Frame of Reference

Great times were had. We took a walk on a "crisp" morning. Seriously, you could see your breath! I think the pace was too fast, but was told the heart rate had to "get up". That doesn't work for one who meanders. Viagra for wanderers? Saw Avatar in 3D. Beautiful and moving experience. Literally, moved way too fast sometimes and we had to take our glasses off. I wanted to yell at dude to SLOW DOWN while he ran through the forest away from the fleshy creature chasing him. Ate breakfast food 4 meals in a row. Yeah, it was "that" good! Ate Mexican food 3 meals in a row. Not so good after that. Watched Sherlock Holmes and left with extreme desire to be a pick-pocket. Could have been due to the fact that I had to get my brakes replaced right before the movie which pretty much cleaned my own pockets out. Watched The Hangover. We laughed so hard that we had to rewind sometimes because we missed parts. We can be such reTARDS, genius! I cuddled Bailey and accide...

My feet are always cold, even when the rest of my body isn't. It's always been like this and it will probably always be. My toenails even turn purple sometimes. Socks don't help much. When I lie in bed, after about an hour or so, my feet become uncomfortably hot and I have to stick them outside of the covers. Weird huh? Had a bizarre dream about baby giraffes and bengal tigers. This was after I puked up all of the acid in my stomach.

These rain drenched soliloquies reverberate in cavernous voids

I saw Kelly Clarkson in concert last night. She really puts on a good show. See the second tier balcony that is empty? That is where we were supposed to be sitting. Instead, we got there and they were roped off. The security lady tells us we got a bleacher seat right on the floor. How crazy is that?! Would have been a perfect night if the mom sitting in front of us didn't bathe in petulie lotion every other song. With the combined heat of a couple of thousand people, well, that's just a recipe for nausea. You know it's a good concert when you can't hear for at least thirty minutes after leaving the venue! Weather has sucked right along with the job opportunities! On a plus note I've gotten a lot of crafts completed.

Cold weather brings out the animal instinct to hibernate. I swear it makes you consider things otherwise not considered in warmer weather. Like, "How bad do I have to pee? --- Not bad enough to get out of the warm covers!" The bad part is, I live in Florida and it's only 59 degrees. Sampled new music! The New Moon soundtrack is good for a mellow vibe, Lady GaGa is ... well ... Lady GaGa, dance to Nun and Parralox slowly. Looking for jobs is so much fun. They should make a career out of looking for jobs. You know what I want to do? I want to find jobs for other people! I think I'd be good at that! Stay warm!

Coming back to Tennessee is always fun. Unfortunately, this time, I left later than I normally do so I was unable to watch the mountains grow in the distance, since it was so dark. My family was happy to see me, even Wren. She caught a mouse and left it for me at my bedroom door for whenever I woke up. Isn't she sweet? I really hope to squeeze in some picture taking. The weather hasn't been that cooperative. It's been very overcast. My schedule has been a bit busy as well. Who's isn't this time of year? We'll see!

Do you feel like taking a walk? Really amazing lyrics by Elisa from her Dancing album: What shall I do, just to feel A little over zero, a little over Now that im sadness Now that im weakness Gonna walk like it's for ever Gonna walk because it will save me And my fragility could kill me Is this the best I can be? Is this the best I can give? cause i wanna break out and just live my life yea, i wanna wake up and find out im alive A saint for each bone Would be magical It would feel so all consuming That I'd burn up just like paper And my serenity it will kill me so Is this the best I can be? Is this the best I can give? A picture or two. A contest of parks:

So tropical storm Ida was hardly even that. We've had more excitement with your run of the mill, every day, kind of storm. The weather channel people were here, that was a bit fun, vicariously. Took some pictures today. Flexing muscles of the photographic variety. Hoping to enter a "Park" contest. Want to PRACTICE first. Practice, practice, practice.

People are getting antsy over Ida around these parts. Apparently "I" storms carry nerves along with the wind. I guess those who weathered out Ivan have some basis for that. Landfall is forecasted for Tuesday. I'm just worried about flooding. Our neighborhood has a shit-tastic drainage system and floods when it rains hard for more than 30 minutes. I need to be able to drive and get out! The tide is supposed to rise 3 to 6 feet. Work was fruitful this evening if not a bit strange. An elderly woman was convinced she was allergic to me. She grilled me on my perfume (I don't wear any), my fabric softener (I use what's on sale, this week it's ALL for sensitive skin), my soap, my shampoo, at that point I got another table and politely excused myself. She wasn't even sneezing though, what gives? My boss said it was because I had a wrinkly shirt on, in between her fits of laughter. They said that they are going to pool their money and buy me an iron for christmas. ...

Welcome to my 400th post! I painted today, sort of. Great stress relief. I have never been a fan of Jackson Pollock, but after today, I get it. I'm still not a fan, but I understand where he's coming from a little bit more I think. I've also been listening to Tegan and Sara's new album "Sainthood" which has a lot of elements that remind me of the 80s. Looking at these two paintings remind me of the 80s, see where I'm going with this? So here is to trying new things. Because if you don't, how do you know?

I smiled and waved. It didn't come. I blinked 1,000 times and the world stayed the same. I hear the same song, over and over no matter how many times I change the station. People say the same thing to me, Over and over no matter how many times I blink my eyes I want to hear the change I want to feel the breathing and smell the feeling. I want to float. I want to touch the sound.

