Sparky in the 'Natti (Cicadas & Ice Cream)
The Adventures of Sparky & P-Nut II
As I left Cincinnati for the second time in a month, I took a deep breath and turned to Sparks:
"Hey Shanna, I'm sorry if I've been a bitch lately; the past month has been an overload of stress and insanity."
"I know; I've been in the same boat. I'm sorry, too."
Re-visiting when I did was an interesting experience. I kind of felt like I wasn't gone long enough for anyone to actually miss me, but in reality, if I'd been gone any longer before stopping through, the many people in my life I'd known for such a brief time would probably had forgotten me. Which brought home an interesting reality: I may be starting completely over when I return there. However, having accepted the fact that I may not necessarily have friends to hang with or projects to work on, even alone I feel shockingly at "home" in the 'Natti - for awhile. But most important, I initially departed in a whirlwind with numerous doors left flapping wide open in the breeze behind me, and here I had the opportunity to turn around and shut 'em.
(Big fan of the whole "closure" thing.)
It was fantastic to return just in time for the "wrap-up" party for Fringe Festival. Sparks and I finally got Rosie out of the RV shop and on the road late Tuesday afternoon, drove that Beast through many a winding mountain road, over the gorgeous Appalachians, aglow in the light of the virtually full moon. We pulled over around 3am and slept in the mountains of Virginia - to my quasi-shock and bemusement - near Roanoke.
We reached Lexington, KY and I said "Damn girl! We're gonna fucking make it to Cincy in time for this party/show thing! Unbelievable."
Shortly thereafter we stopped at a gas station. I filled Rosie while Sparks was napping, until I rudely intruded on her doze. "Sparks! Get out here! You've got to check out this creature! This crazy looking huge insect thing...."
"Cool. But I don't feel like moving."
"You know what? I have a feeling we'll see plenty more of 'em in the next few days."
Somewhere mid-sentence I heard "THE sound" and felt pretty confident the creature was in fact, a Cicada. The whole phenomenon turned out to be nothing like the plague and not really a big deal. Cicadas over mosquitos anyday.
Post-Fringe banter and lax attitudes was a comfort and joy to witness. Seeing the Cincy skyline and city after time in some drastically different cities was poignantly appropro. Saying good-bye to many folks I missed the first time around was a bonus. Finding a huge trampoline - complete with bouncing bodies (one bald one in particular) - added to the playground that is my yard in the Ice Cream Factory was sweet! Upon arrival at my pad, I somewhat worried that Shanna wouldn't feel safe or comfortable, and I wanted to leave her and take off for a lengthy bike ride. "Maybe you can hang in a coffee shop or downtown for an hour or two..."
"No way, Linds, I'm hanging here! This is the coolest place ever! I can't believe you live here! I'm exploring. Look at all the treasures...."
I took her further exploring the bad-assedness (good word!) that is Brighton (my ghettohood). A neighbors' cavernous basement, one-third of which houses an indoor BMX track, the gorgeous graffiti left over from Beautiful Losers and other random artists, tour de Mockbee, the quaint local hardware store, my all time favorite roof top, and the unfathomably huge, gorgeous trippy lofts of four local artists - including one of my faves with his numerous wood carvings and tremendous, larger than life animated wooden sculptures used as characters in an opera he wrote....
My ghetto rocks. As does my life. I'm constantly moved by the abundance of talented people, diverse commnities, and stimulating intellects that comprise my daily experiences.
And to share this world with one of my best friends from a previous world, to bring Shanna across the spectrum from Flagstaff's hippie mountain town to Cincy's ghetto arts district was a powerful experience for both of us.
And now we're off to Michigan to glimpse one of Shanna's old worlds - where she grew up and the family she left behind.
Amazed to find this huge weight lifted off not only myslef, but oddly enough, Sparky as well, a tremendous sigh of relief emitted from my lips as I-75 entered the hills, leaving the 'Natti behind.
"Hey Sparks, there's something I really wanted to do when we first began, but it just didn't feel right 'til now...."
"What's that?"
I threw my hands on the dash. "Wooo-hooo!"
Mutual hooting and hollerin hoopla commenced.
"Yee-haw!"
"Watch out baby!"
"Here we come, road!"
