Crawfish and a Mia Farrow Comparison

Hello there, readers. Sorry for the short post yesterday, I had a million things going on, so I ended up just posting quickly about my hair since I had a bunch of requests to see it.

So, today I went to Cafe Brasil for a late breakfast. I had been told that the food was nice and 'clean,' so I was willing to give it a shot. I was not disappointed. I had the red velvet hash, which is a combination of beets, potatoes, chives and jalapeños served with two eggs. It was really pretty good and an amazing red color from the beets.

This afternoon I ended up at a crawfish boil. I hate to admit it, but it was the first I've I had ever been to/participated in. I learned how to shuck them pretty quickly and commenced gorging myself. It was so fun, I was invited by a friend, and I met a wonderful group of people there.

I really can't say it enough; the people I've met down here are so sweet. I have met a couple jerks, but that was only when I was in a place that really wasn't my scene. Otherwise, the people here have been so kind and accommodating. I can't tell you how many wonderful conversations I've had with people that started by me just saying 'Hey, I'm new in town.'

Not to mention the fact that there are so many young professionals here. I guess I'm used to the small town thing where it takes awhile to get a career going. Well, down here it seems that there's a huge group of young talented people that are already working in the industry they've chosen. Houston actually has an expanding job market, so I'm pretty hopeful for how things might work out.

Well, that's enough for me today. I have a function later and I'm EXHAUSTED. You remember what I said about forcing myself to stop and sleep occasionally? That might be in order... But not today!

Cheers!

New Hair

Not much to say (or time to say it in) but I got my hair cut today. Check the pic.

Funny thing: my hairdresser said I must be a really confident girl. If you read my blog post yesterday, you'll understand what this style means to me...

Cheers!

Some Painful Background Info...

Okay, so I don't usually get serious in this blog. Actually, I've been trying to avoid it. I guess I don't like putting out things for complete strangers, but I need to get comfortable with it.

So. Coming back to Houston was very emotional for me. Not just because of my recent split (which is something I will NOT go into here, it's not the right place for it), but because of my childhood years that I spent in this city.

Let me just say, I was not the most popular kid in school. Actually, I was probably one step ahead of the smelly kid or the kid who wasn't "all there." I don't know if I can overstate this point. I was pretty much reviled by a lot of my peers for a really long time. Probably about second grade to... well. 'Til college, pretty much.

At my 8th grade formal

Growing up in Houston, things were fine when I was a little kid. But as the social stratum began to divide out, I realized I was on the lowest echelon, in a group of friends with the girl whose parents didn't bathe her, the extremely Catholic friend, and the girl with the lazy eye (all of whom I considered my dearest friends, and who I still love to this day). The school was very competitive (we had textbooks for the grade above us all through elementary school) and my severe A.D.D. was treated aggressively with Ritalin at the urging of the school until my mother put a stop to it after sleepless nights and weight loss I couldn't afford. When I was eleven, my mother made the decision to move us to Crested Butte. It was a small town that I loved when we were able to visit as tourists in the summers, and I thought it was a godsend. I was disliked in Houston, might as well have a fresh start! I thought bullying and being made fun of were a thing of the past.

Well, I was wrong. Kids are kids, anywhere you go.

I was skinny, gawky, awkward, wore glasses, read a lot, completely uncoordinated, socially inept, pale as a sheet, and taller than most of the boys during puberty. I was also really sensitive. I cried pretty much every day in middle school. So, of course, I wasn't well liked in Crested Butte either. But it was Houston that I dreaded.

Crested Butte is beautiful, and it was a bit of a haven for me. While the school situation wasn't much better, I really connected with the area (I am convinced that the faeries I saw as a kid on hikes were real). Crested Butte itself saved me from a lot of pain, I was able to make friends with people older than me who recognized what I was: a very intelligent girl with a good sense of humor that was more interested in literature and theatre than how well jeans hugged her ass (I was OBLIVIOUS to that stuff until the age of 19).

Though it still hurt.

But I soldiered on. I finally blossomed at about 20. I got Lasik surgery (hello, I have cheekbones!), and started to grow into my face. I figured out how to wear clothing that fits and how to do my makeup. Things really changed in terms of other people's perception of me, though I know now it had more to do with my peers growing up than it did with my transformation. Even before then, toward the end of high school and directly after, people started apologizing. I accepted apologies from the same people that made life so awful that I ate my lunches in the science room so I could avoid any interaction that wasn't blunted by adult supervision. Houston was where I placed a lot of the blame of my sad childhood, though I know now that that was a coping mechanism. It was a shitty (social) childhood, not a town, that left those emotional scars. And besides, I wouldn't recognize the kids from my school in Houston if I saw them again.

And now I'm back.

So how did all of this come up? Today a friend of the family did some energy work on me. She asked me if there was anything I wanted to focus on during the session, and I said no. I didn't want to forcibly bring up my recent split, so I thought, hey, I'll just let it come out.

Something else came out, though.