I'm watching Dead Like Me. It was a television show that aired on showtime in 2003 and 2004. If it wasn't on a paying channel, I don't think I would have missed it. I really like the idea of the show and it's very well acted. Too bad Ellen Muth doesn't do more stuff. She's good at what she does and I like her voice, a lot. A mask has lived in our oven for over a week now. I got bit by something, three times. This is my ankle. I'm hoping it wasn't a spider and it better not turn into MRSA, thanks for that suggestion V!! I'm enjoying the cooler weather and have decided to strip my walls. I don't know what I'm going to do to them yet, but I needed a change. It was that or shave my head. Pagles is enjoying the weather too, and says "hi". Tegan and Sara's new album comes out tomorrow. I'm beyond excited really.

"I'm walking on sunshine , wooah" The Greek fest was very cool. I LOVE baklava, LOVE it. I also had Calamari which is the best I've had anywhere. This led to a discussion of what it tastes like. It's not fishy, but very (I chose seafoody) but the word (Briney) won out in the end. I wanted to get a sweat shirt that had Greek writing on it, but I'm not Greek and would feel like a poser in it. The concert was good as well. The Sick Puppies put on a very good show. They have a lot of audience interaction, great accents (They are from Australia), and it's just sick what the bassist can do with her hands. Mesmerizing one might say. Work is going better than expected for this time of year too. It's been busy! Listening to 80's music, catching up on CNN headlines, and enjoying the cooler weather. Things are goo-ood.

One more day of hell week and then I'm done! Well, for three days at least. This past week has been intense, tiring, disorganized, frustrating, but fruitful. I never want to do it again. I had mostly good tables. I did have an insulting table last night. I brought a gentleman 20 cents and his receipt, he left me 11 cents. I think I would have felt better if he didn't leave me anything at all. I feel like all that I've done is sleep and work. I want to work on my Etsy page and get out and take pictures! I want to get paid NOT to work while I'm at it. We found a brown widow in the garage the other day. It seems the changing weather has brought out the more bizarre insects. I caught these two as well, with my camera, not for real. Gross.

New Tegan and Sara songs make me SO incredibly happy!! "I know you feel it too." A bug was crawling on my wall and I didn't want to smash it or touch it. I was also too tired to look around for something to catch it. So I grabbed Mootchie and held him over my head. He excitedly obliged and whacked the intruder off of the wall for me. It's all about Team work. I went to the zoo in Gulf Shores, AL. It's small but VERY nice. Their habitats are pretty astounding. All of the water was fresh and very clean. The animals looked clean and healthy as well, as clean as they can anyway. I got a good shot of a tiger, but that's about it. I also got bit on my toes 6 times by fire ants. Of course I researched Fire Ant bites because, you know, I could die from them. I have allergies. Don't laugh. Turns out I'm not allergic, but did you know they have the same components of pepper in their venom. Learn something new every day. Hopefully this weekend will be busy. It...

A picture I snapped whilst running from mosquitos. I have 7 on my legs and 4 on my arms, bites that is (are). I also bit my cheek sometime in my sleep (rap) and now I have that raw bumpy feeling that you just can't help but run your tongue over constantly!

What did I do today? I woke up around seven. Woke up again at noon and took a shower. Went to the pottery barn and looked at posters, dish ware, and santa's in beach shirts. Went to Gulf Shore Zoo at 3:20 and was told that since they closed at 4 we weren't really welcome. Went to Bon Seqoure and got molested by mosqitous. Stopped at Walgreen's to pee. Stopped at McDonalds. Finished Grey's Anatomy. Wants to take mom to batting practice. Watched Sin Nombre in Spanish with English subtitles.  Thinks Face tattooing is a bad idea.

I've been feeling a bit scattered. Treading water takes a lot of energy, but sometimes you can throw your arms out and just let your legs go,  stop moving and you float. You notice the sun and the coolness of the water. It's such a beautiful day. A leaf detaches and glides slowly, slowly, to the ground and for that moment you are the leaf.  I laugh and breathe and take it all in. Just be.  Researching Etsy.com . Anyone ever heard of it? Looks pretty great to me so far!  Be clean, brush your teeth, and de-clutter!

"Water, no lemon." "Sweet tea, lemon." "Do you have Mountain Dew?" "Do your ribs normally have this much fat?" "Can I get shredded crab meat on my steak?" "The bun is soggy from the pulled pork, can I have a new one?" "I want every kind of sauce you have, bring it all." "More water." "More tea." "More sour cream, please" I turn the pages of my book as the servers circle like vultures. "Another car just pulled in!" "Do you want that table?" "I'll take it if you don't want it." "I mean, they don't look like good tippers anyway." I swing off of the barstool, push it in, make another round. "Can I get you anything?" "Did you guys save room for dessert?" "Will this be all together tonight?" I flip through a sudoku book and start filling in boxes.  "Adrienne, who was the greek god of war?" "Five le...

Isn't it weird? The frog has gotten more attention than I anticipated. Just goes to show you how people's opinions can surprise you. Getting into the rhythm of running again. Well, working up to running anyway. I can almost run 1.5 miles without stopping, ALMOST. My car and I got into a fight this weekend. I think we've made up though. 

I don't remember falling asleep. I don't remember waking up. How can we be capable of thinking about so many things yet not be able to realize what it is we are actually doing. The brain is scary.

