it's a day in the office...

but tonight I am heading over to Amnicon for a much-needed talking circle. It will be good to reconnect with old friends and to meet new ones; I generally miss Amnicon whenever I'm not there, and being this close for so long without heading over has been frustrating. Tonight, however, I'll be able to go and clear my mind for a while with incredible people.

Speaking of incredible people, I made a new friend yesterday whom I think to be one of the most passionate people I've ever met. This chick works at a local kayaking company up here, and aside from doing the whole guiding thing (which in my opinion is enough to start with), she does so much more, including making her own beautiful wooden kayak and canoe paddles. I wouldn't want to come between Jen and her power tools. She's also training to do the longest unsupported expedition that the world has ever seen...I can't remember the details from her site, but I'll catch up with her soon and we'll see if I can't get a link to it here on my blog. While we were talking about her dreams and accomplishments I felt so intensely proud of her, even though I'd literally known her about 5 minutes. What inspiration. My friend Jim and I had dinner over at her place last night after I met her at the library yesterday afternoon, and we enjoyed a crazy delicious vegan dish with some great music and libations (G&T's, Nut Brown Ale and HoneyWeiss) out on the porch.

After we left Jim and I went to the Rum Line Bar in Bayfield. Cozy place, no one was there. The only thing I have against it is that they're cash only, but really when I think about it, I may actually like them better for it, since they're holding out on updating and joining the plastic craze. Jim ordered a Jack and Coke, and I tried out the new(er) Capt. Morgan Tattoo with Coke, and it was pretty sassy and delicious. A group of motorcyclers came in and started playing pool, and one of the guys sat down next to me at the bar and started talking. And talking. And talking. He was hilarious; here is one of our conversations from the evening. I need to remember to start bringing a voice recorder and a camera everywhere I go.

(talking about his camping trip to Glacier National Park)
Guy: "Well, there's that grizzly over there, and I'm settin up to take a picture of it..."
Kate: "Like where, 500 yards away?"
Guy: "Naw, like from me to that wall. Then my friend's wife, Paranoid Psycho, aka Polly, goes [assumes screechy girl voice] 'Ken gimme the cowbell! We need that cowbell!!'"
Guy: (pauses) "I mean, it was just doing what a bear does! Eating berries!"
Kate: "What kind of berries?"
Guy: "Like, the ones bears like."
Kate: "Black-, rasp-, blue-, thimble-berries...?"
Guy: "Starts with an H. Huh...Hah...Hee...?"
Jim: "Huckleberries?"
Guy: "YEAH! Huckleberries!"