Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Stoned

Lately I have been thinking a lot about rocks in Death Valley, which makes it sound as if I've been smoking pot but I haven't, don't even like pot. Weed, grass, maryjane, doobies. I still kind of giggle embarrassed when my own mother says dope.
But I digress from the rocks. Sailing stones. They are called sailing stones, as if the hard side of a stone creates lift across dried up old river beds when in fact the force behind their movement is not entirely understood. Some think it's the severe temperature changes, the ground heating up and then freezing at night moving the stones over the crag like an inch-worm.

Wind, ice, mud, blah blah blah. Here I am talking about the how when that is what interests me least. Sometimes I like a good mystery as much as a deep tragedy, the way it makes my heart sing with wonder. We have ruined so many of our mysteries, crop circles now in the shape of Stewie from The Family Guy.
Sliding rocks and snail trails, a geological phenomenon in which speed is an unknown variable, long dusty trails signifying time of some sort. Everything an unknown but the movement, which is how I like it, an identifiable sea-change in philosophical thought or a disambiguation, both just as likely.

I was about to compare my life to a sliding stone, this last year when I have felt nothing if not stationary, even sedimentary, and yet behind me a striated track, a deep groove. But I know the how there, the why, and it is more like a crop circle in the shape of Stewie from The Family Guy than anything else. And so I will just tell you this instead: if I ever have another kid and it's a boy Bryan wants to name him Dolomite, like the rock. Not John or Mike or even Feldspar but Dolomite, giggle, embarrassed: dope.

13 comments:

MFAMB said...

heee heee. dolomite. i tend to like feldpsar.
seriously though, those rocks are cool.

Gini said...

These rocks are effing amazing! I read about them in National Geographic-- truly mind-boggling.

Cindy said...

a) These rocks are freaking me out.

b) Dolomite is a horrible name. Unless you have a boy and name him that. Then... Dolomite is a totally dope name. Totally.

xo

72 and sunny said...

never knew about these. Perfect metaphors for the way life feels sometimes.

Robin said...

Dolomite is cool - but I like odd names.

When my parents saw Pineapple Express, they kept saying "hey, you should see that funny doper movie." Doper? Yeah, embarrassing.

Brandi at Duel Living said...

I had never heard of those rocks before. You post the most incredible things!

Dolomite? Uh...yeah...I'd think long and hard about that one.

Erin said...

So have you heard of "Dolemite," the blaxsploitation film from the 70s? I spent a good portion of college watching this film repeatedly, and yes, there was dope involved. It's worth a look, I think, considering your hubby's interest in the name "Dolomite."

Petunia Face said...

No worries, friends. I am just as likely to name any future sons Freddie Fackelmeyer as I am Dolomite. Bonus points if you know who Freddie Fackelmeyer is.*

*As in real life, the bonus points don't really mean anything.

mosey (kim) said...

Death Valley is the most magical place in the world for me. I've slept on those flats (with the rocks) and the universe just sings.

Brandi at Duel Living said...

I love love love The City and The Hills...but don't tell anyone.

P.S. I think Freddie was the cuter brother.

P.P.S You can put those bonus points on my tab.

Petunia Face said...

Ding ding ding! Brandi at Duel Living, come one down! I have nothing to give you but a cyber pat on the back. Yes, Freddie Fackelmeyer was the boy with the blindingly white teeth on The Hills. :)

krista said...

dolomite. beyond awesome.
that should be the full name.
periods included.

Petunia Face said...

This is how pathetic I am: I could not sleep last night because I was so sick that I attributed Freddie Fackelmeyer to The Hills and not THE CITY, which is, of course, where he's from. Duh, me. I think I just lost all my bonus points.