4/29: ran into the sunset April 30, 2008

Picture to come

The title of this entry is a bit misleading.  I didn’ t catch on fire or anything.  I went to look for a dress for my honors ceremony (which is a cocktail party type of event for some reason and therefore I have nothing to wear) and after that, I decided if I wanted to get my ass to fit into a dress in the single digits, I would really need to kick it up a notch.  As it was getting a bit dark, I decided to run on a path clearly visible from the street.  That way, if anyone mugged or attacked me, at least there would be an audience.  I am happy to report that I am fine.  As I ran along the Charles, I did get to watch a spectacular sunset.  I photographed it, but it is on a disposable camera that I haven’t developed yet.

4/28: drank green tea April 29, 2008

Cost: $1.50

After the debauchery in New Orleans over the weekend, I feel like I need to get healthier. There was a point on the plane yesterday where I felt incredibly lucky to not puke my guts up all over everyone. Green tea- its okay. I got the Lipton Citrus Green Tea and it grew on me, but I’m not running out to buy stock in the company or anything. I realize this is a lame entry, but I had a hell of a weekend so hopefully that makes up for it.

Today’s new thing was supposed to be getting a palm reading. I walked all over Salem (have I mentioned how much I love Salem?) which is teeming with witches and/or tarot card readers, but could not find a single palm reader. I did get a lead though, so I have to call and track this guy down. Hopefully, I can set it up for next week.

4/27: group karaoke “Baby Got Back” April 29, 2008

Time: 4 hours (11-3 AM); this includes waiting time and actual singing time which was about 3 minutes

Cost: just beer (appx. 10 bucks)

On Bourbon Street, there is a bar called Cat’s Meow. I mistakenly thought this was a strip club because there is a strip club every five feet (I should have known it was not because they did not have explicit advertising), but it is actually a karaoke bar. Jill and Jill put our names in to sing. After many hours and many drinks, they called us up and all the girls of the bachelorette party hit the stage. We poorly sang “Baby Got Back,” the Sir Mix A Lot classic, but it was okay because everyone in the room knew the words. I was laughing so hard that I could not even speak, nevermind sing.

Just prior to our getting up on the stage, a man asked me if I was going to be singing. I said, “Yes,” and he said, “Well, my voice is like magic.” I said, “Mine is not.” And he told me he was going through a divorce and this magic voice was getting him a lot of pussy. I wished him good luck with that and was pleased to find out that he is a liar because there is nothing magical about slurring and being tone deaf.

4/26 bonus #2: rode a mechanical bull April 29, 2008

Time: 2 minutes (3 attempts)

Cost: $5.00

If you know anything about me, you will know that one of my life’s dreams is to ride a mechanical bull. Living in Boston, there just aren’t many opportunities to do so (aside from that one bar in the Alley, but I’m over 19 so I don’t go there much.) Imagine my delight when we rolled into this bar at 4 am after two hundred drinks each and I spot in the back corner a mechanical bull and a sign advertising three tries for five bucks. Money well spent.

None of us could stay on for more than three seconds. I nailed my head falling off, but you land on these mats so it isn’t a huge deal. I definitely have a lump which was well worth it because this was a real dream come true. And I definitely went back to try again on Sunday.

4/26 bonus #1: got soaked at Jazzfest April 29, 2008

Time: 11-7 (showtime, I was there from about 1-5)

Cost: Free (thanks to Jill and Bryan)

JazzFest is incredible. http://www.nojazzfest.com/ I have been before, so JazzFest itself is not a new thing for me. The other time was in 2000 and it was the hottest, sunniest day I can recall. I was so hungover and my neck, chest, and part of my face were blue from sweating in an aqua boa the evening before. It didn’t wash off for days- mortifying as I looked something like Cookie Monster’s sister.

Anyway, back to 2008. I was drawn to JazzFest because of Jill and Bryan’s bachelor/bachelorette party. As we were in New Orleans, it made a lot of sense. There is one main stage and lots of other smaller stages and tents. There is also the craziest selection of food and the booths go on for like a mile. It was a really amazing atmosphere.

Billy Joel was the headliner that day, but most of us didn’t make it that far. The weather report said, “scattered showers and a high of 80.” What we got was a torrential downpour and a low of 60.

