We're leaving on a midnight train to Georgia...

(ok, it was more like a morning ride in a pickup truck, but you get the idea)

The timing worked out great for Tina, Tanya and I to road trip to Atlanta, to meet Amy and Dave who were vacationing at Amy's best friend Joy's house. Following 4 days of fun in Asheville, we hopped in Willie, Tanya's new Toyota, and meandered through the mountains to the sunny lands of Atlanta. And with the exception of a grocery store run, we didn't leave the Sandifer's palace. It was beautiful and relaxing and absolutely fabulous! What a fun reunion of friends who would normally be hanging out in New Hampshire, but instead of cheap wine and snowbanks, it was blender drinks poolside in the sun. Thanks Joy and Greg for hosting us...it was wonderful!
Who's on gaycation? We are!

Lazoooooooooooooooooooom!

The LaZoom Tourbus (also known around the city as “the big purple bus”) gives daily historical tours of Asheville, mixed in with a comedy routine and hysterical passenger participation. I had been planning this for quite some time and was really excited to go on the bus myself. I've been on the bus a handful of times, as it can frequently be seen shuttling around crowds at festivals, so I did not know what to expect for a paid “traditional” tour. I surprised Tina and Tanya with tickets to ride the bus on the last day that they were visiting (hey...two things for the price of one....I didn't have to give them a tour myself AND we could drink cocktails on the back of a big fun purple bus that even stopped midway at a bar!) The ride was absolutely hysterical and worth every penny! Jen (one of the owners of the bus) dressed as an adorably tacky diner waitress who presented an hour and a half of side splitting comedy. The bus drove through downtown, the River Arts District and Montford homes, where we got to “ooh” and “ahh” over the gorgeous old houses. The bus “picked up” various characters along the way—from a fire-eating nun to a “levitating healer” named Tony to an artist painting down by the river, who came on and drew a caricature of one of the riders. Completely fun—check it out at http://www.lazoomtours.com/!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Well, okay, so today will be more of a regular ol' day with little celebration. But Sunday was complete with fabulous friends, yummy margaritas and of course...a pinata. Fun!
Can I have a taco now?

Gettin' inked.

Tattoos and Toast
a short play, by Stacey Lucas

Tina, Tanya and Stacey (Fig) are sitting on the back deck of Fig's place in Asheville, enjoying a home-cooked breakfast and the sunshine one Monday morning.

Tanya: Ummm, Tina, I think Fig has something to share with you..a surprise.
Fig: Wellllll....you know how you have been wanting to get a tattoo?
Tina: Yeah?
Fig: I have been working on a design. And I have been talking with a tattoo artist downtown about getting it done. In fact, he is finalizing your design and I made an appointment. You are getting a tattoo today. And it is going to be a birthday present from Tanya and I to you.
Tina: Whaaaaaa? Weeeeeee!

And off we went to Freaks and Geeks Tattoo Parlor in West Asheville. Well, after a trip to the Goodwill Clearance Center (hey I wanted to give my friends a true Asheville experience!)
Tina has always wanted a tattoo of a firefly, which represents her life in many ways. And in the trail of light are three little blips of light, each representing her two children and Tanya. :o)Galen, tattoo artist extraordinaire.

Ta-da!!!

Hey...

...look! It's a random eggplant on a parkbench. Only in Asheville.

Asheville Adventures

The best part about living in a fun and creative community such as Asheville is being able to show it off to your best friends when they come to visit! Tina and Tanya have been planning a trip to see me since before I moved and I had been looking forward to it for quite some time. Two of the best friends in the world and 4 days of fun (which ended in a roadtrip to Atlanta, where we met up with our other friends, Amy and Dave)--how can you go wrong? Here is a photo recap of just a piece of the silliness, fun and laughs we shared:
First stop: Hookah Joes' for some bellydancing and hookah. Check this chick out--she was AMAZING! Walking through the city, taking pictures in the sunshine....

Then there was that hat-wearing photoshoot with the neighbors...

Yay! Wine and sushi!

Mmmm...sushi. Mmmm...friends. :o)

Asheville celebrates Earth Day

Been out of the loop, travelin' about. Sorry about the delay in posts here. :)

In a green community full of artists and musicians, a day such as Earth Day does not go out without a bang. And now that everything is a-bloomin' and the sunshine is warming the earth, there are outdoor festivals and celebrations nearly every weekend. Asheville Earthfest was in the downtown area, and invited anyone to come enjoy free live music all day last Saturday (One of my favorite local bands (from S.C.) Soul Driven Train performed, who I had the pleasure of seeing the day Obama was inaugurated). The fields were lined with everything from kids' activities to locally brewed ales to healthy home cooking. It was the first summeresque weekend that Asheville had seen in a while...what a gorgeous day to be dancing in the sun!

Ferrah and her mamma, Mary Beth. :o)