Oaxaca, Mexico

My flight to Mexico City was pretty uneventful. The only highlight was brushing past Anderson Cooper who sat a couple of rows ahead of me. Seeing as the Inauguration is in a few days i am surprised he is not heading to DC.

When i arrived in Mexico City i did a stupid thing. I had Sushi.  I know, i know, i know....

I was meeting El Grinch (Remember El Grinch from my trip last November) and had a few hours to kill before he left work and came to meet me. I was also hungry but didn't want anything heavy. I really, really wanted Sushi. Needless to say it was terrible and it serves me right. Never, ever eat Sushi in Mexico. It makes sense really.

El Grinch met me and our adventure began.  We picked up a trusty little purple Chevvy and we drove, i say we but i mean he, drove for over 6 hours with only minimal bathroom breaks to Oaxaca. I love that neither one of us had a map and neither one of us cared. It was pretty much one straight road via Puebla anyway.  He drove the whole way, no complaints. Through the rain in blackness. I was the GPS and DJ, no complaints about that either. Bonus points awarded. We drove on the paid road. In Mexico you have a choice, the local 'free' roads or the 'paid/toll' roads. The tolls are pretty high and plentiful but it is worth it. The difference between the two is vast and the toll roads are fantastically clean and well kept. More so than most roads i see in the US. I understand from El Grinch the free ones are pretty dangerous and slow.

I would like to write about the stunning scenery but it was pretty much pitch black the entire way after it took over an hour just to get out of Mexico City traffic.  I know there were mountains involved though, lots of them, it was strange not seeing them but feeling ourselves getting higher and higher, our ears occasionally popping.  It was euphoric for us at one point when we realised that we were almost out of gas and somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Just as we started to talk about camping in the rain, no tent surrounded by wild coyotes a gas station appeared from nowhere. At this point we also realised both our phone batteries were dead.

Arrived in Oaxaca in one piece. Even in the dark i could sense how different it was to Mexico City. I could see the outline of the mountains surrounding the city and it definitely lacked the heavy concentration of cars.  It felt less tense and We are staying in the Centro Historico and getting to the hotel took some navigating because neither of us had a clue of where the hotel was. No pdf print outs for us. That's how we roll.  We found the hotel, dumped our bags and straight for the Paloma's. That's how we roll.

After some late night Taco's we headed out on the town. The town was quiet though, it appears the bars and restaurants close early midweek.  Eventually we ended up at a Karaoke/latin dancing bar the name of which i can't recall.  Needless to say i did not partake in either but El Grinch did have that Cervecita and i had my Paloma.  

Kilometers Travelled: 477 to Oaxaca

Listening To: My Oaxaca road trip play list - Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock, Santogold - L.E.S.Artistes, Portishead - Dummy, Hot Chip - Made In The Dark

Time Zone: -1 EST

Denver, CO

I have been staying The Curtis hotel the last few nights. I love this hotel and highly recommend it but don't stay on the 10th floor.  My room (1019) as with all the rooms on this floor, are adjoined to other rooms. And the doors between them are thin.

1st night

Woken up around 1.30am by 'Steve's' cellphone next door (1020) I know his name was Steve because he was talking to his wife/girlfriend called Amanda. "Hi Amanda, it's Steve. I know it's early but i miss you. I can't wait to see you again...Mmmmm yeah, yeah, i have been thinking about you too...Mmm..i miss you too baby.." Let's leave it at that. I tuned out with help of CSI Miami.

1st Morning

Steve is a burper..and proud of it. "BUUUURRRRPPP! BUUUURRRP! Oh yeah!" BURRRRP! BURP! YEAH!" He's really in his own private idaho. Except it's not as private as he thinks.

2nd Evening

Steve can't get to sleep. I hear him sighing so loudly i move my hand across to the other side of my king size bed to make sure he's not actually lying in it.

2nd Morning

Steve doesn't like his boss. He spent a good hour on the phone ranting about what a "motherf*cker " Joe is.  As i understand it, Joe is head of sales and Steve's sales are down this qtr. Joe's not buying the global economic crisis.

3rd evening

Steve has left. He has been replaced by a couple.  I have no idea of their names but they are having animalistic sex. I have turned my TV up loud hoping that they might hear it and work out that if they can hear me then i can here them having monkey sex. 

 

London, UK

I love London at Christmas. Everyone thinks that NYC is the city to be in but i've come to realise that London is a much better place to be at this time of the year.

London really comes alive at Christmas, normally dull and grey the city seems to glow under the heavily fairy lighted trees, like the buildings have had a little spit and polish put to them.
People are more forgiving, kind and cheery, everyone has a little bit of Ho, Ho, Ho jovility in them. The air really does smell of roasting chestnuts instead of car fumes mixed with vomit and Thames water. (Although on my way home last night i had to manouver myself around at least 6 piles of puke) There are still many cobbled streets in London which seem so very Oliver Twist, the pubs are quaint with big firey hearths and the churches are filled with Carol services.

I spent this morning at The City of London Cemetery, not for fun although it is pretty impressive and in the past i spent many an hour bunking off of school lessons trying to find the oldest headstone. It's a 200 acre site near Epping Forest, it's been open since 1856 and my grandpa has his ashes stashed under a rose bush in the Garden Of Remembrance. So i took my nan for a visit, it seemed everybody was out to visit the dead before Christmas celebrations kicked in. What normally takes an hour there, back and a visit with my grandpa took 2.5 hours.

