Musing About Mysteries

Thought I'd share some more peaceful, attractive scenes with you today - you've had to look up my nostrils long enough. It's also a reminder to myself, to stay calm. Remembering to breathe. Trying to  find my balance here in my life; on the road; and on this page. On this big, wonderful, worldwide web. In my neighborhood. In my home.

Strange things seem to be happening lately.  Most of them small, but some of them large enough to make you go "Huh? What was that? and what's that over there?"  Too many things to start listing them all, and I'm not sure I'd want to - as if you didn't think I was odd enough already - if you knew some of the bizarre flights of fancy my mind can take.  Sometimes I think if I really kept track of them it would end up reading like a bad episode of the X-Files...that's not a good analogy;  but I really can't think  of a better one right now.

That makes my life sound even weirder than it is. Most of the things have rational explanations; and the one that's most upsetting to me right now, is something that seems to happen in many places on a daily basis - and I've lived in those types of neighborhoods myself before.  But it's unusual for around here.  I've gotten lax and complacent from living in such a slice of safe suburban heaven that it's coming as rather a shock.

Our neighborhood has really been blessed over the years; it's been quiet and safe. Occasionally, you'll get a spate of something like teenagers doing something dumb like pelting grapefruits or there were the 3 years that someone thought it was cool to bash in mailboxes on the first day of summer vacation (were they trying to prevent the mailman from delivering report cards?)  But overall, it's been a really good neighborhood.

You could take walks, even late at night, with or without a dog, and feel safe. You could forget to lock your car door, and it would actually still be there the next morning.  With everything still in it.

I don't know enough about what has really happened yet, but I've heard and seen enough to know it isn't good. I think it's part of what's had me in my manic/panic mode again. Police with a mobile crime unit have had part of our hill and the little gully below it, cordoned off since yesterday afternoon. The part of the hill where I was standing earlier that same day, trying to get a picture of the wildfire (which seems to be getting under control, thankfully).  But my camera kept shutting off; so I went back home for new  batteries; then decided to go to a different side of the hill to take the picture.  Initially  I thought  those  batteries might have  been saving me; but from what I'm hearing so far - it seems it happened quite some time ago. Still, I think they at least saved me from witnessing a gruesome discovery; there were people who stopped to say "hi," to me as they walked on down the hill.  Which is ironic in a way - my older daughter has suddenly just this past week started warning me against getting out of the jeep in the canyons to take pictures - which I assured her was no longer a problem, since the canyon has been closed all week. Still, I wonder if she was "picking up" on something going on. Strange as that might sound, she's periodically surprised the heck out of me with things. When she was little, she often used to tell me that she couldn't wait till she saw this aunt or that friend (who we wouldn't be expecting to visit) - only to have them show up at the door 5 minutes later. The hillside/gully area looks very much like the canyons, only in miniature.

The news story hasn't broken yet, so I don't want to blow their investigation by talking about it anymore, especially when I really don't know WHAT I'm talking about. But I needed to vent some of my anxiety - and blogging seems to be my form of therapy. +It's on-line now here.

Now for a more light-hearted mystery. When I was distracted by all the commotion going on the hillside, yesterday, on my way to pick up K. - I got on the freeway going the wrong way. Um,  supposedly the wrong way.

I think it may actually be the Right way from now on - which I know makes absolutely no sense. But I'll try as best I can to explain it.

If you head far enough down the freeway going the complete opposite direction, heading east instead of heading west - which is where you want to end up...Anyway, go about 13 miles or so in what seems to be the wrong direction - you come to a junction for another freeway that takes you back over the hills and about 10 or so miles later, you end up where you would be if you'd taken the canyon route or the supposed-right route on the freeway. And somehow it takes even less time than the shorter canyon route used to! I know this is largely because of the lack of traffic, coming from that direction - but it still seems a puzzle to me. To me, it's almost like it defies some physical law. You're going almost 25 miles out of the way (13 of them in the complete WRONG direction), and yet, getting there 10 or more minutes faster than you did when you were closer...it's like a rabbit hole in my head right now. Almost like some Star Trek wormhole-in-space plot twist.

