I got a haircut today.
...
Yeah, that's ... um ... kind of how my brain is working right now. I'm trying to string words together, but that's all I got.
Lol, alright, time for a quick character sketch! :)
There's a man that I've seen in the neighborhood twice now. I think of him as "the beautiful man", not because he's eyecandy (that's Boyfriend...;), but because he's one of those people who is beautiful on the inside and it doesn't matter what he looks like.
On the outside, the Beautiful Man is a rather grizzled type, the term "weathered" comes to mind. He appears to be in his late fifties, maybe to mid-sixties, but it's a sixties that has seen a hard life--y'know what I mean? He's of African descent, about 5'8", and wiry in build. He wears no facial hair, and a ball cap.
I first met him when I was walking home from the Boiler Room (if you go there, you should tell them you heard about them from this blog & you'll blow their minds!), I was going one way on the sidewalk & he was walking toward me whilst talking on his cell phone. When we drew about level he took his cell phone away from his face, and spoke from the diaphragm.
"Well, look at you! Beautiful lady on a beautiful day, and you are beautiful! I hope you have a great day!"
The man caught me flat-footed--what do you say to that?! I ducked my head, smiled, and stammered out a thank you and a laugh. We both walked on in our respective directions, but I glanced over my shoulder at the same time as he did & we made eye contact.
"I mean it too, you are beautiful!"
But the way he said it, he wasn't creepy or anything. He was genuine, sincere, and honest in bearing and voice. He didn't undress me with his eyes, he give me "the up-down", he spoke to my face.
It was very refreshing and kind of made my day.
I met the Beautiful Man again a day or two later. He was across the street this time, with a shopping bag over his shoulder. I almost missed him, but I glanced over and we made eye contact. His smile was sunshine and he waved "hey, look it's you!"
My reply was a laughing "I remember you!"
"How are ya?" he asked.
There followed a brief but friendly conversation, cementing him in my mind as the Beautiful Man. I would love to hear his story sometime!
Encounters like this make me love where I live all the more. At the same time, people like the Beautiful Man can be found everywhere--and where they aren't found, they can be inspired.
It's amazing, really, how just a simple conversation like that can stick with a person for ... well, forever. Think back on your life, on random encounters you've had with complete strangers in the store, in church, school, after class, at work, walking down the street. How many of these conversations encouraged you, or tore you down? How much of an impact did they make on your life? What did you do differently because of these conversations?
Personally, after meeting the Beautiful Man, I walked with my head held a little higher... But I also started thinking differently about the people around me.
One of the pieces of advice I read as a rookie stage manager was "if complements and terms of endearment don't come naturally to you, make them happen anyway". The idea was that artists tend to create better when they feel good about themselves, and something as simple as a "Hello beautiful, I love the outfit today!" can make a person feel so much more confident and creative. But the concept holds true for all people really...
How many people do I pass every day who are hovering on the edge of despair, and one word from a stranger can bring them back from the brink? More than any would be willing to admit, I'd guess. And how easy is it to show an honest admiration for them?
I used to be terribly shy and afraid of interacting with strangers. How far God has brought me--I've actually been labeled as "outgoing"--and the label fits! How weird is that? But I still want to strive to make sure every word I speak is filled with purpose and meaning.
I acted in a Beckett play once, and was very much impressed with his sparing use of words. I read the script several times and dissected every line, looking for the meaning in each word. In that research I discovered so many nuances to what he wrote--every word and pause seemed laden with meaning, I grew convinced that there was not a single extra comma in that script. Whether my assessment was correct or not, it inspired me to try to live so not a single word was wasted in my living.
Granted, this blog does seem to be the exception to that striving... I consider that rule to be applicable mostly to finished products... ;)
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Wrong Numbers
Sunday night was auditions for The Hobbit!!!
:D
I'm rather excited... it felt extremely gratifying to be in the audition room on the acting side of things again... Also, I think it went alright. I found out that a half-ocelot Gollum actually works out rather well... ;)
One of the rather entertaining aspects of these auditions was getting to sit out in the hallway & watch my fellow auditionees react when they were told: "Here, you'll read these sides, do some movement, and then tell a joke." To a person, each of them reacted with some variation of surprise & dismay--tempered with relief when they saw that jokes had been provided for them if they happened to not have any in their repertoire...
I had jokes... mwahaha... I ended up using a string of knock-knock jokes (no bananas entered into the conversation...), but there were several I carefully considered before choosing that particular series... Maybe I'll tell them to ya sometime ;D
Today at the pillow-place was kind of entertaining. It was slower than yesterday (thankfully!!!), so my fellow phone-answerers & I had time to swap stories a bit. One of the more hilarious parts of our day tends to be the wrong numbers...
That's right, for once the title of this post might actually have something to do with a smidge of the content!! Is that allowed? I dunno, but we'll find out...
Anyhoo, wrong numbers. Today I answered the phone with a cheery "Hello! Thank you for calling (company name), this is (my name)--how may I help you?" The wizened old lady (in my imagination at least) launched right into her tirade with a "I've been buying your vinegar for seven years now, I'm in Arizona and have been sending you checks for your vinegar--" and so forth.
Did I mention we sell pillows? I have no idea how this lady managed to buy vinegar from us, that's a rather neat trick...
I politely told her of my suspicions that she might have the wrong number, only to met with a "what?" So I repeated myself, and was met with deafening silence, and a small click. Sounds like someone was embarrassed...