Work was insane last night. We were a lot busier than I thought we would be. Thankfully, everyone was decent and there were no complaints. Went walking on a nature trail about 10 minutes from the house and found these little gems. I posted a couple more on the flickr page, best are here. Extremely excited about the fair. Great response to being talked about on the news!! 

No time like the present. I have been allowed to display my art work at the downtown library. Took about 2 hours. Kind of cool, right?

With only four servers it was a pretty steady night. Still not great, but hopefully this coming Labor Day Weekend will be better.  I had a bizarre table last night. Near the end of this guy's meal I asked him if I could get him anything else. He crooked his finger at me and I leaned in closer.  He said, "Let me ask you something. See that guy over there?"  He pointed to a booth on the other side of the restaurant where a father and three girls were laughing. The dad was holding a camera and was obviously showing or taking silly pictures.  "Is he paparazzi?"  I straightened up and I'm sure a confused look crossed my face.  "I don't think so sir. Is there a problem?"  He nodded slowly while glaring at this table. "If I see that flash go off one more time I'm going to walk over there and shove that camera up his ass." Honestly, what do you say to that?? I politely smiled and asked if he would like to move to a part of the restaurant ...

The restaurant was busy last night. Near the end of my shift I got a nose bleed. I couldn't get it to stop for the longest time. Afterwards, I felt very light headed and kind of gross. I wonder how long the coke jokes are going to last. The sky is heavy with dark clouds. I want to rip them open.

My thoughts are kinetic and uncooperative It's a different situation and I refuse To think something lives inside of me That I can not control What is -this- but a breathing mass of (attempt)

Stand here, surrounded Watch this, confounded Here are my hands held out A bit scratched from catching myself when I fall on graveled roads I didn't even realize I was walking on. I got my prints today, FINALLY! Looking into the cost of buying mattes versus the cost of doing it myself. Beautiful weather, cooling breeze.  Concert tonight, SICK PUPPIES - Rock it.

I think I might just have fallen in love with the new Tegan & Sara/Tiesto collaboration. It's a bit jarring upon the first couple of listens, but it's a "Grower" to steal the term. Tasty, no? Listen Just got everything in order for the fair! I've only spent DAYS editing my photos. Ordering prints are a hard. I had to CHOOSE which ones I wanted or felt people would like the most. And for those who know me well, know that I can't just make a decision. Then you have to make sure the crops are okay because it's all different for different sizes. I have to PROCESS and mull. It's a thing. But it's done! Now I can focus on getting some of my art work together and then comes the fun part of matting everything!

They are basically calling it a "Rain Event" here. Not much going on where I am. Didn't start getting windy until around 5 a.m. this morning and even then it's only intermittent wind. It made work VERY slow last night. Two people ended up being sent home, which made it busier for the ones that were left. Busy enough to make money but not too busy to give bad service. Just the way I like it! Tropical events become like sporting events down here. Everyone huddles around the T.V. and starts making bets and predictions.

I just had a most incredible week with the family. Who says that snorkeling is for geeks? Oh, right... my sister. That was BEFORE she spent hours doing it! Jellyfish were avoided for the most part. Hermit crabs were tossed around and one sand dollar lost the war with the sun.  Going back to work after all of that was NOT fun. Neither was getting burned with hot coffee last night. I don't get burned very often so I might be overreacting, but that -killed-. A guy was holding a pot of freshly brewed coffee and someone bumped into him causing a splash over onto my right hand. It felt like needles being stabbed all over my knuckles over and over. I have a perfect outline of the splash in bright red on the back of my hand. This morning it just feels like a really bad sunburn. Could have been worse. Still thinking about craft shows and looking forward to cooler weather! 

Swear to goodness I had a whole family ask for "Okrie" tonight. I cringed and literally bit my tongue. A different table proceeded to tell me exactly what they were going to put in a "To-Go Box". Went like this: Them:  "Can we have a to-go box please?" Me:  "Absolutely, I'll be right back!" Them: (Before I walk away) Because we are going to take the rest of her steak home, and these chips, they were delicious, oh and maybe one for the corn. I bet the dog would love the rib bones, huh Hank? He'd love 'em right? Pepper back home would love the rib bones, you think he'd like them. HANK! Yeah, we're gonna take those too. So we need a box." Me: *Blink* *Blink* "Okay" --- Then I walk away. An interesting question I had tonight: Girl:  "These fries... what are they exactly?" Me: ..........................   "I'll give you a few more minutes with the menu."

I finished the sketch. I decided to make a stencil of it. I'm thinking I might do something with spray paint again, or colored pencils... or maybe a combination of both.

It is HOT! We got a storm last night which was wicked. Constant lightning. Unfortunately it didn't clear any of the humidity or hot weather out. In fact, I think it brought more with it.  Researching new cars. I'm really interested in the Toyota Matrix. Anyone know anything about them? Also, I'm very curious to see how people impact online voting. If you want to help, which I KNOW you do -> Go HERE http://www.virginmobilefestival.com/#/booktheband/standings/ And vote for THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE only. See if you can make the percentage points move. I know I have friends out there, especially friends who have time to rearrange their "office". HA HA. You can vote as many times as you want. Give your finger a work out. Started a new phoenix drawing. Considering entering a "craft festival" at the end of september.   

