All Shiny and New

I've developed a new website... one where I can host all my photography and film excursions, with a pretty layout and simple design. Yes, I know I went over to the darkside by joining Wordpress (Blogger's arch enemy), but as I'm ADD, it was bound to happen.

As of now, I'll probably keep posting here as well, since that one is my "professional" site, with "professional" blogging? Yea, I don't know and haven't figured it out, and my brain is tired from thinking about it.

But alas. Go HERE to see the prettiness, and comment on all my hard work :)

And if that hasn't won you over, it's snowing there. Beat that.

Honestly, am I the only person who bothered to read 'Hogwarts, a History'?

Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli

With all the Harry Potter books published and the fate of Harry’s known to the world, Harry Potter fans are relieved, nostalgic, and bittersweet about the lack of new Harry material. Sure, there is still one Potter film to be released, but come this fall, when the film’s six screens dwindle down to one, and only the ghosts of costumed fans pile on movie theater floors, Harry fans will be mourning the end of the era, the end of the last decade of their lives.

Part of the phenomenon of Harry Potter is due to the upsurge of the Internet over the last ten years, growing with Harry and his fans. The Internet is where fans came together to discuss theories, characters, “ships”, and their love for this series. Fan sites popped up all over, beginning as Angelfire and AOL user page dedications and resulting in award-winning online databases and news journals. One such page is The Leaky Cauldron. Webmistress Melissa Anelli found inspiration and solace in the Harry Potter series, and eventually took over The Leaky Cauldron with reputable Harry Potter sources, information, articles, and interviews. At the close of the ten year publishing reign of Harry Potter, she compiled her experience with Harry and his fans, and wrote Harry, A History.

For those familiar with Harry Potter, the name of the book should be enough to tell you what it’s about, but for those with lesser knowledge of the popular series, here’s a quick rundown and explanation. In the series, Hermione Granger consistently references a book entitled Hogwarts, A History whenever her friends (Harry and Ron Weasley) question a detail about their beloved school (Hogwarts). Harry, A History, then, would tell the history and tidbits about Harry Potter, but not the character of Harry (you’ll have to read the books for that), but rather the history of Harry, the phenomenon, and his legions of fans. Anelli’s book, through first-hand and secondary sources, describes what life was like for her, as webmistress of the most-popular series during it’s heyday, but also for it’s many fans. She describes the Internet culture and how it played its part in Harry’s upbringing, as well as the surge of Wizard Rock, Podcasts, the religious debate, the growth of popular Harry websites and shipping wars, etc. Further more and more personal, she details her reading experiences, how Harry helped her develop a close group of friends, and her personal journey to meet and inteview J.K. Rowling.

I really enjoyed this book. As a Harry Potter fiend, I grew up with the series and envy those who are reading Harry for the first time, as they are just discovering the magic that has so captivated me (and millions of others). When I read Harry over again, I still feel the way I did during my first ever reading, full of excitement and joy as I grew to love Harry and wait for my own Hogwarts letter. I recently mailed my sister the first book as a supplement to her Christmas gift, as she’s never read it and my mission is to spread Harry to any who have yet to love him as I do (this is also my mission with Hanson). Anelli’s book allowed me to go back to the beginning and enrich myself with more details of my favorite hero and experience Anelli’s journey with Harry, a different story than my own. When she met Jo, I was grinning broadly for her, excited with her. When she talked about the end of Harry and the emotional rollercoaster of Deathly Hallows (as well as the girl who read them after surviving Columbine), my own eyes swam with struggling tears. Sure there are some weaknesses, like repeating of information and an unsure target audience, but overall this book does what it intended to do: tell the story of one fan (and by default, many fans) and how Harry Potter changed her life.

For any fan, Harry, A History, is a great compliment to the series, to Harry, and to the fans.

http://www.harryahistory.com/

101/1001 #9

photos taken from Google Image Search, I do not own.

