Chitty Chatty .............bleh.

It sounds weird, but I like earning my paychecks. A slow night behind a bar is perhaps one of the most excruciating things ever....(well I could think of much more frustrating and painfully agonzing things, but to list them all would be overkill). "Slow" and "forgetful" were not options for a night in the restaurant industry like we had tonight....Tonight, I got slaughtered behind the bar.....it was a brutal night of work---mostly because my co-bartender wasn't moving nearly as fast as he needed to be, nor thinking nearly as quickly as he should have been based on the constant stream of new drink orders between both the restaurant and bar patrons from 6:15-9:30. My shoulders and back feel like I got hit by a truck...literally....like I was put through a cement wall. My feet are sore and my brain is like jello.....at one point tonight I kept track of 14 different, consecutive drinks (cocktails, beer, & wine). It was during this same 4 minute window in my evening that my Co-Tender went to chat with some people who were dining and drinking in the lounge.

On another night, I might not have cared---but since I'd been doing all of my work plus half of his the past 2 hours his decision to go shmooze with our customers was not seen in positive light.

On another note, the owners were out for the evening and no-where to be found at the 'Yat. Instead they were enjoying celebratory cocktails after winning Small Business of the Year awarded to them by their fellow Chamber Members. Dam. I hope my restaurant racks up the accolades like Kim and Andy have in their 1st year of business.

What's that??? Oh, sorry----my back and shoulders are screaming at me, but it's okay--my brain isn't functioning anyways....a ridiculous night bartending.

Belief

Every morning I wake up, I look at a page inside an old, old journal of mine....worn and frayed on the binding from being toted through the forests at bible camp, crammed inside of various bulging book bags, faded from many an afternoon sunbath on the library lawn......weathered by age....opened in some of the most awesome settings, privy to some of the most beautiful sunsets, mountaintops, and coastlines, filled with some of the most memorable travels, adventures, and private entries I've ever written.

The page I read says, "I Believe. I believe every new day is worth doing good. I believe every new day is worth doing good for someone else. I believe every new day is worth this belief. Wear your belief unconditionally Jackson."

Super Bowl

Two words:

SO FULL.

Aaron's white bean chicken chili: savory....velvety....
Aaron's spinach artichoke dip: Heaven...
Rachel and Michael's Crock Pot Lil' Smokies and Chicken Sausage slices: Tri-fecta!

SO FULL.

Birthday

I would never have been able to predict that I'd learn sign language, go to a sudden death overtime thriller of a hockey game, and laugh as much as I have the past couple days. It's obvious to me, the short break this weekend was "due." And now...for a brief lesson in cooking: (Jesse is in dire need of assistance mincing onions and making Super Bowl Chili).

Great weekend....not anywhere near "finished"...

Who I Am:

I dream about food.... with such frequency that sometimes I wonder if it's unhealthy, or if I should have my mind focused elsewhere (and sometimes I probably should). I dream about vegetables and produce, the progression of growing seasons, irrigation and landscaping.....the insatiable smells of standing smack dab in the middle of a 100 square foot herb garden in full bloom....

Tonight at the restaurant, I opened up the walk-in cooler and jumped up and down when i saw a box of big 'ole fresh limes. Limes.....seriously. I'm not so sure something like that should make a guy as excited as I was. I guess they were just sooooo green and bright.....I was just blown away.


Mind, body and soul, inside and out....I am a foodie. A chef [in the making]; one who feeds others....

Inescapable.

Solving a Jigsaw

Today was one of those days. Of "those days", which day was today? *That phrase is so generic...so murky and vague. It was the type of day where routine/everyday happenings and things stand out against their all too familiar backgrounds and surroundings. Where subtleties laid waiting to surprise me, and the "what if's" , "just maybe's" , and "it could happen's" craned their necks, and found their posture.

Humans. We are so funny.. and whimsical. and INTERESTING. Much of our days becomes subconscious repetition/routine and it's easy to miss the brief pause Mr. T gives between smiling and waving at me every Tuesday morning near the coffee shop. I've always noticed it....but have continually missed the significance in it until today.



Great day for the record books. A great day. Days like today are worth remembering, worth recalling tomorrow, worth talking about on the weekend. They're worth blogging about---all because of their ironically insignificant components juxtaposed to their larger whole.

Every day's a new day....

New Year's Resolutions

I think one can conduct a brief survey of friends, strangers or family and surmise: You either love 'em or hate 'em [N.Y.R's] .

In a previous post from a few weeks ago, I'd mentioned something to the effect of "Habbits are so hard to break--that's why they're habbits [for better or worse]. And N.Y.R's are often hated for being such a pain in the ass to formulate. They force us to acknowledge our undesirable personal qualities/characteristics we've either developed or exacerbated.....or both!?!?!"

In years past I've had long lists and other years my lists have ceased to exist. This year I have a list. 20 some days into 2009 and I'm pleased to say that my list is "Still in tact." A verbatim, sneek peek into some of Jackson's 2009 NYR's:

(in no particular order or priority)

-- Volunteer "ME" (mind/body/and/or soul) monthly
-- Read Everyday
-- Pray
-- Write letters
-- Dream with courage
-- Recipe portfolio
-- Create your Best KAMP ever
-- Sibling relationships
-- Inspire
-- Define necessities and accessories
-- Pursue Adventure
-- Create Memories
-- Give voice to the voiceless, the poor in spirit, Remember the Least of us....cultivate peace
-- Foster friendships

I think they're worth consideration...