summer wrap up

welcome back to Madison, a town completely surrounded by Wisconsin. Some updates are in order so you don't think it's still march over here. Em and I lead a pretty exciting life so it will take a long time to get this all in but here we go. I had a birthday. No humans showed up, just balloons with images of a bald guy with a beard. Just kidding, we had a fun time and em even allowed her picture to get taken!


Em finished her first year of school and we went to the beach with her enviro-friends. I know you're not supposed to wear sweaters at the beach, but this one is tough to pull of without taking some skin with it.

Then em left for peru/ ecuador. Temperatures and humidity rose. Refusing to cool my house with an AC unit running off of electricity produced by coal, I turned to taking a cold shower at night, not drying off, and sleeping with a 20'' fan blowing over me. Heat was the enemy. I cooked very little and ate sandwiches instead. Cold brewed coffee kept the kitchen cooler in the mornings. It was easily 70-80 degrees by 10 am.


em and I skyped and talked on the phone, which was good fro us both. I focused some effort on the garden too. I got some cast-offs from work and they enjoyed the weather way more than me. 7 basil plants were started very close together in a medium made our of recycled plastic that is very light.






I broke them apart and put them up in our rooftop garden. we found that the soil in our garden beds is very clay-ish, which plants don't really like.
After working at the shop, I had to use my discount for something so the rooftop garden was born. Here's the nuts and bolts of the project. this made watering all the plants much quicker and safer since I wouldn't have to get out on the roof to water every day.








Here's a shot from the roof. the white of the bags keeps heat out while the black keeps the light from the roots. I did end up putting some shims under the plants to keep them further away from the hot rooftop.
yeah, they look kinda sickly but they did grow!

I got to see part of the fam over in Black butte oregon after going to a beautiful wedding in Maple Falls. wish I took more pictures.

em eventually came back to madison only to leave for a hiking trip 4 days after getting back. ya can't blame her though, she worked hard all summer in a place that wasn't even summery.

I started making salsas and canning them this summer. Em liked the idea so now we have some jars of beets, green beans, and of course peppers.

Autumn is upon us now with temperatures dipping down to the seventies. No longer am I washing the dishes with cold water or sweating at all hours of the day. I have even been able to wear pants the last few days.

There you have it. long time comin'.

new birth

Welcome back to this slow, one-sided conversation.
I'm Gavin And I'll be your host-taking you through what em and i have been through.
oh yes...
First, big news for the Matson family, as Greg and Katy, after 5 days of hospital/ labor had Lucas Henry Matson. As far as I know, they were thinking about 'Gavin' the whole time, which I liked. but in the last round my name was knocked down by Lucas. I guess If i have to be second place in the matson family, it might as well be with the name of the new generation and not with Em.
Props!

Today was sunny. Not that warm, but sunny. Two weeks ago there was 3-6 inches of snow on the ground. It all melted in 1 week, and spring was born.
It is an ugly birth featuring the revealing of cigarette butts, garbage, leaves, sticks and mud. Let's go back to something I just wrote. the difference between warm in spring and warm in winter is different. Warm in spring is 65 or so. warm in winter is anything above 20, which does include 65, but 20 is not warm for spring. am I making sense while I chase my linguistic tail? I hope so.
With the thaw, Iceboating has ground to a halt. I went out with geoff for one last hurrah on madison's own lake mendota. when we arrived, I noticed a slight separation of ice and land. People laid down ply-wood to cross the gap and for another first, I stood on floating ice instead of a solid sheet. so the first picture just depicts the landing and some of the water fighting to regain a seasonal advantage over the ice. also in the distance is the shadow of the madison.
After walking near a crack in the 15-20'' ice, I watched water flow upwards, which made me walk backwards. An old-timer stuck a stick in this crack and found that spot to be 3' above the lake bottom. Kinda weird, I know. One more shot of iceboating, this one shows my runners sinking into the ice as I set up the boat. I think it took me about an inch of ice to do a complete job. But i have to mention the banter of these dedicated guys. It's morning and someone needs a helmet. everyone is busy setting up there boat or helping another guy set up his boat. someone says "hey jim needs a helmet" which sets off chatter about who has an extra helmet and who has a big or small head. no macho stuff, just old friends ribbing each other, and within a minute a helmet is produced. I realize that these guys may have as few as 1 or 2 day sailing and maybe as many as 20 weekends a year with each other. Most know who built who's boat and where and when and what repairs have been done to it. they know not to trust some guys from some lakes because their dads or grandpas had a dangerous sail there in the 60's. I can't put my finger on it but I love these guys for it. I guess it doesn't have to make sense if it is love.

