"That must be where the town gossip lives." OR "Polygamy Porter!? I’ll take that one!"
Current mood: awake
Category: Travel and Places

Day 4

Lindsey: So Jess and I are still rearing to go on our adventure as we wake up Tuesday morning in our de-lux lodging in the Tetons. We decide to go on a wild-moose-chase down the road at Oxbow Bend. We saw a bunch of cars stopped and people with their cameras whipped out and thought there must be a moose near for all this hub-bub to be going on at 7:30 in the morning. Hell no. It's just a bunch off people excited about birds. Granted, I think birds are fascinating creatures, but this was a little much. Jess and I started to make our way down the path to where most of the bird watchers have staked out a spot near the water. We were quickly stopped by a weirdo brains old man trying to take pictures of a huge bird about five feet away from us that we had not even notice. I probably would have stepped on the poor thing if he wouldn't have stopped us. I stood there a while longer to see if I could telepathically summon a moose to our area so Jess could see one in all it's gangly glory. No luck. Damn.

So off we went towards Jackson, WY and then Layton, UT. A five hour drive lay ahead of us, but we were excited to take the smaller roads instead to the highways. And it did not disappoint. We passed back and forth through Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.

Jackson was how I remembered it. Cute, quaint, but touristy. We stayed long enough to eat a yummy-in-my-tummy breakfast at The Bunnery (not to be missed if you ever go to Jackson) and buy a few souvenirs for some folks.  

After that we saw some of the most awe-inspiring countryside I have ever witnessed. The po-dunk little towns we travelled through were as interesting as the people we spotted in them and the mountains that arose out of them. We saw cows in the middle of the road just chillin, cowboys herding their cows across the road, and some of the most perplexingly designed power lines. I fuckin hate being stuck in a car for more than 2 hours, but I almost didn't want this adventure to end. Jess decided she would like to live in just about every weirdo crazy town we went through...including a place called Smoot. I can't even remember what state it was in...but it had like an old railcar, two horses, and an abandoned house. Her idea of Paradise on earth.

We rolled into Layton during rush hour. I had high hopes for this place. My dad and grandad's middle names are Layton...it's an old family name that holds a special place in my heart. I was hoping it would astonish me and I would want to return again one day. And it did at first. Jess and I used our handy dandy GPS system in the Jeep to find our way out to Antelope Island...a few mile out of town. You have to cross a man-made land bridge to get to the largest island in the Great Salt Lake. It was one of the biggest highlights of the trip for me. I cannot describe how amazing... this place I had never heard of...well, it was just amazing. You could see almost the entire the Salt Lake. We saw antelope, bison, another coyote, and even a few bunny rabbits....and thankfully we didn't see any snakes or bobcats as we walked around. We took a short hike up Buffalo Point and drove around the island for a while --- taking pictures and being in awe of nature. It was probably the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. There were not many people on the island with us. That made it all the better.

We headed back to Layton in hopes of eating some good local food downtown, and I wanted to find a t-shirt for my dad and my little cousin, also named Layton. Well, this ole crazy town did not have a downtown, did not have local food, and most certainly did not have any memorbilia of any sort for me to purchase (Jess patiently took me all over the place to try to find something - anything! with Layton printed on it.) I finally gave up in order to feed my sweet, hungry girlfriend. When we asked where the good local places were located, we got suggestions like: Applebees ("do you have those in SC?" ha!), Red Lobster, etc...We finally went to a restaurant called McGraths - a least it was a Utah only chain and had some half-way decent seafood. Our nice and slightly kooky waitress, Nicole, single-handedly made me not hate the town completely.

Day 5

to be continued....

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"Take off your dumb hat so that bison doesn't charge us" or "Were you born in Gaston Memorial?"
Current mood: curious
Category: Travel and Places

Day 3

We woke up early at Old Faithful Inn.  We were in the newer section but that place was colder than a witch's tit.  Breakfast Buffet!!!  We ate then froze our ninnies off waiting for Old Faithful to blow.  Lindsey said it's normally more impressive.  Shrinkage, perhaps?  There is a geyser loop trail near the Inn that we took ending up at Morning Glory thermal pool.  Along the way we ran SMACK into a bison.  I mean, we could have reached out and touched this guy if we had wanted to die at Yellowstone National Park.  Lindsey directed me to take off my crazy shag-carpet looking hat so that he wouldn't be provoked into goring us.  After the loop trail, we hit the road to the Tetons.  Beautiful drive.  I thought the Yellowstone mountains were big.  The Tetons are beyond belief for someone who is used to Mt. Mitchell in NC being the definitive "big mountain."  We put that JEEP Commander to the test.  Lindsey found some dirt roads on our map that made our trip even more amazing than it would have been.  We went down Mormon Row, a site of abandoned Mormon settlers' houses.  Back on the main road, we found lunch at a little pizza parlor/bar called Doran's.  Our waitress was from Gastonia.  We drove up Signal Mt. on our way into Signal Mt. Lodge and looked at everything from an aerial view that we had driven over all day.  As I look at Grand Teton, I still can't believe that my buddies Will and Kalweit hiked up that thing.  We had an amazing view from our room at Signal Mt. Lodge.  Dinner at the Dead Man's Bar--I had a blackberry margarita and we shared some local brews.  We had no trouble getting to sleep once again.   

