Happy Halloween

I'm not going to get a chance to post tomorrow, because they're working me all day at the restaraunt. There won't be any Fun Time for me tomorrow. By the time I get outta there I'll be too tired to go out.
They wanted me to wear a costume at work today. I was thinking "You must be nuts!" They really expected me to wear a costume while I'm running aroung working for 8-10 hours! No way!

Found out my buddy Fireguy is going to be taking a trip to Baltimore sometime soon.
YAY!
I haven't seen him in over 3 years, so a visit from him would be most welcome.

Mirror, Mirror

I just came across The Google "Mirror" Site
Don't ask me what it's for, or what it's purpose is.
It works, but you have to type your searches backwards.

Weird.

The Formula

Have you ever read a mystery or suspense novel and skipped to the end to find out "whodunnit"? Or tuned in to the last 15 minutes of a movie you've never seen before?
Not very satisfying was it? There's a reason for that.

TS x EI = AS

Time Spent multiplied by your Emotional Investment equals the Amount of your Satisfaction

This formula isn't just for books or movies, though. It applies to almost anything.
This is why (in my opinion) long-term relationships are more satisfying than one night stands.
Instead of passion being spent, it's invested.

What's Going On

• You can now subscribe to the Wonder Blog. Just enter your email in the box to the left and you'll recieve a notice in your inbox every time I post something new.
  Pretty cool, huh?
• That feeling I had that "something bad" was going to happen went away. I guess it was my imagination after all. It was still pretty unnerving, though.
• I haven't been out clubbing since Tuesday night, but you know what? I don't feel like I'm missing anything. There was a time, not so long ago, that I was out at a bar or club every single night. When you're out all the time, it ceases to be something special and quickly becomes the Same Old Thing. It's definitely not good when that happens!

Tape That!

Super-adhesive, waterproof, tough, and . . . wearable?
New fashions made from Duct Tape.

Give Me Something To Do

A project! A project! There’s nothing better than a project!
Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, right?
That’s why I’m totally psyched at Gadfly’s music-exhange mix-album idea.
I’m waiting for more details with baited breath.
(You know, I never did understand that expression!)

This week’s Friday Five--Halloween:

1. What is your favorite scary movie?
The Exorcist. To this day, if I watch that movie in a darkened room, it scares the willies out of me.

2. What is your favorite Halloween treat?
Candy corn.

3. Do you dress up for Halloween? If so, describe your best Halloween costume.
I’ve never been a big one for costumes. I dressed up as Riff-Raff from Rocky Horror once. That was probably my best costume.

4. Do you enjoy going to haunted houses or other spooky events? I enjoy them, but they don’t scare me.

5. Will you dress up for Halloween this year?
Nope. I haven’t dressed up in 7 years or so. Kind of grew out of that, I guess.

A Brand New Day

I woke up today feeling totally refreshed and energized. It's amazing how fresh, clean, and brilliant this world looks when you've had enough sleep!

The singing birds lift my spirits.
Their joyousness gives me strength.

I woke up a few minutes before my husband and just lied there and watched him sleeping.
So beautiful. So handsome.
Mine.

I looked at you across that narrow yet infinite expanse of space between us. All the diamonds in the world sparkle behind your closed eyes, hiding from me. In your breath was the ebb and flow of the universe. Waves of calm washed against the shores of my soul. With you I am complete.

To know you are loved and to love in return is one of life's most precious gifts.
I am more lucky than I know.
Joy is not in things, it is in us.
Laughter is the song of the angels.

A bird does not sing because he has an answer. He sings because he has a song.

Thank You

I had a great day yesterday. It was all I could ask for and more.
I have a killer hangover though! Every time I turned around there was a shot or a drink in front of me. When I got up this afternoon I felt like I needed to shave the fur off my tongue. I'm not complaining, though. I had a ball.

Off tonight, thank goodness. I don't think I'd be all that friendly if I had to wait tables tonight.

