So I'm going to try to sum up what's been going on with me since my last update in a mere few paragraphs. After a couple months of roughness in Hawaii, I'm starting to enjoy it. I sort of expected to be unhappy there for the first couple months when I moved there due to a period of adjustment and I think that period has started ending. Within the last few weeks before moving, I went to the beach three more times than the total number of times I had been prior. In addition, I went to the Kona (more touristy) side of the island with a group of friends and slept that night on the beach. It was a magical evening that ended with me attempting to build a sandcastle at three in the morning, all the while drunkenly stating that the sandcastle was "in honor of my brother", as Brendan would have built a sand castle had he been at the beach. During the day. Sober.
A couple weeks later, I flew to Oahu to see my new friend Naomi. This girl is pretty fantastic. Its actually her birthday today so happy birthday to her. I hope its going well. She's a teacher for "Teach for America" and actually worked at a school right down the street from my New York apartment while I was living in New York. So it was quite serendipitous that we met. She actually knows my friend Daris, who used to work at that school as well and also was with "Teach for America". Naomi is like a beautiful girl version of Aaron Hawkins. Those of you who know Aaron know that this is a very big compliment. Naomi took me all over Oahu for the weekend I was there. I got to see Waikiki and Honolulu and I got to hike up into the hills around the Army Base and see some beautiful sights. I also saw waves larger than any I ever saw in Los Angeles or the entire Atlantic. Apparently they weren't even particularly big for that area either. If she'll have me again, I plan on visiting Naomi often in the coming months and I really want to do the Shark Dive (among other things) near where she lives.
Kurt and I also had people come over for a night of entertainment for the first time the week before I left for the mainland. Annie, Maddie and Meagan (the same girls I went to Kona with) came over on a Saturday night and Kurt cooked Barbecue Chicken with a number of sides (scalloped potatoes at my request). We ate, at sat for a while then had a few drinks and played video games. The night was decently tame but a huge amount of fun. I hope I see more of them in the future.
When I started packing on Thursday for my trip to LA, I got very eager to be home. I can't wait. Despite my anxiety though, I've fully enjoyed my time here. I had some issues getting here but the weekend held a Christmas party with my co-workers and I got to see Kristina and John's new apartment (which is only a couple blocks from my old apartment in Glendale). There was a lot of food and some Cranium playing and drinks and a great time. The work week has been hectic but fast-moving. Sam and I even worked from Sam's apartment one day which was a nice break for Sam, I think.
That brings us tonight. Pam picked me up from work and we picked up immediately were we left off last time I saw her. We chatted about her sister's engagement (which she actually seems fairly supportive of), we talked about Kentucky and her plans for a month long vacation (during which she may come to the Big Island for her Mom's wedding) and her eventual move to New York. (I'm a bit envious. I miss those New York devils.) We ate dinner a nice place in Pasadena and eventually headed home as she has to go to Vegas tomorrow and I have to work bright and early.
So all in all things are going well, however I do believe December has been somewhat of misplaced April Fools month for team Ian. Starting with realizing that I had an expired license when I tried to fly to Oahu. This resulted in a pat-down and dust up both coming and going and with me arriving at my gate amidst an announcement of "Ian Adkins report to Gate (insert gate number here). The gate will be closing in one minute." Prior to my flight to LA, I choose to try and get a new license (FAIL)*. I did get a state ID after a few hours, however which would suffice. On my walk home (the cab company takes hours to pick people up) it began raining with a vengeance. I got wetter than I've ever been in my life. When I shower, I'm dryer than I was at this point. When I've been swimming for hours on end, I'm less wet. I believe I may have been dryer when I was in the womb than I was on this walk. Needless to say, I took my phone out of my pocket to protect it from the rain and put it in my backpack. This was like removing a kitten from a tree in order to protect it but choosing to put the kitten into a room filled with fast moving bullets and razors. All the rain pooled at the bottom of my backpack and my phone was destroyed. It didn't just turn the water damage square in the back of the phone red but soaked it enough that the square fell off. No warranty, no repairs, no replacement phone. I'm S.O.L. when it comes to my wonderful Blackjack. Brendan is coming to my rescue though and giving me a phone to use so I don't have to buy a new one just yet. The next prank I played on myself was to miss my connecting flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles. Why did I miss it? The flights were on different airlines from Hilo to Honolulu and from Honolulu to Los Angeles so I had to exit the airport, wait for my bags, go through agriculture inspection, get my ticket and go back through security. I may have had time for this (I got my bags with forty minutes to spare), but Hawaiians are sort of lazy. So, I went to the ticketing counter which had shut down for three hours despite their upcoming flight. So I had to sit outside the airport from 7:30 am til 11:30 am. Yes. Awesome. I flew to LA and had to sit on the tarmac for another half hour or so due to a plane being in our gate. The most recent prank I've played on myself was to break the only belt I brought with me while trying to buckle it. This is a two-fold prank because 1) my pants are much too big since I've lost a lot of weight since about this time last year, so my pants fall down while I walk and 2) despite the aforementioned weight loss, the fact that my belt makes me look like a fatass. Hurrah. Go team!**
Again, I've had some setbacks but things are looking up. I can't wait to get home and see my family and my Louisville friends and Katie and a number of other people. You all are the greatest people in the world. I love each and every one of you. Enjoy my update, belated as it may be.
