Reality Check

When describing me few people would be tempted to use the words innocent or naive. I've lived quite a bit of life in my 35 years. Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of new experiences - good and bad - waiting for me, but it does surprise me when i run across something that is not only new, but also life-altering. I have been a supervisor for 5 years and 10 months. Today is the first time I have fired someone. I believe it might be the first time someone has ever actually been fired from TSP, ever. There was one person who was laterally moved in the department and then didn't bother to show up for work. There was one person who resigned before i had the chance to fire him. There was one person who we agreed it was time for us to part ways. But never has someone been flat-out terminated. I feel sick in my heart. He deserved it. I do not doubt that my actions were correct and justified. He wasn't even surprised. But i still feel sick. This was the best - and i feel only - decision for my team. I believe i handled it professionally. It was still one of the most horrible things I have ever done. My boss tried to give me perspective by saying that it is experience that makes us whole people. I know that he is right. I am a different person now than i was two hours ago; part of me just wishes that this type of growth didn't hurt so much. Then again, maybe life hurts in order to get our attention and let us know that something important is happening. I apologize for this reality check. The Nikiverse will be back to adventure and glitter-ponies tomorrow, but for tonite, i think i'm gonna drink alone in the dark and learn from this pain.

Mr and Mrs Palmateer Go to Catonsville

ouch... it hurts to type... so very stiff and sore and i didn't even move furniture (well, not really big furniture at least) Moving Day went very well on Saturday. The troops gathered at the townhouse around 9am for donuts and a strategy session (and to pawn off some of Kate and Jason's crap on unsuspecting relatives). The panel truck was loaded up as were several cars. Even my little car carried her fair share: (can you spot Kate's Cabbage Patch Doll tucked in the middle?) Then it was on the Catonsville and unloading. It would seem that the job was almost done, but NO, the panel truck went back to Glen Burnie for another load. That might not seem too amazing unless you know that Kate's dad had already made at least 2 previous trips on Thursday and Friday with the truck loaded! Eventually the job was done and we could settle in for pizza and puzzles. Welcome to Catonsville Kate and Jason!

How bad was my day?

The following is from a telephone conversation at 6:50pm - Jason: We're unpacking some boxes and are going to get some dinner, do you want to come over? Niki: Is there liquor? Jason: Yes. Niki: Unpacked? Jason: Yes. There's liquor here. Niki: I'm leaving work now; i'll be there in 20 minutes or less. I walk in 15 minutes later. Jason takes one look at me and gives me a hug as he reaches for a bottle. Before Kate can finish the sentence "Let me find you a shotglass" I am sipping 1800 tequila directly from the bottle and Jason says "we have lime Tostitos which can be both your salt and lime." You have to have days like this one to appreciate how good your life is most of the time, but DAMN... -Van 2's transmission died yesterday at a school and had to be left there -the person in charge of van maintenance didn't show at work till 10, so i had already done all of the work to figure out how and where to get it towed and then i drove to the school to leave a key in it to drive back to work to drive to the school i was actually doing today (wait, don't i delegate this stuff for a reason?!?) -one employee got a call from a doctor saying that he needed to see her for some tests tomorrow; hopefully not a big deal medically and a quick schedule rewrite -one employee hit another car in the parking lot this morning -one employee hit his head unloading the van at a school, knocking himself silly so that someone had to find a uniform, drive like a bat out of hell and cover his show; right now he is at urgent car seeing if he has a concussion, which means i will have to redo the schedules again at 10:00 tonite -the new transmission is gonna be $2400 and we won't have the van back till Wednesday And yes, i did take the last 2 days off. Do you believe me about the curse, yet? Even my boss said "we won't call it 'taking time off;' from now on we'll say you are 'coming in late.'" I'm going home, figuring out the scheduling nonsense and going to bed. Tomorrow will be better.

stupid name, good intention

Happy Administrative Professionals Day! That certainly is a mouthful, huh? This is my Logistics Coordinator, Wendy. I'm not sure how i ever ran the program without her. Thank you, Wendy!

