Ms. Darby

Vancouver, blocks from the proposal (before the question was popped)

My seat from the Denali Lodge offers views of sun-drenched mountaintops brushed with fall colors and raw sedimentary rock. You can tell by the layers of millions of years of earth-work. The Grizzlies and Moose, Caribou and Dall Sheep have chosen a beautiful home here.

Since this vacation began almost two weeks ago in Vancouver, many glorious moments have transpired. The intertubes, at a cost of $30 an hour on the ship, have prohibited my use of this blog as a means of travelogue-ing, and I can’t say that I would have been able to squeeze a post in now and again, anyhow.

But now, just beyond this window, sits six-million acres of Denali National Park, in all of her rugged and natural beauty. Upon my return, I will look out my home’s window and daydream of these mountains and this land and form romantic notions of scrapping it all for a Dodge Sprinter that runs on Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO). And maybe a year from now, that will be precisely what I do, with my now fiancee, David. In the midst of the bear and cubs, beluga and humpback whales, moose and bald eagles, dall porposie and dall sheep, caribou, lunar eclipses, and UFO’s, me man popped the question. We are engaged to be married. And even though I already felt married and couldn’t be more committed, it seems he wants to make this love official, and for that, I will celebrate. I am a lucky woman, for he is a great man.

I have found, weaved between my natural tendencies as a rebel and knee-jerk reaction to the conventional, a sweet spot. Placing herself ever so delicately within the idea declaring a life-long love, this sweet spot is overwhelmed with the beautiful emotion of knowing that the one I love and admire does so back; enough to marry me up and make an honest woman outa me.

Filed by darby at 1:45 pm under travel
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It seems that the folks at Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster, PA have not only jumped onto the fast-moving green bus, but are in fact driving said bus. With a recent induction into the small but esteemed group of LEED Platinum Buildings (and the first LEED EB Platinum outside of California), Armstrong Headquarters in Lancaster is a shining example of this company’s committment to sustainability.

Ironically, Armstrong has recently settled its asbestos injury claims, which had placed them into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. During this time, they restructured their business, no doubt becoming more competitive and refining their line of sustainable flooring, ceilings, and walls. Odd, too, is the full circle in which Armstrong has travelled over this past century, from the hand-carved cork for bottles that started their path, to asbestos, and thankfully back to rapidly renewable materials.

Armstrong provides many different products incorporating high-tech applications for ceilings, like Techzone, to Vinyl and Linoleum flooring with no added formaldehyde. Having a proven track record through the LEED certification process on their own headquarters surely substantiates Armstrong’s ability to provide truly sustainably-minded materials for commercial applications. They also offer tons of great resources on their website, including the LEED credits to which their products are applicable, to product descriptions and chain of custody to aid in the LEED submittal process.

LEED affected credits:
CI 2.0: MR 4, 5, & 6
EQ 4.1 & 4.3

NC 2.2: MR 4, 5, & 6
EQ 4.1 & 4.3

Filed by admin at 3:50 pm under Ceiling Systems, Flooring, Walls
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InModern furniture, an extension of The Simple Furniture Company, appeals to both the design junkie and environmentalist. With their clean scandanavian lines and Forest Stewardship Council (*FSC) certified wood, these modern and high-quality, affordable pieces are both practical and “green” conscious.

By using FSC woods, InModern promotes the principles “that brings people together to find solutions which promote responsible stewardship of the world’s forests”. Considering LEED guidelines which call for both FSC Certified Wood products (including materials and furniture), as well as indoor air quality concerns, InModern addresses both by not adding any formaldehyde and using water-based stains to minimize harmful off-gases. Add to that the fact that every piece of furniture is assembled without the use of tools, and uses no hardware or glue, either, and you have yourself a very minimalist approach to great, green design. The first of the three R’s, “Reduce,” is definitely at play here.

