06/22/11

So.  Drive!  And whenever you wanna (as long as you’re not on the cliffs) stop and play in the ocean!  Please!!!  And maybe watch some surfers.  (heart)

I’m on Coastal Rt. 1 still…yes…still!  I’ve hiked in the Redwoods today again.

And now?  I need to find a place to rest ma’ weary head.  I stopped at 2 locations, but they were both too expensive ($100).  The last one I went to, the English woman told me that I should head inland for something less expensive.  I shouldn’t have done it, let’s just say that.  I should have just coughed up the cash and hung out with her and her friends at the pub all night because she was super sweet and her hotel looked very nice…

So I drove to Santa Rosa and found a room at the Budget Inn for $50.  Well, I’m not sure it was actually IN Santa Rosa, but it was close…

I pulled in, walked into the office and told the guy that I just called and would like a room.  He looked me up and down and said, “well of course pretty lady!  If I told you that you could have a room, well then I will give you a room for the night.”  Clue #1—get out.  Of course when you check into a hotel you have to tell them how many people are staying in the room…which hasn’t been a problem yet and I haven’t felt weird about it yet…until that exact moment when I wished I had just paid extra to have me and my husband/body guard staying for the night.

He gives me the key and tells me where to find the room.  I drive around the side of the building and notice…um…1/2 of the building has been demoed!!  WHA??!!  You can see clear into the area where hotel rooms USED to be and it’s all cordoned off with caution tape.  Clue #2—get out.  Well maybe they’re just doing some work to fix up the rooms and the portion that I’m staying in has already been done (snarf).

I pull into a parking space and look up to my room:  2^nd floor, dead center.  Ok.  Let’s get this stuff out of the car and relax!  So I start to unpack and I hear some noise…I glance up (to the second floor) and see that 3 dudes have come out of the end room and are drinking on the balcony.  No big deal.  I’ve dealt with this situation before.  Just say hi and power walk right by them after flashing them a “HI!  I’m a unicorn, don’t f’ with me look.”  Because if you know anything about unicorns, you know that they are majestic and loving and kind, but they are also bringers of death and revenge…so, yea.  Watch out!  Is this the point where I put this in here?  Clue #3—get out.

So I walk up with my stuff.  Start to pass by, and silence falls.  It’s like I was the predator and the birds and crickets knew what I was and needed to shush up so I wouldn’t know they were there (‘cause I like to eat birds and shtuffs).  After passing one of them calls into the room (where there are 3 more dudes) and THEY all proceed onto the balcony.  Walk.  Don’t run to your room where you will be safe…um…

Unlock the door, dump my stuff on the bed, turn around to close the door and realize…not only is there not one of those door cracked open, you still can’t get in thingies, but there’s no frackin’ DEADBOLT!  WHA??!!!  Yea.  Clue #4—get out.

That’s ok.  I got mace and a taser and such and I’m 80% certain that those huge dudes (and yes, they were some very large—as in tall and built—men) won’t do anything.  80% certain, huh, Amber…them ain’t good odds darlin’!

Alright, so I’m going to have this beer and just relax.  If they don’t sense your fear they won’t attack, right?  Yes.  So I’m out on the balcony with the 6 dudes and I look down and there’s another guy in his car right below me doing something involving a lighter and a pipe.  He gets out with a plastic bag full of beer and canned items, looks around and starts to walk to the right…hmmmmmm…Clue #5—get out.

Meanwhile, I look to my right and notice that there are knit items on the railing (like hats and stuff).  Oh good!  A family!  Ok, I’m alright.  At this point in the story, please remember that I am in Santa Rosa California…got it?  Can anyone tell me what the heck a family would be doing in Santa Rosa with knit items hanging to dry on the railing at the Budget Inn????!!!  Anyone???  Yea, I didn’t think so.  Clue #6—get out.