I needed a drink after that so jumped on the tube to meet my friends at The Ealing Park Tavern , a gastropub in Ealing where they were having dinner. As i was so behind, i only made it for dessert. I was exotic and chose the Basil Ice cream over the Death by Chocolate. Bad choice. I prefer my basil with olive oil and pasta. I was hoping that it would taste like lemon basil but no, it had a very distinctive basil flavor. I should of known by the amount of greenery sticking out of it.

After a visit to my friends new baby (Riley Isobel), a friend and I headed to Camden to meet friends at The Lock Tavern. I used to really love this pub, definitely a North London institution but now it seems to be overrun with underage hipsters and the great unwashed. I swore i saw Ronnie Wood walk past with his 20 year old Russian waitress girlfriend holding hands with Amy Winehouse holding hands with Daisy Lowe. Everybody is a Pete Doherty clone except those trying to emulate Bob Dylan and his groupies. It was pretty comical but The lock Tavern is still a great pub and the Fish & Chips were delicious. No question there.

I ran out of the pub for the last tube, something i love the thrill of, the ultimate adrenalin rush as missing the last tube means a £30 cab ride or the dreaded stranger-danger filled night bus. I caught it even though i tried to swipe through with my Metrocard.

Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire UK

I flew into Heathrow a short while ago and i am going to use this as a public apology to the man in 9D.



Dear Man in 9D,



I am sincerely sorry for the spillage. It was due to my boredom on the flight that i took to stacking all my slightly poked at food items on top of one another like a gastronomic Kerplunk!

I was not to know that the flight attendant would choose to remove the fork on which the uneaten salad and opened ranch dressing was balancing on, thus causing it to land on your very white t-shirt, clean crisp blue jeans and more importantly nicely shaved head. Who knew that so much ranch dressing could be held in such a small container?



I am also sorry that i laughed. That was mean. I really was sorry but i realise it might of lacked sincerity as i tried to suppress my giggles. There you are at least 6ft 6in, 250 pounds plus, squashed into a tiny space already miserable, it's not like you needed to be covered in lettuce, tomatoes and dressing. I realise in my attempt to remove the dressing from your head i might of made matters worse, possibly more embarrasing for the both of us.



Let's just pretend it never happened.

Yours Regrettably,



Sam (9C)





Currently Listening to: 69 Love Songs - The Magnetic Fields, Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream

Currently Watching: 30 Rock, Oceans 11 (Original)

Denver, CO

I am back in Denver. This time it's snowing. It's - 3 degrees C/27 degrees F.  NY was at least 15 degrees C when i left this morning. I hadn't looked at the forecast so was not expecting snow. Should be fun tomorrow when the only shoes i bought are heels. That in itself is strange.

It's pretty when it snows and that's my first thought when i see it.  My second thought is how tough it must be for the homeless and those who can't afford heat. I was thinking about it as passed a guy bundled up in what looked like a dozen blankets inside a Subway doorway. He actually looked quite toasty but i reckon i could stand it for a couple of hours tops.  Working occasionally at the mission has made it more personal, i've chatted to guys like him, served food, poured drinks and laughed with guys like him. Most of them have just lost their way, they're not villains and i truly don't believe they choose a life on the streets. Something bought them there. Apparently most people without a good network of friends and family are only two paychecks away from the streets.

My third thought was damn i wish it would snow just that little bit more so i could build a decent snowman.

Ok, i am bleeding all over my keyboard. After checking my nose, face and limbs it seems i have a mystery cut on my finger tip. Shit. It's all over the white crisp sheets. 

Listening To: The Magnetic Fields - Born on a train, Mos Def - Black on Both Sides

Currently watching - Flirting at 40. It's dire. Heather Locklear looks like a puppet.

Miles Travelled: 1,777

Denver, CO

Bored witless at Denver Airport. Nothing to report. Debating on eating a Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Sunday just to pass the time.  

I wish i was in Mexico City.

Listening to: The hustle and bustle of Denver Aiport

Reading: The Guardian - Music Monthly

Denver, CO

12 hours ago i was in Mexico City. I'll be in Denver for the next 2 days. No fun this time, all work. 

The good news is that I am staying at the awesome Curtis Hotel.  A super modern fun house of a hotel in downtown Denver.  I am staying on the 'Fun & Games' level, the elevator told me to 'Come on down!" as i reached my floor. My colleague is on the 'One Hit Wonder' floor and was greeted to Vanilla Ice's - Ice, Ice Baby as she stepped out of the elevator. I wish that was me. Floor 2 is the 'Peek-A-Boo' floor. I wonder what that's all about.

The room has all the mod cons with a little more flair that most hotel rooms. Nice touches like Jelly Belly's at Turndown and 'Salvation water'. A VW beetle serves as my alarm clock and there's Operation and Guess Who in my bedside table drawer.

Pretty shattered so i didn't venture too far...downstairs to the ultra modern hotel restaurant called The Corner Office.

I had the teryaki salmon. damn tasty.  Walking back through the hotel lobby i couldn't help but admire the little reading room with design and photography books that can be thumbed through at your leisure. I love the video panels on the walls of marbles, spinning tops and robots. I'd like those for my room.  All in all i find it very cheery and am happy to be here. I'll be spending a fair bit of time here this winter so it's nice to find somewhere to hibernate.