...Timing isn't my strong suit

The King’s Speech 
Directed by: Tom Hooper
Written by: David Seidler

On Christmas afternoon, my Grandmother suggested going to the movies as a way to kill the long hours and relax after the whirlwind holiday of relatives, Church, presents, and food. At first, she presented us with going to see Black Swan, which I really want to see, but perhaps not with my Grandmother, who would complain about it’s racy scenes and suspenseful nature. Since she had yet to even see the trailer for Black Swan, I gently suggested to her she probably would not like the film (I was right - she later saw the trailer and was glad we didn’t go). Instead, she suggested The King’s Speech, mainly because of it’s good reviews, historical setting, and casting of Colin Firth. Though it was Christmas, I was dead tired and not in the mood to see a high collar English film about a monarch, I went anyway, knowing I’d have to see it eventually (it’ll most likely be nominated for an Oscar and I do try to see all nominated films, though I’ve failed horrendously at this task in the past) and I pay better attention when it’s on the big screen. 

No surprises, it turned out to be a really good movie, and though it might not win Best Picture or Best Actor, it’ll definitely rack up some nominations (as it has for the Golden Globes - 8 I think). Colin Firth plays the late King George VI (Bertie to his family), Helena Bonham Carter plays his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and Geoffrey Rush plays Lionel Logue, the speech therapist who becomes a friend and cheerleader of the King. All three actors play their roles well, which can be expected of these three at this point (Carter impressed me the most, simply because she was not donned in crazy makeup with wild hair, and Tim Burton had nothing to do with this film... though Firth did well in making me believe he was the stuttering King rather than Mr Darcy). I was further surprised/excited to see Michael Gambon as King George V, but then, it wouldn’t be a British film without at least one actor from Harry Potter (this film had two - Gambon and Carter).

The film itself follows Bertie’s impromptu rise to his coronation as King, and his struggle with his speech deficiency (i.e. stutter). In a time of growing reliance on the radio to deliver news, broadcasts from the monarchs were important to inspire the citizens and represent their country. In America, Roosevelt and his “fireside chats” helped the nation rally behind him and believe in him during the crises at hand. Imagine, then, having to issue an inspiring speech over the radio when you have a stutter. This was Bertie’s problem, and the inciting incident that kicks him into finding a solution. Enter Lionel Logue, an out-of-the-box speech pathologist who not only helps Bertie, but also becomes a friend and one of his leading supporters. The chemistry between the two men is at the heart of the film, and it was enjoyable to watch Logue’s offbeat methods and personality clash with the soon-to-be-King’s.

Though the written idea of the film sounds just like any other Historical tale of the monarchy, it stands above the stiffness so often found in those films, and allows the humor and characters to shine through. Look out for it on your Oscar ballots. (101/1001 #13)

101/1001 Craziness and Mass Update

It’s been quite some time since I made the rounds of updates on my 101/1001. Don’t fret, dear reader, I have not completely forgotten about the promises I made myself, I just neglected to track them or blog about them.

For those of you diligent and detail-oriented folk, you will have noticed I changed some of the goals to reflect the current situation my life has brought me to, as I have also updated figures with progress. For instance, since I moved back to VA, it was no longer necessary for me to obtain a CA license and registration (and ended up saving me a pretty penny to fit my car to the CA smog regulations and inspections). So instead of cheating and simply marking them off, I altered them to things like “meet the year mark for being a vegetarian,” “Get My Masters in Secondary Education,” and my most ridiculous goal yet: “Watch my way through my DVD collection, in alphabetical order.” For those who don’t know, I have over 300 DVD’s, so this is a daunting task. I started it maybe two months ago, and have only just made it through the A’s... I have a long way to go, and some doozies to get through (Tell me, why do I own Crossroads, Bride Wars, and The Island?)

Rather than write a lengthy review of all the books, movies, restaurants, etc I’ve added to my list, here’s a general update after the break, with comments in red

Life Has An Uncanny Ability to Surprise You

I've now been back in Virginia, in my mother's house, for almost 8 months. While I love my mother dearly and am glad I could be there for her, I need to get out. Twenty-something's aren't supposed to enjoy living with their parents, especially those who have escaped for brief spurts and lived in the so-called Real World, fighting for their independence and snatching it with a cigarette-laden hand.

