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.