headin' back to 'scow

[bix02138]

in the face of about-to-vanish united frequent flier miles, no cash for travel and the 100^th anniversary of the campus newspaper, i've decided to make a pilgrimage to moscow.

idaho, that is.

yes, former home to both larry craig (perhaps he learned his foot-tapping skills in the student union building, or the basement of the administration building) and sarah palin. in the words of betty windsor, it has been an annis horribilis for my alma mater.

the argonaut turns 110 in october, a remarkable achievement for an institution not much older and for an independent, student-run publication. as a former editor, i've been invited to partake in the festivities, october 10-11. and so i am.

i'll also have a chance to at long last retrieve my trunk (civil war vintage, confederate), see my faculty friends and meet up with friends from college days. the event itself is long on soft events and short on substance, but i suspect enough drinking will give the former all the substance it needs.

i have to admit to being amused that one of my first thoughts about the weekend (well, wednesday through monday, counting the two travel days) was how much fun it would be to have exotic locales in my 365 photo project. i'm also looking forward to spending a day in spokane and to driving the 75 miles between spokane and moscow through the rolling palouse countryside. the opportunity to be in that landscape—and if you know the palouse, one is in that landscape: it's the closest approximation i've ever experienced of a landed environment to the sea—is more than a little enticing, and i'm hoping to stop in a few of the tumbledown towns along the way and fill the memory card in my camera.

Comments

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I have been wanting to know this forever:

In local pronunciation, is it spoke-ANN or spoke-AYNE? Or some other unknown pronunciation?

What's happening to your frequent flyer miles? Is United going belly-up? We live in perilous times.

[bix02138.livejournal.com]

it's spo-can (as in gee-whizz, we have a can-do attitude here in the inland empire!).

because united has provided such dreadful service of late, i haven't flown them in some time and so my accrued miles are vanishing at the end of december. rather than keep them around, i'm cashing them in. i need to schedule a couple more trips to fully deplete the well.

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

I flew United to SF in June and was mildly amused at how ... ghetto the service seemed to be.

Planning of trips! such fun! (I'm only being halfway sarcastic)

[bix02138.livejournal.com]

well... i have my flights and hotel all set. only the automobile remains to be ordered.

[mark-shutterbug.livejournal.com]

I've seen photos from Palouse -- I'm jealous!

[bix02138.livejournal.com]

it's pretty spectacular countryside. the only down side will be the relative barrenness of the hills at this time of year. spring in the palouse is pretty amazing, a sea of green and brilliant blue skies.

i hope i can get some great views. i hope to get up to kamiak butte for some views, and perhaps i'll get down to the lewiston grade (a most remarkable view, up or down).

[leafshimmer.livejournal.com]

All managed with your customary efficiency! I hope it proves to be a lovely trip.

[bix02138.livejournal.com]

it has been pretty painless so far, save for the "spending" of the miles.