SO....FL is awesome. I am getting paid to lay by the roof top pool and drink pina coladas...well we did do two shows yesterday...
We are in Punta Gorda. It is beautiful. Our hotel is swanky and posh. I feel like a sophisticated (spoiled lady). Its funny to think only a couple of weeks ago we were stranded on the side of the road in the snow. A day like today makes touring pretty darn desirable.
Much has happened since our little miracle Emma appeared. We had a couple of shows in Ohio, then headed back south to North Carolina. Did two shows at East Carolina University. Then headed to Spartanburg for a couple of days. Spartanburg was a treat because my Beau and two of my loveliest friends came to visit! I was also surprised by my friend Amy who came to the show! I am one lucky gal. We went to this Spartanburg dive called The Beacon. They are known for great food and this thing called the pig's dinner. It consists of about 20 scoops of icecream, piled high with pineapple and strawberry topping, covered (and I mean TOTALLY covered) in whipped cream. We ate this. It was awesome.
The time with my CLT friends and my beau was much needed and put an extra spring in my step. We got to Orange Park, FL Tuesday. I was in for another treat...my dear friend from high school lives in Jacksonville so we got together for a lovely dinner in her neighborhood. Oh so refreshing!
I drove us the 5 hours to Punta Gorda on Thursday. FL drivers are the worst. They either sit in the left lane going about 10 miles under the speed limit or pass you in the right lane going 100 mph. Sheesh. But we got to our swanky hotel safe and sound. Oh...we also all got our own rooms. The front desk made a mistake...too bad for us ;)
Yesterday was a productive day. We had two (very good) shows in the morning...I made an audition video for a theatre out in Washington State...edited it, sent it...sat poolside...gussied up for a Sarasota dinner adventure...ended up at the Daiquiri Deck in Siesta Key...reminded my of my sweet Grandma...fell asleep in the van on the way back. It was a good day.
Today consisted of NOTHING but lazing by the pool and getting (too much) sun. I feel great. Really.
West Palm Beach tomorrow...my life just SUCKS. :)
XO.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
life is beautiful.
I think my Pandora radio station can read my mind. It must be run by witches. Good ones.
Life is weird. One instant a baby is born screaming into this world. That same instant someone is born screaming into the next world. Some people work and work and work and get nothing. Some people do nothing and get everything. Existing can be so easy sometimes. Other times its a struggle to lift your head. We can be happy, sad, disgusted, warped, crazy, sick, joyous, pissed, tired, hungry, drunk, sober, annoyed, devastated, ugly, generous, in love, hateful, stupid, jealous, intimidated, inspired, uplifted, infatuated, self-conscious, confident, full of it, excited...any of it. Any moment. A million at a time. Why are some people sad? Why do some people live until they are 99 and others go before they get a chance to do a damn thing? The other day I saw a head line that said, "Afghan Civilian Deaths Double". I worry about my next job. Some people worry about stepping outside of their houses.
Music is good. Babies are good. Laughter is good. Spring is good. Flowers are good. Love is good. Art is good. Color is good. Hot showers are good. Cold beer is good. Making mistakes is good. Learning from them is better. Life is weird.
And beautiful. Each of us is living a play. It's the most important piece of art that we work on.
XO.
Life is weird. One instant a baby is born screaming into this world. That same instant someone is born screaming into the next world. Some people work and work and work and get nothing. Some people do nothing and get everything. Existing can be so easy sometimes. Other times its a struggle to lift your head. We can be happy, sad, disgusted, warped, crazy, sick, joyous, pissed, tired, hungry, drunk, sober, annoyed, devastated, ugly, generous, in love, hateful, stupid, jealous, intimidated, inspired, uplifted, infatuated, self-conscious, confident, full of it, excited...any of it. Any moment. A million at a time. Why are some people sad? Why do some people live until they are 99 and others go before they get a chance to do a damn thing? The other day I saw a head line that said, "Afghan Civilian Deaths Double". I worry about my next job. Some people worry about stepping outside of their houses.
Music is good. Babies are good. Laughter is good. Spring is good. Flowers are good. Love is good. Art is good. Color is good. Hot showers are good. Cold beer is good. Making mistakes is good. Learning from them is better. Life is weird.
XO.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Miss Emma
SO...
