And then there was... today.

I travel fairly regularly, you would think I would have mastered the art of fitting three days of clothes into a cary on bag. You would think I've mastered the art of time zone changes. You'd be wrong. 

This trip hasn't bee a complete sob story.  Some amazing food has been found, and loved.

Like this Oreo Shortcake.

And while I can't support any of Cincinnati's sports teams,  there are some lovely neighborhoods and really unique suprises at every corner. 

 

Like this street light at the corner of Rosslyn and Erie.

I'm on my way home tomorrow, and I get the feeling I'll have to come back to Cincinnati later and find more awesome things around the bend.

Song for the Day: West Coast by Coconut Records

Fall

The summer is drawing to a close. But not before I get to head off to Anaheim for work. Summer will end with my first trip to the beach and a trip to the much discussed and long awaited Griddle Cafe. It's quickly looking like my first day in California will consist of a lot of time sitting on the beach enjoying the feeling of my toes in the sand and the sun possibly roasting me for the second time this summer. (I swear I'm going to wear sun block this time.) 

As excited for this trip and the chance to "look out in to infinity"- as Andrea puts it- as I am, I think I may be more excited about the week that follows it. Something about actually getting to physically work to accomplish something rather than accomplish the simple task of typing and filling out spread sheets is looking insanely rewarding. I know there's nothing glamorous about schlepping boxes and organizing name badges but to know that I've effectively DONE something with my day is a feeling I'm really looking forward to.

I'm doubling up the song for the day. There's so many things that I'm looking forward to and so many things that I have to get done before I go that my head and my heart are being pulled a million different ways.  But the two songs that seem to run through my mind the most here are:
Cold in California by Ingram Hill
Mostly for the lines "Didn't anybody know, didn't tell anybody else that I was gonna go. Didn't anybody see, didn't tell anybody else that I was leaving".  It's a solitary trip for the most part. I'm looking forward to it, and while pretty much everyone knows now that I'm going no body knows the details of the trip yet and that's refreshing. Solitude and the ocean and me.
and
If Only by Hanson
Trust me, those of you who are Hanson fans know the fear this song strikes in calves and legs around the world. If they could talk, they'd be screaming "I don't want to jump! Please don't make me jump!".
I can't help but think of California when I hear this song.  "Every single time I see you I start to feel this way, makes me wonder if I'm ever gonna feel this way again " there's something magical about the simple thought of California and I'm pretty sure it's irreplaceable.   Hmmm maybe it's time for a visit to Grandpa Redwood.

The Week in Photos

The Blister Tour - Highlights

Michelle! The first to arrive! She came complete with a magazine about Ireland and baggage delay from Delta. Our first stop? Mexican. What else?

 

Andrea! A-Sizzle! The second to arrive! Our first stop? Mexican! What else?

Last week was a week of amazing friends and travel. What might have been most amazing about the week was how having friends visit from other cities can cast your own in such a different light. I've lived in St. Louis for 22 years of my 24 year life, and in the course of those 22 years I've gotten to the point where the awesome things of this city lose some of their shine and uniqueness. Take for example the Arch. As a resident of the "Lou" I've seen the Arch SO many times and it's become synonymous with the city. Every tourist wants to see it, and I'm not always so prone to ushering them to Laclede's Landing when the Loop and Forest Park are at my door step.

This trip however, Michelle and Andrea both requested, nay, demanded that we make it down to at least get a photo spread of the Arch and Michelle needed to get to the top. Apparently getting to St. Louis and not going is like going to Philly and not getting a cheese steak, or going to Seattle and not wearing plaid or getting coffee. Arriving at the Arch, I was reminded at how cool the city actually is. How neat the view really can be and how epic some monuments really are.

The above shot of the Arch looks like it was taken in bluescale but it wasn't. That was the actual color of the sky and Arch that day. It's one of my favorites.

As we rolled in to Minneapolis, I was fully expecting to be swept off my feet for some culturally epic moments. While I was astounded by IKEA (seriously, I'm designing houses around that store), I'd already spent a weekend in the Mall of America and we chose to make this trip a touch less tourist and more everyday Minneapolis. We stopped at the local awesome coffee shop, the amazing ice cream place and while we're finding the similarities between Minneapolis (Izzy's Ice Cream) and St. Louis (Ted Drewes Frozen Custard) we stumbled upon things that we over look in the every day, like Taystee's Bakery Outlet.  

Still a trip to the Midtown Global Market (actually in Minneapolis - thanks Andrea) left us in full appreciation of the things that are every day awesome, and completely tourist worthy. The Midtown gives a very local feel to some very international stores. It is truly a mosaic of America's immigrant history and is a reminder of the cultures that have blended to create the culture of America.  Here we found our similarities and our differences (Andrea and I are both Swedish and German -we're the flip flops of intensities- and Michelle is Czech. ) The differences make our friendship richer, and honestly make the world a better place, particularly when we're willing to embrace them with our similarities. 

This shot was of the truffles at the Swedish and Nordic sweets shop. Yes the Peanut Butter Truffle was worth the million calories.

