Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

No bikinis will be worn this weekend, or even shorts for that matter, but I am beach bound in less than 18 hours and could care less about my attire. Of course there are some things I will care alot of about while there, as is apparent from my growing list of dining locations I've missed since our last stay. Food and lounging around seem to be where my daydreams have taken me, and I can already envision myself on the porch, facing the ocean in sweat pants and a hoodie, taking in the warmth of the sun on my face even if the temperature doesn't quite reach 70.

Included in my bag of essentials for the trip is a sketch pad and pencils, two books I recently discovered in a used bookstore and had to own for myself, and a pad of paper to write down any thoughts that pop in my head. I'm making it a point not to type those words during my stay...I'll simply have to backtrack and copy it all down when I return. I feel there's something about the act of putting pen to paper. It has the effect of a worn in blanket for me, and also makes me feel a part of something noble and important - even if I'm only writing about my breakfast that morning.

Everything's Got a Moral, If Only You Can Find It

I left the theater Friday night with this Lewis Carroll quote in my head. The movie was exactly as I had hoped it would be. Magical and fantastic, every scene was so carefully descriptive in the images, costumes and attention to detail that I could hardly take any of it in. It will be a movie I replay until it skips, I have no doubt. I sat in the dark with 350 other people, all enraptured by the thought of a world existing where "Everything is as it shouldn't be, and what it should be, it isn't." I had a longing, a feeling of needing to live in that world where animals are your equals and plants are companions. More than anything else, to not be accepted unless you are nothing but yourself, no matter how odd or mad you may seem to others; to in fact be held in greater esteem for showing your true colors. With a tummy full of sugar and a mind full of wonderings and musings of a very 3-D nature, we walked out of the darkened theater and into the hallway where reality set in like the harsh fluorescent lighting above us.

"That movie would have been even better if I was high," a fifteen year old girl said to her friend as they stumbled down the stairs and into the crowd of theater-goers. "Oh, did I tell you I had ISS for some bullshit reason?" I couldn't help but overhear this very loud conversation that was obviously meant to garner attention. These two girls had chatted with us before the movie began, asking my brother questions about his tattoos, and how they wanted their own. Of course, his body art depicts Christ in many ways, and he didn't pass up the opportunity to tell them this. But it fell on deaf ears, as was apparent by their conversation not 2 hours later.

Wanting to run back into the theater and be immersed again into Wonderland where I could escape everything, I instead walked through the throngs of scantily clad girls as profanities and sexual innuendo was yelled from every corner. Standing firm in the belief that we are put in this world - in this exact time and place, "For Such a Time As This," I realized my purpose is to be Alice - to show myself (Christ's reflection) to the world and know that I'll make my way to Wonderland eventually, where everything will be as it SHOULD be.

"If I Had a World of My Own, Everything Would Be Nonsense."

Call me a dreamer, think I've got my head in the clouds, or maybe just say I never quite grew up. Whichever way you want to put it, I will be falling down the rabbit hole tomorrow at 9:40pm sharp, with no intentions of resurfacing from Wonderland anytime soon. Since hearing of Tim Burton's movie adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic almost a year ago, I have been counting down the months. The date happened to fall on my unbirthday, so you can imagine my delight at being able to celebrate this way. The majority of my life can be related to the adventures in which Alice found herself, whether that be characters she came in contact with, situations she fell into, or the sometimes irrational conversations she would have with herself.

With that said, I'll now begin at the beginning and go on until I come to the end; then I will stop. Tomorrow after dinner we'll be standing in a massive qeue waiting to be admitted into the Imax 3-D theater. It only gets curiouser and curiouser from here, as I will be adorned in a couture Mad Hatter knit sweater, dangling a charm bracelet complete with teacups and playing cards from my wrist. A tea party assortment of treats will also be hidden in my oversized bag, so we'll nibble on miniature tarts, cupcakes and bon bons after we're seated and the lights have dimmed. Don't judge me, afterall if everyone minded their own business the world would go around a great deal faster than it does. I've discovered that everyone's mad anyway...I'm mad, you're mad.

Cheap Eats

I've spent the last hour searching endlessly through websites, articles, and blogs looking for what would seem to be a topic people would want to discuss. Instead, I've found a half hazard pile of outdated information. Looking for happy hour specials and weekday dining deals has proven difficult to say the least.

A few friends and I have discussed the idea of a girls' night dinner this Thursday night. They being in the same leaky boat as I am right now, we need to find a place that can feed us well, offer us a nice cocktail, and entertain us with a lively atmosphere and friendly service...without us having to stress over finances. And so the search began, only to end without many results. Chuy's in Cool Springs definitely offers the most attractive deal with great drink specials and an all you can eat nacho bar during happy hour, but the huge crowds and 60 minute wait for a table could have us digging a bit further into our pockets and paying for a little more elbow room.

Half a Year Later...

Buried in paperwork and working with no clear end in sight, I was a bit surprised that someone would nudge me from behind in my own cubicle. Granted, I shouldn't have expected a knock since I have cardboard walls that barely hover above my short self when standing barefoot, and it's approximately 5 sq. feet total, but it's my space nonetheless, so I turned my head a bit caught off guard...only to find two dozen flowers staring back at me. Never having a normal person's reaction to something lovely like this, I did not turn fully around at this point. Instead, I quickly swung my surprised head to the other side where it was met with Jeremy's waiting smile. He had come to surprise me with not one, but two bouquets of flowers, and a lunch break for our six month anniversary.

I'll be honest - I'm a sucker for surprises. But combine that with flowers and the mention of food (sushi no less), and you have my liquified heart in your hands. Instead of going to Whole Foods and doing a bit of grocery shopping while I perused the hot bar in search of a healthy, tasty deviation from my daily lunch routine, I was able to indulge in the freshest fish and the company of an amazing person. Happy Anniversary to me!