Day 181: The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker

I highly recommend reading this book. I can be stubbornly fierce and practice some risky behaviors (mostly walking through Belltown late at night) but I'm not immune to the heebie jeebies. This book talks about how to parse real threats from relatively benign fears, how to recognize the potential for violent behavior in other people, and how to deal with dangerous situations.

Status: Dibbed

Day 180: The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum

I'm a little pouty right now because what I wanted to post tonight was a pair of goggles. I own a clear pair and a tinted pair but I don't use them anymore because I have a full face helmet. I do need to keep one around in case I'm carrying a passenger but I figure that since they won't be driving they can just wear the tinted pair regardless of the weather.

And speaking of my ride, my scooter Clementine just hit a big milestone yesterday. She turned over 2000 miles. That's right, it took me over three years to put 2000 miles on my scooter. It makes sense when you understand that I use it as a supplement to my walking life style. I walk everywhere I can but if I need to cover distance quickly or transport more than two bags of groceries I'll take her out.

Status: Dibbed

Day 179: The Rising Tide by Sunny Day Real Estate

I'm kind of embarrassed about my photography lately but I still don't feel like retaking this picture. After all, this post will be supplanted by a new one in about twenty-four hours. And I'm also a little buzzed after having a few drinks at Rob Roy. They make great drinks at that bar. I'm enamored with the Sloe Gin Fizz which looks like a push pop. Tonight I started off with a Sazerac and then the bartender made me a drink which definitely had Fernet Branca in it and was possibly my favorite drink - The Toronto. I don't drink quite frequently enough to trust my palate.

Status: Dibbed

Day 178: Washington State Map

I love maps. I especially enjoy drawing them for other people. Perhaps it's because I'm so bad at giving oral directions. I usually travel by foot and when I'm a passenger in a car I don't pay much attention to the landscape since I'm traveling with friends. I usually get so engrossed in conversation that I forget to give the next instruction. When I'm drawing a map I have so much fun drawing all the details that the directions end up thorough.

Status: Dibbed

Day 177: Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

I purchased this book at a used bookstore in Chiang Mai for about $7.50. It seemed an outrageous price but I was somewhat desperate for an enjoyable read. In my attempt to pack light I had only packed one book that wasn't a travel guide - Polgara the Sorceress by the Eddings.

Polgara the Sorceress ran through family history from the point of view of Polgara and since I have never read any of David Eddings' other books it was not particularly interesting to read. I forced myself to finish it for two reasons: two books isn't nearly enough when you're planning to lounge on a beach for several days and I felt obligated since I had lifted it from a hostel in Lima, Peru. My strong desire to finish the book despite my boredom was absurd. I left another book for the hostel (per instructions) and the book was in poor condition. I finally finished it on the beaches of Ko Pha Ngan and abandoned it in the couchsurfing house in Bangkok.

Couchsurfing house in Bangkok!

Status: Donated

Day 176: Tire Chains

My dad gave these to me last year to sell at my yard sale. No one purchased them so they've been sitting in my closet ever since.

I haven't owned a car in years. I shared one with a boyfriend and let him keep it when we split up since I only used it once a month. I never really took to driving.

When I was fifteen I was excited about getting my license but I had to learn on my family's stick shift. For the first half of driver's ed I lagged behind everyone in skill as I worked on becoming comfortable with the clutch. When we took the final test I did better than everyone in my car.

Not long after the test my family went on a road trip to Wenatchee and the brakes went out while I was driving. We were headed towards a red light with a van stopped at it. I pumped the brakes like crazy and just in time the light changed and the car drove off. I managed to drive up a hill and let my dad take over. It took them over a year to get a new car and I didn't feel comfortable driving the minivan after that. By the time they bought a replacement I didn't care any more and I didn't end up getting my license until I turned 22.

Now I rely on my feet to get me most places and I supplement with my trusty scooter Clementine. I've been riding for just over three years. I love taking the scooter out and it's perfect for errands and the occasional trip across town.

Status: Dibbed

Day 175: Dansko Sandals Size 8

I wore these constantly the summer before last. They are extremely comfortable and go with just about everything I wore in hot weather. Unfortunately, being leather, they have stretched enough that they'd be fit better on a size 9.

Status: Dibbed