There are spoilers in this.

So, I saw a trailer for the Human Centipede and thought “eh looks like the same kind of ‘ew’ you’d get from the Saw movies” which I think are comedies–they’re just…SO…out there I can’t even look at the guy and say “You’re psycho and it freaks me out,” instead I say “wow.” and call it a day.  And I got some comments beneath the post comparing said centipede with tool-from-garage (ish) That’ it’s more disturbing.  The gore is less, but the idea is pychotic and what allows it to be grouped and ranked with horror flicks.

shrug.  Well–now I gotta see it (i think) said I.

Talk to my brother The Smurf, whom together we create “The Middle Child” and goes “oh sister…you don’t wanna see that–but you gotta.  You don’t want to, but you have to.”  I laughed and said “sure, okay”

Last night I did.  With Ro and Sam.  Ro saw it once before, by herself and was one of the people that said it disturbed even HER.  Which is apparently not easy.  I said well, I’ll make fun of it to lighten the mood. And I did comment a few bits here and there.  But you know what–It wasn’t as disturbing as the build up.  Oops.  Sorry.  It’s gross, for sure.  It’s a crazy idea, granted.  But the scenario  in which we land in this guys house makes me roll my eyes.  And there are the defenses “it’s not the girls, it’s the doctor! he’s CRAZY” yes, and he played it well enough to pull this movie into actual horror genre, without him they have a low-grade B movie.

It is a gross thought to surgically attach someone’s mouth to another persons anus.  I got it.  It IS worse than death by drowning or fire burn, I’m agreeing with all of you.  But what the hell were the stupid girls–who were established as airheads in the beginning while on their phones–doing going SO far off the highway, or path by civilization?  I’m not gonna badly perm my hair and forget my frizz ease by John Frida, pack on racoon eyeshadow, wear a jean skirt from 1984 from the kids section and take my rental out to the middle of no where.  I’m gonna stay where there are lights, and people.  How long did they stay driving in the middle of no where before they realized “oh, I guess we’re lost?”  And why don’t they know how to change a tire?  Isn’t that something we’re all supposed to know?  No?  Well, maybe it should come with drivers ed or something.  You don’t need mechanic school, you need to be able to get back to where you can get stuff fixed.  Pull the jack out of the trunk, use the tire iron/wrench thing to remove those big lug-nut-things (yah I don’t need a techinal term to know what to do with them).  When you have successfully removed said lug-nuts, jack that car up, pull the tire off and place your spare on it. Lower car and secure it and move on.  Even in the rain and mud in your heels.  NO?  You’re right: lets wander out FURTHER in the wilderness for an HOUR and complain to one another, blaming each other then go up to the house in the middle of no where…???  It’s 2011, haven’t we seen enough scary movies to know what you’re supposed to do in times like those? Like when that japanese guy at the front of the centipede-thing stabbed the Doctors foot and leg, he needed to keep stabbing, or better yet, take that stupid scalpul and make some significan slices.  Say, wrist to elbow? across the throat?  I mean, you don’t to just injure this guy, he cut a hole around your asshole and pieces of your flesh are now attached to some strange girls face behind you.  KILL THAT BASTARD.  Geez.

But, yes, I suppose if we didn’t follow the “rules” for films like this, they’d be short films based on “what if” stories.  Those girls would’ve turned around to the highway, or where ever they were before the forrest, found their club, had their cocktails made out with some foreign boys, gone back to their hotel room drunk and with coffee the next morning and makeup smeared across their face they could bust out they’re creative side and say “wow, what if we had gotten lost on our way to the club last night? What do you think might’ve happened?…” bla bla bla–I know, it’s boring and not movie worthy.

