#road less traveled rw

[lunarnoid]

This is a (sort of) concept design for an AU i'm putting together called "Road Less Traveled" or "RLT" for short. I took some inspiration from other creators and their AUs for some of ideas I incorporated into mine

Idea and inspiration credits:

- Worms off the string (The whole fandom)

- Rot powers + Pebbles ( @revolvius )

Will add onto this list maybe in another post when I flesh out this AU alot more.

Alright. Onto the plot synopsis of this AU

Road Less Traveled mostly focuses on The Midnight (my interpretation of Nightcat). The Iterators are a sort of side story.

Years after the tragedy that shaped her, she settled into the slugcat colony that resides in the Outer Expanse. Her life is peaceful, looking after the pups in Gourmand's absence.

One day, a fluffy green slugcat appears in the colony and starts helping out the best he can with his pacifist nature and knowledge of things beyond their understanding. Midnight's confrontation with the green slugcat takes her on a journey to find answers (and family) to assist the curse that plagues her existence.

Five Pebbles somehow found the work around for a taboo that prevented Iterators from tinkering with their puppets. In a bid for freedom, he incorporates The Rot into his puppet and dresses himself for adventure.

Shortly before leaving his can, he broadcasts his work-around and the easy method of achieving it. He then sets out to forge his own way and make his own findings. He is tired of being confined and miserable. But now he can be free to do what he wants; And his first course of action is helping Moon.

[footloose-travel]

A Little Walk on the Wild Side

        Our plan once we reached Florida was to stay at our friend Sandy’s in her trailer on her property until we purchased our own new travel trailer. The day we arrived, the people that were staying in her “little house” were moving out early, so we got to move in the same day! This worked out perfectly and it has a nice kitchen to cook in, plenty of room to move about and make ourselves comfortable, great WIFI and close to the Drop Zone. Sandy’s “big house” is just a few steps away making it easy to share some great meals and quality bonding time.         The big RV Show in Tampa was the first thing on our agenda and we made sure to be there when it opened. It was mobbed and there were hundreds of mobile homes, trailers, RV’s, etc on display. Fortunately we had a good idea of what we wanted since going into this thing blindly would have been definitely overwhelming. After looking at quite a few and talking with some salespeople we found the Rockwood Travel Trailers that were recommended to us by an Airstream salesperson. We found a model that looked about the right size, with a slide out for more space and a nice livable interior with all the amenities. After 7 months of living in camper vans in Australia and New Zealand, and 19 months throughout Europe, this travel trailer will really feel like luxury with more living space. We talked it through that evening and did more research online to make sure this brand was reliable, then decided to go for it. We waited a day and went back to the show the following day with our friend Sandy in tow. Sandy has had several trailers and knows a lot about them plus we value her opinion and she is fun. We all agreed upon seeing it again that it felt right and John went off to find a salesperson. It’s funny that the first day they were all over us but as the days wore on they became a lot less enthusiastic. I remember the feeling from my own working days and this actually worked out to our advantage. John came back with a sales guy and we all sat down while he tiredly said, “If I give you rock bottom price without anymore negotiating, this is as low as it goes, are you ready to pull the trigger?”. John said “Yes”, the guy did a bit of a double take (he would have been a lousy poker player) and we got down to business. He gave us a price even better than we expected and Sandy badgered him into also ensuring we got the spare wheel cover that was not on the display unit but was supposed to be included. By the end of the process we were all laughing and joking and it turned out to be a worthwhile and entertaining experience. We still got the lowest floor model price even though it was already sold and just need to wait for a new one to come from the factory. This works out well for us and allows more time for John to sky dive.         When we were in Europe John did 72 skydives in Portugal at the previous year’s Christmas Boogie. He was in his glory and worked hard at improving his skills. After that as we traveled about he only got 7 jumps in Greece. So when we got back to the US he was not feeling current and was anxious to bring his comfort and skill level back to where it was before. His first few jumps at Z-Hills (Sky Dive City) were not up to his standards and I could tell he was stressing about it although he didn’t say anything. Then as the weather got better and he got more jumps in with some friends of his skill level, he got his “Muchness” (from Alice in Wonderland) back. After that he was belly flying, doing the RW (Relative Work formations) and swooping with ease. Ah, nothing like getting your Muchness back.         Coming back to the US so far has not given us too many “adventure points” and that is why our posts have been fewer than usual. The familiarity and not having to be in an environment where we don’t know the culture or language has its positive points, but also is not as challenging. We have been trying to keep up with walking every day and have been going to the Upper Hillsborough Preserve in Zephyrhills. It has a really different look and feel with the Spanish Moss draping over the giant oaks and the flatter but deceivingly sharp layers of Palmettos stretching out all around. Sometimes it feels a little spooky and lately when we went on our walks there was hardly anyone around. There are paths to follow and one day we walked pretty far in from the road and came upon a couple of pickup trucks parked by the trail. We were surprised to see this since we hadn’t ever seen vehicles back there and speculated that maybe it was the guy who worked at finding lost parachutes when a jumper had to cut away to their reserve. I jokingly said that maybe it was hunters, and we walked on. After a while we turned around to head back and as we approached the parked trucks we saw 2 hunters in camouflage with rifles. Neither of us realized there was hunting going on here since we had never seen any wildlife on our walks or any signs indicating hunting. We stopped to talk with them and they enthusiastically showed us their guns that turned out to be Muzzle Loaders using black powder. One guy in particular who was standing closest to me was waving his rifle around and I kept moving out of the way. It did concern me the way he was holding it and he laughed and said it wasn’t loaded. I had no way of knowing that and they both found it amusing. They told us the next day was the last day for wild boar and deer hunting with Muzzle Loaders and to take care if we were walking about in the Preserve. Needless to say we did not go back the next day. We had no idea there were boar in there and will now stick close to the open paths next time we go. I think a little walk on the wild side deserves maybe a few adventure points.         For all the photos see John and Charlotte’s flickr sites. Just click on either of our names.

