Selasa, 30 April 2013

Could You? (15)/NHL 1st Rd.

"Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist.  Children already know that dragons exist.  Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed..." -G.K. Chesterton- (via 'Criminal Minds')

"Got off of work, walk to my car, hop in on the passenger side.  Realize I'm driving myself..." -Jennifer Hernandez- (via facebook)

"I can't make people like me.  All I can do is show them who I am, how I feel, and what I believe.  It's up to them to understand my worth..." -@VictorMochere- (via twitter)

"The amount of dip you put on something increases exponentially by the amount of people that can't see you putting dip on something..." -@yoyoha- (via twitter)

"Treat life as your personal playground.  Don't make it a prison of your own creation..."
-_msnemo- (via twitter)




Could you do a favor for me?  I posted really late yesterday, so please go back and read 'The 5th Annual Lone Star Music Awards' entry from yesterday if you missed it.  The opening quote from my friend Lauren will make it worth your time...

Could you tell us more about Jennifer Hernandez?  Jennifer posted that quote above as her facebook status a few days, but please don't worry about her well-being...  :P  Jennifer will be graduating from Texas Tech in the not-too-distant future.  At least I think that she will - it's not like I've seen a photo of a ring or anything...  ;)

Could you give us a quote from another San Marcos girl?  I heard "COACH WYATT!" at work last weekend, and then received a hug from my friend and former student Ana.  When she gave me a goodbye hug, Ana asked, "did you think you'd ever see me 'wasted-faced'?..."  "Wasted-faced" - this has already been a great week for quotes...  :)

Could you tell us why you posted so late yesterday?  My Sunday started shortly after 5:00 p.m. at Harper's, and ended at 2:00 a.m. at the Cheatham Street Warehouse.  If you didn't already know that my day ended at Cheatham Street, well, then you haven't done your homework assignment, which was to go back and read yesterday's post (shame, shame...).  Shortly after taking my first sip of alcohol on Sunday, I hear from the far end of the bar, "you look familiar..."  At the time, I was manipulating the three poker chips that I reference so often here, and my response was, "I get that a lot..."  Then the customer exclaimed, "YOU'RE THE THIRD FLOOR DUDE!"  I was dressed a little differently than I normally am for work, thus the confusion.

Could you tell us more about poker chips, and drinking, and another nickname that you learned about on Sunday?  Fast forward to the Cheatham Street afterparty on Sunday night, where I'm standing in line at the bar...  Two guys approach me, and the first asks, "are you the poker chip juggler?"  At the time, I was PREDICTABLY playing with the chips, which I showed the guy.  Instantly, and non-chalantly, his friend snaps off, "always..."

Could you tell us about the third nickname that you were given this weekend?  Okay, sure...  So I'm working Saturday night, and this girl comments on my knee sleeves (which I get a lot).  "Did you hurt both of your ACL's?"  I explained that I wear the sleeves as a preventative measure, due to the amount of stairs that I navigate (the MAZE, you know)...  Minutes later the girl comes back down the stairs with a guy and a girl, and she says, "Hey, it's preventative ACL man!..."  #thirdfloordude #pokerchipjuggler #preventativeaclman #pickyourfavorite

Could you mention another San Marcos native?  I want to send official belated birthday wishes from Bikini Hill to my friend Gabby.  Gabby asked to be mentioned in the blog (SO MUCH like her "big sister"), and since she hangs around with SO MANY questionable influences (can you say Chi-O?), I thought that I'd make her day...  Now study for your finals Gabby...  ;)

Could you mention just one more San Martian, and throw in a San Antonio native as well?  By the way, this is also the official start of our sports talk today...  :)  When I woke up on Sunday, I saw on facebook that one of my friends and former softball players had completed a 5K that morning.  I scrolled down a little bit, and what do you know, another one of my friends and former softball players had completed a 5K...  Then I noticed that 'Norfolk, VA' was the mobile location of the photo that I had just seen with Bianca.  It took about two seconds for me to click to the fact that Michele lives there too.  I thought that it was really neat that I had just seen pictures of a couple of Texas girls who had just completed the Color Me Rad 5K, both military spouses who I coached in softball (at the very beginning and near the very end of my coaching career), who are separated by about ten years, and who grew up in hometowns located about a half-hour from each other.  Although it's unlikely that they know each other, they had both participated in the same event, over a thousand miles away, due the fact that their husbands serve our country - very cool stuff...  :)

Could you tell us something about the recent NFL Draft?  I thought that it was very interesting that 63 players were selected from SEC schools, which is more than double the amount picked from any other conference (the ACC had 31 taken).  There were 254 total players drafted, so almost 25% of those chosen (or almost 1 out of every 4) came from the SEC - very impressive...


Could you tell us if you've quit your fantasy baseball leagues?  No, I haven't given up yet, but here are the current standings:


League 1 - (25 entry fee - 1st place 125, 2nd place 25)

1)  Neshanic                                            74.00
2)  DraftDodgers                                   67.50
3)  Rocky Roto                                       56.50
3)  Shazzam                                             56.50
9)  The View From Bikini Hill         45.50


League 2 - (50 entry fee/40 w/discount - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)

1)  Breaking Bats                                    76.00
2)  4troublemakers                               74.00
3)  The Bikini Hill Bobcats                 67.50  (A miracle, yes, I know...)


