Man I'm old

This week has been a rough wake up call...










So I'm super psyched about a lot of things new in my life: New job, new boy friend, new chance to play softball with some good friends...

Things are looking up.

But fuck! How did I used to do this stuff!!? Haha, it's bad! Like I used to be a bartender on 10 hour shifts, 5 days a week, and used to play a sport for 3 hours no problem.

I'll tell you what; after 3 insane shifts at the bar, and a double header Softball afternoon, I'm totally out of order today. Like burnt to a crisp from waking up before noon and being in the sun all day on Sunday, and quads and hamstrings and triceps sore from doing random bar necessities I have not performed in 3 years.

It will all pass of course. Just the first week or two will be a bit rough. I feel 96, not 26. I feel like an albino that hung out around the equator a day too long...

On the bright (punnnnn) side, after softball (and Ezra's soccer game) we went to our friend Phil's rooftop oasis, and grilled some chicken, and drank till the sun went down. I was a wonderful experience after a long weekend. New aquaintences seeing each other at our best (drunk) and PEOPLE WATCHING EXTRAVAGANZA!! Holy hell. So fun. By 9:30 that rooftop felt more like a family reunion.

Anywho, good times. Things are going really well. I just have to ask one thing...

...Anyone have some fucking aloe?

Dizzle

BLISS

This is what I had been doing the last 3 weeks... Sleeping, Drinking, Taking pictures of my puppies Max and Katie. (He is really that small. Like a midget warlock/gremlin Chihuahua :)








But now.... I can honestly say I am the happiest I have been in so long. I have taken everything that wasn't working for me, and LUCKILY found fabulous things to replace them. Out with toxic communications, in with positive relations.

For the last month I have been doing some thinking, some extreme soul searching, and made some bold moves.

I quit a job in a recession, and did not have the cliche "three months' salary in savings."

I had a "soon to be" amiable split with Nick, which we had a nice coffee hour yesterday, and politely agreed that the split was a good thing for both of us. He's doing well in business, and I'm trying to get back to "Dee," trying to find some sides of me that were lost in translation over the last few years.

I met a GREAT man, Ezra, very shortly after my split. We started off just having coffee, or a late night Uncle Bill's buffet. Things moved into a great relationship. I can't ask for more: he's honest, he's there for me, he's not pretentious, and he wears the same hats I do. It's almost too cute. I need a pic of us together so I can POSTTTTT it. :) We are going to a wedding together this weekend; Hopefully I get a chance to show him off to the InterwebTwitterFaceSpace.

Another GREAT thing, is I'm getting opportunities to connect to my new neighborhood. The other night a friend of mine brought up available spots for a LBGT friendly Softball team, and it's sponsored by my coffee house down the street!! I am SO excited!! I was infamously snubbed last summer by two gal pals that I introduced, when they joined a kickball team behind my back, thinking that because I was in a relationship I wouldn't be "fun" or something. Not into the frat boys with the coolers. Who knows. So this opportunity is SUGARYSPLENDA sweet. I'm getting to relive my softball days (10 years ago, yikes) with a beer on the side. lol

Also, this week, I bit the bullet and bought some long time over due art supplies. I have had this bug in me for the last few years to start "creating" again, and I've been shopping oil paints and drafting tables ever since... Just never wanted to shell out the money. Well Ez and I went shopping the other day, and you know, dating someone creative and being around friends that have creative hobbies such as music or art, makes you want to just go for it. I found some GREAT deals on a "starter" set of paints, and brushes. I also bought a nice brush, 2 canvases, and a sketch pad to "play with" before I waste a canvas. Totally psyched.

Now that I have my "extra room" for "something extra" I may put a table in there. But honestly I'm vieing for a move in the livingroom set up, so I can paint in front of my french doors.

Now the grand finale: I GOT A JOB YESTERDAY!! SUPER PSYCHED!! It's a wine bar in Belleville, IL, which is about 10 miles east of St. Louis. There is an adorable "main street" by this giant foutain, circle drive, plaza type area, and my bar is RIGHT THERE.

http://www.thewinetapbelleville.com/













So this is the middle room that's available for reservations, and by the front door is where me and a partner will have 8 small tables and a decent sized semi-circle bar. Beyond this middle room is a 60-person heated, covered, patio. Next weekend they are having a cabaret show!! I was like, this is my place. Then the owner goes, "So you know Dee, their songs can, get kind of risque... Is that ok?" HA! I was like "Thank you!!"

I will bartend like any other for about 3 or 4 weeks, then I'm the manager. :) I work the same night as many of my friends, which is great. I am giving up weekends til the end of time, but the owners Allison and Dave were realisitc when I said there would be negotiations, like "2 weekend nights off a month" and my base salary for management. I honestly couldn't be happier with them. Wonderful people, entreprenuers, and about all, humble as anyone could be.

I feel like I've taken a happy pill.

What an amazing turn of events from my recent blogging. And you know, I understand things won't always be perfect, but the weight that has been lifted from my back is significant, and I am going to hold on to this feeling as long as possible! Thank you to everyone that has my back and has been sending me daily love and good vibes.

