Cairns Part 1...

This place is one big party.  It feels like I am on senior trip in Mexico but with WAY MORE tourist oriented things to do; bungee jumping, overnight moon party jungle

excursions (which I was going to go on according to me last night on a pub crawl with Alicia and Emma but woke up this morning and said yeah right), sky diving,

diving, 4x4 tours, boating tours, reef tours, snorkeling, helicopter rides over the reef, etc, etc, etc.  This place is like Disneyland for travelers between the age

of 18 and 38.  I got into Cairns airport late afternoon and was pleasantly surprised to see a guy holding a sign with R. Mcloud on it.  Might have to say that is a first

as we always wonder the day will come when you pass those limo drivers in the airport when your name will be on one.  This wasn't a limo driver though.  It was a

bushwacking hat wearing pure Queenslander guy with messed up teeth, dirt in his finger nails, and jeans that appeared they were washed last in January.  Very friendly

man although who instructed me where the Gilligan's van was.  Gilligan's is an over the top backpackers hotel and resort complete with a nightclub, a gym, a waterfall

going into a man made lagoon, kitchens on every floor, and 24 hour reception.  This place is pretty cool for $30 bucks a night.  I got my 7th night free for booking a

week and the guy at the counter was cool enough to give me a week long locker rental for $20 (normally $7 a night).  Checked into my room (a 6 bed deluxe...meaning we

have a TV and a fridge) to find I had the place to myself.  Balcony looks west and down on the night club.

The van driver I met at the airport gave me some brief info on the streets as we approached Gilligan's.    The main thing that caught my ear was that there was a pub

crawl going on at 9pm out of JB Obriens down the street for $20 and you get 5 drinks at 5 different places.  After showering and resting for a bit, I headed out to

find this infamous pub crawl.  WHAT A BLAST this thing was.  Right away, Snapper, the gentleman who is the business man behind this operation and a few others,

introduced me to Alicia (from Nevada) and Emma (from England) and we became friends within 30 minutes.  We 3 joined forces with some other British people to make the

dance floors and places we went to as fun as possible.  Let me add in here that my first night Cairns, I saw 2 girls take their underwear and public nudity in private

establishments.  You see, on every stop on the pub crawl, Snapper would get on the microphone and do contests.  The first one at the first bar was a combination of

musical chairs and a scavenger hunt.  Boys and girls dancing on the dance floor would need to go and find things in the bar when the music stopped.  Well, one of them

were underwear and Alicia and Emma, my new friends, did not have a problem with this.  Long story short, Alicia won the contest and received a buy one get one free on

some kayaking thing for the next day that she was going to take me on (if I went on the overnight thing to Cape Tribulation).  Later, actually back in Gilligan's night

club, (3rd stop on the crawl).  The game as I remember involved groups of people that had to build a line on the ground of clothing and hats and bar items and none of

them touching could be the same thing.  The next thing I notice is their are people ripping their clothes off and running around the bar ripping other peoples clothing

and belongings from them.  My white mesh hat had no chance and was soon on the ground helping Alicia and Emma's team with there line of objects.  The winning team

barely had clothes on at the end and I have a vague image of young adults holding their 'junk' as their loyalty to the game had resulted in using every piece of

clothing on their body.  I don't know what they won.

Day 1 involved going to the bank to get money out and see if my debit card had came yet.  It hasn't.  Then to the City Center to find a prepay cell phone, find free

Internet in an establishment that sells beer, and to buy postage.  Posted up in an Italian place near the food court that had great Internet and $5 beers.  Had a

couple and worked on my websites and photography.  Back at Gilligan's now for dinner (penne with red sauce) and beer.  About to head out to meet Quenten, a bloke of

Mark Kickbush's whom I met on a golf course in Los Angeles.  You hear that Australians are very nice and I can tell you that is true.  I met Mark for maybe 4 hours and

he has already referred me to people in QLD that I could meet up with.  Tonight is ladies night and after last night watching girls dancing on tables at the Wood Shed,

I am very curious to see what a Thursday night in this northern tropical city is like.  Tomorrow:  start looking for work, find the coast, and find the public lagoon.

Saturday, 26/9/10.  This place is unbelievably cool.  The other night I went out two Ozzies whom live in Cairns and an absolute BLAST.  The night started at Gilligan's.

in our back beer garden and it wasn't very long until the girls said "we are going to take you out dancing and

show you a Cairns night."  It didn't take long to agree.  Long story short I ended up waking up in a taxi cab at 5am talking to a gentleman I thought was one of my

Irish roommates and he was explaining to me that I owe $30 for the cab and if understood what he was saying.  Coming out of my nice taxi slumber, I realized that it is

a Cairns police officer and he was helping me, and the taxi driver out to get me home.  He was very nice and helpful and I thanked him sincerely.  The main thing I

remember from the night was dancing on tables at the Wool Shed.  Hard to explain but this bar is built around the concept of dancing on tables (wooden and rectangle)

to where you can touch the low ceiling so you don't fall over and can be stable.  It is very dark and the music is very LOUD.  Great bar.  I think part of the reason for the lost recollection of the night is due to starting the night off with a box of GOON in our room.  GOON is boxed wine and is the cheapest way to to drink in Australia.  You can buy 5L for $10 to $15.  It makes for a BLAST of a night but the next day can be a bit weary due to the sugar content.  I will easily drink it again.   Went to the public lagoon

the next day to swim and sunbathe on the sand.  Listened to some music and re hydrated.  That evening went with Jeff and Dave to Bella Vista to get $5 pizzas and 2 for

1 pints for $5.  It is amazing sometimes how being in the right place at the right time works itself out.  After beers and starting to feel tight (as Hemingway would

say...we would say buzzed), I noticed a Tusa dive shirt on this woman next to our table.  Long story short these two instructors gave me A TON of information on

getting certified to dive.  I was even given the director of ProDive's cell phone number and a referral from Steve, the guy I met that night.  Prodive has a cook

position open as well that I already have the application for...so calling Alex, the director, today and then going in Monday morning with my app and resume to hit up

Paul (who I emailed with actually back in the states before I came to Oz).  ProDive is the #1 dive company in the world and am excited to learn from and hopefully work

for, the best.  

