Journeys of A Meandering Mind

Now that I wrote the title, i think I got some explaining to do!

Settling in with some Don Julio here ;-)

On my Mexico trip, I explored much,,,uhm..virgin territory. Some of it, I’ll even tell you about ;-)

I wrote in an earlier post about my learning to snorkel while I was in Mexico…virgin territory indeed. My first “experience” was at Turtle Bay.. a beautiful bay, where you can almost walk out to the reef..perfect for…uhm…virgins.

I had bought a shiny new snorkel set…and I was telling my friend about how it has a valve that stops water from getting in. She figured , since I was a virgin at all this, that I should probably do a “dry run”…learn how to put it on..see if it worked and stuff before my pool lesson.

Note how fashionably my mask works with my suit ;-)

So I take a breath…and…NOTHING!
No air! Not a trickle. Not a hint!

Panic ensues.

I rip out the snorkel, and say..This fucking thing is broke!”

My friend says..hand it over…and has absolutely no problems whatsoever.
She is no virgin.

I put it back on. No fucking air!
I am such a virgin!
Apparently, as a virgin..I was..hyperventilating. Short rapid deep breaths. Valve closed ;-)

I managed to get everything all worked out, and had my “first” snorkel
. It was…Magnificent.
I came out of that water all triumphant ;-)
No longer a virgin.

So, how does one celebrate?

By having another first!

NOT the tequila, silly. I popped that cherry a LONG time ago ;-)

I had to commemorate the occasion..thus the turtle Tattoo.

Now, for the hairy part. You see…I only sorta lost my tattoo virginity….it’s a henna tattoo. And, I was so afraid to wash it off, that I wouldn’t shave over it.

Thus, the new species of hairy turtle was born

I did much exploring of “new frontiers” ;-) on my recent trip….and one of those frontiers was the underwater universe.

I cannot believe that it took me 50 years to try this..I have now found another thing to give me excuses to go to warm places. ;-)

I had to overcome some pretty huge fears to learn this, and I am grateful that I had the fortune of a very kind teacher to show me the way.

He started me off in the pool, and showed me the “rescue stuff” first…that is, after he got me to stop hyperventilating. ;-) I learned to spit into a goggle. Gross, but effective ;-)

He taught me how to “blow out” the snorkel…how to “disengage” my nose from the breathing process..how to roll onto my back when something went tilt.

We then went to Turtle Bay…a perfect place for a beginner…on a perfect day…an offshore breeze, calm waters. You can pretty much walk out to the reef…and it is not far from shore, so I had an “out” if it got to be too much.

The rest of my party took off like bats out of hell…it wasn’t long before they were just small tubes coming up from the water off in the distance. But my teacher was kind and gentle, and eased me into the process. He was patient, as I did much “rolling onto my back”

I have had 50 years of “put your face in water, hold your breath” training, so it was pretty hard to overcome that instinct. I’d also had quite a few years of “not liking the water much” to overcome.

Finally, I got to be semi-comfortable….and I was looking with fascination at the sand on the floor of the ocean.

And then….we hit the reef…..and I saw a school of fish.

Pro-tip…yelling “OMFG!” while underwater will result in a mouthful of seawater, and the utilization of rescue techniques ;-)

Lungs cleared, Mask cleared, snorkel blown…and I could not get back to the reef soon enough. When you are in a state of wonderment, you forget you are scared ;-)

I intend to seek wonderment for the rest of my life ;-)

I was blessed to see a manta ray as I was returning from the reef at turtle bay. I watched in fascination as this beautiful creature swam towards me, and gracefully glided and landed in the sand right below me.

I stopped swimming, and just floated above it…marveling at this beautiful , graceful creature.

And then…a thought came into my head. Two little words….
“Steve Irwin”

Hyperventilation, and rescue techniques employed
;-)

You know, I started this blog with every intention of writing about my roadtrip.

But, I took a detour ;-)

To give just a hint….well, I planned to be gone a month. I was away for three. Yup, detours abounded. I came home, and left for Mexico a short while later. Mexico took me to AMAZING places within myself. And, I have a 2 1/2 month trip ( or longer lol!) planned for October.

I was too busy living it to write it…and I am now grateful that I didn’t just do a travelogue. The reason? Upon reflection, I realized that this trip was far less about the places I went, and far more about where those places took me.

