Travels with Tara
So we did the cross country trip across the US in 6 days and it was really wonderful and worthwhile. We visited 13 states, saw 6 baseball stadiums plus one national monument and presidential library. Take a look at our route (yes, I'm a dork and made this map in Paint Shop Pro):



Day One:

Left New York City's the meat packing district around 2ish and sat on the West Side Highway and in the Holland Tunnel for an hour. Drove through New Jersey past Newark and into Pennsylvania stopping in Pittsburgh for dinner outside the PNC stadium as a game was being played. Then headed on to Cleveland Ohio to rest for the night.

Day Two:

Hit up a farmers market in Cleveland and had breakfast and traveled to Chicago, where we stayed the night at my cousin's awesome high rise with a great view of Lake Michigan and downtown skyline. He kindly cooked us Seafood Fra Diavolo for dinner, which was so good and spicey, my white pants seemed to want to try it even :(

Day Three:

Drove from Chicago, IL to St. Louis, MO and rode up the famous arch in a very tiny capsule. It's America's tallest national monument by the way and in the museum part we caught an interesting documentary film on Lewis and Clark. Here we had our fanciest meal during the trip at Dierdorf & Hart's steakhouse, yum. We then drove to Arkansas for the night.

Day Four:

Briefly went though Memphis, TN in the morning then to Little Rock where we visited President Clinton's Library--wow what an amazing man. Then we drove all the way past Dallas to Odessa, Texas and spotted a rainbow along the way.

Day Five:

Got up very early and headed to El Paso to celebrate 4th of July.

Day Six:

Left El Paso and traveled through New Mexico and Arizona. Stopped in Phoenix for dinner with friends and arrived in Los Angeles around 2 a.m.

Baseball stadiums visited:
Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC
Cleavland Indians, Jacobs Field
Chicago White Sox, U.S. Cellular Field
St. Louis Cardinals, Busch Stadium
Texas Rangers, Ameriquest Field
Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field


LA high points:
Roller bladed from Santa Monica to Marina Del Rey
Sipped a martini at The Abbey
Relaxed on the beach and got a tan
Meeting new people
Checked out 3rd Street Promenade and much more
Here is the view from only a block away of where I stayed in Venice Beach *sigh*

The Ultimate Road Trip
So I've been seeing someone special for almost five months now. I know, I didn't write about it sooner, what can I say? I'm sneaky like that. In my defense though he's been mentioned in my blog, just not directly, you probably assumed I went to that trip to Philly with Stef or some other girlfriend. Here's the catch though, because of course there has to be one, he's moving to Los Angeles this week (I know, everyone seems to be moving lately). His company is going to make him partner, but only if he's on the other coast. At least he's lived there before so he has friends out there and he's rented a place right near the beach in Venice.

I'm going to miss him and have been dreading his move date for months now. I'm taking the holiday week off and driving with him cross country to his new hood though.

We leave this afternoon in a Sebring Convertible, hitting Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago (seeing my cousin), St. Louis and heading down to El Paso again for 4th of July and then up to LA plus all the places along the way. Yes, it's ambitious, but we hope to be in LA by Thursday the 6th and I'm flying back on Sunday the 9th and will be back to work on the 10th.

I am excited for the trip despite the bittersweet circumstances. Although, I do fear I might get killed along the way for talking too much, which could easily happen--me talking a lot I mean, not him killing me.

Even though I hate when people compare me to Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City since her character annoys me at times, especially the desperation part, yet I'm actually going to make a SATC reference to my life. I feel like when Mr. Big leaves for California and although Carrie wants to join him she says she loves New York too much and I also worry if I do go If I'd be lost and lonely like her when she went to Paris, *sigh* time will tell--I'm the Queen of wishful thinking.

Anyway, happy thoughts, I will be recording parts of my trip and keeping you updated on the trek when ever I can. There's a phone blogging feature with my blog host, I just have to figure it out, not sure if it will post photos that I take too, but we'll see. I'm sure we'll pass Internet cafes and stuff too though.

On a happy note: I'm doing a trip that I've always wanted to take and am seeing the nation plus having an adventure.

Sad note: My friend is moving to California.