Woke up around 7am-ish to horrible cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. Maybe something I ate. Hate to be sickish on my day off but so incredibly grateful I don't have to work. Sometimes I sit outside in the backyard under a rather large tree and peruse the net. On one such occasion I had an eight legged friend visit.  Spray paint went well. Took forever to mask the design and then even longer to cut it out with an exacto knife.  I don't think the spray paint is going to work on my owl, however, I really like the Celtic knots. Might do one or two more like this. Still not finished (I'm going to outline it and maybe add a very light color in the center, maybe more work on the background (maybe-maybe-maybe)). Here are some of what took place last night though. 

I slept wrong and my neck/shoulder hurts. I am so glad to have a couple of days off though, minor aches are hardly noteworthy. It felt so good to sleep in! I read that Ellen is going to be a guest judge on So You Think You Can Dance. Cat -AND- Ellen? I'm not going to know what to do with myself. Not only that but a new episode of Deadliest Catch comes on too.  Apparently one of my managers has laid claim to me. I feel something similar to a schoolyard pick happened where the two of them got together and said "I want her. Fine, then I get him. You had him last summer!" This means I'm going to have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off for a while. Things change all of the time though. People come and go, the schedule is always changing.  I watched "Ice Truckers" the other night on the History Channel. How nerdy am I? I wouldn't want to do that. They never said how much they get paid, but it'd have to be a lot for anyone to drive through a mountain range in Alas...

I've been working on a new portfolio. I know my deviantart has been seen, but you can't exactly send that link to possible clients and expect them to know how to navigate through the ads and galleries. So I have a new one!! I still need to tweak it and any comments or suggestions are welcome! http://adriennesart.daportfolio.com Work has been crazy this past week. The kitchen has been unable to keep up which is causing over an hour wait for food. This cuts into tips because people think it's "our" fault that the food isn't coming out. Tons of servers are leaving to go back to college in a week or two which is causing something akin to "senior-itis". When you can see the end it's very hard to stay focused. This also means a lot of NEW people too. It's a mess and I am glad to have two days off. 

  You know the saying, "We're on vacation!!"? This statement gives people the freedom to do things they might not otherwise do. Like bungee jump, order more drinks, or dance with complete abandon. I think this, unfortunately, applies to leaving no tip when they go out to eat. Even if a family gets great service, jokes around, and "loves the food" they feel like they can get away with leaving nothing. No one knows them, they are on vacation, right? They'll never probably see that server again anyway. Karma can be a bitch though, remember that. Impressive storm clouds last night that amounted to nothing. I took a picture from the back of the restaurant. Also went and visited my blue eyed friend. Puppy kisses are the cat's meow. My keys were eaten by the lawnmower last week. Surprisingly easy to get a new car key. Mechanics were impressed by the twisted metal. (I brought it as proof). Car dealerships smell like new cars and men's calogne. I want one!

It's storming today. I feel that I might be turning into an old woman, talking about the weather so much.  I am looking forward to tomorrow. I've been on a seven day work stretch. I need a day off.  I was told I have a northern accent by a very odd couple. A young girl's southern accent was so thick I thought she was asking for "boiled lemons" when she was actually asking for a "BOWL of lemons". Sheeze. I spilled a glass of Dr. Pepper on myself and quickly realized I should throw extra work shirts in my car.  Woke up with a headache - Excedrin was my cuddle buddy, Pagles got jealous.

I've created a pseudo work-space in the garage. It's ideal really. I open the door so a nice breeze blows in and I've cleaned off a desk and chair to use. Being outside (sort of) is doing amazing things for my creativity levels. I just need to work on my energy levels and pretty soon I might be up to doing "something". I think the first thing on my to-do list is going to be a run to the store. I need to purchase bug repellent . 

I'm sitting in the driveway, leaning against the garage door and just enjoying the cool, cloud covered evening. I freed my pants from the depths of my closet so that I could minimize the insect bites. My Arms - It's what's for dinner.  The fourth was busy. I got to work and the boss slapped a glittery flag sticker on my shirt. That was the extent of our "patriotism" at the restaurant. Around 8:30 I snuck out back and watched the condo across the street set off larger fireworks. You'd think that being on the beach, they'd have massive shows, but no. I guess the individual condos kind of do their own thing. The rain this morning was a godsend. To hear it lash against the window was heavenly. Thankfully it stayed very cloudy all day. It's amazing how a couple of clouds covering the sun can lower the temperature so drastically. I wanted to sleep today and just relax. Unfortunately I got a lot of calls throughout the day. My work called, but I didn't ...

I have had "Will You Be There", by Michael Jackson, stuck in my head for the past 4 days. So now it's on repeat in the hopes that multiple listenings will satiate whatever it is that is"wanting" it in my head.  Billy Mays died on Sunday and I just saw a -blurb- about it. Considering that probably 99% of Americans know who the "OxiClean" guy is, I think his passing should have more attention. It's terribly sad and scary. To think, you could fall asleep and just never wake up.

Pop Pop Just got back from a run. Sheeze, it's hot! Cleaning up a bit, it never ends. Makes one wonder what people did when there was no "trash service". I know that many Greek or Roman (probably both) towns were notorious for smelling bad because of the garbage piles outside of town, but what about early settlers and what not. Hmmm, massive burning? I think I have seen every single Michael Jackson video ever made. It's been a fun walk down memory lane. (I almost added moon, but alas, I too can show restraint.)  Work is work. A bit of advice though: If you go to a restaurant, especially if it's busy, don't drink your beverage within seconds of it being put in front of you. If you do, if you are REALLY that thirsty (Cause I know I have been) - don't feel entitled to get another one right away. Have some patience.  Hoping the sick and staphy people in my life feel better soon!! 