I miss my L.A. friends, and I miss my apartment, sparsely furnished and decorated in a mix of college and young sophisticate trying to escape the posters aligned with youth.

The thing is, I'm happier now... maybe not so much on the social aspect of life, as I'm still working on the "friends" bit... trying to find a sector of people that match my own nerdiness while keeping up appearances with high school friends I have long since lost common ground with... but happiness in the direction my life is headed. Looking back on LA and the multitude of jobs I had there (which I've been doing by rereading journal entries as "research" for my LA memoir), I was depressed 85% of the time I was there. Most of my jobs were disheartening, and for awhile there, my apartment surfing left me without any real connections or warmth of a home.

Since moving back, I have steadily changed course in terms of my career and life, and have been pursuing a career in Education. I'm about a year from my Masters, and have been working with kids nonstop, though jobs at an after-school care, two summer camps, and finally a Paraprofessional position (Teacher's Aide/Instructional Assistant are also titles that work), working with autistic kids at an elementary school, and while it is exhausting and can be difficult work, these kids make everything worth it. The next step now is moving out.

I read somewhere once that in the entertainment industry, you can't have a backup career option, as more than likely, that's where you'll end up... something about knowing there's a way out, a different choice allows you the freedom to give up... whereas if that's all you could ever want to do, you're stuck in it for the long run. I couldn't do it... I couldn't be constantly on the search for work and couldn't deal with the egos and fabrication of the city, of the industry, and so I fell back on my backup.

I don't regret anything about living in LA, about trying to "make it". If I'd never done it, I would have always regretted not going, not giving it a shot. People can tell you how difficult it is until they're blue in the face, but you won't find out, you won't believe them until you actually try it. So I did. And I'm not ashamed of failing, like I once was.

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well have not lived at all - in which case, you fail by default." - J.K. Rowling

I'm living proof, you never know where life will take you... what decisions will surprise you, how despite running from something out of fear, it has a way of catching up to you.

I'm still alive. 

Life has consisted of:
working, working, working
having wizard duels in invisibility cloaks
playing pokemon for the first time since yellow
watching Dexter and Six Feet Under and thereby falling in love with Michael C Hall
sweating
waiting for emails from those abroad
counting down the days until September
BS'ing my way through grad schoolwork
tumbling
having firebending battles (see video)
visiting Wilmy for the first time since graduation
VA Beach for the 4th of July and creating vegetarian food options at restaurants
loving new Hanson and 100 Monkeys albums
embracing my (inner) nerd

And I'm Too Scared to Know How I Feel About You Now

My birthday's coming up on Friday... the big 23 that's not quite old enough for a quarterlife crisis, but not young enough to be naive and youthful. It's early 20's still... the endbracket of rebellion and apathy, of throwing yourself into the wind and hoping you come out in one piece.

Hard to believe it's been almost a year since my big party (and arguably the best page party ever, but maybe because it wasn't truly a page party afterall), almost a year since I lived in Marty's room in West Hollywood, almost a year since I last saw him. And yet, he still has me so perplexed and angsty over something that never happened.

Maybe it's precisely because nothing ever happened, but the promise, the underlying tension and motive, was always there. Because he left before admitting his feelings, the coward's move that can be questioned why he brought it up at all if not to give me false hope and turn my fleeting attraction into something much more. Especially since at the time I was wrapped up in my lust after another, barely noting him on my radar until after he divulged his secret, that it "took him everything he had not to crush on me too hard".

It's been a year, and we've continued the flirtatious banter where it can never be told how much of the truth is intermingled in the words, or if they're just empty words after all. There's been a plea to run away and spend a year at sea, an invitation to join him traipsing about Europe, undelivered love letters, and a marriage proposal.

I got over most of this as time passed and I realized none of these promises were ever intended to be kept. I moved on to other boys and angsty crushes.

