4:00 am, 5:00 am, 6:00 am, 7:00 am

June 19, 2013

 

I’ve been having so much fun that I’ve put off doing some housekeeping items, so today I’m getting things done. My laundry pile had been accumulating and my days here were numbered so item number one on the list was to run a load of laundry. I gathered up my dirties and threw them in the wash. While waiting for them to complete the wash, I pulled out a card for my dad for Father’s Day and wrote a note inside of it. I know I’m a few days late, but initially my dad was supposed to come visit me during my trip. Unfortunately, last minute obligations put that plan to an abrupt halt. That, combined with the unpredictable craziness of my adventures, caused me to slack on my daughterly duties and send it before now.

Not before too long, I heard the washing machine beep, so I transferred them into the dryer and then left on a hunt to find a place where I could get my oil changed. I got lost on several of the smaller roads, but eventually saw a guy waving a sign that read, “$21.99 OIL CHANGE.” Guess that was my clue! I ordered up the special and melted into a waiting chair. Right as I realized how exhausted I was from staying up until 6:00 A.M., Chris sent me a text saying, “I’m so dead at work. Ughhh.” Tell me about it, boy! I felt worse for him since I was just bumming around town while he was working hard. I spotted a Keurig in the corner and placed next to it were Styrofoam cups and creamer. It’s like the coffee gods heard my cry for help! I jumped up to make a cup, but didn’t see any coffee. “Maybe you have to pay for it.” I thought in my head. Free coffee is better than coffee you have to pay for, but at this point I was desperate. “Excuse me, could I buy a cup of coffee from you please?” I asked the lady behind the counter. “Sorry dear, usually it’s free, but we’re fresh out.” She responded, and crushed my dreams of feeling rejuvenated. Coffee gods, you suck.

With a steal of a price for an oil change this place was pretty busy. It took over an hour to get me in and out of the shop. At about that time, Chris texted me again asking where I was told me he was on his way home from work. I told him I would see him soon and headed back to the house as well. I realized I didn’t know the address to the place since the only other two times I drove there I was following one of the guys. This should be interesting. I remembered a conversation from earlier where they boys called themselves the “AV house,” a play on the name of the street where they live. Ding, ding, ding! Score for me for remembering that! During that conversation the boys told me of the exclusivity of the group they created and told me if, and only if, I proved I could hang would I be able to be a potential candidate for the crew. This group was created in a joking and light-hearted manner, but even still, I wanted to be in that darn crew! They showed me the AV hand sign, where you join your right pointer finger to the tip of your left middle finger vertically to create the allusion of the letter “A” and the letter “V” being connected. I told them I would practice just IN CASE I was deemed cool enough to be in the crew. ;)

I made it back to the house before Chris and realized my clothes were done drying. Once I got them out I sat down to catch up a little on my blog. I wrote for about thirty minutes before I heard the back door open. That must be Chris. I continued to write for a while until I noticed that whoever had gotten home earlier hadn’t yet come out of the back room. Hmm, oh well. A few moments later Ryan walked in the front door. After that the boys continued to pop in one by one until everyone except Chris was accounted for. We all spoke about our days and relaxed on the couches in the living room. Chris came out of his room in the back a bit later and said he had been taking a nap. I should probably have done the same because today is Wednesday, “The most famous day of the week!” according to Jake S. and we were going out! AJ and I decided to grab a pizza from Hungry Howie’s where they sold large pizzas for only five dollars. I ordered a pepperoni pizza with Cajun-seasoned crust. Mmmm, tasty. We picked up our food a few moments later and when we arrived home AJ made us each an ice cold capirinha. He and I sat at the kitchen table with Abner and Chris while Ryan and his girlfriend attacked another P90X workout.

During our dinner conversation, one of the boys said to the other, “Well, Eddie would go.” What the heck does that mean? They then proceeded to explain to me the story of Eddie Aikau. Eddie was a fearless Hawaiian surf legend who conquered waves bigger than anyone before. He worked as a lifeguard at Waimea Bay and saved hundreds of people that were trapped by the gigantic winter surf. Eddie set off on a journey in a 60-foot canoe to prove that Polynesians, using only the stars could navigate to and from Hawaii. The night they left, the canoe filled with water and capsized. Eddie immediately volunteered to take his surf board back and reach help at Lana’i, but the captain denied his offer and the crew spent the night clinging on to pieces of the boat. After 24 hours of helpless waiting, Eddie volunteered again to go for help. The crew was hesitant to let him leave, but with all hope withering away they finally agreed. After all, if anyone could do it, it was Eddie. They sent him off with only his 12-foot surf board and a bag of oranges. Not even three hours after Eddie paddled out to sea, a rescue group came and saved the remaining crew. The crew told the rescuers of their friend who went for help, but the search was unsuccessful. Eddie was never seen again. Now, the Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau surf competition is held very seldom and only when the waves reach over thirty feet high in his honor. What an incredible legend.

After finishing dinner, we all got ready to head to Seville’s, a bar downtown where it was nickel beer night! Oh boy, this could be trouble. The typical Wednesday night routine consisted of going to Seville’s where nickel beers kicked off the night at 8:00 P.M. Nickel beers turned into quarter beers a couple hours later, and after that, into dollar beers. After Seville’s, everyone usually goes to Fish Shack, another downtown bar where it happens to be ladies night, and you know what that means! Time to get crazaaay with the two dollar you-call-its! A Couch Surfer from Chile was coming to Pensacola tonight to stay with the boys as well and she was going to meet us out at Seville’s. I couldn’t wait to meet her.

Seville’s was such an awesome place! Once our ID’s were checked, we were admitted into the building which actually holds five separate bars! The specific bar we went to inside was where the drink specials were happening. We ended up missing nickel beers, but we were able to enjoy plenty of the twenty-five cent greatness. Two dueling pianos sat center stage and the pianists were going at it! They played a wide range of songs, including those picked by the audience. The atmosphere at Seville's was so much fun. The lights were low, the music was loud, and it was obvious when surveying the packed room that everyone there was completely enjoying themselves. While Chris went to meet the new Couch Surfer, Jake W. and AJ took me on a tour of the entire building. The brick-laid walkways actually used to be alleys. A roof was now placed overhead to join the buildings together. The once historic buildings, now turned bars, used to be a number of different businesses, including a printing press and a brothel.

