Category Archives: Travel

Giving Props

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It’s a brand new day! Today I’ve been feeling the love and reveling in the fact that I have witnessed and took part in history. I’m still in a bit of shock.

Amidst the joy and hope, I am however saddened that Prop 8 – banning California gays to marry – passed. It’s funny to think that California is ready for a Black president, but aren’t ready for gay people to marry. It bothers me for many reasons, including the fact that my own sister now has to wait to see how things turn out. I also have friends that will be directly impacted by this. Yes, this awful and unfair proposition will be fought in the courts and I hope that it gets overturned in a timely manner. In the meantime, it’s strange to think that California is still intolerant enough to pass an actual civil rights ban and prohibit people who love each other from legally sharing their lives together. I guess I can take solace in the fact that it was nearly a 50% split, meaning that only half the state are bigots.

My joy turns to sadness turns to happiness as I’ve also found out that Prop 2 passed, which means factory farm animals must now be confined HUMANELY allowing them to move about freely in their cages. As a long time vegetarian (almost vegan) this is something I’ve wished for – for a long time. No more being squished together, no more being unable to move to the point that their little legs atrophy. This is a phenomenal step in the right direction towards animals rights. At the moment, nothing can be done about how the animals are killed, but knowing that their short lives are made just a little better gives me hope. It says something about us as a society, how we treat our animals. It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad. Animals suffer so very much on their way to your table, it’s time we finally give them the respect they deserve. It would be better if you didn’t eat them at all, but whatever…you make your own choice. I’ve made mine and I stick by it now 17 years.

This adds a new level of confusion. Animals now have more rights than gays. How does that compute? It boggles the mind, but it does show some form of progress and I’m happy for that. Prop 8 must be overturned. It has to.

Hooray for Obama, boo for Prop 8, and yay for Prop 2. Wow. People are taking baby steps, but I feel like we’re on our way. I feel confident that things will only get better from here. Perhaps once the Obama high wears off, I’ll return my normal, cynical self. Until then, I’m rather cheerful and optimistic.

Yes We Did!

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Barack Obama was just announced as The President. We are overjoyed! I can’t tell you how amazing this feels. I am at a loss for words. In this historic moment, I am so thrilled to have been a part of it. This changes everything. Prepare yourself for a new world.

I grew up hearing stories about historic moments and people saying they remembered where they were when certain things happened. I will always remember that today, AJB and I started early. I didn’t want to wake up, but I began to think about Barack and how on the day his beloved Grandmother died, he got up and rallied for the win. If he could do it, I could. Sure, I complained a little, but once I got my coffee, I was good. Today was an easy day. AJB did most of the walking and he walked his ass off. I drove and did some, but today, I was at my end. After 4 days in Vegas, I felt like we’d done all we could and was ready to take a nap and watch CNN. We quit around noon and came back to the hotel. Our eyes glued to the TV, fretting that perhaps we could have done more. Did we do enough?

There was also the added bonus of feeling shunned by the lead Vegas Obama group. Last night, they asked us to show up, but once we got there, they didn’t need or want our help. Their main staffer, Nick, apparently has some sort of hero-complex. Can’t talk, saving the world, he seemed to say when he couldn’t be bothered to look up from his laptop. Even though we’ve been here since Friday night, we never really stuck with one group long enough to grow a relationship. That being the case, with every new group, they got the impression we’d just showed up and we were made to feel like lightweights. It just didn’t feel like we were appreciated for our hard work and sacrifice. It wasn’t a nice feeling and we were really bummed out about it. We talked ourselves up and told ourselves that even though the Obamateers didn’t give us a ticker-tape parade, we knew what we did here and how hard we tried. It made us feel marginally better.

The truth is, we don’t need a ticker tape parade or heavy accolades, but some thanks would have been nice. And then, after stressing out all day, Obama was elected president and McCain conceded. All at once, none of that mattered and everything we dreamed about, the walking, the calls, the nagging, it all paid off. I am overwhelmed with emotion and can hardly believe that we made it. It’s thrilling and scary all at the same time. Now what? We watched Obama greet the nation as our new Commander-in-Chief and it felt like a dream. Could it be that this country has finally woken up and in my life time, we’ve dared to dream, we worked for this, we all came together, and we made it happen? Wow. Yes, we did.

