Everything Since the Road Trip

It's been a while since the last post, but I've been told that I must update my blog. Let's start where we left off. Palm Springs, CA. Palm Springs was very pretty. It was an oasis nestled in the mountains of Southern California. We stayed, thanks to Priceline, in a very nice 4 star hotel. It was late when we got there so all we wanted to do was eat and go to sleep. The hotel was set up with the rooms on the outside and a restaurant and pool on the inside. The inside courtyard was a maze. Sidewalks began and ended with no real rhyme or reason. We cut through bushes and gazeboes to get to our room and when we got to the door we heard music playing. We looked at each other in fear because we thought we were given an occupied room. Apparently though, this hotel likes to blast the jams to welcome new guests. We ate at the restaurant and were told that we could hang out by the pool and hot tub after we checked out because the hotel wasn't busy. Although it was tempting, we slept too late to do any more relaxing. We ate Thai for breakfast and headed on our way.
The drive was the shortest of the trip. With that being said, it was quite boring. We drove through a lot of dreary farmland and before we knew it, it was night time. We pulled up to Michael's place around dinner time and all went to a pizza place in his neighborhood. We toasted our arrival and had a special meal.
In the following weeks, we looked at apartments every day. It took us about 10 days but we found an apartment we liked in Berkeley. It's a 20 minute walk to the BART and 10 minute drive (because of traffic). It's big, comfy, and filled to the brim with IKEA furniture.
School has been good for the both of us. Hard, but good. I find that I've learned more about photography in these past 5 weeks than I have my entire life. Vasi is learning a lot as well. All in all, we like our school.
That brings me to an interesting point. I got a speeding ticket in Austin, TX for doing 65 in a 60. I paid the ticket online and didn't think about it. My mom called me up a month ago and told me that I have a warrant out for my arrest and that I have to appear in court because I'm a minor. I called the court and they told me that I was born in 1995 and that I'm actually 15 years old. I couldn't send them an email with my scanned license because they haven't upgraded their system to the 21st century yet. So after talking to the man he said he would take care of it. I called a week later and a different guy told me that nothing was changed and that I need to mail them a copy of my license. I mailed them a copy but we will have to see if this actually takes care of it.
I miss everyone a lot! If anyone wants to come and visit, you're welcome to stay at my apartment. I think the next time I'll be in NJ will be in September for my cousins wedding. So, until then, I still love you all! ;)

NOLA evacuation into the Austin city limits

Day 4:

Our day began with many failed attempts to leave New Orleans. First, there was road construction blocking I-10 West. Next, a tractor trailer flipped over in front of the next on ramp. We had to drive an extra 10 miles or so just to get on the highway out.

After about an hour of driving, we stopped in Baton Rouge at a place called Chimes East for an early lunch. I had a crab and shrimp etoufee and Vasi had shrimp and corn soup and a salmon caesar salad. Both were very delicious. The restaurant had an extensive beer menu from around the world, but I couldn't try any because of the long drive ahead.

We drove through the swamps and bayous of Louisiana to finally get to our hotel in Austin. We stayed at the W hotel and, thanks to Priceline, it was extremely cheap. I recommend using name your own price anytime you can, it saved me hundreds of dollars this trip. After admiring our room's decor and changing our clothes, we ventured into downtown Austin.

We ended up at a nice bar with a decent blues band. We had a few drinks while sitting on a comfy couch and listened to the music. After the band was done, the loud house music started so we decided to find another bar. Our friends Susi and Peter suggested we check out live music at a bar called The Parish, so we walked down the block and we were there. It was also "Free Week" in Austin, so no bar or music event had cover charges. *Borat* Very nice! We saw a band called Frontier Brothers play. They were good, very pop, and entertaining. We headed back to the hotel after the music was over and went to sleep.