Another call today was from a gentleman in Michigan, he was trying to locate the Forest somethingorother--it sounded very martial & foresty, which made for a strange combination. However, we were both rather confused, because his first question was not "who is this?" it was "where are you located?" Not the usual first question of a caller, I admit (that's usually "how much do they cost???"), but not irregular. So I told him we were in Minnesota, and he sounded confused, but began telling me about his attempt to locate a "local branch"... which made me confused. So I asked him what his question seemed to be & he told me he was having some trouble with his fireworks.
I mean, really? I wanted to keep him on the line & find out what kind of problems, but fireworks being what they are I thought the safest course of action would be to get him the help he needed as soon as possible! I informed him of my hunch, told him what we sold, and had a good hearty laugh with him before he hung up.
I wish I could help him with fireworks.
For a while at work we were having problems with a certain drugstore constantly transferring people to us. It got to the point that we could tell just by looking at the number prefacing the caller id if the caller was going to be a wrong number or not... If they were bright they would hear us answer with the pillow bit & just hang up. Some of the deafer sort would launch into a tirade about their insurance, medication, paychecks, or what have you and we'd have to interrupt them to break the bad news to them. It was kind of surprising once or twice how terribly people took it to heart, and how angry they would get with us for not being the people they were trying to reach! I actually had a woman chew me out for not being the person she was supposed to be transferred to--on the upside, that was when I got an inkling of why all those people were wrong numbers...
I was yelled at once for not being the Department of Defense too... The man was very offended that I had the gall to answer the number listed under the Dept of Defense and not be them--he was not capable of misdialing, you understand. ;)
But anyhoo, I hafta run. Thank the people who answer your phone call--whether you meant to call them or not!
:D
I'm rather excited... it felt extremely gratifying to be in the audition room on the acting side of things again... Also, I think it went alright. I found out that a half-ocelot Gollum actually works out rather well... ;)
One of the rather entertaining aspects of these auditions was getting to sit out in the hallway & watch my fellow auditionees react when they were told: "Here, you'll read these sides, do some movement, and then tell a joke." To a person, each of them reacted with some variation of surprise & dismay--tempered with relief when they saw that jokes had been provided for them if they happened to not have any in their repertoire...
I had jokes... mwahaha... I ended up using a string of knock-knock jokes (no bananas entered into the conversation...), but there were several I carefully considered before choosing that particular series... Maybe I'll tell them to ya sometime ;D
Today at the pillow-place was kind of entertaining. It was slower than yesterday (thankfully!!!), so my fellow phone-answerers & I had time to swap stories a bit. One of the more hilarious parts of our day tends to be the wrong numbers...
That's right, for once the title of this post might actually have something to do with a smidge of the content!! Is that allowed? I dunno, but we'll find out...
Anyhoo, wrong numbers. Today I answered the phone with a cheery "Hello! Thank you for calling (company name), this is (my name)--how may I help you?" The wizened old lady (in my imagination at least) launched right into her tirade with a "I've been buying your vinegar for seven years now, I'm in Arizona and have been sending you checks for your vinegar--" and so forth.
Did I mention we sell pillows? I have no idea how this lady managed to buy vinegar from us, that's a rather neat trick...
I politely told her of my suspicions that she might have the wrong number, only to met with a "what?" So I repeated myself, and was met with deafening silence, and a small click. Sounds like someone was embarrassed...
Another call today was from a gentleman in Michigan, he was trying to locate the Forest somethingorother--it sounded very martial & foresty, which made for a strange combination. However, we were both rather confused, because his first question was not "who is this?" it was "where are you located?" Not the usual first question of a caller, I admit (that's usually "how much do they cost???"), but not irregular. So I told him we were in Minnesota, and he sounded confused, but began telling me about his attempt to locate a "local branch"... which made me confused. So I asked him what his question seemed to be & he told me he was having some trouble with his fireworks.
I mean, really? I wanted to keep him on the line & find out what kind of problems, but fireworks being what they are I thought the safest course of action would be to get him the help he needed as soon as possible! I informed him of my hunch, told him what we sold, and had a good hearty laugh with him before he hung up.
I wish I could help him with fireworks.
For a while at work we were having problems with a certain drugstore constantly transferring people to us. It got to the point that we could tell just by looking at the number prefacing the caller id if the caller was going to be a wrong number or not... If they were bright they would hear us answer with the pillow bit & just hang up. Some of the deafer sort would launch into a tirade about their insurance, medication, paychecks, or what have you and we'd have to interrupt them to break the bad news to them. It was kind of surprising once or twice how terribly people took it to heart, and how angry they would get with us for not being the people they were trying to reach! I actually had a woman chew me out for not being the person she was supposed to be transferred to--on the upside, that was when I got an inkling of why all those people were wrong numbers...
I was yelled at once for not being the Department of Defense too... The man was very offended that I had the gall to answer the number listed under the Dept of Defense and not be them--he was not capable of misdialing, you understand. ;)
But anyhoo, I hafta run. Thank the people who answer your phone call--whether you meant to call them or not!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Quick Like a Bunny!!
Did you know: A chocolate latte has a special name... it's called a mocha! :) The barista taught me that one today, I like it.
Unfortunately, while I remembered to tell the nice lady that I wanted a latte, rice milk, and a shot o' chocolate, I neglected to tell her that I wanted it iced... (it's ninety-freakin'-seven degrees outside & humid, I forgot such a thing as hot drinks were permitted in such circumstances!) Soooo.... Yeah, I didn't remember until I saw her creating an awesome feather on top of my steaming hot mocha that was being served in a mug instead of in the tall glass I was expecting... my face fell, because the concoction she had, well, concocted... looked amazing and extremely tasty... and hot. I think my distress was evident, because she knew something was up. I confessed my folly, and she insisted on making me another, iced, mocha for free. Then she insisted that I take both drinks, because I needed to experience the fantabulousness that was both the hot & the iced mochas.
