The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Things that make me want to go WTF?
06:27 Dec 27 2010
Times Read: 821

Seems to me that if someone blocks you, and then they leave the site either self deleting or whatever, the block should go away. Is anybody else thinking the same way?





[ Members Who Have Blocked You ]





AngelOfDeath666

BunesUth

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XXXHELLONEARTHXXX

I don't care
06:17 Dec 27 2010
Times Read: 822

if I get nasty comments about this or not.



I WANTED SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS.



I know some people are up to their ears in the white stuff, and are pretty damn sick and tired of it. But dammit, I wanted snow.



I even did my spell that I tell Rat to do every year- worked for her, not so much for me. I even got Scott to do it. I think he was pulling punches when he did it, though...lol



So I was making dinner the other night, and grousing about the lack of white stuff...



Next thing I know, Scott has whipped out the cheese grater, and a handful of ice cubes, and it is snowing like mad all over my head...LMAO



I love that man...lol

https://www.vampirerave.com/journal/journal_section.php?section=personal&journal=BubbleGumClaudia
01:35 Dec 26 2010
Times Read: 872

I read this today, and all the subsequent comments left behind by various and assorted people. Some I agreed with, some I didn't, but as I said, I had to put my two cent's worth in. And I decided that I should put it here as well.







Scott and I met on GothicMatch.com, in October of 2004. We talked alot online, and I even got him to join VR for a brief period. We met in person in July of 2005, and spent the week together. I came back for another 8 days in January of 2006.



I moved my entire life from Florida to British Columbia, Canada.



We got married on May 13th, 2006.



We have been married for almost 5 years.



Not all my online relationships were as fortuitous. Some men were children, wanting a mother figure.



Some were assholes, just in it for what they could get out of it in a weekend.



At least one was just a player, who hurt me very badly, and laughed at the gag he had played on me. From the website where we met (Audiogalaxy.com, now rhapsody) my story of what he did spawned an entire group of women who absolutely hated this man, because he had done the same thing to them.



Dating online is no better or worse than dating in real life. But just like real life, you have to use some common sense. If you don't, or you're just innit to winnit, you get what you pay for.



But miracles do happen. Thankfully, I married mine.





*Addendum: One of the other things I had to endure was men accusing me of fucking like a man, i.e., just screwing them for what I wanted, and leaving them behind. Not really in it for love at all, just physical satisfaction.



They were right, and at the time that was what I needed. Men throughout history have used women for what they wanted, and not all of it had to do with sex. Why shouldn't a woman have the opportunity to do the same thing?



However, I have also told Scott on numerous occasions that while there were other men between my first husbamd and him, he was the only man who not only gave me everything I needed, but alot of things I didn't even KNOW I needed.



I guess that's what they mean by having the best of both worlds.

Merry Christmas, peeples...lol
01:07 Dec 26 2010
Times Read: 875

Scott is happily playing "New Vegas" and killing zombies like a mad man.



I have the computer to myself, and not one thing that I have to do, now that breakfast is over.



I am the proud owner of the entire series "Sex and the City" plus the two feature films. Gotta love a family that listens...lol



I had to work Thursday. An engineering firm. First it was supposed to be a totally cash bar (yeah for tips) but then when I got there I suddenly had tickets to contend with (not so yeah).



Bear in mind, that we had had our employee Christmas party on Tuesday. $100 worth of pulled pork bbq and peach cobbler disappeared, much to my delight and a great many compliments from everybody. The last thing I said to the managers was "If you guys can't get everything cleaned up behind the bar, LET ME KNOW so I can come in early Thursday and get it done"



*chuckling*



Yeah right.



I walked into a shit pile when I got there. NO glassware, empties everywhere, and on and on and on......

And on top of everything else, the former bartender who had trained me was called in to cover a couple of functions. And of course she took it upon herself to rearrange everything behind the bar and fuck up my nice, well oiled system, not to mention stuffing a good case of wine in the cabinets, where I found it when I went looking for a back up bottle of Bombay.



I was doing great, because most of the people left at 10 pm, well before the 11:45 bar close time. And I had a couple of people who despite having tickets for all the drinks I gave them, still tipped me, and rather generously.

But then the 6 Klingons left decided to plant themselves at the bar. One lady walks up, drops a WAD of tickets on the bar, looks at me, and hand to GOD, goes:



"Na na na na na NAH"



"Guess you'll be here for awhile, WONCHA...."



Really? You think I'm gonna be pleasant after you dished out THAT attitude?



Well, I was. So for almost 2 hours, I waited on them hand and foot, despite the occasional retort like:



"Ya think you could get me another amaretto on the rocks?"



Then when I set the bottle on the bar to get her some more ice, she grabs it andsays "Nevermind, I'll just do it myself"



After very slowly REMOVING the bottle from her hands, I said:



That's ok, I got it



*insert evil bitch glare from customer here*



Then there are the two guys, one drinking double crown and sevens, the other drinking double Vodka and oj. These two are insisting on antagonizing the two women who have become the bane of my existence this evening, and since they all work together, the women aren't going to take it out on them, they are going to take it out on me....



As I'm moving boxes of wine and empties onto the cart in the kitchen to cut down on some of the work later, I hear:



"You don't really think you're leaving now do you? We own you until 11:45"



*here's where an inside voice is a good thing because the next thing that crossed my mind is:



Oh, no ma'am. I'm just getting a leg up on all the work Ima have to do when you leave. NOTHING is going to cause me to give up the lovely experience of cutting your ass off in 15 minutes and telling you to get the fuck outta my clubhouse.



Fortunately, only the part about getting a leg up came outta my mouth.



Then, at 20 minutes till midnight, I told Eddie I was giving these hos the last call. He nodded, because at this point, the only people left are me, him, and the two server guys who had to reset for the next funtion, and coulnd't until these animals left. Everything else was done- tables tore down and hauled to the basement, chairs down, all the food put away, etc.



So I give last call. Everybody of course just has to have one more, so I got them all fresh drinks, tallied up the tickets, and got down to business. In 10 minutes flat, I had everything done that I needed to do, short of tearing down the dishwasher. So I flipped the sign, told Eddy I was headed downstairs, and off I went.



At midnight, when I had put everything away in the basement and gotten the bottles of wine and beer I needed to restock, plus put back all the shit the other bartender had unneccessarily pulled up, and turned off the beer taps, I headed back upstairs, only to find these people still here. And now, with everything clean and melted out and done, I start hearing the usual:



"Can I get one more"



No.



"Can I get a beer, then"



No.



"You can't go home, the bar is still open."



No ma'am. The bar closed at 11:45, as per YOUR instructions. It is now time to call cabs and go home.



"Can I at LEAST get some water?"



And I poured about $100 worth of liquor down the drain, because these people didn't even finish the drinks they had but they want to give me shit because I won't give them another one.



The last function I had to work before Christmas, and this is what I got. And then, I can hear you ask yourselves, what happened next? Did the spirt of Christmas infuse them with a warm glow, and they were nice to you and tipped you well for going out of your way?



Not. An. ICECUBE'S. Chance. In. HELL.



Christmas just didn't work for me this year. I was overworked, overstressed, and underpaid. I barely got the things that had to be done, done, and then only at the bare minimum. Ima hoping the wedding gig on New Year's is a better venture, cause I have had enough of Christmas fucking cheer to last me a lifetime this year, I kid you not.



Sorry to be such a downer folks. Just chalk it up to my goodwill towards men not being returned at fucking all this year.

To those who have gone before
22:22 Dec 25 2010
Times Read: 880

While the list below is composed of famous people, I wish to add a few more of my own. While this is not inclusive, and I'm sure I will miss someone, these are people who affected me, either because of who they are, or who they were connected to.



Khayman, who lost her father.

Scott and his parents and sister, who lost not only an uncle, but a beloved aunt and great aunt in the past month.

Jen, who works at Taco Del Mar, who lost the grandmother who raised her.



If I missed someone, let me know, and I will certainly add them. Or add them yourselves, in your comments. Death comes more often as you get older, and I tend to want to push it away as much as possible.



JANUARY:



Freya von Moltke, 98. Prominent member of the anti-Nazi resistance in Germany during World War II. Jan. 1.



Deborah Howell, 68. Journalist and Washington Post ombudsman. Jan. 1. Struck by car.



Tsutomu Yamaguchi, 93. The only person recognized as a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings at end of World War II. Jan. 4.



Jean Biden, 92. Mother of Vice President Joe Biden. Jan 8.



Eric Rohmer, 89. French New Wave director known for "Claire's Knee" and other films tracing the intracacies of romantic relationships. Jan. 11.



Miep Gies, 100. Dutch office secretary who defied Nazi occupiers to hide Anne Frank and her family for two years and saved the teenager's diary. Jan 11.



Teddy Pendergrass, 59. R&B singer who was one of the most successful figures in music until a car crash left him in a wheelchair. Jan. 13. Colon cancer.



Edgar Vos, 78. Designer known as the emperor of Dutch fashion who created clothing for all figures and most budgets. Jan 13.



