Monday's update....

[kyrielle]

[Sigh. I figured out why this didn't post on its own. Hopefully it goes through this time.]

As noted before, I have access from the hostel, but at $1 per 15 minutes. As it turns out, the computers here at the program cannot get to LiveJournal. (We are using an elementary school. These computers are on their network, subject to their firewall and 'acceptable sites' blockage. Whups. LiveJournal doesn't pass that check.) They can, however, get to my email. So this afternoon I actually checked my post-by-email settings (from the hostel computer) and can now post from here (where I don't have to pay money). There are only two computers here, so if anyone else needs them for real work I will not be posting this way either. But just now I trailed the organizers back and am using them while they do other work. So until they tell me they're done and would I please get off the machines (as I did alert them I'm not doing anything "important" in any sense) or two people arrive who need a computer, I'm good.

It looks like I have a peaceful stretch of computer-use ahead, so here's an update:

1. Attempts to make sandwiches to save money are a bust. Lucerne cheese in re-sealable bags is a joke. You must be able to OPEN a bag before you can REseal it. I had to slice it open inside the ziplock piece to get to the cheese as it came locked. VERY locked. Can't be pried apart with fingernail locked. Also the sandwiches are boring. I will pay more and have real food.

2. Poetry workshop. Actual update will be on the poetry filter but so far so good. (If you are not on the poetry filter and want to be, please comment, but I may not get to add you until whenever I have actual access to LiveJournal again. If so, I will post when I add people. If you are on the poetry filter and you don't see an update, I haven't written it yet OR I have botched the email settings. In the latter case, I'll fix it when I next get normal access.

3. Cannon Beach. It's pretty, and very...stylized...ocean town. Not too bad for having a workshop in but except for being able to see Haystack Rock the beach is just beach. Lots of sand. I managed not to bring more than a small smattering of grains away from it with me. (As a side note, sun block? Makes a most excellent attachment mechanism for sand.)

4. Exploring the area: okay. I've just about had enough of the coast as the coast. I drove south this time and I hardly stopped anywhere as the road scared me silly with its charming drop-offs, climbs, drops, and curves. Everywhere that looked interesting to stop also looked like it would be a nightmare to get off the road at. I think I'm going to restrict myself to exploring Seaside from now on (it's more interesting than Cannon Beach, to me). I may leave on Friday instead of on Saturday. It turns out there is nothing after noon on Friday anyway. I will be out a night's lodging fee at the hostel, but so what? I will pay it whether I stay or not - so I might as well do whatever seems best.

5. Sun block, part 2: I don't like sun block. I especially don't like the sun block I have. Apparently it is good for irritating my skin, which responds by burning (sensation, not sunburn) where any mild eczema patches were. This leaves me irritated, too. Time to find a new sun block or spend less time outside.

6. Silly commercialism. I forgot to bring a hat, so now I have a Haystack hat. It will help keep the sun off my forehead and out of my eyes, and it's a nice blue color, so that will do.

I'm alive, I have the assignment for tonight done already, and shortly I will head back to Seaside and probably write more poetry for the heck of it (because this is what one does during such a week, right?).

I will see comments, by the way - I can get to that email. I can't reply, though - it's very well-blocked. *wry* So replies will have to wait until I get access again. I tried for the library but I could not find either of them. I'm told the Seaside one is closed Mondays but I will ask where it is and try tomorrow. (I have driving directions from Yahoo, which are no help at all, although at least they did not route me by way of the Portland airport. If this parenthetical comment makes no sense, you never asked Yahoo for driving directions from the airport to my parents' house.)

[Ed.: found both. Seaside doesn't seem to have internet access and Cannon Beach's is open only 1-5 pm so I haven't seen the inside yet. The other woman who is staying at the hostel from the class thinks it does have internet though - she went in but that wasn't what she was mainly looking for.]

Hope you are all well. (Hope this posts, too. If there are no comments on it when you see it, would you comment to it, just to reassure me?)

Comments

[the_rck]

When Scott and I do the make our own sandwiches thing at conventions (generally GenCon or Origins), we always bring a large supply of ziploc bags, both the sandwich size and the larger size. I tend to go overboard on using them for things like shampoo and lotion (It only takes one accident with cream rinse or liquid soap dripping over all of my clothing and books to make me paranoid about such things), but they work pretty well all around.

We learned after the first year that we needed something that would keep food dry while it's in the cooler, swimming in melting ice. We also bought a single burner hotplate and take one saucepan and one pyrex container taken from a dead coffee maker (they can be bought independently, too).

Of course, one can only do this sort of thing if one drives to the convention. It wouldn't work at all well for flying, too much stuff involved.

[flower76.livejournal.com]

Cannon Beach is my favorite. :)

And I know what you mean about sunblock. Bleh.

[djadjamankh.livejournal.com]

Me, I worship the sunblock. Yess, precious, the yellow eye, it burnsss us. But then, if it is ouchy either way, you might as well skip the goo.

Hope you're having fun!

[kyrielle]

Yes, I had bags. Not sure what that has to do with my complaints about buying cheese in resealable bags and having the resealable bags refuse to open, though I assume that is why you mentioned the bags.

I did NOT have a cooler since I needed only one sandwich per day and, anyway, as I said they were a bust. They were gross and bland and just too much a pain to deal with.

[kyrielle]

Yeah, except the sunblock only burns until I wash it off. Sunburn lasts longer. Plus, as I've had two moles biopsied already, not inclined to much sun exposure. (Note that neither mole was a problem, and my grandfather who like me was pale-skinned and developed moles easily, lived into his 90s without any skin cancer, so this is probably only paranoia.)

I had a great time. Will have to post about it after I find my notes, and/or my brain. :)

[the_rck]

Well, ziploc bags mean it doesn't matter if the supposedly reclosable bags are in any state to be closed again after they've been opened once. I should have added that we don't trust any supposedly reclosable packaging; everything goes in a ziploc before it's put back into storage. And, in my experience, once you're not bothering with the packaging, you can focus on getting stuff that tastes good.

[kyrielle]

Ah. It sounded like you were advocating them for the sandwiches. As I had sandwich-sized bags, I would have needed way too many for the cheese, plus when I buy resealable packaging I bloody well expect it to be resealable, plus, needing a knife to open your cheese? NOT cool regardless.