I ended up on the table at the end of the session (all she did was push my arm, wave a pendulum, place cards around me and prod at certain parts of my body) sobbing and trying to love my eight year old self; the same self that believed in magic and faeries, who thought that she was one with the universe and who was continually crushed by her peers as well as certain teacher (f*** you, Mrs. Small). The woman who did the energy work had asked me to look back seventeen years to 1995, and imagine control and emotional pain. She then asked, "What does that bring up for you?"

It was all I could do to come out with the answer. It brought back the teasing, the shaming, the realization that people wouldn't love me for who I was. They would actually HATE me for it.

And I ended up hating myself, too.

I have tried to kill that part of my self in the intervening years through various means (another thing I won't get into here). And maybe that is part of the reason why I'm just coming back to Houston and embracing the experience now. I'm old enough to take it for what it is, not what it used to be. Though I do still drive by my old school and feel a twinge of dread like I used to every morning as we drove in.

But I got by. And while that painfully awkward little-girl part of myself is very damaged, she's still there and I'm going to work on healing her. I have confidence issues which stem from my experiences as a kid. I guess the first step in getting better is realizing what needs work, right?

I ended my AMAZING session by envisioning protecting my little eight-year-old self. That protection was one of the things that makes me feel the most confident and safe: a leather jacket and a pair of boots. In my vision of her, she laughed, and made a Lisbeth Salander glare.

I'm done with my tirade. Sorry I didn't talk more about Houston and what's going on... but this is kind of what's going on in my head now.

Cheers!

Oh, I also wanted to send you to an amazing link. While this is an initiative for LGBT teens, I really liked this video. It's a great message to anyone who is being made fun of or bullied. I definitely teared up watching it.

A Little Bit of Catch Up

Hello there, readers. Sorry about yesterday. I got caught up in all the craziness.

Speaking of which, I was utterly thrilled and pleased by 'The Hunger Games.' I read the books (of course), and thought they were incredible. I didn't have super high hopes for the movie, particularly because of the correlations being drawn between it and 'Twilight.' Don't get me wrong, I love 'Twilight' in one of those guilty pleasure, fan-girl kind of ways. but 'The Hunger Games' are completely different than 'Twilight.' It's less fantasy, more distopian SciFi. Which is probably part of the reason I fell in love with the book in the first place. The closest comparisons I could make to it when I would discuss it with other people was "Like '1984' or 'Brave New World' for young adults... Yeah."

So, imagine my surprise when I walk into the theatre and it's not some crazy overblown theme music playing, or an insanely glitzy star-studded cast. Honestly, the movie seemed... intimate. It was a very personal experience.

It's been awhile since I read the books (about a year), but there was no point when I felt that the Hollywood version of the book was far from my personal conception of Katniss' world.

Not to mention, Peeta is really hot.

(spoiler alert)

Well, I couldn't help but gush for a bit. I sobbed when Rue died, if that's any indication of how moved I was by the movie.

So, I've been puttering for the last few days. Getting my resume out, figuring out schedules. Dealing with the prosaic aspects of moving and travel.

But I AM going to chop all my hair off :)

I'm thinking Michelle Williams, Emma Watson, Natalie Portman style short. No Victoria Beckham bob this time. I've been thinking about cutting it after my Jordan trip, for general ease or styling (just put it up, whatever). After talking to some of my girlfriends with short hair, however, they told me that it's do simple and always polished looking, which is what I want more than anything else.

Well, that's to be saved for Friday. I'm getting pretty nervous now... And very excited.

Well, not much else to update you on. I got the skinny on some good places to shop, hairstylists, and so on from a friend of my father's. It's nice to be in the know now.

So... Yeah. Not much. Going to eat some dinner, watch some Doctor Who (David Tennant and Christopher Eccleston are AMAZING, I haven't bothered to watch that young strange one) and go to sleep. So... until tomorrow, then!

Cheers!

Self Flagellation

So. I didn't post yesterday.

OMG.

Sorry. It's not like I didn't have internet or no time or something. I just plumb forgot. And I'm still exhausted, so I think I'm going back to bed.

I'll update you later on my new love of the Hunger Games, twitter, the Google overlords, and why bartenders make the best friends.

Cheers!

Ballet Barre and Resumes

Good morning, readers.

I'm sorry I didn't give you a more lengthy update yesterday. Frankly I am still exhausted from last week, but I'm pushing through and going to WRITE MY RESUME (if you read this tomorrow and I haven't done it, please inundated me with comments about what a terrible procrastinator I am). I get so bogged down with other things, it's like I have city A.D.D... which I do have. But there are so many distractions here, it seems like it's much worse.

Also, I am completely exhausted. I'm not used to keeping up a schedule of running around every day and then going out at night, so I haven't really gotten more than one full night's sleep at a time. I think I'm going to crank it back a notch with going out to bars, etc, and focus more on daily activities... like writing my resume.

Yesterday I did go to the Victory Fund's champagne brunch, which was amazing. The Victory Fund supports openly LGBT political candidates across the country with the belief that a seat at the table is what matters for policy changes to be made. It seems to be pretty effective, both in the candidates elected (Houston's mayor Annise Parker is a lesbian), as well as the policy changes wrought by these candidates once they are elected to office. The brunch was held in the Hilton downtown, with a VIP mixer beforehand that I was lucky enough to attend. The mixer was in a fabulous room that had floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook downtown. Right below us was Discovery Green, a large park right next to the convention center and Minute Maid park. I would love to go and explore Discovery Green, it looks absolutely beautiful. There's a restaurant that grows some of its own produce (I could see the rooftop garden from my vantage point), as well as a large field where they host outdoor music events.

