The Big Bad Wolf

Dear Scott,

Where do I start? It's been a while since my last letter, not to say that you aren't on my mind all day everyday, or that you, solely, don't hold my heart. While I enjoy our daily chats, the ones kept between just you and I, it's due to our nosy little relatives that I feel I must keep this diary going.

About two months ago I moved to Hermosa Beach, a little beach town about 45 minutes south of Los Angeles. Barney's Beanery wasn't cutting it. I was coming home every night dressed (literally) in ranch. Besides, I had been roped in to working a friend's Tuesday night's. Coincidentally, Tuesday nights were karaoke (scaryoke) at Barney's Beanery. "C'mon Liney, take one for the team, please work my Tuesday nights!?" How bad could it be? I love falling asleep to some tunes, I thought to myself. It wasn't until I was forced to watch a real life version of Bridgette Jones reenact Carrie Underwood's "Think Before He Cheats," that my ears continued to ring well through the weekend and I started to truly fear for my health, I was sure that my eardrums had officially blown out and I would be forced to wear hearing aids for the rest of my life.

I started to picture myself walking down the aisle, on the wedding day that I had so eagerly anticipated since I was a little girl. I am a vision in my Monique Lhuillier silk wedding gown. As I glance to my mother, perched in the front pew, with tears of joy streaming down her face, I suddenly feel the chords of my hearing aid quickly tangle and grasp my ankles. Although I try to regain composure, the strength of the chords is too much to bear and my body is hurled to the floor, just as I catch sight of the terror in my grooms face. I end up skidding to the alter on my right cheek. As the church watches on in utter silence, my lifeless body lay there, at the foot of my future husband, entangled in the wires of my hearing aid...all because I "took one for the team" as a waitress at Barney's Beanery.

The vision alone gave me no choice but to throw in the towel (and by towel I mean apron and roller skates) and call it quits. So that was the end of the Beanery. Soon after, I decided to take a job in Manhattan Beach working as a personal assistant to The Wolf of Wall Street. The minute I met the Wolf, I knew he would be a challenge. Besides the fact that I could have easily bench pressed the little guy at a moment's notice, the 5'4" 140 pound Queens native had an ego the size of a Good Year blimp. After a month and a half of being the Wolf's personal assistant/babysitter/dog walker/teacher/trainer/mover/groomer/tutor/accountant/rabbi/hairdresser/plumber/organizer/electrician/doctor/cleaner/travel agent/publicist/financial advisor/veterinarian/psychologist/driver/lawyer/librarian/french maid/repairman/mechanic/technician/computer scientist/biomedical engineer, I decided that it was time to narrow my aspirations, and was forced to bid the Wolf farewell.

Which brings me to the here and now, living in a house, just blocks from the beach. My roommates are fantastic, I get a kick out of the two of them. Although Aunt Janet has named my one roommate a "party on wheels," his more formal title is the "blast in a glass." The first time I met him, he enlightened me on his plans to build a zip line, from our 3rd story deck to the patio of Sharkeez, Hermosa Beach's most hoppin' bar. On a typical saturday afternoon, The Blast can most likely be found at a party...any party...sporting his infamous "jammy pack," a fanny pack with a portable iPod deck and speakers. I know, I know, pure brilliance, to say the least.

I recently took a job in sales at the computer software company, Rapid 7, based in the Prudential Center in Boston with offices in Los Angeles and London. I just wrapped up my first official work week! I absolutely love the job. While I never previously considered a job in sales, I can now honestly say that it's exactly what I want to do. Don't think for one second that I'm giving up the dream that I came out here to pursue, I have just realized that in order to be able to fulfill such a dream I must be happy and comfortable in the place I'm in, and the rest will follow. I will be sure to keep you updated, sweet heart.

I fall asleep every night to the sound of crashing waves, I often close my eyes and pretend we're at Bethany Beach. All of us cousins, without a care in the world.

I miss you and I love you more than you will ever know.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Manizer

Dear Scott,

LA weather has been brutal lately.

Last Friday night I got a call from Aunt Janet, who advised me to walk outside and take a look at the moon; it was going to be closer to earth than it has or will be for the next 26 years (clearly the most exciting event that graced the calendar of Aunt Janet and Uncle Jim since the potluck supper they recently hosted for Wenham's First Church). It was around 7 p.m. when I had got off the phone with Aunt Janet and I immediately informed my roommates of the full moon. After hours, wandering outside the apartment, searching for the super moon that was apparently looming above the west coast, we gave up, came inside and turned on the TV, only to be informed that Los Angeles was one of the few cities unable to view the moon due to the city's smog. I guess there's always 2037...