Must be a roadtrip...

... if we have a picture of me in the rearview mirror. I was trying to capture a picture of the earrings I was wearing as they were apropos for the day's outing. Ever tried to take a picture yourself of jewelry you are wearing? It's difficult and leads to some of the most unflattering camera angles possible. But i finally managed this one: If you're saying to yourself, "Self, that looks like a golden sarcophagus," you are correct. I love these earrings that i bought at the National Gallery of Art when Colleen, Karen and I went there to see their traveling exhibit on Egypt. Why these earrings? Cause i was driving to Philly, baby, to see the exhibit Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs. Did you know i love Egyptology? Did you know that i wanted to be an archaeologist when i was in the third grade? (or that i believe that people who confuse archeology and paleontology should have to suffer some terrible curse like boils and sores... oh, that makes me mad) There was a book in my elementary school library on the treasures of Tut that i checked out over and over and over again. Now i was going to see them for real! It was a lovely drive and i went the wrong way off of my exit so i got to see some of the better razor-wire lined neighborhoods that Philly had to offer. But when you are having an adventure in the middle of the week, such things don't matter. I eventually got to the Franklin Institute and only had to circle 3 times before i found the entrance to the parking garage. I was a little ahead of schedule, so i went to the planetarium show The Stars of the Pharaohs, which i highly recommend. (warning: geek speak) The Fels has a digital star system (i think Digistar, but i can't remember) which often renders slightly fuzzy (or at least less crisp) stars than optical projectors; however it allows for full surround video. There are advocates for both types of systems. This 2003 production, narrated by John Rhys-Davies capitalized on the strengths of the digital system and is incredible. Egyptian mythology mixes with astronomy and history in a 35 minute show that was educational and interesting. Even with the comfy chairs i didn't nod off! Onto the exhibit. Obviously, photography wasn't allowed so you are just going to have to believe me when i say, WOW! The exhibit design was great and the artifacts were breathtaking. At $27.50 this is the most i have ever paid for an exhibition (especially since i normally don't have to pay at all) and my expectations were high. It had galleries tracing Tut's heritage from his great-grandparents down. The last 5 galleries were objects found in his tomb and a size replica of all of the massive nested coffins. My only disappointment was that i REALLY wanted to see the famous funeral mask. I knew there was little chance that such a priceless artifact would travel, but i had a little hope. Alas, no mask, but there was the equally famous "boy king" carving and one of the coffinettes that had held his embalmed viscera. Plus all kind of artifacts showcasing Tut's life (and death) as pharaoh, Commander in Chief, religious leader and man. They even had the crown from the mummy's head. Awesome. Of course, the exhibit dumped you into the gift shop. I like museum gift shops. I like that proceeds from this one were going to be given the children's museum in Cairo. I like buying and sending postcards from my travels. Having said that, this gift shop was beyond belief - and i don't mean in a necessarily good way. Anything you can imagine and some that you never, ever, ever thought you'd see were there. Books, media, jewelry, umbrellas, toys, clothes, souvenirs and all the normal stuff were side-by-side with Tut Bobbleheads, Golden Crown Headbands, Crazy Character Pens and Tissue Box Covers. Yes, i just said that. One of the greatest cultures of antiquity reduced to us yanking tissues out of the Pharaoh's nose. Tut would be spinning in his grave - that is, if he was still in it to begin with! Regardless, it was a nice experience and a great trip (though at only 250 miles it hardly qualifies as a roadtrip). The only thing missing was Mel and Mike - Philly isn't the same without you!

