http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXsztGz-Mcs

Fears In The Water by The Vincent Black Shadow

Just for FADKOG because she posted about demon bunnies today…

If you owned your own store, what would you sell?
Used books. My mother once briefly owned a used book store and I enjoyed working there in my formative years. I’d love to own one of my own because it’s becoming harder to find a really GOOD used book store. Mind you I’d never make a profit because I’m reluctant to actually part with a book but it’s a fun concept to dream about.

If you were to name the most comforting thing for you to hold in your hands, what would it be?
Heh… I’m not going to name with the first thing that came to mind. Wow, this is a tough question. It’s so situational for me. There’s no single answer that really covers all situations. Bad day? Donut. Zombies rising from their graves? Glock Model 21. Stress relief? Throttle on my sport-bike. Feeling creative? My camera. Relaxation? A good book. Need a mood adjustment? An iPod.

Feeling manic on Monday? Join us!

Frequent readers will remember I’ve been talking about returning to Ruby Beach for quite some time. With a free Saturday and nothing else pressing, Matt and I hopped in the car and set out with cameras at the ready. Our plan was to circumnavigate the Olympic National Park following Highway 101 all the way around. All told, it’s just over eight hours of driving.

I hoped to set out fairly early but that’s a challenge with a teen-aged son who likes to sleep in. We did manage to hit the road before noon so I guess that’s good! I do the driving and Matt normally acts as DJ, queuing up tunes using his PSP.

We headed down to Tacoma, WA and took the Narrows Bridge across to the Kitsap Peninsula then headed up and across the Hood Canal Bridge to the Olympic Peninsula. We stopped in Sequim, WA for lunch at a little burger joint I know and then proceeded west to Lake Crescent for our first photo stop (see photo above!).

The weather is often very interesting on the Olympic Peninsula because of the interaction of the mountains, coastline and ocean. We saw that today as we skirted from brilliant blue skies to gray overcast and everything in between. It made for dramatic scenery at times as we saw clouds clinging to the tops of mountains and hills.

It was during a gray period that we finally arrived at Ruby Beach. Fortunately a little overcast suits the Washington coast pretty well. These aren’t the bright, sandy beaches you might imagine. In most places they are lined with rocks and driftwood and surrounded by towering cliffs. Frankly, I prefer it.

The parking lot for Ruby Beach is just off Highway 101 as you turn and start to head south down the west side of the Olympic National Park. A short hike down a groomed trail that winds from the bluff down to the beach provides several opportunities for great photos. And once you reach the shore you’ll find something interesting no matter where you look. Matt and I spent around an hour and a half wandering up and down the beach shooting away. We were in good company too, it’s rare to see anyone here that doesn’t have a camera.

After hiking back to the car we continued on south with a brief stop at Kalaloch Lodge for cold drinks and snacks. Our final photo stop of the day was in Grays Harbor. We hadn’t planned it but as we were driving through town we spotted a sign that mentioned a public observation tower with views of the harbor so we thought we’d give it a try. There wasn’t a lot to see, but it was still a nice stop.

From Grays Harbor we motored back east to Olympia, WA and then home. It made for a long day and I collapsed into bed shortly after our return.

As usual, more photos on Flickr!

Matt and I spent a long day on the road but we did manage to make it to Ruby Beach. More photos after I get a good night’s sleep! Here’s a little tidbit to tide you over though.

The Blue Angels that is… it’s an annual tradition to have them in town for Seafair. They arrive in town early so they can fly orientation flights the two days prior to the big airshow. Matt and I headed down to Boeing Field today (just ten minutes from home) to shoot a few photos while they rehearsed. The actual airshow is out over Lake Washington this weekend so you can’t really see it from Boeing Field, but they do fly by every now and then as they line up on the lake and of course, they take off and land here so you can get a few interesting shots!

A few more shots on Flickr!

Matt posted a couple of photos on his Flickr also!

Driving Matt back and forth to work several times a week has really altered my schedule. Use to be on a typical day I’d hole up in the bunker most of the day working and finally clean up to go out and run errands and the like in the evening. I’d occasionally get phone calls or e-mails from local friends commenting what a nice day it was and I’d be totally clueless. I don’t have distractions like a view or… erm, light… from my desk. It’s a lifestyle that has me checking myself for signs of vampirism occasionally.

That’s all different on days Matt works. I have to drag him out of his bed at 7:30am in order to get him to work on time. Honestly, it hasn’t proven to be a chore. I kind of like getting out for a drive on those mornings. I live on a hill and part of our route to get to I-5 is along a ridge line with views south and east down the Kent Valley all the way to Mount Rainier. It provides interesting vistas on every trip.

Some days it’s been beautiful overhead and we can see dark, dramatic storm clouds on the horizon all around us. Earlier this week we were driving through gray, rainy gloom but we could see brilliant beams of sunlight burning through the overcast. It’s one of the things I love about Seattle, the weather is always changing, always a little different… often in the same day.

It’s a good metaphor for my life. It rarely stays the same for long. I think I like it that way. I’ve been told I thrive on chaos and to a degree I suppose it’s true. Some changes are stressful but overall, they doesn’t really bother me. I’d get bored if things stayed the same for too long. I haven’t always been that way. I finally reached a point where I realized that while I could control some things, most things are out of my control. Sometimes the only thing I can “own” is how I respond to the world around me. It seems like such a logical philosophy to me now, but it took a lot of living to arrive here.

What does it all mean? Not a thing… but I think a lot when I drive!

Driving is on the agenda for this weekend. Matt and I are off for a whirlwind trip around the Olympic Peninsula with cameras locked and loaded. Oh yes, there will be photos.

(I couldn’t decide on just one song for this post, so you get a grab bag of current stuff I’m listening to!)

Insane by Scars On Broadway

Under The Sun by Thirteen Senses

Forget About The Rain by Trapt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0vcxA29okM

Go To Hell by David Ford

Love this video!

Things are going fairly well. Apparently I can adapt to constant human contact when I must. Good to know. Fortunately Matt is a teen-aged boy and sleeps a good chunk of the day away, so I still start my day in quiet solitude. I like that.

Lindsey was over this weekend. We mostly relaxed. I made the kids watch two of my favorite 80s films, Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer. My son begins to understand where my sense of humor comes from I think.

Lindsey is off for summer camp the end of the week and I think Matt and I will do a day trip out to the coast for photos. I still want to revisit Ruby Beach… it will happen eventually!

Having Kiko around full time gives me a target of opportunity for random photos of course. I think he’s resigned to his fate. Though as M pointed out, he could almost be flipping me off in this shot. Devious little furball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImoXZ99Zu-A

Duality by Bayside

Update: The following is probably my favorite Bayside track so far:

Carry On by Bayside

There’s a long, complex and painful back story but suffice it to say my son crossed a line he never should have strayed anywhere near. As a result, my ex and I mutually decided it would be best that he live with me for a while. Maybe the rest of the summer, maybe longer.

The end result, I now have a 17-year old living with me and his cat, Kiko. Now that I think about it, that means I get to have a cat around the house and I don’t have to take care of it. That’s clearly a bonus. And fortunately, I do like having my son around.

Still, for all the positives it will inevitably introduce a certain amount of complexity to my life. That’s not really a complaint, just an acknowledgment of the reality of the situation. I really should learn not to be surprised at the strange turns that my life takes…

Still Fighting It by Ben Folds