May 15-18, 2010

Hey, four whole days. That's a new record. Luckily, nothing even the slightest bit interesting happened in the past four days. If it did, I didn't notice it. Gloom gave way to exhaustion, as the weekend turned out to be pretty damn busy. Went out drinking with Joejums Sunday night and spent all day Monday hungover, and stayed up all last night watching current and vintage "Doctor Who". Not quite as gloomy and down as I have been, but I'm not planning on leaving the house tonight. I got a boatload of movies from Netflix to catch up on and, in any event, I simply do not want to leave my room. In fact, I wish I could get someone to cook for me for once. Ah, well.

May 13-14, 2010

I remain in a gloomy mood, but not quite the nasty suicidal one from the other day. Still, I'm not happy and I have no idea what to do about it. Everyone has ideas, of course, but I don't understand how to just all of the sudden start dating or figure out something useful to do with myself. It'd be nice if I had one person to talk to, but I don't feel comfortable even bothering Jaybee or Little Brother with... what? I can't even express it.

Oh, well.

May 11-12, 2010

Fuck this shit, man. This just isn't worth the effort.

I woke up in a bad mood this morning, and before I could get myself in a better mood, I got a call from Junior. He had to go to his baby brother's confirmation and needed me to pick up his shift. Being the sap that I am, I of course said yes. Therefore, I only got one day off and won't be off again until probably Tuesday. Which means, given how irritating work is lately, I'll be in a shit-ass mood for at least four days.

I'm not having fun. I'm miserably lonely, maybe even more so than I was in Athens. I got nobody to talk to, either within reach or on the phone, and I'm still convinced none of my "friends" give a shit one way or another. I still have absolutely no idea what do with myself apart from blowing my brains out. I just don't see the point.

Feh. On the upside, I did like Fahey's. They gave me books, including Harry Harrison's The Stainless Steel Rat. Looking forward to reading that. Plus, I'm reading Dorothy L. Sayers The Nine Tailors and it's pretty good. It's sad the best things in my life are old mystery and sci-fi books.

May 7-10, 2010

Three days since I last wrote. Ask me if I care.

Anyhow, not much to report, really. Work was fairly slow and nothing interesting to report. One of the Asian ladies quit yesterday, so I wound up having to work for her. Of course, that's cool and groovy with me, as I do not like night shifts anyway, and as I don't have to work until Thursday, my weekend started at three this afternoon.

Right now, I'm watching The Reivers with Steve McQueen as Boon Hogganbeck. So far, it's quite enjoyable in a Disney-in-the-sixties way as much as a story about a redneck stealing a car to take a 10-year-old boy into a Memphis cathouse can be. Maybe later I'll swing by Cosimo's afterwards.

May 5-6, 2010

The last two days of my three-day vacation were, more or less, fairly pleasant. I cleaned the bathroom yesterday and, in the evening, cooked myself some pinto beans, cornbread and mashed taters and watched the final two episodes of Masada, a miniseries about the legendary siege of the Jewish fortress. Later on, I went to Cosimo's and talked strippers with the Lesbian Bartender.

Today, after mailing Momma's Mother's Day card and depositing my paycheck, I rode the bicycle out to the city park. On the way out there, I went down Treme, following Google Maps, but I don't think I'll do that again. Coming back, I took Esplanade and it was a much easier route. After the ride, I went to Washington Square for an hour or so, and then came back home. I'd intended to check out a bar called Fahey's, but wound up falling asleep reading. I'm pretty beat now, so I think I'll go on to bed.

Work tomorrow. Bleh.

May 3-4, 2010

Ya know, I'm doing this every two days, sometimes more. Eventually, it'll be once a week, and there is no way in blue hell I'll be able to remember all that goes down in a week, even one that's as uneventful as mine. As I know I've said before, I really don't enjoy this, it's not having the desired affect of spurring my writing, and I honestly don't care. It grows more pointless with each entry.

Anyhow.

Monday I worked with Old D, the Big Man's buddy, and it was fairly steady. I spent the whole evening catching up and was pretty much dead tired the entire time. The evening ended off with two 12-tops of French people who were, apparently, determined to live up to the stereotype.

After another sleepless night, I pulled myself out of bed this morning and went out to the DMV to finally get my license. The place is huge and crowded, but I was in and out within a half-hour. One old lady before me in line was all pissed off about something and got even more pissed off that I wasn't pissed off. Cest la vie.

Afterwards, I went out to the Wal-Mart on Tchapitoulas and bought me a crock pot. Afterwards, I took a fairly brutal nap, did some laundry, ordered a decent pizza from Reginelli's, and I'm currently watching Masada, a 1981 mini-series based around the historical siege of the same name. It's not bad. Got Peter O'Toole in it, so at least he'll be worth watching. I also started Ursula Le Guin's Changing Planes at the laundry mat, and it's enjoyable, as well.

Beyond that, nothing. Going to cook me some beans, cornbread and mashed taters tomorrow.

May 2, 2010

Man, we were busy. Worked with Junior and we did something like $2100. The Boss Man told Jojums - his roommate and old school pal - that if he didn't bring in the customers, he'd get canned. Godalmighty, I hope he don't do that to me tonight. I'm fucking beat. Woke up Sunday morning feeling like someone worked me over with a baseball bat. Otherwise, things went as usual. One more night than three days off, and it comes none too soon, believe you me.

April 29-May 1, 2010

Absolutely nothing of interest happened the last three days. Just work, and we've been plenty busy. Worked with Junior Thursday and Friday, and with Big Man's buddy tonight. We got slammed tonight, my nerves are shot and I'm as sore as I've been in years. I think the last time I was this tired was when me and Baby Brother made that through-the-night move into the new apartment years back. And on that note, The International House is almost over and it's time for nature's sweet restorer.

April 27-28, 2010

Two well-deserved days off. I didn't do anything spectacular, mind, just the normal. Knocked out the laundry, paid the rent, slept a lot, and watched movies. I liked The Ruling Class and Pursued was okay, but Alphaville was a bit too French for me.

I did get out on the borrowed bicycle some. I rode through the Marigny and Bywater all the way to the Navy Support base on Poland. It was fun and that bike, ancient as it is, makes for a pretty good workout. Last night, I made burritos and went to Cosimo's to visit with the Lesbian Bartender. Work starts back up tonight (Thursday) and this weekend promises to be another booger, and frankly the mood's something of a gloomy one, but as I said, all in all, a pleasant two days' off.