Listening to: Old This American Life Podcasts - "Heretics" and "Settling The Score"

Miles Travelled: 1,777

Time Zone: Mountain (-2 hours from NY my english friends who like to call me at random hours)

Mexico City, Mexico

I am sad. In a few minutes i will be swapping the magical Mexico City for Denver, CO.
Don't get me wrong, i like Denver but its no Mexico City.
Yesterday i spent the day with a great guide, someone who shall remain nameless as he understands that im a "private person". I am really glad that he did not quit after so many restaurants including the Cafe De Tacuba was closed but i thought where we ended up was better.
It was a holiday in Mexico City yesterday so unfortunately many of the great galleries that my guide wanted to take me to were also closed but i was glad because i had a such a great time walking and talking. We wandered around the many, many neighborhoods, drank beers, took the subway, listened to Saint Etienne and drank tequila.

Thank you.

Shadia and Fernandos wedding was amazing. Nobody has been to a wedding until they have been to Mexican wedding. I dont have time right now to give it any justice. So ill update from Denver.

Cuernavaca, Mexico

What a wedding. What a day.

It started well with one of the most amazing breakfasts i have ever had. Notice how much i talk about food?  Included in the rate of the hotel was the best breakfast i have possibly ever had.  Freshly squeezed Orange, grapefruit, mango and pineapple juice. Cereals and fruit and then the largest spread of Mexican delights i have ever seen. Two women making personal quesadilla's on a grill with dozens of filling options, there was Chile Rellenos, Eggs al horno, taco's, soup, carnitas..it was endless.

Straight after breakfast i had a beauty appointment at the spa.  I had decided to get my make-up done as i had seen how glamorous these Mexican weddings can be.  My appointment was with Carlos, a very handsome, well groomed and fashionable gay guy.  After looking at photo's and discussing in Spanglish what i would like he went to work.  The result was me looking like a drag queen.  I kid thee not. A drag queen who had been punched in both eyes. I don't think he was used to working on my fair english skin.  He thought i looked 'Guapa, muy bonita', i was embarrassed walking out the door.  So after tipping him and thanking him profusely i sprinted back to the hotel room and started again. I had 30 minutes before Fernando's brother was coming to pick us up for the wedding so i jumped in the shower scrubbed myself and started again and after a quick scram around for heels, cameras and perfume i made it out the door in time.

As we arrived at the wedding and checked in the ladies were given cute little flip flops, it was going to be 12 hours of dancing and they wanted us to be comfy. So considerate.

The wedding was set in the most beautiful of surroundings.  Sorry to my wonderful friends who had wonderful weddings this year but this place took the prize.  A little outdoor chapel nestled in pristine gardens, pink rose petals littered the mosaic 'aisle' towards where the service would be held.  Canopy's hung above our heads and fans blew as we sat on old wooden bench like pews.

The bride of course was stunning, she in off white and her bridesmaids in pink, the colors went perfectly with the beautifully sunny day and surroundings.  Fernando smart in a suit and pink tie.  What i loved was that all the male guests wore traditional white Mexican shirts called the Guayabera and khaki pants and looked handsome. One man who we shall call The Grinch particularly stood out to me. The women were all gorgeous.

After a 1 hour Catholic service and Communion for guests we mingled on the lawn as a collective of Mexican musicians played nearby.  Of course there were there best drinks served,  fresh lime, tamarind and mango margarita's, smooth tequila's and local beers.

Shortly after mingling and drinking with the other 450 wedding guests we moved to a 5 course sit down meal consisting of Mexican fusion food that was amazing. I particularly remember the queso soup of Roquefort and the Cilantro soup. The fish with asparagus sauce was tasty too as were the deserts.  I have also never sat at a table with so many glasses. Glasses for champagne, wine, tequila's brandy alexanders that were made at the table by our amazing waiters.

I could wax lyrical all night about the wedding but my favorite part was the dancing. Oh how we danced.  They had props and everything, as we danced sombrero's made an appearance, balloons, glow in the dark microphones, maraca's, red berets....lots and lots of props that seemed to be associated with the different songs. Song wise, i loved the classic 80's and 90's songs that i grew up with sung in Spanish.

At one point the whole of the wedding party Bride and Groom included were on the stage in jumpsuits, some kind of homage to a 80's Mexican pop band.

As a diversion from the packed dance floor they had a Churo stand, a corn stand and a shot stand. I had Paloma's, astronauts and go knows what other shots.  I had the time of my life. So much fun. I played air guitar with The Grinch, Julio and Fernando until my fingers bled.

The best bit? I drunk myself sober. No hangover today. In fact, i am just off for another mazing breakfast, a massage and a facial.

Listening to: Oh Mickey! in Spanish..it's still ringing in my ears.

Cuernavaca, Mexico

1 hour after landing in Mexico City yesterday i was had a plate full of seafood Tostadas and a Hornitas Tequila cooling on ice. The trip, so far, was going well. Very well considering that when i landed i had no clue if my friend Fernando would be meeting me from the airport. I had no address for him and no telephone number, let's just say i was not exactly prepared for this trip and i rely on email and the www way too much.

My theory was that it would all work out, worse case scenario i would of gotten a hotel in Mexico City and periodically checked my email. Fernando is getting married tomorrow, he has more to worry about, he'd remember i was flying eventually.  As it was, as soon as i got past customs there was Fernando with Kimberly, a friend of ours who i have not seen for the last 4 years even though she lives in New Jersey.