A young guy walks out of the room to my right with another knit thing, wrings it out over the side of the balcony and drapes it over the railing.  WHA??!  Did you just make that and you’re pre-washing it??  What the heck is going on here?  Oh and then the waif of sickly sweet aroma hits me (because he just opened the door).  (sigh) ok.  That’s not a family, unless I just got transported back to the 70’s somehow.  Another guy (young) walks out and looks over the edge of the balcony, then an older dude comes out…and who should show up around the corner at that moment, but the guy who was in his car.  He starts heading towards these guys, stops dead in his tracks, looks past those guys straight at me and proceeds to unleash the creepazoid smile/leer/sneer right at me.  Yep.  Clue #7—get out.  They all stop and turn at me and somehow all give me the same look.  WOW.  Really?  Imma thinkin’ ye’all are zombies now, but you are walking WAY too quickly and I do believe I heard one of you speak…I think…

Alright.  Get back in your room, Amber and try to rig it so no one can get in.  Unfortunately, the stand for the TV is bolted to the wall and the table is bolted to the floor…really?  Bolted to the floor??!!  Is someone truly gonna try and steal a table??!  Ok.  So I look around, creep toward the bathroom and turn on the light.  This is what I witnessed in the entire room:

1. No cover on the bathroom light fixture and it was DISGUSTING!
2. Dried nicotine stains dripping down the walls of the bathroom
3. Towels stained
4. No outlet covers on the plugs
5. Fire alarm ripped ½ off the wall and missing the most important part (the alarm)
6. TWO holes in the walls…leading to…???
7. Carpet stained with unrecognizable stuff
8. Sticky area of carpet
9. Curtains ripped and falling off of the rod (these were also severely stained with nicotine)
10. Dirty sheets (yea, that’s hair and it ain’t mine…)

Clue #8—get out

So.  I did.

I packed up my car and headed back to the front desk.  The office guy was outside smoking and he seemed very excited to see me walking up.  I walked up to him and said, I hate to do this to you, but I can’t stay here.  I need to give you back my key and head to another location.  Well, it was like we were having a break-up or something!  He got all distraught and said “no no no no, honey!!  We will keep you here, what is wrong??”  Yep.  Clue #9—get out (Imma tryin’!  Sheesh!!)

I told him that the room was disgusting, there was no fire alarm, and that I felt unsafe.  I explained that I had been all across the country and had not once felt unsafe in a hotel, but that a first was to eventually happen…

His solution?  Put me in a room right by the office so he could keep an eye on it all night for me OR!!!  Wait for it……………………….I can use HIS room, since you know, he’s working all night and won’t need it and it’s safe there.  He even offered to wake me up in the morning.  REALLY?????!!!!  F’in REALLY!!???!!!  What the hell is WRONG with you??  NO!!!  I don’t even need any clues at this point. 

I told him no (controlling my temper) but that I appreciated his offer.  He then suggested that I try the next hotel over there (shared parking lot) since it was owned by the same people and they would take care of me.  Oh, yea.  That seems reasonable!  NO!  Then I asked if there was any possible way for me to get my cash back…since I had been in the room MAYBE 20 minutes.  Nope.  No refunds.  There’s a sign right there.  Manager’s not here.  Can’t make any exceptions.  Oh really now?  Ok.  Now I’m pissed.  Forget it.  Keep my cash (for now).  Suffer the consequences soon jerkface.  I tell him I’m going and he tells me to hold on a minute…what does he give me?  NOT the manager’s contact information but HIS OWN!!!  Phone number, email address, etc. and tells me I should call or email him!!!!!  Ok, buddy.  I don’t think you’re really getting what I’m telling you right now.  Your place is FILTHY and a DANGER and I’M PISSED. 

Out.

Time Unknown:

I drive 2 minutes to the Motel 6, which consequently, costs the same amount as the Budget Inn…(sigh)

I check in and tell the guy at the front desk my story.  He tells me, yea…the Motel 6 is a little better than the Budget Inn.  Yea.  Thanks.