The problem I have with horror flicks are they don’t seem like they could actually happen. THAT is what scares me.  Like in 1998 when SCREAM came out–F WORD, that is plausible ( to an extent) two guys, stabbing people with knives–I mean…that could happen, and it does.  It’s the scenarios of these horror flicks that I don’t buy–but that also keeps me safe from scary dreams and anxiety attacks brought on by being disturbed.  It is these movies, however, that I think are scary to the likes of Ro (and her kind..hahah) because of the higher intellectual place the bad guy is coming from.  I think its disturbing because she thinks about how that guy is so creepy because he’s coming up with this idea.  He was considered the best at what he did (does?) for years, separating siamese twins.  He then, at some point which never gets explained–which could also count as creepy for Ro in my opinion, not enough background story of “why” he decided to do this to dogs, then try it on humans–decides to attempt the opposite of separating, but joining.  This guy was so in love with his masterpiece he kissed his reflection in the mirror.  I laughed at that, so did sam, Ro looked away I’m sure thinking something like “how did this doctor even BECOME this horrid psychotic??”  AND even if his “background story” was explained it would never be enough, am I right?  Which also plays into his craziness.  AND it could be MORE creepy that he HAS no reason, he just said he doesn’t like humans (and he does say that in the movie) so I’m gonna do crazy shit to them.  That’s enough to freak some people out.  We always want to know why, and when we do we never go “OH!  THAT’s what happened?? Well no wonder.  I mean, I would join humans together mouth to anus too if that happened to me.  No way.  Nothing would ever make it okay.  It’s gross no matter what.  Yep, psychotic and all of that crazy in the head stuff.

And apparently, there’s a part 2 out, or coming out soon (rolls eyes and sighs).  I guess the story line is that some guy became obsessed with the “first sequence” as it was called, and then tries to do it himself but he’s not a surgeon, so it’s grosser.  Which means most of the audience will be grossed out, but probably not nearly as disturbed because they will have accepted (go with me on this) that he’s psychotic BECAUSE he’s obsessed with the movie.  There’s your background story.  It doesn’t make it okay, it just tells you why.  And now that you know why, you can say it’s still not a good reason to try stapling people together–but you’ll probably be less disturbed and more grossed out exclaiming words like “ew” followed by laughter or “What the–??!”

I’m gonna see it though, I mean: I have to.  I saw the first one, can’t stop there.  Gotta see how it all unfolds, gotta have a conversation topic over Thanksgiving while asking someone to pass the cranberry sauce.

And someone tell me why the can of fruit cocktail. That was like… a Costco size can for crying out loud.

I’m gonna watch some Castle, or Weeds, or something and have some coffee.

Sunday was the big day.  We practically had a countdown of My Darling being swarmed by a group of my close friends.

But first, we woke up in Los Osos, and got ready for the day and we headed to Bon Temps in SLOville for the Eggs Sardou.  We looked at the menu but I knew what I was going to get, and I had spoken about it before (several times) and he was looking forward to it as well.  So we both got it, he got hashbrowns and I got grits.  Man, I love grits sometimes.  I can have it with a tinge of salt n pepper with butter, or with some honey depending on my mood.  The first time I had grits I was in Russia, and I didn’t know what I was eating–but it was delicious with the scoop of butter melting on top.  But I digress.

Then it was time to head over to Seanah’s house.  Several people had RSVP’d with yummy dishes they were bringin’ along and I couldn’t wait to stuff my face with food.  We arrived and My Darling was greeted with hand shakes and hugs.  Richie was in charge of the BBQ, he had brought his pit from his house and was set to cook 2 tri tips and four chickens and some garlic bread.  Both My Darling and Ginger said they’d bring Vodka, neither of them did.  heh.  Most of us brought wine.  So that’s what we started with.  There was two kinds of potato salad, a veggie dip. Julia’s famous Guacamole, Mama Vickie’s fried rice, Jen brought a killer pasta salad–that I later ate the remainder of during a drunken snack-time feeling.  I just took that serving spoon and had at it, win–that was a huge hit among the people.  Kitten showed up with her son Peanut, and I remember upon arrival the little Caper (Atreyu) ran around the corner yelling “Autnie Fishy!!!!” and he jumped into my arms.  It was amazing.  Dominatti showed, Brenna and DaveBrewer, The Rosens, Jason Lee brought his amazing stuffed mushrooms and Anna with her Mini Me also attended.  My uncle Rik even stopped by for almost a whole minute with Devon.  (Shakes head).  Bree-Ann even made me my own personal jumbo-sized jell-o shot.  Sue brought a cake that I licked the top of and we moved from Wine to Hard Liquor as the day moved on.  People were singing, since Kevin provided the karaoke,  my brother the Smurf was there and we sang together.  In face, I believe Kevin, Smurf and I did the THE BEST rendition of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga that the world has ever seen. We skyped with Loke and her son KK.   Kevin sang Patience by My Darling’s friend Axl and my Darling slow danced with me.  He wore his white shirt that I love so much with the design on it, he jeans with a similar design and his smile.  I love the way he looks at me.  Atreyu and Nahnnah sang a few times, I actually cried at how adorable it was.  I’m pretty sure most of the women there cried.

