Well, it's been awhile since I updated people, so here's the update. If you got this via email, you don't have to read it twice, unless you find my daily life so compelling that you just can't stop yourself. *Snort*

I'm having a good time up at Doe Bay. I find that I have a hard time occupying myself during down time, but not for lack of things to do! I'm not used to having free time like this, but I tend to feel productive if I make a little to-do list and then get to things as I can. This will surprise no one.

I haven't been super booked, but I've made enough to pay the bills this month. I've done some hard scrutiny of my finances once I'm done here, and I don't really know how the fall will go. For now, I'm doing just fine.

The folks working here are cool. From my experiences at summer camp, when I was the older staff person and worked with lots of youngins, I expected the usual squirrely-ness. But I've been pleasantly surprised by the maturity of this group. We're all so different, though tolerant too, so we're sharing space pretty well.

I've found that if I want something done, I sometimes have to do it myself. Not a surprise; we're subject to Island Time. Like I said, down time is tough for me, and this Island Time is even more Island-y than Vashon Time. I just have to settle into it.

My father will be proud to hear that I am being incredibly frugal with my food budget, and that I'm eating my leftovers. Nothing is casually purchased or casually discarded. I've had combinations of food that I would not have previously considered eating, but which were good! I've got things I need to eat before they go bad, and I do it! Such discipline, for me. The staff also like to cook for each other once in a while; the other night Nathan made jambalaya with venison sausage, focaccia, cornbread, mint-herb sweet tea, and Nutella-frosted brownies. Yum! Leftovers again, good ones. I can put that jambalaya rice in my lunch burrito today.

The island is even more expensive than Vashon. My weekly forays to the market are never under $50, and have been as high as $75 when I've purchased a few of the more expensive staples, like wine, chocolate and butter (you have your staples, I have mine). I haven't had the heart to replenish my gin supply; I'm hoping one of the staff will pick up something for me at Duty Free when they are in Victoria. Come to think of it, I should head up there. I haven't had a good Aero bar in a long time. I'll have to price that trip. Motorcycle of course. Car is too expensive. Just to get from Anacortes to Orcas is $42 per round trip. Ouch. And I thought the Vashon commute was pricey.

I've hiked several times, mostly in Moran State Park. The back entrance through private property is steep, but the views are worth it. Mountain Lake and Twin Lakes are lovely. My plan is to eventually circumnavigate Mt. Constitution on foot. I'll do it, not just yet, but I'll do it.

My back pain comes and goes, but never goes entirely. However, I've made some ergonomic adjustments to my table that seem to be helping. The less I can lean right now, the better. Sleep is my biggest challenge. Lifting my hip to roll to the other side always wakes me up as searing pain invades my butt and hip. (I'm thinking it's bona fide piriformis syndrome; and LMPs or PTs willing to weigh in on that one?) Sometimes I use NSAIDs, sometimes ice, sometimes a good soak. It seems to be spasm, not injury, that holds me back. There is something injured, but the more troublesome pain comes from the compensation of all the other muscles. I stretch a lot. The hiking, surprisingly, is the thing that helps most. I use a large waist pack, and the weight against my sacrum allows my hips to tilt posteriorly, and therefore brings the ESGs/QL/obliques into a more neutral, rather than tensed, position. (In lay terms, my hips just go to a better place.) Lateral flexion/stretching helps, too.

Our weather has been mild, with a few hot days, but mostly cool, partly sunny, and sometimes a sprinkle or two. The hard rain of two weeks ago hasn't returned, thank goodness.

I find that my pants are fitting better, especially my Levis. Yay for that. I do a lot of walking on the property just to get from my place to massage to the office and back several times a day. I also don't have food in my face for snacking purposes - I have to walk to where it lives. I've even abandoned my daily chocolate snack, and now just have it a couple times a week. I'm not righteous: it's mainly logistics that keeps me out of trouble. I'm okay with that.

My housesitters report that my cats are doing well. Buck is "his usual flirt self", and Molly has finally stopped hiding under the couch and is letting the gals pet her. (I'm missing the kitties a lot, but I get to play with the resident cats, Gorgonzola and Malikhat, a cat rescued from the streets of Bangkok, I kid you not). The dryer isn't fixed, so I keep calling my landlady about that. I don't know why she hasn't called me back. I'm not really out of touch, despite the distance. I may have to designate one of my island peeps to follow through on it. Anyone volunteering? Ha ha. I'll take care of it.

I'll be taking a three-day ride on the motorcycle to see the state, sometime in mid-July. I'll have to take a few days off, but they'll be shoulder days, not a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, so there won't be a tragedy related to lost income. I'm working on my bike in the next few days, to make sure it's ready for summer travel. With the new seat and the incredible paint job (courtesy of my brother), I am ready to ride in style.

Please write if you have time. I'm still asking for postcards from friends; consider something wacky, whether it's from close to home or far away. Getting mail is a highlight for me. Please send correspondence to:

Scout
PO Box 332
Olga, WA 98279

Ciao for now, dear friends, and more soon.