So the next posts will be kinda random

Just like me.

Some of these stories and posts were written a while ago, so sometimes I use the wrong tense.

They are also not chronological.

In fact, they are all over the map.

Just like me ;-)

I think everyone can relate. At least on some level.

You’ve lost something. You’ve misplaced some item. You look, and you look, but damn…you just can’t find them anywhere. And admit it, you go a little nuts. Go a a little anxious, a little OCD…

Your search becomes more and more desperate, as you start to even look in places where you KNOW that item would not possibly be…you start looking in less and less likely places. You start looking in the same places , in the faint hope that perhaps, just maybe, hope beyond hope, that those keys just might be under your bed, even though you have looked there five times already.

Well, I’ve lost something. Some things. One thing is bad enough, but a bunch of them??? Even worse.. And I can’t find them. Anywhere. And, it’s making me crazy(er)

I got so desperate that I even got dressed in all my safari gear and Tilley hat, mate. I even went deep into into the swampland world …. under-the-bed-of-the-creature-who-lives-in-my-basement. I discovered a few new species of critters down there, mostly related to things that grow on food crumbs, but no lost items. My creature son is tiring of my asking “Are you sure you don’t have them somewhere?’ “Mom- I don’t have them!!!!!!” “Yes, I’m sure!!! ” I’m POSITIVE” ” Please, I don’t know where they are! Honest!”and finally,”Leave me alone!!!!”

So what have I lost?…. My panties! All of them. Well, that’s not entirely true, I do have a couple of pairs. You know, The underwear from the very back of the drawer. The God-I hope-I-don’t-get-in-an-accident-cause-I’ll die of embarrassment panties. The emergency panties. Call 911. I got an emergency.

Where the fuck are my panties? I mean, how do lose all your panties? Where did they go? I know the dryer eats socks, but this is beyond ridiculous! How does one misplace LAUNDRY for crying out loud?

Of course, I know what is going to happen. So do you. I’m gonna go to the store, buy a brand new supply..I’ll come home, and I’ll find those panties…they’ll be under the bed…with my lost car keys.

Update – 2 weeks later

I still can’t find my panties! If I had any knickers, they would be in a knot!
I mean Jesus Christ…how do you lose your underwear in your own house?

AND, I have been so busy, That I have not even had a chance to go out and get replacements. I have however, been shooting the lights out in golf.

Sadly, this means that I now have “lucky” underwear. Ratty, crappy, two sizes too big,old lady underwear.

What’s a gal to do?
;-)

Update 2 weeks later

So….
It’s Canada day…and I am actually taking a day off golf. I have been seriously neglecting everything around the house…chores, cleaning , laundry…so I got up early, and banged off a whole bunch of loads.

Got the ipod cranked, dancing around while I sweep the floors….and then I’m folding laundry.
And I’m folding up stuff, and I realize…..I’m folding panties!

A lot of panties! A plethora of Panties!

Hmmmmm….

2 weeks later

I went on a little impromptu trip…and of course, even though I had my ugly-as-hell-back-of-the-drawer-granny-panties that had all of a sudden become my OMG, I think these are my lucky panties cause I’m kicking ass on the golf course panties…well….I couldn’t very well vacation in those things.

So I went out, and got myself some suitable-for vacation undergarments. Which, I accidentally left behind in a hotel.

Pro-Tip.
Buy stock in Victoria’s Secret ;-)

Update

I lost my knicks out on Route 66

Update

For my last trip, to Mexico…I’ve given it a lot of thought, and have devised a strategy that hopefully , will prevent panty angst.

I’ll be packing
one pair of pretty ratty, old lady panties…for the golf course.

Some reasonably nice panties for everyday use…if I lose them, it’s ok

and my very best panties..just in case ;-)
These will be outfitted with lo-jack GPS locating devices.

I couldn’t  stand another panty ordeal ;-)

I’ve been loving the detours. really, they have been the best part of this journey.

The unexpected gems. Places I hadn’t planned on going. Places I went to cause they were “only an inch away” on the map. Taking random spins on the Garmin.

I was unaware of how big a deal Thanksgiving is in the US. It’s a big deal.