Marshall Nirenberg, 82. Scientist whose work in untangling fundamental genetic processes earned him a Nobel Prize. Jan. 15.



Glenn W. Bell Jr., 86. Entrepreneur best known as the founder of the Taco Bell chain. Jan. 16.



Erich Segal, 72. Author of best-selling novel "Love Story" about a young couple dealing with love and bereavement. Jan. 17.



Jean Simmons, 80. Actress whose ethereal screen presence and starring roles with Hollywood's top actors made her widely admired. Jan 22.



J.D. Salinger, 91. Legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned. Jan. 27.



FEBRUARY:



Frances Reid, 95. Played matriarch Alice Horton on "Days of Our Lives" for four decades. Feb. 3.



U.S. Rep. John Murtha, 77. The tall, gruff-mannered former Marine who became the de facto voice of veterans on Capitol Hill and later an outspoken and influential critic of the Iraq War. Feb. 8. Complications from gallbladder surgery.



Albert M. Kligman, 93. Dermatologist whose research led to discoveries including the acne and wrinkle drug Retin-A but whose pioneering work was overshadowed by his experiments involving prisoners. Feb. 9.



U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, 76. Texan who worked tenaciously to funnel millions of dollars in weapons to Afghan rebels who fought off the Soviet Union. Feb. 10.



Frederick C. Weyand, 93. Former Army Chief of Staff and the last commander of U.S. military operations in the Vietnam War. Feb. 10.



Alexander McQueen, 40. British fashion designer known for his daring and edgy style. Feb. 11. Suicide.



Doug Fieger, 57. Leader of the power pop band The Knack who co-wrote and sang on the 1979 hit "My Sharona." Feb. 14. Cancer.



Bill Gordon, 92. Designed the photogenic radio telescope in Puerto Rico that spotted the first planets beyond our solar system and lakes on one of Saturn's moons. Feb. 16.



Kathryn Grayson, 88. star of popular MGM musicals of the 1940s and '50s such as "Anchors Aweigh," "Show Boat" and "Kiss Me Kate." Feb. 17.



John Babcock, 109. The oldest Canadian veteran of World War I. Feb. 18.



Alexander Haig, 85. Soldier and statesman who held high posts in three Republican administrations and some of the U.S. military's top jobs. Feb. 20.



Menachem Porush, 93. Estemmed rabbbi and longtime leader of one of the most influential ultra-Orthodox factions in the Israeli parliament. Feb. 21.



MARCH:



Evaristo Porras, 62. Former high-flying Medellin cartel drug trafficker associated with Pablo Escobar in the 1980s. March 3. Heart attack.



Doris "Granny D" Haddock, 100. New Hampshire woman who walked across the country at age 89 to promote campaign finance reform and later waged a quixotic campaign for U.S. Senate. March 9.



Corey Haim, 38. Teen talent who started working in TV commercials at 10 and was a big-screen heartthrob at 15. March 10. Pneumonia.



Peter Graves, 83. Tall, stalwart actor whose calm and intelligent demeanor was a good fit to the intrigue of "Mission Impossible" as well as the satire of the "Airplane" films. March 14.



Jerome York, 71. Apple Inc. board member and a financial wizard credited with turning around Chrysler and IBM. March 18.



Roy Steinfort, 88. veteran newsman and former vice president of The Associated Press who turned the agency's radio operations into a service providing news to millions of listeners worldwide. March 21.



Margaret Moth, 59. CNN photojournalist who survived a near-fatal gunshot wound to the face while filming in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the wars there in the early 1990s. March 21. Colon cancer.



Robert Culp, 79. Actor who teamed with Bill Cosby in the racially groundbreaking TV series "I Spy" and was Bob in the critically acclaimed sex comedy "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice." March 24.



Johnny Maestro, 70. Performed the 1958 doo-wop hit "16 Candles" with The Crests and enjoyed a decades-long career with The Brooklyn Bridge. March 24.



Marty Lederhandler, 92. Associated Press photographer who captured on film every U.S. president from Herbert Hoover to Bill Clinton, covered the D-Day landing in 1944 and climaxed a 66-year career with an iconic shot of the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks. March 25.



Jaime Escalante, 79. Transformed a tough east Los Angeles high school by motivating students to master advanced math, became one of the most famous teachers in the U.S. and inspired the movie "Stand and Deliver." March 30.



Morris Jeppson, 87. Weapons test officer aboard the Enola Gay who helped arm the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima. March 30.



APRIL:



John Forsythe, 92. Actor who starred in television series such as "Dynasty" and "Bachelor Father" and films including Alfred Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry" and "Topaz." April 1.



Corin Redgrave, 70. Actor in dozens of plays, television shows and movies including "A Man for all Seasons" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Brother of Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave. April 6.



Anatoly Dobrynin, 90. Legendary Soviet diplomat who represented Moscow during the Cuban missile crisis and later in key superpower negotiations to curb the growth of nuclear arsenals. April 6.



Wilma Mankiller, 64. First female leader of the Cherokee Nation, from 1985 to 1995. April 6.



J. Bruce Llewellyn, 82. Became one of the country's most successful black businessmen in retailing, bottling and media. April 7.



Meinhardt Raabe, 94. Played the Munchkin coroner in "The Wizard of Oz" and proclaimed in the movie that the Wicked Witch of the East was "really most sincerely dead." April 9.



Lech Kaczynski, 60. An anti-communist activist who became Polish president. He died with other officials in a plane crash in Russia. April 10.



Anna Walentynowicz, 80. A union activist whose 1980 dismissal from a Gdansk shipyard touched off strikes that led to the founding of the Solidarity movement and the eventual toppling of Polish communism. April 10. Plane crash.



Dixie Carter, 70. Star of the television series "Designing Women" who had roles in a host of other television shows. April 10.



Benjamin L. Hooks, 85. An attorney and pastor who became the South's first black state trial court judge since Reconstruction and then led the flagging NAACP in a strong rebound. April 15.



Guru (Keith Elam), 48. Influential rapper known for intellectual themes, a monotone delivery and his combination of jazz sounds with hip-hop beats. April 19. Cancer.



Dorothy Height, 98. The leading female voice of the 1960s civil rights movement and a key participant in historic marches with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. April 20.



Keli McGregor, 48. President of baseball's Colorado Rockies and a former NFL football player. April 20. Found dead in hotel room of natural causes.



Juan Antonio Samaranch, 89. A former Spanish diplomat and shrewd dealmaker whose 21-year term as president of the International Olympic Committee was marked by unprecedented growth of the games. April 21.



Elizabeth Post, 89. Etiquette expert and author of books and magazine columns. April 24.



Franklin Mieuli, 89. His deerstalker cap, substantial beard and casual style made him one of the NBA's most colorful figures in his 24 years as owner of the Golden State Warriors. April 25.



MAY:



Jean Louis Dumas, 72. Ran luxury brand Hermes for nearly three decades and was hailed as an emblem of French style. May 1.



Helen Wagner, 91. Actress who held the Guinness world record for playing the same role soap opera "As the World Turns" for the longest period of time, 54 years. May 1.



Lynn Redgrave, 67. Actress who became a 1960s sensation as the free-thinking title character in "Georgy Girl." May 2. Breast cancer.



Dave Fisher, 69. Lead singer of the Highwaymen, the popular 1960s folk group. May 7. Bone marrow disease.



Lena Horne, 92. Jazz singer known for signature song "Stormy Weather" and for her triumph over bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them. May 9.



John Shepherd-Barron, 89. Scotsman credited with inventing the world's first automatic cash machine. May 15.



Ronnie James Dio, 67. Singer whose soaring vocals and poetic lyrics broke new ground in heavy metal music. May 16. Stomach cancer.



Hank Jones, 91. Jazz pianist and composer who played with some of the biggest names in American jazz including singer Ella Fitzgerald. May 16.



Art Linkletter, 97. Known on American television for his interviews with children and ordinary people. May 26.



Gary Coleman, 42. Adorable, pint-sized child star of the 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list. May 28. Brain hemorrhage.



Dennis Hopper, 74. Hollywood actor whose memorable career included "Rebel without a Cause" and "Easy Rider." May 29. Prostate cancer.



Ali-Ollie Woodson, 58. Led the Motown quintet the Temptations in the 1980s and '90s; helped restore them to some of their hit-making glory. May 30. Cancer.



JUNE:



Kazuo Ohno, 103. Brought the Japanese modern dance style of Butoh to the international stage and charmed audiences with eerie but poetic performances. June 1.



Rue McClanahan, 76. Emmy-winning actress who brought the sexually liberated Southern belle Blanche Devereaux to life on the hit TV series "The Golden Girls." June 3.



John Wooden, 99. Built college basketball's greatest dynasty at UCLA and became one of the most revered coaches ever. June 4.



Jack Harrison, 97. Survivor of the Great Escape plot by Allied prisoners in a German prison in World War II. June 4.



