I am Sunshine

new CL post- Chloe

2009-07-27T18:57:00.001-07:00

Hello! I'm fostering Chloe, a 3-4 month old pit bull mix that needs a loving forever home. She's the one on the left with the funny ears in the above picture :)

She needs a home with structure and firm guidance. Chloe is very timid and scared at first, but warms up immediately to you. She walks better on the leash, but is scared easily by cars or taller, bigger people. Sometimes she gets brave and barks a few times :). Chloe is not yet potty trained, but is slowly and surely progressing in the right direction! She eats like a cow, but isn't food aggressive. She's been around cats and hasn't paid any attention to them, and she is scared but friendly around children. Chloe should not be placed in a home with a female dog.

To adopt Chloe, you MUST:
- Sign up for obedience classes with Chloe (and obviously go to them).
- Be patient and willing to work through anything with her as she grows up into a fabulous woman dog- ie. if she develops food aggression, dog aggression, toy aggression, separation anxiety, potty training, etc. I have a great list of dog trainers, and I do not want Chloe to go to a home where her new mom/dad will drop her off at a shelter or (god forbid) on the street when she's not a 'cute little puppy' anymore.
- Have previous experience with dogs.
- Have a schedule that is puppy-friendly. She should be let out to go to the bathroom at LEAST every 3 hours.
- Own your house, or have a written letter from your landlord stating you are allowed to have a dog (specifying breed restrictions if possible).

Once again, I stress that when you adopt a puppy, whether it be Chloe or someone else, they WILL not stay a puppy forever. There are many many instances where dogs have been surrendered to the shelter simply because they were not properly trained and their owners claimed their dogs were 'out of control.' Structure and firm guidance are essential when raising a puppy into a wonderful, loving dog.

Chloe is being fostered through PAWS and the adoption fee is $110 for puppies 12mo and younger. This adoption fee includes a 30-day pet insurance trial period, spaying, and all of her shots to date.

If you are interested, please email me with a statement as to how you would be the perfect home for cute little Chloe. I will not return emails that read 'Whn can i git ur puppie?' or 'i am perfect for her, how much is she cost?' or 'I wanna surprise my girlfriend with a puppy, can i pick her up today?'

Also- Chloe's sister Gracie is also up for adoption. She is currently very very sick and needs a lot of TLC, but will soon be a healthy and happy puppy as well.

Thanks for reading :)

past CL post- Twiggy

2009-07-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Twiggy appears to be a 1.5-2 year old English bulldog/pit mix. She's a bit shy when first approached, but warms up to you within the minute. She loves laying at my feet calmly when I'm doing work at my desk, and she hardly barks when someone is at the door- I call it more of a 'cluck.'

She has gone great leaps and bounds with her ability to walk calmly at your side on a leash. When walking through crowds she's a bit nervous and tries to plant herself, but once she's past that she's a happy go-lucky girl and good on the leash. We're working on basic commands like 'sit' and 'stay' currently. She knows 'come,' 'go to your home (her crate, which she loves)' and 'no.' Twiggy is very receptive to positive reinforcement- not a big fan of the negative, given how timid and scared she already is. She's really not sure what to do when you shower her with praise and tell her what a good girl she is- she just stands there and looks embarrassed and comes over to be pet. It's so cute.

Twiggy hasn't shown any aggression whatsoever. I stick my hands in her food while she eats and she doesn't mind, she plays and romps with my feisty resident dog, and she's been to the dog park a few times where she's done wonderfully after a few minutes to get use to the environment. She hasn't been tested with cats, but cats have run by while she's off leash next to me, and she didn't flinch or move a muscle.

She's a little scared of kids- a few have run gung-ho to pet her and she didn't really like that, but all she did was tuck her tail beneath her legs and slowly try to avoid their hands. No growling or lifting the lip, just submission and timidness. Because of this, I would advise that she doesn't be placed in a home with small, easily excited children.

Since she is being fostered through PAWS, the adoption fee is $75 which includes her spaying, microchipping, and her being up-to-date on all of her shots.

This girl is so beautiful, short and rotund She could use 5-8 more pounds, and lots of TLC. Twiggy is definitely coming out of her shell, but is still a little scared in large and noisy social settings. Are you the one for her?

Location: Philadelphia
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

past CL post- Leela

2009-07-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

Meet Leela! She is a beautiful boxer/pit bull puppy being fostered through PAWS.

Leela is a medium-sized dog, around 40lbs and full grown. She is already spayed and is healing quickly! She gets along VERY well with other dogs, and came from a family with children and cats. She is still a puppy, and has puppy energy, but has definitely learned and knows when to calm down. Leela is crate-trained, and doesn't whine, bark, or go to the bathroom when in her crate. Here she is showing you how good and obedient she is in her 'home'- her crate:

She loves to 'sit' on command, and is quickly learning 'stay' and 'back up.' Leela also knows her name, 'off' and 'Leela, come.' She is not toy aggressive, and loves to play fetch. She knows not to be around me when I'm eating, and is fine with me putting my hands in her dish and mouth when she herself is eating. Her leash skills have improved drastically, and she is very good off-leash as well. Leela is definitely a 'dog-park kind of dog' and will frolick and play for hours. She would do best in a home with another doggie companion, or a family with lots of time to spend playing with her. Here she is playing in the backyard with her dog friends:

Leela is a loving girl, quick to snuggle and give wet kisses. If you would like to meet her, please email me with why you think you would make a fantastic new home for her, and we can set up a meet-and-greet! Thanks for reading!

past CL post- Wes

2009-07-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Pit bulls have many stereotypes of being high strung, uncontrollable, and aggressive. Wesley is here to show you that he's the exact opposite of what his wonderful breed is often labeled as! Meet Wesley/Wes!

Wes came into the PSPCA about two months ago, weighing 45lbs and horribly emaciated. He's healthy and strong now and I'm fostering him through the PSPCA. Wesley has one of the greatest temperaments I've seen in a dog, and I would love to keep him in my home as a permanent resident, but that of course would be defeating the main aim of being a 'foster' parent :)

Wesley's demeanor is a very docile one. He is very calm when my house resident Chihuahua yaps at him and jumps all over him. Sometimes they play, but Wes is uninterested most of the time. Wes was potty-trained in a mere two days, and knows the commands- 'sit', 'no', 'kisses', 'come', 'back up', 'leave it', and 'off'. We're working on 'stay' and 'down'. When I first brought him home he had free range of the living room, since the crate I had was too small for him. He never chews on anything he's not supposed to, and immediately goes to the bathroom when I let him outside. His tail is bandaged in this picture due to a minor wound, but it has since healed fabulously!

Wes, watching over the other two dogs that he lives with.

Wes eating peacefully alongside his friends.

Wes is a big boy now, and has definitely put on more weight since that above picture! He weighs in at approximately 80lbs. He's never had an aggressive bone in his body, and I honestly have only heard him bark once. Wesley is definitely a snuggler, and loves to be near you at all times. If I go into the kitchen for a drink of water, he follows and lays down on the tile floor. He knows not to bother me when I'm preparing his food, and will gently take any treats by hand. He is also not toy-aggressive or food aggressive. He lets me put my hands in his mouth and in his food while he eats.

He is good on the leash, although since he's a big boy and not yet neutered, he has a tendency to want to mark everything in sight. I now walk him with a gentle leader which tends to irritate his skin sometimes, so I alternate between that and a choke chain. When he sees other dogs he perks up and wants to go meet them with his tail wagging tall, but we're working on staying calm and by your side when they walk by.

At the shelter he was tested with cats, and it was determined that he should not live with them. He is great with children- will withstand any amount of poking and prodding, and seems to get along with friendly dogs. I've had a few different dogs come and go in my house, and Wes is very responsive when I correct him if he's playing too roughly for the little dogs. His main aim is to please, and will do absolutely anything to make his loving owner happy. I love that about him!

Wesley will be neutered on July 15th (that's today!) at the Erie location, and is also UTD on all of his shots. If you would like to schedule a meet-and-greet, please email me with some reasons why you would be a great match for Wes, and any questions you may have.

Thanks for reading!

Dug up from the PAWS forum: Thu May 28, 2009 10:41 pm

2009-07-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I'm Sunshine.

I've fostered two dogs already- Sophie and Emma, and am currently fostering my third- Sam.

Sadly, Sophie had her moments. She was aggressive when irritated, scared, unsure of her surroundings, and even sometimes when unprovoked! She was fine with me, not fine with my jumpy and active Mango- a chi/terrier mix. I adopted her out to a wonderful woman who had had experience with dogs that had tendencies to 'freak out' and get scared and aggressive. She was definitely willing to work with Sophie, and I was thrilled. Unfortunately, she attacked her fiance and that was when Sophie was returned to Paws and put down. I was heartbroken, but like everyone said- she had her chance, but also had her issues.

Sophie!

Emma is a doll. She's also kind of a tyrant when left by herself. A Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, one would say. The most she did at my house was tear up some blinds. I couldn't crate her because all she would do was cry and slam her head and body against the crate for hours upon hours on end. I didn't really think her separation anxiety was bad since she was good (minus the blinds) with free roam of the house, and with Mango as company. She was adopted out to a friend of a friend who had grown up with dogs her entire life and promised to stay committed to Emma. That lasted 2 weeks. Apparently she could barrel through two kiddie fences, large heavy tupperware containers, and etc. She would also refuse to go poo until she was left alone. I think part of the problem was that Emma was left completely alone at her new mom's house. She was visited every 3 hours at max during the work day, but still things got worse. When her mom called in tears I got a number from Robin and referred her to a dog trainer, who then told her the only options were to: install doors in the kitchen area, put her on medication, or send her to doggie day care- all of which she couldn't afford. She had seriously tried everything, but was at her wit's end. So, unfortunately Emma was returned to Paws a few days ago.

Did she have any other options? What would have been best for Emma? She's a cute girl, so I'm sure she'll be adopted out quickly, but I don't want the same issues to come up when she's at her new home.

Emma!

And now I have Sam. (Tracy came to meet him on Sunday!) He was quite underweight and had very bad kennel cough, and is still slightly huffing every once in a while. Mango is doing the same huffing- but has been doing it every once in a while for a couple months now. I talked to a vet and he said it's common in small dogs, but should it be a cause for concern? Sam is most likely going to be picked up by his new mom on Monday. She sounds awesome, and is driving three and a half hours to see him from S. Delaware! She owns a dog grooming shop, has a little girl, and a Yorkie named Toby. It sounds perfect, but we'll see. Especially with the last two- Emma and Sophie, I'm skeptical about any situation I place my loved pups into.

Here's Sam!

We made it!

2008-10-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

How does she have internet?

I'm in the main city, Malabo.

I was wrong about the email address- it's moabaturtles@gmail.com.. so please don't use the other one. And make sure that when you email me, you include your return email address in the actual email so I can email you back.

Thanks! Bye! Xoxo,

-S

Leaving, on a Jet Plane

2008-10-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

I'll be back in March..

Going to study and research sea turtles on the remote southern portion of an island called Bioko off the coast of West Africa. It's for my co-op at Drexel, and I'll be living in tents with five other people. I'll poo in holes I've dug, and shower in one of the three waterfalls within a 5 minute walking distance from camp. During the night I'll be on "turtle watch"- pittagging and taking blood samples, while during the day I'll be adventuring, rock climbing, hiking, and fishing for food. It'll be a long six months, and I already miss some of my favorites from Philly: Mango, Rob, Bea, Em, Diego.. not including the fam in CA, and friends I've neglected to mention.

If you'd like to email me, email me with my name in the subject title at bioko.moaba@gmail.com.. or be my friend on facebook: "Bioko Moaba."

See ya on the flip side!
-S

oh, I'm finally uploading all the Costa Rica photos on flickr.com/photos/sunshinosaur.

Palin

2008-10-03T08:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my god this woman is insane.

Goodness

2008-09-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

I'm horrible at maintaining these jawns.

Let me leave you with my favorite sunset in Costa Rica:

It´s about 9:30pm

2008-09-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

Update: I´m in Panama! I think they are about to close this internet cafe down for the night, so I´ll make it snappy.

On a whim I decided that after heading down to the southern Caribbean side of Costa Rica I´d keep on going and camp out in Panama for a few nights on this wonderful island called Bocas del Torro.

Okay, they really are closing.

xoxo,
s

Santa Teresa/Mal Pais, CR

2008-09-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

So I´m blogging and catching up, since it´s been a few days. I´ll start from the present and work my way backwards.. so scroll down to read fresh journals!

This morning Bea and I had a long talk.. about her ditching me and blah blah blah. Not sure if it´s safe to post out on the world wide web. Whatever, though.. shouldn´t be hidden to be fair to all parties. Our conversation consisted of me in Swiss guy´s room, sitting on the floor.. and Bea laying on the bed, facedown. I told her how I felt like I was being ditched and replaced, and she really didn´t say anything in particular- only that ´wasn´t I acting like the girl I had traveled with before, saying how I didn´t want to do things or go anywhere with anyone?´***Boy did that frustrate me. I just didn´t feel comfortable with her and that Swiss dude, bottom line. She knew that and continued to hang out with him, therefore choosing him over me. That hurts.

Anyways, I´m in Mal Pais right now and it´s gorgeous. Internet is expensive- an hour is about three dollars, so I´ll type quickly. I took the taxi with the kids from London, and then the bus to the hostel here. I had some great nectarines for lunch, and three cups of coffee for breakfast. The place we´re staying at here is really great and has loads of hammocks. We found a cat in the bathroom with an iguana in it´s mouth, and we later saw the cat sans iguana.. alternatively puking and dry heaving in front of us. Funny stuff.

