Buddy and Pickle: The Dynamic Duo

I have resisted creating a post dedicated primarily to the two felines that share our house, although I am not entirely sure why because they are a constant source of entertainment, love, and discussion for me and my sister. You may have to be a cat person to appreciate any of this, or you may have to know our cats personally, or you may decide this entire post is not worth your time. So be it.

Suspect #1: Buddy (aka the King of the Condominium Complex or Big Baby)

Without providing a long history and personality profile for Buddy (and trust me, I could-there is SO much personality in both cats, which is part of what makes them fun!), but, without doing so, let's just preface this with the explanation that Buddy is an extremely picky and particular cat who acts like a spoiled prince half the time (he will literally only eat one kind of cat food and currently refuses to use the litter box because he has to share with Pickle). The other half the time he is acting like a wild king of the jungle animal, prowling outside, moving stealthily and always looking oh-so cool.

I recently sold the bed and bedroom set that Noah and I had bought when we first moved out. The bed was a super soft, HUGE, king size bed that Buddy had claimed as his own. He would sprawl out across the whole thing like he owned it. I now have a double bed that is much smaller and not quite as soft. Buddy has decidedly boycotted it. He took one look at it, turned his kingly nose up and started sleeping in the chair in my sister's bedroom (instead of the couches) almost just to prove a point ("If that is what you are going to give me to sleep on, then I am disowning you as my den mother. Your sister is now who I answer to.") So, for the last week or so, my sister and I have swapped cats. Her cat, Pickle, has been sleeping in my room, while Buddy sleeps in hers.

However, a few days ago Robin emptied out her dresser and left for work, leaving the clothes piled on her chair and bed. Buddy came in from a night out ready to curl up and sleep. He sat with me for a few minutes on the couch, then hopped down and walked towards the bedrooms. He caught himself mid-stride heading towards my room, remembered what was awaiting him, and turned to the right towards Robin's room instead. A few minutes later he walked out of her room with a distressed "meee-ooouuuww" and looked up at me, then back at Robin's room, then at my door, then back at me and meowed again. At this point, I remembered that the chair was not available for him to sleep on and had a hard time not laughing at him, although he was in a very real and apparent state of distress. He even went so far as to walk up to the edge of my room, stare into it as if debating the importance of his boycott, then change his mind. He eventually ended up next to me on the couch. Robin's chair remained covered for a few days and last night he finally broke down and slept on my bed. I think he feels like he made his point.

Suspect #2: Pickle (aka Pretty, Pretty, Princess or Sexy Mama)

Pickle is a total sweetheart and is still growing into cathood. When she first moved in, she would only sleep on the floor in some tucked away corner, heaven forbid your lap! Nowadays though, she is queen of the lap sitting and will follow Robin around in the morning until she sits down for breakfast, then will dutifully hop up on Robin's lap with this look of pure pleasure on her face.

Pickle has this habit of opening doors by standing on her hind legs and pushing on the middle of the door--this works great going into rooms, but when she does it going out of rooms, it simply closes the door more. She has this game she plays with the door when trying to get out of a room though. After "opening" it and having it still be closed she'll coyly sit down next to the door, drop to the floor and start rolling around in this seductive "look at me" fashion; 50% of the time, as she's rolling around, her paws will sort of pull the bottom of the door towards her, thereby opening the door.

So now, 100% of the time, with any closed door that she wants opened (that doesn't easily push open) she puts on this show, hoping her cuteness will open the door for her. The best is when she does it at the pantry door where her food is kept (which is a sliding closet type door). Starting at 3:30 or 4 in the afternoon, she'll walk over and try her "trick" on the door every so often hoping that maybe THIS time it will work. It is absolutely adorable and sometimes, it does sort of work because, by being so darned cute, she'll get Robin or I to feed her a few minutes early.


Anyway, that's a little about our two cats who totally keep our life interesting. They are such a wonderful lesson in unconditional love (both giving and receiving) in part because they can drive us crazy as often as they make our hearts melt. Without them though, the house would feel empty!