After a tearful goodbye, I started my drive to meet the gang in Elyria, OH. It was the last thing I wanted to do...leave all my sweeties behind. BUT, because mom and dad were both in IN they were able to bring Con to see my show today. I cried after they left. Some teacher saw me playing with Con after the show and asked if he was "mine". I told her that he was my nephew...but was thinking that I would claim him in an instant. I took him backstage to my dressing room to retrieve my keys to hand over to Noonie and Poopa, and on the walk he asked, "Caroloin, after you do your show...you come to my house?" (I am welling up right now! sheesh!) I had to take a little breath, shove down the lump in my throat and say, "Well Con, I have to go to some other places to do my show...but I am going to come and visit you as soon as I can." Priceless.
Whew.
Other things of note (Must change subject...to stop the tears...daaaaaang!):
Got my federal tax refund today
Bought a new bra. (mine are so ratty)
Ate Chik-fil-a
Got my roots touched up and a killer hair cut (Don't worry Mom ...it's still long...)
Skyped for the very first time
Oh...and my lil sissy got some BIG news (Congrats! AH!)
Off to NC tomorrow...closer to home...things are good in this world even though they aren't really. Babies are born everyday. They are all sweet, and pure and helpless. Isn't it kinda funny though that even though they're helpless...they will probably be the ones who end up helping us? hmmmm...
Oh I love her...and him....and lots of other folks too.
XOXOXOXOXOXO.
The last week as been IN-TEEEEEEEEEEENSE. I was last spotted in Memphis, I believe. Well, I suppose the last things I left you with were some pictures with cryptic descriptions...I am tired...bare with me. OK...So Memphis last Wednesday (the Orpheum was the BOMB fyi) and after my show I flew to IN to visit Melis, Cam and ConCon for a couple days before meeting my tour fam in OH. Meleese was 8 1/2 months preggo so I thought a little visit before things got crazy would be fun for all. I stayed with Con man Thurs. afternoon while Melis went to a routine Doctor's appt. She walked in the door and said, "Um...the Dr. said I could have this baby in the next 24 hours..." Welp...my little heart started ticking so fast it was like to burst from my chest. We both sprang into action...laundering baby clothes...changing sheets...packing hospital bags...putting together the baby bed...And oh yeah, she was having contractions this whole TIME. By the evening time her contractions were close enough together that she and Cam decided it was time to head to the hospital. WHAT?!?!?! I couldn't believe it. I had been joking with my tour fam about how I was gonna tell Melis to jump around and dump her little one out early...I had no idea my voodoo would really work...actually...now that I think about it...I did mess around with a voodoo doll on Beale street...hmmm. But, luckily I was there and was able to be the Con man's play thing for the next couple of days. After a fitful night's sleep (?) I got a call around 7:14 AM from a tired sounding Cam saying that Melis wanted me to come over to the hospital...that it was imminent! AH! I leapt from the bed, threw on yesterday's dirty clothes and started to brush my teeth when I heard the creak of a door knob and a sweet little voice say "Caro-loin?" I couldn't leave the poor little guy in a lurch, so I got him changed, snacked and T.Ved...handed the reigns over to Poopa and headed to the hospital. I walked into the delivery room to the sweetest sight my 25 year old eyes had ever seen. A tearful mommy and daddy staring at the smallest, most helpless, sweetest little lump of girly love I had ever seen...about 15 minutes old. It was love at first sight ya'll. I was 'bout to burst! I kissed my tired, glowing sister on the head and gawked at her and her sweetness for about 45 minutes, until some grandparents started arriving. I drove back filled with sleepiness and a lump of love in my chest and relayed my morning to my Dad (Poopa) and the Con man. Cam eventually picked Con up to go meet his new sister (Emma Lee Cook!). He was decked out in his "Big Bro" shirt, and he picked out his brown tennies to wear. I truly couldn't (and still can't) believe it actually happened while I was there...two weeks early for heaven's sake! Dad and I tag teamed the Conster until Sunday when the new addition came home to stay. The time I spent with Connor is and will be some of the most precious memories of my life. I love that little rascal more than I could even begin to describe. When the babe in arms came home I got to snuggle her almost all afternoon. IT. WAS. HEAVEN. I could have died in her little eyes. Those four days were priceless...I can't even think about either of those angels' faces without tearing up! OOOOOH! My mom even got in on Sunday, so I got to see her for a little while too.