Jimmy Dean, 81. Country music legend for his smash hit about a workingman hero, "Big Bad John," and an entrepreneur known for his sausage brand. June 13.



Sergei Tretyakov, 53. Former top Russian spy who defected to the U.S. after running espionage operations from the United Nations. June 13. Choked on a piece of meat.



Garry Shider, 56. Longtime musical director of Parliament-Funkadelic whose funky guitar work, songwriting skills and musical arrangements thrilled fans and earned him a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. June 16.



Sebastian Horsley, 47. Self-styled dandy and noted British eccentric who found fame by having himself nailed to a cross in the Philippines. June 17.



Marcel Bigeard, 94. General who led France's elite parachute forces in colonial wars in independence-seeking Indochina and Algeria after serving in the French Resistance in World War II. June 18.



Manute Bol, 47. Lithe 7-foot-7 shot-blocker from Sudan who spent 10 seasons in the NBA and was dedicated to humanitarian work in Africa. June 19.



Edith Shain, 91. Claimed to be the nurse who was smooched by a sailor in Times Square in the famous Life magazine photograph marking the end of World War II. June 20.



Sen. Robert C. Byrd, 92. Rose from an impoverished childhood in West Virginia's coal country to become the longest-serving senator in U.S. history. June 28.



JULY:



Frank Colacurcio Sr., 93. Organized crime figure who built a strip club empire across 10 Western states. July 2.



Mohammed Oudeh, 73. Key planner of the 1972 Munich Olympics attack that killed 11 Israeli athletes. July 3.



Dr. Robert Butler, 83. Pulitzer Prize-winning expert on aging who coined the phrase "ageism." July 4.



Tuli Kupferberg, 86. Founding member of the 1960s underground rock group the Fugs. July 12.



Harvey Pekar, 70. Author of the autobiographical comic book series "American Splendor." July 12.



George Steinbrenner, 80. Rebuilt New York Yankees dynasty over more than three decades of owning the franchise. July 13.



Vernon Baker, 90. Belatedly received Medal of Honor for World War II valor after being denied the award because he was black. July 13.



Stephen Schneider, 65. Served on international research panel on global warming that shared 2007 Nobel Prize with former Vice President Al Gore. July 19. Heart attack.



David Warren, 85. Inventor of "black box" flight data recorder. July 19.



Daniel Schorr, 93. Journalist who covered the Cold War and found himself on President Richard Nixon's "enemies list." July 23.



Theo Albrecht, 88. Secretive co-founder of Germany's worldwide discount supermarket chain Aldi, co-owner of Trader Joe's in the U.S. July 24.



Erich Steidtmann, 95. Former Nazi SS officer suspected of being involved in World War II massacres; was never convicted. July 25.



Jacques Montouroy, 63. French national and aid worker in Africa known as "Papa Jacques." July 29.



AUGUST:



Lolita Lebron, 90. Puerto Rican independence activist who spent 25 years in prison for participating in a gun attack on the U.S. Congress a half century ago. Aug. 1.



Reginald Levy, 88. British pilot praised for his cool-headed bravery during a 1972 hijacking by Palestinian mi1itants. Aug. 1.



Patricia Neal, 84, the willowy, husky-voiced actress who won an Academy Award in 1963 for "Hud" and then survived several strokes to continue acting. Aug. 8.



Ted Stevens, 86. The longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate; funneled billions of dollars to his remote state of Alaska. Aug. 9. Plane crash.



David L. Wolper, 82. Hollywood impressario whose landmark 1987 television miniseries "Roots" engrossed the U.S. with its saga of an American family descended from an African slave. Aug. 10.



Dan Rostenkowski, 82. Former Illinois congressman who wielded enormous power on Capitol Hill for more than 30 years. Aug. 11.



Edwin Newman, 91. NBC News correspondent for more than three decades who battled linguistic pretense and clutter in his best-sellers "Strictly Speaking" and "A Civil Tongue." Aug. 13.



Philip Markoff, 24. Former medical student accused of killing a masseuse he met through the website Craigslist. Aug. 15. Suicide.



Dimitrios Ioannidis, 87. Feared security chief who led a countercoup against Greece's military leaders and provoked a 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Aug. 16.



Francesco Cossiga, 82. Veteran politician in Italy's fight against domestic terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s who resigned as president after failing to save the life of a politician kidnapped by the Red Brigades. Aug. 17.



SEPTEMBER:



Paul Conrad, 86. Political cartoonist who won the Pulitzer Prize three times for his stark, powerful visuals that poked fun at politicians and presidents. Sept. 4.



Jefferson Thomas, 67. One of nine black students to integrate a Little Rock high school in American's first major battle over school segregation. Sept. 5. Pancreatic cancer.



Israel Tal, 86. Decorated war hero and creator of Israel's renowned "Merkava" tank, in Rehovot, Israel. Sept. 8.



Juan Mari Bras, 82. Elder statesman of Puerto Rico's independence movement who gave up his U.S. citizenship in an act that inspired hundreds of other activists. Sept. 10.



Kevin McCarthy, 96. Actor who played the frantic doctor trying to save his friends and neighbors in the science-fiction movie classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Sept. 11.



Claude Chabrol, 80. French director who was one of the founders of the New Wave movement and whose films probed the latent malice beneath the placid surface of bourgeois life. Sept. 12.



John "Jack" Goeken, 80. Founder of telecommunications giant MCI and father of air-to-ground telephone communications. Sept. 16.



Gennady Yanayev, 73. Leader of the abortive coup who briefly declared himself Soviet president, replacing Mikhail Gorbachev. Sept. 19.



Eddie Fisher, 82. Pop singer who crooned love tunes in the 1950s but whose life was overshadowed by drug use, gambling and failed marriages to actresses Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds. Sept. 22.



Gloria Stuart, 100. The 1930s Hollywood beauty who gave up acting for 30 years and later became the oldest Academy Award acting nominee as the spunky survivor in "Titanic." Sept. 26.



Arthur Penn, 88. A myth-maker and myth-breaker who, in directing such film classics as "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Little Big Man," refashioned movies. Sept. 28.



Tony Curtis, 85. Defiantly worked to mold himself from a 1950s heartthrob to a respected actor in such films as "Some Like It Hot." Sept. 29.



OCTOBER:



Albertina Walker, 81. Grammy-winning singer from Chicago known as the "Queen of Gospel." Oct. 8.



Linda Norgrove, 36. British aid worker killed after being taken captive in Afghanistan. Oct. 8. Head and chest injuries during a rescue attempt.



Maurice Allais, 99. Nobel economics winner and early critic of shortcomings in the worldwide financial system that led to the latest crisis. October 9.



Joan Sutherland, 83. Acclaimed opera singer whose voice stretched more than three octaves. Oct. 10.



Georges Mathe, 88. Performed the world's first bone marrow transplant in 1959. Oct. 15.



Barbara Billingsley, 94. Played the mother of Beaver and Wally in "Leave it to Beaver." Oct. 16.



Tom Bosley, 83. Actor best known for his role on "Happy Days." Oct. 19. Lung cancer.



Bob Guccione, 79. Publisher of the adult magazine Penthouse. Oct. 20. Lung cancer.



Robert Katz, 77. American writer and historian, whose reconstruction of an infamous Nazi massacre in Rome sparked a trial over whether he defamed the pope. Oct. 20. Cancer surgery.



James F. Neal, 81. Attorney who prosecuted Jimmy Hoffa, key Watergate figures, and defended Elvis Presley's doctor and the Exxon Corp. after the Alaska oil spill. Oct. 21.



Alexander Anderson Jr., 90. TV cartoon artist who created Rocky the flying squirrel, Bullwinkle the moose and Dudley Do-Right the Canadian mountie. Oct. 22.



Joseph Stein, 98. Turned a Yiddish short story into "Fiddler on the Roof." Oct. 24.



Sheik Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, 90. Ruler in the United Arab Emirates federation and one of the world's longest-reigning monarchs. Oct. 27.



Nestor Kirchner, 60. Former president of Argentina who steered the country out of crisis and political instability. Oct 27. Heart attack.



NOVEMBER:



Viktor Chernomyrdin, 72. Served as Russia's prime minister in the turbulent 1990s as the country was throwing off communism. Nov. 3.



Eugenie Blanchard, 114. Nun considered the world's oldest person. Nov. 4.



Sparky Anderson, 76. Legendary baseball manager who led the Cincinnati Reds to back-to-back World Series championships. Nov. 4.



Dino De Laurentiis, 91. Produced films such as "La Strada" and Barbarella." Nov. 10



Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki, 76. Polish composer famous for his "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs." Nov. 12.



Laurie Bembenek, 52. Former Milwaukee police officer who escaped from prison after she was convicted of murder. Nov. 20. Liver failure.



Ingrid Pitt, 73. Survived a Nazi concentration camp to become an acclaimed British movie actress. Nov. 23.



Leslie Nielsen, 84. Actor who starred in comedies such as "Airplane" and "The Naked Gun." Nov. 28.



