Leaving River City

When last we spoke I was in the mountains of North Carolina just returned from the South Pacific and attempting some kind of surgery on my Aperture library and trying to resuscitate technology after several years of hard travel.  

Well the spoiled ending to that not-at-all tedious process was that nothing was salvaged.

I returned to the Navajo Nation in Arizona, then to an organic farm in the mountains outside of Asheville to apparently do absolutely no work at all on a book.  

The underlying theme of the past 10 months being little to no internet.  In the beginning this  sounds like a very nice thing but in reality is terribly annoying, isolating, and frustrating.

Flash forward to today.  I’ve arrived to Albuquerque for a 3 month stint here at one of the local hospitals.  I’ve walked away from Apple's Aperture forever and have spent several months learning Lightroom which has been a joy.  I’ve upgraded my essential gear and am enjoying internet and green chiles. 

There is travel ahead this year with returns to China to teach scheduled and a hike of the Camino de Santiago this summer.  After that big changes are in the works but I’m the last person who will know how they turn out.

 

 

Another Day Another Time

 

Another Day Another Time:  Celebrating The Music of Inside Llewyn Davis is available on iTunes now.  It’s fantastic.  Just waiting for the album to be released now!

I exist...

And am trying desperately to rip my Aperture library into something I can actually work with again.  After 5 months in hibernation my computer is having a hard go at things.  I've dragged my last Macs through 6+ years each of service, but I don't think I'm getting away with it with this guy anymore.  Aperture, Scrivner, and even Safari are creeping and coughing along.  Money is sadly about to leave my bank account.

Add to that some less than stellar home internet following a temporary move to the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Transitioning and troubleshooting. 

Things will resume as soon as possible, and sorry for sucking as an internet personality. 

Cook Islands Photos

Photos from the recent voyage of the Picton Castle will be available here shortly but first I need a nap and to make it the rest of the way across the States.  

Until that time though you can visit my Tumblr at divinitynine.tumblr.com to see photos of some of the coolest people I've ever met from the first leg in the Cook Islands.

 

Arrived safely to Los Angeles.  Extreme culture shock. There is a crazy machine that makes it so you don't have to do your laundry in a bucket.  

Can't believe I'm not on the ship. 3 months of coconut-related machete injuries, broken bones, suturing surgical and dental procedures and starting IV's in rolling seas, wild skin infections, medical evacuations, island clinics and house calls, and of course all of our seasick high risk pregnant ladies .

And fishing.

Incredibly grateful to the wonderful people of the islands who took us into their homes and made us part of their families.  

Picton Castle crew, make sure you finish your antibiotics because we're out.  And go have a drink.  I miss you immensely.  

Adventure

If you're running down the road on a tropical island at top speed while hitch hiking for a ride to the airport to catch  your last minute flight then you're doing it right. 

Here's to adventure and to those I have been lucky enough to travel with.

 

Finally Back Up

While along the Pacific Rim I've had to rely on divinitynine.tumblr.com for blog postings as something in the Squarespace engine hasn't allowed me on. 

 

I'm currently in port in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands aboard the Barque Picton Castle traveling through the islands here.  We're delivering cargo and passengers, and setting up remote medical clinics where possible.   

 

Will update when possible. 

Things To Help You Survive A Night At The Airport

Having to sleep in an airport when the hotels are full is less than ideal but can be totally tolerable.  Use the following ingredients and mix well:

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1.) Earplugs and eye mask

2.) Cocoon Silk mummy bag

3.) iPhone tethering plan for last minute work (and watching the last episode of Once Upon A Time when you're done!)

4.) Drinking lots of water

5.) A 3G Kindle

6.) Pack one bag efficiently, travel light, and check no luggage.  Ever.​

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None of this however makes me less mad at United Airlines!​  We caught our connecting flight to Boston after a heroic effort by our pilot and outstanding crew on the first leg from Jacksonville to Washington DC but when we arrived from gate 17 and walked straight over to gate 18 they would not let us on board for a domestic flight.

 Despite me watching them close the door after other passengers, they told me 'the plane was "already gone". 

Reason cited for 'missing my flight'? weather.  

​They left the gate 3 minutes early.

I was impressed how quickly they responded to my complaint on Twitter, but nothing really came of it.  I was also extremely happy with the hard work of the crew, but my disgust with the boldfaced lies and intolerable passenger service to myself and the other passengers on our arrival is overwhelming.  

No more United for this frequent flier.  ​

​-A

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