After a tearful goodbye, I started my drive to meet the gang in Elyria, OH. It was the last thing I wanted to do...leave all my sweeties behind. BUT, because mom and dad were both in IN they were able to bring Con to see my show today. I cried after they left. Some teacher saw me playing with Con after the show and asked if he was "mine". I told her that he was my nephew...but was thinking that I would claim him in an instant. I took him backstage to my dressing room to retrieve my keys to hand over to Noonie and Poopa, and on the walk he asked, "Caroloin, after you do your show...you come to my house?" (I am welling up right now! sheesh!) I had to take a little breath, shove down the lump in my throat and say, "Well Con, I have to go to some other places to do my show...but I am going to come and visit you as soon as I can." Priceless.
Whew.
Other things of note (Must change subject...to stop the tears...daaaaaang!):
Got my federal tax refund today
Bought a new bra. (mine are so ratty)
Ate Chik-fil-a
Got my roots touched up and a killer hair cut (Don't worry Mom ...it's still long...)
Skyped for the very first time
Oh...and my lil sissy got some BIG news (Congrats! AH!)
Off to NC tomorrow...closer to home...things are good in this world even though they aren't really. Babies are born everyday. They are all sweet, and pure and helpless. Isn't it kinda funny though that even though they're helpless...they will probably be the ones who end up helping us? hmmmm...
Oh I love her...and him....and lots of other folks too.
XOXOXOXOXOXO.
Friday, April 9, 2010
What are the freakin odds?
My bedside table consists of two phones, a really loud alarm clock, my glasses, and a baby monitor...
I will tell you why tomorrow.
XO.
I will tell you why tomorrow.
XO.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Hog Heaven
So I had to report immediately about my BBQ adventure. Dad had told me about Rendezvous...this old school BBQ place he used to go to back when he was in grad school in Memphis. I actually happened upon it this afternoon and thought it looked pretty authentic. I rounded up the meat eaters in the tour gang and we headed there around 7:30. The entrance is off the street in this little alley, and it was packed! Tons of people waiting outside to get in...looked promising. The place was huge....almost a whole city block underneath the building. As soon as you walked in the meat smell hit you like a brick wall. My mouth was watering. Our waiter, I think his name was Arnold, had been slinging ribs there since 1973....SHEESH. Dad...we probably had the same waiter! I had the small portion of ribs, baked beans and slaw. I licked my plate and fingers clean. (Before and after pics below) We hit Memphis gold.XO.
I got the blues...
...Not really...just seemed fitting since I am writing from the birthplace of blues....Memphis, TN ya'll.
We have had quite the sit down here in the south. I mean...I am being worked to death. We have a total of....wait...wait...ONE show this week. And it isn't even until tomorrow at 10 AM. It's so hard to be me.
We got to Memphis on Friday evening, after a 10 hour long drive. I drove most of the day, subjecting my poor navigator to my erratic musical stylings. We were all pretty antsy after being cooped up all day so a Beale Street exploration was planned and carried out. I have to admit that Beale was a tad disappointing. I was expecting cool dive bars with old guys rasping over brass and rockin' jazz organs. Well...I did hear a couple of jazz organs... But Beale has been turned into a tourist trap with a capitol T. The street is all blocked off, so everyone is swaggering around with open containers of booze...some of them in strange plastic contraptions slung over the shoulder.