League 3 - (50 entry fee/40 w/discount - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)

1)  Nappy Heads                                    78.00
2)  Fishing For Trout                           61.50
3)  jonnylove7                                        59.00
6)  The Bikini Hill Nine                       51.50


It's still the same old story for my teams - the pitching isn't living up to expectations, my teams aren't scoring runs or stealing bases, blah, blah, blah... (yet)...  ;)


Could you FINALLY get to your first round NHL playoff predictions, for Serge if for no other reason...  I have probably mentioned here in the past that NHL overtime playoff games are one of my favorite sporting events to watch.  Give me a double or triple-overtime game where the players can barely skate, but someone HAS TO score for it to come to an end - AWESOME...  :)  I did not make regular season predictions before the hockey season, but here are my predictions for the first round of the playoffs:


Penguins over the Islanders in 5 games
Canadiens over the Senators in 7 games
Rangers over the Capitals in 6 games
Bruins over the Maple Leafs in 5 games

Blackhawks over the Wild in 5 games
Ducks over the Red Wings in 7 games
Sharks over the Canucks in 6 games
Kings over the Blues in 6 games



Phew..., big blog day...  I hope that you have a great day, and I'll see you again on Thursday!






















  

  

Senin, 29 April 2013

The 5th Annual Lone Star Music Awards

"I think my heart is going to explode with happiness!  Last night was more fun than I ever could have imagined and I am so lucky to be surrounded by so many beautiful people.  I'd tag you all but then my computer would probably explode too.  I'm sure I told you guys a million times last night, but thank you for coming, for your support, and for being damn cool.  I love you all!"

Lauren Meckel
Marketing and Advertising Coordinator
Lone Star Music



Good evening everyone.  Sometimes things just work out...  I felt bad about posting late today and was going to apologize for it, but that gave Lauren a chance to get up and around and post the quote above as her facebook status this afternoon.  You won't read anything in the rest of this blog entry that is going to improve upon her quote...

Lauren was getting a shoutout here today even before she posted that status.  I have been friends with Lauren for a while now, and I got to know her pretty well when I worked with her last year at the Texas Music Theater, which coincidentally was the host for last night's awards show.  One of the more memorable moments of our friendship was the high-five that she gave me after she was hired at TMT last year...  :)  I contacted Lauren a few days ago after I was able to change my schedule at work, and she hand delivered my ticket.  She later made this offer to everyone on her facebook page.  Awesome - yes, I know...  :)  If you were at the show last night, Lauren was the girl in the black dress with the smile that LIT UP the venue - she just has one of those smiles...  If you had seen Lauren last night and this quote was floating around, you would have been able to point to her and say, "SHE SAID IT!..."  I'm happy to say that everyone that I know had a great time last night also.  Thank you SO MUCH Meckel!  :)

In my usual fashion (when possible), I arrived at TMT shortly after the doors opened at 6:00 p.m. so that I could relax, hang out with my friends, and watch the venue fill up.  After chatting with my friend Zane and getting my VIP wristband, I said hey to my friend Ryan and repaid him for those fresh Vegas poker chips that I referenced recently.  I also picked up my first beverage, which would be a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine).  AHEM...  Shortly afterwards I went upstairs to catch up with my friend Keller.  Going up and down the stairs would be a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine), because we all know that I don't do enough of that at work.  AHEM...  While upstairs I made my first visit to the spread put out by Cody's Bistro & Lounge..., WHICH WOULD BE a recurring theme throughout the night (through no fault of mine)...  :)  Cody's place is located near the Starbucks on I-35 South (across from the outlet malls) if you get a chance to visit.  Good guy, good food...  After finishing my fajita, black beans, and meatballs, I ventured back downstairs.  Let me interject here that the bands began performing at some point during this time, and that awards were being handed out...  :)  Last night's lineup included Jason Eady, Courtney Patton, Shinyribs, Six Market Boulevard, Rob Baird, John Fullbright, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen, and The Departed.

Okay, so I'm back downstairs, and I'm listening to music, and I'm enjoying a cold beverage, and I'm bothering my friend Kim, who is working security for the show (oh, and we'll get back to Kim later, TRUST ME)...  :)  I go back upstairs after a while to hang out with some other friends of mine - Cassie, Sandy, Danny, and Pam (oh, and we'll get back to Pam later, TRUST ME)...  :)  It seems like I went back downstairs before running into my friend Sam, at which point "through no fault of mine" began...  AHEM...  ;)  Sam probably bought me a shot, and then he decides that the group of four that I'm suddenly a part of should go..., RIGHT BACK UPSTAIRS...  Sam probably bought me a shot and another beer when we got upstairs, and then he spotted THE FOOD...  'Shy' isn't a word that I would associate with Sam, but I told him not to worry, that I would go and make him a fajita taco...  I PROBABLY made myself another fajita taco at this point too...  After drinking, and eating, and listening to some more music (yes, there is a concert going on), Sam says, "that was good Coach..."  "YES SAM, I'll get you another taco..."  :)  At this point, I PROBABLY made myself another taco too (and before you judge me, remember that I did work at TMT before, and when Cody needed a trash can earlier in the evening, I knew right where to steal one from, and this was without him even having to ask)...  ;)  So there's more drinking, and eating, and performing going on, and then Sam and Josh take out their phones and start recording video of one of the songs.  At this point, I MIGHT HAVE asked Sam, "so you're making a bootleg video of a concert that cost $5.00 to get into?..."  This was basically met with a response of "ARRGGGHHH..." (yes, evidently we're pirates...).  Anyway, the gist of the response was "whatever..."  Shortly after that, Sam decides that we're going... BACK DOWNSTAIRS...