[rosaofswords]

Journaling and Tarot-ing on the Road

This summer has seen a lot of travel for me. Nothing far distant, but enough to put me in a place where I have put a lot of thought and practice into figuring out how best to keep my journaling and my tarot-ing going while away on family vacations and road trips. These tips come from my experience and may not work for everyone, but I thought since I am working on a theme of journaling this month it might be worth sharing. Hopefully someone else out there finds this useful!

Travel Light, minimize your literal baggage. I would suggest three decks (or less, one is ideal) and/or get some tarot apps on your phone. 

The Fools Dog apps are fun because they include the full guide book for the cooresponding decks. Galaxy Tarot is a great RWS app, the Golden Thread/Labyrinthos Academy apps suit some people really well too. If the only journaling you do IS tarot related, most apps have a notes/journal option built in. This might be especially handy to folks who keep their journals digitally! 

For me, I took three physical decks on my last road trip. Before hand I decided to make one deck my Mostly Companion, as I had done in while traveling in July as well. This serves as a main deck, but also a point of consistency while traveling. Which brings me to the next point:

Minimize your metaphorical baggage. Keeping a tarot practice (and a journaling practice) on the road is hard. Strip down your mental “have tos” to the minimum: maybe just do daily draws. 

One of the reasons I chose one deck to really focus on during my travels is that travel is... exhausting. It’s good to have some consistency, especially if you are making lots of stops and staying over at various locations. Having a familiar deck as a co-pilot really helped me stay grounded! 

Practice Self-Forgiveness Unless you are perfect, which goodness knows I am not, you will probably “miss” readings and forget to journal some or even all of the days of your travels. THIS IS OKAY! As comforting as routine can be on the road, it’s also extremely hard to fit in-- especially if you are not in charge of the times you leave each morning and head to your place of sleep in the evenings. 

Just call it journaling. You don’t need to explain your practice to everyone you stay with if you’re not comfortable with it. Most folks seem to understand journaling and needing some time alone to put your thoughts to page. There’s an understanding among most people in the world that journals are private as well, so if you need to duck away from the crowd for a bit it can be a handy excuse for self care. 