April 25-26, 2010

Ya know, I didn't have to say I'd come in yesterday to work on my day off so Junior wouldn't be alone. I didn't have to go in today and help the boss clean the damn place. The hell was I thinking? Someone, bosses included, asks me to do something when I'd much rather be laying in bed reading, but I say "Sure, I'll power wash the incredibly greasy kitchen and stick to the walls" ever-frigging-time. Oh, well, a fat paycheck is obviously in my future and I can live with that.

In other news, Princess loaded me a bicycle yesterday and, despite two decades' absence, I can still ride one of the things. She's a tough one to read, or maybe it's my natural inability to really for close connections with anyone. Oh, well, at least I got a bike out of it.

And now to begin two days off by sleeping late. Deal with it, bubba.

April 24, 2010

Another ball buster of a day. We did three grand, and when I say "we", I mean me, the Boss Man for a little while and the Big Man's buddy. It was pretty rough and by 10 o'clock, I was done for. Otherwise, not much interesting to report. Sitting at Finnegan's with Princess at about 2:30 a.m., the Preservation Hall Jazz band walked down St. Peter doing the second-line thing, reminding me why I love this town sometimes.

April 23, 2010

What a day. New Girl sliced open her finger and needed stitches, so she's out for the weekend. The upshot is I'm basically working JazzFest by myself - though both bosses and a friend of the Big Man will be on hand to help out - and I'll probably have to come in on Sunday, my only day off since last Tuesday. As of right now, I'm not off again until this coming Tuesday. The Old Queen got fired, too. We all knew it was coming once Boss Man took over, but no one expected it to happen today as it did.

I am beat and the weekend's only started. Blah. On the upshot, I've got six grand in the bank.

April 22, 2010

I forgot to do this last night, so a quick one. Granted, there isn't much to write about. Laid around all day again and then went to work. Not a terribly busy night, though me and Junior had plenty sidework to keep us occupied. After work, I swung by Finnegan's for a couple and then went home. I am dreading this weekend, but on the upside, the thunder is rolling so perhaps the rain will keep it light.

April 21, 2010

And the week begins. I laid around in bed pretty much until two or so, and then drug myself out of bed. My copy of The Gold Experience came today, and it's pretty good. Hell, it's probably the best thing The Artist Now Known Again As Prince did since The Love Symbol album, maybe Purple Rain.

Work was work, though a little busier than Sunday and Monday. I'm very much out-of-sorts and it's obviously written all over my face. Nothing specific or even spectacular, just another case of the blues. Not playing, no one special, no friends, no weed, working too much, blah blah blah. It'll swing through soon enough.

Watching the first disc of the fourth series of "The Last Detective", and it's pretty good so far, better than the third season. I find myself warming to Peter Davison as I get older, the really nice guy that gets the job done despite everyone shitting in his sandbox.

April 19-20, 2010

I forgot to post last night, so sue me. There really wasn't a whole lot to report. Another slow night at work, though slightly busier than yesterday, followed by another chat with the Lesbian Bartender at Cosimo's, which was also dead.

I spent most of today in bed, and then went to the bank to cash my paycheck. Then came laundry and a spaghetti supper. I watched Zatoichi Meets The One-Armed Swordsman, which I liked, and I've been watching a disc of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", which is okay. I have a disc of "The Last Detective", which I may watch after this last episode.

In a gloomy mood, partly because of overwork and partly because of the usual old ennui, frustration and loneliness. Not actually upset or angry, just indisposed to talk to or be around anyone. I've got to work tomorrow and until Sunday. Bleh.

April 18, 2010

Ah, Sunday. I slept right up until I had to get ready for work. I just wasn't into it. Plus, I had to train the new girl tonight. Luckily, we were dead, maybe five tables. I like the new girl, but she's a bit more friendly than I'm comfortable with, and because she's deaf, she's also a close talker. Princess is, of course, tickled with watching me walk backwards around the kitchen.

Went to Cosimo's afterward and had a nice chat with Lesbian Bartender about families and supernatural experiences. She's had a couple and I, of course, have never had so much as a bump in the night I couldn't explain. I am in New Orleans, so maybe it's just a matter of time.

Otherwise, the mood's good and the weather was nice until around 7 or so, when the rain just pissed all over everything. The cat's being friendly and cute, so let's assume she's about to go into heat again. Right now, it's 3 a.m. and I watching Louis C.K. and eating popcorn. Livin' the life.

April 17, 2010

Got us a new cook tonight. Nice girl, late '20s, quick learner and eager to please. She's deaf, which is a new one on me. I don't know if I've ever dealt regularly with a deaf person. I certainly can't remember. It should be interesting, given my tendency to mumble and not look at the person I'm talking to when I'm talking to said person. Furthermore, I'm not sure how we'll manage the intercom, but we'll figure something out.

In any event, we had a fairly busy night, doing almost three grand. Everyone seemed fairly please with our performance, and after work, I went to Finnegan's to drink with Joe-jums and Princess. Someone gave Princess a cheap squirt gun, so her and the bartender were in the midst of a water battle. Such fun. Mood's good and the weather's nice, but it's time for bed.

April 16, 2010

Another day. Laid around in bed until almost work at 2:30. I worked with Junior and we did a $2600 night. Nothing astounding to report, except that Brother Man - the Boss Man's brother-in-law and our weekend dishwasher - was, according to the Big Man, to close the dish room. However, after we closed the kitchen I checked upstairs and, lo and behold, Brother Man was gone. So, we spent the next hour and change closing the damn dish room. Ah, well.

On the other hand, in a better mood today, so there's that. And that's ballgame.

April 15, 2010

So Dread quit today. I sort of saw it coming, but I honestly did not expect him to quit in the middle of the shift.

I woke up in a foul mood this morning after having a work dream that involved bitching out Baby Brother for some reason. I stayed in a foul mood all day and, upon arriving at work, found I had a shit-load of stuff to do. Dread was an hour-and-a-half late again. He told me that some whackjob tried to kill him last night and chased him for two blocks with a knife. This is New Orleans and he does live in Treme, so it's entirely plausible. He was pretty shook up about the whole affair, and spent the entire shift on the phone trying to track down a gun.

So, about 8:30 or so as I was making jambalaya, he comes upstairs and says that it's just not working out. Again, saw that coming. Sweetheart of a guy, but he wasn't catching onto the deal and he had come in at least an hour-and-a-half late for like the last five or so shifts. On top, he was having trouble with parking and seeing his kids, which he can only see on weekends. I figured he was due to get canned in fairly short order anyway, but still and all. Nice guy, hope it all works out for him.