Not long after returning downstairs, I see that my friend Kim (I told you that we'd get back to her) has HER PHONE out, and now she's recording one of the bands...  So now I decide to share my clever little joke about making a bootleg video of the concert with her...  Somewhere between that and threatening to have a heart attack ON THE SPOT from laughter if Kim WOULD HAVE fallen off of the stool that she was sitting on (it ALMOST happened), I'm suddenly getting slapped, punched, and having bottled water thrown on me (I KNOW, INNOCENT little me)...  AHEM...  ;)  Anyway, I think that bottled water is way too expensive to waste on me, and I learned that evidently girls don't talk like pirates...  #themoreyouknow  ;)

Again, there was a concert happening through all of these highlights, and it was great, and THEN there was an afterparty at the Cheatham Street Warehouse.  "You wanna drive Coach?," which was followed by a predictable, "Sure Sam, I'll drive..."  :)  The highlight of the afterparty for me occurred at the bar when I was "introducing" Sam to Pam (I told you that we'd get back to her)...  "Pam, Sam..."  At this point I was thinking that this was like a Dr. Suess book, if you give it a second look, because their names rhyme, but we don't have the time...  ANYWAY..., shortly after this, Sam wants to know her last name, and Pam says, "Sam DeLaRosa?"  It turns out that Pam was Sam's KINDERGARTEN teacher!  The impressive part to me was that Pam recognized who Sam was, after teaching him in Kindergarten...  As we've covered here in the blog before, I don't recognize all of my former students immediately, and mine were HIGH SCHOOL students... :)

And there you have it - my personal 3rd Annual Lone Star Music Awards show was a huge success, and everyone lived happily ever after...  :)  Have a great evening and I'll see you again tomorrow!







              





Stanley Cup and Cheesecake 2013 — Quarterfinals Edition


Welcome to the 2013 Stanley Cup playoff picks! The short season breezed by, and all of a sudden, it's playoff time! Don't forget to enter the Second Annual Atom-Bomb Bikini Playoff Challenge at the bottom of this post to win some art, books, stickers and other great stuff!

Here we go!


EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) New York Islanders

The Pittsburgh Penguins are all-in. GM Ray Shero, sensing the time was right, made several colossal moves at the trade deadline, bolstering an already star-laden team with grizzled veterans and key role-players hungry for success and a chance at winning their first Stanley Cup. They finished the season with a 22-3 record vs. the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff field. There will simply never be a better chance for this team to succeed, and there is no excuse for them not to. 

The Islanders are a good, speedy young team, with a bona fide star in John Tavares. However, most of the team's playoff experience comes from goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who has never done particularly well in the postseason in multiple trips with San Jose. 

No team has broken Pens' fans hearts over the generations in quite as spectacular a fashion as have the Isles. This, though, will be the year the Pens exorcise the demons of 1975, 1982 and 1993. It won't be easy, but Pens in five.




(2) Montreal Canadiens vs. (7) Ottawa Senators

The Habs have been good all year but have been disintegrating before our eyes since mid-April. A strong final weekend, and a lousy weekend by the similarly fading Bruins, enabled them to hang on to the Northeast Division title and the second seed, but it all seems to be hanging by a thread. Ottawa has overachieved all season, especially in light of star D-man Erik Karlsson being totally injured on purpose by international master criminal Matt Cooke and missing three months, and my gut says they'll continue to do so against a Montreal team that sometimes looks like it just wants it all to be over. Senators in six.



(3) Washington Capitals vs. (6) New York Rangers

Caps and Rangers. Really? Again? Sheesh, get a room, you guys.

The Caps, left for dead at midseason, came to life in March, and went on a tear and managed to seize control of the Southwest division when the Hurricanes and Jets faltered. Alex Ovechkin, similarly left for dead, cut his hair and rediscovered his spark, and may have played well enough to win the Hart Trophy. Lousiness of their division aside, these Caps suddenly seem for real.

The Rangers, once a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup, have been mired in the middle of the pack all season, but have been playing better of late and managed to climb into sixth place in the conference. They've had a hell of a time scoring, relying on goaltending and blocked shots to win a lot of 2-1 games.

If New York's offense can find an extra gear, they might be able to escape with a win in a close series. I'm not sure they are capable, though, and I think relying on a "score-two-then-block-every-shot" strategy will come back to bite them. Caps in seven.





(4) Boston Bruins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs

Last May I made my first trip to Toronto as an adult, to finally check out the Toronto Comic Arts Festival. My Old-Timey Hockey Tales comic book was as well-recieved as I ever could have hoped, and did incredibly well for me at the show. I really can't remember a time where I talked to so many different kinds of people about the wonderful sport of hockey (many of them frustrated Maple Leafs fans) in such a short amount of time. This year's edition of TCAF will take place next weekend, and I'm insanely bummed that I'm not going to be there to soak up the excitement with the Leafs actually involved in a playoff series.