I would be remiss if I didn't tell you about the concerts. We made it to the Hanson shows in St. Louis and Minneapolis. We met up with my mom and friend Jen in St. Louis. The venue was (as usual) amazing, and the Pageant impressed as it typically does. The set was amazing and the opening act Darren Raser was pretty good. Not the same as if it had been This Is Energy but he didn't take us out of the mood so... (maybe I'm biased... ). Rooney was amazing and the fact that it was Taylor's birthday just made the set all the better.   Hanson's set was fantastic! Old songs that we never hear (Madeline! Strong Enough To Break! Minute Without You!) and an extended medley of songs that evoke audience participation. Sigh. I was eleven again for a night. The audience broke out into the TBS dance (well what we knew of it) and that was a fantastic moment that solidifies St. Louis as being the home of some of the best fans in the world.
Minneapolis' show was amazing for different reasons. We were almost rained out.  The rain abbreviated the set and Rooney was canceled. We got Hanson for an hour and a half before we finally rained out. We were rained on long before that. Dancing to "And I Waited" in the rain was some how magical, and the chorus of "If Only" seemed only so much more fitting as the rain fell closer and closer to Isaac's guitar pedals. (Please don't go, 'cause I need you!)  I would gladly sit through the rain for a show like that again. Taylor has said it before and it's still true, the reason why Hanson and Hanson fans are willing to risk illness and broken gear for each other is that "They love us and we love them. It's as simple as that".  Minneapolis proved it again. Where's the love? Right there, on that stage, in the front row, and in the back dance group and along the bar in the back of the house.

Song for the trip: Pink Moon by Nick Drake

We count only blue cars

Since I was 18, I have been accustomed to being able to get up and leave any house, any town, any place I wanted to. In fact, since August of 2004, I have been accustomed to actually doing this. The highways surrounding Maryville, Missouri are very well known to me. (Should you ever get lost in that corner of the world I can point your way, at least until you get to Nebraska.) Every time I would get to feeling listless or trapped, generally depressed or frustrated I would take an hour out of my day and drive. There are amazing things to be found in the small towns surrounding a small college town; bizarre names, awesome shoppes and gorgeous landscapes. But most of what I found on these journeys was freedom.

It dawned on me not too long ago that the reason why I have been so listless and perhaps why I have been so easily stressed is my lack of a car. It's been nearly six months since my last voyage out and about just for the thrill of driving. Scratch that... seven months. As the summer wears on, I find myself not staring that the trees longing for the scenery, I'm gazing at the highway pining for a road trip with the music up, the windows down and my hair whipping me in the face. The simple notion of not being able to just get up and go is driving me crazy. I feel like a caged bird. That even considers the road trip to Tulsa and OKC in March. I didn't drive. I didn't roll down the windows and belt out my favorite song (once but the windows were up, and I was the only one who knew the words to Nelly's 'Country Grammar'). The notion of picking up and going is what I'm missing. I've got the best summer sound track for road trips; a little Company, Carney, Hanson and a dash of Avenue Q. Well, that would get me to Tulsa. But with out that car, with some one else's schedule to meet, it's just not a road trip. It's just a meeting on wheels.
This summer I'm taking that long awaited road trip. I'm taking detours. And I'm not going to see anyone for near long enough to be tired of them.

My stress breaking freedom bringing vacation on wheels. I can't wait!

Song for the day: Blue Cars by Dishwalla

Turn the radio up!

The weather has gotten AWESOME! here.  Seriously.  No no no... SERIOUSLY AWESOME!

Awesome enough that I'm driving around with the windows down, radio up... wait let me do this right...I've started to "roll the window down, turn the radio up push the pedal to the ground".  This (of course) means I've needed some high quality jams and I've turned to the radio up and found a bunch of old awesome songs, and then some commercials and then some really crappy music.  Let me tell you, that can just kill a day.

So I'm itching for some new music and to the benefit of the world new music is coming. Here's some albums you need to check out from some bands you can count on to take an awesome drive and make it a-mazing.

Carney - Mr. Green: Volume 1

oh I know, with a band name like Carney you've already got the circus tent and jugglers in mind. Simmer down and come back to the city. Check them out at www.carneyband.com and check out the video for "Love Me Chase Me". If some how you manage to watch the video with out drooling all over your keyboard you'll have noticed that they're FANTASTIC.  

Hanson - Shout It Out

If you know me at all you will have noticed that I'm a Hanson fan. Not one of those "Oh my god, you're a Fanson. I bet you know what color toothbrush they all have." Hanson fans. No no, I'm the kind who just happen to have awesome taste in music. If you've been living under a rock or tuning me out for the last 13 years, go check them out. You might just be pleasantly surprised when you do.  Check out the video for "Thinkin' 'Bout Somethin'" (and you know I cringe with all those apostrophes) and check out the new material at www.hanson.net

Caedmon's Call - in the works

Ok this is kind of cheating... and completely different. The album is in the works but if it's half as good as Derek Webb is making it sound on twitter it will be something awesome this fall.