We headed back to the bar after walking around a bit and found that Chris had rejoined the group and brought back Andie. Andie turned out to be freaking awesome and fit right in with the crew. We all had a blast conversing with each other, telling stories and making jokes, all the while sipping on our cheap beers. The conversation paused momentarily. AJ looked at me, then back at Chris, then Chris looked at me, and I looked back at the both of them wondering what on earth was going through their brains. When the boys finally spoke, they told me the time had come for me to be inducted into the AV Crew! Having practiced the hand sign the day before, the boys and I chunked up the AV and continued to have a great time. Being the first and only girl to be in the AV is a pretty awesome feeling. ;)

 

AJ, me, Chris, Luis chunking up the AV- Pensacola, FL

Couch Surfer from Chile, Andie- Pensacola, FL

 

We headed to Fish Shack which was just down the road at about eleven o’clock. After ordering up a round of drinks, we moved our party of ten out back where a live band was rocking out. We stayed at Fish Shack for a couple of hours, but the ratio of weird creepy guys to normal people was unbalanced. We decided to head back to the house where Andie had a surprise waiting for the boys! When we got back, she unveiled the gift; a bottle of Pisco, which is a type of liquor she brought over all the way from Chile! Everyone stayed up hanging out and drinking Piscola (Pisco mixed with Coca-Cola) until 4:30 in the morning. “We’ll just have to stay up until 7:00 A.M. today!” Chris joked. In my head, I was thinking, “Yeah right, crazy!” There was no way I would be able to make it considering we were up until 4:00 A.M. Sunday night, 5:00 A.M. Monday night, and 6:00 A.M. Tuesday night. I could have passed out right then and there from exhaustion, but instead of going to bed like everyone else, Chris and I wound up hanging out and talking more. Next thing we knew, that sun came shining in the window again even brighter than the night before. It was SEVEN. IN. THE. MORNING. I just laughed to myself and shook my head. I don’t know how, but we did it again! We both took that as our hint that it was probably a good idea to call it a night.

These past four days have been so draining, but they’ve also been the funniest, craziest, and genuinely the biggest blast I’ve had in a long, long time. I was leaving for Destin tomorrow, so now, I needed my rest.

Brazillian Caipirinha's

June 18, 2013

 

I woke up when the boys got ready for work and wasn’t able to go back to sleep, which was fine since I needed to get the day going anyway. I now had the password to the wifi so I took some time to catch up on my blog. Around noon, I reached out to Jake S. to see if he was still game to take out the jet ski. He told me he already had everything set and whenever I was ready, I could head on over. Sweet! This was going to be an adventurous day. I drove to Jake’s house and It. Was. Beautiful. The two-story house was located directly on the water and had a stunning view from the floor to ceiling glass window on the second floor. Jake had prepared turkey sandwiches and a cooler full of drinks. He even tracked down some baggies to keep our electronics safe from the water. Clearly he had done this before. After meeting Jake’s sweet mom we sauntered down the long dock toward the jet ski that sat next to a big, fancy boat in the water.

I grabbed a seat on the back and waited for Jake to hop on. He cranked that sucker up and off we went. He hollered over the motor to tell me the plan was to cut straight across the water and hopefully catch a calmer area closer to the shoreline. I hadn’t been on a jet ski in a very long time and completely forgot how freaking bumpy the ride can be! The waves were relentless during the journey across the water. My face was constantly pelted with water and every time I thought I’d have a moment to catch a breath free of ocean spray, I was hit again with a huge gush. It took about ten minutes to get across before finally reaching calmer water. Whew, I wasn’t expecting that when I hopped on the back, but at least we were sailing smooth now. Jake sped past an uninhabited island, topping out the jet ski at 70 miles per hour. I opened my mouth slightly and it immediately filled up with air like a balloon and flubbered in the wind. I laughed to myself as we continued to jet along until Jake slowed to point out ships that had been wrecked on the island due to Hurricane Ivan. We passed an area where Jake told me everyone’s belongings ended up after Ivan and said that hundreds of looters came to find valuable items.

Jake asked if I wanted to drive for a little while, so I took the opportunity. The last time I drove a jet ski, I think I was probably ten years old and only did it with the help of my uncle sitting behind me. This should be interesting. I carefully squeezed the throttle and cruised along at 30 mph. A huge wave hit the front of the jet ski and we were drenched with water! "You're supposed to own the wave, not get owned by the wave...You just got owned!" Jake poked at me. Okay Mr. Tough Guy, let me just show you what I got. I sped up the jet ski until I hit 60 mph, repeating in my head, "Own the wave, own the wave, own the wave..." I was so scared I was going to flip the jet ski, which would have been terrible considering my camera was on board. When the choppiness of the waves increased, I switched back with Jake to let him drive.

Eventually we made it to Fort Pickens where we were able to dodge the $8.00 entrance fee since we pulled up on the water. The fort was huge and it was intriguing to read details posted throughout the area. Jake and I walked around the main fort for about an hour before taking off to scope out another portion of it a little ways away. We passed another giant area, but it was completely gated in. “I wish this place was open, it would make for some killer photographs.” I said nonchalantly. After reaching the end of it, we discovered a hole in the fence just big enough for us to squeeze through. “Do you want to check it out?” Jake asked me. Duh I did! We ignored the “Do Not Enter” signs and snuck through the hole into the fort. Now THIS is what I’m talking about! All of the doorways were rusted and most areas of the fort were decaying. While trying to dive deeper into the region, we were faked out several times by the rooms that appeared to lead further inside, but only ended up being small, enclosed quarters. I followed Jake around the fort, snapping hundreds of pictures, and failing to pay close attention to where I walked. I looked straight ahead of me as I took a big step and felt a sting on my right shin. I looked down and noticed I had about a 3 inch slice on my leg from a sharp, rusty piece of metal on the ground. Good thing I had just gotten my tetanus shot a couple months before I left on this trip. The cut didn’t hurt too bad and it wasn’t really bleeding, so I continued walking. When Jake turned around to look at me a moment later, he screamed, “Oh my gosh, you’re bleeding!!” When I looked at the cut for a second time, I saw that my leg was gushing blood. Good thing neither of us have a weak stomach because that sucker was oozing. Instead of heading back to the jet ski, I chose to keep on exploring even with a cut up leg and hoped the blood would eventually stop flowing. We poked around the forbidden fort for a little while longer before making our way back to the hole in the fence.

We walked a short distance toward a beach access point and passed a bathroom along the way. I took this opportunity to use fresh water and soap to clean out the rusty cut before heading into the ocean. The bathroom ended up not having any soap, but I took several moments to flush the wound and get all of the gunk out. Hopefully that would suffice as a good cleaning for the time being!

Jake and I went for a quick swim in the water and once again, he asked how long I would be staying. I told him I still didn’t know, and that I may end up heading out in the morning instead of staying for the Wednesday night madness. He came up with the idea to have a hermit crab race to decide my fate, so I agreed to the fun competition. Jake searched the shoreline for only a short time before finding hermit crab number one. He gave me that crab while he perused the area for another. When he found the next one, he made up a course for the hermit crabs to compete through, all inclusive with a finish line made of sea shells. This guy was a professional hermit crab racer, obviously. Before beginning the race, we had to name our little friends. I named mine Lil Dude, and Jake named his Herman. At the sound of the pistol, they were off…well, at least Lil Dude was. Herman was a little late to the start and by the time he got moving, Lil Dude had already crossed the finish line and claimed his prize of returning to the water and I remained the holder of my Wednesday night decision. YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE BEST!

After our intense match, Jake told me he would take me to his favorite beach, so we returned to the jet ski and away we went. The island was about a fifteen minute drive from where we were, but cutting across the rough water was so worth it once we arrived. The private island was absolutely gorgeous. We ditched the jet ski and grabbed my camera and the sandwiches before taking off on a walk to check things out. We trekked around the entire island, which Jake estimated to be about a miles distance. We ran into several different species of wild life along the way, including a decent sized sand crab. I was able to get within a foot of his face with my camera before he scuttled sideways and dove down into his little hole. We made a full circle of the island before we climbed atop the giant sand dune to take in the view and enjoy our sandwiches.

