Daily Archives: May 18, 2008

Just Me - AmeliaJake

Whoa, reality in Montana with Rick Jarrett

I was reading through some articles about the price of gas and how it has impacted people’s lives when I wandered into the business section and found this article – this one RIGHT HERE. This is the first thing you’ll see:

A working Big Sky

vacation

When a rancher opens his bunkhouse to visitors, city folk from all over the world pay him to labor there.

Well, first off, I have always had this love affair with Montana, but then I feel that way about Seattle and the Oregon Coast and, in fact, the entire West Coast. I am torn. Since I don’t have the money to live such places, making a decision is not a pressing matter for me. I can build two or three houses in my imagination and plop them down in whatever setting calls me at the moment.

But, concentrating on Montana and the ranching thing, I have to say this headline made me think of The Pioneer Woman on the Internet and her lodge remodeling for first, the introducing of Thatcher to some ladies who will stay there for awhile, learning about being a rancher wife . . . and maybe end up being Thatcher’s wife. Second, the lodge can be used for cooking workshops, photoshop workshops, ranching workshops(?) and maybe bed & breakfast guests.

She has a segment in which her readers are providing input as to how the lodge should be redone, as well as following the progress. I think it’s up to the front porch part now.

This fellow in Montana has the problem of really rich people buying ranches that neighbor his, which actually adds to his working ranch expense. So, to help out financially, he is hosting groups at his bunkhouse. Depending on the season, they can participate – or not – in ranching chores. Here’s a picture of his ranch house from the site – it’s a little different from the lodge.

That’s Jami Jarrett Moody on horseback (Big ‘Nuf) and her dad and ranch owner Rick Jarrett.

The dog is named Maddy.

The Pioneer Woman calls her husband Marlboro Man and he is right good lookin’; Rick, here, seems more the speed of a lot of Americans. Gotta love the hat; it looks like it has been around some – course, then, so does Rick. His family has been working the ranch since the late 1880’s and he’s fifth-generation at The Crazy Mountain Cattle Company.

This and That at The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Seeing myself differently

I mean that literally, the seeing myself differently title. What started out as something I pushed into the back of my mind and pretended was other than it was is now front and center – in my mind and in photos. I have been taking my own picture a lot, because when I started joking around with the bathroom mirror thing, it slowly dawned on me how I really looked. Close-set eyes. Big crooked mouth. Big crooked grin. And when I pull the towel off my head – little flat hair.

You see, I kind of had this picture of myself in my head from when I would glance in the mirror during summer session at IU when I worked at McNutt’s dining hall and checked numbers at breakfast. I was, oh, let’s say about 19 and all that close-set crookedness didn’t seem as noticeable. (Oddly enough, my soup can body accentuates it now.)

I just defined myself all those years as AmeliaJake – feisty, quirky, not very nice and always ready for a “What if I just pushed this button?” or “Well, we could fix that with duct tape” comment. AmeliaJake, who used to tear down the hill on her bike to get to Russian history class down by the old law quadrangle. I had the route down to a science. Of course to make it, I had to keep my little canary yellow uniform on – although I did take the checked apron off.

AmeliaJake, who gave Raggedy Ann’s and Andy’s unique personalities. AmeliaJake who used to do jumping jacks to burn of excess energy. AmeliaJake, who could throw a mean temper tantrum. I was never so dumb as to use the hold your breath ’til you pass out technique. That is so self-defeating; now the person who thought that up didn’t think it through.

Over the years, I started actively avoiding having my picture taken and when one showed up in a digital form, I would put the little mickey mouse gloved hand on it and drag it right over to the trash. A couple of times, in souvenir photos for instance, I would be stuck with my image and slide it in a drawer somewhere. I think mentally I just threw my hands up in front of my face and exclaimed, “Ack! Ack! Ack!

But once I did the bathroom experiment, I realized I was going to have to come to terms with this soup can AmeliaJake. I’m not saying I like it, but I don’t figure there is anyway around it. Rats, where is time travel when you need it?

I am starting to see myself in my mind’s eye as I really am and when I think about it, I feel like maybe I should slip into the shadows and turn away from people. But, most of the time, I forget and I am still . . . AmeliaJake.

This and That at The Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse

Sunday morning

Yes, this is the morning after the night I said I thought I might want to punch faces. I’m so glad I didn’t – I’m not in jail now – or out on bail being shunned by my family. But, then, I probably wouldn’t be here with them . . . and their punched faces. I would probably be at Mother’s and she doesn’t have Internet service because she lives OUT IN THE COUNTRY, dontcha know. She would be mad at me for winding up in jail. So, yes, I am really glad there was no face punching. I will hold this experience close to my heart as a lesson learned.

Will someone help me up? I fell on the floor laughing at that last little bit about close to my heart and learning. Believe me, that is not me.