If clouds crashed, do you think they'd burn?

Happiness.

What is it? Where did it come from? Where is it going? Why doesn't it stay? Why did it invite Depression, and give him the keys?

Does Happiness love company? Is Happiness a dish best served cold?

Why does Happiness often send his henchmen Contentment, Amusement and Mirthosity (that's his name, don't look at me) to do His dirty work?

Is it better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all?

Is Happiness related to Satisfaction, or is she just another subordinate?

I'm pretty sure that Hope must be realted to Happiness.

But sometimes you just never know.

Do the clouds come crashing down? And if they do, how far?

Thought it was about time for another update, and this time it's in the middle of the day! Normally I post updates in the middle of the night, since that's the best time for me to be online. However, right now I'm really board and at work with a cable modem computer, so I thought I'd take advantage of it.

Not much is going on right now, I'm looking forward to another long weekend of working. Mostly at the Manor House, but I do need to go to Ciao! tonight as well. I just found out that I have to work 9-5 at Wildwood on my birthday. I don't know why, but between us Maggie and I have not had a good birthday in, what is it now, almost 3 years? Bah. Maybe this year my birthday will pass quietly by and we'll celebrate it on the 30th when Jen turns 21. Well, that's when Maggie and I celebrate it anyway......

Went to yoga this morning. Taking three weeks off is really not a good idea. Just trying to get back into things is hard right now, and I'm really sore. I think I should go see Shelly for a massage.

I'm mostly just rambling at this point, trying to make the time go faster. When I get the poem I'm working on right now done, I'll post it. Oh, and "Dr. Fryer", I hope you're having a fun time with the postings and comments on Mike's blog. I know I'm having fun reading it!


"Bass pours from the speakers,
Making your body move and quiver
Filling you with a darkened need,
Begging to be set free"

Bittersweet now

Wow, I have just had one of the worst day's at work ever. It started out alright, got to Ciao! at 4:00, light resos, and the deck was open. The problems started when I took a to go order. The gentleman who placed the order wanted so many little things changed and added to the order that I couldn't figure out why he bothered to order things from the menu at all. I go put the order in, and the guy comes back 10 min. later and wants to change things again. So I take the new order and give it to Becky (manager for the night) so that she can make the changes to it and let the kitchen know. So once the order gets ready, Becky brings it out and says that it's good to go. After the guy pays and leaves, he comes back and says that the extra dressing and croutons he ordered aren't with the rest of the stuff. I talk to Becky and she tells me that they are in the bag, just in a separate container. So the guy leaves again, and calls back 5 min. later to say that the extra bread he ordered isn't there. So here I am, trying to seat people, calm this guy down, and explain this whole thing to Becky. When this guy comes in the second time, he demands that we toast the bread and give him a discount on his meal for all of the problems. I offer to go get Becky for him, but he says that he wants to deal with me. I not being able to give him a discount, try to explain the situation to him. Because I can't do anything in this situation without managerial approval, the guy stares to verbally abuse me. So while I'm trying to calm this guy down, other customers are coming in behind him and listening to him rant. Becky finally came out and calmed him down, but it had thrown off my entire evening. I had about 14 parties waiting to be sat, was behind on resos, and had other to-go orders to put in that had to wait until this guy was happy. It took me a half an hour to get back on track from this thing. Not that it was a busy night or anything, I just don't like being thrown off of my "game". Sometimes I just hate dealing with people.

On the up side, yoga on Tuesday was awesome! I'm sore as fuck, but it was soooooo worth it, and I feel really stretchy. For some reason, when I get done with yoga my butt looks good the whole rest of the day. I don't understand it, but I'm not gonna knock it. Also, my abs hurt really bad because instead of Buffy on Tuesday night, we watched Pablo Francisco and listened to some Dane Cook. I was laughing so hard at one point that I couldn't breathe. That was a sweet night. Went to Frickers later to hang out with the guys. While I was there I saw Bruce, Randy, and Joe Russell. Hadn't seen those guys for a while, so it was good to catch up for a bit.

Thinking about going out Thursday. Bootleggers would be fun, but I'm also up for downtown. On with the clubbing. They've started up the Hub Bounce again, so we can go back and forth between clubs if we want to . I kind of miss the poles at Eclipse........... but if we don't go this week we still have all summer to get down there.