*- I didn't actually fail the test, they just said I'd have to start over with a permit again, which I'll do sometime in the coming months.
**- I stole this little saying from Naomi.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Singing along with the song of the pacific
So, its a couple weeks later than I originally wanted to write my next post but at least I'm writing it, no? I've successfully made it to Hawaii and successfully survived my first weekend. I'll write more about actually Hawaii soon but I want to finish filling you in on my road trip first.
I made it into Seattle at about 10 o'clock Pacific time and Noah met up with me. We cabbed it back to his place with my stuff and then headed out to see Seattle for the one day I was there.
It was honestly about what I expected, which was a good thing. I did want to move there for a while my sophomore year of college after all. It was pleasant outside and not rainy (although I hear the rainy season has started up again already). Noah took me to a Chowder store near the sea port. I got a Cajun Chicken chowder in a bread bowl which was delicious. We then walked around in Sculpture Park (which was basically what it sounds like), then to the Space Needle (but didn't go up). Finally, we grabbed some ice cream, saw the giant Lenin statue, the troll beneath the bridge (from Ten Things I Hate About You), Bruce Lee's grave and then headed back so Noah could get ready for work. I went to his bar with him, had some drinks met a few of his friends and then walked home (and got lost) so I could prepare for the next day.
We picked up the car the next morning around nine and headed on our way. It actually took us a little while to get to the coast and I got very fed up with the Washington Highway System
(in order to go south on US-101 you have to either go north on it or go west on another road.) But eventually we made it and the weather was basically what I wanted. It was cloudy and mild, but there wasn't any rain. We stopped a few places along the way and made it into Oregon by nightfall. I really want to say that I think driving down the Oregon coast is something every person in the world should attempt to do some time in their life. Washington and California and even the Northern train trip I took were beautiful but nothing like the Oregon coast. There were so many little signs for Scenic views it was hard to believe but every one was stopped at was indeed beautiful. And if the view from the road wasn't enough, they generally had a small trail leading off onto a cliff where the view was even better. It really is hard to explain it. The pictures just don't do it justice.
At the end of the night we stopped in a town called Lincoln City and got settled in for a bit, then headed out for some drinks and a bite to eat. We went to a sports bar of a sort (there weren't a lot of options) and got some burgers and played pool with a couple girls from around there for a bit. They told us to hit up the Seal Caves the next day (which we would) and then suggested a second bar for us (since we were getting ready to leave) which was closer to the hotel. The second bar was awful, however so we headed back and crashed for the night.
That, my friends was the first day of my road trip. I'm going to do my best to fill you in on the rest of them and eventually get this blog up and running. In the meantime, if you wanna check out the rest of my pictures from the trip they can be found here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ian.adkins/NewYorkToLosAngelesRoadTrip
I hope you enjoy them.
I made it into Seattle at about 10 o'clock Pacific time and Noah met up with me. We cabbed it back to his place with my stuff and then headed out to see Seattle for the one day I was there.
