Day Nine: Where Shar takes 150 pictures of the road going by

On Day Nine, we woke up at five, climbed into the car before the UW ticket-happy parking enforcers could get another swipe at us, and got on the road, setting our sights on Bozeman, MT. That is, we set our sights on driving from Seattle to Bozeman. In one day.

Yes, we know that's a really long drive. Don't you think we know that? What we did not in fact know until right before we went to bed last night was how nerve-wracking that long drive was going to be. Evidently, there are parts of the country that didn't get the notice that Spring Has Sprung. These parts of the country believe that it is, in fact, time to pose for their Christmas postcards. They believed that, in April, which is, in fact, objectively springtime, it was time to snow. Unfortunately several of these parts of the country lie in the 800 miles we meant to cover. There were, of course, fantastically breathtaking views, not all of which were snow-covered. Here are some of the ones that were. Also, a picture of an error in judgment on my part, specifically regarding my toes.


Here again is a thing that will make this trip an obvious Mike & Shar experience. Besides the census taken of the inside of the car. We did not make it to the KOA kabin we'd reserved in Bozeman. Instead, we decided that 11 hours of driving, stopping only (twice) for gas was not enough. We added another 90 minutes to the end of that drive and are currently blarging from Billings, tummies full of good Montana steak. Also, there's a water slide in our hotel. Also, it is freaking awesome. I went down it, like, four times and I wasn't even scared.

And we have another ungodly drive tomorrow, so I'm calling it quits early again. As a consolation treat, please enjoy this video, which is the music video for Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel." It's one of my very favorite songs of all time and, though it's about hitching down the Atlantic coast rather than driving America, it's become somewhat of a theme song for Mike & Shar tours.

Listened to: "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show, Lagniappe (Slimpickins), Food & Liquor (Lupe Fiasco), College Dropout (Kanye West), Shut Up You F*cking Babies (David Cross), Omnibus (Tarkio), an assortment of Lucy Kaplansky songs including "Scorpion," and the sizzle of two-inch-thick steaks at Gusick's Restaurant.

Mystery words: "BEARS EXIT NOW!!"

Mike's side of the story (with more pix!): astoriedyear.blogspot.com

Day Six: I wish they all could be California towns...

Waking up on Day Six was amazing. I left Mike snoozing and, our tiny cabin now cozy due to the whirrings of a hearty little heater left on all night, pulled on a sweatshirt and stole outside. The redwoods were quiet. Humid from a night of fog and thick with morning dew, there wasn't even a car on the nearby freeway to disturb the morning. Beautiful. And soon we were in the car, winding our way toward the interstate, the border, and Portland.


Ah, Portland! Our love and gratitude for you overflow and pour out onto your rain-wet streets! The So Cal expatriate KOA owner (who, Mike reminds us, was not so much friendly as Extremely Helpful in a Kathy Bates sort of way) had disparaged it so. But what a city! We checked in to our fantastically comfortable hotel, hopped on the MAX light rail and rode into town.

First stop: Powell's City of Books. Can anything be better than this place? Empirical evidence says no, but I guess we'll have to wait till we see what Bozeman has to offer. The biggest independent used & new bookstore in the world, it's exactly as awesome as it should be. We rushed through, knowing that if we spent too much time we'd spend our road trip money and beyond, quite literally all in one place. We managed to escape with only a $35 bill, spent wisely on absolute essentials. I promise.


Next stop: Pastini Pastaria. After wandering about the city a bit, we stopped in for our first purchased meal since In-n-Out in SF. Delicious, quick, and utterly affordable, we filled up on good food, tasty drinks, and homemade spumoni for only twenty-five buck. It was in a close race with last night's cup-o-noodle feast, but Pastini definitely won a gold medal tonight. Congrats!