Fernando took me to a favorite place of his called Los Arcos in Zona Rosa. A great Mexican seafood restaurant filled with locals. Along with the fresh fish tostada;s we shared a shrimp stew and Corbins a las brasas which was delicious. A smoky sweet fish grilled with chipotle, soy sauce and mustard. So, so good.

Onto the mall! Fernando still had to buy a shirt and shoes for the wedding. Apparently he has several outfits that he will be wearing on the day, including traditional dress but he still needed a shirt for his suit. I bought a pair of shoes. When in Mexico!

We crawl our way through the very heavy traffic back to Fernando's office and then it was a whirlwind of meeting his brother's flatmate Antonio, (their apartment is amazing), friends from Mexico city and other wedding guests who had flown in from San Francisco. I was dying for a shower but alas it was not to be, the plan was to leave for his parents house in Cuernavaca but not before stopping off for Taco;s.  Real taco's. Delicious Al Pastor (pork with pineapple) and grilled beef rib with cheese, onion and cilantro topped with some serious chilli sauce.  My favorite thing of the evening though was a can of grapefruit drink called SQUIRT!. for some reason i found it hilarious.

Fernando, like me, loves music but he has been a little behind these days and was expecting me to update him. So update him i did, playing him the likes of CSS, Bonde Role, Andrew Bird, Camera Obscura (he loved those), Noah & The Whale, Mountain Goats, MGMT (loved those too), Ghostland Observatory, Fleet Foxes, Black Kids, Jens Lekman, Cut Copy...ok i can go on. How Kimberly slept in the back for most of the way i will never know. Fernando though was salivating and ever since has laid claim to my ipod and i have promised to send him a ton of music down.

So last night we slept at Fernando's parents amazing house. Today we woke and spent the day running around, spending a short time around the families pool before an amazing lunch cooked by housekeepers.  Taco's, lentil soup, meatballs rice and then to finish Lime icecream with chili sauce. Bring on the chili's. Weird but so tasty.

Now we are at the hotel where we will be staying for the next couple of nights, the Vista Hermosa. a lovely hotel near central Cuernavaca and close to the chapel where Fernando and Shadia get married tomorrow.

Tonight we are meeting up with many other wedding guests. I say many because i understand there to be 450 guests at this wedding.  Holy cow. I also hear there is going to be a shot bar. Holy cow. I hear it is going to be 12 hours of drinking and eating.  So tonight i will take it easy, i promise.

Ogunquit, ME

It's 11.15pm, time to go to bed as it's a big day tomorrow.  Tonight we are sharing a room at The Neptune Inn, a little motel on the beach with views from our room right along the Oqunquit spit. I am sure that on most days the view would be a beautiful one, but today it has been marred by fog, wind and lashings and lashings of rain. 

I'm all for it being a little overcast and drizzly, i was bought up with that kind of weather but today it pissed down for the whole 140 miles from Northampton and you can't see shit. Glad i wasn't driving. Go Lenny Go!

Aside from Lenny's superb driving skills i have also never been more grateful for my new friend David the Island Man, leaving his anorak behind. Actually, this bright yellow wonder jacket was his Dad's who passed it to David who left it on purpose at my Bleecker St apt and i just happened to be needing one. Little did i know just how much i would need it.   I love it. It's very Finnish or Swedish, just like David's Island,  Orland, it has an identity crisis.

How we found the chapel Marita & Daks are getting married in tomorrow i will never know. Something to do with two exit 7  turnoffs and crossing states but we finally figured it out.

We had rehearsals at 4.00pm so after a little souvenir shopping in Northampton we made our way up to Maine.  In fairness, even in dismal weather Oqunquit looks very quaint and cute. I haven't had much time for a look around though as we had to check in to the hotel, change clothes and turn around to drive back towards Portland, NH where the chapel sits nestled in a little wood off the back roads of Portland.

Let's just say that for once the rehearsal was needed. Dak's mother is Russian Orthodox something i don't think i knew about but for certain none of us knew that the wedding service was going to be Russian Orthodox. I don't think Marita & Daks knew what it was going to entail.  All of a sudden i am holding a crown above Marita's head with a hanky and following her around a table 3 times.  Already nerve wracking but add high heels, dress trains and bouquets tomorrow and i have a feeling things are going to get a little hairy.  Another reason to be in bed early, one does not to need to add a hangover to the mix.

The rehearsal dinner followed the Maine tradition of Seafood Chowder, Steamed Clams and Lobster at The Lobster Shack which Daks's parents hired out for the evening. I have to say it was delicious and by far the best lobster and clams i have ever had.  No wonder Daks is a seafood snob.

So now i have a belly full of lobster and after watching the very embarrassing debate between McCain & Obama it's going to be lights out for me.

Miles Travelled: 160

Currently Watching: Hotel TV movies - Blow Out with Jeff Bridges.

Currently listening to: Krista typing beside me. Very close beside me.

Currently reading: Google travel directions.

Northampton, MA

I am in Northampton, MA stopping over for the night enroute to Marita & Daks wedding in Maine this weekend, but this post won't be so much about what appears to be a cute little town. Instead it will be almost completely dedicated to Great Lake Swimmers.

I've just got back from seeing this awesome Canadian band at a great little venue called The Iron Horse with Krista and Lenny my road trip companions.

I'll set the scene, it's the start of fall, the trees are starting to turn from green to brown and pumpkins line the window sills of all the quaint antique stores.  Big houses with wrap around porches line the wide quiet streets, it was almost impossible to get a drink or even pizza past 9pm .