Day 5:

What a day... We decided to get barbecue for an early lunch so we packed up the car and headed to the Salt Lick. We got pulled over on the way because, apparently, I was going faster than everyone else. I think it was more that I had out of town plates but we'll never know. The only thing that would cheer me up was more bad decisions. At the Salt Lick, I ate 4 different types of animal: pig, chicken, turkey, and cow. It was quite a treat. I try to only eat meat when I'm in Austin because the barbecue is exceptional. After lunch, we headed to Lake Travis and took pictures of scenery for a couple of hours. We left when the park ranger told us the park was closing.

We knew we were gonna meet up with Susi and Peter but we didn't know where they lived or when we were getting together. So, we headed to South Congress to pass the time till we found out more info. We walked around an antique store first and then headed to an outdoor bar with a very old blues/zydeco band playing. We ordered margaritas and watched the old men enjoy playing music. Vasi wished that I was in a fun band when I was their age. I told her that I hoped I played better than they did, but she didn't appreciate the sentiment. Eventually, we got the info and were off to Peter's house.

After eating, we went to see live music at an outdoor venue in the Red River district. Peter's boss was the singer/guitarist of the first band, My Golden Calf. Definitely my favorite band of the night. Another band played but they were way to dissident and loud for my tastes. Mother Flacon, an 18 piece orchestral rock group, was the final band. After setting up for 45 minutes, it was was only fitting that it started to pour right before they started playing. I wasn't too terribly impressed with their music but everyone else around was really into it. To each his own.

We headed back to the house where Peter and Susi gave up their bed for us while they slept in a tent on the living room floor. Thank you again to you both! That was so gracious and kind. You two are the best!

Day 6:

Lots of Driving!!! We ate breakfast in Austin before heading we on I-10....all day. Not much to say here. We just put the pedal to the metal and rocked the 80 mph daytime speed limit for as long as we could. We're staying in Las Cruces, NM, a small city about 30 miles north of El Paso, TX. We took some great pics that I'll put up when I get to Oakland. I seriously am exhausted and my mind can't handle editing photos at the moment.

We're driving 10 hours tomorrow to get to Palm Springs California. Priceline got us a very nice cheap hotel. But I need to go to bed now. Until next time, we love you all!

The Day in NOLA

Day 3:

Today was a fantastic day. It started with brunch and Brennan's. We each shared Oyster chowder and seafood okra gumbo, Eggs Portuguese and Eggs Ellen, and Banana's Foster and Strawberry Crepes. The food was fantastic and gave us lots of energy for the day ahead.

Next, we went shopping for dinner outfits. We walked all around NOLA looking for places to get dress clothes. We ended up at a mall where I was told I could not take pictures by a security guard. He was....an idiot. After getting clothes, we walked around sightseeing and shopping. We each picked up cool masquerade masks for Halloween. We ate beignets and cafe au laits at the Cafe de Monde. Vasi bought some voodoo herbs to keep our trip going well and to bring her good luck. We walked back through Bourbon St. to get one last look at the craziness.

Dinner was at Commander's Palace. I had 2 of the best Old Fashions ever! Vasi got the Whiskey Smash which was also very tasty. The food was good, but for some reason I likes Roy's, in Jacksonville, more. The food wasn't spiced perfectly for some reason. But, the service was fantastic!

Back at the hotel, we went to sleep early for the long drive ahead. We're headed to Austin, TX, on of our favorite cities, for some barbecue (this is the one time I eat meat). Until then, we love you all!

Biringham and the Trip to NOLA

Day 2:

Yesterday was a rainy cloudy morning/afternoon. We stopped for lunch in Birmingham, Alabama and had lunch in the 5-points district. We ate a 26, a restaurant that we tried the first time we drove through Birmingham, because we knew the food and service were excellent. The food was very good and was a welcome rest from driving. After lunch we headed back on the road. The clouds cleared around 5:30 just in time for a beautiful sunset. We made it to New Orleans by dinner-time.

The hotel, The Iberville Suites, is very nice. Big rooms with fake paintings on the walls. After changing, we headed to Bourbon Street and walked around for 45 minutes. We ate at an overpriced restaurant but the food was decent. We stopped in a sports bar afterwords and had drinks. Vasi ordered a hurricane and it was STRONG. At least three shots of rum in it. After a long talk at the bar, we called it a night and headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow is our day in New Orleans and we'll tell you all about it then. Love you all!