"I'm sorry if my heart breaking ruined your day"

The Civil War, and comfey pants

This weekend was awesome. The fact that I was at work the whole time really took very little away from the awesomeness of Saturday and Sunday. As a matter of fact, this whole week was kind of sweet. Thursday started things when I hung out with Tom, Mike Pat, Zmudge, and the guys. Went to Sally Bee's, had some drinks, back to the guy's for some T.V. overall a good night. Friday I went to the new wing of the mall with Joe to help him find clothes. While we were there he convinced me to get a shirt and we went to see Episode III. BTW, Episode III rocks. It is truly an awesome movie and I plan on seeing it again soon.

As for the total awesome of my weekend, it involved the Civil War Days at Wildwood. Saturday I worked from 9:30 am to 10:00 pm. Yes, it was a long day, and yes, I was ridiculously tired, but it was worth it. The reenactors were nice, and very knowledgeable about what they were doing. Plus we got a lot of good feedback for the event, which is always good. I know that some people may think I'm a huge dork for enjoying the Civil War Days so much, but I have some damn good reasons.

First of all, there were cannons. I just so happen to enjoy the sound of cannons, and guns. While I didn't really see any of the skirmishes, I did hear them quite well. It added quite a bit to the feel of the event. Also the smell of woodsmoke. I LOVE that smell.

Second of all, I met some great people. Almost the first thing after I got to work on Sat. morning, I went out to the front porch. On said porch sat a group of six confederate soldiers. They asked a bit about the house and later came on a tour. In my down time from tours I hung out with them if they were on the porch, and we all talked for a bit. Had a good time and it made the day go faster, that and the 397 people that we had in the house for tours. Ended the day with a lantern Tour that started at 8:30. Walking through the park with a candle lantern is fun. Lots and lots of fun. Once again, I know I'm a huge dork, you can stop thinking it now. Sunday I had to work from 9:30 to 5:30. Shortly after I got there the guys were back on the porch and we talked some more. Started raining around noon, kind of shut down the rest of the stuff planned for the day. After I got off of work, I went out to dinner at Applebees with the guys. Had a great time and I wish they didn't all live so far away. However, I can't do anything about that, so I shall just dwell on the fun had over the weekend. If anyone's wondering who these guys are, you can find a link here.

So as I sit here in my comfey pants and relax a bit before bed, I can feel nothing but happy for the way things have been lately. Well, that and tired. Very, very tired. I'm looking forward to next week, I get to go back to yoga Tuesday after 3 weeks off. Stupid wisdom teeth. I have work Mon. and Wed, and Buffy night is on for Tues. as far as I can tell. It should be a good week.

Oh, I almost forgot. For those of you who read the last post, I talked to my manager Michele. She thanked me for telling her about Jess, and she said that she would keep an eye on her.

Later all.

Son of the orange

Right-o. It's been a while since my last post, again. Some how, even with all the free time I seem to have, I can't get to posting on a regular basis. Bah, it's not like I have people hanging on every word for this thing, it's just for my fun. A lot has been going on lately, mostly the fact that I had a sandwich today. Oh my god, you never realize just how much you miss sandwiches until you can't have them. Mmmmmmmm..................... yummy.

As always, work tops my list of stuff. I was talking with the salad guy at Ciao! on Monday because it was slow, and he let it slip that he and some of the other guys had been talking about some of the girls who work there, myself included. Now, being who I am, I just had to find out what they had to say about me. After a little prodding I got my answer, but it wasn't at all what I expected. Apparently the guys at Ciao! think that I need to be protected. Odd, no? I really don't see myself as someone who needs to be protected and looked after. Although I could be wrong, you never know. It was also mentioned that I seem a bit standoffish and intimidating. I can see myself as standoffish in some situations, but intimidating? No. Not at all. I thought that maybe they'd say I was cute or something, since cute seems to be the description that I get most often, but no. Weird. I guess you never really know how other people look at you until you pry answers out of the salad guy.