I’ve already written a lot, but I feel like I should say more. I can’t think of what else to say. This is it. It’s all over, but it’s only just begun. I imagine my new friend Stephanie and her son were celebrating like AJB and I were. What a happy day. I really think this country is ready to move forward.

I should also point out that I am so terribly proud of the awesome effort made by AJB. He has been dedicated the entire time, never wavering, giving his all, worrying, loving Obama more than me, checking the polls before breakfast, and hoping for a better country for his children to live in. I am so proud of him and I am honored to be here with him. Without him, this trip to Vegas wouldn’t be possible and I wouldn’t have been able to invest this level of commitment to the campaign. And this was a great learning experience for us both and I look forward to doing more of this kind of work in the future. I know now what to expect and with AJB by my side, I know it’s possible. I kind of feel like anything is possible now. The future is so bright, I gotta wear shades. Will Wheaton said today that he feels like he got his country back. It feels true and right.

Heading? Second star to the right and straight on til morning.

Day Three: Phone Banking

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Day Three in Nevada. Last night I got a small reminder that I’m actually in a Las Vegas hotel. I lost 12 dollars on nickle slots and we had dinner in a fancy Chinese restaurant at Mandalay Bay. And then I crashed. Total and utter crash. Sleep. Zonk.

This morning, I awoke more tired than I’ve been in a long time. Not really feeling like going out again, I slumped over on the hotel room couch and waited to see if I could get up enough inertia. And then AJB and I talked a bit. This isn’t a vacation. He’s also got work to do and we decided that we’d stay in this morning, he’d work and I’d do some phone banking. Excellent idea.

Now, I’ve never done phone banking, so I was a little hesitant and nervous. Here’s how it works: You visit my.barackobama.com and set up an account. All the information you need is right there in an easy to use format. They give you a list of people to call along with a short script. It takes a few calls to get the hang of it, but once you do, it’s actually really easy. Not to mention, since it’s Monday, most people are at work and all you do is leave a quick message. You can use their script or make up your own. I chose to inform voters about the importance of this election and let them know they need to get out there, but also to be prepared for the long lines and take a book, water, and a folding chair. I think it went pretty well and I feel pretty good about it. I got 40 calls done.

So, if you want to help, phone banking is the easiest way to get the message across. It takes very little time. You do as much or as little as you can. You’ll pay the phone bill next month, but it’s the least you can do to help get Obama into office. If we all pull together, we can do it, we can really move this country into a new and brighter future. Can you imagine? Living in a country where government actually cares about it’s people and provides the fundamental assistance we all require? School, health care, care for the environment, etc? No, it won’t all get better overnight and the truth is, Obama is just a start. I honestly believe that it takes more than electing one man into office. Like during WWII, we all have to work together and make this country better. We won’t have it handed to us and she shouldn’t expect that. We’re Americans. We’re all about the “can do” attitude. We invented the phrase “git er dun”. So let’s do it! Git er dun!

AJB and I will be heading back out to help however we can this afternoon. If it means hitting the streets again or filing papers. Whatever it takes. Tomorrow’s the big day. There is also a chance we’ll be hanging door signs at 6am and then hanging out at the polls to make sure people stay in line. Apparently, the lines are going to be outrageous this year. Nevada is a tough state and has the lowest percentage of volunteerism in the country – which makes sense considering Las Vegas is a town fueled by greed, decadence, and selfishness. They need all the help they can get.

I just heard that Barack’s grandma died today. I can’t tell you how sad this makes me. I’ve lost several grandparents in recent years and I know how hard it is. To lose someone so important on the eve of the election. I mean, wow. It’s so heartbreaking. Just a day away from winning the election (’cause he will, you know). I’d heard that she was sick and I hoped she would make it so see him elected. I don’t think anyone from the Obama campaign reads this, but I would like to express my deep sorrow and condolences for the family. Perhaps Grandma is watching over him now. He’s speaking tonight. How hard must it be to keep going on after a tragedy like this? My thoughts are with the Obama family today.