So today I was in improv. The teacher introduced a new exercise to the class- to portray a character, or some character trait, that was unusual for the specific person to portray, all the while playing out a scene. I was paired with Zach, aka Ben Nuttle. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with Zach (or Ben Nuttle, for that matter), he is the epitome of a nice guy; laidback, life of the party, cool, happy-go-lucky and just an all-around great, happy person. So as the two of us stood in front of the class the teacher loudly announced, "Ok, so what character do we want to see Zach play?" Adjectives were immediately thrown from class members- "Mean!" "Rude!" "Bully!" "Angry!"...just a few opposite adjectives of the character whom Zach usually plays. The teacher picked a few from the suggestions, "Ok great, a mean bully. Now what charchater trait do we want to see Liney play?" The class fell silent, and I stood up there on stage, flipped my hair and batted my eyelashes in full confidence anticipating the responses; "Nerdy" or "Insecure." All of a sudden, I hear someone blurt out, "FEMININE!"....and then another..."DAINTY!"....and another..."FRAGILE!" Well, needless to say, I left class a little more humbled than I had entered.

I had a wonderful weekend this past weekend with a couple of my BU sorority girls who were in town. My roommate Darren was out of town for the weekend, he had jetted off to San Francisco to see Britney Spears perform in San Fran's Castro District for a Good Morning America Special. The picture to the right is Darren in his costume.

I've had a real big setback recently. Although my immediate reaction was to pack up my things, arrange for a car shipment, and book a one-way flight back to Boston, I thought about you. I thought about how when you were told that the cancer had returned, you didn't fuss, complain or feel sorry for yourself, you danced in the rain. You made the best of the cards you had been dealt. And that's exactly what I will continue to do, for now.

I have been missing you a lot lately. Sometimes I feel as if my heart physically hurts without you here.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Extra Extra Large

Dear Scooter Pie,

California weather is amazing. It has been 80 degrees and sunny here everyday for the past couple of weeks. I guess the weather's job is to make up for the gas prices. Not only do I sacrifice my savings at the gas pump, I sacrifice my dignity as well, a $60.00 tank of gas for a Jetta sedan makes me feel dirty, rightfully so.

As of today, I am OFFICIALLY a staff member of Barney's Beanery in Burbank! I had to go through/suffer/endure the pain of seven whole days of training, which were concluded today with an extensive menu test that I passed with flying colors. I was given Barney's Beanery study guide that was as thick as an encyclopedia. Unnecessary? Nah. I don't think I have ever studied harder for anything (there's the queu for Uncle Jim's eye-roll). On the upside, we have QUITE the Gluten Free menu! In consideration of your love for "cheese sandwiches," you would have LOVED Barney's Gluten Free menu, including the beers. On the down side, I developed diabetes, heart disease and breathing difficulties from merely reading the menu. Some of the menu items whose descriptions caused me to nearly lose my lunch:

The Juicy Lucy Burger: Two hamburger patties with cheese cooked into the beef patties, topped with chili, bacon, onions, sour cream and a "whole lotta love!"

Pigs in a Blanket: Three pancakes rolled with sausage patties or links or three strips of bacon, two eggs, syrup and butter

Potato Skin Breakfast: Potato skin filled with corned beef hash, spinach, cheese, eggs, bacon and mushrooms, topped with chili, sour cream and guacamole

The Sky High Peanut Butter Sandwich: Peanut butter, jelly, marshmallow, bananas, rolled in frosted flakes

...Truly offensive, I wish I was joking.

Apparently, Barney's uses an online database for employees to access their work schedules. Therefore, if we need to drop/pick-up/release any shifts we can do it electronically, which will then immediately notify the other staff members. Upon passing my menu test, the Barney's Beanery general manager immediately informed me that she had recently created a profile/ information update for me on the work schedule website so that I could view my schedule, access staff information, and adjust any schedule requests that I may have. She reiterated, to me, the importance of my contact information being available to my fellow staff members, and then added that she had just estimated my sizing information for uniform purposes. The picture to the right is the first screen I saw upon the "victory" of becoming a newly employed staff member.

What's wrong with this picture?

As long as I can keep you laughing.

I miss you and love you more than you know.

Until we meet again,

Liney

I've just seen a face

Dear Scott,

My inhabitance here in Los Angeles is about to meet its one month mark, which means one thing: that I no longer have any excuse for my unemployment (I can see Uncle Jim right now, with steam coming from his nostrils saying, "Welp, welcome to the REAL world, Hun!"). Therefore, I would like to announce my recent hire at Barney's Beanery, in Burbank. It's a really fun sports bar/pub. While it certainly does not fulfill my life aspirations, it is a part-time job which allows me to pursue the opportunities that I moved out to Los Angeles to pursue, while, most importantly, paying the bills.