Tie your writing to your trip! This might be obvious to some people, but it took me a long time to realize that my journal is... for ME. If cards come up that tie to what you’re doing on your trip then go ahead and write about it. This goes for non-travel tarot journaling as well. Never assume future you is going to remember what situation you were in last Friday that required The Tower and the Eight of Swords. Don’t be afraid to elaborate, especially if it’s an event that happened on your trip that you really want to remember. 

If you’re journaling like I am, where your tarot practice shares a book with everything else, it’s really easy to self reference. I use a modified bullet journaling system, so sometimes I’ll be doing a reading and want to reference something I have already logged in my regular journaling. I tend to put the page number for the journal entry in question in brackets so I can flip back and forth should I decide to reread at a later date. :) 

Anyways, those are my tips for keeping a tarot journal on the road. Do you have others? Let me know! 

[notnanami]

So I want to talk about some other characters who, in my opinion, had perhaps been given an unnecessary amount of screen time beside Jaune: Weiss, Salem, and Oscar.

Now first let me say that say that I think that Weiss’s screen time in V4 is much better spent than Jaune’s, she actually gets good character development, and I feel like she’s earned it and makes sense that shes grown as a person. Where as with Jaune, not only does he not actually get any genuine character development, I also don’t think he’s done anything to deserve the amount of attention he received.

So the problem I have with Weiss is not that I don’t think she deserves the spotlight and growth, in fact I think all team RW/BY deserves that, which is exactly the problem, I think her screen time could have been better spent focusing on Yang.

I absolutely don’t think they should have cut Weiss’s screen time completely, but I think she should have actually traveled with team RN/JR. Now I get that they wanted to have all of team RW/BY split up, but what did going back to Atlas actually accomplish for Weiss’s character that couldn’t have been done on the road? She escaped from the rule of her father but...didn’t she already do that...in literally the first volume? Did we really need to revisit that? I get that his influence likely was shadowing over her throughout her stay at Beacon, but I think they could’ve have had truly break free from her father with the help of her sister in V5, since apparently Winter is Mistral? She also rejected the shallow attitudes of other Atlasians, but again, I think that could have been done on the road, or perhaps even in V5.

Like I said before, I think Weiss deserves development, but I think it would have been better for her to be a little more static in V4 since she’s already grown the most out of team RW/BY, she also had in my opinion the most solid and complete development, I don’t think she needed more when the rest of team RW/BY desperately needs that kind of growth. I also think her time in V4 would’ve been better spent supporting Ruby. Weiss’s and Ruby’s relationship has come along way, especially at the end of V3, why not expand on that? Why not have Ruby relying on her partner and friend to help her through witnessing the death of two of her friends, and the separation from the other half of their team? That would have helped put the focus away from Jaune and back onto Ruby.

So back to my original point, that the screen time would have been better spent focusing on Yang. With Weiss traveling with team RN/JR, that means they have one less storyline to tell, and obviously not just cutting Weiss completely. 

Now, let me talk about who I think they SHOULD have cut completely, or almost completely: Salem and Oscar. At least for me, Salem’s storyline, and Salem herself, were just fucking boring I’m sorry its gotta be said. I was originally excited for the Salem/Cinder plotline, because I thought Cinder was a fairly 2 dimensional character and now that she had something to really struggle against, I thought she was going to actually get some development. But that same thing happened to her that happened to Yang, where I thought she was finally going to get some quality development and then she just...didn’t. I think they should’ve given Salem’s faction waaaayyyy less screen time, because honestly, what did we actually gain from it besides another 2 dimensional villain? Honestly there’s no excuse for Salem being 2 dimensional and having that much screen time. If they had cut her plotline out either completely, or almost completely, then the mystery surrounding her would have actually made sense, and perhaps even made her more interesting. I probably wouldn’t be saying this if Mercury and Emerald had more lines, since you know, they actually make interesting, and even lovable, villains, but they didn’t.

So now let’s talk about Oscar. I have a lot of problems with the entire purpose of his character just existing, but lets not get into that. I don’t think his storyline was particularly boring, however, I think it would have been more interesting had it been more mysterious. Maybe they should have waited until V5 to even introduce him at all.

