A Thundery Weekend

Since we had a glut of writing stuff last week, today's post will be pictures and fun. I like to keep you on your toes, after all.

This weekend in my lovely town was Thunder in the Valley, when Johnstown welcomes all the bikers it can handle. In honor of the event, I swallow my terror, don some leather (my mom's leather jacket from 1979, in this case), and hop on the back of The Husband's bike. I did it twice this year...here's a picture from after my first triumphant trip:


Yeah. That's right. How hot are we? Don't worry, we wear helmets at all times. This was in the backyard, upon our return from an event Thursday evening.

I have to admit, I'm starting to like the bike. Once I get past my fear, there are two kind of awesome parts of it:

A.) The adrenaline. There's quite a rush speeding down the road in the open air, once you forget the whole I-could-die-at-any-moment thing.

B.) What I think of as "the secret club". Ever see two bikers pass each other on the road? A lot of riders will hold out a hand--sometimes in a normal wave, but most downward and at an angle--as they pass a fellow biker. Just sayin' hi, but it's pretty cool, and I love it.



Then, on Friday, we went up to the Cityview Bar & Grille at the top of the Inclined Plane (World's Steepest Vehicular Inclined Plane, yanno) with a bunch of friends. One person decided to dress up, and then the idea spread to the rest of us. I think we clean up pretty nice, eh?

The Husband and Me, looking very much NOT biker-ish.

My Girls--Ashlee and Amber.

The whole gang.

Then we rode the Incline down to J-town for some Thunder fun. It was pure chaos down there--I've never seen Johnstown like that. Lots of people, lots of music, lots of food, lots of booze. Good times!

Ashlee & I on the Incline (that's right, I had a costume change. What, you think I'd walk around downtown in four inch heels?).

Now that's talent.

The city, from above.

On the way back up, bikers waiting for the next trip up the hill.

I'm well aware you can't tell what this is. It's Johnstown from the Incline, blurry and squiggly. I think it's kinda artistic.

The next day, TH and I went back downtown for more Thunder. We just can't get enough. He didn't win the motorcycle he wanted to win--or the diamonds I wanted him to win--but we still had fun. And he took pictures of me from bad angles, as seen below:

After wandering around the city, looking at lots of leather and having some good, thoroughly unhealthy food, we found the Motorcycle Acrobats. These women were pretty amazing. I don't think these pics need any captions.

And here's a video of their last stunt, three full revolutions.

Some fun dirtbike stunts, too. Yes, that's a guy laying on a ground while the stunt guy does hops all around him. You couldn't pay me enough money.

Motorcycles, motorcycles, and more motorcycles--and the Incline doing a trip in the background.

Some folks taking off for a ride. Not an unusual sight this weekend.

One of the many, many streets lined with bikes on both sides. Pretty much every street in the area, in fact, was filled with bikes, in addition to several parking lots. It's pretty impressive, I have to say.

And finally, there's me, my beer, and my cheesy fries.

There were many other great moments I couldn't capture, because our camera batteries died shortly after this. Like, for instance, the impromptu beer-bottle-stacking contest in this tent, the culmination of which was a tower taller than I am, stacked on a table and reaching to the tent's ceiling. A true engineering marvel.

Also, the fun ride home, just after we noticed yet another black storm cloud heading in. Pretty much the whole ride was...well, wet. And windy. And I made it, without freaking out. Without even putting my visor down*, even, because I figured if I could make it all the way home without giving in, I'd be badass. Yeah. I'm badass.

And of course, after we dried off and warmed back up, we drove (in the car this time) up to see TH's friend and watch some George Carlin...and arrived just in time for the Thunder fireworks going on nearby. We had prime spots to watch them, a nice, unexpected treat.

So it was a great weekend, if a very, very busy and tiring one. I'm gonna go relax some now...before I go write. I'm tired, but I still have work to do. As always.

And how was your weekend?



