movement, movement

Parker left home in Colorado today and is moving to Vancouver, Washington. Its ironic that I know so many people these days making plans to move to the Portlandia, but the one person who was planning on it long before I got here was Parker. After finally graduating he’s starting an internship that will introduce him to the commercial arts industry.

Parker sent me a text message while he driving through western Wyoming, Rock Springs to be exact. I won’t disclose it here, but the two of us have a special name we like to call Rock Springs, in memory our trip to Portland together last October. I’m sure any moment now he’ll be passing by a sign in Idaho marking the “Burning Gorge” scenic area. Of course at the time we thought that would make a great name for an std and it will always be among the most memorable parts of that trip. Please forgive our momentary 8th grade humor.

It put a certain joy in my heart to get that text and to know that Parker is finally on his way. I’m excited to hang out with an old friend again, and have more good times like these:

That picture, by the way, is about a year and a half old.

I’ve been a fan of Deftones for a long time, and in fact they’re one of those bands I’ve been going back to often the last several months. There’s just something about the uniqueness and the whimsical darkness of their sound that draws me in. If you haven’t heard them before but are interested, I suggest you start with the White Pony album. Fieticiera and Knife Prty on the Deftones myspace are from that album and are a few of my favorites. But then, you know me, when I like a band its because all their songs are more or less my favorites. I’m one of those “album people”, you know? I prefer listening to whole albums as opposed to mix tapes or the radio.

Moving on with my point, though, I’m also a huge fan of Norma Jean. My musical taste swings from extremes and on one end is the folky bands like this one and this one . Including everything in between, I also have a place in my heart for harder music like modern metal bands. Thats where Norma Jean comes in.

Last week my buddy Jon from Tejas reminded me of Norma Jeans new album coming out. I thought it was ironic since Jon and I were hanging out when we first picked up NJ’s last album, Redeemer, which has since made its way into my top 5 albums of all time.

The less obvious reason I’m excited about all this is because I’ve been listening to the peak tracks on Norma Jean’s myspace, getting a taste of the new record. I’m a fan of bands that can change their feel and sound a bit from album to album. Each of NJ’s last three albums are like this, and the new one coming out in August (The Anti Mother) is no different. Whats more, they’re working with Chino Moreno, the singer of Deftones.

I’m pumped, and can’t wait for the release.

I just wish they were on some tour other than the Warped Tour. What is more annoying than the Warped Tour?

OK, so I there are some things I do. I took this today:

The approval rating for congress is in the pits as of this month (as if you couldn’t already have said that.) It hit a new low mark of only 9%. Wow, thats low. Single digits. Poor Pelosi. Comments anyone?

I want one.

Radiohead is at it again, their latest video literally uses no video cameras. As described here, it “uses real time 3D recording instead of cameras, utilizing highly technical structured light and Lidar laser-enhanced scanners”.

I love how Radiohead continues to push the limits of convention. They’re always on top of the next non-cookie-cutter idea.

Dru at work says it well: “No cameras. Bad ass.”

And anything that uses lasers gets an extra high five from me.

Continuing on from this post, the weekend only got better. Saturday morning, we got up early to head do a hike on the last full day Andie and Jason would be in town. You can’t come to the Columbia River Gorge and not go hiking, right? We also stopped by a farmers’ market on the way there and picked up some fresh cherries which make me want to eat nothing but fruit for the rest of my life.

Back in Hood River, Andie, Jason, and I grabbed the company golf clubs and headed for the course to hit some driving range balls.

We also spent some time on the club patio having a drink, relaxing after a ton of outdoor activity over the week, and waiting for the hot air baloons we saw in the distance to rise. (they didn’t) In the meantime, Andie took this amazing picture and I just have to give her props:

This has been great and eventful weekend, so I thought the best way to illustrate it might be a series of photographs. Well, I guess it actually covers more than just the weekend.

Wednesday Daniel Dixon made it out to Hood River from Portland where he’d been spending a week in exploration of the city. He crashed at my place for a couple nights and it was another one of those times where it seems like I’ve known someone for years despite just having met them. That night we happened upon Mandy and Moriah at the Library Lawn (in the future to be referred to just as “the lawn”) and we celebrated Moriah’s birthday on the beach with burgers, guitar, and good tobacco.