I just think his screen time would have been better spent focusing on Blake, team RN/JR, and Yang especially. It’s been said before that V4 was just trying to tell too many stories at once, and I think cutting out 3 of them would have allowed the remaining ones to actually feel “complete”. V4 left me hanging in a lot of ways, most obviously with Yang’s PTSD, with more screen time for her that could have actually properly been addressed. I kept waiting for things to really pick up for Blake, with more screen time for her they could have actually shown her confronting the White Fang, which I think would have made a way more interesting finale. And of course, team RN/JR, with more screen time they could have actually shown Ruby, Ren, and Nora grieving for Pyrrha.

[shorteveningdresses25]

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[searchingforstillness]

A Year of runDisney

I started running in 2010, at 39yo. For inspiration, I started picking up a Runners World every now and then. While reading RW I discovered something that looked wonderful, some might even say “magical”, runDisney. But 9 years ago, we lived in Indiana, so a race in Florida was a bucket list item. Fast forward 5 years and we move to Florida.

I treated myself, and our son, to our first runDisney race in 2017, Star Wars Dark Side 5K. Then that fall I discovered our 2018 company trade show was to be at WDW starting the day after the WDW Marathon, runDisney race #2. And that got me hooked. I do the 52 Week money challenge each year ( https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-us/learn/52-week-money-challenge ), usually for Christmas shopping money and mad money for the following year. I had registered the son and I for the 2018 SWDS 5K & 10K, so I decided to use my mad money to cross off another bucket list item, become a WDW Annual Passholder. Then I decided that over that year I would run at each race weekend. So here is my summary of the 4 race weekends at WDW.

All Race Weekends and Distances

Pre-race - So runDisney always recommends that you are on a bus (if you are staying onsite) by 3:30am. You arrive at the starting area around 4am (if you’re lucky and have a bus driver that knows where he’s going). The races start at 5:30am. During the 1.5hr wait, you have time to check a bag, get coffee, hit the port-o-lets, and stand in line for character photos. There is a DJ and Emcee there keeping everyone awake pumped for the run. They open the corrals around 5am. You want to try to get to your corrals early so you can get close to the front. runDisney uses wave starts with each corral. The earlier you start, the more of a cushion you have on the “Balloon Ladies” and the more time you have for on course pictures, bathroom stops, and various shenanigans (especially during the Marathon).

Balloon Ladies - Ahhh, the dreaded/revered Balloon Ladies. runDisney has a 16mm course limit on all races except the 5K. That limit starts when the final starters cross the start line. The Balloon Ladies, with their balloons, have historically been the last starters, keeping the 16mm. They are not officially part of runDisney, but are a great visual for people that they need to step up their pace or risk getting swept.

Star Wars Dark Side 5K, 10K, & 1/2 Marathon

It all began with SWDS, so that’s where I will start. This will always be my favorite race weekend. No, I’m not a big Star Wars fan, but the son is. Because of that, he is willing to wake up at 3am to run with me. In 2017 we ran the 5K. 2018 we decided to up our game and do the 5K and 10K (the son’s first), then at the last minute I decided to add the 1/2 as well and get the challenge medal. 2019 we decided we enjoyed sleeping too much, so we just did the 10K. 5K - All of the runDisney 5Ks are family fun runs. There is no timing chip and no minimum pace requirements. You start and end in the EPCOT parking lot. The course takes you backstage and through World Showcase then past Spaceship Earth and out one of the side gates to the finish. Throughout the back stage area there are plenty of Star Wars character stops. This is an enjoyable, relaxing way to introduce children and new runners to runDisney. SWDS is the only 5K I have done at Disney, but the course for the other race weekends is the same (although I heard that the Wine & Dine 5K used to go through AK instead of EPCOT, which would have been fun).

10K - The 10K is a timed race with a 16mm minimum pace. It starts at the MK parking lot (actually the Travel and Transportation lot) and goes to HS, through EPCOT and finishes in the EPCOT lot. This is a good intermediate course, flat except for one exit ramp. The first 3.5 miles are on World Drive, you then enter HS through the backstage area by Tower of Terror and exit through the main entrance. After that you follow the walking path between HS and the Boardwalk, entering EPCOT through the World Showcase entrance. Then past the UK and Canada, up through Future World and out to the finish in the parking lot. Character stops and fuel/water are located along the road and in the backstage areas.