Canvassing: Day Two

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We started a little later today than yesterday. We lagged. No Obama rally. We also had to switch rooms…not sure why. We got to our canvassing coordination place around noon. I think. We got our orders and headed out to our neighborhood. Once we got there, we were immediately made aware that this neighborhood wasn’t as well off as the one we had yesterday. In fact, not at all well off. This was the kind of neighborhood where you would likely see a car parked in the front yard hoisted up by cinder blocks. Here we found a diverse community of various ethnicities. The common threads were uncared for yards, dilapidated (but modest) homes, bars on the windows and doors, gates guarding the front door, no doorbells, and 9 out of 10 “Beware of Dog” signs. Yet everyone had dogs. Big dogs, little dogs, all barking like mad.

Today was really depressing. Depressing because not only did this neighborhood remind me of where I grew up, but the people there were really bad off. They’re all just trying to survive and hardly any of them are living. One house we stopped at, a friendly old man opened the door and asked us in. It was obvious he had some form of Alzheimer’s disease, totally unaware that you’re not supposed to invite strangers into the house. A youngish woman came to the door and asked the old man to step aside. A couple of rug rats ran to the door. This woman looked overwhelmed and you could read it in her eyes. Her husband, the name on our list, was at work and here she was caring for a forgetful old father and two rambunctious kids. She said it wasn’t a good time and asked us to come back later.

At another house, a withdrawn, stalker-type answered the door and said nary a word. We attempted to talk to him and at least find out if he was voting and for whom. Nothing. OK. So we started back down the drive way. “You thirtsy?”, he said as we walked. We didn’t quite hear him, so he said it again, asking us if we wanted to come in and get something to drink. RUN AWAY!!! “No thanks,” we replied and headed out. This sounds funnier than it was. He was actually really creepy and I dare not think about what might have happened if I’d gone alone. I might not be here writing this. Seriously. AJB and I joked that he had a gimp in the back room or girls tied up in his bedroom, but you know what? You never know about people and he totally had that vibe about him. Shudder.

One guy opened the door and chastised us for interrupting him during the football game. When he saw our Obama pins, he slammed the door. Several other houses slammed their doors in our faces. At a nice looking and well kept home, their 3 dogs started barking at us and began brawling with one another. We could hear the owner shouting at them until he finally came over, kicked one of the dogs really hard in the side and beat him with BBQ tongs. Then he walked away. The girl on our list, came out, told us she was voting for Obama and we left. I couldn’t wait to leave. What an asshole. If you know anything about me, it’s that I absolutely hate animal abusers. Poorly trained dogs should not be mistreated for their owner’s shortcomings. In fact, unruly dogs are a direct result of no training and abuse. I wished I’d kept their address so I could call Animal Control and report him. Fucker.

Roger, a 60-something man talked to us, but hadn’t voted since the 60′s. When we asked him how he thought government could do better, he said he didn’t care. We investigated further and asked him what he cared about. Nothing. He’d managed to take care of himself all those years, never got sick, and didn’t need government. He just didn’t care, he said. He wouldn’t vote. No way, no how. We asked if he cared what happened to his kids. Nope. They didn’t come visit him. This old codger lived alone, didn’t talk to his kids, and didn’t care one bit about the election. It didn’t matter and he was adamant about it. I imagine he has a lonely, bitter life. I just can’t fathom that. It’s not that he doesn’t know about the election, it’s that he couldn’t give a shit. I also sensed that he was a drinker and I believe he’s got reason. What a sad life he leads. When we asked him if he might consider voting to help other Americans who cared and need Obama, he declined. He stated that if he could take care of himself all these years without government, so should everyone else. I suppose government has nothing to do with the streets he lives on, the school he went to as a child, the unions he belongs to, his social security, the TV he watches, the registration of his vehicle, or any other unimportant facet of his life. I guess some people really are lost causes. At least, for our purposes today.