David F. Nolan, 66. Co-founder of the Libertarian Party. Nov. 28.



John D'Agostino Sr., 81. His work in comic books ranged from Archie and Jughead to the Incredible Hulk and G.I. Joe. Nov. 28.



Samuel T. Cohen, 89. Neutron bomb inventor. Nov. 28.



Stephen J. Solarz, 70. Former New York congressman who in 1986 revealed the extravagance of Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, including her 3,000 pairs of shoes. Nov. 29.



DECEMBER:



Ron Santo, 70. Former Chicago Cubs third baseman and broadcaster. Dec. 2. Complications of bladder cancer.



Maria Esther Gatti de Islas, 92. Human rights activist who helped found Uruguay's organization of relatives of people who disappeared during South America's "dirty wars." Dec. 5.



Elizabeth Edwards, 61. Closely advised her husband John Edwards in two bids for the presidency and advocated for health care even as her marriage publicly crumbled. Dec. 7. Cancer.



Dov Shilansky, 86. Holocaust survivor and former speaker of the Israeli parliament. Dec. 9.



John du Pont, 72. Chemical fortune heir who killed an Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler at his palatial estate. Dec. 9.



James Moody, 85. Jazz saxophonist who recorded more than 50 solo albums as well as songs with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Lionel Hampton and B.B. King. Dec. 9. Pancreatic cancer.



Mark Madoff, 46. Son of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff. Dec. 11. Suicide.



Richard Holbrooke, 69. U.S. diplomat who wrote part of the Pentagon Papers and was the architect of the 1995 Bosnia peace plan. Dec. 13.



Bob Feller, 92. Teenage pitching sensation, World War II hero and outspoken Hall of Famer. Dec. 15.



Blake Edwards, 88. Director and writer known for clever dialogue, poignance and occasional belly-laugh sight gags in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "10" and the "Pink Panther" farces. Dec. 15.



Tommaso Padoa Schioppa, 70. Italian economist who was one of the intellectual architects of the euro and a member of the European Central Bank's first executive board. Dec. 18.



Fred Foy, 89. Announcer best known for his booming, passionate lead-ins to "The Lone Ranger" radio and television series. Dec. 22.



Fred Hargesheimer, 94. World War II Army pilot whose rescue by Pacific islanders led to a life of giving back as a builder of schools and teacher of children. Dec. 23.

A week to go
22:44 Dec 22 2010
Times Read: 898

Before I get to my next massage appointment.



It feels like I have rocks between my shoulder blades, and I would give anything to have someone who could push on that spot just between them and pop a few vertebrae...



I have to work tomorrow night, but then I don't have to do a thing until New Year's when I will be working a wedding of all things.



Last night's party went well, although I left at a reasonable time when they started playing beer pong...and Dawar kept insisting I just had to have shots of tequila. I had two pork butts (imagine saying that to the meat counter person at Safeway, with my accent, in Canada...lol) and two pork loins going in two separate crock pots, and a pot full of homemade bbq sauce, plus a resturaunt size chafing pan full of peach cobbler burbling away in the oven.



Suffice it to say that there were no leftovers at the end of the night when I left. And I know at least one of the supervisors filled up FIVE go boxes of my cooking before he and his girlfriend left....



It is so nice to have people appreciate my cooking. I enjoy it so much, cooking that is.

YEAH, baby!
21:50 Dec 21 2010
Times Read: 913

Things that make you go
19:38 Dec 21 2010
Times Read: 921

WHAT thee HELL???



We bought this house in June of 2009, moved in in August. We have been slowly but surely getting things done as we were able, what with our totally bizarre work schedules.



I expected to get mail for the previous owners for a bit, that is just normal. They lived here, plus the husband, Shawn, ran a busniess out of the house. So when I got the odd piece of mail, I gave him a call, and he would pick it up.



A month or so ago, instead of him picking it up, his wife did, because whatever it was was of sufficient enough importance that it needed to get got right then. She pulled up in the driveway, and I picked up the box, which was rather heavy, to put it in the car for her. She objected, but since she had had a baby recently, and this is after all what I do as part of my job, I loaded it into the van for her. She handed me an envelope, and said it was just a small thank you for helping them with their mail so much. Turned out it was a gift card to Starbucks, and while I don't drink coffee, they have other options, so I was touched. She hopped back into the van, and off she and the baby went.



Last week, we got several more pieces, checks for the busniess and Christmas cards, which I called and told Shawn would be in the mail box outside, in case I wasn't home when he stopped by.



He finally got by to pick everything up, and I figured that would be it.



Then Scott and I came home, and there were a couple of things in the mailbox, one of which was eat up with Chinese writing all over it. I figured it was a cd I had ordered, and hauled all of it upstairs.



As I was getting ready to open the package, I flipped it over, and realized it was for Shawn. At second glance, I also realized that in Chinese and English, the package was labeled "DNA testing kit".



I was a little taken aback. When Scott got upstairs, I showed it to him (insert appropriately raised eyebrow ala Mr. Spock here)



So yesterday, as Scott and I were headed out to our respective errands and jobs, I gave Shawn a call. He laughed when I told him what the package said, since I wasn't sure if he wanted me to stick it in the mailbox as usual, or hand it to him personally. He said no, just stick it in the mailbox, he'd get it.



It was still there when Scott and I got home from dinner at Red Robin's.



This is just a little too much weirdness this close ot Christmas.

ROFLMAO
19:32 Dec 18 2010
Times Read: 939

Me: You needs to get up and go before we settle into real snuggling, cause I don't want to have to move in a few minutes.



Scott: (as he is sliding off the bed) Hearltess, evil bitch



Me: Well I never!



Scott: You should, it's lots of fun......

Oh for......
22:23 Dec 16 2010
Times Read: 952

I had every plan of putting osmething seasonal here. Something of depth, magnitude, and spirit, to reflect the season at it's best, not the hectic head banging crap I have been dealing with lately.



And yet what get's stuck in my mind?????







Merry Christmas to all my animal friends...lol

Craptacular
20:00 Dec 14 2010
Times Read: 969

Knowing full well I had to be at work at 11 AM (meaning a 9 am wakeup at the latest) I went to bed early, compliments of half a sleeping pill.



Unfortunately, I woke up at 6:30, and couldn't seem to get comfortable. My mind went from dead asleep to 100 MPH in the blink of a second, no shifting. And I was pinballing over a multitude of subjects; my son, my ex, my inlaws, my dad, back to my son, and my ex.



Then to work, with it's incomprehensible amount of bullshit at any given time, multiplied by the fact that it is Christmas season and we are all balls to the wall tired right now.



One of the managers left a comment on her facebook page that she needed a Christmas break. I promptly left the comment that in our place of work "Christmas break" was an oxymoron...



After tossing and turning for 45 minutes, I finally napped a little, only to have what I can only think of as a series of nightmare vignettes. One involved Scott and I hearing a noise, only to look over the stairway bannister and see my dad, who has been dead for almost 7 years, nailing things into the wall at the bottom of the stairs, and explaining at the same time why I had made such a mess out of things in the house.

Then on to the next one, where some girl, I know not who, was coming at me screaming about how I had ruined everything, and so I grabbed her by the forehead and the lower jaw and literally tore her head in half...and while doing so I was telling her to go to hell, and I know I said it out loud, because I woke myself up doing it...



The rest (there were 5 in total, as best as I can remember) I can't really put a picture to, just a general sense of unease and horror that I could not shake.



I have no idea what all of this means, and why it happened now. I can say that it definitely put a pall on the day, which only the chilly outside air seems to scoot away from me.



That, and handing Jessica a tray full of homemade cabbage rolls for getting me this Friday off....lol



Now to work for a couple of hours, then mail Connor's box, take food to my in laws (Judy lost a favorite aunt over the weekend), and get a tree.



Namaste', mother fuckers, as Bri says...lol



Me, I just hand over the drinks and holler Mazaltov...lol

I'm just saying....
09:46 Dec 12 2010
Times Read: 989

There has GOT to be a particular circle of hell for drivers who are that SPECIAL kind of stupid.....



*throws coke can across the room*

OHIMAGAWD
05:32 Dec 12 2010
Times Read: 994

Sometimes I just love the people I work with. Not ALL of them (bishes) but alot of them.



They set up the crepe station right at the end of the bar tonight. So I been smelling them damn things for a while.



There are three bitches (and I use that in the truest hate you way, not the warm I love you bishes I use with certain wimmin folk on this site) who have been just snarky with me, rude, nasty, AND they haven't tipped me a fucking cent.



The chef noticed all this ( his name is Robbie)



He went out of his way to make me a crepe with peaches (duh) cream cheese (oh lawdy) and caramel sauce on top.



I may actually live to see the end of this night with out going out of my way to poison dem bitches.



Yes, they have earned the names that Requim provided. I just can't put them in here, cause I be at work...lol



But consider the fact that I NEVER use the C word, and evem Ima thinking it....

Nothing...
04:11 Dec 12 2010
Times Read: 1,000

Is as good as being hugged tightly feels.



