When you blink your eyes...

I am writing now from a car leaving Pamplona. I am a bit inebriated leaving the festival of San Fermin. I obviously did not die for those who are concerned because I am able to type this. I have run with the bulls. I have been in the bullfighting arena and have been chased around by the bulls of Spain. This is something I will always remember. I was in danger for a few minutes but it was all worth it. The anticipation in the hours the night before and morning before the race many thoughts went through my head. We wondered if they would even let us run if we were not Spanish or if we would possibly be one of the ones injured this day.

When the actual running happened you had to look in front of you to make sure you did not run into another runner, behind you and to the side for the bulls coming, and below you for fallen runners all at the same time. I was close to the bulls but felt more danger most times by fellow runners. The adrenaline rush when the bulls finally rounded the street coming near us was huge. The bulls ran past us and we ended up running all the way into the arena. All the while looking back over our shoulder for more bulls. It didn't seem like all the bulls has run past when we knew there should be six. Finally as we got into the arena there was another surge as the remaining bulls did actually run across the arena.

We waited for a few minutes and they released some smaller heffers into the bull running contingent. The arena was full of people and we jockeyed around as these bulls with taped up horns run around throwing people about. Being in the arena was another adrenaline rush as it was full of people in the seats cheering on the bulls and people tormenting its path. It was an unexpected end for some of us in the bull running experience. I think a total of 4-5 different bulls came in the arena to work the crowd of amateur bull fighters. I came close to the bulls a few times against my own choosing only to jump out of the way as they came too close. Others would purposefully jump in front of the bulls and choose to be thrown up in the air or intentially hurt by the bulls. One boy was running around with a bloodied face seemingly very proud of it as he wanted to show it to everyone. I didn't hear the final news but I don't think anyone really got trampled that I saw this day.

There were some English speaking people in the run, some Americans, British and Australian that I heard. Many native Spaniards of all ages of course as well as others from around Europe. I even saw a few women made it into the run without being told to leave which was cool.

After the arena cleared the 4 of us met in front of the Hemingway restaurant across the street from the arena. We returned to the hotel to regroup. Then, Brandon and I went back to celebrate the festival of of San Fermin with strong drink while TJ and Justin stayed back. TJ had a good excuse as he would be driving soon all the way back to Barcelona. Brandon and I packed our bag and went back for a few hours to enjoy the festival. We had a few large San Miguels cervezas and walked around. The buzz about the city was amazing. We walked past a foto store that had prints from the day's run. We looked for awhile and found photos of myself and TJ. I used my meager Spanish speaking skills to order prints of the 2 photos that wouldn't be ready for an hour.

We decided to join a parade going by with a brass band and started to dance behind them. We walked and danced and both felt like natives to Spain, we did not get looks as if we did not belong. We stopped and got a bottle of rojo vino a piece and continued to enjoy the festival. The city was beautiful and the energy was amazing. Brandon and I were trying to find the main town square and randomly ran across a guy from Detroit who said he'd been to the last 13 running of the bulls and could show us the way to the square so we could pick the the photos. We got the photos and we are proud to have actual photographic proof us us running in the streets with the bulls. TJ seemed really into the running of the bulls and he showed up in 4 or 5 of the photos we saw out on the middle of the pack of people with bulls behind him. Also, we were glad to have the photo for TJ because he would be less pissed off at us for being a little late and drunk as they were driving around looking for us to pick us up to leave. The photo did the job as we had hoped.

I was thinking on the way back if something like this was in the US it would totally be marketed to death. The city of Pamplona would charge money for people to get in and make them wear matching jerseys or t-shirts. The bulls would probably be all padded or something as well. There is something honorable about the fact Pamplona allows anyone with the guts to run to just get on the street. They did kick a few people out who were drunk, rightly so. It is still profitable in other ways as they are making money off of t-shirts, food, and mass quantities of vino and cerveza sales.

...

I am now writing from a hotel in Barcelona on the beach just after midnight. We made it in and had a relaxing meal of Paella and vino rojo. As I have been warned, I am not totally impressed with the food in Spain. The Paella was pretty good but I would have preferred it with more spices. The city is impressive from what I've seen thus far. I've only just walked around a bit by the beach near the hotel and saw a lot while riding in the car on the way in.

I'm planning on going off on my own tomorrow to explore Barcelona. I know there are a million things to see but I mainly want to just get a feel for the city and see several museums and soak in the experience of walking around. I also want to relax at the beach the next 2 days for at least a couple hours. I'm not goig to try to kill myself seeing it all this time. I will definitely be back.