The most heart wrenching family was a middle aged woman and her 18 year old son. Their’s was the only house on our entire list that had any sort of pro-Obama signage in their yard or on their car. A homemade “Obama 2008″ sign was propped up rather sadly on their dirt and gravel front yard. Written by hand in washable ink, the words “Go Obama” on their car. When we got to the door, Stephanie was happy to see us and called her son over because she knew he’d be happy to see us too. They love Obama and will vote for him on Tuesday. We had some extra lawn signs and bumper stickers in the car, so I asked them if they wanted one of each. Their faces lit up as if this tiny gesture had made their day. As AJB ran back to the car, since they were so enthusiastic about Obama, I asked if they might be interested in volunteering the final days. Stephanie told me of her struggles and how life has been more than hard since she was diagnosed with breast cancer and her husband ran out when she started chemo. She told me about how they were trying to get the house in order and clear out junk, but were having a hard time of it. We made jokes about some of her stoner neighbors. We both agreed that Obama can’t cure all ills, but if he makes things just little better, it’s a step in the right direction. What a pleasant woman. I was really touched by her plight and was once again reminded why I’m out here. I can’t imagine what it like’s to be in her shoes, raising a son, fighting cancer, and just trying to make it day to day, but still having hope. And hope is what she had…and what she gave me. Her enthusiasm and good nature were like a shining beacon of light in that dreary neighborhood.

When you hear Obama talk about the people he meets, you feel for them, but you don’t know them. Today I met one of those people and I’m so much better for it. We said our goodbyes, but as I turned down the drive-way, I broke into tears. I cried because this woman has it rough, but remains optimistic. I cried because I know what it’s like to watch someone die from cancer and what chemo does to the body. I cried because Barack Obama has honestly made a difference in this country. Win or lose, he’s already changed this country for the better. We have something we didn’t have a year ago: Hope.

Canvassing: Day One

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Today was a grueling exercise towards my own personal journey in democracy. We awoke before the sun was up. I was tired from the night before. We attended the Criss Angel “Believe” after-party and while Cirque du Soleil after parties are usually pretty great, this one was lacking somehow. Mostly, it’s because I was tired, but also there weren’t a lot of celebs and people didn’t seem to be having the best time ever. Not to mention, there weren’t a lot of things for me to eat (vegetarian and all) and I kind of loathe Criss Angel. We called it and early night, but I still didn’t get as much sleep as I needed.

Early rise, shower, Starbucks. We drove out to Coronado High School to see Barack Obama speak. It was a good sized crowd and we ended up on the main floor about 30 feet from the podium, crunched between supporters and fans. During the entire hour and a half wait, I was pulled, pushed, moved, and annoyed. We were standing in direct sun light and I was dying. Crowded and exhausted. So yeah, you can imagine I was pretty cranky.

Barack was half an hour late. At first, I wasn’t all that into it because I was in a general state of annoyance and I figured he’d simply reiterate his boiler-plate speech – which he did, but after a few moments, I started to feel the energy in the crowd and was reminded why I’d driven all the way to Nevada to help get him into office.

Afterward, we hung out and waited for the crowd to subside before we met up with our canvassing group. We got to our group and waited some more. At long last, we were given our orders and packets with information about where we were going and who we would be talking to. The point of canvassing at this stage in the game isn’t to sway voters to Obama’s side, but to get people already supporting Obama to get out and vote. You’d be amazed that even though they support Obama, they aren’t necessarily voting; for whatever reason.

AJB and I covered 45 houses today. 11 were McCain supporters and 15 were for Obama. The rest weren’t home (more like, pretended they weren’t) or declined to say who they intend to vote for. Overall, the people we talked to were nice, however, one thing we noted was that McCain supporters definitely weren’t as nice as Obama supporters. Another canvasser called them “curt”, which I think is a fair description. The neighborhood we walked was a mixed bag of multi-ethnic, middle class families. From what I gather. We handed out voter information for the area as well as information on how Obama intends to help the middle class.

Needless to say, this is grunt work. It’s hard, you walk a lot, and your feet pay the price. At the end of our trek, I had a nice chat with a man who supported Obama, but didn’t intend to vote. I stated the case and conveyed the importance of this historic election. At the end, I think I might have actually convinced him to take some time off work and vote. Wow. That felt really good. He shook my hand and thanked me for my time. I won’t know for sure if he actually shows up to the polls, but knowing that he went from a “no” to a “maybe” because of me…well, that’s why I’m here.

Back at the hotel, we’re exhausted and hungry. We’ll be back out there again tomorrow. I feel more confident and prepared. Today was nice, I watched AJB do his thing and figured out my own angle. I like the idea of people talking to people, one on one. It makes this election that much more personal.

Pictures from today’s Obama rally in Henderson, NV.

