Its been over a year, and i think its time to call my Veritas Vite finished.

Is it a champagne or a whisky moment? To me, one implies celebration, the other commiseration. Maybe its both. Depends what's to hand.

If you care to join me in the onward journeys, take note of my new address
http://jjeddy.blogspot.com/

Take care y'all.

Like totally.

Airport security has killed much of the aura of mystery and adventure from air travel for me. How can you pretend to be a mystical stranger from some exotic location while you’re struggling to get your shoes untied, balancing on one leg clutching at your assorted bags and package of mini-sized liquids and gels, while being glowered at by a large woman with a moustache to rival Merv’s, and for whom the phrase ‘customer service’ is something she always gets when she’s out shopping by jingo by crikey!

It is a great equaliser though. Everyone, whether business or economy must join the undignified parade of flustered humanity, clutching their random bags, shoes, coat, scarf, belt, coins, watch and laptop to their chest as they burst through the rear-guard line-up of security officers and make it to the blessing of an empty table or seat to off-load their cargo and reorder their clothing, possessions, and ruffled composure. Only aircrews are exempt from the indignity, and don’t they love swanning round airports, always travelling in a phalanx of elegantly coiffured and perfectly made-up colleagues, their outfits crisp, their luggage neat?

It has been a little over a year, but now the end is here. I've been thinking a bit about all the things i didn't get to do. Plans changed, opportunities rose and fell. But instead of thinking about those now, I'm going to remember the things that I never would have anticipated seeing or doing, tasting or experiencing.

I never thought I'd be spending a spring Saturday in a tiny old white timber church in the gentle hills that make the heartland of Pennsylvania Dutch country, witnessing the marriage of a dear friend with a crowd of Americans, Dutch and French families and friends. I never thought I'd make it to Texas, let alone spend 7 weeks there soaking up the language (!), the culture, the bbq juices, see the Astros beat the Mets, and find two beaut pairs of cowboy boots. I hoped for a white Christmas with a family who'd take pity on me, but never imagined the picture-perfection of a small New England town, nor the warmth of a Norwegian/American family gathering. And I saw mountains, real mountains to dwarf the petty sense of self, and experience of the majesty of the creation, and its creator.

I never expected that I'd be able to spend great times with so many Australian friends and family, not just those who came over to visit me but the many who ended up over here as well. I didn't expect I'd be able to grow and deepen already-formed relationships with distant friends, but I did.

And this is only what I can type in 15 minutes. But now my ride to the airport is here, and it is all over.

For now anyway.

Oh boy! What an awful few days! Being back in Boston; wonderful. Spending time catching up with friends; awesome (like totally!)! Seeing workmates; great. Trying to tie everything up at work while trying to pack up the remnants of my life; ARGGGGGGGGH!!!!

When I was young, mum would send me off periodically to clean my chaotically untidy room. She would find me a couple of hours later with maybe a biscuit tin full of exquisitely rolled and organised hair ribbons. The room would still be utter chaos. I haven't changed a lot! I am definitely a details person rather than a big picture person. I also have a very limited decision-making energy per day. To have a room full of articles, each of which needs a decision made about it (to keep, throw, give away, send or pack?), combined with deciding on limits of how many articles to keep, throw, give away, send and pack, within a very limited time-frame has been agonising. Embarrassing how agonising I have found it, and how stressed it has made me.

But its all done now.

HOORAY!!!!

The postage cost quite a lot of money in the end, but

HOORAY!!!

and all's well. Really well! Let the holidays begin!

It's my last day here in the space city today. It doesn’t feel like the last day of a job. It’s more like the last day of school, maybe boarding school after a particularly teenage-angst-driven term. I guess I haven’t been very happy here, not in a wrist-slashing way, but mildly sad. Most of my time here I’ve been feeling dull-witted, obtuse, slow, passive to the point of inertia, or trying to recover from feeling this way. I don't think a work-place has done this to me since my woeful job at K-mart many, many moons ago. Ever since starting this profession I’ve felt more adept than my resume would credit. Now I feel like I don’t live up to it.

I know that what I think about myself doesn’t change how good or bad I am at my job. Well ok, my work will be better the more confidence I have in myself. But as with other things, my feelings don’t change my status. You’d think though that knowing these things would make it easier to stop feeling them.

Enough. I am not my work, my resume, my skill or lack thereof. The term finishes today and the holiday (one that is as long as I want it to be) begins tomorrow. It has been a difficult time, but it is over now, and tomorrow will be different.

The wind through pine trees on top of a snowy mountain peak sounds like the ocean. The snow has been packed down by many feet and has melted and refrozen many times; at times it crunches like gravel, other times it has refrozen to a treacherous slick.

These are the Rockies in the late spring.

One of my favourite things is getting in a car and drive drive driving. Colorado is a damn fine place to do this. In three days I drove about 1000 miles, about 80% of which was through breathtaking scenery. My head was a riot of wide plains, rocky ridges, steep gorges, whitewater rivers, snow-capped peaks, mountain ravines, red rocks, white slopes. I saw it all. Not to mention big-horned sheep, elk, deer, prairie dogs, woodpeckers, eagles, chipmunks.

Although, going through my photos I am a little concerned with how many of them appear to be taken through the windscreen while driving.

Just as well there was plenty of road to share!

The thing about going solo is that it would never be my choice, but there’s a lot I wouldn’t end up seeing or doing if I waited to find companions. There are compensations too. No decision has to be made by negotiation; want to stop here? Stop here then! Want pub-grub for dinner? Pub-grub it is, etc. Although if you want photos of yourself there is nothing to do but make friends easily, or learn how to prop up your camera in any terrain.


