No words...

What a day.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/25/georgia.shootings/index.html

I decided to nap yesterday instead of getting the lawnmower fixed. It was a good decision, because we had a long night.
I picked the b.h. up from work and we went to El Sol for dinner (yes- again. What?!). Then we came home and he napped and I played with dogs and then we went down to the University to see Dan Savage speak. Savage is a personal hero, and what we refer to as a "Blog Friend", which means a person who you don't really know at all but whom you read so often you feel like you know them. I have been reading his column for fourteen years now, and his blog for a couple. He was as hilarious as I expected him to be, and afterward he went with us for a drink at Flicker. He was exhausted but completely gracious, and we talked for an hour or so and then J and the b.h. and I walked him back to his hotel before heading to the 40 Watt to see Dinosaur Jr. That was awesome. I haven't had a record of theirs for years and years, and was surprised at how many songs I recognized. The show was fantastic, and we all went home very tired but very happy at 2am.

I awoke this morning to THREE e-mails from our new landlord. This is the wife of the pair, and she asked for things that I had already sent her husband a couple (maybe even three) weeks ago. Now I'm worried that the dog breed thing is going to be an issue, when I thought it was long since resolved. Shit. Looked at the housing on Craigsl1st today. Not good. Crossing my fingers.
The past week has been busy and good. Went to lunch with MT last Monday. El Sol again. That is a place I will definitely miss. Spent time on Monday and Tuesday packing and cleaning. Tuesday night the b.h. and I went out with two of our friends J and J, for craft beer and fancy cheese. Yum. Worked Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Boring! Plus more packing. Then went to Jenn's birthday party on Saturday evening. That was fantastic. Saw many people I don't see enough of. Ate great food. Went home early and passed out. Woke in the middle of the night and stayed awake for too long. Slept in.
Woke up yesterday to no coffee, which is a less terrifying prospect for me than it is for the b.h. Went to the grocery straightaway, then returned home for more packing while he cooked dinner. We went to Stammtisch around six. It was fabulous and I realized that we had missed two weeks in a row which was far too much. The b.h. made oven fried onion rings breaded with saltine crackers and Spicy Thai Kettle Chips. Wow. We came home and watched Doubt, which was way more depressing than I expected. Good, but depressing.
So it was a very long week and pending the answer from the LL this week may be far worse. Balls.
Oh yeah- I backed into our fancy newish lawnmower and ripped off a wheel, too. Guess I ought to get that taken care of now.

Now I know why my manager doesn't like us listening to "Pandora's Box". He already hears voices in his head and this confuses him.
Must. Buy. More. Ammo.
Seriously. The gun nuts are buying up ammo like never before. A guy from the gun shop came in last night and informed us that he is "out of nine" for the first time ever.
"Do you still have forty-five?" inquired Two Gun Stan.
"Plenty."
Great. I can't wait to get out of here.

I have gotten tons of new house photos. It looks great. Of course, at this point it wouldn't take much, but it really does look promising. To celebrate, I am going to walk the dogs and eat a sandwich. Not necessarily in that order.
This week has been long and exhausting, and it isn't over yet. But that pinched nerve in my neck from the constant stress seems to have subsided. Waking up and being able to feel my hands today was comforting.
Now the task of packing. Sorting, throwing out five years of accumulated shite, cleaning... yeah. I guess we've only just begun.

Two notes about work last night. One, I went up to an older gentleman who was perusing the beer selection. I asked if he needed help finding anything. He answered, i gave him some advice, and he then turned and asked my male co worker the exact same question. Pfft. What would I know about beer, right? Just a girl an' all. Fucker.

There was a guy who came in and got a six pack and a pack of cigarettes. I don't know him, exactly, but he is a regular and I recognize him. So the phone rings a couple hours later and it's him. He has lost his wallet and wonders has anyone seen it? I know that it hasn't been found because I was the one who would have found it, but I ask around anyway. No luck.
"I know I had it there and that's the last place I used it and now i can't find it. Can I leave you my number in case?"
"But of course," I say, writing down his name and number. "Have you checked the space between your car seat and the door? I lose my phone there at least once a week."
"I checked the car but I didn't look there."
"I'll give you a call if we find it."

