Burglary in Ponca

Yesterday, about 10 friends and I drove down to Ponca, AR to go caving. After an hour and a halfish of driving on 412 (my favorite because it's so so windy and hilly) we got to the cave, and made some friends who were on their way out of the cave and who had a rope that went down into the cave entry. We decided that it would be a little hard to free climb out, so we set a time when we would be done so that they could come back and get their rope after we had climbed out. Anyway, we got into the cave and I can confidently say that it was my favorite cave to date. We were caving upstream through a creek nearly the entire way, a bat flew right past my face and through Maddy's legs, we made a makeshift slide inside, and all the while we knew that once we got out we had "50 cent grilled cheeses" waiting for us. And this starts the story that is the actual reason for this blog post.

After everyone was out of the cave (we were thankfully not bamboozled by our Conway/Waco friends, and their rope was still there when we wanted to climb out) we started to drive back towards the little town square that Maddy had been to before. On our way to the cave Maddy realized she had been to the Bed and Breakfast on the square and excitedly remembered their 50 cent grilled cheeses. We're all hungry and excited and I walk into the B&B and ask,

"Do you still have grilled cheese!?" cause it had been a while since Maddy had been there.

Her reply? "No. And even if we did, our grill is closed."

My thoughts replied, "Thanks for the sass and also, it's 4:00...how is your grill closed and what does that even mean??" But my mouth replied, "Oh okay, well can I have a large Diet Coke then please?"

"A dollar sixty," she said.

I open my Hobo. Only $1.26 to my name!! And I can't justify putting $1.60 on my credit card! "Sam (the little brother) do you want anything? Or do you have 34 cents?"

Maddy came to my rescue with "Emmy, it's fine...I'll get it."

"Thanks, sister."

I tell the sassy teenager working at the B&B that my friend will get my drink and head out the door. After about 25 minutes I find out that there is some serious eye-rolling and under-the-breath-cussing coming from the girl in the restaurant when everyone else is ordering milkshakes. Everyone is getting kinda tired of waiting, so we just load up and start driving back to Fayetteville. I'm driving Maddy's car and after a couple minutes on the road I see a police car pull behind me.

"Dang it...no speeding on these fun, windy roads. There's a cop behind me!" I say. Maddy looks at me wide-eyed and says, "Oh no! I forgot to pay for your drink!"

Then I start to semi-freak out, thinking that the girl who did not like us realized my thievery and sent him after me! I try to rationalize, "It was only $1.60! But still, $1.60 that I owe! But surely it's not that big of a deal! But wait, I'm a thief! I'm a burglar! I stole this drink! I need to turn around! He's coming to take me to the slammer!" I consider turning around. I consider scrounging through my car for 34 more cents and throwing the $1.60 out the window. All the while, the cop is in hot pursuit of me. (Not really, but he was tailing me and I felt like such a hoodrat.)

And then it happens. The lights come on!

I pull over and prepare myself for my sentencing. He walks up. I roll down the window.

"Hello ma'am. The reason I'm pulling you over is because you've got a tail light out. Can I see your license?" Sweet relief.

After a couple minutes the cop comes back, hands me my license and says (this is the real quote), "Welp, I called in your license and you're not a criminal!" He smiles and hands it back to me.

My insides are screaming, "Yes I am! I am a criminal! Cuff me! I'm a burglar!" The real words that come out are, "Thank you! We'll get the light fixed! Have a good day!"

So that's it. I'm a thief.

please don't stop the rain

Me sharing this little nugget of joy needed to happen almost two days ago, but it made me so happy it's worth a late post.

I can't tell you how many times I prayed for rain over the course of my 86 days as a Californian. Easily, rain is my most favorite weather.  However, the Lord never saw fit to bless me with the cool, refreshing droplets and atmosphere and attitude that accompany it.

and THEN...

Tuesday morning, 5 am, sound asleep on my real mattress (three months on an air mattress in LA was enough) under my real covers and sheets that tuck in (another issue with the air mattress), I was woken up by the soft sound of raindrops on my window.  What started out as a gentle rain quickly became a thunder-you-feel-in-your-bones, lightning-you-see-through-your-eyelids storm.  I literally couldn't fall back asleep because I couldn't stop thanking Jesus.  I also kept saying, in the words of my man James, please don't stop the rain.

ALSO!  Tonight the littlest Lutz put PANDORA on my BLACKBERRY!  What!?  It is one of the greatest things you can imagine.  Pandora to go?  Yes please and thank you.  William Fitzsimmons Radio, thank you for bringing joy to my soul.

