"Merciful death, how you love your precious guilt." - Interview With the Vampire

So I am not the nicest person....I mean Mother Theresa and I both have brown hair....and that's where comparisons end.

vs.

However, I do strive to not kick puppies and horrible things like that.....

Basically I am NO saint....but I try not to be a bitch any more than absolutely possible...

However, on Monday night I failed miserably :(

I know I can make fun of things that aught not be made fun of....

But I would NEVER knowingly hurt some one's feelings by picking on their disability in front of them.....the key word here is KNOWINGLY...

Anyway....back to Monday night....the night I found myself in my very own Seinfeld episode...

I went bowling with a few friends of mine like I do every Monday night after work. If you don't bowl, you should know that bowling is a happy-go-lucky-fun-for-all game, but there are a few general rules of courtesy. You know....kinda like "don't talk in some one's back swing" in golf.

In bowling, you don't use someone else's ball, and you when someone in the lane next to you is about to bowl, you stay back until they are done before you approach. You do NOT begin to bowl while they are bowling.

So, on Monday we were barely into our first game when I got up to bowl. I was standing at the line, ball in hand, when in the next lane a girl walked all the way to the foul line, and started to measure off steps.

Three to the right.....four back....and then she turned, just tossed the ball down the lane and walked back to her seat.

The first time, I thought "Oh, she wasn't paying attention and didn't see me."

By the fourth time in as many turns, I was MUCH less charitable. Again, she walked up right as I was about to start my bowl and went through her little ritual. I, in turn, heaved a big sigh, rolled my eyes, dropped my ball back on the carousel, crossed my arms and glared at her.

I looked over at her friends, who were watching me, and said, "Seriously?" (Yeah I watch too much Grey's Anatomy)

So about this time, she was done, so I went picked up my ball and bowled....this is the point when I knew something was amiss...

You see, the guys I was bowling with are only serious about once a year....and it wasn't time yet. But when I turned around, they were all stone faced....and looking at the ritual girl....

I turned to see what had them all so enthralled...BIG MISTAKE....

There she was, slowly walking toward the bathroom....with her cane out in front, making little tap tap taps as she went.....HOLY CRAP...she is blind!

I felt like the biggest shit! I had just thrown a fit over a blind girl! I quickly sat back down and put my face in my hands. When I had the guts to look up, it was into the faces of my friends who were obviously trying to hide their own mirth at my situation.

I don't know if she was even aware of my rudeness, but her friends definitely were. I spent the next hour avoiding their eyes. Unfortunately, the next hour was spent forgetting...not that she was blind, but more forgetting to be aware that there was a blind person around.

So, later when I was trying to call my friend Charlie's attention to something, and he was so blatantly missing it, I signed in Sign Language (yeah I can do that) the word I was trying to say and yelled, "What? Are you blind or just deaf?"

AGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!! SERIOUSLY???

I am not usually that big of a dolt....but sure enough I turned around hoping that no one in the lane next the me had heard my second faux pas of the night....

No such luck....I blustered apologies, turned seven shades of red, and will always be remembered by that group of people as The Biggest Bitch On The Planet....a title which I unfortunately earned....

"All the Whos down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not." - How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Tis the Season....

I am even more into the Holidays than normal this year....and I LOVE Christmas!

I just got back from watching a Living Nativity Scene and Christmas Story at the Church by where I work....it was beautiful....

We sat in the outdoor amphitheater under the stars and were reminded of the true reason we celebrate this time of year....I was huddled with life-long friends enjoying hot Chai tea (which, lets face it tastes like Christmas in a cup), singing carols that bring back memories of previous Christmases and portend of Christmases to come....

Now I am curled up on the couch in my new Christmas PJ's, watching Christmas movies, with the puppies curled up on me feet and next to me, and the room glowing with the lights from the Christmas tree....

Being this happy seems almost decadent....but I am willing to risk it....

"Peasants have no politics. We keep cows." - The Mortal Storm

That is it!!!!!!!! I have had it!!!!!!!

I NEVER start a political dialogue. I abhor them (that means I hate them)! But the comments some people are making have forced me to weigh in on this subject.....

Here is the thing with politics in general. We aren't voting for Good vs. Evil. We are voting for PEOPLE. People are never either all wrong or all right. So, depending on the priorities in your life at that specific time, different candidates are going to appeal to you.

This country was founded on the belief that no one person (or monarch) can always be the deciding voice of the people. For that reasons a system of checks and balances has been inserted into the very framework by which this nation is run. But, we do elect someone every four years to sit at the head of that system.