Two minutes later the phone rings again.

"Local Liquor Store, can I help you?"
"You're a genius."
"Have a nice evening."

I believe we have a house. In fact, though I have no signed lease, I am fairly certain that it is what one would call a Done Deal.
Holy crap finally oh my gods etcetera.
The woman who lives there now has been fantastic. She sent me a whole bunch of pictures and suggestions about where to find a job, etc. So now I am on to the collecting boxes/having a yard sale/purging our junk/starting to pack portion of this particular adventure. And it feels good.

I just got back from Savannah. Thought for a minute there I wasn't going to be able to go. Started feeling extra gross at work on Friday night, wound up coming straight home from work instead of going downtown to see the b.h. play. Hot shower, emergen-c packet, and piles of blankets. Slept and watched TV. Woke to pick up the b.h. around two, came home and passed out again, woke up feeling fine. I think the pollen just got to me.
Anyway, we got an early start, went down to Ike and Jane's for breakfast sandwiches and coffee and doughnuts. Drove straight through with only one stop, and went immediately to the club to check in. The band was an hour behind us due to a keys-locked-in-van incident. We headed over to the Sentient Bean for coffee and then to the SCAD shop. I love that place. Student art for sale, and some of it very good. Nothing I could afford that really struck my fancy, though. The band called when they got to the club and we headed back there.
Parking was a bit of a bitch. The club was on River Street, which is the mainest of main drags on the riverfront (thus the name), which was packed with people because of the absolutely lovely weather. Having already made that mistake once, the b.h. and I decided instead to park several blocks away and walk with both of his guitars and his suitcase o' pedals and such. No problem. Then we stood around for an eternity waiting for the other band to load out. We didn't really mind, though, because we were able to buy beer and stand out on the street drinking it. We did because we could, and because of the aforementioned incredible weather. After that was load in and soundcheck, which I managed to avoid most of by walking down the waterfront with R while the b.h. checked and leaving when the other band did.
The b.h. and D and I walked over to the Moon River Brewery and waited at the bar for the other guys. I had a Swamp Fox IPA. It was delicious.
We were seated in the main room, still waiting for the other guys to arrive from sound check. D had his back to the front door. Through the crowd I saw some frat boys and sorostitutes in Full Confederate Regalia, and they were making their way in our direction. When they passed our table, D looked up in disgust and said quite loudly "You guys are hilarious", in a tone indicating that he did not, in fact, find it hilarious.
I find the whole thing quite confusing myself. The fascination with a war that no one ever spoke of outside of history class where I come from. Technically those people were traitors, and since many if not all of those people claim to be patriots, I don't see why they feel the need to celebrate. Also, I can't imagine how the black people who were present (waiters and bartenders in this case) must feel at the sight of these people, but since I am not a real Southerner I more often than not feel like the best bet is to keep my mouth shut. As far as I am concerned, these people might as well be walking around in KKK robes or Nazi uniforms, but generally I am able to simply ignore it. Not so with D. He was obviously pissed (in both senses of the word, I now realized), and made it known. I was worried that we were only three and they appeared to be younger, more fit, and in greater numbers. Not that I am afraid of a broad in a hoopskirt, mind you, but the boys were definitely of the large and cornfed variety. Luckily the rest of the guys showed up just then, and we were distracted by food and fun.
I ordered onion rings and a dip-thingie made from cream cheese, sundried tomatoes, and roasted garlic to share with everybody, and leek and goat cheese cakes for myself. This is what I had last time we were here, and though I prefer to be more adventurous, there were not a lot of veggie options. I was very happy with all of my selections.
AT one point I stepped outside for a smoke break with R, again mostly because it was beautiful out and I could bring my beer along, and the first guy I saw was in a confederate uniform. I asked if I could take my picture with him, and could I please hold his sword? Then I found out that he was the Haunted Savannah Tour Guide.
"Oh, so you're not really a racist, you just get paid to wear that, huh?" I smirked. Holding the sword point to his throat was not near as fun.
Another fratty couple came up in uniform and I got a picture with them. It's one of those "the folks back home are never gonna believe this" things. By back home, of course, I mean Chicago. No one in Athens will have trouble believing.
We returned to the club stuffed to the gills and waited a short time for the bands to start playing. It was a fun show but a long one, and we were all ready to get to sleep when it was over.
Hilariously, River street was now blocked on one side with illegally parked cars, and on the other was a very long, seemingly immobile line of traffic. Two of the guys wound up walking back two blocks to get the van, then we waited while they sat in traffic, then we blocked traffic while all scrambling to get the gear in. The guys in the little SUV immediately behind the van seemed totally relaxed, watching us calmly through the windshield while thumping bass poured from their over-sized speakers. In fact, nobody honked or complained at all, which was odd but a relief. There was simply no other way for us to load out. No one from the club bothered to help us, despite there being at least two young and able-bodied men right next to the door and absolutely no business now that the bands had finished. I doubt they'll be going back there.
We spent all day Sunday walking around. The guys went home early, and the b.h. and I had the whole day to ourselves, knowing that our capable dog-sitter would be staying at least until two. We got breakfast at Clary's which I found mostly disappointing this time, and then coffee at the Sentient Bean (again), and walked through square after square all the way to the river from the far side of Forsyth Park. Then we walked down the river and turned back, this time walking a very different and less populated set of squares. We stopped in a lovely French decor shop, which D had mentioned the day before. I fell in love with a piece of art that was $1400. Of course. Champagne taste and a beer budget, as they say. I bought a greeting card and we continued on. The walk was fantastic, the weather perfect. We decided that were we to move to Savannah, this would be the neighborhood we would live in. I took a ton of pictures. There are so many tiny details on houses and gates there. It's like a treasure hunt in a way. I love (visiting) that place.
After we got back to the car we bought refills and pastries and started home.
The drive was uneventful, and when we returned we found treasure, in the form of school loan documents, waiting in the mailbox. Hoo-fucking-ray.