*hey ya'll...L Rich here...just thought i would add to the blog. I just want everyone to know what an amazing, lovely woman my Jessie duck is...she splurged at Signal Mtn Lodge so that I could have a room with a view. We planned on watching the sunset on our beautiful balcony overlooking Lake Jackson and the Tetons. The sun went down, however, as we were taking a stroll on the smooth rocky shores of the lake. We also planned on watching the sunrise from the balcony, but dense fog prevented that. Oh well. I still appreciate Jess thinking of doing such a thing.

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"You Can Just Taste the Freshness" OR "Where Would You Park It If You Were an Indian?"
Current mood: ecstatic
Category: Travel and Places

Ok, so, we leave Idaho Falls and first stop is Mormon Central aka BYU-Idaho.  But it was WAY earlier than Sunday service so no one was around.  Lindsey and I have gotten some amazing pictures (which will go up when we get back).  We did a loop detour so Linds could show me Earthquake Lake before heading into Yellowstone.  Just outside the park, we stopped in West Yellowstone, MT to eat.  A guy named Vince grudgingly extended breakfast fare for us.  Yellowstone was breathtaking, all the way through.  Snow and Germans everywhere.  Linds was excited to show me all this stuff she has seen before.  First stop was Mammoth Hot Springs where we saw Minerva Terrace.  It normally has water running over it Linds told me but it was dry when we got there.  There is a HUGE temptation to get off the boardwalks in the geothermal areas and stick your hands in the scalding mud.  It's just SO crazy lookin' that ya wanna touch it.  Lindsey got so mad when we got to Dunraven Pass and it was closed.  We had to backtrack, but it didn't matter b/c everything looked entirely different in reverse.  Linds asked me what i was thinking at one point and I replied, "Where would you park it if you were an indian?"  We saw bison, elk, and a wiley coyote.  Lindsey got mad again when the road to Grand Canyon of Yellowstone access was closed too.  It started getting dark as we rounded Yellowstone Lake, headed to Old Faithful Inn, and it was snowing.  We had to drive about 30miles at 15mph b/c of ice on the roads.  We made dinner at 8:30 and we both ordered the Salmon.  Lindsy Richardson made the comment, "You can just taste the freshness!"  regarding the Alaskan fish.  WTF?   She's so cute.  The Old Faithful Inn is a marvel.  It's a giant log cabin.  It's like the Grove Park Inn made out of logs instead of rock.  We had no problem getting to sleep on Day 2 especially after an awesome Old Faithful Beer. 

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"Hurry up you slow little shit!" or "I think we were supposed to pick up our bags back there!"
Current mood: enthralled
Category: Travel and Places

Linz and Jess's Road Trip. Day 1. Charlotte - Houston - Salt Lake - Idaho Falls

It's amazing that we even made the first flight from Charlotte to Houston.  Lindsey Richsrdson is slower than molasses.  We were supposed to ge up at 4:30am, put clothes on, and walk out the door at 4:35am. At 4:49, we finally get on  the road to Charlotte Douglas International Ariport, thanks largely in part to Lindsey's piddling.  We made it on time for our 6:15 flight--BARELY.  We did not check bags and had pre-printed boarding passes, which made the process faster, but b/c we were on a puddle-hopper, our bags went under the plane.  When we got to Houston, I rushed off the plane.  Lindsey pulled me back and said, "I think we get our bags back there, Duck."  "No, we pick them up at baggage claim.  They announced it while you were sleeping!  Come on!"  *Argument ensues*  I drag a reluctant Lindsey to Continental's Baggage Claim.  Idiot.  After 20 minutes of waiting for our bags, which never appear, I finally ask the attendant about it, and of course, we were supposed to get the bags directly off the plane.  Woops.  That means we pointlessly have to go back through security, and Lindsey is, oh, a little miffed for my stubborness.  We rush down to B77A to get  our bags and of course they think we are dumber than dirt.  Then have to catch a train to C25 for our flight to SLC and it's getting ever-closer to our depaarture time.  We make it and Lindsey stops being mad at me.  there was a huge Mormon convention in media res when we drive into SLC (in a JEEP Commander, no less).  Dat car is pe-un! (Ebonics for "pimp").  So, the Mormons have this enormous throwdown twice a year.  The chances are 2/365 that we would hit it.  we could only drive by Temple Square where the Tabernacle and Temple are b/c there was no place to park.  Evangelicals were protesting the Mormons HARDCORE and unfortunately we did not see any sister wives.  The gays should have a new respect for mormons and vice versa.  But that will probably never happen.  We did stumble upon a really cool Scottish store in downtown Salt Lake. We could have looked at Tartan patterns all day. We are such nerdo-brains. The drive from SLC to Idaho Falls was beautiful. 