So we tried it again in reverse, this morning (I think K. thought I had somehow looked at the clock wrong when I told him about it and had really started earlier on the road than I'd thought - but he was willing to try it) - and it worked again! So then I did a test this afternoon, going one of the two supposed-right ways, but leaving earlier, to help with the traffic (which was still backed up anyway) and it STILL took more than twice as  long  as this new Mystery Tour route. Also - even though going farther out of our way, it's using LESS gas. The supposed right ways have so much stop and go traffic that you're idling half of the time you're on the road, just burning up the gas. But go 25 miles out of your way, and you use a quarter tank less. Who knew?  If you could measure my stress level between these routes, the Mystery Tour would come out a clear winner, too.

I think there's a lesson in here somewhere for me; probably more than one. Especially, something about taking the road less travelled...

If you're thinking about joining  Ray and I in the Write the Damn Book Club,  you've got plenty of  time to ponder  it.  We've decided to wait  a  little longer - till  later in September to start  our magnum opus; opuses;  er - opi.  Writing the damn books. She has houseguests; I have, well, strangeness. But we ARE going to do this. I'm thinking about September 23rd - it's the autumn equinox, a new moon the night before; beginning a new season. Who knows? Maybe a whole new chapter in our lives.

Here's the plan thus far: We're giving ourselves one year to write our books - aiming for two chapters per month. We'll begin with e-mailing or possibly setting up a blog to share with one another, our initial synopsis/chapter outlines. Checking in every two weeks with one another, to share at least some of what we've written. The purpose of this, is to keep us motivated - to feel some accountability to keep writing. I know it's too easy for me, when I'm on my own, to just let it go, if I'm tired or not feeling inspired, to  just blog surf and read about other people's lives instead of getting on with the one I really want to have.

  So we'll be giving one another support: and doing this all in as kind, gentle way as possible - as supportive friends, not literary critics. We are novices at this novel game, and need all the encouragement we can get. Otherwise, we'd have already written the damn books!
So far I've had one person e-mail interest and Ray's had a couple. I'll keep mentioning it periodically till the 23rd, while you think about it.  Let me know if you're interested.

Now I'm going to relax. Remember to breathe. Think serene thoughts. Ponder my own mystery of the moment: which of the damn books do I really want to write, right now?

Sigh...I feel a bit like Jack Sparrow with his compass; I have to know what I really want  before I know which direction to go in.  What seems like the right way? Because then maybe I should do the opposite - take the road less travelled...so far, it seems to work much better that way. It's the path of least resistance.

*Something just occurred to me  when I came back to post the news link -  It only makes sense  the wrong way would  be the right way for me -  You know who  was born on the same day as me? Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan! (who, incidentally, flew the wrong way, on purpose - they wouldn't give him the clearance to fly over the Atlantic that he so badly wanted - so he filed a flight plan for the OTHER direction - then flew over the Atlantic anyway :D    

Comments

[judie]

Well I wont be writing along with you two but I sure will follow along and read it, and wish you both lots of luck. I think writing a complete book is a hard row to hoe and takes a lot of determination and sticktoitivness. Well, you know what I mean! And I agree with your daughter about you wandering the canyons alone. It's sad, but this world has become a dangerous place. I watch a lot of court tv (fascinated by forensic science) and a LOT of bodies are hidden in California canyons. Be careful Tink!

[judie]

P.S. Maybe it would be good if you carry some pepper spray with you when you wander to get your pics.

[Paris Parfait]

No safe havens anymore, my friend. Be safe and don't go out in an isolated area on your own. Too many crazy things going on everywhere. It sounds like so many things going on with you now - just take time to breathe and be. Thanks for sharing the lovely photos. Take care of YOU and hope you have a peaceful, relaxing weekend, away from traffic and crime scenes! xo

[Gemma]

Another fascinating post from you Tinker...the worm hole/time warp/ out of the way direction makes perfect sense. What the Bleep?
I Want to watch the book writing process as well....so I'm interested in your project...not sure if I'm ready to dive in.

[Tammy]

Yikes! Signs every where so be extra vigilant. Great idea on book :) Take care of yourself.

[Ninnie]

I don't see any craziness in seeing and believing in the signs we are given. So keep watching for them girl and stay safe.

[tinker]

Thanks everyone for your well-wishes. Don't worry - I usually DON'T step out of the jeep, this was a rare occasion, that I got out - and only because I was - well, in my own neighborhood! Usually I'm snapping photos while K's driving on the way to drop him off. Or I'll snap them while I'm stopped in traffic, or pulled off to the side for a moment, but it's from inside the jeep with the window down (but with the doors LOCKED!) I will be extra vigilant now, though.

[Jill]

I love your writing.