During the brunch we heard speeches from various members of the LGBT political community, including Joel Burns, whose work as a city council member for Fort Worth has helped that community grow and change, with mandatory LGBT awareness and sensitivity training for all metropolitan employees. He was an incredible speaker. Check out his video to LGBT teens that was made at a city council meeting here. We then heard a speech by Tammy Baldwin, who is the Democratic nominee for the Senate in Wisconsin, who may potentially become the first out member of the Senate. I was moved by her words, and definitely will keep a close eye on the Victory Fund in the future for their upcoming events.

After that, we did some light shopping. I was exhausted, so I napped for about an hour, then got ready for my second event of the day, the "Raising the Barre" dinner. The Ballet Barre is a young professionals organization for the Houston Ballet, basically a group that introduces a younger crowd into the world of supporting (and attending) the Houston Ballet. I love the ballet. I have attended since I was a child, so I was excited to meet the movers and shakers as an adult.

I think I will definitely join the group next season. It was a young, fun group, and the dinner was incredible. Three different prominent chefs around Houston donated their time to make the dishes for the evening. There were four courses that were each inspired by a different ballet dancer, and each one was incredible. I fell in love with the food (along with certain gorgeous dancers... did you know most of the male dancers are straight?!), and will certainly return to Haven (the restaurant where it was held), as well as looking forward to future ballet events.

Well, I'm still exhausted after a good night's sleep. And I have to write my resume. Boo.

This has nothing to do with what I'm up to today, but I could use a little pick-me-up. So here it is.

Cheers!

I'm Only Sleeping...

So much food. So much shopping. So. Much. Wine.

Must sleep now. Am very tired.

Tomorrow will update.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo.

V tired.

PS - Eventually, when you force yourself to go out and put yourself 'out there,' you have to force yourself to STOP and GO TO SLEEP. This is my lesson of the day.

Cheers!

Bluebonnets and Poison

So, after my last post I definitely blew off writing the resume and just went to work out. Whoops. Well, it'll give me something to do next week.

Last night after cleaning up we went out on the town. First we started at St. Genevieve for a cocktail and their brussel sprout chips. The cocktail (I had the chignon) was delicious and 'low calorie' which was basically a a euphemism for weak. The brussel sprout chips were a little greasy and puffy, but otherwise pretty good. But then again, I love brussel sprouts. The bar was not the greatest color scheme. Baby blue and beige.... Yuck.

Then we headed across to Katsya, a sushi restaurant. It is supposed to be quite a 'scene,' along with St. Genevieve. It did fill up while we were there, but the crowd wasn't very cute (except for some girls that were wearing dresses that looked vaguely hookerish) - not to pass judgement, but it was definitely not really my type of hangout. Too much Neiman Marcus, not enough hip. The food was ok (not the best quality fish), but nothing spectacular. I'll stick to another restaurant for sushi in the future.

Next we went to Anvil, which is supposed to be the Mecca of mixed drinks in Houston. First off: they don't serve vodka, as they claim it has no flavor. Perhaps I'm biased (I drink vodka and tequila almost exclusively on the liquor front), but I'm of the opinion that vodka infuses better than any other liquor, while also transforming the flavor slightly. It's a lovely palette to work from in the pursuit of a delicious beverage. Whatever, this is all beside the point. I HATED my drink at Anvil (named something that started with a v that was tequila based). It was so sweet that I could only envision enjoying the flavor as some sort of hard candy. Was not pleased. My companion had a glass of red wine which was served ice cold. The wine was pretty awful in the first place, but even good red wine cold is pretty disgusting. Suffice it to say, he wasn't happy with his choice. He ended up ordering a slap and dash, which was a decided improvement over the wine, but not amazing. My other companion had whiskey on the rocks, which he liked. Sadly, he was the only one that really enjoyed his drink. We spent over $50 for awful drinks. Pretty sad.

To give them credit, though, they do specialize in old fashioned drinks. I'm sure that for the right person, that place is amazing. We saw a guy in there dressed in a red smoking jacket with pinstripe pants reading poetry at the bar that I'm sure should have been hanging out with Zelda and F. Scott. But, my tastes differ. I won't be returning.

After that we went to a nondescript midtown bar for karaoke. It was not incredible. I don't even remember the name. After a drink there, I had my companions drop me back off at Poison Girl, which was on their way home.

I love Poison Girl. Love love love. I met a really cute couple that was just hanging at the bar, and we ended up talking all night. They were so sweet, and I'm so happy I met a female friend in Houston! We have plans to go to a piano bar tonight, we'll see if they text :)

Today we went out to the family farm. It is so beautiful out there, with the bluebonnets in full bloom. I'm lucky that I caught it this year, I haven't seen Texas wildflowers in years. The area around the farm is pretty awful, though. Hempstead is not a place I want to live, though the farm is classy and fabulous.