My new roommates are very cool.  2 Irish, 1 German, and 2 Japanese.  Everyone is very nice and the Irish guys and I have clicked so well that I could see myself

traveling with them at the end of October when they head south in Dave's 4x4.  Jeff works at the Hilton in housekeeping and Dave is a painter.  Their accents are very

thick and it feels like I am rooming with the Boondock Saints.  Tania, who dates Dave, is around here and there and is a very cool Australian from New South Wales.

She offered to send an email for me to the owner for Deep Sea Diving Tours.  I met her for like an hour and she was already willing to refer me to someone which was so

appreciated and so kind of her.  There are no Americans here.  None.  I would say for most people with holiday making travelers/workers I come across over here the

English come in #1, then Germans #2, and then Canadians and Australians tied for 3rd.  In two cities and like 9 nights out.  I have met 1 American who was doing the

same thing I am doing.  I wish more Americans knew about this holiday work visa and/or more Americans would get out in the world more.  I just feel bad as there is so

much cool shit to see that isn't in our little West Coast backyard.  If any of you want info on this visa and or this process of doing a career break or gap year or

two let me know as I would love for people to experience the things/people/places of the world and to broaden their horizons :)

Getting close to finding work.  10 resumes dropped and a couple of call backs and a face to face on Thursday.  Keeping fingers crossed.  Finding work I wouldn't say is

any harder than any other city in the world except for the fact that there are thousands of backpackers just like me traveling.  On the flip/positive side, the fact

that I speak clear and crisp English, have an American accent, and have a positive/outgoing/likeable personality (so the English receptionist at my old hostel in

Brisbane so kindly complimented), it has been easier to be received when approaching establishments.  The RSA (liquor license) to serve in Queensland was cake as it

took about 30 minutes online and cost about $70.  I didn't get the dive boat hostie job I wanted but I am excited that I got a September discount special with Deep Sea

Divers Den to get my 5 day certification for open water.  The first two days are in the classroom and the last 3 are overnight on a large vessel on the Outer Reef of

the GBR.  10 dives in all while out to sea including a night dive with sharks!  Should be amazing I am so excited for this as I have always had a fascination with

diving in pools growing up.  After the course is over I may have the opportunity to volunteer on one of their boats as well as a hostie for 5 days where all dives and

food and accommodation is provided.  Stoked for the future of diving with Ryan McLeod and perhaps photography?  Definitely not out of the question...

Cairns is the most explosive small town I have ever been to.  It is a bit over 140,000 in population yet it feels smaller than the Pacific Beach area of San Diego.  I

can walk from one side of the city to the other in 15 minutes basically.  There is 1 post office, 1 grocery store, 1 mall, 1 public lagoon, 1 marina area, and only 1

GILLIGAN'S.  Gilligan's never sleeps.  Picture a backpackers resort with a beer garden, a night club, an outdoor pool with a waterfall and sand to lay out in, 5

stories like a hotel, communal kitchens/fridges/stoves on every floor, and 600+ people from all around the world drinking beer specials every night.  Probably one of

the coolest and most efficient hostels I have ever stayed in.  Last few nights been hanging out with the Irish, Torsten (cool German guy in our room), and Deb and

Katie.  Deb is a cool chick from the UK and Katie is a very rad hippie from Calgary.  They are heading south in a campervan for 30 days and are looking to pick up 2

more people to split the cost.  I would join them but I have more of Cairns to see before the wet season hits.  Just now getting my feet on the ground and wet and

don't not ready to pick up and move just yet.  Cairns has a lot more for Ryan McLeod...

Australia is expensive.  For example, going to the movies will cost you $19 dollars.  A pack of cigarettes will run you from $12 to $30 depending on the quality of

tobacco you would like to torch into your lungs.  Rolling smokes on your own is the way to go to save money.  A pint of beer is usually always $7 to $8 dollars.  A

case of beer or 30 pack will be anywhere from $30 to $50 dollars depending on domestic and imports.  Let go of my arm and my shoulder Queensland I don't even have a

source of income yet to pay for GOON!  I get $5 pints at Gilligan's due to staying there and trust me that is an attractive price.  I just passed through

Woolworths today to by peanut butter and jelly ingredients and noticed beach towels were over $20 and they did not look big and thick.  Just different, but worth it.

The mood, culture, way of life, and scenery is all laid back and chill and their is always a no-rush feeling in the air that I can't seem to put my finger on it just

yet.  I have heard that Sydney (from Katie and Deb) is the exact opposite of here.  They say there is no work to find, clubs you can't get into, people are in a hurry

like Paris, NYC, and LA, and they LOVED Cairns so much already in two nights as it is just DIFFERENT than the bigger cities to the south.  This is not keeping me from

Sydney as the support I have had thanks to all of you friends and family with regard to contacts and connections over here has been AMAZING.  Thank you all again who

have extended vouches I appreciate it so much.

Alright, gotta end the first Cairns segment so I can finalize this travel blog and get it ready to email out to everyone.  Thank you all for the support I

miss you all and hope everyone is safe and sound.  Cheers for now and lots more to come.  RCM

Brisbane

The days are LONG.  It is so weird how long these first two days have gone.  And I have a year here?  Awesome and unbelievable.  Went on a run yesterday morning down

to the South Bank and checked out the river, the cityscape, and the shops and boardwalk.  Did some meditation by the public pool lake thingy by the lifeguards.  The

water was crisp and cold and was very refreshing to splash on my hot and sweaty head from the run.  On the way home I stumbled upon a Peach and Tranquility Festival in

the a park.  Roamed the vendors and almost walked in front of the small stage where the MC was opening up the event.  Headphones and exercise in a new city can really

transcend your mind as I almost walked right between a speaker and an audience and didn't have any clue.