*Don't worry, I had sunglasses on under my helmet, for eye protection. Otherwise, the visor would've been down. I'm a safety freak, even when what I'm doing isn't particularly safe.

Breaking the Silence

Regular readers of the blog (all three of you--hi!) may or may not have noticed my reticence in specifying my location.

I've never hesitated to mention I'm from Pennsylvania, and I've referenced my hometown once or twice. But I've never specified where, exactly, I live now.

That's about to change.

With the upcoming Presidential primaries in PA, we're getting an awful lot of attention. For some reason, not one but two major news outlets have published articles this week about the town where I've spent the last eight years of my life (minus the six months in Virginia).

Those articles are here--from the AP--and here--from the New York Times. Read them both, if you have time, because the disparity between them is quite astonishing. Two articles about one town could not be more different.

That's right, folks--I live in Johnstown. Flood City, J-town, South Central Pennsyltucky, whatever you want to call it. And you know what? I kinda like it here. I like the people, I like the atmosphere, I like the pride. It's dirty in places, and rundown in spots--yes, it's certainly seen better days. But I chose to live here, and I haven't regretted that choice for a moment.

Which is why I get angry when I read articles like the one published by the New York Times. Had the reporter spoken to, oh, I don't know, anyone under the age of forty, he might have uncovered something that would shake up his very, very one-sided view of this place. But he didn't, and you see the end result--a piece of writing that makes you wonder why anyone would possibly want to live in a suckhole like that. Not that I have anything against people over forty, but the ones Mr. Vitello chose to interview seem utterly devoid of hope. And I may be delusional, but I think that's one thing this place has.

I wrote the reporter a letter, and I won't lie--I'm pretty proud of it. Below, please find my own opinions, formed after not three days but eight years of life here.

Dear Mr. Vitello,

I realize that, having only spent a few days in the area, you couldn't possibly have gotten any real feel for the character of Johnstown and its environs. And I fully understand that space limitations would prevent you from crafting an article that truly goes to the heart of our region and captures its essence.

But for heaven's sake, could you have at least spoken to someone under the age of 40?

Let me tell you something about my husband and I. We're both in our mid-twenties, graduates of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown--that's right, we have a university here that's received recognition and accolades from both The Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report. Neither of us, however, came to Johnstown until we began college. We settled here after my husband attained a position with a local defense contractor--that's right, there truly are jobs here, and even some for highly educated adults! My husband's employer currently has almost fifty job openings.

We may not be typical, but there are plenty like us in this city, and you could have spoken to one or two of them. Johnstown is not experiencing the "brain drain" that other cities are suffering--quite the opposite, actually. There are many young, intelligent, well-educated people here who either chose to stick around or made the conscious decision to move here for a job after college. And wasn't it your own newspaper that heralded a resurgence in youth involvement and voting just one month ago? Perhaps you should read the articles your fellow journalists write--maybe the demographic you chose to interview won't have as much importance in this year's election as they have in the past.

Or perhaps you should take a look at other news outlets, like the AP, who just recently published a well-rounded article about our little hamlet. I compare the tone of that article to the angle you adopted for yours, and I truly can't believe the difference. It's hope vs. pessimism, energetic vs. weary. It's like two reporters visited two utterly different towns.

Johnstown may be a small city, but it's a pretty big place, with a wide variety of people, many of whom harbor different opinions about their town. I'm sure that, had you tried just a bit harder, you could have found one of them somewhere...if you'd wandered away from the dirtiest, most ignorant, most sensationalist part.

But I guess that's not such a good story, now, is it.

Sincerely,

Kristy
Johnstown, PA

I think that says it all.

Snow!

Well, it's officially snowing. It won't stick, but it's floating down, little white flakes of coldness.

This must be PA's way of saying, "See? Now don't you wish you'd stayed in Virginia?"