One last thing: Shout out to my girl Kristen!! She just got a KILLER upgrade on life as well!
#1 New job: she'll be an Albequerque transplant working for the local NBC affiliate. Great pay raise, along with jumping over 100 markets (news talk for going from a smaller city to a bigger city)!! You are well on your way to STL or better, and you know it. Congrats Chica!!
#2 And also, I have to mention, your newest love interest is a wonderful man, AND YOU FUCKING DESERVE IT. Keep it up girl. 2 Kudos. ;)

Much Love,
D

“I’VE GOT IT!”

YAY! First day off in forever!! Amanda and I took off work this Friday to celebrate Creagan’s birthday, in a sober daytime way, (before the drunken party way like 8 hours later.)

We WERE going to go to our favorite brunch Crepes in the City, but it was a little later than brunch by the time we all got going, so we switch our plans to Caleco’s.

Two problems:
#1 I was still hung over from the night before at Caleco’s when I was accosted by NCAA wrestlers and the coaches that worship them. Thank you Nebraska boys for the vodka and toasted ravs—you made my face feel nice and numb from sweet sweet Goose. Needless to say, upon entering that afternoon, I was worried people would remember me and ask “weren’t you just here when we closed at 3am?”

#2 Any time we go to Caleco’s for lunch you may as well hand us a cocktail on entry. SO, let the games begin.

Lucky for us, this day we only had one… because "Stop 2" was The City Museum.

The City Museum is this recycled ‘Rave Kids’ dream: mirrored mosaics, slides, climbing walls, tiny tunnels leading to secret locations, etc. GREAT place for some 26-year-olds on a beautiful afternoon.

“Hey. Denise. Get in that hole. You can do it. Come on. I’ll cover your ass crack with your giant luggage purse.”

:(

Really. Why me.

“Dee. Get in this tiny hole. You just have to climb down, then climb up this slippery concrete wall, then go over the 10 ft wide barrel Marine style MAKE SURE YOUR BOOBIES DON’T SNAG ON THE PIPES!! It’s easy. You got it. I’ll take pictures.”

“HELP! MOTHER FUCKER! OW MY TIT! HELP ME! I’M STUCK!”

“Dee stop cussing! There are kids around! Where are you!!?? All I see is your left big toe. Why did you wear flip flops anyway?!?”

:( :(

Whatever, I made it. We have some GREAT pictures from this little excursion. However, I have to say, I have so many little bruises its just ridiculous. Long sleeve shirts for life.

The highlight of the City Museum was THE DARE. Amanda was like “hey kids, go up in that tall tower from hell, climb across the welded tunnel that eats thong sandals and Louis Vuitton wallets and spits them out to their death into a large ball pit, and then wait in line to go down the slide with the 10 years olds and their moms that hate us.

OK! GREAT! Come on C, it’s your birthday. It’s a dare. And we’re doing it.

In line was the best: “OW, my fucking feet! We totally wore the wrong shoes to be climbing up the tiny-stepped, death tower!!”

“WELL” says a mom, “Didn’t you read the website? I mean, come on, hu huh huh chuckle chuckle (I’m in Easy Spirit fucking tennis shoes…) It said wear tennis shoes. Poor you.”

Bitch.

So we’re off. UP, ACROSS, and DOWN the welded “tunnel” that spanned the outdoor section of this pee palace. This tunnel was made of quarter inch diameter steel rods welded in a thatch pattern with squares about 4” x 4”, and looked like an arch. “We can do this… Right? … Can we do this? … Should we DO THIS??!”

We started off fine, on hands and knees. When you get to the middle on the arch it’s a little scary. We both got stuck trying to rotate our legs around. Amanda is LAUGHING HER ASS OFF below us as I scream “CREAGANNNNNNNNNNNNN Help me!! Get it!! GET IT!”

“Get what??”

“My flip flop!! I’m holding on to it with my left big toe!! GET IT!!!” Hahaha. Funny funny. Fuckers. We get it. All is well. Then:

“DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! GET IT GET IT!! MY FLIP FLOP JUST FELL!! MOTHER FUCKER! No no no!!” Creagan’s little plaid flip flop was also almost a goner. Alas! Amanda yells “Charles!! It’s right behind you!!” Holy Shit how did it not fall through the holes?? We are soooooo lucky!

So we get over the arch of death, both still with our non-recommended flip flops, and we are now walking on a series of landings waiting our turn for the slide. And all of the sudden, C feels his ass.

“Uh. My wallets gone. Really. Where could it be. And if it is in the ball pit, who WOULDN’T steal a LV wallet?”

and all the sudden..

“I gottttttttt ittttttttt” a little voice shouts.

“What?” “Who said that?”

C and I are quite perplexed.

Then little Lindsay Lu Who from la la land comes off the death arch holding up the LV wallet!! We were like “No. Fucking. Way.”

“It was just setting there! Neat!”

Speechless.

So we both slide with wallets, shoes, and our dignity. Dare this bias!!