Speaking of not making sense, I talked to my neighbor, carla, today. I hadn't talked to her since she called the cops on us. i was nice and gave her our phone numbers again, but she insisted that despite her sensitivity to volume, em and I needed to insure that we weren't being to loud for her. which is easy since we know carla's every thought. more to come I'm sure.

Upon arrival in our surrogate city, I realized I'd have to try new beers and figure out how to survive without Boundary Bay Beer. I started saving 1 beer from each 6-er and soon a collection grew in the fridge. I wanted to know what IPA I would like the best. I now want to empty the fridge just to create space as much as taste the 16 IPA's that have patiently waited for the right time. Here's a pic of all of them before I covered up or tore off their labels to conceal their identity for the IPA tasting that we're having this coming friday. mmm.

ketchup

Okay, em and I put on a tropical party.
My mom sent a box of party favors and decorations.
we drank painkillers and dark and stormys through umbrella straws stuck in coconuts. We ate fried plantains and Jamaican rice and beans and everything.
we couldn't find em's camera, but our friend videoed the band playing. there was a great moment in one of the songs where em came up and told me I had my fly down. It was 4 song into the set so everyone had noticed it and someone finally passed it along to em. that has yet to be uploaded. feel free to click and paste this address to see said video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey2FGOkBibk

Also right as we finished, a beach-goer with a towel around her neck and sunblock on her nose told me that there were cops at the back door. When i announced this serious fact, no one believed me. I guess I've cried wolf before. anyway, the cop was nice and let me off the hook. she was baffled by the heat in the house. I had turned the thermostat up to 88 to make it tropical for our guests. I guess she had come without seeing the invitation em sent out. admittedly, trumpet playing at 11 on a saturday night might make a neighbor ask a neighbor to quiet down, but for our sweet neighbor,(crazy) Carla, it makes her call madison's finest, dispite having our numbers. Boo!
Props to em.
within 12 hours of the last guest departing our tropical island of happiness, em left the house to go study at our neighborhood coffee roaster. Hard working lady!

I got to drive a forklift this week at work and I tell you what, i like it. I learned that you can sweep a sidewalk clear of snow here as well, because it's cold. no shovel needed. the rest of the week was just a smear of meals and looking at daytrotter.com for new, free, and legal music.

Today we drove some of em's friends to go x-country skiing. While in the parking lot one of them came out of the honey bucket and recalled to us a time when she was inside a honey bucket and washed her hands with a bar of soap in the sink only to realize she had actually "washed" her hands with a urinal cake in a urinal. Who announces that? At that point, my day was made.

Oh, I'd like all west coasters to know that it is dry here. my skin shrivels up like a crumpled up newspaper. My hands look like my grandma's. Bad. Also, this dryness allows for more static electricity than ever before imagined. We have experienced sparking sweaters lighting up a dark room and unwrapping a pallet only to have a mighty bolt strike me in the crotch. does that count as a sign? and what does it mean? The sunny days are a decent trade off though.

enjoy your early spring!

g

Dad used to say...

No, Em and I were not forced to move to the middle of a frozen lake in order to cut costs in during these tough economic times. we'll get to this gem.
but first...
My dad is a cool guy. Through his ninja-esque spacial skills, he was able to fit an extra couch in our POD while moving here. Every once in a while (does that require a hyphen?) when I was leaving to go do some banal task, he would call to me as I sat in the car, "write when you get work." If I had followed through with that plan, he would have waited a while.

