Ciao bella!

"You may have the universe if I may have Italy." --Giuseppe Verdi

After a long week of excel-ing at work, I jumped on the evening train to Milan...I'm setting off to explore the city and will let you know what I discover...I'm hoping it has a lot to do one or more of pizza, gelato, and great shoes...

She works hard for the money

Though our rock wall is now finished, the office is still a construction zone, so I "worked from home" today.  Has anyone had experience with this "working from home" business?  If anyone has had success with this strategy, I am impressed with, nay, I am in awe of, this person.  Truly, can it be done?  

"Working from home" for me looks a little bit like this: wake up, walk around in circles, eat breakfast, walk around in circles some more, stare at the computer, go on a hike, stare at the computer some more, walk around in circles some more, eat lunch, stare at the computer, read Texas Monthly/Rolling Stone/Vanity Fair, walk around in circles, eat a snack, stare at the computer, realize, oh shit, it's five o'clock, I should start "working from home" now, stare at the computer with a sense of purpose.  I have now been in this final phase for an hour and a half, and am about ready to call it a day.  Does this count as a successful attempt at "working from home?"  Methinks I need a bit more practice...or maybe a little hit of adderall...

Luckily, I don't think my bosses will flog me for not having accomplished a terrible amount of work today.  This is one of the perks of my current j-o-b.  There are many perks, which I call a good thing, especially given that I get paid veeeeeerrrryyy little.  Weezer mentioned the other day that she got paid $500 a week when she started out her residency.  Oh, one can dare to dream!  $500 a week?!  That sounds pretty good to this little lady...and that's what Weezer got paid 30 years ago, pre-inflation.

To supplement my meager income, I have decided to get a part time job.  My first thought was Whole Foods.  Here are my reasons for setting my sights on Whole Foods:

a) people still need to eat food during recessions, so grocery stores are probably still hiring

b) grocery stores have to open early and close pretty late, so I could probably work early morning and evening shifts, allowing me to work during the day at Metanoia

c) Whole Foods has health benefits, which I do not currently have and a fact which makes me nervous all the time...every time I get in my car I say to myself, "Self, do not get in a wreck, because if you get injured, you are seriously up a creek"...perhaps I should be focused on the more obvious reasons to avoid injury

d) my cousin, Susie, says there are cute boys at Whole Foods, and meeting cute boys is never a bad thing, even if they are the dreadlocked crunchy granola type, or really, I should say, especially if they are the dreadlocked crunchy granola type

I was excited to see online that the new Whole Foods in Venice is hiring and eagerly submitted an application.  At the very least I'll get an interview, I thought.  When I hadn't heard back in a few days, I marched my little self into the store to apply in person.  An overly-pierced cashier told me that you can't apply in person, you have to do it online.  Damn.  What is the world coming to when you can't charm your way into a job?!  Being charming is just falling by the wayside.  Not only can you not charm your way into a job, radar cameras make it impossible for a gal to charm her way out of a traffic ticket.  I don't like it, I tell you, not one little bit.  

Well, even though I had little confidence in this online system, I resigned myself to it.  I even began to pep myself up a little bit.  I mean, my resume is pretty dece.  Or so I thought.  I just got an email from Whole Foods saying that I don't have the qualifications to fill the position.  Seriously?!  So much for that college edumacation!  What's it gonna take for a gal to get a job stocking grocery shelves?!  I guess Whole Foods is kind of the Ivy League of grocery stores.  Looks like I'm going to have to lower the bar a little bit.  Maybe the 711 is hiring.  Now that'd be a job with perks...minimum wage plus free slurpees would be a significant raise.

A better bet...I'm just sayin...

LA LA land

Well, after a many month hiatus and what I can only describe as shoddy at best bloggage pre that, I have decided to pick up where I left off.  Ever rambling, I now find myself in LA.  In January I once again packed up the ol' Tahoe, which, if one could receive mail to an automobile, would basically be considered my primary address, and hit the road.  With stars in my eyes and dreams of taking show biz by storm, I set off on my next big adventure. 