And, for the big finish: Too Much Coffee Man Opera: the refill!!!!!!!!!!!!! A little background: I discovered jazz pianist/vocalist Bob Dorough and Shannon Wheeler's comic Too Much Coffee Man at the same time, due to the album Too Much Coffee Man recorded by the singer, featuring the theme song to a proposed TV show. When I tripped across my first TMCM comic in Ashland, OR more than 5 years ago, I instantly recognized it as something truly great. And when I met Shannon Wheeler a few years ago at Comic-Con, he told me that another musical awesomeness was in the works. I have been positively jittery ever since. And suddenly, there we were, far away from home, in the super-swank Portland Center for the Performing Arts, old volunteer ladies peddling comics in the lobby and young indie folks lining up for coffee from the convenient stand outside the door.
And then the lights dimmed and the music started. And it was magnificent. Absolutely perfect. Baritone Stacy Murdock threw all of his considerable talent behind the ridiculousness of the man in the red spandex and the giant coffee cup on his head. I can't thank him enough. We had a great time, and I feel as though I can cross something off my Bucket List.

Yes, I just made that reference.


Ah, Portland! Be but a smidge more sunny and you would be perfect! As Mike says: "I don't want to go to sleep, because then I'll wake up and we'll have to leave." Just a head's up, Seattle. The pressure's on!

Today we listened to: Great Big Sea Live: (Great Big Sea), On the Road, "Convenience Stores" by Buddy Wakefield, an accordion player at the rail station, and, of course, an aria extolling the virtues of a certain caffeinated beverage (while drinking that beverage).


Mystery words: "Pee and poop in the hole"

Read Mike's take on things: astoriedyear.blogspot.com

Reason #Billion that this road trip is gonna be off da hizzle!

Mike just did a Ticketmaster search for events in Portland while we're in town. And! Guess what's opening the night before we get there?

Tickets: purchased. This is going to be the best thing ever! EVER!!!!!

If you're not familiar with Too Much Coffee Man, this is really your loss. He now exists mostly as a webcomic, but he started out as an indy comic, first self-published by Shannon Wheeler, and eventually picked up for a few color issues by Dark Horse. And he's awesome. He's a superhero of sorts (in that he wears spandex and occasionally interferes in other people's lives), but mostly he's just weird. When you add his friends Too Much Espresso Guy and Too Much German White Chocolate Woman with Almonds into the mix, you know it'll be an adventure.

And might I add that Mike is the freaking awesomest? He was so excited to tell me when he found this that he was giggling like a little kid. And you think it's because he wants to see a tenor sing TMCM arias? I doubt it. Reason #1 that this road trip is gonna be off the hizzle: best co-pilot ever.

Wedding Disc 2: Shar's Music

We got married yesterday! There will be much more on that later. Mike and I made (with the help, and more importantly, the laptops) of many of our friends, two mix CDs of music that's been important to us for all our guests to take home. The first disc was (mostly) songs he's given to me. He wrote about them over at his blarg. The second disc was (mostly) songs I've given to him. Here's the tracklist and the story behind each song.

1. Broken Things- Lucy Kaplansky
When Mike and I were first falling in love, this song played in my head and on my stereo a lot. The line "you walked right into my darkness, speaking words so sweet..." perfectly describes how wonderful it was to find someone who was brave enough to stand by me when things weren't just happy sunshiny picnics for me.

2. Homeward Bound- Simon & Garfunkel
Throughout the five years we've been together, there have been many times I've been away, whether for a family trip, a singing responsibility, or just school. This song speaks to the frustration of being gone when everything you want is back at home waiting for you. As soon as I turned the corner and started the return trip, this song would be on my mind.

3. At Last- Etta James
One of those lovely jazz standards that gets played at weddings so often that it would be cliché if everyone who'd ever fallen in love didn't still get teary-eyed when they heard it. Last year, I sang this at a wedding reception and caught Mike's eye across the room.

4. Please Be Kind- Jane Monheit
This was on the first mix I made for Mike. When we first started going out, neither of us had a clue what we were doing. We just had to be careful with all of the trust and love we were giving to each other, making sure not to take anything for granted. I think it turned out okay.

5. I Know Why (And So Do You)- The Manhattan Transfer
This was also on that first mix. I remember a couple years ago, I was really upset because it was raining on my birthday. Mike and I walked down to Westwood, had a great dinner, and walked back in the downpour dancing and singing at the top of our (my) lungs. "I can see the sun when it's raining, hiding every cloud from my view..."