I have made a plan within the last few days to learn both Spanish and French within the next year. I feel like you can't really experience these places in the same way without knowing the language better. I enjoy overhearing people's conversation as well as talking with random people and asking questions. I can't really do that right now. Also, its frustrating to try to order some food and not get exactly what you want and not know what to say to get it corrected. I have a good idea now what its like for non-native english speaking people to come to the US and try to speak English.

I'm now riding in a car north across Spain. We landed in Barcelona this morning and went directly into the car and started driving. TJ got GPS with the rental car which is a huge help and makes it a lost easier getting to Pamplona in as short of time as possible. There wasn't much time to see Barcelona yet, I plan on doing as much of that as possible on Wednesday night, Thursday and Friday. I even considered not going to Pamplona so I would get a full 4 days in Barcelona. However, I was thinking this is a unique opportunity to go to the San Fermin festival in Pamplona and actually run with the bulls with 3 other guys. I will definitely be visiting Spain again and will spend more time in Barcelona.

We've talked to several people so far about the running of the bulls. The thing I know so far is that it is encouraged that the participants wear white pants and a white shirt with a red sash. Normally young males run, but any male is allowed to run. There is no sign up. People just line up in the morning. There is no chance to out run a bull no matter no how fast you are. You cannot run the entire stretch between where they release the bulls and when they go into the arena. You choose a certain part to run in. There are several things you can do to be silly and improve your chances of getting hurt. I will try not to get hurt, but I must run in it now that I've come this far.

At 6:45 AM a brass band plays and wakes up the entire town. Its interesting because its a mix of people who have been awake all night and people who are waking up for the morning festival. I saw the same thing this morning as we were leaving Ibiza when we went to the bus station at 6:30. People walking around coming home from the night before.

The bulls are released about 8AM. The run only lasts a few minutes. We'll see how it goes in the morning. I still don't have white pants but supposedly I can get some early in the morning in Pamplona.

The ride up Spain has been beautiful. Blue skies and big clouds. I've been thinking about the landscape in movies such as The Good, The Bad and the Ugly as what we are seeing looks familar to that. I've seen many large hills and sandy colored mountains. Luscious green fields of grains and different crops. Vast fields of huge wind turbines. As well as a few bull farms.

...

We got into Pamplona this afternoon in great time. The weather is noticeably colder, the air more crisp. The city is much bigger than I had imagined. I wish I had a full week to explore it. However, we did have time to walk the city and get our outfits for tomorrow and walk the course for the bull run. The city had so much energy, so exciting. It is a little scary but fun at the thought of running with the bulls and we will all be glad we did it. We saw on the new 4 people were hurt today, one man gored.

We are really in Spain now. We can't rely on English to get us through. We have to use what little Spanish we know to order food and ask people questions. The other 3 guys are asleep now and I'm about to go to sleep myself.

We will wake up early in the morning and put on white pants, white shirt, red sash and red scarves to go run with the bulls at 8AM. It will be over in a few minutes. We walked the narrow streets from the gates where the bulls are let out and the arena where they run to. The street windows along the route are lined with boards and wooden fences.

This will be an exciting day tomorrow.

...

I'm sitting in the lobby of the hotel listening to Imagine by John Lennon waiting for the other guys to wake up. I realized there are probably many misspellings and ramblings in this journal. Keep in mind its a virtually unedited travelogue and I haven't had time to check spelling or edit for consistency. Maybe someone will find it interesting.

We all got up reasonably early this morning and took the bus over to Eivissa. Quickly retraced a few of the areas I walked around including the promenade area and then we walked up a large hill to an old fortress/castle that towers over the city overlooking the bay. It was a long hike up but it had a sense of accomplishment to it once we got to the top. The view was impressive.

TJ and I were hungry so we wanted to stop somewhere and eat. We found a croissont shop that he had read about and sat down. Here we finally had to try to speak spanish to eat. Some guys next to us tried to speak Spanish to us and Justin didn't know what to say. I ordered a quiche con tres queso and a doble espresso. It was bueno. The majority of the food I've had so far isn't anything great so this was a treat.

We wondered around the city for awhile and came to the port where all the ships and activity was going on. We were trying to decide what to do next. Brandon and I wanted to find a good beach and the other two guys wanted to do something else. Justin found a bus schedule and decided he wanted to go rock climbing somewhere up in north Ibiza and I wanted to go to Salinas beach which is the one I had heard about from a few people. Only one bus goes out there as its not very close to any other cities. This beach is on a southern tip of Ibiza and the bus goes past what we think are salt flats.