I watched a lot of the show in the early afternoon when the rain wasn’t too bad, but by lunch it was pouring so bad that I ran into a tent. JazzFest has these really cool tents set up with gospel and blues music, but I blindly choose the first tent I see which happens to be the Acura tent. You are probably thinking, “well, that’s cool. Acura sponsored some music.” Nope. It was just me, 3000 other people trying to get out of the rain, a bunch of freaking cars, and complete silence.

The rain broke, and I headed back to the blanket to watch more on the main stage. I stayed for about an hour and a half until it got crazy again and Lauren decided to leave, so I went too. We got the last two spots on the shuttle (if I may make a suggestion: take the shuttle. It is well worth the $30 bucks roundtrip when you get to bypass the cab line which can be up to three hours long on a good day.) When we got back to the hotel, I jumped in the shower and it was seriously the best shower I have ever taken.

4/26: got a bone reading April 29, 2008

Time: ten minutes

Cost: $10.00 plus tip

Picture to come.

You may be asking yourself, “What the hell is a bone reading?” because I know I was. I was wandering around Jackson Square in New Orleans with Jill St. (not to be confused with Jill Sh. who was at the hotel) and we came across a man at a folding card table with a large sign offering bone readings. I thought that it was something about reading the bones in your face or something, but no.

I sit down at the table across from the man and he gives me a black cloth tied in knots. He tells me to hold it, so I do, and then he chants something in what I assume is Creole. Then he rubs this oil on my hands and tells me to untie the knots and dump out the contents from the cloth onto the table. A bunch of bones and some dice spill out. I’m like, “Exactly what type of bones are these?” and they are just chicken bones, so it is okay.

My fortune is this:

1.) I will come into a large sum of money legally and without anyone being harmed by December. (Note: I love that he added the “legally.” WTF?)

2.) Lots of people are jealous of me. (Yeah, right.)

3.) I am going to be doing lots of traveling. (Over the next year, I am going to Spain for six weeks, to Maryland, to Cabo San Lucas, and skiing out west, probably Park City, Utah. I was in New Orleans at the time of this bone reading, and I just came back from Jackson, WY a few weeks before that.)

4.) Brian is a blessing in my life. (True.)

5.) A man will come to me in a dream and I have to listen to the message. It will be revealed in its own time. (I have been having lots of dreams about my grandparents recently. We are talking, just the three of us, and I always feel like I should try to remember what they say, but I never can. I guess I will have to try harder.)

6.) I will live a long life with good health.

At no point did I say anything about anything to this guy. He was too busy trying to check out Jill St.’s “excellent physique” and “great hips.” Hilarious.

4/25 bonus: smoked a cigar in an outdoor bar April 29, 2008

Time: 45 minutes

Cost: Lord knows

Details to come

4/25: woke up to see the sunrise April 25, 2008

Good morning! It is currently 5:51 am. I have been awake for 2 hours, which is not unusual for me as I suffer from insomnia. I was watching the Real World Hollywood on On Demand when I realized I could get up, play with my crazy cat Barney (who is not an insomniac, but has an incredible ability to become aware of when someone is awake and has to get up himself, a sense that I find amazing for a deaf sixteen year old cat), and head up to my deck to watch the sun rise. According to Boston.com, the actual time for the sunrise was supposed to be 5:48 am. I got up to the deck at about 5:40 and the sky was already turning from purplish-orange to blue, so that was a little disappointing. I did take a picture, which I will upload when I can locate my cord, but I think I will have to get up to the deck earlier to take a better picture another day.

I am pretty sure that today is going to be a bonus day because I am going to New Orleans for my friend Jill’s bachelorette party. I will post when I get home on Sunday night.

RIP Charlotte xoxo

4/24: sweet tea April 25, 2008

Cost: $1.00

I tried sweet tea at McDonald’s. It tastes pretty much like sugary iced tea. What is the big deal? As a coffee person, I’m over it.

4/23: Blue Moon Summer April 24, 2008

Cost: $4.50 + tip

I had the pleasure of eating lunch at Whiskey’s with my husband today. The reason for this is that I was at a job fair (basically a resume drop) at the Hynes Convention Center and Brian works around the corner so it just made sense. I have not been to Whiskey’s in quite awhile- probably since my early 20s. During lunch, it was really quiet though, so we just people watched and made fun of my business suit.

Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is that my new thing for today was Blue Moon Summer. Now this is a fabulous beer. It made me feel like I should be sitting on the beach or at a picnic. This is what summer dreams are made of.