Mr. Pagles and my brand new sheets.

I cleaned today. I did the laundry, dishes, the whole nine. Then I bought new sheets for the twin bed I'm sleeping on. I needed a change and DO NOT want to color my hair again. I'm still trying to wash the pink out. New sheets are safer, definitely.  It finally stormed. It started last night and we had another one this afternoon. I love it. There is just something about seeing the sun shining through pouring rain. I've only seen it during the summer. Something to behold. The thunder is also a plus. It's neat to see the fog on the streets after the rain as well. So many things I like, I'm muddling up the paragraph! I have thoroughly enjoyed my two days off.  Is North Korea making anyone else a little bit nervous?

I can't believe it!! I was driving back from the store (I had to get some mouth wash) when it hit me!! The "Check Engine Soon" light was on almost all of last week. I would start it and there would be white smoke from the exhaust but as soon as I started driving it would go away. We know this. Well, the light has been off for days now. No smoke, starts fine, drives fine. I don't know much about cars, but I'm wondering if the guy who filled my extra tank with coolant filled it up too much. I checked under the hood and it's down a hair below the MAX fill line. (I didn't know there was a fill line). But when he filled it, he FILLED it. So what if that smoke and the light was from the excess coolant?? What's worse is that I've taken it in twice and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. GGGGRRRRRR Could be worse I suppose, but now I feel dumb. I need to learn about vehicles. 

"So Pure, Such an Expression... I Love You When You Dance" Last night was insane. Summer has finally begun at the restaurant. We were on a wait from 5:30pm until a little past 9pm. I was able to keep up but it was non-stop for hours! Things get so dirty when we get busy. Usually if someone spills steak sauce on a tray, it gets washed. Not so much last night. My shoulder was all shades of brown from 'I don't know what' that was on the bottom of the trays. It went pretty smoothly besides one incident of someone requesting Cheese Sticks. I brought them out and they said "Oh, I meant Cheese Fries". I looked at them and clenched my jaw. I wanted them to see my obvious disapproval. So when their Cheese Fries arrived at the same exact time as their food, I was holding in a smug little smirk. It's too hot to even go to the beach in my opinion. The heat index yesterday was 110. Today it's supposed to get up to 99, so there is no telling how high the index...

You know that when a conversation starts with "I 'never' complain"... it's not going to be fun. That's what happened to me last night. A lady ordered crab legs and then was very dissatisfied with them. This happens, you can't please everyone. I apologized and asked if she'd like anything else off of the menu. She wrinkled her nose and told me her appetite was basically ruined. I offered a free dessert and she looked at me like I had grown another head. She then proceeded to tell me about how she used to work in restaurants and how "Word of mouth" is very important. By this point, I had no clue what she wanted me to do. I didn't make the crab legs and I had already apologized multiple times. I brought the ticket, minus the legs, and she started again about how the butter wasn't melted enough. I went and told my manager to go over to the table because it was obvious she wanted to complain to someone and I wasn't satisfying her. My m...

"This Is Your Brain On Music" is turning out to be quite a gem. I love the explanations and metaphors. For example: Remember that question -> If I tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? No. It makes molecules vibrate, but sound doesn't exist unless it's "heard". Same thing with color. An apple isn't made up of tiny red things. It's how we perceive it that makes it red. I haven't gotten very far, I'm savoring it. I like it. Relativity fascinates me, obviously. It amazes me how emotions change the perception of our world. Sometimes we walk through fog and couldn't tell anyone what we did that day. Other times things are crystal clear. We know the moment something happened. It just all depends on the inner workings of our brain and whatever it is that makes us, us. Sometimes I want to reach in and shut it off. Sometimes I want to stop everything because it's so amazing. 

What does it take to kill a cockroach? 2 cats 1 sword 1 high-heeled flip-flop It's amazing what an insects mere presence can reduce us humans to. Mootchie spotted the booger but chased it into a closet. He was doing a decent job of hunting but I wanted to bring in reinforcements. I grabbed Pagles from the bookshelf (where he likes to sleep) and gently set him down next to Mootchie in the closet. He looked around and then up at me like I was completely crazy and walked out. I tried to talk some sense into him, but he was having none of it. A sword was drawn while Pagles and I cuddled on the floor, watching the action. A bed was torn apart as the prey made a break for it. Despite the swords amazing abilities on the battlefield, it was a foam flip-flop that saved the day. Mootchie walked around for hours with a chip on his shoulder while Pagles obliviously cleaned his tail and chased a bottle cap. Work has been busy. Busy enough to keep me busy. It's a good thing, Martha said so.

I went to the beach this morning. I was hoping to get there before the really hot part of the day. Apparently that "part of the day" doesn't exist here during the summer. The coast is turning this beautiful turquoise color and the water is so incredibly clear. I wanted to get a couple of shots, but it was too bright. I actually got into the ocean after bathing in sunscreen. Tiny schools of fish would swim by my ankles as my toes sank into the white sands. I only stayed for 30 minutes and then headed home to shower. I thought I was fine until this afternoon when I noticed that I was becoming uncomfortably hot. I glanced in the mirror and just saw red skin. It's not too bad, though. Drinking lots of water and moisturizing like CRAZY!   Is one born with talent or is it learned? If you have artistic parent's are you destined to be artistic yourself? Is there a yet, undiscovered gene that predetermines the level of creativity that one possesses, if any at all? Who know...