We walked through a patch of trees and brush after getting off the bus and came accross the best beach I had seen so far. So many beautiful people. A few dark clouds threatened for about 30 minutes but they quickly went away. That was the worst weather I had seen in Ibiza so far and it was basically a non-issue. We got several hours of quality sun time. It was rather enjoyable I could go there everyday for a week. Unfortunately we fly out in the morning for Barcelona. But, I'm glad to see something different.

Brandon was talking to a girl from California today on the bus on the way back who was also going out to Pamplona this week. She said they don't allow girls to run which I hadn't thought about. The more I think about it the more I'm excited about the idea of running. Its something I've always wanted to do.

...

I'm now sitting at the airport looking out towards the salt flats that are near the beach I was at yesterday. We got up and checked out of our hotel and took the bus over. The bus is the way to go for sure over the taxi. Today will be primarily a travel day. We take a 50 minuteflight into Barcelona then we are driving from Barcelona to Pamplona tonight. I need to find some white pants to wear before tomorrow morning to run in the race as its part of the encouraged uniform.

I woke up this morning and everyone else was asleep and I decided to just go out on my own and explore. My initial plan was to just try to find a better beach than I'd been to so far.

I ended up wondering around San Antonio past some shops and taking photos of buildings and random things that I fancied. I walked into an area I hadn't been to before which I realized I was near a large bus station. It had a big modern egg-shaped roof. I saw the bus to Elivissa, the main city which I came from before from the airport, was only 1.65 EU for a ticket. This is much cheaper than the 40 EU I paid for the taxi ride out in the middle of the night when I first came.

The ride itself was also much more interesting. If you look on a map of Ibiza San Antonio is kind of on the north-west side. Elivissa is on the south side. It was approximately a 25-30 minute drive which went fast as the countryside and small mountain were pretty. The island is much bigger than I initially imagined and it seems to have a decent amount of industry thats not just clubbing, beaches and tourism. The road was new and every intersection on the highway was a roundabout.

When the bus stopped in Eivissa I could tell I was in much more of an actual city than San Antonio. More of a gridded street structure, and generally taller buildings it seemed. I also felt like I was in much more of a foreign country as nearly all I heard was Spanish being spoken. There was some English being spoken here and there but it was definitely the minority. I didn't look at a map and just started to wonder in whatever direction seemed most interesting. I liked the feel of the city. It was relaxed yet more sophisticated somehow than San Antonio. I walked through a city square that had a fountain and beaituful flowering cactus plants. I kept walking about 10-15 blocks in different directions. I finally saw where the roads started to end and tall apartment buildings where located there. I also saw more and more people in beach attire and I knew the sea must be near. I came to a break in the buildings a few blocks later and saw a beautiful promenade next to the blue Mediterranean.

I was impressed with the layout of the walkway along the beach and all the shops, restaurants, bars and hotels. It definitely felt more chic than San Antonio. I could tell the hotels must be more expensive. More of what appeared to be local Spanish people where here. The people who did appear to be foreign where more the minority and seemed to be from all different places. I saw beautiful French, German and Italian people. I enjoyed overhearing the different conversation of which I couldn't understand. This area reminded me of pictures I've seen of the South of France which I haven't yet seen in person yet. These places don't seem so far away now.

I noticed the Spanish I heard was different than the Mexican Spanish I'm used to mainly hearing in the US. I had heard before there is a big difference just between Madrid and Spain. It sounded like it may have more of a French influnce in it which makes sense as its geographically next to France.

I walked all the way up and down the promenade. Enjoying the salt air and the amazing view. I finally stopped on the beach and took some late afternoon sun and took a swim in sea. I really enjoyed this.

I took a few photos here and there but not too many on the beach as I didn't want to be one of those creepy guys taking the photos of the women on the beach. I thought a lot about the cultural differences in the beaches in the US and Europe. After a few days seeing the topless women on the beach really isn't that big of a deal. I did catch myself taking a bit too long of a look a few times.