Improv classes are awesome. It almost reminds me of adult daycare. We play games, warm-up with various exercises, and let our imaginations run free. Our recent classes have revolved around character- to fully immerse yourself in the character you are portraying and to heighten the character's personality traits, and commitment- to commit to the character you're playing and to wherever the scene takes you. Although improv often requires you to act like a real buffoon, I have never felt less judged than I do up there on stage in front of the other 11 people in my class. They are really neat people. There's one boy in my class who reminds me SO much of Ben; his looks, his humor, and his happy-go-lucky attitude. My teacher strictly forbids the two of us to perform scenes together because we start laughing the second we look at each other.

Because each class is so long, that teacher announces a break around the two hour mark of the class. Upon today's break, I started chatting with a girl in my class who I have come to know throughout the past few weeks, I had previously told her that I was new to Los Angeles, and was trying to establish myself as an actress/comedian. As we strolled down Melrose Avenue on our break, and I told her of my adventures out west, she seemed amused by my move to Hollywood and intrigued by my plan to pursue my dreams. As soon as we settled into our seats, anticipating the plans that the teacher had for us for the second half of the class, I over hear my new friend telling a cute, bubbly, size two, blonde in the class about an opportunity she has recently heard of a casting call in the Los Angeles area for a Disney show. As I hovered over the conversation, trying to convince myself that surely my new friend had full intention to suggest that I audition for the part, she suddenly catches sight of my eaves dropping and, with genuine sympathy, quips, "Sorry hun! They're looking for young girls...like...early 20's." I left improv and, upon returning to my apartment, immediately ran a bath of L'Oreal's anti-sagging and ultra-hydrating cream, of which I am currently blogging from.

I just moved into my very own bedroom! Your picture sits right on my beside table, your beautiful face is the first thing I see every single morning. I apologize that my letters to you are not as frequent as I would like them to be. Although I am enjoying life on the west coast, it certainly isn't as eventful as my journey here. And I want only the best for you, my love, I want to make certain that reading each one of my letters is always well worth your time.

I love you more than the whole universe. Tell Jessie to come visit me pronto.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

Dear Scott,

So sorry it's been a while. I have been so busy getting settled into this new lifestyle and acclimated to the city. So we have a lot to catch up on...

I spent the weekend in San Francisco with some friends from BU. Cait, Matt and I left Los Angeles at around 11 Friday morning and arrived in San Fran at about 5, the drive wasn't bad at all, especially compared to some of the grueling car rides I have recently endured. When we arrived in San Francisco, it was pouring, and continued to do so until Sunday morning. Friday night was very...um...college. We dressed to impress, all the while bobbing our heads to some of our favorite college jams, then we stuffed all six of us into a cab made for four, and gabbed the driver's ear off so that he wouldn't notice the two extra heads in the back seat. If he had noticed the two extra people stuffed into his taxi cab, he certainly had no concern for our safety, or more importantly, our stomachs. I began to see alternating flashes of both my childhood and the meatball hoagie I had had for lunch as he cruised, at what seemed to be the speed of light, through San Francisco's steep terrain. As the color of my face turned from light pink to a dark lavender and my eyes started to roll to the back of my head, the cab screeched to a halt...we had arrived, just in time.

I woke up Saturday morning to my, previously inflated, air mattress completely flattened on the hard wood floor. Despite my original insistence that I was going to need a wheelchair and a neck brace to contribute to the days activities, I eventually managed to pull myself together. Around noon, a group of nine of us met up for breakfast at a little cafe downtown. We sat at a corner booth for a couple of hours telling stories about one another and reminiscing on past times. The weather was miserable! It was pouring rain and freezing. While we made an attempt to sightsee San Francisco, the weather ended up "forcing" us into a pub down the street. Saturday night was another great time, spent with wonderful people.

I woke up early Sunday morning nearly crippled by my second night's sleep on the deflated air mattress. As I limped down the stairs of the apartment, toward the door, my handicap was almost instantly healed when I stepped outside into the 60 degree San Francisco sunshine. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. We all hopped into a cab and rode it to the Castro, San Francisco's gay neighborhood, for lunch. What a place, a place of acceptance and of free love, I have never seen any place like it before. Mark twain once said, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness," I'm starting to think he had just returned from a visit to San Francisco's Castro District. We spent the rest of the day visiting San Francisco's must-see attractions- the Haight District, the Golden Gate bridge and Alcatraz, leaving late Sunday night. The trip was amazing. I'm adding "Live in San Francisco" to my bucket list.

Improv classes are going well, I think I am finally starting to grasp an understanding of the art.

I miss Mom, Dad and Lizzy a whole lot. Be sure to take good care of them for me. I love and miss you more than you know.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Decide what to be and go be it

Dear Scott,

I had my first day of improv at the Groundlings today! It was an absolute blast. Tina Fey once said, "I was so sure that I was doing exactly what I'd been put on this earth to do, and I would have done anything to make it onto that stage. Not because of SNL, but because I wanted to devote my life to improv." Although I am aware of the long road I have ahead of me, I'm starting to appreciate the meaning of that statement.

