IT MY BLOG AND I'LL POST WHAT I WANT TO! PRIME: the review, the lingering question.


So, true to form of our quasi-relationship, dara and I did dinner and a movie last night. Dinner, ala whitetrash celebration, occured at The Olive Garden, which despite the slightly trashy connotation of having a celebration at a chain resteraunt, is fabulous! We enjoyed the food immensly--so immensly that I swore i could actually feel the fat and heavy cream running through my veins, and it felt damn good! Moreover, we over-ordered, as I feel is inevitable in a place such as The Olive Garden, and so we will get to enjoy our left overs for days to come! Dinner satiating and completed we took off for the movies to see Prime, staring Uma Thurman and Meryl Streep.


The premise promised hilarity which the movie thoroughly provided, but the previews couldn't portray the depth to which the movie delves. The authentic view of meeting, and subsequently dating, is a tad on the idealistic side, but the story manages to draw you in as opposed to making you feel like an awkward bystander. Sitting in a theatre of people who more than likely have never been to New York and who more than certainly are not Jewish, while Meryl Streep chowed down on a pastrami and rye sandwitch and kvetching about how her son was seriously invovled with a non-jewish woman, left us feeling as though there were parts of the movie that rang more true for us than others--but none the less, the entire journey of the relationship, spliced together with pieces of explicit information, the type one would only share with a therapist, makes for a heart wrenching story of falling in love, and learning to let it go.

And the question we are left with is this: we know it is a typcially female reaction to a wonderful movie, in which the characters are fabulously self-aware, and expressive, to wish, momentarily, that they were more like that in their lives, and that if they were, they would be rewarded with the same positive changes in relationship that female movie characters so often receive. However, we wonder if men, especially ones who see this movie, will, if even ever so briefly, wish that they could be expressive like the main male character. Do they ever feel an intense desire to be the most amazing part of themselves and do it with the certainty that they will be rewarded with a deepened relationship and evolving partnership? Even if they don't--they should--said like a true female!

Remember to Compost--J

Olympia is a town made for halloween. Dara came prepared but I had to pull things together at the last minute. Scott, on the otherhand went all out! Here's the evidence of our jaunt on the town.

Remember to Compost--J




me and dara on halloween

me and scott on halloween

scott all decked

SAN DIEGO--that's all I can say, because people will die!!


Our trip to San Diego started off, eventful, as it seems most of our trips do. Friday morning dara and I awoke to find out that our building didn't have any hot water, and so, in order to shower, we had to go to the gym--where we did not work out, mind you--and made use of the shower facilities. The extended shower left us little time for packing, and mid-way to Portland I realized I had forgotten quite and essential item for any trip--underwear! This led to an unplanned detour to the Westside Shopping Center where Dara and i made a few important discoveries, and a few important purchases. Discovery number 1) no one should let us loose in a mall and 2) the dead sea nail buffer is an amazing tool which no one should be without--except sadly, we still are due to the cost!

Crises averted we met up with Mary in PDX and very soon were on our way to San Diego--via San Francisco. Arriving in San Diego at 11:35 there was some serious ass-hauling to get from the airport to the trainstation where the last train to our house in Oceanside was leaving at midnight. With just enough luck on our side we made it to the train station and figured out the ticket machines with a few moments to spare. Once in Oceanside we met up with Brett and the four of us made Parker's AMAZING house--home base. There was some serious catching up for the Aussie contingent--and dara got to know us in all our--should I say, toficulousness ;)

Sadly the weather in San Diego was not quite what we anticipated and we managed to hole up in the house until we were about ready to turn into the Doner party. A train ride, and a stunning discovery about the lack of cyber cafes in the USA--we finally managed to get ourselves some food and some drinks. ATW John met us in the "gas light district" and generously played tourgide and taxi driver, getting us out to PB for yet another reunion of old friends. In PB we met up with Luke who rounded out the San Diego reunion contingent. We made the drunken decision to miss the last bus to continue chilling at Moondoggies--catching up, and drinking--enjoying the more typical So-Cal weather and the company. Old as we are, however, we cut the night short to enjoy the unexpected company of Angel our taxi driver and a few more drinks back in Oceanside. Sunday was pretty much like Saturday--sleeping late due to the weather and chilling.

the trip home was a bit long, due to the five hours of sleeping in the airport before the flight--but we made it, not much worse for the wear!

It was awesome, allbeit slightly chaotic, to get to see so many of my friends from differet eras of my life, and for Dara to get to meet them all! Certainly more reunions in the works--until then--

Remember to Compost--J

Dara and me in Parker's house with the huge palm tree

Mary and Brett in Parker's house with the huge palms tree

Luke and me at Moondoggies

brett and me at The Yard

Lukas Pick and me at the bar

Dara and John at The Yard

Australian accents get the girl--Mary, Brett and me at the bar

Dara and Mary at The Yard

The purple cottage that was our first Olympia home--and one more picture from our weekend with the rents

WHAT ARE ALL THESE PICTURES AND WHY DO WE CARE?!!



The Lindner visit almost began in a terrible manner (ie--i almost locked the keys in my car in Olympia before we drove off to seattle to pick them up at the airport!) but alas, there was one door unlocked and the crisis was averted! whew.