I could see some land mass off in the distance and was trying to decide at first if it was mainland Spain, then realized that Elivissa is to the south. Also, I didn't really think you could see all the way to the main land as Ibiza is a good ways out into the middle of the Mediterranean. It got me thinking about how you never really get a feel of exactly what something is until you experience it in person. I thought of how I saw lake Michigan for the first time and wondered if I could see Canada on the other side or not. It turns out you can't, but its not completely obvious if you don't know. I mean, I knew lake Michigan was very big, but hadn't been around bodies of water that big before. It turns out you can't see from Ibiza to mainland Spain, at least I don't think you can as of now. I do know that you can see from Coney Island, Brooklyn to Sandy Point New Jersey which I saw last week. When I think about it, this is a much shorter distance than from Ibiza to to mainland Spain. The ferry ride from New York to the Jersey shore is only 45 minutes or so. But the ferry from Ibiza to Barcelona is more like 7 hours. Granted you do have to go a good way along the Spanish coast to come to Barcelona.

I'm not sure what to think of the pictures I've taken so far. I definitely like some of them but they are mainly of architecture, places and random things. Not so many of people. There will definitely be many more photos taken as I still have a week left. My goal is to just keep pushing myself to experience more and meet more people and take photos when it feels right. Things will fall into place in time.

When I was back relaxing at the hotel after a shower I was watching some Spanish show that was like a blooper highlight type of show. They showed some guys at the running of the bulls getting stomped and thrown about by the bulls horns. I hope it will work out so we will be able to participate and see it. We thought of going out of here early but it didn't work out. There is still more to see here in Ibiza and I am enjoying the beaches for sure.

I need to get some sleep now. I just wrote this twice as I lost the first one with this borrowed laptop and unreliable wirless network setup. Live and learn.

I'm sitting on the sidewalk by a busy street a few blocks away from my hotel. This is the only area I could steal some network access from right now. People are walking by in their swimsuits on the way to the beach which is just behind me.

On Friday night we went out to this huge club called Manumission. They were saying its the largest in the world, thousands of people can fit in there. I'm not much into the club scene but that's a big part of what Ibiza is about so I gave it a try. It was a good experience but I wouldn't go back. The drinks were like $10-15 euro's a piece and the ticket were like 40 EU to get in. But the show inide was very interesting. They had a live dance show every hour which was quite cool. The place inside was pretty impressive, it was like a Las Vegas show or something with tons of people dancing inside of it. Justin and I got tired of it about 4:30 am and came back and went out around our hotel. That didn't last too long and we came back and went to sleep.

Yesterday I walked a long ways and found a great beach. It was n icer than the one I went to the previous day. (A girl in a small bikini jut walked by me). I was out there several hours and then walked back. I was lost on the way back as all the streets look pretty similar to me. I just know a few signs that I look for but its hard to know which direction to go next sometimes once you do find them.

My impression of Ibiza so far is that almost everyone you see here are British on vacation. I have seen some Spanish people and a few French and German. The least I've seen are Americans. I talked with a few and they were also surprised to see us as well. Its weird hearing someone speak American English after only hearing British English and Spanish for several days. The beaches here are beautiful. We watched the sunset last night which is a big to-do around here. Everyone gathers around and cheers when it goes down. The nightlife is crazy for sure. We went out last night around our hotel. The area there is pretty tacky actually. Its almost like being in Manchester or something. They have transplanted British pubs and other types of things and all British people are there.

On the way back from Manumission the other night I was talking with the cab driver who could speak English pretty well. He said he had done the running of the bulls himself and it was a good experience. He suggested we take the bus up there and definitely don't go out drinking the night before if you are going to run. We have discussed changing out tickets to leave Ibiza a day early so we can get more time in Pamplona or Barcelona. I always thought it was too long here when I first saw the schedule. It is a fun place, but it turns out being too much of the same thing after awhie I think. We'll see how that works out. I really don't mind either way, but I wouldn't mind having more time in Barcelona. We have talked to some people who stay here for a month at a time. I am looking forward to goin to the beach again today though I don't get tired of that. I want to find a new one. The cab driver told me of one called Salinas where all the celebrities go.

We had been hanging out with these guys from Manchester for a few days who were staying in a hotel room next to us. They were crazy for sure, professional drinkers. They reiterated similar things I've heard about drinking in England. Everyone drinks because the sky is always gray and it rain so much. They are fond of England but think its a horrible place at the same time. So far its been as much like visiting England as it is Spain. The architecture, weather and environment are all Spanish but the people here are a lot of British. These girls last night were even saying how tacky the West End area is that is basically copies of British places. They also had never met "real Americans" before, they couldn't believe we were real.

Well, I'm going to go out to the beach. I've already got a liberal amount of sunscreen applied. Its really nice here because its hot, but not too hot. And there is usually just the right breeze coming along. The weather really can't be much better right now.