1/2 Marathon - The 1/2 is also a timed race with a 16mm minimum pace. It is a great course! Mostly flat with the exception of a couple of exit ramps. Starting in the MK parking lot, you then head along the side roads, past a golf course and through some wooded areas to AK. You enter AK through the backstage area by the Safari. WARNING: The restaurants will be fixing breakfast at this time, so be prepared for all kinds of delicious smells….really not fair 4.5 miles into a 1/2 marathon if you ask me ;). You will swing around through Pandora (if you’re fast enough, it will still be dark when you reach Pandora and all it’s glowing beauty) then up past the Tree Of Life and out through the main entrance. After AK you head to World Drive then to HS. Once again, you will enter HS through the backstage area by ToT then out through the main entrance (I don’t know if that will change for 2020 since Galaxy’s Edge will be open). Taking the walking path to the Boardwalk and EPCOT can sometimes be frustrating. It is a narrow pathway and occasionally walkers and runners can get into their own little world and forget there are people behind them who may want to go faster. So remember to be patient through here. You will enter EPCOT through the World Showcase entrance and this time go the long way around the world, up through Future World and out to the finish in the parking lot. Once again, there are plenty of character stops and fuel/water stops along the roads and backstage areas.

Wine & Dine 10K & 1/2 Marathon

This was my dream race. When I started running and reading RW, the idea of the Wine & Dine 1/2 seemed like the ultimate weekend. It takes place during the International Food & Wine Festival and they host a private after hours party for the runners and their guests. This sounded like my dream race! I decided to run the 10K & 1/2 Challenge (Yea!! Extra bling!!). Had I done the SWDS Challenge before I signed up for this, I would have only done the 1/2….if you didn’t know already, sleep is high on my list of favorite things.

10K - The W&D 10K differs from the SWDS 10K course in that it doesn’t include HS. You start at the MK lot, head up World Drive then enter EPCOT through the main entrance. Then you run through Future World, around the World Showcase, back through Future World and out to the finish in the parking lot. Another great flat course.

1/2 Marathon - This used to be a night race with the private party afterward. Not sure why they changed it. Everyone I’ve heard from who ran it then loved it. Now it’s a 2:30am wake up time just like the others. The course is the same a SWDS with the bonus of a ticket to the after party that night. I looked forward to the after party, napping that afternoon, not trying any goodies the day before when I was at EPCOT. saving the treats for the party. Well, mother nature had other plans. It poured down rain that night. The party takes place in the World Showcase. Well, I made it as far as Soarin’ and Spaceship Earth (where I nearly fell asleep) before I decided it was a lost cause. I splash my way back to the buses, soaked and dissappointed. Talking to other runners the next day, I didn’t miss anything. The party still went on, but sampling the food/drinks in the pouring rain was not very enjoyable. Oh well, maybe I can try it another year. The thing that saved my weekend (besides the bling) was signing up of some of the seminars. I did a wine tasting, a charcuterie class, and a wine pairing class. If you find yourself at Disney during the Food & Wine Festival, I highly recommend signing up for some of the seminars they offer.

WDW Marathon

I ran my first marathon in 2012, the Indy Monumental Marathon. If any of you ran IMM that year you’ll remember that it started off beautiful and ended up raining and sleeting….I swore I’d never do another marathon. 26.2 miles is just too far with no weather guarantees. But then runDisney happened and became my 2nd and 3rd marathons. So I now say that I’ll never do another marathon, unless it’s at Disney.

