Yesterday was too cold for kickball, which really made me sad. It was not, however, too cold for a fabulous cookout. Basically, Allison and I put on big coats and stayed inside as much as possible. The food was excellent, as was the company. Below, me grilling, courtesy of Allison Suggs. This wasn't last night...it's about a week old. I love this picture, though, because you can tell from the swirls how fast I'm moving about.
I love Wizard of Oz. It's in my top 10, and I've seen it probably more than any other movie.
I love Dark Side of the Moon. Heck-I love Pink Floyd, and this album is my favorite.
So, Joe told me that last night they were playing the two at the community theatre (one of my favorite places!) at midnight last night. That's worth clearing a schedule for!
I watched them together a long time ago in a friend's living room, and I've seen a few minutes of it at the theatre before, but never has the coolness struck me like it did last night.
It was completely worth the $5. I've never watched the whole of the movie on a big screen, and it was beautiful. I saw details that I've never seen. And I've seen the movie so many times that I didn't need the words to know what's going on. But it worked so well. I can't for one moment imagine that Pink Floyd didn't do it on purpose, no matter what they say.
The most beautiful scene was when the tornado is touching down. Imagine what you're about to see playing in a beautiful theatre, with great speakers pumping out the song. It was incredible.
I had a great time being away, but not much beats coming home. I love my home. I missed it, and my wireless internet.
On a totally different subject-Jon got me a camera for Christmas that I love, and I've been taking pictures just all the time. Now, I'm sure you know that since I post pictures all the time, but I have even more that never get posted. Soooo...here's a little link for you that will show you my pictures. For some reason, I don't love Flckr too much. I really prefer Google's Picasa Web Albums.
http://picasaweb.google.com/CarmenEckard
And here are some pictures of disc golf. I want to go back today, but it's rainy. And, I've been excited all week about a kick ball game tomorrow...but I think it is going to be freezing cold. Boo. SPRING and I need to have a little talk.
Having not blogged in quite some time, I have a lot to say. I've been putting it off, mostly because some things have happened that I just don't want to talk about yet. But I'll just distract your attention when it comes to those parts, and you won't even notice.
Let's start with the beginning of SPRING Break. Oh, it has been glorious! I don't know if you've noticed, but SPRING has sprung! I don't care that the saying is hopelessly cliché! It's so awesome when it happens that every year I want to write a song. But I don't know how to write songs. I've always wanted to...but I just can't quite do it. Maybe I'll make a SRING resolution: this SPRING, I'll write a song.
I had a beginning of SPRING party last Thursday, to celebrate the first day of the season. Unfortunately, Allison had to work. There really is a shortage of people that we both like enough to have over to our house, so it was a small gathering...but I made fettuccine alfredo from scratch and grilled shrimp to go with it...homemade ice cream and cantaloupe. Really, if you've never been to my house for dinner, you need to do something to remedy that. Then, we just hung out. Matt, Mason, and Herb...we had a fun time with you guys.
The next day wasn't quite so swell. Although the weather was so beautiful that I felt compelled to ride around with my windows down, and walk around down town. I've noticed lately that if I walk around town, I'll run into someone I know. This time, it was Joe, Herb and Jen. The whole day I was bummed because I knew I'd have to go into work.
Hey-look-there's a really weird bird right out your window!
If that didn't distract you, then I'll say this-I'm no longer bartending at McGuires, which is mostly OK, but I'm not really sure what to do about the other things I do there. See, I'm pissed. And I never really handle anger in a positive way. But I'm also stubborn and proud. And I simply can't see how I'll let myself make money for a person when I feel like they are doing me dirty. 'Nough said about that.
So, I suddenly had myself a Friday night free! And I decided that the first order of business was to sit down and have dinner, so Jon brought me a new shirt, and we dined on food that is quickly losing it's charm. Then Joe and Herb came in...they seem to appear out of the blue a lot...and after hearing my story, it was decided that we should all go play disc golf.
Now here I should say...I love going to the park, and I love walking the dog while I'm there, and smelling fresh air and all that...but I've got no love for disc golf. When I was in college, I went to Florida with my then-boyfriend Lynn. We played disc golf at a beautiful park there. Now I know you aren't supposed to catch those things...and I can't remember all of the details...but what I do remember is Lynn hitting me in the middle of my nose with a putter. I still have a little lump on my nose from that frisbee. So, I didn't play...I just walked around, because all of my irrational fears seemed to come into play this week. But, it looked super fun, so I'm sure that I'll play next time. Probably.
Jon's brother Thad got into town when we got home. We hung out for a while, but I had ants in my pants. I had this theory that since I unexpectedly had the night off, it was my responsibility to make the most of it, so sitting on the couch was out of the question. Then Joe called and invited us to go dancing. It seemed perfect to me, but Jon isn't really the “go dancing” type. He looked at me a little bit like I was nuts, but he was precious and sweet enough to send me on my own. We went to City to City, which is a new dance club downtown. The owner, Franky, is really cool, and I run into him all the time. This place is sort of weird...I've noticed that no one of my race and age ever goes there. They have hip hop night, which is a little scary, because they have 6 bouncers. 6! Why could you need 6? I'm scared of a place that needs 6. Then, other nights, they'll have these old people bands, where no one under the age of 40 would really have any reason to be there. This was the kind of night I went on. Joe and I were the only people who were not working and had naturally ungray hair. Not to say we didn't have a fun time...because we did. I danced my little heart out all night, and all the older people kept looking at us and smiling. I'm sad I'll miss this Friday's band.
The next day was spent mostly with me being sad about having to decide on the McGuires issue. I cried all day, as silly as that sounds. My poor husband really has to deal with a lot. I skipped karaoke for the first time since we've started it...and that was a good choice, really. We were able to go to bed early, so we could wake up early to go to Greensboro.
We spent Easter with my mom and step-dad, sister, and my brother's family. It was fun, but that's a lot of people for me to be around non stop. So, Jon and I went for a ride around my mom's neighborhood. That was particularly pleasant, because I love stealing moments with my husband. We had an egg hunt at my mom's and mostly talked a lot. We spent the night there, and came home in time for trivia. Eddie had some sort of surgery, and couldn't come, and Jon stayed home because he's angry and is boycotting the place. So, I was all by myself. Allison, though, being the best friend that has ever existed, helped me plenty and I got through just fine.
Tuesday...DENTIST day. A little background for you, as if this blog entry hasn't been long enough. I'm terrified of the dentist. I used to love the dentist, but some bad experiences got that out of my system. When I was younger, I had this awful surgery where they removed this muscle that goes from the back of your throat, over the roof of your mouth, between your front teeth, and ends at your lip. If you pull your upper lip up to your nose...feel that thing right in the center? I don't have that, and the process of removing it left emotional scars more than anything else. I'm allergic to novocaine, which wasn't discovered until some 12 years later. But novocaine makes me panic...shake, sweat, cry, hyperventilate. These aren't things you want to happen when there is a man standing over you with sharp instruments, you know? I also had a root canal, complete with novocaine, and a very nasty mean dentist. What sealed it for me...my complete fear of dentists, was getting my wisdom teeth removed...just the top two. I was supposed to go back the next month for the other 2, but I just couldn't do it. I've been scared for years. So, I haven't been to the dentist for a regular check up and cleaning since high school. Oh-10 years or so. The wisdom teeth and the root canal were in college, but both at least 6 years ago. My mother in law made me go to the dentist. God bless her, she made me go. I'm pretty sure Jon had her back if I tried to make a run for it too, so I just toughened up and went. And by “toughened up”, I mean I turned into a bowl of jelly, completely at the mercy of the dental professionals. My mother in law is going to Ecuador later this year on a missions trip to help people with really bad teeth. So, she's been volunteering in this office, just so she can be more helpful on her trip. So, she was there, and all the people she worked with were extra nice to me. New technology is awesome, and they were able to take my x-rays, with me in the chair, and they immediately popped up on a screen right in front of me! It was so cool that I forgot to be scared during that part. I remembered quickly, though, the first time anyone touched my teeth.
Long story short (ish), my teeth are in terrible shape. The root canal that was so horrible didn't even work. I have to have another, get those 2 wisdom teeth pulled, and fill 6 cavities, although only 1 is bad enough that I have to fix it pronto. They did this horrible in depth cleaning on my teeth-they gave me 10(!!!) shots in my mouth, and then went to town while I tried very hard to breath and not break off Jon's hand. It wasn't fun. But my teeth are beautiful.
We were going to go to the mountains right after, but I felt a little beat. So, we stayed home that night, doing mostly nothing, and went to bed at 9.
I had to drive myself to the mountains, because Jon is going to Virginia for work after we leave here. It's very very peaceful. Jon's mom and dad have this beautiful house on a bunch of land, surrounded by nothing at all except hills and wild turkey and deer. Yesterday we saw about 5 turkeys walking around, and a little doe hanging out in the mountains. Bertha loves it here...she loves the freedom, and also the creek. Bertha's favorite thing in the world is the creek, I think. So, it's Thursday now. I'm typing out this blog on my computer, but there isn't internet, so who knows what else will happen before I post it.
Ooh-Jon and I waxed my legs again, and they are perfectly smooth and beautiful. It's been a painful couple of days, with the waxing and the dentist...but I'm heading out to the hot tub, so it all seems OK. Have you ever seen a deer while you were in a hot tub? I have, and it's cool!
A very much whole lot has happened since the last time we spoke, internet. Unfortunately, I'm on vacation, and I'm not really up for blogging. Jon and I will be blissfully in the mountains for a few days, and Allison and her man are kindly taking care of our abode. When I return, I promise lots of pictures, and a lot of me writing.
So, I'm considering a major change, but only where my hair is concerned. The thing is, if my hair is long enough to wear in a pony tail, I will. I can't fight it. I have no self control. So, in order for my hair not to look like crap, it has to be short enough that I can't keep it pulled back. I was waiting till I wasn't so fat, so it didn't make my face look like a sausage. I'm not fat now, though...so I think I may do it. I need your help. I'm posting 3 styles I like. What do you think? Please, even if you've never commented before, give me a little help here! Pretty please.
If you know another style, send me a link to a picture!
Please note, my hair is this curly:
I can't wait for spring break. I've been working a smidge too much...Jon and I are going to spend Tuesday-Friday all by ourselves at the mountains at his parent's cabin. I am very excited. Here is a complete list of things to do at the cabin:
Get in the hot tub.
Play in the woods.
Watch movies.
Spend time with the people you're there with.
Sounds perfect...I love all 4 of those things. I just hope I can make it till then.
The Science Center Video-for some reason, I just can't get it posted. I followed all the steps. I'm not sure what's wrong, but perhaps I'll figure it out later.
I love days like yesterday, when I totally am overwhelmed with joy because I married Jon Eckard.
Last night was terrible, miserable, horrible, so bad that I've been considering quitting that place all together today. I don't feel like getting into it now, but let me say this-there are 2 entrances to the bar...one is in the restaurant part, where there were no less than 5 people blocking it all night. The other is in the back, where they spent 2 hours fixing the ice maker, making it impossible to use. There were 4 people working, where a busy Friday only has 2. Katie, the owner was there all night, with her husband, in the back. When owners aren't usually around, and then they are when you're busy...that achieves nothing except making everyone nervous. Have I ever mentioned how much crowds make me nervous? If I'm in charge of the crowd, fine...but me walking around in a crowd of people is never good. I stayed seconds from a panic attack the entire night. I literally could not take 2 steps without having to yell "excuse me". It was the worst night that I can remember right now.
So-this was a doozy of a weekend, but they all are like that lately. Friday, I worked at school and then went to work at McGuires. We were busy. And we were busy for hours. I did, however, make more money than I've ever made working in one night. It's almost vulgar. So, I left at 3, and went home. Some friends came over and stayed till 5. Now, this is of course insane for a woman who is used to getting up at 6, but something happens to me when I work 2 shifts-I lose any desire to eat or sleep.
Saturday, I slept till 3. Yes, 3. As in, the time that I'm normally done with work. I would be embarassed, but I feel like I earned it. Thad, Jon's brother came down from Asheville, and we spent what was left of the day hanging out with him. Karaoke was fine. Not wonderful, but I only had to sing 3 songs, so I can't complain. Left there at 1:30. Slept soundly.
Sunday we had lunch with Jon's folks and Thad. That was nice. Except I ordered oyster stew. Now, I make a mean oyster stew-oysters, cream, butter, salt, pepper. It's very simple. And really really yummy. But the oyster stew at the restuarant...it was hot milk, with nothing else added except for 4 oysters. And they wanted me to eat it, and pay $4. That is not stew! That was simply milk and oysters. Gross. Then, I went to see Godspell, at Hickory Community Theatre and went to Target to get living supplies. Then, as I was driving home, I saw my friend Herb. We went and picked up our friend Joe and had an impromptu cookout. It was awesome. Allison let me make her a grocery list and she went to the store, then we cooked it together. MMM. BBQ chicken, the best baked potatoes I've had in a good long while, corn on the cob and STAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!!! It was very fun. Then, we watched No Country for Old Men. It was a really lovely Sunday.
Mom-I saw this morning that you called last night. I have to work at McGuires tonight, and since it's the only Irish place in town, it's going to be packed, and I probably can't call you back till tomorrow. I will try, though, this afternoon.
Speaking of McGuires, if you live in Hickory, come see me tonight!
Early Sunday morning, Tweetsie Railroad was struck by lightening. The depot burned to the ground. In the depot is a restaurant, a gift shop, a first aid station, and the museum. So many old and wonderful things burned in that museum. The railroad is fine, as is everything except that building. That building also housed the only decent place to eat at that place.
Jon bought me this dress in Saba. It has since shrunk, and it is now too short to wear in public. A stout wind would ruin my day. But, isn't it so Carribean? I love it! Allison took this picture shortly after getting her new camera. I like it much more than her first picture, which is on her blog.
Nothing helps a case of the blehs more than a list of things one is thankful for, so I'm going to make one. In no real order:
1: Jon. I never thought that one person could affect me so profoundly. This man is incredible. Sometimes, he is a healer, sometimes a complete support system, sometimes a dear friend, sometimes my reason for waking up. Always a person that I am thrilled to be married to. I'm very lucky. Very lucky. You know that one song in Sound of Music? "Something Good" That's how I feel. I messed up a lot to get to Jon and he has always been totally accepting of me as I am. I really really love him.
2: My mom. She all but sacrificed her youth to raise me. And I know, like I said, that I've messed up. But I'm good now. And I'm good now because of her love and dedication. Also, she's really fun to spend time with, and I miss her these days. And now, I'm very proud of her. She's going back to college, and she's making straight A's, learning sign language like a fiend. I think it is very cool that she is doing what she's always wanted to now.
3: Allison. I swear these won't all be people...but I'm getting those over with first. Allison has been a life saver. She is my best friend in the world, and if I lived 70 lives, I bet she'd be the best out of all of them. We've known each other for 12 years...lived together for 3 or 4 and been next door neighbors for a couple of those too. And know what? We've never once, not ever ever, gotten in a fight. Not even a little one. She has been there for me every step of the way, and I hope she can say the same thing about me. She has always been a person that I can be totally myself around, and she doesn't seem to mind when whatever "myself" is changes. I just really love her. I think people underestimate the importance of having someone that you can really be yourself around.
4: My whole family. I won' t make this long. I am blessed with a good family.
5: My in-laws. They've made me absolutely welcome in their home and family and lives, and I have no doubt that they love me.
6: My friends. I have a tendency to change friends a lot. My thought has always been that we have limited time, so you should really like someone to spend your time hanging out. And I'm fickle. And I'm terrible at keeping up with someone after they move, or I move. But at this point in my life, I have some good friends. I've got Allison and Matt-they're true to the bone friends. But for once, I have at least 20 people that I wouldn't mind spending the day with. A whole day. That may be the first time in my life that this has happened. I'd make a list, but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings if I leave them out.
7: Bertha. My dog. It's sad, but I like Bertha a lot more than I like most people. I even like her more than I like most of my friends. It's good for her that I like her so much, though, cause that dog is Mommified! She has issues with anxiety, especially if she doesn't know where I am. Or, if it's time for me to come home, and I haven't yet. She just sits in the window and stares. Nothing makes you feel as important as coming home to a rotten dog.
8: Hickory. I love it here, and I think I'll stay. I particularly love the downtown area.
9: My condo. I really think it's darling. And it's right next door to Allison. It's the perfect size for a man and a wife and a dog. I love the way it is decorated. I love how close it is to everything. I love the bathtub, and the bay window. I love the bathroom Jon remodelled.
10: My health. I have my own issues and all, but overall, I think I'm pretty stout. I'm glad. It makes the rest of my life better.
11: Technology. I always used to think that I was born into the wrong generation...that I would do better growing up in the 70s, or even in Ancient Greece. But now I can accept the truth. I love technology way too much. I'm happy to be in this time...to witness all the new technology. Ipods, HD TV, the internet, GPS devices, cell phones. I mean really-these things are way way too good to ever go without again.
12: My relationship with my dad. It was pretty spotty there for a while, but things have changed a lot over the last couple of years. I had to accept that we probably would never have that typical father/daughter relationship. But that's cool, because I'm really not interested in that. The relationship we have now is great-but it's just not typical. But my dad and I are fiercely alike in a lot of ways. And I feel like I really need him in my life. Also, it is important for me to see the personality traits we share in someone else...gives me more perspective. My dad's wife Lori has been integral in fixing this relationship. She's very cool, and I feel indebted to her for help with that.
13: McGuires. I talk about that place a lot. I love it. It really is like cheers. The thing is-I don't drink. Alcohol doesn't really mix well with Carmen. So I'm this girl who doesn't drink, but hangs out at McGuires. And that's fine. Oddly, no one seems to care. And it's this place I can go to really feel welcome. And there is always someone for me to talk to. And always someone who knows my name. Most of my friends, I met there. I met Jon there. Plus, I love working there. Bartending is fun-hard, but enjoyable and lucrative. Karaoke is fun, but trivia is the best. I just love love love it. I'm no longer one of those people who hate Mondays now.
14: My camera. Jon gave it to me for Christmas. I've never been the type to carry around a camera, but I always have this one with me, and I take pictures of everything. I love it, and every single thing about it.
15: My bed. King size. Waterbed, covered by pillowtop. It's got 2 seperate water bags, so Jon's moving doesn't bother me and vice versa. It's heated and awesome. Needs more water, though, which seems like it's going to be a pain. Jon thinks the bed is a little too soft, so sometimes we sleep in the other bed. I like having 2 beds. Keeps things more interesting.
16: Theatre. I was going to specify a particular theatre....but I'll leave it at theatre. It has really shaped my life. Both by giving me an artistic outlet, and by the introduction of countless people into my life. I'm taking a break for now, but it has really shaped my life.
17: My natural talents. I've never really had to work hard at school, or creative endeavors. I feel pretty blessed to be me. I don't mean for that to sound arrogant. I don't mean it that way. But I do feel like there are lots of things that come naturally to me that are difficult for other people.
18: I've moved a lot of places, and I always thought that was bad. But, it made me who I am, and also, more importantly, it taught me valueable coping mechanisms...it taught me how to be charming. You have to be charming to make new friends. And charm is a very valuable thing.
19: I feel comfortable in my own skin. Seems like a given...but I haven't always. I do now, though. This is me. Like me or don't-doesn't matter to me too much either way. Because I like me. And so do Jon and Allison. So there.
20: My job. I love it, and it keeps me real. It's hard to get too uppity when you have to deal with kids and their brutal honesty at every turn in the road. Sometimes it makes me so tired I could cry, but I really like my job a lot.
21: I have a car that takes me from point a to point b without ever breaking down, or even complaining.
22: My pretty things. I like to be surrounded by things I think are pretty. It makes me smile, you know? There isn't a direction I can look in my house without seeing something I think is pretty.
23: Good Food. Yum.
24: The principal at my school. Some people said some things that made me worry. But when I got here, I realized those people aren't even people I like...so why was I listening to them? My principal has a distinct style, and I like it. I haven't ever worried if she secretly hates me. She puts it on the table. She says what others leave hanging in the air. I do that too...and I've learned that it makes some people resent you. But who cares what those idiot people think? I love her style. My old principal...I knew she didn't like me, but only because she treated me unfairly. She never once told me why or gave explanation...I just love this new one's personality. I feel like I'm on even ground, and I know where I stand. Also, if she starts to dislike me, I will know it, and I will know why. I just like that.
25: Hope/Faith/Love. It all keeps me going. I know it will get better as I go, and that's cool.
Once again, my classroom smells like freshly deposited poop. People have been coming by my room all morning just to smell. I am not amused, one little bit.
Last night was fun. Jon and I ordered pizza, and just hung out. Allison came over and she had just gotten her new camera. It's pretty fancy schmancy. Then, our sweet tooths kicked in and we created these delicious cinamin sugar things with ice cream and good whipped cream. Yummy. Matt came over and we watched No Country For Old Men. Even though I've never seen it, and it was really good, I fell asleep half way through, then crawled up to bed. While Allison and Jon were playing with Allison's new camera, I played with mine. Below are some things that I like about my house, plus a few of Allison.
How did we live without ipods, and downloadable music? It is so cool that I can think "I'd love to hear..." and I can download that song in less than a minute, and take it with me to school, play it in my car, play it at mcguires and in my living room...all carried around in a tiny case with as many as 40,000 other songs. Remember when we had to go to the store and buy a tape, which would get eaten within the year? Those were not the days! Can you imagine what they'll have 10 years from now?
Kid 1: Mrs. Eckard! He said the F word!
Me: Oh no. Why did he do that?
Kid 1: He got mad.
Me: Oh. Well, come here (kid 2).
Kid 2: I didn't say that! I didn't!
Me: Well, can you spell for me what you said he said, (kid 1)?
Kid 1: F- R- E- A- K- I- N- G.
Me: Oh.
And in case you were wondering..."the S word" is often "stupid".
Although this one time, I was teaching Kindergarten and there was this kid who didn't speak a lick of English. He was Chinese, and couldn't even tell you that he had to go to the bathroom. Sometimes, he could understand what you said, but he just couldn't get words out of his mouth. So this boy made him mad in class and he flipped him off. So, I said, "Darling, do you know what that means?" His enthusiastic response? "Yes! It mean F@$%* you!"
Sometimes it's really really hard not to laugh when you know you shouldn't.
A kindergartener was just walking out my door and yelled back "Mrs. Eckard, you look like you're having a baby soon." This would always be discouraging, but especially when I've lost 20 pounds recently. I'm hoping it's the shirt...it's one of those empire shirt dealies.
Groan.
I did not have a good night Saturday. First, some idiot left a nasty note in one of my books, and it hurt my feelings. Then, some random guy no one new came in and sat near my table. I kept my eye on him, because he was sending off sketchy vibes. I did not, however, keep a close enough eye. When my back was turned, he unhooked my ipod from my karaoke equipment, stuck it in his pocket and left. Not fun. I called the police, because I knew his name and where he said he was going-he left an acquaintance at the bar. No luck, though. His acquaintance said he was a homeless crack head-isn't that nice? So, it's probably already been traded for a rock. I have a really good support system. I have great friends, and I feel like the people at McGuires were awesome about the whole thing. What really stinks is that I feel violated-unsafe, I guess. I haven't felt that way here before. I'll be more careful in the future.
Now, Friday I got my new awesome portable speaker for my ipod. And Saturday the ipod was stolen. Isn't that nice? The good news is, I decided that an ipod is necessary to be able to carry the same music to my classroom, karaoke, trivia, and my living room. So I got another. And it holds 80 GB-that's so much! It also shows the album art every time you play a song. So so very cool.