Something New

While we were back in PA over the weekend, I started a little something new. I don't know if it'll be a novel, or a short story, or maybe nothing at all. I'm not even totally sure what it's about. I have a few ideas, but none of them are really concrete. But I was about going nuts not having a creative project on hand. All those voices in my head need an outlet somewhere (kidding...mostly).

Going easy on the blog today, because I'm just not feeling that talkative. But here are a few pictures from the weekend:

At the wedding we went home for. It was at a beautiful location, and the weather was perfect.



Speaking of beautiful, my climbing rose is shooting right up in my absence. And here I thought it wouldn't survive the Mad Clipper!

And that's about it. Unless you want pictures of the cat sitting on the sink, or my shoes.

You really don't.

Going Home

Just for the weekend, for a wedding. Today, I have laundry to do, a haircut to finally get (maybe), a suitcase to pack...and a massively bad cold. I'm off in the clouds right now, thanks to the cold meds.

I can't complete a train of thought to save my life. Be back Monday.

Because it's been a while...

Listening to: Rise Against, "Worth Dying For"

When was the last time I posted flower pictures? I'm not even sure--spring, maybe. Well, I have some gorgeous ones for you today, and some bonuses--my brother and I, and procreating insects! (Not in the same picture.)

First, the sunflower. I can't take credit for this--it was all The Husband. He planted the seeds along with all his vegetable seeds (I do the flowers, he does the veggies), and then pretty much crossed his fingers, since we've been gone the whole summer. Well, it seems to have done well on its own:


And it's not lacking in height, either:


Damn thing's as tall as me! (Note: I'm not particularly tall...but still.)

And here are my prized gladiolas...which I pretty much planted as bulbs back in April, then left to do what they would. Compared to the other two bulb sets I planted--anemones and something else, I don't remember--they're doing wonderful. I think I have one anemone, and none of the other bulb set. But look--pretty!




And here's the whole flowerbed, or at least the part by the pretty sidewalk we put in two years ago:


Okay, okay. Enough flowers, right? Where's the insect sex I promised? Well, here you go...some copulating beetles:


See the beetles on the bottom left, the two facing each other? They were both on top of another beetle. Threesome!

Sorry--this blog doesn't normally get so raunchy. But nature--even when it's getting a bit kinky--is a beautiful thing, isn't it?

And finally, one of the big reasons I went back to PA...my little brother, all tall and hairy and stuff:

Yeah, you can barely tell we're related. Riiiight. If you can, take a look at his shirt. I. Want. That! (It says, "Keepin' it Rural").

I did a lot more on this trip--hung out with my friends, got majorly surprised when my brother (above) and my big sister drove three hours to surprise me as I hung out with my friends (maybe I'll tell that story later today--it's mildly amusing, and it was one of the best surprises I've ever gotten).

I went to my little sister's graduation party, and got to see a whole bunch of my mom's family. Hung out with my mom, drinking beer and watching movies...hung out with my brother, drinking beer and talking. Hung out with my little brother, playing Sims.* Hung out with my little sister, cleaning my dad's house.

Good times. I'm very glad I went, even though on both the drive up and the drive back, I told myself over and over that I was never going to do this again. But it was all worth it.


*Yes, I have a lot of siblings. I didn't even mention the half-brothers on my dad's side there, either.

I'm Back, Baby!

Listening to: Guster, "Red Oyster Cult"

Wow. What a freakin' week.

I did the drive all by myself, both times, and made it out alive. It's not really that bad, but I get myself all nervous and worked up about it beforehand, and that makes it harder. But I did it yesterday in about 6.5 hours (one hour less than our previous record) by using my super secret strategy: I didn't stop. Okay, well, I stopped once, in southern PA. Then I hit Maryland and West Virginia, and sped all the way to southeastern VA. Without one stop.

Why did I do it so fast? Well, we had an appointment here in VA at 4:45, and I woke up 1.5 hours later than I intended.* The funny thing is, what woke me up was my mom calling to say my brother was missing his plane. So at that moment, the whole family, practically, was running late.