I'm also having problems at work with one of the other hosts. "Jess" and I got along fine when I started working at Ciao! after Stixx closed. However, once I found my footing and started working with her as an equal instead of a trainee, there was mild trouble. Because I question what she does sometimes, or offer suggestions on how to seat big parties, she gets upset because she's not in total control. We worked together last Friday, the same week I had my teeth out. The only reason I came into work at all was because the other two hosts were out of town and we need two people to run the door on Friday and Saturday. Because I'd had surgery that week, I had talked to my manager Jessica about the fact that I was dealing with jaw pain and I couldn't run the door during our rush times, and I couldn't call for people in the bar because of my stitches. Jessica was fine with this because she needed me there to seat people and take to-go orders. Jess on the other hand was quite upset. So after her initial pissyness about having to do some actual work, we got down to doing what we're paid to do, until she decided to leave the host stand for about a half an hour letting me run the door around 6:30. I delt with it, seeing as how I really didn't have a choice, and started seating people and plotting for our reservations. When Jess comes back, she says that I've messed up her entire seating plan for the evening and the reso list. The only reason I "messed up" her seating plan is because I gave some big parties to servers that she doesn't like (only servers Jess likes get the big parties). After that whole thing blew over and it's quieted down for the evening, it's time to do the side work. The hosts side work is supposed to be done by both hosts so that we can go home soon. Instead of us both working on it, Jess decides to go wander around the dining room for a good long while, leaving me to do all of the side work which includes cleaning the 100 plus menus, wine lists, and dessert lists that we have. When she next shows up, it is to cash out the to-go card and collect the tips we made. Want to know what she did with the tips? That's right, she kept them all for herself. It's not like I lost out on a lot of money, and I wouldn't have even known about it if she hadn't left me in charge of the door, but it's the point of the damn thing. I don't know why she acts the way she does, but I'm getting sick of it. I think she's just mad that I came over from Stixx, bumped her down in seniority, and became good at working at Ciao! The worst part about all this is that I can't tell managers because they all like Jess, except for our new general manager who's never around to form opinions of anyone. I really don't know what I'm going to do about this.

If anybody is still reading after that very long semi rant, I'm sorry for the length of it but I needed to vent a bit.

Totally going out tomorrow, probably to Bootleggers. Also going shopping with Joe and going to work at 4:30. Joe, if you read this, give me a call around 11 if you're up. If not, i'll give you a call so we can go malling. Mags, I'm sure that I'll talk to you tomorrow after I get off of work.

Oh and Jeff, I lied when I told you I'd only been drunk twice before. It was three times.

Strawberries

Waiting all winter long
Frozen was never really
Good enough

But just enough
To keep you going
For what you needed

Waited so long
For time to thaw
All you ever really wanted

That first taste
Sun-warmed
Just ripe enough to be tart

But still sweet
Close your eyes
And you can see the sunbursts

Full of flavor
Freash, not frozen
Seeds stuck in your teeth

Winter’s over
Strawberries are ripe
And it’s almost time for summer

Pain killers are my friends

So it's over, all four of my wisdom teeth have been removed. I must say that it was an interesting experience. Having never undergone general anesthesia, I was really nervous about the whole thing. Well, that and having four of my teeth pulled out. I remember laying there with the mask on and watching them put the I.V. in, and then someone is telling me to wake up and asking if I'd like some water. Of course my dad just had to tell me that I looked like a vampire when I woke up too. Bah. I'm doing pretty good now, although my jaw is really sore and I can't eat any solid food. Thank goodness for pain meds, I don't wan to think about what this would be like if I didn't have them.

Thanks to the Magster and Jason for coming over for Buffy night. I needed to see someone who didn't live in this house for a little while. Also thanks to Randy for coming and taking me for a spin since I hadn't seen his new car.

Also, I experienced one of the creepyist things ever Monday night. I was sitting here at the computer around 1:30 in the morning, when all of a sudden the power goes out. Normally this would not be an issue because I like the dark, but my eyes didn't have any time to adjust to the darkness. So I'm just sitting here while I wait for my eyes to adjust, and I'm thinking about what could've caused the outage. Of course, since it's 1:30 in the morning I'm thinking of robbers/killers, aliens, or stealth tornados. I know, I know, silly me. Anyway, I decide to get up and try to go find matches and candles so I can see something. Being the ever so smart person that I am, I didn't' think that I wouldn't be able to find either in the pitch black kitchen. So after running into various walls and such, still without being able to see, I'm feeling better because I'm now pretty sure that I've ruled out a couple of the things I was worried about. First off, it can't be a killer. Why you ask? Because I'm fully dressed. If I was to be killed in my own home, I would have to be at least partially naked because that's just the way it works. Also, it can't be aliens because that's simply not the way they do things. I'm still kinda worried about the stealth tornados though, they don't care how dressed you are. So I finally find a flashlight, a whole 30 seconds before the lights go back on. Apparently the lights went out for all of Bedford and they don't know why yet. I'm betting a squirrel wandered into the breakers or something, although I wouldn't rule out the stealth tornados.