6. Come Away With Me- Norah Jones
The first time we heard this song was during an otherwise uninteresting episode of Saturday Night Live. We'd propped up on pillows on my dorm-room floor and were talking about other things when we both noticed, at the same moment, the beautiful song coming through our tiny TV's speakers. If ever we were to run away together, to live in a tiny cabin with just room for the two of us, this is the song we'd run to.

7. Radio Sweethearts- Kate Rusby
My whole time at UCLA, I shared a room with my roomie (and maid of honor) Robyn, whom Mike and I both adore. But it was tough having four years of not very much time spent just the two of us. When we had evenings together, we sometimes liked to push the tables and couches out of the way and dance. A lot of the time, it was to this song. Listen to it, I'm sure it's obvious why.

8. When I'm Sixty-Four- The Beatles
One of the top things I love about Mike's family (it's a long list) is his lovely grandparents. Just a few months after we started going out, Mike took me up to visit them, and we've shared countless meals and a few theater outings with them since then. They recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Their love is an inspiration to us. I'm happy to have such a wonderful growing-old partner.

9. The Promise- Tracy Chapman
This song has gotten us through some hard times. No matter how far we seem to get away from each other, no matter how long or difficult the low times are, we're always going to be coming back to each other.

10. You're My Soul and Inspiration- The Righteous Brothers
This is just a great love song we love to sing along to. So much of our relationship has been built on times in the car, listening to oldies radio stations and singing along. This is one of our favorites.

11. If You Only Knew- Kara's Flowers
The first time I heard this song, by the L.A. band that would eventually become Maroon 5, I knew I had to play it for Mike. It's talking about all of the little things that become big deals when in a relationship with any geographical distance involved-- especially when that distance has to be traveled on the 405 freeway.

12. I Believe- Stevie Wonder
I couldn't tell you why Stevie Wonder has been such a crucial part of our relationship. Part of it's gotta be that he does great Christmas music, and Christmas is our favorite holiday together. Whatever the reason, this song has all the classic Stevie, and it gets us every time.

13. Don't Mind Me- Lucy Kaplansky
Another song off that first mix. The line "I'm just a bit maniacal about you, and derailed when I'm without you" pretty much perfectly describes the insanity of falling in love at the end of summer, when free time spent together is about to become a rare and precious luxury.

14. Wild Honey- U2
I've always found the idea of eternal love, reincarnating since the beginning of time, to be a little out there (think Hawkman and Hawkgirl). But I love the idea of Mike and me being monkeys too much to not love this song.

15. Heavenly Day- Patty Griffin
This is off Patty Griffin's newest album, which just happened to be on overhead play for the first month of my job at Borders. It was a rough transition for us to go from seeing each other all day every day to having to schedule our lives around work. But every time I heard this song (which was probably five times a day) I got the gentle reminder that we don't need anything other than to be together to make it a perfect day.

16. Just You Tonight- Lucy Kaplansky
One of the benefits to having a humble beginning to our relationship is that we don't easily get distracted by the trappings of romance. There were no clinking champagne glasses or fancy dinnerware to help us along the way. It was just the two of us, and that turned out to be more than enough to build on.

17. Our Love is Here to Stay- Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
I have always had a soft spot for vocal jazz, ever since my middle school choir teacher first told me I would love Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross. Ella & Louis have some of my favorite vocal duets ever. "The radio and the telephone and the movies that we know may just be passing fancies, and in time may go..." has been a fun line to think about as a whirlwind of technology swirls around us. Our relationship started with a dial-up modem and a landline phone. Right now, we're writing on our bed with our Apple laptops propped up in front of us. Who knows where we'll be in another five years? But we'll be next to each other, so it'll be great.

18. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm- Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Ella & Louis again. It's more or less literal-- I get cold really easily, and there's nothing like snuggling up to the man I love, under the arm that's molded itself to fit my shoulders, to make me feel all wrapped up and cozy.

19. Danny's Song- Anne Murray
One of my favorite songs to sing at the top of my lungs. Besides the beautiful chorus, I love the line "if you find he helps your mind, better take him home." Long, long conversations with Mike about everything we can think of have made me think about life in a hundred new ways. He's probably the smartest guy I know, and we're going to have hairy little genius babies.