I´m going to finish blogging the past few days and then hit the beach again.
Ciao!
-S

***disclaimer***
Johanna was a great travel buddy, and although we had our moments, I love her.
[14:53] johanna: please tell bea i had my reasons for behaving the way i did. i dont want her or anybody else to think of me as the "girl who didnt wanna go anywhere or do anything". i didnt do it to annoy anyone. i should have talked about it instad of doing what i did. but i did have very good reasons.
[14:53] sunshinosaur: i can take it out if you want! i dont want you to seem like a horrible buddy, cause you werent!
[14:55] johanna: well yeah i know she doesnt know me but tell her anyways and maybe Ill tell you about everything too. :) someday in berlin.

ps- I´m going to visit this baby girl in Berlin.

Montezuma, day two.

2008-09-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning to a beautiful sunrise.

Bea and Swiss guy and Canadian girl wanted to go to this waterfall, but I didn´t really want to be around those two (not Bea), so I declined. The Canadian girl was too loud and obnoxious for me, and that Swiss dude and Bea made me really uncomfortable. She knew that.

They left and I walked down the beach the same way we all walked down it yesterday. Oh, before that though I stopped at this little bookshop and exchanged my book I got when I traded with a guy in Monteverde in exchange for a chic thang called Chasing Harry Winston. She also wrote The Devil Wears Prada. I also picked up a thing of cookies and water from the supermarket. Walking down the beach I picked up lots of great seashells. I got yelled at by a guy from his porch- he said that this was a natural reserve. I was going to retort with ´well then, why is there so much garbage?´but decided against it. Seriously, the beaches are great, but with the last storm a lot of plastic garbage was washed up on the beaches.. so it looks horrible. I even saw two syringes among the trash! It took me about an hour to walk to where it took us 35 minutes with our surfboards yesterday. I went all the way to La Playa Grande, hung out there on the beach by myself for a few hours.. and then went back to the waterfall I passed earlier.

There was this guy who passed by me in the morning, and he seemed to be waiting for me on the trail. When I passed by him he followed me and tried to talk to me in really fast spanish. We held a long conversation that consisted of many subjects such as: my boyfriend, why my boyfriend wasnt in Costa Rica, why I couldn´t have two boyfriends, why I was travelling by myself, why I didn´t want his weed, etc. etc. It´s great being a girl, isn´t it? When I got to the waterfall I said a hearty Adios! and meandered off the trail. I sat in the water a while and explored lots, eventually settling on a little runoff stream where I made bracelets by knotting thread. Great fun. People came by and swam, and I was about to leave when I hear this obnoxious (and quite loud) hooting coming from above. I look up and there was this black monkey, I´m assuming he was a howler monkey. As I look further I see two spider monkeys hanging and swinging all over the place. They were so cute! Once it got too dark to see them I headed back into town.

Oh, on the walk over to the beach I saw a really cool iguana. He was just sitting on the trail, looking up at me with his super bright green body and olive green tail. He was pretty impressive and also quite enormous. I was thrilled.

I got back into town and got some food for dinner- chick peas, tortillas, and an avocado, yum! I passed by a pizza restaurant and where I saw Bea and Swiss dude. She told me she had some extra pizza that she was going to give me, but it had cheese on it. I went back to the hostel where I had my yummy dinner and played with this great dog that I named Luna. She´s a medium sized dog with big ears and a long muzzle. Her coat is all black, minus his paws which look like they´ve been dipped in mud. She loves chasing cars, which scares me to death.. but never runs into them and always ran back to me, sitting in the hammock. I played cards with the four kids from London, two guys from South Carolina, and a guy from Germany. There are lots of travelers from Germany, btw. It´s good, because I enjoy practicing my German and being complimented on my accent.

I went to sleep, alone. I didn´t see Bea the rest of that night.. the dog tried to follow me up to my room and I fed her the rest of the dog food I had (yes, I carry that around with me), and my last tortilla.

See ya,
-S

Monteverde, day one.

2008-09-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

We rented some surfboards today and went surfing at 8am!! The walk over there wasn´t fun at all, but teaching yourself how to surf is quite entertaining to say the least.

Earlier in the day the waves were pretty strong, and I had no problem catching them.. I just had loads of trouble trying to stand up. Pretty soon some guys from Chico, CA (I lived there a year in the third grade) came by. They were carrying surfboards, and they were naked. We kinda talked while trying to surf (they had never surfed before either, hah), and talked about Chico and coconuts, and Costa Rica. We drank coconut juice from ripe and unripe coconuts- the latter is nasty as hell.

I got pretty dark- we stayed there probably until 3pm.. and then started heading back into town to get some food. We all said we´d meet up at this waterfall swimming hole deal that´s on the beach inbetween the beach we were surfing at and the town of Monteverde. Bea and the four kids from London, Ger, Bee, Gav, and Robbie walked ahead since I´m a slow walker. I realized I forgot my flip flops in the sand, and ran back to get them. When I got to the waterfall no one was there.. I stayed and swam around for a little bit, and who showed up but those three naked boys, Reggie, Brian, and Chase. They were wearing clothing, though. We walked back to town and I went into touristy shops while they ate dinner. We hung out with a couple of beers and watched the nightly lightening storm across the gulf. Amazing. There was a soccer (fútbol) game going on up on top of the hill, and we went up to watch.

Later on that night we went to the only bar in town- Chico´s. I finally saw Bea and we all hung out. Everyone was pretty drunk, and I was just okay.. so I entertained myself by playing with this stray dog that followed us into the bar. He was real fun, and so we gave each other lots of attention. I went and sat outside and played with the pooch. Bea came, and we talked. The three boys came, and we talked. The Swiss dude came, and Bea and him went back to the hostel. I followed a couple minutes later. I hung out on the hammock for a little bit and watched more lightening, and then went to sleeep.

-S

Monteverde to Montezuma

2008-09-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I´m running out of time on this internet guy. It´s so expensive!

Anyways, we woke up early this morning to catch the 6am bus to the ferry, which took us to a city, which took us on a bus to Montezuma. The place where the ferry departed from was pretty.. okay. We walked for a while to the ferry place, since i thought it was pointless to catch a taxi for such a short distance. We met two German guys and a Canadian dude on the ferry. I talked to them while Bea slept.. um.. sorry, I feel pressured for time. The little ticker is on the bottom right of my screen and is driving me insane.

Last night was something else. We all sat outside playing silly games for a bit and got pretty drunk. THEN we went to the bar and hung out. Andrew kept wanting to buy us drinks, Danny acted quite goofy, and Bea was accepting the drinks. I told Andrew he could get me a juice since he was so insistent. It was delicious. My dog, Honey followed me into the bar later on that night- and after playing with her I decided that she needed a serious bath.

So, intoxicated me tells everyone good night, goes back to the hostel and sneaks Honey into my room. We make it into the shower, and it turns out that this dog hates water. I´ll be it was a hilarious sight- a girl getting soaked while pinning a poor dirty dog inbetween her legs, and scrubbing it down with soap- organic and all natural soap, btw. I got her clean, just in time for Bea and Danny to walk in and see her and the soaking wet bathroom floor. I fed her some dinner, and then another guy sleeping in the dorm kicked her out as we were falling asleep. I said goodbye to her this morning, though- no worries.

Andrew comes back late late at night, drunk off his ass. He keeps wanting to talk to me and to tell me about this gay Tiko (Costa Rican guy) who wanted to pet his hair. I for one, just wanted to sleep. In hindsight, Andrew was pretty hilarious.. but I knew I had to get up real early and honestly didn´t want to deal with it. Sorry Andrew! I think he ended up climbing up on the top bunk with his shoes on, climbing down, climbing back up again, and falling out later on that night. Poor guy, his ribs were already bruised from a previous incident.

Anyways, I don´t have any more money for this internet business.

Xoxo,
-S

Santa Elena, CR

2008-09-08T17:22:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the life.

So far Costa Rica has been extremely stress and worry-free. Well, minus the dog episode. I want to take home every dog that showers me with attention. I've been trying my best to not approach stray dogs that don't really pay any attention to me, so it's a little easier. Bea goes up to ANY dog she sees.. which isn't always a good thing, because sometimes you get the ones that snap or bark, or just don't have good personalities. I kind of refrain from approaching the dogs because I can't handle leaving them.

Anyways, there's this stray that came to Pension Santa Elena (where I'm staying) about a month ago, nearly dead from starvation. She's still really skinny, but alive and walking around. The people here call her Flor, but I've been calling her Honey. She looks like a husky, but is completely honey-colored. Sweetest personality, too. This morning I was talking to the guy Ran, who co-owns this hostel and he was telling me how easily he could help me get her to the U.S. While we were talking, another guy approached me and told me he'd give me a crate for her if I took her back with me.. paperwork is like, $20.. then there's the airline fee, and stamps at San Jose. So, it's definitely doable. The thing is, I'm not going to be here for a good chunk of time- Bioko coop. Bea doesn't really want to take care of Honey either, so.. I mean, I don't blame her- she's already promised to be a mommy to Mango while I'm gone. She wanted to take this dog home, his name is Charlie and he's short and squat and looks like an oversized weinerdog. Personally, I don't think he has a stellar personality. He just droops everywhere, and is real sweet.. but kind of a rag dog. Honey loves to sleep, but also loves to play. She's probably no older than a year or so.

So after consulting my voice of reason, Rob, I told Ran that I'd get into contact with him after coming back from Bioko and see if Honey is still here. If she is, Ran said he'd help me get her to the U.S. Rob says I can't save every dog.. which is exactly what I want to do. I'm kind of in love with this one, but I do get attached quite easily. Oh man, I'm pathetic. I'm also glad I have Rob in my life.

Yesterday. Yesterday, yesterday. Yesterday we woke up and got to the Monte Verde National Reserve by 6:45am. We hiked and hiked, and hiked. It was fantastic. Again, I can't explain how flippin' beautiful it is here. The first part of our hike was in complete fog. I mean, the lookout points were pointless, but it was really neat to gaze into the forest and see haziness everywhere. We saw a crab and many insects, and heard tons of monkeys yelling through the treetops. There was a great waterfall, and everything was green. Even the tree trunks were suffocating in leafy and viney fauna.

We hike the way back to the town of Santa Helena, and along the way stop at the Friends School (Quaker School) and sit in on their Sunday morning Meeting. It was a good hour of silence, in which Bea and I both fell asleep sitting upright. Afterwards was a fantastic (and free!) potluck. Bea and I talked to some of the people there.. mostly Bea talked. I mean, Quakers are great.. but some of the people we were takling to were just way too "nice." Sure, they were probably honest to God good people, but it was just very uncomfortable for me. I like when folks are down to earth and don't make me feel like I can't look them in the eye while holding a conversation with 'em. I feel badly saying this, but I just got really uncomfortable with most of the people there. Anyway, the food was great. I stuffed myself twice over, and then we walked the 5Km back to town.

Along the way I saw a horse, and we visited lots of little touristy shops. There was a cheese factory that smelled like caca de vaca (cow poo), and a man who made clothing from alpaca wool.

I don't really remember what we did after we got back. Probably napped, went to the supermarket, etc.. At night we hung out with some guys from Virginia (?) and had many many laughs over the Imperial beer of Costa Rica. It was a good night. We planned on waking up early and catching the 6am bus to get to Montezuma eventually.. but right before falling asleep we decided to stay an extra night. I mean, we still hadn't seen that amazing tree yet.

We slept in, and in the morning woke up slowly. 8am! What a treat! Bea and the boys wanted to hike to the tree at 2pm, but I wanted to head there earlier. So after talking to Ran about Honey, I got a book, bought some bread at the bakery, and hiked up to (once again) find that goddamn tree. Turns out I got real close, but didn't find THE tree. I found a tree that fit the description, but once I tried to climb got swarmed by bugs and spiders and suffocated by the smell of the inside of the tree.. so I got out, said "eff this" and started walking back. I didn't really know where "back" was, since I was in the middle of the forest about 40 minutes trail walking from the hostel..

when all of a sudden who arrives, but Honey! I was so thrilled. I gave her some of my bakery bread, and we set off with Honey in the lead back to Santa Elena. I can't believe she found me! It was incredible, and I had my heart set on taking her back to the states with me after that. She'd do the same thing Toast would do- the whole 'trot in front and gaze back, waiting for you to catch up.' We must have crawled under at least five barbed wire fences, and trotted through two or three different backyards to get back to town. But, we got there, and thanks to Honey I'm not still wandering the forests of Costa Rica. I mean, I'm sure I would have found my way back.. but she was such a hero, and I love bragging about her. I had that "Bea, you mentioned earlier how you wouldn't mind taking care of Honey.." conversation, but to no avail. I don't blame her.

I bought Honey some dog treats, and am in the middle of trying to get a tick out of her ear.

I am currently struggling to breathe because Bea gave me a bugspray wipe that has incredibly toxic smelling fumes.. so I'm going to go continue scratching Honey's tummy and reading "Running with Scissors" and doing an impossible puzzle, and drinking great Costa Rican coffee.

Oh yeah- I forgot to tell about how I did end up finding the tree with the help of some kids who live here. It's pretty incredible and I'm going back again tomorrow morning before we leave by bus. It was pouring rain on the walk back, and I was wearing a dress and sandals. I had my raincoat in my hand, but it was kind of pointless. Besides, the rain was actually quite enjoyable.

Bye now,
S

Cloud Forest in Monte Verde, CR

2008-09-06T16:48:00.001-07:00

Monte Verde and Santa Helena, Costa Rica 9/6/08

Today was pretty exciting. We got up to broad daylight at around 6:30am and thought we were waking up at noon. Psych! The guy at the desk, Ran, told us about this really awesome tree that we could hike to and climb up. The tree was taken over by an invasive plant species called the fig something strangler something. Anyways, it was like a ladder that you climbed up into the tree and once you were at the top of the tree, could see the entire valley in its awesomeness. So Ran gave us directions to this tree, and we hiked and hiked and hiked. Supposedly we went about 6 times further than we were supposed to.. and apparantly it was all uphill. When I say uphill I mean up a vertical dirt hill.. hahh.. can you say out of shape?

