Archive for the 'Va-cay-cay-cay' Category

One-track mind

November 2, 2007 | Filed under: NaBloPoMo, Va-cay-cay-cay, Whoopdie Doo

“Let’s not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it.” ~Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

It takes a lot to get me excited. When most people are feeling that awesomeness of anticipation and can do nothing but wiggle around in their seats or stare at the ceiling all night long smiling, I’m curled up in the fetal position, thumb in mouth staring all night long at the ceiling muttering “Jesus, take me now.” I don’t know when I became so completely pessimistic and cynical about most every situation but I am. Instead of it being a cute quirk, it’s sad that I’m so rarely genuinely excited to the point where I can feel my heart beating whenever I think about an upcoming event. If I could put a finger on when this started happening I would probably say it became an incurable problem when I started feeling those bubbly feelings of excitement only to fall hard due to letdown later. So now I tend to go into most situations sullen and then getting warmed up to my new surroundings and adventures.

I woke up this morning at 5:10 AM for a 6:30 AM flight. I got yelled at by an 80 year old TSA attendee. It was freezing this morning and there were no spots at the airport. I kept thinking about a pair of pants I bought the other day that make me look stumpy and I busted a heel. But this morning, while waiting on the tarmac, I took out my Lonely Planet Guide to Paris. I haven’t had time to sit down and really think about next week because there were so many other things happening prior to that and all of my attention went to minor work crises and not thinking about how the Eiffel Tower lights up at night. Yet this morning, when I took out my book to find out the hours for the Lourve and yesterday when I went to look at the 10-day outlook for the weather in Paris, my heart did that thing. That thing where I can feel it beating and my body tenses up not in nervousness but with the giddy anticipation of an eight year old going to Disney World for the first time. I keep squeezing my hands into fists while bouncing up and down. I want to cover things in exclamation points and call people just to scream, “I’m going to Europe, bitches” I am so motherfucking excited right now. And it feels AWESOME.

Just short of perfect

October 8, 2007 | Filed under: Blogology, Fotografias, Va-cay-cay-cay, Whoopdie Doo, World Tour

“Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.” ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

I almost didn’t go to California because the stress that I’ve been under has turned all brain matter into something resembling lumpy brownie mix. Things have been sloshing around up there without respite or a sign of abatement. Thus my only recourse would be to say maybe next time I will come visit. Next time being some arbitrary moment when my bedroom doesn’t look like Riyadh or when I’ve had more than 37 seconds to think about something other than work. But there is always that ‘something’ because those things never go away, those constant irritants that are always there and lurking and prohibiting one from being able to fully enjoy their surroundings and be engaging.

I needed this trip. Right now, at this juncture in my life, I need to be full of clichés and trite phrases about loving things and people and those warm fuzzy thoughts that normally make me wretch. I must say that from the moment Abigail put together an itinerary knowing full well my love for food and wine and shopping, that this would be wonderful and it was. It was the simplicity of it all, a walk on the beach, a dinner with friends and the conversation that make me unable to put the ‘good’ into words. I can say that there isn’t one minute I’d change about this weekend. Not even the part where I ate three cupcakes from Sprinkles thus giving my thighs their own zip code.

Being completely unapologetic in my need to be complimented and told that I’m doing something well despite the neverending feelings of imperfection. There are times when I need to be told that my writing isn’t complete shit or that being in the midst of writing a book proposal doesn’t make people keel over from the possible vapid nature and ennui inducing shit I’m capable of writing. There are times when I need to feel inspired and to be around like-minded funny and smart people is a nice little jolt. Most importantly, there are times when I need to be told that my cleavage looks great and perfectly firm. Which, for the record, beats almost any compliment about my writing.

Nothing was ever wrong, but this trip made me feel better.

Come hither

September 3, 2007 | Filed under: Va-cay-cay-cay, Whoopdie Doo, World Tour

“My love waits there in San Francisco, above the blue and windy sea,
When I come home to you, San Francisco, your golden sun will shine for me.” - Frank Sinatra

I’ve always had a ‘thing’ for California. It’s so far away which gives it this allure that makes me sigh longingly when thinking of its vastness and all that it has to offer. Which is why, several years ago, I had the grand idea to go to graduate school at Berkeley, because the Bay area seemed so inviting with it’s rolling hilly streets and the water, oh, the water.