20. Two of Us- Aimee Mann & Michael Penn
It's a Beatles song, but I think I might like it better the way it is on the I Am Sam soundtrack, as a duet between a man and his lady. I don't care where we're going-- life is better with a Mike in the seat beside you. We're lucky enough to have had a cross-country road trip and thousands of miscellaneous other miles of adventures together. And we have so much road still ahead of us.

21. The Luckiest- Ben Folds
This is our song. It's what was playing when Mike first said he loved me. It's what we clear the furniture away for on every anniversary, and it's what we danced our first dance to at our wedding reception. And it says for us so many things that we have spent the past five years showing to each other. I am so lucky to have Mike, and we are lucky to have each other. I'll never forget that. But it's not just luck. He is such my perfect match that I have to believe that, instead of as high school sophomores, if we met for the first time in sixty years as old, old people, we'd look at each other then in our wrinkly old eyes and we'd still know. Instead, we get to spend all that time together, and, because of that, I count myself the luckiest.

Cinematic moment narrowly averted

A few days ago, my manager switched out the Shrek 3 soundtrack for the Beatles' Love album in our queue of 5 overhead play CDs. On the one hand, the Love album is almost a year old, and thus cycling it through the store's speakers isn't necessarily gonna encourage people to buy it. On the other hand, if you're coming into my Borders looking for a CD, you're already in the wrong store. And Love is awesome, whereas Fergie singing "Barracuda" gets old real, real quick.

Last night I was shelving in the religion section, in a pretty rotten mood. One of those moods where I'm just slightly annoyed at everyone and, since I had to spend the first two hours of my breakless 5 hour shift on registers, I had already had about enough of smiling customer service. If I recall correctly, at the time I was grumbling to myself about how quickly the Buddhism books had gone from their aesthetically immaculate alphabetization to a jumble of misplacements and inconsiderate stashings.

Then the Beatles started singing "All You Need is Love."

Behind me, over my right shoulder, a girl started singing the chorus. Not quietly, either. In full, joyful voice. And, a moment later, another voice joined in, this one a pleasing tenor. And there was another moment, pregnant with anticipation, in which I was sure that the whole store was going to start singing. Laughing, tears forming and spilling, we'd all join hands and be glad to be human. We'd realize that it's easy to love one another, all it took was the willingness to do so. And we'd sing, probably in perfect harmony, again and again: "All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love. Love. Love is all you need."

Instead, the moment passed. The two singers, who had evidently come in together, moved down the aisle and their voices faded, lost in the jumble of a busy Sunday night. And it left me to wonder: how many other voices would it have taken for me to join in the song? How many smiling, loving faces would have had to turn my way before I joined in the celebration as it paraded out the café door, spreading into the night and into the world?

Would I have needed a bag check from a service manager before I left?

further thoughts on that which is important

a few weeks ago, i sang for Frank Manaka's 100th birthday party. i called him a few days before to go over last-minute details and, not surprisingly, the conversation wasn't the smoothest. i was driving in traffic and he didn't have his hearing aid in. it took me a good minute of shouting into the phone for him to realize who i was. he told me that, what he really wanted, was a sing-along. he wanted me to lead his friends and family in singing songs that meant something to him. and he especially wanted me to learn "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," which had been the song he and his wife used to sing to one another. when we sang it at the party, he was smiling behind his harmonica, with tears in his eyes.

here's a story i wrote:

He left the funeral quietly. Her friends were huddled in clumps, chatting darkly and laughing brightly. A widow caught his eye and smiled sadly, sweetly. He nodded and slipped away. His right side was cold as he stepped out of the church and, as the street zipped by the little parking lot, as good folks with important things to take care of marched past in loud pairs and trios, he missed her. He walked to his deep blue sedan and sank into the driver's seat, struck with the sudden desire to go somewhere, to do anything but live the life he'd lived for the past forty years, only with a little coldness on his right side. But then he was pulling into his driveway and walking up the front steps. He was turning the key in the door and walking in to his living-room. He saw two chairs at the table and an extra phone handset for when their grandson called. There were unopened videos stacked next to the television console and a CD leaning against the stereo: gifts from family who remembered the things they had enjoyed over the decades and had forgotten that what they really loved to do now, now that they had time and before they lost the energy, was sit on the couch and chat mindlessly with one another. He went into his bedroom and took out his hearing aid.