Letter About Dreams, Horseback Riding on Mount Ranier

Hi you.

Things have been crazy. Bona fide certifiable.

I hope you're well. Miss hearing from you. I had a dream you were working with me at this coop which was under construction. We were involved in some big media start-up venture. It was all very exciting. But the place was haunted by this ghost that you and I both saw.

Did you know that when you dream about houses or buildings, apparently the building represents your mind? So if you dream of construction, it means there's new growth and new ideas forming in your head. But apparently I have a ghost in my mind. Also, I've heard that everyone you dream represents a different facet of your own personality, so if you ask your dream friend a question, you're asking it of yourself. I personally think that sounds a bit egotistical. What do you think?

I miss LA really bad. I was listening to America on the radio and that "Horse with no name" song reminds me of running out in that arroyo in S. Pasedena where that horse ranch is. Did you know the rangers in the parks there ride horses? It's so cool.

Yesterday I went horseback riding way up in the mountains on these trails. It was terribly cold and rainy. I was wearing an Underarmor long-sleeve shirt, a fleece sweatshirt, a waterproof jacket and a down vest, a hat, jeans, waterproof pants, wool socks, hiking boots, and roping gloves made out of kangaroo skins (yeah... not so animal friendly I guess) and I still was cold. But the scenery was beautiful. It was way up by Mount Ranier and the fall leaves were all orangey and red and the drops of water looked like crystal on everything. My horse was named Desperado. There was this point at which we were coming down this steep precipice and the trail was very muddy and slippery, and Desperado nearly fell down and he sat on the ground, and somehow I stayed in the saddle. I felt like such a horsegirl.

Please tell me about you. Something besides work and relationships and such.

For some reason I really love this email. I'm reposting it as a blog.

Miss you,

Heather

City of God and Other Brilliant Movies

City of God (2002) Portugese with English subtitles.

I had heard about this movie, but only here and there. No one looked me in the eye and said, "See this movie. See it or I can't be your friend anymore." And I don't really understand that. It's about a boy named Rocket growing up in the gangs of Cidade de Deus (City of God), and one of the other kids from the city Lil Dice, who later becomes Lil Ze -- the worst bad guy in the City of God, and possibly in movie history. He is a very, very bad guy. A gang war starts, Rocket gets a camera, and the movie captures it all so poetically. It's tragic and brilliant and the cinematography is breathtaking. MUST SEE. A+

Full Metal Jacket (1987)
WORSE STILL is that I only saw this movie for the first time a couple of months ago. How did that happen? I really don't understand how I missed seeing it. This is now my favorite Stanley Kubrick movie besides The Shining, and it's stunning to me how the same director could do arguably the best horror movie and also arguably the best war movie. How did he do it? I don't know.

Full Metal Jacket is a two-part affair, from the point of view of a Marine cadet named Joker (Matthew Modine). First we see the dehumanizing effects of training on the soldiers, specifically the tragic consequences for poor Gomer Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio). It's tragic, but it's also extremely funny. The drill sergeant is outrageous. The second half of the film takes place during the Tet offensive in Vietnam. For those of you who have seen this movie, I haven't really got any great pearls of wisdom about it. This review is just saying to my readers, please, please, don't be like me. Don't wait years and years to see this movie. Watch it now. Brilliant. MUST SEE. A+

We Were Soldiers (2002)
A good war flick, starring Mel Gibson. The scene where the soldiers' wives have to give the bad news letters to the other wives made me weepy. It's sentimental and misty-eyed, the opposite of Full Metal Jacket, and most would say not as good. But still an enjoyable and emminently watchable movie and I recommend it. I give it an A- because I like war movies and am a sentimentalist.

The Last King of Scotland (2006)
I saw this movie at the wrong time. I saw it after it won numerous awards and all my friends really talked it up. I had very high expectations, and it was a little disappointing to me, though I would say on the whole it's a great movie. I also have to disclaim that mutilation scenes really, really bother me, so the part with the hacked up body was not ok. Also, I found it really annoying that Mr. Scrawny Scottish Hotpants (James McAvoy) sort of barged into a very stupid situation, got in way over his head, and then expected everyone to bail him out. But I guess he didn't exactly get off scotsfree, so to speak. Haha. Anyway, yeah, it's a good movie and you should probably see it if you haven't, but don't be like me and expect it to be as good as Full Metal Jacket or City of God, because it isn't even close. B+

And hopefully that's enough movies to keep you out of trouble for awhile!

INCREDIBLY Delicious: Cherry Tamarind Pork Tenderloin

As you probably know, pork tenderloin is the filet mignon of pork. But even a filet mignon can use a twist now and then. If you want a reasonably easy dinner that tastes remarkably high end, try my recipe that I invented last night.

