Well surprisingly our quaint little cabin in South Dakota has wireless internet, so I’m able to blog after all… I’m telling you, my luck on this trip has just been outstanding.

Where did I leave off – oh yeah, my day and a half in Chicago. Chicago is HUGE. I’ve never seen a city this big — I swear you can fit 3 downtown San Francisco’s in Chicago. Huge skyscrapers punctuate a gorgeous skyline, with a river running through the middle, and bordered by Lake Michigan. As far as cities go – this one has a lot going on. Almost too much going on.

I experienced many epiphanies and moments of clarity on this trip, the main one being — I am a country girl (as opposed to a city girl). I love love LOVED the South, and miss it terribly already… But in the bustling metropolis of Chi-town, I was just overwhelmed. As much as it had to offer – I could never live there. Too much congestion, too many people, and I find high-rises terribly unnatural, lol. I’d take a lonely country road and 37 acres any day over the bright lights of a big city. So while it was a nice visit, Chicago didn’t wow me the way The South and Florida did.

But I still managed to enjoy myself immensely. I stayed with my good friend (and kindred spirit) Corey, and his girlfriend Kristina. It’s awesome to be introduced to the city by locals (well, technically they’re transplants, lol) because they know all the good places to go to eat, which we did a LOT of. Amazingly delicious food for dinner both nights and a grubbin’ breakfast on Tuesday. It was incredibly restful and relaxing, and quality time with a dear friend who truly knows, loves, and understands me is just priceless. It was also great to spend some time getting to know Kristina (who I really like!), and see that Corey is in very good hands. Cause he sure is a handful (sorry, couldn’t resist that one Dr. Capers!) 😉

Swooped Megan up in the evening, and after a long night and then a long day of driving, we made it safe and sound to South Dakota just after sunset. Gorgeous country out here. More on our adventures in South Dakota later, cause its late and we have a full day of sightseeing ahead of us tomorrow. But I’m having the time of my life ya’ll!!!

Hey Folks… Just a quick update on my status/whereabouts for you chronic worriers out there 🙂 Picked Meg up at the airport at 11:30pm in Chicago and we immediately hit the road to try to shave some time off our ridiculously long driving day tomorrow. Currently we are somewhere in Wisconsin, getting a few hours sleep (its 4am) before setting off for South Dakota. We’re entering the camping part of our journey, so I may not be able to get online as much as I used to, but I promise to post updates on our travels as often as I can. It is so AWESOME to have Meg here with me — we are gonna have a blast exploring the gorgeous scenery in this part of the country! But first, gotta try and catch some zzzzz’s….

My visit to Nashville, TN, the country music capital of the world (yeehaw ya’ll!) was AWESOME. The cowgirl in me really needed and appreciated this stopover, and it is a city I will definitely be back to visit.

I got in around 3pm and hooked up with Iris, Mary, Colleen and Mama Karen for lunch. I gotta say — I really love hanging out with these women. It was great to have a posse to explore the city with. Iris and Mary were kind enough to let me crash in their hotel room (thanks again SO MUCH for everything!), and around 7pm we headed down the the Gaylord Entertainment Center for the concert. Thanks to a McFriend named Paige, I was able to see Tim and Faith again from the 3RD ROW Saturday night, and it was incredible. I swear, every time is like the first time – there is no such thing as too much Tim… The seat was slightly better than the one I had in Dallas, the energy inside the arena was incredible, and it was so cool to be watching Tim and Faith perform on their home turf. Not something I ever thought I’d do, that’s for sure. Definitely a night to remember.

This show was also crawling with McFriends, and I got to meet a whole bunch of new folks from the Board and the Zone, including Janet (aka Granny J) who I just respect and admire so much… Then after the show, a large group of us headed over to Coyote Ugly…

For those that don’t know, Coyote Ugly has a reputation for hot, scantily-clad bartendresses with a penchant for dancing on the bar. Well in this club, all female patrons were encouraged, no, ordered to hop up on the bar and shake their tailfeathers. And damn near everyone did! I tell you, the bar at Coyote Ugly is magic – all one has to do is hop onto it and you’re instantly converted into a lesbian with a sudden urge to make out with all your friends, LOL. It was sooooo freaking hilarious I can’t even tell you. Colleen got to live out her secret stripper fantasy while Mama proudly looked on (LMAO!), and I was just cracking up the whole time because it was all too, too, wild. Here are the girls getting their freak on, and no, I did not join them up on the bar. Someone had to stay on the ground to document the debauchery 😉


Colleen, Karen and I made it home somewhere around 2am, laughing the whole way… I can’t wait to see them again in LA and Vegas 🙂 I am so happy I decided to go to this show and meet up with them – I could not have partied like that by myself, lol.