That night was the most fun yet.  The girls in 217 showed up late afternoon and it didn't take long for Paul and I to get jugs (beer) and go up to their room to harass

them (nicely).  This group in this room is so funny; 1 English guy named Toby, an English girl named Fiona, a German girl named Imke (whom I call

Aetna because she calls me Brian Brown; her friend she knew during her host family time of 10 months in Ohio), and 3 other German girls (Sandra, Lara, and Webe).  They all are part of the same

gap year program and have never met but you were think by the way the automatically interact that they have been friends for years.  Imke and I hit it off extremely

well.  I don't think a minute goes by when we are conversing that we are not laughing.  Same sarcastic and matter of fact humor, we just rock the conversation nicely

together with many quips and anecdotes.  Probably the funniest one was at happy hour over Strongbow last night where she was talking about a volcano and her English

vocab book hit like a light bulb and she remembered the word LAVA.  Lol it was the funniest thing I have ever seen; an ESL cute German girl with her English grammar

and vocab education coming on like a lamp in her head.  Imke is an outstanding young woman; smart, educated, funny, kind, and care-free.

We had an OUTSTANDING time

over the course of 4 nights.  I hope to see her again somewhere on this globe.  I have a feeling I will.

Coffee here is way different than in the states.  In a cafe right now and ordered a "short black" coffee for $2.70 and got probably two ounces of frothy black tar

looking liquid.  VERY STRONG the coffee is down here.  No refills either or waitresses running around filling people's mugs like you would see at a Denny's in the

States.  Oh yeah, and the coffee is served in a bar glass that we would usually drink a gin and tonic out of.  Tasty though but I think next time I will try the tea.

Alcohol is VERY different.  First of all, happy hour is truly an hour.  1 hour.  At my hostel it ran from 5pm to 6pm and they let me tell you that due to it only being

an hour, people plan their day around it.  The other reason for planning their day around it is because alcohol is fairly expensive in Queensland.  The first pint of

beer I ordered was $8 (at my hostel).  A jug (2.5 large pints basically), which would be a pitcher in the States, is $14.  Happy hour prices go from $14 to $11 for a

jug.  The cool thing though at my hostel was that everyday of the week they had specials.  For example, one night was $4 Strongbow bottles, another night was $5

dollar Jaeger Bombs from 9pm to 10pm.  The thing I have initially noticed about Australia is that because everyone loves to drink and have a good time, the

culture/government has implemented certain rules and restrictions so that every citizen doesn't black out and become poor.  The tour guide at the XXXX Brewery told me

that there was a bar that did drink tickets and it went out of business very fast because no one would go there unless they did the deal they initially offered (twas

like 5 drinks for $20 dollars or something stupid like that).

The Fourex (XXXX) brewery was okay.  Some videos at the start followed by a cheesy rotating seat watching wax statues talk about the start of XXXX.  XXXX competes

largely with VB (Victoria Bitter) which is made in Victoria.  Fourex is the very proud Queensland beer (the XXXX Gold and XXXX Bitter are their flagship).  The 2nd

half of the tour was simply watching a bottle factory at work but was very cool to see thousands of kegs stacked up as the forklift drivers moved them this way and

that.  The labelers were very cool too.  At the end we all received 4 sample schooners for the ticket price of $22 which was a good deal.

That day we (Toby, Imke, Fiona, and Lara) all went into the city and saw the Queensland Museum.  Free entry to all the Australian museums is great and I feel has

something to do with it being a Commonwealth Country.  Favorite part of the museum was the Burke and Wills exhibit

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burke_and_Wills_expedition.  It told the story of the explorers that headed north up the gut of Queensland to explore and map out the

middle of the state.  They did perish but were renowned as national heroes similar to Lewis and Clark.

I have forgotten how international travel can be so delightfully funny, entertaining, and involving a ton of care free laughter.  For one, sitting around on picnic



lick of words from the British.  The Australian confuses everyone with his accent and slang.  The Germans speak in and out of German so you don't know what or who they

are talking about, especially when they start laughing hysterically and you want to laugh with them but have no idea what is funny.  It reminds me of Indiana Jones and

the Last Crusade towards the end when the German says "the Americana, the captain de fieba!" (brother you will appreciate this).  Everyone understands me due to the

American accent being so clean and crisp grammar and vocab-wise.

On the final night, the girls, Paul, and I all jumped into the cold outdoor swimming pool (had been raining the last 2 days) as a tradition for people who stay at BBH.

 Everyone was in their underwear and no one thought twice about it.  After that we all (3 girls and 2 guys) showered in the girls outside bathroom (clothed you

perverts).  Tons of laughter and pictures and funny faces and poses and for a moment no one even remembered that we were a combined tens of thousands miles away from

our homes around this very small earth.  Funny how 5 strangers from 4 different countries can come together in 96 hours of knowing each other and have so much fun; not

judging, not blaming, not worrying about how they seem or appear to others...simply trying to nullify the loneliness that can come with traveling in far off lands solo

with no shoulders to rest their head on.  It was a great time and it was only my 5th night in this country they call Australia and this very interesting state they

call Queensland...very excited to get to Cairns.

Flight Down Under 9.17.10

Well, here I am.  Sitting drinking my first Australian beer in the West End of Brisbane, QLD at a place called Archive.  Couldn't tell you one person's name around me as I watch across the street from my sidewalk adjacent outdoor patio a group of young hipsters in weird clothing setting up different sets and props with a blue couch and red different color Asian sun umbrellas.  They are all laughing and seem to don't have much a care in the world.  Asked for a hoppy beer with a smooth finish and that is exactly what I got.  More on beer later.