As I’m walking out the door of the office a cop is getting into his car, so I stop him…you know, just to ask some questions like are there regulations for hotels in California, who is the Fire Chief of this area, what the rules are for no refunds for a hotel that you have complaints with, etc.

He gives me the information then asks where I am staying, proceeding it by this statement:  Whatever you do, don’t stay at the Budget Inn.  I won’t allow it.  It’s not ok for you to be there especially alone! 

Oh, yea?  Really?  Well, too little too late buddy!  I just learned that lesson!!!  BAH!!!  (sigh)

Side information:  The Budget Inn just had a fire (hence the caution taped off area) because someone fell asleep with a cigarette.  Good thing there wasn’t a fire alarm in my room, huh?  Tsssssssssss.

9:45 pm:

Scoot quickly over to the Bear Diner which is in the same parking lot as the Motel 6, walk in with a “oh, please feed me even if it’s too late” look and ask if I could get some food to go.  The son looks at his mum (yea, it was obviously a family run diner), his mum looks at me and smiles and says you are ok to order, love, then looks at her son and asks him to take my order.  I of course am crazy apologetic about it and thank them profusely since they close at 10.  I also go out of my way to thank the cook (who is also related!).

10:00 pm:

Veggie burger, fries, coleslaw, Budweiser, water.  Deadbolt, door latch thing, fire alarm, clean bathroom, clean carpet, quiet, no dudes.  Safe.

Lesson learned?  Go with Clue #1 and get out no matter what.

Second lesson learned?  Should have just stayed at the hotel on the coast with the nice English woman since it would have cost me the same amount…

06/21/11

Breakfast time!  Oh, I first had to crawl outta ma’ car again…and have 3 sips of cold coffee from the day before.  Seems to have become a habit though so now I’m trained not to drink all of my coffee…why don’t you buy a hotplate or propane mini stove, Amber?  Wha?  What would the fun in that be??!!  Come on now!  I just got trained!  Don’t go throwing luxuries at me!  Tssssssss. 

After a delicious breakfast burrito, I hiked to a waterfall (which was surrounded by wee lil’ screaming children….YEA!) and then to the lookout where I met two women.  They asked me if I was hiking alone.  Yea, sorry.  I know, I know, be careful, but have you seen all of these people on these trails??  I’m gonna be ok. Thanks.  One of them told me I should hike this other trail…and I’m sorry, but I didn’t write it down, so I done plum forgot what it was….hmmmm.  Anyway, her friend freaked out and said there was no way I should hike that alone!!!!  Literally looking me in the eye and basically begging me not to do it.  WHA?  Her friend asked her why and she said “it’s like 4 miles in the desolation and there are wild animals and she’ll get lost and no one will know!!!!!”  AH!  Lady!  Settle yourself!  I’m sure it will be fine (her friend agreed…-snarf- after giving her a “are you ok?” look).  So what does this Panda Pants do when someone says not to do something?  HA!  Yea.  I did it.  And the tiger scared the bajesus outta me and then I got so lost I had to gnaw my own arm off even though I’m a vegetarian and THEN!!!!  OMG!!!!!!  I found the beach and there were people there and I was so starved from being in the (ehem) field for like 4 months that I ATE them!!!!  Shhhhhhhhhh!!!!  They signed a waiver!  It’s ok!  The waivers are over here under this rock…come here…check for yourself…waaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!

Ok.  Really.  Um…Yea, it was a trek, but it was flat and led to the beach and back again and I saw…nope, I heard rustlings in the bushes at one point which may have been a bird.

I played on the beach (tssss, of course!) and I passed a woman about my age and she recognized me from the other trail.  She was all like, hey!  We just saw you on the other trail and I was all like, HEY!  Look at me, I’m awkward and will tell you I don’t remember, but HI! Again!!!!!!  Sheesh, Amber.  Come on now.  Try and censor your words sometimes maybe?

Time Unknown:

Drivin’ back North past Santa Cruz and I need to pop into Whole Foods to get a nice beer and a French Press for Krista Jean and Ray as a thank you present.  I did.  Krista wasn’t home still…(pout).