My drawing has picked up a smidge. I drew a nautical star with the outline of Florida in it for a tattoo. Don't ask. Also playing around with Cherry Blossoms for another tattoo request. I'm experimenting and expanding my horizons as far as 'creating' things go. Might have a few more commissions coming my way, we'll see. Picked up a new book, finally!! This is Your Brain On Music.  I've only read the introduction, but from that it looks very promising.  Creepy details coming out about David Carradine's death. I'm all for informing the public, but sometimes, some things should just be kept private in my opinion. With a big celebrity like that, people are going to want to know, so it's unavoidable. Just one of those things thrown under the heading: "Things I wish I didn't know" in my brain! I changed my sheets and covers, and that makes me incredibly happy. Apparently, I'm not the only one. Pagles hasn't jumped off my bed since thi...

I have tried to google it but I can't find it anywhere. I'm talking about this incredible phenomenon of glowing lights in the sand. I swear that it's true because I've seen it. You go to the beach at night and just start digging. You don't even have to dig far, but once you get a couple of layers down these green specks of light appear. They only last for a few seconds though. It's as if you've caught the 'tail end' of a lightening bug racing into his home and slamming the door behind him. Work has been decent lately. Smooth is more like it. *knock on wood*. No exciting stories, save for the fact I'm starting to have "Servers Memory". I'll come home and be getting something to drink, or making sure the cats have food and it'll suddenly hit me: I didn't bring that lady her side dish, or that someone wanted an extra dressing. It's supposed to rain soon.

I've had to travel outside for internet access. This is great since it's such a nice day with a cool breeze. Unfortunately, no matter how nice it is, it always gets "hot" after a little while.  The house is being painted today. I feel a bit awkward lying in the grass while someone toils away in the sun. He's stopped and talked to me quite a bit. I even offered to help since he was commenting that it's going to take a lot longer than he expected and he might have to come over in the 'evenings'. I was really interested in watching a 'red winged black bird' vie for a spot on the bird feeder. A blue jay was hogging the prime real estate. Then I felt guilty because I missed half of what he said. I tried to cover with "Working in this kind of weather must be a blessing and a curse" and how I think he's done a great job so far. I think it worked. I suppose it was a bit see through though, seeing as he hasn't done anything except scra...

I'm back and just trying to get back into the swing of things. I woke up around 4 in the morning on Friday and drove 9 hours back to Florida and then was at work by 3 in the afternoon. It was a productive evening if a little bit over staffed.  I witnessed the Heimlich at work. I've never seen that actually done in person on a real life person before. (I've seen it done on mannequins in class.) A lady choked on her steak. I don't think she was really choking though because she was still gasping and talking. Besides, she didn't cough it up, she just swallowed it, after throwing up all over the floor. The crazy thing is that she continued to eat her steak after all of the commotion. Ick ! I would have thrown in the towel after that.  All in all, not a great memorial day weekend as far as money making goes, but not a horrible one. I think the restaurant was definitely expecting more. Unfortunately, with gas prices going back up and tourism down 23% you can't affor...

Watching "So You Think You Can Dance"!! I love this show. Another guilty pleasure without the guilt. It's one of those shows that you have to watch with someone. Woke up to sheets of rain. It was really warm though. We slept in and hung around a little and then slept some more! Decided to catch Star Trek and thought it wasn't that great. A bit of a snoozefest. Fortunately the star of the movie really made it worth while, kept me from falling asleep anyway. The rain had cleared by the time we exited the theatre, so we went to walk on the beach again. We were there for about 20 minutes, fighting the wind and watching the crazy surf. I think that there must have been a storm offshore. It started raining shortly after that so we decided to get some ice cream. Mint chocolate chip is heaven sent! Now it's relaxing time before I have to drive back to Florida. I'm really hoping that it doesn't rain. I have to be at work at 3 tomorrow. It's memorial day weekend...

I slept in a little bit this morning. We had a most incredible breakfast, homemade in fact! I am so spoiled sometimes, heck ALL of the time. I convinced the family to go on a nature walk with me. We drove to Pickney Island and took off on foot. I got a few cool shots. I didn't see as much wildlife as I wanted to, but it was amazing. VERY windy! We would walk past these little sand dunes and it looked like it was covered with gravel. When we got closer the gravel started moving away from us. Turns out the tiny little things were Fiddler crabs. Looked like something from a horror movie, the way that they moved as a unit. I think we walked a little over three miles total.  After that we set off to find The Salty Dog Cafe. It took us a while of back roads and horse stables, but we did eventually find it. I had one of the best kiwi coladas that I've ever had. (Also, the ONLY one I've ever had) but it was tasty! Got a shirt and decided to hit the beach. We braved the wind, I swea...