I heard this song last night when I was watching the Grammys. I loved the tune so I downloaded the song, and as I listened to the lyrics, they resonated within me. This song reminded me of you and your beautiful soul, Scooter Pie. You epitomize my interpretation of this song- someone who was once scared of what the future held, but decided to face the music, to dance in the pouring rain. To name you a hero would be an understatement. I honestly don't think I would be here in Los Angeles living this dream if it weren't for you. This song, once again, ignites the inspiration you have given me to follow my dreams. Below I posted some of the lyrics as well as a youtube link to the song. Hope you like it, angel. I love you and miss you more than you know.

The Avett Brothers- Head Full of Doubt/ Road Full of Promise

There’s a darkness upon me that’s flooded in light
In the fine print they tell me what’s wrong and what’s right
And it comes in black and it comes in white
And I’m frightened by those that don’t see it

When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn’t change by the man that’s elected
If you’re loved by someone, you’re never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it

There was a dream and one day I could see it
Like a bird in a cage I broke in and demanded that somebody free it

Until we meet again,

Liney

Bieber Fever

Dear Scott,

Happy Saturday! Today, Cait, Darren and I woke up "early" (11 a.m.), threw on our tankinis and hopped into the car, not to miss the peak hours of sunshine. We spent the entire day at Santa Monica beach, in our newly purchased beach chairs, chatting, laughing and watching the world go by. One of the things I love most about California is the amount of time people spend outdoors, the warm weather creates a happy, carefree atmosphere. People were rollerblading, bike riding, surfing, sailing, playing volleyball and soccer, all with chihuahuas in-hand. We decided to leave the beach around 4 p.m., just in time for happy hour. As we strolled along Santa Monica Boulevard looking for a beachside restaurant to park ourselves, we stumbled upon the hotel that Aunt Janet and Uncle Jim stayed at during their visit to Los Angeles a couple of years ago. Although Cait and Darren insisted that the pool was strictly for hotel guests only, a little voice kept ringing in my ear saying.."well behaved women rarely make history..." so I lead them through the fancy entrance of the hotel, all the while winking at the bellhops, and strolled right up to the rooftop pool, which has, by far, the most beautiful view of the Santa Monica sunset. And watch the sunset is exactly what we did, with mojitos in hand, of course.

We left the hotel upon sunset and stopped by a grocery store on the way home to pick up dinner. As I turned the corner of the dairy isle, I was nearly knocked over by this spray-tanned, tattooed, macho man pushing a hot pink stroller. When I looked down at the stroller expecting to oodle an infant who bared a strong resemblance to Snooki, a fluffy white pomeranian stared back at me. I don't think I have ever been more disturbed.

On a more serious note, I have come down with something...

Thursday night, I was dragged to the midnight showing of Justin Bieber's Never Say Never movie, Darren had ordered the tickets a week in advance. Cait and I had spent the day hiking to the top of the Griffith Observatory, the absolute most beautiful view of Los Angeles and its surrounding cities, so I was in no spirit to wreak havoc on Los Angeles and was content with spending my night at the movie theater. After Darren and Cait had insisted that Justin Bieber was the hottest commodity since N'S(t)YNC, I agreed to go see the movie. We arrived at the theater in downtown LA THREE HOURS before the movie time, anticipating a crowd of shrieking teeny boppers, so, to kill time, we wandered around The Grove. Around 11p.m., after playing hide and seek in Barnes and Noble for nearly two hours, we strolled over to the theater and pre-gamed for the "most anticipated film of the year" by purchasing a tub of buttered popcorn and a big gulp of coca cola. I felt like I was 16 again. We sat in the theater for nearly an hour until the lights finally dimmed and the previews started to roll. All of a sudden, no more than one minute into the previews, some middle aged man ran into the center of the theater and started yelling. I figured it was some Californian, middle-aged, drug addict, so I rolled my eyes and continued to stuff my face with the vat of popcorn we had purchased. All of a sudden, a little punk of a child ran into the theater and started jumping up and down. I don't know what it was, but a fever, the Bieber fever, came over me like a tsunami and I jumped out of my seat and started shrieking. Justin Bieber himself was standing in the center of a theater of over 100 people and for some reason, my first reaction was to scream, at the top of my lungs, which is exactly what I did. I truly don't know what came over me. I was the only one in the theater who was a) over the age of 15 and b) coherent enough to know what was going on and the fever took me over. The rest of the theater stared in utter disbelief as I leapt from my seat and proceeded to climb, no, dive over the seats to reach Justin. The entire situation is a blur but I vaguely remember diving (slo-mo) through popcorn, gummy bears and junior mints, which flew up in the air like confetti. When I finally reached the railing, which separated me and the modern day "king of pop," I blessed myself and took the leap, landing at the, children's size 14, purple paten leather sneaker of Justin Bieber. The theater fell silent. The only thing heard was the echo of my hysterics, of both laughter and tears, into the floor of the theater, as I attempted to regain my poise. I laid on the floor of the theater for a solid 30 seconds, now being trampled by a stampede of 13-year olds who hugged, kissed and posed for pictures with the walking ken barbie doll, formally known as Justin Bieber. I finally managed to pick my bleeding and bruised 23 year-old self up from the floor, just in time to hear the raspy pre-pubetic voice announce, "Hey guys I just stopped by to say thanks for coming, I love you all." And then I stood there completely dumbfounded and watched as Justin Bieber flipped his dirty blonde coiffure to the side of his porcelain complexion, batted his dark eyelashes, flashed his hundred million dollar grin and then carelessly skipped out of the theater, leaving nothing but a trail of glitter.

