The Life of a Southern Girl

that the poor woman has finally passed away and the Media Blitz has DOUBLED. I've been saying for days, "You think it's crazy now? Wait until she actually dies! This train wreck is going to go into triple Slo-Mo." And it has. Because we have become a country victim to Media that has to beat that dead horse until there is nothing left but bone-ash. This "situation" is going to be analyzed 100 times over backwards & forwards Religiously, Politically, Morally; until we're all just crying "Uncle!".

Honestly, if every time someones feeding tube was removed and it was brought to the Media's attention; we would have to have a cable channel dedicated just to that. The FTRN (Feeding Tube Removal Network).

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The thing that is so incredibly sad to me is that this was a decision that should have been made within the family. The government should have never gotten involved. Because we ARE still a country that was founded based on a separation between Church and State, right? Which lines are crossed when we start depending on our Government to make moral/ethical decisions for us? Should we build a big boat, get on it, and sail back over? Start from scratch?

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And the Pope. The poor Pope. This man should have been allowed to lie down & take a break two months ago. But, because of some arcane protocol set in stone 2 thousand years ago, he must perform his duties until his heart just stops. I truly believe that people have been leading him around these last couple months seating him where he should be sat; standing him where he should stand; telling him what to say even when he doesn't comprehend any of it. All for the sake of religious protocol. It sickens me every time I see this man of such prestige reduced to a grainy video-clip of him trying to speak, & when he can't, making a feeble attempt at making the sign of the cross. And I'm not even Catholic. I blame the Church & the Media for giving us this image of someone that SHOULD be remembered as being a strong person; a person that was such an asset to his religion; he was given the highest honor. Doesn't he deserve to go in peace with as much dignity as possible?

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There are certain things I don't discuss at work. Religion, Politics, and Abortion are the main three. I find that I don't make money 50% of the time if I discuss my thoughts on any of them. But, I DO have thoughts on these issues. And, like anyone else, I like to voice them every now and then. Since I can't do it at work, ya'll are the lucky ones that get to hear me bitch when I get a bug up my ass! Fortunately, it doesn't happen that often. Cause I'm thinking alot of people would stop coming here if I became that-girl-that-bitches-all-the-time.

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I'll get back on track in a couple days.


peace

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead this Saturday. Yeah, you'll lose an hour; but, think of all the extra sunshine you get!!

(Wouldn't it be cool, if there was a Year Savings Time & you could erase the past year? That would be cool.)

Have you noticed that there are usually no less than two "Breaking News" stories every morning? I can't be the only one noticing. Granted; I set up 19 TV's every morning all on different cable stations. Including Headline, CNN, MSNBC, & Fox News. I can't decide if this really is the end of the world as we know it or there's just too much fucking media. I long for the days when you would see the words "Breaking News" & everyone would stop & be glued to the TV because it hardly ever happened. So, it must be important. Now everything is "Breaking News". Someone please explain to me why Fox had Michael Jackson showing up to court under this category. Isn't he scheduled to be there every day? Are we to be surprised every day? Yeah, I know he was really late that one time. But, don't you think the words should be reserved for things that actually matter? And as far as he's concerned; I say give him a life sentence just for being such a freak.

And I really don't think I can handle one more "Breaking News" story pertaining to Terri Schiavo. All appeals have been exhausted; everyone has said everything that can possibly be said. Let her die already. The only thing that would be "Breaking News" to me about her; is if she suddenly sat up & started speaking in Tongues. THAT I want to know about at this point.

I guess my point is that I think "Breaking News" doesn't really hold any water anymore. A celebrity showing up to court on time vs. an 8.7 earthquake? A 10-foot alligator found in Florida (shocker!) vs. an Amber Alert?

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The Emergency Broadcasting System is another thing that seems to have lost it's focus. "This is a test of the Emergency Broadcasting System. If this were an actual emergency, you would be told blah, blah, blah, blah, & blah." I was 26 years old before I heard it broadcast an actual emergency. It was a hurricane a hundred miles off-shore from where I was. That was 15 years ago. I've heard it twice in the last six months broadcasting the WEATHER. Just basic weather. "Expect up to One inch of rain with possible winds up to 10mph. Persons in lower areas may expect some flooding." Are you KIDDING me? I'm exaggerating on the low end; but, you know what I mean.

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Personally, I watch Headline every morning before I go to work (& set up all the TV's). I like my news in nutshells. Just give me the basics. If I need to know more; I'll look it up.