But in keeping with that spirit, I announce my employment. I am ending my short career as part-time unschool/home school teacher for two boys to pursue a full-time career at Paradigm Gardens. It's my friend's family garden shop. Over the christmas break I did some true grunt work for them. After bearing witness to the mind-crushing abilities of this well-trained monkey (to scrape gunk off a 20,000 sq ft floor), they had to hire me. I am glad. I will have to send pictures soon, but I have been busy working both jobs until my month of warning to my old job wears out.

It is snowing today.
the cross country skiing on the lakes is good, although em and I went out on sunday and were hard-pressed to find evidence of more than 3 other skiers during the last week. are wisconsinites lazy?

today I did find out that not all ice shacks (for ice fishing) are created equal. you did too. if you can't see the picture right now, I suggest scrolling until you see the pic again. A: realize someone built this and at some point said, " yup, she's done". Secondly, take a look at the lower right-hand corner of the "ice shanty". no it isn't barfing out of a devine feeling of self disgust, that's insulation rubbing against the snow. I love nature, and three-eyed fish. furthermore, the sides on the bottom are plexiglass which is painted over except for the window parts. Maybe the creators of this beast were fearing that other ice fisherwo/men would exact revenge on the inhabitants for crossing a line of decency agreed upon a long time ago. IV, they had to title it to ensure no one would think it was a castle, or part of a tossed-aside gypsy caravan. I figure there was a bet with a small sum made. "hey, I'll let you have a bite of my spam sandwich if you can build a shanty for $76" and thus, a legend was born. West bend WI must be proud.
P.S. note the lightning bolt of duct tape holding a wall together and the rattle can paint job. there are so many touches of genius. I hope that guy enjoyed his bit of spam.

On the way back in I had the chance to take this shot. I've wanted to send something like this for a while. next to the tree is a sign that says "no lifeguard on duty". I heart that sort of thing.

Also, with this new influx of work, I have been able to spend a bunch of money on Emily. First I bought a hat, so she wouldn't have to look at my other hats as often. then I went out and got a cuisinart, it came with a free VHS. Thanks craigslist! I now have the power to make emily 11 cups of pesto in moments. Peanut butter? no problem? hummus? oh yeah, I've been there. Salsa? can you say, "roasted tomatillo-pineapple"? oh, yes! Can you see how excited I am to finally do these things for em? man, I am one good guy!

Emily is busy and loving school. She is pretty busy but never lets it get to her. Em even cross country skied to school on monday. We are planning a tropical themed party for her birthday. More sooner,

G

I am a man

No, not "the man", I am a man. Yes women can do what I did, but it just isn't as satisfying saying, " I am an adult ", plus, I kinda said that last post. This is a bit of a grab-bag of info, but hey, this is my life, my triumphs, and my folly.
I have infinite things to learn in my short time here with and without you all. What you should know is that I washed my hands.
Emily and I are a potent combo, that is true with our hair as well. (fig 1) It formed a mass in our pipes, effectively stopping the pipes from doing their job. After removing the bottom U piece, I found that weird form hanging, visually, quite akin to the product of a colon cleanse. When I attempted to disconnect this beast from it's birth canal, it refused. I tugged and tugged. Matson hair may be fine, but in mass and fortified with soap and Clarke beard trimmings, it is strong. After ripping out the little gremlin, I noticed that I still couldn't see through the drainpipe. A clog still persisted. Mind you, this clog couldn't reach into the wall like the other one, but it had it's own prowess. Short hairs, soap, and something else (maybe?) formed a mass that felt (yes, I pulled it out with my fingers) like grainy, clay-ish jello. (fig 2)
I made some broccoli soup then during cleanup, the bag that I had filled some how tipped over. Oh the mysteries of gravity. Yes, it sounded pretty gross as it plopped onto our floor. (fig 3)
Also, I took some pics two weekends ago and have included a video of me iceboating to show you what it looks like. Sorry it isn't longer but my hands were losing function. (fig 4 and 5) please note the bending mast; that is normal. Actually, it should be bending more, but I had to chill out to sail and video at the same time. Its so cool.
If you haven't checked in in a while, there are other posts. look for the "older posts" button.
my best to you all,
g.