Friday night dara and i drove up to sea-tac to get my parents--found them and headed off to the hotel. Turns out the "double bed pull-out" was not much larger than a twin, and the king size bed looked awfully inviting--so we relegated my father to the big twin matterss and the three girls decided to sleep in the king! Before sleep, however, there was a family trip to The Outback Steakhouse where we chatted and ate for far longer than we anticipated, catching everyone up on life on the two coasts, respectively.

Saturday morning we got up early for a buffet with the "ladies of faith convention" and then headed to the seaplane station to check in. Now, my mother, for some reason unknown to me, had admonished me to watch how dara was packing because there is a 24 pound weight limit for the seaplane--why she has any confidence in my packing skill is beyond me! Anyhow as we weighed in dara's bag came to 14 pounds a cool 10 pounds under the weight limit whereas my luggage clocked in at a hot 23.7 pounds...mom and dad's fell somewhere inbetween those two--so dara was the best packer of us all! I was pretty nervous about the nauseating factor of the plane, but i got to sit up front in the "co-pilot" seat and the ride was surprisingly smooth. So much of the scenery reminded me of the Cook Straits Ferry ride in NZ.

Upon arrival we immediately took off for a hike (thanks mom!) to the waterfall. A gorgeous trek into the dense forest led us to a dripping sound which we traced to a steel pipe (pictured in the below posts) which was dripping water. Disheartened, and frankly, having lost interest, we turned around and never found the waterfall, if in fact there was one. The hike sucessfully checked off our list we headed to the B&B to check in and head to lunch. We checked out the town a little, and then ate at the "authentic" mexican place which i'm pretty sure was "under new managment" cause the food, while alright, was certainly not what i would imagine authentic mexican to be! eating was followed by shopping, naturally, and shopping was followed by browsing the local pottery galleries. Some of the stuff was really gorgeous, but being that we were so close to the weight limit we left both pottery galleries empty handed. Afterward we intereacted with the locals, found out that the local guppies don't like to eat saliva, and then finally made it back to the B&B for a much needed nap--on the most fabulous bed, with the most fantastic down pillows!

Dinner at the B&B was fabulous and included, to the shock of us all, my father ordering a bottle of wine, and mother proceeding to get drunk. After the eating there were charades---the best of which i believe was my mother acting out Moby Dick and getting quite a kick out of herself! Dad, who doesn't like games (havanagila syndrome anyone?!) was an excellent sport and got into it along with us all--everyone was pretty ridiculous, i'm sure.

Sunday we headed back earlier than planned and had a seaplane just for the four of us. Unluckily the ride was not quite as smooth as on the way out and i spent most of it with my head in my hands trying not to blow chuncks--and then, the whales! The pilot was radioed the location of about a dozen orcas in the water so we took a personal whale watching trip in the plane and it was amazing--the orcas are sooooo cool. After landing we headed to Olympia to show mom and dad the town. We tried to show them the migrating salmon but instead found only seals, and then we had to head back to seattle for dinner.

Up to the top of the space needle for the sunset and then dinner in the round. The seating area revolves (once every 47 minutes) while you're eating which is nauseating, in addition to making it near impossible to find your table if you get up to go to the bathroom. after dinner we took mom and dad to possibly the shadiest motel ever--left them there and headed back to the new apartment in olympia.

It was amazing to have them here for the weekend, and awesome for us to get to see a part of the state we wouldn't have otherwise had the $$ to go to, and to show them our sick apartment, in our little town! Next weekend we head to San Diego for some more adventures, until then...

Remember to Compost--J

MISCELLANEOUS OTHER PICTURES FROM THE TRIP

VIEWS FROM THE SPACE NEEDLE BEFORE THEATRE IN THE ROUND DINING!

ON ORCAS ISLAND THE PARKS, HIKES, AND VIEWS

MOM AND DAD'S VISIT TO THE SAN JUAN's--in MULTIPLE INSTALLMENTS

PICTURES FROM THE FIRST WEEKS IN OLY!

CHRISTIANS?? BABIES??--SURE, I"M ALL FOR THEM!!!!!!





As Olympians are health food crazy (and we are--to that end--doing our part to blend in) it must be said that those who have taken to religion in these parts seem to have taken to it hard! Think the bible belt and the mid-west as opposed to what you would generally assume costal residents to believe. That said, religion has entered our lives in a multitude of ways since we've been here. From our interfaith Rosh Hashana dinner (which was a huge success) to other, more humours ways...

So i'm (It's Dara) looking for a job, and I have a posting up on craigs list. I've gotten a bunch or responces, but one looked kind of off. It was a woman who home schools her four children. She called them "little darlings" and what not. It sounded a little off. Jo got the same reponse to a past posting so she sent them my phone number.

This morning we are sitting eating breakfast, and I get a call, it's the woman. We chat she asks me about myself... and then she says... ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN? what was I to say but no, no i'm actually a Hebrew! She was kinda taken aback and then said "how do you feel about christians" I was so flustered that i responded "SURE I'M ALL FOR THEM!" I tried to recover and say "I went to hebrew school when I was younger so I know the first part of the bible" yeah that didn't go well either... I don't want to work for that psycho anyway....

The job hunt being what it is, our little weekend excusrion to the San Juan's with Jo's parents was a welcome getaway and if my computer battery wasn't about to die we would blog about it now, but since it is--pictures and an entry to come!

Remember to Compost

J&D