But then I moved home and began feeling lost and a little lonely. I'd left all my friends and ex-cohorts in LA and was restrained to old high school friends I'd long since lost regular contact with, and my Mother.  Not particularly good at meeting new people and missing the emotions - the feeling of emotions - that come with crushing and flirting with a guy.

The pictures of him, posed with a girl that looks exactly his type, nestled onto his chest, might be part of the cause of the angst lately as well. He's obviously moved on, and I'm still stuck with his random promising messages. Like how I should join him abroad (yea, right, because he really wants me to come when he's got some girl with him... empty invitation, that one is).

It also doesn't help that I went to Maymont the other day... Maymont is this park in Richmond that I've been going to since I was a kid... there's all sorts of gardens and fountains and animals... it's also one of the places I've considered for when I get married, and the place I had in mind when I told him, in response to his facebook marriage proposal, "I'm thinking a small wedding at a park back home in VA". So I took a picture of the Italian gardens, where they have chairs set up for weddings, uploaded it to facebook, and tagged him in it. His response? A smiley face along with the statement that he liked it, liked that I'd tagged him in my dream wedding scenario.

What a tease, and SUCH a guy.

I'm moving on this time, I promise.

Me, in 3's!

I saw this at You Had Me at Hello, and since 3 is my favorite number, and I love surveys, I HAD to do it, regardless of the fact that I wasn't tagged... :(

3 names I go by:
1. Rebecca
2. Becca
3. Becs

3 jobs I have had:
1. Page at CBS (working with audiences on shows like American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, The Price is Right, etc)
2. Assistant Production Coordinator, USR Content, Fox Digital Studio
3. After-School Counselor, Tuckahoe Family YMCA

3 places I have lived:
1. Los Angeles,CA
2. Wilmington, NC
3. Hatfield, England, UK

3 fave drinks:
1. Sweet Tea
2. Coffee
3. Dirty Martini

3 TV shows I watch:
1. The Office
2. Glee
3. Friday Night Lights

3 places I have been:
1. The UK
2. Europe - France, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany
3. America - highlights include New York, Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, Austin, Grand Canyon

3 places I would like to visit:
1. Greek Islands
2. Japan
3. Pacific Northwest

3 fave retro TV shows:
1. Friends
2. My So-Called Life
3. Old School Nick

3 fave dishes:
1. Dessert
2. Beans on Toast
3. Tacos (now with no meat!)

3 things I am looking forward to:
1. Graduating with my masters... in like 2 years... and getting a "real" job
2. the summer
3. seeing LA friends

3 people I am tagging:
1. Hither

2. Jen
3. Bree

It's Time for an Obligatory Hanson Post

Like seriously, how can you watch these and not fall in love with him/them?

They just reaffirm mine.

And the "Thinking About Something" video = love. One of my favorite videos. Of all time. Ever. 

But while we're on the subject of my favorites, can I just ask what the eff they're thinking, charging $800 for a "Platinum Package" of their upcoming album? $800! I mean, I get that it comes with the a dvd, documentary, photo book, double LP, demos, a silk screened poster, an owner's manual (wtf?), custom headphones, a custom record player, and a custom painting... oh, and the cd... but $800? I better be getting a customized Hanson with this too... preferably one that I create with Zac, but their kids/siblings will do if I can't. Or, a Hanson can come to my house and clean naked for me. For $800, I better be getting all that. The sad thing is, I want it. I wish I had that kind of money... but no, I owe that (and more) to the IRS for taxes this year and barely make that much in a month. So sorry, Hanson, I will not be shelling out a month's paycheck for your "platinum package". Hell, I won't even be swinging the $250 for the "gold package" without all the fancy smancy "custom" add-ons. But I won't be super cheap... I'll bust out the $25 for the cd/dvd combo instead of the boring $12 cd. Take that, Hanson.

