Here to Begin

Hello cats and kittens, I don’t know how long it’s been, nearly three years since I’ve last graced this site. What brings the resurgence? Well, buckos, let’s not call it a resurgence until it becomes semi regular at the very least. Yes?

Still, I am here and you are here, so one might say let’s dance the keyboard tango again, yes?

Indeed.

At the moment I find myself at a Vancouver Starbucks, sipping on a cooling Grande Mocha. This might seem anathema to those of us who knew me in my days in Boston, but life is nothing but changing, no?

I am in Vancouver to meet my future brother-in-law, and truth be told we get on splendidly. One might call him a brother-in-lol but I think that’s the coffee talking, potent stuff, as I’ve only sipped on the whipped cream….

First drink. Refreshing. Not cup of Joe, not Emack's but not awful either.

Ok. So time for the truth.

I am on a road trip. From Blue Lake, (which you will hear much about, be assured!) back to Iowa via Canada and NORTH DAKOTA!!!! Finally! This is a Dell’Arte-styled road trip, as I have fellow alumni scattered across the world now, who are happy to take me and the Zed on for a night. This is a good thing as we plan on skipping like stones on a pond across the world this summer. (Yes, Yes, more later)

First stop was Takilma, OR and the workshop of famed mask maker, Newman.

Newman is a wizard of leather mask techniques. There are no masks I prefer wearing more than his.

Ironically, the masks we left the store with were not his. Pictures may need to be had to show them off.

Newman says hello. If you know him, than know that he loves you and says hello.

Up next was the town of Portland, OR and the abode of James Peck and Sarah Peters. 

James and Sarah live across for an “Intentional Arts Complex” by the name of E.A.T. (Eating, Arts, Theatre) a two-year old subsided artist housing/studio space.  Their resident theatre company, Post 5 does a summer free Shakespeare festival. Check it out if you’re around. NE84th and Oregon… the next show is “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” featuring one of my favorite actors, Gerrin Mitchell. 

Gerrin and I met at Dell’Arte… but those are later stories. Let’s just say that he’s awesome.

Finally we arrived in Vancouver BC. 

Vancouver is a nice town, people aren’t trying to kill you with their cars, the streets make sense and it’s relatively walkable. This is a good thing, as Zed loves to walk. Yesterday we put in close to five miles, and she wandered another few on top of that.

Who is this Zed? Is she a puppy? Nope. She’s my shiny new fiancée! But those are later stories. Let’s just say that she’s awesome.

The most remarkable thing that I have experienced in Vancouver is the sushi. Not only is it everywhere, super cheap and delicious, it’s also enormous! Two maki rolls feed three hungry people kind of enormous. McDonalds Supersize kind of enormous. An Alaska roll (read: has salmon. Staple sushi. Nothing that requires it to be roughly the size of Alaska.) That we ordered might have had a diameter greater than the rim of this paper cup my Grande Mocha is riding in! Truly, it was the sushi equivalent of new York-style pizza. You pretty much had to fold it in half to get it into your mouth – no easy task when employing chopsticks!

This area of Vancouver that I have spent the past three days in has been nothing short of the culinary version of “The Garden of Earthly Delights”.  The three of us have noshed on Calamari, Carrot Cake, Coconuts, Coffee, Curry, Granola, Greek-style hamburgers, Green-Tea Ice Cream, Pasta, Pizza, Pork Chops, Poutine, Roti, Salad, Satay, Scalloped Potatoes, Shellfish, Sliders, Spring Rolls, and Sushi.

No wonder we’ve walked so much!

Zed is in the process of taking her third dance class…

 Once that’s finished it’s on towards Calgary!

Should be a beautiful drive.

There’s so much to say, but now my friends it’s time for :

Waffles!