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Sorry for the rant. I'm striking out because it's still illegal to run over someone that's hurt your feelings in a really bad way, right? I have to put my anger somewhere valid.

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peace (and I DO mean that)

I hope. My last post disappeared. I'll try my best to recap.

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My friend, Cindy, and I are going downstairs to the store to get a bottle of wine. A guy in grey sweats gets on from the 3rd floor. "Grey Sweats" guy appears to be going on a long hike because he has a salami taped to the inside of his left thigh. No, wait. That's not a salami. DAMN!! Ya know how when you are carrying something in the trunk of your car that sticks way out & you tie something around it to alert other drivers? Well, this dude needed to staple a red bandana to the end of THAT to warn all other passengers in the elevator. Cindy & I are not girls that go around checking out what men may have to offer. But this was SO out there; you couldn't miss it. Cindy is SO intrigued. She couldn't stop talking about it. And I've see her boyfriend naked. We all met in St. Croix. Everyone was naked. Naked beaches & just general all-around-nakedness. And her BF could pass as a guy going on a hike with a salami taped to his thigh. New Blood, I guess.


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I want to take this opportunity to say "Hello" to John. You know who you are. You're the guy making my sister so insanely happy. And I love you for that. Don't be afraid; we don't bite. Hard.


peace

Ya know how you remember when certain things happened in your life based on WHEN they happened time-wise around some milestone in your life? For example, "Yes, I remember that. Because I had just broken up with Mr. X that Tuesday; & I remember being too bummed to attend Taylor's engagement party the following Sunday." And you could be remembering things that happened months prior & months after the day you broke up with Mr. X; and you could always get the dates right within a couple days. Because the day you broke up with Mr. X will forever more be a "Milestone"; a "Pivot Day", if you will. You follow me?

So, for at least the next few months; if someone says to me; "Remember when Texas Tech (the team I drew for the pool) lost to W. Virginia in the NCAA Tournament?" I will say, "Yes! It was 3 days before that guy was such an asshole to me." Or, "Remember when you had Blood Poisoning that one time?". "Yes! It was about three weeks before that guy was an asshole to me!". You get what I'm saying.

I had a customer today yell "Fuck You!" to me and walk out. There's a whole story that goes along with that; but it's too boring & stupid to even relate to anyone. Not that I won't. I just can't right now. Because I still can't believe the meltdown. In either case; I was left standing there uttering things like, "uh,er,ehh,uh,hmm,ahh." It was surreal; to say the least. I was completely speechless. I can't remember when I was last COMPLETELY speechless. There was nothing in the situation that warranted his reaction. That's why I was so blown away. I don't mean to be a tease. I'll write about it tomorrow. After I've tried to analyze the situation in a reasonable manner which can't be done because the guy was a DICK!!!

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Dear Grand Marnier: Please help me think calming thoughts. Thank you.

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peace

Google searches that have led people to me recently:

1) fannypack see you next tuesday (Huh? Is this kinda like, I'll have a hamburger today & pay you on Tuesday? It's a reach, I know.)

2) wives will fuck husbands friends (Someone is having so much more fun than I am.)

3) the white girl with the fattest ass (For some reason, I am #4 on this search. I am 5'7" & 112 lbs. Too funny)

And I think I've managed to perfect the art. I like to think of it as being my own little way of expressing my creativity.

I'm taking down my Christmas tree today. Mainly because, really; a Christmas tree should never be left up after March 19th. I read that somewhere I think. As all good Procrastinator's do; I have a very good excuse for why my tree is still up. (It doesn't still have decorations on it, for God's sake! That would be, well; tacky.) I took the box out back at the beginning of January with good intentions. I was going to break it down and pack it away that very day. The cat's discovered the box, crawled in to sleep, and have pretty much been right there ever since. And a sleeping cat is the most perfect cat. Not getting into anything; and in the case of my Siamese, being quiet. Seriously, at least one of them is in there at all times. Every time I go to put the tree away, I see them sleeping in there & think, "That is so CUTE! I'll let it stay just one more day." Well, it's just ridiculous now; ya know, with Spring almost here and all. So today is the day. I am the Master right? Right? They'll get over it.