The monthly wrap-up

So it's been a while since a post...I haven't been feeling wordy.  (Saying that makes sense to me.)  BUT lots has happened over the last few weeks in Lala Land.  I'll inform you up to last weekend because it deserves it's own post.

Here's the general specific(s) (points to you if you caught that reference): 

• Fourth of July:  I got to spend the fourth with my favorite people in LA-Jake and Lesley Roberts!  I went to their place in the Palisades and cooked and out and spent time with friends and then when it got dark (which California takes FOREVER to get dark at night!) we went up and sat on the roof and simultaneously watched the firework shows in Malibu, Will Rogers, and Santa Monica!  Once we saw all those finales, the started shooting them off 2 blocks in front of us at Pali High.  Even though I felt like a traitor to the lake (the general lake...doesn't matter which one), it was so fun to spend this holiday here, with some of the greatest people LA has to offer.
• Later that week I was at Caffe Etc. (one of THE best places to eat in Hollywood) with my boss and he saw Joel Madden walking in.  They're friends (Joel has a studio in our office building) and he came over and I met him and we all talked for a while.  Something really respectable about Joel that my boss told me is that never in his life has he had one drink of alcohol or used any drug.  W2G, Joel.
• The next weekend I finally saw some people I have known for more than 2 months!  My mom's best friend and husband came to LA and I got to take them to church and go out to lunch with them.  (Sidenote: at lunch, Whitney Port and I had a mild staring contest)
• THEN, the next weekend, Mer and Dave came!  After spending-no exaggeration-45 minutes driving 4 miles on the 405, I floored it, spent some time illegally in the HOV lane, and made it to LAX to pick up my mom.  She and I had such a great weekend doing things that I haven't gotten to do all summer due to my lack of funds...and just spending time together.  (But really, if you're looking for a good day of meals in LA: The Waffle for breakfast, The Ivy for lunch and maybe some In-N-Out to round off the day.)
• On Sunday, we went to pick up my dad from LAX, took him to Jake and Lesley's to meet them and have lunch and then went down to Orange County!  My parents had their 25th anniversary in June and were going down to celebrate in the OC and I got to come and spend 2 days with them.  It was a MUCH needed break from the crazy, fast pace of the city.  I also got to take off work Monday and Tuesday...my first days off all summer.  PTL for that and for being on a beach that is not Santa Monica.
• This post is long and the following weekend was one for the books, so I'll get around to posting about it soon.  Let's just say it has to do with a great friend, lots and lots of ridiculous things to laugh about and COLDPLAY.

Okay that's all!  KC, see you in 6 days and 23 hours, respectively.  (We're going off central time, here).

A-A-A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S

As my second chunk of world-traveling friends have recently departed for exciting countries for the second half of the summer: places I’ve sung about a hundred times in that country’s language but have never actually been to before, it makes me think back on my Arkansas days, when we were all together.  Before coming out to LA, I was pretty much ready to be done with Arkansas.  Three years was enough, four would be more than plenty.  But after spending the last two months of life in the Golden State, I’ve come to miss a few things about the Natural.  In my infinite amount of free time as an intern at Job #2 (Universal Music Group), I’ve decided to write an acronymic ode to Arkansas and the things I miss about it (might be a little difficult considering all the A’s and S’s).   

Any relationship that doesn’t involve schmoozing.  People survive and make their living by networking and name-dropping out here. I just want to spend time with someone because I enjoy being with them!

Rain.  It has “rained” count it: ONCE since I got out here 59 days ago.  And by “rained” I mean the sky spit a little bit (not even worth using windshield wipers) and people freaked out.  It was the same response people in Fayetteville have to snow.  Everyone forgets how to drive, how to think, how to breathe… I love rain so much, I just wish I could have one thunderstorm. 

Kampish clothes.  I accidentally wore Nike shorts on Rodeo Drive one afternoon and have never felt like more of an outcast in my life.  (I wouldn't normally refer to Nike shorts as "Kamp clothes" but K was hard, so we're making that term work.)

Average prices for parking.  Honestly, $3 per 15 minutes?  I need to get a Segway and/or stop complaining about the parking situation in Fayetteville.

Normal driving speeds.  Office #1 is 7 miles away, and I’m on the highway for about 6.8 of those.  And it takes me 35 minutes to get to work.

Sonic and Chick-fil-a that are closer than 20 and 30 miles away.  Chances are good that if you’re reading my blog, you know of my love for a good Route 44 Diet Dr. Pepper easy ice from Sonic.  You might also know that after camping out for 52 free Chick-fil-a meals, I’ve come to really really love their sandwiches (which I’d never even had before I camped out.  In January.)  Of these two heavily-frequented places in my life in Arkansas, I have had ONE Chick-fil-a sandwich in the last two months and ZERO anything from Sonic.  Perfect corner of Sixth Street, I’ll be back soon.