The Iron Horse is a small venue with  a cabin in the mountains type feel. For me, if the mountains could sing they would sound just like Great Lake Swimmers.  Tony Dekker's voice is like rough velvet and when i close my eyes i smell the damp ferns surrounding a cool lake with waterboatmen and dragonflys buzzing off it. The chilly air warded of by the warmth of a log fire and the taste of a rustic red wine and a hearty stew dancing together in my mouth.  The lyrics are pure poetry that just envelopes my whole heart and transports me to the mountains of Oregon or WA.

I love Great Lake Swimmers.  Various Stages, a song about manic depression brings to mind a troubled ex, "i have seen you at various stages of undress, i have seen you at various stages of madness, i have seen you be wreckless in matters of love, i have seen the boiling point come and go" Rocky Spine gives me hope of how i'd like to feel about a future love.

Now, time to bed. We are staying at the very colonial Autumn Inn. Lenny in his bed and Krista and i sharing a rather small double. It's fall, time to get cosy.

Listening to: Back Stage with the modern dancers - Great Lake Swimmers

Portland, OR

Well i'm down to my last couple of hours in Portland and i am spending it in the hotel, Lenny on his bed, me on mine, watching the TV, facebooking and blogging. Like a modern day Bert and Ernie. He's Bert.

We drove back from Union on Sunday after a post wedding brunch.  I was feeling more than a little tired due hosting a post wedding party in our hot tub until 3.00am so we just drove the 5 back to Portland rather than taking the 6 hour coastal rode. Another reason to come back to the Pacific Northwest.  

The wedding was lovely, went without a hitch and everybody enjoyed themselves. Lots of dancing, no one can resist a Michael Jackson medley or a slow dance to U2's 'All I Want Is You' but when they bought out the conga, i made a swift exit to the ladies room.  What is it about wedding gear that makes you dance so ridiculously? Maybe it's the high heels but no matter what i did i couldn't stop myself from dancing just like my mum when she dances to Tina Turner.

It will be sad to leave Portland, i like it a lot. It's exactly how i expected it to be after reading about the Pacific Northwest. It's very Pacific Northwestern.

Something that was definitely Pacific Northwestern was the Oregon Brewers Festival

They all came walking out of the woods for this one and many of them didn't bother to wash and shave. Lenny and I are pretty weak beer drinkers, I mostly drink spirits and wine and the closest i get to a beer is a shandy. However, when in rome and all that.  We got ourselves a mug and some taster coupons and went for it. We did not have a clue which of the 75 different beers to try so we stuck to West Coast brews and tried 2 organic and 2 non organic. A couple of IPA's and a couple of ales. They all tasted the same to me...blurgh.   So that's 4 tastings. We sat next to a guy who had obviously made his way through half and was hoping to hit 70 just that day. He had been everyday out of 5 days.

Aside from the fact that i can't stand the taste of beer i still really enjoyed myself. I especially liked the Whoo Hooing.  All it took was a single person in a giant beer tent to "Woo Hoo" and then the whole tent whooped and hollered for about a minute after. Pretty impressive.

 One of the highlights was the 10 mile bike ride we went on yesterday along the Willamitte Waterfront and the Springwater Corridor.  The path was lined with the most colorful wild flowers i had ever seen, fox gloves, tall dandelions, poppies, baby's breathe, Forget-Me-Not's etc and the scent of them as you rode along was intoxicating. The dandelion fluff created a layer on the path and between the flowers that looked like fog from a distance and piles of cotton wool up close.  We rode through wetland, past Ross Island into the small neighbourhood of Sellwood and back.  The Springwater loop runs for 40 miles and had i known beforehand i would of scheduled the time to do it. It would be worth coming back for.

We made another trip to Powell's because Lenny hadn't been. I told him i would stay in the front of the store by the magazines and wait for him. The next thing i know i am lost in the Orange section thumbing through the literature shelves.  It's just the smell of all those books that just draws you in.

We spent the evening having dinner with  Jason's parents and sister at The Chart House

A little uptown and swanky for my taste but the food was delicious (I had the dynamite Mahi-Mahi) and the view was magnificent. It overlooks the whole of Portland with views of both Mount Hood and Mount St.Helene. 

So now, i've the flight back to NY to look forward to. I was just notified that i have been upgraded to First Class again...shame.

Union, MA

It's 12.45am and i'm writing this from a cabin in Union WA. It;s a small blink and you will miss it town on the Hood Canal which is about 2.5 hours north of Portland. It's the location of Jason & Elicia's wedding and today is the rehearsal.

I had a relatively easy drive up this afternoon on the 5 interstate, i say relatively because i did have to stop to inflate the tires in my rental car. Actually, i didn't inflate anything but the garage assistant i cosied up to did a sterling job. A flashing symbol on the dashboard have me pull over and check the car instructions. Apparently my tires were low on air. I have never, ever put air in the tires of any car i owned and i was utterly clueless on how to approach it. You shoudl see me putting air in my bike, i am a jumpy person and have a fear of having the tires just pop on me. The air container thing at the garage gave no clues, it just gave me air for 75c. How much air for 75c i don't know and how am i supposed to know how much to put in? I was perplexed. I played around a bit as i like to figure things out for myself and have a bash but then i had flashbacks to my burnt dresses and did not want to be responsible for blowing up the tires on my rental car so went into the garage and actually asked for help. It was so much easier that way, i think i could get used to it. They were low so the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) was on the ball.

