I just had to...

There are a select group of my friends out there (you know who you are!!) that, upon receiving the information that I would be relocating to Astoria, OR for the new chapter of my life, immediately responded with "That's where The Goonies was filmed"!!

As it turns out, that is indeed correct. And I have whole-heartedly embraced this fact. Well, I should clarify. I am not a fanatic, but I have taken advantage of this fact. I own a DVD copy of The Goonies that most visitors have been forced to watch when they arrive here. I have driven by The Goonies house (no, I didn't take a pic), and I live by the County Jail featured in the opening scene and appreciate this every time I go by.

However, the ultimate "I live in the town where The Goonies was filmed" experience happened last weekend - it was the 25th Anniversary of The Goonies!!! The town was overtaken by fanatics (this is where I separate myself as a mere fan that happens to live in Astoria) from all over the world - literally! Corey Feldman (Mouth), Sean Astin (Mikey), Jeff Cohen (Chunk) and other actors were here for sold-out autograph signings, bus tours all weekend of places where the film was shot, constant showings of The Goonies in all the theatres... It was so fun!

The Goonies is one of those movies that is timeless. The premise - the kids go on a quest to find One-Eyed Willie's long lost treasure to save Mikey's house from wealthy developers - is perfect for this day and age. The comraderie and friendship, the genuine care for others (even Sloth), the adventurous spirit...all of that represents The Goonies. Even all of the fans flocking to Astoria were happy-go-lucky, open and fun, non-judgemental people -- united by The Goonies - 25 years later.

Some of the news stories:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/06/AR2010060603590.html

http://kotaku.com/5557778/twenty+five-years-later-goonies-still-never-say-die

http://www.people.com/people/news/category/0,,MediaProductsTax:MovieTheGoonies,00.html

Cleaning out the cobwebs...

"Blame it on the rain..."

Milli Vanilli's pop song lyrics are fitting, but the melody is a little too...well, poppy! Anyhow, these last couple of days I've been really getting some cobwebs out - physically, emotionally, and mentally. Maybe it's the rain (and wind, hail, sleet...) - is it spring or winter again? I don't know if it is the actual weather, the season, my mental state or what, but I've been motivated to get spring cleaning underway. Literally, I sucked up so many cobwebs and sowbugs (these little pests are a major issue in my basement!) the last couple of days. It feels great. I've also been cleaning out junk - old clothes that I will never fit into again, old clothes that will never fit in again, posters I'll never hang up again, knick knacks that I can't remember their importance... Simplify, simplify, simplify. It's very cleansing, physically and mentally. I fully understand spring cleaning now! Mentally, my mind has been doing flip flops. I really enjoy where I am at with my career and location - the Oregon coast is beautiful! I love being so close to the ocean, my biggest environmental love. The storms, the waves, the sand. All of it. But my boyfriend and family aren't here, nor are the majority of my friends. Don't worry, I have found some friends here, but it's different now that I am drawn to seeing John every weekend - a single gal out on the town I am not anymore. Not that I regret this at all! But it does make it more difficult to meet people when I'm a homebody or in transit to Seattle. I want to thoroughly enjoy this area and part of my life. However, I also find myself jumping ahead to the next step - whatever that may be - going to UW for a PhD? Moving to Corvallis for school instead? Staying here and having John have to sacrifice his job to be with me? Moving to Seattle anyways without a job or school so I can be with John? I just don't know, and even though I am definitely a girl up for an adventure at most any time, sometimes I do like to know what the future may hold. I know, I just need to relax, but it just gets hard sometimes. Thus, the cleaning. Secretly I think that by cleaning things out, I am sort of beginning to prepare for a move...Let's see what happens...