So I did, and both mochas were phenomenal. ("Duh", the barista just told me...) Have I mentioned how much I love this place? I love it here!
Something I've been meaning to write about for a while, but never seemed to remember when sitting in front of the lappy before: there is an irony I've found in human nature that needs to be remarked upon. Actually, there's lots of them, but there's one in particular that has amused me for a few weeks now.
At my dayjob we deal with a lot of personal information gathered from complete strangers in order that we might send them the pillows they so ardently desire. Some of the personal information we collect is as follows:
First and last names.
Email addresses.
Phone numbers
Street addresses
Cities of residence
States of residence (or provinces for our Canadian customers)
Zip (postal) codes
Type of credit/debit cards
Credit/debit numbers
"" Expiration dates
Card Verification numbers
Now, of all of the above, which would you feel the most edgy about telling a complete stranger whose face you've never seen?
Oddly enough, it usually isn't any of the last four items listed above.
Would you believe that the most often refused piece of information I encounter is the email address??? Second is the phone number, and then comes the people who get tetchy about sharing their credit information.
People are more wary of spam than they are of being robbed blind.
Seriously?! Come on, priorities people!!! I have had to talk to possibly ten times more people about the company's no-spamming policy than I have about the security measures we have in place to safe-guard the credit card information people give us.
Not that any of the information our customers give us isn't safe, but honestly... It's disturbing to realize how trusting people are with their moneys, who are deeply mistrustful with their email accounts.
Email is free, folks. It takes little to no time to change that.
Oh psychology. We are more afraid of inconvenience than of losing our identity. Who knew?
One more thing, then I hafta close up shop... since the Boiler Room is about to do the same.
I have an ATM from my bank that is a mere 5 minutes' walk away!!!! It's in a CVS, and I stumbled onto it by pure accident.
I love living in the city!!!! :D
And I think the two mochas' worth of caffeine is beginning to make itself felt... I should go consume something...
Later folks! Tell a stranger they're beautiful, you just might make their day. ;)
Unfortunately, while I remembered to tell the nice lady that I wanted a latte, rice milk, and a shot o' chocolate, I neglected to tell her that I wanted it iced... (it's ninety-freakin'-seven degrees outside & humid, I forgot such a thing as hot drinks were permitted in such circumstances!) Soooo.... Yeah, I didn't remember until I saw her creating an awesome feather on top of my steaming hot mocha that was being served in a mug instead of in the tall glass I was expecting... my face fell, because the concoction she had, well, concocted... looked amazing and extremely tasty... and hot. I think my distress was evident, because she knew something was up. I confessed my folly, and she insisted on making me another, iced, mocha for free. Then she insisted that I take both drinks, because I needed to experience the fantabulousness that was both the hot & the iced mochas.
So I did, and both mochas were phenomenal. ("Duh", the barista just told me...) Have I mentioned how much I love this place? I love it here!
Something I've been meaning to write about for a while, but never seemed to remember when sitting in front of the lappy before: there is an irony I've found in human nature that needs to be remarked upon. Actually, there's lots of them, but there's one in particular that has amused me for a few weeks now.
At my dayjob we deal with a lot of personal information gathered from complete strangers in order that we might send them the pillows they so ardently desire. Some of the personal information we collect is as follows:
First and last names.
Email addresses.
Phone numbers
Street addresses
Cities of residence
States of residence (or provinces for our Canadian customers)
Zip (postal) codes
Type of credit/debit cards
Credit/debit numbers
"" Expiration dates
Card Verification numbers
Now, of all of the above, which would you feel the most edgy about telling a complete stranger whose face you've never seen?
Oddly enough, it usually isn't any of the last four items listed above.
Would you believe that the most often refused piece of information I encounter is the email address??? Second is the phone number, and then comes the people who get tetchy about sharing their credit information.
People are more wary of spam than they are of being robbed blind.
Seriously?! Come on, priorities people!!! I have had to talk to possibly ten times more people about the company's no-spamming policy than I have about the security measures we have in place to safe-guard the credit card information people give us.
Not that any of the information our customers give us isn't safe, but honestly... It's disturbing to realize how trusting people are with their moneys, who are deeply mistrustful with their email accounts.
Email is free, folks. It takes little to no time to change that.
Oh psychology. We are more afraid of inconvenience than of losing our identity. Who knew?
One more thing, then I hafta close up shop... since the Boiler Room is about to do the same.
I have an ATM from my bank that is a mere 5 minutes' walk away!!!! It's in a CVS, and I stumbled onto it by pure accident.
I love living in the city!!!! :D
And I think the two mochas' worth of caffeine is beginning to make itself felt... I should go consume something...
Later folks! Tell a stranger they're beautiful, you just might make their day. ;)
Friday, June 29, 2012
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
They're soooo tasty! You should try some!
I have a question that has been bugging me lately, and it might sound like utter nonsense, but that's my brain for ya...
What would happen if I water my bamboo shoot with almond milk?
Would that provide extra nutrients? Would it thrive & start growing at a ferocious pace? Or would that be like plantish cannibalism? Would it die of mortification? Would that be too thick a substance for it to digest the nutrients from? I really am becoming consumed with curiosity about this--so much so that I am sorely tempted to try it, just to see what happens.
But I don't want to kill my bamboo... :(
I'm going to google the question, just to see if anyone else out there has ever had this question & posted it online...
So the first search result was "101 Ways to Prepare Matcha Tea, Matcha Green Tea Lattes, and..." followed by "You'll Never Buy Almond Milk in a Box Again!" and "Rapunzel's Adventures"...