The scenery along the 5 was quite beautiful especially when you are used to the NJ Turnpike, but Lenny and i plan on taking the longer coastal route on our way back on Monday.

The wedding is at the Alderbrook Resort& Spa which is very lovely. It kind of reminds me of the resort in Dirty Dancing. Plush cabins, sweeping lawns, it even has it's own seaplane landing strip. Alas the resort was booked out by the time Lenny and i got around to booking so we are staying in what resembles the staff quarters across the street (we are not alone as so are half the bridal party) and unfortunately there's no Patrick Swayze waiting for me with a watermelon. Instead i get Dave, the owner of the Union Bay Cabins. Dave looks like he has spent far too much time living out here in the woods and has forgotten how to eat because half his dinner is down the front of his shirt and pants, yet he still gets some in his mouth because he can barely walk due to his expansive gut. He hates democrats. Something he made sure to tell us about when we mentioned being from NY.
Our cabin is fine although Lenny is concerned about the number of spiders it accommodates. I have heard several girly cries and 'oh cripes; from him as he scans the walls and cielings for the unwelcome guests. He refuses point blank to poop in the bathroom for fear of being attacked on the rear. He also has a fawcet right above his bed which is slightly random. I am tempted to get up in the middle of the night and turn it on.
We do have a hot tub though so the leaky toilet, very well worn sheets and dank musty smell about place is forgiven.

The rehearsal went well considering none of us know what's going on. It was great to see Jason. After the rehearsal and great bbq feast we had for dinner, i joined him and the groomsmen for some xbox action and porn talk. I haven't seen him for over a year and seeing as it's his fault i am having to don a dress and carry a parasol i felt it only right to give him a chinese burn as pay back.

The wedding is at 5pm tomorrow but it's hard work being a bridesmaid. I have a gym session at 8am and then i am booked in for an outdoor stone massage and facial before heading over to get dressed with the bride around noon...i guess that's when she'll see the dress. Did i mention she was a designer? She's going to notice.

Portland, OR

I flew into Portland, Oregon this morning and it was love at first sight for me. I don't know Portland's feeling on the matter.  Oregon from above is breathtaking, straight from Outdoor magazine. Mount Hood seemed as though it was in touching distance and i could almost smell the damp wood and fern of the forests that surrounded it.  It appeals to the romantic side of me that would give up the city in a NY minute to go live in the woods with some big hairy woodsman and chop logs, cook on an old Aga and drink copious amounts of wine after spending the day Kayaking. Alas, i have to be back in NY for meetings by Wednesday so it's unlikely.

I am stopping in Portland en route to a friends wedding in Union, WA which is about 2.5 hours drive north from here.  It's actually closer to Seattle but i've been there and have always wanted to visit Portland.  So i flew a day in advance of the wedding to relax and will take an easy drive up there tomorrow morning.

I certainly need to relax, yesterday i avoided a catastrophe of epic proportions and my heart is still trying to get back to it's resting rate.  In short, i nearly set fire to my bridesmaid dress. (Gosh Elicia oh lovely bride-to-be, i hope you are not reading this!!)  It was like something out of a bad movie similar to 27 dresses or something equally pitiful and crap .  I was tired/ hungover sightly and was packing. I put one of my bedside lamps on the floor to look for a rogue shoe under the bed. When i found it, i took the dresses i was bringing to the wedding, the rehearsal dress, the post wedding brunch dress and of course The bridesmaid Dress that was in a black plastic suit cover and threw them onto my bed.  Then i went out.  I had planned to be out all day but before heading into the city for a work meeting i popped home for something. Shortly thereafter i smell what i thought was burning hair. I explored the apartment and my life flashed before my eyes when i saw the light of my lamp muffled by dresses.  I pulled the dresses off and found one of the them completely stuck to the lamp. I now have a scorched $300 dress that i have only worn once and had planned to wear for the rehearsal dinner with a hole i could put my fist through. The cream vintage underslip has a matching hole and i have a pink skirt with slight scorch mark.  What about the Bridesmaid dress though...well, at first i thought it made it out unscathed but unfortunately not.  To my horror, utter horror, the lamp had burned the plastic cover and it was stuck to the dress. I pulled it off and it left me with about a 2 inch patch of burnt plastic attached to the dress.  It took several hours of painstakingly picking at it with tweezers to remove it.  The dress is cornflower blue so it was very noticeable. Now i am left with what looks like a 2 inch fluffy bleach stain on the front of the dress where the top layer of the fabric was pulled off and i am going to just hope that the bride doesn't notice.  It will be funny after. Hilarious in fact. Right now...i am shitting myself she'll see it.  I could of burned my apartment down...i hadn't even thought about that. Idiot.

So i've spent the day unwinding. I took the Max Light Rail to Downtown Portland and took myself on an outdoor public art walk.  I sat and had a 'Honkin' Huge Burrito' in Pioneer Sq and watched an outdoor concert while i got my bearings.  I got hit on, which was flattering. What is it with me and the jobless and homeless?

Talking of which, Portland has that in common with Seattle. As with Seattle i've notice a large youth homeless population here. More meth and heroin addicts than you see in NY where the homeless seem to be of the older boozed up variety. I think it's unexpected and perhaps more noticeable because it's in stark contrast to the wholesome, green, healthy Portland that the city promotes.  Does everyone own a mountain bike? I've spent the whole day sneezing just because the air is so fresh and my nose is completely freaked out.