So we never found this tree. Tomorrow, tomorrow.

At 10:30 we were picked up by this cool van and taken to this place in the cloud forest where there were 8 massive bridges along a trail. It was amazing. Like, words can't describe how awesome the rainforest is. When you're on the bridge it feels like you're on an airplane looking down at the clouds.. but really you're a body looking down at the treetops. It didn't rain, thank goodness.. well, not until we were back at the hostel. I took many many pictures, and we hung out at this hummingbird area. I was close enough to flick them with my hair, if I had long hair. Hah! Anyways, I can't explain this rainforest. The whole time I was thinking about how I was going to spend six months in a rainforest like this.. without tourists and resorts.. just pure jungle. It was so green! Okay, this is not sounding coherent.

We got back at around 2pm and I fell asleep right away. I think I'm going to shower.. or make pasta.
Pasta. -S

Leaving La Fortuna, Costa Rica

2008-09-05T16:22:00.001-07:00

La Fortuna 9/5/08

We woke up real early and went back to the great swimming hole that we went to last night. Toast the dog, was our tourguide for the entire way there and back. It was adorable.. and he was very loyal for those 3 miles out of town. He'd walk ahead and then turn and wait for us.. looking back and wagging his little stump. I think he's got hip problems, because when he walks his back paws kind of criss cross. Maybe patella problems, but who knows? Anyways, he's adorable. At the Tarzan swimming hole we waded in and hung out for a little bit and took pics.

After the walk back we caught the jeep-boat-jeep at around 8:30am to get to Monte Verde. Monte Verde is across a lake and south west from La Fortuna. To take the local bus around the lake takes a good 8 hours, but taking a jeep, and then a boat across the lake, and then another jeep to Monte Verde takes a total of 3 hours or so. The boat across the lake was really beautiful- you could see the enormous volcano, tons of green, and etc., etc. The second jeep ride- actually a van ride- was really really bumpy. Most of the roads are horrid and dirt and.. well, uncared for. I was sitting in the back of the van with Bea and felt really sick. I get motion sickness sometimes, and I wasn't feeling the crazy roads and horrible van suspension. I will say that it was an amazing sight trekking through the mountains of CR though!

We stayed at this hostel called Pension Santa Helena tonight. Monte Verde is actually pretty hostel-less, and so most travelers stay in the nearby town- Santa Helena. It's really nice, and run by these brother and sister duo from Austin, TX. We got in, got settled, and napped. It's great that we are so used to waking up at 6am, napping for a few hours after noon, and going to bed before 9:30pm. I haven't showered in a few days, and I'm not planning on shaving for this trip. It's just not practical, and I really don't care.

At night we played Pictionary and this crossword/Scrabble game with some folks from New Zealand and some people from England. We also went to the supermarket and got foods for dinner, and breakfast and lunch for the next day. Food shopping is not one of our strengths, but I'm sure everyone else was having a fun time watching us.

Our room is right next to the internet area and front desk, so it was pretty loud until 11pm or so.. so that was kind of frustrating, being old women and all.. haha.

There are some real cute stray dogs and cats here that we can't keep our hands off of. I'm also getting bit up by lots of mosquitos.. on my ankles, buttocks, elbows, wrists, fingers.. you name it.
Tomorrow we'll explore more! -S

San Jose and La Fortuna, Costa Rica

2008-09-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

San Jose 8:54am 9/3/08

Hello Costa Rica!

Bea and I are on a bus headed towards La Fortuna right now. Getting out of San Jose.. yippee! San Jose is like Tijuana. Actually, I'm firmly convinced that I'm in a wetter, greener version of Tijuana.

Last night Bea and I went to sleep at 5pm-7pm Eastern time. Bea had some beans and rice for two dollars before bed. I figured I'd eat when I got up from the nap, but I didn't end up waking until 11pm. My left arm was asleep and hit me in the face when I lifted it up. That sure woke me up.

I went upstairs to the rooftop restaurant to use the internet and see if our friend Gordon was up there. Gordon is also an American, and from Chicago. He was on the same plane from Charlotte as us, and stayed in the same hostel- Hostel Pangea.

I didn't see him, so after chatting with Diego online about Dino'smores I went back to sleep.
We woke up around six thirty am and got our stuff together. Our plan was to go to the HOliday Inn to try and score some free continental breakfast. Turns out you have to pay for breakfast there, so we started walking the nine blocks or so to the bus station- speaking Spanish only, of course. We pass by a Best Western, look at each other, and waltz on in. We order, and the lady asks us what room we were staying in. Bea said "13".. she says "13? There is no 13. There's 113, 213, 313.." and we go "Oh yeah, 213." She then asks us for our names, and Bea says "Beatriz." She says "What name is the room under?" and we tell her we didn't know. She asks for the room key and Bea says her boyfriend had it and was wandering around town. She called the front desk and amusingly told them that we didn't know what name the room was under.

And so, voila! Free breakfast. Bea had fried plantains, beans and eggs, and I had fruit, cereal, and toast. I improvised and had cereal and banana toast, since they didn't have soymilk and I didn't want to munch on dry cereal alone. The Costa Rican coffee is amazing, btw.

When we got to the bus station Gordon was already there. See ya!
-S

La Fortuna 6:57 9/4/08

Today was AWESOME! Last night was pretty fun as well. Let's start then, shall we?

We arrive in La fortuna in the afternoon at around one pm, and find our hostel quite easily. It's a small town. Gringo Pete's is a quaint little hostel on the eastern side of town (town is no more than three miles wide). It is painted purple, and on the outside of the gate says "There are not such thing as strangers, only friends you haven't met yet." The woman who checked us in was really great and helpful and showed us around, etc. They've got a kitchen, free Costa Rican coffee (!!!), showers and a bbq pit in the back. We paid four dollars for a dorm room. So sweet!

So we got settled and then had a walk around town: Gordon, Bea and me. It's pretty touristy, although there aren't many tourists given it's nearing the end of tourist season, which was nice. We went in the little touristy shops with their hammocks and wooden statues. I kind of want to get a hammock, and I'm in the market for some hiking shoes (for here and for Bioko).

We stopped by this restaurant place and got casados- a plate of beans, rice, friend plantains, potatoes, cheese, and a main course of your choice: beef, veggies, lengua (toungue), etc. I got veggies of course, but was kind of disappointed when they came our with lettuce and tomatoes. Bea had beef and Gordon had toungue. They shared with each other. We also ordered fruit drinks- Bea had papaya juice with water (blended with ice), I had banana "water" and Gordon had strawberry "milk." The papaya drink was excellent.

After that we went back to the hostel to meet Gavin, a guy Gordon was sitting next to on the bus. We acquired four stray dogs on the way back and named them all: Nips (for her bulbous and swollen nipples), toast (he was the color of burnt toast), Chimichanga (the original follower), and a darker, squatter one whose name I forget. They were cute, but chased away by a small boy who evidentally lived next door to the hostel.

We walk in and this girl wrapped in a towel has a horrified look on her face, and is standing in the dorm. She says "there was a man watchng me take a shower through the windows!" Poor thing, she was mortified. And after that we kept seeing that little boy peeking through the windows to our room while we were changing and doing our girl thang.

Gavin comes and tells us that the hostel he's staying at (for ten dollars more)has a nice pool. It's hot and humid and we want to go for a swim. So I get this great idea to cut out strips of red paper from flyers to mimic the red wristband Gavin was wearing. It works! And we go swimming. We're sure they noticed, but didn't say anything since all we were doing was using their pool. It was loads of fun.

Afterwards, we bought some Costa Rican beer (40's, hah) at the supermarket and got a taxi to these hot springs about 13km down the road towards the volcano. Oh yeah- I forgot to mention the volcano Arenal. It's freaking enormous and spews lava down the west side of the volcano. We are on the eastern side, so we can't see it from the town, but the volcano itself is enormous!!

So we each pay about a dollar and are taxied to this hot springs resort area. Across from the $60 resort is the "run off" where all the locals go and chill fo free. It's dark at this point and we don't have flashlights. Hah. We pick our way down to the springs, shed our clothing, and sit down on this waterfallish thing. (we are wearing bathing suits of course.) It was like a really large slab of concrete, and the water flowed over, forming a waterfall where it droped off. There were some guys from San Jose, CA there with their cool teenage tourguide and we talked for a little bit.

The tourguide kid asked me if I wanted to go under the waterfall into a cave. I said "sure" and we plunged into the waterfall. Once we got inot the cave, which was the little space under the slab of concrete, he asked me if I was having fun and if that was my boyfriend outside. Hah. He totally wanted to get some. I told him my boyfriend was in the US and went back out of the cave :). We stayed there for about two and a half hours- the taxi driver said he'd pick us up at 9pm. It gets dark before 6pm here. So Gordon and I have a tipsy heart to heart conversation while Bea and Gavin talk, and we headed back up to the main road at 9.

Guess what? Taxi driver wasn't there. Prolly didn't even plan on cmoing back to pick us up.

We walk over to the $60 resort, throw away our empty bottles, help ourselves to some food, get kicked out, and ask for a taxi. Who shows up but our good 'ol flaker driver? Great. He comes, not looking happy at all. We seriously thought he was going to do something shady like drive us to the middle of the rainforest and strand us. Buttt he drove us back to the city where we walk back to our hostels and crash for the night.

The hot springs were pretty neat, though. Not too hot, very relaxing, and the stars weren't covered by tons of light pollution.

I had a good night's sleep and we woke up at around 7am the next morning. I'd say we kind of wandered around for the rest of today. We stopped by a supermarket and got some food for breakfast. I got some great vegan whole wheat cookies and beans and hips. In hindsight, cookies for breakfast is not a good idea.

Anyways, we kind of wandered around town a little bit, sat at the niternet cafe for a half hour each, I looked for shoes. Gordon went to get a massage and Bea and I took a nap.

I was sleeping great until the town's school band started playing really loudly outside Gringo Pete's. By band I mean a dozen or so drummers, some cymbals, and half a dozen large xylophones. It was quite a racket. I got up and went outside and watcehd them do their thang. It was real cute and they were havnig tons of fun.

I'm typing fast, bc I'm at a hostel right now and people look like they want to use the internet. Pardon the errors. Also, I left the connecting cable for my camera at Rob's so no pics until I get back!

When Gordon got back we made plans to walk to this river where the local kids al go swimming. It was about a half an hour walk, but it was great! THere was a great little waterfall and a rope swimng. THe water temp wasn't freexing, and it was great to hang out, jumping off rocks and flying off rope swings into the water- surrounded by rainforest with a massive volcano looming in the background.

We were the only people there, and started heading back at around six, when it got dark. I didn't bring my camera, but Bea and I are planning on going back tomorrow before our jeep-boat-jeep leaves at 8:30am for Monte Verde. FUn, fun, fun!

I also ate a big bag of fresh lychee and a bat flew into Gringo Pete's while we were eating dinner. Ciao!
-S

San Jose, Costa Rica

2008-09-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Thats right, folks. Bea and I just flew into San Jose, Costa Rica. This city reminds me a lot of Tijuana, Mexico. From what Ive seen, it is a poor and dirty large city. I cant wait to get out to Monteverde and Fortuna and Jaco and beautiful places along the pacific coast.

Like in Spain, the stop signs crack me up every time. Alto, stop, also means "tall" in spanish.

I cant find out how to get the apostrophe symbol to work, if you havent noticed. I could copy and paste it from another page, but thats a little too much effort. Foreign keyboards are always slightly awkward.

The flight was good. I slept from the time I strapped in (before takeoff) until the time I unbuckled my seatbelt (after landing). It was great. We had a connecting flight in Charlotte, NC.. and Bea and I alternated between doing a crossword puzzle and sleeping on the second flight. Some girl took one of our seats, so the flight attendant sat us in the emergency exit row, after asking how old I was. I looked at the pamphlet later on, and you have to be 15 years old to sit there. Do I honestly look 14? Jeez. There was a man and a woman sitting behind us, and I told Bea that they were probably on their honeymoon. Later on that was confirmed.

In the Charlotte airport Bea got some nachos, which took excruciatingly long. Not her fault, but we were the last ones to board. And when we got in our seats and settled down, the smell of the nachos wafted throughout the cabin. One of the flight attendents was so excited that she even showed us her own take out meal- mango and chicken.

I miss Mango. I hope he didnt think that I left him forever, although he will probably come to that conclusion when Im in Bioko. Poor baby.

Oh, and apparantly we didnt get free snacks on board, but a nice attendant lady snuck us some cookies and snacks. That was great.

Again, I cant wait until I am surrounded by the rainforest and hiking up volcanos.

Love, S

The beach

2008-08-16T23:36:00.000-07:00

The beach ate my phone.

Apparently I have holes in my back pockets.

I feel liberated.

I feel hungry.

Day XXX: Portland and Seattle

2008-08-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

Update on the baby:

I woke up, woke him up.. and we played! He seems back to normal and very very hungry. I'm so glad. Last night I couldn't go to sleep. I kept thinking about how if he had surgery I'd have to find another job and work my ass off the month before leaving for Bioko, and not go to Costa Rica.

Anyways, we're going back to the vet's. Hopefully he won't need another x-ray, those goddamn things are so expensive. AND they wouldn't let me keep them! Hah. I'll just have to bring my camera in this time.

I'm ecstatic. Mango is hungry. Bea is trying to sign up for her fall term classes, and we need to go!