Oh So Glad To Be Home

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I spent a rather lackluster weekend in outskirts of Chicago. I’m not sure what I expected, but it went by quickly and we spent quality time with AJB’s mom (whom I like very much). AJB grew up about 40 minutes outside of Chicago-proper in a small town that can best be described as “Normal Rockwell”. Aside from being completely opposite of how I grew up, I find that despite how beautiful it is out there, I am unnerved by the constant grinding sounds of the cicada and the sheer volume of khaki shorts. It’s not Los Angeles, that’s for sure. There is also this sense that the white people out-number the colored people (or, people of color) and that when people stare at me, it’s because they really haven’t ever seen a girl with blue hair – which let’s face it, what year is this? Although there is something sorta sweet about being that naive, I can’t help but feel uneasy when I’m there. Perhaps it’s the stares or the startling lack of ethnic diversity. It could be the cicada or the “boring, normal, fine” mentality of it’s community. Whatever it is, I’m glad to be home.

Not that I love the congestion, the lack of any one language, the smog, or the fine layer of filth on everything around here, but well, I kinda do love it. I’ve always believed that the place you live in defines you in a way. Or at least, it says a lot about who you are. You choose the place, you become part of the scenery, and visa versa. I’m sure people from the Mid-West think that Angelenos are fake, plastic, snobs. Well, some of us are. And while I’m sure there are quite a few lovely rebels hidden behind the Squares in khaki shorts, they are fewer are farther between. I guess what I mean to say is that Los Angeles wears it’s heart on it’s sleeve a little better. Mid-Westerners, in their undying need to fit in, hide it well, submerge it behind their jobs and their kids. Mid-Westerners are not defined by diversity, they are in fact defined by how un-diverse they are.

Naturally, this is why I oppose my very own brother living amongst the faceless crowds of “boring, normal, fine”. I suppose I feel he deserves better. Then again, I think everyone does. I simply don’t understand how living that sort of life is fulfilling. Is it? Do people in the Mid-West look back on their lives and think “Damn, I wish I’d shook things up a bit!” And it’s not that they don’t have culture, it’s just not as raucous as the kind we have here – or in any major city. There is some value to living the picturesque Normal Rockwell life, but at the end of the day, I guess all I can really say is “Different stroke for different folks.”

Eventually I would like to get a real taste of Chicago. I’ve been out that way several times and the only real feel I’ve gotten has been behind the window of the passenger side. I am most positive that Chicago is where all the real weirdos live. All the color and music and culture. Strangely, you don’t have to travel very far to lose it.

I digress, I think Highland Park is a lovely little town and there is a part of me that thinks it’s just dandy and wouldn’t it be nice to raise kids there? A place where you can sit on your porch, drink Countrytime Lemonade, watch the world go by, and listen to kids call out “Olly, olly, oxen free!” as they run around on perfectly manicured lawns.

I’m just glad to be home. I’ll get back to my own brand of status-quo and remind myself to shake things up from time to time.

Noteworthy Items of Note

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I’m in the process of getting ready to fly out to Chicago. We’re taking the red-eye and will arrive at the butt-crack of dawn tomorrow. Chi-Town. I’ve been several times, but have yet to actually see the city. Two times snowy/rainy, one time funeral, another time…can’t remember why, but it was frickin’ cold. We’re going for a few days to see AJB’s mom and maybe actually spend some “GF/BF time” together.

Noteworthy items:

I haven’t had time to go through or upload my Comic-Con pics. As usual, I made it a point to take pictures of the people no one was taking pictures of. That’s my fave. The chubby Wonder Women, the old masked vigilantes…they’re the real heroes. I mean, seriously, if you’re old and fat and you’ve got the balls to dress up like a comic-book character, you’re A+ in my book. It takes real guts to dress up like that to begin with. Part of me loves the balls-to-the-wall attitude of these people, part of me finds it amusing, but mostly, you should see the looks on their faces when you ask them to take their picture…like you just made their day. The great thing about Comic-Con is that everyone there is willing to have their picture taken. For a few days, they’re celebrities. And with the total mass assimilation of Comic-Con, some of these people show up on new sites and in magazines. How great is that? Warhol said everyone gets their 15 minutes.

I’ll post Comic-Con pics when I get back from Chi-Town.