So yes...ticky tacky Beale. I decided to let go of my disappointment and dive head first into the mayhem. We (me and three of the gals...two more met us later) each bought an obscenely large beverage from an outdoor vendor and started walking in Memphis...(go ahead...sing the song...know you want to. It took me a good two days into our stay here to shake it outta my head.) We stopped at an outdoor music venue where some guys were wailing. They were really great actually. The best part about this pit stop were two little boys...maybe about 7 or 8 years old breaking it down! They were right in front of the bandstand and probably had more soul in their pinky finger than I do in my whole 25 year old body. One of them kept checking in with the crowd just to make sure we were watching...it was adorable. And impressive...sheesh. After a while of drooling over the little ones we headed back out onto the street. It wasn't long until two more of our ladies met up with us and we split up to cover more territory. Dawn, our lighting engineer, wanted to go to Coyote Ugly, so I decided to accompany her. Well...lets just say we ended up dancing on top of the bar. Don't ask me how...well actually it was pretty simple...we just hopped up there and started groovin. AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" was playing if I recall correctly. Now, my street drink was big but it wasn't that big so I was awkwardly aware of what I was doing...lets just say as SOON as the song was over I was ready to skedaddle. And we did, well...after we each took a picture on the bar :) We met the other ladies at a different dance club and shook it some more, this time on the dance floor like normal people... Our evening ended with a downpour as we trudged back home. My biggest worry was how my Des Moines boots would hold up in the rain! Woe is me... :)
Saturday was spent largely and delightfully in bed. I finally got up and around that afternoon for a Memphis walk. (I was walking in Memphis...) I stopped in a dive and got a surprisingly delicious cheeseburger and fries, stopped by Walgreens for some rubbing alcohol (dang fever blister), and then just generally enjoy the beautiful southern weather. That was also the afternoon that two inebriated gentleman cat called to me, "Happy Resurrection, Baby!". Only in the South... That evening all I really wanted to do was laze about and eat chocolate, but the gals convinced me to go out. Beale round two: This time I was somehow talked in to drinking (eating?) a jello concoction out of a huge syringe. It tasted like Robitussin. Gross. I bought a cool magnet though. I don't know if I've mentioned that...I have been collecting magnets from places of interest along the tour...so every time I look at my fridge I will see where I have been. We were romanced by some dudes outside of a little bar to come and listen to their band. It was a rock-a-billy group so we checked it out for a while...they were surprisingly good, despite that fact that they all looked like bankers or middle school teachers disguised by "funky" hats. We eventually ended up at the same dance club from the night before, but I didn't last long. Luckily one of the other ladies wasn't feeling it either, so we trekked home together.
Sunday: Happy Easter! I awoke and tried not to awaken my roomie as I got ready for church. One of the girls from the cast and I decided to check out a local church for the holiday. She got a recommendation from a friend and we took the big ol van (we are calling her Grace) about 20 minutes away to New Direction Christian Church. Well...I experienced many firsts that morning. I was definitely one of maybe 3 other white people on attendance and this place was HUGE. We walked in and the ushers had elaborate, tribal makeup on, all blue. "Odd choice for Easter Sunday", I thought. The sanctuary was filled with camera men, fancy theatrical lighting and a full set with a huge tree in the center. The choir came out and THEY. WERE. AMAZING. If you weren't filled with joy after hearing them wail then there was something very wrong with you. I had constant chills running down my legs. Breathtaking. Then the passion play started... "What is the theme for this passion play?" you ask. "Jesus is my Avatar." "Why, of course, naturally." you reply. That explains the freaky blue makeup. It was oh so special...in more ways than one. The pastor was great, so that (and the MUSIC) made for a lovely service...despite the avatars...I'm sorry...it was weird. Zurin (my cast mate) had warned me that the service was probably going to be longer than I was used to, and two hours later she was right. We giggled as we walked back to Grace thinking about the passion play, but I will admit...the members of that church aren't afraid to show their faith to anyone. Something we all should look into no matter where our passion lies. Once back at the hotel I hoofed it to meet some of the other ladies for Easter brunch. I met them at the most charming restaurant. It was an Inn as well, called the Phelan Hunt House. Gen. Grant had commandeered it during the Civil War for his headquarters while in Memphis. Its been restored and sits right in the midst of the city. It was a gorgeous day and the gals were sitting out on the back patio. It was very fancy, and VERY southern. The service was divine and the food even more so. I had eggs benedict with a mixed green salad, and a Kir Royale. It was like a mimosa, but with black currant liqueur instead of OJ. DELISH. After a three hour brunch (southern ladies taker their time) I decided I needed an Easter nap. Later, I did some reading outside and ate my Cadbury Creme Egg. I had bought it for myself the day before...my own little Easter goody.