I had a plan. My friend and I spent the day in relaxation…sat in the sunroom…and did a day of pampering. Pedicure…manicure…facial…drink wine…listen to tunes.

Have a wonderful bath, and head out for a great dinner. Got all dressed up… hair done, looking good , smelling good…and headed out to restaurant row.

Our first choice was closed. Our second choice was closed.

We knew we were fucked when all the fast food joints were closed.

Detours are delightful.
Until you Detour, and have to Dine at Denny’s.

I wanted to be alone for a while. And I am more alone than I could ever imagine. I have driven up a gravel road about ½ mile off the main road in the middle of Joshua Tree National Park – and I have walked about a half mile from the end of that road.

The silence is deafening.
All I can hear is the wind.
And these thoughts as I write them.
It is truly beautiful here.

Then sun is beating down upon me- it is warm, and I squint as I look at the brilliant blue sky. But even though it is high noon, the wind carries a chill.

I’ve found a spot that is out of the wind …and it feels so much warmer now. The rock I am sitting on has been heated by the sun, and it now passes that warmth onto me. What this place must be in in the scorching heat of August.

A small lizard scampers by. Then it freezes. I stare at it, then glance away. When my eyes return, I can barely see him, be blends into the sand and the dirt of the desert floor.

The longer I sit, the more I realize that this silent is not at all silent. I hear the wind…but I now hear the leaves of the pines rustle in that wind. In the distance I hear the cry of bird. The sound of the chipmunk scurrying along the rock seems to shatter the silence. The insect that buzzes around me sounds like a roar.

How much we filter out of our every day lives. How much noise and stimulation we have to dismiss.

The sound of a jet disturbs the air as it flies high above me. I have flown over this land many times…an interesting perspective, flying at 30,000 feet.

But there is something about feeling the dirt beneath your feet, a connectedness, and intimacy. You feel the sun on your face, the wind in your hair.

You smell the air. You are part of where you are. You are in this place, this time, this very moment.

It doesn’t really matter where you are. I happen to be in the desert right now. It has a beauty that can only be found here.

But stop for one second. One moment. The now.

You will find beauty.

You just have to look

I told you about how I was going down to Phoenix to mix some business with pleasure. In this case..the two are indistinguishable ;-)

Things have been going at a pretty good clip here since I arrived. Lots of golf ( which has been good, no complaints there) but I have been very busy setting up the folks here with all the tech toys.

I tell you, it was quite the experience walking into the electronics store and dropping 20 grand of their money on all the toys I would love to have.

I made an appointment at the store after interviewing a few managers..then I began to shop…

“HDTV’s…biggest you got…I’ll take two.(and everything that goes with em) Of course, you gotta have a honking stereo with that..bose lifestyle sounds good (and everything that goes with em) I’ll need smaller LCD TV’s for the bedrooms and dens. 6 of those please.( and everything that goes with them)
Notebooks..(and everything that goes with em)…oh yah, some digital cameras,(and everything that goes with em)

Of course, a bunch itouches,(and everything that goes with em) a couple of playstations (and everything that goes with em) Wii’s all around. And an xbox..better make that two. (and everything that goes with em) We’ll need some furniture to put it all in (and everything that goes with em)…..

Setting them up with cable..satellite for the other, internet for both, networks, teaching them how to use all this stuff….

Oy…busy busy…
but I do love the smell of  new electronics in the morning !

Well..this trip is turning out to be all about the detours. And I am pretty cool with that.
My original plan ( if you could even call it a plan) was to go to Phoenix, and then turn left…head to the deep south, and re-vist the places of my youth.

Well oops…I ended up turning right.

I went to Yuma Arizona. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined going to Yuma Arizona…a place that proudly calls itself Hell on Earth…a place where the major tourist attraction is an old time, abandoned prison. The middle of nowhere. Nothing to do. Nothing to see. Nowhere to go. Hot. Dusty. Hot. Dusty. Did I say Hot?

And I had the time of my life. I have never laughed so hard in my life. I met a stumbler friend….who by the greatest of coincidences, was temporarily sentenced to Yuma…and we ripped that town apart…as much as a town like Yuma can be ripped apart.
Pictures and story to follow ;-)

Ended up in Los Angeles. That, my friends, is a bit of a directional change.

So, I did a U-turn.

And, no police were involved.