Humble New Beginnings

I know it's been a while since we first consummated our blogger/bloggee relationship...and that while the precious memory of that first meeting of eye and sizzling prose may be burned forever into your retinas, over time (though we never talked about it) I found it more and more difficult to perform, though not for lack of motivation. The mind was sharp and willing, but the flesh...lazy and uninspired...
But there was a reason for my literary impotence, I assure you, and I am happy to say that through sheer force of will and the support of my "Remaining Writers Together" weekly meetings some fresh blood will be flowing to parts long flaccid and unused.

And so with a fresher voice and a smaller ego I return to the glorious world of blogging, though it does feel like quietly whispering at a heavy metal concert. But I'm tired of doing things for the little people. Sometimes the merit of speaking is found not in being heard but in the speaking itself. 

Anyway, with all that heavy handed ambiguous platitudinization out of the way...

Spontaneous decisions don't always pay off, but when they do, the success just adds to the experience. Like choosing to jump in a car with some friends before they head up the coast for Seattle. I won't go into exact details, but suffice to say the drive entailed two sunsets, one over the ocean and one over the mountains, a chill night in Berkeley, a ridiculous encounter with the self-proclaimed "liberal" Oregon highway patrol in the form of an undercover cop and a lady cop who felt that my good looks were going to waste in the dim evening light, and who therefore spent the duration of our time pulled over shining her flashlight directly on to me, and most importantly, diving headfirst into the pasts and home lives of close friends. Due to some as yet unexplained twist of fate, I actually meshed really well with the Northwesterners, and of course my friend's families were easy to get along with. Portland and Seattle themselves are incredible cities, and are, despite what I have been told by natives of both, distinctly unique and independently worthy of my affection.  The concept of a city built in AMONG trees and lakes and mountains has always been a favorite of mine. Call me a hippie but I think that there's something to be said for living in harmony with what was there before you, especially when it's so easy on the eyes. 

As always, there is nothing better than looking at a city through a native's eye, and I had that in abundance for my entire journey. The end of the trip saw me in Las Vegas for a 4 hour layover. Small price to pay considering what I had just put behind me. I also had the help of a certain new friend, and I'm happy to say there were hours of lip contact... I think the bonding time was really beneficial to our budding relationship. Wow sometimes I curse my genetic disposition to awful corniness. Thanks a lot dad...I'm talking about my harmonica people. I think I'll end on that note. Someone stop me...