Well, we're headed back into Houston now for another night on the town. Frankly, I'm exhausted. But I don't want to miss out on the weekend fun!

Until tomorrow.....

Oh! I'm posting from my phone, still haven't figured out how to attach links through the app, but just listen to Pianoman by Elton John for my inspiration of the evening.

Cheers!

Amazing bluebonnets!

Hipsters, Shopping, and... Karaoke?

Sorry for the lack of an actual post yesterday. I was pretty sad about the fact that my friend couldn't come (which you're definitely aware of, I'm sure. I've whined about it enough), but today things are starting to look up a little.

My problem feeling lonely happens when there's nothing to look forward to. I really need to keep something on my mind to look toward in the future to be okay with all the upheaval I've gone through in the last few weeks. I mean, I went from about to be married in a house with a dog, etc, to in Houston living at my Dad's, mentally gearing up to live in Jordan for a month. All of that tends to weigh me down if I sit in one place and start to feel sorry for myself. Which I shouldn't. I'm being afforded opportunities. I don't want to be the sad chick that gets passed from friend to friend 'cause no one wants to be around them for longer than an hour at a stretch.

So glad I could leave. Just typing that depressed the buh-jeezus out of me.

I did mention that things are looking up, right?

This weekend is going to end up CRAZY busy. It's to the point now where I'm actually turning events down (If you're one of those people that invited me, sorry!). I'm going to go to karaoke tonight with some of my dad's friends, and then probably Poison Girl or something afterward. Then tomorrow we're headed to the farm. Sunday is the Victory Fund champagne brunch (check out their amazing work here) and then the Ballet bar thingy.... I think? Suffice it to say, I'm glad I went shopping yesterday.

Speaking of which.... there's what I did yesterday and today to fill you in on! So, I alluded to the fact that I went to Buffalo Exchange yesterday, which is an amazing store. If you haven't been there, you must go immediately. Don't think that just because you don't live in Houston you can't enjoy this fabulous re-sale retail opportunity! They have stores in Denver, Boulder, LA, etc. I suggest you try it out. It's all of the amazing finds of Good Will without having to slog through the endless piles of crap. As they say, it's guilt-free fashion. Check out their website here to look for locations, etc.

I also went to Urban Outfitters. I know, I know! They're overpriced and ridiculous. It's a cliche to even walk in there unless your irony level is on code red and every step you take is an ironic undertaking in macabre fashion hatred (can you tell I have a love/hate relationship with hipsters?). And as my facebook friends know, their music makes me want to slit my wrists. But they have such cute dresses..............................

Yeah. Bought a dress. And a braided leather belt. The financial transaction was dripping with sarcasm. Examples of hipster hatred/love: here. A little outdated, but a classic never dies.

So, after all of that shopping, I had to go out, right? I went over to Hendricks, close to OTC, to check that bar out. Apparently everyone knows each other over there, and I met another bartender (because bartenders make the best friends!). Then I went to dinner at Hugo's, which is central Mexican cuisine. I cannot recommend this place enough. The food is amazing, the margaritas are incredible, and the atmosphere is fabulous. I suggest getting something 'strange' there though. Don't just go there for enchiladas, order something like the conejo or the quail.

Then I was off to Poison Girl, which is probably a new hangout. It was exactly what I was looking for, a bar of hip young professional types. I could definitely spend a lot of time there, and it has the red walls I love :) The bartender was nice (except a bitchy bar back who got catty about the fact that we blocked her path behind the bar, despite the fact that she didn't once ask us to move...???), and the drinks were... not ridiculously expensive? But not cheap either. Maybe that was all the Don Julio though... Could be.

Strangely enough, I saw my bartender friend from OTC there, as well as the photographer who was at Leon's Lounge while Valerie June was playing. Very strange. I actually know people here....

I traipsed off to bed late last night, then woke up this morning only slightly hung over (I adore being at sea level). After puttering around for awhile this morning, I met with a friend and some of his exes (amicable exes) at Torchy's Tacos on Shepard (close to Westheimer). Amazing food. I ate more in one meal than I've eaten in full days since the break up.

Well, that's about it. I have to work on my resume as well as going to work out here in a minute (if I get the resume done... my priorities are straight on this one!).

Since I didn't leave you with a link yesterday, I'll find an extra good one today. This is a great band. Check 'em out.

Cheers!

A Little Bummed Today

Hello there, readers.

This is going to be a short post. I'm pretty bummed out, and can't really work up a ton of enthusiasm. My friend from Colorado was supposed to fly down today and she couldn't work out the flight. I was really looking forward to exploring Houston a bit with her, I feel pretty isolated from people my age here. I'm going to coffee shops, etc, but you don't make friends just by sitting at a bar.

Blech.

I had all sorts of plans for where we were going. I have done my homework on the hotspots and good places to eat, not to mention shopping (which I indulged in today - I have no 'club wear'). But, no friend=Hali alone. Again.

Whatever. I've gotta get over it.

