gutsy girl

Sunday afternoon we got to experience Venice Beach.  It was totally alive, beautiful and interesting. 

 Lots of street shows.  Most were pretty corny but a few were great. 

Our favorite was the drum circle.  Just a huge group of drummers, actually it was any drum style as well as cow bells and giant maraca things,  banging it out as loud and passionately as possible. 

We snaked our way into the circle and  it was intense.  Pictures don't do justice to the way it FELT.  

Oh, and if you ever need any "medical" marijuana they can totally fix you up.  Just sayin.

Let me start this next story with a little history.  Ever since I was somewhere around 16ish I have wanted to get my nose pierced.  But, I am a humongous chicken when it comes to pain.  Never mind that I have had 4 babies, 3 completely natural and 9 lbs plus.  (Yes, that is my badge of courage and I will lay that card on the table any time I get ready.)  Never mind any of that, because the mere IDEA of a needle coming close to me makes me queasy.  Flash forward to the 34 year old version of Rachel who knows it is way past time to do the things I have always wanted to do.  Oh, what IS a girl to do in such a quandary.  Rely on the determination of friends and husbands, that's what.  I am a chicken remember?

So, I am there, on Venice Beach in a tattoo parlor telling myself "just don't look, just don't look".  That tattoo stuff was way to much for me.  So, the guy takes me to the back and I start wondering if this was a foolish little girl's good idea and a mature woman's bad idea.  

My friend Tal kept telling me that when she did hers years ago it was nothing.  Hurt for like 2 seconds and it was over.  The thing is, I kept thinking of when I got my ears pierced at 10 years old.  I remember it vividly.  Enough said.  

The piercing guy was great.  He kept reminding me to breath in, and breath out.  I needed that, and I was very grateful.

Okay, this next picture took me a while to look at.  Yes, that is a GIANT needle.  WHA??  I thought he was going to use a gun!  This is NOT 1962!  

So, after this picture, he put the little stud in and Rachel proceeded to turn the exact shade of the wall behind her.  Yes, everyone was rushing to get her cool rags, smelling salts, cold drinks.  

Yes, I am cool.

I recovered, and Tal, through her laughter, confessed that actually, when she had hers done she almost passed out.  sheeeesh!

His reaction was basically "It's about time!"  He likes it when I am brave.  And he loves it when I step out of my comfort zone.  I think he knows that is where the fun in life is waiting for me.

So, we left the beach and headed to Hollywood.  It was Oscar night after all!  Why not go to Hollywood!  

I have never been to D.C. or anywhere at the same time as the President, but I cannot imaging the security being any more intense that it was on Oscar night around the Chinese Theater.  Cars with passes were getting violated by swarms of security checking ever nook and cranny.  This is as close as we could get.

It was still fun and really interesting to see people gather around store windows to watch TVs they couldn't hear to just watch the ceremony.  

We were packing tons of fun into every minute but tomorrow we get started on Route 66.  An amazing experience.  I can't wait to share!