I guess that means I'll be on nights a little longer. Ah, well. We got a new girl who started this week and she's got culinary education under her belt, so we'll see how that goes. This weekend should be slow-ish, but Jazzfest starts next week and I'm sure that'll be hell on Earth.

Good night.

April 14, 2010

First day of the work week, and it was with Dread. He was, of course, late, but that's all gravy. We might've had four tables. I've been in a gloomy mood and the whole desperate loneliness thing has been kicking around fairly quietly in the background, so I suppose we're going to deal with that fairly soon. Ah, well. Lots of folks have been getting on my case about "doing something with my life". Again, ah well.

Good night.

April 13, 2010

Second day off and nothing spectacular to report. I got Momma's birthday present, which was a Cuisinart food processor. It's got a bread mixer so I can make pizza dough. Momma has a funny sense of humor.

In any event, slow day. I cashed Momma and Mommaw's birthday checks, went by Walgreen's for odds and ends, and made a bookstore run at Dauphine Books. Bought me an Ursula Gein and Josephine Tey books because a post at Pandagon brought to mind how few female writers I had in my collection. Then came the laundry. Watched the original The Crazies, which wouldn't have been all that bad had the editing not been so frenetic and the acting not so utterly horrid.

Jaybee called and we talked about this and that for an hour-and-a-half. She, of course, thought my birthday was in June. Never have figured out where she got that, but there ya go. She and the Boy Husband were in Athens for the for a few days, and dammit, I want some decent Mexican food.

And now, Blackadder and bed. Back to work tomorrow, for joy.

April 12, 2010

Happy birthday to me. I slept until almost three recuperating from last night's shots, and after showering, I finally made my way out to the New Orleans City Park. I am in love. The weather was gorgeous and the park is friggin' enormous. I had a blast just walking around, looking at people, and watching little kids throw bread at ducks. I will definitely be going back.

Afterwards, on the Roommate's suggestion, I went to Port Of Call for a decent steak and then to Cosimo's for a beer. The place gave an unpleasant vibe - too many people bitching about their jobs - so I left after two. Now, it's The Man From Laramie with Jimmy Stewart playing a hard-ass. All in all, not a bad day.

Don't know how I feel about being 35 and I still have no clue what to do with myself. I told myself once back when things were bad that if I wasn't in a better frame of mind by 35, I'd kill myself. I don't know if I could say for sure if I was in a better frame of mind and, honestly, apart from the pain I know it would cause Momma, Mommaw and Marcus, I can't truthfully say I wouldn't walk off a parking deck if given the whim. But here I am and here I remain, and I'm sure something will come along eventually.

April 10-11, 2010

Man, we were busy as hell. We did $3500 Saturday and $1600 tonight. Both Dread and Junior were late Saturday - Dread almost an hour - and Dread was late by like 45 minutes today. Both times I was left in a slammed situation, and let me tell you, it did my rotten mood no good whatsoever. Tonight was fairly slow until 7:30 or so, and then we did the bulk of our business. Dread's slow as molasses in January. I've been in a foul mood all weekend.

Still, I had a good time tonight. On a whim after three hours of washing dishes, I decided to go to Cosimo's for a birthday shot. It was the first whiskey I've had in almost five years. Lauren the lesbian bartender got me shit-hammered, boy, but it was fun and I met her girlfriend Leslie. She's cool, too. Apparently, Lauren's taken a shine to me, and as usual, I never know how to deal when someone goes out of his or her way to show me how much he or she likes me.

Drunk as hell on two shots, so I'm going to bed. Happy birthday to me, huh.

April 9, 2010

Eh. Woke up out-of-sorts this morning and pretty much stayed that way all day. No idea why, just that sort of day. I've been in a good mood all week for no real good reason, so I suppose this is the downward swing. By Tuesday, I'll probably be gloomy as hell. I need to get laid.

Otherwise, not a bad day, though nothing interesting. French Quarter Fest is going on and, of course, I have to work. We were pretty busy, something like $2300 - or maybe $2600 - and I worked with Dread and Junior. Dread did sauté, and he did an okay job. I was there until after one doing dishes, and that's about it.

April 8, 2010

Another Thursday and nothing special. Slow night at work with Dread. I came home after work without hitting the bar because I didn't feel like sitting up until 4 a.m. watching cartoons. Of course, here it is 2:30 and I'm watching "Family Guy", so there's that.

Finished The Story of the Stone this morning. It was an enjoyable story, but not as good as The Bridge Of Birds, but that's how it goes. I started Phillip K. Dick's The Divine Invasion, and it promises to be another Dickinsian downer.

Something I noticed while clicking on the "Next Blog" link on the top of my blog. There are a lot of moms with blogs. Lot of teenage girls, too. I'm not sure if that says anything, but there's that.

April 6-7, 2010

Pretty good "weekend", even if nothing interesting happened. For the first time in a while, I was able to enjoy my entire two days off the way I like to enjoy them, by doing absolutely nothing constructive. I could've gone and gotten my license, but I'm going to wait until I no longer look like someone sucker punched me.

Instead, I laid around in bed until about noon or so both days, and went out to face the world around three. It was shorts-wearing weather, so I did. I bought some cargo shorts when I first moved to town, on a whim for the most part, and it's the first time I'd worn shorts at least since I lived in the trailer in Gainesville. I spent both days wandering around the Quarter and the Marigny, reading, looking at women, and generally enjoying having nothing to do. I went to see Mem Shannon at d.b.a. Good gig, but there's only so much of that place I can take in one sitting.

I talked to Baby Brother for a bit. He's well, just burnt slap out (again) on playing in bands and dealing with the drama, so he's thinking about taking a break. I think that's a good idea. He's also thinking about going back to school to be a vet tech. I think that's a good idea, too.

I also come to the realization that because I'm single, straight, childless, in my mid-thirties, rootless, and constantly, unashamedly on the hunt, I am the walking definition of "creepy", and all the feminist leanings in the world won't change that, especially since I have no expectation or even desire to "settle down" in any way. Luckily, I'm pretty harmless, but it does make for a lonely existence. Ah, well.

April 5, 2010

No one sucker punched me tonight, so we're good there. Otherwise, nothing interesting to report. Talked to the Roommate this morning, and she said in her five-some-odd years of living in the Quarter, the only static she ever got was from frat boys, so there ya go. Momma was, of course, completely freaked out about the whole happy slapping deal, but I saw that coming.

Worked with Junior tonight and it was slow but steady. Got some compliments on my omelets, so there ya go.

Bedtime.

April 2-4, 2010

Okay, so I forgot to update for two days even when I totally could, especially yesterday. Perhaps that's why smacked in the side of the head by some jackass. Who knows what strange tricks karma plays.