I'm planning on either checking out Anvil or Poison Girl tonight. I haven't ventured to the bars in that area, and I've heard good things about both. It'll probably be an early night for me, but I like to scope out the layout of places before I commit to a night there... which probably makes no sense. But I'm weird about entering places for the first time. I have a feeling tonight won't be crazy, but still fun. Hence, why I want to scope things out tonight.

New dress from Buffalo Exchange.

Well, I will chronicle in more detail where I went today, etc, but right now I just want to go whine to my dad over a glass of wine about how sad I am my friend didn't come.

What to Do, Who to Know

So I'm in Houston now. That has a lot of implications that I alluded to yesterday.

1) What in the world do I wear? 

I talked to my dad yesterday about the fact that I don't have a lot of appropriate clothing both climatically, not to mention style-wise. I have more quick dry technical climbing pants than I can wear in a week back in Colorado, but I have a single black skirt I could wear to a job interview. Not to mention the fact that I only brought one bag down here, heavily laden with tax paperwork. So, things are a little thin stylistically (I'm basically down to skinny jeans and oxford shirts with a pair of chucks).

What do people wear to clubs? Can you use the same outfit for all the interviews you go on? What is a happy medium for high heels that can be worn professionally and out in the evenings? And where the heck do you find them?

So, I'm struggling with these basic facts of my existence in Houston, which is really difficult for me. I love being fashionable (though my concept of fashion is figuring out fun new outfits, not the labels that those clothes come with) but I have no concept of what is appropriate in the different situations I'll be finding myself in. I know, this sounds pathetically shallow, but I really don't want to be that asshole over there who sticks out like a sore thumb. I do that anyway being 5'10" with bright red hair.

A lot of it comes down to confidence. And I'm trying to slowly find mine.

It also helps that Buffalo Exchange is right down the street :)


2) Who the heck do I hang out with?


I have to admit, my father and his friends have done a fabulous job trying to get me comfortable and meeting new people. But that only goes so far. I have to get out and meet people on my own.

Sunday night we went to OTC, where I introduced myself to the bartenders working. I learned from my own experience behind the bar that the bartender is generally the best person to know. They know the regulars, they can facilitate meetings, as well as warning you if someone you're talking to is not necessarily the kind of person you want to spend a lot of time with. I returned to the bar last night and my new friend introduced me to some of his buddies who were very nice. I just need to do that about one hundred more times until I find people that I want to hang out with on a regular basis. But it was very informative to go in. One of my friends from Colorado is coming down this weekend, and I was able to get the scoop on where to take her. This is pretty much how the conversation went:

"I want to take my friend out."
"What are you looking for?"
"Fun people? Good music?"
"Okay, do you want young professional types, frat boy/sorority girl types? Douchebags? What?"
"Uhhhh..." There are options? Woah. We're not in Kansas anymore. "Alternative young professionals? Hip?"
"Poison Girl or Dirt Bar."
Wow. That was easy.


Of course, the actual conversation was much longer, with a discussion of many more bars, but that was the gist. It was very refreshing, not to mention extremely overwhelming.

But, suffice it to say, bartenders are the best people to meet. Go in, buy them a shot or two, and tell them straight up that you're new in town and need a friend. If they're not a complete jerk, they're usually happy to help (most bartenders are pretty outgoing, it's the nature of the job).



Well, those are my two biggest dilemmas, along with more plebeian ones like "how do I get there?" But for the time being, those are the ones I'm attempting to attack.

As for what I've been doing; today is more paperwork and doing some work for my dad. Last night was fabulous, I ended up being asked to meet a friend of my father's (and my friend now, too) at a bar called Leon's Lounge. It's on McGowen (close to Main), and it's very hip. The bar is actually the longest running bar in Houston, having been open as a drinking establishment since the 1940's. Apparently, it was a bit of a dive until last year, when it was bought by a couple that gave the establishment a face-lift. They kept all the charm of the intimate venue, while sprucing it up significantly. My favorite part was probably the chandeliers over the bar, it feels very 1940's hotel bar-esque. Also, the walls are a beautiful deep red that I love (and sets off my complexion nicely, haha). They serve southern classics (think lots of whiskey and lots of mint), but I ended up going for a very different reason than booze.

Valerie June

I went to hear some AMAZING music. Valerie June, having just finished her stint at SXSW, came to Houston to play this incredibly intimate venue. She is fabulous. Apparently, this is probably one of the smallest shows she will ever play again. She's about to hit it big (her upcoming album was produced by one of the members of the Black Keys), and I can understand why. She seems ethereal, yet the earthy tones of her voice speak to emotion that is barely contained by her delicate frame. Interested? Want to hear more? Check out this collaboration she did with John Forte here. Seriously. Go there. Now. Please?

Well, after that I hit OTC (as I said before), then caught a cab back home. My dear friend in Hawaii sent me a link this morning in bed that made me cry/laugh for the full six times in a row I watched it. Definitely gave me some hope. Not to mention inspired me to write some poetry of my own. Maybe I'll post it sometime, though I don't page-bound poetry. I'd rather speak it than print it for sure.

All right. This is a long post. Sorry for the rambling.

Check the links, frealz. I wouldn't steer you wrong.

Culture? Yes, please!