Maybe I should re-word the question...
"Can bamboo be watered with almond milk?" led me to an interview with the vegan police, "Cat grass is Kat grass" and other unrelated topics... But if I drop the almond out of the question now we're getting somewhere... (oddly enough...)
Huh, so watered-down cow's milk is apparently a decent fertilizer when used sparingly... I may hafta try almond milk just to see. My poor bamboo has been getting pale, and I think some extra nutrients could shake things up in a good way... hopefully... maybe? :S
Wow, that was quite the tangent...
Tonight I'm going to see a good friend of mine in a show called "Human Combat Chess", and yes, I'm so very excited about it! It's a chess game played between live people instead of with pieces--every time a space is contested there's a one-on-one battle that throws down. I'm very excited to be going & seeing Mer in this awesome-sounding show! If you're in the area, you should seriously come!
Yeah, that's my brief plug about what I'll be doing this evening... I'm really going to have to start jotting down the ideas I get throughout the day about "hey, that would be cool to write on your blog!".... Because I'm getting tired of making it here & finding myself with nothing to write about...
Last night I (finally) got around to setting up my coffee station! I don't have enough counterspace to hold more than the microwave, so I was at a loss as to what to do with my coffeepot until I epiphanized that I don't need to keep the coffee confined to the kitchen! So I proceeded to set up a small wheeled tray/table/thing with the coffee, pot, filters, mugs, spoon, and fixings, add a small chair next to said tablish contraption, and boom! It's a tight little coffee wayplace! :D I woke this morning, pushed the power button, took a shower, then I came out and enjoyed my very own coffee that I didn't have to pay for! Woot!!
Not if only I could manage that portable breakfast sammich, I might be able to stop paying Subway for morning sustenance... Alas, thus far my breakfast sammiches are very tasty, but also extremely messy. :S Maybe if I ditch the tomato... That might help... I'll try that for lunch today & see if it makes a difference...
Speaking of lunch, I'm actually getting rather hungry, so I believe I'll call this a post & see ya later. Bye all, enjoy the weather!! :)
I have a question that has been bugging me lately, and it might sound like utter nonsense, but that's my brain for ya...
What would happen if I water my bamboo shoot with almond milk?
Would that provide extra nutrients? Would it thrive & start growing at a ferocious pace? Or would that be like plantish cannibalism? Would it die of mortification? Would that be too thick a substance for it to digest the nutrients from? I really am becoming consumed with curiosity about this--so much so that I am sorely tempted to try it, just to see what happens.
But I don't want to kill my bamboo... :(
I'm going to google the question, just to see if anyone else out there has ever had this question & posted it online...
So the first search result was "101 Ways to Prepare Matcha Tea, Matcha Green Tea Lattes, and..." followed by "You'll Never Buy Almond Milk in a Box Again!" and "Rapunzel's Adventures"...
Maybe I should re-word the question...
"Can bamboo be watered with almond milk?" led me to an interview with the vegan police, "Cat grass is Kat grass" and other unrelated topics... But if I drop the almond out of the question now we're getting somewhere... (oddly enough...)
Huh, so watered-down cow's milk is apparently a decent fertilizer when used sparingly... I may hafta try almond milk just to see. My poor bamboo has been getting pale, and I think some extra nutrients could shake things up in a good way... hopefully... maybe? :S
Wow, that was quite the tangent...
Tonight I'm going to see a good friend of mine in a show called "Human Combat Chess", and yes, I'm so very excited about it! It's a chess game played between live people instead of with pieces--every time a space is contested there's a one-on-one battle that throws down. I'm very excited to be going & seeing Mer in this awesome-sounding show! If you're in the area, you should seriously come!
Yeah, that's my brief plug about what I'll be doing this evening... I'm really going to have to start jotting down the ideas I get throughout the day about "hey, that would be cool to write on your blog!".... Because I'm getting tired of making it here & finding myself with nothing to write about...
Last night I (finally) got around to setting up my coffee station! I don't have enough counterspace to hold more than the microwave, so I was at a loss as to what to do with my coffeepot until I epiphanized that I don't need to keep the coffee confined to the kitchen! So I proceeded to set up a small wheeled tray/table/thing with the coffee, pot, filters, mugs, spoon, and fixings, add a small chair next to said tablish contraption, and boom! It's a tight little coffee wayplace! :D I woke this morning, pushed the power button, took a shower, then I came out and enjoyed my very own coffee that I didn't have to pay for! Woot!!
Not if only I could manage that portable breakfast sammich, I might be able to stop paying Subway for morning sustenance... Alas, thus far my breakfast sammiches are very tasty, but also extremely messy. :S Maybe if I ditch the tomato... That might help... I'll try that for lunch today & see if it makes a difference...
Speaking of lunch, I'm actually getting rather hungry, so I believe I'll call this a post & see ya later. Bye all, enjoy the weather!! :)
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Fundraisers!
Last night was the fundraiser for the coming show by Green T Production's coming show: The Hobbit. It was so much fun! There was a silent auction, a variety show, a demonstration, food, fun, and people of all sorts! :) The silent auction was cool, there were artist-created fans donated to help raise moneys for the cause & I donated two. Here's pictures!
Yay pictures! I meant to take pictures of the other fans as well but got completely distracted... So now I get to look all egocentric... :S "You only get to see mine! That's all that's important! So there!!" That's totally what I was thinking... *sarcasm*
Now I'm left wondering what else to write about. I keep getting distracted by how cold it is in here--there's a breeze blowing indoors! What's going on?! Aw snap, I just finished my drink, here's hoping they don't kick me out... lol...