The Greatest Human Being on the PLANET

(at least for today) is my cropping crony, Jean. What can I say about this brilliant, lovely, talented woman? She is the president of her own PR company, wife, mother of 2 boys, photographer, knitter, scrapper and all-around amazing artist. Jean developed a vaccine for polio (or would have if vainglorious Jonas Salk hadn't beaten her to it (or if perhaps she had been alive in the 50s)), single-handedly freed several small, third-world countries from evil tyrants, was the first woman to walk on the moon and translated the Rosetta Stone. But more important than all of that, Jean gave me her rotary tabletop cutter! She was unfortunate enough to be sitting at the table when mine broke and had to suffer the snivelling that immediately followed. So what did this paragon of virtue, friend to all do in light of my river of tears? She said, "you know, i never use mine; I'll let you know if i still have it." Yesterday i got the e-mail "i found the cutter and you are welcome to it." So today i picked up my new cutter. YEA!!!!! Let the creativity flow. Thanks, Jean-Jean-Scrappin' Machine

Happy Birthdays!

Apperantly my family loves the month of July; we have 5 birthdays in the same week of April: April 19 - Uncle Roger (dad's brother) April 21 - Uncle Jim (dad's brother and Rickki's dad) April 22 - Grandma (dad's mom) April 22 - Heather (brother's daughter) April 24 - Darryl II (brother's son) So here is a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to them all!

Woe is ME!

My beautiful, beautiful, faithful cutter... I have a Fiskars Tabletop Rotary cutter. It's huge and cuts like nobody's business. I love it; i use it nearly everyday. Even though it is ginormous i haul it to crops with me. Did i mention that i love it? If you have ever received anything from me that has been cut, it was cut on THAT cutter. Saturday i was at an all-day crop hosted by my friend Anne at her church to support Manna Madagascar. I try to go every month to support the charity, get some projects done and to hang out and be inspired by my cool, ridiculously talented cropping cronies. This month i took 3 project to work on and was really making some progress. I had just cut 183 pieces of blue and yellow cardstock into 8X8 squares for the PoD 2004 books when i tried to change the blade in my cutter. My beautiful, beautiful cutter. The carriage snapped off in my hand. Snapped off. In my hand. Snapped. Off. Who cares, you say? Well... I care. And all the unfortunate people around me who had to listen to me wail, then cry, then complain, then moan, then weep, then sniffle certainly cared. All work came to a screeching halt; i got nothing else done. There is nothing worse that creative interruptus; all that momentum just wasted. sigh... Gotta call Fiskars; I feel incomplete without my cutter. (though if it's the worst problem i have this week, i guess i'll take it! ;->)

Talk Me Out of This...

A few weeks ago i was driving home and there was a lot of traffic on my exit; so much so, that I noticed a strange doorway in the side of the hill: I assume it must be a culvert of some sort under the beltway, but it seems odd that in a year of living off of this exit i never saw it before. It's grafittied walls and random steps immediately beckoned to me, but there was no safe place to stop on the exit to get out and explore. As the weather has finally started to turn i find myself thinking more and more about those steps - where do they go, do they lead to a little chamber or to a passage that goes all the way through the overpass, where would it come out on the other side, just how many steps are there, does it lead down to the sewer, could there be treasure in there, where could i park to walk to it, is there light in there or should i bring a torch, is it private property, is it public property, could i get arrested exploring in there, might i be killed by hungry hobos if i went in there, is it more fun wondering about it than actually doing it? I've worked myself into REALLY wanting to go exploring, but the grown-up part of my brain realizes that this is the sort of place they would find a body on CSI. I'm thinking this might be one of those adventures that someone should probably either talk me out of or volunteer to join.

Are you kidding me?