Marathon - This is the only race where you get to run through all 4 parks (and ESPN) and, depending on your pacing, have an opportunity to ride some rides DURING the race! Unlike the most of the other races this one starts and ends at EPCOT. From the EPCOT lot you head up World Drive to MK. There you enter through the main entrance and run up Main Street USA. Now this is a goosebumps, tear up moment. It’s still dark and Main Street is all lit up and is lined with Cast Member and family/friends cheering the runners toward the Castle. You turn to Tomorrowland and circle around to the back of the Castle. Then then highlight for many runners, you get to run through the Castle (photo op!). After that you exit through Adventure Land by Splash Mountain. From MK you take the back roads past the water treatment plant (belch) to AK entering backstage by the Safari and circle around to Expedition Everest. This is the halfway point of the marathon. Now here is where pace planning can come in handy. If you planned and executed correctly, you can arrive here at park opening time and thus catch a ride on EE. I did not plan properly and got the a half hour early, but lucky for me the bar next to EE was open…beer stop woohoo! After you finish your ride (or beer) you exit AK backstage by Dinosaur. From there you head for ESPN, the bane of everyone running the marathon.  You’re only there for 3 miles, but it feels like 30! After you finally exit ESPN you’re less than 6 miles to the finish (or as I like to look at it 3 miles from HS and a loooong walk to the buses ;))! You enter HS by ToT (another ride opportunity for that and RnR) and exit at the main entrance. Then the walking path to EPCOT, around the World Showcase (another beer opportunity along with turkey legs and margaritas!) to Future World and the FINISH! runDisney has so many photo stops and so much entertainment along the course...you almost (ALMOST) forget you’re running 26.2 (!) miles.

Princess 1/2 Marathon

This is probably the most hyped weekend by runDisney fans, but I’m not a princess girl so this was the race I looked forward to the least. Good news though, it was the weekend before the son’s 16th birthday, so I took him with me and we had some quality park time.

1/2 Marathon - This would have to be my least favorite course of all the races. That has nothing to do with me not being a princess fan, it’s just boring in my opinion. It starts and ends at EPCOT. You literally run from the EPCOT parking lot, to MK, through the Castle, and back to the EPCOT parking lot. You don’t even go through EPCOT. You’re in MK for about 1.5 miles, so the other 12 miles is road miles (this is also the same course as the 1/2 during Marathon Weekend). I run Disney so I can run in the parks (they frown on that during the normal course of the day). I can run on the road anytime. I know, many LOVE Princess Weekend, it’s just not for me.

runDisney has the best course support and most unique races. If you ever get the opportunity to run (or walk) one, do it. Even if you’re not a runner, do the 5K. Just pick a weekend who’s theme appeals to you and go for it! It’s an experience you’ll never forget!

[haydennation]

Return Engagement

After taking a break from making movies Hayden Christensen is back. He’s a partner in a new production company, just finished shooting his first movie in three years, and in November sees the launch of a menswear collection for RW&CO. By David Livingstone (Fall 2013) It’s a trick performed by the Ontario countryside: It makes people disappear. You can go for miles driving by houses without catching sight of anybody in them.  On an afternoon in late July, riding through Uxbridge Township, which is just an hour or so outside Toronto, even the houses vanish as you travel over a narrow, hilly highway walled on either side by jubilant trees that have obviously benefitted from a rainy summer. But human society comes back with a big bang when, turning onto a dirt road, you approach a big barn and encounter a hive of big-town types. A photographer, someone from his agency, the stylists, the publicists, the marketers, all busy making arrangements for the next day, when they will shoot the campaign for a collection of menswear produced by RW&CO., in collaboration with Hayden Christensen.   It would be easy to think that Christensen, famous for the two Star Wars prequels in which he plays the character who becomes Darth Vader, has really gone over to the dark side now that he’s become involved in fashion. But he navigates his way around two crews--the second being a smaller but equally urbane bunch from Men’s Fashion who have come to take his picture for our cover—without fuss or affectation. The barn belongs to Christensen. He built it on property that he bought almost seven years ago and he thinks of it as “a way for me to try and do something sustainable, sort of a back to basics and good for my soul.” And apparently he has one, which is evident in his eyes and those of his dog, who never leaves his side.

