A New Monday in Gayberry, USA.

Having received an email notice of a special end-of-season sale on all outerwear at Izod, Bass, and Van Heusen I stopped by before heading into work this morning to see what I could find. I found a triple-fused jacket at 75% off. The outer shell is water resistant, middle layer holds body temperature, and the inner layer is soft fabric. Nice feel and comfortable, to boot. Usually these combos are stiff and difficult to wear while driving a vehicle, but this one is soft to the touch and pleasant to wear. Original price = $100.00 Final price = $25.00! And it wasn't made in China. A real win for me.

We weren't very busy for lunch at the restaurant today, but the facebook adverts appear to be taking hold. The first 2 diners were lesbians who are fans of the restaurant. That's promising, at least. Now I have to work with the boss on more interesting ideas for the weekday specials.

The temperatures rose into the 40s again today and as I made my way back to the apartment a light rain began to fall which will (hopefully) melt more of the snow still on the ground and in mounds everywhere you look. Hung around for an after-shift cocktail this evening, but when "Bad Romance" by Ga Ga came on the XM feed, I hit the ground running and got to the car before having to bear the first "ga ga ou la-la"...

Arrived at the apartment, shed the work drag, made a martini and prepped a light stir fry with rice noodles for supper.

I have the next 2 days off and tomorrow plan to do as little as I can get away with and not feel guilty. And Wednesday will be an activity day. Laundry, grocery shopping, and cooking up a big chicken/sausage Etouffe, 'cause I have a craving, that's why.

And so it goes.
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Olympian Sven Kramer vs. the NBC Stoopid

Ah, if only more athletes were this bold and outspoken maybe, just maybe reporters would learn how to do their jobs and we'd all be better served. Watch as Sven smacks down an NBC hack. (With subtitles.)

The Dutch interviewer is clearly having a great time with this whole episode. I must admit, I did too.

More later.
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Taxing Caturday

Doing my tax returns left me severely depressed this week. But the sun has been out for 4 days melting the mounds of snow and revealing spots of grass that were all but forgotten.  The weekend promises more of the same. That's cheered me up.

More later.
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Friday & Forward

Bracing myself for a crazy Friday. With the temperatures remaining in the 40s the snow banks continue to melt and that's a very good thing. Parking spaces once buried appear almost daily.

Must check and double check my tax returns. There is no way I can owe that much money. I must have done something wrong.

Must fight my way through snow banks to get to the recycling center - haven't been able to get there for 3 weeks.

Today I work with all straight servers - the testosterone level will be quite high.

To counter that, I work with a lesbian and gay bartender, and two lesbians in the kitchen. Turn about is fair-play.

Reservations for two large parties promise to make lunch shift busier than usual. As more and more people get dug out of their homes, they tend to join us to relieve their cabin fever.  Margaritas have a way of helping cope.

Special "Fridays for Lent" dinner menus are ready to accompany our regular menus this evening.

Friend is down for the weekend and will be dining with me on Alaskan King Crab legs this evening.  Always a fun time leaving us with happy tummies and lots of laughs.  Doesn't happen often enough.

Things are looking good weather-wise, for the weekend. However, there is a chance of more s**w on Monday.  Let's not think about that, OK?

More later.
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Windows LIVE Movie Maker

A New Toy, and it was FREE! That's a very good price...

I've been searching out movie editing software for a while and most are expensive and do most of the work rather than stirring ones own creative juices. Then I stumbled upon this program. Yes, it is a bit clunky and amateurish, but that's me all over.

To be honest, all previous versions of Windows included a simple movie editing program, but not Windows 7. Of course, not. The Gates giveth and the Gates taketh away.

I visited the MS website and downloaded the correct version for Windows 7 which was easier than such downloads of yesteryear. I plan to spend some free time putting together slideshows of still pics and movies shot with the little FLIP digital video camera received as a gift.

And if the damned groundhog was right, I'll have plenty of cold days and nights to play and share. At the very least this activity will keep the brain cells from freezing up. Stand back DeMille, Stevens, and Capra, your days are numbered.  They're all dead?  Ow! Sorry.