And to know that there is someone who thinks I am important to their very well being and life.



*sigh*

Found on facebook....
00:12 Dec 11 2010
Times Read: 1,033

DONE scholl for 3 weeks!!!! now i get to work....:( than home to go old Calgary





*looks more like school is done with you, sugar...*

So
23:18 Dec 10 2010
Times Read: 1,038

Again with the real estate people, only this time I knew what I was getting into, since I have worked this guy's party every year I have been there.



The man always leaves a credit card at both bars, and then he goes in waves:



"Everybody rides that tab until Dinner starts, then shut it down"



"Okay, open it up again"



"Everybody can ride till speeches, then shut it down"



"okay, open it up again, and I 'll let you know"



I made sure the managers knew two weeks ago that we were going to need Baja Rosa, at least 6 bottles. This guy loves to buy a tray full of shots, then walk around handing them out. Fine by me, less work for me...lol

He went through four and a half bottles. For those of you counting, that is 111 shots, at $5.25 per.



He's also very polite, but not very warm to the help, if you know what I mean...



His tab at the end of the night with just me was $2,413.75. He left me $360 as a tip. Kinda puts my little tab from October to shame.



So I get this little short guy ambling up to the bar, while the hosted part of the boss's tab is on.



"I want a Caesar"



Sure thing.



"Oh, and try not to be shy with the hot sauce."



The look I shot him could have curdled milk, I guarantee it.



Suffice it to say, that the usual snappy comeback of "Spicy for you guys and spicy for a red headed southern woman like me" did not even cross my mind much less my lips.



He didn't ask for another Caesar I can vouch for that.... >:)



I did get alot of hugs from some of these people since they have seen me for three years in a row now...it was nice, and the tips didn't hurt my feelings at all



Later, after working myself slam to death, I got outta there at 2:15 in the morning, after being there since about 5. I was BEAT down to my toenails, all over and then some.



Scott and I had decided on A+W for dinner, since it and Subway were the only things open at that time of the morning.



I pulled up to the order speaker, and this poor, pitiful voice says "Can you hold on for a sec, please...."



Sure no problem.



"ok. Shit, I don't think I am going to get through this night....what do people expect, that I am just supposed to shit onions rings? I mean really"



At this point, I am in hysterics. There is a brief pause, and I hear:



"Lawd, I left the mic on didn't I?"



Yes ma'am you did, but that is ok. I expect that about half your troubles tonight are from people I got in that condition, so you have my heartfelt apoligies.



"It has just been a night, don't ya know...I am so sorry"



Don't think a thing about it sugar. Everything is gonna be alright, promise.



I gave her my order, we worked it all out, and she told me to pull up to the window. At this point, there is a guy behind me, whose order she took just as fast, and he pulls up behind me.



This poor woman is kicking the coke machine as I pull up, because of course, it picked that exact moment to run out. I told her to make it 2 rootbeers and a sprite, and we'll call it even.



Now, allow me to let you guys in on a secret.



One of the perks of working weddings is all the cool shit that gets left behind, which we then take home. One of those cool things are the little bubble tubes people use to celebrate the couple instead of throwing rice.



They are wicked cool.



I happened to have one in my car.



When this poor woman turned around, she walked into a virtual storm of bubbles, as I was furiously dipping and blowing through the wand as fast as I could.



She looked at me and I said:



Ain't nothing in the world so bad that bubbles can't fix it.



She went into hysterics. She laughed so hard she had to set down my sodas before she dropped them. The guy cooking the burgers came out from behind the window to see what the hell was going on, and since I was still blowing bubbles, now he is laughing too.



Then I look into the rear view mirror. The guy behind me has his head on the steering wheel, and is shaking with laughter, because there are bubbles stuck to the front of his car...



After talking to her for a bit while she was packing up the food, I discovered that like me, she is from warmer climes, being from Barbados. She and I both wondered what would make the pair of us move to a place like Canada. But as we both said, we got jobs, and people who love us, so who could ask for anything more?



Sometimes I wonder why I am here. Then I have anight like this, and I know.



Cause I have seriously lost my mind...lol

Random surfing strikes again...
23:32 Dec 09 2010
Times Read: 1,051

Oh lord
22:03 Dec 09 2010
Times Read: 1,061

I am sitting at the computer desk, somewhere between running errands, taking out all the recyclables and trash, and getting ready for work.



In the interim, I am eating the most fabulous reuben I have had in ages, picked up at the local pub in between stops. Finally found out they have great food, and they are literally 3 blocks from the house.



I am eating with one hand and typing with the other.



Somewhere, Birra has developed a twitch...LMAO

My mom was from here...
19:59 Dec 09 2010
Times Read: 1,072

Which probably explains alot about me....







Police: Man claims he's a vampire, burns V on teen

The Associated Press

Thursday, December 9, 2010 12:07 PM EST



GADSDEN, Ala. (AP) — Police in Alabama say a 20-year-old man who believes he is a vampire and goes by the nickname "Vamp" is accused of burning a "V" into a teenager's forehead.



Evan Francis Brown has been charged with second-degree assault, a felony. Gadsden police detective Mike Hooks told The Gadsden Times that Brown heated a fork or a spoon on a stove and used it to brand a "V" into a 17-year-old's forehead in October. Hooks says Brown tied the teen up, tricking him into believing they were playing a game.



Police say the teenager also had cigarette burns on his face and arms and had been beaten.



Hooks says Brown told authorities that his religious belief is Satanism and that he is known by the nickname "Vamp."



Hooks called Brown "a want-to-be vampire."



Jail records did not list an attorney for Brown.



———



Information from: The Gadsden Times, www.gadsdentimes.com

REALLY???
08:42 Dec 09 2010
Times Read: 1,085

The party I worked tonight was for the radiologists from the local teaching hospital.



You would think they would have a little more sense than the average drunk. Instead, I get this:



"I just bought this glass of wine, and I don't really like it. Can I trade it for something else?"



No Ma'am. I can sell you another glass, but I can't trade that one.



"Can't you just pour it back into the bottle? I only had a couple of sips."



Um. NO. 0-O



And next on the hit parade:



" I want a rum and coke. And by the way, your hair looks nice"



Thank you- here's your change

*no tip*



"That outfit doesn't do anything for you."



*here's where my inner child almost had a tantrum. But I used my inside voice:



Well, ya know what? It's a UNIFORM. Just like YOU have to wear at the hospital where you work, and which I doubt does any good for your lumpy ass figure, you bitch. But let me tell you something. You take your sofa print, godAWFUL pink dress, and your hot pink sling back hush puppies, and you prance your chubby ass back to your table.



She then spent the rest of the night, hitting up young, single doctors with credit cards to buy her and her "posse" drinks. Some of them were hot, and I had the snapping fingers and "work it girl" out just for them. But this bish?



I don't think so.



Then here comes Dawar, the aforementioned server who had the gang boy wanna bes up in his face the other night (and journal entry).



He stopped at a table to pick up a lady's empty plate, and just as he leaned over, she whipped that head around, just an inch away from his mouth with hers. Poor Dawar got all flustered, backed up, and hurried to the kitchen.



This woman then spent the rest of the night with her eyes on him every where he went. Dawar was looking a bit pale, so I asked him if he was ok, he said he just couldn't work with some woman "eye fucking" him everywhere he went.....



Riiiiiiiiigggggggghhhhhhtttt........



Then I stood at the bar for over an hour, doing nothing, while they did their presentations, skits, et al, until 9:30 when I was to close the bar. Not 5 MINUTES after I flipped the sign, here comes Mr. dick-for-short...



"You're not closed are you?"



Yes sir. As per the contract that you guys set up, the bar closed at 9:30.



"Could I get a drink downstairs?"



No sir, that is a private function just like yours was, and the regular bar isn't open.



Then he figured if he stood there long enough I'd give in.



Not. Happening.



Rule number one. If you don't tip the bartender, you're ass is grass when it comes time for getting special favors.



Rule number two? Don't bitch about how you can't taste the alcohol in your drink after telling me to get rid of half the ice in the glass.



LESS ICE = MORE MIX



NOT more alcohol.



And when you read my nametag that says "My passion is Vampires" don't think you are being all cute telling me I have no business working a hospital party.



I work where I'm put, sugar. Period.



Fucktards. Jackwagons. Twatwaffles.



I am so glad I have word coaches on here for inside swearing...LMAO

LET'S HAVE A POLL!!!!
21:31 Dec 08 2010
Times Read: 1,115

heeheeheeheehee....



Ima get my ass handed to me for this, but what the hell. If you can't live dangerously, why bother.



Our buddy the birdie is rapidly arranging her forthcoming nuptials.



Obviously, the Rat and Cat will be in attendance.



I am holding a poll to see what the lovely bridesmaids should be wearing as they stroll down the aisle, if that is how it is to be....



Me personally?



I'm voting for peach organdy, lots of lace, and big floppy hats.....