A very special "Thank You! to a special guy and a very sweet girl who sent me "Happy Birthday" emails yesterday!

Happy Birthday To Me

I'll blog soon and let you know how it went.

Since I missed the last Friday Five, Here’s the Tuesday Too:

Tuesday Too # 34

1.) What would you like the world to spend research money on (inner space, outer space, stem cell, you name it research), and why do you give it top priority?
AIDS. More money needs to be spent finding a cure. Why? It’s deadly, that’s why!

2.) Where's the beef, Carmen Miranda, or what's bugging you lately?
A bunch of stupid little things. For example, I’m trying to let my hair grow long, but it’s driving me crazy; I got a new pimple today on my chin; I’m almost out of razor blades and toothpaste so I have to go to the store whether I like it or not. Stuff like that.

3.) Elliott would like to know, do you type without looking at the keyboard; in other words, are you a hunt and peck (in his case that would be hunt and claw), or a "true typist?"Definitely “hunt and peck” method. I type pretty fast, though!

Rainy Days . . . Mondays . . . BLEH!

I was in such a good mood when I woke up today and then I made the mistake of looking out the window.
What a crappy day! It's all overcast, dreary, and drizzly.
I shut the blinds and put my Gorillaz CD on and now I'm feeling much better.

aven't made any plans for my birthday (which is tomorrow). I'm just going to go out and have fun locally.
I'm not going to get all excited over it, or make a big deal about it. I'm just going to get as much enjoyment out of it as I can.

All these anti-smoking ads, billboards, and TV commercials are starting to make me feel like a pariah!
Maybe they're trying to tell me something?

I just added "comments" to the blog.
Feel free to speak your mind.

"Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there
With open arms and open eyes.
Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there. I'll be there."
--Incubus
"Drive"

I Know There's Something Going On

Have you ever gotten that creepy kind of feeling that something really bad was going to happen?
I have for the past day or so. I have aboloutley nothing to base it on. Nothing that I could put before you and say "Here! This is what it is!"
It's making me really jumpy, though. Normally, I'd say it was caused by too much caffeine, but I really haven't had much caffeine lately.
Hopefully, it's nothing but my over-active imagination.

I've been getting sick of my usual drinks and have been trying some new things. Ever had a "slimeball"?
No, it's not what you're thinking! It's a cocktail! Here's how it's made:

Slimeball:
2 parts vodka (your choice of brands)
1 part Midori or other melon-flavored liqueur)
1 part 7-Up or Sprite
Serve over the rocks in a cocktail glass.
It's very refreshing.

Wild Abandon

I cleaned like a maniac and the apartment is beautiful.
Absoloutly gorgeous.
I'm waiting for the people from Better Homes and Gardens to come over and take pictures even as I write this.
Well, not really. But the place does look stunning.

I didn't do anything Thursday but clean.
So much for "abandoning myself to living".
Stupid horoscope. It shows you how accurate those things are.

I went out last night to The Allegro and had the best time I've had in awhile.
I was dancing to Kylie's song "Love at First Sight" and the sweat was just flying off my brow! I felt like I was in the new Bally's Total Fitness commercial.
Exhilerating!

They played the new Madonna song "Die Another Day".
Some guy standing next to me asked "Who is this playing?"
's the new Madonna song." I told him.
"Madonna has a new song?" he asked.
"Yeah," I replied, "It's the theme from the new James Bond movie."
"There's a new James Bond movie?" he asked.
Every time I start to think I'm not down with what's current, something like this happens that lets me know, yeah, I'm on top of it.

I didn't drink too much last night, so I feel pretty OK. Don't have any real "plans" for today.
I'm just going to play it by ear.