In any event, there really isn't a whole lot to report. I went into work Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 and I stayed in bed until just about two each day. I've been sleeping badly and having weird if not too terribly disturbing dreams. Last night, for example, I dreamed I was cursed with invisible Lovecraftian horrors that pursued me ceaselessly after the sun went down. Instead of being terrifying, though, they were merely annoying, playing off how much I hate to run. I also dreamed Baby Brother chased me up the old ceader tree that braced one of the old dog pens back home, the one I used to climb all the time whenever I wanted a little peace and quiet. I haven't talked to Baby Brother since his birthday, apart from the odd Facebook quip. So go figure.

Work's been okay. I worked with Dread and Junior Friday and Saturday, and just Dread today, wherein said co-worker was almost three hours late due to oversleeping. I got cut early Saturday, apparently missing both Junior's freak-out at the Big Man letting a nine-top in and Young Queen's table dancing, but on the upside I found a good delivery pizza and watched (and thoroughly enjoyed) a couple episodes of "The Avengers".

So, apart from doing nothing but sleeping when not at work and getting whacked on the head from some chickenshit fratboy, it was a pretty decent weekend. So it goes.

April 1, 2010

And another day slips by. Nothing special about it. Worked with Dread and we had a fairly steady evening. Went out with the Young Queen afterwards for a couple beers and that's basically that, honestly.

March 31, 2010

So, I'm lying in bed this morning, around 11 o'clock, when the phone rings and caller ID says it's the Big Man. Against my better judgment - phone calls for work are rarely a good thing, in my experience - I answer the phone to find out that Dread's under the weather and can I work tonight. Of course, I say yes, because what else am I going to do. Actually, I had planned to go to the Wednesday In The Square, even though it was Cowboy Mouth, and watch In The Mouth Of Madness with a spaghetti supper. But the best laid plans gang aft agley. Big Man said Dread would work either Friday or Saturday for me, but all three of us are scheduled to work both days anyway. I may just ride it out for the hours.

In any event, I go in and it is deader than disco. We might've had five tables all night, and I'm probably being generous. I worked with Junior, but we spent most of the time after we got our prep done hanging out in the front of the house with Young Queen and Sis. It was one of those ridiculously slow nights like we had before Mardi Gras.

After work, I went to Finnegan's, a bar across the street, with Sis and Young Queen for a rather enjoyable evening. Sis's dad was there and he was a fairly cool character, and there was much bitching about work to be done. Sis holds the bosses in much contempt and I can't say that I blame her, even if I'm able to get myself in a work position that suits me. Ah, well, that's work for you.

I also managed to get my taxes done today and not only do I not have to worry about Louisiana state tax, I'm getting back something like $1,200 from the federal. That can't be right, but we'll see. I also talked to Momma for a bit and she's doing well. The weather was beautiful and that's about the long and short of it.

March 29-30, 2010

Monday: I worked a fairly steady shift with Junior, the Old Queen and the Young Queen. Around 8 or so, Big Gay Cop came in looking pale as a ghost. Says he knows that a murder was committed at the jail or an inmate was allowed to die. Furthermore, he says it's being covered up by the sheriff's department and the district attorney, and he asked me what he should do. He said he knew I was someone with a good moral head on his shoulders, which I suppose is a corollary to the whole "Matt is the guy you go to when you want to hear the cold, hard truth" thing that's dogged me all my life, and I have never figured out where it comes from. Anyhow, told him he had to report it, even at the expense of his job, so I called up a fellow Athens expatriate (B.D.) who'd know what media service to get in touch with, and we did so. I sent the email, got BGC the number and it's out of my hands. My first personal brush with corruption in the Big Easy, I suppose. I left a message on BGC answering service but haven't heard back from him. Maybe I'll give him a call tomorrow, but call me a coward, I would like to stay out of it as much as possible. I do not trust the police.

Following up on a request I put into my estrogen brigade earlier in the year concerning the whole "what to do with my life to justify my existence" thing, crazy-ass Jenny J. sent an email recommending that I look into becoming a private investigator. I must admit, I am intrigued. I wouldn't be any sort of Phillip Marlowe or even Jim Rockford, and I'll be damned if I sit outside sleazy hotels taking pictures of cheating husbands, but I am good at finding information and answering questions. I could see myself scouring databases and checking official records so as to find info on possible ne'er-do-wells or runaways of all stripes. I did some preliminary research and sent an email or two, but nothing really heavy. I'm deep into one of my "don't give a shit" moods right now, so it's even harder to get motivated about anything.

Tuesday: Sometime around 4 a.m., I decided not to go to Chalmette in the morning to make another swipe at the driver's license. I decided to wait until the replacement official came in from Jackson and work with that. Honestly, I just didn't feel like doing anything but sleeping until noon again, and I certainly didn't feel up to dealing with the DMV. So, I slept till noon, moved the car, slept till 3 or so, and then knocked out the laundry. Afterwards, I took another nap and then went to Bennachin's for a rather tasty dinner of rice, lamb and some sort of sauce. It's an African place and I really like it, though the cute hippie chick waitress wasn't there, alas. After that, I wandered around a bit and then went to Cosimo's for a beer or three. I started Claudius The God at the laundromat, and it's pretty damn good. Now, at 3 a.m., I'm going to watch an MST3K episode, "Final Sacrifice".

Otherwise, pretty damn useless excuse for a human being today, but ask me if I care.

March 28, 2010

Another pleasant if unremarkable day. Laid around in bed until work again, and then we had a slow afternoon followed by a steady evening. Worked with Dread and he continues to impress, though his deliberateness is starting to grate. However, the slowpoke I am, I shouldn't judge.

After work, I went out to D.B.A. to see the Louisiana Hellbenders, a rockabilly outfit. They weren't bad but all the songs, whether theirs or others', wound up sounding the same. And again, I felt far too unhip for the crowd. After that, swung by Cosimo's for a beer or two and then home for bed.

Yep.

March 27, 2010

Saturday has come and gone. I laid in bed right up until work again, and that's starting to get to me. I was draggy all night at work. Luckily, it was dead until almost seven, and then we did almost $1500 until close. It was me, Dread and Junior, though Junior was an hour-and-a-half late. He overslept and would probably be sleeping still had I not texted him over his whereabouts an hour into his shift time. That all being said, a pleasant enough evening for work, as such things go.