Spent yesterday in St. Louis, having enjoyed a wonderful visit my dear friend Carolina. Carolina is one of my favorite friends, and it was awesome to catch up and recharge once again. I only wish I could have stayed longer (a recurring theme this trip). Currently I’m in Chicago, having a wonderful visit with Corey the Kindred and his lovely lady Kristina. The 3rd leg of the tour officially begins tomorrow when Meg flies out (YAY!!!!) and we officially start heading back to California. Three weeks down, two weeks to go folks! I can’t wait to see what adventures this final leg brings!

Relax — I’m not referring to a crash in the automobile sort of way, lol. I’m talking about 20 days on the road finally catching up to me physically…

Let’s face it – I’m not in my 20’s anymore. I’m thirty years young and just can’t hang like I used to in college. Can’t drink like I used to… Can’t stay up late like I used to… Can’t survive on coffee and cigarettes like I used to… And today my body decided it was time to smack me upside the head and remind me of that.

In this alternate universe I’ve been living in the past few weeks, my “job” has been to drive. Get up early, pack up, and hit the road for an average of six hours a day. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining. I love to drive and I’ve been having a blast out here. But I’m getting to the point in my journey where the driving part feels like a “job,” and after 4 straight driving days since leaving Jackson, I was really ready to come off the road. Atlanta is a 2-day stopover, so I didn’t have to drive at all today. It was like having a day off work, and I treated it as such.

I had such ambitions for what I wanted to experience in Atlanta — this is a great, huge city with tons of stuff to do and see. Stuff of great interest to me. I got in around 9pm on Thursday night and was treated to a queen’s welcome by Berhan – a good friend of me and Bill’s from college. Once again, this southern hospitality thing is wonderful, and it’s kind of wild to have men all over the place bending over backwards to attend to my every need (Baby, you were right – I have to raise that fucking bar, LOL). He had cold beer waiting, a clean towel so I could shower, a huge comfortable bed to rest in… Awesome. After we hung out and caught up, I showered and we headed out to meet up with his cousin and another friend from college, Benito. So nice to hang out with these guys, share my adventures, and reminisce… It was very chill and I got lots and lots of material for my book. But about an hour into the kickin’ it, I felt myself starting to crash…

Benito and I went out to get some dinner (I was hoping food would perk/sober me up), and had more laughs and great conversation, but I was still fading fast. All the peeps back at the house were gearing up to hit the strip club (which under normal circumstances I would have been all over), but I was just out of gas. I had to call it a night.

Still didn’t get home and into bed until after 2am, lol, but the next morning, when it was time to get up and explore the city, I could not move. My limbs were heavy, my eyes were droopy, and it soon became clear that I wasn’t going anywhere. I slept until noon, layed in bed until 1pm drifting in and out of consciousness, flipped on the TV at 2pm to watch soaps, laid in bed watching TV for another 2 hours, and then finally dragged myself out of bed at 4pm to take my ass down to Jiffy Lube to get an oil change… EXHAUSTED. Needless to say, I wasn’t able to see much of Atlanta at all. 🙁

I did meet up with James Reid from the Black Writers Conference for dinner, which was GRUB, complete with southern hospitality (he even opened my car door for me! Sweet!). Once again, I love hanging out with my writer friends, and that was the best shrimp linguini I’ve ever had. But after a full meal, the ‘itis’ set in, and I was ready to go back to bed… Oh well.