This is fairly typical.

I have to catch up with my writing, queries, violin, and a bit of housework today, but I'll be back with some pretty flower pics tomorrow.

Didja miss me? =)


*And I set both the alarm clock and my cell phone's alarm. I have absolutely no idea how they both failed. I need a backup for my backup!

On the Road Again

Posting will probably be sporadic until next Tuesday/Wednesday, as I decided to go to PA.

Seeing my little brother for the first time since Christmas, yay! Driving 7.5 hours by myself, not so much. But worth it. =)

The irony is, I've been wanting to write so bad for about 24 hours now, but haven't had a single free second. Tomorrow, I hope.

Waiting

Listening to: Maroon 5, "Harder to Breathe"

Waiting to find out if I'm going up to PA alone today, or with The Husband this weekend. If I go today, I will be seeing my friends and probably writing in my ol' hangout tonight. I've been going a little crazy ("a little?!" (Okay, is it sad when I have conversations with myself on, of all places, a blog?)) lately, as I approach the difficult part of this novel and have nowhere to go and force myself to do it. Evidently I lack the discipline or focus to do these things when I'm not somewhere with nothing else to do. (Please forgive my convoluted sentence structures this morning. I've been awake for twenty minutes, and I've barely had any coffee).

If not, then The Husband and I will be going for a very short time, and will be heading to Warren with a very brief stopover at home, so I won't have time for the ol' hangout. In which case, I guess I'll just have to make myself freaking do it.

No matter what, though, I'm going to see my little brother this weekend, who I haven't seen since Christmas. Damn him and his "I have to live 3000 miles away" crap! And I think these last few months have been especially hard on my mom, since she's going through a lot as it is, and has to also deal with having a daughter in VA and a son in WA. That's two children, farther away from her than they've ever been for longer than a week.

Erg. My thoughts are super-scattered this morning. I'm going to go...wait.

One Year

Listening to: Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, "Save the Best for Last" (Anyone else think it's awesome that a band is able to make a living and a name from being, essentially, a cover band?)

Hey! Today's the one year anniversary of my very first blog post. It's a Blogiversary! And my very second blog post was that very same day, and included pictures of cows! Not to mention my gorgeous rose. So pretty. *Sigh*...I miss my rose.

So, year in review, in case anyone cares...or is very, very bored:

In July, after posting about who I am and blessing the world with pictures of cows tramping up my street, I waxed sentimental about hometowns. In August, I told a story about getting lost in the woods, then went traipsing through them once again (and posted a slideshow of it!).

In September, I talked about writing and self-doubt. And not much else, since I faltered a bit with the blog that month--a whopping FOUR POSTS!

But in October....I posted the exact same amount. Whoops. When I did post, though, the topics tended to veer all over the place.

Came back with a vengeance in November, when my dentist said funny things and I finished my second novel and began editing it.

I had a lot of fun in December, from getting stuck in a dress to coming up with my next book idea (working on that now) to getting Crapometered to nearly getting killed by my cat. Looking back, it's a miracle I survived to ring in 2007.

In January, I accepted that I should write what I enjoy, no matter what my friends and family think.

February was busy, what with considering the permanent move to Virginia and then deciding against it, which was full of its own little ironies. Funny to look back on that, now.

I started the third novel for the third time in March, and that one stuck. I also heard voices and fell in love with my protagonist's love interest (trust me, it didn't last). Then I went bowling and enjoyed some "local color". Then I went to the premiere of a movie I was in and cursed Canada, all in one post. Oh, and FLOWERS AGAIN!

April was a roller coaster ride--I got a gorgeous bike for my birthday, then hurt my back on my first ride..mourned the loss of one of America's greatest literary voices...decided to move to Virginia temporarily...wrote about cat games...and ran in circles trying to perfect my query letter.

