this is the woman for me.

i've always loved natalie portman. i wrote an entire blog about her when the snl "natalie portman raps" skit came out. she's gorgeous, jewish, humanitarian, has a prestigious degree she earned and was not "awarded" as well as having won and been nominated for most domestic north american and international awards for her craft. instead of being angry, hurt, and upset today, i will just gaze upon her and sigh...



*sigh*

3rd person edict

i don't like fighting with friends.
especially when they make it difficult to move on.

i would rather remove myself from the situation than add to any tension.

and apparently, that is the problem.

...i'll work on it. my fault. as always.

walking the line.

since i don't have Internet at home (why pay for what you get at work for free?) i couldn't post about this news when i got home from feeding 96 people at a winter wedding.

today was an intense day as well. we had our regular Sunday brunch. that's enough to make for a busy day. but we also had, simultaneously, a Christmas party for 130 which was a brunch of a totally different menu. last night they informed us that it was probably closer to 180. less than 4 hours to prepare food for an extra 50 ppl was a lot of work. but here's the clincher, 237 ppl showed up to this function. needless to say today was a very stressful day. so stressful (but trust me, the good productive kid of stress) that i almost forgot about my impending promotion.
that's right, I'm getting a promotion less than one month into this job. '

I'll be moving onto the line a helluva lot quicker than i ever thought. I'll be working the breakfast shift 2 days a week. not a huge deal, but its really significant for me. more money, more recipes in my arsenal, more responsibility. cooking on personal level for a lot more people than doing banquets. one banquet, i may cook for 100 people, but its very impersonal than plate by plate feeding individuals. i expected to be on the line by February. was told i would be, instead, I'm on the line by December.

so lets all raise a glass (or mouse) to following your passions, moving up, and getting the recognition we all deserve!

rainy days make me smile.

2 things happened today.
(more, actually, but 2 worth mentioning)

1. I had my first run-in with a coffee snob. They left the cafe with not only thir nose in the air, but muttering that "...its not even worth it..."
My manager was right there. Laughing. "Coffeesnobs are the worst kind." she says. "Congratulations on your first."

2. I am the proud new owner of an awesome mohawk. Not a literal spiked 80s mohawk, but a textured, graduated and clean looking one. A mohawk fit for an office. No lies. And unfortunately no pictures of it... yet.

in the words of the immortal Usher Raymond,
Peace out. A-town down.

I'm the Hip-Hop-appotemus, and my lyrics are bottomless...

Things are slowly getting back on track. Nothing bad has happened to derail what i was doing, but time seemed to be harder to manage than usual.
Going from having more free time than I knew what to do with straight into a full and part-time job involved me losing the patience and time to do the things i wanted to.
Work is busy. Work is consuming. Work is also amazing. I can't quite imagine how I managed to drudge through 7 years of employment and not realize that things were not just better elsewhere, but that I deserved them. I've never been so tired, and so happy.

Now that that's straight, I feel like I should share that, 2 week into the hotel job, I got a gold star. Nothing major, but its already more recognition than I've gotten at any other job I've had, and although the cafe had some drama over the last week, I did my first alone shift, and handled fine, and had not only a couple of nice comments from the manager and owner, but hugs from both. This is what I can only hope for, for everyone out there. Not just the recognition of accomplishments, but honest and sincere appreciation for them.

Also... Wednesday I'm geting my hair cut. This is big news, and cause for a better mood. It's no secret that I'm vain. I consider it to be a virtue. I take pride in my appearance, I ejoy the compliments I recieve, but do not limit myself to them. I do better work when I feel better about myself. I'm not above the use of product, and do not limit myself to that for hair. I you know me, you know what I mean here. So suffice it to say, I am excited at the prospect of taming the burgeoning jew-fro on my head. I think a physical change would be suiting.

And on a final note... if you are not aware of "flight of the conchords" you need to be. I was aware, but ignorant until i rented it a few days ago, too tired to go out and too caffeinated to sleep. This is some of the most therepeutic and rewarding laughter I have had in a long time.

you have no idea

I'm still alive.
But oh so tired...

not what you would expect

...cold november rain...

the steady rain washes the grit from my doorstep. a steady flow sluices to the grate a few feet away. a cleansing rain. it's cold outside and the light is quickly fading from the grey sky. in the shallow entry way of my building, i am protected from the wind and rain, but nonetheless am compelled to move from its secluded brick and tile into the open swell of the sidewalk.
the rain is cold. and it soaks me to the skin in a matter of moments. my t-shirt clings to me like a scared child, and i shiver at its touch. soon my hair has fallen into my eyes, torrents of rainwater mixed with american crew sting my eyes which hold fixed on the open sky.
the situation is elevating past my threshold and with the wind striking my back and face as would a whip, i hold onto this spot. this insignificant piece of concrete just moments from home, but miles from what is comfortable. i am waiting.
and as i wait something changes. man is forver afraid of what lies just outside his door. known and unknown, the world is full of random and complicating factors. so man has tried to make familiar that which unnerves him, and soon, in the rain and wind i am awash in the yellow amber glow of a streetlight.
they all come on in series. lighting a path home for many, but from this vantage, only lighting the way further away from what i know.
slowly. deliberately. i take a step to my left...

I've been waiting months for this...

Toasting and Roasting

Today was my first shift at Dreams of Beans... I spent the morning baking.
Making all sorts of coffee. Lattes, Cappuccino's, Espresso and such.
These are all good things.

Muffins, Bagels, Cookies, and tarts. Croissants, Bourakkas and Biscotti.

This is a lazy Sunday made chaotic. Filled with every one's rituals and routines, watching them as they first wake up and greet the weekend. The day of rest and the smells and sights of my labour.
These are the reasons I love what I do, to be a part of these peoples lives in this important minutiae. To influence their day without drawing attention to myself or to the fact that this simple indulgence is the result of early mornings and hard work. We've all earned out Sunday mornings and the right to spend them in a blissful ignorance and a sensational awakening.

Rhapsody

You should live life live.

Live music has a pull, a sway, and a hold on me.

Last night I went to a "Cuff the Duke" show at a local club, The Trasheteria.

I can't totally describe how much live music means to me, but it has something to to with all of the vibrations in the air and the aural melodies that seem to swirl around my head in a synesthesiac cacophony of, of, (this is where I peter out from excitement,) well... goodness. Two amazing bands opened the show for them, "The Unionist Ministers" and "The Country Boys". I just stood in the crowd, my friends lost somewhere behind me, and I swayed. I bounced. I threw my hands in the air and screamed. The state of bliss that music can put you in is on par with any other adrenaline or narcotic experience possible. You just have to open yourself to it.

Music is meant to be heard played by musicians. No level of stereo equipment is equal. It may sound scientifically equal, but it is not. You need the music played over the din. The crush of bodies coming together for a singular enjoyment, and solitary bond. See shows live, support local music. It's been 12 hours and I still haven't come down from the high.

Amalthea, the Last Unicorn...

OK, I know it's been a while, but It has been really busy. I've been working a tonne and so I spent yesterday relaxing and hanging out with my friends, which was nice. As you also know, Halloween was yesterday, and this year, my costume, though not as elaborate as last year's "Flying Spaghetti Monster" was totally unique. I was "The Last Unicorn". I took a child's costume and had to get my mom to insert panels in the sides so it would fit me but it was totally worth it. And as proof that I was the true last unicorn... not another unicorn existed in all of the downtown, or any of the 4 parties I hit up from Saturday to Wednesday...

So that is the gist of what occupied me, other than the constant functions and banquets going on at the hotel. I am so busy, working 9 hour shifts without breaks (by choice, no one forces me to keep working). But I have managed to get to the gym a lot more regularly now that it's located right where I work. Even with the constant tasting and snacking that go along with working in a professional kitchen, I've managed to drop 5lbs. Go Team High school Pants!

In other news, well, I've redecorated my apartment (as much as you can with a 350sq foot bachelor) and it looks a lot bigger and a lot nicer. Thanks go to my friend Iris for some furniture and the inspiration to get rid of a lot of my unnecessary things. Maybe one day I'll be able to get rid of some of my clothes too. That would free up a tonne of space...