It seemed as though the world was in a perfect place, for me and my darling.  I remember thinking that if I lived home we could probably do this every sunday.  Get together, have a cookout, sing some songs, have some drinks and love each others company.  Those thoughts soon turned into sad ones, that I DIDN’T live there, and it wouldn’t happen like that, so I moved on from the thoughts.

I don’t know if I could ever be successful on the Central Coast.  Good at something, sure; but success is different.  Success, to me, is money. And I don’t know if I’d ever have a job/career that I made good money at on the central coast.  So if/when we move back, it’s gonna be to lalaland area, with frequent visits of course.

The evening came and I was hammered, and my Darling had stopped drinking so he could drive and I held a small pow-wow with some people.  Even after knowing some of these people for 10+ years, they can still surprise me with their love and comments and encouragement.  It was nice to be honest, it was terrifying to be vulnerable.  hmmm.

Oddly enough we agreed to go to karaoke at Alex’s in Shell Beach.  Why, you ask–because we’re dumb.  hahahha  We were SOOO tired, but still I wanted to go and sing more; but no drinks…no no no, I was done with those.  heh.  I remember attempting an Adele song and not actually knowing the words or how it went.  And I remember singing Tell Him with Sue, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and it was really difficult. hahahha  But it was fun!  She made me a scarf too,  and I wear it often.  Yay.

Sigh,  it was such a long day.  Such a good, family and friend lovin’, happy and singin’, eatin’ n drinkin’ day.  Everyone who met My Darling like him.  They hugged him and kissed his cheeks.

We drove back to Los Osos and fell asleep immediately.

I woke up next to My Darling and smooched his handsome face and exclaimed something like “I get to see the baby again today.”  He smiled and put his hands on my face kissed my forehead then nose then mouth and smiled.  We got ready for the day.  I wore a fun “block” dress.  I think that’s what Ro called it.  Black and grey striped, thick stripes at the top, thin stripes from the waist down.  It was cold so I put on black tights and brought my black boots.  Only to later strip off the tights and slap on the zories.  It was so pretty where we went, but first–the babester.

Little Bennett was (still is) so tiny and precious.  The softest skin.  The cutest little hands and feet and nose.  I smooched his little mouth over and over and just…stared at him.  Eventually my Maamm met up with us there and she, Sam and I went to Bridlewood Winery in Santa Ynez.  My Ma is a member there so she was picking up her shipment and we wine tasted I’d say…10-12 wines, then we took a bottle and went to the lake, still on the property pass the horse drawn carriage track and over the bridge by the waterfall, by a big willow tree and chips n salsa, cheese n crackers, they had olives and I didn’t, we drank wine and ate grapes then we headed home.  It was a beautiful day out there.  We drove by Neverland Ranch, although the sign was removed and it was blocked off by large orange cones, we looked over at the gate and had a mini conversation about Michael Jackson then it was quiet in the car.  Sam had fallen asleep, and I nodded off eventually.  Woke up when we got to my sisters house and I stayed to spend time with Sister and Baby Bennett, while Ma and My Darling ran a couple errands.  It was nice to just be there with her, I miss my sister, as I miss all my siblings–often.  I cuddled with the baby more and eventually put him down.  I ate some lasagna and headed up to my Ma’s house.

