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espana

Help!

My little sister, who is at least 100 times cuter and smarter than I am wants to go live and work in Spain for a year. She’d love to be an Au Pair for a family, teach English or at this point she is up for whatever options to consider. She has spent weeks scouring the internet and looking at agencies and come up empty handed. Anyone out there know someone living in Spain, working in Spain or have any thoughts/ideas/resources for her to use? Even better; Might anyone have some big-wig corporaty brother working in Madrid who needs someone to tend his kiddies while he jet-sets for work and makes his billions? She’s be great at that.

I would love you forever for any help to get her there, mostly because she is super responsible, trustworthy and fun. She deserves a great experience like living in another country. Also? Hellooooo! If she lives there then I can visit her! (Um, have I mentioned I love food, wine and Europe?)

Thanks anyone!

Oh wait…Ok, we just decided we wanted to make a video while we were on the phone together talking about life and work and Spain. Here’s some babbling fun:

…boy do I need to get out of my yoga clothes and get some heels on!

I love my little sister. She’s the bomb.

one week until east or bust!

I started out in July with Alaska or bust, now I go east or bust. I have decided I am going to make a bunch more videos this go around to add to the text and photos for posting here. Videos are fun. Road tripping is UBER fun.

I am finishing up my work during harvest season in wine country. It’s been quite a ride and learning experience to say the least. In the fun words of the one and only Erin Martin and the perfect motto for my time here that will be burned in my brain forever:

“High-fives and ass-slaps all around!” (Just wait until the going away par-tay on Saturday night Erin. A VT throwdown it shall be indeed.)

Stay tuned all; Middle America here I come!

i think there’s something wrong with me

I’m laughing after calculating mileage and looking at maps for getting back east in a couple weeks. Only I could be thrilled about it. The things most would find torturous, I get so excited I want to jump out of my skin. Things like:

1.) Driving 3,000 miles by myself, for hours on end each day. (And no, I don’t listen to music. I drive in silence.)
2.) Knowing that I’m going to be blasting through middle-of-nowhere-no-mans-land America. (When I mention this to other people, the usual reaction is “UGH! That is soooo boring. An awful drive!”) My opinion could not be more opposite on this. I’d give my left arm any day of the week to be in a car, in the middle of random state X exploring around some “boring” town talking to strangers.
3.) Having a car with 145,000 miles on it that needs a brake job and has had a “maintenance required” light on no for weeks. Am I worried? Nah- I’m resourceful and I have AAA. I’ll be fine. I haven’t even told you all the story about riding tow truck to tow truck all the way from Vegas to Barstow, CA 6 years ago after Christmas in the middle of the night because my car broke down after dropping off my family at the Sin City airport. I didn’t have the loot to repair my car then and I figured it out. that stuff makes for good stories.
4.) Knowing that over my dead body will I pay for a hotel room. That means no showers for several days again. (I’m sorry, but dropping a hundred bucks on a skeevy roadside hotel to sleep for 4 hours on a bed that could be a science experiment with all those random fluids is a rip-off and turns my stomach.) My Civic is spotless.
5.) I will have zilch $ to stop for entertainment, good food, etc. and it’s just fine with me! This will be a get moving to get there kind of drive. It will still feel like winning the lotto, my birthday and a big vat of melted chocolate to me- my heaven.

Do I really think there is something wrong with me? Nahhhhh. I do realize though after all I have done, being on the road is my true religion. I can’t wait to see some tumblin’ tumbleweed!

crush video

My postings have been sparse lately as I have been spending so much time sending resumes, connecting about potential jobs, researching, walking dogs, and actually work-working too. (I got a gig at a most fabulous winery for these last 2 weeks before I head east.) I promise I will be coming back and posting full-force, especially once I get on the road and start blazing across the country, you know there’s plenty of story that always comes with that!

On quick thing I wanted to share:
Last night after work I met up with a couple friends to grab a drink then dinner. When we were walking from the bar to the restaurant we walked straight into a crush!!! Yes! That means buckets and barrels of cabernet sauvignon being put through machines to de-vine them and get them on their way to becoming delicious vino! I took some video I am super excited to share. Uploading seems to be taking forever this morning, so I’ll have to post the video after work today as I’m running out the door it was the coolest thing to see!

