Twin Peaks

ferry friends

Twin Peaks was my favorite teenage TV series. I loved that the show was filmed in the beautiful PNW. I bought the soundtrack. I read Laura Palmer’s Diary. I named my cat after Audrey Horne. I had visited the sites before as a youth. But this weekend, my friend Alex took 8 of us on a fabulous whirlwind trip that I’m sure rivals the annual Twin Peaks Fan Festival.

On Saturday we met at the Pony Palace and Steph, Benny, Mason, Shavonne, Alex, Anna, Ali and I set off for Poulsbo and the beach where they found Laura wrapped in plastic. We took a cold ferry ride to Seattle with some synchronized-dressed San Francisco roller derby folks which seemed a little Lynch-y to me. After a few more sites, we settled in to our woodsy North Bend Motel.

We drank whiskey and wine, played “I Never” and wrapped each other in plastic. There are creepy pictures to prove it. We ate so many donuts, pie and overcooked meats that many of us were explosive in our motel beds. The next day, we stopped by Snoqualmie Falls to take in the spray. All in all it was the perfect trip with some sweet friends. I’m going to miss my friends (and all their dirty secrets).

Driving back to Portland, past the Uncle Sam billboard and the mysterious brass sculptures, Ali and I talked about how this would probably be our last trip down this stretch of I-5 before we leave for NY. I confessed I had shed a tear when we were on the ferry about leaving this beautiful place. I really identify with the trees and the oyster-y beach smell I grew up with. I wonder if I can bottle a little of that and take it with me.

A date at IKEA

Ali and I have “New York night” each week to prepare for our move. We do stuff like look at apartments and neighborhoods on craigslist and googlemaps, do budgeting and pack up or get rid of our shit. Last night’s NYN ended with us going through our whole kitchen to rid ourselves of marginal and heavier items. We had a mini throwdown about some beautiful (but heavy) stainless steel measuring cups Daniel got me for my birthday. They’re coming with!

This week’s NYN featured a trip to IKEA. No, not for shopping, silly. We’ll do our shopping at the IKEA that just opened in our new hometown. So we just went on a date to sit in the small virtual apartments they’ve decorated with IKEA furniture and accessories to take note of the things we like and what we might be able to tolerate in terms of apartment square footage. We discovered that living in 590 square feet of space may work for us, as long as we put up wall shelves and have hidden spaces to store our stuff. Other things we like are lofted beds, open kitchens, and space-aged mood lighting. There were these cool color-change lights that Ali suggested we put as ground effects on our couch.

I’m excited to scale back our stuff and keep just the cool things that we really love. I’m also excited to have a full decoration collaboration with Ali. Her primary-colored playful sensibilities and my domestic goddess tendencies will go hand in hand.

Bad stuff people say

When I tell my Portland peeps that I’m moving to NYC, some people say bad things.  They say “You know, New York is infested with bed bugs .”  And cockroaches, and rats.  Folks talk about how damn expensive the rents are.  One guy flat out said, “I hate New York City.”

Some folks say they would totally move to NYC- if it weren’t for the weather.  This coming from people who live in the overwhelmingly oppressive gray of the Pacific NW .  Some people cite their bad experiences in NY.  My dad referenced his sketchy 1969 Times Square experience .  Fortunately, I’ll now be able to take him to the modern Times Square, which is a cleaned up tourist trap.  My other friend referenced his only trip to NYC- during the blackout of 2003. 

I attribute some of the bad stuff people say to the fact that Ali and I told our friends almost two years ago that we were probably going to move, and then we didn’t.  So they got in their heads that we’d stay in Portland for ‘eva and ‘eva and their hopes were dashed when we told them of our final decision.

It’s not like we haven’t thought through the sticky heat, the rents or the pests.  We’ll get A/C.  We’ve been saving money to move for months.  I’m training my cat, Audrey, to kill roaches.  We’ll show the haters!  And we’ll still save them a spot on our floor when they come to visit.

 

Nice stuff people say

When I tell my peeps in Portland that I’m moving to NYC in August, they say some really nice things.  Most people say congratulations.  More than one person has said that they’re jealous.   People have been hooking me up with their NYC friends.  A lot of folks want to know that we will secure a place for them on our floor when they come to visit. 

And then there’s the dreaded question about employment- “What are you going to do in NYC?”  That’s what I get for asking so many students- “What are you doing after graduation?”  The fact is, I don’t really know yet.  Oh, I’ve got prospects.  But until I get hired somewhere I’ll just have to keep saying “I don’t know what I’m going to do in NYC.”  Folks are encouraging that I’ll get a good job because I’ve got skills and plus, it’s so much easier to find a job in NYC.  I’ll get a job that makes money.  That’s what I know for now.

I’ve been surprised at all the nice stuff people say.  Like when I told my boss I was leaving PSU- the first thing she said was how excited she was for me.  It boosts my confidence and reminds me that I can move from my laid-back Pacific Northwest upbringing to the fast-paced big ‘ol NYC. 

Also, all the nice stuff people say counteracts all the bad stuff people say.