Well, I was really proud of my post yesterday..... until I looked at it a second ago. The weird section that's white is really bugging me. The formatting on this website is a little antiquated and hard to deal with (though I'm not a computer whiz either, so I guess I can't complain). The blog yesterday took me about 2 hours, which was mostly wrestling with pictures. I'm really not pleased with the product I put out yesterday, but I guess it's a learning experience (and I'm too lazy to do anything about it now).

It's strangely hard to write every day. It seems like it keeps getting crammed in at the end of the day rather than the beginning which is when I usually like to write. Maybe it's the sense that if I blog at the start of the day then everything that happened toward the end I'll forget about before I blog again...? I dunno. I have to find some sort of happy medium.

Well, regardless of all that moaning, my day today was fabulous. I slept pretty hard last night which is amusing, since there was a HUGE storm raging with a full on tornado warning. When I spoke with my mom about it, she just told me that it was because I had missed the rain. The crazy thing is, I really did miss the rain. It does rain in Crested Butte during the summer, but it's nothing like a full-on tropical storm that rages all night in Houston. I love the insanity of the weather down here, it's so visceral compared to Crested Butte piddly rain.

After sleeping until 11 a.m, which is the longest I've slept since I was living in my old house three weeks ago, I got up and hung around the house for awhile. I have a lot of paperwork to do for my father and for my own taxes, to I puttered around doing that (paying parking tickets, etc.). Then I ended up going with my dad and cousin to a restaurant called Pondicheri on Kirby in the West Ave shopping area. Their website is here. The food was amazing (great salads, and the cooked dishes smelled incredible), and the atmosphere was a very fun mix of the brushed steel/glass modern look and the vibrant colors of traditional indian fabrics.

Pondicheri on Kirby

After lunch we walked around (I commented that it looked like they tried to transplant part of Manhattan into Houston), but the stores were all waaaaay to expensive for me to be interested in. I'm much more of a thrift store bargain shopper than a Tootsie's new spring sale girl.

We returned back to the house to chat for awhile, which was amazing. I love my family down here. They're all so creative and down to earth, while still fully aware of how much they can get done. I hope to someday take that energy to heart in my own life, since that's what I want more than anything else.

After chatting about everything under the sun with my cousin, she and her boyfriend (a pretty well-known artist on the rise) took me to check out some of the art galleries that they like, as well as a fabulous bookstore right around the corner from the place I'm staying. The store is called Domy Books, and it's filled with fabulous art books and lesser known poetry, as well as random plush toys shaped like ice cream sandwiches. Suffice it to say, it's my kind of store. The guy working behind the counter was very kind, particularly when I told him I was from out of town. Apparently they do different art shows there, as well as screening free films in the back. He took me to their facebook page which has all the goods and info on there. The best part about Domy, though? They're right next to a locally owned coffee shop, which is likely to be my new haunt during the late afternoon hours.

The view from the front porch of Domy Books.

It's. So. Green!!!!

Next we hit some galleries which were fabulous (including a John Waters exhibition) and decided we were hungry. We went to a restaurant called Mai's at 3403 Milam St. for Vietnamese food. I had the chicken pho which was so savory and fragrant that none I've had before could even rival it. I will definitely return there with more of an appetite, we didn't even try the spring rolls!

Well, now I'm trying to decide if I should return to OTC to finish off the night. I'm so nervous going out, but I really feel like I should put myself out there. I don't want to limit myself by being reticent, which I have a tendency of doing.

But I don't want to do my makeup.

Dilemma.

That's another whole blog post for tomorrow. City vs. mountain attire. But c'est la vie, I look fab in heels. If only I could find some that fit....

Until tomorrow, readers.

Oh! I forgot to link a song! Hmmm... what's a good song... Probably this one. I think I might hear the singing in the forest...

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Good afternoon, readers. Sorry about the lack of actual post yesterday, I was busy running around Houston having a non-celebratory celebration on the first of my three former prospective wedding dates. Does that make any sense? Probably not. It barely makes sense to me, either.

The bright side of my un-wedding date (though is there ever a bright side?) was the fact that I went and enjoyed some amazing Houston food and culture with two of my very favorite people in the world.

Getting ready for the day's festivities. The opposite of a wedding dress? A red and black one.

We had a leisurely morning yesterday, as our reservations for weren't until 11:30 a.m. Despite several entreaties to eat, I saved my appetite. We arrived at Brennan's in proper dressy brunch attire: think Country Club luncheon. Brennan's is this beautiful brick building the likes of which I've only seen in Houston and New Orleans. It oozes Southern gulf atmosphere (and you can smell the bananas foster cooking from the street!). As I was told by my dining companions, the original building actually burned during Hurricane Ike a few years ago during an electrical fire (or maybe lightning?). The facade on one side was salvageable, but they went ahead and re-did the entire restaurant. This unintentional face-lift has helped to revitalize the place from a slightly stodgy sixties era classic (blazers are still required in the dining room during dinner and weekday lunch) to a much more swank and modern atmosphere.

Loving my food!

With the mimosas and bloody mary's flowing freely, we ended up being serenaded by a fabulous four piece band. This classic was perfect pick-me-up music for a slightly depressing situation, as you can tell here. With my crawfish omelette and a little Lionel Ritchie, Brennan's cemented its place in my heart as a new favorite place to dine in Houston.