I curled up on the couch at Ma’s house next to My Darling and watched some TV.  Shortly after my arrival, Ginger (one of my besties in CA!) came over and curled up on the couch with us, and the three of us with my Ma and brother Rik watched “Don’t Tell Her It’s Me” which is now known as “Boyfriend School.”  A cute romantic comedy with Steve Guttenberg, and Shelly Long as brother and sister when mullets were THE thing to have.  hahahaha  Sister and my Ma and I watched it countless times years ago, now we all have it on DVD and once in a while we bust it out.  Tonight was the once in a while moment.  It was also a bit more fun because I was sipping chocolate whipped cream flavored vodka…

End of the movie all went to sleep, or home, or Los Osos.

Allbeit cold in the night, curled up next toa guy who’s skin feels like 100 degrees kept me warm enough to not sleep with covers on.  Sheets and two blankets, and all I needed was my head on his chest and my arm around his stomach to sleep.  Slept from Midnight until 9am.

We got up and had quiche and coffee and visited with Miss Liz.  She is such an interesting woman.  Silly and educated with great stories.  The woman is in her 80’s and she doesn’t look it or act it.  Maamm visits with her weekly and if I lived there, I’m sure I would too–different days though. hahahah  Miss Liz has an amazing look on the world, the times, energy and life in general.  I’d like to hear what she has to say on a weekly basis, and I’m jealous Ma gets to visit with her so much.

Then it was a shower and to pick up Smurf to get the best sandos on the central coast: Grand Deli.  Regular size (8 inches), wheat bread, turkey, roast beef, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, purple onions, olives, extra mayo and mustard on both sides of the bread, oil, vinegar, pepper & oregano.  Just writing it out makes my mouth water.  I can’t find a sando like that here.  And subway certainly doesn’t cut it.  I don’t like subway–at all.

After awesome sandos I got dropped off at Rontal Salon for a cut and color my Rik Rontal, the owner (ooooOOOOoo) and he’s my uncle, so I’m totally cool.  After a beer (yah I had one, tasted like beer…) and three margaritas and a nice long chat with my friend Miranda My Darling, Sam, came to pick me up and took me home to a dinner he and maamm teamed up to make.  Shish Kebab!  Man that guy can cook.  Ma was serving wine, and a conversation got to hard to have and I started to cry and had to take a walk around the block.  Upon my return, Sam was in the street waiting for me / looking for me and ran up to hug me, and when I saw my youngest brother Rik, I called to him and ran to him to hug him too.  He was the one I needed to hug because the conversation that upset me was about something that happened when he was younger.  I stood there and buried my tear covered face in his chest.  My youngest brother standing 6’2″ just wrapped his arms around me and told me he was okay and that it would all be okay.  I cried a bit longer there until I felt better.  Then when I told him I was okay, he said okay and said he loved me and would see me tomorrow, he was going out with his friends.  My Darling was right at my side  and walking me in the house and setting me on the couch.  He wiped my tears away and ran his fingers through my hair and after a short while he brought me ice cream.  I ate it, we watched TV and then went back to Los Osos for sleeptime.

I heard the coffee dripping away in the coffee maker in the kitchen and didn’t know what time it was.  My brother the Smurf was passed out in the big chair and I was on the recliner couch, and My Darling was laying across the couch.  It was still raining.  My brother Rik was opening the door to head out for school and as he opened the door the cold swept in and made me curl up under the Beatles blanket.  I heard Mom getting ready for work too and she said to go sleep on Riks bed.  I think I got one more hour of sleep in there, but ultimately I was awake.  We made coffee, there is no fun creamer here in the house so I used sugar and 1% milk.  It’s alright.  I’m spoiled because Ro and I always have fun creamer in the house.  I did the dishes and curled up on the couch to watch TV with the Smurf and My Darling trickled out of the bedroom moments later.  Coffee and couch for supernatural.  Then it was How I met Your Mother and then, playing in the rain.

All of a sudden what sounded like a flash flood was hitting the house and windows and driveway.  I looked out in almost horror at the sight.  I was also happy I was not walking around the City in it, heh.  And in the moment I was excited to not have to be outside, the rain lightened just a pinch and Smurf said “wanna go jump in puddles?”  I froze for a moment then said “ok!” I took off my socks and he and I ran out of the front door into the rain in our jammies.  It was a bit colder than I had anticipated.  In that moment I missed the island rain feels of the humidity and summer rains in NY.  But I wouldn’t have changed the weather if I couldn’t have the spontaneity with my brother, that was totally worth it.