Crab on the island- Pensacola, FL

View from on top of the sand dune on private island- Pensacola, FL

 

A long, choppy ride back to Jake’s place followed the sandwiches and honestly, I’m a little surprised we didn’t see that meal for a second time with as bumpy as the water was. Jake’s mom and dad were waiting at for us once we finally returned and before heading out, I asked for a band aid for my battle scar from earlier.

When I got back to the house, Chris and Abner were watching TV, but put it on pause to hear all about my day. After sharing my experience, I popped in the shower and when emerged, everyone else had returned home as well. We all voted to have a chill night tonight since the two nights before had been late ones and tomorrow was Wednesday, which meant it would be time to go hard. Chris volunteered to play bartender and make us a specialty drink that he learned when he lived in Brazil for six months. He made a quick trip to the store to get the contents for the Caipirinha’s, which included fresh limes, sugar, vodka and ice.

Everyone sipped gingerly on their Caipirinha’s while Chris gave a tutorial to Luis, AJ, and me on how to make the most of our Couch Surfer accounts. After our much needed lesson we all sat and talked as I struggled to keep my eyes open. Luis was the first to choose to go to bed, and when I thought everyone else would follow, Chris spoke up and said he was going to have another drink. Say wha? Don't you know it's late, boy? He asked if anyone else cared to join him, so I figured I’d have another, too. I was tired, but who knows when I would be presented with another opportunity like this? AJ decided to have one as well, so we all three headed to the kitchen to watch bartender Chris. The ingredients to this drink are simple, but they make a scrumptious combination; you can’t even taste the three shots of vodka in it!

The three of us stayed up until 4:30 in the morning before AJ called it quits for the night. These boys joke with me all the time, so when Chris asked if I wanted to have another drink, I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not! I told him if it was only me, I wasn’t going to have one, but that if he wanted to have go for one more I wouldn’t leave him hanging.

Chris and I went to his room with our third Caipirinha each and sat on his bed and talked. We enjoyed each other’s company and conversed easily about anything and everything under the sun until we looked up and realized the sun was actually shooting through the blinds in his room! I wonder what time it is? Any guesses?

6. IN. THE. MORNING. We done went and did it again.

Manly Moe's Mondays

June 17, 2013

 

All of the boys headed off to work this morning so it was just me and Sadie, the black Labrador, hanging out when I woke up. Yesterday the boys told me Fort Pickens was a cool sight to see and a great place to snap some interesting pictures. I planned to go there after getting ready and making a phone call to my future school to straighten out some details for my transfer. Since I hadn’t yet acquired the wifi password to the crews house, I went to McDonald's, (shocker), so that I was able to pull up the school’s website as I spoke with them on the phone. I was there for THREE HOURS due to lengthy telephone holds and confusion on the school’s part. By the time I finished ironing things out, I texted Chris to let him know I was about to head to the fort. He responded back telling me that he and his friends were planning to play beach volleyball at a restaurant called Flounders when he got off work. He told me I should wait until tomorrow to check out Fort Pickens since it was at least a 2 hour excursion and invited me to tag along for the game. Though I was anxious to get some unique photos from this location, I took Chris’s advice and opted to visit the fort tomorrow.

I went to the beach to pass time between now and when Chris would be available to hang out. With vast options of beach access points to chose from, I searched for one in particular called “White Cross.” Chris mentioned this point in particular would suit me best based on its semi-secluded location and the age range of people who go there. When I spotted the large white cross sitting atop a huge sand dune, I whipped into one of the very few parking spots. I turned my car into a changing room and squirmed into my swimsuit. I then proceeded to gather up my beach essentials: a low-sitting tie-dye chair, towel, and of course, my camera. As I walked down the pathway towards the water my breath was taken away. The fine grains of white sugary sand dispersed under my feet with each step and I embraced the cool breeze on my face as I gazed out at the crystal clear water. I plopped down my belongings and darted off into the beautiful saltwater sea. I ducked my head into the ocean and when I came back up for air I spun myself in a full circle. I breathed a deep breath and released it slowly, allowing myself to completely cherish this enchanting moment.

White Cross- Pensacola, FL

 

I took photos of this paradise before Chris contacted me and said it was time to head to Flounders. When I arrived, I saw Chris sitting with another young man who I came to find out was named Jake. They informed me we were waiting for another one of their friends, Ginny, who was bringing the ball. While we waited, Jake asked me how long I was planning to say in Pensacola. I told the two of them I was planning to leave Tuesday morning, which was tomorrow. Immediately they dove into stories of going out on Wednesday nights and told me that it would be in my best interest to stick around for that if I wanted to have a good time. I told them I would consider it, after all, I really didn’t have anywhere planned to stay next.

Ginny arrived and after a brief introduction, we jumped on the court for a little 2 v 2 action. I warned everyone that I hadn’t played volleyball in several years and told them I would undoubtedly do a terrible job, but if they were willing to put up with my suckiness, I was down to get down. Chris decided to take one for the team and voted to be on my side. After starting the game off awfully and obtaining a score of 8-0 (Our side had 0, just in case you didn’t pick up on that), Chris and I had a pep talk and decided we were about to make a brutal come back! A brief gust of luck swept over us and somehow we got the opportunity to serve the ball. Oh boy…Here goes nothing! I stepped outside of the back corner of the court and crossed my fingers I could hit it over. I tossed the ball high in the air and spiked it hard with my right hand. It went soaring and splat on sand on the opposite side of the net. Whether we gained a point because Ginny and Jake were in shock that I actually made the ball over or because I’m a beast at volleyball is a mystery to us all, but I’m willing to side with the latter of the two. ;) After only one more serve over the net, we lost control of the ball and once again, it was the other side’s turn to hit. Chris and I ended up getting skunked with a final score of 21-9, but even still, I had a blast getting a mini work out from chasing the ball and cracking up with Chris. Jake and I took a dip in the ocean to cool off while Chris and Ginny went to snag a pitcher of ice cold water for us all to hydrate with.

After taking a brief break, Colleen, a friend of the group, arrived and she was eager to hop in the game. During our intermission, a group of 4 boys began to play volleyball on the court adjacent to ours. Chris asked them if they wanted to join in on a game or two and they agreed. This was my chance to escape and let Chris, Jake, Ginny, and Colleen take on the boys without me and actually have a shot at winning. I made a quick trip to my car to grab my camera and began to snap some action shots of the game and of the surrounding beach area.

As I was taking pictures, a guy smoking a cigarette approached me and conjured up a conversation. His name was Alex and he was from California. Alex from Cali had a rough, grungy look to him, with shaggy, dirty blonde hair, tattooed skin, and an intense five o’clock shadow. When he found out I was travelling as well, he asked for my number so that we could potentially hang out while we were both in Florida or if I ever found myself on the West Coast. Even though Alex from Cali seemed very friendly, my internal sketch detector was alarming me that it was probably not a good idea to hang out with this guy alone, so I poked a fake number in his phone and said goodbye.