Tomorrow I head off for Nashville, where I will be seeing Tim and Faith in concert again. I managed to find a McFriend who had a 3rd row ticket she needed to get rid of (thanks Paige!), so I rearranged things so I could attend the show. Serendipity ~ I’m telling you, stars are just lining up! Can’t wait to see Iris, her aunt, Colleen and Mama Karen again too! 🙂

Okay, heading off to bed. Long, exciting day ahead tomorrow…

Well this has been yet another WONDERFUL day of missions accomplished… I swear, the stars have just lined up for me on so many levels that I can hardly believe it sometimes. I’ll be driving down the road, and remember some random adventure from the day before, and the hugest smile will spread across my face… Just cheesin’ it up, all alone in my car, until I break out into a random laugh at how GOOD life has been to me lately. This is, hands down, the BEST summer of my Life…

Today marks the official halfway point of my cross-country journey… I left California on July 7th and have been on the road for 19 days. It seemed only fitting that today would be the day that I would immerse myself in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, signifying my official arrival on the East Coast…

First of all, I must say it again, I FREAKING LOVE FLORIDA! I am so glad I decided to take my Atlantic dip in Jacksonville instead of finding a beach further north in Georgia. The beaches were white, the water was warm, and I swam for an hour just in awe of the beauty and the almost tropical climate… The stretch of beach I was on was sheer heaven, practically deserted, and I had quite a moment with myself floating in the blue water, marvelling at how far I’ve come…
To quote my man Keith Urban “There ain’t no doubt that God’s been good to me…”

Made it to Savannah, Georgia by early afternoon and had a blast driving/walking around this Gorgeous town, taking a grip of pictures… I’m telling you, after the houses in Santa Cruz, Hawaii, Sedona and Florida, I’m getting me a spot in Savannah…
The trees are huge, majestic and draped in moss… The majority of the downtown area is dotted with these charming little parks and squares, each with their own monument… And the historic Antebellum and Regency houses paint a picture of the South I longed to see… The beauty, the charm — it took my breath away. Strolling through the cobblestone streets, I really felt like I’d stepped into a time machine and gone back 200 years. (Meg, I wish you had been here – you would have LOVED it!) I was so awed and inspired by the beauty that I’ve decided I’m naming my second daughter Savannah, after this gorgeous place…

11 States in 19 days people… It’s wild… And tomorrow, after a quick stop in Charleston, South Carolina, I head out to Atlanta, where the playas play… I suppose I’ll fit right in then, eh? 😉

Today was the best day on the road I’ve had since the Nudist Hot Springs in Colorado, lol. I decided to leave New Orleans a day early because of bad weather (torrential rain), lack of stuff to do (it’s just not the same ya’ll) and an overall vibe of not feeling “safe” (it didn’t help that I seemed to end up deep in the hood whenever I decided to improvise on my driving tour, LOL). So I checked out of the hotel early, picked up a beignet in the French Quarter (YUM!), and set off for Florida…

On the way to Florida, I decided I wanted to tour the Gulf Coast… Man, Eastern New Orleans looks a lot worse than downtown New Orleans did. Just a ghosttown with empty buildings and broke down houses all along I-10. But I didn’t glimpse true total devastation until I got to Gulfport, MS and Biloxi. Oh my God. Most of the media coverage focused on New Orleans, but Gulfport was the true epicenter of Hurricane Katrina… And I’m sad to report that Katrina completely LEVELLED that town…

All I saw along Hwy 98, what I imagine used to be a gorgeous coastal town, was wreckage and empty lots. All the homes were gutted and blown out, all the businesses gone. But for some reason, many of the signs remained, marking what USED to be there. It was creepy. You know its bad when even the rich folks aren’t bothering to rebuild. Huge mansions and upper-class neighborhoods, what used to be prime real estate, and its just been destroyed… I looked into the shells of vacant apartment buildings, windows all blown out, and furniture still sitting in there almost a year later… I can’t even imagine what it looks like in the more impoverished areas. Broke my heart.

I know the World Trade Center bombing was bad, but I really think Hurricane Katrina was the most destructive thing to ever hit U.S. soil… God Bless the Gulf Coast…

After that, I continued east through Alabama and into Florida. I LOVE FLORIDA!!! Oh My God – if it wasn’t hurricane territory, I would move here! Florida wasn’t even on my original tour itinerary, but when John and I were at a drive-thru Starbucks in Colorado, we got to chatting with the woman serving us our coffee, and when she heard I was on a cross-country road trip, she told me I had to stop in Destin, FL. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but filed it away… A week later, Cousin Doug also suggested that I stop in Destin, FL. That’s two plugs — had to be Fate, right? So here I am driving along, pointing my car in the direction of Destin…

Goodness was Destin beautiful! White sand greeted me the second I got within the city limits and I immediately pulled over at the first beach I saw. Got out, took a swim in the warmest, clearest water I’ve ever seen, and just felt so happy to be swimming in the ocean on a sunny day on the coast of somewhere beautiful… I had a wonderful, spiritual “I am so blessed” moment, and then all of a sudden I hear the Rascal Flatts song “Me and My Gang” floating on the breeze.