The first night I didn’t get as far as I’d hoped because I was having far too wonderful a time rambling through The Garden of the Gods.

But it meant I ended up stopping in rather seedy, run-down Canon City. For the fun of it I stopped at a real Norman Bates-style motel on the main highway.

$30 per night for room with ensuite and cable tv, that turned out to be quieter than my most recent homes? Wicked pissah! Complete with lovely family-run Mexican restaurant behind it, where I had an excellent dinner-date with a mate from home via the wonders of cell phone and international calling cards.

By my 2nd night , after travelling up the Arkansaw river valley and gorge

and through South Park amongst other places

I ended up in the very hip ski-town Breckenridge. More to follow in part 2!

Ok, so NBC delayed the telecast of the Olympics opening ceremony by a day, to play it at the reasonable hour of 7.30 pm Friday. Of course its chock-full of ads. One might think that being a previously-recorded event they might show it in its entirety. But no, they've cut it for the ads.

Giving me ample opportunity to blog my frustrations. Ample I tell you!!

The direction over the choice of camera-angle is woeful; when there's something interesting happening on a broad-scale they're showing messy close-ups, and vice-versa. And why oh why do sports commentators always get the gig of talking inanities through what would be an otherwise-moving cultural/artistic/historic presentation??!!!

But wow; people running horizontally! Not even NBC can mess that up.

Oh, unfortunately 2nd-rate pop and Sarah Brightman can....

(post-script: at least the entry of the Aussie team didn't get eaten up by an ad break like the Kiwis' did. Although considering the Aussie outfits that wouldn't have been such a bad thing)

This thread happened a while back. Someone got their surnames wrong, and so I was included in the following debriefings, and suggestions for further de-BRIEF-ings. I have of course removed all the contact details, but haven't edited it to read in order; start at the bottom and read up.


------------------------------


Sheez! All the good threads happen when I take a personal day! I am
under orders to decline, but I hear Spankz don't knot.

A

-----Original Message-----
From: jj_eddy
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 5:01 PM
To: C
Cc: XXXXX
Subject: RE: Lunch Coverage

She doesn't work with you, but she's been hugely entertained by this
message
thread!!!

She also hopes the situation is resolved without permanent panty-damage.



--------------
Quoting C:

> Poor jj_eddy, she doesn't even work with us! The one who does
is
> spelled JJ-Eddy
>
> I am sorry I cannot cover, I will be in a meeting during the Thursday
> break.
>
> Can anyone else help?
>
> C
>

>
> Harvard Alumni Association
> Clubs & SIGs; International Alumni Affairs
> ________________________________
>
> From: A
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:36 PM
> To: XXXXX
> Subject: RE: Lunch Coverage
>
>
> In that case.... Knot 'em up
>
>
> A
>
> Harvard Alumni Association
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: D
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:32 PM
> To:XXXXX
> Subject: RE: Lunch Coverage
>
> Hi Again,
>
>
>
> The coverage is for Thursday, not Wednesday. The date was
> miscommunicated to me.
>
> Thanks,
>
> D
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: A
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:27 PM
> To: XXXXX
> Subject: RE: Lunch Coverage
>
> We will be here to cover the break...no one get your panties in a knot
>
>
> A
> ________________________________
>
> From: D
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:24 PM
> To: XXXXX
> Subject: Lunch Coverage
>
>
>
> Hi Team,
>
> Just a note that on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 the Classes &
Reunions
> and Class Report Office will be offsite for an event. I need break
and
> lunch coverage, and C & R and CRO are scheduled to relieve me for
breaks
> and lunch, respectively. Can someone switch with C & R and CRO for
> tommorow?
>
>
> Please let me know.
>
> Thanks,
>
> D
>

Its been awhile, and there’s so much I have to tell you. The more I had to catch up though, the more overwhelming the task seemed. So I will start where I am, and work backwards if the mood takes me.

If you have told me you get something out of reading my ramblings, then know I am thinking of you as I type. It’s an honour and privilege to share my adventures with you, and makes it seem as though I wasn’t as alone when I had them.

I’ve been in this town 4 weeks, and have stayed at 4 different places, 3 of which have involved taking care of 4-footed critters. Its 10 at night, and I’ve just got back from walking my current dog. Outside the air is heavy and stagnant (or for the more prosaic reader; 32 degrees and 71% humidity). Its hard to believe there’s severe weather on its way, except of course for the old saying that involves a pre-emptive lull. Apparently Edouard can’t decide if he’s a tropical storm or a hurricane, but we should know about him around midnight tonight. I’ve done my best to batten down the hatches (including the knocking over of the obligatory free-standing basketball hoop in the driveway so it couldn’t fall on one of the cars), and have jailed the cat indoors for the night. He usually expresses annoyance with this by biting, wailing and scratching, but for now he has been finding other distractions in the house, thank goodness.

A little about the area I’m staying; this is the locale I’m living and working in. Almost all of it looks like this!

Its an awful place to be long-term without a car, but the lend of a bike has at least given me access to one supermarket that isn’t a convenience store. There’s even a café within a 5 minute ride that serves cappuccinos in cups small enough that you can taste the (mighty fine) espresso ($2 a hit, with free wifi thrown in!).

Fig, oak and maple trees line these streets, interspersed with a proliferation of crepe myrtles, in every shade from white, through hot pinks to lilac and mauve. A few days after hurricane Dolly blew thru a fortnight ago, pink stars appeared in every lawn as if by sorcery. Resembling crocuses, these are rain lilies that need a really good down-pour before they flower. They only last a day or two though.

There's a lot of these lil fellas around too. Last week I found a puddle in the road filled with tadpoles. Sadly there was nothing but a muddy pothole when I went past a couple of days later. The population seems to be going strong though.