I made it into Ibiza this morning about 5am. At this point I had been awake for nearly 48 hours, dead tired. I had a few delays and had to transfer airports from Heathrow to Gatwick but somehow the last flight to Ibiza was late as well and I made it on. It left about 1:30AM GMT. Due to my height and legroom requirements I am unable to sleep at all in coach class on the plane. Only maybe for a few minutes here and there but end up with a neck cramp. But that is behind now.

After I got to Ibiza I took a taxi at about 5-5:30am (GMT +1) from the town of Ibiza to San Antonia where our hotel is. It took about 30 minutes and cost about 38 euros. When I arrived my friends where still awake and had been out late. Apparently San Antonio is the more party going city of Ibiza than the actual Ibiza city on the other side of the island.

I went to sleep for about 6-7 hours and felt like a new person. The hotel room is nice and could be much worse from what I've seen of hotels in the area, also the price is right. I went out with Justin today to walk the nearby beaches and lay out in the sun. The weather is perfect. The water is clear and blue. The women on the beaches don't feel the need to wear bikini tops and I am complete agreement. I layed around on the beach making sure to apply sunscreen generously as a sunburn right now could make the rest of the trip less fun. I got some good sun and am feeling good with a nice breeze in a bar with a wireless connection at the moment.

Ibiza appears to be a big British vacation spot. We are some of the few Americans here. Actually I don't think I've met any others on this Island. Tonight we will go out on the town and see what the nightlife in Ibiza is about. I hear they can go all night until the sun comes up. I'm really going to try to pace myself. Otherwise I'll fade early. So far its great, the weather is perfect and people seem to like Americans here. Especially because we are not British as there are a lot of loud and crazy British kids that come out here.

The sunset is coming soon so I need to go. I'll write more once I've had more of a chance to experience Ibiza.

Well I never been to Spain
But I kinda like the music
Say the ladies are insane there
And they sure know how to use it
The don't abuse it
Never gonna lose it
I can't refuse it

....

Well I never been to heaven
But I been to Oklahoma
Well they tell me I was born there
But I really don't remember
In Oklahoma, not Arizona
What does it matter

I am singing the Three Dog Night song in my head as I wake up this morning. It seems fitting right now. I am scheduled to go on a 10-day trip to Spain starting tomorrow morning. It can't come soon enough right now. The only other time I've been to Europe was a trip to the UK in 2004. Its taken me a few years to get back.

I kept putting off a big vacation for reasons such as work and made excuses why I couldn't go. Finally, I decided this summer was the time and I remembered my friend Justin had invited me on his trip to go to Spain. When I realized I still had time to get tickets I went ahead and got the time off approved and purchased the tickets just about a month ago.

The plan right now is to leave out tomorrow from JFK at 8:30 AM and get to San Antonio, Ibiza about 3:30AM local time. I'll be in a country where I don't speak the language in the middle of the night; hopefully able to find my way to the hotel. The current plan is to stay there about 4 nights. It wasn't my first choice to stay there that long but the more I've read about it, it sounds like a fun spot. I read about this place and its sounds great right now, I hope to spend at least one evening at Cafe Del Mar. Also, the beaches on the Mediterranean lined with scantily clad women don't sound to shabby either. The club scene there is supposed to be crazy. While I'm not big into that sort of thing I'm sure I'll go at least a few nights to see what its like. The more relaxed destinations sound more appealing to me to start with.
After Ibiza, we will be flying to Barcelona.

From there the plan is to attend the running of the bulls with tentitive plans to actually run with the bulls at 8AM on Wednesday 7/11. I hear it is actually dangerous and you have to wear white pants and a white t-shirt to participate. I am trying to figure out how I can take photographs as well as run. We may be driving a good stretch across Spain from Barcelona to Pamplona to get there. Either that or take a train. It will be a game time decision but I like the idea of seeing the countryside by car and having the ability to stop along the way.

After a night in Pamplona and seeing and/or participating in the running of the bulls we will head back to Barcelona to finish out the trip on a supposedly swanky hotel on the beach that my buddy Justin got through a large amount of hotel points from traveling at work. I hope to at least have several days in Barcelona to see what its about and check out some museums. I've heard the most positive feedback about Barcelona when mentioning the trip to others who have been to Spain. I'd prefer to spend the most time there, but with the other things going on it may just be 2-3 days right now. We are considering shortening the trip in Ibiza to focus more on Barcelona. Either way it works out I'm fine with it at this point. I can always go back and concentrate on Barcelona on a future trip.
I am going to attempt to write in this journal as often as I can. Hopefully I can get access to a computer with internet most days and update on what's going on. I anticipate taking a lot of photos but I won't really have a way to process or upload them until I get back.