sigh... So i did my taxes months ago and was going to get a refund from both the state and federal. When you are poor with 1 W-2 and 1 "taxable interest" of less than $3, taxes are easy, quick and stress-free. Normally i get a refund from the US in some piddly amount (like $100) and have to pay MD an even piddlier amount (one year it was $8.17). This year when i ran the numbers it was $450 back from my federal and $800 back from MD. WHAT?!? TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS? Now that didn't seem right so i ran the numbers 3 times and each time i got the same amount. So i filed to have the refunds direct deposited into my savings account. The IRS got right on that and sent me the money, pronto. Thank you, Uncle Sam. Nothing from Maryland. Nothing. Still nothing. I decided that because i filed by paper instead of computer it was just taking longer. Still nothing. I knew that the money would be in saving "any day now" so i seriously splurged and took my unscheduled trip to St. Louis. Certainly Maryland would have my refund to me before the credit card bill came so i wouldn't even accrue any debt. It was such a good plan. I have never had any problems with taxes before. Nothing. Monday i get an envelope from the MD State Comptroller. I can see that it is a check and immediately think "i must have screwed up the savings account routing number or something; that's why it has taken so long." I open the envelope to find a check for $72. Ummmmm... what? 72 is not 800; it isn't even close. Somehow i managed to write the right number on the wrong line, so when i did the math it came out all wrong, EVERY TIME i ran it because the information was on the wrong line! I should be happy for the $72 (and i am since i talked to Matt last night who had to write MD a check for $700 cause he works in CA, but is a MD resident), but i already spent most of that phantom $800. Now i will have to pay off the St Louis trip instead of it being essentially "free." Not a tragedy, but damned inconvenient. And vexxing. How did i possibly screw that up?

Seriously Off-Task

One thing I don't like about my job is when I have to do paperwork. It is hard for me to stay at my desk and stay focused on icky minutia. It's boring, but necessary. To help I often wear headphones so no one talks to me. On really tough days i have a tiara i wear to help me through the at-my-desk-how-can-anyone-do-this-everyday blues. People know how hard it is for me to endure days in-house. They are supposed to HELP me stay on-task. The phone rings; it's Erin, who sits on the other side of the office, "I'm building a sandcastle," CLICK. How could i possibly keep working? There are definite drawbacks to working in a place that has a gift shop, where you get 30% off everything and can do it as a payroll deduction. She did this lovely beach scene and we ceremonially launched the S.S. Love N Butter.

And I hafta go back to writing schedules now???

BTW, Erin gave up and went home 30 minutes ago. Way to blow my focus and then run.

Another Reason to Smile

300 cupcakes!

  Stacey made them for tonite's Volunteer Appreciation party.
I may be crazy, but even I wouldn't bake and decorate 300 cupcakes.




 It does make me smile, though.

The Salisbury Zoo

In Salisbury, MD their is a public zoological park. It is cute and free; it reminds me of a bygone era, for some reason. Today between shows, team member Annie and I visited this adorable place. You expect little zoos to have your basic "petting" animals, but this one has bison, monkeys, cool birds, otters, all sorts of mammals, a bear and 2 jaguars - standard and panther:

Some of the zoo still has fenced enclosures, but many of the animals are in naturalist environments. It is amazing to me that this place can exist without charging admission. They are working on a red wolf habitat right now. There is also an herb garden maintained by an Herb Society - did you even know such a group existed? Annie is going to start an herb garden this spring so she was examining them closely. And if you are wondering if she is getting paid while looking at herbs, flamingos and prairie dogs, yes, yes she was. Love my job! If you find yourself on the Easter Shore of Maryland definitely take a lunchtime stroll through the park; you will love it, too. One more pic for Erin!

And the name is...

Wow. There were so many incredible name suggestions it took a while to find the one that fit her. Yes, she is definitely a she now; the gender was solidified by the name. The name that captured her essence is Prudence Q. Hottentott (the Q is for Quillan, which is a family name on her mother's side). Thanks to everyone from me and Pru. Here are some pics that if you open both and switch back and forth show the Collectible Niki Figure with Hedgehog Accessory and Super Kissing Action. Thanks again, Kate!

Yet more reasons...

...that my job is better than yours. Tonite was Science Night at the school where we were performing. The event was catered by Chick-Fil-A. Not only did that spell free food for us, the Chick-Fil-A cow was there. I HAD to have my picture taken with him, of course, and when Rob went to take the picture a ton of kids came running over to be in it. Try to remember that i am being PAID as that picture was taken. Then as we pull into the city to go home, fireworks herald our return. Okay, they weren't really for us, but we got to watch them as we got ready to unload the van. And yes, i was getting paid as i took these pictures as well. Somedays I love my life.