One 'Howie' of a 'Day'
My friend Stef is unfortunately moving to Florida this week. I've often mentioned her on this blog like when she did my eye makeup, was there when I lost my cell in Hoboken, when we went to the fortune teller, caught U2 or when we attended the sex class together. Her moving is only unfortunate for me though and great for her. She's going to be teaching down in Ft. Lauderdale area and living in a great new apartment with two bedrooms and paying less than my discounted NYC studio. Her family is moving down there too and I think the change will do her the world of good, especially to be away from her ex cop boyfriend. Yet, I'm also selfishly upset to see her go. She's the kind of friend who would call me at 10:00 at night and say that she felt like a Magnolia cupcake, so she'd jump in her car and drive over from New Jersey, pick me up, eat a cupcake and then head back, *sigh* good times.

So this weekend Stef called saying that she had won tickets from 95.5 WPLJ to see an up close performance by Howie Day at the China Club on the same night as her drive to Florida and as the radio station boasts, "The only way in, is to win." First let me set the scene, she is obsessed with Howie and knew of him way before his recording career and radio hit "Collide." I remember seeing her AIM icon with his face on it at least five years ago and wondering who it was. She's now seen him over a dozen times and so far I had managed to escape seeing him at the many signings and concerts that she's attended and invited me to. But now that I knew she wouldn't be in the city again for awhile, I accepted her gracious invitation to join her at the show. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Howie, I just didn't know any of his other songs. Thus, I wasn't expecting to have a good time while Stef and Jay were, as you can see here:


ha ha no we actually staged that photo, I wasn't really reading while sitting on the stage, that would just be rude.

To my surprise and relief I had a great time and that's not the Baybreeze I had talking either. We stood right next to the stage and witnessed first had Howie's contagious passion and skill. At his feet he had a piano of foot peddles where during his songs while singing and playing the guitar he'd pound on the peddles and record his own singing and beat and then have it repeat in the background. So although he was singing solo without any back up musicians or singers it sounded like he had a complete band. I enjoyed almost all of his songs even the new yet to be released ones and the covers. He also made a some funny jokes in between songs and overall it was a very intimate and mellow atmosphere. Stef is burning me his CDs.

On a happy note: I'm now a Howie Day fan.

Sad note: My friend is moving to Florida.

Gay Pride Parade
Today I wiggled though the crowd up to the barricades along 5th Avenue for the annual Pride Parade. It's a real communal experience seeing all the nationalities and sexual preferences both in the parade and clapping along the sidelines in support. Like any parade there were floats, music and bands, plus walkers giving out candy to the crowd. Just add in some wigs, cross dressing, rainbow flags and Trojan's being tossed out to the on lookers then you got the Pride Parade.

Here are some photos:


News: Parades celebrate gay pride nationwide

Shop till you drop
Last night three brave girls went to another Shecky's Girls Night for cocktails, shopping and yes, a free goodie bag (which was even better this time). Despite their efforts to keep their wallets shut and credit cards unswiped they failed miserably. Here are their purchase adventures.

Karen:
Was all about the circles and purchased gold cascading circular earrings from Lola Bean and an almost matching necklace from a vendor named Circa 610. Take a look:


Shirley:
Had the most willpower of all three shoppers and despite liking several necklaces and earings that her friends declared looked gorgeous she would willfully put them back down and move on to the next vendor. She finally purchased a shirt on sale by Candid Couture, which reads "I Have Misplaced My Crown" (Tara bought a shirt from them last time with a heart on it that reads "You Break It You Buy It"). Shirley's big purchase came just as the trio were leaving when she returned to the first booth that she had visited, Fashion Doll Accessories to buy a fun fabric purse with big circular plastic handles perfect for the beach. What do you think?


Tara:
Bought a pair of blue jean capris by James Jeans Cured by Seun, which retail for $170 and were purchased for only $60, thus Tara figured this wasn't really a purchase--it was a steal. They also have fun stitching on the butt and look pretty fine on.

Then she tried on two different pairs of earrings by MLevinson and because she couldn't decide which looked best and her friends were just as indecisive she bought both, but only $25 each compared to the fifty and change ones at all the other vendors. Tara blames the fact that she had a small bottle of red from Little Black Dress Wines making her sillier than the other girls and more loose with the purse strings. These are the earings.


Oh and every shopper received a large bottle of Dove Energy Glow, which all were delighted to try.