Otherwise, nothing whatsoever to report. I'm calling it an early night, even though it is currently 2:35 a.m. Despite there being absolutely no difference between today and a day when I was in one of my black moods - seriously, it's the same cycle of sleep, work, eat, shower, read, sleep - I'm in fairly high spirits. Let's hope it continues at least through Monday.

March 26, 2010

Another day, another dollar. I laid around in bed until almost one and then went to work at 2:30. It was me and Dread until about 5:30 or so, and then Junior came on shift. Nothing unusual to report. Fairly slow night, as a matter of fact. We closed at 10:30 and I was out of there by 12:30. I did, however, forget to clock in, so I'll have to get that squared away tomorrow.

Been watching and reading a lot of Kolchak lately. I'm currently sitting here watching The Night Strangler, and I'll probably knock out at least one episode before I go to sleep. I have no idea why, apart from the deep-seated suspicion that I should if not actually be some sort of crusading reporter tracking down the weird and unusual, then I should at least be writing novels or stories along that line. Or maybe they just appeal to me, as flawed as they are. Sort of like the Dirk Gently series, Kolchak's not perfect but I love the whole idea of a Front Page refugee going up against the hidden supernatural to protect an unknowing and uncaring world. If someone would write that with the humor and logic of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently, I would totally read that.

I'm not gonna do it, though.

March 25, 2010

Hey, not only did I remember to make an entry tonight, I also found my George Jones t-shirt. The damn thing's almost 20 years old, and it's from the first concert I ever went to sans parents. It was in my underwear drawer, and finding it makes me happy beyond words.

Otherwise, not a whole lot to report. I laid around in bed until 2 or so and went to work at 4:30. It was me and Dread again, and we did a fairly decent night. Again, he continues to impress and if I have any complaint it's that he's not much of a conversationalist, but that's not why he's here. I skipped the brewskis tonight and, after a quick Kolchak episode, I'm calling it a night.

So there.

March 24, 2010

So, I forgot to update again, so sue me.

The day started rather late with a phone call from Momma concerning the birth certificate. Apparently, she's found the original but is ordering me another. I don't quite understand, but apparently I'll get one or the other sometime next week. I didn't really get moving until almost four or so, and then I went out on a book crawl. I didn't find anything I wanted - though I almost bought yet another copy of The Illuminatus Trilogy and I, Claudius - so I found what I needed at the library. I've started with Anno Dracula, which isn't bad so far.

After that, I went to Lafayette Square for "Wednesdays In The Square". Sort of your typical weekly arts-and-music to-do put on by the Young Leadership Council, whatever the hell that is. I ate some so-so pizza, saw a bunch of dogs, ogled a bunch of women, and watched about 30 minutes of an okay New Orleans funk band called Trombone Shorty. Jaybee called while I was there, and later when I got home, I called her back and we caught up. Her and the Boy Husband are doing well, and she's still lonely, bless her heart.

Following that, I stopped by Rouse's and Matassa's for supplies, and made me and the Roommate some burritos. It's a damn shame when the best Tex-Mex I can find in New Orleans is the stuff I make. I watched The Night Stalker again and, later, watched some of the television episodes. The night was capped off with a few beers at Cosimo's and a bit more interaction with the regulars. Slowly but surely.

In a fairly gloomy mood and I think I've lost my 15-year-old George Jones shirt. Ah, well.

March 22-23, 2010

I forgot to write last night. I'm not really enjoying doing this, honestly. I thought maybe keeping this journal would get me interested in writing again, but I am not in the least. There's nothing about writing that interests me one bit. Anyhow.

Monday was nothing interesting. I worked with Junior and Sis, not a particularly heavy night but a little business. I went to Cosimo's afterwards for a couple of beers and had a nice chat with the lesbian bartender about the Truckers and how bad working at a music club sucks. Other than that, I downloaded the new Texas Tornados album, Esta Bueno and Trent Sumnar's Horseshoes And Hand Grenades. Both started off pretty strong but dropped off rapidly in quality after the second or third song. The latter especially, woo boy.

I got up early-ish to go to Chalmette to get my driver's license. However, when I got there, the lady told me I needed my actual birth certificate rather the copy. I'd also forgotten my Social Security card, but by that point it was too late. That sort of pissed me off, because I am sure the first lady told me I needed merely a copy, but c'est la vie.

I came back home, took a nap, knocked out the laundry, ate a calzone at Rotolo's, and watched Watchmen. I didn't hate it as much as I figured I would, but it was definitely way too much weepy emo superhero brouhaha. I'd considered writing something about the lack of real superheroes, but as I said, I don't give a shit about writing.

Zoot.

March 19-21, 2010

Okay, so I didn't update for two days. I did, however, think about it, and that should count for something. No? Oh, well, like you really care. Anyhow.

The Truckers came and went, and it was a blast. It was nice seeing Craig and Damon and Shawna and Johnny Z. and Patterson and Brad and Pudd again. It was fun meeting some other Trucker fans. And hey, the plethora of hot drunk girls to screw with, always a pleasure. Plus, I got stoned for the first time in four months, and man alive, do I miss the noble weed. Seriously, catching a buzz on beer just is not the same.

There are two types of Trucker shows: transcendental rock experiences and shows that make one wonder why they even bother. The first night was the latter, as the band was dragging and disengaged. The second night, however, they took their rock star pills and tore it up. It was one of the better shows I'd seen, even if they didn't do "Where The Devil Don't Stay". Can't have everything.

Met a number of cute drunk girls but nothing came out of it, as my tolerance for cute drunk girls is much lower than it once was. Once again, I had the awkward visit with Patterson wherein I'm never sure he actually wants to acknowledge my presence. I've felt that way ever since I quit the Job, and I wonder if it's because I simply do not care about music in the same manner that I used to - and like he still does, seemingly - or if it's because I'm not in a position to help his band out anymore. I tell Jenn this and she, of course, thinks I'm just being paranoid. So does Baby Brother and Jaybee, and they all could be right. Ah, well, in any event, it was fun.

Though I must say, I do not like the whole "hanging out on the tour bus" thing. It was neat listening to old war stories, but still. Johnny Z. and the damn yo-yo, I swear, I thought they were screwing with me over how inane that was. Then again, I could've been just stoned.

Today, I drug around. Staying out way past my bedtime and smoking rock-star weed for two nights hand running didn't necessarily kick my ass, but it certainly did me little good. Work was okay, though, as we got a new guy on and he's seven shades of awesome. Hands on, learns quick and very cool. Sis called him the "Zen master", and that's apt. We did almost $1300 and it seemed like nothing. The roommate's got promising news on the job front. Days at a titty bar, but work's work.

Other than that, Mozart is telling me it's bedtime.

