Day 2: Halloweenie!!!

Day 2: Halloweenie!!!
Originally uploaded by jankynola

Went to jakes parents for Halloween. Watched his nieces get dressed up and go trick or treating. Oh how i miss the days of giving myself cavities. Halloween is a fat kids dream come true, getting all dressed up to take random peoples candy. Then, going home, dumping my stash on the floor and gorging myself into a sugar coma. good times.

Day 1. Admiring my work.

Day 1. Admiring my work.
Originally uploaded by jankynola

Well. I think that last post sort of shook me a little. Alot has happened in the past couple months. I started making/selling cupcakes. The fat kid in me is ecstatic!! It's really fun, and really stressful!! But, mostly fun!! I took a sort of demotion at work. I'm no longer the bar manager. Just a lowly bartender. Basically, the same money with none of the responsiblites. Jake and I are going to Tahoe next week. We are very excited!! I started a project on FLICKR. Its called 365. Every day I have to take a self-portrait for a year.(see above photo!!) Let's see if this is something i will actually start AND finish!!

Feels like a lifetime

Two years ago today I was nervously packing up a day's worth of clothes, figuring out which Cd's to bring for our road trip, and packing up my laptop. We were only gonna be gone for a day or two, max. We had decided to take my friend Marcia's car. I'd decided to lend my car to my boss Martha. She wasn't planning on leaving, and all the commotion had got me kinda anxious. Martha and her boyfriend Ray didn't have cars. You didn't really need one in the city. The streetcar and the local bus suited most just fine. Plus, parking (and the subsequent parking tickets) was a bitch when they're was anything going on in town. Which was pretty much all the time. When i was through packing i left the quarter and drove down to Parasol's to meet Martha. She lived just a couple of blocks away. She arrived just a couple sips into my first Abita Amber. I met her outside, we hugged. I told her to be safe, and i'd see her soon. That was the last time i saw martha, or my car.


I find it really hard to put into words my feelings toward two years ago. I was in no way prepared to not go back. I was in no way prepared to move back to california. I lived in New Orleans for what will ultimately, when all my days are done, amount to a very brief period of time. Yet, as i think most of the transplant residents of that city feel, i felt at home there. I should probably start from the beginning. I started this blog when i moved to New Orleans, for the second time. That's right. I'm a girl of indecision. My first go around requires a whole nother blog (which i will at some point create). I'll stick to my life at the time of the disruption. I was living by myself in the heart of the french quarter( just two streets away from bourbon street!!), in a condo that my friend jason owned (jason lived in las vegas at the time). I'd occasionally be awaken by groups of belligerent tourists, or the even more occasional gunshot. I was living it up!!! I had a bartending job at a little greasy spoon that was attached to a 24 hour bar. I had endless culture just outside my doorstep. On any given nite there were countless quality shows to catch, for free!! The music really got me. I know this sounds cheesy, but, i really FELT it, like, deep in my soul. I gained such a rich appreciation for jazz and blues. Anyway, back to that day. It was a sunday afternoon, two years ago. But it feels like a lifetime ago. I don't think i've really gotten over that monday, august 29th. I don't know that i ever will. It changed mine and so many lives. I miss new orleans. I think about it almost daily. My life is forever changed by the time i spent in that city. I often equate my feelings toward to new orleans to a boyfriend breaking up with you for no reason. We had such a perfect relationship. We were madly in love. Then, suddenly, and without REAL warning, he broke up with me. I desperately wanted to go back. But knew that i would have to get used to that life. Having to pick up at a moments notice, all the anticipation that precedes the storms is not healthy for an anxiety prone individual such as myself. And so, i've chosen to settle in cali. As much as i wish that day had never taken place, in a strange way, im thankful. If Katrina hadn't come and turned my world upside down, i would've never moved back home, and jake and i would've never started dating. I can pretty safely say, i woulda never got the chance to fall in love and be loved. I never question my choice to not go back, but, there's a part of my heart that will always be with new orleans! And i fully understand why these people and so many others didnt let the fact that some stupid bitch storm tore apart their homes, tear apart their lives!!! keep the faith!!!

Getting my read on!!