Iowa!

Gay marriage. Iowa. Hooray for Iowa. And sanity.
That is all.

Yesterday I spoke to what I hope will be my next landlord. He isn't sure that he and his wife are actually ready to rent the house again, but since they had only found out thirty-six hours prior that their current tenants are leaving, I was unruffled. I think I managed to be entirely agreeable in my eagerness, though, so we'll see. Part of the problem is that he has a list of dog breeds that his insurance company won't cover, and German Shepherd is on it.
"My dogs are each half Shepherd", I said. One is half corgi and less than a foot and a half tall, so I don't think it counts. The other looks like Benji, and I seriously doubt that your insurance man would peg him for a Shepherd."
Actually, I prefer the comparison to Nick Nolte's Mug Shot, first made by my good buddy Mic Harrison, but I wasn't sure the LL would find that as hilarious as I do.
I sent him these pictures for verification:







I think I've made a fairly convincing case, don't you?

After I sent the message I found another potential house on cr@igsl1st, which is nice. I sent a message to that person and then I called Shayne and went to her house so I would stop obsessively checking for responses every three minutes. I stayed there until it was time to go to work.
Work was very long. The weather is making me very sleepy, and I think it is keeping people at home, because we were not busy in the least.
Today I slept in gloriously late and have finally finished off enough coffee to function properly.
Two more days of work and then it's off to Savannah. I can't wait.

