It's hot.
I know, I know. I know exactly what you're thinking. You're in El Paso, Texas, one of the hottest cities on the planet. And you're there in the middle of the summer. Temperatature's around, oh, let's say it left the century mark for a couple of minutes by noon. So, what would a trio of young adults do on a day like this?
We went to the multiplex, naturally.
Bry, Layla, and I went to check out the movie it seems like EVERYBODY's checking out, Transformers. Layla's little brother, Miguel, tagged along because, well, he's a kid and wanted to see robots beat each other down like nobody's business. I had a couple of video files of the original series to get myself ready. He thought the cartoon looked "too old." It was before my time. I am only 18. The cartoon was almost over about the time we were born. Moma was a fan though.
Bry sat next to Layla, and just before I sat next to her, Miguel ran and sat right next to her. He told me that I wasn't as cool as Bry (if he knew the truth). I wasn't trying to impress a nine-year-old, so, I didn't argue. I just wanted to enjoy the movie.
By the time it was over, the whole audience was pumped, almost as if they wanted more or something. I've never seen anything like that on the movie screen. I don't think we live in an age where fully sentient robots exist, but science is coming mighty close. But that's comic book stuff at best.
I never realized Layla was just as big a geek about things like Transformers as Bry and I were. Though he enjoyed the movie (we bought him one of those frellin' huge Optimus Primes), Miguel looked at me and said "Geeks must've wrote this movie, 'cause they don't usually get the girl in real life." Bry heard that and basically defended me.
"Well," he said, "geeks rule the world. I'm a mechanical geek. Quen's a science geek. Our dad's a nature geek, and he married a supermodel surfer. So, geeks do get the girl in the real world."
"And sometimes the geeks ARE the girl," Layla surprisingly told her little brother.
"You should know, Layla," Miguel told her. "you used to spend all that time at the university in the chem labs."
You should have seen the look Layla darted at Miguel before she chased him around the parking lot. Oh, need I remind you again that it was still over 100 degrees here? Layla explained that she was a chemistry major and interned at Laudertech Florida a year or so ago.
It's funny. She was just a total stranger earlier in the week, but now, it seems like we've known Layla forever. Which is why Bry and I decided to ask her if she wanted to leave with us in the morning before we ate dinner. She said yes, and, our roadtrip gets a third rider.
And a cute one at that.
We're heading north to Denver because I told Bryton I wanted to go there. Next stop (and the next time I'll talk to you) is this lodge. Wonder how the weather would be up there.
Until next time, mahalo and latahz.
- Quen
7/4/07
Day 33/34: The Girl Snores
I guess you know by now that we have a third party travelling with us. Her name is Layla. She comes up to my chin and kind of cute. The thing is that she's probably trouble.
Not that I don't trust women. My girl Karen works on television. She's my age and we've grown up together. Layla is a few years older than Quen and I. I think that Quen's just blinded by her looks at this moment. She came out of nowhere, and we somehow trusted her for some reason.
For all we know, she could have been a drifter who planned to kill us in our sleep. But she isn't. We've travelled together for a couple of days now, and we're spending the rest of the week at her family's house in El Paso. The Terrells seem like good folks. Hard workers, close family unit, kind of like what I wanted with moma, pops, nana Vana, and Kumpei.
Okay, I'm jealous.
Still, Layla snores. Loudly. I think she wants to join us for the rest of the trip. I think she's trouble, but then again, so are we. If she wants, I think we can fit her in.
Oh, just looked at the clock. It's the American equivalent to Canada Day now, i.e. Independence Day. The Fourth of July. The Terrells are having this huge cookout/barbeque in the afternoon. Can't wait for that.
Until then, Happy Fourth, and see you on the road.
- Bry
Not that I don't trust women. My girl Karen works on television. She's my age and we've grown up together. Layla is a few years older than Quen and I. I think that Quen's just blinded by her looks at this moment. She came out of nowhere, and we somehow trusted her for some reason.
For all we know, she could have been a drifter who planned to kill us in our sleep. But she isn't. We've travelled together for a couple of days now, and we're spending the rest of the week at her family's house in El Paso. The Terrells seem like good folks. Hard workers, close family unit, kind of like what I wanted with moma, pops, nana Vana, and Kumpei.
Okay, I'm jealous.
Still, Layla snores. Loudly. I think she wants to join us for the rest of the trip. I think she's trouble, but then again, so are we. If she wants, I think we can fit her in.
Oh, just looked at the clock. It's the American equivalent to Canada Day now, i.e. Independence Day. The Fourth of July. The Terrells are having this huge cookout/barbeque in the afternoon. Can't wait for that.
Until then, Happy Fourth, and see you on the road.
- Bry
7/1/07
Day 31: Drenched, Tired, and She's Alright With Me
Texas sucks.
Okay, that's not entirely fair to say, but over the past couple of weeks, I've realized that Texas is not for a surfer like me.