RIP stripey Guatemala bag

Over my long weekend i finally switched out camera bags. I have carried the stripey bag since 1995 when Katie Lewis (now there's a name from the past; i bet few of you actually even remember her) gave it to me for my birthday. I have taken that bag everywhere with camera, batteries, film, photo journal and electrical tape inside. It was certainly showing the wear. But most importantly, now that i am using 2 cameras i needed a more secure way to carry them. When Leenie and I were in DC a few weeks ago the digital camera beat up the film camera and cracked its case ( i think it is trying to prove that i don't still NEED a film camera, but i won't tolerate bullying) so they have to be separated. I found a new bag that seems to work, but certainly doesn't have the personality of my old one. So here is a moment of silence for the passing of my Guatemala bag...

Easter Pics

Happy Easter, a bit late, to you all. On Sunday I went over to Lynn and Shawn's for festivities. With their 2 daughters and 2 nephews we had stairstep kids at 3, 4, 5, and 6 years old. Convincing them to wait for the egg hunt was like trying to herd cats. But much fun was had when they were finally able to go. Bridget and Bailey were very upset that they didn't get to join the fun, especially Bridget who just stared mournfully out at the fun. After eggs and baskets and dinner came the cool dessert. Lynn had baked a cake with a new egg replacement (Hope is allergic) that turned out great. It was cut and frosted into a cross which she let the kids decorate before we ate it. It was a huge success, though ironically made out of devil's food. Thanks to Lynn and Shawn for sharing their family with me on the holiday!

Nameless Joy

So after the Book Thing i went back to Kate and Jason's to help with some packing. 9 boxes later Kate and I agreed it was naptime. She had told me that she was going to give me all of her 8.5X11 paper (almost 4 inches worth - woohoo!) and ran upstairs to get it. When she came back she had another bag for me. Declaring "this is for helping us today" i opened it to find THE BEST THANK YOU PRESENT EVER! Kate knitted me a pink and purple hedgehog that is so adorable that i squealed so loudly that Jason came running form the basement yelling "you could have told me you were giving it to her" before he got to the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. Could it be more Nikiriffic? For goodness' sakes I am wearing a matching shirt! The only problem now is that there is no name. Okay, also there are gender issues. 8 times out of 10 i refer to my hedgehog as a HE, but the other 2 i call it a SHE. Sooooo... suggest a name and if one sticks that seems right perhaps it will solve my gender issue as well.

The Book Thing

How i love The Book Thing! It is a place where you can drop off your old books and get new ones. For FREE! And you don't have to drop off books to take books. The books are just there for you to take. It's like a library, but you get to keep the books. For FREE!

I always have a pile of books that i've read that need to find another home and i love taking them to the book thing. I had 2 grocery bags of books, but Kate and Jason had a few more than that:

That's 12 boxes of books! They purged 400 books during packing for the move. It was nice to help them take all of those books to a good home. And i managed to only bring home 1 bag of new books. 2 bags out and 1 bag in still puts me at less books than i started with!

Ugly Boyfriend Doll

I have been reading Elsie Flannigan's blog A Beautiful Mess; she is a scrapbook designer that some of my croppin' cronies really like. Her style is akin to mine in design, but different in execution and our color palettes are totally foreign from each other. But what i really like is her attitude and the fact that she does art every day (and gets PAID for it). One of her projects is called Red Velvet Art, which is her and 2 other women (sisters, friends, both?) making projects that you can buy. Anyhoo, yesterday on the RVA blog there was a challenge for Ugly Dolls - felt dolls that are so hideous they are adorable. I was intrigued. After all, this project is not in my medium, not my natural style, not my natural materials and utilizes needle skills (when we all know mine suck). It seemed like a real challenge to my skills and goodness knows there is plenty of felt laying around the studio, so last night i made my Ugly Boyfriend Doll. His name is Henry (though he secretly wishes people would call him Big Hank). Yes, his eyes are mismatched (though deep, deep green), his nose has been broken a few too many times, his sardonic smile is always a bit crooked, we won't even talk about his hair, he has a bum knee from an old hockey injury, his seams are ragged and you can see straight into his flannel innards where his heart should be, but he brought you a rose and his heart is actually on his sleeve. Won't you love him?

ummmm... what?

