Clouds

This picture was taken a few weeks back from the bike trail.

Yes, after a god-forsaken 37-hour trip from Philly to Bellingham, I finally arrived home early this morning. I hope to never leave Bellingham again. Now I am all for free markets, but both the health care and airline industries have failed consumers miserably in this country. Something is woefully wrong in both. And with the continued increase in the price of fuel, things are only bound to get worse.

I was feeling a bit down today due to lack of sleep and went to a morning meeting, but my spirits were quickly lifted when the first biker passed me up the street from my house and wished me a good morning. It is good to be home. People making eye contact and smiling versus looking at their feet when they walk past you. I miss smiles and nods of Bellingham.

Out to change a flat on the bicycle. I bought so Mr. Tuffy tire liners a few weeks back and of course I haven't gotten a flat since. Well until today. So now I will go out to the garage and put the tire liners on the bike and hopefully have fewer repairs going forward.

I wanna go home...

So this is the picture of me performing Comes A Time at the sangeet last Friday night. I thought I sucked, but many people complimented me on my performance. The cool thing about Hindu ceremonies is that going barefoot (or sockless) is totally acceptable. And that is alright by me.

So my saga of returning home continues. I am getting closer to Bellingham, and after a canceled flight, I am sitting in the SeaTac airport - probably the nicest airport I've ever been in, and a pleasurable place in which to be stuck - writing this from a Tully's coffee shop. But I am beginning to smell (I packed just enough, but the socks are a bit ripe) and look forward to getting back to my home, sitting in front of the gas fireplace working into the evening and listening to jazz, or just biking around town. I really miss my bikes. And the smiles of the people in Bellingham also beckon.

I was quite depressed and lonely yesterday leaving all the wonderful times and friends on the East Coast. But when I was back in touch with the great people I know back here in Washington, those feelings quickly dissipated. It is always nice when you have something wonderful to return home to. In the choppy seas of my life, my friends, family and acquaintances are the anchorage keeping me safe.

Oh, and by the way, the winds yesterday were reported at 90mph. I have lived in few places where it is not uncommon for shingles to get torn off roofs. Bellingham is one such place. But I look forward to the freshness of the rain-drenched and cloud enshrouded mountains and evergreens. As long as my roof is intact. Now the older garage roof out back is a different story...

SLC

This picture is from the auction last week in Hop Bottom, Pennsylvania. Basically aqnything old- toys, tools, furniture, household stuff...even radios - could be found here. I went there to meet an old friend that has a keen eye for certain things and resells these items elsewhere.

So I didn't quite make it back to Bellingham tonight, although I really like to be back in the moist (and windy) PNW. The flight from Philly was late, I missed the BLI connecting flight, so Delta put me up in a hotel tonight - a Comfort Suites. I hope the little home was okay, as a wind storm blew through. But gusts to 30mph are nothing like the 70+mph winds we had last winter.

Oh well. Not much more to write about from Utah, but this was a very eventful week and lots of work needs to be completed by the end of the week, as the 'vacation' is over. What a fun time though!

Wedding II

So last night wast the Hindu ceremony. Or actually all day yesterday was the Hindu festivities. Today was the Christian side and the ceremony was at an Episcopalian church in the beautiful area of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. And more eating, dancing, meeting wonderful people from all over and a generally wonderful feeling of being around good people. The Hindi people were overly accommodating to our (partially) Polish heritage and vice versa.

This picture is of the church where the wedding was held, and it was a tremendous treat to see the two families get to know each other in these two settings. I am exhausted, and winding down my week in Pennsylvania. I am sad too that such fine times are coming to an end, but another pile of fond memories were created.

The stragglers are still downstairs partying, but it is 1:30am and sleep beckons. The world is full of some wonderful people, and I am very lucky to be amongst them.

Wedding

Today was a Hindu portion of a family wedding. I am intrigued by the Indian culture and have found these weddings to be beautiful and warm and tremendous fun. It was a long day and started from this morning's breakfast with the groom's family and the ceremony and the evening dinner/reception. The food was wonderful and all the attendees were very friendly.

I also performed at the sangheet, which is a variety of skits, poems, songs, and other entertainment at the reception. I am a mediocre guitar player, but managed to pull off a performance of one of the few uplifting Neil Young songs I know - Comes A Time. It was great to spend endless time with friends and family, and an afternoon nap certainly helped matters.

The vacation is waning and a few days lie ahead before the plane takes me back to Bellingham. But tomorrow is the Christian ceremony, so another day of excitement is anticipated for tomorrow. Geeze, I didn't even leave the hotel today except for a few minutes to run out to get something out of the rental car's glove box. And that is good. Off to sleep.

Philly Again

So here is where I crashed a few nights back in Philly with an old friend of mine. It is a very comfortable home that my friend has and I probably will end my trip here in Philadelphia by staying here on Sunday night - my last night.

Today was a day of more visiting and family. But I am having a stay at a hotel in Plymouth Meeting, so I should not need to drive anymore and can sleep in a few days.

Again, I have found my visit back east to be wonderful and fun, albeit exhausting. So I am hanging out in the lobby of the hotel, people watching and working. And I long to sleep in tomorrow. The northeastern energy of the city just sucks you into its wake. Everyone moves with intent and fervor. It is truly different from the world I know back in the little Bellingham. I miss the smniles of the Pacific Northwest. When passing you on the street, people here look at their shoes a lot more and make eye contact a lot less. Just an observation.

Relax

It has been a few days of taking regional rail around Philly and DC. Above is a picture of 30th Street Station - a beautiful grand old building in West Philadelphia that was my stomping ground in the early eighties. Some day you can ask me the story about the harmless fun that occurred late one summer night with three fraternities brothers on the roof of this building, but I need not volunteer that information here.

This was where I took the train from on Sunday to the airport. I have some dinner plans with family in Norristown tonight. Oops, gotta run.