What was May like, you ask? Well, there's not much from May to link to, because I was too busy moving to blog. Oh, and I won not one, but TWO awards for my writing, but I took down the post about them so that potential agents can't connect my query letter with this blog. Hurray, pseudo-anonymity!

Despite the sweltering temperatures in June, I managed to send out my first queries for book two, bake birthday cookies, have some Virginia adventures, and post cat pictures.

July's been interesting--oh yes, it certainly has--but I think I'll review this July on my two year blogiversary.

Wonder where I'll be then, and what I'll be doing? I certainly didn't expect many of the things that have happened since I started this blog--Virginia, writing awards, my bike--so who knows what might happen between now and July 26, 2008?

I guess I'll just have to wait and find out.

Report from VA

Worst. Day. Ever.

I'm writing this from a Days Inn in Newport News, VA.

Why am I here?

Because we have the worst flea infestation in the history of flea infestations.

When did we discover this?

Today, after driving 9.5 hours (that's 2.5 hours longer than it should've taken) from PA to VA. We spent about an hour and a half, at least, stuck on I-95 in 100 degree heat thanks to this.

Why didn't we discover this sooner?

Because we were away in PA for five days, visiting family and friends.

What happened after we found out?

We bought some bug bomb, and spent an hour calling my mom and getting hotel phone numbers from her because--guess what?--the internet wasn't working!

What will I be doing tomorrow?

Vacuuming and doing massive amounts of laundry in 100 degree heat. Yes, the AC will be on.

Why am I still happy?

Because my husband is the most wonderful husband in the world, out getting food for us right now (we haven't eaten since noon), and my mom is finally reading my book! And my cat, despite the flea problem (he should be fine, we treated him a few weeks ago), is funny. He just tried to hop up on the headboard of the bed, which didn't work out well for him. And because there was no rejection waiting in my inbox, which I'm thankful for. And we have free wi-fi.
My day has sucked, but I'm still alive and well, and so are my loved ones.

All in all, things aren't great, but they could be worse.

North vs. South

Listening to: Less Than Jake, "The Rest of My Life"

We've been living down here for almost seven weeks, and I've wanted to write this entry for about six of those. I feel prepared for it now.

Please note: these are the observations of someone living in the northernmost part of the southeast U.S., who has lived in the Northeast all her previous years. I've visited southern states many times in my youth, as my grandparents lived in Tennessee--but visiting and living in are very different things.

These are just the interesting differences I've noticed, and are only my opinions and observations. And very little of this is politics-related--this is more about atmosphere and way of life. So, without further ado...

The North and the South: A Comparison

Attitudes

• North: A cool, reserved demeanor is common. Generally, strangers are polite but keep their distance. Naturally, exceptions abound. An example: I was a regular at Denny's for over three years, and only one server actually knew my name. Also, walking to the mailbox around neighbors I've lived by for two years, there would be brief eye contact followed by a curt nod or a wave.

• South: They don't call it "Southern Hospitality" for nothin'. Even just walking to the mailbox, people meet your gaze, ask how you're doing, etc. Also, I've had bartenders and servers ask and remember my name on just one visit.
  
• Note: This sounds nice, but it has its downsides. I've also had a woman who I'd known for about three hours, and who I'd spoken about six sentences to during that time, asking me detailed questions about my parents' marriage(s). I'm still not even sure how the conversation got there. This isn't a single-incident phenomenon, either--people in the South generally want to know more of your business than people in the North.
  

Pace

• North: Let's just get this out in the open--I am a woman in a hurry. If I'm out shopping or whatnot, even if I'm just leisurely wandering through the mall to pick out a few shirts, I want to get the job done and get out of there. I don't have time for people dawdling in front of me, eternally unsure which direction they want to go next. I have always been like this, since I was a little thing, although I've forced myself to slow down a little in the past several years.
  
  In the North, there's an even mix of slowpokes and speedsters. But even in the North, people just can't go fast enough for my liking.
  

