All the traveling has been had! The destination has been reached. Lots of goals and deadlines met with stealth planning.
I started out the year with a phone call of a theoretical place with theoretical friends. A maybe reunion of epic proportions. As time went on so did the line up. A line up of faces and people now lost in faded memories of youth. It's hard to tell what will become of something so few and far between. Would anyone come? Will anyone remember me? Will there be tension? It's easy to let the mind ramble of what if's and it creates such a mix of emotions.
Then there was the Please turn in your vacation request IM I received... I had a feeling I didn't want to just drive home this year. I needed a "Bahamavention". After social networking and reconnection with the grandparents. A few phone calls and a plane ticket later, my mind was racing. I was going to Florida.
By now it was May and well with Florida in August and a strong cross of the fingers this reunion was NOT happening at the same time! A text was received that put my mind at rest. September 11th.
August comes and well I was very excited to spend a week in a new place with family I love. The time came after hellishly wicked flight path to save almost $200, I made it! I spent my first day burning as the jet lag sucker punched me on the beach. I sat napping, slowly roasting in the sun blissfully unaware of the skin regimine I signed myself into. Then I ate ribs. They were good.
Barbara and I headed down to Key West for a few days. Did some parasailing. Booze cruising. Shopping. Cuban food eating. Jet skiing. Cats jumping through flaming hoops on a port during sunset! More skin burning. I toured the Hemingway house and saw me some six toed kitties! Then we headed back to Pompano. We did more stuff but you'll have to ask. It's no fun if I give all the gorey details up front!
Once home we did some relaxing and playing on the beach. Laundry. Food. Keeping it real.
Went down to Miami with Brian to Jungle Island where I completely geeked out over birds. All day.
The rest of the trip was mainly spent on the beach and eating good food while being silly with my grandparents.
Insert another long day of Beanos on a Plane.
Now imagine after spending a week in nice warm weather and playing in the water and seeing new places, what happens? You get bitch slapped by reality. WORK. That first week back was awefully long.
Next week not so bad. Average or so.
Week after that people were gung ho crazy! Mixed with my nervousness of this dream "209 Family Reunion" was making me want to crawl into a hole.
Friday came. I got off work and the madness began. I had to make it from work, drop off my car at my place, then to the airport and through security in pretty much an hour. Hmm.. not much imagination needed here. I ran through arms flailling completely barefoot as they were loading my plane. Close one.
I landed to find a very happy Jennifer. Happy lovey emo sillys. I've been on ground in California for five minutes so now I need me some In n Out! Got me a number one with extra cheese, no onions, and neopolitan shake, to go. Thanks.
Sorry for the random text for Chuck's gathering on Saturday at two am if you were a lucky recipient. My intentions meant well :)
Jennifer, Rayanne, Baby Chase, and Lynn were my Chuck's dates. Perfect and good times. Iphone shannanigans and people throwing shit down my cleavage.
Next brain scene :
Jennifer, Rayanne, Myself in route to Target.
R : Hey Bryanna! Do you know what I like??
B : YOUR FACE!
R : Retarded.
J : LOL
B : :(
Keep in mind Rayanne is four!
Walked around Target opening all the shirts because Baby Chase needed to look fly for a lady friend to accompany him that evening to the reunion. That was really important. I love my Chase time.
Then Jennifer and I drove ALLLLLL the way out to Valley Springs because I NEEDED to see the lovely Mike and Shannon because it has been grossly long :(
We chatted and hugged and made fun of dumb folk. Good times but it was most def not enough.
Somewhere on the drive from the shop I found out that an old great friend that I thought hated me, thought that I hated him, and we had just gone the last year and a half not talking because of this. FML. My heart hurt, my head hurt. New mental landmark added to trip!
I got dropped off with Miss Chocolate. Nice to see thy lady!
Went to the show and was overwhelmed beyond belief.
I saw a trazillion people I know and loved. Lots of familiar faces. A few I was estatic to see. One who grew awesome with time. Entirely too many people to introduce my little cousin to! I really have no words to describe this night.
It was amazing to see how people have grown up. Everything was the same and it was so different. Needless to say with all this mind warp going on it was time to stroll to the bar. Lots of like minded friends there trying to escape as well!
Beer was nice, company even better.
Went next door and saw the awesome Yabbo! I am so proud for him and his shop. I wish nothing but the best. Nice to meet Tim and see Johnny.
The bar and the shop consisted of the in between band times for me.
An old deal was made and promised to carry out.
It was amazing to see Jared play! Then to see momma and poppa Hachman was nice.
All the bands did great. Betty Rage dedicating the set to Mo pulled some heart strings. Scattered Fall's surprise was great :)
I had no idea in the world I was ever going to say bye so I found it best to disappear unnoticed. So I did.
I met a special friend and we shared a special moment...I am not sure who was more scared, but my debut into the tattoo world was made! I leave it there because it was a moment in time that is very unique to me and I hope us. Love is a funny thing sometimes.
I awoke glowing from such an awesome night.
Found my way to Legacy. Where else do I go when I am in town?! No Jose :( well cuz Sundays suck. I got to see Melissa and share some time with her. I always enjoy Melissa time :)
Then Lynn surprised me with the most beautiful cake ever! It was a special moment I shared with Lynn and Melissa. It's really hard to have down time in such a short trip and I am glad I was able to find it for a minute with these two.
I landed at my Baba's shortly after :) I love to see my cousins and the kittys and hear my grandma's stories. I enjoyed it very much until I feel asleep :(
I got to open a lot of presents. Late/early Christmas is awesome!
Repacked all my junk then my mom drove me to the airport.
This is where the trip makes me angry. Sacto airport, you suck. SO...I walk up to security and all the guards are nice and friendly asking me about Portland and stuff. We were chatting so much that they let me walk through with my hoody. Then one said oh "Mam I need you to remove your sweater". I took off my hoody and was of course wearing a tshirt that makes my tattoos visible. Instantly there was tension, they were all looking at each other with big eyes. Then one says "Mam please grab your property and come with me". I grabbed my stuff and followed the lady. She opens my bag and just starts rubbing these white circle things all over my stuff! I asked her what she was doing and she ignored me. I asked her a little more firmly a second time. She eventually said that she wasn't allowed to say it out loud but I could look over her shoulder on the computer to see what she was doing. I stood on my tip toes and could see the computer said "EXPLOSIVE ANALYSIS AND TESTING". Really?! Really?!
I have nothing to hide and I was obviously doing nothing wrong but it was fucking stupid. I hope someone with explosives walks by because you decided to test me based on tattoos assuming I am a piece of shit. Had they asked to do this prior to making a big scene staring at each other all big eyed, then maybe I would have believed it was random.
Of course I have ten second memory span and was on my way. Happy for my trip and happy to be headed home.