Day IXXX: Portland, OR

2008-08-12T22:33:00.001-07:00

August 12, 2008

I know, I know. I'm horribly behind. After San Diego was LA, then the long drive home to the San Francisco Bay Area. We spent a couple days there, then drove back down to LA with Ben Iremonger, David Wood, Jon Atkinson, Jackie Sloves and Patrick Whitford for a concert. The Boredoms (look 'em up!) played with 88 Boardrum.. an 88 full drum ensemble at 8:08pm, on August 8th, 2008. It was incredible. It took place at the La Brea tar pits in L.A., and it was fo free. We also got free T-shirts and free ice cream from the Ice Cream Man (if you haven't heard of them, they go around giving out free ice cream "just for smiles").

We got back, were planning to leave on Tuesday morning.. I got in a parental fight (as usual), and so we left early on Sunday morning. I left on good terms, so it's all gravy.

Anyhow, I'm in Portland. I love it here, however our situations are less than ideal. I mean, the people we're staying with (Matt and roommates) are fantastic. Thanks Ian Shiver for the great friends in faraway places! No really, they're so accommodating and really down to earth folks. Portland in general feels like an enormous small town, if that makes any sense. I could see myself living here in a decade or two. There are bikes everywhere, and community gardens galore! Last night we went with Matt to a friend's house for a vegan potluck. I had taken four Typhoid fever live viruses for Bioko in the past week, and I felt horrible. I felt like I had typhoid fever.. well, I felt like I had a real bad fever. Bea was social for me, I guess. I sat there and pet their dog, Lisa.

When I got home I crashed right away. Mango, who we had to leave at home for the dinner (Lisa didn't get along with other dogs), seemed a little strange when we got home. He was real timid and shaky and didn't seem like himself. I felt horrible as well, so we both went to sleep while Bea and Matt watched The Squid and the Whale upstairs, and then the meteor shower afterwards. I'm so bummed I missed that shower, so bummed.

So I wake up in the morning at around ten or elevenish, and Mango was still acting the same weird way. He was also dry heaving a lot, which made me real nervous. I looked up a vet right away, drove him there, and set up an appointment for later on in the day. We went for a little walk around the neighborhood of NW Portland, where the vet clinic was. We found a dog park, a post office, a public library, cute coffee shops, a doggie store, and many restaurants and pubs. Every minute or so Mango would start huffing and his lungs would swell up real big, and it seemed like he had a lot of trouble breathing.

I picked Bea up from the house and then we both drove back to the vet's. Bea had slept until 1:30pm, and didn't come with me in the morning. I had asked her if she wanted to come with me, but she said she'd keep on sleeping. I was kind of disappointed, but when I talked to her later she had no idea I had woken her up to ask her if she wanted to come. You have to understand, it takes at least 10 minutes for this girl to fully wake up :)

Anyways, we went to the doc's together. He felt around Mango's abdominal area and said that he felt like Mango's stomach was full. I told him he vomited up his breakfast this morning, but kept in his dinner last night. He also pooed this morning, so his GI tract should be okay, but he wasn't drinking as much water as he normally did. Not good. So, Mango had a little x-ray done to see what was going on, and had a shot of some anti-nausea medication to make him feel better. We looked at the x-rays together and there was evidently some stuff in his stomach. There was also dark spots where his intestines were- meaning gas was present, meaning his intestines were irritated.

The vet told me not to give him any dinner tonight, and to bring him back in the morning for another x-ray to see what was going on, and if he still had something stuck in his stomach. I guess his little intestine could rupture, or he could get really seriously dehydrated if there's something in the way. If that's the case.. he's going to have to go through surgery to take whatever is in there out.

Surgery! The vet visit today was $212... Tomorrow it's going to be another $150 or so.. and if he has to get surgery it'll be over $500. I honestly don't know what I'd do if he had to go through surgery because I really don't have that kind of money. Any suggestions? Vet payment plans? Golly. Oh, AND I'll be "MIA" for six months starting in October, so it's not like I can get lots of moohla in that time period.

I talked to my mom and she reiterated what my dad told her: that I should have considered these kinds of things when I first adopted this guy. True, but he would be dead if I didn't adopt him.

Advice?
-S and M

Day XVII: AZ and CA

2008-07-31T12:25:00.000-07:00

July 31, 2008

The drive to San Diego from Phoenix is probably around five or six hours. We waited until Justin came back from his Philosophy exam at eleven before we left. Abe also came by and said goodbye and help us out with directions after Justin left for his second class.

I was really sleepy so I took a nap while Bea drove the first leg. We stopped at a rest stop in the middle of the sand dunes of Southern California. It was horribly hot. I drove the rest of the way, and the ride out of the valley was great. I cruised down in neutral for about 9 miles. I also had an energy drink and was going kind of bonkers. I kept telling Bea how pink and beautiful the sky was, and telling her how excited I was that I was still in neutral. I think we’ve accepted that the driver (who’s usually drinking coffee or an energy drink) is the one talking and rambling on, while the person in the passenger’s seat is usually trying to sleep, or mumbling incoherent comments in response to the driver’s rambling.

We got to San Diego okay, found Mac’s place, and parked. His cute little apartment is a couple blocks from the beach and he lives with a guy named Mike. We got here at around nine at night, and sat down with a couple beers. I was mostly online while Bea and Mac caught up on the old times. Mac and Bea dated for 5 months (?) when she was a freshman and he was a senior in high school.. I think. He’s a cool cat. We played card games when Mike came back after work. For some reason I thought it’d be a good idea if I went outside to their pool (about five steps away from Mac’s front door) and jumped in. I got in my swimsuit first, and convinced Bea to go swimming with me. It was so cold.

We ended up staying up until 4am, with Bea, Mango and I taking over Mike’s bed while he slept on the couch. He insisted, don’t worry J. Rob texted me just as I was going to sleep at 4am, and I called him since it was morning over there. We talked, and then I went back inside and slept. Mango was pretty pooped out by the end of tonight.

-S & M

Day XVI: AZ

2008-07-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2008

This darn dog woke me up again and wouldn’t go back to sleep. It happens every morning, but he usually goes back to sleep before 7am. Not this morning. Good thing I got the crate out last night- he had to stay in it while we continued to sleep until 10:30. We went to sleep before we finished watching 40-Year Old Virgin, so (staying on the couches) we finished the rest of the movie. It’s hilarious.

Abe came in as the movie wrapped up. (Justin was still in class.) I showered and we went to the local Tempe Petco for some doggie dog food. Mango was on the last of his big bag of Beneful, and he had torn an arm off of his Diddle-Dude. He has also been chewing on my fingers a lot lately, so I bought him this King Kong chew toy. It has a little hole in the middle of it for treats or peanut butter. I also got some more mini tennis balls since I keep leaving his other ones in homes around the country. I always have such a hard time in pet stores. I love them, but they’re just so distracting and so much is always going on. One side houses rodents, reptiles and birds, the other has the aquariums, the other has doggie beds.. The doggie toy isles are way too long and there are just way too many products. I feel like I just wander the isles without accomplishing anything in particular. Most of the time I’m way too indecisive to be productive.

The dollar store that we went to was intense. I got root beer, Mango got a little kid’s tank top that says “Lift Off” and has a little rocket ship and stars on it. I told myself I would never dress up my dog, but he’s too adorable and I couldn’t help it. Besides, he’s going to get freezing cold this Philadelphia winter. We also got a loofa for the shower and energy drinks for the road.

Abe took Bea, Mango and me back to Justin’s where we said hello to Justin and called up Lauren Kane. She’s also a Graphic Design major at Drexel and wanted to show us a great vegan restaurant in Tempe. We set out to meet Lauren and her girlfriend, but Bea discovered her bike (my bike polo bike) had a horribly bent chain ring. We figured that it was probably bent when backing up into another car from a parallel parking space somewhere in the south. Not good. Anyways, we walked to the nearest bike shop and bought another one. The guys at this bike shop were nice, but there were way too many cruisers for comfort. The place was real big, but most of the floor space was taken up with way too many large and (to me) impractical bicycles. I was like I was in the pet store- walking aimlessly around, picking up stuff and putting it down. I ended up buying a cute pink floral bell, a black water bottle cage, and a sweet teal bike hat. Love it. I also looked at the bike shorts that they had and realized I still need $200 for the MS150 City to Shore benefit bike ride I’m doing in the end of September.

The vegan restaurant that Lauren and Lexi took us to was great! It’s called Greeny (I think), and had a great menu. Too bad I wasn’t hungry. The crab cakes looked good, and the cheese steak sandwich also looked fantastic. I settled for a vegan Tsoynami. It’s a blend of yummy ingredients fashioned sort of like a flurry. I got the Soy Capitan: Vanilla ice cream, fruity Captain Crunch, and strawberries. It was delicious. We left and rode back to Justin’s house to drive to the airport to FLY!

Justin was in flight school and was going to ASU (Arizona State University) to be a pilot for commercial airlines, but realized that he was paying way too much for what it was worth. He switched to a Philosophy major a couple of months ago. On the way home from the airport we had a great philosophical conversation. That sounds so yuppy: “A great philosophical conversation.” Sorry. It was a good, thoughtful conversation. I feel like I should seriously think about minoring in philosophy. I love to think.

Anyways, flying is amazing! We went up in a high-winged four person plane. That’s simple speak, I suppose. We flew for a little over an hour, and oh- I should probably call ma to let her know I’m alive. We left right as the sun set and flew over most of Phoenix and the outlaying areas after the sun went down. The view from the plane was like we were flying over a sea of city lights. It was pretty amazing. Before the sun set we stalled and experienced zero gravity, on purpose. Scared the living #@$% out of me. I hate roller coasters because I hate the feeling of falling. Zero gravity is falling. I held a pen in my hand and when we did the nose dive it rose up in front of my face. So did my phone, my sunglasses, and both of my flip flops. Bea took a video of the whole ordeal, so check out my flickr for it. Everything is organized by city in the Road trip set of the 2008 collection, if you haven’t figured that out by now.

Now I’m home- Justin’s place. Family Guy just finished and Bea is sleeping on the couch next to me. Mango is lying peacefully on my left shoulder, and Justin is studying 17^th and 18^th century philosophers for his exam tomorrow morning. Mango was so excited to see me after I got back from flying with Justin. He went crazy, and it made me feel loved J

See ya, Arizona.

-S and M

Day XV: AZ

2008-07-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2008

Today was spent swimming in rivers and lakes in hot, hot Tempe. Tempe is real close to Phoenix, and just as hot. Justin’s friend Abe was our little tour guide. First we went to a river, realized the car needed a “day pass,” went back into town until we got to the nearest gas station where they sold day passes. Abe was talking to the guy at the counter, and asked him if he thought that we needed a day pass + a boat pass if our car could turn into a boat. The man’s reaction? “Uh, I don’t know.” And then, “I use to have one of those back in the day.” Abe and I burst out laughing as soon as we got to the car. A car-boat, back in the day? What?

The river was great. Semi-chilly, but I enjoyed it. Some wild (?) horses came to have a little refreshing drink on the other side of the river, and they were great fun to watch. Mango came in a couple times to rescue me again, but ended up perched on top of my head (again).

We went back to the house, said goodbye to Justin as he set off for work, and watched another movie. I think Bea and Abe were watching the Family Guy movie while I talked to Rob on the phone for a good hour and a half.. or however long the movie was. When I came back they were both snoozing and the credits were rolling. We figured we’d meet up with Justin at his workplace, the bowling alley. Tonight was $1.26 games, or something like that. I’m really horrible at bowling. I think my final score was 25 points. Horrible! I know. My second game was better, probably because we took a little intermission break and had a couple beers back at Justin’s. Don’t worry though, Abe was the DD. I think my second score was at least 67. It was an improvement, but still a horrible score.

-S and M

Day XIV: NM and AZ

2008-07-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

July 28, 2008

We woke up real early this morning. By real early, I mean 6am. Surprisingly, both of us were up and about (as up and about you can be squished in a tiny ’96 Honda civic). We drove through the beautiful canyon to the national park’s tourist center. They didn’t open until 8:30, so we walked around a bit and watched the sunrise.

We hiked up to this small hill to write in our journals and pass the time away. For some reason Bea wore her flip flops, which wasn’t too comfortable walking through cactus spikes and sharp rocks. Poor Mango would get stuck behind a bunch of cacti and instead of turning around and finding a different route to me, he’d stick his front paws up on the cacti and perk his ears up. I had to then walk back and pick him up, pick out all the stickers and spines out of his paws, and continue the journey through the desert. Once we got all settled on our appropriate rocks we realized how horribly pesky the gnats were. They buzzed around our ears, arms, bodies, and ears. It was about 8:20am when we got back to the tourist center where we bought tickets, paid for a kennel, and rented an audio tour guide.

Dogs aren’t allowed into the caverns, and they’ve got these nice little kennels for $5 a day. The kennels were really a bunch of big and small crates in a side room of the tourist center. Mango stayed in there when we went down to the caverns. He wasn’t too happy.

On the way down to the caverns we stopped by and spoke with two people. The first was a guy dressed head to toe in long-sleeves and pants. He was spraying organic pesticides on invasive plant species. He told us that he lived on the national park and was a student nearby. The second person was a lady park ranger who convinced Bea to take a bite out of a cactus fruit. I took a picture of her hilarious face.

The descent down into the caverns was a steep, steep downhill climb. It progressively got colder, which was fine. Above ground it was a mean 115 degrees. The Carlsbad Caverns are incredible. We walked through the route laid out for tourists, oohing and ahhing the entire way through. I tried to snap some pictures, but I don’t hold the camera still enough so they turned out kind of sloppy. I highly recommend if anyone is in the southern New Mexico area to stop by and say hello to the awesome stalactites and stalagmites. It was incredible knowing that we were 750 feet underground and in what seemed to be a whole new world.

