The trip started in San Francisco. Well, the trip actually started with a jaw ache but we'll get to that. Miranda, Lindsey Jones and I landed in San Francisco (only my second time) the evening of July 25th. Thanks to a recommendation from Marissa, we headed to dinner at Beretta in the Mission. A bottle of wine and the light Italian meal was the perfect start to our girl's getaway weekend.
Friday brought a trip over the bridge and through the woods with Cory, as he invited us over for mimosas, a drive through San Fran and a walk through Muir Woods, all ending with a cider-filled lunch at the Pelican Inn. Aside from the obvious, it was the highlight of the trip for me and I was so happy to get to spend time with a man that I have always admired - starting with once upon a dance floor. Thank you, bub, for showing us one of your (and now one of our) favorite places and, more importantly, for your friendship that is sure to last a lifetime.
Friday night was something I never thought I would experience. In fact, when it was 'rumored' to be happening, I thought it must not be true because it was just too good. And I mean, I've been a good person, tried to live a good life throughout these 30 years but this? This I felt I did not deserve. And then somehow, it was true - The Legends of Summer Tour was announced. Tickets were purchased in February for Candlestick Stadium and the countdown began. Somehow on top of that, it exceeded my expectations. I'd wrap it up for you here, but this post from BuzzFeed pretty much has it down. It was good that I avoided the headlines/show setup before we attended because had I known how much they would perform together (and that Justin would be the cop on '99 Problems') - I would have had a heart attack and never would have made the show. But alas, some things are just M2B - and it just so happens that myself, JT and Jay-Z are one of those things.
Saturday and Sunday were spent spinning around the city with friends we're lucky enough to have there. Thank you to Lee and Kevin for taking us out for a night of laughs and dancing in the Castro and thank you to Marissa, for one, joining us for the concert (of a lifetime), and for two, spending our last day with us complete with a mimosa-filled brunch and a few hours lounging at Dolores Park. Love you. Love your hair. #leavingoutthepartwherewealmostmissedourplane
In the blink of an eye (and one dentist chair), I was back on a plane bound for NYC. Staying true to my (cursed) tradition, I was only in the city for about 22 hours. Thankfully, it was enough time to see my PY, Audrey, snap a few pictures, eat a few meals and pitch 26 media outlets for their holiday gift guides.
Tuesday, I was headed to the great state of Utah. There, I worked the Outdoor Retailer Tradeshow until I talked to so many people that I thought my jaw was going to close permanently #spoileralert; saw Action Bronson/Mac Miller (for the former); had lunch with a fellow Benneton member; drank whiskey; saw some old familiar faces; enjoyed a patio brunch; laid by the pool; spent so long at a restaurant that we were asked to give up our booth; took a walking night tour of the city - and all while getting to see two of my favorite faces, five days in a row. Ann, Chris. Your patience, understanding and care-taking of me throughout what was one of the most (physically) painful weeks of my life, can not be praised enough. You both are amazing and I thank Mark Johnson for opening a little store called HotCats and allowing you two to walk into my life. Heart. Full.
So yes, I was dealing with a living nightmare (when I say that, you have to realize that the whole teeth thing, mostly falling out without any control, is the only recurring nightmare I have). What started out as a little headache on my jaw from grinding in preparation of the above), turned in to a cracked tooth, which turned into my jaw locking on July 29 (Pep's birthday!). The entire left side of my face/jaw area looked like I had swallowed a golf ball and my mouth was shut tight at about 5mm. I've seen four doctors since the whole thing began and have been on seven different medications. The worst of it was definitely NYC & SLC. Mostly because I didn't know what was wrong. In fact, I still do not have answers to all of my questions. Is it TMJ? Probably. Apparently, I am a very unique case as I never showed any signs of TMJ prior (no cracking or popping, and only started grinding about two years ago). We think that my right disc has slipped out of place and that my left side shut down from over compensating for those muscles for so long. Basically, my jaw muscles are in spasm (and have been for weeks now). At first we thought surgery but thanks to muscle relaxants and a heated rice sock, that might not be the case. Although still locked, I can open to about 25mm now (thanks to Sean for measuring me in the back of Scream daily). I go back on Tuesday to determine next steps.
I will be celebrating with a fajita/sandwich/sticky candy party. Date TBD. In the meantime, it's good to be home.
