Atlanta, GA

Atlanta is a huge city. I didn’t realize how huge it was. The airport is huge, it took me about an hour to walk from the plane to the baggage claim to where Robert was waiting for me by the curb. His friend drove with his other friend in the back seat, both guys he works with. As soon as I saw him I gave him a huge hug, like old times. We all went back to Roberts and he showed me the bug on his wall. No, it wasn’t placed there for aesthetic purposes. He swatted a bug and it happened to land perfectly positioned on the wall. We chilled there for a bit. It shocked me that he has a beer bong. He was the partier in college but I figured since he is not in college anymore the beer bonging would stop, but I’m happy to report that Robert still enjoys himself some beer bonging action, and his friends do as well. Later that night we went out to a place called Flip Flops. It stood out like a blonde in the ghetto. All around Atlanta are nightclubs with lines and bouncers and women in scandalous dresses and super high, fabulous heels. Smack dab in the middle of two dark building that were clubs was this place. It looked like a good old fashion frat house, with Christmas lights on the balcony and 5 dollar drinks and lots of noise and people. It was ok, the people were kind of pathetic and drunk and the music was bad so I couldn’t get my groove on. The next morning his friend that lives in his apartment building came over and they talked about how much fun they had.

Saturday! I saw Sublime with Rome and 311.

I love Sublime, I grew up with Sublime. I am from Long Beach and its like Sublime is in the air. I knew that I have very high expectations for a Sublime come back without their heart and soul, Bradley. So I knew I had to take it for what it was. What it was was not Sublime. Rome Ramirez does not have a voice remotely compared to Bradley Nowell He didn’t sound like him, the only similarity was the songs he sang were first sung by Bradley. But it was a good show. How can you not be happy with Badfish, and Loves what I got, I’v seen better days, and Scarlett begonias in a big outdoor theatre. 311 put on a great show, I did not expect all of the lights and dancing and drumming and singing that went on. We were pretty dead after the show so we went home and went to sleep, after we got some ice cream.

Sunday we went tubing on the Chattahoochee River. Robert, Mark, their other friend whose name I don’t remember but he was a great guy, and I went down to the river where we rented tubes and tubed down the river for close to 3 hours. A mile an hour. After we went to La Fonda to get some Mexican, Caribbean food we went to Roberts and I looked everywhere for my drivers license, it was gone, it is gone, I lost it, it got lost. Never have I lost my identification, I was pretty scared. Apparently they let you fly with a picture id, I had my catcard still and some other forms of id and a special pat down. I’m getting my old one sent in the mail today. I’m in New Orleans at the India House hostel and it is great! So colorful, painted walls, a pool, kitchen, outside kitchen where they are cooking breakfast right now, and super fun people. Last night I got in and met 2 Frenchman, Alex and Greg (those are their American names) and an Englishman, Adam. We went out and had a great time. We walked into the jazz club and it felt like we walked into the 1920’s. The girl singing had a large stand up mic, old school and was singing Edith Piaf songs to a live band. The French man and I danced classy romantic style while he smoked cigarettes and twirled me and dipped me. I want to live like that, I imagined myself in a beautiful dress and him in a suit dancing in Paris. Too many movies and books I guess.