I turn my head and there is this guy in a boat parked along shore with the country music cranked up. Nice! Then Faith Hill’s “Breathe” came on, one of my favorite songs, and it was like serendipity… I had to swim over and thank the man for providing such a lovely soundtrack for my swim…

Well we got to chatting, and he offers me a wine cooler, and then asks if I want to take a ride in the boat around the bay… Oh Hell Yeah!!! So I gathered up my stuff, hopped in the boat, and we cruised around for the rest of the afternoon on the open sea talking, drinking, and bumping country music. It could not have been a more perfect day! Mark was so awesome and nice and we had the best time… I swear, it is just one adventure after another… To say I’m having the time of my life is a huge, huge understatement…

Tomorrow I head out to Savannah, Georgia, where I will be putting my foot in the Atlantic Ocean, having officially made it from COAST to COAST. Wild. Just Wild. You just can’t make this stuff up people…

I’ve been making my way through the South since the last time I wrote. I LOVE IT! I’m not sure if its because I came from the hot, dry, flat, brown topography of Texas, but when I was driving through Northern Louisiana on 1-20, it was just gorgeous, gorgeous country… Very lush, very green, a landscape etched with rivers and swamps. Totally fell in love with the area. Then I crossed over the Mississippi River into Mississippi, which was wild. I was greeted by yet another massive lightening storm and torrential downpour upon entry, but hey, at least it wasn’t 105 degrees anymore! Made it into Jackson, MS safe and sound Saturday night…

My dad grew up in Jackson, and his younger brothers and the rest of my Fam still live out there. I stayed with Uncle Frederick, Aunt Gloria and Cousin Derrick, and they took very good care of me. Good food, lots of laughs, and a tour of my dad’s old stomping grounds… It’s crazy the amount of history in this town. Though it was strange to hear phrases like “white side of town” and “Black side of town” (segregation is still alive and well in MS), I loved Jackson. I wish i could have stayed a little longer…

Cousin Derrick showed me a real good time, lol. First night D and Uncle Ced took me out to the clubs and tried to get me drunk (do we detect a theme here?) I did my first ever shot of Patron with these crazy cats at the club (those that know me know that I absolutely hate the taste of tequila, but I sucked it up… literally). Uncle Ced was a trip — I’m used to Cashers being all conservative, but apparently our rep out here is to be on the wild and freaky side, LOL. We were swapping stories and he goes – “Girl, you a Casher!!!” and I just died laughing. Yup, I guess I am 😉

Chilled out with Derrick and cousin Aafram the next day on the golf course. SO MUCH FUN. Just kicking back watching these boys try to play golf (lol – just teasin!) and cruisin’ around on the prettiest golf course I’ve ever seen… It was so peaceful. I had a little too much fun drivin’ around in the golf cart – almost rolled it once or twice, LOL. Scared the crap out of young D, hee hee. But good times were had by all (well, maybe not by the kid Derrick beamed with his golf ball… Foooorrre!)

Left Jackson yesterday and headed down to New Orleans. Took the Causeway across Lake Ponchatrain coming in, which was surreal since the last time I saw it on TV it was broken up and busted. Checked into my hotel, then did a tour of the city. While the Garden District is still intact and gorgeous, the same can not be said for the rest of the areas I toured.
Drove through Jefferson Parrish and other areas in the hood… Canal St… You’d think Katrina hit 2 months ago, not almost a year ago looking at some of these areas… It was so sad. The stench in Jefferson Parrish in particular is still pretty strong. I don’t have a “Before” image of New Orleans since this was my first time here, but it definitely is not the same city. The spirit, pride, and sense of humor seems to be intact (the best T-shirt I saw read “FEMA Evacuation Plan: Run Bitch Run!!!” lol), but efforts to rebuild are definitely lagging…

Okay, time to hit the road AGAIN, lol. Next stop, somewhere in Florida. I’m excited to see the ocean again, and have some quality beach time. I’ll try to update with pics as soon as I can…

PS: Eric, our soon-to-be attorney is taking the dreaded Bar Exam this week. If everyone could send up a little prayer on Eric’s behalf for concentration and clarity through this gruelling 3-day test, it would be much appreciated. I love you bro, and I’m sure you’ll do great!!!