It was honestly about what I expected, which was a good thing. I did want to move there for a while my sophomore year of college after all. It was pleasant outside and not rainy (although I hear the rainy season has started up again already). Noah took me to a Chowder store near the sea port. I got a Cajun Chicken chowder in a bread bowl which was delicious. We then walked around in Sculpture Park (which was basically what it sounds like), then to the Space Needle (but didn't go up). Finally, we grabbed some ice cream, saw the giant Lenin statue, the troll beneath the bridge (from Ten Things I Hate About You), Bruce Lee's grave and then headed back so Noah could get ready for work. I went to his bar with him, had some drinks met a few of his friends and then walked home (and got lost) so I could prepare for the next day.We picked up the car the next morning around nine and headed on our way. It actually took us a little while to get to the coast and I got very fed up with the Washington Highway System
(in order to go south on US-101 you have to either go north on it or go west on another road.) But eventually we made it and the weather was basically what I wanted. It was cloudy and mild, but there wasn't any rain. We stopped a few places along the way and made it into Oregon by nightfall. I really want to say that I think driving down the Oregon coast is something every person in the world should attempt to do some time in their life. Washington and California and even the Northern train trip I took were beautiful but nothing like the Oregon coast. There were so many little signs for Scenic views it was hard to believe but every one was stopped at was indeed beautiful. And if the view from the road wasn't enough, they generally had a small trail leading off onto a cliff where the view was even better. It really is hard to explain it. The pictures just don't do it justice.At the end of the night we stopped in a town called Lincoln City and got settled in for a bit, then headed out for some drinks and a bite to eat. We went to a sports bar of a sort (there weren't a lot of options) and got some burgers and played pool with a couple girls from around there for a bit. They told us to hit up the Seal Caves the next day (which we would) and then suggested a second bar for us (since we were getting ready to leave) which was closer to the hotel. The second bar was awful, however so we headed back and crashed for the night.
That, my friends was the first day of my road trip. I'm going to do my best to fill you in on the rest of them and eventually get this blog up and running. In the meantime, if you wanna check out the rest of my pictures from the trip they can be found here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ian.adkins/NewYorkToLosAngelesRoadTrip
I hope you enjoy them.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
trails and rails
I’m into my third day of train travel and here is what I’ve discovered thusfar. I’ve decided that anyone who rides trains around the U.S. and Canada are of an entirely different culture and mindset than most of the country. A number of the people are European but that stands to reason because there is a lot more train travel in general in Europe, so why wouldn’t they travel by train in the States as well? Also, and this may seem obvious, but people don’t just take a train to get from one place to another, if they are on the train then there is usually some sort of adventure in their background.
On my train from Chicago to New York, I had a seat of my own at first and so the beginning of the trip was fairly uneventful. I sat, read, and watched some TV on my ipod, nothing excited. At one point an elderly couple boarded the train but there were any free adjacent seats. So, as my momma taught me, I offered to move and let them sit together. They were very grateful, and offered their thanks, as did some of the other passengers around them. “What a sweet boy”, was the general sentiment.
Behind them, an Indian man about my age offered me the seat next to him and we chatted. He was born in India but grew up in Los Angeles. He had taken a train from there to New York and spent some time with his friends and was heading back. He was missing a leg (though I never found out why) and so I made runs to the snack car for him a few times and we basically hit it off. We talked about girls, drinking and our jobs (he’s also a techie) and basically hit it off. He also kept me company in Chicago while we both waited for our next trains.
My train left about an hour before his and when I got on I sat behind a girl who I’d noticed on the first train (from New York) and noticed she was heading all the way to Seattle as well. At one point, one of the… flight attendants (?) asked anyone who was sitting in a seat by themselves to move to the back of the car as she was reserving the front of the car for couples and families so they would be able to sit together. So I asked the girl ahead of me if I could sit with her and she agreed.
So my current seatmate is a sweet girl named Rachel who is from Switzerland, where she teaches elementary school. She’s in the United States because her brother lives in Vancouver and she is going to go to school there for a few months to learn better English (although apart from a few words, she seems to know it quite well). Prior to heading to school though, she took a train from Vancouver across Canada. She visited Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, New York and a number of other cities. She’s been traveling for about a month and a half and is now heading back.
As far as other people I’ve met, at my first night’s dinner, I met a large, crazy man (albeit quite friendly) who gave me advice on what to eat and what not to eat in the dinner car (he’s not a fan of vegetables). At my second dinner I met two elderly men, one of whom is retired from Amtrak and now has a lifetime supply of free train trips and is using them to see America. The other recently went to his daughter’s wedding in New Mexico and bought an All-American Pass. In his words, “now that my children are married and I’m retired, I figured I should see a bit of the world while I’ve got the time.”