Monday found me in the Cooper Young district of Memphis. Its a little artsy area...pretty sparse on a Monday unfortunately. Not much was open. I found a great vintage store filled with awesome dishware and furniture...luckily it was all too large to fit into my suitcase so it kept me from buying :) I met the other gals at a restaurant and guzzled some sweat tea then we all headed back to the hotel. It was then time to find a good place to hunker down to watch the NCAA tourney. Zurin came with me and we ended up at Huey's down on Union. I was wearing my navy blue tank top in honor of Butler. The game was so good...and so close...and so heartbreaking. I seriously got tears in my eyes when the final buzzer went. My older sister put it best "Sucks worse than a blow out". Ain't it the danged truth? But I have to admit, I was proud of myself for actually caring about a sporting event period. I also helped some Canadians cheat at bar trivia. The question was "What famous musician, and famous cartoon character both have a daughter named Lisa Marie?" DUH. The King and Homer. But these Canadians were struggling, and I wasn't playing, so I thought I would slip them a freebie...being foreigners and all. Zurin and I walked home, feeling a little blue about the dogs and sleep came soon.
Today has been pretty painless. Woke up, ate some leftover pizza, walked around downtown on a mission to find some ice cream. This website I follow (greenissexy.com) and my book mentioned how it was "green" to eat ice cream from a cone rather than a bowl. No plastic spoon or paper cup. So I decided it would be my green deed of the day to devour some creamy goodness. And devour I did. It was heavenly. Laundry was also on the agenda...which finally got done. Now my plan is to head to Rendezvous. Its a BBQ place suggested to me by my Daddio. I walked by it today and it looks perfect. You enter from an alley and its got the original rusty sign hanging above the door. Apparently they have the best ribs around...we shall see :)
Finally have a show in the morn. Only one at 10 AM...then I am headed to IN to visit my sister and her fam. SO. EXCITED.
XO.
We have had quite the sit down here in the south. I mean...I am being worked to death. We have a total of....wait...wait...ONE show this week. And it isn't even until tomorrow at 10 AM. It's so hard to be me.
We got to Memphis on Friday evening, after a 10 hour long drive. I drove most of the day, subjecting my poor navigator to my erratic musical stylings. We were all pretty antsy after being cooped up all day so a Beale Street exploration was planned and carried out. I have to admit that Beale was a tad disappointing. I was expecting cool dive bars with old guys rasping over brass and rockin' jazz organs. Well...I did hear a couple of jazz organs... But Beale has been turned into a tourist trap with a capitol T. The street is all blocked off, so everyone is swaggering around with open containers of booze...some of them in strange plastic contraptions slung over the shoulder.
So yes...ticky tacky Beale. I decided to let go of my disappointment and dive head first into the mayhem. We (me and three of the gals...two more met us later) each bought an obscenely large beverage from an outdoor vendor and started walking in Memphis...(go ahead...sing the song...know you want to. It took me a good two days into our stay here to shake it outta my head.) We stopped at an outdoor music venue where some guys were wailing. They were really great actually. The best part about this pit stop were two little boys...maybe about 7 or 8 years old breaking it down! They were right in front of the bandstand and probably had more soul in their pinky finger than I do in my whole 25 year old body. One of them kept checking in with the crowd just to make sure we were watching...it was adorable. And impressive...sheesh. After a while of drooling over the little ones we headed back out onto the street. It wasn't long until two more of our ladies met up with us and we split up to cover more territory. Dawn, our lighting engineer, wanted to go to Coyote Ugly, so I decided to accompany her. Well...lets just say we ended up dancing on top of the bar. Don't ask me how...well actually it was pretty simple...we just hopped up there and started groovin. AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" was playing if I recall correctly. Now, my street drink was big but it wasn't that big so I was awkwardly aware of what I was doing...lets just say as SOON as the song was over I was ready to skedaddle. And we did, well...after we each took a picture on the bar :) We met the other ladies at a different dance club and shook it some more, this time on the dance floor like normal people... Our evening ended with a downpour as we trudged back home. My biggest worry was how my Des Moines boots would hold up in the rain! Woe is me... :)
Saturday was spent largely and delightfully in bed. I finally got up and around that afternoon for a Memphis walk. (I was walking in Memphis...) I stopped in a dive and got a surprisingly delicious cheeseburger and fries, stopped by Walgreens for some rubbing alcohol (dang fever blister), and then just generally enjoy the beautiful southern weather. That was also the afternoon that two inebriated gentleman cat called to me, "Happy Resurrection, Baby!". Only in the South... That evening all I really wanted to do was laze about and eat chocolate, but the gals convinced me to go out. Beale round two: This time I was somehow talked in to drinking (eating?) a jello concoction out of a huge syringe. It tasted like Robitussin. Gross. I bought a cool magnet though. I don't know if I've mentioned that...I have been collecting magnets from places of interest along the tour...so every time I look at my fridge I will see where I have been. We were romanced by some dudes outside of a little bar to come and listen to their band. It was a rock-a-billy group so we checked it out for a while...they were surprisingly good, despite that fact that they all looked like bankers or middle school teachers disguised by "funky" hats. We eventually ended up at the same dance club from the night before, but I didn't last long. Luckily one of the other ladies wasn't feeling it either, so we trekked home together.