The Soul2Soul summer has begun… Yesterday was an AWESOME day filled with McFriends and McGraws… It was nice to do a little something for the cowgirl in me finally, after all these days in TEXAS going to hip-hop bars and clubs, lol. The whole day was like food for my soul…

Left Houston EARLY in the morning to get up to Leisha’s in Fort Worth for a quick visit. I’ve been an active member on the the message board at mcgraws.com for 6 years, and Leisha and I have been friends for most of this time. Truth be told, she’s one of my closest friends on the Board, and our relationship off-board has blossomed into something that I cherish and hold very dear to my heart… I was very excited to meet her and her adorable children FOR THE FIRST TIME!

It was awesome. Just awesome. We chatted like we’d known each other forever and I absolutely fell in LOVE with her kids. The cutest little things in the world. I’ve had pictures of Jake up in my office at work since he was born, and it was so wild to finally see/meet him (he’s five now). And Miss Rachel is just a ray of sunshine.. I totally want a little girl just like her…

The visit was not nearly long enough, and after a very long goodbye in the driveway, I had to leave the lovely little family for Mission #2 of the day — a massive McMeet.
Like I said, I’ve been friends with many of the women from the message board for years, but I’ve never had a chance to meet anyone that lives outside of California (except Colleen who’s a tour-travellin’ Diva, lol). Wendy, the only Dallas native and the sweetest, sweetest gal ever, organized a huge McMeet for all of us at a restaurant before the show. Present and accounted for were: my good friend Iris (who flew in from Cali – was GREAT to see you and catch up!), Colleen and Mama Karen (from New York), the lovely Miss Jane (From Washington DC), Danna (from pre-Katrina New Orleans, now residing in Houston), Megan (from New Orleans), Michelle (who wins the award for longest travel day coming in on a red-eye from Portland) and Hanky (who has a real name, I just don’t know it cause she’s just Hanky to me, LOL). It was so much fun hanging out with these ladies – people think I’m weird for running off to hang with folks I met on the internet, but people just don’t understand how close you can get talking to someone every day for 6 years! It was lovely to meet ya’ll and I hope the caravan made it safely to Houston and is having a BLAST! Wish I was there!

Now for the show…. Oh boy. That Tim McGraw – he just does something to me… I haven’t been to a show since October, and I had completely forgotten what it feels like to be in a room with Tim. I swear to God, the second he opened his mouth my whole body was covered with goosebumps. I remember now why the obsession began all those years ago, lol.I had a third row seat, so I got to see both Tim and Faith up close and personal. Loved it. Faith was having a great time, with great energy, and sounded flawless as usual. I swear, she is so underappreciated – that woman can sang. And she’s freakin’ gorgeous.

Tim… Well, there are no words. That man is hotter than an Arizona desert with a heart of Gold. I swear, I am a grown-ass woman and he just makes me SWOON. It was awesome to hear My Little Girl, When the Stars Go Blue, and I’ve Got Friends that Do LIVE. He gave big ups to Mr. Charley Pride who was in the audience… And the way he looks at his wife makes me want to cry. I would give anything to have someone love me like that, Anything. When the first few notes of “It’s Your Love” started to play, I actually felt tears forming in my eyes. It’s been so long since I’ve heard them perform that song, and it brings back so many memories (having loved Tim longer than Faith has, lol, I was right there in 1996 when they were falling in love…). And “I Need You” left me damn near speechless. To behold true love in action, to see with your own eyes that soulmates truly exist… There is nothing more inspirational.

I had such a good time that I’m seriously considering going to the Nashville show next Saturday. Colleen and Mama Karen have an extra ticket with my name on it if I want it… They wanted me to roll down to Houston with them, but since I just came from there, I passed. But Nashville would be awesome. God, I am so off the Mcgraw wagon… And here I was thinking I was on my way to being cured…

More pics from the show on Flickr.