After we realized how cold and wet it was we headed towards the door and stood there thinking about towels.  The Darling was video taping us and when he saw us standing by the door he laughed and went to get us towels.  Then it was time for me to take a warm defrosting shower.  I got ready for the day and Darling and I went to get some food in our bellies.

We went to The Girls restaurant and he got pigs in a blanket.  Sausage wrapped in a pancake.  I had a bite, pretty good.  I had a biscuit with gravy and mashed potatoes.  Then we took off to downtown SLOville making a stop by the Shell beach cliffs and the Avila Beach pier.  Its somehow like seeing the coast, my hometown, for the first time when I watch his face and his eyes and he stares out at the water and the cliffs and video tapes it all to remember it later.  We made it to SLOville and stopped for a drink at McCarthy’s to show him what a “real pour” tastes like.  Unless you have the hookups in NY, your drinks are high cost and low dose of the juice, but no matter who you are–McCarthy’s has the best pour for cocktails.  Bartenders are always on their game, they get you your drinks and they’ll leave you be, and get you another drink as soon as you’re out (if you want one, of course).  We had one drink and continued our walk through downtown.  Made a complete loop up Higuera and down Marsh making a fun lengthy stop at Kwirkworld and heading back home to my Maamm’s house.

Ma was home shortly after we arrived and made spaghetti for dinner.  We had some wine and watched some TV and visited a bit, then she went to my sisters house and My Darling and I got ready for karaoke at Mongos.

I did not drink so much that I stumbled about and fell down.  I was able to control the volume of voice when speaking (and singing…) and I didn’t slur.  I didn’t scream and yell craziness.  I didn’t lose my purse or camera.  I sipped my cocktails and didn’t have too many.  Although I did, of course get a lil drunky, I wasn’t hammered.  That’s a win for me.  I DID wear a dress and boots and dance.  I did dance with a chair when Cincinnati sang All That Jazz and I did sit in the front row when Kitten sang, and I stood in the front row when Nahnnah sang.  I sang duets with…everyone I think. heh. I sang songs I hadn’t sung before, and I hugged the people I miss everyday.  I danced with My Darling, Sam.  I love it when his arms are wrapped around me and his clean shaven face is up against my neck or face.  He always smells good  and I feel beautiful and safe with him.

By 130am I was heading to the car with Jack and My Darling and we heading to Denny’s for stuff to eat.  Ginger and her friends came to join and we all laughed and stuffed food in our faces until we almost fell asleep.  Then we headed back to my Maamm’s house, My Darling and I and passed out asleep.

Only six hour of sleep later, for reasons I don’t know–I woke up.

Got only 6 or so hours of sleep and woke up.  Something about drinking too much, I don’t just pass out and sleep it off.  I’ll pass out, wake up and try to keep sleeping–and fail.  My Darling and I slowly trickled out of the bedroom and gathered up our suitcases and loaded up the car and headed to Los Osos, where we were staying in a guest bedroom.  Miss Liz, a friend of my my Maamm’s was our hostess.  With the garage door opener en tow, we got in the house and brought in our suitcases.  Then there was sleep.

A couple hours later we woke up and showered and visited with Miss Liz a bit then headed back into AG.  Swung my my Maamm’s house and picked up Smurf and The Rikster and headed for my Dadda’s house.  Stopping for two reasons.  To photograph the shortest mailbox in the neighborhood, and the tallest. hahahahah  Got video footage of those ones!

My Darling was a little nervous, as most “boyfriends,” or “mates” or “significant others” are when meeting “The Father.”  I looked at him and put my hands on his shoulders and said something like this, “Look.  It’s not like when I was a teenager and my dadda would meet boys at a family BBQ inviting all the blackbelts in the county.  He’s gonna stand up and shake your hand, offer you food and probably be watching golf.” And not to pat my own back, but when we walked in–I called it.

