Rejects Fair

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?!
Angel and I went to the All-American Rejects concert last week and, believe you me, it was more fun than a weekend with Batman. Good times all around. The best part was that the Pacific Amphitheater is connected to the Orange County Fairgrounds so we got all hopped up on fair food before we experience the joys of Tyson Ritter. Corn on the Cob, Brisket Sandwiches, Funnel Cakes...you name it, the OC Fair's got it! Okay, okay, back to AAR - they were fantastic. On the 10 scale, I was probably at a 4 before the show started. And they were only that high because I 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.
Cheers.

Getty Goddesses

A Passion For the Arts

You know what I love the most about living in Southern California? There is always SOME great experience just waiting around the corner. I mean, not to rub it in or anything but life is so great!
Angel and I went to Pageant of the Masters this weekend. It's kind of hard to explain but I'll do my best. Okay, here goes. Basically, it's a HUGE undertaking but the artists take real people and paint them to look like 2-dimensional paintings or sculptures (obviously 3-D). It's really amazing. For example, they recreated the Trevi Fountain this year. It was incredible! They also did a few John Singer Sargent paintings. Oh, and the tradition is to do DaVinci's "The Last Supper" as the finale. It's truly amazing. I know I'm totally NOT doing it justice so go to their website - www.foapom.com. Even the website can't really do it justice but it's the best that can be done short of experiencing it yourself. So, if you're ever in Laguna Beach while Pageant of the Masters is going on, you need to make sure and get to the show.

Summer Lovin'

Davis Family Cabin

This is my grandparent's cabin we stayed at while we were in Alabama. This one picture doesn't do it justice but it is absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to get back there!

Whirlwind Adventure

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.

Lillian Hope Davis

Cold Burgers. Warm Hearts.

So, I'm 25 now. The transition was relatively painless. Except for the part when we froze our katookuses off under the gazebo. And the part where we couldn't light the candles on my cake 'cause it was WAY too windy. Oh, and the part where the hamburgers were stone cold by the time we transferred them from the grill to the picnic table 6 feet away. But we huddled together for warmth and managed to stick it out until the sun went down. It was good times. Yep, it sure was.
So, here's to another year of life. I don't know how it could POSSIBLY be better than 24 but one could only hope. Blah, blah, blah - life is good. Yes, it is.

White Pants

So, I've got this thing about birthdays. I think that when it's your birthday, you can wear whatever the heck you want. I mean it - ANYTHING! Stripes with plaids, polka dots and...well, what doesn't go with polka dots?! Anyway, you get the picture. For example, last year, at my birthday party, I wore a black and silver feather boa and a red John Mayer trucker hat. Now THAT was a great outfit. Today, I'm wearing white linen pants. Forget that it's completely unrealistic to expect me to stay clean on any given day at the office but that goes double when I'm wearing white. And white pants? Oh, boy. Bring on the stains. And let's not forget that it's not even officially summer yet (I think the first day of summer is tomorrow) and isnt' there some sort of rule about that? Or is it for shoes? Either way, I'm wearin' white pants today and I'm lovin' every minute of it! Wanna know why? 'Cause it's my birthday and I can do what I want, dang it!
Cheers, mates. Thanks for all the cards and well-wishing. My peeps rock. That's all there is to it.
P.S. My best present so far came from my sister-in-law at 12:33am ET. A baby girl! Yep, that's right. Lillian Hope Davis was born on MY birthday! It's pretty much the best present ever! Yay for babies!

California DL

It's official, I'm well on my way to putting down roots in the Sunshine State. Well, I'll keep out of jail at least! I got my driver's license today. And not a moment too soon! My Washington license expires tomorrow so it was imperitive that I pass the test. Minus 3, baby! I think that's the equivalent of a perfect score on the Mensa test, isn't it?!

Greetings From The Beach!