When we got back up to the surface we freed the Mango and set off for the journey to Phoenix. It was a long drive- probably along the lines of 10-12 hours. I really have no idea, though. We stopped by this Mexican restaurant and got some burritos. Dinner took place outside on the curb since they wouldn’t let Mango in. I had two cups of coffee so I wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel, and when we arrived in Phoenix I was on a horrible caffeine buzz. Never again.

Justin and his friend Abe were there to meet us, and we pretty much crashed immediately.

-S & M

Day XIII: TX and NM

2008-07-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

July 27, 2008

Sunday morning. Jake and his family go to church at 11, and so we figured we’d get going before then. I woke up earlier than everyone else as usual, took a shower, fed the dog. Jake’s mom had to go early for choir so she was up bright and early as well. We stood in the kitchen drinking coffee and talking about our dogs for a good 20 minutes. I like her- she’s nice company and sounds like a compassionate human being.

Soon the rest of the house began waking up and doing their morning things. We said goodbye to Jake, I left a Thank You note on their fridge, and we drove away from good ‘ol Plano. It’s a long drive across Texas. No way would we have wanted to drive all the way to Phoenix in one day. Carlsbad Caverns were about 12 hours away, so we set out with that as our destination. (Carlsbad Caverns is in southern New Mexico.) Texas is so big. It’s big, hot and flat.

I saw some giant dinosaurs on the side of the road and couldn't resist. Turns out it was a Ripley's Believe it or Not shindig:

We stopped for food at this gas station and Winnaburger place. (They’re real popular in the South.) I went to the gas station and got mandarin oranges since there was NOTHING else. Bea got a burger. Oh, we also got gas. I saw a gnarly- looking trucker who was taking his dog out for a walk, and so I brought Mango over to say hello. His dog’s name was Harley and he was part Pomeranian, part sheepdog. I asked him if Harley went everywhere he went and he said, “Yeah. I’d be lost without him.” I awww’d inside. He was eating an ice cream sandwich, our dogs humped for a couple minutes. As I walked away he told me that he liked my tattoos. He also had full sleeve tattoos, but he was so old that they had turned all gray and faded. I liked them, and I told him.

I talked to Rob on the phone and met Bea in the burger place. Mango pooped outside and we continued the drive to Carlsbad. Carlsbad Caverns aren’t exactly in the town of Carlsbad; they’re a little south west. We mistakenly drove into town, realized we weren’t at the caverns, and stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. The two women at the food mart were Mexican, and at first looked wary. Who wouldn’t look strangely at two girls wearing bikinis and shorts carrying an oversized Chihuahua? Bea goes pee while Mango and I chase cockroaches. This place was full of them. Gross, but entertaining. So the women give us directions, but their directions are a shortcut- I guess? She drew it on receipt paper, too small at first. “Oh- this is too small!” Then redraws it the same size, but this time labeled all the stop signs and streets in chicken scratch. She then retold us how to get there about 7 times in a really broken/confusing manner. We went back to the car and Bea says, “She could easily name given us directions in a minute.” I think we were there at least seven.

So we get back on the road. We have an atlas, so we just went off that and completely disregarded the nonsense those helpful ladies were trying to tell us. I figured I’d just retrace my steps until we found the route we were looking for.

We find it successfully and drive down through what seems to contain no houses or human life. There’s a bunch of cattle guarding jack rabbits. I almost ran over a couple and slowed down to 35 mph while Bea made fun of me: “Don’t worry, they’re just little rabbits, not deer. They won’t hurt the car.” Me: “Bea, it’s not the car I’m worried about, it’s the bunnies!” And then we went into ta whole discussion about rabbit families, rabbit fathers and how they have/don’t have feelings. I see a skunk point its butt at me on the side of the road.

I turn my high beams on WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN we see a human figure walking towards us in the darkness. (Keep in mind we haven’t seen signs of a home in the last 10 minutes.) He was dressed in a white button-up, white jeans and cowboy boots, and wearing a white cowboy hat. He was carrying a white cup and was walking towards us on the opposite side of the road. So freaky. I immediately double checked to see if the doors were locked and both Bea and I started screaming about how we saw an apparition. That’s not it. I drove a couple more miles before coming to a complete stop in front of a petrified looking raccoon lying in the middle of the road. Oh yes, we were both screaming for no reason at this point. It was great.

There isn’t any camping allowed in Carlsbad Caverns, so we parked in front of a nice looking motel and slept there. It was a little struggle getting both of us happy and comfortable, but we managed.

-S and M

Day XII: TX

2008-07-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

July 26, 2008

The good ‘ol Mango alarm woke us up bright and early. I showered; we packed up the car, and in doing so found a sweet little note on our car saying that we didn’t check in. I guess the camping permit for the bungalow was $24 a night. $30 a night was just too good to be true. Still, $30 for a safe and comfortable night in the beautiful woods is a steal. Last night the sky was clear, and if you found a hole in the forest canopy the stars would have taken your breath away. Sometimes, living in Philly I forget that skies chock full of stars still exist. Oh light pollution.

After we paid the monies, the park ranger gave us a map and showed us where to go swimming. It was still early, so we went to the lake in the middle of the park and jumped in. Of course it took a little pretend drowning to get Mango in the water, but once he was in, he was in.

I swam out pretty far with Mango, to the point where I was a good five strokes from being where I could reach the bottom. He’d get all antsy and climb up my torso until he had perched his body on my shoulder. It was like treading water with a little 10 pound weight on your shoulder. We took videos.

Bea got out and lay down on the grass on a towel, soaking up the sun. I guess she migrated to lying just on the grass. In Texas most of the ground is home to fire ants. 40% of the population are allergic to their bite.. well, allergic to the poison they zap into their system when they bite. Bea started developing a rash and strange parts of her body began swelling up immediately- mainly her earlobes. She called mama bear when we got into the car and took two Benadryl pills. I took the wheel and drove the leg to Plano while she passed out in a Benadryl coma.

We got to Jake’s house in the middle of commercialized suburbia. Bea continued her coma in Jake’s bed. Jake and I caught up for hours while Bea slept. It was great. We hadn’t seen each other for about 3 years (since the Alaskan cruise). He has two Yorkshire terriers. Gabby is about three and tiny, Jellybean is about ten and is allergic to just about everything. She’s pretty big for a Yorkie and has warts all over, the poor thing. Gabby was definitely the spoiled one. Mango of course just wanted to hump. Jake didn’t take too kindly to that. Personally, I enjoyed watching him protect his timid little dog from my horny Mango.

Mango helped me wake up Bea and we all went to dinner in one of the Mexican restaurants in the commercial Plano. Seriously, Plano and most of Dallas are absurdly spread out. The homes are huge since land is so cheap and labor is mostly done by illegal immigrants, as Jake told us. The whole area strikes me as weird. It’s a weird I don’t like. In my opinion, don’t go to Texas unless you’re looking for a corporate haven, suburbia, or wide open plains full of cacti and flash thunderstorms. Our only pluses were seeing Jake and cheap gas. good old Bush knows how to take care of his state. Cheapest gas seen? $3,72 per gallon. I know!

Dinner was pretty good- I had rice and beans and corn tortillas. I love corn tortillas. I love most Mexican foods. The only problem is that their food usually has meats or cheese in them. Oh well, I was satisfied with my simple meal. We sat outside so that Mango could sit with us. The manager kept coming around asking if everything was okay. He also gave Mango some water, so he’s alright in my book. Dinner consisted of a lot of talking and a lot of people-watching. Most of the middle-aged couples tended to dress and look the same. The man usually sports some Dockers shorts and a polo or hideous Hawaiian shirt, and their woman is usually in a cute top with floods and low heels. Her hair, nails, and makeup are most likely immaculate, and she looks real put together. I’m not stereotyping, trust me, I’m just noting my observations.

We drove around a little bit looking at the insanely large mansions of Plano. We watched “Team America” as part of the Texas/America tour. I had never seen it before.. it’s hilarious! Jake’s younger sister- the older of the two- was home when we got back and we convinced her to play board games with us. I had never played Taboo and Bea was really into it, so we played. The first round Bea and I lost horribly (by 40 points). By the second round Bea and I had caught on and kicked butt! I mean, we still lost, but only by one point. I highly recommend buying Taboo for every home. It’s going to be a must in our house in Philly. Most def. After Taboo we played Pictionary- which is essentially the same thing, but your partner ahs to guess the word through pictures and not a verbal description. Bea and I were amazing at Pictionary, btw. After Pictionary was Charades.

I’m being very factual in my description of tonight’s festivities, but it was a night full of laughter and good, wholesome fun. See kids? You don’t need to go consume unreal amounts of alcohol and narcotics to have a great time. J Board games are the new fad in my book. I’m not even that competitive anymore; I really just enjoy guessing/describing/teamwork oriented games. Kind of. Anyways, we went to sleep on the L couch where we were playing board games. I slept great.

-S and M

Day XI: LA and TX

2008-07-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

July 25, 2008

Today was a long drive. Bea triumphantly told me that she had (and I quote) “Just broke into my own car!” I had left the passenger’s side window down a crack and I guess while I was in the shower she had found a clothes hanger and used it to unlock the door from the outside of the car. Good work Bea! She was really excited and explained the entire process of how exactly she figured out how to open the latch. Bea’s great when she’s super excited about something. Overall, I think I enjoy being easily excited over mediocre things.

For example, on the drive to Texas today through Louisiana I drove over this ENORMOUS bridge that seemed to last forever. Seriously, we were on it for at least 15-20 minutes. The bridge stood over the Louisiana marshland. As far as the eye can see there were trees and brush, water and water and more trees. I was in awe, but Bea didn’t really share in my excitement I guess. To me it was incredible! I couldn’t believe I was easily driving over the marshiest of marshes; the bayous of Louisiana; the wetlands of the south. Isn’t that amazing? I’d say, whew!

The drive from Slidell to Texas is a long one. Specifically Plano, TX which is just northeast of Dallas. We drove all day (leaving at 2pm) until we couldn’t drive any longer (which ended up being about 2 am). The drive was soooooo long. Louisiana is a tall state if you didn’t know.

I didn’t feel like driving all the way to Plano just to get there at 4 in the morning and sleep in our car outside of Jake’s house. We looked up campgrounds in the area and found one in Tyler State park, which is on the way to Dallas. We turned off on an exit too early and ended up in the boondocks. It was pretty freaky, especially when Bea reminded us that the Texas Chain Massacre took place in TEXAS. Yeah, we were freaking ourselves out and laughing about it.. growing silent.. and then quickly making a U-turn, aka “flippin’ a bitch.”

We got to Tyler State park successfully. When I say successfully I mean alive. There was a sign at the deserted ranger station saying $3 per person for overnight camping. “Woohoo’s” and high 5’s all around. We pile back into the car and drive into Tyler State park. We aren’t driving for long until we come across this group of 7 adolescent guys walking along the side of the road. They kindly directed us to a campsite where we find cute little bungalows nestled around a community restroom. We park, get all our stuff out: blankets, pillows, the laptop, the dog.

The light bulb in our little one-room cabin was out, so I swapped bulbs with an empty neighbor cabinJ. We slept on an afghan on a slab of cement, which was surprisingly comfortable. When we woke up we were both mosquito bite free too! What a bonus! What a night!

-S & M

Day X: LA

2008-07-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

July 24, 2008

Mango woke us up at around 10am again. Sharon was all ready to go into New Orleans after we were done with breakfast. Bea loves her Frosted Mini Wheats, and I love fruit.

Sharon drove us to the French Quarter in New Orleans- called “the Quarter” by locals, I was told. On the way there we talked about Katrina. I still can’t believe that it’s been 3 years since Katrina hit. It was really interesting to hear Bet’s mom talk about the hurricane. It seems like everyone who stayed in New Orleans stayed there by choice. She said that even Amtrak was offering to evacuate people out of the city. The hurricane didn’t even hit New Orleans- it was the flooding that was so devastating. Sharon said that 57 tornados hit Slidell, which is just north over the bridge from New Orleans. One of the bridges was torn to pieces by the hurricanes, and the other was guarded by state troopers after the storm. Thank goodness, said Sharon, or else the looters would have crossed over and spread even more mayhem.

Another big problem that I had no idea existed was the New Orleans’ prison evacuation. Actually, it was more of a “free for all.” They just let everyone out into the streets. Really? And the higher-ups complain about rampant crime and complete madness on the streets? It only takes a few to get the ball rolling. Also, the New Orleans police department and the state government are known to be some of the most corrupt in the country. I guess no one wants to work together. Oh politics. Looking out the window was so surreal. There were brand new homes sitting on their brand new stilts perched like flamingos along the river’s edge. Their neighbors were (I’m guessing) their old homes left in ruins. Roofs were caved in, moss was taking over, and trees stood crooked and twisted along the bayou. So surreal.

We got into New Orleans, talking politics and Katrina the whole way there. I kept thinking about Mango the entire time. Sharon took us out to lunch at the original House of Blues. It’s difficult to be vegan in the South, lemme tell ya. Most people in the south don’t even know what being vegan consists of, and why people would chose to live that kind of lifestyle. I don’t blame them, but still. Knowledge is power in my eyes.

I feel like most vegans are pretty aware of what’s going on and won’t stand for it. I say most because you do have those who are vegan for the wrong reasons. Personally, I’m began because #1- I don’t feel like we should be eating half the things we’re eating: i.e. lard, corn-fed cows (cows are supposed to eat GRASS), and milk (we’re the only animal who drinks it after we’ve matured- AND we’re the only animal who drinks anther animal’s milk. GROSS). That’s among lots of other things. #2- Yes, I believe us humans are naturally “supposed” to eat meat- we have partly carnivorous teeth for a reason- but I absolutely hate the way we’ve abused and manipulated our meat, poultry and dairy sources. I disagree with so much concerning the food industry. Please ask if you’re interested in what I have to say, and I’ll gladly talk your ears off. Also, the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” is a fantastic read. I’ve only gotten through the first quarter of it before someone stole it from me at work. Imagine that.

