...still haven't slept yet...

41 hours....

Hour 1: 3:30-4:30pm

Stops: Pamona, CA, Ontario, CA
Soundtrack: Mirah

Family of 4 behind me. Two adult women, a sulking teenager and a toddler. As we were first leaving LA, whimpering and sniffling was audible from the teenager's direction.

Older of the two adult women: "What's a matter? Is this cause LC didn't call?"
Teenager (indignant and crying): "NO! My stomach just hurts, that's all. I don't *care* about LC!"
Silence.

An Amtrak employee comes around take reservations for dinner. He eyes my open package of sliced cheese and my bag of rice thins and says, "That won't last too long, when that runs out you call me." He winks. I smile. The family confirms they will dine at 5:00.

Outside the window: dusty, snowless mountains. Industrial/residential. A young couple making out next the train tracks.

Hour 9: 1:24am

Stop: Maricopa, AZ
Soundtrack: Iron and Wine

Sillouetted mountains behind white sand and dry brush, sit under stars and more sky than I have seen in a long time. It's getting flatter. It is the middle of the night.

Tuna, cheese and rice crackers. A movie on my laptop. A call from my sister and a call made home. Familiar voices. Gentle constant reminders that, yes, I am still crazy. Brief sleep. Hopefully more. Perhaps a nightcap.

Hour 19: 10:53am

Stop: El Paso, TX
Soundtrack: Wilco

Cotton fields. So much sky. Cotton clouds to match. I have always loved long car/train rides. As the middle child, I got the right side window seat in the back. I would stare for hours and daydream. Sometimes music in my ears..sometimes not. My parents would have to check if I was still there. Something about the movement and then side scrolling scenery, regardless of what it was, rendered me dumb, helpless to the whim of my imagination. I do some of my best thinking, goal-setting and fantasizing while gazing out the window of a moving vehicle.

Rocky dusty brush. Instant french vanilla coffee. Peanut butter crunchy oat bar. Goal-setting. I shall assemble a band when I get to Austin. I am excited.

*** that's all I managed to write on the train.*** xxx-g

..the price of hostelling....

...so, the casualty count for my possessions is at 2. One cell phone charger (who steals a charger??!) and sadly, my ipod. I guess someone really needed those things...and felt they needed them more so than me? *sad face* But in the words of the great Whitney Houston.."No matter what they take from me...they can't take away my dignity!" Hahaha although I DO reserve the right to leave my dignity in the back of a cab....:-)

But enough about lost hunks of metal and plastic..I still have my dreams, my friends, love, health and the sense to honour all those things! Phewf! Blessings countdown!

1. Enjoying a lovely cup of tea with my friend Jeremy and blasting Lamb of God. (thanks for tolerating our rocking, Wendy!)
2. Still recovering from being fed my weight in champagne for my birthday of fun (thanks Shannon and Alex!)
3. Getting to see Where The Wild Things Are last night! Epic!
4. The fact that I leave for Austin tomorrow...the next chapter...!

Right then, another cup of tea for me and more metal before I set out for my last full day and night in LA LA land...

x-g

"..til the sun comes up over Santa Monica Blvd..."

Oh hey....'sup to the Sheryl Crowe fans out there! Ha...so still chillin here in the city of Angels..scopin the enorexia and spottin celebs! Wooot! (Ray Liotta on his iphone!--Hey Good Fella!)

This place was fun but I'm gettin pumped for Texas. Austin, to be exact and I have a feeling it's gonna be radness. In the meantime, just busking and tryin to sucker the tourists into buying my CD...

I must say, I am feeling slightly homesick today..maybe cause it's officially been over a week and it feels like years, or maybe it's my looming birthday...not sure, but I decided, since the audiences are a lil more unfamiliar up here, why not play for you guys still? How? Well from now on, i want to post a song or two a week in youtube and i need your requests...what do you want to hear? An oldie? A cover? Maybe you want me to write a song about your dog? Name it, I'll do it! Post your requests here!

I feel better already.

love g

ps--do you have a copy of the new EP yet? Cause I got tons...msg me here if you want one!

Go Big or Go Home...!

Umm..I ordered the *LARGE* latte?! Hello! Well, apparently I have some stomach stretching to do if I am going to fit all these gaddam american portions in me! Umm...ew that sounded dirty...or maybe that just sounded dirty to me...carry on then!

So, as you can see Santa Monica is way radder than Venice Beach if only for the lack of crack deals and drunken brawls...but with safety and security comes....malibu barbies! Man, there are all kinds of lululemon swathed, headband wearing, water bottle toting, mercedes drivin' plastic figurines here...! And cue g in her plaid button-up, cutoff jeans and vans...sore thumb? Yup. But DAMN, someone's gotta represent!

Speaking of representin' I am going to the Promenade to busk my ass off today and see what the day will bring me...who knows....wish me luck.

Celebrity Sightings: Elijah Wood at Whole Foods! (Sup Frodo!)

love for now and always...--g xxxx

The last 5 days...condensed!

Holy Moly! (not Molly) Where to start? The last 5 days have seen me leave the cozy arms of my loving Victoria family, jet(ta) down to Seattle, get the best send off from my best girls, get a free hotel stay, ticket to Sunny Day Real Estate AND a ride to LA. 18 hours of driving in a compact Subaru later.....I arrived in 90 degrees of heat! Stayed in Montrose a couple nights with a wonderful host, Nick then headed into the belly of the beast..(downtown LA! eep!) Stayed the night in Venice Beach at the *quaint* Venice Beach Cotel....let's just say....ghetto fabulous. Today is the day I head to Santa Monica...where I am NOT privy to drug deals and massive drunken brawls outside my hostel room (yup) and where there is a much nicer hostel!

But what about the music, Genevieve? Well, shit. I'm getting to that! With all this excitement and travel....I realized I actually hadn't picked up my guitar since my farewell show last tuesday! Whaaa? So I curled up in my bunk and strummed away...possibly have a new song in the works and am feeling much better. Today my friend Shannon and I will be gettin me a busking liscence to start peddling my talents with the rest of them on the Promenade! I may have been a sucker tourist for a few days...but now it's time to turn the tables! haha! You WILL think I'm an adorable Canadian and buy my CD! :-) Yes, oh yes you will....

Love to all for now!

xxx g