In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you who I voted for. John McCain. If I had my druthers, John McCain would be my president now. You don't have to agree with me and THAT IS THE POINT! We all had a chance to give our opinions in the months leading up to the election and finally by casting your ballot on election day.

If the man you voted for is now awaiting his arrival to the oval office, congratulations...your voice was heard. If not, this is when the work actually starts. The hard part is not to celebrate with the winner you voted for....the hard part is to support YOUR president even if you didn't vote for him. Like it or not Barack Obama is now the Commander and Chief. I doubted his ability to follow through on his promises...but I HOPE that he IS the man that brings the CHANGE and unity this country so badly needs.

So, the time has come for all of us Republicans out there to try something the Democrats have spent the last four years proving they could NEVER do.....support your elected leader!

"--Mac, you ever been in love? --No, I've been a bartender all my life." - My Darling Clementine

I have said many times that being an adult really stinks....

Responsibility as a whole is just much less than it is made out to be! The only upside to being in your twenties....alcohol.....and that's just sad.

Unfortunately, alcohol costs money. Even for me! My roommates are all bartenders around town, so admittedly, my costs are significantly lower than those of your average Austinite, but I have a problem there.

I have the income of your average poor college student....but the elevated, more expensive taste, of someone in my age range that has done the binge drinking thing and now actually cares what the stuff tastes like.

This is HIGHLY problematic.....for me and my VISA....

So I am sitting at home paying bills the other night, complaining about my empty bank account, when my roommate comes in and hands me a wad of cash for this months bills....

"THAT'S IT!", I yelled. "I am sick and tired of working three times more hours than you guys and bringing home less money!"

And that is when inspiration hit! Make the alcohol work for you!

So I did.....tomorrow night is my final night of a two week bartending school! I LOVE IT!!! Not only will I make more money...but now I know what is in all the drinks being ordered around me....therefor making a better drinker too!

I seriously don't know why everyone doesn't tend bar.....

"When the music stops, the rest is silence." - Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Music is such an emotional mine field for me....

For some people looking at a painting evokes an emotional response....for me, it is music....

Many of you don't know that Logan is a VERY good piano player. He sits down and plays the most beautiful classical pieces.

When I am tired, I make him play me to sleep sometimes. He knows he has to start with Ave Maria....it's my favorite!

Anyway, he has been practicing Moonlight Sonata lately....and it is official people! I no longer think that the saddest song in the world is George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today"....oh no....it is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

Man....we are going to need more Kleenex if he keeps this up!

"This book is not for you!" - The Never Ending Story

Soooo....some of my void in blogspace can be attributed to a very long vacation followed by the beginning of a HARD semester....

The other (and quite frankly MAIN) reason I have been notably absent....

Quotes from Outlander:

As yet too hungry and too clumsy for tenderness, still he made love with a sort of unflagging joy that made me think that male virginity might be a highly underrated commodity.

"When I woke, I was trussed up in the wagon wi' the chickens, jolting down the road toward Fort William." "I see," I said quietly. "I'm sorry. It must have been terrible for you." He smiled suddenly, the haze of fatigue gone. "Oh aye. Chickens are verra poor company, especially on a long journey."

"Harmless as a setting dove," he agreed. "I'm too hungry to be a threat to anything but breakfast. Let a stray bannock come within reach, though, and I'll no answer for the consequences."

Quotes from Dragonfly in Amber:

"I'll leave it to you, Sassenach," he said dryly, "to imagine what it feels like to arrive unexpectedly in the midst of a brothel, in possession of a verra large sausage."

"Weel, nay doubt he'll be a bit sore." His Scots accent, usually faint, always grew more pronounced when he drank a lot. He shook his head, squinting through the bottle to judge the level of spirit remaining. "D'ye know, Sassenach, I never 'till tonight realized just how difficult it must ha' been for my father to beat me? I always thought it was me had the hardest part of that particular transaction." He tilted his head back and drank again, then set down the bottle and stared owl-eyed into the fire. "Being a father might be a bit more complicated than I'd thought. I'll have to think about it." "Well, don't think too hard," I said, "You've had a lot to drink." "Och, don't worry," he said cheerfully. "There's another bottle in the cupboard."

"Aye, well," he said. "I dinna recall Adam's asking God to take back Eve---and look what she did to him." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead as I laughed, then drew the blanket up over my bare shoulders. "Go to sleep, my wee rib. I shall be needin' a helpmeet in the morning."

Quotes from Voyager:

"I shall not ask you again why you left the prison," he had said, calmly conversational. "But I will ask you---why did you come back?" Fraser had frozen briefly, startled. He turned back and met Grey's eyes directly. For a moment he said nothing. Then his mouth curled up in a smile. "I suppose I must value the company, Major; I can tell ye, it's not the food."