Quintessential Asheville

I was in the DC area last week and returned to Asheville Saturday evening, welcomed by warm, sunny weather with the classic mountain breeze blowing through the trees. I checked the mail to find Robin's (acceptance) letter to Daoist Traditions, an acupuncture school located in the nearby Montford district in a big, beautiful old house right next to a park.

She called a few minutes later wondering if I was home yet. She'd spent the day over in West Asheville at an all-day, free outdoor concert featuring local bands, local beers, and local culture.

We decided to go out for dinner to celebrate her acceptance into acupuncture school and waited 5 minutes for an outdoor table at the Laughing Seed Cafe-a completely vegetarian restaurant boasting a wide variety of meal options. While dinning, a Hare Krishna group walked by beating a drum and singing Kirtan (yes, like you always see in the movies). A few minutes later a guy dressed in a nun's habit riding a 10+ foot tall bicycle came riding by, did a few circles while shouting something we couldn't quite understand outside of the restaurant and headed back down the street. May I note, none of this struck us as out of the ordinary.

After dinner, we decided to wander around downtown a bit, since the weather was beautiful and people where out and about on the street. We stopped and listened to a bluegrassy/washboard playing band on some random street corner for 5 or 10 minutes; all the members wearing plaid somewhere on their outfit, with beards and a backcountry look to them. (At one point, a small group walked by dressed in black and white, top hats, petticoat dresses and big black boots-it seemed so normal Robin and I only noticed them because of the stark contrast between them and the band!)

We sat for a few minutes in a little park downtown, people watching-our favorite sighting being a pregnant lesbian couple (only one of them) that came and sat on a bench away for a few minutes. To top the evening off, we drank some local Kombucha and homemade chocolate mousse while listening to (another) local Jazz duo at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge before strolling back to the car and coming home.

What an Asheville evening! Robin and I joke sometimes that it is nice to finally live somewhere that we feel like the "normal" ones every now and again. Although, truth is, we both love being surrounded by all the freedom of expression, personalities, and general avant garde energy and way of life that can be found in this area. Plus the weather is fantastic. Right now, we are willing the swimming pool gods to convince the association of our condominium complex to open the pool soon, because it is definitely nice enough for it!

A Return to the Wandering

It has, literally, been months since last writing a post. In this time I swear I have flown to the moon and back at least a few times-so much has been shifting, growing, leaving, changing, not changing, you know, the norm. I lived at Yogaville for the months of December, January, and February filling my days and my life with a large variety of activities that I need not go into here because, well, it would take awhile. Needless to say, the three months away were just what the doctor ordered and I returned to Asheville March 1st. Since then, I have been readjusting and regrouping once again. I have not been working which has really turned out to be a blessing in disguise, but did not feel like it for a few weeks last month. I also will refrain from a blow by blow account of my last 5-6 weeks home, needless to say it has not all been easy, but all of it has been worthwhile.

So, with that quick fill in, that brings us to now, this moment today when I, for some reason beyond my understanding, chose to sit down once again in front of my computer and log onto "Constant Wanderings" with the intention of writing a post. (I believe I also changed the settings again so you don't need a password to read this, people seemed to be having problems with it and it truly doesn't feel necessary to me any longer).

I am remembering when I first created this blog, nearly three years ago in Driggs as I was preparing to travel the world, for who knew, 1 year?, 2 years? as long as my money and my enthusiasm lasted. I was searching (as I always have, still am, and will likely always be!) for, I'm not sure what. But searching. How appropriate a name I chose for this blog. I am always constant in my wanderings. But aren't we all? Change is inevitable and wandering is often how I feel in transition.