Any OTHER suggestions???



hehehehehehehehe

Holy *@#)&#$@$%^&
02:31 Dec 08 2010
Times Read: 1,129

I could be home, talking to the horse and badger



I could be home listening to OB read



I could be laying on the couch like a much needed vegetable, breathing deep and being calm



Am I doing ANY of those things?



No.



I. am working a secondary school winter formal.



I have been reduced to a juice bartender.



I'm so ashamed.



Ima poison Tristan if it's the LAST thing I do.



And on top of everything else, we just found out that the DJ who was supposed to be playing for 250 teenagers?



Has bailed at the last minute.....



And all the joy about actually having the Saturday off for Scott's work party dried up last night when he came home and annouced that the boss's wife had moved it to Friday.



Which I have to work.



And I was gonna get all dressed up for him first, before my work party.





dimmit......

Let's see who wants these first...lol
23:52 Dec 07 2010
Times Read: 1,143



see more If Shoes Could Kill

Hehehehehehehe.....
04:10 Dec 07 2010
Times Read: 1,157

Khayman, Requim and I had a three-way......



Sometimes laughing feels better than anything, even sex.

01:26 Dec 07 2010
Times Read: 1,165

Friday was, to say the least, weird



EVERYTHING that could possibly go wrong, blow up, not work, or fuck up, did.



The elevator quit working, and it took the guy over two hours to get there to fix it. So the mayor, the one with back trouble? Had to be carried down by four big guys down the back stairs so he could leave the party.



The mechanical room flooded, and all the so called maintenance man would say is "yeah yeah, I know all about that, I take care of that Monday"



The door to the handicapped stall has been busted (ie: sitting on the floor) for over a month.

Again, "yeah yeah I take care of that Monday"



The first decent depth snowfall we had was two weeks ago, and the jackwagons who plowed pushed the snow into the handicapped parking places, and where the limos park, both at the top of the parking lot. Which means that for two weeks, snow has been melting and freezing, turning the entire parking lot into a skating rink.



We have had 6 slip and falls.



"yeah yeah, I salt on Monday"



Friday was our first night of having three parties going at one time, and this jagoff didn't scehdule the cleaning crew to come in the night before.



REALLY?



We had a ukulele band play, and while they were actually very good, after an hour it started to get on my nerves. But here, you can judge for yourself:







What I was working was a Christmas party for the Morningstar people, basically a land developing group. They were fine, and thankfully, my side left early (WHOOT) which meant I got to scoot out of there before 1 am. Barely, but every little bit helps. But Kelly, bless her heart, had to be woken up to come to work, because not only had they scheduled her to work bar at 5 pm, but they also scheduled her to serve downstairs at 7. And since the server schedule is before the bar schedule.....



So I got both bars set up to start, so suffice it to say, I left everything for her to haul down. But before we could get to that point, the elevator went balls up. Thankfully they got it fixed before we had to worry about it, because my cranky wrinkled rebel ass was NOT hauling 11 boxes of wine and who knew how many boxes of empties 4 flights down to the basement one box at a time....



Then there was "the girl".



I swear, this gal could have been a clone for Ms. Khayman, only with straight black hair. It did my heart good to have some warm fuzzy thoughts about my dear feed bag, to say the least...lol



Then.....she totally deviated from anything I would expect from Ms. Khay...



She drank like a fish (no, that's not the deviation, lol)



She picked up a guy at the party.



And then fair readers, we did what we offically call the booty patrol. We found these two in three separate places, trying to have sex 6 different ways, dressed, undressed, inside, outside, they even broke the bathroom.



Suffice it to say, both of them were a healthy size.



The servers who caught them, all of them under 25, now perpetually have a twitch at what their poor eyes bore witness to...LMAO.



Meh. Their young...lol They'll learn...lol



Saturday, I had to be at work at 11:30 am. A bit early for my taste, but it also meant I got off at 5:30 in the afternoon. It was also the first time I had had to wear my sunglasses to go to work in weeks...lol.

A wedding no less, only the groom was in his 70's, and the bride was, how shall I say this...she came postage due? Oh yeah...one of those.



But they were quiet, polite, and I didn't have to work too hard or stress out at all.



And Sunday was more of the that, thank God. A hosted wedding reception, only they got married there before the reception. The highlight of the day?



The flower girl barfed in the middle of the ceremony. EVERYWHERE.



Then, after we got her cleaned up, changed into comfey clothes, and installed on one of our couches, she continued to barf, all over the carpet yet again. Poor kid.



I'm not even going to get into the discussion we had as to whether or not the cleaners were even coming in that night. Joel was toting a full head of steam on that one when I left at 8 pm. He called the maintenance guy, and raised holy hell, only the only thing he talked to was the guy's answering machine. He was on his way to call again when I left. Ya know for a short guy, he sure can raise some hell when he gets good and pissed.....



On the high side, Scott found the list of stuff I needed to get for Connor, and Saturday I while I was at work, he did all the Christmas shopping. He made dinner on Friday night, took me for sushi on Saturday night, and to the Keg for dinner Sunday. He put up all the laundry, emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, and just in general took care of the extraneous bullshit that piles up when I get this busy at work.



I in turn made him hot chocolate with Bailey's all three nights. Plus, as promised, he tucked me into my jammies Saturday and Sunday, tucked me in under the furry blanket on the couch, and we watched "Andromeda" until I fell peacefully asleep on the couch.



*sigh*



I may actually survive Christmas season this year.



But I damn near killed myself trying to find a flaming dress for the company Christmas party.



Monday I head to the biggest mall in the area.



During Christmas season.



oy.....

Three things I would love to say in person
20:58 Dec 05 2010
Times Read: 1,186

1) I love you

2) I am so sorry

3) He was a good man, and he was proud of his grandsons.

*sigh*
23:26 Dec 03 2010
Times Read: 1,209

I am so tired. I can't seem to string a coherent thought together, and yet here I sit, typing away in my journal. Last night was a total cluster fuck. It was real estate agents, like I knew it would be, and it was the same people I have worked for before, and had them cause all manner of trouble with us.



The owner of that particular office always wants to look like a big shot. Thing is, he doesn't want to spend the money to do it, so he substitutes making our lives a living hell to compensate. He won't put his party upstairs where he can have two bartenders, or make it a hosted function. Instead, he puts it in the smaller venue downstairs, and then makes everybody miserable, telling us how and where to put people.



Last night was the usual. They had 100 people, which was fine, and I was bartending. Of course, as per usual, instead of ordering their drinks and moving on, these people were running off at the mouth to each other, getting drinks and then standing in front of me, instead of getting out of the way to let the next person up. Add into that that it is a cash bar, and everybody is wanting to start a tab with a credit card, and things hit their own pace. Not much I can do except keep moving as fast as I can, and get through it. Which is precisely what I was doing.



About an hour in, Kat comes bouncing behind the bar.



"The organizer wants me to put another bartender behind the bar."



NO. I have everything under control, and I don't have time to explain to you why things are moving slow, nor do I have time to explain where everything is going to someone else. Just let me get to it, and we'll get caught up in a minute.



"K!"



And off she goes.



Unbeknownst to me, the organizer/owner is being a true blue bastard, and getting in her face, despite the fact that she is steady telling him I have everything under control.



All of a sudden, here stands Kat and Danielle, one of the servers, who at least thank God has worked as a bartender. And I trained her, so I know she knows me, and how I work.



"Um, Um, Um, I called Jessica, and she said we have to make this guy happy, so Danielle is going to help."



Fine. I need change, she needs to get the dishes under control and get the dinner wine open. That will help.



And off I go.



Instead of doing what I asked, Danielle took it upon herself to go get change, only she didn't get what was needed. Then she decided to start making drinks, only she wasn't putting stuff on the correct tabs, nor was she listening and making the drinks that were asked for.



*holding up the bottle of sourpuss*



What is this for?



"She asked for a green apple and water"



NO. She asked for a Smirnoff green apple vodka and water. You just wasted all this liquor because you weren't listening. GO do the dishes and let me handle this.



She didn't. More mistakes, and now she is getting between me and the well, me and the cash box, me and everything I have to do.



Now I am out of quarters, and I have to get change, which I still haven't gotten. I dig out the requisite quarters from my tip jar to take care of the guy in front of me, and I holler for Kat to get me change. Danielle tells me she got me change, and I tell her FINE, go make change for the guy I am making a drink for.



"I can't, there are no quarters."



REALLY?!?!?!



Kat finally got me what I needed and off I went.



Danielle was back there for 30 minutes, she made a grand total of 8 drinks, 4 of which were wrong. She slowed me down, and Kat had to come behind the bar to open the dinner wine because she hadn't done that either. When I got the last person taken care of and away from the bar, I told them both to get out.



I finally got caught up on everything, THEN I had to apoligize for yelling at the two of them, and then tried to explain what happened.



And all I got, ad nauseum, was "We have to make the organizer happy. Otherwise he won't book his party here next year."