All weekend, California has been giving me this come hither look. Even when it was 102 degrees in Sacramento and I thought my face would melt off and sweat seeped through every item of clothing I had on. Even when BART took 479 hours and I fell on slippery west coast streets, I was at ease. There’s just something about this place that makes me want to wrap my arms around it and say “Ok, whatever you want, baby”. Possibly because of it’s unfamiliarity and the distance from anything I’ve ever known. For I am a straight up East coast, latte-drinking, liberal who likes the Cape and wears argyle and Ralph Lauren. Not a dot-com, meta working from home on my MacBook pro, creative type. But oh, the Bay area just has ‘It’. I’m not sure what ‘it’ is, but if the Bay area were to tell me to sit naked in a hot tub, I totally would do it.

I’m growing ever more acceptable to the notion of change and adapting to new surroundings and perhaps moving across the country would give me a new perspective on life or at least a good lesson in geography. And San Francisco, well now that you’ve made the first move, with your rampant kamikaze shots and fresh mint mojitos and wonderfully, pretty people, I suppose the ball is in my court. And it probably doesn’t help when I continue to hear Stacy’s voice saying, “Move here, you know you want to do it. Do it.” Alas there I still time and California, I am surely not done with you yet, but if you keep having the Bay area wink and smile slyly at me (surely not fooling anyone), then it is so on.

Excursions

August 30, 2007 | Filed under: Blogology, Va-cay-cay-cay, World Tour

“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted by routine.” ~Caskie Stinnett

Just to make it clear, NO, I do not have any intention of having children anytime in the near future. Those were just fleeting thoughts and it felt rather cathartic to get them out because they were just that, fleeting, with honesty to boot. Have I contemplated some of those things at length? Yes. I was brought up to embrace things like midwifery and decided on adoption after a drunken night alone watching an episode of 60 Minutes wherein the discussion was based on young African American babies not being adopted because they’re black. So I cried and decided right then and there that I would adopt. Random thoughts of midwifery and adoption do not a bun in the oven make. Thanks.

Besides, I’m enjoying my life right now. The ability to pack up and go somewhere at the drop of a hat based on my schedule and my finances that I don’t have to share with anyone else save for the people of Fidelity investments. Other than that I can come and go as I please. In fact, in approximately eight hours I am getting on a plane to San Francisco. Where I plan to play with Stacy and Leah and Simon and possibly don a jacket and scarf in August. Actually my only fear in going is that I’ll never want to return east. And guess what? Without children to be responsible for, I can. See how lovely this thing called independence is? I won’t stay of course, for it will soon be Fall. But I am sure to return because Holly won’t be there and I promised her that if she takes copious notes about Ecuador then I’ll come back to San Francisco. I think that’s a promise we are more than capable of living up to.

And while we’re at it, perhaps I will book a trip to Charles De Gaulle airport and then traipse around the City of Light for five days eating croissants and purchasing scarves from Hermes, because I can. So you see? I’m perfectly content being child free, as it gives me ample opportunity to practice my wine drinking skills across the globe. And what the hell, maybe I’ll go to Southern California and Chicago as well. I’m feeling wild like that.

Sweet escape (Now with BONUS video)

July 30, 2007 | Filed under: BlogHer, Humdrum, Va-cay-cay-cay

“No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one.” ~Elbert Hubbard

When I woke up yesterday morning I could have blown a .18. I have an incredibly sore throat and I’m just so overwhelmingly exhausted and in desperate need to just sit. So I promptly dropped my stuff off and ran away to the beach just for the day. Because the beach isn’t my office and requires very little brain power. In fact any brain power used today is in this post and it’s not even that intelligent.

In fact here is a photo of me being all intelligent like. Or perhaps telling the calamari story or maybe just really confused.

Like, Blogging? What the fuck is that? I’m here to drink and for the free Bliss products.

Oh and while I’m obsessing about how much Bliss I stole from The W, enjoy this bit from the lovely and incomparable, Sarah Whoorl.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sarah Whoorl from HeatherB and Vimeo.