Lastly, I met a man on the scenic view car (I know it has another name but I can’t remember what it is) who was on his way back to Seattle from Nova Scotia. He had biked for 67 days across the United States and then taken a train to Nova Scotia. He told me that a lot of his route had been following the train tracks and so a lot of what we were passing now he had seen before on his way out.
The lunch car just opened so I might go grab a bite. I get to Seattle in less than a day now so if anything exciting happens before that I’ll update you again. I miss and love everyone in Kentucky and New York.
On my train from Chicago to New York, I had a seat of my own at first and so the beginning of the trip was fairly uneventful. I sat, read, and watched some TV on my ipod, nothing excited. At one point an elderly couple boarded the train but there were any free adjacent seats. So, as my momma taught me, I offered to move and let them sit together. They were very grateful, and offered their thanks, as did some of the other passengers around them. “What a sweet boy”, was the general sentiment.
Behind them, an Indian man about my age offered me the seat next to him and we chatted. He was born in India but grew up in Los Angeles. He had taken a train from there to New York and spent some time with his friends and was heading back. He was missing a leg (though I never found out why) and so I made runs to the snack car for him a few times and we basically hit it off. We talked about girls, drinking and our jobs (he’s also a techie) and basically hit it off. He also kept me company in Chicago while we both waited for our next trains.
My train left about an hour before his and when I got on I sat behind a girl who I’d noticed on the first train (from New York) and noticed she was heading all the way to Seattle as well. At one point, one of the… flight attendants (?) asked anyone who was sitting in a seat by themselves to move to the back of the car as she was reserving the front of the car for couples and families so they would be able to sit together. So I asked the girl ahead of me if I could sit with her and she agreed.
So my current seatmate is a sweet girl named Rachel who is from Switzerland, where she teaches elementary school. She’s in the United States because her brother lives in Vancouver and she is going to go to school there for a few months to learn better English (although apart from a few words, she seems to know it quite well). Prior to heading to school though, she took a train from Vancouver across Canada. She visited Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, New York and a number of other cities. She’s been traveling for about a month and a half and is now heading back.
As far as other people I’ve met, at my first night’s dinner, I met a large, crazy man (albeit quite friendly) who gave me advice on what to eat and what not to eat in the dinner car (he’s not a fan of vegetables). At my second dinner I met two elderly men, one of whom is retired from Amtrak and now has a lifetime supply of free train trips and is using them to see America. The other recently went to his daughter’s wedding in New Mexico and bought an All-American Pass. In his words, “now that my children are married and I’m retired, I figured I should see a bit of the world while I’ve got the time.”
Lastly, I met a man on the scenic view car (I know it has another name but I can’t remember what it is) who was on his way back to Seattle from Nova Scotia. He had biked for 67 days across the United States and then taken a train to Nova Scotia. He told me that a lot of his route had been following the train tracks and so a lot of what we were passing now he had seen before on his way out.
The lunch car just opened so I might go grab a bite. I get to Seattle in less than a day now so if anything exciting happens before that I’ll update you again. I miss and love everyone in Kentucky and New York.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Its very rare that I would post a celebrity news item on my blog but I liked this particular press release. Isaiah Washington was let go from "Grey's Anatomy" after the show's season finale and his response to the news was "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!". Now, why do I report this response? Simply because I'm a huge fan of "experience et auctoritas". I love it when someone quotes a familiar figure or source in order to validate their point. Isaiah's quote was a reference to the 1976 film "Network" and I appreciate the reference.
Headline!
Headline!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Out on the Oregon coast line, where the fog blankets the sea
So I've officially bought my train ticket to Seattle. I leave New York on the 8th of September and arrive on the 11th. This is the first leg of my trip to Hawaii. Kurt has said he's no longer "considering it". He said "unless something major happens then I'm out of here". So I won't be moving on my own which I'm humongously relieved about. I think I will reserve my rental car for the trip down the Pacific Coast Highway sometime tomorrow since it only costs a small down payment to reserve it and then wait a bit to buy my airline ticket from LA until Kurt can get a date. Tentatively I will leave the 18th of September but if he needs to wait a few days then no biggie because I know Sam will enjoy having my in LA a few extra days. I've gotta say I'm really excited about driving down the PCH. Not only do I have no doubt that it'll be a beautiful sight, but I can't wait to get to spend some more time with Noah for a while. I really miss that kid.
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