the Dalaverse

Yeah. That's pretty much the story of my Valentine's Day.

While I didn't spend this year's day of chocolates and flowers and commercialism alone, I didn't exactly spend it with a Superbien Masculine Lovegod (tm). Well, I sort of did -- Vaness, Amanda (Vanessa's friend, visiting us) and I did treat ourselves to a Johnny Depp-fest. We watched "Benny and Joon" and PotC on Friday night. I could watch either of those movies at the drop of a hat, any old time. I do find it interesting, though, that I'm now incapable of watching PotC without Jack Davenport (*shiver*) talking in the back of my mind ("How can one man wear so much brocade and not be classified as a Mardi-Gras float?" "This was the one scene in which I decided not to wear the hat, and I think it was a mistake. I look like an ice-cream sandwich." "I didn't have time to go fannying about on a ride!" "There's an element of courtly man-love here..." Seriously. Dude's all kinds of funny. Also, when you memorize bits of commentary of a movie, you know you've got serious problems). Oh yeah, and Keira nattering on about her sparkly purse and "this is the Caribbean, that's L.A." Aww, I shouldn't be mean, I really do think she's adorable. Anyway, I tried to convert Amanda to the Jack Dav love, but she was unmoved. Ah well, more for me and most of the rest of the fandom. The conclusion to our Deppfest was "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?", which I had never seen. If I had been alone I would have cried through the whole thing. Johnny was so beautiful in it. Plus, points for my position on Why Leonardo DiCaprio Is a Good Actor. That hit almost too close to home.

But yeah, that's not in reference to the title of the post. Story goes, we decide on a daytrip to Annapolis on Saturday, it being Valentine's Day a mere coincidence. We got there in exactly an hour and a half, found parking, and wandered around shopping for awhile. I was bound and determined to come home with a model of a ship or a ship-in-a-bottle, but I forgot about it eventually, which is for the best really, since it wouldn't fit too well with my second-semester goals of Stop Spending Money and Quit It with the Spending You Dumbass. We sauntered on over to the William Paca house, where we took a fun tour and I mentally re-enacted bits of "Nail" and other piratefic. Then we had an early dinner at the nearby Irish place, which was excellent. Hey, I see a Zagat cover and I'm all over a restaurant. Zagat never lies, people.

And then. And THEN.

It was getting late, and we were tired and footsore. We thought we had accurate directions home.

Damn you, Mapquest.

We ended up making a couple of circles in different parts of Annapolis (and by "we" I mean ME. Not that I don't love driving, but I didn't really love driving in an unfamiliar city at dusk without one clue of where I was going). I went around Church Circle no less than three times. We got out on this highway, and we passed where we had come in, and we thought we might be going the right way until Ness said, "Wait, take this exit." So I did. And it took us right to the doors of the Naval Academy. Amanda was all "ooh, Navy boys!" and I was mortified. Dude, there's gates and they check your ID. I babbled to the cute Skinny Navy Guy that we were not supposed to be there and we were trying to get to Route 1. Skinny Navy Guy had the grace to admit that he didn't know how to get to 2, so he referred us to the ever cuter Navy Guy #2. I was all set to name him Hot Navy Man, a la Groves before I knew his name, but no, he was demoted, because he gave us shit directions. Shit directions that took us ACROSS THE BAY BRIDGE TO THE EASTERN SHORE.

So we're in the car, puttering along whatever highway it was (301, I think) and we see a "Toll ahead" sign. And I'm all "holy shit, what toll?" and Vanessa says "There's a toll to go across the Bay Bridge."

Clearly it's time for me to start freaking the fuck out as we drive past the last exit before the bridge.

I paid the toll. The toll man noticed my deer-in-headlights eyes and asked if I was tired. I said "No! I'm lost! Help!" or something to that effect. He told us (wrongly) that we could get to 2 over the bridge. Whatever, Toll Booth Guy. We pulled off at the first gas station of the first exit we saw, after going ACROSS THE FUCKING CHESAPEAKE BAY (think I'm still have trouble processing this concept?). We plunked down and studied maps of Maryland. A very nice guy came over to give us directions. I think he may have been creepily hitting on us a little, but he was very nice anyway, because his directions got me back across the Bridge to the CORRECT SHORE OF MARYLAND and, eventually, back to campus.

So yeah, that was an adventure. Being lost within spitting distance of the Beltway? Kinda scary. Being lost in a part of the state I've never ever been in? Fucking terrifying.

The 'rents sent bunches of stuff for Valentine's Day, which is awesome. Got into an argument about Kerry vs. Dean with the madre today. I will try to convert my dad when next we speak. Of, speaking of whom, I'm going to see Bob Dylan in April! ::bounces::

I got the second part of "North and South of the River" written today (obviously, since I've already posted it), and I have the perfect lead-in to the Jackattack!scene of "Nail." Unfortunately I've got to write the rest of the scene first.