Hey! It really and truly is 5 o'clock here. OLIVES!

As a blogger friend always ends - "that's a wrap!"

And so it goes.
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Pandemonium: Pet Shop Boys Concert DVD

Oh, I cannot wait to see this.

Recorded live at the O2 Arena in London last December, the DVD is to be released next month and I hope to scrape up enough money to purchase it later in the spring. Here is the extended trailer of the concert.

I love the Pet Shop Boys for their intelligent, insightful lyrics and I especially like Chris' Mirror Jacket.

It doesn't take much to get me distracted anymore, does it? The Taxman? What Taxman?

More later.
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Yeah, Yeah! The Taxman...

That'll teach me. No good deed (or intention) goes unpunished.

Having received my final W-2 from the previous employer yesterday, I decided to do the taxes and get them out of the way. Maybe, just maybe, I would get a small refund for my efforts.

So, after a coffee, juice, and an egg sandwich I settled in and did the deed. Then I did it again. Triple checked, even. OK, unless I did something remarkably stupid and TurboTax didn't catch it, I owe a lot to the Fed and State. This is only the second time in my life that this has been the case. And it happens when I can least afford it. At least the other time I was making really good money and had fewer expenses. Not so this time.

And I thought things were looking up for 2010. Ha!

Ok, ok, so I think the culprit may be the withholding by the restaurant last year. I worked so few hours weekly that there was hardly anything taken out of each paycheck.  That has to be the culprit. I'll have to make changes to my status so this doesn't happen again next year. 

Well, any thoughts of putting a few bucks aside for a holiday this year are out of the question. Bother!

Anyway, I printed out the returns, signed them, and they are now in addressed envelopes on the desk where they will remain until the last possible moment to be mailed.

What a great way to ruin an otherwise lovely day off. Sunshine instead of snow had me ready for a day outdoors. Now, not so much. Like they say, "whether the pitcher hits the stone, or the stone hits the pitcher - it's going to be bad for the pitcher." Hello stone. Meet pitcher.

I hope your tax news is better than mine.

Maybe I'll watch a movie and wait for 5 o'clock to roll around to drown my sorrow in olives.

More later.
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It's Carnival, Y'all!

Professor Longhair and two friends rehearsing a NOLA boogie. Unfortunately, he died before they could do it live.

Only the best memories of Mardi Gras past.

A little boogie and an appearance by the sun...yeah!

More later.
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For Haiti: "We Are The World 25"

Hard to believe it's been a quarter century since the first "We are the World" recording and fundraiser. This one features some old, as well as new faces.  Enjoy.

Sun is finally out - snow has ended - I am going to run a few errands.
More later.
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Something has Changed Within Me...

The parade of never-ending snowstorms (and blizzards) left me feeling out of sorts this past week. Kinda like "Defying Gravity" from WICKED - something had changed within me. something was not the same - a melancholy had crept into every fiber of my being. Things that used to make me laugh, didn't anymore. A few frequently read blogs seemed trite, obvious, even petty. People seemed distant and aloof.  Nothing took on the air of importance as before enduring the endless barrage of bad weather.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but I instinctively knew I WAS different. Detached. Television, as bad as it was before, now unwatchable for more than  5 minutes. The only activities I've enjoyed are work and reading. While snowbound, I reread "Chaplin" Charlie Chaplin's autobiography and found it exciting and refreshing as if taking it on for the very first time. Chaplin loved words (being illiterate as a child) and had a lovely, challenging way with them which, when I first read the book 40 years ago sent me flipping through the dictionary every few pages. Well, I suppose age is good for something; no dictionary this time round.

Then a few things happened yesterday and today that offered the key to what was missing.

A hug.
A kind word.
A thoughtful letter of recognition.

I am used to being outgoing and giving with no expectations in return. I guess I was running on empty and needed replenishment of my own. Four years ago I learned the hard way to take nothing for granted in life . It can all go away in a flash - and did.

This weekend out of the blue, 3 diners (perfect strangers) asked if they could give me a hug. They seemed to think that I went over and above the call of duty on their behalf, making them comfortable and showering them with attention. I didn't. I just did what I do and it was infectious, I suppose.