I have now been out here for two months, working at a company called Metanoia Films (run to Blockbuster and rent "Bella").  In what capacity, you might wonder, am I working for the aforementioned production company?  What skills do I bring to the table out here in Hollywood?  Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll ask you kindly take a gander at the climbing wall displayed above.  You're probably thinking to yourself, 'What a good lookin' rock wall...sure wonder what kind of skilled technician installed that g'lookin monstrosity of an excercise outlet in that office.'  Well, my friends, you're lookin at her.  That's right.  Four years of college earned me a job as a laborer, mixing cement, climbing around on scaffolding, and building a 30 foot climbing wall in the middle of the Metanoia Films office.  Now that it's finished, only the good Lord knows what my next Metanoia task will be...I'm just praying it's something that doesn't require me to hang 30 feet from the ground wielding a drill or concrete sander.

Truth be told, I've been loving life on the left coast so far.  The good people of Metanoia are just that, buena gente.  I've been living with my aunt, Weezer, while I get my feet on the ground and see if this LA gig "takes."  Life with Weezer  makes for constant entertainment.  For example, I was sick this weekend and stayed in on Friday night (watching "Reality Bites"...for anyone reading this who is also 23 and drifting, do NOT watch this flick...it hits waaay to close to home at this particular juncture and will just make you feel full of slack).  The Weezer and I were just sitting there, chatting, when all of the sudden she heard some rustling in the driveway and looked outside to see a group of about four 16 year old boys in her driveway (which is gated off from the street).  The girl next door was having a birthday party, so there were tons of kids on the street.  Well, Weezer obviously would have preferred that they stay on the street, and just let those boys have it.  Seriously, y'all, I never in all mah life heard such an impressive display of blasphemy.  I can only imagine that those little hoods never expected such language out of their friend's fine upstanding neighbor.  Needless to say, staying in was worth the show!

Stay tuned for more tales from the left coast!  Miss y'all!

Of eggnog, showgirl dresses, and gettin on the road again...

Merry Christmas, all you yuletide young 'uns!  I am still trying to keep up with this blogging business, though I seem to be moving at a glacial pace...thank goodness it's almost January--resolutions 'r' us!

I hope this Christmas season finds you all well and enjoying eggnog at many a swinging soiree.  I myself have been enjoying myself indeed...I even managed to gather a group of merrymakers to carol for a cause.  There were doors slammed by self-professed atheists and doors not opened at all, but through it all we managed to raise quite a sum to donate to Living Water International. 

It really is the most wonderful time of the year.  But, even though I am the number one fan of the institution of the Christmas fiesta, I had one of the least enjoyable nights of my life this weekend on a night that held multiple festivities.  How did this happen?!  After all, 'tis the season to be jolly, drink a hot toddy, and expose your, ehh hmm, body??  Methinks not!  After only a mere goblet, I allowed my dear friend Bailey to dress me in her clothes.  Now, I was not alone, in fact, I was joined by two dear friends.  Why wouldn't we want to play dress up?  Bailey has oh so much flair and sparkly items, and for some reason we all wanted to be Diana Ross that particular evening, because nothing says Feliz Navidad like the Supremes...???  Hmm...questionable reasoning...

So, out we went, I in my pink dress and Molls in her black, all decked out for a Midtown attack.  Oh the stares I received, I cannot convey in words my discomfort.  I guess when people are used to seeing you dressed in a librarian-esque uniform and then suddenly see you wearing, well, less than a turtleneck, it's cause for comment...I guess...My favorite part of the entire affair was when people asked me what I was "up to lately" and I had to reply, whilst clad in hot pink number reminiscent of a mod squad Barbie, that I am moving to LA.  Clearly I looked like I was ready to hit the Hollywood strip; I caused more than one person to choke on their cocktails! Needless to say, I ran weeee weee weee all the way home as fast as I could and put my uniform back on.  Ahhh pants and turtleneck how I love thee!

But, of course, this brings up another issue entirely: I am hitting the pavement again...the freedom of the open road will be mine in mere weeks (yikes!).  After ringing in the New Year, I'm going to pack up my car (which, if I can sell mi auto, I am hopeful will be the most glorious of all automobiles invented...the noble station wagon!) and head out west to Los Angeles, the land of sun and speidi.  I am excited like woooahhhh and far too naive to be scared, a fact of which I am quite aware and which, actually, is enough to scare me.  So, more tales to follow, from the cross country trip and then from my LA life!

In the meantime, I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas!  I will leave you with a verse from one of my all-time fav carols...

"He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all, and his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall; with the poor, the scorned, the lowly, lived on earth our Savior holy."

Fraulein Marge marries Captain von Williams

As I sit here reminiscing about the wedding I attended in Austin this past weekend, I am feeling compelled to share my thoughts on the magic that happened...