"And now, finally, our adventure begins." - Nut
"That's right, Sista." - Sparks
:)
As I left Cincinnati for the second time in a month, I took a deep breath and turned to Sparks:
"Hey Shanna, I'm sorry if I've been a bitch lately; the past month has been an overload of stress and insanity."
"I know; I've been in the same boat. I'm sorry, too."
Re-visiting when I did was an interesting experience. I kind of felt like I wasn't gone long enough for anyone to actually miss me, but in reality, if I'd been gone any longer before stopping through, the many people in my life I'd known for such a brief time would probably had forgotten me. Which brought home an interesting reality: I may be starting completely over when I return there. However, having accepted the fact that I may not necessarily have friends to hang with or projects to work on, even alone I feel shockingly at "home" in the 'Natti - for awhile. But most important, I initially departed in a whirlwind with numerous doors left flapping wide open in the breeze behind me, and here I had the opportunity to turn around and shut 'em.
(Big fan of the whole "closure" thing.)
It was fantastic to return just in time for the "wrap-up" party for Fringe Festival. Sparks and I finally got Rosie out of the RV shop and on the road late Tuesday afternoon, drove that Beast through many a winding mountain road, over the gorgeous Appalachians, aglow in the light of the virtually full moon. We pulled over around 3am and slept in the mountains of Virginia - to my quasi-shock and bemusement - near Roanoke.
We reached Lexington, KY and I said "Damn girl! We're gonna fucking make it to Cincy in time for this party/show thing! Unbelievable."
Shortly thereafter we stopped at a gas station. I filled Rosie while Sparks was napping, until I rudely intruded on her doze. "Sparks! Get out here! You've got to check out this creature! This crazy looking huge insect thing...."
"Cool. But I don't feel like moving."
"You know what? I have a feeling we'll see plenty more of 'em in the next few days."
Somewhere mid-sentence I heard "THE sound" and felt pretty confident the creature was in fact, a Cicada. The whole phenomenon turned out to be nothing like the plague and not really a big deal. Cicadas over mosquitos anyday.
Post-Fringe banter and lax attitudes was a comfort and joy to witness. Seeing the Cincy skyline and city after time in some drastically different cities was poignantly appropro. Saying good-bye to many folks I missed the first time around was a bonus. Finding a huge trampoline - complete with bouncing bodies (one bald one in particular) - added to the playground that is my yard in the Ice Cream Factory was sweet! Upon arrival at my pad, I somewhat worried that Shanna wouldn't feel safe or comfortable, and I wanted to leave her and take off for a lengthy bike ride. "Maybe you can hang in a coffee shop or downtown for an hour or two..."
"No way, Linds, I'm hanging here! This is the coolest place ever! I can't believe you live here! I'm exploring. Look at all the treasures...."
I took her further exploring the bad-assedness (good word!) that is Brighton (my ghettohood). A neighbors' cavernous basement, one-third of which houses an indoor BMX track, the gorgeous graffiti left over from Beautiful Losers and other random artists, tour de Mockbee, the quaint local hardware store, my all time favorite roof top, and the unfathomably huge, gorgeous trippy lofts of four local artists - including one of my faves with his numerous wood carvings and tremendous, larger than life animated wooden sculptures used as characters in an opera he wrote....
My ghetto rocks. As does my life. I'm constantly moved by the abundance of talented people, diverse commnities, and stimulating intellects that comprise my daily experiences.
And to share this world with one of my best friends from a previous world, to bring Shanna across the spectrum from Flagstaff's hippie mountain town to Cincy's ghetto arts district was a powerful experience for both of us.
And now we're off to Michigan to glimpse one of Shanna's old worlds - where she grew up and the family she left behind.
Amazed to find this huge weight lifted off not only myslef, but oddly enough, Sparky as well, a tremendous sigh of relief emitted from my lips as I-75 entered the hills, leaving the 'Natti behind.
"Hey Sparks, there's something I really wanted to do when we first began, but it just didn't feel right 'til now...."
"What's that?"
I threw my hands on the dash. "Wooo-hooo!"
Mutual hooting and hollerin hoopla commenced.
"Yee-haw!"
"Watch out baby!"
"Here we come, road!"
"And now, finally, our adventure begins." - Nut
"That's right, Sista." - Sparks
:)
posted by Lindsay at 10:05 AM
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