*This is Lindsey speaking*

I was so happy to get on the road finally. I could not wait for Jess to react to her surroundings as we drove north to Idaho Falls. We were tired at the beginning of our rainy drive but sure enough Jess began to perk up as the rain turned to snow. Jess gawked at each and every snow covered mountaintop. She has never been this far west, so for me it was like a new experience as well. We saw the strange and the beautiful along hwy 15 North. We detoured through a small town called Lava Hot Springs, where all the motels feaured a mineral hot springs pool behind their property. We got out and walked around for a minute, and decided we must come back to this town one day - to experience it's kitchy amusement. Jess decided to off-road it down a dirt road. Well that turned out just swell. She is a crackhead. The road was muddy and slick and when she tried to turn around she thought she was going to slide off the mountain. I got out to try to help convince her that we and the car were not headed for doom. We got her turned around but my Crocs had about 3 inched of mud and rock caked onto the bottoms. Urgh. Thanks, Duck. Back on the real road, we passed through the Bannock Indian Reservation. I know it's not PC to say, but wow. Indians are cute.  We finally stumbled into quaint Idaho Falls and our Motel 8. Showers were taken and we went downtown for dinner. The Thai place looked a bit sketch, and we found a little corner bistro called The Snakebite Cafe. The people were nice and food was tastey. The atmosphere was great The snow, fireplace, and 50's-esque downtown structures made it feel like Christmas in the movies. We had ourselves a beer and some chocolate cake...then we slept like babies. I am so glad to have this time with my honey, and we are already laughing about our early disputes. I can't wait for her to see Yellowstone so we are gonna get out of this crazy hotel and get back on the road.

Stay tuned for more updates and pictures will be up next week. Later, bitches.

L & J

4:32 AM - 6 Comments - 10 Kudos - Add Comment

Don’t trust the weak appearance of the wolf or the disappearance of the cat:
Current mood: distressed
Category: Life

...they'll both make a comeback.

i hope.

so poof cat is missing. i let her outside satuday evening and she never came back.....

we are so sad. i have never felt such a deep pain over the loss of an animal. plus i had my wisdom teef cut out and it sucks. i feel like i have 2 tampons stuck in my mouth. the high octane pain killers i'm taking will not block out the sadness in my heart about poof cat. jess is hurting so much too. and neroli won't stop looking around the house for his girl. jess is still managing to take really good care of me. and she still is optimistic that maybe poofers just ran away or somebody took her. i wish i could allow myself to think that way and not doom and gloom over everything. it's just that poof thought she was the size of a giany lion with the stealth of a panther. she could have easily put up a fight with something she had no business fighting. how i so wish i could rewrite time and not let her out the door. it is so strange without that cat around. god damnit.

despite this shitty shitty week, there are things that are still wonderful in my life: i have a love that gets stronger through the tough times ...and said love and i are going on some sweet vacations in october. the coal yard is doing well, and my art gallery is getting noticed.

but nothing is helping this grief over poofers. not really. the most frustrating part is not knowing whether to grieve or not. so jess and i will just keep holding one another until she comes back. or not.....

"Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words, and the president of the sovereign chiefs and the governor of the holy Circle; thou art indeed...the Great Cat." - Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes

Currently listening : Emotionalism By The Avett Brothers Release date: 15 May, 2007

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too tired to fold clothes....
Current mood: melancholy

Part 1: THE BEGINNING

Were you a planned baby?
i think so....but then again my mom had an interview to coach college basketball the day they found out i was a fetus....so maybe not.

Were you the first?
and only.

Were your parents married when you were born?
yeah for like 8 freakin years

What is your birth date?
January 6th. total capricorn.

Part 2: THE FAMILY

Are your parents married or divorced or single?
married. 30 years in june.

An only child?
yep

If you have siblings are you oldest, middle, youngest?
all wrapped into one delicious package

Which parent do you get along with best?
now-a-days...definately me mum

Do you have step-parents?
no...but i did have a step-great-grandmother once.

Part 3: THE FRIENDS

Do you share the same interests?
usually

Which friend(s) can you tell the most to?
jessica leigh dunlap. but she is more than a friend. does that count? runner up would probably be sabrina.