May 18, 2010

Man, am I drunk. 'Course, I have been much drunker in my time, but this is as drunk as I've been since I quit drinking. Anyhow. What a day. Went into work at 4:30 p.m., and Sissy wasn't there. No worries, I do what I do and when 5:30 rolls around, she's still not there. I'm just about calling Boss Man when Sissy's boyfriend calls and says she's in the can. Says she got picked up driving with a suspended license. Long story short, I work the $1300 shift myself and she's done for. Boss Man's brother-in-law comes in about 9:30 to do some dishes, and that helps out immensely. Plus, I talk to the Boss Man about my prep cook idea, he's cool with it, plus he gives me a quarter raise. Helluva day.

I go to Cosimo's afterwards and have a fairly entertaining evening talking with some dude about food throughout history and the cute black bartender chick about this and that. She works for the news station down the street as an assistant producer. Something to keep in mind.

Got the next two days off, and the Truckers are in town. Jenn is helping a poor boy out, so I might not be able to update. As for right now, Perry Mason is raising hell on my tv and it's time for bed.

March 17, 2010

I forgot again. Well, I remembered after I'd shut off the computer and got into bed, but didn't feel like booting the damn thing up again. In any event, not a whole lot to report. Day six in a seven-day run and I worked with Sissy. She's getting better, though she's still slow. It was St. Patrick's Day and we had a bit of business and we didn't get out of there until almost 1 a.m. I am fucking whipped. Nothing really else to report. Had a melody in my head but I've lost it. All I remember is it sound sort of like "Whiskey On Ice". Ah, well.

March 16, 2010

I simply could not get moving today. Sure, I made the weekly car move and knocked out some laundry, but I literally spent the rest of the day in bed. Had I my druthers, I probably would've stayed in bed until 5 p.m. or so. However, work called.

Granted, it was dead as disco tonight. No idea why, maybe the crappy weather or maybe whatever caused last week to be so busy finally ended, but Junior and I got one fairly good-sized table and two or three two-tops. I spent most of my time upstairs making jambalaya and creole sauce. I like the prep side of the gig, and I'm going to think up a proposal to the Boss Man that'd put me back in a prep cook position. Maybe something like come in at 10 in the morning, prep for however long, do the stock and then help out on the line. It all sort of depends on whether or not he buys the joint, as there's a whole lot not getting done now and I'm sure he and the Big Man will be much busier once the deal goes down. We'll study on it and see.

Otherwise, not much to report. Rainy and cold today, and it's supposed to stay that way through tomorrow. I went to Cosimo's after work, and had a dude named Jim come up to me to express his interest in my coming there to read. Speaking of reading, I read some Harlan Ellison at the laundry mat and started I, Claudius this evening. I liked the former but I really like the latter. Library books, but I may have to break down and buy a copy of both I, Claudius and Claudius The God at some point.

Beyond that, I think the Cat is going back into heat as she's being inordinately friendly and seeking of affection. And with that pleasant note, my toast is done.

March 15, 2010

And we've come to the end of another day. Not a whole lot to report. We had a pretty busy night at work, but by the time I got off Bourbon Street was fairly dead. Worked with Junior and it all went fairly well. Nothing really interesting to report, honestly.

I did answer a question for Jess R. about how I picked the day to move and, especially,how to stick to it. That's the second or third time I've been asked that, and I honestly don't know how to answer it. I just did it. When I decide to do something and I really want to do that thing, it gets done. Hell, to be quite honest, I think I made the move just to have something to do with myself instead of sitting around, smoking weed and hating my life. If I could've found someone who wanted to be with me, I wouldn't have left Athens. As it was, I moved mainly because I had nothing better to do.

So I told her the whole bit about not giving yourself an out, which is true enough as it goes. Still, I wish I could think of a way of telling people that the move is not so much something to be admired but the last desperate act of an incredibly lonely and lost man. Maybe it's just me.

I didn't go out tonight after work because I need to do laundry and have a job interview tomorrow with a place in the CBD called Steve's Diner. I answered the Craigslist ad back last week when Snoop was being a butthole, but now that she's gone, I'm not quite as keen to leave the Job. It might be a day gig, but nevertheless, I think I'll stick with the current one and continue to tough it out.

And that's about it.

March 14, 2010

The second time in a row I forgot. 'Course I did get a little lit up last night.

Another gorgeous day I have to work. It was just me and Sissy tonight, and it was pretty damn busy. We were steady until about sixish, and then we got a dozen four and six tops. The long and short of it was, basically, I had to cook everything while Sissy ran errands and made salads. She did a pretty good job, though, and we got everything out relatively quickly. Much as I hate to admit it, with Snoop gone, I've got less stress on me and less reason to loathe the job.

Went to Cosimo's afterwards and drank a few. I have become an extremely cheap drunk. Three Dixies, an accidental PBR (bartender's fault, the stuff is nasty) and I was basically too lit up to continue reading Graham Greene's novelization of The Third Man, which is pretty good. I sat up watching a "Jeeves & Wooster" disc to sober up enough so's I could sleep without waking up with a hangover.

And that's ballgame. Hopefully, I won't forget to record this evening's scintillating occurrences before I go to bed tonight.

March 13, 2010

I forgot to do this last night, so I'll do it now before I got to work.

Interesting day. Snoop did get fired and we all got a talk about not doing drugs on shift. I'm a bit conflicted. On one end, I hate it when anyone gets fired and she was a good cook. On the other, she did contribute to my stress level and apparently this was the second time in a month she'd been caught smoking on the job. I remain neutral in the whole thing, and in any event, that's one thorn out of my side.

Otherwise, the day went on. I cooked with the new girl, henceforth known as Tonya, and she basically watched as me and the Bossman handled at $2700 evening. He was okay until his roommate, Jo-Jo, told him his (the Bossman) ex had been texting him (Jo-Jo), and then he (the Bossman) sunk like a stone. Perhaps I'm just cynical and bitter, but there is a time and place for such things and it's not while it's busy.

Talked to Baby Brother in the morning and wished him a happy birthday. The day was beautiful, if a bit windy and cool, and I saw some folks dancing in step on Bourbon walking home, though I wouldn't swear they were well-practiced. I finished the night by watching Monkey Business, and the Daylight Savings changed kicked my ass.

That's all.

March 12, 2010

Another day. Went to work at two, got off at one. Not really busy, but we got a new dishwasher and he sort of left a mess when he got off. Not his fault, though, as per company policy, no one really trained him. I worked with Snoop. She was pulling the contempt shit earlier in the shift but warmed up as the evening wore on. Who knows why.

Strange thing happened, though. We closed at 11:30, her the kitchen and me the dishroom. Around about 12:30 or so, I smelled a very familiar smell. Now, Snoop smokes and apparently smokes tons of the good shit, and sometime around 8 or so, she slipped off to, I can only assume, indulge. Fair enough. Now, an hour after closing, I smell the smell and think nothing of it. She don't share with me, so fuck do I care. Anyhow, about 15 minutes the Big Man comes in and basically says he's going to have to can her.

Now. Whether or not he does, I don't know. Soon as I got done and saw she only had a couple more minutes to finish, I split. As I have intimated, Snoop does not like this poor country boy, and since I haven't done anything to her or said anything about her to deserve her scorn, I couldn't give a shit. The only problem is the warm-and-cold bullshit and the fact that she ain't got the stones to be a butthole to my face, she just shit-talks me when I'm not around. I won't lie, it'd make some of my evenings much less tedious were she gone, but I'd hate for anyone to get fired over that. So, I am Switzerland in this particular kerfluffle. That all being said, why in the holy blue hell did she decide to toke up an hour after closing and not way 20 minutes so she could smoke in peace at home?

Anyhow. As I was leaving work, a dude was sleeping in the doorway. Drunk as a preacher he was, so we suggested he head down to the River and sleep there. Also, my DVD's arrived today, so I not have movies. I'm about due for a Marx fix anyway. I rounded out the evening by buying Marcus an Amazon gift certificate for his birthday. All in all, not a bad day, such as it was.

March 11, 2010

Big day. Drove out to the DMV in Westbank only to learn they not only did they not do tags or registration, but I couldn't get my license without a certified copy of my birth certificate. So, I called Momma and talked to her for bit. She said she'd get the birth certificate arranged and we chatted for a while. I wound up driving out to Chalmette and got my tag, registration and "brake tag" (inspection sticker). All in all, it cost me about $130, but at least that's out of the way. I'll get my license sometime next week or whenever the birth certificate came.

The DMV and Chalmette was an interesting experience. Guy I met at The First Job named Tommy said he came from Chalmette and it was the "redneck" part of New Orleans. I see what he means. Very North Georgia/North Alabama with all sorts of ports and industrial plants belching smoke and toxins. Ah, ain't that America.

After getting back to the Quarter, I went and got a library card. I'd been meaning to do it, so I just knocked it out. The library's not as good as the one in Gainesville - and I wonder if I'll ever find a library that good again - but it's comparable to Athens. Lots of folks looking for work via the internet and a helluva lot of folks who're there 'cause they've got nowhere else to go. Lots of books are marked as "damaged by Katrina" which is sort of heartbreaking. I picked out a couple of books, including a novelization of The Third Man, a Harlan Ellison collection, I, Claudius and a book called Bridge Of Birds by Barry Hughart. The latter is basically Pratchett-esque detective novel set in ancient China, and it's pretty good. I've plowed through about a third of it this evening, and I wouldn't be surprised if I finish it before the weekend's out.

I also apparently left the dad-blamed door unlocked when I went to the library, so it was open to God and everybody for about two hours this afternoon. Luckily, none of the critters escaped nor did anyone come in and take stuff. I'm assuming the Roomie didn't come back before she came in this evening, and it's possible the property manager came by for some reason, as he's left the door open before. But it was probably me, though I could've sworn I locked the damn thing. My short-term memory's worse than when I was smoking copious amounts of weed on a regular basis, and it's starting to get irritating. Life's tedious enough without having to pay that close attention to every little detail.

That's about it. I stayed in tonight and read, and I'm calling it a relatively early night. Got work this week, just me and Snoop the whole three days, so I'm assuming it will be a massive bummer from start to finish. Ugh. I'm doing the Craigslist thing, but I'll be damned if I can think of anything I want to do or feel capable of doing besides cooking, and I really don't want to do that. Ah, well.

March 11, 2010

Had today off, but I managed to get a bunch done. Knocked out the laundry, went to the bank, and cleaned both my room and the bathroom. The Roomie's out of town, so I had the place to myself. My dumbass forgot to take the trash out at Work last night, and didn't think of it until I heard the garbage truck on Rampart, so I went back at 4 a.m. Between that and Snoop's renewed shitty attitude has me discombobulated about work. I do not like that job, and I'm not sure why. Maybe if I had more time off and/or weren't working so many nights - and weren't working with a gutless butthole - maybe I'd dig it more. Maybe if I had a band or something to do with my life I wouldn't care either way. Maybe if I could find someone to give me a little time and - hey, while we're dreaming - affection, I wouldn't mind so much. As for now, I don't know what in the hell I'm doing. Oh, well.

Watched The Serpent & The Rainbow, based on the book by Wade Davis, and Life Begins At 40, with Will Rogers, tonight. The latter was an enjoyable if unspectacular thirties style romantic comedy and the former was a pretty bad excuse for a horror movie. However, there were boobies in the latter, so that's nice.

And that's all she wrote.

March 9, 2010

Once again, the day has come and gone. The seventh day of a seven-day run is over, and I'm glad to see it go. Worked with Junior tonight and we had another fairly busy evening. The only problem with working with Junior is he gets tense and bitchy when we get more than one table at a time. Chalk it up to youth, I suppose.

Went to Cosimo's for a couple beers after work and saw one of the bartenders bitch another out. I think it got me a free beer. Otherwise, that's it and I don't feel like writing anymore. I got the next two days off and I might, just might, do something besides laundry.

Take it easy.

March 8, 2010

Didn't expect tonight to be as busy as it was, but after a fairly dull first two hours we had plenty business. Worked with Junior, Sis and the New Guy, and all in all a relatively pleasant evening. That being said, I've spent the past hour or so checking Craigslist for a new gig. We get a little business and Junior gets stressed out. Between that, Snoop's shit-ass attitude, the relative lack of any sort of direction, and the general negative tension that place swims in on top of the total lack of fun I'm having in the Big Dirty, I just do not enjoy my days. Feh.

Otherwise, nothing interesting today. I had to knock off some laundry this morning. The Roomie's off visiting with the Boyfriend for the next couple days. The weather's taking a shitty turn and it's supposed to rain until Friday and right through my days off, of course. I came home after work and skipped the bar thing because it was pushing midnight.

So, today's fun ends with popcorn and Adult Swim. The hell am I doing with myself?