I've got it!

Some people like peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, some prefer roast beef, last night em and I went to an old theater in madison to see Yo La Tengo. Wikipedia explains the name,
" They chose the name "Yo La Tengo" (Spanish for "I've got it!") in an effort to avoid any connotations in English. The name came from a baseball anecdote. During the 1962 season, New York Mets center fielder Richie Ashburn and Venezuelan shortstop Elio Chacón found themselves colliding in the outfield. When Ashburn went for a catch, he would scream, "I got it! I got it!" only to run into Chacón, who spoke only Spanish. Ashburn learned to yell, "¡Yo la tengo! ¡Yo la tengo!" instead. In a later game, Ashburn happily saw Chacón backing off. He relaxed, positioned himself to catch the ball, and was instead run over by left fielder Frank Thomas, who understood no Spanish and had missed a team meeting that proposed using the words "¡Yo la tengo!" as a way to avoid outfield collisions.^[2] After getting up, Thomas asked Ashburn, "What the heck is a Yellow Tango?" "

For the shows that I've seen, I think this was the first one I saw as an adult. Em felt the same way too while discussing the show in our kitchen afterwards. Things that made me feel like an adult:
1. We went with our other super-famous friends, mark and missy, and stayed together as a group the whole time. No one got lost or cried in the bathroom.
2. we arrived late instead of seeing the opening band. After years of seeing opening acts, I know what I want to see, and sometimes you spin the opening-act wheel of consequences and win, other times I lose my hearing to some mock-up of a band that I don't like. last night I decided I'd rather enjoy the conversation with our friends over some act I've never heard. Sounds like I'm turning into a fuddy-duddy already.
3. We all brought earplugs, but didn't need them for most of the show.
4. we sat in the upper tier, and liked it like that. My days of being up front aren't over, it was just the kind of show i enjoyed sitting down.
5. None of us had to work the next day, or drive a long distance. Although it would have been worth it if that had been the case for me.

We didn't take any pictures, nor did we record the shows audio, sorry crew.

baby's first scrub race

I've probably already told you about it but in case you want some pictures to go along with my vague explanation of iceboating, here you go.


First let me tell you a bit about Geoff Sobering. Without him I would have spent a bunch of money building something that wouldn't have worked. Instead he allowed me to work with him on his back-up iceboat in trade for the use of said boat for the season. Nice guy. Geoff has a supreme understanding of physics, chemistry, woodworking, computers, oh and all things that make iceboats work. He is also humble on the border of self-deprecating. He picked me up this morning and we headed to Green lake Wi, which would eat seattle's greenlake for a snack. As we drive onto the ice, yup, drive, he unbuckles his seat belt and advises me to do the same. You don't wanna be strapped to a sinking car if it breaks through the ice. the doors are kept unlocked and he throws the keys on the dash. if anything happens (ice cracking), I am requested to drive straight to the shore.

We unpack the boats from geoff's wagon and trailer (fig 1 &2). This is when I would like to thank Jeremy Foust, my bother in law who selflessly donated a huge box of new gear ( 8 tops, 2 bottoms and 6 pair of gloves) to Em and I this summer. setting up the boats takes only half an hour. In that time, in 23 degree weather, the human core temp will drop. the down coat protected me well, but boat assembly requires the dexterity that only uncovered hands can provide. About every 2 minutes I would have to stop assembly because my hands had naturally scurried into the warm pockets of my coat.
Figure 3- the boat is complete.
Figure 4, this is the closest I can get to what it looks like as I sail. the boom (big black thing on the left) is usually lower and next to my head and blocks my view, to tack (turn) I have to duck down into the cockpit and let the boom pass over my helmet.