Time Unknown:

Some hotel in some such town.  Yea.  It’s a blur right now………nothing important happened other than sllllleeeeeep.

06/20/11

Today I leave Santa Cruz.  Sadly.  Krista’s already gone to work…so crushes through the brain for you, love! 

I’m driving South now…weird!  ‘Cause I missed Big Sur and one HAS to go to Big Sur if one is in California!!!  I drive up to this campsite because all the State Park ones are full and as I’m checking out the site some dudes drive slowly by in an suv and need to tell me that they like my tattoo…yea.  Thanks!  Hopefully you are leaving and will not be directly across from me for the rest of the night.  DOH! 

So I’m set up and decide to hike for two hours up the mountains and through the redwoods and also randomly fall while going downhill because I wasn’t paying any attention.  Right there, on both knees and they bled soooo bad.  Of course when you fall and you’re alone, ones immediate reaction is to look around to make sure no one saw you and then if all is clear bark a laugh out, THEN look down at the damage caused.  Aw, that ain’t bad, I’ll just dust it off a bit and then pour a bit of this water on it and……GOOOOOSSSH!!!  Oh, gosh.  That blood is not stoppin’.  So what’s nice about being a lady in the woods?  Some of us carry emergency stuffs for our lady bits with us at all times and when one doesn’t have band-aids?  One uses said item, and let me tell ya’, they work real nice!  Krista Jean had even taught me about the Sticky Monkey plant that has medicinal uses to heal you and will stick to you like a band-aid.  I looked!  There were none!  I really wanted to use it too.  (sigh)  I’m scabbed up real nice now.

Time Unknown:

Back to camp! 

Jezebel pulls up 2 sites down…with 3 hoops attached to the back of it.  Really???!!!  Come ON!!!  So this couple is from LA from a co-op and they are just in Big Sur for a few days.  Ok then, I can see that.  Jezebel probably could have made it from LA to Big Sur without any issues.  Tsssssss…showoffs. 

The camp manager popped by too and got all sorts of enthralled with my set-up in the back.  Like almost scary so…she wanted the whole story and how I figured out the containers and were they separated into specific uses (of course!!!!).  I guess they were reasonable questions?  Yea.

Then I met the woman camping next to me who is also from LA and on vacation with her dog.  She offered me some of her Port later on…

The couple to the right of me walked by and stopped and “heard that I was alone and traveling from Maine”.  Yep.  So ye’all are just going to randomly pass by all night and not actually hang out with me???!  What?  California, what are you??  In Tennessee, I couldn’t keep em’ away…

Later on I saw this couple crowded by the dumpsters with their faces all alight with the glory of phone power.  Yea, that was the portal of internet access (and they even gave me the password fo’ free!).  It was slow though, and Amber’s attention span is super short lately……………..

Sorry, what?

Oh.

I turned around and decided to get my “I’m a big girl and have been trying to make friends my whole life through all sorts of different schools” attitude on.  And it somehow felt just like that.  UGH.  I don’t want to be at the lunch table all alone again!  BLECH!  Alright.  GO!  I walked over and asked the chick from LA (who had Jezebel and the hoops) if she wanted to hoop.  I did that.  Alone.  Tssssssss, ‘course I did.  YEA!  We hooped for a bit and the couple next to them joked about it “dinner and a show, blah blah blah”, they were also from LA.  So we hooped together for about an hour chatting and such and then she stopped and needed to sit down.  Really?  Just get something to drink and come back.  Oh.  That kind of sit down.  Ok……..I’ll go……dammit.  Naw, I don’t need to sit, thanks.  It was nice.  Sort of.  Not genuine.  I think that’s what I’m missing most right now.  Genuine.  Love, smooshes, crushes, laughter, talking, realness.  Portland, Oregon, you better be real or I’ll kick your ass!!!!

06/19/11

UP!  So, now it’s time to make coffee for my hosts and do some laundry.  Oh, my laundry, not theirs…that would be weird!!