Anyways, the House of Blues was pretty good. I had their house salad with avocado and a side of sweet potato fries. Mmm! After lunch we explored the restaurant a little more. The rooms are outrageously colorful and the bars are gorgeous. We left the House of Blues and walked around the rest of the French Quarter for a bit. It’s real cute. The architecture reminds me of Europe, which is appropriate since New Orleans was “owned” by the French, then the Spanish, and then again by the French. The streets are real tight and the hustle and bustle of the stores, bars, and restaurants makes this city feel alive. And I was only there during the daytime!

We went into lots of little touristy stores, had coffee and beignets at the Café du Monde. I waited in line for the restroom for what seemed like forever. This man who was completely spray painted silver stood next to me in line. He had two revolvers on his bullet belt: one was pink and the other was silver and wooden. This silver man sported a cowboy hat and a silver sprayed black tennis shoes. He kept making these weird clicking sounds from his throat at me. It was real flippin’ strange. I just didn’t stare back. Oh, the coffee was really good.

There was another outside covered market sort of like the one in Charleston. There were loads of jewelry, Mardi gras beads, cheap sunglasses, and more jewelry. Beth’s mom told us buying people Mardi gras beads who visit New Orleans is “what she does.” I picked out this awesome blue beaded one with a large shark pendant. I thought it was hilarious. Bea got a yellow and pink beaded one with monkey heads and bananas that felt like stress balls. We walked around a bit more, it poured gallons from the sky, and then headed to the Mississippi river where there was an oil spill yesterday. I guess one of those touristy boat planes crashed into an oil tanker from overseas. It smelled horrible.

Sharon then drove us around Uptown, which is where the Mardi gras parade takes place. The houses that line the main street are gorgeous. They are enormous with wrap around balconies, large front yards, and layers of floors- some four stories tall. In my mind the houses resembled large cakes. The trees and telephone wires lining the street are all covered in Mardi gras beads left over from Fat Tuesday and the months preceding it.

Bethany still had work until about seven or so. We probably got back to the house at around five. Bea and I were still pretty tired from the night before so we napped after I hosed down the slobbery Mango dog.

I had corn for dinner! Yum Yum, I love corn. Beth had mentioned earlier that she was going to take us out to town and out to the Louisiana bars tonight. We were all watching “So you think you can dance” on the tube with her parents during and after dinner. Bea goes out to the car to get a change of clothes for the night and returns looking pissed. “Guess what? I just locked the keys in the trunk.” I looked at her and said, “Bayuhhhhh…” She retorts with a snappy, “Well, I didn’t mean to! You think I’m going to be all jolly and happy? SHIT!” and walks away. Honestly, I wasn’t too happy myself. I more annoyed that she blew up at me. In my opinion, being in a bad mood in a frustrating situation just makes it ten times more miserable for the people involved. I wasn’t mad at her or anything- shit happens, but I really hate getting snapped at if I didn’t do anything wrong. Trust me though; I was over it in a couple minutes.

Beth goes upstairs to get all dressed and purtied up while I sat on my laptop uploading pictures from Savannah and Charleston. She came down and told me that Bea didn’t want to go out tonight because she was getting really bad cramps. I went up and Bea was still in a bad mood, so I let her be and walked out to Beth’s car. Halfway down the driveway Beth asks me if I have my ID with me. “ID? I left my wallet in Philly, and now it’s being mailed to my home in California.”(Insert sheepish grin.) Turns out you need to have an ID saying you’re over 18 to get into bars in Louisiana. Beth called a couple friends to ask if the bar we were planning on going to cards. Yup, they did. So instead of going out and dancing the night away we stayed in and watched a Disney movie with glasses of red wine perched in our hands. It was a good night. I’m sure we started that movie over at least four times because we kept getting carried away with jibber jabber. It was a great night in my opinion.

-S&M

Day IX: LA

2008-07-23T08:23:00.000-07:00

July 23, 2008

I’ve been semi looking back at my journal entries and realizing how horrible my writing has become. Seriously dudes and dudettes. I got the English Department’s Senior award and now look at my writing. Great. I’m sorry readers; I’ll try to dictate my adventures in a more enjoyable manner.

We arrived in Slidell, Louisiana and went straight to Beth’s workplace. It was raining, but it was a welcomed change. Rain when it’s unbearably humid is a blessing. Our wet trio stumbled into the Honda Dealership at around 11:45pm. I spotted Beth right away. She looks the same as I remembered, and was donning a cute black button-up dress and heels instead of a bathing suit or jeans that Alaska called for.

Our little reunion was cute, but a little weird at first. We could both feel it. We hadn’t seen each other in a good three years, so I expected a little awkwardness. The dealership wasn’t busy, so we stayed a little bit with the pup and exchanged a few “So what have you been up to-s?” and “How’s the family-s?” Beth is the receptionist and did a fantastic job juggling our reminiscent conversation with answering Honda’s phone line. We arranged to meet up at a coffee shop down the lunch together during her lunch break.

The coffee shop was called “C C’s coffee,” and provided me and Bea with free wifi and comfortable chairs. Mayo was a real well behaved service dog in training while we uploaded, flickr’d, and blogged away. This girl sitting next to us wouldn’t stop staring at us! Granted Bea was on the phone with her doctor discussing her urinary tract infection and the continued symptoms, but still- uninhibited staring for prolonged periods of time makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

Beth met up with us and we headed over to this little place in a strip mall sort of area. It was cute, and not a chain food place.. and I don’t remember the name of it. Bea and I split this salad with avocado, artichokes, tomatoes, mixed greens, and onions in it. She got some grilled chicken on the side. I didn’t. It was good! I really enjoy avocado in my salad. I wonder where the concept of salad came from.. I’ll google that later I suppose.

Anyways, Beth and I caught up a lot. Mango was good and so he got Bea’s leftover chicken. Beth left to go back to work late and Mango got a little obedience training session. We worked on “stay,” “come,” “down,” and “dance.” He’s so bad at laying down on command! Real good at staying, real good at coming on commant.. but can’t lay down when I say “down!” I must have helped him do it at least thirty times with the aid of Bea and leftover pieces of chicken. I feel like he can do it, since he caught on to “come, dance,” and “stay” awful quick. Eh, in time little Chihuahua.

We went back to the coffee shop to take advantage of their wifi. Bea needed to find a doctor to take a pee sample from her to tell if she still has the bladder infection. I needed to find a pet store to buy some wet dog food to mix with my dry for the anorexic pup.

The pet store we went to was about two minutes away and had the sweetest pups for sale. There were two Dotsons, a Yorkie, two Shiatsus, and a Pomeranian. I fell in love with the black Dotson with soft curly haired ears and Bea fell in love with the shy white Pomeranian with fleas (we found out later). I hate when people buy pups from pet stores when shelters everywhere are overflowing with babes needing homes. Although playing with the pups made me realize how easy it is to fall into the “guilt” trap, as Rob says. They were precious.

We really had nothing to do, so back to the coffee shop we went to internetz. Once Beth got off work we met her and headed to her house. Her parents, her boyfriend and his parents, her dog Bear and her two cats Tinkerbelle and Tigger were home. We all had a delicious dinner of rice pilaf, sourdough bread, and kabobs. I had a veggie kabob. We kids sat at the kiddie table while the adults sat in the dining room. Dinner time discussions were hilarious. Sean/Shawn/Shaun is hilarious. Him and Beth have been together for almost three years now, and they’ve got great chemistry. We talked about LA (Louisiana) slang, including “Como Homo” (how gay), and “I’m Gucci” (I’m good).

Hah! “How are you?” –“Oh- I’m Gucci.” I guess that little town where Sean/Shawn/Shaun lived five hours north of New Orleans uses that phrase quite often. Let me paraphrase what he said:

“They use that term for everything, thinking they’re real cool. Most of them probably don’t even know what Gucci is!? There isn’t a Gucci store for miles and miles. They also think their lives are so gangsta and that they live in the ghetto. What ghetto? the cornfields?”

We busted up laughing. (All this time Mango and Bear were dishing it out to each other in the backyard.) Bear is this enormous yellow lab who’s about two years old and was found in a field by Brook’s (Beth’s older brother who’s in the Air Force right now) ex-girlfriend. Bear is a love dog, but know his own strength. Mango is too small to successfully hump Bear, so they ended up running around like crazies. After dinner I let the dogs in and Mango was SOAKING WET. It was like he jumped into a swimming pool. Turns out it was Bear’s slobber. Gross.

Beth’s dad had just quit his job (or something like that), so we all celebrated with him. Beth popped open the champagne and we toasted to the man and his freedom (or something like that).

We got to talking about my future for some reason, which of course= Bioko. Bioko island is an island off the coast of West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. For those of you who don’t know, I’m going to Bioko to study and research sea turtles with a professor at Drexel, and grad and PhD students for 6 months. The beaches where the turtles lay their eggs are along the southern portion of the island. Malabo, the capital, is on the northern part along with the university and most of the population. I’ll be in a tent in a rainforest a stone’s throw from waterfalls, chameleons, and seven different species of drills and monkeys. I’m so flippin’ excited. My plane leaves on the 6^th of October. No Mango for 6 months L

Anyways.. turns out both Brook and his father have spent a decent amount of time on Bioko Island. I guess Beth’s dad worked/works for Shell and he went to the island to help oversee the construction of a natural gas plant on the northern part of the island. Um.. kind of the opposite of what I’m going there for. Wildlife research versus extracting natural resources. It kind of made me sad that we were both going there, but with completely different aims. Oh well, unfortunately it happens.

He kept telling me how I wasn’t going to like it there- that there are two really scary types of poisonous snakes and lots of humid jungle land everywhere. It was all I could do to hold my tongue. I mean, I love that kind of stuff. I love nature, I love dirt. Whatever. Different strokes for different folks, and I respect that. By the end of the night I have to admit I was feeling a bit beat up.

Oh, there was a little fiery talk about politics, too. Beth’s mom Sharon hates Obama and went on a little rant before Beth muffled her with a hand over her mouth. Get a little champagne in people and inhibitions are lowered. Personally, I enjoyed it. I like listening to people rant about something or someone they feel strongly about. We’re in the South. Personally, I don’t feel like I’m leaning towards anyone in the presidential race right now. I mean, I’ll be in Bioko in November anyways and am probably not going to bother with an absentee vote. This will probably drive my AP Government teacher nuts, but I honestly know jack shit about either of the candidates. Besides, the popular vote doesn’t matter nowadays anyways.

Bea and I retired to Brook’s room/ the guest bedroom before midnight after a hearty “Thanks for dinner” and a “I’ll see you in the morning.” After driving all night I was exhausted.

-S & M

Day VIII: SC and GA

2008-07-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Charleston, SC

"10:10am July 22, 2008

Today was quite eventful, I'd say. Mango woke me up at around 4am with his usual "I'm licking your face so you can wake up and let me out." I grumbled my usual grumble, let him out, and immediately fell back asleep. Bea and I had flipped a gift card (no coins were readily accessible) for the big mattress. She flipped, I won. It was great and spacious for Mango and I. Next time it's Bea's turn to get the big bed.

After Mango's usual middle-of-the-night pee he can't go to sleep right away. He just loves making out with my face and jumping all over my body. I personally enjoy a good night's sleep, so I've developed a tactic to getting him settled down. I grab him and force him to be the little spoon until he stops struggling. Usually he konks out after he's gotten all the wiggles and jitterbugs out. His other internet alarm clock wakes us both up at around 9:30am. Nothing can calm him down after he's up the second time- not even the aforementioned "capture and pin down" method. This is when I shower.. and he watches. He hates not being in the bathroom with me even when I'm in the shower. The door usually gets all scratched up and since I'm not at the liberty to scratch up my host's bathroom door, he gets to join me in the loo. Every couple of minutes or so he sticks his little Chihuahua head into the shower to make sure I'm still there. Crazy dog.

We all had cereal for breakfast, went to the store for energy drinks (for the drive to New Orleans- 10 hours), and came back to Eggy the Great Dane, and Weezy the English Bulldog at Dane's ma's house. Eggy is great. He makes me want to adopt a Great Dane. He's just so mild mannered and personable. Weezy is a character. I make a darn good impression of her, hah! We were all kind of afraid she would accidentally hurt Mango since it's in a bulldog's nature to "play" with another dog by going for its throat and not letting go. No harm intended. So we decided to not take that chance and Weezy was either in the backyard, in his bed in the laundry room, or grunting about the house if Mango was in my arms.

Dane's mom Kathy is such a sweetheart. She's a massage therapist and has her own cute little office a couple minutes from her home. And guess what? She scheduled me and Bea for free massages at 1:30 and 2:30pm! I've never gotten a professional massage, but let me tell you- I will be getting more in the future if I can afford it. They're great. Kathy is great. I envy her, too. Imagine having a job where you're your own boss, and your job consists of making your clients feel AWESOME!

In the middle of the session she says "Honey, I'm going to need you to turn over on your stomach now" and I retorted with, "Kathy, will you marry me?" She laughed and said yes. Woohoo. Seriously though, people shell out the big bucks with good reason.

I went first, Bea went second. While Bea was getting her massage Dane and I wandered over to a Starbucks and got iced teas. I swear the barista looked exactly like that one awesome guy in the cake making show on the Food Network. Adorable. Starbucks.. I don't really know waht to make of it. Their drinks are overpriced, they're taking over every block in every city big or small, and they're taking business from independently owned coffee shops. They've pretty much embodied the essence of what any large company or chain strives for: controlled ubiquity.. if that's an appropriate/existing term. It does seem like they're trying to help out the poorer countries and artists by selling their albums. All ways to make more money, but.. ah. Stupid Industrial Revolution.