• South: Everyone. Is. Slow. (Unless they're driving--see below.) This has really forced me to slow down, as I can't be so rude as to blast around everyone wandering through the store aisles. Still--come on, people. I've got places to be!
  

Driving

• North: This, of course, depends on where you are in the North. In Boston, for example, they all drive like the devil himself is on their back bumper and they're gonna get that little bastard off, dammit. In New York...well, I don't know, because I will never drive in New York. Boston was bad enough.
  
  And everywhere you go, there will be leadfoots and cell phone yappers, tailgaters and people who drive 45 mph no matter what the posted limit is, and people who haven't used a turn signal in so long that they probably wouldn't notice if you took out the turn signal lever. It just seems like there aren't as many of them (except the 45 mph ones, who are always there if you're in a hurry) up north.

• South: Where are you people going in such a damn hurry? Because I can guaran-freakin'-tee that, when you get there, you'll dawdle like you have all the time in the world. And please, I'm beggin' ya...if you're going to cut me off, could you at least use your turn signal when you do it? A little warning before you place your back bumper within six inches of my front one would be nice, is all I'm saying.

TVs in Bars

• North: Generally tuned to local news and/or sports. Neutral stuff that has a higher chance of appealing to more customers.

• South: If there's more than one TV, one of them will be tuned to FoxNews. If there are multiple smaller TVs and one larger one, then generally, the larger one is tuned to FoxNews. I offer no opinion about this--just noting it for the record.
  

Fireworks

• North: I come from small towns in the mountains. Fireworks in the mountains means lots of echoes, which means the fireworks are good and loud. This can be good and bad: it's great on the Fourth, when the local fireworks are set off and have amazing, booming sound to accompany the visuals; on the other hand, it also mean you have to listen to all your neighbors, and their neighbors, and their neighbors, set off their own (illegal) fireworks for the weeks prior to and following the Fourth.
  

• South: In the flatter areas, it's like watching fireworks with earplugs. Where's the boom?! Where's the earth-shaking noise?! Rather unimpressive, I think.
  

Beer/Alcohol

• North: It is a Pennsylvania state law that any establishment with a liquor license must stock Yuengling. Flout this law at your peril. Since I hit drinking age, this has been nice, as I thoroughly enjoy Yuengling. Generally, if I'm in Pennsylvania and I'm drinking beer, you can bet it's Yuengling. It's both a taste and a state pride thing.
  
  Other, more formal PA state laws, however, can be annoying. One can only buy beer from state-licensed beer distributors (except six-packs, which can be purchased from bars). One can only buy liquor and wine from state-licensed stores. Strict hours of operation are set, and Sunday sales are a point of controversy and nonexistent in most places.
  

• South: A few bars carry Yuengling, and some even have it on tap, but chances are good that I'll have to find another beer to drink. This has been fabulous, actually--I've tried several new beers, and realized, to my shock, that Yuengling is not the only tasty beer out there. Sam Adams Summer Blend, Dead Guy Ale, and Miller Chill are all satisfying to the palate.
  
  And, specific to Virginia, may I just say...beer and wine in gas stations and grocery stores? Sold past midnight, and on Sundays? Bloody brilliant. I'm sure it doesn't help the drunk driving rates, and it certainly makes being an alcoholic less complicated...but I do love shopping for wine in the grocery store.
  

That's pretty much it, I guess. It's been a fascinating experience, for this writer, to spend an extended period of time in a part of the country that is so different than the small, two-hundred-mile radius in which I've spent most of my life. I'll always be a Pennsylvanian at heart, but the South has many charms and benefits. I'm sure I'll come up with more observations as time goes by, and I'll be sure to add them to the list. If you have any further thoughts or observations, feel free to drop by the comments and speak your mind!

-Kristin

P.S. I started out listening to Less Than Jake's "The Rest of My Life" on my Yahoo Launchcast. As I wrap up the entry, Unwritten Law's "Rest of My Life" begins. Odd...