Work was long on Saturday. Twelve days in a row is too much, and by the end of it I was feeling fairly burnt and a bit surly. This makes me less than patient with customers, so I spent the last hour or so dodging as many as possible. Lynn was already there, so I wasn't leaving anybody guessing about wine. As soon as I was sprung, I went across the street to get dog food. After that I stopped in to see if a pair of shoes I had had my eye on was still waiting for me after nearly two weeks. they were. only one pair left and they were my size. Taking that as a sure sign from the shoe gods, I snatched them up and bought a pair of socks with giraffes on them as well. These are the kind of shoes that are supposed to be good for your back, and I have no brown shoes that I can wear for work, so it wasn't completely indulgent. After that I went home, fed the dogs, turned on the Jancis Robins0n wine DVD that had arrived from Netflix, and promptly passed out.
I went out on Saturday night with my friend MT. We had a couple beers at Flicker and then moved on to Tasty World. Only got to talk to Jared for a couple minutes, because he was working, but hung out with Murphy for quite some time and caught up. Good times. We went home before the witching hour, avoiding the chaos of bars emptying into the street. I slept like shit and so did the dogs, so we all spent the bulk of Sunday on the couch. I was in a foul mood and after speaking to my parents did not even bother to answer the phone. Eventually I got up enough energy to slip out and eat. I went to The Grit and had a large golden bowl with veggies and cheese and a bottle of root beer.
Things are looking brighter on the VT front. School called the b.h. on Saturday and said that we would know about money by mid-week. Not holding my breath but I am hopeful. Also there is a house I have been looking into and I am waiting for a call back from the landlord. Wish me luck.
If all goes as planned, I think I will be slipping off to Savannah on Saturday. "As planned" meaning that I get the day off on Saturday, find somebody to watch the dogs, and have enough money to make it happen. The b.h. and I could use a day off alone together I think. He has a show on Saturday night, but then we could poke around on Sunday. I can't imagine how lovely Savannah must be right now, with Spring springing and all.

I feel like I've been had. Smuttynose makes great beer. I have had several, and I liked all of them. So when we got a new shipment that included Hanami Ale, I was interested. The label says it's made with cherries. Well, Kasteel Rouge is made with cherries, and I like that. In fact. I haven't had a kriek beer that I don't like (yet), so I split a six-pack with two of my co-workers (I'm broke and it was late, so i thought two beers would be plenty). When I got home I opened it straight away, not even bothering with food or shoe removal or anything.
The thing is, it's a great beer, but I hate it. It is a sour, and the word sour was nowhere on the label. Crap. So after a few more attempts, I wound up pouring the whole thing down the drain. I was pretty sure I could hear ancestors turning in their graves while I did it. Then I popped open a bottle of Sierra Nevada, made myself a sandwich, and checked e-mail before bed. Still no money, still no job, but a bright spot on the housing horizon. Fingers crossed.

I should be going to Atlanta today to a big wine show/tasting thing at the High Museum, but for various reasons I can't. I'll not dwell on that for the moment.

Woke up to dogs barking madly and a quick good-bye kiss from the b.h. He's off to rock and stuff, and won't be home again until Sunday night. I'll not dwell on that, either.

It is and has been pissing down rain, which is great for the plants (and the water table) and lousy for my mood. I got up and drank the last cup of coffee and finished watching Bright Lights, Big City, and then checked all places on the computer to see if we have a loan/house/job yet. Nothing.

Last night was busy but mostly uneventful at work. Got to taste about eight wines within the first hour, which made the rest of the shift go a lot more smoothly. One of our reps was in and asked if I would be attending the High Museum thing today, and when I said I wouldn't be able to, he said he'd try to snag me something good. Which is unnecessary but appreciated. I'm thinking about going in earlier than I'm supposed to just so I can get the hell out of there tonight. If I get paid I am definitely going down to see The Heap at the GA Theater, but since I have less than no money (there were some banking errors this week) it all depends.

Trying to figure out a way to get to Savannah next Saturday. The b.h. has a show but he will have to leave before I am done with work in order to be there for soundcheck. If anybody's game let me know. This is definitely my last chance to get there before we leave town.