By itself, the idea of celebrity fashion may be more specious than soulful, but Christensen brings plausibility to the enterprise. When I first met him in April at the Montreal headquarters of RW&CO (a division of Reitmans), he was going over samples of the 20 piece collection due to arrive in stores across Canada on November 7. He never pretended to be a designer, but he did lay claim to a point of view. Referencing the double breasted overcoat, at 249, it represents the top end of the line, which starts at 20$ for a peaked wool cap—he speaks of it as ”a favourite cut.” And that’s not promotional jive: Christensen has been in such coats both onscreen and off. In a 2009 movie called New York, I Love You, he wears one on the streets of Manhattan, walking next to co-star Rachel Bilson. He wore another one in May on the streets of Cannes with Bilson, his girlfriend, at his side. Not only consistent, Christensen is also specific in his taste. In the RW&CO showroom, he and Joe Fezzuoglio, the merchandise manager for menswear, discuss the placement of pockets and buttons. Attention is paid to the way the hood sits on the hoodie and the precise degree of twist in the seams of trousers in stretch cotton. “I’ve always had a real interest in design,” says Christensen, explaining why he chose to work with RW&CO. “I have a passion for it. I’ve spent a lot of time designing pieces of furniture and plans for houses.” The claim too is supported by facts. Inside the barn in Uxbridge, Christensen maintains a large workshop equipped with all the tools for working with wood. It’s being used as a facility for the restoration of Christensen’s second farm, which is located about 10 minutes away and includes a 19th century house and a barn for animals, among them sheep that, since Christensen acquired them, have inspired him to stop eating lamb, in the same way that his pet pot-bellied pigs have persuaded him to give up pork. Even when that workshop becomes a wardrobe department, Christensen appears quietly content. From his collection hanging on a rack, he makes choices easily, and dresses without need for tips from fashion professionals. Comfortable in the clothes, Christensen has been less content with the fit if his career. Talking about its highlights, he describes the Star Wars movies as life changing and cites Life as a House-which won him nominations for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards—as the film that informed him of the medium’s potential. Christensen was 19 when he made it. Today at 32, the Vancouver born actor still believes that “filmmaking is really an endeavor that has incredible possibilities,” but he adds that there are also “lots of misses.” Feeling disenchanted, he stepped away from the business for a few years. But having not released a movie since 2010, Christensen says, “Now I’ve got the itch again. I want to have real control over my future. Sometimes as an actor, you can feel a little like a prop. I’m trying to get involved with projects where I can contribute more than just my acting services.” And so it was at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Christensen was way more than a wayfarer in a great double breasted coat with a beautiful companion. (Assuming they’re talking about Rachel here?) .He, his older brother Tove and their Russian partners announced the launch of Glacier films, a film production and finance company with offices in Los Angeles, Toronto, and Moscow. Earlier on the day of the cover shoot, Christensen had flown in from New Orleans, where he had been filming American Heist. A Glacier production directed by Sarik Andreasyan, a Glacier partner, it’s a remake of The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery, a 1959 film noir starring Steve Mcqueen. Mcqueen, Marlon Brando, James Dean—Christensen has been compared to them all, but it’s not easy to name an actor, past or present, that he is exactly like. “It’s hard to place him,” says film critic Jason Anderson, who points to Shattered Glass, a 2003 movie based on the story of Stephen Glass—a disgraced journalist who presented fiction as truth—as perhaps best representing the “nervous energy and intensity” of which Christensen is capable. In contrast, his foray into fashion provides an opportunity to witness at his most cordial and compliant. He praises the RW&CO team for being “unusually nice people.” About working with them, he says, “It’s been a real pleasure for me, because for some reason, these guys really trust me.” Watching Christensen in action on set, it’s understandable why they would: He’s as nice as they are. What’s more difficult to figure out is how he manages to be the centre of attention and yet seems almost as invisible as those people unseen in their houses on country roads.

[lifelessonsfromfallingupward]

Moving into the Gray

On Monday, Abel and I were talking to our therapist about some life things and I was reminded of how difficult, growing seasons stretch me beyond my false dual thinking, into the real-life gray of honest living. I literally feel as if I am going to break in pieces, holding the tension of the emotional growth. However, I know I have already grown so much in the last few years that I am confident everything is going to be ok.

