Thursday, April 29, 2010

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

My sister and I can't stop listening to this song. It is so beautiful.



Him:
I'll follow you into the park,
Through the jungle through the dark,
Girl I never loved one like you.

Her:
Moats and boats and waterfalls,
Alley-ways and pay phone calls,
I've been everywhere with you.

I love their love.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Time Travel

Oh, Arizona. I did not know what I was missing.

The siblings and I surprised my mom with a trip to Tucson, Arizona for her 60th birthday back in January. My mom, sister and I just went on the trip two weeks ago. We chose Tucson because our cousin Stephanie is living there with her daughter and husband. You may remember her from Real World New Orleans. She was their boss.


We stayed at La Paloma Resort. It had a weekend at Bernie's vibe that made the whole trip feel even more like a vacation. I made it a priority to have a Pina Colada every day by the pool with my mom and sis. I wore this swimsuit in green and I think it helped in my little cousin's decision to let me play Ariel when we played little Mermaid.

We ate some of Tucson's famed Sonoran hot dogs at El Guero Canelo. It was intense.

The next morning while we were getting ready in the hotel room, the travel channel had a special on Sonoran hotdogs. Our place lost to their competitor BK in a taste challenge. But, I think we were still winners.

The landscape was gorgeous. I felt like I was in a Western movie the entire time and at any moment Clint Eastwood would come sauntering up. The mountains turn pink when the sun sets! They have a ban on street lights at night so the stars are super shiny. We also got to see hummingbirds and owls flying around. Plus all the cacti - they are so pretty. I could see myself living in the west at some point in my life. I can't wait to go back and do some major hiking and exploring. As my boyfriend put it, the Southwest is majestic.

The highlight of the trip was getting to spend time with my cousins and mom. My little cousin will some day compete in the Olympics for gymnastics. I am calling it.

Stephanie and her husband have a lovely group of friends and some of them are from Louisiana. They had a giant crawfish boil while we were there and it was so delicious. My little cousin Robert the third, who is now married and a Marine, totally ate crawfish for four straight hours. It was also majestic.

Warming Up.

I have lots that I should talk about like my visit to Arizona and the comic book convention I went to last weekend. But today, I just want to post music I am recently obsessed with. I oftentimes listen to the same song over and over when I write a particular story. I think it drives my sister and boyfriend bonkers, but I really can't help myself.

Visiting writer Aleksandar Hemon came to my class the other night and he said he does the same thing. He said writing made him deaf. True that.

I hope you enjoy these videos. I find it strange when people say there are no good movies, no good music, and no good television shows anymore. It is the opposite for me. I can't keep up with all the goodness.





Thursday, April 01, 2010

Slow Poster

School is revving up and winding down all in one wheeling motion leaving me a bit dizzy. Thankfully, I had a sun-soaked trip down south replete with Bayou St. John strolls and many a walk through my much loved New Orleans parks Audubon Park uptown and City Park near my mom's home.
I can't bear to be inside too long when the sun is out. Even watching the boy do yard work was a sunny treat.
Doesn't he look like the cover of a Harlequin Romance novel? I helped by taking the machete to one or two banana plants.

Trips home are non-stop family, friend, food, and puppy time. I got a lot of great pictures and memories and almost no work done. But, I did get to see Dave Eggers speak at the Tennessee Williams Festival, which I'll count toward the furthering of my education goals. He has an inspiring and edifying way about him. He was so open and kind to everyone he spoke to and gave a wonderful talk on his approach to writing and education. Plus he looks a lot like David Boreanaz.
I am breaking one of his rules on writing, however, by having the internet. I can't quit you interwub.