And we will now walk all day on the foot bridge, boardwalk, West Cliff and Imma gonna find a nice rock to sit on right by the ocean and call my dad to wish him happy Father’s Day.

2:30 pm:

EAT!  Las Palmas Taco Bar for a burrito and chips and Dos Equis!  Yummies.  And wander aimlessly back to Krista’s house—oh, they went out to have a picnic with family!  Sit in the backyard and write in the journal while trying to plot how to steal Huckleberry (her dog)…sssshhhhhh!!

Time Unknown:

Krista and Ray get home (the chicken was a-ok by the way, phew!) and we decide to go to the “downtown” area for Indian food.  The food was AMAZING!!!  And we all shared it which was crazy nice and bonding and now I’m just getting all smooshy and sentimental so anyway.  The guys working there?  Um…to say it nicely it was like we walked into their kitchen in their home and they were FORCED to serve us.  Really?  You’re just going to set that one dish of food on the table and then walk away without saying anything??!!  Nobody’s even sitting in that chair, dude!  AH!  Why ye’all being so mean??!!  Tsssssssss. 

Let’s go get ice cream!!!!!!!  Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!!

And now it’s what 9?  And we’re so frackin’ tired! 

06/18/11

Imma gonna get to Santa Cruz as fast as I can now, so I’m going to take the 101.  It’s only a couple hours from here, so since I’m missing Big Sur in between, it ain’t no thang.  2 hours is NOTHING on a cross country trip!  It’s like looking at your partner at night and saying, oh!  We don’t have milk for coffee tomorrow or any more beer, I’m just going to walk up to the corner store and grab some, be right back.  That’s what 2 hours is.  A jolly jaunt to the corner store for milk and beer.

Um….did I just type “jolly jaunt”???  Wha? 

Now I’m going to have a tailgate party at Burger King with my veggie burger and teddy bear and panda bear!  GO!

1:30 pm:

SANTA CRUZ!!!!!!!  And the first person I meet is Ray (Krista’s husband) jogging with Huckleberry as I was texting Krista that I was there!  He popped in to drop off the dog and continue on his (crazy) 8 mile jog…GAH!  Ok.  I gotta dump my cooler, so I’m good.  And OH!  I get my own wee lil’ house to stay in??!!!  Wha??!!  With a bathroom?  I will not fall down.  I will not fall down.  Wow.

Oh my gosh and now KRISTA JEAN!  If you don’t know Krista, well, you are missing something very wonderful in your life!  So if you want to meet her, just holler and I’ll introduce you because one always needs a Krista Jean in their lives.  Mmmm hmmmm.  Yep.

We got coffee, ate dinner, walked about town, got a water taxi to drive us to who knows where!  There’s no berthing at the docks either, ok?  Unless you consult the dock officer or the boy scouts.  Be warned.  They’re serious in Santa Cruz.  Keep them babies off the docks!  HA! 

And now Krista and Ray have to go grocery shopping, so they drop me off at The Crepe Place to meet up with the one and only TYSON!!!  <3 

Holy crap.  When you’ve been alone…well…um…when I’VE been alone for more than 4 days, boy that really gets to you…or me!!  And having both of these amazing people around me re-booted this unicorn.  So, thank you.

We hung out alllllll night at this crepe place then headed back to Krista Jean’s for beers and cookin’!  Yea, I helped cooked chicken!  WHOA!  Well I didn’t actually help, I just said “BASTE!” every 10 minutes until it was 1 in the morning!  The chicken got cooked (and nicely basted) for the next day…it was Father’s Day, so it was important…in case you were wondering why we were cooking a whole chicken at night!  And the next morning?  Yea, that kitchen was clean and swept.  That’s how we roll.

1:00 am:

Sleep now?  With happiness.