Woke up at 7 a.m. this morning. It was pretty fantastic. I don't mind waking up early when I'm on vacation at all. We had a light, but extremely yummy, breakfast and then headed down to Savannah, Georgia. It was only about a 45 minute drive, shorter than I thought. Paula Deen's restaurant was an experience. We must have gotten there just in time because we didn't have to wait at all. You walk up to this little stand and get handed a card with how many people are in your party and then we rode an elevator up to the third floor. I had a grilled cheese sandwich and soup. Walked around a bit but it was kind of overcast and rainy so we didn't get to explore all that much. It's a beautiful, very VERY old city! Got back and caught a nap. It wasn't very hard, fell right into my hands. Walked around some more, found a really neat shop full of minerals and cool stone beads, dream catchers, and other odds and ends. Think we are going to relax for the rest of the night.

Greetings from vacation land! I had planned on leaving right after work last night, but my stomach disagreed. I caught around 4 hours of sleep and then took off. I drove in rain the whole way. Whether it was just spitting or pouring, it was always doing something. The first thing I was told when I incurred a passenger was that I was in "desperate need of wiper blades." The crazy antics and verbiage of my family are incredible! I simply can't wait to wake up tomorrow. 

I got the title for this blog from a package of Blue Diamond Almonds that are Wasabi and Soy Sauce flavored sitting on the cabinet in front of me. Exciting, right? Last night was a good night at the biz. There was an incident of a young mother trying to forcefully shove a piece of pizza down her young sons throat. Fortunately, I was too busy to really dwell on this table. They were a bit too demanding for my taste anyway. Not only that, they were making my other tables very uncomfortable. Thankfully, they didn't stay long. I tried to put a band-aid over my ankle and wrap it but the wrap was too thick. I decided to just leave the bandage on so I'd have some protection against my sock sticking to it and leave the wrap off. It helped, what didn't help was having a high chair fall on it. That brought a tear to my eye! No lasting effects though. 'Cause I'm a badass like that! A little under three days and it's VACATION time for me! I can't wait.  I've been in...

Had a great relaxing day.  Took a few pictures of the storm that came through, night before last. It was cool to practice, wanted to get a bolt, but alas, settled with a lit up sky!! The picture was taken around 10pm at night. Foot killed me last night with the shoe rubbing against it. I had to peel the sock off because it was sticking. I iced it and kept it dry today, feels better. Mootchie and Pagles decided to pose for me. 

"If I Lie?" I'm watching Mootchie coordinate the obstacle course that is our mantle. How does he weave his lithe body in between the objects that adorn the 'said' mantle? He knocks them down of course! Our living room floor is constantly decorated with pieces that belong on the bookshelf or the mantle. Pagles doesn't really knock things down as he does "gnaw" on them. If they happen to fall, well, it's just a consequence of a tasty indulgence. I went swimming today. In a pool, not the ocean. The ocean kind of scares me now, what with all of it's deadly creatures. That would be a consequence of watching Animal Planet. Thanks Mom!  Unfortunately, my swimming time ended with painful results. There are pictures! The pain is never too intense to work a camera!! When it first happened there were crazy purple streaks all down my shin, but once the swelling started, the purple went away. It's still pretty sore. The open wounds don't hurt at a...

"Unfortunately" -> Having or marked by bad fortune; unlucky. I woke up and started my car, noticed white smoke coming from the exhaust. I was also 2 days past due for an oil change. Decided to take it in for an oil change. Once I started driving the smoke disappeared. Oil change place is not a "mechanic" place and therefore had no idea what to say or do about it. Got back home and was greeted by a very dead and partially "torn" frog along with two very angelic and innocent looking cats. Went to the bathroom and precariously dodged a jumping spider and it's friend The Centipede. Was putting away my laundry and could not for the life of me find ONE of my favorite pink striped socks. Got to work and was told I was going to train a new server. Not horrible, just very distracting, especially since we were very busy tonight. ( I never realize how much I do things without thinking about it.) Realized I left my wallet at home. A gentleman at a table was unh...

It finally stormed today. I am so happy. If it doesn't rain for a while here, things start to build up. I think it's the humidity. It does crazy things!! Unfortunately this meant we were slow at work. So slow that there were only two of us. So slow that we looked up the mating habits of turtles. We took crazy pictures of each other with our cell phones and played with a paper football, very much like we used to in high school. Ice cubes, pieces of okra, garlic flavored croutons and french fries became weapons. I won't even get into the towel snapping. I understand why idol hands are the devil's playground. I got palmed a tip for the first time EVER tonight!! I felt cool for a second until I realized the utter silliness of the situation. Then I had to look around to make sure that no one could see my goofy grin. (I hope I'm using that term correctly. I mean an older gentleman shook my hand and had a bill (the tip) in his palm, which was then transferred to mine when ...

I'm sitting in front of my laptop with my leg outstretched and an ice-pack on my knee. (Is that even hyphenated? It looks like it should be, hmmm) I guess having a week off of work made my feet and knees tender again. It only hurts whenever I bend it. I'm confident that once I get back into the swing of things, my feet will become acclimated. If they don't, I will just cut them off. Work was a blast tonight. We were busier than we have been, unfortunately my busser went swimming in the ocean today and got a second degree sunburn. I felt sympathetic for his lobster ass until he started slacking on cleaning my tables off. I'm just kidding, I just had to help a litte, a bit of extra work never hurt anybody though, right? They enjoyed my pink streaks at work. This girl even wanted me to 'do' her hair but I hesitated slightly and I think she was extremely insulted, so that's probably a no-go. She never brought it up again. Woops! I'm off to catch up on "...

