Shoot For The Stars, I Land On The Moon

So on Tuesday the girls and I went to soccer practice and we leveled with Oscar the Grouch. We told him that we couldn't be committed to the team because we had 2 jobs a piece and that they didn't even really need us for games (lets face it -- he has his team and he doesn't even play us). So he seemed cool with it and then asked us if we were going to the game in Malaga, I told him it wasn't happening for me this weekend for sure. So did Heather and Laura. Well Thursday he calls and says that practice was canceled even though I was looking forward to it. I had such a great practice on Tuesday and I think it was because I had absolutely no pressure when I went on the field knowing that I would be competing for a spot to play on the weekends game. So Heather and I got ready and went to Rocio's piso to botellon before going out with Laura and met up with Jackie there. It was a lot of fun and I was so stoked that Heather wanted to get all dolled up with us girls and go out for a bit. We let for Vial Norte a little after 12 and we were crossing the street to where all the discos were and this club promoter Pedro for MoMa comes up to us and gives us 3 passes for 4 euro copas. Jackie and I insist that we can go to Theatre for our free shots AND free copas. He said, "Oh, is that what you want? A free chupito?" And we were like..."Listen, were headed to Theatre to see our friend Rafa." Heather grabs the 3 tickets and said, "We'll just take these because you're cute" and Pedro replies, "Listen, if you stay at my club I'll get you free drinks". HAH! And only looking at Heather the entire time we were negotiating. We need her to come out with us more often :) Just kidding.

So we go into MoMa and it is dead. But who do we see? Rocio and company who we thought were going to be in Theatre. So were pretty much the only people dancing around for about an hour and we make the executive decision to move on to Theatre and run into our buddy Rafa who of course hooks it up with our free drinks. We make moves in and I instantly am loving it like usual. Its packed. Its hot and blasting some great music. Heather and I were dancing, and she was showing her moves. Shes so cute lol. Jackie was a little bit of a hippy earlier in the night and mixed that with wine so she was a little wear for the worse by the time we got to Theatre and she needed to be put to bed so we left around 2. Heather and I were a bit bummed because the music was getting better, but alas....

The next day it seemed to go rather quickly and Laura and I went into town to go to the tanning bed and start a base coat. I have to go back because I only went in for 6 minutes but could definitely go a bit longer than that. I need to prep for Greece! My color is a soft shade of purple when I'm cold, and its a bit disturbing.

Around 4:30 I ventured to a new part of town to meet with this woman Beatriz for a job opportunity two nights a week beginning in April to work with little kids. She was sweet and I know its going to be hard work but I'll look forward to it for the next two months. Money is money after all. Then I made the decision that I wasn't going to soccer practice and I was going to go hangout with Laura and Jackie and go out for tapas instead. Heather was still up for practice and on Friday nights they are a bit far away from where we usually practice behind Zoco so she sent the Grouch a text from my phone asking for a ride or Angel (the manager) his number and all Oscar said was, "No. And Angel is sick." So she toqued him and he called back saying that no one could pick her up and he had to deal with Caballo. Caballo is his ugly and mean girlfriend Estella who is the keeper on the team. She was super nice when we first came to play with the team but as soon as Oscar showed interest in being our friends she got super jealous and just has been unbearable since. Just on Tuesday some of the girls were singing some Spice Girls and she goes, "I'm Mel B." And I said "Perfect! Scary Spice!" Anyway, I call her Caballo because she looks like a horse and she even eats like one too (I have proof). Oscar should know that one can go to jail for bestiality. Sick.

So went to our favorite tapa restaurant in Cordoba off Gran Capitan (cant remember the name....IOU) and had a blast. We just told jokes around the table for a few hours and were getting crazy stares because we were cracking up (and my laugh is VERY distinct for some reason).

Laura asked Jackie and I to come out with her and JWOW for a bit but we ended up leaving around 1:30 because we wanted to get up early for our day trip to Jaen in the next province. I kept getting woken up to Laura and Jwow running around the apartment at an unidentified hour in the morning. I got up at 6:45 and got ready and out the door around 7:30. Right outside of their apartment we saw one dude peeling out of a spot practically hitting the other cars in sight (he was leaving the clubs naturally) and then a pathetically inebriated couple (the woman was HIlarious...she looked like a t-rex in stilettos with a drooping cigarette in her mitts cackling to herself and her man was a sloppy disheveled mess with a goblet in his hand. Have no idea why.)