Sunday: Happy Easter! I awoke and tried not to awaken my roomie as I got ready for church. One of the girls from the cast and I decided to check out a local church for the holiday. She got a recommendation from a friend and we took the big ol van (we are calling her Grace) about 20 minutes away to New Direction Christian Church. Well...I experienced many firsts that morning. I was definitely one of maybe 3 other white people on attendance and this place was HUGE. We walked in and the ushers had elaborate, tribal makeup on, all blue. "Odd choice for Easter Sunday", I thought. The sanctuary was filled with camera men, fancy theatrical lighting and a full set with a huge tree in the center. The choir came out and THEY. WERE. AMAZING. If you weren't filled with joy after hearing them wail then there was something very wrong with you. I had constant chills running down my legs. Breathtaking. Then the passion play started... "What is the theme for this passion play?" you ask. "Jesus is my Avatar." "Why, of course, naturally." you reply. That explains the freaky blue makeup. It was oh so special...in more ways than one. The pastor was great, so that (and the MUSIC) made for a lovely service...despite the avatars...I'm sorry...it was weird. Zurin (my cast mate) had warned me that the service was probably going to be longer than I was used to, and two hours later she was right. We giggled as we walked back to Grace thinking about the passion play, but I will admit...the members of that church aren't afraid to show their faith to anyone. Something we all should look into no matter where our passion lies. Once back at the hotel I hoofed it to meet some of the other ladies for Easter brunch. I met them at the most charming restaurant. It was an Inn as well, called the Phelan Hunt House. Gen. Grant had commandeered it during the Civil War for his headquarters while in Memphis. Its been restored and sits right in the midst of the city. It was a gorgeous day and the gals were sitting out on the back patio. It was very fancy, and VERY southern. The service was divine and the food even more so. I had eggs benedict with a mixed green salad, and a Kir Royale. It was like a mimosa, but with black currant liqueur instead of OJ. DELISH. After a three hour brunch (southern ladies taker their time) I decided I needed an Easter nap. Later, I did some reading outside and ate my Cadbury Creme Egg. I had bought it for myself the day before...my own little Easter goody.
Monday found me in the Cooper Young district of Memphis. Its a little artsy area...pretty sparse on a Monday unfortunately. Not much was open. I found a great vintage store filled with awesome dishware and furniture...luckily it was all too large to fit into my suitcase so it kept me from buying :) I met the other gals at a restaurant and guzzled some sweat tea then we all headed back to the hotel. It was then time to find a good place to hunker down to watch the NCAA tourney. Zurin came with me and we ended up at Huey's down on Union. I was wearing my navy blue tank top in honor of Butler. The game was so good...and so close...and so heartbreaking. I seriously got tears in my eyes when the final buzzer went. My older sister put it best "Sucks worse than a blow out". Ain't it the danged truth? But I have to admit, I was proud of myself for actually caring about a sporting event period. I also helped some Canadians cheat at bar trivia. The question was "What famous musician, and famous cartoon character both have a daughter named Lisa Marie?" DUH. The King and Homer. But these Canadians were struggling, and I wasn't playing, so I thought I would slip them a freebie...being foreigners and all. Zurin and I walked home, feeling a little blue about the dogs and sleep came soon.