Today, I am a different person than the girl who wrote the first entry. To begin with, I feel less like a girl and more of a woman, although I have always been a bit of both. I live on the opposite side of the country from where I grew up (and no, Teton Valley, I do not envy your double digit inches of recent snow fall. I slept with my window open last night, woke up to spring songbirds and am surrounded by the earth coming alive around me; but to each their own =)). In many ways I feel like I have been turned inside out and run through the washing machine multiple times over the last three years. I am hoping now that I have finally been hung out on the line to dry. To reorient. To try this new space on for size for (at least) a year or two.

This entry feels perhaps a bit vague, but I know of no other way to bring it all up to date. I do not even have the words to share with you the happenings of the last several months, partly because it would fill a book, and partly because I can find no words adequate enough to capture so much of my recent experiences. I know, me, at a loss for words. Incredible.

Perhaps the next truth is that I feel a bit vague these days; so that is what I can share. I feel a little devoid of form, still blurry around the edges looking at myself through a fog. Detached yet fully present and undoubtedly moving forward. I do not think that I am alone in this feeling. Or really alone ever. And that seems like a pretty solid place to start from. So, here's to the fog clearing not only for myself, but for everyone around the world! Good luck!

(More) Changes

So, three weeks ago I arrived back home from my stay at Yogaville which was much needed and transformational. So much so, in fact, that I am returning for a two month stay and will be leaving next week. I will be there through the holidays and Robin is planning on taking a week off and coming to stay during Christmas, which we are both looking forward to tremendously!

Robin's good friend from Whitman, Katie, has just moved out to Asheville (she found a job before moving, as did her boyfriend...does that really happen any more these days?!) and will be staying in my bedroom during my absence, which works out well for all three of us. I have given up my massage space and we found someone else to share the space with Suzanne for the last two months of the lease she and I signed; I think the two of them will likely re-sign. I have two more work shifts at Mela but after Sunday will officially be unemployed (although I think that job will be there for me if I want it back when I return, which is a nice peace of mind to have).

During my first absence, Robin struggled with dog ownership and, as much as Cashew is a wonderful dog, is in the process of trying to find him a new home. She (and we) have decided that we are just not unconditional dog love people, although I would say there are no regrets to adopting him and the hope/intention is to find him another home rather than taking him back to the humane society. There have been a few short leads, but nothing concrete as of yet.

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day off, Robin and I were here alone and just spent the day together. We made mashed sweet potatoes, steamed veggies and stuffing for our Thanksgiving meal. It was delicious! We topped the day off with homemade pumpkin pie--from scratch. It was the perfect holiday for the year.

Other than wrapping up loose ends and getting ready for this next phase of this crazy ride I call my life, I am still enjoying Asheville but am so ready for a new year! I think we are going to squeeze in putting up and decorating a Christmas tree Monday before I leave, which will be fun. I wish you all a happy holiday season!

Cash(ew) and Yogaville

The last few weeks have been quite all over the place. To begin with, we have a new member of the household-Cashew (Cash for short). He is a four year old spaniel terrier mutt that we picked up from the humane society on columbus day. (I saw we picked him, but, really, he picked us. And although he picked us, he is Robin's dog). He is such a sweetheart and has just slipped into our life quite easily. He reminds us a lot of Peppy-the dog we grew up with. He is quite low-key and could care less about the cats. Which is great. His biggest fault is that he is a nervous pooper and can't seem to poop while on a walk which means he's taken up to going on the back porch whenever we put him out there...but it is easy to clean up and is at least outside. We are working on remedying the situation. Besides that, he is a total lover. I will hopefully get to loading a few pictures up to the blog after writing this post.

Besides the dog, it has been a wonderfully warm (and dry) fall. The leaves are putting on a show, although not as crazy a show as other years (so we hear). Work has been crazy busy again--even more so than in the middle of July, which has been good, but sort of exhausting. Robin and I have managed to get out some despite all the work. The dog has helped us get out and head to the park for a walk a couple of times and we have wondered why it took us so long to get there on our own. One afternoon we went up to Craggie peak on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short walk and some panoramic views. It was crazy windy but beautiful and invigorating. That evening we went at watched Eat Pray Love at the Asheville Pizza and Brewing (Brew and View) which was a wonderful experience. Movies are $3, pizza and beer and other food is available if you so desire, but is not mandatory. It reminded us a little of an indoor drive in experience.