Jackie and I made it on the train at 8 and were in the city of Jaen by 10 AM. Of course it was FREEZING when we got there and began our journey on el Paseo de Estacion and walked toward the old town of Jaen. We stopped in the supermarket Mas y Mas for some rice cakes, cheese and cured meat for some breakfast and Jackie gave a homeless woman some food along the way. We decided to go down an alley and found a place for a cup of coffee to hide from the cold for a bit and everyone around us was just staring at us as we talked and we eventually said nothing at all because it was really uncomfortable. I guess no one comes to Jaen that speaks English.

We stopped in a little park and ate our breakfast and the old men and women were laughing at us because we looked a bit homeless but I was laughing because we only spent 1.50 euros a piece on breakfast and it was just as tasty and my food did not taste like smoke from the bar we would've eaten it in. So we began our journey and found the famous Catedral of Jaen and we went inside and we were completely disappointed. It was architecturally beautiful on the outside but inside it looked like a cold and grey government building. No feeling whatsoever.

Next stop was the Tourist Information Center for a map of the town and directions for around the town. We went down Calle Martinez Molina (the main-ish drag in historic Jaen) and walked to the Banos Arabes which were SOOO cool! The musuem housed the 12th century baths and they made it possible for us to walk over them on this glass pathway so we could see them. Its remarkable that they were only rediscovered in the 1900's.

So it was only 12 and now we had seen the 2 most popular sights in Jaen and we noticed a castle that looked a little displaced and we went back to the tourist information woman to ask how to get there. She said, its roughly 45 minutes and you can only walk there. So we began our ascent to begin the climb to the top of this mountain (well, I call it a mountain even though it was only 700 meters high. Jackie said a mountain starts at 100 meters high. Ha. I'm a Floridian...we don't even have hills!) Anyway, we looked pretty pathetic walking it and everyone was honking at us while we walked along a busy road to get to the top. It was so peaceful and gorgeous taking in the scenery. I hadn't seen that much green in I can't even remember. The mountains were lined with green forests and olive trees that went on for days.

We finally made it to the top about 45 minutes later! There was a hotel next to the castle and we asked him about where to go do a tour of it and he said, "its closed for reforms" SAY WHAT!?!? He said, "The tourist information people know its closed." SAY WHAT?!?!? Well, we decide whatever...its the most gorgeous day we've seen in 3 months and we just climbed a mini-mountain and now were at a castle...its totally forgivable. Jackie and I climb a little bit of a unmarked trail right next to the castle and sit down and finish whats left of our rice cakes and cheese and just breathe in the spectacular view of the Sierra Morena. WOW. I did not want to leave.

We made it down the mini-mountain in about 20 minutes and wasted no time to go find some grub in the old town at a place in our guide book to Andalucia. It was a super cute old bar called Manchego I think? And it opened its doors in 1886. We had platos combinados. Mine came with an omellete, some potatoes, a salad and flamenquin. I wasn't going to have a beer but I ordered a small one since I decided I deserved it after that climb earlier in the afternoon.

Then we decided that we could make the 5 o'clock train back to Cordoba since we had seen all that Jaen really offered and got there once again, right in the nick of time. I had a mini-siesta of 15 minutes and just enjoyed the scenery and the jams that DJ Jackie had put on. There were also Amy Winehouse wanna-be's in front of us that provided all sorts of entertainment. Does the tacky bandana look good on my head? On my arm? On my waist? Lets sneak another cigarette in the bathroom. Lets play our house music really loud, everyone on the train likes it I'm sure. Haha...the train is always filled with interesting people.

I'm glad we got out of Cordoba for the day and for such a deal, only 16 euros round-trip on the train.

Next weekend I'm going up to Madrid and then taking daytrips to Segovia and Salamanca. No puedo esperar! I can't wait!