Running Into People

I decided around midnight to go out for a cocktail. I didn't dress up and I didn't even do my hair. Of course, that's the time I run into everybody. I went to the Allegro and it was actually pretty fun. Josie Foster (out of drag) was the bartender. Jason was there and I talked to him briefly. Shawn was there, but he was on his way out as I was coming in, so I didn't see much of him. I met Josie's friend Sarah, who I mistook for a drag queen at first because of all the makeup she wore, but it turns out she was a real girl after all. She was really nice. D'Marje was there out of drag. Since I came out so late, before I new it Last Call had arrived, so I had to leave. I saw Eric (from the Young Men's Survey) walking down the street with his friends on my way home. He's let his hair grow some--it looked good. I had fun. It was just the tonic I needed after all that working.

I need to spend some of this day off working around the house, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathroom, etc. (oh, joy!)
Well, the sooner I get started, the sooner it'll get done.

Checked my horoscope this morning and this is what it said:

Libra
The stars and the fairies are in a wonderful sort of competition for your love and admiration dear Libra. They shower an incredible amount of love on you. Use this love to get lost in the wild, wild atmosphere today. Today, you can do absolutely anything you please. You're going to laugh in the face of convention, taboos, and danger. You needed someone to listen to you and support you, and now you can just abandon yourself to living!

I'm going to go "abandon myself to living" now. I'll be thinking of this phrase while I'm scrubbing out the toilet.

Say My Name, Say My Name!

Worked hard the last 2 days, but it's over (for now), and I just want to forget about it and enjoy my night off tonight and my day off tomorrow.

What to do? I'm considering going out tonight, but I don't know if I feel like it.
I'll see how I feel later and decide then.

I took another one of those silly tests.

My pirate name is: Red James Flint

Passion is a big part of my life, which makes sense for a pirate. Like the rock flint, I'm hard and sharp.
But, also like flint, I'm easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

What's your pirate name?

Some Days Are Better Than Others - Part 2

I ran into Bernie downtown yesterday. He's one of those people you see in the clubs who you're friendly with, but you never see or talk to any other time. I didn't even notice him. I was headed toward the Light Rail to go to work, boppin' along to the song in my head ("Family Affair", by Mary J. Blige), lost in my own little world when I heard "YO! JIMMY!" so I turn around and there he was. I'm like, "Oh! Hi!!" It was very odd to see him in daylight without a beer in his hand. So we stood there and chewed the fat for a little while. He said he was going to Central Station later because all Smirnoff drinks were only $2 and asked me was I going. I said I didn't know, but I doubted it. He said he'd keep an eye peeled for me anyway. We had stood so long talking that I missed the train I was trying to catch by 1 minute and had to wait 9 minutes for the next one. Luckily, I always leave a little early so that wasn't a problem.

Well, I got to work and it was a madhouse in there. Tips were terrible. If it weren't for the fact that gratuity is automatically added to the check if there's 8 or more people to a party I would've hardly made anything.

I didn't go to Central Station after all. The idea of showering, finding an outfit, and doing my hair just to go out for an hour or so didn't seem worth it. They'll be other nights.
Instead, I stopped at the liquor store and got a half-pint of Captain Morgan and a 2 liter of Coke and sat around in my jammies and played Nintendo.

Today is Columbus Day, and I have no idea if were going to be busy tonight at the restaraunt. I guess I'll know soon enough after I get there. Some things you just can't predict.
Looking forward to Thursday--my day off.

"Brother, Sister too: Do what you must do.
Don't trust people you meet.
They might promise you that the river ain't deep."
--Gorillaz
"New Genious"

Some Days Are Better Than Others

So tired, and my back hurts. They rocked me last night at the restaraunt, and I've got another dose of the same tonight.
I had the sweetest thing happen to me last night. I was waiting on this guy and his 2 small sons. One was in a highchair, and the other was around 4 or 5 years old. They guy was really nice, and his children were really polite. the kind of people it's a genuine joy to wait on, you know? Anyway, I gave them good service (like I usually do) and when they were ready to leave the older boy comes to the waiter's station (where I was), looks up at me with these big blue eyes and says "Thank you Mister Jimmy for being so nice to us." and holds his arms out for a hug. I swear, it almost brought tears to my eyes.
Then later on this group of 5 guys came in and they had shaved heads, tattoos everywhere and multiple peircings and all the other servers were like "I hope they don't sit in my section!", but I was hoping they'd sit in mine 'cause 3 of them I considered pretty hot. (*WOOF!*) Turns out they did sit in my area. All the servers were telling me things like "You're probably not going to get a good tip from them." and "They're probably going to run you to death.", but I ignored what they said and gave them the same good service I would give anyone.
You know what? They were as nice as could be and left a pretty hefty tip.
I had fun gloating to all the others bout it. "See how wrong you were about those guys?" This why it is never wise to judge soley on apperances.

The Serial Sniper (who comes up with these names?) is stalking people around the Maryland area. It's all people are talking about. You can't turn on the TV without an "Important Update on the Serial Sniper Crisis!" I hope they catch him soon, not only to stop the killing and senseless violence, but also because I'm tired of hearing about it.

There haven't been any mouse corpses in the sticky traps I put around the apartment, so that means either the mouse left, or the sticky traps I'm using suck. If I don't hear him, see him, or find any evidence he still here I'll just let it be. But just let him show his whiskers around my place again and I'm getting the SNAP! kind of trap that was reccomended by someone who knows.

"Work it harder. Make it better.
Do it faster. Makes us stronger.
More than ever. Hour after hour.
Work is never over."
--Daft Punk
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger"

Devoloution

• Unfortunately, I had to revert back to an earlier version of the Wonder Blog to fix the problem I was having. The only explaination I can think of is when I was doing the HTML I added something I shouldn't or accidently deleted something I shouldn't. The page was totally unreadable. Anyway, it's fixed now, so I can breathe easier!
• Heard from my buddy Fireguy, which was such a relief. He said he's passing all his tests (he didn't say "with flying colors", but he probably is) that he has to take for his training. Got to remember to call him sometime soon.
• No plans yet for my Birthday. I better figure out something soon, it's only 9 days away!

"I can tell you fancy, I can tell you plain
You give something up for everything you gain
Since every pleasure's got an edge of pain
Pay for your ticket and don't complain."
--Bob Dylan

Killer Queen

Haven't had much blogging time lately, so here's the scoop on stuff that's going on. (The Reader's Digest condensed version.)

Tuesday:

I decided to go out, even though I didn't expect much, it being Tuesday and all. The first stop was the Allegro. I know I said I wasn't going to hang there much, but Tuesday is "Service Industry" night and cocktails were only $1 each. I couldn't resist a bargain like that. The cheap drinks weren't enough to make me stay for long, though. It was like a ghost town in there: myself, the bartender, and two others. They need to find a way to increase their business or they're gonna close down soon, I just know it. It's a shame, really. The Allegro used to be such a fun place.
*sigh*
Anyway, The next stop was Central Station. It was Karaoke Night there, hosted by the biggest loudmouth drag queen in Baltimore, Tia Chambers. I usually avoid it at all costs, but believe it or not, there wasn't anything else going on. It was OK. I spent most of the time upstairs in the video bar to avoid all the wailing and caterwauling. Aside from the bartender singing Shakira at me ("I'll be there and you'll be near--and that's the deal my dear!") and a cute barback accidently spilling beer on me, nothing exciting happened. I stayed 'til Last Call and then went home and slept like a big ol' snorin' baby.

Wednesday:

I had to go back to work Wednesday. It was pretty much uneventful. Work's been kind of slow lately. After work I went to Blockbuster and rented the DVD, Dahmer. It was about Jeffrey dahmer, the serial killer, of course, and it really was Worth Seeing. It wasn't as gory as I expected, which was good. The movie makes you get into Dahmer's head and it's a very creepy place to be. I hadn't heard a whisper of this movie, so I was surprised when I saw it there.