The numbers on my clock changed to 2:30p.m. at the exact moment I was closing the front door behind me. I had called the manager yesterday to see when I was scheduled to work. She confidentially told me 3:00 p.m. I get to work and notice that my name isn't on the breakdown. I went back to the schedule and viola, she had looked at last weeks schedule. I have today and tomorrow off. I toyed with the idea of being angry. If I had known that I had 5 consecutive days off, I might have done something with them. But I think I needed the downtime. Time to relax. Besides, it's the end of the month and hopefully I have a nice vacation coming up in a couple of weeks.  I've watched Andrew Zimmerman kill a wallaby, eat a turtle, and a poisonous frog. I've written e-mails to relatives I never knew I had and listened to updates on the swine flu. I watched a video of a bus driver plowing into an SUV that was sitting still, (because the moron was texting ), and I laughed at a CNN head...

I made some Chicken Helper tonight, Asian flavor. Muy, Muy, yummy!! Tired of turning on the T.V. and seeing Swine Flu coverage. Thousands of people die every year from the regular flu. I suppose if it wasn't this, it'd be something else though. Where's Miss Lohan when you need her?? Thank goodness The Deadliest Catch is back on!! Reruns of John & Kate + Eight is even more entertaining.  I colored my hair Pink! Just a couple of chunks in the front. I accidentally got a drop on my eyebrow though. It figures. I think I can cover it with my bangs though. Or I could just buy some parachute pants and pretend to be Vanilla Ice. I might get 'pity tips'. lol I've had three days of no working. Wow, did I ever catch up on some sleep. I also learned that mixing vodka, orange juice, sprite, and grenadine, is not the tastiest thing in the world. That little tid bit of info is free of charge!! 

Everything at a restaurant revolves around money and productivity. I suppose that is true for every kind of business though, I mean really, if it wasn't, what's the point? It just strikes me as funny that everyone seems to be concerned with how much everyone else is making. If we don't have a basis for comparison, how are we really sure that we are 'doing good'? I was told to leave EXTRA early today because traffic is going to be bad. I'm not sure how true that is, but we'll see. I like the crowd this weekend, very generous and good humored! Let's hope it stays that way! I got a new sticker for my server book! This excites me beyond what I believe to be normal. (It's a little, white, tribal looking lizard.) Finished the book, My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler (Chelsea Lately). Entertaining and Funny! It kept my interest and I think that she is INCREDIBLY intelligent. The subject matter started to get a little old near the end but the last 5 page...

Thursdays are notoriously busy at restaurants. They even had 7 of us scheduled to work tonight. By 6pm 3 of them were sent home. By 8:30, 2 more hit the road (including me). It wasn't very productive, but the amount I walked with is more than I showed up with. Beggers can't complain! Besides, who can say they throw bacon bits at each other and try to get okra into open mouths, or maybe fill up latex gloves with water (WATER) and throw them at unsuspecting people walking outside. I can! I can even say we find drinks with people's names on them and pour tons of salt into the cup, or pepper, or hot sauce.  What I find hilarious is that I tend to make the most mistakes when we are the slowest. I can have only 2 tables and completely forget someone's drink. It baffles the mind! The dark blue didn't happen. Phone calls were made and interventions were attempted (to no avail), I just haven't made up my mind yet.  Tomorrow is Friday and the beginning of the Mullet Toss....

Work has slowed down immensely. Apparently it's the lull between spring break and summer. It's very reminiscent of November. Actually the perfect time to vacation apparently, the last week of April. There were only 3 of us working last night, when usually there are at LEAST 7. It's okay though. I can be patient. Especially when it's 80 degrees and so beautiful! I'm going to look at color today. Thinking of putting a chunk of Dark Blue or something like that in my hair. I dunno though, so indecisive. :) I watched Slumdog Millionaire. I think it's one of those movies where the book probably would have been a lot better. (Aren't they always?) But it wasn't a horrible movie, I just think one of those where your imagination is necessary, vital even. I don't think anyone could really capture the essence of it on film. Those kids were SO cute though! 

Another late morning that began with a smile. I threw open the curtains and was greeted with incredible blue skies and bright, bright sunlight streaming across my bed. The cats heard me moving around and demanded to be let in. Who can argue with that? Since I missed breakfast and I'm trying to eat a bit healthier I decided on vegetable soup instead of the yummy chicken quesadilla I get at work. Maybe I'll allow myself one a week... or maybe one every other week. :) Cool coming of age movie clip (with a twist)? LYMELIFE  Who doesn't love the Culkins? Reminds me of the Ice Storm (Starring the gorgeous Elijah Wood).  

I hope that the weather stays calm. I feel that whenever a member of my family that has left Oklahoma and then returns, immediately has a target on them. I don't care if we are in Arkansas or Alaska, bad weather is going to find us. Even when we leave the state again. But I'm hoping it plays nice this time. It SHOULD this time. It BETTER this time. I feel like the ball is rolling, finally. Things are moving and I am grooving. The world doesn't revolve around an individual, although it is up to the individual to make their world a place they want to live in.   I played with Pagles and Mootchie today. We tag teamed snuggled and hit a ball back and forth in a stationary piece of plastic for almost an hour. It was glorious and way more entertaining then you'd think! I have a drawing of two hands... balancing a circle/ball on the top of each hand. What should the circles become? - Planets - Sports balls - Eye balls - Insert good idea here I don't want to do the mirrored ...