Part 4: YOUR PERSONALITY

Do you have a low self esteem?
no. i like myself. probably sometimes too much.

Do you get depressed about things easily?
not so much depressed as overwhelmed

Are you happy?
yeah. life is so good right now.

Do you live life to the fullest?
i'm going full steam ahead with my life with my love. and this makes me the happiest.

Part 5: APPEARANCE

Are you comfortable with the way you look?
yeah. with exception of my "fat-n-happy" gut that i'm getting. YMCA membership here i come.

Describe your hair:
short. blonde. gonna let it grow out. i think.

How do you dress?
recently its been a lot of cargo shorts and button up shirt.. dykin it up. but i plan on dressing much more professionally this summer when i get a "real job"

Part 6: THE PAST

Were you a strange child?
yes. i dug a lot of holes. and people fell into them. and they were angry. and my favorite movies were braveheart and slingblade.

Do you have the same friends?
some of the girls from middle school. we love each other.

Are you scared of growing old?
i already have an excessive amount of earwax, a loose bladder, and light colored hair...so i can't imagine a lot changing. and i think i;ll be a pretty cool oldie.

Do you want to get married?
eh. i'm not sure how i feel about the government's role in all of that mumbo jumbo. and plus south carolina has a few more years of homophobic bigotry left in its system. but i do believe in and respect lifelong commitments.

Part 8: THE OUTDOORS

Do you prefer indoors or outdoors?
depends. i love the outdoors but i also love a good air conditioner.

Do you like walking in the rain?
i do enjoy a good rain walkin

Part 9: FOOD

What is your favorite food?
probably sweet potato fries

What food makes you want to gag?

red meat

What is your favorite dessert?
anything involving chocolate

Part 10: RELATIONSHIPS AND LOVE

Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?
yep

Do you think love is the best feeling in the world?
i think the feelings ---both high and low-- that i've experience while being in love and growing with that person are really mindblowing. waking up next to JLD and all the sensations that go with that are definately the best feelings in the world.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
my vagina does but my heart does not

Do you believe in soul mates?
i'm not sure...i think two people can be a really great match. soul mates is just a little too idealistic...even for me

Currently listening : Back to the Barrooms By Merle Haggard Release date: 22 August, 2006

7:59 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Nansoon's Word of the Day 5/2/07
Current mood: enthralled
Category: Life

this stuff is too good not to share with those who have the misfortune of not being friends with Nancy Lemon. She and her roommate Carla really are a bunch of creative geniusheads. I hope she turns her words of the day into a desk calendar.

...oh and in other news I"M GRADUATING! thank beejeezus!...

enjoy....

jocund (jok?nd, jok?nd)
(adj.) Sprightly and lighthearted in disposition, character, or quality.

Even on the day that his girlfriend ran away with his sister, his dog changed the locks to his house, and his VW Rabbit was pummeled by a wild roving band of rabid monks, Reginald remained JOCUND.

Currently listening : The Sweet Escape By Gwen Stefani Release date: 05 December, 2006

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67% horny
Current mood: groggy
Category: Quiz/Survey

yeah, i stole this crazy thing from Carrie --- goddess of all great myspace quizzes.

Currently listening : A Strange Education By The Cinematics Release date: 06 March, 2007

6:00 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Je connais trop ta bouche....
Current mood: giddy
Category: Travel and Places

Fini les balades
Le long du canal
Les escaliers des cartes postales
C'est fini Paris
C'est décidé je me barre
Fini le ciel gris
Les matins moroses
On dit qu'à Toulouse les briques sont roses
Oh là bas, Paris, les briques sont roses

Paris tu paries Paris que je te quitte
Que je change
De cap de capitale
Paris tu paries Paris que je te quitte
Que je te plaque
Sur tes trottoirs sales

Je connais trop ta bouche
Bouche de métro
Les bateaux mouche et la couleur de l'eau
C'est fini, Paris
Je les connais trop
Ici je m'ennuie
Même quand vient la nuit
On dit que Séville s'éveille à minuit
Là-bas, Paris la ville s'éveille à minuit

Paris tu paries Paris que je te quitte
Que je change
De cap de capitale
Paris tu paries Paris que je te quitte
Que je te plaque
Sur tes trottoirs sales

A Toulouse il a plu
A Séville j'ai trop bu
A Rio j'ai eu le mal du pays
Oh ! Paris perdu
Je retourne vivre à Paris.

Currently listening : Le Fil By Camille Release date: 06 June, 2006

10:00 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

AH LA VACHE!
Current mood: thoughtful

this is where i will be located next month:

with the girl. :::le sigh:::  i love my life.

Currently listening : Children Running Through By Patty Griffin Release date: 06 February, 2007

7:36 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment