I Want to Rock Your Gypsy Soul

I'm a person with a creative brain trying to thrive in an analytical world. I used to be that little girl writing funny stories and journal entries to read to my 2nd grade class, sketching my future clothing line, and practicing my piano lessons. Never mind that I'm much better at listening to music than playing it, and my drawing skills aren't so fabulous either. I quit piano in fifth grade once my mother found out that I had been  hiding from the teacher (yes literally hiding) and she was essentially throwing money away every week. Seventh grade art class showed me that I barely comprehend even the most fundamental concepts necessary to creating visual masterpieces. Not that all that is necessary to the sketching required for a designer, but as my teenage years came and went I realized that I can barely keep up with the trends, much less create them.

Somewhere in there is when I decided I wanted to do some sort of writing. Books, plays, poetry, something. I came to Alabama where I took as many communications, English, and creative writing classes as I could fit in my schedule. I wrote short stories and poems. I put together collections of photography and words. And I loved it. Then graduation snuck up on me, and I thought to myself, "Hey girl, you don't want to be a penniless beggar writer living with your parents until you're 40, do you? You're not even all that good, after all." So I made the next logical choice. I came to law school.

And there are things that I like about law school, subjects that interest me, extracurriculars that excite me. I was recently selected for one of the school's two trial advocacy teams, which is a huge honor, and the idea of being a litigant is pleasing to me. I grew up just a few miles from the town that inspired Atticus Finch. But still, sometimes I wish I could be a fabulous female version F. Scott Fitzgerald. I picture a beautiful weirdo buried under stacks of my words (well, fantasy writer me is a Southern gothic author I think) feeling misunderstood by the world, but recognized for my genius. This version of me is eccentric, but lovely, alternating between guzzling black coffee and sipping fine scotch. She has witty exchanges with glamorous friends in the most "it" places, sitting back and observing everyone around, mentally cataloging it with vivid descriptions in mind for the next book.

I wonder if I have that talent buried under here somewhere and I'm too lazy to access it. Or if the reality of the world of writers and the rate of failure just scared it out of me. Or maybe I'm just an Ignatius Reilly, with dreams of grandeur and nothing to back it up. I often sit back, affected by the works of others, and just think "Man, I'd like to rock somebody's soul." Maybe sometime I will. Today I will study the rules of evidence.

I Love Fall

I'm one of those people who loves something about every season. With spring comes flowers, spring break, pastels, and Easter. Summer is the beach, vacation, tans, swimming, my birthday and grilling out. Winter is Christmas, New Years, and everything wonderful associated with those holidays. Fall, well, I'll get to that in a minute.  I'm also one of those very indecisive people. It takes forever to make even the slightest choices--what to eat for dinner, what to wear to class, etc. So, it's taken me 24 years to finally come to the conclusion that fall is my favorite season.

This is just a self indulgent recitation of everything I love about it, because I'm feeling especially fall spirited today.

Fall is the best weather in the South. It's not too hot, and it's not too cold. It gets cool at night, but warm in the afternoon. The leaves are beautiful in the fall. The air has a fantastic smell--like fire pits and grills and something I can't identify.

Football season--need I say more? Probably not, but I will anyway. There is just something magical about game days in Tuscaloosa. Tailgating, family, friends, drinks, good food. And when Bryant Denny stadium lights up, well, that's just very good indeed.

Halloween is a great, fun holiday. I love dressing up. I love candy. I love when Mallory, Larremy, and I wear our "My sister is a witch" tshirts. I love putting spooky decorations around my apartment. I love scaring the hell out of myself watching shows about haunted houses and vampires on the History Channel. And I love Halloween parties because they always seem more ridiculous than other parties, and they embody everything else that I love about the holiday.

Pumpkins get their own paragraph. I love to eat them, and I love to decorate with them. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin cake. Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin spice lattes. I love making Jack-O-Lanterns. I love the tiny pumpkin candles my mom gave me.

And the colors? Rich, bold, fabulous colors. Red, orange (so long as it's not TN orange), yellow, gold, brown, bronze, even dark green. This plus the transition to more cold weather clothing, which I think is much more chic, maybe just because it's more flattering on my tall, lanky physique.

I also love the food. Tailgating food: grilled anything, rich and creamy dips, salads, and anything pumpkin (see above). Not to mention chili. I love to make chili, and I love to eat it even more.

So just know that tomorrow, when I have a crock pot full of chili, a mug full of pumpkin coffee, and the Alabama-Tennessee game on TV, I will be a very happy girl.

Happy Fall!

Don't Mess with Texas

I figured it was about time I dusted off this sad old blog, not that anybody reads it but me haha. School is off with a bang, football season is rolling, and there isn't much time for anything else. However, my boyfriend Terry and I decided to squeeze in a trip to Dallas this past weekend. We've been dating for about six months now, and he met my parents during the summer and they have all been able to spend some time getting to know one another--beach trips, graduations, birthdays, and tailgating. His family, on the other, lives 10 hours away, so we had not had a chance to meet.


Needless to say, I was nervous. Mothers are typically protective of their sons, and don't want them to get suckered in by some harlot with double Ds and a Kim Kardashian ass. Of course, Terry's mother had seen pictures of me, so I doubt she was too worried about that, but I was still anxious to make a good first impression. I wanted everything to be perfect. I overpacked, as is my way, but still couldn't plan for everything. I wanted to bring his mother a bottle of wine as a sort of hostess gift, but Terry didn't know what kind she liked, then when he did find out he suggested we buy it from a friend of his who is a wine rep, but we never got to see him, so I had to show up sans gift. I took my car to have it serviced and ready for the long drive, but we ran over a nail in Texas and had to get all new tires. But, all the frustration aside, it was a wonderful trip.


I got to meet his mother, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew. His dad was out of town. I enjoyed getting to spend time with them, and I hope they enjoyed spending time with me. I couldn't help but note how great he was with the kids (ages 1 and 3).


But we also got to do a little sightseeing too, which is the main reason I'm writing this. I decided that my ideal career would be to travel to different cities, try out the best restaurants, have the signature drinks, and take pictures of both the oddities and the iconic spots in town. Too bad for me this isn't a realistic career option, but it can become a hobby.

I don't know where you buy condoms not "to go" but apparently this business owner wanted to make it clear. Please notice the billboard above the store. I guess that's in case the condoms don't work out for you.

On day we had lunch at Uncle Julio's a restaurant more gourmet than authentic Mexican, but very very tasty. Of course we tried their signature drink, the Swirl, which is frozen margarita swirled with sangria. Delish, but very strong. Terry didn't quite finish his because he was driving us around that day haha.

We also went to the Flying Saucer, a very laid back little pub. The atmosphere is very similar to Innisfree, but they have a mind blowing beer selection. First I tried Schneider Weisse (which is a wheat beer), per Terry's recommendation, then I had a vanilla porter. Both were excellent. They also have popcorn with a hint of vinegar, which is delicious and strange at the same time. The cocktail waitresses wear plaid mini skirts, printed tank tops, knee socks, and flats, which looks absolutely bizarre.

We poked around a bit more, but there was much of Dallas we didn't explore. Mostly this was a trip about family, which is fine with me. There'll just be that much more to see the next time I visit Dallas.