I started with a 1.5 pound tenderloin, which is a little larger than the 100% perfect tenderloin should be, but ensures some delicious leftovers. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Next, take Tom Douglass's "Pork Rub" and rub the pork generously. Place pork in a square, glass baking dish. Next, take two cans of Oregon brand tart cherries. (NOT pie filling -- the cherries). Drain one can and set aside the juice. Use the cans of cherries to make a fabulous pie according to the recipe on the inside of the can, if you like. Take the drained juice from one can, and put in a sautee pan, along with one tbsp cornstarch, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Tamco tamarind sauce, according to taste. Stir constantly over medium heat until sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Once the sauce is thick, pour it over the tenderloin, making sure to cover the exposed skin. This keeps your tenderloin juicy. (Since it's incredibly lowfat, it has a tendency to dry out. This is also why to cook it at a higher temp for a shorter time rather than slowroasting it).

Pop the pork in the oven for about 30 to 40 min. Remove from oven when meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 145 degrees.

Enjoy your pork. My side dish was a green salad and Zataran's long grain wild rice. Start it right after you put in the pork and the timing should be about perfect. Surprisingly delicious. And with the pie... what an incredible dinner!

Happy cooking!

Point Defiance: BEST Park in the Northwest

I love walking down at Point Defiance. The garden area with the roses and hydrangeas and duck pond and pagoda are beautiful, but better still is the long, long waterfront walk. I went there the other day with Alex and we saw seals diving and playing in the water. A baby seal popped its head up above the surface and stared at me for a long time. Its dark eyes were like a playful, shy child's. I returned its gaze and looked forward to the next time I can dive and be under the water like him.

That same night, we saw two beautiful egrets at the water's edge. One flew away upon seeing us. The other just shifted down the beach a bit. It seemed to meditate as it was standing there, though I imagine the main thought in its mind was, "Fish?" I envy that kind of focus and clear sense of purpose. An egret's purpose: fishing. A seal's purpose: fishing, and playing. A Heather's purpose: that's a bit hazy. Bringing delight and innovation to people everywhere? Um, sure.

Alex saw a fox at Point Defiance. I wish I had seen the fox too. I'd love to see a fox in the wild.

Tacoma is so much nicer than I thought it would be from my limited previous experiences of just passing it by on I-5. I just wish my friends were here. I am starting to meet people but it doesn't replace the 12 years of making friends in Seattle. I miss everyone today.

Superfunds in Tacoma

I'll start with the bad news. Superfunds. Yes, those big, toxic nasties that you hear about? Well, they're real and they are right in our backyard. there's a big superfund site from toxic company ASARCO in the town of Ruston, better known as the place just west of Tacoma near my beloved Point Defiance. Ruston seems like a great place, but this smelter created tons of toxic waste. The company causing the problem is now in Chapter 11 (of course), and they're literally building condos on the site of the superfund, saying that that portion of the land has been successfully reclaimed. I'd never seen a superfund before, so tonight after work, I drove down there.

It's weird to see something that you know is dangerous intellectually, but where you're unable to see the danger. Sure there's environmental impact signs everywhere and chain link fence, and "Private Property" notices -- but that'd be the same at any construction site. Maybe what scared me the most was the cheerful sign that said "Welcome to Point Ruston!" and the fact that there's a huge sign reading "Condos! For Sale NOW!!" What's really scary is how normal and everyday it looks. What's scary is that people are going to buy those condos and maybe not really understand what happened there. It's scary that that must happen all the time. It's scary that the only reason I know about it is because I'm a little obsessed with the history of this beautiful place I happen to be living, and I love researching these little mysteries.

And why did I get so obsessed with Tacoma history, already? Because it's a wonderful place. As someone once said, "Scoffers may scoff and be damned." I mean it -- it's gorgeous here. Commencement Bay gazes back serenely whenever I look to the north. There are so many old, lovely homes. There's a real sense of community here. I think I really like it.
I had my housewarming and my neighbors came. The across the street neighbors brought a big ceramic fish filled with pepperoncini, and an amazing fresh tomato and basil salad with veggies fresh-picked from the garden. The next-door neighbors like cats and offered to catsit for us. I think I can live with that.

Other exciting news: I go to Point Defiance about every other day. It is the coolest park ever. It's got the pretty coastline and internal beauty similar to Stanley Park in Vancouver, but it has also has a zoo, rose garden, beautiful pagoda (where I insist on planning weddings at some point), an old Fort, and a logging camp. Everyone is invited to come ride the Santa train with Alex and me at Christmas, and to take a tour of the Zoo Lights, which are supposed to be beautiful.

My big news: Friday is my last day at work, so I'm looking for a new job. I'm really looking forward to a little time off.

Other news: I'm planning on doing a lot more hiking! These hour-long walks at Point Defiance are inspiring me. I'm also interested in trying camping. If you have gear you want to get rid of, let me know.

