it ended with a chicken

tonight, during a blizzard, my father and I trussed a little five pound chicken and set it in a three hundred and fifty degree oven for two hours.  my mother and i made macaroni and cheese and prepared a salad.  is roasting a chicken an art? 

art is fundamentally the use of imagination to create something aesthetically pleasing.   But, if creativity is a human expression of life and if life is sustained with food then the preparation of a humble little chicken is indeed art.  

i am not terribly good at writing, or at photography, i can get by with a set of water colors but that is about it.  when it really comes down to it my creativity is best expressed with salt, pepper, and a myriad of other ingredients.  

tomorrow i turn twenty five and i am happy to report that while i have not perfected the art of the roast chicken, i have at least attempted in the last 6 months a number of new and exciting endeavors.  I feel like I know myself better today than i did last june, and i gather that is an art as well.  

no. 4

I did it.  I ventured, I veered, I hiked, I carried my own water through the wilderness to the Washington coast.  Cross number four off the list.  I saw the Washington coast and man was beautiful.  

Conversely, it was unsettling, and worth it in a backwards way.  I mean, it was incredible seeing something as monumentally gorgeous as the ever expanding horizon, the undulation of the ocean over the course of a day, and comprehending the vastness of the world I inhabit.  However, what really struck me is the realization that, really, backpacking just isn't for me.  I was hoping the trip would invigorate the dormant Montanan in me, but it definitely did not.  I like nature accessible in small doses on a monthly basis, in a familiar I know where my car is parked and that getting to it is easier than hiking three miles on slippery boardwalk way.  I like it in the there is no wild life near here that could/would stalk/eat me.  I like my nature to put me at ease instead of send me into an anxious fit.  

I don't blame the trip, really.  It was gorgeous and I did have an awesome time conversing, searching for petroglyphs and firewood, and cooking on the hot burning coals of the fire.  What I didn't love was getting up close and personal with a black bear, fearing that I would be chomped up by his enormous teeth, and being unable to let the encounter go and feeling unsettled for the remainder of the day/weekend.  Worse though, was feeling like I wasn't alone when I was alone.  You know the feeling, like twenty feet away someone lurking in the darkness has their eye on you, watching your every move.  My hair was constantly standing on end.  

My conclusion is this--I like nature, the easily accessible by car and foot, preferably without bears kind.  And I like it with a book and a picnic basket.  And I like it best when it can be reflected upon from the comfort of my very own bed immediately following.  Camper I am not, but appreciative of nature's beauty I very much am.    

no. 25

In an ongoing effort to address the topics of a list I wrote in June 2008, I will provide annecdotal evidence of those events here.  First, no. 25, Vote.

I cast my ballot in my second presidential election yesterday.  Watching previous elections I was of the understanding that these things are all night affairs.  Who is going to win, and when?  So, I was surprised by how soon after I arrived at my chosen election night party the decision was made.  I am not really sure how to communicate exactly what I feel.  I am totally elated, a thrill for the future is coursing through my body.  I feel electrified, that my voice matters, that the voices of my friends and family and fellow Americans were heard. 

Jessica's party was an absolutely fantastic way to celebrate the Obama victory.  The party was held at Dave's studio overlooking the intersection of 12th and Pike.  After several celebratory glasses of champagne, confirmation of election results, a conscession and acceptance speech, the party took to the streets.  We were not alone.  Thousands of people flooded the intersections and avenues of Capitol Hill to cheer, congratulate, and embrace their friends and loved ones.  Everyone's faces were aglow, people radiated in ways both unfamiliar and beautiful.  I will not ever forget the sheer joy I experienced celebrating this election with my good friends and my incredible community.  I have never in my life seen such genuine enthusiasm and good will.  Last night was incredibly memorable for me.  

As today turns into tomorrow and tomorrow into January 21st, my hope evolves.  I will leave the now and look toward inauguration, and hold on tight to the anticipation I have for the next four years.  I cannot wait to be part of Barack Obama's pledge to bring change to America, and to the world.  It is incredible to be part of this, absolutely and totally incredible.