Well, ya know what? This "customer" has a history, easily proven by anybody who has worked his dinky little party, of making unreasonable demands, insiting on having things and not wanting to pay for them, and in general making everybody who works his fucking function as miserable as all hell.



He upset the supervisor.

He upset me.

Danielle got throwed in the middle of a situation she knew absolutely nothing about, and got upset.



He does this



EVERY. FUCKING. YEAR.



After awhile, you have to draw a line. I realize that in this business, especially at this venue, you have to be extremely flexible. I have accepted that, and adapted. But there is a limit, people, and last night it got crossed.



After calmly (finally) talking to Kat, and explaining to her what was going on on my side, and she calmly explained what had happened on her side, and much apologies and hugs between the three of us, all was well in Westwood ville yet again.



Then I reached under the bar to get a back up bottle of tequila.



What I wrapped my hand around was broken, with a large chunk of glass missing right where I put my hand.



It was fine the last time I went in there to get something, about a week ago.



However, someone had done inventory on Monday, and either broken it then hidden it to cover their ass, or worse yet, saw it there and left it in the cabinet anyway.



Then I picked up a glass, went to put ice in it, and slammed it and my hand against the side of the bar. My hand looks like it went through a Cuisinart.

I got to work at 4:30. I worked until 2:30.



Then. I got home.



Poor Scott. No wonder he wears ear plugs.

Most patient man in the world with me, and damn good thing.



I ate what was left of the pizza from the fridge, and was in bed at 4 am.



At 10:30, I heard the garbage truck, and realized the bin hadn't gone to the curb.



I vaulted from the bed, into my clothes, down the stairs, and grabbed the bin before I even woke up good. I rounded the corner of the house just in time to see the truck pulling away from the next door neighbors. They saw me coming, kept going anyway, and waved at me from the truck.



I have the feeling Ima kill somebody before this weekend is over.



But on the bright side, I crawled into bed again an hour later, woke Scott up crying, and we had a LONG talk about how he was going to have to hlep out more around the house. And despite my making a rather snide remark when he said I should leave him a note (Does anybody leave ME notes? HELL NO. I just make sure everything gets done, don't I?) we worked it out.



I have to be at work at 5 pm today, for another Christmas party that will no doubt go to midnight at best, 1 am at worst. Then I have to turn around and be back at work at 11:30 am for a wedding tomorrow.



The wedding function will at least (hopefully) be over at 5 pm.



Scott has promised to take over the gift shopping for his family tomorrow while I am at work (complete with list).



He has also promised to do whatever needs doing tomorrow night as far as getting us fed, etc. I am to stay on the couch and rest as much as possible.



I have two days off between now and the first of two work Christmas parties to cook my contribution for the pot luck Christmas party for my work, and get a decent outfit for both parties. Other than that, I am working every single night between now and New Year's Eve, including New Year's Eve, except for the party nights.



I will be here off and on, because I know you guys are just dying to hear who dies the next time someone pisses me off like this, and god knows I want to keep the fans happy...lol



Just don't expect a whole lot from me this season. I have finally accepted that I ain't SUPERWOMAN.



The realization is crushing.....

Again, what a difference a week makes.....
23:18 Dec 02 2010
Times Read: 1,219

Between a great party for the city of Coquitlam last week.....



And the one I worked last night. Small party, only about 40 people, so we were in the studio room. Good thing I got there early, because no one had moved the BAR in there, much less the cooler. So I took the last two guys there, and moved everything in.



They started dribbling in around 5:45. That was fine, I was all ready to go. So off we went. "They" included the councilmen, the mayor, and 12 firemen.....I can see at least half the women on this site starting to drool already.



The function was to be over at 9 pm.



At 8:45, Kat, the supervisor, let the organizer know that it was last call, and would he please announce it to the room for her. He did, and I know he did, cause I heard him. Then, just to make everything perfectly clear, I wandered around and reiterated that statement to anyone who was out in the hall, just to make absolutely sure everybody knew that I was CLOSING at 9 pm.



I took care of the 3 or 4 people who walked up to the bar, and then I got started cleaning up for the next 10 minutes or so. I even asked around AGAIN, only to hear "No, I've had enough, I'm fine, thank you" more than half a dozen times.



I was right there the whole time. Anybody who wanted anything could have easily gotten it then.



Did they?



*GROWL*



At 10 minutes after 9, after I had done ALL my clean up work, gotten the inventory done, made my restock list, and whatnot, I headed down to the basement.



I put up all the red wine, and pulled the replacement white wine I needed to restock.



I emptied the recyclables into the bin.



I pulled all the beer I needed to restock from the beer cooler.



I restocked the beer cooler where necessary.



All in all, I was downstairs for 30 minutes.



I get back upstairs. They are still in there, running off at the mouth. Fine, I can dance around you guys and get everything done.



"Oh look! Replacements! We can keep drinking!"



Um, NO. I don't think so.



So I'm at my bar, putting up the beer and wine, when here comes the organizer AND the mayor.



This....does not bode well.



"Just how much trouble would it cause if you were to open back up long enough for everybody to get another round?"



A LOT. Half of it is already downstairs, the guns have been disconnected, the tanks bled, the counter turned off, the paperwork has already been done and turned in, and the ice is all melted out. Sorry.



"Well, I think you could open up just long enough for us to all get another drink don't you think?"



No. I don't. That's why we give last call. So that anyone who wants one last drink can get it then.



"Then I suppose I should talk to your supervisor. Where can I find her?"



Kat is probably in the kitchen.



"We'll be right back."



Sure enough, not a minute later, here comes Kat, organizer and mayor in tow.



"It's ok, go ahead and give them one last round."



*insert appropriately irritated look*



Kat, I've already hauled everything downstairs, turned everything off, and melted the ice in the well. YOU have the paperwork already, all I am doing is restocking before I move this shit back into the other room.



"I told them all they could have was white wine and beer, so do that, and I'll just add it to the sheet you gave me. Please?"



*grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*



So the announcement is made, COMPLETE with the statement that the ONLY thing available at this time is white wine and beer. PERIOD.



And here they come.



"I want another Crown and diet coke."



I have no ice, the Crown is already put up, and the soda cannisters are turned off.



"But that's what I want."



*insert inner voice here - then you should have ordered it when I gave LAST CALL*



Sorry- Beer or white wine.



"Fine, I'll have a Stella."



NEXT guy.



"I want a glass of Stone Cellars white, a Stella, and a glass of Shiraz."



The red wine is already gone. You have your choice of white wine or beer.



"But she's been drinking red."



Sorry. Everything was already taken downstairs and put up. The only thing I have here is white wine and beer.



"Can you go get it?"



NO.



"Then I guess she'll have a glass of white."



Excellent choice.



And coming up from behind....



"Can I have a glass of water?"



o_o



And last but not least.......



"I'd like another Canadian, but can I have it in a pint glass?"



Those glasses are downstairs in the gallery bar.



"So I can have one?"



No.



While I am throwing all this stuff across the bar, Kat is keeping track of everything.



After supposedly closing the bar, which I might add was a hosted function, which meant I made NO money in tips, I slung out the following:



2 glasses of wine

9 Stellas

2 Canadians

2 Coronas



While I was doing it, I whispered to Kat that the least they could do is tip me after putting me to all this extra work. I don't know if the organizer heard me or not, but he damn well knew I wasn't happy with them at that point, so he was standing by the bar when I finally got everything finished and made my SECOND list to restock. When I turned from the cooler, he was digging in his wallet, pulled out a $20, hands it to me, and says:



"This is from the City of Coquitlam for your excellent service."



He's lucky I didn't cold cock him right then and there.



So it was BACK down to the basement to get MORE restock, to correct all the paperwork I had just done, and then head back upstairs. I still had to move the bar and the cooler back into the main room, and half these people are LEANING on the bar. So I went and got Kat, and told her I was NOT waiting around till midnight for these people to un-ass my bar, and that I needed some help getting it out of there.



We head for the studio, she tells everybody we have to move the bar, and after waiting for everybody to move, we pushed that monster back into Panorama room. I then said I was going to need some help getting the cooler out.



"I told them they had until 10:30 and then they had to leave."



That's nice. I am not hanging around for another 30 minutes before I can finish my job and go HOME.



At 10:10 they finally left, and the cooler got moved.



By the time I got home, I was seething. I blew a gasket at Scott, who bless his heart took it all in stride, knowing how I am when this shit happens.



But we are going to have to have a talk with management about some rules around here. If I'm still there and set up, I'll happily stay over if asked nicely.



But do NOT think that I am going to tear everything down, get all my side work done, and then come back and open up again because you decided while I was gone that you might want just one more.



AIN'T. GONNA. HAPPEN.

So NOT surprised.....
22:09 Dec 02 2010
Times Read: 1,230




By JR Raphael

Kinect Sex: Coming Soon to a Console Near You?

Hackers are already looking at ways to use Microsoft's Kinect for sexual purposes. Oh, come on -- are you really that surprised?







Microsoft Kinect

It's practically the universal rule of electronics: Where there's technology, there's sex. Embrace it or shun it, but it's the way of the world.



