The Myth & The Majesty

This is the most beautiful place on earth. There are many such places. Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary... - Opening lines of Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey Every place you visit sticks with you in some way. Sometimes it's a specific thing -- the fo   Sometimes it's negative (I have no need to return to Beijing) and sometimes it lingers (twelve years later, I'm still thinking about Saint Petersburg). od, the people, an experience, a building. And sometimes, you find yourself browsing the job listings, looking for a reason to stay. I first stopped in Moab on my way back from Oregon. As it turned out, two nights in the desert were perfect for a body and soul to recover from a week and a half on the road. Sadly, my second stop was two full years later, a mere pit stop between the Grand Canyon and Denver for lunch and a stretch. They were on

... By Throwing Out My Back 1. Problems build up over time. Spraining an ankle and limping funny for awhile, moving many stacks of boxes and furniture, uneven volumes of physical exercise -- all of it can come back and bite you when you dodge pets chasing each other while you're bent over funny trying to find something. Sick days as an adult! 2. In related news, these are the times old injuries will haunt you. 3. Injuring yourself in a house full of people is much better than injuring yourself while alone. More embarrassing, but better. 4. I am very whiny when I'm abruptly helpless. 5. My family is a group of remarkably patient humans. 6. I like chiropractors. 7. Biofreeze is weird stuff. 8. Getting stuck holding still for a day or two isn't the worst fate, but I'm going to be relieved when it's over. 9. I can't imagine how people deal with this kind of thing on a regular or constant basis. It hurts too damn much for sanity.

Today, a mild case of existential angst, brought to you by everyone's favorite animated dog-children. [Pretty sure I've posted this here before, but then I found Animaniacs on Netflix and it wormed its way into my head again...]

We had a little extra excitement around here on the fourth. It's been dry. Hot, windy, no rain -- the grass is already hitting a crackly stage that makes a girl nervous. This is the kind of summer I remember from college. The kind that sparks forest fires seemingly out of spite, without aid from lightning, humans, or even just a hot engine. So you can imagine what happens when Independence Day rolls around and thousands of flaming sticks take flight. We had finished supper already when someone rang the doorbell. Or more importantly, when it rang seven times in a row. I can safely say that when you hear the words, "There's a fire out back!" it doesn't take long to find shoes and a door. Note: I'm standing in our backyard while taking this. Before the fire trucks could get here, the entire neighborhood showed up. Garden hoses were unrolled and buckets were found. People clambered over the fence to start spraying down the edges, taking buckets t