I've been out of commission the past week or so courtesy of the backwoods of Alabama. And when I say backwoods, I mean WAY back. Anyway, Happy 4th of July to all - a little late. Here's a recap of the past few days (I'll attach pics later).
Friday, June 30
I just spent half the day jet settin' across the country - New Orleans by way of Dallas. We surprised my grandparents at the Imperial Palace seafood buffet in Biloxi, MS - it was good times. All my dad and his siblings were together for the first time in 12 years. There were tears in the eyes of my grandaddy - not a common occurance. Did I mention it was a seafood buffet?! When the Davis' roll into town, they run those places into the ground. They stop bringin' out the food just to get us to leave - we're talkin' about plates and plates piled high with crablegs, shrimp, prime rib and whatever else we can fit on there. And there are often 3rd, 4th or 5th trips back to the buffet.
Saturday, July 1
I love southern folk - that's simply all there is to it. The whole reason for this trip was to celebrate my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. After a night of family stories and rollicking laughter, we were up bright and early to decorate the hall for the anniversary party. We must've spent 2 hours ironing chair covers - no kiddin'! It was pretty amazing to see everyone come together to get the work done. It's the Davis way but it never ceases to amaze me.
The party went off without a hitch. Well, there was a re-hitching since my grandparents renewed their vows. It was beautiful. Of course, there was dancing. Boy, was there dancing! In fact, watching the dancing reminded me of why I love Davis family gatherings so much - everyone is so uninhibited! They talk, hug, laugh, kiss and dance like they don't have a care in the world and they've known you their whole life. It's a beautiful thing. There's a whole lot of comfort in knowing that you'll always be welcomed with hugs and kisses. It's good to be with family.
Sunday, July 2
We finally got everyone packed up and headed up to my grandparent's cabin in Gosport, AL. My grandparents built a beautiful log home a few years ago and that's where we congregated. It's absoultely gorgeous. And it's deep in the backwoods of Alabama - dirt roads, cotton fields and country folk. What's more could a girl ask for?!
Monday, July 3
Today brought with it visions of Southern belles sittin' out on the porch with their straw hats and glasses of lemonade. Life moves real slow in Gosport. Real slow. We spent most of the day sittin' around - tellin' stories and laughin' our heads off. My uncle Guy is an avid golfer and he taught me to swing a club. I'm no Tiger Woods but I got a few good hits in.
I also met some cousins that live on Davis land. Actually, Grandaddy is their great uncle so I'm not exactly sure what the relation is - we'll just say cousins and call it a day. They were very sweet and once I coaxed them out of their shyness we had a grand time! They taught me how to play some really fun card games along with the Davis favorite - Dominoes.
Tuesday, July 4
Happy Birthday, America!
Today, my uncle Guy set up a driving range behind the cabin. All the cousins were out there honing their skills as golf extroadinaires. It was a sight to behold. My uncle guy was sweatin' bullets because some of the cousins didn't realize that it's not exactly safe to be drivin' into the field when other people are shaggin' balls! All the kids had such a great time. It was good to see smiles on their faces and their excitement over something new.
After dark, I went over to my cousin Bookie's trailer with Brittany (another cousin) and all the other cousins to shoot off bottle rockets and various other fireworks. It was like going back 15 years. It reminded me that it really is about the little things in life that bring the most happiness. After my initial fear of holding a bottle rocket in my hand (a warranted fear, by the way), I had a great time! By the end of the night, I was shootin' 'em off like a pro!
After all the excitement, I said my goodbyes to my little cousins. I wish that I could stay with them longer. They're such good kids and I just loved spending time with them. Oh well, I'll just have to make another trip.
Wednesday, July 5
We left the cabin this morning and drove into New Orleans to catch our flights home. On the way, we saw a tornado! It was the weirdest thing. One minute my dad was pointing out a funnel cloud and the next minute it was sucking up water out of the bay. Too weird. It was close, too! Freaky!
It was sad to say goodbye to my parents but I'll see them soon enough, I'm sure. Being with my family all week just reminded me how great it is to be around people that always love me unconditionally. Granted, I have people like that in my life that aren't necessarily "family" but it's just different when there's blood. Know what I mean? Anyway, back to California and the "real" world.
Thursday, July 6
I'm never flying again. And I hate American Airlines.
So, my flight yesterday was from New Orleans to Orange County with a connection in Dallas. Well, there was a bad storm in Dallas when my flight was trying to come in so we spent an hour circling above DFW. They closed DFW and our plane was running out of gas so we had to reroute to Oklahoma City to refuel. By the time we refueled and got back to Dallas, they had reopened the airport. That was the good news. The bad news was that everyone missed they're connecting flights and they had cancelled all other flights into Orange County. My cell phone battery was dead so I couldn't call anyone to let them know what was going on. I ended up staying the night in a hotel with a woman I met on the plane, which wasn't bad because she was very sweet and I really enjoyed her company. So, I shuttled home from the airport, jumped in the shower and hightailed it to work. All in all, quite an adventure!
And now I'm back in the OC, baby, and lovin' life! Good times, good times.
Who doesn't love pop concerts? That's what I want to know. I mean, screaming teens, overpriced souvenirs and ridiculously loud music...what's not to love?! 
thought the lead singer was smokin' hot. By the end of the show, they were up (WAY up) to 8 or 9 status. They put on a great show. The lead singer, Tyson Ritter, had a great sense of humor and was really good about playin' to the crowd. And the best part was that their set wasn't too long. They played really well for an hour and then left you wanting more but still satisfied. Makes perfect sense, right? Okay, bottom line - The All American Rejects are far from being rejects. In fact, if Tyson wants to knock on my door, he can be confident that he'll be received with open arms. 