Umm... and how can Hanson fans afford all this? I swear, there are so many expensive little "special events" and bonus add-ons to this and that, I'm surprised there are enough people left to spend that much on this band. I mean, sure, I shell out for shows each tour, but rarely do I make it to more than 1 per year (though this year I'm attempting a mini-tour of 4... we'll see)... there are some people that follow them the entire tour, that go on the "walk bus" that is a "fun way" to follow the band, that go on the Rock Boat, are members ($30 or so a year for too much time spent online), have all the merch, go to "fanclub exclusive events" that are usually held in Tulsa... how are they not bankrupt!? 

Anyway. Check out their 5 of 5 shows this week in New York, which they're streaming every night live at http://www.livestream.com/hansonmusic, starting at 7ish. Basically, they're playing one album, in its entirety and in order, each night, leading up to the last night, where they're premiering their new album. Pretty dope, actually.

And do you promise that if I die some embarrassing and boring death that you're gonna tell our daughter that her father was killed by Russian soldiers in this intense hand-to-hand combat in an attempt to save the lives of 850 Chechnyan orphans?

Away We Go

(Sam Mendes, 2009)

As usual, this came via netflix, and it took me a good month or two before I actually sat down and watched it. But I. LOVED. it. Though, to be fair, I shouldn't have expected anything less. It comes from the man behind American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, and Revolutionary Road... all of which I love. The quirky indie is definitely a step in a different direction from the dark dramas expected from the estranged husband of Kate Winslet... but one that worked out really, really well. And it could have gone horribly wrong, like when Michel Gondry made Be Kind, Rewind, which wasn't even that much of a stretch for him.

The story is basically, she's pregnant, and with his family's upcoming departure, the couple decides they can move wherever they want. They try out a handful of different cities where they have connections, and at each city they realize more of what they don't want and who they don't want to be as parents.

The dry humor is perfect, and Maya Rudolph and John Krasinksi are incredibly well suited together, and so my love affair for John Krasinksi began (only to be further deepened when I started "The Office" and discovered the brilliance of Jim). John's character is more subdued than his Office counterpart, and with a full beard and glasses he looks the part. All the characters - main and supporting - are hilarious, especially Maggie Gyllenhaal (who, I admit, I have a slight bias for since I really want to be a Gyllenhaal and part of that quirky family), whose hippie character with toddlers still breastfeeding and an aversion to strollers had me rolling.

It's written by Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) and wife Vendela Vida (Girls on the Verge), and the real-life couple write so well together, and create these full characters with moments that true to them... laughs that aren't just for laughs sake, but are part of the character, part of their story, part of their history.

One of my new favorites. Definitely.

13. Watch 26 movies I’ve never seen starting with each letter of the Alphabet

photos from google image search

I'm bAAAAAAAck

I bet you thought I'd disappeared into the abyss, lost in time via a black hole... but I'm back! It was a lovely jaunt, but I'm ready to start this back up again... because, truth be told, I may say that I'm incredibly busy, but I'm really not. I'm just apathetic most days, and can procrastinate the hell out of things.

So here's an update of how I've spent the last month (some of which I'll be expanding on in later posts... hopefully):

- Watching "The Office" start to finish (aka current episodes as they air on NBC Thursday nights... which, let me tell you, is not as gratifying having to wait a week after a week straight of nothing else). Basically, I'd only seen a few scattered episodes, but then I watched "Away We Go" and realized my (delayed) love for John Krasinski and decided to go for it. So I did. And am now obsessed and wearing a "Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure" t-shirt I got in the mail yesterday.

- Working not one but TWO jobs (again)... on the weekends I wait tables at Ruby Tuesday, and during the week I'm an after school counselor at the YMCA... now I have lots of interesting (well, considering) stories to add into my filing cabinet...

- Attending the University of Phoenix online Masters of Secondary Education program, so I can get my teach on in a few years, and actually make real money! (Yes, I understand the oxymoron, because everyone knows teachers don't make squat, yet sadly, it's more than I've ever made...)

- Catching up with family... in the same week, my maternal Grandfather had his 80th birthday, and my paternal Grandfather passed away... I've never really known anyone who died before, so for me to be there when he died was a huge thing for me, and I feel like it's part of the reason God brought me back to Virginia... RIP Dr. George Alexander Weimer Sr.