Dadda made the best dinner: My Favorite Chicken.  I don’t know how long my dadda’s been making this chicken, my maamm can even bust it out pretty well–but I never get tired of it, sick of it or over it.  I would eat it endlessly if I didn’t get full.  It’s like a teriyaki chicken, but not…and it’s served with rice and corn.  Do not substitute a different vegetable or rice thing.  As in, don’t put it on noodles–it MUST be on rice!  And don’t actually eat the ginger root…it’s only there for flavor.  I mean, my dad doesn’t just open that can of corn and heat it up, he seasons it somehow.  And it’s not just soy sauce over that chicken, the ratio of some water and some sugar is PERFECT and poured over that rice is decadent.  At least to me it is.  My darling tried to ask me what kind of chicken it was and I said “My favorite chicken” and he said “ok but what is the dish called?” and I said “My favorite chicken” he laughed and was like I get that it’s your favorite but what KIND of chicken is it, I looked at him and with hands and quote signs I said slowly and with a bit more volume…”My. FAVORITE. Chicken”  As in …that IS the name of the dish.  And he laughed and said ok ok ok I get it!  I’m pretty sure he’s gonna try to make it.  I’ve tried a few times, and failed–but he actually knows HOW to cook, so maybe I’ll get my favorite chicken even HERE IN NEW YORK.  That’d be a win, fo’shizzle–I know I’m not cool when I do that.

As we sat around visiting Dadda had the new Hawaii 5-O in the background.  MAN that Alex O’Lachlan is a looker.  I loved him in Moonlight, the vampire series.  I wish it was more than one season.  It should’ve just been released later when all the other vampire things went crazy, because it had some good takes on the vampire life too.  oooOOOOOooo  Three episodes later we were watching a comedian that was some sort of mix between a mexican and a red neck.  No joke.  And he had some funny stuff I hadn’t heard yet.  Dadda headed to his room for sleep, Rik fell asleep on the couch and Terry was in the living room with us gearing to watch The Adjustment Bureau.

Not a terrible movie.  Pretty cool in theory.  Makes me wonder who the people in hats REALLY are, hahaha and the explanation given by one of the head honchos of the adjustment bureau (Terence Stamp, I recognize him as Zod from Superman with Christopher Reeve and the voice of Zor El in Smallville) as to WHY they exist is also pretty cool to hear.  Makes me kinda go “ouch…but you’re totally right.  Yikes.”  I wouldn’t mind watching it again.  There are some holes that I’d like to be explained, and the ending was a bit on the anti-climactic side–but I’d watch it again (nods).

By the end of the movie we were all tired.  Hugs to Terry and off to drop off the boys at Ma’s house and head up to Los Osos.  When we arrived the room felt like a refrigerator. Tilde win.

We woke up to Guns n Roses singing Paradise City at 3:15am on Tuesday.  We slowly sat up and realized we needed to get goin’.  I found my traveling clothes and tennies (I never travel in zories anymore because my Auntie Barbs FORBIDS IT–for safety reasons.  And I apease her by not freaking her out when I fly.  It’s the least I can do, right?  I mean in the event of an accident I need my feet covered and protected from falling luggage, pieces of plane crumbling over my body and of course, to help others.  I have never had to help in the “event of an emergency” but I’d like to think if my feet are prepared, then I’ll be heading in the right direction.

We were out the door by 3:30am and on the train by 3:40am for an hour and twenty minutes through Manhattan and Brooklyn over to Queens.  The last time I had been to JFK I was coming home from my visit in June for Rik’s High School graduation, and the time before that I was  “JFK Drunk,” and if you don’t know that story remind me to tell it to you some day.  I’ll begin it with “So there I was” and everything.  I’ve traveled 5 times in the past year.  That’s more than in the past decade, by the way.  Wow.

The A Train got us to JFK, then we took the Air Tram to Terminal 7.  We checked in just fine, by 5:30am and stood in line for security for twenty minutes.  I was wearing my glasses and felt like a child in my soft pants and sweatshirt and no make up.  That has no real story or lead in to a better story, it’s just what I was thinking about at the time.  We found our gate by 6am, I popped my trusty dramamine and waited for our “Zone” to board the plane.