It seems more shocking to see a group of strung out crack addicts huddled around a coke can with the glorious Mount Hood as the backdrop rather than compared to some back alley on the L.E.S where it's almost expected. I have seen more open drug taking here in one day than i have seen in a whole year in NY. At the same time, every panhandler i've met today (i've met a few!) have been incredibly polite when i've declined to give them any money. (I bought one guy a burrito instead )I get called a bitch at least once a day in NY.

I stopped by the much recommended Powell's Book Store which is the largest second hand book store in the country, possibly the world and spent far too much time getting lost in the travel section.  I also stopped by Voodoo Donuts, a donut hole-in-the wall place i heard about from a guy in the camera store where i bought the ridiculously attractive Leica Lux-2. Ma, bad. I only went in for a battery.  Voodoo's slogan is "The Magic Is In The Hole". You can buy panties.  I'll be sending the donut photo and little blurb into Bret at The Blog Nut

I walked through Chinatown, Old Town, Pearl District which i liked a lot and reminded me a lot of Austin, TX.  I finished up by walking along the river and over the very cool Steel Bridge.

Now, after a work out in the hotel gym i'm all about cable TV.  

Miles travelled: 2,896 

Currently Reading: Sellevision - Augusten Burroughs

Currently Listening to: 'Portland, Oregon' - Loretta Lynn, 'Mount Washington' - Beth Orton

Movies Watched: Drillbit Taylor  - Owen Wilson/Apatow number.

Baltimore, MD

I've been in Baltimore, MD since yesterday and thankfully i leave tomorrow.  That's unfair as i have never been outside of the Inner Harbor area but i just never feel inspired by Baltimore enough to get off my arse and get around.  Next time i shall book myself an extra day to make it to the other side of the harbor at least.

I rode the train down from NY which was fine but i need to remind myself to get the quiet car on the way home. The train had been invaded by a dozen female divorcee's aka The First Wives Club who whinged the whole way about their badly behaved ex husbands but waxed lyrical about how wonderful their scrap book seminar was although not as wonderful as NY cheese cake. I could go on...

I'm at a conference in a nondescript Hyatt Hotel bored out of my wits and there are so many Maryland Crab Cakes one can eat in one day to relieve it.

Instead i am looking over a portrait of Robert Downey Jnr that my friend Elspeth drew. I heart RDJ.

Listening to: Hyatt Lobby Music

Currently Reading:   About Time Dilation on www.howstuffworks.com . Told you i was bored.

Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

The sun is shining and i am sitting on the playing fields around Trinity College.Unfortunately i am solo because Krista is sleeping off a killer hangover. Bless.

Krista arrived yesterday around noon and prior to her arrival i made the most of my hotel room and just lounged around, ate the orange chocolate cookies it provided and watched bad TV.

In attempt to soak up some of Dublin's culture, a group of us went to the Hugh Lane Gallery. I was unimpressed by the modern art on show but found the Francis Bacon Studio pretty interesting. My favorite part was a video showing an interview with Francis Bacon and Melvyn Bragg from the 70's. FB just doesn't want to play ball and makes the interview quite painful for Melvyn Bragg with yes and no answers.

We had a great lunch there too, the food at the cafe was delicious with me opting for the Smoked Salmon quiche that came with a great bean salad.

The food did not rival our evening meal though where a couple of us pushed the boat out.  Mark, Tara, Krista and I went to The Mermaid Cafe in Temple Bar. It's apparently one of Dublin's best and i have to say the food would be hard pressed to beat. The menu and surroundings reminded me a lot of Grocery in Brooklyn and possibly Chestnut. The menu is French meets East Coast American and it has a very specialised menu that changes seasonally.

We started with a plate of Antipasti for the table that the chef put together for the evening, there was duck and walnuts, smoked salmon and slaw, crab cakes, roasted tomatoes and the most delicious buffalo mozarella soaked in creme freche and herbs.

My main was amazing, Pork belly on red cabbage topped with a baked apple. The pork was perfect and the cabbage, although very rich was really tasty. I don't know what the reduction was because i couldn't place it but it was delicious.

Another National gig followed. This time i was on the floor right at the front of the stage. I haven't been to the front of the stage since i was about 17 but there wasn't a mosh pit in sight so i made the most of the polite audience.  There were some bad dancers though who kept putting me off my head nodding. A girl in front of me in the boob tube dress who looked like she was from the movie Footloose, danced like one of the chicks from the Addicted to Love video no matter what the tempo of the song played and without any rhythm. Not as bad as the girl next to my new friend Zena who busted out some Axel Rose moves as she sang along to every single song the band played.

On to Whelans again which is where Krista got the hangover. I just don't like the place, it's too busy and a complete cattle market. You dare make eye contact with any fella there as the next thing you know they've got they're arms around you and beer breath in your face.  Very boisterous and loud...i'm getting old.

So bright and early, i left Katie's and Juan's  (Friends of Krista that we are staying with) place in Ranalagh and jumped on the tram to Trinity College. I was interested in seeing Old Library, especially the Long Room which was amazing. What an amazing place, i love the smell of old books and found it to be very relaxing regardless of the hordes of tourists. I also went to see the Book of Kells. Written in 800 by monks it contains 4 gospels of the old testament in latin...blah, blah, blah, blah.

So i've done a spot of shopping, specifically for a special whiskey that can only be bought in one store in Dublin. So what to do next before i catch up with the gang for tonights festivities...hmmm...

Dublin, Ireland

It's 3am and i'm writing this post several glasses of wine so watch out.

I arrived around 5pm, a couple of hours later than scheduled but that's Ryan Air for you. A shame too because for the first time in years i was way early for a flight. I have so many trips planned that i couldn't remember the time of my flight and seeing as i was up i just made my way to the airport and got there 3 hours before check in.  Someone else got there slightly early and made the most of it in the bar.

I was in Boots around 11ish when a woman came crashing through the aisle and landed on a lump on the floor. She was murmering and seemed pretty listless so thinking she may be diabetic i made my way over to see if she was ok, i smelt the booze 20 paces away.  Several of us helped her to a chair where she happily declared that she was 'drunk and proud'. She was also on my flight to Dublin but i have a feeling that they didn't let her on.

There is nothing at Gatwick, so after a couple of failed attempts at trying on some swim suits i plonked myself down with my book. At some point i got hungry, unfortunately there was only MacDonalds, pizza and fish and chips on offer so i picked something up at Boots.  I went the healthy route and plumped for the 74 calorie crayfish and rocket salad. It looked ok but i was really caught up with the 'an ocean shimmy across your tastebuds'...yummy, an ocean shimmy sounded lovely.  I was severly disappointed, it tasted like dust. Something so healthy you couldn't taste it.

Once in Dublin i jumped on the 748 to Woods Quay which is a hop, skip and a jump from the hotel i am in  The Paramount. A very nice hotel in the Temple Bar area of Dublin. I lucked out with a very big room for very little moneys. A big bed with plush linens and leather head board, large bathroom and flat screen tv. Looks onto the very bus Temple Bar area but is still quiet.

One of the reasons i am here in Dublin is to see a friends band, The National play at the nearby Olympia Theatre (the main reasons are my friend Marc whose pals with the band and my friend Krista who arrives in the morning)  The hotel is just around the corner and it seems most of the band is staying here too which is convenient.  The gig was great and the venue was too. Intimate but large at the same time with a 1600 capacity crowd. We had boxes overlooking the stage and as much as i have seen them like 10 times, it was the first time seeing them outside of NY.

After the gig we headed to Whelans which is another live venue & bar 10 minutes away. We ended the night on a chip butty hybrid. It should of been expected coming from the kebab shop yet i was still shocked to see it made up of fries in a pita bread with yoghurt sauce. Highly controversial .

Miles travelled: 396

Listening to: Birdhouse in you soul - They Might Be Giants. Blast from the past!

Heathrow Airport, London

I screwed up my rental car booking so i have two hours to kill which is the only reason i am writing anything on this blog. I've checked my email, read the BBC website, The Onion and floated about Facebook for 5 minutes. Now i am bored. In my booking i said i was arriving at midday and i arrived here at 8am. They are out of cars until 10am. Oh the joy.

The flight was uneventful. I didn't sleep as usual. I sat next to a couple from Arizona celebrating 50 years together by going to London and Tuscany. I spent most of the time wondering how anybody could spend 50 years with someone else. Quite the feat and one that i would be hard pressed to beat seeing as i can't imagining wanting to spend more than a week with anyone else at the moment.

The inflight entertainment was dire. I watched CSI reruns and then had to plump for The Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It wasn't as bad as i was expecting but it wasn't good either. It was no About Schmidt that's for sure. Spoiler Alert! Morgan Freeman dies which was quite touching. The rest of the time i played my ipod and read.

Well, I'm on my second can of Red Bull or Liquid Meth as my friend Lenny calls it and have about 20 minutes to kill. I bought The Guardian this morning and it has a 'Learn the Guitar' pull out. A 68 page guide from the likes of Slash, Johnny Marr and err...Francis Rossi of Status Quo fame. If only i had a guitar on me....


Miles Travelled: 3483

Listening to: Portishead - Third

Watching: CSI reruns as previously mentioned and The Bucket List.

Reading: The Guardian Weekend Edition

Little Rock, AR

I'm back in Little Rock, Arkansas.  My trip here was pretty seamless, flying Delta via Atlanta. I did sit in front and behind the biggest yahoo's on the planet and it seemed like it was a conspiracy with the number of crying babies around me but nothing a good playlist on the ipod couldn't block out.

The plane landed on time despite changing in Atlana which is practically unheard of these days. It was the first time i had flown into Little Rock in the daylight and the view was beautiful. Very pastoral, the fields were a lovely deep green and spanned for miles and miles like a lush patchwork quilt. I couldn't help but think i'd be quite happy jumping out of that plane (with shute obviously) and spending a couple of weeks just wandering through fields, sleeping in barns and washing in the streams...then reality hit and i remembered all the cow shit in dem fields and barns.

I'm staying at The Holiday Inn Presidential downtown..not that there is an uptown Little Rock or anything.  It's funny this Presidental hotel.  The restaurant is called Camp David and you can get a Bush Burger (mushrooms and bbq sauce) or the Clinton Club. I wonder what they will add next, could it be the Obama Omlette? the Hilary Hash Browns or worryingly the Mcain Melt. My colleague really wanted it but wouldn't order the Bush Burger out of principal. I had the Grilled tuna salad but secretly wanted the ribs.

Currently Listening to: Beth Orton - Trailer Park, Taken By Trees - Open Field

Currently Reading: The Last of Her Kind - Sigrid Nunez