After failing to consistently catch the wind, I got some key pointers from geoff and I started sailing around the course. Other sailors rocket by me, from other directions, from my blind spot which is everywhere. if you're not accelerating, you're probably about to stop, and I'm struggling to keep going, barely aware of my surroundings as they jet at and around me silently. My neck is sore from laying down and holding up my head to look over my freezing toes. I need to take a moment. I pull off the course, put the break on, and look down at the ice. you know on movies when a giant laser gets fired? or when laser guns shoot? I keep hearing sounds like that. It's the ice, expanding, contracting, or cracking somewhere. what is this new world I stand on? (fig 4) somehow a fish has become frozen in this ice that has lured me here and keeps me from freezing to death in the chilly waters bellow. life is too short to not live in the moment for a little bit, the fish reminds me, and this sport requires more concentration than I have, so perfect. I will meditate at 25-45 mph in the freezing beautiful environs of my back yard. Not much has changed, there just aren't any slopes, avalanches, or trees.
I join my first scrub race and finish last, just as I thought. As we get ready to leave I take a shot at our two boats, (fig 6) the 277 is mine.
we're going out tomorrow, I can't wait.
g

Porcupines!

all right,
we've finally unpacked from this weekend and I have a bit of time to let you hill- skiing/ boarding fools in on a secret that no x-country skier is supposed to spill. The X in x-country stands for EXTREME! I was clocked at 97 mph right before that picture was taken.

After an early wakeup, a (much-appreciated) late arrival with our friends, Mark and Missy, bagels and carrots in the car, several gas station explorations ( the prius was weighted down and the roof rack full of skis ruins the aerodynamics and the ethanol mix all fight against my MPG so don't act surprised) and a detour through a more rural part of northern Wisconsin, we were finally out of the clouds and enjoying a sunny day. Small tourist-y towns lined the road and Mark kept the music going for the 6 hours it took us to get to the porcupine mts., which are closer to foot hills but we are grading on a curve out here.

We skied up hill for 3 miles through tall trees that defy definition since they were naked in terms of leaves. the forest was considerably brighter than the typical PNW-evergreen forest which aided us in getting to our yurt with some light. Just as we had hoped, there was plenty of firewood and enough paper and kindling to get the fire started right away. the yurt heated up in about a half hour, which is awesome when it's 14 degrees out. the building to the right stored kitchen stuff-we were supposed to cook outside the yurt. We are culinary outlaws now!

I got to chop wood in the morning.
It made me feel like a man.
I love to split wood. It's simple.
It makes me want to eat oatmeal and wear flannel.
While I was out, Em fixed up one of the best cups of black coffee I have ever had. The diamond shaped latice work of the walls and the sunbeamish 2x4s radiating from the domed skylight really draws your mind inward, to a calm place. We all got into the routines of snowy yurt life: walk to the frozen creek, break ice, get water in the big basin, bring it back to the yurt, filter it, get more for dishes, cook food, heat water, wash dishes, relax, repeat. We lucked out with fresh snow on friday and sunny skies on saturday, tough to beat. We did some exploring saturday and Mark took some photos, so credit due to him and em for documenting our joy.
Speaking of joy, We got back to our childhood (or my college) roots a bit and went sledding in the dark right outside the yurt, then to feel adult, we emptied a few flasks. I brought a 3/4 sized guitar out on a sled (which is called a Pulk when you affix poles to it) and Mark and I traded time playing. Mark has big skills, and an encyclopedic knowledge of Daniel Lanois and early Dave mathews songs. I sang some old standards and a few you haven't heard yet.

Mark, being smart, told me to keep the outhouse door open so I could enjoy the view. While I pondered the wonders of nature, he came back outside and snapped that shot of me. I know there are lot's of pics of me here, so how about one of me with my pants down.

Despite being slapped in the face with cold in the morning and stoking the fire to warm up the yurt in my long underwear, we had a great time. It would have been nice to have a whole crew of yall there, but none of you seem to want to follow us where ever we go. On the way back, we stopped by lake superior (in the park) and took some shots. Look at the piled up ice blocks! they're really about 20 feet high.
safe and sound in madison now, it's heating up to 32 today...
g