So the flight was awesome.  After a nail biting wait in the ticketing area of LAX, finally on the second group my name was called to come forward to retrieve thy boarding pass and very quickly check my very large and heavy backpack.  Met some great middle ages people while waiting for this auction-like feeling of tickets and that feeling of "who is going to make it who has to dwindle off into Los Angeles to buy a hotel room and try again tomorrow."  Before arriving to Australia I could tell I liked the men and women.  This came from the people I met while waiting to get on the flight and also the flight attendants.  You know how on flights in the USA sometimes you get that feeling that "oh shit this stewardess is having a bad day", or "well she is a real bitch isn't she?"  Perhaps you get that feeling that they are only doing what they need to do and don't want to go any extra miles?  Well, I can tell you, that the service on V Australia, and I would assume all Australian service on an airplane, is the EXACT OPPOSITE.  The best way I can explain it, after years of working in hospitality/weddings/catering/etc, is that they all seemed to be working the 320 passengers as if a very large, end of the flight, tip/gratuity was involved at the end of the flight.  So eager to help, always smiling, and, if for some small reason they can't help you with your request and it is out of their hands, their apology is SINCERE.  More on the people later.

Flight surprisingly went fast.  Please quickly note that the 16th of September never did exist for Ryan McLeod and 319 other passengers as we took off late on the 15th and landed in the morning of the 17th.  Watched some inflight entertainment for awhile which flowed into a hot and delicious pulled beef meal with mixed veggies and mashed potatoes.  The fly time is 13 hours on the new ER-300 (extended range) model of Boeing's 777 series.  I waited until about 3 or 4 hours in to take my bar of Xanex...........WOKE UP to the unparalleled service mentioned above awake and active and blasting hot eggs and coffee to everyone in all classes of the plane.  My first thought was "Do these people ever quit?  Where did they sleep? Um, they just served 320 hot dinner meals and now they are serving 320 more for breakfast?"  It was a great wake up to go back to my movie and have some hot tea and a nice meal.  I did actually find out where they sleep (these are things that go through my head) as I was using the lavatory before landing.  There was a door in between the back row of the plane and the bathrooms that said "CREW ONLY MAX OCC. 8"  What blew me away is initially reading this door I thought it was a god damn storage closet!  After blinking a couple of times at it and the size of it I couldn't believe they could fit 8 adults in there...it has to go below deck.  It has to.  The point I guess I am trying to make here; is that while waking up 12 hours into an overnight flight and looking around to hair tossed and drooling people who maybe slept some...there was the dolled up gorgeous and cordial Virgin Australia team looking exactly the same and just as on point as they were when we had dinner.  V Australia = Two Thumbs Up.

Life Cycle 1

Life is funny how it goes in stages of complexity, simplicity, and seriousness.

I can remember as a child the dicotomy of when things started to go from fun and

games to responsibility and one had to be a bit more accountable.  For example,

growing up in Tigard OR in Genesis Loop we had a ton of greenway paths and

trails that as a young boy I could bike ride through, build forts, and attack

sticker bushes at will.  Things were simple.  Ryan would leave home from his

mother and father with a friend and we would go to do boy things and our only

responsibility was to come home by dark and/or dinner.  That was simple.  Then,

along came, for example a paper route.  Now, one day a week I had to be

RESPONSIBLE for 50+ residences to receive their Tigard Times by 7am.  More

accountability.  Then, through church, we had a pointsettia selling drive where

I had to sell flowers to our neighbors and then deliver them once the

fundraiser.  This sucked and I didn't like doing it because I had to take these

f-ing plants one at a time to sometimes 2 and 3 streets over depending on how

ambitious I was feeling on the initial 'door knocking day'.  Things are getting

more complex.  Then boy scout Christmas tree sales at the A-Boy hardware, then

mowing lawns and having MANUAL LABOR as chores and not just clearing the table.

Then youth group on sunday nights.  Sunday nights?  Are you kidding me?  I think

I can speak for all of us that now on a Sunday night if we had to go to do group

exercises with people we hardly know we would chain ourselves to the couch.

Then you go into middle school and start sports.  Then you have high school and

you get a job to help pay for your car.  Then you go to college and have a shit

load of school work to do and shit load of drinking to do.  Then you have to get

a job right out of college so you can start paying off your loans.  Then you get

your first apartment.  Then you have a mortgage. Then you have kids and have

every trouble listed above just STARTING again for them which you have to watch

over!  I guess I wish that life for our generations would move a little bit more

slow so that we can choose how complex we want our day to days to be.  Imagine

if out of college you didn't go into the work force and traveled for five years?

Imagine if the counselers didn't hammer down "what area do you want to focus on

and what do you want to do?"  Man, thinking back to when I was a freshman in

college, I HAD KNOW IDEA WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO.  Drinking beer and talking

to chicks sounded good right?  I wish that the American way of life let people

gap year and break from University before they really come of age.  I don't

things would be as nearly complex, serious, and stressful.  I think our quality

of life rating would be a lot higher too.  Funny, thinking back, probably some

of the best thinking I ever did was when I was a young boy beating the crap out

of blackberry sticker bushes.

Portland and Corvallis September 2010

Portland and Corvallis were good times as I got to see my good friends Theo

Papas, Kelsey New, and John Weaver.  First night just hung out with Theo and his

fiance, Stephanie, she is great.  She is a very nice and kind young woman and I

feel is a perfect match for Theo.  They will be outstanding together.  We played

Scattergories into the night and laughed a ton.  The funnel of beer pouring on

the ground and the K2 was what filled the night with stomach hurting laughter.

Next evening I got picked up by Kelsey and headed to the Alberta St. area and

went to small beer bar to have some cold hoppy refrershments.  We talked a lot

about life and the future, relationships, travel, etc.  I forgot how much I miss

her company as she is so whole hearted and charismatic.  I love being around her

and everything she is about.  We went into the city and had one last beer at bar

and said our goodbyes.  From there I walked to meet up with Stephanii and we

went to Barracuda to have drinks upstairs.  Felt like I was at a roller skating

rink due to a 18 and younger event going on downstairs.  The music was not that

good so after some cocktails, I headed to Couture to end the night with better

music.  Good DJ there and it was good to see Theo at the bar where he hooked up

drinks which was appreciated.  The DJ let me request Tracking Treasure Down for

the last song and it went off.  The DJ was fairly drunk though and wouldn't

answer my questions about Serado and his Pioneer decks.