******

My father just called. I told him I was writing about just now taking my tree down. He related a story to me that now has me convinced that my "X-mas Tree Procrastination" is genetic. (See what I mean? We always have an excuse.) My father worked for General Services for the State of SC as an Engineer with the State Engineer's Office for 40 years. There are alot of little things that need to be done that all states do; but don't actually fall under any specific department. These things are just kind of assigned to people to make sure they get done. This particular assignment to my father was the taking down of the Christmas tree in front of the State House. Early 80's. Now, my Dad was a busy man. Renovating State buildings, stuff like that. I'm sure the Christmas tree thing was low on the "To Do" list. So, by February, the tree was still up. Noone complained or anything, but apparently someone noticed. The House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina actually passed a resolution that if the Christmas tree continued to stand; it would be decorated with Valentines. No lie. It's on the books. How freakin' funny is that? So now when someone shakes their head at me in disgust when I admit that, yes, my tree stayed up 'til March, I can say, "It's not my fault! There was the whole cat thing & besides; it's genetic! It's in my blood!". Thanks, Dad, for sharing that story. Love ya!

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So, when my Dad called, he said, "I was just thinking about you." He teased me with the fact that he had just gone to Sikes to pick up BBQ. I love BBQ. Sikes has the best BBQ in the world. He told me that he was listening to an old Willie Nelson tape & it reminded him of me. Because, when he would come to pick me up at college a hundred years ago to bring me home for the w'end, this was the tape he would listen to. He would put it in when he left home & it would end as he was getting into Florence. (My first school was Francis Marion.)

I remember those times when he would pick me up from school. I was kinda pissed off that my parents didn't allow me to take my car to school my freshman year. I was always incredibly happy to see my Dad; but I would have liked to have had my car there so that I could come & go as I pleased. It was an issue quickly forgotten when I was allowed to take my car to school the next year. And I've never thought about it since.

Listening to my Dad just now made me happy that I didn't have my car that first year. If I had, he wouldn't have been picking me up listening to Willie Nelson & now 20 years later he would not have been calling me just to tell me how listening to that old tape reminded him of me. How cool is THAT? I talk to my Dad all the time; but I feel especially special right now.

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Ya'll have a great w'end!

peace

...in the mirror."

And let me tell you; it was no small feat. Surely, someone out there knows. How often does St. Patrick's Day & the start of the NCAA Tournament coincide? There were people knocking on the door at 10:45am (we open at 11am). And the first games started at 12:20pm. These people came early so that they could vie for position. That kills me. The portion of the restaurant I work in (there are 3 sections) has a 22-seat bar & 10 large tables (4 to 8 seat). There are 19 TV's in the room. All 30+ inch, a big screen, and a few big plasma's thrown in for good measure. We have Direct TV with the "March Madness Package" so we're showing everything. There are 4 games going at any given time. So, at least 2 of the TV's are showing the same game. And there's not a bad seat in the house.

With that said; it made me laugh watching some of these guys pick their seats. I mean, they're gonna be there for the next 12 hours; so I suppose they want to make sure that they infiltrate the Feng Shui of the room JUST SO. Their team may lose if they don't.

Anyway, I did commit one "I'm-in-charge-of-the-remote" faux pas. I meant to change the channel on TVs 3 & 9 and inadvertently changed the channel on TVS 4 & 10. It was deafening: "WHOA!! What the Hell just happened?? Who changed the channel?? I missed that last shot!!" I apologized and agreed that I was the rudest girl in the room. Then I looked around & realized that I was the ONLY girl in the room. With about 45 screaming men. My job's not so bad.

And then today. I was getting phone calls at 10am with guys wanting to reserve certain tables. One of their teams won yesterday BECAUSE they were sitting at THAT particular table. I'm not one to deny superstition. Personally, I don't walk under ladders, step on cracks, and I ALWAYS hold my arms in the air when I drive over a train-track. (I'm a good Knee-Driver.)

In case you're wondering: Yes; these men have jobs. But they have taken days off just to watch the Tournament. I can just see it: "Um, sorry Bob; but I won't be here for the next few days to close that million dollar deal. I, um, feel a cold coming on.".

No matter how their teams are doing; the guys are always gracious to me. Bottom line: I have the remotes AND the alcohol. I'm the most popular person in the room this time of year. Forgive me if I revel.

peace

I'm linking Real Live Woman because she's real & she's a woman. And she cusses. If you don't like it; bite us.

A birthday has a two week window. So, I'm guessing you have roughly one more week to go harass Murphy. But, be kind. She might grind you up & put you in her coffee. And it will be Miss Tight-Ass's fault.