06/17/11

And now?  I REALLY want to go to the Bunny Museum in Pasadena California!  Yes please!  Who wouldn’t right?  I mean Elijah Wood did a “commercial” for it!  That’s Frodo, by the way…

http://www.thebunnymuseum.com/

So I called, because that’s what yer a’posed ta’ do before showing up and the woman (yes, I spoke with Candace herself) told me that she had a slot open for a tour at 3pm.  Ugh.  No, that’s too late!  Wait…why?  Why don’t you just open your home up from blah blah to blah blah and let people stroll through?  That was the only time slot she had open though, so I thanked her and moved on.  Last thing before she hung up the phone?  “Have a hoppy day!”  (snarf) ohhhkay, that made it better, thanks crazy lady!

Legoland then?  Yes!  Oh……um……no…..that’s $70 just to get in.  DOH!  I’ll wait for that another time…wink wink.

Ok, so how about we just drive Coastal Route 1 then and see what happens?  Deal.

11:00 am:

BEACH!!!!  Holy lordah.  I didn’t realize how much I missed the ocean!!!  There it is all big and beautiful and sandy and sunny and…….crap.  Now I have to pull over since I’m all teary eyed again. 

Here’s the downlow about driving Rt. 1 through California.  I got on in the San Diego area, which means that, yea, at some point (which is now in the story) you have to get through Los Angeles.  So that’s um…not all that fun.  It’s about 2 blocks, then a traffic light, then 2 blocks and a traffic light…which seems to go on and on and on and in a standard, whew!  That’s a work out alright!  So if yer a’wantin’ to do the coastal trip, get on around the Malibu area, that way you’ll get a lil’ of the California/Orange Country (yea, I drove through 90210…iiiiiiieeeeeeeee!!!) feel and then BOOM!  You’re on the cliffs and looking out over the ocean!  I did get to eat at a vegetarian restaurant called the “Secret Spot” near Sunset Beach and it was deeeeeeeee-licious!

6:00 pm:

Out of the car and prancing in the ocean!  WOW!  Perfect.

8:00 pm:

I’m supposed to be in Santa Cruz at this point hanging out with Krista Jean and Tyson, but LA smacked my time all off, so here I am in Lipoma looking for gas, wine, and a motel.  Well the sign on the highway said they had lodging…hmmmmmm…I’m still 3 hours away from Santa Cruz and have been driving since 10 am.  Iza tuckered out!  The gas station was awesome.  And when you start evaluating gas stations and rest stops, you know you’ve been on the road for a bit!  I felt like I lived there!  The guy at the counter said “hey Jimmy/Bob/Mary” to everyone who walked in and then looked at me and said “hey, how are you doing, hon?”  Really???  Are you from Tennessee??!!  Gimmie!!!  I got my gas and wine and decided to drive a little further into the um…town?  Well, there ain’t no more town other than the gas station and a place called Rocky’s which was PACKED with jacked up trucks and dudes standing outside smoking and talking…I didn’t stop, no worries!  I pulled into the parking area of the house converted into a small restaurant, walked in and saw my MOM!  Naw, not really, but she might as well have been!  She looked up and said, hey hon, what can I get for you?  (sigh) a hug?  Yes?  I asked her about lodging and she shook her head and told me there was nothing like that in town.  I then asked if I could just sleep on her couch here in the waiting room.  HA!  Nope, ok.  Doesn’t hurt to try right?  Hey, I like your shirt, gimmie it.

9:00 pm:

San Luis Obispo (Krista Jean told me to stop here).  And I SO wanted to stay at the Madonna Inn!!!  Just look at those rooms!!!  AH!  It’s was $200 though and it was already 9…so (sigh) nope.

Motel 6?  Ohhhhkay.  Again.  Sleep now please.

06/16/11

UP!  Mariano and Erika are gonna pick me up around noon.  In what?  What will they pick me up in you ask????  Oh, you know…just a jacked up TRUCK!!!  HA!  YES!!!!!  Yea, one of those that has a step so you can actually get into it!  DREEEEEAAAAMY!!!!  Good thang I was wurin’ ma’ boots!