some explanation

so you're saying to yourself, (or your stuffed animals if you have the same gene set as our neighbor Carla (refer to future posts or past rants)) "what is up with the photos?" here at madison inc. we appreciate your inquiry.
here's the scoop: the squirrel was fattening itself up for winter, what that squirrel didn't anticipate was my desperate and inventive nature. I was 1 week away from making squirrel stew (despite my love of fluffy animals)and a pair of mittens when I got somewhat employed. many days were spent gazing at the soul-deadening list of awful jobs here in madison (would you like to wipe a crazy person's bum?) then get pleasantly distracted by squirrels frolicking on wires, trees and fighting over our pumpkin. frickin cute. you can hate 'em all you want, those little critters pretended to be my TV without knowing it. okay, that's the squirrel bein' cute.
the costumes:
it's halloween and our friend mark took this shot. Em is the ocean. please note the assortment of things in the ocean. She even had a plastic baggy foatin around on her backside. I can only guess that it was to represent the island of plastic garbage the size of texas (or bigger?) in the ocean. i never asked, I just thought it was brilliant. Em, always making a political statement while seeming fun and innocent. figures.
Then there's me. I'm dressed as "Gavin Clarke, the bestselling author of 'drink yourself rich'" It was easy for me to play that character, trust me. Do you like me in a turtle-neck?
So, there you have it.
Also, we have reserved a yurt about 6 hours North of here and will be spending the weekend cross country skiing with our friends mark and missy. we will not post pictures nor will we give a report in the future.

thanks,
remember to tip your waiter and we are taking requests.

Gavin

better late than never

yes yes yes, we moved away from you.
Sorry.
thanks for coming to visit em and I at our new web abode (a term that will soon be shortened to babode and used extensively).
There have been many reasons to write since leaving washington. I have been breaking personal records left, right, front and back since this whole shebang began. (shebang began in sheboygann?, whoa, my bad pun/ word play habit can really take a new turn now that you guys have to read the words instead of hearing them. I might have to watch myself a bit.) I now have made it as far east as chicago, for example. Before this trip, my most easterly travels took me to boseman montana where i had the chance to visit with my old pals travis and tommy. Also it was the first time shooting a shotgun. i do still want to watch the sun rise over the atlantic, but I will have to wait.
Ah, goals. dangle you carrots. someday I shall chomp on thee.
This is gonna be/ has been disorganized. there will be little structure to the paragraphs today. I will say that em and I are happy to be here, we had quite a good time coming out here, and building our nest in this birdhouse. I'm sure that later Em or I will fill you in about details of our triumphs, trials, and tuesdays, but for now, you will just have to accept the story that we are in madison wisconsin, a place few wish to visit, and not in south east asia again with a booming tourism business where em and I take people out to warm summery beaches, hot, humid forests, and beautiful caves then hop on mopeds back to our bamboo huts and cook amazing food for our guests. seriously?, did I just write that?
here's why I wrote that and why I'm writing today:

madison's weather report
high of 6
low of -3

our freezer is set to about 30. usually that means that it works its little tukus off to COOL the enclosed food, ice cubes and booze. Now it might as well be a microwave, heating up our food to a piping hot 30. yeah...so Em and I have discussed this with each other and with other folks as well, and it really is a "warm" day out here when the mercury stays above 20, but today counts as cold. Maybe we haven't acclimated yet and next year we'll be frolicking in our swimsuits with ice cubes tied to our arms and legs like wintery leaches, but so far we haven't done that. No complaints. We can still get plenty of vitamin D while we are getting freezer burn salting the driveway and sidewalk. does freezer burn look like sun tan? maybe i should lay out today in the back yard for a bit and find out...

Hey, could you pass the icicle scented freezer burn lotion, I don't wanna get too crispy.



hope this finds you all well.