Today has been pretty painless. Woke up, ate some leftover pizza, walked around downtown on a mission to find some ice cream. This website I follow (greenissexy.com) and my book mentioned how it was "green" to eat ice cream from a cone rather than a bowl. No plastic spoon or paper cup. So I decided it would be my green deed of the day to devour some creamy goodness. And devour I did. It was heavenly. Laundry was also on the agenda...which finally got done. Now my plan is to head to Rendezvous. Its a BBQ place suggested to me by my Daddio. I walked by it today and it looks perfect. You enter from an alley and its got the original rusty sign hanging above the door. Apparently they have the best ribs around...we shall see :)
Finally have a show in the morn. Only one at 10 AM...then I am headed to IN to visit my sister and her fam. SO. EXCITED.
XO.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
I don't wanna...
I am being dragged (not too hard) to Beale street.
I wanna write.
And pout.
I am uninspired and whiney.
Butler won...that was the highlight of my day...who am I?
"Happy resurrection baby!", hollered two drunk men on the streets of Memphis this afternoon. At me.
I win.
XO.
I wanna write.
And pout.
I am uninspired and whiney.
Butler won...that was the highlight of my day...who am I?
"Happy resurrection baby!", hollered two drunk men on the streets of Memphis this afternoon. At me.
I win.
XO.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
There's no place like home...or KANSAS!
Today finds me in Junction City, KS.
We drove a lengthy 100 miles today...rough day :) and got to our hotel around noon. Our rooms weren't ready so we had some time to kill. It was a gorgeous day, so I headed out to the courtyard to soak up some rays. There was a big concrete slab surrounded by some grass so I just laid my little self right down. We were eventually let into our rooms so I dropped my bags then headed to a nearby subway to grab a sammie. Then it was bathing suit time! I went back out to my concrete slab and ate and soaked and "sweated" and smiled. The high here in Junction City was 85 degrees...and it felt like it. Oh! I forgot to mention my favorite purchase of the day! The subway was in a Wal-Mart (classy) so I decided to get some things for breakfast since this hotel doesn't have a free one...and I happened by the chip aisle and saw that sunchips had a new, very loud crinkly bag. WELL...it just so happens to be made out of PLANTS and its COMPOSTABLE! How cool! I mean...I can't really compost in the van, but I bought them anyway. GO SUNCHIPS! And the new garden salsa flavor is delish by the way. SO I munched my chips out of their eco friendly bag and continued sunning. I was in hog heaven. It truly felt like spring had sprung! I stayed out until about 5:30...took a quick dip in the pool to cool off, then cleaned myself up for a brief company meeting at 7 PM. A couple of us decided to go out to dinner. I have a confession to make: I had half of my subway sandwich still in the hotel room, could have totally eaten that for dinner, BUT I had showered and put on a cute new sundress and my new boots to show off my new tan (well...its a little more burn than tan...) so I wanted to go priss around and look cute. There. I said it, ok? Whew...I feel better :)
We drove to nearby Manhattan, KS and went to a little burger joint on the outskirts of Kansas State University. Good service and good food. By the time dinner was over I. was. POOPED. The sun sure had drained me...it's actually taken me forever to slam this one out...I keep closing my eyes. But its that good "I have been at the beach all day" kind of tired.
Now I leave you with Chapter One : The Cyclone
Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar--except a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.
When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.
When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child's laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy's merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at.
Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was. He was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke.
It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings. Toto was not gray; he was a little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose. Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly.
Today, however, they were not playing. Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked anxiously at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. Dorothy stood in the door with Toto in her arms, and looked at the sky too. Aunt Em was washing the dishes.
From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction also.
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.
"There's a cyclone coming, Em," he called to his wife. "I'll go look after the stock." Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept.
Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the door. One glance told her of the danger close at hand.
"Quick, Dorothy!" she screamed. "Run for the cellar!"
Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor.
Then a strange thing happened.
The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center of the cyclone. In the middle of a cyclone the air is generally still, but the great pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cyclone; and there it remained and was carried miles and miles away as easily as you could carry a feather.
It was very dark, and the wind howled horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was riding quite easily. After the first few whirls around, and one other time when the house tipped badly, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle.
Toto did not like it. He ran about the room, now here, now there, barking loudly; but Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen.
Once Toto got too near the open trap door, and fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him. But soon she saw one of his ears sticking up through the hole, for the strong pressure of the air was keeping him up so that he could not fall. She crept to the hole, caught Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again, afterward closing the trap door so that no more accidents could happen.
