So I graduated. And I'm here now, after driving 1500+ miles. Here are some highlights:
- I sped through all of Arkansas with promises from my dad of being able to eat Rendezvous barbecue in Memphis, TN. We pulled into Memphis around 6, found our way to the best dry-rub ribs in the world, only to discover that Rendezvous is closed on Sundays. And Mondays, thus killing Plan B (staying overnight in Memphis and eating ribs for breakfast). The Peabody Hotel concierge recommended Blues City Cafe as an acceptable substitute. The preparation of the ribs -- meat falling off the bone, piping hot -- was fine. The sauce was, in a word, terrible. Sticky sweet. I came to eat ribs, not dessert.
- I fell. Outside the Metro. Hard. So hard, in fact, that I bloodied my left knee, my right shoulder, tore my thumbnail, and scratched my face. So hard that I stopped two cars full of people, asking the dreaded question, "Are you okay?" So hard that a woman in her early 60s helped me up, telling me I should be more careful. To answer your question, no. I'm so not okay. I'm covered in blood and scratches, and the last vestiges of my dignity left when you decided to stop your car. Thank you.
- I made friends with some kids from Iowa. I like hearty Midwestern folk, and they were sitting behind me in my bar review class. It's not sexy, but it works.
- I've discovered that this city may be too serious for me. Case in point: I went to the Memorial Day concert last night, hoping for hoopla about how awesome the USA is. I was all ready to get my pom on cheering for all things America. Apparently, Memorial Day here is not that kind of rodeo. First of all, we couldn't even get to the Iowa friends because security blocked people off walking from one side of grassy knoll to the other. Therefore, in order to reach our new friends, we had to leave the concert, go around behind the stage, and then re-enter (and get re-cleared through security) in order to get to get where we were going. Then, once we were in, I found that I had to whisper to speak. At an outdoor concert. Why? Because the jumbotron was showing a video montage about fallen heroes in Iraq. In all honesty, it was moving. However, there was one, fleeting, totally insensitive, Seinfeldian part of me that thought, "I left the Laguna Beach marathon on MTV for this?"
- I overheard two people arguing outside the Metro and couldn't decide whether to linger around to hear how the argument would play out or to run for my bloody life. Here's a snippet: "I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT CRACK. HE DIDN'T GET KILLED FOR NO CRACK, HE DONE GOT HIMSELF SHOT FOR SOMETHING ELSE." Two thoughts. First of all, if you can tell someone else about crack, and someone you know got shot over something besides that, why are you yelling about it in a public place? Sir, I think you need to get thee to a safe house. Secondly, is it unsafe, or just inappropriate, for me to be pretending to read this map and texting on my Razr? Am I a target or an innocent, curious bystander?
- Went to have Moroccan food with Pooky, Pooky's roommate, and my dad. Throughout dinner, I couldn't decide what was more surreal: my father having dinner with two gay men after dropping "Brokeback" references all weekend ("You know what X's family situation is like? That scene in Brokeback when the dad takes Ennis to see the guys who'd been beaten up.") or the belly dancer who kept on making uncomfortable suggestive eye contact with our entire table.
- I keep setting aside things as I unpack them, saying, "Oh, I'll put this here, where I won't forget where it is." Then I forget where it is. Right now, I'm looking for copies of my driving records in GA and SC and also the cable that connects my digital camera to my computer. I have three years' worth of photos to upload, people!
- I met JH's sweet little grandmother, who is appropriately titled. A one hour lunch with JH, his brother, and grandmother was probably among the cutest interactions I've seen ever between people. The ten-minute conversation about who likes tomatoes was the highlight ("Do you like tomatoes?" "He likes tomatoes." "Why won't he eat my tomatoes then?" "He likes tomatoes, he just doesn't want to eat your tomatoes." "Eat the tomatoes.").
Okay, I think that's it. I promise to update more, mainly because underlying all of the things that have been happening to me is bar review, which is just so horrific to even think about that I'm going to procrastinate by posting. And also cooking. Maybe I'll even learn how to make cheese.
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