So yeah- that about sums it up. Now I'm going to make another pot of coffee and pace until the mailman gets here.

Customer of the Night#5410: The Prioritizer.

"I love that (Random Napa Cab), but it's sixty bucks. That's like a gram and a half."

It's funny how differently people talk to me at work depending on how I am dressed. I got called in on my day off again, and we're still broke, so I agreed to work. I was wearing an Okkervil t-shirt with a weird and somewhat scary drawing on it and a pair of jeans, rather than my usual button-down shirt ensemble. The guy told me it was his birthday and that he was looking for a nice bottle of red wine. We wandered over to the proper area and he stood gazing at the upper shelves, declaring his love for several of the pricier bottles. But one does have priorities, especially on one's birthday, I suppose, so he got himself a twenty dollar Chilean instead (and presumably made straight for the G@ bar afterward).

We went down to the Watt on Monday night for Garbage Island (featuring their newest member, Patterson Hood). It was nice to be out but I really am a morning person now so we didn't stay late. I do love to watch Craig play, though.

Still waiting on loan info. Still going crazy.

Customer Of The Night #8723: Nauseating Redneck.

The Punisher was not great. It wasn't terrible, but I really cannot recommend it. Which is a shame, because i adore both Ray Stevenson and Dominic West. A lot of people said this movie was really gory, but the way they did it- all quick cuts and choppy editing- it wasn't really that disturbing. Frankly, the Standard Nutjob Guy just wasn't scary. And the script was kind of... meh. So yeah. I don't recommend it.
I do, however, recommend Coney Island's Human Blockhead, the hoppiest lager I believe I have ever tasted. I would never have purchased it (I am not a lager lady), but a co-worker had one and allowed me a sip and I was sold.

On Sunday I had a wine tasting at Harry Bisset's. Eight wines, all white, and about half of them were perfectly drinkable (to me), but they still don't really float my boat the way a good red does. I had to work, but since several friends were there celebrating a birthday I got to wait on them and it was a pretty good time. When I got home the b.h. had finished making manicotti for our dinner party and, as an added bonus, had also made homemade granola bars a la Alt0n Br0wn. Fabulous. I changed clothes and packed up a bottle of Cotes du Rhone and we headed for Casa Del D & S.
Dinner was wonderful, and again the conversation was very animated- we went from the cycle of life and death to goat testicles and back again. I am starting to wish that I could conceal a tape recorder under the table for later use in a screenplay.

Monday I ran some errands, paid some bills, and walked the dogs. I got called in to work because my manager injured himself in a skate-boarding accident and they needed a cash-register monkey and I need money so it worked out well for everyone.

Early on in the evening, while the day crew was still there, J and I found ourselves together behind the counter when a very sketchy, very drunk guy came in asking the price of a half pint of shitty whiskey. I told him. He asked the price of the full pint. I told him. He fumbled through his pockets, counting out three dollar bills and then a large-ish pile of change. He was fragrant. J was waiting on him, but I was standing several feet away in an attempt to provide moral support and an out if the guy got too chatty.
"You take this? How much is this worth?", he cackled, placing a large chunk of gods only know what on the counter. We ignored him and waited while he dug for more change. He was a few cents short, and in my desperation to stop smelling him I told him we'd manage.
He picked up the chunk again, asking
"How much'll you give me for this?" and handing it to J, who put his hand out.
"What is it?" asked J.
"It's a tooth." Jay jerked his hand away like he had touched a hot stove, fortunately missing the dropped tooth.
"Where'd you get it?"
"It's mine. It came from right here." I turned my back, gagging a little and making myself busy looking for nothing in particular as the guy pulled his cheek open with his filthy fingers to show J a gaping hole in his mouth.

Fucking thing wasn't even gold. What a cheapskate.

