In the Clouds

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Every time I board a plane I think to myself, “Isn’t it nuts that these things fly?” I know that it can all loosely be explained by physics, but I’m pretty sure it’s largely reliant on magic. It’s only logical. Anyway… at the end of August I traveled from Detroit to Los Angeles and back. I had two very different flights in terms of turbulence and scenery, but each was uniquely beautiful. So, if you can stomach a lot of repetition, this is the blog post for you! The lightning was fierce and the turbulence was nauseating. I was fairly certain we were going down. Some of these were images were captured with my "real" camera and some with my iPhone; all of them captured by me.

You’ve Been Nominated

Some things in life are inevitable. Apparently, this is one of those things. So you might as well just do it now.

People have gone as far as blaming the drought in California on this challenge. Actual people. News people. People that shower every morning and flush the toilet every time they potty. While I'm all for being environmentally conscious, these people are dumb. Others have claimed that this isn’t really doing anything positive for those who are affected by ALS and people should just donate quietly. These people are also dumb. The truth of the matter is that a lot money has been raised because of this challenge and a lot of people have actually learned more about the disease and the struggles of those who suffer it. While this fad will soon fade and your facebook newsfeed will again be filled with videos of cats and babies and your instagram filled with pictures of food and the pacific northwest, the struggle will still be real for many and the money you donate today can help well into the future.

Donate here: ALSA.org. Do it. Then dump water on your head because #ALSIceBucketChallenge.

Dream Cruisin'

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Every year, for the past 20 years, people come from all over the world to watch and participate in the Woodward Dream Cruise. Every year, for the past 20 years, people who live on Woodward would rather be anywhere else in the world on this particular weekend. This year, I decided to try to enjoy the sights and sounds of this exhaust-filled event that takes place on the world’s first paved road. It was a day of interesting cars and even more interesting people.

Junkanoo

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The greatest celebration that you didn’t know existed - Junkanoo! It's celebrated every Boxing Day and New Year’s Day in the islands of the Bahamas. Starting at 2 am, the parade lasts twelve hours. Various "groups" dance through the streets adorned in jaw-dropping, incredibly detailed costumes to the sounds of trumpets, whistles, tubas, trombones, cow bells, tambourines, and goat-skin drums. Each group has its own theme for its costumes, floats and music. All of the costumes and floats are handmade over the course of a year from crepe paper, styrofoam, paint, feathers, beads, glitter, sequins, and rhinestones.

We made it out to the parade at 9 am, and even after seven hours of dancing through the streets, the energy was as if it had just started. The beat of the drum, the blast of the trumpet, the rhythm of the dance was intoxicating. Incredible.

Rosarito Beach, Mexico

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Luke's 30th Birthday in Rosarito Beach Mexico!

One of the best trips ever! As we were leaving Los Angeles, we met a lady at the gas station who said, "Oh no! You don't want to go there. I'm from there. Trust me, you don't want to go there." We went anyway...

There was not a soul at the border as we entered Mexico. No passport check, no nothing. Drive on through. Returning to the US was a very different experience, which nearly ended in an arrest for using the wrong line.

Border crossings aside, it was incredible! We rode 4-wheelers through the mountains, let by an amazing tour guide. We drank rare and priceless 60 year old single grain scotch. We saw some of the most beautiful sunsets to grace this earth. We went golfing along the Baja coast and lost every single golf ball. We went to hot tub town. We went to doughnut town. We went to breakfast town. We went to tennis town. We went to poker town. We went to all the towns. We grilled every night. And even watched Pitch Perfect. Let's do it all over again.