After Labor Day weekend and my parents party, I headed down to Corvallis.  Real

quick; Labor Day party best parts were chopping wood with the monster maul,

seeing all of our old Oregon friends, 9 dogs, and the cornhole tournament that

AmberLynn and I won on Sunday morning over Mimosas.

Got into Corvallis via bus on Tuesday night.  Well, actually got into Albany and

after getting a beer at a local little bar by the station, the driver of the 2nd

bus for Corvallis never showed up.  Thank you local flaky Albany drug addict bus

driver guy.  Jon and Kate came and got me.  It was so good to see my best friend

after 7 years.  Everything just went right back to normal and I remembered why

we are such good friends.  He is one of the funniest guys I have ever met and

his heart is so warm you just feel happy when around him.  I hope I can see him

at his wedding as Kate makes him so happy.  It is great to see him living

simplistically and so content with his fiance and life.  I am excited for their

move back to Portland.

Dice game we played the first night:  roll six dice, any threesomes count as

that hundred.  So three 3's would be 300.  The only way to move on to roll again

is to score. 1's are worth 100.  5's are worth 50.  Four 1's on the first roll

is 1000.  If you roll a straight (1-6) then you get 1500 points.  Four of a

kinds double their point worth so four 4's would be 800.  If you roll and don't

get a 5 or a 1 you "Funkle" out and get no points.  You play to 10,000.

The next day went fishing at Willamette Park and I caught two Northern Pike

Minnows using worms and a worm weight.  That night played some Little Mexico

with Jon in the evening, ate some pizza, then met up with KC and Jesse Ott.  KC

is one of Jon's good buddies and we clicked right away.  We all went out the

college bars by campus.  Played some pool with pitchers then went to Bombs Away

for $2 well drinks.  Went back to the house and ended the night with Cracklin

Rosie over and over and over and over which was the funniest shit ever.  Jon was

singing and dancing and making everyone laugh.  He was on one, or on a roll you

might say...great times.

Lake Arrowhead

After North Carolina, I had a couple of nights in LA before the Lake Arrowhead

going away party/ Greenman's birthday party.  What a great lake this was.

Reminded me of the Pacific Northwest when we headed up highway 18 off of

Interstate 10.  It went from desert to forest real fast and it was not a bad

drive at all from the city.  The house we rented was beautiful and spacious.  3

stories of floor space, king size beds, rooms, and two decks connecting.  We had

our own dock that we could walk down to for swimming and laying out.  Our two

decks also had views of the lake and the neighbor's boats.  It was a very nice

lake house.  Jeff, Mike, and I arrived Friday night to meet Joe, Shelby, and

Chris.  I won an 18 game Scattergories game with 3 games to Mike and Jeff's 1

game each.  I still don't think Tapestry is a school subject.  We into the night

and the next day the rest of the calvary showed up.

The best part about this Lake Arrowhead trip, besides the laughing, dancing, and

invisible jump ropes to California Girls, was the ICINGS.  Thanks to Freddie and

Sean in North Carolina, along with the college scene reaching us late 20 year

olds in Southern California, we were able to apply what we had learned to ICE

one another.  The first Icing was Emily getting Brandmire in the hot tub where

whe offered cold beers and Mike reached in to only pull out a Smirnoff Ice.  The

second Icing was me dangling a Smirnoff Ice one story down off of a balcony with

a telephone cord I found upstairs in the loft. Placed that guy right behind

Kelsey's head and had Jeff and Jayme in on it to get her attention once the ICE

had been set.  It made me laugh in a way that Jayme said "I love it when McLeod

laughs like that" so it must have been great :) The third Icing was placed by me

and Jeff and was in the barbecue.  I said numerous times "I trust Joe to light

the grill...Joe is good with grills, etc," and sure enough, Joe went out and as

I followed with my camera, Joe lifted up the grill hood to only find a SMIRNOFF

ICE.  I know this sounds childish but I guess after 15 years of having fun with

alcohol it is great to find new and creative ways to entertain ourselves.  The

fourth Icing, I believe, was on me (which I stated after Joe's I would never be

ICED to everyone), which was a great job by Kelsey to get me in to something I

am passionate about (changing the song on the laptoP).  I picked up on it right

away and was hesitant to enter the living room to change the song...but once I

saw that there was no Smirnoff Ice next to my laptop, I was not reluctant to go

over and change to the song she wanted.  Sure enough there was and ICE right on

the ground below the little entertainment center.  ICED!  Couldn't believe it

after calling it.

The next ICING was also a hanger through the stairwell as

Emily was dragged in by Kelsey (who was in on it) to go in the batroom because

she "needed to talk to her immediately."  She came out of the bathroom and

walked right into and ICE.  Dolan was also Iced when he went for his toiletries

bag in the bathroom, as well as Jones being ICED as we hid one under the

football in the couch cushions and had him 'throw the ball to me.'  Oh yeah, I

forgot that Ashlee got ICED by Jeff and I putting one in the microwave and me

telling her that the avocados she heated up in the bag earlier melted the

plastic inside.  ICED upon microwave door opening.  Later that night we had some

great and serious games of flip cup (thanks to the underage neighbors that lent

us the rectangle table).  We also played "Teach Me How To Dougie" a bunch and

the night culmanated with the invisible jumprope that I taught to people (thank

you Lyndsay and Kristen in North Carolina).  Everyone did a little double dutch

and the night went into hot tubbing and dancing.  Ended the night sleeping well

downstairs :)  Great going away as I will miss all of these people dearly.

North Carolina

After spending the day in Boston taking photos with my large and small pack

strapped to each other (which had a lot of people looking and pointing), I took

the Silver Line from South Station to Logan International Airport to meet

Lindsay Schram.  We flew to Wilmington, NC and she was exhausted after a week

long sales meeting with drinking and dodgeball involved.  I was planning on not

going out that night but once Birtles got her house after some wine, filet

mignon, and salad, we decided to head Downtown.  Downtown Wilmington reminds me

of senior trip in high school in Mexico where all of the ladies are dressed up

for prom night and yet everywhere we went had no cover charge and was laid back.

