Isn't a 'Hello Hug' enough?

You really don't expect a guy to reach out and yank the zipper on your shorts while you're buying body lotion.

A hello crotch grab is a little much when patronizing a local store, even for this week.

Cruiser Research

Doing a little visual research before work and I always love seeing my favorite happy little bench.

Really glad to see this house is still being maintained in the same spirit of its original owner. Gotta love a little crazy!

Insanity / Sanity

Holy work exhaustion, Batman.

A couple of restaurant staff down and I become a full-time waitress for a stint. I remember how this went when I first got down here and it wasn't pretty. At least this time I know how to relieve it.

The job compilation I have set up is a delicate balance. Too much of one thing and the whole system can zap me. I consider it my work souffle and its quite a sight when it collapses.

I have been searching for my brain after the week's last restaurant shift on Wednesday. Its been a happy daze. You know you're too tired when the things you think in your head start bleeding through to your mouth and you just don't give a crap. It can be kinda freeing and definitely entertaining.

For example: This week a guy trying to be funny while asking for random things during my time waiting on him and his bachelor party gave me an open invite to enjoy my exhaustion. After finally claiming he was from the "Land of Oscar Meyer", I had no choice but to ask him if he had a little wiener. Something else discovered this week is you can say just about anything with a mischievous giggle and a smile.

Solutions come out of nowhere. Like wearing a wetsuit on my bike after 5 days straight of rain. I thought it a bold fashion statement and after thinking of chaffing, I instead I settled on bikini bottoms and boat shorts while riding to and from work in order to avoid having wet swamp ass. This is the only time I truly miss my car.

My brain turns off after three restaurant shifts in a row and it must of been how I ended up at Don's place with the staff. Twice.

If you do this kind of work full-time, kudos Sir, cause that's some hard livin'. You have to release it somewhere which I begin to realize as time quickly ticks away while having a beer or two at Don's. For some reason there is a time vortex there which is slightly freakish and absolutely frightening.

Just like Cinderella's pumpkin turning hour, the bewitching hour at Don's is 2am and it consists of service industry staff getting off work and ready to explode in all its glorious forms.

Yes, that man who served you snapper demurely earlier this evening has now morphed into a Mad Max thunderdome extra booming at the top of his lungs that he is the cornhole king. I hope you enjoyed your evening - his is just getting started.

Its always good to mix it up a bit and see how the other half lives but I believe I've had my fill of Don's for a while. This has now become my benchmark for knowing I've had one too many restaurant shifts. Getting dragged to Bare Assets and being asked to throw a wad of cash at a stripper is a further confirmation of that.

My restaurant peeps are some funny people and I love them to death. I haven't laughed as hard as I did at Don's in a while which was awesome and worth the exhaustion I now feel.

I have one more week of this schedule and boy howdy can I see the light at the end of the tunnel. A tunnel that includes Fantasy Fest so it should be an interesting ride. Mostly I want and need to get back to the creative projects I had to shelve for a little bit. It's all good I'm getting more ideas and losing more filters. All to benefit the true creative process which the regular jobs are a definitely a part of.

But alas, this craziness has got to change soon because when you respond laughing with "I feel dead inside" after a co-worker asks you how you are, that is probably not too healthy. At least that's what Oprah tells me.

As tired as I am, I pray for more water days. On Thursday, a nice couple from Brazil, a paddleboard tour and a change of scenery - I almost felt almost human again. The restaurant in all its wonderful forms is insanity and water is my sanity.

Good thing I live a block from the beach.

Lock and Load

September was a busy one. How is it that 2011 is almost over???

Lots o stuff been going on. What you ask? Well....

20 year high school reunion with the Catholic high school girls.

There was wine.

Midwest meals. Soul food restaurant owned by an old back up singer for Ike and Tina Turner. Fried catfish and chicken anyone? It was gooooood.

A visit to the St Louis botanical gardens. This is the climatron and I used to want to live in it.

I realized after walking through it looks just like Key West.

The best part of the gardens is feeding the Koi fish in the Japanese garden. Man have they grown! They still stick their mouths open for you to feed them.

I love them!

These are the bastard ducks that reached into the fishes mouths to get the food. It felt like a carnival game to try to drop the food directly into the Koi mouths. I got a few direct hits.

Fun with acrylics and clothespins = mailbox clips.

The final schellacked frappuccino vase.

The pickle pen jar came out nicely. Inspired by Ecuadorian fish graffiti. I'm currently painting dirt. Yes dirt - you'll see.

I'm starting to see my obsession with all things fish.

The new round of printed cards just received yesterday. The upgrade in camera and computer are definitely working out! Will be good for the website stuff.

Saw a great couple exhibitions at the St. Louis art museum with Mom. One of Francisco Clemente and his woodcut prints. Lots of ideas going.

Now off to write a press release.