I'm sorry I missed your B-day, Doll. Sounds like it was one to remember!

that TIP stands for "To Insure Promptness"? Some people don't know that. I can think of 4 groups just off the top of my head that don't know that. All are recognizable by career with the exception of one. The one exception is Europeans. But, I can't really blame them because they just don't know. In Europe, people that wait tables & bartend are given nice hourly wages. Alot of things are taken into consideration. The persons experience, the level of service they are expected to give (French vs. slinging hash, 5-star vs. 1-star, etc.), net income of the restaurant they work in; it gets pretty complicated. Here in America, waitstaff & bartenders make anywhere from $2.13 to maybe $7.00/hour. It gets a little fuzzy with bartenders because sometimes a place will offer up a higher hourly to steal you away from another place. In either case; you can't live on it. You depend on your TIPs to make your choice of career viable.

With that said, Europeans don't TIP in Europe because it's not expected. Waitstaff & Bartenders are being paid hourly to be Waitstaff & Bartenders. The same as Secretaries are paid to be Secretaries & Bus Drivers are paid to be Bus Drivers. Whereas in America, we are paid just enough to cover our taxes & everything else is up to us. I've always said that being a good Bartender is 10% drink knowledge & 90% being able to BS, flirt, & know what someones needs are before THEY know what their needs are. And I think we strive harder (in America) because we depend on our TIPs to pay our bills. If you come across a surly waiter or bartender; that person clearly lives with their parents & they just don't care.

When I travel to another country; I read up. I read up on the day-to-day customs mainly because I don't want to offend anyone. I always want to know what the TIPping custom is. Some places you don't TIP at all; some look at 5% as a very nice gesture; and some think that 10% is you just showing off because you're that rich American (lol). Personally, I always TIP wherever I am just because I can't NOT TIP. And it usually leads to resort employees following me around offering fresh towels & mints in the middle of the afternoon.

So, it really pissed me off today when some British chippy & her mother on vacation run my ass off for 3 hours & then TIP me $5.00 on a $97.00 tab. A $97.00 tab would normally bring me $25.00. Factor in the 3 hours they ran me: $30 - $35. I couldn't believe it. I even took the CC voucher back to her (because I honestly couldn't tell with all the drunken pen marks on the voucher) & asked if that was 15 or 5? She told me, "That's a 5. Thank you SO much for your service! You were wonderful!". Obviously someone that didn't read up before she went on vacation.

And I don't mean to sound bitter. I'm sure in her mind she was being gracious by leaving any TIP at all. But, damn! I catered to them like they were dual-QUEENS! Of England!

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Now that I'm on my soap-box; I'll just go all out. Ya know what really gets to me? These people that are Anti-Tipping. Oprah did a whole show on it. People that believe that "We" have chosen our lot in life by choosing a career where we "take food & drink from point A to point B" and expect to get paid for it. They're not having any of that. They want to pay for the food & drink & that's all.

So, I'll ask you: If you're in a very nice restaurant paying about $35 per entree, $15 per drink; don't you have appreciation for the person serving you? The person that can tell you the difference between Crab Sofrito & Dill Buerre Blanc? The person that can help you wade through that 100 bottle wine list? You take away TIPs; the only thing that server/bartender is going to be able to tell you is whether or not you should get the Egg-Mcmuffin or Sausage Biscuit. And that's not to undermine said restaurant. I have a #3 with a Coke every morning. But, what kind of experience do you want for your money? I can tell you the difference between every French description you can throw at me. I can tell you which wine goes best with that Pan-Seared Rainbow Trout. I can tell you which vineyard won for "Best Chardonnay" this year. You take away my TIPs; I'll most certainly find another career.

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Are you exhausted? I am. But, DAMN; that felt good. Send me a bill.

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Tomorrow is St. Pat's! And the start of the NCAA Tournament! I won't know my name by 2:00pm. I need a pep talk for how busy I'm going to be tomorrow.

peace

When I started dating; I was really into "Bad Boys". Now, that's not to say that I liked guys that did bad things (Steal 6-packs, cars, what have you). I liked guys that LOOKED like they might could do bad things; but they didn't. In the late 70's; that meant that they had long hair (I LOVED long hair) and that I-don't-give-a-fuck swagger. And if he had a motorcycle? OMG! I once dated a guy in high school just because he looked like Tom Petty. Tom Petty wasn't all that cute, but; damn! Didn't he just look like he could knock over a Gas Station? Mark looked just like him. AND he didn't do bad things. Perfect for me.