The first club we went to was Level 5 which was an old apartment building (with

people still leaving in it -- signs on some of the doors as you walk up carpeted

steps/stories that say SHHHHHH PEOPLE SLEEPING) that had a club on the roof that

reminded me of the top of Stingaree in San Diego but without the glamour and

glitz.  We left there after meeting a few of Ryan's girls and their friends, had

a few shots and Bud Lights, then headed back out.  After seeing a transvestite

in the Duck N Dive, we decided to not purchase a beverage.  We double backed and

hit the 2nd level of Goodfellas which, again, reminded me of an end-of-the-night

Cancun Mexico club.  Left there quick and stopped in a convenience store to get

beer before 2am hit.  Got beer and then juggled multiple after party options

ending with going to one girl's house and leaving to go to another Virginia

girl's apartment in the other side of town.  Slept on the couch and got woken up

to some southern hospitality saying "Y'all sure ya'll don't waant a waater or a

Gatorade before y'all leave?"  I laughed on the way home about the night and

went back to Lindsay's in Farrington Farms to nap before the trip to Raleigh.

The ride to Raleigh is all green trees lined with nothing on either side of

Interstate 40.  It reminded me of Orlando, FL a little bit.  It is such a common

and boring drive that the drivers put cruise control on get comfortable in their

seats; at some points it appeared they were more comfortable than I was.  We got

into Raleigh around 4:30pm and met up with Kristen who had like a thousand jello

shots.  She was a very quaint and nice young girl who drove us to the annual

house party at 8013 Goldwater which is put on by Frankie and Sean (Frankie's

birthday).  At the party they had many games out on the lawn and Birtles and I

realized wearing jeans that early in the North Carolina summer humidity was a

mistake.  Kristen was nice enough to take us back to the Lexus to change into

shorts.  Back at the party I learned a new version of Boozbie that involved a

lower level of PVC piping, an empty bottle of beer, and a "throw it as hard as

you want" rule.  It wasn't as good as Boozbie due to the simple fact that the

frisbee is probably not going to be caught when it hits the 2 inch thick PVC.

This party also exposed me for the first time the mysterious conspiracy of

GETTING ICED.  Getting Iced involves a Smirnoff Ice bottle being secretly placed

in a location that the would-be taker would see but not see coming.  Frankie,

the birthday boy, probably got Iced over 5 times including one from a girlfriend

of his who put it in a birthday bag as a present.  We left the house around 10pm

to go change so we could go dancing in downtown Raleigh.  Downtown Raleigh was

similar to Wilmington but with a little bit more "clubby" feel to it meaning we

went through some velvet doors at one place and they charged a $10 dollar cover

which I remember Lindsay not being happy about as it is Raleigh, "give me a

break."  We went to Cashmere, then to Mirage, and ended at 606.  The cab we took

home had one of the best sound systems I had ever heard in it and the back seats

reclined.  We all pretty much passed out to Marvin Gaye before I had the guy

stop to get cash so we could pay.  Ended the night chatting with Kristen which

was very fun as she is a fun girl.  Woke up the next morning with a scratch on

my forehead that I do not know how got there and I hope it does not scar.  Thank

you Raleigh.

Next day headed back to Wilmington with Birtles and stopped in Warsaw for some

Subway.  The towns to the left and right of us along the I-40 corridor are

called things like Warsaw, and Burgaw.  Birtles made me laugh numerous times at

his explanation of the assumed and jokingly inbreeding of the family's last

names in these towns.  He said when he is on work calls that he swears the

people he runs across either have the last name Locklear, or Oxendine.  I was

rolling.  He also informed me that these towns have Lumbee Indians and they are

all related and don't know it.  Ryan is a good friend and a great person to

listen to on things such as social situations, women, politics, and drumming.  I

am glad I have become friends with him and hope to see and talk to him in the

future.  That day in Wilmington we recovered and went to bed early after doing

some Internet photo posting and watching some Discovery Channel.  Woke up after

we had calamari and salads with fish added.  The sun came out and we headed to

the beach, called Wrightsville Beach which is adjacent to Wilmington and is the

main beach that they all would hang out at.  Not too crowded as school had

started that Monday.  The waves were just enough to swim in, temp was refreshing

but could almost be colder (thanks humidity), and the sand was white and course.

Watched some frisbee players throwing by the shallow end of the ocean and knew I

could throw with them but never asked.  I did ask how the one man threw the

'reverse hammer' and he showed me.  I look forward to perfecting, yet, another

way to throw that disc.  That Monday night we went to Indochine and had Thai

food which was awesome.  Lindsay was so nice to pick up the tab for me, her, and

Ryan.  She is so nice and hospitable it is overwhelming and impressive.  Stayed

in that night again as Lindsay had to be up early for work again.

The next day Lindsay and I went to lunch at the German Cafe (where she worked in

college and was ashamed to wear the lame St. Pauli Girl type outfits).  It was

pouring down rain and it was nice to take refuge in the warm and inviting cafe

that was filled with old German antiques and a nice waitress that Lindsay knew

from when she worked there.  After a great Reuben sandwich with a couple of

dark German beers, we took off and headed to the Wilmington Museum.  Smaller,

but good museum, that had all of the information I had been feaning for since I

pulled into town Friday night.  My favorite part was an exhibit that showed a

man in the 1800's that could read and write and do math could become a

"merchant" and make money by importing and exporting goods.  I have never seen

the idea of a business man put so simply as it showed a guy with a small table,

a pen, and some paper stowed away that was working on how to make his next

profit.  That night we went out to Yosake for sushi and got there before their

happy hour ended which was great as rolls were like $5 bucks and good signature

cocktails were the same.  I met up with Ryan McKay (facilitated through

McDoughana) and Lisa there.  We went out to Delux after dinner and then to see

Bibbis (a small young women who has a voice like Arethra Franklin) at the

Whiskey Bar.  There we met the members of Gloriana, a band that one an AMA over

Lady Gaga and opens for Taylor Swift.  Very nice and inviting people and the

night was filled with drinks, laughter, and photographs (including one I took

standing on a bar stool to get the whole group together).f  McKay and I went to

Fatboys on the way back to his house where he proceeded to sing Total Eclipse of

the Heart on a Karaoke machine to end the night.  He sang it just like the

wedding singer in the movie Old School and I was dying laughing as I took

pictures.  Walked home down market with more pictures in the middle of the

street and the sleeping city flashed its lights at us to go to bed.  Crashed on

McKay's couch after some late night pickle and cheese bites out of the fridge.