Besides the dog, perhaps the biggest news is that I have decided to take the next three weeks off and return to Yogaville in central Virginia for a personal retreat and catch up. I have been feeling so drained and exhausted by everything the last few weeks and I can't think of anything else that I really want. It just so happened to work out that we have a temporary fill-in at the restaurant through November and that nothing in my life was too scheduled up, so I was free to go. I leave tomorrow morning and am greatly looking forward to my time there. It will be a good experience in so many ways to return and I am curious to see where I find myself at the end of the three weeks.

With that, I need to keep moving on and finish packing but will try to get a few pictures up first!

The Beach

Last weekend Robin and I headed southeast to Charleston, SC for a late-season beach trip. It was fabulous! We didn't actually go swimming due to some windy conditions and slightly cooler temps, but sure did enjoy beach lounging! The trip was brief, we got there Sunday evening and left early Tuesday morning, but managed to feel like we were on vacation. We stayed at a hostel near downtown and walked down through the main drag to the water Monday morning. That afternoon we drove out to Foley beach and stopped at a Goodwill on the way back and shopped our second hand hearts out. We had dinner at this restaurant on the water called Fleet's Landing (on recommend of a friend from work) and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

It was also neat to drive out of the mountains on our way down and definitely be able to tell that we were driving back into them on the way home. Although different from the mountains at home, it is nice to come home to mountains. (Although, I will say that I for one quite enjoyed the flat, bike friendly terrain of Charleston. Sometimes all the little hills here in Asheville are exhausting!).

Back here in Asheville, I am enjoying one of the most beautiful fall seasons in my memory. The leaves are still not all turned (there are so many!) and peak leaf week won't be here until the end of October, but the weather is cool and crisp in the evenings and mornings and is warming up to the 70s during the day. The air has cleared up compared to the summer and the weather just makes me want to be outside when at all possible.

The restaurant is treating both Robin and I well, although I do have moments where I tire of the job. All in all though, I like the people I work with and continue to make good money there, which is a security I am grateful for immensely! And, speaking of work...it is time for me to go get ready for my Saturday night shift.

Lomi Lomi into fall

Well, it is official. They have closed the pool at the condo complex. Summer must be over. The weather actually shifted (quite appropriately I must add) the day or so right after the equinox and it is decidedly fall. It's beautiful. Leaves are still mostly green, but starting to go. I have read that the show this year will be less impressive than other years though because of the unusually warm weather that we had through September. I'm sure it will still be beautiful.

Last weekend I took my first continuing education course for massage out at the Center for Massage where I went to school. The course was Lomi Lomi massage which is a traditional Hawaiian massage modality with a strong emphasis on the flowing, poetic nature a massage can have. It treats massage as a dance and is much less finger/wrist/hand intensive than other modalities (but can still work quite deeply and powerfully). It was a wonderful course to take and was nice (but a bit surreal) to hop back into the student role for a few days. It feels like both yesterday and light years ago that I was driving out to the Center three days a week and attending class and it was interesting for me to reflect on how much has changed since then, but how fluid the whole experience feels. Everything in tiny increments it seems.

Tuesday night of this week, Suzanne and I (who I share my massage space with and went to school with) had the opportunity to work a chair massage event in town. We were hired for two hours to do chair massage at a restaurant's staff appreciation party. It was really fun. I haven't done chair massage since we were in school but it is such a different way to share the power of touch. I am so grateful that the opportunity sort of just fell into our laps!

All else continues to hum along as always. Robin and I will be taking a quick get-away this Sunday/Monday to go to the beach in Charleston, SC for a couple of nights. We are both excited. It will be the first time I have driven very south or east of Asheville since arriving so will be a new adventure, plus, we're going to the beach in October. How great is that?!