Fortunately, it wasn't that hard to find a long-haired-swagger-having-motorcycle-riding-law-abiding-educated man in the late 70's/early 80's. For some reason, all that changed when I was about 26. I started dating an Air Force Pilot. Short hair, no swagger, no motorcycle; but he was a Thrill-Seeker. A "Bad Boy" on a different spectrum. Skydiving, BASE jumping, Rappeling; stuff like that. We lived together for a while. We may have stayed together had he not had to move when he left the Air Force & went with NorthWest. I actually was going to go with him; but that's a whole other story.

So, with my new-found likeness for short-haired professional men; I move on to Michael. A guy who had just finished the MIBS program at USC. Undergrad in Geology. He was working at Savannah River Plant. He had done his work-study in Cairo. Learned to speak Arabic in 6 weeks. Just plain fascinating. For about 3 months. After that; even his good looks could not get me pass the stories about rocks & soil contamination. It's all he ever talked about. Granted; he taught me how to play a good game of Chess. But even that has a time and a place.

I find myself in St. Croix about a year later & find myself back at Square One. I meet Bryan. Bryan was 6'3" with hair down to his waist. Brooding. Gorgeous hair. Girls: Don't you just hate it when a guy has nicer hair than you do? I would braid his hair for him before he went to work & just marvel at how beautiful it was. Anyway, he was the Landscape Manager at the resort I bartended for. Very smart guy. Lots of business savvy. The house he had bought for 37,000$ had been heavily damaged by Hurricane Hugo. He did all the re-construction himself finding every single loop-hole as far as importing materials. So, I'm back to a long-haired guy. And Brooding has replaced the Swagger. That lasted about a year.

Then I meet Chris. Short hair. Very quiet. Undergrad in English. Wants to be a lawyer to follow in his father's footsteps. The most unassuming guy in the world. And he plays Rugby! I love Rugby. The most violent legal sport. I immediately fall in love with him. I moved back to the States with him. Unfortunately, I couldn't see myself any farther north than DC when he decided to go to Law School in Boston. It's really cold in Boston.

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So, I've been on the same path ever since. Unassuming guys who have a little bit of a wild side. And that's been OK with me. I mark it up to being older & wiser now. Can I find one that can hold my interest for more than a couple/three years? I don't know. I've been engaged 4 times. My father once made a joke that I should have a T-shirt that reads, "Born to Be Engaged". I just could never take that final walk. I think I'm still looking for that "Bad Boy" that meets all my criteria. I don't even know what got me on this. There was that one guy that came into my bar today with LONG blonde hair. He's taking a sabbatical for a year & is looking for people to travel with to do some diving, kayaking, hiking, etc. Much like The Mighty Jimbo. (You should go check out his pics, by the way.)

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I send much love to everyone that's sent me nice thoughts these past few days. I'm doing great! Medical Technology IS a great thing. You take a pill for a few days & you're fine.

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St. Pat's is Thursday. Get your Green On! And if you sit at my bar; be kind. If you're not; well, I warned you.

peace

Am I the first to say it? We're not hearing too much from Dracula these days. Anyone wondering why? Well, I'm thinking he didn't pay attention to that red streak crawling up his arm.

Anyway, I'm a bartender. I nick my fingers (accidentally, of course) with knives while I'm cutting fruit; broken glass while I'm picking up after you people that should have gone home already, etc. In light of all that; I am very diligent about keeping my hands clean. I am compulsively washing my hands, or at the very least; using that "waterless" hand wash stuff. All the time. I've been in the business a long time. I've seen what infection can do.

I'm also very compulsive about having nice hands. When I go out to dinner and the person serving me has chewed on nails, broken cuticles, or, God Forbid (!); dirt under their nails; I freak. Now, I know this person has not personally prepared my food; but, it's all about presentation.

I have very nice hands. I go to great lengths to keep them that way. I have a manicure once a week & a polish change once a week.

Anyway, I noticed several weeks ago that there was a white streak down the middle of my left thumbnail. The nail was separating from the nail bed. This is affectionately known as "nail rot" in the business. Your nails are always subject to water, alcohol. If you don't take care; you lose a nail. It's very common, but it's NEVER HAPPENED TO ME. Because I take all these extra measures.