Les Miserables

'Nuff said, right? I think so.
Okay, okay, I'll tell you all about it. But, just so you know, my purposes are completely selfish - I just want someone to gush to! And you, dear reader, are the lucky winner!
That said, my whole life, people have told me how phenomenal Les Miserables is on stage. Honestly, I don't think I've ever heard a bad thing about it. Everyone loves it. As a matter of fact, a guy I know that doesn't like anything said that he liked Les Mis. Crazy, know. Anyway, so blah-blah-blah, people think it's great. But you know how someone talks up a movie too much and then you go in half-expecting to be completely disappointed? Well, that's sort of how I was feeling. Angel and I were late (common occurance) and we missed the first act so I was kind of thrown right into the middle of it. Which, really, wasn't that big of a deal because I was familiar with the story. ANYWAY (this story is getting WAY too long), the first bit was good but I wasn't really moved, per se. All that changed in the second act. Let it suffice to say that I was bawling like a single woman watching Sleepless in Seattle. Yep, it's true. I was trying to hide it from Angel but the tears were comin' all the same. I couldn't talk for about 30 minutes after the show 'cause I'd get all choked up when I tried to talk about it. Bottom line, I saw Les Mis and now I'm a believer. It's beautiful. I just love that it's about love and forgiveness and mercy and relationships. It's just sweet and beautiful. Oh, it's beautiful. I'm seriously gettin' teary just bloggin' about it. It's nice to experience something that moves you so deeply every once in awhile. Things like that don't come along very often these days.
I think the show is going to stop touring after this year (LA is one of the last stops) but if you've never seen it then make sure you fit it somewhere into your life plan. As one who was unenlighted to the power and beauty of Les Miserables, trust me, you won't regret it.

Getty Up and Go

Okay, for the peeps who are prone to bouts of jealousy due to my awesome adventures, I give you - The Getty Villa. We're headin' up to Malibu on July 22nd for a day of strolling among Greek, Roman and Etruscan masterpieces. Everyone is welcome but you have to lemme know if you're comin' so I can get you tickets.
For the Utah peeps bound for Mexico in November, this might be a fun side trip. I don't know if we'll have TONS of time but we could probably take a gander up the PCH. Somethin' to consider.
Ciao, babes.

The Getty

On Friday, Angel and I went to The J. Paul Getty Museum in LA. It was AWESOME! It was really great to be back in a museum around so many beautiful works of art. The Getty has quite a broad collection. Seriously, they've got something for everyone - Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir - gang's all there. In fact, we caught the tail end of one of the tours and we happened upon Van Gogh's "Irises" and overheard the tourguide telling the people that The Getty Institute acquired the piece in 1989 for the bargain price of 50 million dollars. That's right, 50 MILLION DOLLARS! All I have to say is, I'd like the kind of financial backing The Getty is getting. I can't even imagine having that kind of money to burn. All in the name of the arts, I guess.
The Getty has gardens, too. They're awesome. There's a really neat abstract cluster of bushes in the middle of a pond - it's pretty cool. It's like a jetty at the Getty!
The weather was so beautiful so The Getty was at it's best! It's really open and airy so good weather days make it unbelievably enjoyable. There were clear skies out across Los Angeles, too. Amazing. All in all, a perfect day.
Bottom line, if you haven't been to The Getty, you'd better getty there!

RICHARD!

So, my old pal Richard showed up on my doorstep last night for a visit! Oh, boy! It was a total surprise! It was so good to see him and hug him and walk on the beach with him and laugh my head off with him. Sometimes I forget how great it is to have friends pop in and out every once in while. Things got off to a rocky start (see story below) but we ended up havin' a great time. We went to Laguna Beach and watched the surfers. We even saw dolphins! Richard was so cute - he loved the beach. Then we all went home and nestled in our beds for a long winter's nap. Okay, it was a short summer nap but you get the point. All in all, a great time!

After work yesterday, I had the worst headache. So, when Richard came I was taking a nap. I heard Angel answer the door but I just rolled over and went back to sleep. The next thing I knew, she was like, "Paula! Paula! I need you to come help me with something in the living room!" And I was like, "Huh?!" So then she said, "You have a visitor! Get up!" So I rolled out of bed in a haze and stumbled to the living room. So, I'm standing in the hallway looking at Richard on the couch and then I look back at Angel. Then back at Richard. Then back at Angel. Back to Richard, again. And for some reason (probably due to sleepy haze), it just wasn't processing. I didn't recognize Richard and I was thinkin' Angel needed help with something but I couldn't figure out what she needed help with. I just didn't know what was going on. Then, all of the sudden the haze cleared and I yelled, "RICHARD!" And then it was all good. It was really funny, though. Maybe you just had to be there. The end.

Isn't it funny how little things spark these deep moments of introspection? Angel and I discovered a really great new singer - Tyrone Wells. During one of his live shows, Tyrone talks about getting past the glitz and glamour of life to realize that what matters most are the relationships you have with people - relationships with family, friends and God. I was listening to a live recording of one of his shows and I was reminded about what he said. It's amazing to me that, when all is said and done, it really is the relationships that bring the spark to life and make it all worthwhile. It really is what matters most.