"It gets a bit easier with practice, Sassenach," he said. "Try living wi' me for a time, and ye'll find yourself spinning silk out of your arse easy as sh--, er, easy as kiss-my-hand."

"Damn you, Sassenach!" his voice said, from a very great distance. His voice was choked with passion. "Damn you! I swear if ye die on me, I'll kill you!"

Quotes from Drums of Autumn:

"I hate boats," Jamie said through clenched teeth. "I loathe boats. I view boats with the most profound abhorrence."

He turned then, and gave me a narrow eye. "What is it that makes every man ye meet want to take off his breeks within five minutes of meetin' ye?" Fergus choked slightly, and Ian went pink. I looked as demure as possible.

Brianna's eyes were round as she looked at me. "Testosterone poisoning," I said, with a shrug. "Can you do anything about it?" she asked. The corner of her mouth twitched, though I couldn't tell whether with laughter or incipient hysteria. I pushed a hand through my hair, considering. "Well," I said finally, "there are only two things they do with it, and one of them is try to kill each other." Brianna rubbed her nose. "Uh-huh," she said. "And the other one...?" Our eyes met with a perfect understanding. "I'll take care of your father," I said. "But Roger's up to you."

Quotes from The Fiery Cross:

He bent and kissed me briefly, then headed for the door. Just short of it, though, he turned back. "The, um, sperms ..." he said, a little awkwardly. "Yes?" "Can ye not take them out and give them decent burial or something?" I hid my smile in my teacup. "I'll take good care of them," I promised. "I always do, don't I?"

"I did not," he said. "What d'ye take me for, Sassenach?" "A Scot," I said. "Sex fiends, the lot of you. Or so one would think, listening to all the talk around here." I gave Farquard Campbell a hard look, but he had turned his back, engrossed in conversation. Jamie regarded me thoughtfully, scratching the corner of his jaw. "Sex fiends?" "You know what I mean." "Oh, aye, I do. I'm only wondering-is that an insult, would ye say, or a compliment?"

"You bloody, unspeakable, infuriating--" His smile was startling, a white grin in the ruddy face. "If ye call me a Scot, Sassenach, then I know I'm going to live."

Jemmy, oblivious, swung his legs up, his weight suspended momentarily from Roger's and Jamie's hands, then stomped his feet down on the floor again, recalling his original question. "Grand-da gots balls?" he asked, pulling on the men's hands and tilting his head far back to look up at Jamie. "Aye, lad, I have," Jamie said dryly. "But your Da's are bigger. Come on, then."

"When the day shall come, that we do part," he said softly, and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not 'I love you'--- ye'll ken it was because I didna have time."

And.....I haven't read this one yet....so quotes to come :)

Ignore the relative sizes.....THESE BOOKS ARE AWESOME!!! And at around 1000 pages each....I have been in my own little world....well, actually not MY world, but the world of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser.

Got a vacation coming up? I recommend visiting them!!

These books are historical fiction and highly entertaining as well as smart and educational....I have learned more French and Gaelic curse words that you can shake a stick at.....oh and I am now more familiar with the Scottish Rebellion for the Bonny Prince and the American Revolution.....

Anyway, if you like to read.....

"What else am I gonna do? Stay here and learn?? Road trip!" - Road Trip

This summer I got the chance for a once in a lifetime trip....

My very good friend Logan worked as a bartender in a lodge in Alaska for the summer. About four days before his last day of the summer, I flew up there.

I got picked up at the airport and immediately went to a bar...since they don't close till 5 am there....when I was tired...and NOT sober...everyone just kept saying "Welcome to Alaska!"

I spent the next four days living here....

We camped here and it was amazing....however, the one thing I wanted to do on this trip was fish....sooooo....

AWESOME!

This is Logan and his fish...but when telling the story at the bar later that night....

"Man that fish was THIS BIG!"

The next two weeks were spent driving from Cooper Landing, AK (on the Kenai Peninsula) to Austin, TX....the drive actually takes about four days if you drive straight there...we didn't!

My first glacier! The first day we drove from Cooper Landing to Copper Creek, AK and stayed at another one of the Princess Lodges (where he worked) since we had been camping awhile and were just gonna do LOTS more...our first night on the road...

The next day we made it into the Yukon territory in Canada.

We found a random Forestry Reserve....pretty sure you are NOT supposed to camp there....

However, if there had not been a SCHEDULED blackout that night, we could have gotten gas and left town....THEIR bad! Oh well....the sunrise the next morning was worth it all....

On the road somewhere in British Columbia the next day.....

BEAR!!!! Sorry for the water spots...but I was NOT getting out of the car to take that picture!

