing some beer along. good times. Lot of good food, some of which I've resisted. Eating crawfish is a lot of
work. Calorically speaking, you probably break even. It's warm down here. Palms, oaks, and loud cricket and frogsong at night. Southern stuff.

Almost home

Tonight is my last night in my hotel room. I still need to pack up so I can make a quick exit after we finish up our part of the study tomorrow. I will have to watch my speed on those lonely desert roads. I got pulled over on my trip here and managed to have a friendly conversation with a trooper on the number of times I had been lost that night on my journey towards Desert Aire. He didn't even give me a warning or tell me to slow down (64 in a 55). So needless to say I will try to keep my speed below that magic 7 mph over the speed limit rule that seems to be universal. However I don't have anything to speed home to, besides my dog. My hubby will be across the country by then. I think I will be going to Mom and Dad's on Saturday. I will have to take a detour by Costco to get my snow tires taken off.

my final project for history of graphic design.

davidcarsonfinal
Originally uploaded by wgrudd.

This was created as hommage to David Carson, one of the 90's great graphic designers. He grew up around surfing culture, and his style was unique in those days. I wrote the following free form to mirror what is going on in the imagery:


Sound, taste, texture, rhythm, temperature. Did I mention texture? No swell is ever the same. Infinite variety. Ceaseless barrage upon the shores of structure. Infinitely different. Infinitely the same. 1995 rising tide. All of us riders, empowered, harnessing and embracing chaos. Nets. voicing in unison. Currents erratic. Cool feet, warm torso. A creative body (of work) pushed and pulled. Type blurred. Read underwater. Some type has been taken by the surf, leaving a coherent message. We were glad to engage in it. What is left, scattered by nature, a sign of humanity molded by the wash of rhythm and wear. Beautiful oblivion. A carcass of structure to maintain communication. Picked at, by the denizens of creative process. Flawed perfection, in and with each wave. David Carson. The clack of trucks on a ramp, or familiar knock on the door to those versed in the extremes? Skateboards, sound boards, textured, worn like the voices who sing along. Welcome to the 90s, carcass of the 80s We answer and are inspired by the risk takers. In all of this, spirit, energy. Ultimate understanding. Taken in. Embracing the young, the new, technology streams across the jetty, reaches us all with colorful information. Abstraction in the peaks of excess. The end of Print. 2nd Sight. Collections of driftwords tossed ashore. Forced. purposeful. and Defiant. David Carson. Giant photos. Pictures of you. Me. Anybody. Matters not. dots and coms. Crud and grain. Discordant. Ambiguity. Sea of white. Black. Scaled to anonymity. Disruption. Splintered. Kerning crapshoot. Deliberately missing. Intentionally fucked. The discovery of Photoshop. Creating seams. printed with precision. Unlimited space on the playground. Does this word relate? Oh yes. It does. In time. That's the point. Changing the face of typography. So dramatic. Amazing books. "There is a certain predictability to its unpredictably." Ed Fella appears. Appropriately raw.

Abstraction at expense, expense of energy, potential, expended rapidly on the sand. Destruction of towers and courage. Largest peaks crash the hardest.

Today : Ignoring nature. Improve the jetty. Rejecting the chaos. Webs. Try smaller crests. Stay in the shallows. Moral high ground. No time to ride. No patience for nature. Clear the skies. The young are secure. Youth seen, not heard. The tides still beckon. All safe and slumped and beaten, dripping hair loss. Bought the machine. Clean lines, vector, structure. packaged, assimilation. Tradition in graphics and marriage. Be that way, Be this way. David Carson. visions of the past that's close enough. Surf is still audible in a shell. Ever cautious, we suit up for the next ultimate ride. This time on a ski do. Conquering nature. differences. others. Shutting the senses. Selling, wallowing, fearing. Patriots. To disagree is unpatriotic. Legal cloning. Imperative. Flux. Ebb or flow. It's all good.
-Greyson Rudd

He doesn't miss me yet

Well, I called my hubby today and it was clear that he doesn't truely miss me yet. When I asked as much he just replied with "yeah, sure". We all know what that means, "not really but I know I should so I am going to say I do." Well that is fine, we will just see how he feels in another few weeks without me. And we are also currently looking at work in Idaho that could take up some of my summer months. He might miss me then.

Life here is the same but good. I ran for a good 30 minutes today and then walked for another mile or so. I am averaging about 4 miles on my outings so I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then I was down in a coworkers room that had a scale so I gave it a whirl. And I am the same exact weight after 2 weeks of running and eating pretty well. I think I may be looking a little more fit but it is hard to say. I am having real trouble staying motivated enough to go running after our 10 hour days at work. I would consider running in the morning but I don't feel safe running in the dark without my poo dog.

I can't think of anything else that is new in my routine following life. My hubby is busy with getting projects and papers ready for finals week. I think he is doing a great job and really developing some useful skills. However he said he hasn't had any time to be a bachelor while I was gone, meaning he wants to be able to sit around playing videogames and drinking bear. Hopefully he can catch up on that while he is down with his parents for spring break.

Take care everyone and keep me updated on what is going on in your lives.

Happy Birthday Mother

I want to wish my mother a happy birthday. I will help set up the barbeque if you will cook me up a burger on it.

So you did the 'ol Porters/Kahneetah trip eh?? And dad actually came back with money?? How did that happen. Did he hit it big finally? Did he save any for my birthday?

Anyway, I have been jogging each day after work. I jog for 22mins (to the blue house) and walk back (about 30min). I think I am going to die at about minute 15 but I slowly keep jogging and eventually make it to my desired location aka the blue house. The blue house is simply the farthest spot I could force my body to run to the first day and I now use it for a timing reference to see if I am getting any faster. I thought I would improve my time today but a head wind kicked in thwarting my speed efforts. When I get back to my hotel room I lay a towel out on the floor (on top of the stains and who knows what) and do my situps and pushups and squats. Everything else here is the same as always, up and at work by 6:30am and back at 4:30, exercise, dinner and TV and off to bed until the next exciting day. So please write more to give me something to read at night. (It was good to hear from you again Grandma)

Goodnight
-Mel-

Back to the desert….

Here I am, back in my beautiful hotel room here in Desert Aire. However this time around I have a “deluxe” room that actually comes with a remote for the TV. The other two rooms I have occupied at this hotel had TV’s so old that they had the rotary dial that you have to turn by hand. I have my supply of frozen dinners and soups all set up for my meals to come. I usually try to save half of my per diam to take back home with me, but this time I am going for the 2/3 mark. There will probably be a lot of cold cereal dinners in my future.

FYI.. I look forward to reading the blog when I get back to my room each night. I get very disappointed when no one has written. The Porters especially have not been good bloggers lately and I want that to change.

And Traci, I broke down and open up my birthday present. I really like them and have worn them twice already. Thanks.

Goodnight everyone.