Houston has been a blast… Josiah is big ballin’ in a super bachelor mansion, so I’ve been chillun in major style and comfort. I have my own master suite complete with my own bathroom… Once again, its amazing what $180,000 will get you in Texas…

My host in Houston is my boy Josiah, also known as Soulmate #5, lol. For those of you keeping score, we’re up to 8 – Ty, Tony, Neal, Jon, Josiah, JohnJohn, Nando and John. Megan was the one to point out that I seem to be collecting Johns, LOL. But I digress. Josiah is a soulmate circa 2001 (?) and we’ve managed to remain friends over all this time. Was good to see him, and he made sure I was well taken care of…

He took me to the most GRUBBIN’ spot for dinner – this Japanese buffet place called Kiran… We gorged ourselves on seafood and sushi, and consumed many bottles of Sake. Seriously, I lost count after the third bottle, but he kept ordering and pouring, ordering and pouring. I know my liver is seriously mad at me right now!

Thursday was super relaxing. Yummy lunch, some errands and shopping, and catching up on my Soaps on a huge-screen TV. Then I had to take a nap because the heat just makes you want to sleep all damn day, lol.

In the evening we rolled out to this club called Crome… Josiah and his boy Doug booked a table in the VIP room, where you buy your drinks by the bottle. It’s ridiculous the kind of cash these fools throw around. The charge between the four of us was to kill an entire bottle of Stoli. You can’t even imagine the hangover I’m dealing with right now…

Alright, I gotta pack up and hit the road… I have a lunch date with Leisha and her kids, and then my first Soul2Soul concert tonight!!!! SUPER EXCITED! Ciao for now!

Austin, TX has been good for my soul. First of all, I’ve gotten to spend Quality time with my good friend Nicola… Nicola and I have been friends since the 8th grade. She moved to Vacaville in 9th grade, and then to Texas about 10 years ago. But she’s one of those friends that no matter how much time passes, we always pick up right where we left off… I cherish friendships like those, and I absolutely cherish this time I’ve gotten to spend with her here in Austin, TX. Coming off some major John withdrawal, time with a good girlfriend turned out to be exactly what I needed to get my mind off the poet. I almost feel back to normal now, lol. Almost 🙂

Nicola’s house is gorgeous and huge, with a killer pool in the back. It’s amazing what $170,000 can get you in Texas… This whole experience has definitely opened my mind to the possibilities of settling outside of California. If I could get myself something lakefront, I could totally see myself living here…

I love Austin. The vibe here is very similar to Santa Cruz — lots of eclectic, artsy folk, and a more liberal atmosphere than the rest of Texas. It’s still hot as hell, but the city is surrounded by Lake Austin, so it seems cooler than it was in Dallas. Monday we spent the day chillun’ at Barton Springs. Awesome. They threw up this dam in the middle of Lake Austin to make a huge pool, complete with diving boards and ladders to get in and out. We layed around under a huge tree all day, then jumped in the lake to cool off. So relaxing. Afterwards, Nicola, Christine and I met up with Heather the Hottie for dinner and margaritas at Freddie’s. YUM. So much fun to be out with the girls, talking girl talk and being silly. It was like an episode of Sex in the City I swear, lol. Note to self: Get some single girlfriends when I get back to the Cruz…

Today Nic and I went to the Zen Zone for some spa pampering. AWESOME. We did this detox footbath which pulled a grip of toxins out of our bodies (scary stuff), and then got a massage. It felt good to indulge in some pampering. A grubbin’ lunch at Whole Foods, then off to Kinko’s to print my manuscript so I can ship it off to the folks that requested it. Rounded out the day with dinner and drinks with Nic’s hubby Frank, sis Judy, and Judy’s husband Tom at the Hula Hut. Once again, no one will let me pay for anything out here, so I’m getting a Queen’s treatment at no-cost. I am so blessed ya’ll, so blessed.

Tomorrow I leave lovely Austin to head out to Houston to visit with Josiah for a few days… My week in Texas is all about rest, relaxation, and recuperation. For me and my car, lol. Til next time…