random thoughts, likes, dislikes and things of that nature

Entry I began this past Friday a.m.:

It's been nine minutes since I last looked at the clock. I'm trying to wait patiently for the clock to strike 10 a.m. EST only to know that it means it's 7 a.m. PST. Why? I'm waiting to call the reservation peeps at Yosemite National Park to find out whether or not it's possible to get a canvas tent with heat in April. If the answer is no, I fear my body won't be able to withstand the cool mountain evenings and my planning will have to evolve. On the other hand, this could be a really rad excuse to buy a sick sleeping bag. You know, the kind that keep you snug as a bug in a rug in 40 below temps. I'm craving the mountain air, the rustic splendor of the outdoors, the smell of campfire and most of all, hiking trails and a new environment to snap some shots in. (Maybe I'll bring the 35mm with black and white film and save the digital for color.) This trip will be a great test of my backpack packing abilities. I'm an over-packer. A goal for 2009 is not to become the opposite, but rather hone in on the logic-based thought process that will allow me to pack just enough. Once again, I'm planning a trip that hasn't had any solid progression other than some e-mails back and forth between my Callie adventure gal pal; however, that's always been enough to wet our palettes and bring things to fruition. I think what's more exciting is if it does happen, it will happen soon, like within-a-few-weeks soon, or at least with in a months time. Planning a last minute excursion gives me such an adrenaline rush; I like it, no better yet, I love it.

Recently I've been waking up to the smell of toast; I've decided it's one of my favorite smells. Other favorite smells include the following (in order of favorite to least, excluding toast of course which would be included in the top 5):

1. Wood burning fire


2. The aroma of a freshly cut pine


3. A dewy morning


4. Coffee beans


5. A freshly laundered T-shirt--especially when on the back of my boy


6. Fall


7. My parents house


8. Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies


9. The Northwest mountain air

Not the most original list....so here's another to expand upon the above (in no particular order):

• Irish Springs soap, but not the bar, rather its residue on clean skin


• Burnt marshmallows


• Personal oils, not necessarily my own, but that last-day-before-you-should-shower smell--which is ironic since I also crave the smell of a freshly clean bod. Hmm.


• Homemade tomato sauce


• Peach potpourri--it reminds me of my childhood trips to Myrtle Beach


• Coconut cream lip balm


• Men's deodorant, applied


• Fried dough, also homemade


• Pine sap


• That first hint of saltwater in the air as you approach the ocean

The start of my "To Do" list for spring/summer of '09:

• See how long I can grow my hair before I have the urge to cut it...or dye it.


• Get rid of old baggage


• Rid my residence of excess (i.e., clothes, shoes, papers, random objects of no use, etc.)


• Get more organized (i.e., as organized as is humanly possible for me, which will include a trip to IKEA for fun let's-get-organized furnishings)


• Camp, not just get up to camp, but camp in a tent and more than once or else it doesn't count.


• Continue exploring--a goal for life.


• Finish the book I'm currently reading and finish three or more of the following: The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Willful Creatures by Aimee Bender, The Power and the Glory  by Graham Greene, and apparently a/any book by David Foster Wallace (I have his name scratched down in my little notepad, but with no title hmm).