All that said, something HAS changed within me and will never be the same. Not necessarily a bad thing.

 A new, different me. Now I need a whole new wardrobe for this different me...Um, maybe not.


And so it goes.
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The Gayest Cook-top Ever!

Arriving from work today I noticed that the clocks were blinking again, so we lost power for a time today, as well.  Kinda freaked me out, but never mind.

When the power went down during Part 1 of the Blizzards of 2010 I thought it would be for a few hours - at most.  Never dreamed it would be out for days. Anyway, while suffering through extreme cold temperatures for two nights I had to rig up some way to make a warm meal. No camp stove or even a fondue set, but I had an idea, and this is the final solution to my problem.

Crystal wine glasses, an oven rack, a large candle, and small saucepan.  Heated stew, soup, and leftover chicken and mushrooms which were devoured with copious amounts of bread, salad, and crackers on the side.

Yes, it's probably the GAYEST cook-top, but it sustained me by providing 4 hot meals in a very cold apartment. So there!

More later.
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The Blizzards (so far) of 2010 - Part 2

Feb. 11.2010 - Still no electricity at the apartment and no plow has touched the road, so no way to get back, anyway.  House mother takes me to work then a server friend drives me back to her house as she arrives as my replacement for the dinner crowd. Restaurant opens at regular time as the phone rings off the hook with folks grateful to know we are open. This is more than cabin fever; more like a nightmare pneumonia and everyone wants out. Very busy lunch crowd and everyone with a troubling story regarding these recent storms. Attempted to dig out my car, but that was futile. Got stuck in the middle of the road at one point, saved only by neighbors who helped push me back into the icy spot. Fell twice and hurt my heel, but thankfully no further damage to the back. Too tired to cook, so a sandwich is supper followed by a shower and bed. Peanut butter and jelly is our friend!

Feb. 12. 2010 - House mother takes server to her daytime gig at 5 am, then carts me to the restaurant at 10:30. Primary streets are pretty clear so diners pounce on the warmth and glowing colours of the place - decorated for Mardi Gras - and the margaritas flow like the waters of spring. Remember Spring?
The sun shines in a clear sky and the winds mercifully die down. I get a call telling me that the electricity is back on and one lane of my road has been plowed.  My car (with the help of another friend) is miraculously freed from the icy prison. I can go home.
The single lane is scary, flanked by walls of snow and ice over 6 feet high. I have never seen this before. Driveway is not clear, so parking on the road is the only option. Walking through snow and ice 2 feet high is not pleasant especially with the damaged foot, but I make it only to find the steps to the apartment are sheets of ice, half inch thick.  Slow going. Once inside there is such relief I can cry and I do.
Bring in and restore frozen food in ice chest from deck. Take hot shower and make calls to let folks know I've survived and have arrived back at the apartment.
Unpack and while enjoying a martini make list of necessities to pick up tomorrow before and after work. The next day off isn't until next Tuesday and yes, that means 2 weeks without a day off.
Yet another PB & J for supper and it's off to bed.

Feb 13. 2010 - Grabbed a few essentials before heading in to work. Sky is gray and threatening - looks and feels like snow - but the forecast last evening called for highs in the upper 30s.  Radio forecast this morning calls for a 40% chance of snow today. I almost drive into a snowbank from the shock.
Side roads and many developments remain un-plowed making it impossible for residents to get to and from jobs, store, etc. Some folks have not left their homes for over a week. This is just nuts and unacceptable in my book.
Busy day at work with more people suffering from cabin fever as the reservations were pouring in for tonight and tomorrow. I had a great staff working lunch today so all went smoothly; not that anyone much cared, being grateful to be out among the living was enough. Anyway, it all kept my mind off the possibility of more white stuff.
Stayed for an after-shift cocktail before heading back to the apartment. Very relaxing. Decided to cook up a ginger, beef  and veggie stir-fry for supper then settle in to watch some of the Olympics before crashing.
Valentine's Day is going to be an extremely hectic day and (G*d knows) I need more rest.

And so it goes.
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