The next day I got dropped off by Ryan McKay in a power suit as he had already

been doing some sales calls in the morning.  Found our way back to Farrington

Farms and I started to pack to head back to Los Angeles.  Lindsay came home

around lunch and we had a quick Roberts chicken salad sandwich with a glass of

white wine before my flight.  At the airport, I was the only person at the

security gate to go through and exit.  Never seen that before.  Stopped in

Atlanta and got back to LA where my friend Seth was nice enough to pick me up at

LAX.  Overall, a great time in North Carolina -- I could see myself living

there.

Boston, South Shore, and Cape Cod August 2010

Fenway Park

First night got in on the Bolt Bus (a $16 dollar one way ride of 4.5 hours from NYC to Boston) after a very anxiety ridden ride due to no water, food, or music (rushed

to get on the earlier bus to make time - MISTAKE).  One of the worst hangovers I have ever had including puking, coughing, and a guy giving me water to help.  The guy 

in front of me moved seats as he probably thought I had Ebola.  Thanks New York.

Cohasset first night was just a movie and sleeping to recover.

Next day went to Brewster which is a town in Lower Cape Cod.  Mike's Aunt and cousins were there for the week and so we were able to join.  Went to the beach, cloudy,

but hot and after a cooler crashing on the buggy that carried our stuff to the sand, we were right into some cold Pabst Blue Ribbon.  Had good conversation with Seana

& Kara (Mike's cousins) and their friend Kathryn.  Eager to talk to Seana as she had been to Australia recently for four months and was excited for my future journeys.

That night we cooked steaks and chicken and salad.  All sat around the table to eat and drink which is where Dr. McGillicuddy came in.  A Cape Cod favorite that Mike

goes ape shit over, this Menthol mint drink made for an exceptional time around the table with lots of laughter and pictures being taken.  Kathy, Mike's Aunt got wasted

and was a riot to watch.  That night we got a ride for Mike's good buddy Josh to the Wood Shed (the only bar in Brewster).  The Coozies melted our faces with some

serious cover music ranging Sublime to Aerosmith to Jack Johnson.  "OH MY GOD" yelled Mike after some songs and we both were the #1 fans there as we air drummed

ourselves into a frenzy.  Mike danced to one song and killed it, everyone was laughing.  Walked home a mile or two in the dark and then Mike and went swimming in the

pool late night which was very relaxing.  No one there and the gate was wide open which was awesome.  No security or sounds for miles.  Woke up to cut up steak and

sharp cheddar all over the night stand and we both had zonked out in swimsuits above the covers.

Next day headed back to Cohasset to regroup.  Stopped in Plymouth at the Blueberry Muffin and had an insanely sloppy burger.  Should have gotten the panini.  Went

through Scituate to look at the fishing boats and the harbor.  Took pictures.  Then cruised through the richer area to look at houses and kind of just winded up the

coast on small residential roads that are overgrown with green and foliage.  That night went to Hull which is kind of like a small Seaside OR which actually had a

Fascination just like the town on the Oregon Coast.  We had a beer at the Red Parrot and then ate some so so food at Barefoot Bobs.  Went home and watched Back To The

Future and slept in to catch up on some sleep.  Got up and worked on my website while Mike worked.

Last night we left the South Shore and headed to the city to see a Red Sox game at Fenway Park.  Incredibly intimate ballpark and was very old and intricate.  We went

first to drink at Mike's brothers in Southie which was great.  Just me and him out on the deck talking and laughing as we drank Pabst Blue Ribbon and, once again, a

small bottle of Dr. McGillicuddy.  He told me that I was one of the main characters in his 'life movie' which was great to hear as I reciprocated the compliment.  We

hailed a cab to Fenway, had a beer and then attempted to scalp tickets but had no luck due to getting to the game half way through.  We bought $25 standing room only

tickets and then, due to Mike's incredible "Jeter Drinks Wine Coolers" shirt that had many ironed on photos on it slamming Derek Jeter and A Rod, we were able to be

invited to sit about 10 rows back with some fans of the shirt.  Jan and Larry to our left and Doug, a Cornhusker to my right, whom talked to me about the upcoming

Husky season.  Post game we got carne asada burritos that were like San Diego burritos as you don't find Mexican like that out East much.  We then hit the subway to

head to South Station where we ran a detour with two random girls -- a hilarious and interesting episode for about 20 minutes to say the least.  It was EPIC fun and is exactly the kind of trouble that Mr. Kearney and Mr. McLeod have known to get into.  Tiredness took over and we headed to his bar, Stats, to have a night cap.

Missed Nick Sheef on his yacht in north town but hope to meet him in Thailand in November.  On the plane now headed to Wilmington, NC.

New York City August 2010

Took the train from Albany after the South Coast Classic.  Very nice train ride;

quiet, uncrowded and was able to setup a time lapse shot on my tripod.  Should

have set the interval for 5 seconds instead of 10 as it was hard to see the

changes in the landscape.  Got into Penn Station station Wednesday right at rush

hour.  Immediately felt the sweltering heat (not unbearable) as I got out of the

train and was underground in the subway system.  When I hit the surface streets

it was MAYHEM.  Hundreds of people crossing crosswalks in the middle of the road

and I, with a fairly large pack, am trying to get through these people

perpendicularly.  Not too bad thought but definitely "welcome to New York"

feeling.  Hailed a cab at the cab line and this guy just RIPPED me up to Central

Park South where Ames lives.  I mean ripped!  Honked multiple times at other

drivers and almost hit two cabs.  Cheap fare and quick was there in 10 minutes.