So i'm driving on a street in my neighborhood that i've never been on when i come upon this: One has to wonder exactly WHAT you can rent by the week and WHY you'd need to rent it...

Tastes like Easter

Cadbury Creme Eggs are the pinnacle of Easter candy to me. I like to bite off the top and lick out the yummy, yummy filling. It is one of the few things i would say is actually too sweet to eat more than one of at a time. Having the first egg of the season is one of the markers of Spring for me. I, for one, am glad that we can't get them year round. It is something special and seasonal in this world of easy access everything. Team member Thom just dropped one on my desk and it might be the last of the season for me. I'm gonna go enjoy my sugary joy, have one this weekend and delight.

BB's Jazz Blues & Soups

I am a firm believer in making the most of the time you have, but I can be a wuss (sometimes) when it comes to going to places by myself. For instances, I hate going to the movies by myself and I am not a big fan of eating dinner out by myself (breakfast and lunch don't bother me - go figure) and I really don't like seeing bands by myself. The band thing is weird because when I am watching a band my entire focus is concentrated on the band and i really don't notice anything else around me. I think the problem is that during breaks you have nothing to do and no one to talk to. To end my St Louis adventure i decided to be very, very brave and go to a blues club to have dinner and see a band by myself. it was kinda hard, but I'm glad i did it. There was a moment of trepidation when i pulled into a dark, somewhat deserted parking lot within spitting distance of the stadium at 9:30 pm and found BBs Jazz Blues and Soup. Yep. That sketchy little brick building. That's where i was going. By myself. Without my nightstick. Yep. Turned out that it was adorable inside, with a great little stage in the back that all of the tables conveniently faced. I had fabulous barbequed sausage (their Q sauce is spicy with a hint of oregano, of all things) and saw a GREAT blues band called Crying Shame. They played until 2am and the bar was open till 3am - on a Wednesday! I love this town. I had a wonderful time and was impressed with the band, the food and especially the cool staff at BBs. Oh, and the ladies room. Most bars have scary ladies rooms, but BB's was mosaic coolness. One final note about St Louis : thanks to Missouri's finest who pulled me over in the middle of the night doing 77 in a 55; not only did he not give me a ticket, he didn't even give me a written warning, but instead simply said "slow it down, please" and sent me on my way. I loves me some Boys in Blue. And i really loved St. Louis. I can't wait to go back and see MORE!

Meet Me at the Fair

Now where were we in our adventure? It was Wednesday afternoon and we had just finished with the grottos. Driving back into St Louis (cause the grottos were in the middle of nowhere - Eureka! i found 'em) i stopped for a snack at Ted Drewes. Recommended by both JP before i left and the Southwest magazine on the plane this "classic Rt 66 attraction" serves frozen custard so thick it is called "concrete." I love the Interstate, but miss the adorable little places like this that you would have driven by on smaller highways. I had a yummy concrete with caramel, took a picture and was on my way. Not only is it one of my favorite Judy Garland vehicles, Meet Me in St. Louis shows us what Hollywood thought the 1904 World's fair would have been like. The World's Fair was built and housed at Forest Park just west of Downtown. The park is where i spent the rest of Wednesday because it was vast and amazing. This is where the Zoo, Science Center and Planetarium, Art Museum and History Museum are all located. I spent the afternoon at the St Louis Zoo and I saw probably about half of it because it was so huge. It was well laid out, had cool exhibits and was educationally cutting edge. This place had a two-level educational pavilion and exhibitry throughout the zoo that you didn't even realize was educational. Plus, there were incredibly fun details in everything. The carousel had all endangered animals on it instead of horses; part of the tickets sales to ride it went to conservation efforts. Even the pennysmash machines (which you know i love) had animals inside that "helped" you smash your penny: One of the big attractions of the St Louis Zoo is the elephant family. There have been two elephants born in the park in the last 8 months. Here in one nursing as Mom tries to find some privacy: Besides the cultural institutions, Forest Park has gardens, an ampitheater, golf courses, tennis courts, athletic fields of every type, rinks, playgrounds, picnic ground, educational trails, ponds and the Grand Basin, shown below with the Art Museum in the background, where people come to read, dine, nap, hang out, practice juggling and just enjoy life. It was beautiful and I stayed till sunset. The last part of the Park I visited before i ran out of sunlight was Turtle Playground. Yes it is a playground filled with turtles - great big turtles that you can climb and play in, on and around. No matter how cool it sounds, it was cooler than that. Pictures do NOT do it justice! If you are ever in St Luis you MUST devote at least an afternoon, if not a whole week to Forest Park!