Well, summers almost over, thank gawwwd!!! I hate to sound like an old cranky bitty, but this freakin heat is unbearable (dont know that a bitty would use freakin, myself, i picture droppin f bombs like a drunken sailor when im a bitty! And why the hell not?!?! I deserve it!! Living the life I've lived (this is future bitty me talking!!!) Anyhoo....Life at casa is ok. It's a nonstressful job, so thats a HUGE plus!! I heard from a former coworker at the radio station that someone recently got fired for turning in a fake $30,000 order!!! Who does that?!??! I can't even begin to describe how much better my life is having not stayed at that job!! Those were the longest three months I've lived thus far!!! Getting up 5 days a week at 6am is not my forte!!!! Not to mention having to go to bed before leno's monologue!! What kind of life is that i ask you??? So, I'm back to my old bartendin ways!! Where the most stress i encounter is when a clutch goes out on a blender. Which isnt really so bad. I'm not gonna lie, people who drink blended drinks-I judge you!!! I mean, really, can you really even enjoy a blended drink?? It's not like you can take a nice big gulp as you would a NORMAL cocktail, or tasty beer, for fear of the dreaded brain freeze---TANGENT ALERT----which reminds me!!! Have you ever heard that sticking your tongue to the roof of your mouth will end a brain freeze?? I've tried said cure and can't say it was to effective. I digress....Another con of the blended drink is you it sort of seperates into this half slushy half liquid type concotion after only a few minutes. So, here you are with this drink you can't really drink too fast, yet, if you dont, it becomes a diluted version of whatever you started with. Gee sounds like a great time!! You blended drinkers, i shake my head at you in utter disbelief!!! Moving on...I've decided to commit myself to coming on here once a week. I will address the goings on (which usually entails movie watching, reading, eating, rinse, repeat!!) at home and at work. Restaurants fascinate me, well actually its the people in the restaurant!! It's just always something!! And why not share that fascination with the web??? Also, I've decided to do something constructive with my free time and participate in a reading challenge!!! It's the book to movie challenge!! It's starting Sept. 1 and runs to December 1. The three books I've chosen are (ones I already own and haven't got around to reading yet!!)

1. Anywhere but Here by Mona Simpson
2. The pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner
3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by Jon Berend

So, I'll be posting reviews of these books once they're completed!!
This weekend i'm off to Sacramento to see the fam! And, to get my shop on at a big book sale!!!! Ta-ta!!!!

beans and rice

Since my last post I've:
*Quit my sales job-WOOHOO!!!! Best thing I couldve done!!!
*Took a class to determine the feasiblity of my business-All Systems A Go!!
*Started working at a local mexican restaurant called Casa Corona. It's actually my fave restaurant in town!! Thats not good for the "diet" I'm on!!! I've also been goin there to get my drink on for years now!! It's kinda weird bein there, sober!! I'm on my second week of training. I'm not even really sure what my job is. But, it doesnt even matter cuz it's no stress!!! It's in a restaurant, where i feel at home!! And, it enables me time to focus on planning the business!! *Thursday is my one year anniversary with jake!! I cant even believe it's been a year. We've been through alot within that year, and i truly feel like i'm with someone i'll be with forever!!! I start my business planning class on monday. Six weeks from that, my biz plan will be done and i can move on to the next step!! XCITING!!!

well, well, well,

Fancy meetin you here. And by you, I mean me. Of course!! Well, I'm recommitting myself to this thing, AGAIN!! but this time i mean it!!! Update: I moved back to Fresburg in July of last year. I moved in with my boyfriend....no, im not kidding. I really did it!!! A year ago i couldnt have imagined being in love, much less, living in sin with the man i love!!!! But, here I am. What else? Lets see, when I moved home I took a less than appealing cocktail serving job at Cool Hand Luke's. My homey Matt is the regional manager. It was out of desperation. After being promised a bar position after "a couple months" and a couple months went by and the only bar shift i had was the sunday day(aka.j.v. bar shift!!) I realized i wouldnt be stickin around there much more.After about 6 months I decided to suck it up and work for the man. I got what my mom so coyly refers to as a "real" job. Said job is with Clear Channel Radio here in fresno. Doing advertising sales, SELLING AIR!!! I've been at it for 3 months now and have had some revelations