When my falling upward began, I blogged a lot. And it probably wasn’t the wisest thing to make it all public at the time. But now, going back and seeing what was happening and how I was growing and writing about things I couldn’t name is a really awesome thing. After Monday night, I remembered, all those years ago, I wrote a piece called “The Operating Table.” I described as best I could what it felt like to start tackling all the mess of living a life that was not my own. As I read it again, I couldn’t believe how honest and accurate it really was…and how, while not nearly as dramatic and as new an experience, this current season of growth hearkens back to many of these experiences: I still trust this small, expert team helping me/us; I know there is no destination but the joy and growth is in the process; and I’m very sure that as I continue to let go of all that keeps me from who I really am, I will find greater freedom and a deeper love to continue to LIVE the life I’ve been gifted.

When I wrote this old piece, I was filled with angst and deep sadness. This day, though, I am filled with expectation and joy. I am finally living in that “future reality” I sensed coming all those years ago. This is HARD. Growth is not for the faint of heart or the proud or the rigid. It is the road less traveled and it is making all the difference to me. 

~rw~

The Operating Table

Wouldn't you know that as soon as I feel like I've taken 3 steps forward, "something" happens to make me feel like I've taken 2 steps back? I guess a net progression of 1 step is still progress, but still....

Sigh.

I am so tired, so exhausted from this butterfly-birthing process. I fell into a heap Saturday morning just bawling my head off over some things. Man, it's hard. I love that sense of freedom and truth that comes from this journey. I am even ok with the "not knowing things" part...well, for the most part I am. {smirk} But sometimes, it's just flat out AGONY to keep going. No one can tell you where you are headed or how to get there...wherever there is, IF there is a "there!!" No one can tell you what your life will look like or what your opinions, thoughts and feelings will be...because your authenticity only comes by going through the process yourself. Only then, can you know you are your own self, not a cookie cutter version of someone else or even a shadow of what you thought your true self would be. Sadly, there are people and situations that tell you to go back, that this is a joke (or worse yet a lie), a dream and that you're not doing "it" right, as if they have a clue what is going on. You are the only expert there is on your life. It's so difficult to stop listening to all those "voices" and just listen to your own, to fight your opposition, whatever form it takes and keep going on the path you know you have to take.

When I think these overwhelming thoughts, when I feel like I'm going to die in this process, I find myself refocusing on a analogy I've shared with a few people. The truth is, I will die if I don't proceed:

I am on an operating table. I am deathly ill and have been ignoring my sicknesses for decades or trying to patch them up with temporary fixes. I've finally come to the point of getting permanent resolution and so, here I am, extremely glad to be cut open and undergoing the procedures, my insides outside.

I have an extremely small team helping and taking good care of me. They love me and care deeply about my living a real, authentic and full life. They aren't repelled by my sicknesses and promised to hold that confidence well. Little by little, all the sicknesses are being removed through many methods, old and new...without the aid of any pain medications...they would dull my senses too much for me to tell my team when and where I really hurt. But this team can see things I can't see or feel. And so we are both working together to get to my desired end.

As we progress, I feel pain; it ebbs and flows. And the times I feel it the most acutely, I want to get up off that table and walk out of the room, get on with "living," and be done with it all. I remember how I felt before we started; I was so comfortable in my ignorance and illness. But now I know this: I. just. can't. go. back. I can't exist like that. I don't want to just not die. I want to really live!

If I stop, if I refuse treatment or to be still during the operation, I will die...either from the sicknesses, lack of stitches, or infection that comes from not healing well. I'd be worse off than I was at the beginning.

I know this: I hate the pain of my sicknesses. And so I stay. I press on. I cry. I scream. I pass out. But I remain there, willing to endure for a future reality I can sense coming.

When it's done, the recovery process begins. Being discharged from this hospital the night after the operation is not protocol. Healing continues until a small scar remains, if the patient is faithful to the process...and I want to be.

Operations never last forever, though in these hardest moments, we think they do. Results are worth it but they only come after all the hard work is complete. It's what I'm after and I'm willing to do whatever I need to do to get there, to be fully healed and to finally feel completely at home in my own skin.

Operating table and all.

[renovationwellness]

Took the road less traveled today. Maiden voyage on the cross bike! #roadlesstraveled #dirtroad #crossbike #gravelride #cycling #cyclist #sundayvibes #maidenvoyage #fitlife #training #RacePedalFest #PedalFest #CrankBenders #RenovationWellness #RWCrew #RW