Scott Vincent, I kid you not, Bieber fever has left me, literally and figuratively, disabled, distressed and dehabilitated, laugh about it, I can hear you now.

I love you more than the whole universe!

Until we meet again,

Liney

Falling into place

Dear Scott,

It's day three in Los Angeles and the weather has hardly dropped below 70 degrees. It's absolutely beautiful outside. I have spent the past three days getting settled into the city, attempting to find my way around, applying for jobs and scheduling auditions...which leads me to my big news...

I have been taking Improv classes in Boston for the past couple of years. Los Angeles has one of the biggest Improv schools in the country, The Groundlings, which is what brought me to this city. Groundlings has served as a career platform for some very notable alumni (Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Conan, etc...to name a few). Keeping in mind that my acceptance into Groundlings was a long shot, I scheduled an audition for Monday morning. I auditioned with about 20 other aspiring actors and comedians and left feeling just so-so about my performance. I haven't done any Improv since last spring and didn't think that I really stood out in my audition. So I took Monday night to sulk around the apartment, basking in self pity and went to bed early anticipating my bleak future, crushed dreams, and a painful letter of rejection, which would soon contaminate my inbox.

That night, I had nightmares imagining myself as a circus clown at the Topsfield Fair whose only responsibility was to sit in the dunk tank and wait for a group of obnoxious teenagers to make the shot, which would submerse me and my fire red wig under water. As I would finally manage to pull myself from the water to gasp for oxygen and my stark white make-up would drizzle down my face transforming my painted smile to a bitter frown, the same pimple-faced bully would nail the target again and I would watch from underwater as passerbys started to gather around my dunk tank to join in on the mockery.

I arose the next morning and kept occupied by performing every tedious and unnecessary task that I could think of. I refolded my laundry, french braided my whole head, and ironed my underwear, all to avoid signing in to my e-mail. And then I knew I had to face the music. So I signed into my e-mail and there it was, right in the subject line, "Your Groundlings Audition Results." I opened the e-mail, skimmed through the needless banter and finally landed my eyes on, "Caroline Collett's Audition Result: PASSED." I jumped up and down screaming bloody murder for a solid 20 minutes and then called everyone I had ever met and told them that I was admitted to clown school.

Classes start next Monday and they will be twice a week for six weeks. I have to pass four levels of improv and writing classes to eventually be a member of the Sunday Company that performs at the Groundlings theater in LA every Sunday. It's a step in the right direction.

Thanks for your help on Monday, I don't think I could have done it without you.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Let me tell you 'bout my best friend...

Dear Scott,

WE MADE IT! We arrived safely in Los Angeles yesterday at 1. I can't believe that we finally got here. When we crossed into California from Arizona, the temperature reached 65 degrees, the highest we've seen in days. Jenna and I rolled down the windows, opened the sunroof and basked in the wind and the sunshine as we finally approached Los Angeles. This city is everything I remembered. After we lugged our belongings up to Cait's apartment, we showered and headed over to Sunset Boulevard. It was the most perfect day, I couldn't have asked for better weather. We sat outside the Saddle Ranch restaurant with cocktails and appetizers catching up on lost time.

Last night I drove Jenna to the airport. We spent the ride reminiscing on the trip's most memorable moments, I could hardly see the road through the tears of laughter that welled my eyes. And then as we approached the departure gate, I knew had to face the inevitable moment. I hugged Jenna so tightly that she nearly fell over and then watched as she approached the check-in desk to eventually board the plane to Boston. It was only until airport security threatened me with a $100 fine that I was forced to get into my car, drive away, and think about our ride...

Jenna and I spent a lot of time together in the past 14 days, especially in that little Jetta that took us across the country. We shared tears, sobs, of both sadness and laughter. We shared secrets. We divulged our deepest fears and our happiest moments. We talked about our goals, our dreams, our families. We talked about our aspirations, professionally and personally. And like an old married couple, we bickered a few times. I've heard that you're supposed to surround yourself with people who possess qualities that you admire, in one way or another. My friend Jenna embodies the kind of person that I hope to be. Jenna is more than my best friend, she is as close as to a sister as they come, she is a part of me. There is no one I would have rather spent this experience with. I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful person in my life. I think you would have found Jenna just as phenomenal as I have.