Anyhoo, I was bending my mind towards trying to write something worth reading, that's right... My mind just seems filled with so many mundane happenings right now. "Fruit's on sale at rainbow." "I need to get that tail-light on the car fixed." "Why is it so cold in here?!?!" "Hmmm, dinners, what will it be?" "Budgeting, mer." "Unpacking, more mer." "Book! I'm reading one! Yay!" "I should call Mum..."
I think you get the idea. It's really rather amazing sometimes that I can even write a complete sentence without wandering off into lala land...
But, unfortunately, today does not seem to be one of those amazing times. So I shall leave you with this thought and go do something more suited to the attitude of the day... something like unpacking... ;)
If sleep is a shade of death, and the dreams we dream in sleep are but a shade of those we'll dream in death--yet waking from mere sleep is such a difference, what will it look like when in the resurrection we awake from death itself and wake to truly live, and no more to dream?
Now I'm left wondering what else to write about. I keep getting distracted by how cold it is in here--there's a breeze blowing indoors! What's going on?! Aw snap, I just finished my drink, here's hoping they don't kick me out... lol...
Anyhoo, I was bending my mind towards trying to write something worth reading, that's right... My mind just seems filled with so many mundane happenings right now. "Fruit's on sale at rainbow." "I need to get that tail-light on the car fixed." "Why is it so cold in here?!?!" "Hmmm, dinners, what will it be?" "Budgeting, mer." "Unpacking, more mer." "Book! I'm reading one! Yay!" "I should call Mum..."
I think you get the idea. It's really rather amazing sometimes that I can even write a complete sentence without wandering off into lala land...
But, unfortunately, today does not seem to be one of those amazing times. So I shall leave you with this thought and go do something more suited to the attitude of the day... something like unpacking... ;)
If sleep is a shade of death, and the dreams we dream in sleep are but a shade of those we'll dream in death--yet waking from mere sleep is such a difference, what will it look like when in the resurrection we awake from death itself and wake to truly live, and no more to dream?
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Green Bottles
I collect them... apparently?
Sorry for the lack of updates in the last couple of days, it's been a rather busy couple of days. Since my interwebs access is currently rather tied to the hours of this particular awesome coffee shop, any blogosphereing I want to accomplish must needs be done before 8pm. It's good though, it lends an air of discipline to this whole shebang...
So what was I so busy doing that I couldn't make time to visit my friendly neighborhood blogosphere? Well Sunday night ... lol, that's a story I should begin from the start...
My cousin, Cassy, recently became a Mary-Kay consultant. (I call her my dealer, but I figured I'd use the official term... the first time at least...) Her pink party was scheduled for Sunday, June 24th, and as her cousin & friend I wanted to show up and support her (and pick up some concealer, which I was startled to discover I owned none of... that's a different story though...). I usually work Sunday mornings & afternoons until 4, but I jealously guarded that evening--I scheduled auditions for different dates, I shuffled workshop schedules, I delayed seeing people--this was serious & I was committed. The night before the party I carefully combed through my wardrobe trying to find all 10 articles of jewelry & clothing I owned in various shades of pink. I went to bed wondering if that shirt was too purple to qualify as a "dusty rose".
The next morning I woke a little later than intended, but still thought to double-check the time of the party that evening. I scrolled up in the text conversation with my cousin to see what time she had texted me, and upon discovery I let slip several choice profanities...
The party was from 2-4. It had nothing to do with evening. I worked until 4. $h!t.
I shared my dismay with Cassy, and she was very gracious about it. We agreed that I could come by and say hello and hang out (and pick up that concealer...) even if the party wasn't going on still. So I did, and passed a very agreeable evening with the ladies, and was vigorously greeted by the Australian Shepherd--Jinks. Afterwards I did some grocery shopping, and got home at about 9... too late for interwebs.
Monday was more by choice, I had an auditions for a show called A Chaste Maid in Cheapside that I was prepping for, then the audition itself (I still think it probably was awful...), then workshops was happening, and then I got to see & hang out with peoples at Mer's place! She made tasty creations, we played bananagrams, and a good time was had by all. :)
Long story short: I didn't blog because I was busy. So there. ;)
Yesterday at work something happened that made me want to write about it... Soooo, this is me, writing about it...
The day was obnoxiously slow, and most of the guys in the area around me didn't come in, so us gals had an opportunity to chat that we hadn't enjoyed previously. I got to find out some backgrounds, some likes & dislikes, and some personal gossip that I carefully filed away as future character material (always be careful when talking to a writer, you never know what they'll do with your conversations). The girl who sits next to me was of particular interest in her conversations.
For the sake of preserving anonymity, we'll call her Ashley. Ashley grew up in a small town in Minnesota, is one of 6 siblings, refuses to drive anything smaller than a truck or an SUV (after hearing her relate a terrifying accident she was in, I can understand why!), is currently pursuing her degree (gen. studies at the moment), and does not like any ethnic foods except American.
At first blush, my reaction was one of disdain. She is a very classic example of small-town American gal. But the more we talked the more I realized something...
Likes & dislikes, preferences and distastes aside, this young woman is just as complex and intricate a human being as any other. She has her share of stories and history, and she comes by her mindset just as honestly as anyone else--perhaps moreso. What reason has she ever been given to enjoy Mexican cuisine? Why would she want to drive a small car? Of course she got lost in the city and hated it, why would she want to know her way around? I know why I would, but what reason would she have?
The conversation that stands out the most to me though was when we spoke of her studies. She is pursuing her Bachelor's, but for now she is undecided & will probably end up opting for a business degree. I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up.
"Well, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was a kid."