Last weekend Margaret Page wed Matt Williams at a noon-time ceremony at Tarrytown Methodist in Austin.  Now, I don't know if any of y'all have ever been to a day wedding, but let me warn ya: it's code for "you WILL arrive with wet hair."  My parents suggested that I should have woken up earlier...oh the heresy!

The ceremony was beautiful I tell you, simply goooooorgeous.  Highlights included hearing the priest (or whatever you call them in Methodist church) refer to the groom as "Buddha in a suit" and weeping as my friend Mollie Brown sang "Be Thou My Vision" in a voice that one attendee described as "sexy/churchy."  The wedding was simple, classic, perfect.

I love weddings.  And, as I said, this one was perfect.  But I always think they need a little whimsy.  Something silly.  I'm tempted to wear a bird's nest in my hair or put on some tacky red heels for my big day, but I think Marge's dash of magic takes the (wedding) cake.  As the ceremony began, the family and wedding party processed into the church to a string orchestra playing something great and classical that I don't remember now.  But, when Margaret walked down the aisle, the tune changed.  Suddenly, visions of Leisl holding Fraulein Maria's veil danced in my head: she was walking down the aisle to the very song that Maria did when she married Captain von Trapp!  It was AMAZING and I, of course, burst into tears.  

Later I discovered that the only other person in the congregation to realize this little morsel of joy was a man of about 55 years of age who I can only describe as a having the exuberance of Rodney Dangerfield, a twang that rivals John Wayne's, and the dance moves of John Travolta.  Needless to say, I was quite pleased to be keeping such stellar company in the musical trivia department.

Back in the swamp and up to my ears in alligators...

Well, friends, we made it home again home again jiggity jog.  Actually, we've been back for about a week now, I've just been uber lazy in posting.  The last leg of the trip was a whirlwind, even for us.  We made it back home on about 57 redbulls each, about 6 pounds of M&Ms (me), and about 4 pounds of goldfish (Bails).  As Bails put it, the last leg of our trip was to roadtrips what all-nighters are to college: you don't really wanna have to pull it, but it wouldn't be college without 'em.  We did see some pretty groovy stuff (old plantations which we coerced security guards to let a couple of "architecture students" ramble around on?  check!) and made it back to the Lone Star state swamplands safe and sound.

I've deciding that, contrary to what my track record (SP whhhaaaatttt), the blogging life is the life for me.  So, if you need me, you can find me on my blog.  Hopefully I'll update it more regularly now that I have actual work to get done and therefore am in desperate need of a procrastination station...

What, you might ask, is this alleged "work"?  Have I not recently retired?  Does this mean I have acquired gainful employment?  ummmm not exactly...I have decided to apply to grad schools, giving me three weeks in which to prepare and take both the GRE and the LSAT...hence the alligators...I'm currently in a stare-off with about a foot high stack of practice tests.  I'll need y'all's prayers and encouragement!  And, please, if I call you, don't let me chat...I love you and want to talk to you, but more likely I'm calling to give me a reason not to study.  And let's just face it, I can come up with enough of those on my own!

Though I do not usually consider myself of the political ilk, what self-respecting American blogstress could neglect to mention the election?  As many of you know, I did not, in fact, vote for President-elect Barack Obama and it would be dishonest to conceal my disappointment.  I would, however, like to follow in the footsteps of one gracious senator in offering ol Bar (am I allowed to call him that?) my prayers and respect.  

Right after I watched the election results, a song popped into my head that is by MercyMe and is called "You Reign."  I was reminded that no matter who is the president of this country, I can rejoice in the fact that God reigns and that He has ordained whomever is ruling on earth.  It reminded me of a post I read on one of my "mom blogs":

"And there's one more thing that's been on my mind during this election.  As a Christian, I believe that God is on His throne no matter who is in the White House.  What's more, He ordains the rulers of this world AND he commands us to honor and obey them insofar as they do not ask us to sin against Him.  To act like it's the end of the world when our candidate of choice is not elected is implying that we don't trust God.  he is not affiliated with any political party.  his ways are not our ways, and He accomplishes His will through people of all colors and stripes and party affiliations."  (www.musingsofahousewife.com)

Well, I'm off to get a bit of sleep...gotta wake up early and hit the ol books!  I promise not to get political on y'all again if ya meet me back on the open road...