And here I am in Los Angeles. The trip is over, but the journey has just begun and I'm sure you'll be with me every step of the way. I love you and miss you more than ever. Here goes nothin' Scooter Pie.

Until we meet again,

Liney

The Last Stretch

Dear Scott,

We are in Tucson! I can't believe we actually made it here. We left Santa Fe at 5 a.m. yesterday morning. It was snowing like CRAZY and about 6 degrees when we left. We managed to make it to Arizona in about twice the estimated travel time, around 2 p.m. I was unsure (doubtful) whether the sight of the Grand Canyon was going to be worth the six hour detour but I put a smile on for Jenna and kept agreeing that it was "part of the adventure!" After turning off the interstate, we drove 50 miles uphill until we finally arrived at the Grand Canyon National Park welcome sign. We paid a whopping $25 vehicle fee and entered the "park." As we climbed further and further up the mountain, with a view of nothing but pine trees and fat yellow speed bumps, I became concerned that the Grand Canyon was nothing but a museum featuring pictures of what COULD be, featured in fairytales and text books. "What do you think Liney!? That it's just going to emerge out of nowhere!?" Jenna said in response to my sour attitude. And all of a sudden, among the blur of forest green that surrounded us, the trees parted and there it emerged, a magnificent mass of beauty, so great that it took my breath away. We immediately pulled over and ran to the canyon's edge and looked out in wonder and disbelief. We both stood there in silence, it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen, more beautiful than I had ever imagined. The sight brought tears to my eyes and I stood there and cried. I cried like a baby, in happiness, in disbelief and I cried because I knew you were standing right there next to me as I gazed out over the canyon. Jenna and I took a million photographs, including our "save the date" picture, which will be printed on postcards and sent out to all of our friends and family members upon our engagement.

We left the canyon after a couple of hours, and we still had a solid six hours of driving left to do until we arrived at Jenna's grandparents in Tucson. When we finally made it, grandma greeted us with warm milk and cookies and then tucked us into bed like toddlers, it was exactly what I needed.

This morning we emerged from our nursery after a 14 hour slumber and we were greeted, once again by grandma, with fresh squeezed oj and warm blueberry muffins. After breakfast, grandma and grandpa piled us into the car and gave us a tour of Tucson, downtown and then further out to the mountains. Grandpa narrated the tour while grandma sat in the passenger seat giggling at grandpas antics. Today was their 54th wedding anniversary and they remarked over and over that it was exactly how they wanted to spend it. For dinner we ate chimichangas, washed down with chilled coronas.

Tomorrow is our finale. We will bid farewell to grammy and grandpa and drive our final seven hours out to Los Angeles. Upon arrival I'm going to crack open three beers, one for me, one for Jenna, and one for you in appreciation and in gratitude of you and jenna accompanying me on a 3,765 mile trip of a lifetime.

Until we meet again,

Liney

My Sunshine

Dear Scott,

We made it safely to Santa Fe! I truly apologize for the fact that I haven't been in touch for the past couple of days. We left Austin yesterday afternoon and stayed the night last night in Lubbock, Texas...enough said. The town had been given a "winter weather advisory" (meaning someone threw an ice cube on the interstate) and you would have thought they were preparing for an Armageddon. When we arrived at the hotel, we could hardly find a parking spot out front. I found it difficult to imagine that Lubbock's Holiday Inn Express was the ideal weekend getaway. Upon check-in, the woman at the front desk, who wore her pant suit and highlighted mullet with pride, explained, "Y'all are lucky you managed to make it in here! Place is packed tonight cuz we're fixin' for a dumpin!" Jenna and I arose this morning to a light dusting, at best.

By the time we arrived in Santa Fe, around 3 p.m. this afternoon, the temperature had dropped to 9 degrees! We wandered around downtown Santa Fe this afternoon but the wind chill was so strong that after a mere 10 minutes, the tip of my nose bared a foot long icicle. We had no choice but to resort to a saloon downtown. Jenna and I snatched two oversized leather chairs that sat right in front of the fireplace. As I peeked out the window, slightly to the left of the roaring fire, I was captivated by the sight of a row of bright colored pueblos that sat at the foot of snow-covered mountain tops. It was just beautiful, to say the least.

Tomorrow is the Grand Canyon! I hope the weather is better than today, although I know that you, my sunshine, are guiding us every step of the way.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Your Song

Dear Scott,

We FINALLY made it to Austin. Although it seems as if I say this about every city we visit...I am madly in love with this place. This city screams Ben Nuttle. It's hip, young, chic, and the weather could not be more beautiful. Everyone seems happy here.