Jeebus I am boring. Still nothing to report. Yesterday I did a bunch of housework and walked the dogs a couple times and then went to work and came home and slept and got up and there was no coffee and then went straight back to work.
We're about to watch The Punisher and tomorrow I have some activities planned so hopefully the next post will be more interesting.
Still no word on loan $$ and no house. Been blasting Okkervil River and trying not to worry.

This week has been forever already. Crap.
Tuesday the b.h. and I took the dogs and ran some errands and then drove to Hard Labor State park for some hiking. I have no idea how the park got it's name. It is beautiful, though. And driving there takes you through some insanely wealthy rural areas. Very neat. I took some pictures, but they don't really do any justice of course. Ah well. Spring is springing, and the rolling green hills and quiet two lane highways were exactly what the doctor ordered. that and two fairly strenous miles of hiking in the woods. We all slept like babies that night.











Anyway, Wednesday and today were kind of blurry. Some food-related teevee courtesy of Alton Brown, Anthony Bourdain, and America's Test kitchen, and a few pastries thrown in (back to the new bakery today- pound cake was meh, but the banana fritter totally rocked my world and the coffee kicks ass), but mostly a lot of work. Boring! Not even a good customer story.

Sonovabitch.

I just found out that we lost a chance at the perfect rental house because the woman's repeated e-mails were trapped by my motherfucking spam filter. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!!!!!!! I am through with yahoo.

I was about five minutes late to the work meeting yesterday. Unfortunately that left me nearly two hours of meeting to sit through. I am not known for hiding my feelings well ("subtlety, thy name is heybartender" is a favorite and fitting quote from a good friend), and I must have been in rare from yesterday because one of my coworkers came up to me straight after and laughed a bit, asking if I was okay and remarking about the look on my face.
I actually got some sleep on Saturday night, so at least I didn't snap. I'm not going to be here much longer, but I do need a job until I leave.
Thew b.h. made a fantastic tortilla soup for our weekly dinner party. When we got there we found that our host was alone, having sent his lady on the road to S0uth by S0uthwest. I am insanely jealous, but I couldn't afford to go even if I were able to take time off from work.
Anyway, some other folks brought salad and pastries, D made two kinds of soup, and I brought a bottle of The Lackey Shiraz and a six pack of Sierra Nevada. Dinner was hilarious. The group was particularly lively this week, with one guest regaling us with stories from her job, which were eerily similar to The Office, but unique to her industry. Her boss is Ricky Gervais' Arkansian counterpart, and apparently he is moving his family here. I told J that she simply must start a blog. At very least it would chronicle the downfall of her company for all of the people who are going to ask "what happened?" when it's all over. At most, I think it would garner a serious following and could lead to a book deal. The guy is seriously deranged. It's awesome.
We didn't stay late, because the b.h. is still not sleeping properly and was exhausted, so we came home and watched Feasting on Asphalt. I had half of a blackout stout left in the fridge, so I poured it over some Breyer's coffee ice cream. I got three solid hour of sleep thanks to that.
I'm well into The Fortress of Solitude and really enjoying it. Still plugging away at Party Out Of Bounds, and immersed in both beer and wine books. My French lessons podcast is coming along slowly but surely, and I'm nearly finished with a two months old copy of The Believer. The new one is still in plastic on the coffee table. So business as usual, I guess.

I got some sleep last night, but it was restless, and since I went to bed just out of the shower the result was that I awoke this morning with even darker circles under my eyes and hair that would not lie down. I didn't have time to shower again before work, so I showed up looking like Dennis Leary in Rescue Me. The first season- you know, pre AA, post-bender (and fistfight). Yeah. Not pretty.
I went to the new bakery this morning and got an egg and cheese biscuit, which was awesome, and a doughnut that wasn't. Got to work a few minutes early. Mostly a smooth and fairly busy day. Which doesn't make for interesting blogging, but I promise that if I don't get any sleep tonight I will blather derangedly in the next post. Hell, I might do that anyway.
Going to pour a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout ("blackout stout" to my co-workers) and hope for the best.
Adios, amigos.