Can I Get An AMEN?!

Why is Memorial Day Weekend so dang awesome?! 'Cause it just is - that's why! My li'l sis and Rashawnduh came to visit this weekend and it was a B-L-A-S-T! Yep, it certainly was. We hit DL, the beach (in multiple locales) and some ridiculously delicious Ruby's! Yep, it was good times - too bad you missed it. Maybe next year, maybe next year. Anyhoo, thanks to all who made the weekend what it was. Nothin' like shakin' the funk off with a rockin' weekend!
Speaking of funk, I've decided to continue with the "chill-out, dude" mentality. So far, so good. I'll get back to you on how long it actually lasts. I've just realized that even though I'd like to be a gamillionaire and without a care in the world, it's important that I recognize all that I do have. I'm a pretty lucky girl. Yep, it's true.
Can I get an amen?

chillin' like a villan

you know, i've really been stressin' the past couple days. i just wanna know what it's all about. and, thanks, but it's not the hokey pokey. i'm goin' through the "displacement phase" or whatever. i don't even know what to call it. bottom line, i'm takin' some advice for one of my newest favorite peeps, t-pizzy, and i'm just gonna let myself be. i'm gonna go with the flow, do what i wanna do, blog in lower case and go to the beach. yep, it's the cure for the common funk, baby. believe that. life is good. i should be happy as a clam. i guess i'm just gettin' a chance to step back, take a look, make a change or two and continue on the course. i'll let you know how it goes. i'll be fine tomorrow. just you wait and see.

love, peace and chicken grease,

paula

quarter-life crisis? maybe a little one.

i don't know why but i have been so worked up about the big 2-5 lately. i'm feelin' like it's time to buckle down and do what i gotta do. know what i'm sayin'? i've been super busy lately - tap, guitar, tennis - but i can't help but think that i'm not taking care of the things that really need my attention - exercising, getting out of debt, being where i need to be spiritually - and i'm thinkin' i want to focus on that for the next year. this is so bad, but i feel like i should "live it up" now while i'm young because i'm not gonna have a chance to when i'm older. i just don't want to "put my life on hold" for a year. then again, it's not really putting anything on hold if i'm takin' care of business, right? hum. i guess it would be beneficial to "put my life on hold" now and take care of these things then to keep ignoring it and look back 5 years later and wonder about the time i wasted. i don't know why these little things are such a struggle for me. i mean, i guess they're not really little things, per se. they're just things that most people don't really struggle with. or don't want to admit they struggle with! there's the secret right there. i reckon 25 is a good age to get naked with yourself emotionally, spiritually, financially and every other way that matters. i'll think on that and let you know. on the brighter side, i can feel myself coming closer to the conclusion. i've got a month or so to figure it out so i'm hoping that i'll know what's up by june 20th. we shall see.

More Than Words

I'm pretty good at reading people. That said, I really hate being left to wonder what people are really thinking. As a matter of fact, it makes me crazy. I just wish that people would say what they really think and be done with it. Don't you? Let's just get it all out there so everyone knows where they really stand - the real place, not the one that I think you think I think you think I stand on. Clear as mud? I thought so. Granted, I am a bit of a diva. In fact, I'll be the first to admit it. But, the reality is, you'll always know where you stand with me 'cause I'll tell you. Is it too much to except everyone else in the world to do the same?! I don't think so.

Chalk Fest

I wanna be a chalk artist. And a hula dancer. Is that really too much to ask?
I went to the Chalk Walk in Mission Viejo this weekend and saw some pretty awesome talent. It was amazing. I put my name into a raffle for art lessons. I've decided that after I master tap, piano, tennis and guitar, I'll hit up the art circuit. Might as well, right? I've got a million other things going on right now. Why not add one more?!
Oh, and I've decided to take hula lessons, too. Okay, I haven't really decided, per se, but it's definitely on the list. Angel and I drove up to LA for the Aloha Expo on Saturday. It was fun. So many Polynesians, so little time. Whatever that means. I've always been so facinated with the Polynesian culture. I want my wedding reception to be a full on luau. Dare me? I'll do it. You know I would. Anyway, Kari has a friend that dances in a halau near Garden Grove - she's adorable! We chatted a bit about hula and now I just can't get it out of my head. Oh, buh! Anyhoo, like I said, I need to focus. I've already got a bit on my plate. I need to work on those before I take on anything else. Right-o, Cap'n.