Thursday:

Worked a day shift that day. It was supposed to be a double, but they didn't need me after all. I debated on whether or not I wanted to go to The Hippo for Men's Night, but I decided against it. Instead I ended up going to Leon's for a couple of drinks. You can say what you want about Leon's (and most people do), but I love that place. You don't feel like you have to put on your best clothes, or even do your hair to go there. And the bartenders are really friendly, too. (Thanks for everything, Doris!)

Today:

I work again tonight. In fact, I gotta start getting ready soon.

Just for the hell of it, here's another Friday Five:

1. If you could only choose 1 CD to ever listen to again, what would it be?
Blondie, "Greatest Hits"
2. If you could only choose 2 movies to watch ever again, what would they be?
Fight Club, andThe Warriors. ("Can you dig it?")
3. If you could only choose 3 books to read ever again, what would they be?
Valley of the Dolls, by Jaqueline Susann, Slaughterhouse Five and Breakfast of Champions, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinliein.
4. If you could only choose 4 things to eat or drink ever again, what would they be?
White Castle cheeseburgers, McDonald's french fries, Pizza Hut's pizza, and Starbuck's Frappachino (Caramel Flavor).
5. If you could only choose 5 people to ever be/talk/associate/whatever with ever again, who would they be?
My mother and father, my buddy Fireguy, my friend Ralph, but most of all, my husband.

Mmmmmwhah!

A pic of boys kissing for today's post.

I love romance.

Makeover

As you will probably notice, there's a new look to the Wonder Blog. I thought that since this blog will be six months old tomorrow (YAY!), a change was in order.

Some of the archives are a little messed up in the process, though. I'll be figuring out the bugs and fixing it soon.
Got a lot of things to take care of today. During the next nine days when I'm working so much I won't have a chance, so I'd better get them over with now. *groan*

I Crack The Whip And You Skip, But You Deserve It

Didn’t sleep well again the night before last, but I slept like the dead last night and I feel great. Wondering why I’ve been having problems sleeping sometimes lately. That never used to happen before.
Anyway, stuff that’s going on:

• Off the next two days, but then I’m working the next 9 days in a row starting on Wednesday. Some of then are double shifts, too. My poor tired feet! I’m going to be SO EXHAUSTED, but hopefully I’ll have made some really good money, so it will be worth it.
• Definitely not working on my birthday, which is such a relief. I half-expected something would happen where they were going to tell me I had to work and that would’ve been a big ol’ mess, ‘cause I won't do it.
  Now I just have to figure out how I want to celebrate.
• I’m thinking of changing my blog template, so don’t be surprised if one day soon this page looks a little different. I haven’t found a template yet that screams out “Yes! Use me! I’m the one you want!” They’re all either too ugly, too cutesy, or too plain. I’m still looking, though.
• I should be promoted to Crew Leader at work soon, so I’ll totally be in charge of the servers.
  (sound of whip cracking)
  “Work harder, you filthy maggots!”
  HA! Should be fun!

From the Pseudo Dictionary:

sausage party - A social gathering where the ratio of men to women is extremely high.

ex. Let's get outta this place. It's just one big sausage party.

Top Ten

I took a poll of the servers at my restaurant and some other servers I know and came up with a list of things that annoy servers the most. This is the top ten, arranged least offensive to most:

Top 10 Pet Peeves Of Servers

10. Bad manners. Talking with your mouth full, belching loudly, chewing with your mouth open, not using utensils, etc. ugh! For Jah’s sake, people! Were you raised by wolves?

9. Boisterous people. If I can hear you all the way across the restaurant without even trying then you’re being too loud. Turn the volume down a little.

8. Rude people. Servers are there to serve you and make your meal as pleasurable an experience as possible. We are not there to be ordered around like slaves or for you to take your aggressions out on.

7. Impatient people. An extra well-done steak will take a little longer, as will special orders. Deal with it, OK?

6. Unsupervised children. Parents, ride herd on your little ones or the might get accidentally trampled by servers dashing to the kichen. I've had several close calls when children darted in front of me without warning.

5. Messy people. When you leave the area around your table should not look like a war zone unless you have several small children. Do you make that kind of mess at home?

