back to life, back to reality

My summer up in Forks, WA has come to an end.

Way too many memories to even attempt to re-cap right now, but I think the most important thing I'm leaving with right now is that we (me, Ty and A) have a better grip on things now -- though nowhere near a perfect or ideal situation, life doesn't seem to be as frazzled and confused as it was before. Aidan will understand where Daddy is now, and not think he's on every airplane we see fly overhead. And I'll know that he's surrounded by good people (though none that can take care of him [or fuss at him] like I can).

I'm not nearly as resentful of "this place" here on the far northern Washington coast. In fact, I've learned to appreciate its quirkiness, mixed in with its beauty and laughter. In fact, I'll think very fondly of it.

Don't get me wrong -- I can't wait for some breakfast tacos and time with my family and friends back home in the Lone Star state, but I'll miss this time dearly.

christmas in july?

Well, not really. But it's felt that way at times.

I love campfires (who doesn't?) ... especially the smells. A good campfire can awaken all senses -- the crackling of burning wood, the glowing embers deep within, the warmth it gives off, and the explosion of different colors as it smolders and grows. But for me, it's all about the smell.

I'm a smell girl. I have an extremely sensitive sniffer. Sometimes that's a good thing, often times it's a curse. For me, the slightest whiff can invoke more memories from the past than a vivid snapshot in a photo album.

Which brings me back to campfires. I adore the smell. So many memories: A burning fire that we kept alive for days on a family reunion trip to the Texas Hill Country. Year after year, the gorgeous and exciting smell of Aggie Bonfire smoldering from miles away. Sitting around a toasty fire with a glass of scotch on the back porch at my daddy's house. So many wonderful times.

Last night, we built our second campfire up here in Forks. And the beauty of it was, it was cold enough to really appreciate! How often is that the case in July? So, so great. And holding my son as he fell asleep last night, breathing in the smokey scent of his soft little three-year-old hair was as close to Heaven for me as it gets.

More magic in Forks. I'm blessed and lucky.

doesn't get much better

Anyone who has ever read my blog, or even remotely knows me, is probably aware of my Twilight addiction ... and I'm not talking the teeny bopper lust over Rob Pattinson or Taylor Lautner either (although I could eat both of those boys with a spoon) -- I'm talking about the Twilight story.

For several reasons that I've stated and written about in the past, the plot, setting and characters of Stephenie Meyer's now famous series is very special to me (thanks, Bella B!). So spending my summer vacation this year in Twilight land (aka Forks, Washington) is better than any Carribbean cruise or European tour.

The vampire and werewolf capitalists in this area have definitely taken advantage of the market -- seems like every local establishment in the general Forks vicinity has at least one store corner dedicated to Twilight. It's funny and worthy of a few snapshots.

But the absolute best part of being up here is the stunning beauty of the land and the ocean. It's powerful and gorgeous, and exactly how I imagined it, only better. When the clouds roll in over the mountains in the distance, I close my eyes and almost see Edward's shiny Volvo pulling in the drive. And driving out to La Push and spending time on the beach is almost a religious experience!

At night, I curl up with a Meyer novel (right now I'm reading Eclipse for the fourth time) and smile. There's just something magical reading about the Treaty Line and knowing that it's right outside my door. So, so cool.

Spending time with my son and hubby is priceless and second-to-none. Our little family is together and whole, if only temporarily. So far, Aidan's biggest thrill has been throwing rocks into the tidepools and rivers. However, there have been countless times this trip that I've also wished my Twilight girls were here with me. It's a giddy experience meant to be shared.

As much as I've resented Forks for the past year or so, I'm learning to enjoy and appreciate it's secrets and charm. The people are friendlier than I imagined, and the natural beauty surpasses any postcard.

So far, pretty damn good.

my big fat forks summer

For the past year or so, I've periodically written about Forks, Washington ... in many different capacities. It's rather of an enigma-town for me: it's the place that "took" my husband to serve away from us for a while, yet also the place that started my love affair for all things Twilight. But for the next six weeks, Forks will simply be the place where Aidan and I will spend our summer vacation.

I've been horrible about packing because, to be honest, I've been putting off breaking out our sweats and jackets again. But, despite the cold and rain (perfect vampire weather, BTW), it should be quite an adventure.

I have no idea what the next several weeks have in store for us, but it should be memorable. Maybe I'll experience a few things that will be blog-worthy. ;)

the perfect combo

Robert Pattinson, a tuxedo, and total, unpretentious charm.

Quite the package.

Rob was a hit at the Oscars last night. Our friendly Forks vampire cleans up pretty good, doesn't he?

Twilight coming earlier

November, not December!

The object of my obsession will be arriving in theaters a few weeks earlier than previously expected. Twilight, the movie based on one of the greatest series of books EVER (written by Stephenie Meyer) will be released on November 21 rather than December 12. Yippee! Thanksgiving will be that much more festive!

Here's the explanation from Stephenie's website:

So, many of you have heard that the release of the sixth Harry Potter
movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has been moved from this
Thanksgiving to next summer. First and foremost, please know that this schedule
change has absolutely nothing to do with Twilight, me, or Summit Films (so
enough with the imdb death wishes, okay?). This is Warner Bros. decision, and it
was not motivated by anything Twilight-related.

Now for the good news! Though we're all sad
to have to wait for Harry Potter, this open spot at the theater creates a cool
opportunity. The good people at Summit were thrilled to let me know that now
Twilight fans are going to get their movie three weeks earlier than scheduled.
That's right—Twilight will be released in theaters November 21st! Let the
merry-making commence!