The Joy of Painted Toenails

ahhhhhhhh... Spring. Today was the first day i could wear strappy sandals to work. And i rocked the sparkley butterfly hair pins, too, so it must be Spring. Only 10 more degrees warmer and i'll be busting out the toerings!

Why i don't go on vacation

1. 85 e-mails, only 3 pertinent 2. 4 voicemail messages about stuff that happened already that i can't change 3. giant pile of crap in in-box 4. team member arrives with child in tow (you know something has gone wrong there) 5. desk looks like post-it monster vomited on it 6. different team member gives letter of resignation 5 minutes after walking in I go away, bad things happen. There is a direct correlation; i could draw you a chart if you'd like.

Gotta Getta Grotto

Wednesday started bright and early (okay it was 10:00, but that's early for vacation) with breakfast at the Golden Pancake (could i even have made that up?) and itinerary planning to pack in as much as possible. The first stop was the Black Madonna Shrine and Grottos. I like places that are a bit off of the beaten path and perhaps outside of the norm and the description "a galaxy of dazzling mosaics and multi-colored rock sculptures" caught my attention. Besides, how can you go wrong with a place that manages to be in both Roadside America and the official visitor's guide - that means it is probably cool, but respectable. This place was well off the beaten path; in fact the picture earlier in the blog of the intersection of F and FF was taken looking for this place. The nearest town was Eureka (an i'm not making that up, either). I'm not sure what i expected, but this place was awesome. I didn't know that it was on the grounds of a Franciscan Monastery, but that became apparent quickly when i was greeted by this guy: Built from 1937-1960 by one Franciscan monk from Poland the Grottos are somewhat unreal. Surrounded by forest they seem to have grown up from the ground like Catholic stalagmites. Featuring statuary of saints and scenes from Jesus' life, Brother Bronislaus created the tableaus by hand from native tiff rock without using power tools . This was after he clear cut the forest, of course. He decorated them with shells, glass, costume jewelry, beads and just about anything he could find. At one grotto he "planted" candelabras from the monastery in flower pots to resemble beautiful metal flowers. In the following picture, the vases are made of concrete poured into jello molds and the flowers were made in cupcake pans: Being raised Protestant, Catholicism with its saints and its services in another language and its full-on worship of Mary has always seemed foreign enough to me to almost be another religion. However, being Niki means the pomp and sparkliness of it certainly draws my attention (i do love shiny objects). One of the neatest things about looking at the grottos up close was seeing all of the things people had left. Some objects, like coins or religious metals were to be expected, but other objects made sense only to the person who left them: After Brother's death (from heat stroke while clear cutting another section of forest for a grotto for Our Lady of Fatima; he was found at the base of the Mary statue having left a trail of tools behind him - now that's commitment) the grottos continued to be up kept by the monastery. There have been some changes over the years and apparently there are plans to add more. This stop was a mixture bizarre and holy - i felt right at home.