A couple games and numerous photographs later, everyone was finished playing for the day, and yes, my people conquered the court and won! Ginny ended up having to leave for her flag football game, so the remaining four of us headed to the water to hang out. While we all chatted, Chris mentioned one of his friends, Bridey, was moving to the same area as I was and needed a roommate.

I forgot to mention that Chris previously attended the same school I’m going to! How ironic is that?! He knows all the great places to go out to, ideal locations to live, and tons of people who he’s going to hook me up with.

So, back to what I was saying. Bridey is looking for a roommate and wants to live in a beach house, just like me. Since I previously had absolutely no contacts or plans for when I moved, I was completely stoked to hear this great news.

We all hung out and talked in the water for an hour or so before heading back to the house to shower up. Today was Monday and that means everyone goes to the build-your-own burrito joint, Moe’s, for the $5.99 special. Once everyone was ready to go, all six of us, plus another friend named Jake W. (a different Jake than earlier), piled into two cars and headed off to “Manly Moe’s Mondays,” as the boys call it. The special included a burrito filled with contents of your choice, chips, and a drink. What a deal! We made short work of our delicious burritos since we were in a time crunch to make it to see This is the End at the movie theater.

Ryan had to be up early in the morning, so he chose to go home instead of joining us at he movies which meant Jake W. had to pile in the car with us for the ride there. We rode six deep in a car that sat five, with four people packed as tight as sardines in the back. At least if we got in an accident none of us would fly out! Plus, this provided bonding time for all of us, right? Luckily, the theater wasn’t far away and none of us were deformed too badly once we emerged from the vehicle. Kailee, Jake W’s girlfriend, and Jake S. from earlier also joined us to watch movie. This is the End was hilarious, and if you enjoy silly comedies then I recommend seeing it! When the clock hit 11, the film was over and as we were walking out, Luis realized Fast 6 was just about to begin. A quick glance between the boys and I was all that needed to happen in order for us to agree to sneak in to that movie next. The whole crew, minus Kailee, popped in the theater and prepared ourselves for movie number 2 of the night. Fast 6 didn’t live up to our expectations, but it was still an enjoyable time. During the walk to the car, Jake S. asked what was on my agenda for tomorrow and I responded by telling him the only plans I had were to scope out Fort Pickens. He offered to take me out on his jet ski and said we could ride up to Fort Pickens together that way. Since the rest of the boys had to work again in the morning, I jumped on the opportunity to do something exciting and hoped to be able to get some neat photos.

Jake S. left and once we got home, Abner turned in for the night. Jake W., Luis, Chris and I stayed up hanging out in the living room for a while before a grumpy Ryan emerged from his bedroom. “Do you think you guys could take this outside or something, please?” He asked sleepily. Yikes! We felt bad that we woke him up so we scurried out back where interesting conversations continued and more great stories were told.

When the sky began to turn from dark to light, we realized that it was 5 in the morning! Chris jumped up abruptly and without saying much he hurried off to bed. Since the rest of the boys also had to work early in the morning, the three of us followed shortly after.

I couldn’t believe we stayed up until 5 after being up until 4 the night before, but I suppose time flies when you’re having fun.

"Got any alcohol?"

June 16, 2013

 

Today is Father’s Day! When Graham and I returned home, the rest of the family was dressed up and heading off to church. I wished D a Happy Father’s Day and thanked Mrs. Richard and the boys for their generosity. After seeing them off, I packed up my belongings and prepared to leave while Graham got ready for work.

Final sunset in Louisiana- Covington, LA (photo cred to Graham!)

 

Louisiana has been good to me. Absolutely everyone I encountered throughout my stay, boys and girls, young and old, have been incredible individuals. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming and the people I had the pleasure of meeting usually had an outgoing and unique personality, which I loved. Mrs. Richard and her family made me feel completely at home and I truly don’t think I could have had a more enjoyable time. Graham and I said our goodbyes, which was actually a little bit sad after spending so much time together the past few days. We made plans to see each other again since he’ll be attending school at Charleston which happens to be fairly close to where I’ll be living.

I drove for a few hours before I arrived in Alabama at Orange Beach. Initially I planned to make a pit stop in Gulf Shores, but somewhere along the way I missed it and ended up at Orange Beach instead, which was more than okay with me! I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was sit my little bum on the beach and take a sandy nap. I made a phone call to my dad before I went out in the water to wish him a Happy Father’s Day and see how his day had been going. This was the first Father’s Day I spent away from my dad and I didn’t like it one bit! I am the ultimate daddy’s girl, and I missed being able to join my family for breakfast before church, the big Lebanese kibbe dinner, and gift giving over dessert, but being able to hear his voice made the day a little bit easier.

I took a relaxing nap on the beach for a couple hours, and when I woke, I snatched up my camera and headed down the shoreline for a photo stroll. I took some pictures of the tide coming in and of children frolicking in the water before heading back to the car to find my phone. I needed to check the status of the location I was supposed to be staying at for the evening. Chris, a guy from Pensacola, had accepted my request to Couch Surf at his place for the night. I notified Chris that I would be heading that way shortly and needed his address. While waiting for a reply, I whipped out a spoon and went to town on a can of Bush’s Baked Beans for dinner.

Finally, I received a text back from Chris saying, “Well, we’re at the beach now and no offense, but I wanna meet up with u first because u don’t have any references on your Couch Surfers profile. Hah sorry!” This made me laugh, but I completely understood where he was coming from and agreed to meet at Surf Burger, a local beach bar where he and his friend were hanging out. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a young, gangly black man walking close by and I heard him shout, “Hey there baby!” as he approached my car. In my head I was thinking, “I literally JUST pulled up, how does this always happen to me?” I cracked my passenger side window just a tad and heard what he had to say. Our conversation went a little like this:

Gangly Stranger: Hey, you got any money?
Me: Sorry, I don’t carry any cash.
Gangly Stranger: What bout some change?
Me: Nope, I just had to use it to pay the toll.
Gangly Stranger: Oh… What’s yo name? You’s a pretty baby.
Me: Well thank you, my name’s Rainy. (No way was I going to tell homeboy my real name!) What’s yours?
Gangly Stranger: I’m Demarcus.
Me: Nice to meet you.
Demarcus: Nice to meet you too. (Long pause…) You got any alcohol?
Me: *laughing* No, sorry, no alcohol.
Demarcus: Oh… You got a boyfriend?
Me: *still laughing* Nope, no boyfriend.
Demarcus: Oh. (Long pause…) Well uh, you uh… Yea, well. You, you have a good night.
Me: Okay, you too!
Demarcus: (Still standing awkwardly at my window.) Okay. Well, good night.
Me: ...good night Demarcus.
After that stimulating conversation, I walked toward Surf Burger and dialed Chris on the phone. As soon as I opened the door, I saw the back of a boy wearing an American flag bandanna to hold back his long brown locks. He was scrambling to pick up his phone, but before he could answer, I walked up behind him and said hello. Chris and Abner, one of Chris’ roommates, introduced themselves, and we immediately found ourselves engulfed in conversation full of excitement over my arrival. Chris told me that Ben, the Couch Surfer who had just left a few hours before I showed up, was also from Texas! What a coincidence!