What's that? The Leafs are involved in a playoff series? That can't be right. The Toronto Maple Leafs? What's it been, like, 20 years? Well, not quite, but close. Toronto is finally appearing in the postseason again for the first time since 2004, and with solid goaltending and a speedy roster capable of scoring timely goals, they look to stay around awhile.

Boston, on the other hand, are a team that looks to be running out of steam. A strong start has given way to a floundering finish. On paper, perhaps only the Penguins can match the Bruins for talent, depth and intensity. However, I expect that Boston will continue to struggle to score, and that the jacked-up Leafs will take advantage of enough opportunities to win the series. I'll take the Leafs in six.






WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (8) Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild, probably the biggest spenders in the NHL last offseason, have to be kicking themselves over getting drubbed at home by the lowly Edmonton Oilers the second to last game of the regular season. The loss enabled the Red Wings to vault ahead of them into a matchup with the Anaheim Ducks, and landed Minnesota in the unenviable position of being the first sacrificial lamb to the mighty Blackhawks juggernaut en route to the Western Conference final. Blackhawks in five.




(2) Anaheim Ducks vs. (7) Detroit Red Wings

The Anaheim Ducks started off the season remarkably well, somehow keeping pace with the torrid pace at which Chicago was winning for a time. But while the Hawks continued to win and cruised to the top of the Western Conference, the Ducks have fallen back to the pack a good bit, looking downright vulnerable at times.

The Red Wings, in their first season without captain Nick Lidstrom and a host of other former stars, had to scrape and claw just to keep their streak of making the playoff in 22 straight seasons alive, not clinching until the season's last day. While seventh place is not a place in which the Wings are accustomed to being, the second round of the playoffs is, and that's exactly where they'll be after dispatching the ripe-for-an-upset Ducks. Red Wings in six.



(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) San Jose Sharks

I find it hard to believe the Canucks will get bounced from round one in a second straight year...especially at the hands of the streaky Sharks, who've been up and down all season. San Jose has been extremely good at home, which may be the factor that lets them go the distance...but I still look to see the Canucks in seven.



(4) St. Louis Blues vs. (5) Los Angeles Kings

These same teams faced one another in round two last year, just as the Kings historic roll of four straight 3-0 series leads was really getting underway. Los Angeles has been a little inconsistent in their title defense after an especially slow start, but lately the team, largely intact from last year, seems to be on the verge of another roll, with goaltender Johnny Quick playing very well. The Kings are still the champs, and it's gonna take more than the Blues, tough as they are, to knock them off the perch. Kings in six.



Now on to the contest...

The Second Annual ATOM-BOMB BIKINI PLAYOFF CHALLENGE

As with last year, the rules are simple...pick the final four teams you think will be left standing, the conference champions, and the eventual Stanley Cup winner. One point will be awarded for each correct final four pick, two for each final two pick, and three for picking the champion. Whoever has the most points when it's all said and done will take the big prize! 

Here's what you're playing for: The big winner will receive a custom piece of original artwork of a pinup girl wearing the jersey of his or her favorite team, along with a copy of my collection of hockey-themed commissions, Bluelines, a copy of Old-Timey Hockey Tales, a pack of Atom-Bomb stickers, a signed "Hockey Socks and Skates" print by Katie Sekelsky and a free t-shirt of your choice from the wonderful folks at Original Retro Brand! Two runners-up will just get the books and stickers...and in case of a tie, I'll put all the names in a smelly old hockey helmet and select a winner at random.

How to enter: Write your picks in the comments section of this here blog post. Not on Facebook, not on Twitter, not in an email, but in the comments section of this post. 

You have until the pucks drop on Tuesday night to enter! I realize that isn't a lot of time...blame the lockout, the situation in Boston, my kids...basically anyone but me.

Please remember to check back as the playoffs progress...I'll post the winner's names here, and at that time I'll look to get in contact with you. And please, do remember to check back! One of the prize packages went unclaimed last year, as I had no way of getting in contact with the winner...If you have a Twitter handle or something like that that you wouldn't mind adding to the post, that'd be great. So, enjoy the hockey, and good luck!

Finally...

CRASS COMMERCIALISM DEPT: All of the original, hand-drawn art for this year's Stanley Cup picks will be on sale soon...but all of last year's art is currently available at my Etsy store, and on sale for 25% off through the month of May, when you use the code CUP13 at checkout!

Of course, if you'd like to go the extra mile and get a personalized, one-of-a-kind uni-girl illustration of your very own to your exact specifications, that information can be found here.

Minggu, 28 April 2013

Candy Striped !

Candy Striped!

My Outfit Inspiration for Summer is this beautiful strapless bandage dress in vibrant hues, a pretty colourful statement neckpiece, mint peep toes and a summer-fit satchel bag to match.



HOOK THE LOOK




Satchel bag
furla.com



Breckelle's Lilian-01 Peep Toe Heels in Mint

Sabtu, 27 April 2013

Vintage Androgynous ~ Go Classic Chic!

