Fort Worden

Fort Worden in Port Townsend is a beautiful place and the soldiers who first occupied it were very fortunate to have had this place of tranquility to go with their military service. I was there for the west coast kayak symposium and elected to stay in one of the dormitories. It's a little eerie if you think about the fact that this place had been in service since 1904 and I wonder about the different enlisted men over the years who may have stayed in the very room I was occupying. I had trouble sleeping the first night. One of the first things I discovered when I entered the room on day 1 was that....well....no TV. I've gotten so used to having a TV lull me to sleep that pure silence kept my mind too busy to sleep. I started thinking...."well imagine you're a convicted criminal and this is your jail cell.....or.....you're in a mental institution and you are confined to your quarters until you come to your senses." Eventually, I got tired and dozed off (finally!)

Friday morning was delightfully slow. I had breakfast at the commons, then attended a class on hypothermia. I walked around the military base for hours after that, taking pictures as I go. After lunch, I went to the beach for one of the kayak sessions and went on the water on a Gulfstream (by Current Designs). It's a nice boat and reminds me of the used Andromeda that I recently acquired (from Cascade CK). I tried a few more that day but none much to say. I was tired that night and had no trouble getting to sleep. The following day I joined an early morning group for a paddle. This time I tried a Nigel Denis kayak. It was a bit windy but luckily the NDK was maneuverable and so leaning was not a problem. I could have probably stayed for the day but I had pretty much felt satisfied will the activity so I drove home afterwards and spent the rest of the weekend resting and doing housekeeping at home. I've still got memories of Fort Worden and I know I will visit it again.

Labor Week

The past week was an odd week. Starting with an off day Labor Day Monday was nice, but Tuesday and Wednesday threw me into Jury Duty hell....there is a two day minumum, of which I fell into the pool for the first case of the day...the biggest one most likely. I could not get excused despite my desperate pleas (short of lying, which I could just not do...am glad that part of me still works) and with the prospect of being sequetestered for at least five weeks, morale started to really dip...until on the last couple of hours on day 2 when the lawyers finally did not see me as their type of juror...and suddenly everything again in the world was bright :). Thursday was the company meeting at Safeco field and like past years its a lot of presentations and energizers, but what's brewing up at reasearch is what I always look forward to...in the past Bill used to do the honors, but the folks from research are equally as enthusiastic and fun to watch. Friday was a "Day of Caring" and I was with my co-workers at an assisted living factility clearing up landscape. The week is over. zzzz.

Good Morning

The Apocalypse Song
(2007, Annie Clark)

Wait
I'll be swifter than the speed of light
carbon my body a billion years of time
you wake with stitches over both your eyes
and deny me my body and all earthly delights
its time
you are light
i guess you are afraid of what everyone is made of
all your praying amounts to just one breath
please keep your victory
but give me little death
its time
you are light
i guess you are afraid of what everyone is made of
so take to the streets with apocalypse refrain
your devotion has the look of a lunatic's gaze