- Being surrounded by babies... I saw my 2 and 5 year old sister and brother for the first time in 2 years, my coworker at the Y is due next month, my coworker at Ruby's is 8 weeks along, Jim and Pam just had their baby on "The Office"... my uterus has started both glowing and hurting.

- During a pickup game of indoor soccer with the kids at the Y during spring break, 2 counselors v 7 kids, I fell (a lot) and ended up forming and bursting blisters on the balls of my feet and severely bruising both legs... on a family trip to Wintergreen for the 80th bday celebration, I had to hobble around with gauze wrapped around my feet and endure taunts of "blister girl" from my family... worth it though, since we won (and the kids had fun)

- went Vegetarian

- saw 100 monkeys play in Richmond... my first monkeys show outside of LA!

- missing my LA family :(

photo credit my Canon SLR, friends, and google search.

There and Back Again: Days Four through Six

Day Four

March 4, 2010

New Orleans, Louisiana  to  Lexington, South Carolina

10.75 hours of driving time

666 miles

5 states

I woke up, hungover from our jaunt on Bourbon St, with our second longest day ahead of us, but also our last full day of driving. I have family in South Carolina, who graciously had decided to let us crash with them for the night, so our nights in hotels were over. Day Four was the beginning of the end.

We spent the morning as we usually did, sleeping past our wake-up calls and lazily checking out of the hotel, taking quick driving tours through the hotspots of the city. We drove back down to Bourbon so we could see it in the daylight and through sobered (well, somewhat) eyes, then over to the French Market, where we ate beignets at Cafe du Monde while a homegrown New Orleans jazz group accompanied our dining experience (and gave me half off their cd because I'm just so charming).

Then Onward! Through the rest of Louisiana (which was mostly all bridges), Mississippi...

... where we stopped in Biloxi, searching for the mansion of Jefferson Davis but had no luck and backtracked to the freeway, where we crossed into Alabama...

... and had trouble (for the second time) finding food (the previous was the night before, in Lafayette), before finally switching back to me an hour or so outside Montgomery. Then crossed into Georgia...

And South Carolina... And that was it. We stopped once more for gas and coffee right as the gas station was closing, and then we were in Lexington, sleeping on my cousin's bed and chatting with my Aunt as we arrived shortly around midnight.

Day Five

March 5, 2010

Lexington, South Carolina  to  Raleigh, North Carolina

4 hours of driving time

237 miles

2 states

This time, our morning was spent meeting my cousin for lunch in downtown Columbia, and as Bestie and I had both been to the city before, there was no need for extensive sightseeing, and the final legs of There and Back Again began. We stopped once near Fayetteville for gas and a restroom break, then arrived at Bestie's house in Raleigh, North Carolina. We ate ate Moe's (it'd been so long for me, and I do love that restaurant), then went to Alice in Wonderland opening night. Then it was bedtime and goodbyes the next morning, as I parted to make the last stretch alone.

Day Six

March 6, 2010

Raleigh, North Carolina  to  Richmond, Virginia

3 hours of driving time

175 miles

2 states

This was a drive I was used to. Wilmington to Richmond is four hours, via I-40 West and I-95 North. If you keep going on 40, you hit Raleigh. So from the 40 East/ 95 N intersection, it was auto-pilot. And after five days of an average of 12 hours a day of driving, three hours was nothing.

And then I was home.

There and Back Again: Day Three

Day Three

March 3, 2010

Austin, Texas  to  New Orleans, Lousiana

9 hours of driving time

512 miles

2 states

Day Three began with a mini, self-guided tour of Austin. We took pictures with giant guitars, shopped in a London Underground themed music store, and strolled along South Congress (SoCo) while looking for vintage cowboy boots (where we got cornered and signed up for Greenpeace).

Best quote of Austin... while walking into CVS, an older black man (possibly homeless) sees Hither and starts to hit on her before seeing me... "Nubian Princess- oo white girl!"