I often think about what makes good art. What makes a piece of art in any form better than others. What are the experiences of those who create this art that allow them to produce it.

One of the best rapper's ever is arguably the Genius from the Wu-tang clan. I was just trying to decide what makes him better than most. His lyrical content is very colurful and intelligent, his delivery and flow are nimble and compelling. There are many good rappers and it there is an amount of personal preference if you like him or not. I have this feeling that even taking into account personal preference, some art is just better than others. I think it comes down to the little details, that is what sets certain art apart from others of that genre or style. Other factors to take into account are timing, influence and originality. The Genius has the originality and started in a strong period for rap music. I think what sets him a part is the small things he does with the delivery and word play that are more advanced than others of his time.

This got me to thinking of Stewart Copeland of the Police. Many consider him to be one of the better drummers ever, if not one of the most original. He has a very unique style of drumming that many have tried to copy. For a drummer it comes down to the details as well. Its the ability to control exactly how hard you are going to hit the drum or cymbol at the right time. I'm no expert on drums, but I do notice that its about not only hitting very hard, but even more so about the delicate precision. Not only does Copeland have the uncommon and original style, its the little details that set him a part.

There are many good artists, but what makes some really great and influential. I think its possible for many people if they try hard enough to learn the skill to create the art, play the music well, what ever the form. But what sets some a part is this extra something where they can originate and put themselves ahead of the rest. I think this comes down partially to several factors including raw talent, life experience and how the person is affected by them, and sheer will to see this talent out to its full potential. I think one of the true tests if something is really great is that it is still compelling years, decades or centuries later.

The Police have stood up well 25+ years so far. I think the Genius' status has increased the 12+ years since he has been out. But how long will it matter. Its hard to deny the genius of Mozart. His work stands up 200+ years after he created it. Maybe the Police or The Genius have no chance of being as great. Its hard to compare, but I think its interesting to think of what Stewart Copeland, The Genius and Mozart all went through to produce "great art". Something about them gave them the ability to originate in their time. I tend to feel a lot of this has to do with the fact that some people are just "geniuses" and are able to focus this power into something amazing and capture it in time through their art. I find this fascinating.

After a long week of work I entered the uptown 1 local stop at 50th and Broadway. As I went through the turnstile I could hear a carnival like sound coming from somewhere inside the waiting area around the tracks. I looked around and saw an old middle eastern man with flowing white hair and a big smile playing on a Casio keyboard. He had on a light colored suit and seemed to enjoy playing this calliope like music. Its common to see people playing music in the subway for change. There was something unusual and interesting about this music. I've noticed a personal trend that I seem to enjoy music with a calliope or carnival like feeling to it for some reason.

As I listened for a bit waiting for the train, I saw a black man doing the Harlem Shake to this music. He was very uninhibited and was very inebriated as I would later find out. There was something about this scene that made me feel very glad to be in this city. I could not help but stand there with a big grin on my face. There was something perfect about the combination of the keyboard player's happy tune with the other man bouncing around wildly to it.

I went back to Oklahoma for the first time in about 4 months this weekend. Just got back to the upper west side. It feels great to be able to come back to the city. I went in and out of Newark because they have a direct flight to OKC, but its a bit of a trek to get out there to take the subway then the bus out there but overall not too bad.
I went to be in the wedding for my friend's Scott and Katie. It was a great time. So much free food and alcoholic beverages and got to see my old friends. I stayed with my friend Dan the former Teenage Hand Model in the rugged streets of south OKC, home to Color Me Badd. Dan said he thought one of the guys from Color Me Badd now owns a tire shop there. I digress, the wedding went well, I'm glad to see that Scott and Katie will be happy together. Its crazy to think they are now married. I got to see the beginning of their relationship less than 2 years ago.

Dan and I kept our tuxedos on all day and went around to several gatherings telling people we are getting our money's worth of the tuxedo rental. Dan took me to his parent's house where his mom who is Nicaraguan was having a tamale party, it was outstanding. The Tejano music was blasting and people were already hotstepping when we came in. After I ate 2 amazing homemade tamales and drank a few more beers Dan's mom didn't have to try to hard to convince me to show my moves. It was good times.