4. “Happy Birthday.” Gathering all the servers together to sing "Happy Birthday" can be frustrating when it’s busy, and hard on the ears since there isn’t one of us that can carry a tune. This might not seem like a big deal, but sing “Happy Birthday” 10-15 times a day and see if it doesn’t start to get annoying.

3. Chronic complainers. If you don’t like something, by all means send it back. I wouldn’t want someone eating something they don’t like. But there are some people you just can’t satisfy no matter what you do. This is annoying only because we’re there to make the customer’s dining pleasurable, and they are not letting us.

2. Leaving a small tip. The average tip should be 15-20% of the total bill. If the check comes to $24.96, 15% of that is $3.75, which is an OK tip. $5 (20%) is even better, especially if the service was good.

1. No tip. This is the worst! Every server I asked rated this as #1. It’s insulting to give good service and be left nothing. If you can’t afford to leave a tip then you shouldn’t be eating in a restaurant. Go to McDonald’s.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

I finally got rid of all the ants that had somehow gotten into the apartment, so I was feeling good that the place was now Free Of Vermin. So imagine my dismay when I saw a little gray mouse in the kitchen yesterday. He would have been kind of cute if I saw him in a cage, but I don't want him in the apartment.
It's my opinion that if you're not paying rent and you're not invited, then you have no business being there.
I went out and got some sticky traps and now they're placed in strategic places around the apartment, especially the kitchen.

Planning a trip to this farm in Anne Arundel county to get a giant pumpkin sometime soon, so I can make a Jack O' Lantern.
I make one every year. It's just not Halloween to me without one.

Friday Five: Shoes

1. What size shoe do you wear?
Size 10 ½ - 11 depending on the shoe.

2. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Not very many. Around 8 pairs, I guess.

3. What type of shoe do you prefer (boots, sneakers, pumps, etc.)?
I prefer sneakers, but I’ll wear any kind if it’s comfortable.

4. Describe your favorite pair of shoes. Why are they your favorite?
I have a pair of Addidas shell-tops that I’ve had for about 5 years. They are definitely my favorite because they are so comfortable and broken-in.

5. What's the most you've spent on one pair of shoes?
I spent a little over $100 for my red and white Nike high-tops. I saw them in a store when I was in Jersey City, NJ and I just couldn’t resist them. Usually I wait for a sale or a discount or something. I don’t shop for new shoes until the ones I have are unwearable.

I'm BUTCH, Dammit!

I haven't shaved in a day an a half and someone remarked on it.
He: "Wow, you're gettin' kinda scruffy there. It makes you look . . . manly!"
Me: "Yeah! I'm butch!"
He: "No, I said you look butch. There's a difference!"

I found a neat site with pretty scary photos of the fashion disasters of yesteryear.
Prepare yourself!
It Came From the 1971 Sears Catalog!

Chillin' Out

• Spent the morning polishing my bracelets and my other jewelry. I like to do that from time to time. Don't want to be out and about looking dull.
• My archives are back, so I'm much better now. I was getting pretty frustrated for awhile there. *whoo!*
• Haven't heard from my buddy Fireguy in awhile. Hope he's OK.
• Off today from work, so I'm gonna check my email and then see what kind of trouble I can get into!

Bent

• Trying not to get totally bent 'cause my muthafuggin' archives disappeared again. I tried republishing, rearchiving, and troubleshooting--to no avail. I was thinking that upgrading to Blogger Pro might prevent this in the future, but posts on the message board suggest that isn't so. I'm annoyed but I'm not going to let it get to me.
• Went to the salon for a new hair-do. It was way past time for it. My hair was getting so long I started to resemble one of the Beatles. The stylist did a pretty good job. I've decided to let the top grow long so I can pull it back in a 'tail. It's going to take a good 3 or 4 months of letting it grow before it gets long enough, though.
• Don't have much time 'cause I have have laundry to do and then I have to get ready for work.