I'm just really enjoying life lately. I like being that lady that walks forever along the shores of Salmon Beach, and the lady that knows where the superfund is.

Book Reviews: Lunar Park, Prep, Good Omens, My Soul to Keep

Some book reviews. You should probably read more, you know?

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
I really loved Neil Gaiman's book American Gods and so I went on to read Coraline (cute, not nearly creepy enough) and Anansi Boys (slick in a way that intrigued me a little but annoyed me more than intrigued). I came away from those three books thinking, "I like Neil Gaiman. He's the kind of author I like." But having read only one of Terry Pratchett's novels (the first of the Discworld series), I knew Terry Pratchett was the kind of author I do not like. I even had a thought that reading the coauthored Good Omens might associate Gaiman and Pratchett in a way that would put me off Gaiman for good. And I fear that's what's happened.

Good Omens is funny, I suppose. In a trying-way-too-hard, "aren't we so very, very English and very, very clever, and ever so impressed with ourselves!" sort of way. In short, it's this book about the Apocalypse, and it's supposed to be funny, and it reminded me of drinking a soda which doesn't totally suck but which you realize about two sips through is way too sweet and why did you decide to get a damned Orange Crush anyway?? and you don't really want it but you already bought it and well, you can't really just dump the crap out where you're at so you take unenthusiastic sips and think how it's just another 250 cal you have to work off and another little bit of tooth decay and by the end it's flat and your tummy hurts and you just can't stand Terry Pratchett.

Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis
Amazing! Page turner + literary genius + creepy as all HELL. I cannot recommend this book enough. I ignored everything else in my life until I finished this book. As a result, I hardly noticed the fact that I moved to Tacoma. It just sort of happened in between slipping away to go read.
Briefly, it's a semi-autobiographical supernatural horror with strong ironic awesomeness. Wait till you get to the plot summary of Teenage P-. I laughed out loud really uproariously on the train. And then I almost started laughing later the same day in court, on the record, remembering how the narrator couldn't concentrate because he kept thinking about Teenage P-. Read it. Read the book now. And then if you want you can come talk to me about it at my beloved Nerd Out! bookclub, which will be October 12. This book goes on my list of favorites, which I'm starting right now.

My Soul to Keep by Melanie Wells
This was a quick little read and I feel kind of stupid for having read it. It wasn't really that great. However, I mention it in case you want to have a little mental break and read about some psychology professor who discovers that demons were somehow involved in the kidnapping of her friend's little boy. It's like watching The Closer or one of those shows. My Soul to Keep is entertaining, but the romantic line completely falls flat and the Christian overtones might annoy some readers.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfield
This portrayal of prep school culture and teenage insecurity is definitely making it to my unofficial list of favorite books. Having survived an incredibly snobby school in my high school years, it rang very true. I won't say this is a happy-go-lucky feel-gooder where you get a tear and say, "Wow, those days were really something, weren't they?" But if you're me, you'll say, "That's right. The good, the bad, and oh, GOD, the ugly was in me and everybody else."

So, read Prep and Lunar Park. Let me know what you think. Especially Lunar Park. By the way, Lunar Park would be a great choice for Halloween. Go buy it and read it and love it, please.

Thanks for reading!

Tacoma, Ellen DeGeneres, Monkeys

Last night, we finished moving into our two bedroom craftsman in Tacoma. With our things in it, the vibe has switched markedly from somewhat creepy to mostly homey. I love it. We still don't know where to put the tv. Apparently they didn't think about tvs when they designed homes in 1930.

I had somewhat troubled dreams. The Tacoma version of Ellen DeGeneres was showing me around the Point Defiance zoo, saying how ridiculous people were for not getting how cool Tacoma is. She pointed at the monkeys and shook her head, saying, "See? Just as cool as Seattle monkeys."

I thought the neighbors would be a little nicer in our beautiful neighborhood. So far, only one neighbor has said hi to me. I live across the street from an older man who drives a Subaru Outback and has an immaculate garden in front of his huge colonial-style house. You think he'd say hi, welcome to the neighborhood, right? Wrong. He looked towards my general direction and glared a little, then walked into his house without even waving. However, a local five-year-old drove up to me on his tricycle, abruptly shouted "HI!," and then pedalled away as quickly as his little legs would pump. The welcome wagon it was not, but it beats the neighbors by Marcus's place who welcome you by furtively smoking crack and leaving greasy nacho containers in your yard.

I drove to work to day... only took about 40 minutes and on the way I listened to "Guns, Germs & Steel." I love the drive to my new house, actually. As I get off my exit in North Tacoma I see the port on the right side, and as I pass through Old Town, it makes me feel like I live in a small harbor town. It's beautiful.

Things are good!