So, I'm extra sure I'm keeping my hands clean. Then, last Wednesday night, I wake up in the middle of the night with my left thumb THROBBING. So much so; I can't sleep the rest of the night. I get up, go to work, it feels better. About 5pm; for whatever reason; I notice a very distinct red line running up the inside of my arm up to my elbow. I show it to a friend of mine & SHE freaks. "Omg! You have blood poisoning! Are you Ok? Do you feel like passing out?" Just for the record: Linda, you are not welcome to attend my tattoo update.

I go to the doctor immediately, and, yes; I have "Cellulitis" (sp?).

Apparently, this is nothing to fuck around with. It's one of those illnesses that just kills you for no other reason than you were just stupid not to recognize the symptoms.

I get a shot and antibiotics. I'm told to look for certain things. If any of these happen; I'm to go straight to the ER. Fever, chills, shortness of breath. I'm also supposed to watch the red streak up my arm to make sure it doesn't go any higher.

I go home and spend the rest of the night 1) taking my temp every 10 minutes, 2) trying to distinquish if I'm having chills or it's just fucking cold in here, and 3) paying attention to every breath I take. "Have I always breathed like this? Am I taking short breaths? Who stole all the oxygen in the room???"

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It's Saturday & I'm still alive. I never had any doubt, but, damn; that was pretty scary. Yeah, it was scary.

peace

I haven't run away from home. I had a small (?) health scare this week that requires me to be on complete bed rest with my left arm elevated. (Insert jokes here.)

I hope you're all having a great weekend. I'll update later. With only my right hand typing.

peace

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The fundraiser for Stephanie was a complete success!! And the Improv was, well, fucking hysterical. For those of you not familiar with Improv; it involves actors on stage taking direction from the audience. There is always a director & he sets up the scenes. Keep in mind that there are roughly 60 bartender's in the crowd. The first scene the director set up was, "Everyone on stage is a veterinarian. What question would you have for them?" The first question was, "What is cat-style versus doggie-style?" It was all uphill from there.


peace

And PS to the guy with no sense of humor: I will continue to post whatever pics I want whether they have anything to do with my posts or not until you freakin' sue me. Dick. And that's all I have to say about that.

Where's Murphy when I need her? lol

To the guy that sent me the e-mail admonishing me for posting a couple of pics of women in various states of undress: It's gratuitous, Babe! You're supposed to be thanking me! He also says that I am undermining my site by posting pics like that. That it goes against the "message" I'm trying to send. WHAT? Excuse me; but do I come across as someone that has an AGENDA?

Sorry. I don't even know why I give a second thought to stupid emails like that. Actually; I think it's the same guy that was giving me a hard time last summer about using the word "fuck". I thought he was gone.

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Hope ya'll have a wonderful day! Tonight is the fundraiser for my friend, Stephanie. She blew her knee out skiing a month ago & had to have surgery. She's a bartender & a massage therapist; so she can't work for awhile. Her insurance isn't going to cover all the physical therapy she's going to need.

In addition to the Joe Chiocca Band; our friend, Shawn Westfall, will be performing. He teaches Improv at the DC Improv. The title of tonights show is, "Point and Laugh at Stephanie". I'm thinking it's going to be a pretty "throw-down" evening. Anytime you put roughly 100 bartenders in a room together; there's bound to be a laugh or 1,000.

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If you're in the area & are free tonight; check us out at the "Evening Star" on Mt. Vernon Ave. in Del Ray between 7:30-11:00. After-party at Portner's in Old Town. It's a good cause.

peace

..I'm going away to Spain. When I get my money saved. Gonna start tomorrow.

I'm with Jane.

...should you choose to accept it: Check out Edge at Winding Crooked Trails. He's a very interesting read. Puts words to things most people can't. Enjoy.

should present itself truthfully. It should just say, "Drink Me! But just to let you know; I'm Death in a Glass!".

Whoever decided that red wine & brandy should be mixed together was either a} Really smart because it tastes good or b} Really stupid because it makes you feel like killing yourself or someone else the next day.

I had 4 Sangria's last night. And one shot of Grand Marnier. It is now 11:00pm THE NEXT EVENING. My eyelashes still hurt.

And I am a Professional (bartender, that is) so trust me when I tell you all that sugar leads to nothing but heartache.

(Disclaimer: I am not a Sangria novice. I just got stupid & went pass my 2 drink max where that drink is concerned.)

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I can't even think straight.

peace