Along with that, I’ve spent a good deal of time going through images from several paid shoots. It got to the point where my eyes were starting to cross. I’m done, for now. I can’t complain. Being busy means I’m doing something right.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve jumped on board the Twitter band-wagon. I’m not sure why. My brother put it fairly accurately: It’s like text-messaging…except you’re texting yourself. I get the concept of Twitter, but I haven’t figured out why it’s necessary in life. I’ll admit, it’s moderately fun to post mini-updates from my iPhone (as if anyone cares), but right now the only person on my list if AJB and I don’t think he reads it all that often anyway. I also think that once I start poo-pooing things like Twitter, it means I’m old. Get off my lawn, kind of old. I figure, as long as I at least see what all the fuss is about, I’m doing alright. I’ve also integrated into my blog, which is kind of neat. It also automatically posts daily Twitter updates, so if you’re not Twitterpated, you can at least know that at some point yesterday I was doing something….not all that interesting enough to blog about. Do you care? I don’t see why anyone would.

We live in such a extreme realm of voyeurism. We need constant updates from our friends and must keep tabs on them at all times. Frankly, Twitter is kind of sick, but you didn’t hear that from me. Once again, I find myself contradicting myself. If I dislike Twitter, I should dislike blogs. Right? Besides, news of this week’s earthquake in So. Cal hit Twitter before it hit the news. I guess that counts for something.

Greening My Car

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A friend that I’ve known since 1st grade is getting married this weekend. I’m driving up to Bakersfield for the happy event (which by the way, is taking place in a cemetery – so jealous!). In preparation for my trip, I’m getting my oil changed, checking my tire pressure, and having the car washed.

I don’t consider myself a pack-rat (at least, I try really hard not to be), but when it comes time for Spring cleaning or cleaning jags of that nature, I often find that I have too much stuff! Since I’m getting the car cleaned today, I figured I’d clean out the trunk too and unload some of the excess weight to see if I could get better gas mileage.

The image below indicates what has been in my car for…well, probably a year or more. I grabbed a clear plastic tub from the garage and filled it with about 10 pairs of shoes, paperwork, photo equipment, books, party supplies (for the housewarming that never happened), Christmas wrapping, a coffee machine, and junk. By itself, the filled tub weighed about 40-50 pounds. In addition to the tub, other items scattered on the lawn to (what I imagine is) approximately 100 pounds total; including a 25 pound vintage typewriter and a full bag of trash. Not to mention the auto fluids that stay in the trunk on a regular basis (windshield wiper, brake, a gallon of water).

I kept wondering why my front tires were always so low. Could it be that every time I hit the brakes, all that weight comes slamming forward? Wow. Think about how much more efficiently my car is going to run now.

click for larger:
stuffinmycar0508.jpg

Fly Home Like a Rock Star

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We got to the airport with time to spare. We checked our bags, exchanged some currency, got a cash refund for the missing bags fiasco, and made it to the United Business Lounge. I’ve been in several United Business Lounges in my day, but never one that had free alcohol. They just had bottles sitting there for you to drink as you please. Whiskey, vodka, rum, you name it, they had it. As I’m a light-weight these days, I partook of the free white wine. I partook a lot. I made one or two rounds to the smoking lounge (which is the nicest and cleanest I’ve ever been in) and partook a little more in the free booze. Free Saltines too. By the time we started boarding the plane, I was pleasantly tossed. Of course, Business Class, being much nicer than coach or economy plus, they offer you Champagne before the flight takes off. Naturally, I had some. From that point on, the 10 hour flight was a blurred menagerie of in-flight films, XM-Radio (which, mind you, plays excellent music), more free booze, and a great deal of sleep. Apparently, not only was I dancing (arms waving) in my seat, but I also spilled my drink on my boyfriend. I was still asleep when the plane landed and the last person to leave. Drunken stouper, not anything flight attendants haven’t seen before and probably not the worst.

Somehow, I made it through customs and somehow we got our bags. I imagine that had it not been for the care of my boyfriend, I might still be on the plane. Out to the street, I was pushing the cart with the bags and talking to the girl that was waiting for us at baggage claim. I accidentally dumped the luggage into the street. It was at that very moment that I began to feel sick. Really sick. Luckily, I didn’t puke in the car ride home. I slept some more. Once we got home, I ran to see my kitties. My head in a fluff and in an awful amount of pain. I said “hi” to the babies and flopped down on the bed. Hard. The next 24 hours was a puke-fest that rivaled the pie-eating contest vomit scene in Stand By Me. Dry heaves a’plenty and that feeling that you’re on a merry-go-round that just won’t stop. When I finally stopped puking and had a sense that I was coming back to life, I slept for real…except, I kept waking up. Around 5am, I woke up for good. My darling of a boyfriend made a run to the store for some dehydration provisions (crackers and Gatorade) and I shoved a bowl of rice down. I felt better.