   Today's styling was rather offbeat and special for me, cause it was a first: Combining two intriguing trends, Androgyny and Vintage, creating a classic look.
   Androgynous Fashion Trend has been around for decades and is taking centre stage in today's fashion too. 
Definition of Androgynous : A woman, who likes to dress in way that is an equal blend of feminine and masculine and giving an impression of ambiguous sexual identity "androgynous looks" .
 An early pioneer of androgynous fashion, Katherine Hepburn appeared in Hollywood movies in the early 1900's wearing male inspired buttoned down shirts and trousers.
  The gender borders are increasingly being blurred and fashion walls are repeatedly being been broken down. Androgyny became one of the most increasingly common looks on the catwalk and arguably the most versatile. It’s modern-day feminism! Women who wear their boyfriend’s jacket, their husband’s shirt and seek out masculine tailoring is becoming an ever-popular style demanded of the high street and designer stores .The modern-day women believe and trust in the fact that not only is androgyny cool, but it is also very sexy. The look just screams “powerful”. The androgyny brigade is taking over the fashion world quicker than you can say “boyfriend jeans”. Although it can be fun and quirky, androgyny is ultimately an outlet for women who prove that they can be strong and powerful but also elegant and sexy.
 
Getting the look: The way to pull off this look is quite simple. Androgyny is all about finding a balance between masculine and feminine. It’s about turning heads and raising questions.
To create that gender battling look, straight out of an old French movie, I combined a pair of black high waist pants with a loosely fitted blue silk shirt, suspenders, a black bow scarf neckpiece, black gloves and a hat. The gloves add a vintage touch and I played it up and wore crystal embellished heels to give a feminine twist to an otherwise masculine outfit. A hat can be a fitting addition to any androgynous look -a trilby or Charlie Chaplin bowler hat are perfect. The hat was a DIY, where I added a black rose with black feathers to it, again adding to the vintage appeal.
  
 

 
 
 
 
HOOK MY LOOK
~ Black High Waist Pants - UNITED COLOURS OF BENETTON
~ Blue Silk Shirt with flared sleeves - ATMOSPHERE (thrifted)
~ Black Suspenders - ZARA
~ Black Scarf - VINTAGE (my grand mom's)
~ Black Gloves - local store
~ Black Hat with black roses and feathers  - Thrifted DIY
 
Pin It!

Jumat, 26 April 2013

I Remember The First Time (14)

"My physique is best described as "I can't believe it's not butter"..."
-@SortaBad- (via twitter)

"Fans don't run the show..." -Matthew Weiner- (message from the creator of 'Mad Men' to critics of season six of the AMC hit - via Yahoo!)

"The Omaha airport and the middle of a field look awfully similar.  This should be exciting...
-Kourtney Chalmers-

"Hey Cordarrelle, this is Christian Ponder...  I'll be the guy throwing the ball at your feet. Welcome aboard..." -@FauxJohnMadden- (via twitter)




I remember the first time that I was a day late making this post, and then decided to blatently rip off and straight plagarize a friend's facebook status to lead things off...  "So for the first time in 4 years, and with just over 2 weeks left of school, my fear of accidentally getting on the wrong bus has finally come true..."  -Natalie-  For those of you asking why I didn't just put that up top with the rest of the quotes, it's my blog, so shut up...  :P


I remember the first time that I was going to tell you a story on Tuesday, but it would have been anticlimatic mixed in with my brain freeze story...  It has been well documented here in several riveting stories that customers must transfer their drinks from glass to plastic cups before proceeding to our rooptop bar.  This is a conversation between customers from last week:

Customer 1:  "Chug it!"
Customer 2:  (whiny voice)  "It's cold..."
Customer 1:  "DEAL WITH IT!"


I remember the first time that I was accused of bluffing...  It has been well documented here in several riveting stories how I keep track of how many customers are up at our rooftop bar for capacity purposes.  Recently a customer evidently told one of our bartenders, "You know Coach?  He has no counter, only poker chips..."  Well, it's actually BOTH, and a special shoutout goes out to my friend Ryan, who recently returned to San Marcos, America from the desert with 9 FRESH poker chips for me (3 each from MGM, the Rio, and Excalibur)...  :)  If you don't know me, you really would not believe how much the clay wears away from my CONSTANT manipulation of these things...

I remember the first time that I was proud to be from Texas...  Last night things got off to a slow start at work.  Then I noticed that less than five minutes after the completion of the first round of the NFL Draft is the time that I started to see a significant increase in the number of customers in our establishment.  God bless football...  :)  This was totally understandable when you think about it - both the Texans and the Cowboys had late first round picks.  On that note, every Cowboys' facebook status that I saw bemoaned the trading down of their first pick, and every status hated that Dallas drafted a center...  :)

I remember the first time that I brought up 'capacity' in a post, just because I know that you enjoy reading about 'capacity'...  So last night, within a minute of reaching capacity at our rooftop bar, about thirty customers come cruising down the stairs.  I swear that I heard one of them mention something about rain, and later in the night, after we closed, it was "spitting" outside...  Anyway, when a couple of our regular customers came down the stairs a few minutes later (customers that I recognize but don't know by name), I asked them, "is it raining hard?"  One of the young ladies turned and broke into a dance move, complete with hand and arm gestures (mimicking rain) as she repeated, "is it raining hard?"  Then she said, "it's..., 'RAINING HARD..., but it's..., NOT raining...  It's dry..."  As I just nodded and smiled as the girls turned and walked away, she says to her friend, "he may be too old to understand that..."  BA HA HA HA  :)  And this comes to you from the blogger who brought you "poppin" (a word, which, by the way, I was told to never use again)...  "I'm gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket..." -Macklemore-  ;)
Now that song is either going to be stuck in your head, or you're saying, "what the???"