Another post and poem shall be coming soon. Don't forget to check out the new links, they are awesome.

The orange continues

In case you haven't noticed, it's getting warm out. With this blessed warmer weather comes the thing that many people look forward to every year..... weddings. Being a Wildwood Metropark employee, I see dozens of weddings a year. Today, for example, there were 8 wedding parties there for photos and two for ceremonies. Many of these wedding parties are lovely, but sometimes there is just one that makes you cringe. In order to help prevent cringing, I offer this advice to brides and the members of their wedding parties. I am not trying to support conformity or endorse stereotypes, but these are just things that bother me.

1) Brides: Please chose bridesmaids dresses that are all the same color, or two complimentary colors. If you decide that you need every bridesmaid to wear a different colored dress, I suggest that you reconsider. The weddings I have seen (and they are many) where the bridesmaids dresses are all different colors make it look like someone ate a clown, chased it with a bottle of whiteout, and vomited.

2) All members of the wedding party: I don't care how bad the craving is, do not pose for wedding pictures with a cigarette hanging out of your mouth. It's tacky and makes you look like a hick. At least put it out until after the photos are over.

3) Grooms: Please, please, please don't wear a powder blue tuxedo with a ruffled shirt. The only situation in which this outfit would be ok is if you hopped in your pa's pickup with your wife/cousin and freshly trimmed mullet to go live in your new house on redneck lane. I don't care if you're trying to make a fashion statement, you look like you're suck in the 80's. Really not a good fashion idea.

4) Brides: I know that it's your big day and all, but it would be best to find a dress that fits. I know not everyone can afford a custom made dress that would make you look great, but that doesn't mean that you need to get one that is unflattering. I can tell you the number of brides I have seen that have an ill fitting very unflatteringly cut dress. With the amount of dresses on the market, I'm sure that every bride can find a lovely dress at a reasonable price.

5) Everybody at the wedding: When you have a wedding in a public area, like a metropark, do not get pissy when random people that you do not know stop to watch the wedding. IT'S A PUBLIC PARK FOR FUCKS SAKE!!!!!! You knew that when you rented the area. There will be other people in the park, and they will be making noise. Do not take out your frustration on a park employee who has asked you to remove your car from a place where it is not supposed to be parked.

6)Brides: No matter how thin or good-looking you are, wearing a dress that looks like a sequin factory exploded on it is not a good idea. I know that it may make you feel like a princess and all, but it's hard for a photographer to get decent pictures when your dress is acting like a giant mirror. Besides, you don't really want to blind the people watching the whole thing, do you?

I think that's it. This rant was brought on by the fact that in the past two days I have spent a combined time of 2o.50 hours at work. I'm tired and a little grumpy, but i feel much better now. I plan to go out tonight since I'll be laid up most of next week. Hopefully that will relieve some of the stress.

Assault with a deadly orange

Alright, I think it's time for an actual post. I have been very busy, what with the graduating and all, so this one is going to be kind of long. Consider yourself warned........

First off, yes, I have graduated with my two year degree. I now have an Associates of Science degree, which qualifies me to get more of an education. I have at least two more years to go, more if I decide to go for my Masters and/or Ph. D. We shall see what happens. Taking the summer off, which means that I am now so board I could cry sometimes, but this will give me a chance to get to the gym more.

We got a new manager at Ciao! Tim left to go start his own shop, so we got Michelle from Ann Arbor. She seems nice, but not many of the servers or other hosts like her to much. Maybe it's because they fear change. After all, Tim was there for over 12 years. I, however, do not fear the change. I've been through 4 managers now while working for this company and I blend very well with new people. Also, I hope that the new manager will not be such a hard ass about the schedule.

More fun news, on Monday I get to have all four of my wisdom teeth out. I won't be going anywhere until Friday when I have to go to work. Maybe we can do Buffy night at my house next week. I really don't think that I'll be up to going out at all. On the upside, lots of painkillers! I don't take painkillers that much, but I think that I'll need them for this.

Been hanging out with Joe a lot lately. Taught him to play poker last week. Good times. By the way, next time you come over for Buffy night Joe, call me first to make sure that we can knock on the window and go in. Next time you'll know.

On a side note, happy B'day to the J man (Justen). I didn't know you had one coming up. Congratulations on making it through another year.

Later all. There will be many posts next week on account of my being laid up and all.


Joe and me playing poker last week.

Me: We haven't picked two’s to be wild yet.

Joe: That's because two's are the hillbillies of the card deck.