Gavin

homebase

we made it back. yes it has been a while since we have written anything, but that's cause we were out sucking up every moment of s.w. thailand that we could before we had to pack our bags, hang our heads, get on a 10 hour bus to bangkok, wash up in the bathroom using sani-wipes, get on a 3 hour plane to tipei, then take the final 10 hour flight back to the states, where we were graciously met my em's dad, steve, (who mentioned nothing about my red eyes and strange smell) who then took us to our house that was locked with our keys and phones inside. funny to be so close, but still not be able to really be home. at a coffee shop a few blocks away we called our heroic room mate becky who came and picked us up. more photos soon but first we must adjust to the time zone difference and climate change by waking up late and snowboarding tomorrow.


gavin

Hey y'all - If this posts successfully I have managed to tame the internet and wrangle it to do my bidding. These Thai internet cafes are always full of shiny new computers that look like they work great! The internet connection itself is pretty shoddy...however I am pleased they are sporting high-quality ACER brand computers; up til now I thought I was the only person lucky enough to own one. Poor excuses for not blogging, I know. Gavin and I are sorry we have gotten so lazy about the blog....we've been kinda busy, well not right now, actually I lent my book to Gavin, and ever since he has been locked in the hotel room reading. It's weird. But we have been on the beaches of Thailand for the last week and a half, and you'll hear all about it when we get back. We are much tanner now. We are having a contest for the most mosquito/flea/fly bites. And also whose clothes can get the stinkiest. We miss you guys. Can't wait to see you all sometime soon.

Em

jail

we can't gain access to the blog right now, we won't even know if this posts, but merry christmas, and happy new year to all!

gavin and emily

fast at typing slow at posting

thanks for crediting my sweet bus-station locating skills Gav. Anyways the true story is if I ever leave you lost and wandering at the bus station, I better steal your guide book, because your book definitely tromps mine when it comes to info on Laos (For those who keep track, it's an LP....i'm burning my Rough Guide book tomorrow)....which is fine, except that now Gavin likes to make up ways to compare our 2 books....which naturally reminds us of a little Mickey Avalon number we used to sing back at home. MY BOOK....

Last week when we ferried across the river to Laos, we were a little sad to leave mother Thailand. She has been good to us, especially the last few days in the town of Nan, where there are a few less tourists (excepting female German Mick Jagger), tasty treats like papaya salad, beautiful mountains, and a scooter to explore on. I think we've become pretty comfortable in Thailand, and being there feels friendly. Even the dogs are friendly in Thailand; they hardly ever bark at you, even though somebody put a sweater on them in 80-degree weather. In the first week or so of our trip, I started to have the feeling that everything in Thailand was about tourism. Of course there's so much beyond the tourist industry here, but everyone we came in contact with made their living from tourism, or had some connection with it. When we finally got out to Umpang (where we "trekked" from on the Burmese border), I definitely started feeling more like a person and less like a walking ATM. aaah, I like that.

Something else I liked - while were were our riding bikes in northern Laos, a 20-year-old kid from one of the villages in the area drove by us on his motor scooter and invited us to lunch at his house. It is amazing the lengths people go to to practice their English - at the same time it was also so cool for us to be able to visit his house. We sat on the floor and shared bowls of soup with lots of unidentified meats, and what may or may not have been raw pork. It was magenta. Hopefully the homemade booze that accompanied the meal killed off all parasites. Gavs and I learned a few words of Lao, which we promptly forgot.

Travelling on and along the Mekong in Laos has been amazing. The towns and river banks are crawling with people, but the Mekong is so immense that once out on the water you feel free of it all. I will probably have to start my own geology blog after all the pictures I have taken of river banks, limestone cliffs and the mountains that form this rolling, mellowed-out end of the Himalayas.

Okay, pictures now. And for those of you who have asked, I know it is Christmastime, but I do not take requests for Filson socks while in SE Asia, and it far too hot for me to think about these things.

service

There are many examples but i just had to take this picture. I feel bad posting this because these folks are flippin nice. they are willing to do anything for you, even your raundry. The one thing that the lao have not done for either of us is give us spicy enough food. like every honky before us has almost keeled over when some flavor smacked their lips. last night the waiter seemed to understand when we asked for spicy, but then just gave us a small bowl of hot sauce each which we both finished. I only know how to say chili, and not spicy, so I took the empty bowl to the cook, pointed at it and said chili, she looked at me gave me a worried look, then dumped some chili peppers into the bowl. I finished off that allowance of spice without a bead of sweat forming, all the while emily and I watched the suspicious pairings of hot lao ladies with dorky white guys. To be continued...