But to be a dolphin trainer, she realized, she would have to pursue a much more intensive route of studies & training--one she apparently had no hope/desire to complete. So she abandoned that dream and left it behind her.
I never did find out what she decided to do with her life instead.
I wonder, if my parents hadn't encouraged me to always be willing to try something new, to dream big and chase dreams I treasure, to never allow fear to rule my life, to consider other points of view as being just as valid as my own--if they had not done all this and more, how different from Ashley would I be?
What right do I have to be proud of my own take on life? What did I actually do to get myself here? So much of who I am is thanks to the time and effort put forth by others, why should I take pride in such a work? Rather, I should try to make them proud of the work they have wrought--and try to work the same in the lives of other people.
There's the deep thought for the day. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other things to accomplish today as well. Laters!!
Sorry for the lack of updates in the last couple of days, it's been a rather busy couple of days. Since my interwebs access is currently rather tied to the hours of this particular awesome coffee shop, any blogosphereing I want to accomplish must needs be done before 8pm. It's good though, it lends an air of discipline to this whole shebang...
So what was I so busy doing that I couldn't make time to visit my friendly neighborhood blogosphere? Well Sunday night ... lol, that's a story I should begin from the start...
My cousin, Cassy, recently became a Mary-Kay consultant. (I call her my dealer, but I figured I'd use the official term... the first time at least...) Her pink party was scheduled for Sunday, June 24th, and as her cousin & friend I wanted to show up and support her (and pick up some concealer, which I was startled to discover I owned none of... that's a different story though...). I usually work Sunday mornings & afternoons until 4, but I jealously guarded that evening--I scheduled auditions for different dates, I shuffled workshop schedules, I delayed seeing people--this was serious & I was committed. The night before the party I carefully combed through my wardrobe trying to find all 10 articles of jewelry & clothing I owned in various shades of pink. I went to bed wondering if that shirt was too purple to qualify as a "dusty rose".
The next morning I woke a little later than intended, but still thought to double-check the time of the party that evening. I scrolled up in the text conversation with my cousin to see what time she had texted me, and upon discovery I let slip several choice profanities...
The party was from 2-4. It had nothing to do with evening. I worked until 4. $h!t.
I shared my dismay with Cassy, and she was very gracious about it. We agreed that I could come by and say hello and hang out (and pick up that concealer...) even if the party wasn't going on still. So I did, and passed a very agreeable evening with the ladies, and was vigorously greeted by the Australian Shepherd--Jinks. Afterwards I did some grocery shopping, and got home at about 9... too late for interwebs.
Monday was more by choice, I had an auditions for a show called A Chaste Maid in Cheapside that I was prepping for, then the audition itself (I still think it probably was awful...), then workshops was happening, and then I got to see & hang out with peoples at Mer's place! She made tasty creations, we played bananagrams, and a good time was had by all. :)
Long story short: I didn't blog because I was busy. So there. ;)
Yesterday at work something happened that made me want to write about it... Soooo, this is me, writing about it...
The day was obnoxiously slow, and most of the guys in the area around me didn't come in, so us gals had an opportunity to chat that we hadn't enjoyed previously. I got to find out some backgrounds, some likes & dislikes, and some personal gossip that I carefully filed away as future character material (always be careful when talking to a writer, you never know what they'll do with your conversations). The girl who sits next to me was of particular interest in her conversations.
For the sake of preserving anonymity, we'll call her Ashley. Ashley grew up in a small town in Minnesota, is one of 6 siblings, refuses to drive anything smaller than a truck or an SUV (after hearing her relate a terrifying accident she was in, I can understand why!), is currently pursuing her degree (gen. studies at the moment), and does not like any ethnic foods except American.
At first blush, my reaction was one of disdain. She is a very classic example of small-town American gal. But the more we talked the more I realized something...
Likes & dislikes, preferences and distastes aside, this young woman is just as complex and intricate a human being as any other. She has her share of stories and history, and she comes by her mindset just as honestly as anyone else--perhaps moreso. What reason has she ever been given to enjoy Mexican cuisine? Why would she want to drive a small car? Of course she got lost in the city and hated it, why would she want to know her way around? I know why I would, but what reason would she have?
The conversation that stands out the most to me though was when we spoke of her studies. She is pursuing her Bachelor's, but for now she is undecided & will probably end up opting for a business degree. I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up.
"Well, I wanted to be a dolphin trainer when I was a kid."
But to be a dolphin trainer, she realized, she would have to pursue a much more intensive route of studies & training--one she apparently had no hope/desire to complete. So she abandoned that dream and left it behind her.
I never did find out what she decided to do with her life instead.
I wonder, if my parents hadn't encouraged me to always be willing to try something new, to dream big and chase dreams I treasure, to never allow fear to rule my life, to consider other points of view as being just as valid as my own--if they had not done all this and more, how different from Ashley would I be?
What right do I have to be proud of my own take on life? What did I actually do to get myself here? So much of who I am is thanks to the time and effort put forth by others, why should I take pride in such a work? Rather, I should try to make them proud of the work they have wrought--and try to work the same in the lives of other people.
There's the deep thought for the day. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other things to accomplish today as well. Laters!!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Coffee...
I don't know if any of you have noticed, but one of the addictions I battle (or love, alternately...) is caffeine--especially in it's most luscious form: chocolate coffee.
Everynow (that was initially a typo, but I think I like that... I'll leave it that way for now & see what ya think...) and again I'll go through a stint of "Ohmygoodness, it can't be healthy to have this high a caffeine intake! I'm weaning myself off coffee for good!!!"
