Brilliant

I was brilliant in a conversation I had yesterday. Because it is a confidential matter, I can't give any details, but trust me when I say I was, indeed, brilliant.

My days of being brilliant are BACK!

You may (or may not) remember when I mentioned a few months back that I had lost something...well, now "IT" is back! It's back in full force, in full swing, and I feel like I did a few years ago when my store was #2 in the company. I feel that the conversations I have with people are more meaningful, I am able to better support people, and we will be better able to achieve all our goals at work this year.

I don't know if it's passion, insanity, or an unending caffeine high, but IT IS BACK!

It's been coming back over the last couple of months, and it's great. It is intangible, but it is there. Nothing will stop me. I'm going to have a great year, at least at work, and I feel powerful and enlightened and energized and all things strong and good and positive.

People will look at me and my store and say, "Wow, they're brilliant!", and they will be correct. Yes, they will be correct.

Yo Momma

I told a crazy lady she had to leave today. She was talking to herself, then raising her voice to my customers and accusing them of strange things. I told her she needed to leave the store, then I escorted her down the stairs and to the front of the store where I told her she was not allowed back in, and that I would call the police and have a 'No Tresspass' issued if she ever returned.

She had just set foot outside the front doors, and I was beginning to close them when she shouted, "Fuck You, Bitch!." and "Yo Momma, too!" I had a few customers turn to stare, startled from their periodical-browsing reverie.

I thought she put forth good effort in making a scene, but she should have stopped after the bitch part. Adding Yo Momma just made it ridiculous.

It had been a month or so since I'd been yelled at and named called, so I was due.

What's the worst thing you've ever been called, either at work or somewhere else?

Wicked at Fair Park in Dallas

The performances were top notch. I loved the sets and the costumes. But...and I really hate to have a but...there was something wrong with the sound. Granted, I was in 3rd balcony, section QQ, Row M, Seat 11, a fair distance from the stage, but the levels or balance were off, or something. Sometimes the music was too loud and I couldn't hear the performers, sometimes the sound effects were too loud and drowned out everything. It could have been where I was sitting, but I don't think so.

As I was walking back to my car after the show, I heard a man telling his date that he had trouble hearing everything and understanding the words as well. Fortunately, I know all the songs extreeeeemely well, so I don't feel I missed out on any plot points or important lyrics, but it was frustrating. I wonder if anyone else felt the same.

Day Off

It's been two weeks since I've had a day off, and I've been working hard all day at my 'life' stuff in order to catch up.

Thankfully, Gracie let me sleep in today, after a short time up early this morning to feed her and the fish. Then I went back to sleep and slept until noon. I apparently was very tired.

My first stop today was to visit a new home community in south Dallas to see if I like the builder, the homes, and the neighborhood. I am feeling increased pressure (brought about purely by myself) to own a home. The quality homes in this neighborhood are upwards of $250,000. Fifteen miles south of here, they are half that. I like the location of the community, the floorplans, and got a general good feeling as I was driving around, looking at one of the model homes, and talking with the representative. We'll see how it all turns out. I've requested more information and will contact their in-house mortgage company next week.

I also went to the grocery store, did laundry (still doing it), and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. I'm feeling rather good that I was so productive today.
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Tomorrow I see Wicked, the Musical. I listened to the CD during my drive to and from Michigan, so I am completely familiar with all the songs. I've found this makes me enjoy a performance a lot more than just walking in to see a show cold.

I am trying to remember all the musicals I've seen live:

Peter Pan
Gypsy
Les Miserables
Jesus Christ Superstar
Phantom of the Opera
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Bring in da Noise, Brink in da Funk
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Guys and Dolls
Fiddler on the Roof
Ragtime
Aida
Miss Saigon
Tick Tick Boom
The Secret Garden
Kiss Me Kate
Bye Bye Birdie
and if you want to count:
Dralion
O
Corteo
and another Cirque du Soleil show I saw in Cleveland and can't remember the name of...

I have countless more on CD and DVD.
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I still haven't had the opportunity to celebrate my birthday in any way. I've either been working or out of town or both. We'll do a family birthday party this coming Sunday, and perhaps I can catch up with my friends in a week or two. Oh well.
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Does anyone have an opinion on front-entry versus rear-entry homes? I grew up in a house with the garage on the front, so that seems perfectly normal to me, plus it gives a person a bigger backyard. But I also like how the front of the house and the yard looks with a rear-entry home. It's cleaner looking and has more opportunity for front landscaping. I don't know if I would spend a lot of time in the front yard, though, as I prefer to be solitary when at home. Perhaps I would like a bigger tiny backyard to garden and play in rather than a tinier tiny backyard. Any thoughts?

Seriously, I am open to all advice regarding home building, buying, caretaking, etc.

Load me up with comments.

On the Road Again...

I leave Monday morning for yet another work conference. I'll be driving to Michigan and will return sometime before dawn on Saturday.

Tuesday is my birthday. Wish me Happy Birthday, please.

In other news: it snowed here yesterday. It actually snowed in Dallas in April. I don't remember that ever happening. Of course, it didn't stick, but still it snowed. It's freezing again here today...literally temps below freezing at night and in the low 40s during the day. Very odd.

Everyone take care and have a good week. Watch Stargate on Friday for me. I'll be on the road and will miss it.

Ft. Worth Botanical Garden Pictures

These pictures were taken outside the Japanese Garden, in the larger area that is comprised of variously named gardens. The formal rose garden was not yet in full bloom, but it shows great promise. Mothers and Fathers were busy taking pictures of their little girls and boys in their Easter finest sitting in the butterfly chair (4th picture below).

Japanese Garden

Today I once again visited the Japanese Garden located inside the Botanical Gardens in Ft. Worth, TX. The past couple of days have been perfection personified with regards to weather, and I felt obligated as a member of the human race to take advantage of this fine Spring season on my day off. I took along my trusty Nikon Coolpix 4600 and snapped some pics while there. This garden is one of my favorite places. If you're ever in the DFW area, be sure to visit. And now on to the pictures.

One last note...my favorite picture is of a tiny green lizard (I think it is 3rd from the bottom) as he perches in a green bush. He was sunning himself on a stone ornament of some kind but allowed me to get in quite close after he jumped to the bush.

Updated Cafe Pictures

I took these earlier this week.

Stanley Hotel Pictures

These are for the folks at Mallozzi's blog who have mentioned the Stanley Hotel. I took these pictures about 3 weeks ago while in Colorado.

My Fishies at Work

I took these pictures a couple of days ago. There are 3 fishies, a pleco, and a glass goldfish. The pleco is not visible. Salieri is the orange and white fishie with the semi-plaiin tail. Tchaikovsky is the black moor fish, and Rimsky-Korsakov is the orange and white fancy-tailed fish. So cute.

Did I tell you the lighting guys did not show up Monday at 5am? I was just a tad bit LIVID. However, the semi trailer with all my cafe signage, equipment, counters, cabinets, etc. arrived about 6am, so it's just as well that I was there. I was able to get a lot of merchandising done downstairs in the FOS before opening because of that.

I took more pics of the cafe, and will post those tomorrow. It's really coming along nicely.

I think that's all for now.

My New Cafe

The first couple of pics are how the cafe used to look. Very cute. The next is a series of demolition shots. I forgot to take my camera to work today, so I'll try to post new pics tomorrow.