• Getting up at 6am SUCKS!! It DOESNT get any easier, and i just dont get how my mom was miss suzy freakin sunshine EVERY morning for ALL THOSE YEARS . She was on something.
• the "SALES" world SUCKS!! Its a vicious cycle of lies and deceit!!! The people, for the most part are actually really cool!! its that "other" part, you know, the "typical salesman" guy. Sleazy, slimey, scuzzbucket. Who's wardrobe got stuck in 1989 and never came back. His suits are too tight. His hair, whats left of it, is matted to his head with some, i can only assume, dollar store version of dippity-do. His face is oily and acne ridden. YUUUUCCKKK!! It almost makes me lose my appetite just thinkin about him!!! But, im a fat kid, so, it'll take alot more than that!!!
• The sleazy scuzz has already f'd me over, TWICE by stealing clients!!! WHAT A JERKFACE!! and the worst part about it, my boss totally knows, and just doesnt give a shit!! Yeah, I REALLY wanna work in a place like that!! Unethical, unprofessional, and oh, yeah, shit on the new girl as much as you want, as long as you're bringin in the green!! F THAT!!

For these reasons and oh, so many more, I've decided to say screw you, "the man". I'm runnin my own show from now on!! Yeah, i'll probably go into debt(debt, schmedt!!Im young!!), work ridiculously long hours(honey, ive rocked 12 hour shifts in seedy restaurants!! I can hang!!) and get tons of gray hair(ive already got like, 8!! YIKES!!!)in the process, but, in the end, its something ive wanted to do for quite sometime now, and nows as good a time as any. Besides, one day, soon, i'll have to be starting that whole family thing. House payment(CHACHING!!) babies, (LIL JANICES, scary!!!!), and all the other fun filled adult responsibilites!! Until then, I'll give the biz a shot, wish me luck!!!!

I'm BAAACK!!

Well, so much for me not neglecting this thing....i will do my best to update.
July, 2006-
Well, lets see.,for the 4th, jakes friend ryan had a party at his house!! Jake and his cousin were the house band for the night!!


it was awesome!! on July 7th i made the move back to fresno. I quickly began to spend lots of time with Jake. And spent very little time on the job hunt. In mid july we took a trip to san francisco for my friend amies bday. We saw the fray at the fillmore!! It rocked!!! At the end of the month we went to cayucos for jakes friends yearly trip. We had a blast!!!

So....that pretty much sums up july. August -moved along rather quickly. Much to my chagrin, i reluctantly got a job at cool hand lukes bartending. In mid august jake and i celebrated our 3 month anniversary. My first anniversary spent with a special someone. At the end of august i made my annual trip to minnesota!! i went the last week of aug. first few days of september. I got to see devan and the girls. We made a visit to the minnesota state fair. I ate cheese curds. They sound way worse than their mouthwatering taste. Its just like cheesesticks, xcept WAY better!!!! There was a shitload of people there. Holy crap, i didnt even know there were that many people IN minnesota!! In September- i said the dreaded three word phrase i never thought id hear myself utter.....I LOVE YOU!!!! EEEEEKKKKK!! i know!!!! I CANT BELIEVE IT EITHER!!!!! But, its true. Im in love. I never thought id feel the way i do about jake. But, im thankful everyday that i have him in my life .Also, in september my mom got engaged!! To a 74 old jehovahs witness. I dont even know what to say to follow that sentence. I dont think its really even possible. so, i guess, ill just move on. I saw the movie little miss sunshine with my sis, and jake. INCREDIBLE!!! its definitely a MUST SEE!!! So far october has been pretty mellow. Dre's wedding is next weekend. Im in it. Although im really stoked for her...im in it, that means i have to wear a dress!! BLEEECHHHT!!! the next weekend. ive somehow volunteered myself to dress in egyptian garb for my cousins 8th birthday party. gotta love family!!! Then its halloween!! jakes birthday is in the beginning of november. we're hoping to take a trip up to tahoe. i really miss it up there!!!