It usually lasts about a week. I'll slowly stop drinking multiple caffeinated beverages (Dr. Pepper... Mmmmmm...) a day, then I'll be down to one or two every other day, maybe I'll even make it down to a couple a week. Caffeine becomes more of a treat than a need, and I can (mostly) stay awake at work in the morning without such crutches.
Then it happens. I find a coffee shop & think "I'll only drink an occasional coffee drink, I'll mix it up with Italian Sodas & stuff like that too." Then I stay up late the night before an early morning at work and think "I had a hard time staying awake when I had enough sleep, I better grab a coffee!" But just a small cup, and--oops, too much sugar! My bad...
Next thing I know I'm back up to 2 drinks a day, and making plans to set up a coffee station in my own apartment!!! And--gasp!!--I'm not even feeling guilty about it!! I'm thinking "clever me, saving moneys by making coffee myself!"
Shame shame shame...
Ah well, I'll save the guilt for my next spree of self-deprivation. ;)
Speaking of coffee, I found the coolest disposable coffee cup today!! I actually broke and got a small coffee with breakfast instead of my usual mere (but tasty) orange juice (yes, the monologue above actually happened...), and the lid on the cup was awesome!! It had a slidy thing to close off the opening to the coffee-dispensing mouth hole thing... Yeah, it doesn't sound as cool when I try to write about it as it did upon discovery this morning (was it the sleeplessness talking? or the sugar? Probably...)... I'll hafta take a picture and show you all tomorrow. Also, the cup itself was rather more durable than your average styrofoam--those recycled cups are amazing!! I'm totally imitating my Dad & saving that cup to reuse in future... at least until I unpack enough to find my own travel mugs... (if you're wondering why that would irritate Dad, go read that word again... am I the only one who thinks those words look scary similar in this font?)
I intended to write about something other than coffee today, but for the life of me I'm having difficulty remembering what that was... :S Give me a bit, maybe I'll think of it again...
Oh yeah! Church last night! I promised a report on that!!
Yeah, it was frightening... Not to say that the church itself wasn't very nice (it was), friendly (I was greeted multiple times by many people), warm (delightfully), doctrinally sound (I think? The songs were pretty & fun to sing), and beautiful (the vaulted roof! the stained-glass windows! The GOBOS!! they had fraking GOBOS!!!!)... but... well, most importantly it didn't feel like home. If you've been in the position to have to find a new church before you probably know what I'm talking about, but this church simply didn't... Let's just say that it doesn't matter how "right" the church is, if God doesn't tap me on the shoulder when I sit down and say "this is where I want you dwelling", then it isn't the church home for me.
Also? There were soooo many babies...
Don't misunderstand me, small children can be delightful--but small children in that high a concentration? There were soooooooo many!!! Especially considering it was advertised as being a church that catered to college-age, singles, and young couples. My thought was "yeah, you cater all right!"
It reminded me of a book I read about the way the Church views singles groups... It's simply a means to an end...
I know I know I know, I'm not technically "single" anymore now that Boyfriend is in my life. I do still identify rather strongly with that group though--what with Boyfriend being several states away and all. Our relationship is delightful, but I am so not in the same stage of life as all those young mothers are... especially the ones with 5 kids under the age of 10...
I mean, heck, I may never get to that stage...
And those are the only people who spoke to me when I was at the church. I asked a young mother & her "brood" (the oldest of whom was the first to be born into the church) where it was okay to park, I was greeted upon entry by a young couple and their 4 adorable blond children, I was introduced to the movie-director's (for worship services) wife who's husband was coming with their two young children (and she had another on the way), I was introduced before the service to another young mom (she had to talk to the mom sitting beside me about the "Hot Mamas" meeting that may or may not be happening this Sunday...), and spoke after the service to another young mother who was involved with the house church & was going to learn to speak Chinese in Chicago (her kids were downstairs & she had to leave to pick them up). I was also shown the "fireside room" where the moms took their kids to settle down if they got too fussy during the service--it was very nicely furnished with a fireside, chairs, tables, a projector (for listening/viewing the service you were missing because of your offspring), and a corner screened off from view (yes, probably for breastfeeding mothers--I mean, for mothers breastfeeding their children... no, I didn't ask).
It's not like I didn't see plenty of people my own age, or single, or probably in college... I just didn't actually get to talk to any of them. I'm not sure if it was because none of them noticed a new person (I find that hard to believe, considering I was alone just wandering around for some time and saw several of them...), or maybe they saw me get mobbed by the mothers & backed away slowly...
But, to their credit, the moms & dads were very nice and sociable. It just felt rather... strange... I felt very ... young isn't quite the word I'm looking for but it's close... Alien? Different? In a whole other sphere? :S It was strange realizing that I may actually not be that far in age from people with such utterly other life experiences... and then I realized that we weren't really that other.
Maybe it's the part of myself that still hasn't (and maybe never will) grown up... but I really don't feel like I could have children right now. I mean, obviously I could, but I don't think I would want to right now.
Bah, kids.
But yeah, the church was rather frightening.
I think I'm going to go post this now, before I ramble on more & come up with more strange nonsense... besides, I have laundry to do, dishes to wash, a painting corner to tidy, and boxes/tubs to unpack... So many things to do! :D I'm excited... ;)
Also, hello Mr. A. Lane R number 3. Yes, I know you're there, and I'm watching you. Behave yourself, and in a goodly fashion, or I will know. You know who you are. And if you don't, you're probably not who I'm talking to. But if you do, watch yourself. ... yeah ...
Everynow (that was initially a typo, but I think I like that... I'll leave it that way for now & see what ya think...) and again I'll go through a stint of "Ohmygoodness, it can't be healthy to have this high a caffeine intake! I'm weaning myself off coffee for good!!!"