Come back later for the video. Happy weekend!

random thoughts and things

1.) Today I had the most fabulous day working at a winery. The owners, staff, wine, chocolate (yes! I said chocolate!), guests, actual work and place was all around just fantastic. A good day of work makes me so so very happy. Am I a geek or what?

2.) One reason why I didn’t sign up for Facebook until very recently; People are weird and can stalk you and I don’t trust anyone. For instance, some creepy guy just friended me and wrote this long note telling me I am “pretty.” He then went on babbling about his foot fetish and how he’d like to see my “soles.” EW. Dude, really?- Go find someone else to be creepy with. I won’t get into the things I carry with me on a daily basis such as mace and a knife. Care to find out if I’m kidding?

3.) I was gifted an absurdly expensive bar of chocolate and I just ate half of it. I will never again feel bad about spending bunches of money on chocolate if it tastes that good.

4.) I’m not sure I will ever want pets or kids. I mean they are lovely and cute and all, but I sincerely have zero desire to have any of my own. Talk to me in 15 years. Then again, that’s what I said 15 years ago, I’m thinking my mind isn’t going to change.

5.) I love wearing heels.

6.) I’m watching a rerun of Project Runway right now as I catch up on emails and such. Every time I see NYC on TV or a movie I fall in love.

7.) I think it’s a bummer that most the time, the vibe, people, job, weather, family, friends, landscape are never in one place. Hmmm…so what’s best to chose when?

8.) I love that every day is a crap-shoot. This means life really is like a box of chocolates; You never know what you’re gonna get. Sometimes that’s really annoying, mostly it’s really exciting. Nothing ever makes sense but I’m not sure it’s supposed to.

it’s nice to share

(Thinking about this as I sit in a waiting area and the dustiest but friendliest California auto shop getting my oil changed and the big once over in prep for heading to the east coast. The lovely older man (Owner) and I have just shared travel stories and talked about how traveling indeed is the best education…)

Sometimes I forget how many resources I have because it’s normal to me to stay in touch and send birthday and anniversary cards to hundreds of people a year. It all started because I just like people, places and fun things and connecting with all types of humans. Years later I have a pool of people and place knowledge from keeping in touch I can do everything from contacting 10 friends off the top of my head to ask the best route to obtain a foreign work visa, to connecting my fresh college grad cousin with real estate and business peeps in the Big Apple, to recommending a yummy pizza joint in Wisconsin.

Several times during my travels this summer and before, I have handed my card to someone and offered that if they found themselves in a odd/off place, or ever needed inside scoop for good eats or a couch to crash- to please let me know. So many people and cities have been good to me over the years. I have BUCKETS of people, insider info. and resources to share. What good does having all this info. do if I can’t share it/pass it on?

If you’re ever out there traipsing and wandering, wondering where to get the best breakfast is in Vermont, what National Park will most knock your socks off out west, or where to get coffee in Minot, North Dakota, consider me Blue Lollipop Road Google. Even better I have incredible friends and amazing strangers that would totally put you up and feed you a good meal in every state in America (and some beyond.)

I like to share. People share with me, I do my homework, I share with you. Pay it forward is lovely.

Next time you find yourself scratching your head trying to find the way to yummy food or fun…shoot me an email or post a comment here. I’m happy to share thoughts, resources and opinions!

who’s up for another road trip?

-or should I say, finishing my road trip?

Westward ho!

Um, I mean…Eastward.

Looks like I’ll be back on the east coast in time to eat some turkey. Here continues the great job search of 2010!

