Down Time at Sea-Tac

I landed in Seattle with the daunting mission of killing almost 10 hours in the airport, but fortune smiled upon me and gave me free Wi-Fi in the airport terminal. The result, with a little searching for an electrical outlet, a quick stop at the Burger King, and a few winks of sleep on the floor, is a blogging and picture-downloading extravaganza!

Since I have plenty of time, I have to recap the awesome force of friends and family. I've somehow managed to find all sorts of wonderful, smart, funny, and supportive people in my life, people that, when I tell them I'm moving over two thousand miles away, they still manage to tell me that if I don't do it, they'll kill me. I'm a selfish friend, and many of my friends have hints of this, too. I always thought that if I had a good friend who was moving away for good, that they'd either have to stay or I'd go with them to whatever place they were going. It's interesting to see what it's like when the other foot drops and I'm the one leaving all my friends behind. Who knows if this will be permanent or temporary. It's exciting, and it's about time I created something for myself to write about.

I loaded all of the pictures I've taken onto my laptop, but unfortunately, either the WiFi here at Sea-Tac or the wireless card on my computer, one of the two is failing me at the moment. Maybe they're conspiring. At any rate, I'll have to keep in touch later with pictures of the journey. In the meantime, I'll be running one-offs from my phone. Thanks a bunch!

Denver International Airport

Today, I'm leaving Denver for Alaska, and it's a big deal for me. I'm trekking into the unknown, and because of that, I'll be blogging more and more often. It'll be my only real connection to the familiar. I leave for Seattle here in half an hour or so, and then, onward to Ketchikan. The reality hasn't coompletely sunk in yet, but I'm going to guess that my perception of life in general is so surreal already that this whole experience is just another logical step, just another bend in the river of my life.

Awesome Tunes in Fort Collins

Tonight, I took a break from Day 2 of StarFest to come up to Fort Collins and spend an evening with my good friend Joe, my college roommate, nerd-equal, fellow Trekkie, biggest-hearted guy I know.... anyway, I'm sitting with his lovely wife, Bonnie, and watching him assault his drumset. They've played Weezer and Radiohead so far, and I haven't been disappointed. They're a good band, and it reinforces the idea that a little time away from the grind for some good music and a cold beer makes all the difference when you're stressed or tired or hurt.

Geek- er... StarFest 2010: Day 1

Today I got off work and met up with my buddy Bob before cruising down to the annual Denver sci-fi convention. I snapped this quick shot of "Ecto 1A", a souped up Dodge Magnum. Pretty sweet.

New Life

So many things plant themselves on the horizon of our journeys through life. We find ourselves contently travelling, blissfully unaware of the new, scary, and exciting prospects hidden in plain view just around the corner. Then, in the blink of an eye, life takes away the canyon wall or lifts the fog or let's us crest the hill, unveiling the new adventures and letting us determine the best way to undertake them.

In the past two months, I've been friends with people who have had a total of four babies, lost a grandmother, lost a job, quit a job, lost a friend, and all the while, I've been blessed with those same friends in my life, enriching me and standing by me as the demons and hardships of the past rise up to greet the opportunities of the future.

I've heard a quote that, at some point, life stops giving us things and starts taking them away. Yet, as recent events unfold and continue to do so, I think it's more accurate to say that life continually gives and takes.

Malcolm, one of the four babies, represents to me that give and take. On the one side, he's a symbol for youthful and innocent hope and aspiration, the determination to fight and live and pursue all of the good things in life. On the other hand, he triggers memories of the things I've lost in life, the dreams that I had lumped into parts of my life that suddenly and inexpicably vanished and left me with no choice but to honor that there is a bigger world than any of us can fathom.

Every day we're given opportunities for a new life. We must choose to make the best of these opportunities, for the window of change can close well before we know it was open, and all we're left with is a view of what could have been.

Clouds and Medicine

I'm at Rose Medical Center, what's becomming my home away from home and work. My friend Lyss's baby Malcolm is here still, and will be for weeks as they maintain his prematurity until he's big enough and strong enough to be like other babies. It's a funny thing, the life of a tiny infant. I wish I was so lucky in lots of ways: sleep and eat and get someone to clean me up daily... on second thought, that's no life.

Day One at work without Bob. It was interesting. Already, a co-worker remembers getting stoned with the new Production Manager, a guy who has "37 years in set-letter printing" yet managed to ask me what we used vehicle laminate for. (Vehicles.) Apparently the owner of the commpany knows this guy from a bar they both frequent.

I need an adventure. The fact that I look to these miniature outings, like going to the hospital, the grocery store, the video store, the movies, etc., it definitely aids the idea that I don't get out enough.  Oh well. Time to see the little guy. I suppose this is one of the greatest adventures anyone could be a part of, that of a new life. In the past two months, I've been luck enough to see four new babies. Plus, yesterday I found out my friend Kim in Oregon had hers, too.  Apparently, there was a lot of fertile people in 2009.

Rapids on The Great River

Yesterday, I found out that my boss, mentor, and friend Bob was "let go" from our job. While I'm convinced that he will fight and come out on top, I'm disgusted and shocked at the circumstances behind his departure. The owners of the company had gone behind his back, interviewed and hired a replacement, and didn't tell him until yesterday, the day after we had stayed late at work to get a big job done for a potential big stream of steady work. They lied, they used, and they asserted their "power" based on a disagreement where they were actually proved to be in the wrong.

In the meantime, I got up this morning with ideas of climbing in my head, but the lack of partners led me to start fishing for applications in other career paths. It also led me to make a journey to the hospital to see Lyss's baby boy Malcolm Reynold. He's growing immensely, passing the three pound mark. He's starting to make little noises, smiles, and sad faces. I'm thankful for the opportunities I get to see him, as they're more than just innocent: they help me to remember the time I had with my own son, Tiberius, who was born and spent the first part of his own life under very similar experiences.

The Great River of Life is an interesting place. It starts off as a tiny mountain stream and ends in the Great Ocean of Heaven. Our own rivers are unique to us alone. Some are long and some are short. Some are tranquil and some are treacherous. Some are designed to feed crops and others are designed to carve immense natural cathedrals through the wilderness. The more I have these huge experiences in my life, the more I realize that I need to accept whatever direction my own river is pointing me. Swimming against the current is pointless and will kill me far too early. I'm learning to embrace change, to see awkward situations as opportunities to grow. I'm riding this river to it's conclusion, and, with any luck, I'll make it to the sea.