Have an outstanding weekend and I'll see you again on Monday!












Kamis, 25 April 2013

I Will Remember Tomorrow

Good afternoon everyone.  I am just writing this little note to let you know that your regularly scheduled programming has been moved to tomorrow.  I have had a very busy day today after taking a short nap when I came home from work last night, and I have to catch a few more hours of sleep before I go back to work tonight.  At some point I will catch you up on what I was doing today (wow, the suspense - yes, I know)...  :)  If you are looking for something interesting to grab your attention, Round 1 of the NFL Draft will air tonight from 7:00 to 10:30 p.m. CST on ESPN.  That will probably be more interesting than my blog...  Also, if you walk outside right now and watch that grass grow..., THAT will probably be more interesting than my blog...  ;)  I hope that you have a great day and I WILL see you again tomorrow!
  

Selasa, 23 April 2013

Puppie Buffe

I took one of my recent Dr. Sketchy drawings of local burlesque performer Puppie Buffe and printed it out in bluelines, just to give myself a little inking practice. I've been revisiting Dave Stevens' art quite a bit lately, and I thought I'd try and work some of the observations I've made about his inimitable style into my own work. Might as well try to turn water into wine!

Anyway, I plan to further embarrass myself by coloring this...stay tuned!


Floral Fairy ~ 'Je Ne Sais Quoi' Go Magical !

    Finally, summer is truly here. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and the air is warm. Perfection. So today let's indulge in some 'Floral Fairy tale Fashion'. Floral prints are a summer fashion staple, so let me show you how to play up this trend  by giving your dressing a romantic fairy-tale spin—that’s the fresh appeal.
    Here is my feminine, floral, whimsical, fairy like with a hint of  vintage take on summer fashion:
      I wore a vibrant Floral top with a white Tutu dotted skirt, a white hat and lots of  vintage inspired pearl jewellery.
    This white Tutu skirt is cutely dotted and I absolutely adore the volume of it; I feel it brings a real fairy-like, fantastical feel to the look, completely individualising it from others. It adds a  real 'Je Ne Sais Quoi' to the look. The tutu skirt, once worn solely as a costume in ballet performances, is fast becoming one of the biggest fashion trends of this decade. Made famous by Sarah Jessica Parker in the hit US sitcom Sex and the City, many young girls and women all over the world are enjoying sporting the item as an everyday chic clothing item. Today Tutus are not just for ballet anymore! And for good reason, tutus are so much fun to wear and are just beautiful.
    That white hat has a pretty navy blue polka dotted scarf, that I added myself to lend a feminine appeal to the outfit. 
     I have accessorised the look with lots of  vintage inspired pearl jewellery, in the form of necklaces, bracelets and a matching vintage ring.We all know that the seventies are back, and why not capture some of that vintage magic yet keeping that sense of you. Bring the look up to date and maintain your own individual stamp on the style.
  Today's post pictures have been shot by my talented  photographer friend Pooja S, do check her work out here .
  
   
 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
HOOK MY LOOK 
~ Floral Top - FOREVER NEW
~ White Tutu Skirt - Vintage (London)
~ White Hat with DIY Polka dotted scarf - ZARA
~ Pearl necklace, pearl bracelet with crystal bow, hand pearls - FOREVER NEW
~ Vintage inspired pale peach ring - Vintage Shop
~ White Peep Toe with Ankle Strap Heels - BERSHKA
 
 
  Keeping the summer fresh appeal in mind, I accessorised the look with pearl necklaces, pearl bracelets and a pretty vintage inspired light peach ring and finished the look with my pretty ankle strap white peep toes.
 

 
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Could You? (14)

"When I write "spiritual" on my online dating profiles, it means I like to watch 'Ghostbusters'..." -@TylerComeOn- (via twitter)

"Some of the (stuff) you women do with your hair is absurd.  Looks like a damn eagle spread its wings then got run over by a truck..." -@iAmJuddy- (via twitter)

"I know there's no such thing as stupidity poisoning because you'd be dead by now..."
-@BeenToHellPal- (via twitter)



Could you tell us something that you're afraid you might actually say to one of your customers who irritates you?  If you know me, you know that I'm a pretty nice person, and that I actually use this blog to do a lot of my venting.  However, that last quote above..., that's the one that's going to have me biting my tongue at work soon...  Speaking of that, I have no shortage of material for you to read today or Thursday...  :P

Could you share a quote with your friend?  I have a friend named Angelica who I mentioned in this blog because of the way that she wears her hair, and although that second quote above does not describe her hair, I tagged her to this entry in facebook because I KNOW that she will laugh as soon as she reads it.  :)  You always have to remember two things people:  1)  I only pick on people that I like; and 2)  I like to make people laugh, and I LOVE people who can make me laugh...  ;)

