On our first date, we went to Mass!!!

Debbie introduced me to the show "Saving Grace" today.  It's not only got Holly Reed, the voice of Elastigirl (from the Incredibles, which is my (Katie's) favorite movie), it's also got a guardian angel, cops, and some ridiculous writing (lines such as the title of this post).

We spent more time on the road yesterday, driving from Berkeley to Burbank (just outside of LA).  The road and the landscape were, of course, epic.  Seriously - it blows my mind every time we get in the car and drive how BIG this country is, and how quickly it CHANGES.

The Brits were making fun of us for critiquing cities based on the coffee they offer.  But friends, pause a moment and let me preach you a good word.  I have the gospel of coffee with me, and it has led me far and wide.  I thirst for that caffeinated deliciousness that takes me from zombie-asleep to gleefully awake.  And I tell you what:  Philz Coffee in Berkeley is pretty much the best coffee I've ever had in my life.  Ever.  (Debbie agrees, and she knows coffee way better than I do.)

And, per a request from my mom, here's a picture of the two of us, so you now know what we look like! 

This here is Debbie.

And here's Katie.

And Katie (left) and Debbie (right).

But now for some more thoughtfully serious meditations.

In a time of prayer with our friends at the Church of the Undignified in Seattle, one member advised us to stop for everyone who God highlights for us... and keep an eye open for shirtless homeless Navajo men in front of barns in rural areas.  Every time we pass a barn, or see a hitch hiker, or encounter homeless people, I perk up.  Is this one the one we've been looking for?  So far, we've met a handful of wandering spirits - people asking for help at rest stops (to repair broken alternators), people in front of CVS asking for a ride (in the opposite direction we're going), people on the street in Berkeley looking for someone to talk to and some means to make it through the night.  However, as of yet, no shirtless homeless Navajo men in front of barns.

Now, the people we've met: Are they honest about their situation?  I don't know.  Are they more deserving of help than the homeless I encounter daily in Boston? Nope, probably not.  Encountering them does throw a bit of a wrench in our ongoing hospitality thesis, though.  What do you do when offering hospitality isn't easy?

If there's anything I've learned in graduate school, it's how to problematize the seemingly obvious - complicate that which is "natural" and "common sense."  It's struck me throughout our travels and our conversations that the diversity we encounter is mostly theological, and barely socio-economic, racial, or linguistic.  And if there's anything I learned from my time in Cuba, it's to intentionally look for the things that we do not see.  So:  who are the groups for whom offering us hospitality would be a challenge?  Who are the communities for whom offering hospitality to the outside is a fundamental threat to their existence?  How do you offer hospitality when the "guest" has more power than you?  How do you offer hospitality when conflict has entered the communion?

In a twist of fate, it worked out that my friend from Carolina, Susan Huckle, is living in Hollywood and currently in a production of Rocky Horror Picture Show.  We got to see her perform the role of Janet last night.  We had a blast - it's such a crazy show with colorful characters on the stage and in the audience.  Going to the show was initially just a fun break from driving and deconstructing for the past six days, yet I could help myself thinking about Frank-n-Furter's problematic "hospitality."  Talk about a host with the most - offering way more than anybody ever wanted or asked for.

I don't have any kind of conclusion for this train of thought, but we'll see where it goes!  (Somebody contribute something thoughtful!)

But, you know who is another host who offers way more than you ever asked for?  Kafka.




No, not this Kafka -

THIS Kafka.  Kafka (the Cute) is Mollie's dog (the picture just doesn't do her justice).  Mollie is our host for a night here in Burbank, CA.  Mollie is a friend of my former boss, Becca, from ASP. 

Up today - three more interviews, staying with my dear cousin Rebecca, exploring LA, and just another day in paradise.