Chris had such a high, positive energy and I knew already that this was going to be an awesome time. He was the ultimate surfer dude, with long, curly brown hair, tanned skin, and an awesome bro twang to his talk. Abner also had long curly hair and once he told me that he and 3 of the other 4 roommates were lifeguards, the pieces of the puzzle started to fit together. I was surprised to find out that Chris had 4 roommates, but Iwas excited to head back to the house and meet them. When we were walking out of Surf Burger, Chris shared with me that he thought I wasn’t going to be who I said I was when I arrived and told me how he was sketching that I would be a guy or bring crazy people with me! I hadn’t yet realized the importance of references on Couch Surfers, but it was beginning to make more sense to me after talking with an experienced surfer. Chris and Abner both rode their crotch rockets to the beach bar so I hopped in my Jeep and tried to keep up.

When I walked in the house, I was welcomed by Ryan, another roommate, and his girlfriend, doing intense P90X squats; today was leg day folks! I was then introduced to the other two roommates, AJ and Luis (who both also had long hair). All of the guys were super chill and absolutely hilarious. After chatting for a few moments, Chris, AJ, Luis, and I decided to go to a bar downtown called Hop Jacks for half price drafts. I wish I could remember the name of the first beer I tried, but there were easily over 100 options and all of them had funky names. All I know is that my beer tasted like a blueberry explosion and it was absolutely delicious and I sipped on it as the boys told me an endless amount of entertaining stories. One would swear the stories from these boys were made up due to the infinite outlandish and hilarious details, but each of them would vouch for the other and I was thoroughly entertained the entire night. They kept pushing for me to share some of my stories, but after hearing tales of bartending in Brazil, hiking mountains with bears, and surf swells in Hawaii, I couldn’t think of a single instance that would even come close to comparing with the things they have done!

We started on our journey home after a few more beers and along the way the boys recognized we were passing an area called “The Bluffs.” When they asked if I wanted to check it out, I jumped on the opportunity. It was close to 1 in the morning, but as long as they were down to explore, I didn’t care. We walked down a long wooden pathway before hopping the railing and finding a large, broken down tree trunk to pop a squat on. The 4 of us sat there for several minutes while digging our toes in the sand and continuing to tell stories.

We wound up slightly lost on the way back to the car since it was practically pitch dark. “We came from that way, no?” I asked the boys as I pointed into the dark abyss. Instead of answering my question, each of them echoed, “We came from that way, no?” followed by a round of chuckles. Okay, I was confused. Apparently when I said that, I sounded like I was Minnesotan. Wonder where that accent came from? Oh well, I didn’t notice it! We finally made it back to the car and picked up where we left of on the way home.

Once we arrived to the house, the other 2 boys were asleep. I was pretty beat as well, but instead of hitting the hay, the boys clicked on an episode of Game of Thrones, one of the houses favorite show. After starting off strong, the boys eventually passed out and retired to their rooms one by one until no one was left but little old me to sleep in the living room.

At 4 A.M. all was quiet and I dozed off into a much needed deep sleep.

Slide, Slide, Slippery Slide

June 15, 2013

 

It was nice to sleep in a little bit this morning, and when Graham and I returned to the house, Mrs. Richard prepared a tasty little egg and ham biscuit for us for breakfast. She was like super woman! I absolutely loved how caring and giving Mrs. Richard was, always providing bundles of delicious (and healthy) food and vast opportunities of exciting things to do. Graham had work at the health club in a few minutes and since he needed a ride there anyway, Mrs. Richard suggested we head up there as well and relax by the pool. After having a long few days before, this sounded like a more than appealing plan to me.

Mrs. Richard and I grabbed a pair of pool chairs and baked in the hot Louisiana sun for 2 hours while we chatted non-stop the entire time. We talked about everything, including interesting stories of each of the boys, tales of kayaking over 50 miles (which was nothing to Mrs. Richard and D), and good advice on life, amongst numerous other subjects. Enjoying a little bit of girl time with Mrs. Richard helped me feel more at home since I haven’t been able to see my mom who is my absolute best friend. Once our skins were roasted like marshmallows, we changed, showered, and headed on our way home.

Mrs. Richard, D, and Peyton made plans to go to dinner a little later, but Graham was going to go to his friends welcome home surprise party and had already invited me to join. Since Graham and I had been hitting it off and I was having a blast meeting all of his guy friends, I was excited to get together with some of the girls and hopefully have a blast with them as well.

When we walked in the party, Graham was immediately beckoned to join everyone. All the girls, and I mean ALL the girls, flocked to him. Watch out guys, we’ve got a ladies’ man on our hands! (Just kidding...kind of.) I grabbed a drink and floated around until I found myself outside where I saw a giant blow up water slide. Oh yes, this was about to be fun to watch. A crowd of people parked themselves in front of the slide so I walked over to join them while the girls got ready to take a dive down tonight’s main attraction. Everyone at the party knew each other well, but even still they accepted me graciously as the newbie. After introductions to the Watching Crew, girl number one began her trek up the slippery air stairs, but only made it about half way before she came tumbling back down. An uproar of laughter came from the Watching Crew as we continued to watch people struggle to make it to the top. This was terribly amusing, and the night had only just begun. When it was time for a trip back to the kitchen for a drink and some munchies, I ran into Graham who was chatting with his good friend Ben. We migrated to the garage where I met Collin, the only other person who didn’t know anyone at the party prior to tonight. Collin was traveling himself so I sat and talked with him for a few minutes while Graham and Ben went to track down another one of their good friends, Coco. Conversation was easy and enjoyable with Collin, but after a little while it was time for round 3, so I headed back to the kitchen. Instead of returning to Collin, I wandered back outside and found Ben sitting on his truck in the driveway. The party was a little on the wild side for Ben and he needed a break from the madness, so I decided to join him for a little breather so he wasn’t alone. He and I also had interesting and fun conversation and it felt nice to relax for a moment. Graham eventually came to look for us and he joined the chill sesh for a little while. When Ben was ready to go back inside, we moseyed into the garage where a kumbaya guitar circle was taking place. Ben snagged the guitar and strummed away as we all held hands and sang in unison. JUST KIDDING. But Ben really did start playing guitar and he was actually really good! I sat and listened along with several others as we all cut up and continued to have a great time.

Ben getting it on the guitar- Covington, LA

 

When it was time for us to leave the party, Coco joined Graham, Ben and me to head over to Ben’s house down the street where we all planned to crash for the night. We got back to the house and each set up our sleeping zones. After talking for a bit longer, the four of us exhaustingly cozied up in our cocoons and snoozed away the eventful evening.

Sneaky Little Boys

June 14, 2013

 

Even though I checked in with Mrs. Richard several times last night and asked Graham repeatedly if I needed to be home at a certain time, I was still worried Mrs. Richard would be upset with me for coming in so late. Much to my surprise, she seemed to be very pleased that I had such a great time. Once Graham got home, she sat us down and explained to me my options for the day. One option was to join Mrs. Richard, D, and Peyton on a kayaking venture, and the other was to hang with Graham and meet up with a couple of his girl friend’s whom he hadn’t seen in a long time. Graham and I had a blast last night, but I didn’t want him to feel like he was forced to hang out with me so I was hesitant to accept the offer to tag along. When Mrs. Richard left the room to get ready, Graham told me not to feel obligated to go kayaking with his mom and that I was genuinely welcome to come hang with him and his friends. It wasn’t that I felt obligated to go kayaking with Mrs. Richards; I’m sure it would have been a blast, but with a sincere invite from Graham, I decided to hang with him instead.