Thursday, my sister Andie and her husband Jason arrived in Portland so Dan and I made the trek in to pick them up. Dan and I both have aspirations of moving to the Hawthorne District of Portland so we did some exploring there as well as showing Andie and Jason the city. (what little I know of it) We grabbed dinner at an awesome grill on Hawthorne, one that I’m sure Dan and I will frequent if we move there.

When we finally got home to Hood River I proceeded to get pulled over for driving too slow.

Friday Dan left to head back to San Francisco. I’ll be looking forward to when he and other friends make it back. Since I didn’t plan ahead very well, I didn’t take work off on Thursday or Friday and therefore lost a little time spent with Andie and Jason. It wasn’t completely uneventful, though, while they hung out on the beach watching the windsurfers, someone brought beer and donuts into work. This is normal for Summit, but at 10:30 am? I couldn’t help but laugh, but not partake. Others weren’t so bashful.

After work was the annual company party at Craig’s house which is suppose to be the best Summit party of the year. Andie and Jason and I drove up the river a ways to Craig’s private beach on the Columbia River where we had a great dinner and spent some time with some of my co-workers on a more personal level. I also officially decided that [coworker] Seth’s daughter is one of the cutest I’ve ever seen.

In the evening we made our way back to the lawn (remember from above?) and met up with Jilliane as well as Mandy and Moriah again. This is quickly (already has) become my favorite thing to do in Hood River, especially after the sun goes down. The lawn deserves a high five.

UPDATE: Andie sent me a link to this picture which was taken of them by this guy on their climb of Mount Baker. Andie is second from the left, I think Jason is first on the left, but I’m not sure.

Tonight I got pulled over for driving too slow.

No, I’m not kidding. Dan and I drove to Portland to pick up my sister and her husband from the train station. After a [fantastic] dinner in the Hawthorne district, we made it home though the Columbia River Gorge with enough time for Andie and Jason to see the scenery. On arrival in Hood River, I also took a short trip around downtown just to give them an idea of the town before it got dark, especially because I’ll be working tomorrow morning (hopefully not afternoon) while they hang out and rest from their ascent of Mount Baker on Wednesday.

So driving up one particular street on the way to my house from downtown, I get pulled over. The officer (a local one) literally pulled me over because I was driving slow. He also mentioned my un-use of turn signals.

What can I say? I was busy showing my brother-in-law and sister the town they’ve never been to before!

Officer Granny-Buster was a nice guy, and it didn’t take much for him to know I wasn’t drunk or high.

He also mentioned that I need to get my license and car registration updated to Oregon. You see, I’ve moved enough in the past couple years to currently have a Nebraska drivers license (expires in October), Colorado license plates (also expires in October) and I live in Oregon. For whatever reason, authorities don’t appreciate this.

This is the FOURTH, yes, I repeat, fourth time I’ve been told this. I have a running total — once in Colorado last summer, and two more since moving to Oregon, not including tonight. Each officer has informed me that its an official “unwritten rule” that you’re suppose to get all identification and registration updated within a month of moving to a new location. Somehow I feel disinclined to follow unwritten rules, but still try to seem as genuinely interested as possible as each officer explains the “law” to me.

Unless law enforcement suddenly got super efficient and organized, I don’t think any of the four officers who’ve pulled me over with this news have discussed it with the others. That is - when I get pulled over for the fourth time in this situation, Officer Granny-Buster doesn’t know I’ve been told this before.

Somewhere in the slyness of my mind I’m going for a running total of 10 by October when everything expires. Thats coming up soon though, so I better start breaking the law and getting pulled over. Maybe driving really really slow is enough..

Oh yeah, and I did not get a ticket for driving slow.

Its not very often that I have visitors in Hood River or that I get to spend time with people like this guy but thats what makes this week so awesome. Dan has been in Portlandia for about a week and made the trip east to Hood River to hang out for a couple days before he heads back to San Francisco.

Tonight I’m driving in to Portland to pick up my sister Andie and her husband Jason who will be arriving via Amtrak after a week long camping trip in the Seattle area. For those who don’t know me very well, yes, I have a sister named Andie. Amos and Andie. Moriah thought that was amazing and that my parents had planed that. Nope, they didn’t.

We’ll spend the weekend resting (for Andie and Jason’s sake) but hopefully finding some outdoor adventures. Doesn’t matter what we find to do, its just awesome that they made it up to the NW (they live in Oklahoma City) for a visit. Perhaps we’ll spend some time on the Library Lawn or at one of the great coffee shops in town. And surely there will be a trip into Portland to spend an afternoon at the few places I know of there.