One Last Week in Oregon

We have just over a week left before we make another cross country road trip. It's hard to say goodbye to all of the great friends we have made and all of the cool places we have grown accustomed to visiting and seeing on a daily basis. I know the pups are going to miss the awesome city parks here and the no leash laws. I'm gonna miss the spectacular views that follow me everywhere as I drive through the city and the countryside. Both Tim and I are gonna miss the abundance of delicious beers and ciders and wines that the Northwest seems to effortlessly produce. I'm gonna miss my art store job a lot. I'm sure Tim is gonna miss the always perfect running weather. Not to say that we aren't really excited to be back at all of our old haunts and to be able to have all of those familiar faces, places, smells, flavors, and feelings again. We definitely needed the break to be able to appreciate it all once more. And now we do. We've changed, but just the right amount to be able to come back and see it all a little differently, in a better light.

This time things are quite different. We will not be selling everything we own. We won't be renting a U-haul either, because we have some amazing friends here that own a moving company(Redefyne Moving). The planets aligned and they secured a move to the East Coast and were able to offer us a great deal. That means that we don't have to rent a U-haul or move any of our stuff ourselves. I've got to say it's the best way to move, to have someone else do it all for you is just tops. So we get to drive in a practically empty car, Spike the Honda Fit. We have bought him all new tires and changed his oil and he is all ready to go. We'll be taking the northern route, passing through North Eastern Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, a tiny bit of Maryland and West Virginia, and finally Virginia. We'll stop to see Mt. Rushmore and a few other landmarks. It will only take three nights and four days this time, as apposed to last time when it took 6 long, long days. All of our drives our relatively short, only about 12 hours a day except for the last leg from Chicago to Richmond. I can see that being a very trying day on the animals and us, clocking in at nearly 14 hours of driving without stops. But then it will all be over, and Julian and Iggy the cats will go to live in the woods for a while with my Mommy. Tim and I and the pups will stay with my sister for a bit until we figure out where and how we want to live. So in that aspect the move is pretty similar to last time when we had no jobs and no prospects. But this time we will have friends and family to help us along, and the advantage of knowing our way around a few of the cities.

This last week we have a few things left to do. Besides finishing packing, we have planned one last trip. We are going to visit Crater Lake and the Umpqua National Forest's hot springs. Then we'll stay the night in Bend, OR and take the next day to explore Bend and the Oregon deserts a bit. For the rest of the week we have planned to just enjoy the city. There will be lots of eating and lounging in the sun. Maybe a little shopping at the Saturday Market and at some vintage stores on Hawthorne. Mostly just relaxing because we know our lives are about to get pretty hectic. Truthfully, that's when we thrive. So now it's ready, set, go time.

The amazing Angela Bacskocky, my outrageously talented sister

My sister has made more garments for me than I can name. She sewed several of my prom and formal dresses for high school. She made me the most beautiful wedding dress in the whole wide world. When I was very young, she would take me to the fabric stores and have me pick out patterns and fabrics that I liked (always velvet and silky ones) and she would make me nice clothes. She is the best.

She has accomplished so many things over the years. Now she is about to launch an Autumn/Winter collection and multimedia art exhibition entitled Nest. The fashion line will debut at Richmond Fashion Week next month, and an all encompassing art show will follow, showcasing all of the elements from the Nest.

I wish so much that I could be back in Richmond to experience this. I urge everyone who has the means to get involved in every way that they can. And boy are there plenty of ways to get involved! This is a link to the Nest Kickstarter which is a website that enables you to donate to her project in exchange for amazing handmade presents and things. This is a link to her Facebook page and one to her Tumblr where you can keep tabs on her and all the amazing events coming up. Here in her official website, AngelaBacskocky.com.  And hey, if you know her personally, I know she is always looking for a hand in the studio :)

And just for fun, here a a few photos from her various websites.

Nest garment. 

My sister is a mason, too.

Sketches and mood board stuff.

Sketches and mood board stuff. 

Skulls, a very important part.

A piece from her Hungarian Folk Collection.

A slightly different Bacskocky Christmas

This last month, Tim and I, along with our two pups, Persie and Newton, took a long flight from Oregon to Virginia to celebrate the holidays with our family and friends. We stayed with my sister in Richmond. Newton met her dog, Glory Bee, and they hit it off instantly. Newton lost many of his baby teeth in the first night, as Glory is a much larger dog and plays very, very hard. We tried to visit with everyone, but alas, eight days was not enough time. Sorry if we missed you this time around. Here are a few photos from the week, as well as some photos from home and of some of the things me and Tim made for Christmas.  

Making holiday cards.

And block prints and block prints.

Pretty pine cone napkins for my sister.

What a weird santa man.

Oh boy, he is funny looking :-)

Drew & Newton

Angie decorating our tree...

Christmas morning, listening to all kinds of Christmas music except Bing Crosby's Christmas.
Damn you 78's.