It usually lasts about a week. I'll slowly stop drinking multiple caffeinated beverages (Dr. Pepper... Mmmmmm...) a day, then I'll be down to one or two every other day, maybe I'll even make it down to a couple a week. Caffeine becomes more of a treat than a need, and I can (mostly) stay awake at work in the morning without such crutches.
Then it happens. I find a coffee shop & think "I'll only drink an occasional coffee drink, I'll mix it up with Italian Sodas & stuff like that too." Then I stay up late the night before an early morning at work and think "I had a hard time staying awake when I had enough sleep, I better grab a coffee!" But just a small cup, and--oops, too much sugar! My bad...
Next thing I know I'm back up to 2 drinks a day, and making plans to set up a coffee station in my own apartment!!! And--gasp!!--I'm not even feeling guilty about it!! I'm thinking "clever me, saving moneys by making coffee myself!"
Shame shame shame...
Ah well, I'll save the guilt for my next spree of self-deprivation. ;)
Speaking of coffee, I found the coolest disposable coffee cup today!! I actually broke and got a small coffee with breakfast instead of my usual mere (but tasty) orange juice (yes, the monologue above actually happened...), and the lid on the cup was awesome!! It had a slidy thing to close off the opening to the coffee-dispensing mouth hole thing... Yeah, it doesn't sound as cool when I try to write about it as it did upon discovery this morning (was it the sleeplessness talking? or the sugar? Probably...)... I'll hafta take a picture and show you all tomorrow. Also, the cup itself was rather more durable than your average styrofoam--those recycled cups are amazing!! I'm totally imitating my Dad & saving that cup to reuse in future... at least until I unpack enough to find my own travel mugs... (if you're wondering why that would irritate Dad, go read that word again... am I the only one who thinks those words look scary similar in this font?)
I intended to write about something other than coffee today, but for the life of me I'm having difficulty remembering what that was... :S Give me a bit, maybe I'll think of it again...
Oh yeah! Church last night! I promised a report on that!!
Yeah, it was frightening... Not to say that the church itself wasn't very nice (it was), friendly (I was greeted multiple times by many people), warm (delightfully), doctrinally sound (I think? The songs were pretty & fun to sing), and beautiful (the vaulted roof! the stained-glass windows! The GOBOS!! they had fraking GOBOS!!!!)... but... well, most importantly it didn't feel like home. If you've been in the position to have to find a new church before you probably know what I'm talking about, but this church simply didn't... Let's just say that it doesn't matter how "right" the church is, if God doesn't tap me on the shoulder when I sit down and say "this is where I want you dwelling", then it isn't the church home for me.
Also? There were soooo many babies...
Don't misunderstand me, small children can be delightful--but small children in that high a concentration? There were soooooooo many!!! Especially considering it was advertised as being a church that catered to college-age, singles, and young couples. My thought was "yeah, you cater all right!"
It reminded me of a book I read about the way the Church views singles groups... It's simply a means to an end...
I know I know I know, I'm not technically "single" anymore now that Boyfriend is in my life. I do still identify rather strongly with that group though--what with Boyfriend being several states away and all. Our relationship is delightful, but I am so not in the same stage of life as all those young mothers are... especially the ones with 5 kids under the age of 10...
I mean, heck, I may never get to that stage...
And those are the only people who spoke to me when I was at the church. I asked a young mother & her "brood" (the oldest of whom was the first to be born into the church) where it was okay to park, I was greeted upon entry by a young couple and their 4 adorable blond children, I was introduced to the movie-director's (for worship services) wife who's husband was coming with their two young children (and she had another on the way), I was introduced before the service to another young mom (she had to talk to the mom sitting beside me about the "Hot Mamas" meeting that may or may not be happening this Sunday...), and spoke after the service to another young mother who was involved with the house church & was going to learn to speak Chinese in Chicago (her kids were downstairs & she had to leave to pick them up). I was also shown the "fireside room" where the moms took their kids to settle down if they got too fussy during the service--it was very nicely furnished with a fireside, chairs, tables, a projector (for listening/viewing the service you were missing because of your offspring), and a corner screened off from view (yes, probably for breastfeeding mothers--I mean, for mothers breastfeeding their children... no, I didn't ask).
It's not like I didn't see plenty of people my own age, or single, or probably in college... I just didn't actually get to talk to any of them. I'm not sure if it was because none of them noticed a new person (I find that hard to believe, considering I was alone just wandering around for some time and saw several of them...), or maybe they saw me get mobbed by the mothers & backed away slowly...
But, to their credit, the moms & dads were very nice and sociable. It just felt rather... strange... I felt very ... young isn't quite the word I'm looking for but it's close... Alien? Different? In a whole other sphere? :S It was strange realizing that I may actually not be that far in age from people with such utterly other life experiences... and then I realized that we weren't really that other.
Maybe it's the part of myself that still hasn't (and maybe never will) grown up... but I really don't feel like I could have children right now. I mean, obviously I could, but I don't think I would want to right now.
Bah, kids.
But yeah, the church was rather frightening.
I think I'm going to go post this now, before I ramble on more & come up with more strange nonsense... besides, I have laundry to do, dishes to wash, a painting corner to tidy, and boxes/tubs to unpack... So many things to do! :D I'm excited... ;)
Also, hello Mr. A. Lane R number 3. Yes, I know you're there, and I'm watching you. Behave yourself, and in a goodly fashion, or I will know. You know who you are. And if you don't, you're probably not who I'm talking to. But if you do, watch yourself. ... yeah ...
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