Anyways, back to the road trip. After Kathy's awesome massages we went to Whole Foods for lunch, and yes they have Whole Foods in the south. Healthy food is so delicious and filling in a good way. I started giggling uncontrollably halfway through the meal when Bea said "http-colon-backslash-backslash" incredibly fast. Trust me, it was hilarious. We wrote thank you cards for the folks, and then it was back to Dane's dad's house to pick up my toothbrush and say goodbye to Luda:

And finally, at around 7pm we started the trek to Savannah, GA.. only about a two hour drive, if that."

Savannah, GA

"Got to Savannah at around 9pm. It's dark. And hard to find. Honestly, we got lost getting into the city center AND getting out of the city center. Once we found the "happenin" area in downtown Savannah we parked and rode around on our bikes. It's cute, and has a nice feel. I'm beginning to think that the main shopping street is the same in all big cities. You have your GAP, your Banana Republic, Urban Outfitters, Starbucks x5, Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret.. etc, etc. I found some kids on carriage bikes sitting at a corner (waiting for tourists to taxi around the city), and asked them where we should ride. pretty much everything was closed except for bars. They told us to ride down Bull St. till we got to a fountain and then come back. No stopping, they said, unless we wanted to buy crack. Hah. Bull Street is chocked full of roundabouts with beautiful statues and churches. So we rode. The houses in Savannah are gorgeous! All of the trees beautifully frame the streets and the sky- lichen hanging like jewelry from their branches.

Most of the roads were paved, gave a few cobble-stoned side streets. Churches and mansions are at every corner it seems, and the architecture is like eye candy. Mmmm :). I followed a horse and carriage tour for a little bit and listened to the tour guide ramble and spit out her Savannah knowledge. We found this funny little health foods store/beer store/gas station/tourist store on the way back to the main shopping street. I got two postcards: one for Rob and one for the family. There's an alligator's face on it and it says "Greetings from Georgia." Hah! Oh, there was also a whole walk in refrigerator for customers stocked full of beer. I thought it was an opportune time to whip out the 'ol Captain Morgan stance:

Oh, Mango was in my bag this entire time. Afterwards it was gelato/sorbetto tasting and then back to the car. Ten hours to drive to New Orleans. We agreed to switch off every couple of hours, and Bea drove first. I slept for a couple hours, and then drove for 4 and a half hours. Yeayuhh. Bea got up, but only drove an hour and a half before she said she couldn't keep her eyes open. Not good for driving, soo.. she pulled to the side of the highway to sleep. During this I woke up and was getting freaked out because all the large trucks and semi's passing us on the highway sounded like they were going to hit us. The car was shaking and I just didn't feel like I was safe by any means. I mean, it's good that Bea knows her limits and knows when she shouldn't be driving, but I was also kind of annoyed, not going to lie.

I whipped out the half full energy drink and told Bea she could sleep and I'd drive. I don't know- I feel like I have control over my body to a certain extent. I cranked up Ludacris and whipped out the Oreos and the Atlas. Three hours later we were in Mississippi and it was raining. We rest-stopped it and Bea took over the last couple of hours to Slidell, LA. So really, it took about 10 and a half hours to get there. I mean, I was driving an average of 55mph to save on gas mileage during the nighttime stretch and still, it was a long way.

I called Beth once we got here and we met here at her workplace: the Honda Dealership in Slidell. Bethany Waddell is a friend of mine from a cruise I took to Alaska four years ago. It was an exciting reunion. Um, I guess that's the start of day IV.
So,
OUT- S and M."

Day VII: SC

2008-07-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Charleston, SC

"3:16pm July 21st, 2008

Today was beach day! We all got up around 9:50ish and ate, showered, sat around talking about what we were going to do for the day.. watched Animal Planet. The beach we ended up going to was pretty sweet. The water was so warm! and so was the sand. I had to carry Mango a little bit on the way back- his paws were dancing on the burning sand. We showered, went back to Dane's dad's house, which is only a five minute drive from the SC beach.

It's so humid, and so as soon as we jumped in the car we were talking about jumping into Dane's backyard pool. Mango went swimming with us.

So cute, but doesn't like the water much. Oh well. I love the water and it's not going to kill him, so I figure he can put up with a little swimming. Luda is so big that he'll probably drown if he was thrown in. So much body mass. -S and M

ps- Mango's first beach reaction wasn't as extreme as I had hoped. He just danced around a bit and dug. He also chased birds."

Charleston, SC

"1:29pm July 21st, 2008

Yummy vegan burgers for lunch. We drove into the city (of Charleston) and walked around the little "market" area and down. The "market" is cute- a little channel-thing in between two roads. The channel-thing is under an awning and has a bunch of little stores and stuff in there. It was cute, but seven fifths of the stands were the same touristy things. The other three tenths were great, though. I guess Charleston is quite famous for their basket weaving skills.. or should I say, basket weaver's skills.

aaand then we walked. So so much. Actually, it wasn't so bad. Bea and Dane mostly walked ahead while Mango and I strayed behind a little. At CVS we got a $1.50 dog toy (a stuffed bunny) that squeaks when you squeeze. Then it was a walk through Dane's campus, and then back to zee car.

Came to Dane's mom's house (das where I'm at right now) and watched a show on the Nat Geo channel called "The eight limbed girl." Crazy, I know. I guess her conjoined twin was connected to her at the base of the spine, but upside down and underdeveloped. So we watched that while Dane's mom Kathy went food shopping for dinner. We helped cook the best we could while eating fruit and drinking white wine.

Kathy is so incredibly nice! She made me this lovely tofu and soy sauce, ginger, garlic, mushroom and lettuce wrap. Delicious. Everyone else had shrimp scampi, which I heard was good as well. :) They're all so wonderful and accommodating.

Dinner was so filling that we drifted into a food coma that landed us in the guest bedroom and now I'm about to fall asleep. G'night Charleston!
-S and M"

Dog in pool:
-ps. Look at my flickr for more videos.. this blogger thang takes takes waay too long.

Day VI: NC and SC

2008-07-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Asheville, NC

Last night was good, not great (as Tommy Manson would say). Those three guys that were playing in a band on the streets who the girls were trying to get attend Grace's party never showed up. Thing is, there's no reception at the cabin in the woods.. so we preemptively gave them directions, but.. well, they were a no-show. Oh wells. Seriously, my alcohol tolerance level is weak. I'm a cheap date, as they'd say. Buttt.. that's beyond my point. Parentals will be reading this, so I'll keep party details to a minimum.

There was a cute little Blue Heel puppy mix called Banjo that also attended Grace's party. Mango and him rolled around for a few hours together in the sweet, dark grass. They humped for a while, let's just leave it at that.

And for this morning/afternoon I'll copy an entry from the journal:

"5:22pm July 20, 2008

Headed to Charleston, SC. Warren Wilson was great! Mango loved it lots as well. So many new smells and so much open space.

This morning (surprisingly) we got up real early. Like, 8am. I know! Sara's boyfriend came in and woke her (and us) up for Sara's surprise breakfast. Aw, cutesy. I opened my eyes and said "Oh hi Chris.. I mean, Brian.. I mean.. Bill?" He holds out his palm facing my face and says "I am Thor." We laugh. Mango gets all riled up real quick and so after those two leave we decide to go down to the river for a little walk. Taking our cameras, of course.

We crossed the bridge over the road, I swing on a swing (Mango tried to catch me as I swung by, but to no avail), we took pictures of the farm, and Mango said hello to his friend the goat.

We watched pigs poop and pee, and Mango decided to run into a pig pen after I repeatedly told him not to. I know! He got a little spanking.

We finally made it to the river where Bea and I shed our flip flops and moccasins, respectively. Remember how Mango hated the water? Well, news update: he still hates it. When he saw us wading away he had no choice and followed us in. So cute when he swims:

He got real cold, so I carried him on the way back to shore. It was 10am by then, so we started heading back to Sara's dorm to say bye before she left for work at 11. (Passing through the bamboo "forest" on the way back.)

She wasn't there yet, so Bea took a nap while I talked to Rob on the phone and played with Mango and socialized with some Warren Wilsoners on campus. The campus is beautiful, btw.

So Sara came back, we said our goodbyes, and I started packing. (Bea still wanted to beauty sleep a bit more.)

On the road. On the road. The eye is feeling a little better, so I drove. I drove for about two hours when we filled up for gas. The girl's name who cleans the bathrooms (on the back of the restroom door on the "last cleaned" chart) was Sara Lee. A couple kids and their ma came up to pet Mango and they had true to life Southern accents. My god. I almost cracked up, not gonna lie. Bea got a gross-o cheeseburger hot dog roll, and I got a bag of kettle cooked chips, and we had licorice to share. An under $4 meal for the both of us. Not healthy at all, but.. we'll make up for it with dinner at Danes in Charleston.

Mango is so pooped.
Motorcyclists don't wear helmets down here.
The air smells like pine tree sap.
Everyone is so freaking nice.

-Oh, a funny thing that happened on the road: the maps and driving directions we printed out at Carrie's house were sitting on the passenger's side of the dashboard. Bea's window was rolled all the way down, and right as I said "Bea- watch out for that.." (paper blows away) and we both crack up laughing. An hour later I glance in the rear view mirror at the lower right hand corner and see what appears to be a plastic bag caught on one of the bike wheels. Wrong. It's the page of driving directions that flew out of the window an hour ago! So funny. Turns out we didn't even need those ones.

Mango has a cute under bite, I'm not wearing any pants, and my white shirt is turning brown with Mango's paw prints. I think we may do some laundry tonight.. that's a good thing. I think I'm going to eat some pretzels and rest my eyeball. Peace- s."

Charleston, SC

And now we're here. It's freaking humid, I hate it. So far the south has been nice- we're staying with Bea's way back friend from her American school in Madrid as a kindergarten kid. His name is Dane, and his father played on the Madrid basketball team. Real nice people. They've also got an enormous English Mastiff named Luda (the first letters of Ludacris). He's sweet, and slobbers lots.

We went "grocery shopping" at the Piggly Wiggly (weird name for a grocery store, I know) and got two frozen pizzas, vegan burgers, cereal, and edamame. Tonight we stayed in and watched a movie. Now everyone else is asleep, including Mango.

I'm sleepy. I also miss Rob Biddle, among others.

-S and M

p.s. Dogs eating ice:

Day V: NC

2008-07-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

Asheville, NC

Today was a fucking bomb ass day. I really like Asheville, and I really like this college. It's real (cliche, I know) green and environmentally friendly. Warren Wilson holds fewer than 900 students, and their campus includes a farm, a river, gardens and gardens, pigs.. a goat.. chickens.. lilies.. compost piles and recycling stations. It's pretty self sustained. Makes me excited.

I woke up at around 10am with the pooch and took a little walk around. My eye is feeling betta, but I still look like a freakin' tard. When Bea woke up we went with Brittany and had some chow down at the school's cafeteria. She then gave us a tour of the place, and after watching them- I think Mango and the school's goat are in love. So cute. I didn't have batteries in my camera, so there aren't any pics. Not today, at least.

Sara got back from work and we met her in her dorm room, chillaxed, and then piled into the car to Asheville. I mean, we're in a city called Swannanoa.. but it's basically Asheville. So we drove into the city (making a pitstop to get batteries and ice cream and sorbetto). The city has a great vibe. I like.

First thing we ran into were these three guys playing music in front of a restaurant:

They said they were from Amsterdam, but spoke really good English and said they were in Nashville, Tennessee for 10 years. I don't know. Anyways, one guy had a banjo, another had a drum pedal against a plastic gallon bucket, and the third had a broomstick in another bucket with a string attached- kind of like a makeshift bass. They were playing real folky, uplifted and jumpy kind of music.. real intriguing. So, we stayed and watched. Bea and Sara sat down while Mango and I played with this beautiful puppy tied to a bench (who we later found out belonged to the three guys playing). His name's Rocco, and him and Mango love to hump. LOVE to hump. Front, back, side to side. Out of control.

Sara's friend Grace is having a birthday party tonight up in the mountains at someone's house. We figured we'd stay here for another night and head down to Charleston tomorrow after we hang out in the river.

Bea and Sara convinced the three guys and their dog to come to Grace's party tonight, and right now I'm sitting here while we're waiting for the guys to come meet us at the college at around nine. Annyywayyssss.. should be fun. They seemed fun, I guess. The "drummer" had a neck surface piercing and a nose-bridge piercing, and ears, and holes, and lalala. The banjo-er had strange hair, and the bassist was real tall. That's all I remember. They were nice natured, so we'll see what happens tonight.

Oh, this is them:

After that was a bunch of art viewing,

chocolate tasting,

and dog walking.

Everyone loves Mango. Everyone- old ladies and young little boys alike love stopping to pet this four-legged lap dog. He's quickly learning "sit" but only does it when he wants to, or when he thinks he's getting a treat. Brat. Lovely stinkin' brat. Love him.

We drove back, I showered and am eating Oreos. I want to put contacts in, but I know I shouldn't. I haven't worn a bra at all in the last two days and it feels great.

Okay, party time.
-S & M

p.s. flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunshinosaur/
p.p.s. Mango eating chips:

Day IV: VA and NC

2008-07-19T15:58:00.001-07:00

Richmond, VA

Bea had Mac N' Cheese for breakfast- I had a PB and J sandwich. We waited for Nick to get home, and left at around 12:30pm. No biggie.

Summerfield, NC

We stopped for a little bit in this tiny farm town in North Carolina at Bea's friend Carrie Raper's house. Mango had the time of his life exploring and chasing butterflies on their enormous lot, and Bea and I had a great time exploring the inside of Carrie's home. Their architecture is astounding. Carrie's parents designed and built their home, and it's as original as can be. There's a shit ton of windows and an absence of doors. Everything is connected, and beautiful.. and.. Bea and I pretty much want to move in. They have a lake in their backyard for goodness sakes!