I’m not positive of the reason, but we didn't end up being able to hang out with the girls, so Graham took me to a neighborhood called Tchefuncte, a beautiful area which the Tchefuncte River runs throughout. He and I went to sit on a dock within the neighborhood while we chatted about everything under the sun. After that we went to check out the country club and golf course which was also located in the neighborhood and ran into David, one of Graham’s friends who resides there. David joined Graham and me as we sat and looked out over the immaculate golf course.

Dock side with Graham- Covington, LA

 

After a text conversation between Timmy and Graham, our plans were made to go back over to Timmy’s for the evening. We departed from David and headed over to Timmy’s where Will had already arrived. I assumed we would have a night similar to the one before, short of the adventure walk through the forest (hopefully), but little did I know, Timmy had asked his parents if I could stay over. Huh? As soon as Graham and I were introduced to his parents, his mom exclaimed to me, “Oh, you’re the couch surfer!!” “Yes! Yes, I am!” I responded, feeling cool knowing Timmy had shared my trip details with her. She told me to follow her, so into the house I went. It caught me off guard when she started showing me around and telling me where everything was located that I might need for the night. I had my own room with a large bed and private bath. This was all awesome and very kind of her, but I was so confused! It was news to me that I was staying over, but SHE seemed to know all about it. Before we walked out back to join the boys, I thanked her for her generosity, but explained to her I thought she was referring to my trip when she recognized me as the couch surfer, not the girl that would be sleeping on HER couch. That’s when she filled me in that Timmy had asked earlier on in the day if it would be okay for a girl to spend the night. Ah, now things are starting to make sense. Sneaky little boy. Since the game plan for the night was to build a fire and enjoy a couple beers, I didn’t immediately turn down the offer and figured I would make the decision as to whether or not I would stay when that time came later in the night.

We, well, the boys, I should say, built up the fire out on Timmy’s property next to the river and set up chairs for us to gather around. Nothing too crazy happened tonight. It was a mellow, relaxing time, with stories and jokes and music and beer. We stayed by the fire until 3 in the morning before we headed inside. Since it was already so late, I figured it would be a better idea to crash at Timmy's rather than cause a commotion walking back into Mrs. Richard's house. Will put on a scary movie, but before we could even catch a good scream, everyone passed out.

Goats On the River

June 13, 2013

A quick stop in the Walmart bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth preceded a phone call from Mrs. Richard, another contact from family friend, Angie. Mrs. Richard lives in Covington, LA with her husband, D, 3 boys, Peyton, Hayden, and Graham, and big white Labradoodle named Beans. They graciously agreed to let me stay in their home for as long as I need to. When I told her I didn’t have any plans for the day, she asked if I would be interested in coming over and joining her oldest son, Graham, on the river a bit later. Looks like I have plans now!

Mrs. Richard was very helpful and shared a few spots in Slidell where I could take some pictures on my way to Covington. After stopping by the park and a canal for a few shots, I continued on my way. Before I could get out of town, I spotted a sign for Dippin Dots. Since I have been craving Dippin Dots for about 4 months now, I immediately made a u-turn and headed toward the dots! I quickly learned that even though Dippin Dots may be mouth-wateringly good, the burgers at this joint were supposed to be better. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Russell, a funny, friendly and outspoken man who did not approve of me calling him, “Sir.” When I explained a little bit about my trip to him, he was shocked. “Give me your parents number right now, I’m calling them and telling them what you’re doing!” he joked. He insisted that I sit down and talk with his good friend, Ben, who would be able to give me some directions to Covington. Ben told me about him and Russell’s friendship and how he’s been coming to the restaurant for 30 of the 100 years it’s been in business. He told me that he drives for an hour just to come eat the burgers, so you KNOW they must be killer! After chatting with Ben for several minutes, it was time for me to continue on my journey. I thanked Russell for the Dippin Dots and told him I wished I had never ordered them after hearing about the burgers. Russell promised that if I ever came back my burger would be on him, and with those kind words, I was on my way.

As soon as I walked in the door to Mrs. Richard’s home she offered me some of her homemade jambalaya. YUM. I knew at that moment this was going to be a great place to stay. She was so welcoming and upbeat and very on top of things, which I suppose is a must when you’re the mother of 3 boys. I met Peyton and Hayden who made impressive first impressions with their manners, but D and Graham hadn’t quite made it home yet.

While eating my delicious jambalaya, Mrs. Richard told me about some great places to take pictures in Old Covington and other places around the town. Since I was planning to go on the boat with Graham and his friends, I tucked that information away in my brain and saved it for the next day. Not too long after finishing my food, Graham got home with his friend, Jordan, and after a quick introduction, we were off to meet up with the rest of the boys for some river time. Timmy, the guy who owned the boat, wasn’t quite ready for us to come out, so Graham, Jordan, and myself went to pick up another friend, Will. To pass the time, the boys took me to get my first Louisiana Sno-Ball. The weather in Texas is hot, but Louisiana heat is different. It was very humid and on days like today, there was no wind for reprieve. With that in mind, I’m sure you can imagine my heavenly experience with the finely shaved, sour-watermelon flavored ice. It tasted like little baby angels were dancing around on my tongue.

After wasting a bit more time, Timmy was finally ready to take the boat out so we headed to the ramp on the canal.

Now that the whole crew was together, the funny times commenced. They each had such unique personalities and even though 60% of their jokes were inside jokes between them, I thoroughly enjoyed our time. Timmy gets picked on by the boys from time to time, but he knows it’s all in good fun and accepts the beating with a smile on his face. Will is kicked back and I would pick him as the mellowest of the group. Jordan is the goofiest of the bunch. Graham is the cool guy without even trying and I feel like the boys look up to him in a way. And all of them together are a hilarious time and had me dying from laughter the entirety of our hang out.

Once we were on the water, we putted through the canal and eventually ended up in the river where two rope swings were located. All of the boys, minus Will, jumped off the boat as soon as we pulled up and started to make their way to one of the ropes so I went, too. A few other people were out there enjoying the water as well, so we waited our turn to swing. A younger boy climbed up the boards nailed on the tree and grabbed hold of the rope. Right before he jumped, he completely freaked out and couldn’t make it off! Everyone was hollering commands at him on how to jump and telling him it would be okay, but even still he couldn’t seem to ooch his toes to the edge. “Come on, you got this! It’s easy!” I shouted along with the others. After about 5 minutes of coaxing, the boy finally swung and plunged into the water. “See, that was nothing.” I thought in my head, but boy was I wrong. Only once I had shimmied my way up the tree did I realize why the poor little dude was scared. This rope swing was extra sketchy! The boards were barely nailed into the tree and some of them turned whenever you grabbed hold. I had the rope in my hand and shoved the knot at the end of it between my legs. I was just going to go for it when I heard Timmy from down below telling me to climb a little higher so it would be safer. I shakily stepped up a few more boards and felt my heart racing. Now I was the one up there with everyone else yelling at me! Graham and Will shouted words of encouragement and I knew I had to stop acting like a girl and just jump. With a big push off from the edge, I swung high in the air and penciled straight into the water. Geez, I definitely didn’t think that was going to be so hard! It was fun, but not fun enough for me to go again. Once the boys finished with the swing, we jetted down the river for a cruise while jamming out to some music before stopping in an opening for a swim. Timmy conjured up the idea to put life jackets on like diapers so we could float without effort in the water. These boys were so entertaining and a blast to hang out with. Everyone put on their diapers and continued to laugh and have a great time.