Today however, the aftermath of the aftermath. I tried to stay awake most of the day, but ultimately fell back asleep in a deep slumber. I’m still a little light-headed and too tired to sleep. I’ve eaten and I feel like myself again. I can now truly appreciate being home.

Before any given flight, I can’t name names, but I’ve been told that the best thing to do on long flights is get wasted, sleep through the flight, wake up at your destination, and voila! Problem solved. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it or not, but I’m not a good flyer. I get anxious, restless, can’t sleep, sometimes I get motion sickness, and I tend to be easily upset. It must be the confined spaces, the recycled air, the sub-par food, and the inability to move around as you please. Either way, after several bad flights, I decided to take the “get wasted” advice to see what would happen. I think I can safely say that getting wasted on a flight is NOT the answer. Experiment? Failed. Looking on the positive side, I guess now I can say I know the difference. I was also not aware that the altitude makes the effects of alcohol intensify. Who knew? Not me. So, take it from me. Don’t get wasted on the flight…that is, unless you’re Keith Richards…which, for a few hours…I was.

I am glad to be home. It feels weird. After living in a hotel for more than a week, it’s nice to be back amongst my own things. This also means that now I can get back to the real world and do real world things. I don’t have to wake up and sight-see tomorrow, but I do need to get my career off the ground. Back to all the miscellaneous tasks of everyday life.

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Sayonara Tokyo

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We’d planned on seeing the Metropolitan Museum of Photography yesterday, but we got all the way down there and it was closed. I probably should have checked my guide book – which clearly indicated the hours of operation. A friendly American ex-pat tried to help us, but alas we wasted his time when I read the book entry. Thus, we settled on Shibuya. My boyfriend hadn’t seen it and it’s a fitting way to bid farewell to Tokyo. What better place than the city’s central nervous system? We walked under the neon lights, weaved in and out of foot traffic, gazed lovingly at the larger than life advertisements, took more pictures, and found a 5 story “department store” – although it wasn’t so nice as to call it a department store. They did, however, have anything you could ever want. From cosmetics to gold watches and furniture. I bought a great deal of Pocky and Pretz. We then looked for a place to eat.

We found the most wonderful place in all of Tokyo – the kind of place I’d hoped we’d find. On the street, we were lured in by a boy with an eye-patch to a dark little place, one level under the street. With about 6 tables, a bar, and old wooden beams supporting the roof. A mix of darks and reds, Japanese lettering filled the walls and only one waiter spoke English (but not very well). Everyone was extremely nice and accommodating. I finally had a delicious vegetarian meal. In this place, it’s sort of like Korean BBQ. They bring you a big plate of food and you cook it yourself right on the table. We drank tea, talked about the day to follow, and ate like fiends.

I banged my knee on the table, re-injuring it from the crash. It’s alright now, but last night it was really hurting, so we decided to call it a night. Back to the train, back to the hotel.

We should have packed, but we ended up watching YouTube and ultimately falling asleep. With every intent to pack first thing in the morning, it never, ever, goes that way. We’re always doing things last minute and rushing like crazy. I should be packing now. We leave in two hours. Hard to believe that it’s all come and gone so quickly. Sure, a week feels like a month, but now that I’m leaving, it feels like it’s over all too quickly.

I really am going to miss this place. I’m going to miss so many things. The shows 4 times a day just outside my window, the noise of Disney Sea and the accordion music looping throughout the day. I’ll miss looking out my window and seeing Italy in Japan. I wish I had time to go through the list of things I’ll miss. I just don’t. Perhaps I’ll write a Japan Retrospective when I get home.

Ah home. Kitties and my own bed. I’ve gone through most of my image and I’m trying to upload them now. It’s taking a really long time…for some reason. It still has 45 minutes. I’ll post the link when I get home.

Goodbye Japan. Perhaps we’ll meet again.