We made it out of Canada after just a few days...we spent the one night in Washington at my cousin Andy's apt outside of Seattle and then headed into Oregon....now I don't know about you, but I knew there was a coastline there...but I had no idea....

The next night we camped in our very first legitimate camp site....for the record our first night in Oregon we tried...but they were all full....so we found a river with a waterfall.....and hey....no one asked us to leave....anyway...so this night we consecrated our camping extravaganza with s'mores....

This is Logan with about four "Puerto Rican" mallows (I say mallows in reference to the greatest baseball movie of all time...Sandlot) in his mouth....he wouldn't eat the first couple because they were too Cuban....if you don't get where we were going with this....it is probably for the best!

One of our MANY campfires....of which I never had to make a single one....thanks Logie!

One of our camping nights in Oregon had us camping with some girls from Portland that we met and shared our illegal campsite with....they were awesome and taught us a new drinking game....it's basically repeating odd phrases in a certain order....MUCH harder than it sounds...but let me just say....One Red Hen Double Duck Double Drink!

The next day we hit northern California....but let me take this time to introduce you to the two other members of our traveling crew....Scratchy (won by Logan bowling in Anchorage)....and Gladys....(Gladys is my parent's GPS system that my dad let me take with us....we had to check in every day....so my dad could hear Gladys' voice!)...

The coastline in California is of course beautiful....but we went a little more inland than that....why? Because I was DYING to see the Redwoods!!!

Once we got into central California, Logan couldn't stand it anymore....he had spent the summer in the cold in Alaska and needed to go to the "beacher"....so we bought some strawberries from a roadside vendor and some champagne and celebrated the warmth on the beach for a day!

We spotted this beach and fell in love....it was kinda a hike down there...but that meant that all day there were only three or four people there other than us!

Remember that hike I told you about....guess who got to haul that cooler in the background down there....AND back up....NOT this girl!

BUT IT WAS SOOOO WORTH IT!

Logan decided to jump rope with the sea weed....

Drinking our champagne out of our plastic cups....classy....and MAN was that water cold!

As the sun set on our beach....we hit the road....

We were headed for southern Cali for a night with more of my cousins....however, Big Sur happened....

We ended up at an Irish Pub for dinner....it was a really cool brew pub with actual Irish people and TONS of beer....we had some burgers and the random hippie lady at the table next to me took my onions and tomatoes....WEIRD! She freaked Logan out so he took his food and left me there to deal with her....GOOD friend!

We ended up stuck there for the night...NO GAS! So, we camped again.....

It should have been good sleep, but THIS guy wanted to get up WAY earlier than we did....

At this point, we sadly left the coast and headed inland....right into the wine country....

And from the wine country into the desert.....

Now this is where the trip got....well....detoured....

Coming into Nevada under the sunset you see above, we saw a sign for Las Vegas....and the conversation went something like this...

Logan: "Ever been to Vegas?"

Amy: "Yeah, I went on my 21st birthday....it's kinda awesome....you?"

Logan: "No....how far away is it?"

Amy: "About an hour, why?"

Logan: "Well, we don't have time to stay or anything, but it would be kinda fun to drive down the strip at night and see the lights."

Amy: "For sure! And we are so close it would be stupid not to at least see it!"

Logan: "It's a shame we can't stay there though....we are gonna have to find a place to camp anyway....but I'm sure the hotels are ridiculously expensive!"

Amy: "Actually it is Wednesday...we could probably find one pretty cheap."

You see where this is going?? So basically, the sun went down on the desert....

The picture of the sun coming up on Vegas from our hotel room...and we are NOT early risers.....

Over the course of the next three days....(after deciding that the first few days of class are TOTALLY useless anyway)

We walked along the strand after our "nap" that morning....

The water show at the Belagio....

Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Restaurant....mmmmmm........

Logan chillaxin....

Then I made the mistake of asking him what he was looking at....

It's a good thing I have a sense of humor...

So we shopped...with alcohol...I LOVE VEGAS....

Risky Business....

A night out on the town....the before shot....

Note the machette scar....you REALLY don't want to know that story....

At dinner that night we met a random Australian...her name is Liz....and she played with us!=

We got dressed up for a club....however, we ended up at all night bowling....it's right up our alley....OK YEAH...it is a bad joke...I know....

And the AFTER picture....this was taken at about 10 am the next morning...I think we look good after all that!

After sleeping it off, we hit the road one last time....over the next 24 hours, we drove from Las Vegas, NV to Austin, TX....

However, we did it via the Hoover Dam....

Then the Grand Canyon.....

And then FINALLY....

Our EPIC trip had ended....I can't wait for the next one!