So we made pasta there, ate, printed out driving directions to our next stop, and said goodbye.

Asheville, NC

Love this town. They say it's a "wrinkle in the Bible belt" of the South.

Poor Bea. She drove the whole way (about 3 hours) after driving from Richmond to Summerfield already. What a trooper. So we arrive in Asheville at around 11pm- Bea's friend Sara Slaughter is going to school at this great college called Warren Wilson College. We arrived at night, so it was kind of scary driving along the windy and dark roads looking for street signs. (Btw, I still have no idea how we found this place. After getting off Route 40 it was a bunch of "I think this is the sharp right!" and "Fuck it, let's just keep making donuts.") Lot's of laughs, lemme tell ya. Once we got here, we crashed. Hard. On the sofa's in the common room- which are right in front of the door to the outside of the dorm. Mango stayed with me on the couch all night long, which was nice. I mean, we had the usual 5am and 9am wake-up potty times, but everything else was smooth sailing.

p.s. I can see the stars.

Day III: VA

2008-07-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Richmond, VA

I slept pretty much most of today. My eye doesn't feel any better. It sucks. The rest of the day was spent watching Mango and Spaghetti (the people we're staying with have a 15 week old cat, I think I mentioned this yesterday). They're adorable together.

At night, at around 8 or 9 or so, Nick came home from work. We rode our bikes (I brought Mango in my bag) to this cafe where I had a Peach smoothie and some delicious sweet potato mushy stuff. Mango pooped in the outside area, and I ate Nick's tomatoes that he neglected.

We then went to this bar called Mulligan's where there was live music.. somewhere. We walked around back and up some stairs searching for where the band was playing (because it sounded like they were playing outside). Turns out they were playing on the roof area, and a door we found at the top of those stairs led to the stage area. Hah! Imagine if we opened the door and waltzed on through. The band was okay. The lead guitarist was amazing, though. A couple PBRs later a man came up to me and told me that the dog couldn't stay. I told him he was a service dog in training, and he asked for a note or an ID. I told him you legally didn't need to carry a note around, and he said that his mom had a service dog and so he knew the law inside and out. I said, well.. what kind of note do you need? He told me I needed a doctor's note stating that I needed a service dog with me. I told him that I didn't need a service dog with me, I was just training him.. so that didn't make sense. (Keep in mind we were smiling and having a nice conversation all the while, not a bristled and mean argument.) He said that his mother carried around a doctor's note, and asked what I was training the dog for. I told him that I was training Mango to help out with people who are agoraphobic- afraid of public places. Dogs who help out with those social kinds of issues are trained to never leave their owner's side, and help calm their owner down in overwhelming situations.

We still had to leave, but it was a good conversation.. and I learned how much of a smooth talker I can be. Maybe not such a good thing, but.. hey, it happens.

A couple more things:
-I ran out of batteries for my camera.
-I've worn these shorts for the past week.
-I'm hungry.
-Richmond isn't all that bad.

Ta ta for now,
-S

Day II: DC and VA

2008-07-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C.

Copied from my Journal entry on July 16th, at 12:46 pm:

"My flippin' eyeball hurts so much. I can barely even open it and it's swollen and red. Ugh. Anyways, last night was great. After setting off a bunch of illegal fireworks we went to the "Echo Cave" on our bikes. It's the Canadian Embassy, I think, and there's this really cool echo chamber thang that's.. well, just like it sounds. There's also a little wading pool (not for wading in) surrounding the domed area. Mango was crazy! Didn't know where all the voices were coming from, and when I went into the water and hid behind a cement pillow he leaped into the water (from a ledge) and tried to save me. Keep in mind Mango doesn't like the water one bit. It was great; I felt loved. Mango also got into the garbage outside this morning and so I had to give him an impromptu bath in Welch's sink. Right now he's trying to lick the pen as I write, hah! Love him. I feel like this journal is mosly a documentary of my dog, buttt.. oh wells. Watermelon time! Out- S."

So we went out to "Sticky Fingers" (an all vegan delicious dessert cafe dealio) and Bea and I got water because we're not looking to spend all our money on overpriced delicacies.

Then I went to CVS to get some eye drops (my eye doctor said that I probably have an eye infection). It took forever, and the management was really rude about the whole thing. I was flustered because I was in pain and real uncomfortable, and.. well, it was just a really bad ordeal overall.

Richmond, VA

On the way there we got off on an exit to get gas, but ended up in a Marine Corps outpost station, or base-thing. U-Turn!

Careful, after you pass Richmond on I-95 there's a paper mill, and boy! do they stank. Why? Do they make paper out of rancid cow poop or something, cause DANG it stanks.

We're staying with some of Bea's friends in this real cute part of Richmond. So far it's just been us sitting, sleeping, hanging out with Mango and their 15 week old kitten, and watching VH1. I really hate going outside because it's so bright and really irritates my eye, which sucks.. because there's lots to do outside. Fortunately, Bea doesn't mind sitting here watching VH1 on their enormous projector screen with me while I sleep and recuperate.

She's been eating wings (so south!), and I've been eating flavored ice and pb & j. So far the southern cupboards aren't too vegan-friendly.. but then again, we're not all that far south yet.

See ya,
-S

Annd, a this is from Day I:

Day I: MD and DC

2008-07-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

Baltimore, MD.

So we left at.. 12:30 pm. We were supposed to start our road trip bright and early Sunday morning, then it was Monday, and then it was Tuesday morning bright and early.. and now it's 12:30. It's okay, though, because we've left.

Bea drove the first leg of the way to Baltimore, MD. It only took about two hours, and we were definitely the slowest vehicle on the road the entire way there. (Keeping our rpm at below 2.5 x 1,000 at all times.) Mango was kind of crazy and excited for the first ten minutes in the car, but after a while he calmed down.

Mango knows his name! I think Rob and I have been yelling it so often while in Philly that he responds when we only say his name. He also hasn't peed in the car so far, which is fan-freakin'-tastic. I've also been working on "sit down" and "go git yer ball!" and "comeer" with him- three very important commands to know, in my book.

So Baltimore isn't that interesting. I mean, maybe it is, but we didn't really spy anything too FUN and EXCITING while we were biking around. (Mango chilled in my messenger bag.) We said he was a service dog in Barnes & Noble, and he met a nice English Bulldog to sniff. We wandered around the touristy area around the gorgeous Aquarium for a little bit. It was too expensive to visit, but we definitely chased all the pigeons away from the perimeter in the meantime.

Mango pooped on the walkway, and so I walked into the nearest restaurant and asked the lady for a plastic baggie. She returns with a small Styrofoam to-go box. Really? I think I gave her strange "are you serious" look, and said "I need a baaaggg. To pick up my dog's pooooop." So she comes back with a bag, and I'm satisfied.

We rode around for a bit and this guy on a funky looking mountain bike with rubber spikes on the handlebars and fork that was way too small for him started talking to me while we were at a stoplight. He told me he rode fixed too, and asked if I was doing anything tomorrow night. I said "I'll be in D.C." and bounced.

Bea and I then went to visit the tattoo parlor where Jeffery Pitt worked (he did my peace symbol in Philadelphia during the expo), but he wasn't there. We hung out with the guys that worked there, but they wouldn't stop talking about dogs so we left and went back to the car.

Washington, DC.

This time I drove. It only took about 45 minutes, and we pretty much laughed the entire way there. We're staying with Welsch and his roommates and two cats (which I think are staying upstairs for the night). Mango is fantastic, as always, and responding positively to my "sit down" and "go git yer ball" commands. Right now I'm sitting barefoot on the floor looking at him and Bea snoozing on the couch.

Mango isn't eating his dinner because he's too tired from playing fetch with the mini ball. Gosh.

The fan above is shaking and clicking, and we should probably go get the bikes off of the back rack and into a safe garage.

OUT,
-S

ps. Now they're lighting fireworks in the back.
pps. Two new bug bites.

10.

2008-07-14T17:13:00.001-07:00

Rescued this little boy from PAWS animal shelter in Philadelphia, PA on Thursday the 10th. His original name was Tony, but didn't respond to it at all.. probably because it's a stupid name. So.. I (with the help of Rob Biddle and Tommy Manson) named him Mango. He's fantastic and loving, and a sweet, sweet boy.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunshinosaur/

Look at more pix.

- He doesn't really like the water, but knows how to swim.
- He loves his Deedle Dude stuffed rat.
- He loves playing fetch with his miniature tennis ball.
- He gets along with other dogs quite well, unless they snap at him.. then he gets feisty.
- He follows me everywhere, even to the bathroom.
- He learns why I put him outside, and goes to the bathroom right away so he can come back inside.
- He doesn't run away when I walk him without a leash.
- He's not all Chihuahua.
- He isn't yappy.
- He loves to lick up my nose.
- He sleeps with me at night, sometimes on my pillow.
- His right ear is completely erect while his left ear is slightly drooped.
- He sometimes gets a snaggle tooth.
- He doesn't mind riding in my messenger bag most of the time.

He's a babe, and adopting him was one of the best decisions I've made in my lifetime.

9.

2008-07-10T13:01:00.001-07:00

One word: dog.

Pics and more info to come.

8.

2008-07-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

So, I'm stuck.

I'm stuck in West Chester with absolutely nothing to do. I'm also looking for reasons to feel sorry for myself, and that's stupid.

Anyways, I came to WC with Bea to rummage through my shit I brought back from the dorms and dumped in her downstairs family room.. I did that in about an hour and a half while she was at work. That was the plan, and then after she got off work (at around 1 or 1:30) we were going to go to the SPCA and play with the dogs there (perhaps pick up a little one who thoroughly enjoys car rides).

But no. She texts me a couple hours after she's supposed to be home saying that she doesn't get off work until after 4. Blows. Yeah.

So I'm stuck.

AND my bike is attached to the back of her car, so I feel even more stuck.

AND the SPCA closes at three, so I can't look forward to playing with pups.

AND I'm even starting to get bored with the internet.

Good god my life's rough, isn't it?

I'm a sucker, and I'm a whiner.

note: do not read above blog.

I miss Bell.

7.

2008-07-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Bella died suddenly and unexpectedly on the afternoon of July 5th 2008. she was beautiful and healthy until her last moment. She loved everyone especially Me, Tommy, Mom, Sunshine, Matt, Kendall, Josh, Nick, and Scotty (her only dog friend).

http://flickr.com/photos/robbiddle/sets/72157606015505587/

god, I fucking loved this dog.

6.

2008-07-03T13:14:00.001-07:00

BEACH!

3.

2008-06-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

My pinkie finger and my ring finger on my left hand keep falling asleep. They've been doing this for probably a month now..

I went skinny dipping in the river up in Wissahickon today. It was great.

My ears are still ringing from Tommy+Brendan+Brenden's show last night.

I found Leigh (my manager at Cosi) and Megan (the newest one) in a closet at work last night.. Yes, THAT kind of "found." I got to leave early :)

I feel sorry for Muhka, because I've got to go to work now and I don't think she's been outside all day.

Whelps!

2.

2008-06-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

Bike polo..

.. is so much fun!

So is Muhka; we went on a long, 4 hour walk to Rittenhouse and Tanney park yesterday. She's sitting to my left right now, with her legs all sprawled and her head on my thigh. Her ear is on the keypad, but just a few seconds ago it was her tongue. She's all about licking typing fingers.

Oh- back to bike polo.. I just "finished" building up the bike: it's my old Sekai track conversion frame that I slabbed a brake and a lower chain ring on. It's pretty great, but not for getting around. It's just great for getting around the polo court. If you've never heard of bike polo, it's just how it sounds: three players on a team, riding bikes (instead of horses) with polo mallets, trying to hit a little rubber ball in between two cones, respectively. So much fun. I went to the court on Front and Washington blvd last night for the first time. They play on a roller hockey court instead of the pavement at 23rd and Spruce. Also, they aren't all drunk and fist fights don't sporadically break out every week. Which isn't so bad, but it gets old quite quickly (to me, at least).

So that was last night. Tonight and the following four nights I have to work.. at Cosi.. barf.
I am in desperate need of a top tube pad and new black pants. Completely related. You see, the cable mounts on my top tube keep ripping my pants, annnnd it happened when I was wearing my black pants for work.

Ah, c'est la vie. I've got 17 days left in this town. I'm going to miss some people when I leave, though.. I'll miss 'em lots.

1.

2008-06-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

I'm a Bum.

I think I've been online for two and a half hours now.. uploading my flickr account, chatting to hot babes online, watching Family Guy, asking google questions things I've always wanted to know.. like "Why are cows considered sacred?" and "Why does your hand prune in bathtubs?" and "How do you build a ramp to jump jet skis?"

Anyways, these past couple of weeks make me realize how much I miss three major things: my dog, swimming holes, and adventures.

There's this dog named Muhka I've been living with in my "new home" at 37th and Spring Garden, and she's absolutely fantastic. Not my beagle Joy, but a fantastic dog nevertheless:

Also- Swimming. Love it, need more of it. I've been going to the Wissahickon whenever I find the time, err- the motivation to ride 16 miles, which really isn't bad at all. The problem is is that I can't stand the gross humidity... also, a friend that would come with would be nice.

Adventures! Myself and some friends ventured under the South St. bridge Monday, and boy was it a world of its own! Big 'ol gears, rusted stairways, beer bottles, graffiti, dead bodies- just kidding! Sneaking into places where you aren't supposed to be is especially exciting won't you agree?

Hooray for the western half of Philly's skyline!
Hooray for the underbellies of old drawbridges soon to be torn down!
This is going to be an exciting summer: road trip, Costa Rica, and lots of free time to bum around.

Oh- and I'm expecting to come down with a cold soon. If I don't, I could quite possibly have bragging rights for my little guy of an immune system.