We arrived (miraculously, after our stint in New Orleans) yesterday around 6 p.m. I can honestly say that those were the most brutal 8 hours of my life, (I'm sure Mimi is rolling her eyes at that statement). Because at our arrival I strongly resembled Air Bud, due to the havoc wreaked on our appearance by New Orleans, we immediately showered and prepared for the night. We stayed with my friend AJ, the best host we could ask for. He had a whole itinerary prepared for our visit. My optimism was lacking due to exhaustion, but I managed to rally and prepare myself for the night. AJ and his 5 friends took us to dinner at a Mexican restaurant across the street from his apartment. I can honestly say that I have tasted the world's best chicken fajitas and margaritas. After dinner, AJ took us to a bar in downtown Austin, it was a little cottage-like house that had been renovated into a bar. The house was surrounded by a picket fence, strung with Christmas lights. To give a comfortable, house party-like feel, there were little picnic benches, ping pong tables, and...hula hoops which hung on the picket fences that surrounded the bar. I have never been a hula hoop queen, and I certainly wasn't going to attempt to "impress" the bar with my lack of hula hoop talent, so I just watched on in envy as other people worked the hula hoop like it was going out of style.

As the night winded down, and the bouncers had no choice but to peel me from the dance floor, we scrambled outside to fetch a cab. Unfortunately, the only ride we could find was a pedicab driven by Jack Black plus 50 pounds, he was obviously in no condition, or shape, to be basically piggy backing four full-grown adults through Austin, but, against our (my) better judgement, we piled into his cart in hope of "experiencing" the city. Six blocks and an hour and 45 minutes later, it became obvious that Jack was in poor shape, literally and figuratively. His perspiration had dyed his shirt from a light pink to a deep mahogany. I watched in serious concern as the sweat poured from his receding hairline, to his forehead, down the lens of his glasses, and finally cascaded down the slope of his nose, onto the sidewalk. By the time we arrived at AJ's apartment it looked as if Jack had given birth to a water buffalo. Upon arrival, I scrambled to an ATM and took out my entire inheritance, which I handed to him in remorse, and watched as Jack accepted the cash and very slowly wheeled off into the horizon.

This morning we got up, walked over to Jo's coffee shop, and finally headed downtown for brunch and mimosas. We spent the entire day on the rooftop of a restaurant in downtown Austin in the 80 degree sunshine, drinking bottomless mimosas and laughing until our face hurt. I missed your beautiful face terribly, I wish you could have been sitting there next to me.

This picture is of the side of the building where we got coffee this morning. You were the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Dear Scott,

Its day two in New Orleans. Conscious not to waste any time, Jenna and I woke up early and got ourselves together (to the best of our ability). It was 70 degrees today! I couldn't believe it. The streets were bustling, I don't think anyone ever went to bed last night. We stopped to get a coffee at a little cafe on Bourbon. The woman at the counter must have misunderstood my request for coffee because she handed me a bloody mary, I didn't object. We strolled down Bourbon and finally settled at an outdoor breakfast cafe where we munched on beignets. We spent the rest of the day wandering along the side streets of New Orleans and taking pictures of the colorful houses.

Last night was wild. Jenna and I somehow got ourselves into a rooftop private company party, I have a whole new appreciation of the term "networking," my virgin eyes will never be the same. We stopped in to Howl at the Moon, a piano bar on Bourbon St. where the piano players can play any song requested and we danced like crazy to Billy Joel and Elton John classics. By the end of the night, we could barely see over the beads around our necks.

You would absolutely love New Orleans. The city would never recover from a visit from you and Ben. I miss you and I love you.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Nawlins

Dear Scott,

Greetings from New Orleans!! I have never seen anything like this place before in my life! It is BEAUTIFUL and the weather is 60 degrees. Jenna and I are staying at The Inn on Bourbon, right on Bourbon Street. I'm considering calling it a trip and becoming a Bourbon St. street rat. I'd sit on the street day after day wearing a long purple velvet jacket, a boa around my neck, and holding my masquerade mask in one hand and a cold beer in the other. For income I could learn a few magic tricks, like juggling or flame throwing or maybe I'd become a mime or a celebrity impersonator...I can see it now, I'm sure you can too.

In Auburn last night we went to Sky Bar, it brought me back to the days when I was a southern belle...so young and naive. Some boy approached Jenna and me at the bar, I couldn't understand a word he was saying because his southern accent was so thick, and he obviously had no idea what kind of tough broads he was dealing with. Then it went a little something like this...

Billy Bob: "So whut brawt y'all tew Awbuurn!?"

Thelma and Louise: "Ah...we are going cross country"

Billy Bob: "Oh mah Gawd?!?! Thayat sownds pritty kewl y'all! Whoo dew y'awl run weeith?!?!"

Thelma and Louise: "Excuse me?"

Billy Bob: "Ah sayad...whoo dew y'awl run weeith!?!?"

Thelma and Louise: "We are confused and don't know what you're talking about."