--Stephenie

WORKS FOR ME! Crazy and coincidentally enough, I may actually be arriving in Forks, WA that night to stay with Ty for Thanksgiving (haven't decided yet). How wild and crazy would that be to get to see the movie in the actual location of the book? My heart is pitter-pattering just thinking about it.

expectations

I don't know if anyone who is reading this is as much of a Stephenie Meyer fan as I am (except for B, whose devotion to all things Meyer-related eclipses [haha] my addiction). This sounds far too dramatic, but I've almost breathlessly been awaiting the release of Breaking Dawn, Meyer's fourth (and supposedly final) book in her Twilight series. August 2nd has kind of been a beacon on the horizon during an otherwise tough summer -- in a nutshell, yesterday was a big day for this reader.

So I started reading ... and reading ... and reading ... and reading (I didn't turn off the lights 'til well after midnight). The first few chapters were captivating. For those of us who have been following Bella and Edward's love story, it was exactly the dream that we'd been waiting for -- pure bliss.

Then (insert dramatic music), things took a decidedly unexpected turn -- something began to unfold that I did not see coming, which is usually the mark of a great plot, right? Well, I'll be honest: reading through it was agonizing. So much so that I had this queasy, sick feeling throughout the 300 or so pages that it took to get through the "event". It reminded me of how I felt throughout most of Meyer's Host -- "This is disturbing. How did her mind come up with this?" To put it mildly, I was heartbroken.

But ... because of my 'In Stephenie I Trust' outlook, I kept reading. But I've got to be honest ... it was HARD. The more I read, the more I shook my head. What was she thinking?! How could she do this to me?! All of my favorite characters were there, but it was all wrong! Had Stephenie fallen and hurt her head while writing? Had she encountered a rebellious stage in her own personal career that she was now purging through Breaking Dawn? I don't know what to say, other than I was sort of mindlessly following the book along last night, not really grasping what I was reading...

... until page 387. And, coincidentally, the title of that chapter is New. Just when I thought I couldn't make it through the second half of the book, it was like an oasis in the desert.

I've now entered the second half of the book, and although things aren't perfect, and I still don't really see where Steph is heading with all of this madness, I'm starting to smile again. Things are starting to feel sort of right again in the world of Forks, Washington.

So, onward I now read. What a wild ride it's been so far. It's only 9:00 a.m., and I woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. Wish me luck. I'm goin' in ....

narrow-minded people

Ty arrived to the Forks/Port Angeles area today. It's been a long week, but at least he made it safe and sound. He's sort of in shell-shock right now. We all are. The reality is pretty much sinking in. He said it's drizzly (shocker) and about 59 degrees. Perfect weather for vampires. ;)

One of his very first [not-so-warm] greetings came from some intolerant individual who felt the need to peel off the McCain 2008 sticker from Ty's back windshield. What the hell is wrong with people anyway? I swear, I just don't get it.

Can you imagine having the audacity to look at something that belonged to someone else, disagree with it, and then physically destroy it as a result? It makes me sick. More so than usual because it was someone giving Ty a symbolic middle finger, when the only reason he's out there in the first place is because he's serving his country.

So ... to the petty, narrow-minded asshole who can't accept the fact that different opinions are what make this country great, I say to you -- kiss my ass. And don't mess with Texas [license plates].

Synchronicity

I have yet to write about the biggest change affecting my entire life in the upcoming months and years. I avoid things I don't want to face ... in a big way.

Background: For as long as I've known her, one of my dearest friends B has talked about an author named Stephenie Meyer. To say that B is a fan of Meyer's books is way beyond an understatement. She even flew to Atlanta to attend a Meyer book-signing. That's dedication. I've never really inquired much about the author because these days my free reading time is pretty much limited to reading stuff that's been piling up on my own personal "To read" list. Taking the opportunity to read any suggestions from others is pretty much out of the question ... until yesterday. B talked me into reading Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

More background: Ty will be stationed and working for the next two years in a very remote part of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The main "towns" (I use that term very loosely) he'll be stomping around are Forks, Joyce, and La Push -- where the Coast Guard station is located. I've been very resentful and hurt about the entire situation, to the extent that whenever I even see a map of the U.S., like on the national weather or something, I won't even look up at the Pacific Northwest. In my mind, it's taking him away from us.

Now, on with the synchronicity part. I began reading Twilight last night. On the very first page of the prologue, there is was -- Forks, Washington. How's that for facing your demons head-on? I keep reading. Next up, page 6 -- La Push, Washington ("'Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?' La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast."). WOW. Basically, the only things in La Push are the Coast Guard station and the Indian reservation. A million cliches pop into my mind, such as "Fate can be cruel," and "God has a great sense of humor."

I pretty much had to close the book at that point and take a few deep breaths. Like I told Becky this morning, I bet if you polled 1 million people, Coast Guard members excluded, and asked them if they'd ever heard of La Push, Washington, two of them, at best, would be able to answer in the affirmative. And here I am reading about it in my friend's favorite book.

I feel (and it's an over whelming feeling) like this was supposed to happen -- like I was supposed to read THIS book at THIS time in my life. If I'd read it a year ago, it would've just been another book. I know that life is full of coincidences, but this is different. I don't know why, and I can't explain the feeling. But I think I'm going to learn some things about myself along the way -- another big understatement. Should be an interesting read.