March 7, 2010

And we come to the end of another day. Again, there was work, but it was dead, dead, dead. Apart from a bit of business during the shift change, I think we might've had three tables all evening. Worked with Snoop, and she was pulling her "I'm not speaking to you, insect" thing and Elvis knows why. As Jaybee has so wisely put it many a time, "I'm so over it," so nuts to her. I ain't got to see her again until Friday.

Otherwise, nothing at all to report. Beautiful day, and I was of course so whipped I laid around in bed until almost 45 minutes until I had to go in. This night shift shit is getting old, old, old. I did not move to New Orleans so I could do nothing but work and sleep. I did go to Cosimo's after work, caught a good buzz off four beers and started The Name Of The Rose. I've already read it, but I'm bored with The Templar Revelation yet want to read more about turn-of-the-first-millennium religious conflicts, and nothing on my to-read pile draws interest. While at the bar, I wrote some gibberish in my composition notebook I always carry around concerning the Bucky Fuller quotes I mentioned yesterday. It's sort of depressing to note, however, that the only other writing in that notebook is the directions to New Orleans from my October house-hunting visit.

Now, I'm sitting up, waiting for my hair to dry, watching "QI" on YouTube, and telling myself to not stay up all night. And that's that.

Today's new bit of information: There's something called "Graham's number". Who Graham is and why figured it out is not important right now, but what is interesting is that the observable universe is too small to contain a digital representation of Graham's number, even if each number was the size of a Planck's volume, which is the smallest size a thing can be before it turns to quantum fuzziness. And, it ends in a "7".

March 6, 2010

Another day has come and gone, and as usual, nothing terribly interesting happened today. I wound up getting up around 6 a.m. to go get my pans, before we opened and before the notorious Asian Ladies got their hands on them. The lady who washes the dishes during the day saw me go in and apparently snitched on me to the Bossman. I told the Big Man I figured it was the lesser of two evils, which he understood, but he said that if nothing else, don't let anyone see me the next time. In any event, I brought the damn pans home with me tonight.

Work was fairly brutal, but I sort of enjoyed myself, more or less. I went in at one, did some prep for the new menu and joined Snoop around three or so. She was in a fairly decent mood until about five or six, and then some serious sand got up her butt about something. I think it had to do with her old lady, but who knows. I wouldn't even give it a second thought except she got Junior all bent out of shape talking trash under her breath the ways she does from time to time. He was already high strung about something, and we had a fairly involved discussion about the Tao Te Ching, Epictetus and the value of therapy.

And in any event, the night was rough enough without her sandy butthole and his nervous tension. We got rocked and slammed from about six until right up to closing time at 11. At one point, we had a 32 top walk in, made up of mostly teenagers. Plus, the Third Server screwed up left and right. That boy's squirrelly. I don't mind the business or work so much, but goddamn, that place gets tense awful quick. And I've got to go back in tomorrow and do it all over again. Hopefully, it'll be a typical Sunday and be slow, as I don't have a day off until Wednesday.

I still don't much care for this job, but it's as good as any other option right now. It wouldn't be so bad if the place ran a little smoother and my co-workers weren't such, to be blunt, children in their social interactions. It doesn't matter how much I have to do or how busy it is or even what I have to do, I'd rather do it alone. Maybe I'm spoiled from the five years down in the Basement, but I don't really like working with people.

I was kicking around the idea of doing a little writing tonight on the Other Blog on Bucky Fuller's "I seem to be a verb" quote and how I seem to not be much of nothing, but I'm all of the sudden exhausted. Furthermore, I'm not sure if I want to be having That Discussion again with the usual suspects. I really do think my nearest and dearest don't hear anything but a cry for attention when I go off about how useless to the universe I feel all the time. Hell, maybe they're right.

In any event, so much for all that.

March 5, 2010

Another day. Went to work at 1 p.m. There was a bit of business but nothing exceptional. Snoop came in at 2:30 and Junior came at around 5 because he was late. We started the new menu tonight, which included breakfast items. We were also issued personal non-stick pans, an 8-inch one and a 10-inch one, and of course I totally left mine at work. I'll catch hell for that tomorrow. Worst case scenario is I'll have to buy a new one. Just plumb slipped my mind, mainly because we wound up not using them. Oh, well. I'll go by work around 10 a.m. tomorrow and see if I can snag them, but otherwise I'll take the hit.

Otherwise, nothing interesting to report. The evening went fairly smoothly with a decent amount of business. Cut the hell out of the ring finger on my left hand slicing sausage and it hurts like a bastard. The Bossman put next week's schedule up and I'm not off until Wednesday. For some reason, we're open Thursday, which means Snoop and I are manning the joint sans Junior next weekend. That should suck.

The weather was gorgeous but not many people were out and about. I got off around 10-ish, got a burger from Yo Mama's, and went home. I didn't go out because I'm pretty whipped, but I watched two more episodes of "Sapphire & Steel". I'm getting more into and would've probably finished the disc had I not got caught up in tvtropes.com, which is probably the most addictive thing known to man.

And that's about all she wrote.

March 4, 2010

This is the start of a new online journal. I've not kept a journal of any kind since 1999, before I moved to Athens. Make of that what you will. This is basically a record of the incredibly mundane events of my daily life and not for public consumption. So, if you find yourself here for any reason and decide to keep reading, good for you. I'm not one to judge. Because nothing on the internet ever disappears, I will use pseudonyms and codes for different things

To start, let's determine where we are. It's March 5, 2010, and I am 34 years old. I am still single, childless, and more or less lack direction in my life. I live in New Orleans on Dumaine St. in the French Quarter, and I've been here since December. I work at a French Quarter restaurant and, for what it's worth, I don't mind it, such as it is. My parents and the bulk of my family are still in Peaceful Valley, and my brother lives in Athens with his girlfriend. Anyhow, here we go.

Woke up around 10 this morning and actually got out of bed around noon. Draggier than usual today, probably because I stayed out until 3 a.m. the night before at Cosimo's. The bartenders know me now, which is nice. I suppose. Watched "The Edge of Destruction", the third serial of the first season of "Doctor Who" today. Wasn't bad, though Carol Ann Ford overacted horribly. Had work tonight with the Bossman and Snoop. Pretty slow tonight, and I spent the evening prepping jambalaya and ribs. I trained the New Girl, but she split around seven or so. Said "something happened" with her young'un. Way the Bossman talked, that's all she for wrote for New Girl. Oh well. Snoop was friendly, continuing that trend. Why, I don't know, but there ya go.

After work, I went to Cosimo's and drank a few while reading a chapter of The Templar Revelation. On the way home, I visited with a pair of beagle dogs in someone's front yard. And that's about the long and short of it.

 Yep.