Hour after hour passed away, and slowly Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite lonely, and the wind shrieked so loudly all about her that she nearly became deaf. At first she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again; but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring. At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her.
In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
XO.
We drove a lengthy 100 miles today...rough day :) and got to our hotel around noon. Our rooms weren't ready so we had some time to kill. It was a gorgeous day, so I headed out to the courtyard to soak up some rays. There was a big concrete slab surrounded by some grass so I just laid my little self right down. We were eventually let into our rooms so I dropped my bags then headed to a nearby subway to grab a sammie. Then it was bathing suit time! I went back out to my concrete slab and ate and soaked and "sweated" and smiled. The high here in Junction City was 85 degrees...and it felt like it. Oh! I forgot to mention my favorite purchase of the day! The subway was in a Wal-Mart (classy) so I decided to get some things for breakfast since this hotel doesn't have a free one...and I happened by the chip aisle and saw that sunchips had a new, very loud crinkly bag. WELL...it just so happens to be made out of PLANTS and its COMPOSTABLE! How cool! I mean...I can't really compost in the van, but I bought them anyway. GO SUNCHIPS! And the new garden salsa flavor is delish by the way. SO I munched my chips out of their eco friendly bag and continued sunning. I was in hog heaven. It truly felt like spring had sprung! I stayed out until about 5:30...took a quick dip in the pool to cool off, then cleaned myself up for a brief company meeting at 7 PM. A couple of us decided to go out to dinner. I have a confession to make: I had half of my subway sandwich still in the hotel room, could have totally eaten that for dinner, BUT I had showered and put on a cute new sundress and my new boots to show off my new tan (well...its a little more burn than tan...) so I wanted to go priss around and look cute. There. I said it, ok? Whew...I feel better :)
We drove to nearby Manhattan, KS and went to a little burger joint on the outskirts of Kansas State University. Good service and good food. By the time dinner was over I. was. POOPED. The sun sure had drained me...it's actually taken me forever to slam this one out...I keep closing my eyes. But its that good "I have been at the beach all day" kind of tired.
Now I leave you with Chapter One : The Cyclone
Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar--except a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.
When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.
When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child's laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy's merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at.
Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night and did not know what joy was. He was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn, and rarely spoke.
It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh, and saved her from growing as gray as her other surroundings. Toto was not gray; he was a little black dog, with long silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose. Toto played all day long, and Dorothy played with him, and loved him dearly.
Today, however, they were not playing. Uncle Henry sat upon the doorstep and looked anxiously at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. Dorothy stood in the door with Toto in her arms, and looked at the sky too. Aunt Em was washing the dishes.
From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction also.
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up.
"There's a cyclone coming, Em," he called to his wife. "I'll go look after the stock." Then he ran toward the sheds where the cows and horses were kept.
Aunt Em dropped her work and came to the door. One glance told her of the danger close at hand.
"Quick, Dorothy!" she screamed. "Run for the cellar!"
Toto jumped out of Dorothy's arms and hid under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into the small, dark hole. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt. When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor.
Then a strange thing happened.
The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center of the cyclone. In the middle of a cyclone the air is generally still, but the great pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cyclone; and there it remained and was carried miles and miles away as easily as you could carry a feather.
It was very dark, and the wind howled horribly around her, but Dorothy found she was riding quite easily. After the first few whirls around, and one other time when the house tipped badly, she felt as if she were being rocked gently, like a baby in a cradle.
Toto did not like it. He ran about the room, now here, now there, barking loudly; but Dorothy sat quite still on the floor and waited to see what would happen.
Once Toto got too near the open trap door, and fell in; and at first the little girl thought she had lost him. But soon she saw one of his ears sticking up through the hole, for the strong pressure of the air was keeping him up so that he could not fall. She crept to the hole, caught Toto by the ear, and dragged him into the room again, afterward closing the trap door so that no more accidents could happen.
Hour after hour passed away, and slowly Dorothy got over her fright; but she felt quite lonely, and the wind shrieked so loudly all about her that she nearly became deaf. At first she had wondered if she would be dashed to pieces when the house fell again; but as the hours passed and nothing terrible happened, she stopped worrying and resolved to wait calmly and see what the future would bring. At last she crawled over the swaying floor to her bed, and lay down upon it; and Toto followed and lay down beside her.
In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.
XO.
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