The Move West

Day 1:

Today was a very sad day. I said goodbye to my mom and dad. I didn't know how sad it actually all was until I saw my Mom crying. It made me not want to leave at all. But, I'm starting a new step in my life with the most special girl ever, Vasilisa! So, we left at 9:30 AM, picked up Vasilisa's newly prescribed medicine, and were on our way.

For some reason, I didn't think out how far we were going to be driving per day and only planned to drive 450 miles a day. This is not smart for how we want to go. Our new plan is to drive 8 hours a day, about 600 miles, in 2 hour shifts with lunch in between the first and second half. I left my good camera in the back this first day because, one, it was already packed and, two, I've seen Northeast scenery before and I'm not too excited to take pictures of it.

Some of the things we talked about on the road included how this was the saddest goodbye we've had, tea tree oil, and stories from college. We stopped in Harrisonburg, Virginia for lunch at a place called Clementine Cafe. It was an artsy bar with a huge beer selection. The food was good and the waiter was attentive, although he only would look at Vasi when he came to the table. Someone had a crush! We made it to Knoxville, Tennessee by 9:30, which was a little late to go to the nicer restaurants, so we went to Applebee's. Not the best but at least we can get something that fits our diets. Our first choice was Pizza Palace, a fast food pizza restaurant with "excellent salads." When we pulled in and saw that it was a 1950's style drive-in we kept driving through and went straight to the hotel.

One of the best changes from this trip from our last trip, in my opinion, is that I can tether my phone to my laptop and use my phone as a modem. This makes booking hotels, finding restaurants and POI's, and changing the route super quick and easy. I wouldn't recommend road-tripping without a laptop w/ internet. It saves a lot of arguments and wasted time from occurring.

Our next leg takes us to New Orleans by dinner time. This should be a lot of fun and I'll have a bunch of pictures to upload. Until then, Vasi and I love you all!

New Paltz and Mr. Bowie's Castle

This past weekend, Verity in Stereo headed up to New Paltz, NY. On thursday we played at a bar called Snug Harbor. The Bar was nice and the bartender supplied the band with beer but, there were only about 15 people there so it was sort of a bust. The next day, we wrote a little music then headed to a BBQ at Kiirstin's friend Liz's house. We drank beer and played asshole and gave everyone a taste of the dirty Jerz. We played at a coffee house called the Muddy Cup that night to a similar sized crowd. There was more of a turnover though so more exposure I guess. After the show, I met up with Vasi and her mom and we drove to a motel outside of town. The next morning we got up early so that we could hike/rock climb the next day. It was a fantastic day. 5 & 1/2 hour hike around Mohonk Mountain. There was even a castle in the middle with a path leading up to it called the labyrinth. Vasi and I concluded that the Goblin Prince himself lived in those hallowed halls. After the hike, we had a nice dinner with Natasha and Bob-O, Vasi's mom and climbing buddy respectively. The drive home was quick and the sleep afterwords was deep. I can't wait to do it again!

Waldorf, MD and the Delta Blues

Hello from Waldorf, Maryland! I'm currently sitting in one of my band's manager's friend's house. What a day, what a night! The 4 hour drive seemed to fly by with Corinne, Mikal, and Craig in the car. That and I was going very fast. I hit 96 mph at one point.
We played at a Christian music club. There was a giant stop sign with "STOP ABORTIONS NOW" written on it. A lot of Republicans. There were about 10 kids that crowded the stage to hear us. They seemed to really enjoy the music so at least there was that. Good times.
After the show we went a half a mile up the street to a place called Delta Blues Juke Joint & Diner. For the people from JU, think if the old UD was a Creole place. The food was excellent and the staff was too. The chef and owner even hung out with us and gave us free food. Highly recommend this joint.
Today, we'll be walking through D.C. I havent been here in a while so it should be fun. Plus the weather is gorgeous! Take care everyone and thanks for reading!