My lovely troubadours.

After our long brunch, we went back to prepare ourselves for the next stage of the day's plans (which may or may not have involved more mimosas to prepare for). My companions decided to take me to Washington Avenue to hit some of the night spots there, so I could get a feel for the Houston crowd. We ended up at a pretty nondescript sports bar, and it being the day after St. Paddy's, it was a mixture of those hung over (and still in green), and those looking to make up for not having gone out the night before. It wasn't amazing (definitely not my crowd), but it had a pretty view.

The sports bar we went to. This is downtown from the deck.


Then it was dinner time (brunch had taken awhile in the morning). We went to meet up with a friend at Max's Wine Dive, whose slogan is "Champagne and fried chicken; why not?" Despite the seediness of the location (which was a strip mall on Washington Ave.), it had fabulous atmosphere, as well as the witty quotes pictured here. My favorite is the one directly below.

"Wine is bottled poetry"

Honestly, I don't know what goes better with fried chicken than champagne after sampling the two together (though I was reminded by my dining companion, "Duh. Beer."). Regardless, it was a wonderful place, and the fried chicken was truly incredible.

"No working during drinking hours"

After that we made our way toward home, stopping at a local bar (and apparent hotspot) OTC. After introducing myself to the bartenders (the best people to know when you're new in town), we headed home to tuck ourselves in early.

All in all, it was a wonderful introduction to Houston. Old fashioned yet edgy; romantic and young; debaucherous but straight-laced. It has made me more aware of what it has to offer (and this was all around the neighborhood where I'm staying), and eager to explore more.

Suffice it to say, today I spent a lot of time in bed. I worked on some stuff and got my nails done (hello big city!), but nothing really worth reporting here. After my delicious dinner that I will be sharing with some family, I am headed for bed, to hopefully rest up for more adventures tomorrow.

Now, here's a little something to leave you thinking before bedtime. It might not sum things up perfectly here, but Tom Waits has been on my mind recently...

Cheers!

Maybe I am Smashed?

So, I'm sitting at Max's Wine Dive with about a bottle of champagne under my belt... I'm thinking I should do my wonderful Houston dining post tomorrow.

Well, until then, dears!

The First Step

Well, I've made my first move. I'm currently writing this post at my dad's house in Houston. It's St. Patrick's Day, and I'm kicking back with This American Life and a Becks Light while my father is at a birthday party.

I'm not quite sure why I'm not out. My father's house happens to be about 3 blocks away from a really popular Irish pub that was packed when we drove by this afternoon. Usually I'm pretty motivated to go out, even alone. I like meeting random strangers, and have a definite weakness for Jameson on the rocks in Irish pubs. Honestly, that's the reason why I'm really excited about my upcoming travels (the liking random strangers, not necessarily the Jameson part.... though that helps). But I'm still a little sad about leaving. Well, that's an understatement. Despite that, however, I'm really looking forward to my upcoming Houston adventures.

Though I lived here as a kid and have spent a lot of time here visiting, I'm going to try and treat this visit as I would a foreign country. Lots of pictures, exploration, etc. It'll be fun to attempt an objective view of Houston. It's a really fun city, but not really considered often for tourism.

Ok. Unpacking. Becks Light. Ira. Oh, for what I'm listening to, go to thisamericanlife.org and search for the breakup episode. I don't know how to attach links through this app (my comp still needs to be booted up but I'm too distracted right now), sorry.

Happy St. Wasted.... wait. I mean Paddy's Day!

Departure

This post is going to be pretty short. I had a crazy day today, and I'm currently packing for a month stay in Houston. One bag may be a problem.

I must admit, I've been feeling pretty forlorn today. I love this place. This town and the valley is truly my home, and I know that I'll be missing it from the moment that plane takes off. And as I've always said about this place, the best part of vacation is coming home. But first you have to leave.

And that's what I'm doing. I'm going somewhere to learn new things about myself, to meet new people, and to see what I can do in the bigger world. It's easy to get stuck in a place because of a conceived lack of alternatives. I truly loved the time I've spent here, and I adore Crested Butte, but I'm also twenty five with no juicy job prospects and a (relatively worthless in this economy) college degree. It's time to move on and see what's possible somewhere else.

If this seems like some sort of grand justification for leaving, you're right. It is. Because I've been feeling maudlin all day, on the verge of tears, and questioning my decision. But, pardon my french, dammit, I'm going for it.

This is all for the night. I'll leave you with something that has made me sad/happy in the way that only really depressing music can. I refuse to be this person any longer. Time to break out of the shell.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Good afternoon, everyone! It's a beautiful bluebird day in Crested Butte. The sun is shining, the tourists are clogging up the ski area (it is spring break, after all), and the snow is on it's last legs before succumbing into mud. Mud that I will thankfully, be gone for.

It also happens to be my aunt's birthday today. Last year during spring break, my mother, sister, stepfather, brother in law, one year old nephew and I took a trip to Jordan to surprise my aunt on her birthday. Which is a huge shock, since who travels around the world for a surprise party? Only my awesome family.