For starters, the dude ranch we went to was actually a working ranch, meaning we had to work the whole time we were there. No work, no grinds (that's "eats" for you haoles). It was no problem, but I could tell Bry had a bit of problem with Mr. Carroll, who was the head rancher. We actually went on a cattle drive a week ago, before the rains came. There were a few problems, Mr. Carroll's rival, Mr. Lewis, wanted to shut down the ranch. So, we helped raise money and actually helped save the day in the end.
That doesn't sound bad, right?
Well, that was actually the best part of the trip. Like I said, it rained, and rained, and rained there. I almost felt like I was growing gills at one point. I wanted to just dry out. To make matters worse, the ragtop ripped. So, we spent a lot of time trying to stay dry. Then again, maybe I was wrong.
Maybe Texas IS for a guy like me. Still, it's too much rain, and at least at home, I can chill in the warm, quartz-covered beaches under a piercing, merciful sun. Too much rain.
Yesterday, the sun actually came out and we were back on the road. Funny thing is that by the time we got to the hotel, we heard a thump. Didn't pay it any nevermind at first. Come the next morning, which is today, a woman woke up in our backseat under the sheets screaming.
She was just a few years older than us. Red hair, slightly tanned skin, a few freckles above her nose, piercing green eyes. Now, knowing that we probably should have called the cops on her, there was a sense of warmth and trust my brother and I felt around her. She told us her name was Layla. Coincidently, that's the song that played on the radio minutes after she introduced herself. I took it as a sign of sorts. Bry thinks I'm nuts.
So, at least for one more day, the brothers are now a trio of road warriors. We're heading to El Paso, her hometown. We might end up spending the rest of the week down there. Still, tonight's sleeping arrangements have been a bit . . . interesting to say the least. We had two twin beds and a couch. I was a gentleman and offered Layla my bed.
I challenged Bry for the other bed, to which he said "Well, you're the fool who gave her your bed." Still, island rules applied, and I had to play jankenpon, best two out of three.
I'm on the couch in the other room. Layla divided the quarters in half (wouldn't that technically be dividing the quarters in eighths?) splitting her side of the room from Bry's. That's why I'm typing so early tonight. It's going to be a long night.
Hope you guys up in Canada have a great Canada Day tomorrow while you folks in the States enjoy Independence Day on Wednesday.
Until the sand and the ice met, mahalo and latahz.
- Quen
P.S. I don't know what Jeff's planning at The X Bridge after the fourth, but I'm keeping my eyes on it. I asked him what's it all about, and all he told me was "wait for it." Good guy, but a little loopy in the head. Mahalo and latahz.
Okay, that's not entirely fair to say, but over the past couple of weeks, I've realized that Texas is not for a surfer like me.
For starters, the dude ranch we went to was actually a working ranch, meaning we had to work the whole time we were there. No work, no grinds (that's "eats" for you haoles). It was no problem, but I could tell Bry had a bit of problem with Mr. Carroll, who was the head rancher. We actually went on a cattle drive a week ago, before the rains came. There were a few problems, Mr. Carroll's rival, Mr. Lewis, wanted to shut down the ranch. So, we helped raise money and actually helped save the day in the end.
That doesn't sound bad, right?
Well, that was actually the best part of the trip. Like I said, it rained, and rained, and rained there. I almost felt like I was growing gills at one point. I wanted to just dry out. To make matters worse, the ragtop ripped. So, we spent a lot of time trying to stay dry. Then again, maybe I was wrong.
Maybe Texas IS for a guy like me. Still, it's too much rain, and at least at home, I can chill in the warm, quartz-covered beaches under a piercing, merciful sun. Too much rain.
Yesterday, the sun actually came out and we were back on the road. Funny thing is that by the time we got to the hotel, we heard a thump. Didn't pay it any nevermind at first. Come the next morning, which is today, a woman woke up in our backseat under the sheets screaming.
She was just a few years older than us. Red hair, slightly tanned skin, a few freckles above her nose, piercing green eyes. Now, knowing that we probably should have called the cops on her, there was a sense of warmth and trust my brother and I felt around her. She told us her name was Layla. Coincidently, that's the song that played on the radio minutes after she introduced herself. I took it as a sign of sorts. Bry thinks I'm nuts.
So, at least for one more day, the brothers are now a trio of road warriors. We're heading to El Paso, her hometown. We might end up spending the rest of the week down there. Still, tonight's sleeping arrangements have been a bit . . . interesting to say the least. We had two twin beds and a couch. I was a gentleman and offered Layla my bed.
I challenged Bry for the other bed, to which he said "Well, you're the fool who gave her your bed." Still, island rules applied, and I had to play jankenpon, best two out of three.
I'm on the couch in the other room. Layla divided the quarters in half (wouldn't that technically be dividing the quarters in eighths?) splitting her side of the room from Bry's. That's why I'm typing so early tonight. It's going to be a long night.
Hope you guys up in Canada have a great Canada Day tomorrow while you folks in the States enjoy Independence Day on Wednesday.
Until the sand and the ice met, mahalo and latahz.
- Quen
P.S. I don't know what Jeff's planning at The X Bridge after the fourth, but I'm keeping my eyes on it. I asked him what's it all about, and all he told me was "wait for it." Good guy, but a little loopy in the head. Mahalo and latahz.
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