West of the Moon, East of the Sun

Just back from the weekend trip. He who wanders should, at the moment, be wandering somewhere between San Francisco and Sacramento; all in all, we basically drove 1000 miles to get him on a train (well, plus a few extras). I'd consider it a successful trip, overall, with some minor issues here and there.

I'll get the pictures done and a more detailed post when I'm not just home from spending 12 hours driving (the 380 miles home that should have taken 5 hours or so ended up taking 7; yay for CalTrans).

For now...

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

With Confident Step

Semi-random notes. Got the camera. Yay! It's awesome. I've already taken some pictures with it, and they've turned out well. I do need to try a video, though. That's next. Well, I took a few videos on the same outing, but I haven't processed them yet. But I still want to try a video post.

Friend gets here Wednesday. Pretty much everything is in place, so no worries there. Going to be a long weekend, but should be a lot of fun.

Unrelated, and the reason I popped in: a friend posted on FB that her kitty (which has been on the long, slow decline) finally died this morning. Because I'm a total freak when it comes to many things, this made me think of Leaves of Grass, and Whitman's "So Long!" section at the end. I read it when I was probably 10; we found an old (turned out to be 2nd edition) printing of it at a library book sale and bought it for like 10 cents.

Specifically

I have press’d through in my own right,
I have sung the Body and the Soul — War and Peace have I sung,
And the songs of Life and of Birth — and shown that there are many births:
I have offer’d my style to everyone — I have journey’d with confident step;
While my pleasure is yet at the full, I whisper, So long!

and

Dear friend, whoever you are, take this kiss,
I give it especially to you — Do not forget me;
I feel like one who has done work for the day, to retire awhile;
I receive now again of my many translations — from my avataras ascending — while
    others
        doubtless await me;
An unknown sphere, more real than I dream’d, more direct, darts awakening rays about
        me — So long!
Remember my words — I may again return,
I love you — I depart from materials;
I am as one disembodied, triumphant, dead.

That's as close to a eulogy as I think I'd ever like.

(Yay for happy thoughs!)

Strolling through the park one day

Blah, May already. Part of why I haven't posted much is that I was intending, by this point, to be doing at least a few video posts with my new camera. New camera is still on back order (which, since I really really want to have it with me for a trip in two weeks, is starting to piss me off). I can't say life's been boring. Let's see... I went on a date with a cool guy who seems to be one of those narrowly brilliant people, which is actually kind of fun: his specialty is something I have more than a passing interest in, so I don't feel totally lost, and yet there's plenty of stuff I can teach him. So, there's a give and take. We'll see if it goes anywhere, but for now it's a "no pressure" situation. I flew to San Francisco for an afternoon to hang out with some friends. That was actually a lot of fun: we went to the California Academy of Sciences. I took my current camera and got some nifty pictures. Also got to hang out with some on-line friends I don't see often (if ever). So, a fun time. Other than that, nothing terribly dramatic. As I said, a trip up the coast with some weirdo for Memorial Day, and then (I can't believe I'm saying this) it's only 8 weeks from today that I fly off to Maui again. Oh, today is National Day of Reason (some other people think it's something silly), so celebrate by being rational and reasonable. Even if it is a Thursday.