 

 

Rope swing- Covington, LA

 

Awesome dudes, (from left to right) Timmy, Jordan, Graham, and Will- Covington, LA

 

At nightfall, we headed back to the boat ramp and dried off to go to dinner at a restaurant called The Chimes. It was located directly on the water and if you walked out on the board walk, there were goats. Yes, I said goats, and yes, that’s kind of weird, but it was awesome. After placing my order for boudin balls, we all walked out on the pathway to hang with the goats and listen to the water pass. This place was so cool. When we came back to the table, another one of the boy’s friends, James, had arrived and planned to chill with us the rest of the night. We all decided to go to Timmy’s after eating. That’s where the adventure really began.

Timmy lives in a town about 30 minutes away from Graham and has a place in a more remote location right on the water with a forest of swampy trees surrounding. Will came up with the plan to go on an adventure walk in the woods on the way to the neighborhood pool. This was probably not a good idea, but we did it anyway. After barreling into the forest, we quickly realized we could not see ANYTHING and had no idea where we were going. The weeds that reached the tops of my knees and bugs that bit me every 2 seconds were a constant reminder that my flip flops and shorts were probably the worst outfit choice for this journey. After walking for only a short amount of time, we all voted to get out of the woods and find a better way to get to the pool, but of course, we wound up lost. The trek out of the forest lasted for at least an hour before finally finding a concrete road. THANK GOODNESS WE MADE IT OUT ALIVE.

We made it to the pool, but the swim was short lived since it was infested with bugs and even a toad or two. At 1:30 in the morning, we made it back to Timmy’s house. The boys decided they were hungry and decided to go to Butter Crisp, a local donut shop that remains open 24/7. The greatness that is Butter Crisp was explained to me the entire way there, and after eating the ooey gooey fresh glazed donuts, my expectations were deliciously met.

The boys taxied me back to Graham’s house where I quietly crept up the stairs and snuck into bed. What a day.

Bourbon Street, Ball Pythons...and Hubert

June 12, 2013

 

NEW ORLEANS HERE I COME! With a pit stop by McDonalds first…of course. I still haven’t been able to get my wifi device to work.

Today I learned that there is no such thing as free parking in New Orleans. I ended up paying $14 to park my car somewhere for only 2 hours. What a jip! During that time, I was able to walk around and experience day life on Bourbon St. and other streets surrounding. I think a new record was made for how many times I was hooted and hollered at in a day, but everyone I encountered was very friendly. Instead of me asking people if I could take their picture, people were asking ME to take their picture, which I found to be rather funny. Two gentlemen in particular grabbed my attention and asked me to snap a photo of them.

The man on the left said to make sure I let everyone know that he is a Hurricane Katrina survivor, so here ya go, friend.

 

“Roses are red, violets are blue, when I see that Texas smile, you make all my dreams come true!”

 

I saw more boobs and bottles of liquor than I think I have in my entire lifetime…okay, maybe that’s not true, but there was literally a cabaret every direction I looked and about 80% of people walking around had either a fancy New Orleans style drink or brown bag in their hand. I spotted a man wearing a jester costume and gold face paint heading my direction. I asked him if I could take a picture of him, but he suggested taking one with me instead. Just before a nice lady snapped our photo, I heard him say, “Just don’t forget to tip me.” Oh, right…silly me. I told him I didn’t have any cash and his response was, “Ain’t nothin’ free out here on the streets, baby.” Whoops, another lesson learned for me!

Street performers- New Orleans, LA 

 

On the way back to my car, I saw a young man hanging out by a fountain holding a snake. I introduced myself to him and learned that his name was James and his ball python’s name was Valatorous, which meant “strength” and “power.” I was super excited when James offered to let me hold Valatorous and I was able to get a picture with him.

 

James and Valatorous, the ball python- New Orleans, LA

 

After almost making it back to the car, I ran into a bike taxi guy that I had seen earlier in the day. He told me that he was off soon so he wouldn’t have time to take another passenger anywhere and offered me a ride for free. I was hesitant to take the ride, feeling terribly that I didn’t have any cash to pay him, but after chatting for a few moments, I decided I would let him drive me to a cluster of old buildings nearby for a few good photos. Zack and I talked as he peddled and I found out that he’s a really cool dude who grew up here in Louisiana. He was able to tell me interesting facts about the town and give me a bit of insight about good spots to go out at night. At the end of my ride, it came up that I was traveling and was planning to sleep in my car. After hearing that, he very politely and as un-forwardly as possible offered to let me sleep on the sofa at his place. He actually has a profile on Couch Surfers himself, but has it marked inactive since he has a friend staying with him for the time being. I love the way things seem to just fall into place. (I can thank the man upstairs for that one.) I didn't know if I would be taking Zack up on his offer for the night, but it was nice to make the contact for future reference.

DID I MENTION RICKY, ONE OF MY GREATEST FRIENDS, HAPPENS TO BE IN LOUISIANA TONIGHT?!

Ricky came to Slidell, a town close to New Orleans, and we were able to get together for the night. We went and grabbed a couple drinks from a gas station and headed to the pool at Ricky's hotel around midnight. We noticed a sign saying the pool had closed at 10:00 pm, but decided to stay until we were told to leave. After all, we weren’t doing anything loud or obnoxious to disturb anyone. Earlier we noticed an older security guard walking around who wore high water pants and a bald head. We decided he looked like a “Hubert,” so that’s what we called him. We were able to swim and chill in the pool for about 30 minutes before Hubert made his rounds and told us we couldn’t be in the pool or the gated area enclosing it. Being the clever thinkers that we are, we moved 2 pool chairs right outside of the gate and had ourselves a sit. While we were catching up, we noticed a toad sitting next to us and you know what that meant. It was frog hunting time! We caught several frogs throughout the night and had a great time just goofing off, talking, and taking sneaky pool dips in between Hubert’s nightly rounds. The simple things in life like experiences like this are what bring me happiness.

Part of the Ricky Adventure- Slidell, LA

 

After hanging outside of the pool UNTIL 5 IN THE MORNING, we figured it was about time to call it a night. Ricky retired to his room, and I to my car.
 

Goodnight moon, goodnight frogs, and goodnight Hubert.

Beignets for Breakfast

June 11, 2013

 

Pleasant conversation over coffee and beignets made for a delightful Louisiana style breakfast with Mr. Boudreaux this morning in a nearby town called Scott. We went to the Scott Museum after that, where Mr. Boudreaux knew everything about everyone. While we were inside, I overheard the man who worked there tell another lady that Mr. Boudreaux was the man to talk to if anyone ever wanted to know anything about Scott or the original families that resided there. I felt pretty honored to be able to be shown around town and have stories told by such a well-known and well-liked man.