Basically, I loved Austin.

We begrudgingly left the city shortly after Noon, and had another full day of driving ahead of us. When Cookie told us the story of when he drove across country by himself, he said the first two days were like "yea, I can do this," but by the third it's just like "fuck"... because Day 3 means you're right in the middle. To get back or forward, it's the same distance, and you're stuck. Day 3 on Roadtrip America 1.0 was Amarillo, Texas to Gallup, New Mexico (where Rachel's car broke down), which proved to be the biggest test for all of us then. Day 3 on There and Back Again (Roadtrip America 2.0) proved to be much less stressful.

Unlike 1.0, I'd agreed wholeheartedly to split the driving time whenever Bestie wanted it, so on Day 3, she was up. Which meant I could finally relax and ease the wearing tension in my arms, back, and shoulders. And neck. And legs. And pretty much my entire body. 

When we got to Louisiana, we almost missed the sign because it had toppled over into the brush. So Bestie went and tried to fix it. And then we got caught in LA-style traffic for an hour.

We finally rolled into our New Orleans hotel (Hotel le Cirque) a little after midnight (as per our usual), and, after paying $25 to park valet instead of on the street (where we were afraid our overloaded car might be an easy picking target), we called a cab and headed down to Bourbon St. Our stop was the Tropical Isle, the home of the hand grenade, the strongest drink on Bourbon (apparently, it's equivalent to 4.5 standard drinks). And mmm were they tasty!

We took pictures with the giant smoking hand grenade, Bestie got hit on by the door guy, and we took our drinks on the streets, where we hit a handful of other bars and clubs... where I took a test tube shot out of the waitress's mouth, Bestie rode a mechanical bull, and we split a Hurricane, another New Orleans staple drink, before walking the rest of the way back to the hotel, where the alcohol decided to finally hit me once I fell asleep.

There and Back Again: Day Two

Day Two

March 2, 2010

El Paso, Texas  to  Austin, Texas

10.5 hours of driving time

629 miles

1 state

Texas, Texas, Texas. Damn this state is huge.

We started our day still in El Paso, Texas, where we decided that fuck it, Mexico is only a short walk across the bridge, why not add it to our list of destinations we can cross off our bucket list? So we hit up an ATM, parked for $3, and took a hike across the border into the most violent city outside of a warzone, Cuidad Juarez (though we didn't know this at the time... lesson to be learned: google/wiki places before you go there, though it does take a way from the excitement).

Under Bestie's suggestion, we took a cab tour through the city, hitting all the hotspots including the bullfighting arena, the Cathedral, the monument of Juarez himself, and the market, where our tour guide/cab driver took us to his friend's liquor store where we were allowed to sample the tequila before we bought it. It was here I drank a worm.

While driving around, we noticed a ton of armed military patrolling the streets... like something you'd see in Iraq, or the bad parts of Africa. Not going to lie, it freaked us out a little bit. As did the catcalling we received everywhere we stopped. Oh, to be white/black females in Mexico.

After our short tour, we quickly headed back across the border (which our hotel desk clerk suggested we do), where we got stuck waiting at customs with all the Mexicans since Hither's a Zimbabwe native without a US passport. And the US citizen line was so short, too... Upon entering, the customs guy asked me why we were in Mexico, and after my reply of "just checking it out," he looked at me and strongly encouraged against doing so again. This, and the armed guards patrolling the streets, made us wiki the city. Whoops. But we lived through it, and what the hell is a roadtrip for if not living dangerously?

Following our excursion in Mexico, we hit the road again, with the destination of Austin. And what a long, boring day it was. The day was spent sans music for about 90%, fitting to the desolation of the journey. Hither slept on and off, and so I learned what it would've been like to make the drive alone. Quiet.

With a speed limit of 80mph, we had no more trouble with the cops, and sped through the empty, barren roads. The gas tank was filled frequently, as there weren't too many stops along I-10... maybe one an hour, and even then, there was hardly anything there.