First night Robbie and I headed to John George's restaurant at the bottom of the

Trump International and I met Hannah for the first time.  Very proper and

sophisticated woman who was genuine and charismatic.  Also met crazy Amy who I

never saw again.  Ames and I then briefly stopped into Mickey Mantles right by

his condo to grab a quick drink then we were off to the SoHo House.  Hannah is a

member at the SoHo House so we were able to get in as guests with her which felt

very VIP.  On the elevator up I look up and the famous Olympic Speed Skater Ono

was across from me with a blinged out Olympic ring dog tag necklace.  We ordered

vodka tonics and hung out by the pool on the rooftop which was glamorous and

fine.  Reminded me of the rooftop at Kress in Hollywood but with a bit more

celebrity and important person feel.  Hannah cabbed home and Robbie and I went

to the Gansevoort Hotel which had a good view on the top floor.  After that we

headed back to Ames' to have night cap and pass out.

Slept in late and went down to the Financial District, or Downtown, to eat pizza

at Harry's and to meet up with a couple of Ames' friends.  After we ate we went

and bought a bottle of wine, had it corked, and with two plastic cups headed up

top of his old Gold Street apartment building.  Overcast and a bit of a drizzle

but overall incredible view of the entire city of New York.  Could see the

Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge,

and the Queensboro and Manhattan bridge.  Watched the city come alive as the sun

went down and the lights on the buildings came on.  Finished the bottle of wine

and went back down to Harry's to meet up with Ames' old roommate Jeff and Mike

Torres.  Had some beers and then headed to Down The Hatch which was in a more

middle class area of Midtown.  Here Ames and I proceeded to DOMINATE the only

foosball table in this dive bar and never lost a game.  We mainly played this

big white guy partnered with this short darker skinned kid.  The music was

incredible everything from Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer, to Sublime, to Journey.

 We bet pitchers against these guys the first game and obviously won...from

their the big guy just kept buying pitchers as they kept losing so Ames and I

were loving it.  Ames also had a quick trip the bathroom to release himself of

some beer that hadn't digested yet.  Ames projectile vomited right as a

gentleman was exiting the bathroom door and hit him square in the chest.  There

was no avoiding it and it was a direct hit unfortunately for this unlucky

gentleman.  After the patron shouted in a shocked state of disgust before

running out the exit to notify security, Ames finished his work in the bathroom

and after quickly cleaning himself up, returned to the Foosball table to

continue the McLeod/Ames domination and pounding beers.  Security tried to pin

one of us down on who did it but we just kept playing Foosball and air

guitaring.  It was awesome.  Left at 4am and went home to crash out.

Woke up late again and after Rob was done with work we decided to go get lost in

Central Park.  I packed up the camera and frisbee and we headed out.  We hit up

Pop Burger before which you get two little mini sliders, fries, and a soft drink

for about $14 dollars.  We then jumped to FAO Schwarz to see the toys and to see

the BIG PIANO that was in the movie Big.  It was cool but I didn't like that the

piano was now a tourist attraction with ropes blocking it off where kids were

jumping on it and a security guard had to allow you to go on it after waiting in

line.  Lame, left quickly.  We headed into the south end of Central Park and

found a large field to setup an area for our stuff.  Oh yeah, we also bought a

little half pint of Southern Comfort to sip on during our park adventure.  We

threw the frisbee around and I took pictures and at some points just sat and

talked.  Cityscape in the distance of Central Park South was nice including

seeing the Essex House sign which is apparently where all of the Jews live in

the area.  In the field there were lower class citizens of New York that would

haul a buggy with ice cold beer in it.  One guy even had foiled up limes for my

treat on a hot day in the middle of a park.  I would have paid $6.  One guy

loved my frisbee so much that he would stop his cart and throw with us.  "It is

so much fun...I just love it so much" he said as he hucked it to me with decent

spin and distance.  After the time spent in the field we went further in to the

park to go to the Central Park Boathouse to have a couple of drinks.  Rob was

nice enough to pick them up and treat me which was a very nice gesture and I

appreciated it very much.  Left the park and stayed in that night.  Had Thai

food at a Thai Basil about a mile away from his condo.  It was good Thai and not

too expensive.  The red curry was the best dish and was a good call by Rob.  We

stayed in that night and did not go out.

Saturday we met up with Hannah at Red, a Mexican restaurant with outside seating

in the Seaport area where Hannah was nice enough to buy lunch for everyone which

Rob and I appreciated very much.  Her refinement is classy and well traveled and

it is an enjoyment talking with her.  I took some pictures around the port and

the Brooklyn Bridge and then we stopped in at Nelson Blue where I picked up a

round of drinks for the group and we continued to talk.  The owner was very

cordial and wish me a good journey as he was from New Zealand.  Then we cabbed

to Savore in Soho, Hannah's neighborhood, where I was treated by Robbie to the

best prosciutto I have EVER EATEN.  It was so salty and fresh I couldn't believe

it.  Hannah convinced me to try the Lambrusco wine due to this establishment

being one of the only places in New York that imports it from Italy and serves

it.  It was good, a red wine with a little bubbly to it...as Hannah said, very

refreshing in the summer time which it was.  After that we went a block up to

Blue Ribbon where we had oysters and more drinks.  Victor was the shucker and is

known by Hannah as she lives right around the corner.  I had a Manhattan in

honor of grandma due to the fact I was fine dining in Manhattan, NY.

Overall, the four things I will remember from New York City; is that there is no

J Walking, people are in a hurry, you should always wear your seat belt in a

taxi; that is, unless you want to break your nose on the plexi-glass divider,

and a pack of cigarettes costs $15.00.