After she got over the initial shock (the look will be burned into my memory as a defining moment of my trip), we set out to see as much of the country as we could in the short amount of time we had there, about  ten days in total. Luckily, my Jordanian family there was able to put together an amazing trip that gave us, while not the full experience, at least a really good introduction. We visited Jerash, which was incredible. It had recently rained and the contrast between the vibrant green of the fresh grass and the amazingly well preserved ruins was breathtaking.

The Roman ruins of Jerash

We went on to visit Petra, which was awe inspiring. It is an experience to be stretched over at least a few days, because it's IMPOSSIBLE to see it all in one day. The Nabatean ruins there are difficult to absorb, because they are in such amazing condition. It looks like something you would see out of a movie (hello, Indiana Jones). We only had two days to visit, and I'm dying to go back and explore some of the areas that we had pointed out to us briefly but didn't get a chance to revisit.

The Monastery in Petra
(not to be confused with the Treasury of Indiana Jones fame)

We went on to Wadi Rum and stayed in "tents" that were nicer than the apartment I was living in at the time (though the cot I slept on partially collapsed during the night and it was so cold I almost couldn't get up the nerve to fix it).

My nephew shaded by a Jordanian keffiyeh

After spending a few days in the sun of Aqaba (where you can stand in one spot and look at four countries simultaneously), we took a quick detour to the Dead Sea with enough time to sit in the water (seriously, you sit in it. It's completely inexplicable) and cover ourselves with Dead Sea salt before we returned to Amman where my aunt and uncle live.

As we took off from Amman, I realized that though I could check Jordan off my bucket list of places to travel, that I hadn't had nearly enough time there. I left wanting to travel to Jordan even more than I had when I arrived. I didn't get a chance to explore the streets of Amman, to visit Little Petra, to check out the climbing in Wadi Rum... not to mention the other minor stuff like, you know, where JESUS WAS BAPTISED. Not that I'm affiliated with any religion, but I'm not going to lie, I want to go.

Looking back on that trip I can't wait to go spend my month in Jordan. I am desperate to get the feel for Amman, to bask in a little desert sun, and to see my beautiful welcoming accommodating family again.

But before all that can happen, I still have to pack for Houston. Not to mention that it's karaoke night in Crested Butte, so I'm off to go warm up my vocal cords.

I'll leave you with a little something uplifting. Hey, maybe I'll sing it at karaoke. Seriously. Watch this. (I know it's a Google thing, but the awesomeness of the video makes up for the blatant advertising).

Well, Hello There!

Hello, world. I have a feeling that we're going to be getting to know each other much better in the coming years...

I guess the obligatory introduction is in order. I'm Hali, a recent graduate of a small college in Colorado. After some bizarre twists of fate (a wedding dress in storage and box full of save-the-dates), I decided to set out to see what lies beyond my back yard.

My interests are pretty standard. I enjoy reading... EVERYTHING. I also really enjoy cooking, but mostly eating. My foodie-nerddom comes honestly, I've worked in the food service industry since I was nineteen (Anthony Bourdain, you are my god). Also, I will jump at pretty much any opportunity to see a beautiful place. Whether that's via raft, horse, rock wall, bike, skis, etc, I'll go for it. Well, within reason. I don't have a death wish.

Speaking of which, I'm from one of the most beautiful places on Earth: Crested Butte, Colorado. CB is the kind of place that people visit and never leave, and for a long time I thought I might be one of them. Of course, graduating with an English degree doesn't really open a ton of doors in a town of two thousand where people are clamoring for even minimum wage jobs.

So, what to do? No longer encumbered by a fiancé, I've decided to do the best thing for anyone in my situation. Get. The. Heck. Out. Luckily, I have a glut of wonderful options of where to travel. These are the two that I'm pursuing first.

1) Houston. Say what you will, Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States. It is the most diverse city in America (if I can take my friend Steven's word for it) and hosts some of the most fabulous fine art (ballet, symphony, museums, etc) in the country. My father also happens to live there, so that's the first stop on my journey. I'm going to take some time to clear my head, gear up, and play before I head off on the real adventure to....

2) Jordan. No, not Jordan, Montana. Lawrence of Arabia Jordan. I am blessed to have an aunt who married a wonderful Jordanian man. I have multiple relatives in the country, so not only do I get to travel to an amazing place, it's also a family reunion of sorts. I am being given the opportunity to travel with a group of journalists around the country for a period of time as a quasi internship, which I'm absolutely THRILLED about. Eventually I would love to travel and write as an actual job, so I'm psyched to have the opportunity to pick the brains of people who do it for a living.

So now that I've set up some expectations for you, I'll set some for me.

I will blog every day until May 25 (unless I don't have an internet connection, in which case I'll post multiple blogs to make up the difference when I'm connected again), which is my return to Crested Butte. The blogs will go over what I'm packing, what I'm reading, my freak outs, my successes, etc. At the end of this trip, I'll be plotting my next adventure...

Here's a link to one of my inspirations that I've been playing relentlessly. It's great packing music. A little Gogol Bordello... goes a long way.

Cheers!
Hali