After finding our seats and settling in I pulled my sweatshirt up to the window and tried to cozy up, as best as one can cozy up in a plane with their seat in the upright position (not that the 3 inches of “recline” is any better by the way), and removed my glasses and put on my sleep mask and prepared for a 4-5 hour nap.  After practically saying the seatbelt and emergency mask and oxygen stuff with the flight attendants I smooched My Darling and prepared for sleep, because dramamine always knocked me out.

At least, it always did BEFORE.

The humming of the engines and air flowing through knobs above every person face echoed constantly in my ears.  I was all-too aware of the cart passing with complimentary soft drinks and $7 “well drinks” I lifted my sleep mask and found My Darling laying across the seats as best he could, then later he’d be asleep on the tray table attached to the seat in front of him as I tossed from left to right with my neck pulling in ways that would make my chiropractor cringe.  It quickly became the longest flight I’d been on since my trip to Russia.  There were babies crying, people sneezing and blowing their noses and the clinking of the cart coming and going with drinks.  I was miserable.

We FINALLY arrived in Phoenix for our connecting flight to SLOville, and the gate-gods were kind by not making us run 4 miles in the airport, like I did the last time I was there.  YES FOUR MILES–well it felt like it.  YES I know what four miles feels like, it’s four times worse than one mile, thanks. heh.

We got food at a Starbucks, my $3 bagel and cream cheese–and got on our plane to SLOville.  Sleep did not exist on this flight either, but a sniffling whining dog did–right behind us.

Ahhh, welcome to SLOville darling.  THIS is the airport.  Yes it has one, very small baggage claim area and that was my brother golfing on the video playing above baggage claim from the Visitors Bureau for the best things to do and places to go during your visit on the Central Coast.  We are famous, us Mersai’s, on the Central Coast.  Got our car rental, which was more than I thought, plus daily insurance of $25. oops.  Head lowers in defeat, oh well–

It’s a silver 2010 Ford Focus, and I kind of want to keep it.  First place we went was Broadway Bagel.  Oh Spinach Cheddar bagel toasted twice with sundried tomato cream cheese–how I miss you.  And a 5th avenue Latte (hazel nut and irish cream syrup) and he got a salt bagel with lox cream cheese. And he thought mine was better.  muuuahahahah .  Then it was to meet my Maamm, while she was working.  A brief hour long visit later we were in the car to Nipomo so I could meet my newest Nephew: Bennet.

All the pictures I’d seen of him he looked so soft and flawless.  A little hair on his tiny babester head, and a little slant in his eyes from my Dadda’s side of the family.  In person, he was even better.  He is a tiny bundle of perfection.  A skinny little guy with tiny fingers and little wrinkly feet.  He smells what I imagine perfection smells like, if it had a scent.  Some would say a piece of heaven, I’m saying it’s better than that.  heh.  I held him for a few hours just feeling his soft little legs and little cheeks.  My brothers also came by my sisters house and we hugged and I smooched their faces and we all sat and visited as a family, with both Baby Bennett, and an Intro to My Darling.  We ate some food and just chatted.  It felt like time had stopped just for us.  There was nothing to worry about.  No work, or serving strangers.  No cleaning bathrooms, or dishes, or tables.  I didn’t even have to speak if I didn’t want to.  I could just stare at him and run my fingers over his perfect little legs.

A few hours later the brothers left, and so did My Darling and I.  We headed to my Maamm’s house and had some wine and visited more.  She made a sausage and rice concoction with a salad, and it wasn’t bad at all.  Rik played some John songs on his guitar for me and he also bought Thrifty’s Mint n Chip ice cream, and Chocolate Malted Crunch.  They are my favorites.  We drank more wine and watched the rest of Arachnophobia.  Ma and I had a fun discussion about joy vs. happiness, believing in god and not believing in god. Then we watched Rik’s DVD project from his editing class from high school.  He’s such a creative guy, that Rikster.

By 10pm, Smurf and My Darling and I headed to Mongos and I sang one song, and Smurf sang one song–and we came home.  We watched some Friends and crashed on the couch.  The rain didn’t let me sleep. By this point I didn’t remember the last time I had slept successfully for more than 30 minutes.