In making my decision to continue east, I got this email from a business person I know. It was a humbling and flattering email to say the least and very unexpected. I wanted to share it not to pat myself on the back (we all know I have made plenty of mistakes in my life), but because it reminded me that everything I (you) do makes a difference. People really are paying attention. I met this person years ago, I’ve had very sporadic interaction with them, and sure assumed we had a mutual respect for each other, but certainly did not think that he “saw” me/thought quite as high as this about me. This is a person who has been around the block, is much older and lived X10 of life and business than I:

” I knew you had to travel the pipe line; wrestle a few Carribu; smash a few grapes; and find some hunk under a rock in Cassablanka. There is no doubt that “the killer chick” will find what she wants right under her nose – what usually happens. When one is as industrious, independent, smart, beautiful, and hardheaded as you are- one has to hit the right wall hard enough to know what direction to take. Keep hitting walls; it will come”

I suppose this is also important for me to share because I hope it encourages you to stay true to yourself. I have tried harder to do that than anything else in my life. I’ve had an inclination to throw in the towel a few times since I’ve been an adult. Life throws you curve balls and serves us challenges sometimes that are debilitating. That and lets face it, it is not an easy road to find your feet and foundation as you grow up. The truth is, how you maintain and stay true and steady to yourself and your beliefs during those tough growing times- those are what people remember you for. There’s no way everyone in the world is going to like me, or you. It’s impossible to please everyone. The best people will see you for who you really are and stick with you through the good, bad and ugly. (AKA; “Finding yourself through your 20’s, growing into your own, etc.)

Here’s to the journey, paying attention, staying in touch, and being flexible, but holding steady to what and who you are.

in a van…down by the river

(A little bit of Chris Farley for your Monday morning anyone?)

In my case, I won’t be in a van, but my car, down by some river.

After 28 legitimate leads, 13 interviews, 3 staffing agencies/recruiters, countless events, meeting people left and right with a smiley face, a bunch of other efforts I can’t even keep track of anymore and 6 weeks…well, I’ll just make you guess the rest.

Stay tuned for the next chapter of BLR:
Adventures of a girl on the road going town to town to learn how to make the crispiest french fries in deep fryers.

I know some people out there think it’d be fun to not work a ton, have no stress, pressure, etc. Good on those folks, to each their own, That’s just not me. It never has been. I like to work and be busy. As in- a lot of work and busy. I’m ready to crush it. I’m not going to stop trying until I have gone to every city in America to get myself busy and making money. Someone will smarten up sooner than later and see that I can make them a lot of money. Then they will hire me for more than one day of work a week, they will treat me well and I will crush it for them.

Until then, I will fill time by drawing pictures on pieces of cardboard and sitting outside gas stations with signs that read something like:
Dog died
Truck broke
Husband left
Need beer

…and people with throw their extra pennies in my cup.

And you think I’m kidding.

Look, all bets are off. This has reached the point of absurdity. I have figured out my stripper name; Bandit Hidden Valley so I’ve got to get crackin’. At least those places are always hiring.

Is this all as entertaining for you as it is for you? It’s not worth crying over. I mean sure, I am really pissed off that my talents are going unused in a lot of ways right now, but I swear I have more material for blogging and book writing than I could ever use in one lifetime.

Everything happens for a reason. I love every minute of it. Even the pissed off ones. I was fortunate enough to learn a long time ago that anything really is possible. When you learn that, you get this perpetual fire inside you and nothing can shut you up or stop you. (Maybe that’s why that nun in that religion class I despised when I was about 12 years old hauled off and smacked yelling at me that I was a “Bold little girl!”) I guess she saw my fire.

Off to keep the good fight fighting!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY BLUE LOLLIPOP ROAD!

I cannot believe it’s been 2 years. Today is a proud and incredible day so I’m off enjoying and taking in some peaceful moments of reflection. I’ll be back with some thoughts and stories in a while…

Cheers to sticking it out through all the madness and smiling at the other end with many more years of adventure to come!

ooh! i want one.

Is it too late to get one of these on the x-mas list for Santy?

A friend sent me this link today after I had been talking to him about the Honda Civic design I have. After making a perfect little house out of my Civic all summer, I’ve got the specs for a perfect travel-friendly mobile that could work for anyone. Basically a personal RV that gets better gas mileage than those big ol’ ones. Until I can convince Honda they need to create the BLR Honda Roadtripper, I’ll gladly take one of these other personal hobo-mobiles. Ooh, doesn’t just talking about it get you jazzed up for all the summer 2011 road trips that are possible?