Lots of presents.

Centerpiece magic.

Our new crazy stockings. We have a big family now.

My babies, just like I likes 'em: weird and sleepy.

Christmas morning appetizers. 

The babe's Christmas photos.

Christmas tickets (stealin' all our monies)

We have finally, after much, much delay, purchased our tickets for our flight to Virginia for the holiday times. It is a big relief to have finally done this, as it has been on my To Do list for many months. We are super stoked and excited to have a vacation from real life. Also, we are crazy excited to see everyone! We are looking forward to having way too much food and drink and celebrating until we pass out.

Now for a question. Since when did airplane rides become so damn expensive?! It should be illegal to charge so much more money around the holidays. Shouldn't a ticket across the country be the same price every day of the year? Why is it half price to fly on Christmas day, as apposed to flying in on the 23rd? The plane doesn't run on half the fuel or half the pilots! I get it, I understand, supply and demand, blah blah blah, consumerism, whatever whatever, free market economy, and all that. Whatever. It just makes me angry. Stupid. Most things like this I can control. I don't believe cable should cost as much as it does, so I don't buy it and use Netflix instead. I don't like the fees they charge at ATM's, so I don't use them, ever. I mean never ever. I don't believe a movie ticket should cost nearly $10 so I patron exclusively second run theaters. But travel. Alas, I cannot figure out a way around it. A train is almost just as much and takes days longer. Driving is out of the question for too many reasons to count. I suppose my only option is to not fly around the holidays. Well, maybe that's what we'll do next year. This year we fly back to Virginia during the busiest travel time ever, with two dogs.

At least I can try and take comfort in knowing that I found one loophole, one way to save some money. We want to bring the pups with us, and as anyone who has ever looked into flying with a pet, it is ridiculous how expensive it can get. Luckily, we can take our wee ones with us as a carry-on piece of luggage. You would
think that since you typically get two free pieces of carry-on stuff, they would just be able to count them as one of those. But no. I guess there is some extra hassle involved that makes them able to charge $125 per pet. Each person is allowed only one pet, and each flight is limited in how many pets can be in the cabin at one time. Oh but we got 'em. There is some rule that says if the two animals are of the same species and size, and they ride in one bag or carrier, then they will be counted as one pet and only be charged one $125 fee! Now, Persie doesn't like to be caged whatsoever. And she is still kind of hesitant to snuggle up on Newton. He also bites all of the time. I imagine that on a seven hour flight there would be some problem, and I don't want to be that person with the growling and barking dogs peeing all over everything (hopefully they don't pee on everything). So I've come up with this brilliant plan to sew two very small soft sided carriers together, so that there will be a barrier between them, but putting one strap on both and calling it a double carrier. I believe I can fool the Delta people into believing me. I've had split 50/50 luck with getting nice airline worker people. Half of the time they seem to be very disgruntled and yell at me, the other half of the time they are very nice and do their jobs well and with a smile. Well, I'm feeling lucky. Now if only I can figure out how much food and water to give the babies pre-flight so that they don't pass out from hunger, and they don't have an accident. And maybe there is a sedative? Luckily, I have plenty of time to figure this all out.

Can't wait to see everyone! Miss you all a lot!

Cross Country Day 1: Western Virginia's not bad, and Tennessee's all right with me

Our first day driving was mostly uneventful. We were already tired from the utter lack of sleep for weeks. Apart from a few safety checks of the cargo (specifically that damn bike rack), our ride went smoothly starting out with a light drizzle and ending with a lovely sunset. We drove from Richmond to Memphis and made pretty good time, arriving just after sunset. A few notable cities, uh well, there was Nashville. And Lebanon, TN, the Cracker Barrel capital of the world. Otherwise it was just a nice drive through the mountains. There are less pictures from our first day than from the rest of the trip, but these few pretty much capture it. A quiet day.

Western Virginia mountains are very foggy.
Definitely said that out loud once and followed it with, "No, thoggy." Oh Drew...

Very lush, fertile land, with no one for miles.

Where the low clouds meet the mountains. On the west coast, the mountains tour over the clouds.

Yes, pup had the right idea.
We all took turns having naps in the passenger seat.

Followed by snacks. My mommy had bought us candy and Cheerwine for the road. Much appreciated.

Yay! We're welcomed!

The first of many pup stops.

Yes! Tennessee! A functioning guitar building.

Persie was a parrot for most of the ride. A sleepy parrot.

Long roads ahead.

Fancy shmancy GPS with 3D mountains and buildings. Loved knowing our elevation at all times.

NUTRO! Tennessee does factories.

Official Cracker Barrel. We always thought they'd be there. But we drove past
our last one right before the California border in Arizona. Fun fact: there are no
Cracker Barrels in California, Oregon, or Washington. Where will I go for my pie?!

Sun setting.

Yes, that's right. Largest in the world.