Activity/Walking: It took a while to realize this one, but I hardly even walk in LA.  Here’s my day:  Leave my apartment by taking the elevator down to my car (the stairs don’t take you out to the level I park on), drive to the parking deck at one of my offices, take the elevator from the 5^th floor down to the street, walk to the office, take the elevator to the 4^th or 5^th floor (depending on where I’m working that day), and then do it all in reverse to get home.  The only time I walked all day was from the parking deck to the building and around the office!  PTL for the little tiny workout room in my apartment that I have shockingly come to love.

Smiling.  Really, people don’t smile out here.  Here’s a story that gives proof to that point:  One night I was sitting outside of a Panera next to the window, just reading and listening to my iPod.  At one point I happened to look up from my book and accidentally made eye contact with a guy in there and just as a natural reaction, smiled.  I thought literally nothing of it, and looked back down at my book.  A few seconds later I was startled by  a tap on my shoulder.  It was him, with a HUGE smile on his face.  He stuck his hand in my face, wanting me to shake it and when I did he said, “Hi! I’m Ray!  You smiled at me in there and I just wanted to come out and say thanks.  If I ever see you again out here, we cool, aight?”  What?  I just smiled!  I’ve also been pinned as a Southerner three times because I “never stop smiling”.  All right…

 

It’s not that there’s not a ton of great things about LA, but there’s some aspects of it that make Arkansas look pretty good.  Fayetteville, see you in exactly one month.

Seriously, foreign vacationers?

Today I was walking to my car from the Beverly Center, and I saw this mom, dad and son. They nervously approached me and this is the conversation that we had (I quickly figured out that they were from somewhere in Europe):

"Uh, escuza me? Escuza me?"

"Yessir?"

"You know ver Et Hotty ees?"

"Um...excuse me?"

"Et Hotty? Zee Et Hotty store?"

"Um, Ed Hardy?"

"Ya!"

"Yeah. Actually if you just keep walking around this side of the building you'll get to the entrance and I'm pretty positive there's an Ed Hardy store in there."

"Ees dee flagsheep?"

"The flagship Ed Hardy store?! I have no idea, I'm sorry!"

"Ya the flagsheep Et Hotty store ees on this street or that?"

"Yeah...I don't actually know. But if you go to the store inside I bet they would tell you!"

"It's eenside?"

"Sir, I think there's an Ed Hardy store inside the Beverly Centre, I'm not sure if it's the flagship store or not, but I bet they could help you figure that out. Just go inside and up the escalator!"

"Okay, sank you. Sank you so, so much."

They were so precious and SO concerned about finding the flagship store.

The Ed Hardy flagship store. What!?

Then I was in another store and a man from Israel started a conversation for me and offered to buy me a pair of jeans in exchange for my phone number. What?

Only in LA.

Cecilia

So at work, we are all obsessed with this band: Local Natives.  My bosses tried to sign them a year-ish ago, but apparently they're pulling a Bon Iver and keeping it indie for a while.  Their original songs are great, but I'm in love with this Simon & Garfunkel cover.  I hope you are too:

pattycakes

Three nights ago I saw one of the most amazing concerts ever.  One that had been on my life to-do list and exceeded my expectations.  

On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert.

On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller.

On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever).

On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever) AND snuck my camera in so I have secret, contraband photos and video.*

On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever) AND snuck my camera in so I have secret, contraband photos and video AND had VIP wall passes.

On Wednesday night I saw PATTY GRIFFIN in concert with Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, and Buddy Miller at The Greek Theatre (the greatest venue ever) AND snuck my camera in so I have secret, contraband photos and video AND had VIP wall passes for FREE!

Now let me give you some details:

The Greek Theatre is this amazing amphitheater tucked away in a forest (basically) in Griffith Park in LA.  It was the greatest, most intimate, amazing concert.  Patty, Emmylou, Buddy and Shawn all sat in a semi circle with their instruments right next to them and each just had one microphone in front of them.  All night, they just went around and around, one person at a time playing their music.  For example, Patty would be sitting, leading one of her songs on guitar and vocals, Emmylou right next to her would be playing this little miniature djembe or shaker, while Buddy sitting next to her would be playing cool riffs on his acoustic and Shawn was singing harmony.  This went on for 2 hours with everyone accompanying each other on their songs and laughing and telling stories in between.  It was amazing and made my heart so happy. 

I also saw my first pair of Chacos since I've been in LA.  The people there were so granola and perfect. :)

*pictures to come