But we made it to Austin, exhausted but excited about checking out the city the next day.

photo credit me, and for all photos, click here

There and Back Again: Day One

Day One

March 1, 2010

Los Angeles, California  to  El Paso, Texas

13.5 hours of driving time

821 miles

4 states

The day started with a quick oil change/tire check/general check to make sure my car would make the 3,000 mile trek across country, then off we started, around 10 to 10am. And what a long way we had.

We stopped first at the California-Arizona border, where we snapped pictures of the sign, then doubled back to get the California welcome sign, which we missed on the first cross-country roadtrip we did almost two years ago. It's a sneaky little devil. I guess California doesn't care that much... it knows it's there, and doesn't need any grandeur.

We stopped at a podunk town to turn around in, where Hither posed with a tractor and the general deserted nature of the town was only foreshadowing of our journey through Texas the next day.

Then Onward, through all of Arizona, where we stopped in Phoenix for gas, and then later where Hither posed with a cactus, and then we pushed through all of New Mexico. But it was mile 355 in Arizona where our trip almost ended.

The speed limit in Arizona is 75mph, but in the dark, desolate nights of empty roads and tired minds and eyes, it's easy to slip into the 80's and 90's, despite my best efforts at not speeding. It was one such moment when the bright blue and red lights started flashing behind me. The odd thing is, I'd had a weird feeling all day that I would be pulled over during this trip. There's just no way I could make two cross-country roadtrips without being pulled over at least once. The odds are just way too great. And so when those lights lit up behind me, I wasn't too surprised, though it didn't stop my heart from thumping a little too quickly.

I pulled over, scrambled to find my registration (which we never did find), and had my 8 year old license ready to present. The older gentleman of a cop came over to my rolled-down window and informed I was driving at a rate of 87mph, 12 over the legal limit. Whoops. I played dumb, looked super innocent, and dropped my southern accent in hopes that it would help. He then told me that in Arizona, they're forced to pull you at 6 over the limit, and that 10 over qualifies as a criminal offense, with over $1000 in fines and possible jail time.

Holy shit.

But the kind cop took pity, seeing my over-stocked car, Virginia plates (I never did get them changed), and weariness. He told me to slow down, be careful, and was on his way.

Thank God. I almost spent a night in jail, y'all!

Heart still thumping, I eased back on I-10 and kept to the speed limit through all of New Mexico and just past the border into Texas, where we rested the night in El Paso.

What a grueling day, and only the first of many.

photo credit me and my SLR and blackberry

The Old Me's Dead and Gone

Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve written (or read) anything in the blogosphere.

My bad.

To cover my ass, and make excuses… it’s been a busy few weeks. For those who don’t remember, I got laid off mid-January and lost incentive to enter the blog world everyday (mostly because I had other options when I was bored, like watch movies… no work to escape from). After that, cue a couple weeks of non-decision making before a marathon of “Grey’s Anatomy” taught me I already knew my decision, the back and forth was just fear.

I decided to leave Los Angeles, my home for almost the past two years, and return to the east coast, to Richmond, Virginia (or RVA if you’re into abbrevs), where I grew up and my family remains. This wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I won’t bore you with the back and forth anymore… read old entries if you’re that intrigued.

After the decision was made, Bestie made a trip to LA (one she’d already been planning before the lay-off), which consumed my blogging time (and computer) as we had movie marathons a la college days, ate dinner at our favorite LA restaurants (C&O Trattoria in Marina del Ray, with their scrumdiddliumptious garlic knots is a must), partied it up, etc.  The next week was the cross-country road trip (dubbed There and Back Again because I love Frodo Baggins).

Six long days later and I was back in Richmond (be looking for detailed postings about the trip in the coming days, hopefully), living with my Mom in her single bedroom apartment in the museum district, shuttling myself back and forth between her and my grandparents. I feel like a kid in a broken home again, keeping spare clothes in my car and my laptop in my purse.

I’m not sure if I made the right decision, if there even was a right decision. All I know is that it’s going to take some time to adjust, and I haven’t quite grasped this yet.