Billy Bob: "Well, y'awll said y'awl were runnin cross cuhntry, so I was wunderin who y'awll run with?!?!"

I kindly smiled and told him we ran with the Kenya Olympic team, he asked me if I was being "safeecious," I'm pretty sure he meant facetious. Needless to say, that was the end of the conversation.

I can hear the music playing outside of our window, Bourbon Street is calling my name. I love you.

Until we meet again,

Liney

War Eagle

Dear Scott,

It's day two in Auburn and I'll tell you one thing, I'm ready for a nap. We went out to the Mellow Mushroom last night for "pint night"- beer for three bucks a pint! I couldn't believe my ears! After I regained consciousness from stuffing myself with pizza like a Thanksgiving turkey, we headed over to a bar down the street where we played pool. You wouldn't believe it- I was a pool champion! Who knew!? Just for kicks I'd lay backwards on the pool table and try and make the shot...needless to say, my pool champion days were short lived...as were the legs of the table.

Last night Carrie, Jenna and I all shared a bed, I felt like an elephant in a phone booth. We got up early this morning and went to lunch at Big Blue Bagel, afterwards we wandered around Auburn for a little while and did some shopping, this town is a slice of Heaven. Jenna wanted to go into the football stadium but I was ready for a nap, and everyone knows that my attitude gets ugly without sufficient sleep. BUT this is an adventure so I pulled myself together. Carrie works for the Auburn Sports Network and has an ID tag that gets her in to Auburn sporting events. So she put her ID tag on and we walked right past the football stadium "security" with authority. The security guard was much too invested in his subway footlong to object. Before I knew it, we were standing in the center of the football field. I ran and ran and ran with the cold breeze at my back and the sunshine on my face. Then I did cartwheels across the touchdown line...or what I consider cartwheels, they may have been closer to summer salts, or even log rolls. I made snow angels in the end zone. It was liberating. We just got back to Carrie's and now it most certainly is nap time.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Sweet Home Alabama

Dear Scott,

We made it! Jenna and I just arrived in Auburn, after a grueling 12-hour car ride. I kept thinking the GPS was trying to make a sick joke when "she" told me at our 6 a.m. departure that our estimated arrival time was 5:58 p.m., but she happened to be right...for once. The ride wasn't very scenic, but it sure was humorous. We tried stopping in southern Virginia at a zoo, but the zoo was closed, so Jenna and I took turns posing for a picture with a giant ceramic elephant that stood in front of the so-called "zoo." While trying to find our way back to the interstate, we saw a sign that said, "FOAM HENGE," so we pulled over and climbed to the top of a huge hill where someone had made a replica of the Stonehenge, out of foam! It was only around 9 a.m. at the time so we took pictures of the sun just peaking over the mountain tops.

Upon our arrival in Auburn, we took a quick ride through the campus, Jenna was in shock at the sight of the football stadium...although I'm sure it's not half as cool as TCU's...

Thelma had a five-star attitude the entire ride, I couldn't ask for a better bff.

No we're off to get pizza and pitchers with Carrie! I feel like I'm in college all over again and I don't hate it.

Until we meet again,

Liney

Live Strong

Before today I have never known 'grief'. Before today, 'grief' was but a term my grandmother uses, as she rolls her eyes, in response to my dramatics- "oh good grief caroline, get over yourself." I never knew what it was like to truly grieve until today when I attended a funeral for my 19 year-old cousin Scott who recently lost his three year battle with cancer. Scott was an outstanding athlete, a brilliant sports enthusiast, and a relentless fighter. His courage was strong enough to conquer the world, something I'm sure he would have succeeded in doing. Whether Scott was making light of his misfortune with cancer or laughing at his own ability to make fart noises under his armpits, Scott loved to laugh, often. As I gazed over the photographs of the carefree, giggling, sweet little boy I always knew, I began to grieve. As I started to cry harder than I thought possible, I could hear him giggling. I didn't know whether he was up there laughing at the sight of my streaming mascara, at the photograph of him as a baby beaming at the camera wearing nothing but bubble bath suds, or still laughing in satisfaction at the miraculous defeat of the New England Patriots by his beloved New York Jets, but I immediately recognized his laugh.

Tomorrow I will embark on an adventure across the country with my best friend, Jenna. We will begin our journey in Fairfax, Virginia, and be visiting Auburn, Alabama, New Orleans, Austin, Phoenix, and eventually conclude our trip in Los Angeles. Upon my arrival in Los Angeles, I will attempt to live out a dream that I've had since I was a little girl, to be on Saturday Night Live, and I am dedicating my adventure to Scott. Scott is the epitome of a hero, and he will forever inspire me to live strong, in his honor. I vow to celebrate a life that cancer took from my little cousin, to embrace a challenge, to vigorously chase after my dreams, but more than anything, I vow to keep scott giggling, no, to keep him howling laughing.

This blog will be a series of letters to my sweet little cousin, Scott.