Could you please mention Melanie and Alyssa, since it seems like DAYS since they've seen their names in print here?...  I went for a walk earlier (I started at about 1:00 a.m.) because I almost have to get out and walk when I do most of my serious thinking.  I ended up at work after about half an hour, and only after having some BATS swoop down at me (yes, I did jump and hustle out of the way) as I approached the Square (walking at 1:30 a.m. - go figure)...  I used the restroom, and then I went to the bar and said hey to all of my friends (all of whom were working diligently I might add)...  :)  I explained that I had been WALKING, and then Alyssa asked if I'd like a ride home...  Do you remember that recent post where the two ladies approached me at work, and I was told that I looked "so broken and beat up?"  YEAH..., I thought of this INSTANTLY when Alyssa about me about the ride - I was WALKING...  :P  Naturally I accepted the ride, because I wouldn't want to be rude, AHEM... (and I WAS practically attacked by bats), but c'mon...  :)  Oh, by the way..., 8 more days until these girls finish their internship, and 19 until they graduate... WHAT WILL I write about then?...  ;)

Could you tell us another story about walking Coach?  A group of customers was making their way to the Veranda this past weekend, when the reluctant one stopped, not wanting to make the journey (through THE MAZE I suppose)...  :P  The group leader exclaimed, "you can see all of San Marcos from here!"  The reluctant one answered that encouraging plea with, "I'VE SEEN SAN MARCOS!!..."  :)  And yes, they DID go up to the Veranda...

Could you tell us about a possible conspiracy?  During this past weekend (speaking of the maze), I had a customer (to my face) tell me that the hallway at work is "like a maze..."  I started thinking that someone is reading the blog and was put up to saying that DIRECTLY TO ME...  I think that I will know for sure that something strange is afoot the night that FIFTY people make that comment to me...  Can you imagine me squirming if that does happen?  UGGHHH...

Could you please make just one more maze reference Coach?  I'm not making this up..., over the weekend, someone said to their friend, "I wonder if people get lost in here..."  They HAVE TO BE saying these things just to bother me, right?

Could you tell us about one of the funniest things that you've ever seen at work?  At closing time one night this weekend, most of the customers had already left the building.  As I reached Harper's, I saw a group of five people, which included a guy who was leaning with his back to the wall, holding his head like someone had recently..., PUNCHED HIM or something, but without the moaning or the blood...  As I watched, trying to figure out what was going on, a SECOND PERSON in the group then grabbed their head SUDDENLY...  I looked at the drink that they were hurriedly trying to finish before leaving the bar, and then I realized what was going on...  The group had a frozen drink from upstairs, and as each person in the group took their turn at trying to kill it..., WELL..., EACH PERSON IN THE GROUP was subjecting their head to a BRAIN FREEZE...  I now watched a THIRD PERSON in the group clutching their own head, and it was all that I could do to not start laughing...

Could you tell us about the cat that lived off of McDonald's food for over a year, and how it relates to your life?  I saw this story on Yahoo! last week, and it reminded me of a story from my past involving myself and a good friend of mine.  An abandoned cat in New Zealand basically lived in a McDonald's parking lot, successfully begging for food from customers, until an SPCA worker "rescued" (I mean, how bad could it be, right?) the cat...  :)  When I left coaching here in San Marcos a hundred years ago, my friend Kelley really helped me through a lot of personal bitterness, simply by being my friend...  :)  Well, Kelley is a HUGE animal lover, and she also worked a few hours each week at the swimming pool that I was managing.  The pool had some stray cats that would stop by from time to time, and being the kind person that I am, I decided to feed them some of the food that I had on hand (and I'm talking healthy food, like Cheetos and corn chips)...  WELL, being a hundred years ago, I don't remember the EXACT words in this conversation, but basically, the gist of it was Kelley asking, "WHAT are you feeding them?!"  Needless to say, the rest of the summer these strays ate cat food...  :)

Could you end this with one more reminder that you're a hundred years old Coach?  During my second year of teaching and coaching, my good friends and colleagues had a baby girl.  Last night when I was on facebook, I received a message asking me for my address..., for a... (wait for it..., wait for it...) GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT!  Ellen is graduating a year early (overachieving showoff), but STILL...  Congratulations Ellen!  ;)

I hope that you have a great day, and I'll see you again on Thursday!





  















    

Senin, 22 April 2013

The Girls Who Almost Broke My Heart

"My mom just asked me, "Where is Twitter?  How can I get in?"..."
-@may_noir- (via twitter)

"90% of Americans think statistics are made up..." -@Mytwoscentz- (via twitter)

"You will never go anywhere in life feeling sorry for yourself..."
-@KelvinBeachumJr- (via twitter)

"Dinner tonight consisted of vodka and chocolate frosting, so take a seat Rachael Ray.  There's a new sheriff in town..." -@Heather2Go- (via twitter)

"You don't know true competition until you're one of the last two people in musical chairs..."
-@MumbaichaTapori- (via twitter)