Product lines offered include tables, shelving & storage, media centers, desks, seating and accessories, which are manufactured in Richmond, Indiana. Retailers conveniently include Target and Home Visions dot com.

LEED affected credits:
CI: MR Credit 7, EQ Credits 4.1 & 4.2
NC: MR Credit 7, EQ Credits 4.1 & 4.2

Filed by admin at 9:08 pm under Furniture
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That mug over there…the one with the red hat…you see her? She is now a LEED Accredited Professional. One side of her personality was acting shy about posting anything about this accomplishment, not wanting to prance about and fluff her own feathers and such; but another side of her was so damn happy that she was able to pull it off that she wanted to tell the world.

That second side of her won, and is also saying that this is the last time she will refer to herself in the third person like this…oy vay!

Filed by darby at 2:41 pm under raves
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I just love Dennis Kucinich. Maybe part of it is because he is familiar to me. I have heard his name since I was little, circa the 1970’s, as a kid in Cleveland Heights. But I think it is more than that. To hear a person running for president speak his truth like he does, not fearful of how his words will “play out politically”, not always strategizing every word for the corporate interests that he will (not) be serving once in the White House – these are the things I love about him. He is a peaceful warrior with a sense of humor. And his message, of course, makes perfect sense.

I know he is little and his suit’s don’t fit, but isn’t that better than the tailored suit-wearing clowns we turn to time and time again to lead this country? I think so.

[via AdPulp]

Filed by darby at 8:15 am under Politics
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Haines, Alaska

After 14 long weeks of anxiously awaiting my passport (imagining, of course, that I must be on a list, of sorts, with an accompanying black file, for some dissenting blog posts and certain past experiences long ago that may, or may not, deem me unfit to, uh, travel?) it finally arrived yesterday. And if you think, perhaps, that when you scroll down you will be treated to my terrible passport photo, you are mistaken.

Coincidentally, yesterday was also Jerry’s birthday. I’m not quite sure why this is a coincidence, except that Jerry helped to open up an entire universe to me, which I had explored a bit pre-Jerry, but not quite to the depths as I did a la “The Dead scene.” And over the many years, I have distanced myself from that very scene for various reasons, but have come back around to looking upon my memories of those experiences as good life lessons. And mostly fun, with many adventures along the way. I am hoping that my new passport will help to facilitate the opening of more new and profound universes of which I have yet to discover.

Speaking of, my sweets and I leave for Vancouver in a couple of weeks. Then, on to Alaska and into Denali. I am salivating right now just thinking about it. Seriously. While I have spent almost two months living in a tent in the sweet town of Haines, Alaska 16 years ago, it seems like that was another lifetime. (oh, my Alaska comrades, where are you now? How I wish I knew…) And I never did make it into the interior of this magnificent land.

But I did meet some very interesting Haines folk. At this very moment, while creating this post, I found one of them. Tony Tengs is a bit like Willy Wonka, and has owned the Chilkat Chocolate Blanket Company (of which I was one of the singers for their local radio spot) since 1990. I have just learned that the shop moved from Haines to Juneau, but that his sister still runs the family restaurant started by his parents called The Pioneer Bar and Bamboo Room Restaurant. I was a proud dishwasher there for a short spell; a young lass in need of some quick cash.

Moot, Meisha, Tony, and a sweet boy from the Netherlands whose name I can’t remember, in front of the Haines Chocolate Blanket shop

How I long to see those kindred souls again, along with the Northern Lights. I also remember Gordon, a man who plays the stand-up bass and built his own home and ran the radio station in Haines and made me one of the best mixed tapes ever which included Mose Allison, whom I hadn’t heard of until he gave me that gift of a tape.

Nostalgia is an amazing, beautiful, tricky, prickly phenomonon, and I am stricken with it. Godspeed to all, until we meet again.

And in the spirit of sharing at least one semi-embarassing photo of myself…

Meisha, Moot, and a very young Me (what alliteration!)

Filed by darby at 4:08 pm under travel
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