hello from outer space

Well, not really. Just the way I feel. I've been very spaced these past few days. I think it's the post-long weekend zone out. The boy and I went on a road trip this holiday weekend to a few different places. First, we went to Greenville SC and photographed a wedding for a good friend of mine. It was very difficult, but lots of fun and a great learning experience. AND, the photos turned out great, to boot. Sidenote: Why do people say "to boot" by the way? I often wonder if I hear these phrases and actually just turn them around in my head and they aren't what the words even are, for example....is "to boot" even the word "boot?" what if it's another word? I should learn what things mean before I say them....

Anyway, after lovely Greenville, we went to Asheville and did the Biltmore thing (which is amazing and not as cheesy as we thought it would be) and then did a night and a morning scoping out downtown Asheville. Our thoughts on Asheville were about the same, and disclaimer - I think that because we were there on a dead holiday weekend (which was surprising in itself) - that maybe we got a bad vibe and we're not giving it enough credit. Just wanted to put that out there....

We liked downtown Asheville, and loved that there was nothing commercial about it... not a single golden arch or starbucks in sight (hah - as I sit here and sip my pumpkin spice latte from yours truly). But we thought that the city was lacking something. We couldn't put our fingers on it - it just didn't seem like a very happy town. The people seemed tired. They seemed like they didn't welcome or appreciate the tourists that were more than happy to attempt (key word, attempt) to come drop some tourist dollars and boost their "in need of a boost" city. Nothing was open on a Sunday evening on a national holiday weekend. Nothing opened the next morning until 11am.... If it even opened at all.

The locals we spotted out were either young hippies who seemed to look at us like we were aliens wherever we went, or they were middle aged burnouts who were begging us for money at 10 am on a Monday in the middle of the street like it was no big deal. We discussed it a lot and we don't know if the city just doesn't give a shit and could care less if tourists enjoy it because it's all they need and want, or if they'd like to actually see people walking the streets and they want some life boosted back into the town. It just felt like it was missing some happiness, and some heart. It has so much potential, but didn't seem to care. Maybe that's the beauty in it - that when you go there (as a tourist) you're getting the actual experience - a quasi ghost town where a store may or may not be open, and they're keeping the rest of the world out, whatever it takes. Strange experience, but I would like to give it another chance, maybe on a Saturday. I can't judge it yet. Great art galleries though - we loved the art galleries (that were actually open).

On a totally different topic, this is something that I was thinking today as I was performing one of life's most intimate, personal and disgusting bodily functions next to a co-worker today. Pooping. I find it hilarious that we as humans are totally ok with just going into a stall, shitting, and coming back out like "hey, i just took a big ol' dump. what's up?" Especially, I find it amusing when I am so comfortable with it, that I walk into the bathroom and do a #2 right next to a co-worker of mine while we discuss whatever might be going on at the time. What's your take on public pooping? Or pooping in general? Are you comfortable with just doing it whenever, wherever? Or are you a private, in your home, your significant other doesn't even think you have a booty hole kind of person? Are you so grossed out by it that you can't even discuss it? I'm anxious to know. :)