Good afternoon everyone.  I'm watching 'Avatar' (which has quickly become one of my favorite movies - I have to watch it anytime that it comes on) as I type this, which is my main excuse as to why this entry is coming to you a little bit later than usual (and later than I promised Stephanie and Sarah last night)...  Who are Stephanie and Sarah you ask?  Very good, I want you to be inquisitive...  ;)  Stephanie and Sarah almost broke my heart last night...  Last night was my Friday for the work week, and after arriving at work and getting the downstairs situated, I went upstairs and starting getting things straight there.  I was informed by my friend and coworker Raymond that pizza was on its way from Valentino's (which is on one of the other sides of 'The Square' for those of you who are not familiar with downtown San Marcos, America)...  The pizza had been ordered a half-hour ago (allegedly) by Stephanie and Sarah, so as I finished organizing things on my end, I said that I would be happy to wait for a slice - Valentino's has really good pizza, and this one was to be a supreme with jalapenos added (and NO anchovies)...  :)  So it's about 5..., 10..., FIFTEEN minutes later, I'm done with my chores upstairs, there is no pizza in sight, and now I should be getting back downstairs to my duties there.  Well, wouldn't you know it..., after I walk almost all the way downstairs, I spy a pizza delivery guy...  Isn't that just the way that it ALWAYS works out???  :)  Maybe I should have titled this, "Valentino's almost breaks my heart" - it really wasn't Stephanie's or Sarah's fault...  Thank you once again for the first slice..., AND the last slice from that pizza - it was very good ladies!  :)

At this point let's talk about basketball and my afternoon yesterday since my fantasy baseball teams have taken their much-anticipated dive over the past week... (AHEM)...  I set my alarm so that I would wake up at halftime of the Spurs/Lakers series opener yesterday.  Yes, it does make more sense to watch the whole game, but I usually sleep during the day before work, and my sleep schedule was COMPLETELY HAYWIRE this week.  Anyway, when I wake up, my Spurs are up twelve (their eventual margin of victory), and I see on facebook that one of my former athletes is at Bikini Hill.  Although I can't ever remember the last time that I've seen Destiny, I opted to watch the second half of the basketball game before I walked over to river.  This was a mistake (because we OBVIOUSLY KNEW that the Spurs were going to win) because when I made it to Bikini Hill after the conclusion of San Antonio's victory, she had already left.  I did want to at least give Destiny a shoutout here though, which takes us to my "rough" walk home from the river...

As I passed by Bobcat Nation, I saw my friend George's truck, and I wanted to get his opinion on the upcoming Rockets/Thunder series.  George is a Rockets fan, and he predicted that they will take the series in six games.  Whether or not that actually happens, I should let you know here that when I visited Las Vegas back in December, George was one of the people who contributed to my gambling pool for the trip.  After I notified everyone that I guaranteed to bring at least 50% of their money back toward the end of my trip, George texted me (but too late, as it turned out).  George notified me that he wanted me to put the rest of his money on the Ravens to win the Super Bowl (and keep in mind, this was on the Sunday night that Week 16 of the NFL season had come to an end).  Unfortunately, the sportsbooks were already closed when I received his text, and they weren't going to be open before I caught my return flight to Texas in the morning (I do like to give credit where credit is due though)...  I'm just saying, if the Rockets do take it in six...  :)  Anyway, four of my other friends were lined up at Bobcat Nation's bar when I arrived, with Scott, Floyd, Ashton, and Adam (from left to right on your computer monitor) enjoying the afternoon.  This brings up to the rough part of my walk, where Ashton FORCED ME to take a bite of cheesecake before returning home...  Where else can you take a fifteen-minute stroll to your home from a spot like Bikini Hill, and have a..., CHEESECAKE PITSTOP halfway home?  Again, God bless San Marcos, America...  ;)



Okay, enough stalling.  This gets us to our weekly fantasy baseball update.  Let me give you the standings, and then I'll say a few words...


League 1 (25 entry fee - 1st place 125, 2nd place 25)

1)  Neshanic                                               74.00
2)  DraftDodgers                                      70.00
3)  Rocky Roto                                         64.50
8)  The View From Bikini Hill            48.50


League 2 (50 entry fee (40 w/discount) - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)

1)  Breaking Bats                                      75.50
2)  The Bikini Hill Bobcats                  63.50
3)  Loons XXIV                                         59.50

League 3 (50 entry fee (40 w/discount) - 1st place 300, 2nd place 50)

1)  Nappy Heads                                      73.00
2)  Fishing For Trout                             66.00
3)  Pearls Of Pine Tar                           58.00
9)  The Bikini Hill Nine                        47.00



As you can see, I'm still doing very well in one league, and NOT SO HOT in the others...  Here's my expert analysis (I KNOW you are interested in this).  On offense, my run scorers haven't been crossing home plate, and my base stealers haven't been stealing bases...  As for my pitchers..., ha ha...  If they're not breaking their collarbones, I have seemingly had one ace each week giving up a HORRENDOUSLY bad inning to kill my ERA.  My strikeouts have picked up recently, but I'm not chalking up enough wins.  I'm honestly not too worried about my pitching with the staffs that I have, but I did some MAJOR overhauling to my offenses this week, dropping some players that I would normally keep longer to try to plug in some more steals and runs. It's April and there's a long way to go, but congrats to the guys at the top of these three leagues on maintaining their rankings..., SO FAR...  ;)

Today's entry has run longer than I thought, but be sure to come back tomorrow, because I have PLENTY of stories from this past weekend at work.  It was all I could do one night to keep up in my little memo pad...  :)  Have an outstanding day and I'll see you again tomorrow!