Southern Living

As my visit to Black Mountain, North Carolina (the belt buckle of the bible belt) draws to an end, here are a few random observations.

• The weather has been beautiful. Warm and sunny, with plants blooming and lots of meals on the deck. Weather like this makes you want to live here.
• This country here in the hills is beautiful and scenic. Mountains, rivers, lakes.

hummingbirds on the backporch

• People here are generally friendly and open. Nice vibe where people ask and actually want to know how you are doing. They ask in a thick drawling accent without much regard for grammar, but that's aiight.

nearby Jonesborough, Tennesee

• Motorcycles have enjoyed a renaissance here to the point of taking over. Harleys in particular. Bikers everywhere. Swannanoa - a tiny country town near Black Mountain - has a Harley Davidson store that is the size of a Wall Mart. There is also no helmet law here; I guess this is Darwin's way of thinning the Redneck population.
• Monster Trucks are as popular as ever.

The "Pork Chop"

• One local business advertises: 100% USA Hillbilly Owned
• The Wall Mart is always packed. The parking lot is full every time I have passed, morning or evening.
• The food here is seriously rich. No healthy options. Huge portions, cooked in grease, covered in sauce. Even the few veggies on offer.
• The average person's size is proportional to the uber-caloric nature of the food.
  
• Went on a jetboat ride with my family. We did 360's in the lake. Yee Haw, coo coo coo.

Goin' native.

• Visited great old college friend Mike Knoblauch and wife Barbara Jane and family in Atlanta for a very nice weekend. Mike has his pilot's license and took me up for a cruise around in the Cessna.
  

Pilot Mike


Lake Lanier from above.

• Also in Atlanta, I also got to see other great old college friends! David Fowler and his wife Amanda hosted a very nice BBQ at their lovely David-designed home. Anne (Blakely) Sciarrone and her husband Chris were there, as well as Mike and BJ, and a wild roaming pack of child-like creatures. Brigitte Birk made an appearance by phone from Montana, and was sorely missed.

(l to r) David, Chris, Anne, BJ, me, Mike

• Great to see my family again! It has been wonderful. Thanks for everything.
  

Sweep the Kitchen

A great list of Diner Slang.
Use it as much as possible.

And send over an order of cackle fruit, and burn the british.

Darth Koolhaas

Look what Rem and Stimpy Koolhaas has designed for the United Arab Emirates.
Does this look familiar to anyone?
Somebody warn Yoda.



(via Wired)

When you care to send...something

Having trouble finding a card to address the unique situations in your life?
Try Someecards.

Horses on the Hooch

Take advice from Latawnya the horse: just say neigh

Gotta love the illustrations of drinkin' and druggin' horsies.
I'm guessing their flavor of choice is Colt 45.

You can read the whole book here: Link

(Something Awful via Boing Boing)

Living Large

World Fatness Chart

(Wellington Grey via Neatorama)

Back in the USA

Quick update -
Flew in to Los Angeles and spent a great week with Steve Jacobi and Kate Turning.
Steve and I escaped across the border into Mexico for a few days a got in a little bit of surfing and a good bit of dust storm.
Got pulled over and searched by a lesbian Federale in Tijuana and released without any bribery involved!
Flew to South Carolina, where I am now, to visit my parents.
Caught up with Ward Reynolds last night.
Drive to North Carolina tomorrow to my parent's Mountain House for the rest of May.
Will be flying to Portland finally on May 30.
Ciao fer now,
H

Intercontinental Oskar

Oskar in Oz


Oskar in Mexico


Oskar East Coast


Oskar West Coast


There are black and white hairs in all these places now...

Over Down Under

I'm sitting at the gate waiting to board my flight out of Australia.
It's been a good two years - Australia is a beautiful and unique place blessed with great weather, stunning coastlines, and a good attitude. I'll miss this place, and many people.

However I am very excited to be returning to the U.S.. It has been hard being away from friends and family, and it won't be long before I'll be driving you all nuts in person again. Plus, two summers in a row isn't a bad thing either. Mmmm...Portland summer BBQ's with, gasp, decent beer! Almost as good as Mom's cooking.

Oskar was picked up by the Pet Carriers yesterday, and I'll be seeing him today in Los Angeles. His Iams food went with him, so he will have had better inflight food than I am expecting. Luckily, no quarantine awaits for him - he's had enough jail time and swears he's on the straight and narrow now.

Ciao fer now - see you soon stateside.

A rogue by any other name...

Upon reestablishing myself in Portland, I plan to attempt the practice of architecture under my own shingle.
Exactly what will be printed on that shingle is still up in the air, however, so along with the standard "Hunter Williams, Architect" I will be actively considering something with more pizazz. So...feel free to chime in with your suggestions, serious or not, in the Comments link below or email.