Now, it looks like Microsoft's new Kinect may be the latest gadget to fall prey to prurient interests. The Kinect is undergoing a series of experiments designed to turn its motion-sensitive virtual gaming into motion-sensitive virtual mating.



Oh, come on -- are you really that surprised?



Microsoft Kinect: When Tech Meets Sex



If you want to know about the possibilities of Kinect sex, just ask Kyle Machulis. Machulis, aka "qdot," runs a site called slashdong.org (Google it at your own risk). The site, which I probably shouldn't mention by name more than once, focuses on the meeting point between sex and tech. It featured a blog this week exploring the idea of X-rated uses for Kinect-enabled Xboxes (hat tip to the crew from CNET for finding the page).



In the blog, Machulis -- who was recently cited by New Scientist as a Kinect-hacking authority -- observes how the Kinect is able to use depth in order to identify a person's body shape. He goes on to note, however, that Microsoft's gaming console really tracks the human body "as a whole," looking at "major geometric features" of a user's form. This doesn't bode well for the prospect of Kinect sex; without getting too graphic, let's just say that the primary anatomy involved in intimate relations isn't exactly a "major geometric feature." Sorry, fellas.



"The pattern the Kinect uses to get depth data is made for picking up full bodies to control video games," Machulis explains. "[It] isn't quite so good at picking up minutiae about those bodies."



Long story short, Machulis concludes that Kinect sex is going to be challenging -- but he believes someone will find a way to penetrate the mystery.



"I bet we'll see Kinect porn and possibly Kinect Skype services within the month," he predicts.



Microsoft Kinect and the Tech-Sex Trend







Microsoft Kinect Sensor

The notion of Microsoft Kinect sex, while admittedly somewhat amusing, shouldn't be entirely shocking. After all, as we said, porn and tech go -- if you'll pardon the expression -- hand in hand.



Think about all the forms of technology the porn industry has embraced and ultimately driven to success. From the pre-Internet stuff -- instant cameras, pay-per-view TV, and VCRs -- to online systems like streaming video and subscription-based Web sites, porn has arguably played an integral role in technology's evolution. My cohort Dan Tynan, being the diligent researcher that he is, painstakingly assembled a list of ways the sex industry has shaped the Web. Suffice it to say, it's no small list.



So is Microsoft's Kinect destined for an erotic future of its own? Maybe; maybe not. But whether it ends up being the Kinect or another similar apparatus (SexBox, anyone?), it seems inevitable that some sort of motion-based system will be repurposed for hanky-panky before long. As tech-sex history has shown us, when there's a will, there's almost always a way.



JR Raphael is a PCWorld contributing editor and the co-founder of geek-humor site eSarcasm. You can find him on both Facebook and Twitter.

And here we go....
23:00 Dec 01 2010
Times Read: 1,240

Thursday last week. I had to work the City of Coquitlam Long Service Awards banquet. Not too bad, they are usually good to me, tip well, don't get out of hand.



The mayor, on the other hand...lol



He and I have been best buds since about a year ago. He has a real problem with his back, complete with muscle spasms, that can incapacitate him in seconds. One of these attacks happened when he was at a function that I was bartending. They had to call an ambulance to haul him to the hospital, it was so bad. In the meantime, someone had him sitting on a couch in the hall, for crying out loud.



Since I had already closed and locked up my bar, I went out to see if there was anything I could do. Poor man was curled up in the fetal position on the couch, trying to find a position that didn't cause him excrutiating pain. I got him up, stretched him out on the floor, and sat on the floor with him, till the EMTs got there. I held his hand, and let him moan, while all his so called "associates", who have known him considerably longer than I have, just tried to stay away from him, like this was somehow contagious. When the EMTs got him on the stretcher and headed out the door, he grabbed my hand, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and told me thank you. Kinda made up for the fact that the asshole supervisor I had to deal with that day was telling me I had no business "bothering" the mayor.....



So when he showed up at the function Thursday, complete with wife, I of course stepped out from behind the bar to give him a hug. He promptly turns around to all his friends, beams, and says:

"Everybody, this is my wife, Marie Rose, and this is my girlfriend Luanne..."



Great. Ima gonna make the papers.



So later on, he comes up to say goodbye, just as one of the servers hands me one of the roses they were using for the guys to wear, and the mayor picks it up, pulls one of the straight pins out of his own flower, and pins it to my vest. He stepped back and grins and says "So what have you got to say about that?"



I looked him dead in the eye and said "Well, now I can call the media and tell them the mayor just gropped me in front of his wife..."



His wife sprayed the last of her drink everywhere, she was laughing so hard...lol



*******************



Firday. I had the Suncor people. Mostly older people, which meant that instead of going till 12:30 am, they wussed out at 11. Great for me, and they were thankfully generous, and even ordered the odd drink I hadn't made in awhile, like Alabama Slammers and Black Russians. One of the older folks brought their daughter, and as I said previously, she absolutely radiated happy.



I swear, love child = Birra + Morrigan. NO joke here, folks. She had Morri's hair, and Birra's tall...lol



*******************



Saturday was the real estate agents. They not only stayed till the last fucking second, they drank like fishes, but tipped like Scotsmen...I have no problem working most of these functions, but it's Christmas for crying out loud. Stop being a frigging Grinch....

And of course, I had a visit from that guy. The one I have mentioned in previous entries. Who thinks he is just all that and a bag of chips. And as usual, I got his favorite order:



"I want a sheepherder's special"



o-0



"That's a six pack and a piece of ewe."



Actually, I believe you drink double Bacardi and coke, right?



"DAMN! you're good..."



And don't you forget it either, babbalooie....





*******************



And then we have Sunday. We had the Best Buy party. If it could possibly go wrong, it did. One of the bartenders broke the mount on the lioquor counter under the bar the night before, and didn't bother to tell anyone. Same bartender didn't stock the beer cooler like he was supposed to do. He also didn't put in glassware, again, like he knows he is supposed to.

The Best Buy people were supposed to be banding the people who were old enough to drink, to make it easier on us. Imagine our surprise when the organizer walks up to me and says "Do you have the bands so we can get started?"



Seriously? Um, no, YOU were supposed to provide those, since it was YOUR idea to do so.



So they started stamping everybody's hand, and then told us we STILL had to card people just in case. Then why waste the INK, dumbass?? And of course, as soon as we card these guys, they get testy, and there goes that tip as well.



They were rude, cheap, and sneaky in the extreme, trying to furnish their underaged buds with alcohol.



They didn't count on me. Suffice it to say, I poured alot of shit down the drain, with them bitching



EVERY. STEP. of the WAY.



Don't care. I ain't going to jail so you can look like a hero to some teeny bopper and get a piece later.



The GM of Best Buy kept stepping up to the bar, and telling me the odd instruction:



"If you need to cut some one off, let me know."



No, if I need to cut someone off, I will cut them off, after informing my supervisor. If they cause trouble, THEN we will let you know.



"Don't be afraid to card anybody you feel you need to."



Seriously?



"Don't sell anything to minors."



Sir, I know how to do my job. Perhaps you should go enjoy your party, and let me DO my job.



I busted a guy for having a beer when he wasn't old enough, and after we took the beer away, Darrel informed his supervisor. "Oh yeah, I'll take care of that."



10 minutes the kid had another beer. Suffice it to say, telling this git wasn't doing a dime's worth of good.



Then we started running out of things. Tequila, Shiraz red wine, Crown Royal (really?), etc. Shortly after my ranting about this, we all get emails saying that we need to use up other tequilas and that is why we don't have Cuervo...



Yeah. Right.



I asked the supervisor for change. He said to go slow on it. I said to him "Ya know, I can't go slow on change- I give it as people buy drinks. They ARE NOT tipping, so I can't trade in tips to the cash box. FIND change or I will have to shut this bar down, or make it strictly a credit card deal.



Then the credit card machine stopped working.



One of the servers, a guy, was standing by the bar, while the two supervisors and I were discussing what all was going on. Two guys, complete with authentic knock off brand name gang banger outfits, walk up to this guy, and get all up in his face. Darrel and Kat took the bangers in one direction, I took the server into the kitchen. Seemed his ex girlfriend had been running her mouth, saying he was calling her all kinds of names to her friends, so she got her homeys to start calling him and threatening him. When he told them he was at work, and to basically fuck off, they showed up at work to make a point. I was so proud of Kat; she may only be 5 ft tall, but she can channel my redneck attitude better than any of them...lol



We gave last call, and the GM starts getting in my face.



"We are supposed to have the room until 1 am."



You do, but AS PER YOUR CONTRACT, the bars close at 12:30



"But it is only 12:15. You can't close now"



We aren't closing, sir, just giving last call. That way we can make sure that anybody who wants one more can get it before we close at TWELVE THIRTY.



I swear. I don't need any more weekends like that one.



And this one is just starting tonight.....

Where in the world is Cancer?
01:14 Dec 01 2010
Times Read: 868