lalbe's Xanga

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:08:06 GMT

With five days resting between me in this moment and the moment when
I settle into the car and drive away to LA, my life has turned into a fit of lists...

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:04:14 GMT

Alright, I left my grandparents a message on their voice mail. The news is this: in just over a week I am...

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:50:18 GMT

"When I was very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me as mature, the remedy prescribed was middle age. In middle age I was assured that greater age would calm my fever and now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job. Nothing has worked. Four hoarse blasts of a ship's whistle still raise the hair on my neck and set my feet to tapping. The sound of a jet, an engine warming up, even the clopping of shod hooves on pavement brings on the ancient shudder, the dry mouth and vacant eye, the hot palms and the churn of stomach high up under the rib cage. In other words, I don't improve; in further words, once a bum always a bum. I fear the disease is incurable. I set this matter down not to instruct others but to inform myself."

"Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has a personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip, a trip takes us..."

- John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley: In Search of America

I have some very important news to share with you all, but I have to call my grandmother first! It will be just a few moments. There's lemonade in the back if you get thirsty.

ON MOVEMENT: comment

Monday, October 08, 2007

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:13:37 GMT

the weekends feel so long because we do so much. saturday began on the beach, early. woke up with the sunrise and found myself knee deep in the ocean 45 minutes later, cheering on one skim boarding friend with another and threatening a local audubon society meeting (they were watching pelicans, we wanted to rustle their feathers). stephanie and I were convinced going to the beach, that early, with little sleep, was possibly one of the best decisions we had ever made. three hours later the three of us woke up from our sandy naps, ready to take on the rest of the day that kept going,

and going,
and going.

...continued

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 03:45:49 GMT

leaving is humbling. all the goodbyes, promises to “keep in touch”, wondering ifs, last hurrahs. I feel spoiled by good memories in the making: generous friends, tote bags on laundry lines, really long side hugs. I feel blessed to have so many excellent people in my life. phoning and messaging everyone to say “goodbye-for-now” is forcing me to re-recognize how amazing you all are, and how un-independent I am (despite some of my greatest efforts).

thank you, for this.

thus, with the move there will naturally follow new means to communication. If you’d like my new mailing address, please inform me by commenting. If you’d like to e-mail me, that isn’t changing. If you’d like to know where I will be writing from this day forward it’s here: http://lalbe.wordpress.com

to all my xanga-faithfuls: please redirect your attentions to this new location. I'm not as nice as some other bloggers who have fancy plug-ins to do their double posting for them. No, I am mean and want you to just click this new way. And I'll sit on my end, crossing my fingers hoping you'll all remember to return and read about my adventures in LA (bookmark it).

Over the next while I'll be re-posting old, favorite entries on this new page. It's kind of fun to relive.

thanks, friends! and remember: http://lalbe.wordpress.com

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 05:59:23 GMT

Seattle has been one of my most constant and defining characteristics for the past six years, and yet… in two weeks, I will leave the Needle, the Troll and my beloved Ballard behind. I’m moving to a land of stars and sunshine (LA, not Care-a-Lot).

www.tomsshoes.com
TOMS has invited myself and ten other people from around the states to take part in a 10-week internship at their hq’s in southern California. If you haven’t taken the time to look at their website, I highly recommend it. This move, this job, and this time will be different.

TOMS is a company with a mission that I can really get excited about (for every pair of shoes you buy from TOMS, they’ll five another pair to a kid who doesn’t have any). This November they’re taking 50,000 pairs of shoes to kids in South Africa. TOMS has an amazing product to support a major concern for the children of the world (abroad and here in North America).

Just a few more days, plenty of details to figure out, and many wonderful faces to see before I leave the Pacific Northwest for sunny California (first time ever living in a state known for its good weather). The timing is (mostly) perfect.

WHERE ARE YOU NOW? PLACE IS RELATIVE AND IN FLUX

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:27:14 GMT

the roadtrip was a massive success. the car was returned safely. we didn't die
(though a cougar tried to thwart that plan) and the train was actually a refreshing
experience (rather than maddening).
we conquered the nine states that make up the northwestern portion of the US
and even threw in a little trip to a thai restaurant in minnesota (fargo and moorhead, mn
are bosom buddies: so tight). please refer to flickr
for more roadtrip fun.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:38:14 GMT

I realize we don't talk much anymore. But it's ok, because I am drinking some amazing lemon mate green tea. The above cameraphone documentation will tell you what I will spend the next five days of my life doing. I am joining Catherine on her pilgrimage to her mecca, Fargo. We're swooping down to Denver to stay away from I-90, but more importantly to see our very good friend/roommate forever, Robin. From there we will cut South Dakota in half, visiting my pridey family there (they are pretty as well, but really pridey). And then up to Fargo where we will enjoy a week (or so) of fargo festivities & "workshops" with Catherine's mom (we are very excited).

The Empire Builder will bring us home on the 2nd of September and we will think of Noelle the whole time.

For updates from the road, you can visit the following:
p: flickr
t: twitter

My friend, John Steinbeck, and I are looking forward to comparing stories. Mine will be called, "Travels with Catherine" and she won't be a poodle. But that's ok. I hope.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:28:09 GMT

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:33:59 GMT

rar!