Today has been much better-we haven't done much. We slept very late, and bought the new ipod. Then we had dinner with Matt-BBQ chicken on the grill, corn, salad, and green beans with almonds.
Tonight is the season finale of Breaking Bad, which is riveting. I'm so excited, but a little sad that it will be over.
Speaking of shows being over-Six Feet Under left me feeling very satisfied.
On a final note, if you ever see a homeless crackhead in down town Hickory with dread locks, and he answers to the name of Aaron-he probably has an ipod he could sell you.
So Jon and I were going to watch a movie and cook dinner with our friend Herb last night. Instead we cooked dinner (which was really good-Homemade pimento cheese burgers grilled on a charcoal grill with potatoes and fruit and tomatoes and onions. Yummy!) and played dominoes. And Herb's roommate Jeremy joined us too. I had never played dominoes, but I'm happy to report that it was a fun game, and I won. :)
Tonight-McGuires for 9 hours!! Come see me there! Doug is on vacation and I'm working with a lady I hardly know, so I'm hoping to have some friends come in so I'll stay chipper.
I am not irritated with any particular restaurant or establishment. I am irritated with one person and one person only. And I feel a lot better about it today.
As I've been going through my day, I've been getting increasingly irritated about the situation I mentioned earlier. I won't be giving any details-I'm not even going to say where I was. But, I can't believe that someone would have the nerve to scold for talking, in a restaurant. It wasn't even said to me...just about me and my friends. But I think this-we're grown ups. If you've got a problem, if my talking is bothering you, then you should probably mention it instead of being rude about it later. I'm madder now than I was when this happened. Now that I've had time to digest it, it's under my skin a lot more.
One thing that I wish people would understand...no matter what you're hosting or performing in a restaurant or club, the point is to get people in the door. People who will spend money and leave tips and have a good time and tell their friends. Anything that is a break down in that system is a problem, right? Had my table of "talkers" not been in the restaurant, there would have been perhaps 10 people there, and most of them played. So, I feel like these priorities are all out of wack. As a paying customer, I should be treated nicely, and not be made to feel guilty for talking. Really, is what they want for us to go and sit in silence and listen to people play their own songs? I'd rather stay home if that's the case. I mean, if something is excellent, I'll shut up and listen, but it is my right to talk. And I teach audience etiquette as part of my curriculum at school. I understand the whole not talking thing. But the venue is a large part of the situation...in a restaurant, where I come to eat, silence isn't an expectation. At a theatre or concert, perhaps it is. But then, I bought a ticket specifically to see and hear people, and I know what I'm in for. It's just different, and I want to throw a whip cream pie in someones face over this.
The other thing that irritates me...I host trivia and karaoke. I teach school all day. People are ALL THE TIME talking over me. I've learned a couple things about this. First, if I'm being interesting enough, they don't talk. So maybe this person could have been more interesting. Second, it's not personal. People have brains and they want to talk and share what their brains are thinking. It's not an insult to me personally if people talk. But you can't be a jerk about it. You just can't. That's a breakdown of that whole system I was talking about. Get people in the door-they spend money-they tip-they have fun-they leave and come back with their friends. I can't imagine that I'll want to go back on a Wednesday night to this place. So, there goes revenue from me, and the friends that were with me. We'll go spend our cash somewhere else, and I wish that the whole thing wouldn't have happened.
Who lives in Arizona? I see you on my stats, and I'm so flattered. I just have to know!
Carmeneckard@gmail.com
Apparantly, I used up my entire days worth of energy by noon. Now I want to take a nap. But is it just me, or does a nap screw everyone up? If I take a nap, I'm so cranky that the people around me want to hit my face. I've typically found it better to just caffeinate and go to bed a little earlier.
Tonight is song writer's night at McGuires, and I love to go to that. It's very nice hearing a bunch of good quality music that I don't know. Mike Long will play, and Joey and Herb, and other people hopefully. Me...I'll listen if I can stay awake that long. I can't write songs. I've tried. Seems like something I should be able to do. But I can't. Oh well.
"Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Best line ever. So how sad is this:
Patrick Swayze has cancer and only has 5 weeks to live. The National Enquirer claims Patrick has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that has spread to other organs. Oh my.
So this girl comes up to me, serious and wide eyed: "Mrs Eckard. I have 2 questions."
I'm expecting something good, or at least slightly serious.
"I have a bird feeder and blue jays always come and eat there."
And then she walked off.
Last night was so much fun. I got out of school exhausted, and thought I wouldn't be able to make it through the night. Then, Jon and Allison and I went to McGuires to eat dinner, because we had about $70 in gift certificates. Matt came to see us, and Herb was there, and we had quite the enjoyable time. At some point, I perked up, and then I had no desire to go to sleep.
(Side note-I have no idea what's going on with my sleeping and eating schedule. It's been sort of bizarre.)
So after we hung out there, we went back to my house to watch a documentary. It was about coorporations. It was kind of scary, and gave me something else to worry about. I can't remember what it's called, but if I remember, I'll post it.
I had a fun fun time, though.
I realized recently that I'm happier than I've ever been. That's always a cool thing to realize.
I've got a great dog. I've got a really wonderful husband. I have a best friend that most people would kill for. I have a really cute place to live that's just how I like it. I have a good car, so I never have to worry anymore that I'll be stranded on the side of the road.
All that stuff has been great for a while. But some recent additions to my life have made me go from happy to pretty close to blissful.
My job, you know. It's awesome. I have the opportunity to be really creative. Did you know that I was voted Most Creative in my senior class? I was very honored. I also get to move around a lot, and be silly, and work with technology. The women I work with here are really cool, too. Just nice, which is such a breath of fresh air.
And McGuires. Now, I can't really explain my relationship with that place. It's very "Cheers" like, and I feel a real sense of belonging. Trivia is my favorite. I love it, and last night really made my heart happy. I love that I know all of those people-they know me-and I love that it's something we do every week that we all love. I moved around a lot as a kid, and didn't have a real sense of one place being "home" and I think that must have something to do with my McGuires feelings. And working there Fridays is incredible. Again, I enjoy it, but they give me money! I love when that happens. And karaoke-it's up and down, but overall it's fun. I really like singing new songs for people, and I'm finally learning some new ones this week.
But I get so many gift certificates there in a week. And before I started working Fridays, that was fine, because we ate there a lot, and we could spend them. But, when I started working, Jon and I both get 50% off our food...which makes it hard to spend all that money. So we have to go there a lot so we don't waste it. Which contributes to the feelings of belongings, and just makes it all more fun. I love that Jon can go out of town for a few days, and I can feel safe, and have people to hang out with.
I've recently opened up my world just a little and made some new friends. Used to be, I only wanted to hang out with Allison, Matt and Jon. And that's still very fun, but my jobs have encouraged me to make a few new friends. Like:Doug, Sam, Joey, Donnie, Herb, Shannon (from school-I love her), Joe, Eddie, and Mike, in no particular order. It's nice to have some people to like! I haven't liked this many people all at the same time since high school. If you're one of those people, you should know...I really dig you, and you can hang out with me any old time.I think McGuires has a tendency to attract pretty cool people, but these are my favorites, I guess.
In the past, when I've felt this happy, I've had a feeling underneath it all that it was fleeting. But now, I kind of don't. I feel like I'm happy becuase I deliberately adjusted my life around things that make me happy. Life is good.
I would like to apologize to this group. They won last week, and I forgot who won, and didn't post correctly. Starting from the left, it's Jeremy, Justin, I just forgot this dude's name (I'm sorry dude), Joe, and Herb.
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A song I'm working on. Sounds horrible for 2 reasons...it's recorded using a phone and I haven't really learned it. But, how cool that I can post it!
I'm coming out of this weekend more tired than I went into it. I hate it when that happens. I really didn't enjoy Jon being gone, but he'll be home soon. I did figure out part of the reason I stay so busy, though. I really don't like to be alone too very often.
So, my plan for the weekend was to spend as little time as possible at home, and it worked. I caught up with several friends which was good. I went shopping with my good friend Shannon, and bought a darling dress.
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