I haven’t seen Mariano since…high school…which was…ugh…20 years ago.  Ouch!  20 years, man!  20 YEARS!  And he’s still the same!!!  Well, he’s not all lanky and skinny anymore since he’s a navy diver, but still crazy sweet and amazing.  So yea.  That’s real nice.  How come everyone I knew back then got all buff and stuff?  Kasper was the same way!  Where’s MY buff??!!  Tssssssss…I just seemed to have gotten more lanky.

We pull into downtown San Diego to get lunch and have to park in a parking garage.  See, usually Mariano is on his bike (motorcycle), so he doesn’t have an issue parking, but this truck can’t just randomly pull into some spot on the side of the road.  Oh.  And don’t forget that we’re in a jacked up truck…yea.  So we pull into a garage and we hit the 6’-8” height restriction with … something…meh?  Whatever, just do it.  The whole way up to the top the antenna decides to hit every carrying beam in the place.  Wow.  That’s embarrassing!  And we did get out and check at one point on the way back down.  We had at LEAST 4 inches from the top of the roof of the truck to the concrete beams of the garage.  Plenty of space!  WAAAAHAHAHA!

Lunch at TGIF with beer and talks and jokes and fun.  Erika recorded a ton of stuff…I’m not too sure I want to see it, but Mariano is a film editor too (in his spare time), so I’m sure it’ll be awesome!  Then we walk around a bit and go into this mall, which is unlike any mall us Eastern folk have been it!  It’s 3 floors and completely open to the elements!  WOW!!!!  There’s even a food court!  Craziness! 

Now we’re gonna go back to my hotel so I can grab my swimsuit and a change of clothes, because we want to go out dancing after we swim in the pool where Mariano lives! 

Pacific Beacon.  Military base.  I haven’t been on a base since 1993 and I just have to say that it feels like home.  I don’t know why, but just driving through the gate and then walking to the store…yea.  That’s home.  I probably should have joined the military, huh?  Naaaaahhhhh…that wouldn’t have been a good idea!  ;) 

But they’re all so YOUNG!  The GIs!  Were they always this young?  Is that dude even old enough to be buying beer??!!!  Oh.  Crap.  I’m getting old huh?  As a side note, I decided to wear my Army shirt this day.  Whoops!  Hey Amber!  How ‘bout you walk around a naval base with an Army shirt on.  Betcha you’ll make fast friends with that ‘un! 

So here’s the base and military housing.  Military house has changed a wee bit since I last saw it.  Yep.  It’s all purdy and clean and modern and they have a Subway in the building and a fancy lobby and roof top swimming pools and roof top jacuzzis…yea.  Changed just a bit from dorm room style housing for Gis.  We were gonna go swimming and hang out in the jacuzzi, but it seems as if everybody else had that same idea and there is no way in hell I am getting into my swimsuit and hanging around a bunch of Navy dudes.  Nope.  Nuh un.  Not gonna do it!  How about we just hang in your apartment (with a balcony) and have a beer and then go up to the pool and hang out there on the side (fully clothed)!  YAY!  I gots ta’ learn some Swedish too!!!  The sounds come from the back of your throat.  It’s difficult and it sounds like you’re saying the same letter over and over again, but they can tell the difference! 

It was an awesome day and night (nite and day cue:  Kid Cudi) other than the fact that those dudes have NO IDEA what good music is!  Tsssssss.  C’on now.  What is this slow bad R&B that you are playing??!!  OH!  Journey!  Ok, that’s fine…nononononono!  Don’t change it!  DAH!!! 

Mariano had 1 beer too many we think and there’s no way he is gonna drive me back to my hotel!  Nope!  Adventure to end the night?  Call a random cab, walk to the side gate, and drive to the hotel!!!!  Crush hug Mariano and Erika before you leave though as Mariano is informing the cab driver that he needs to treat me like royalty and that he will NEVER have someone more important in his cab.  Because he’s got Ambah D in the backset.  V.I.P. brothah!  (hearts)!!!!!! 

20 years don’t mean nuthin’ when you’re with crew.