Once we finished up at the museum, I went out on my own to take some pictures of peoples properties and horses. Earlier in the day, Mr. Boudreaux pointed out that all of the roads between his house and Scott were 90 degree turns because they were once dirt roads, tromped only by horse-drawn carriages. When they laid concrete over the roads they didn’t bother to change their direction, and also didn’t leave any room to park on the side of them. The lack of parking room caused me a little bit of trouble when trying to take photos. I was unable to capture quite as many shots as I wanted, but I made do with what I could get.

 

Mr. Boudreaux's favorite road- Scott, LA

 

A dinner for retired railroad workers is held every second Tuesday of each month, and lucky for me, today was that day! When we walked into Golden Corral, Mr. Boudreaux whispered to me, “Look, I’m about to have all them old farts talkin’!” As soon as we walked into the private room, one of Mr. Boudreaux’s friends walked up to him, took a look at me, shook Mr. Boudreaux’s hand, and said, “Congratulations, Cowboy!” Mr. Boudreaux just looked at me and laughed. He had previously shared with me that his nickname for the 25 years he worked on the railroad was "Cowboy." Once we were in the room with all his railroad buddies, I realized that to be true. Everyone hollered after him, “Cowboy this!” and “Cowboy that!” He told a lot of the same stories that he had already shared with me, but I didn’t mind hearing them again. One story he told was this: “One day, a priest was driving down the road and he was jerking and swerving all over the place. A police man pulled him over and asked him, ‘Father, have you been drinking?’ Father replied, ‘No sir.’ The police man noticed several bottles in the back seat of the priest’s car, and he asked him, ‘Well Father, what have you got in the back of your car?’ Father replied, ‘Well, that’s holy water, son.’ The officer asked him, ‘Do you mind if I taste it?’ Father said, ‘Sure thing.’ When the police man tasted what was in the bottle, he said, ‘Father, that’s not water, that’s wine!’ Father shot his hands up in the air and shouted, ‘He did it again!’” Everyone in the room, including Mr. Boudreaux, bust into laughter. Listening to Mr. Boudreaux catch up and joke with all his friends was a great time, and he kindly introduced me to each and every one of them.

When dinner was over, we made our way back to the house. Mr. Boudreaux let me use his washer and dryer so that I don’t stink for the rest of my trip, because in the morning- I’m off to my next stop.

14 Karat Cajun

June 10, 2013

Today I met a 14 karat Cajun. Mr. Boudreaux is the father of my long time family friend, Angie, who lives in Louisiana and opened up his home to me for a couple of days. When I first arrived, Mr. Boudreaux shared with me many stories of when he was in the rodeo. He did various rodeo activities, but the one that stuck the longest was clowning, which he began in 1966. I looked through a photo album that was full of memories from a vast amount of rodeos Mr. Boudreaux was a part of. He pointed out all of his clowning acts and explained how each of them worked. “It’s all foolery,” he said. When I finished looking through the album, he took me to a smaller house out back that he calls his “Clown Shrine.” Seriously, this place blew my mind. The walls were lined with posters from several past rodeos and the room was filled with all of the props and costumes from the acts I had just seen pictures of. There was a levitating table, exploding microphones, and even a huge canon! Absolutely everything used in Mr. Boudreaux’s acts is homemade and supremely done. He’s spent two years perfecting the canon act and hopes to debut it soon. Two giant barrels sit next to the canon outside, one made of iron and one made of steel. Even though they’re padded inside, he said he would still get banged around pretty bad once the bulls hit him. I can’t even imagine how much of an adrenaline rush it must be to taunt a bull to charge your direction, and then have it slam as hard as it can straight into you. He mentioned that looking at the barrel once he stepped out was a scary sight. Mr. Boudreaux is 69 years young today, and when asked how long ago he quit doing rodeos, he said, “Cowboys never quit. They just start and stop.”

 

Mr. Boudreaux's "Clown Shrine"- Lafayette, LA

 

For dinner, we went to Pizza Palace. I know what you’re thinking, “Italian food in Louisiana?” Nope! This place had the BEST po-boys, EVER. I was delighted to meet the owner, Dale, and his family who worked there. Dale was a great story teller, and a very wise man. He explained that he’s had some beautiful times in Lake Texoma, back closer to my home town, where he knows a woman by the name of Jodie Foster. He didn't know THE Jodie Foster, but this was close enough for Mr. Dale. One time, he was telling his friends that he could get them a connection with some people at Lake Texoma, and when he told them he knew Jodie Foster who lived there, they just didn’t believe him. When he called her on the phone, he said confidently, "Jodie, what you doin’ baby?” All of his friends nearly dropped to the floor in shock. As he cackled away, he said to me, “Now you need to remember, a Cajun never spoils a good story for lack of facts.”

After a drive around town and stories from Mr. Boudreaux about everyone that lived there, we headed back to the house and called it a night.

Mother Nature Moving In

June 9, 2013

After a toasty sleep in my car last night, I was able to get back in the boat and get my things together for a shower in the morning. I headed off to Best Buy in a town nearby to purchase a device that would allow me to have wifi wherever I go.

Once having my wifi problem solved, I headed to the beach to kick it and eat some lunch. I opted to check out one of the more secluded beach access points along the 30 mile stretch in hopes to avoid some of the chaos that is summer vacation in a beach town. I enjoyed graham crackers slathered in peanut butter while I watched other beach-goers play around in the ocean. Shortly after finishing my meal, I looked behind me and saw the gnarliest storm cloud I had ever seen heading my way. While walking to my car to grab my camera, a brisk gust of wind swept over the beach and I knew Mother Nature was about to unleash her awesome powers. While other people were scurrying to leave the beach, I stayed to watch the storm roll in and was able to snap some awesome photos for about 10 minutes before rain hit. Out over the ocean, the gap between water, blue sky, and clouds decreased until there was no longer any space between each. Looking directly overhead, I could literally see the dark grey clouds churning. It was one of the craziest sights to see. When the rain came pouring down, I headed to the car to bum around town and found myself back at the Strand.
 

Storm Rolling In- Galveston, TX

 

With my semi-scary encounter at the marina last night in mind, I decided to head back to Kemah before dark and got everything situated for when I returned after shooting sunset photos. Earlier in the day I asked several people where an optimal spot to catch some good pictures of sunset would be. Seeing that I find sunsets to be so beautiful, I found it a bit odd that no one was able to give me a good answer. I drove down under the Kemah Bridge where I was able to find at least a decent place to snap. Once the sun began to set, my breath was taken away once again by its beauty. The storm clouds from earlier produced the most amazing change of colors in the sky; from dark grays and oranges it faded to pink and purple pastels, followed by electric oranges, pinks, and yellows before finally becoming dark. In the midst of taking pictures, I noticed that a little alligator was chilling in the water next to me. I’m pretty sure that was my first time to ever see a wild gator, and again, I was reminded of just how fortunate I am to be able to experience these things.

Showering and dinner proceeded shortly after dusk and with a long day of beachy storms and exploring the town behind me, it was time to call it quits for the night.

 

Sunset- Kemah, TX