Back when I was a freshman in college, there was this boy I had a crush on. I'd never met him, only seen him from afar, but really liked the looks of his dreadlocks (you can stop laughing now).
One day I actually made it to my 9 am Friday class and was surprised to learn that he also had a class that let out the same time. I figured this out when I passed him on my way to the second class. Quickly, I made a plan.
The next Friday my goal was to seduce him from afar. I put on my favorite hat, my favorite shirt, my favorite shorts (including wallet chain), favorite socks, and my low-top converse. I was so proud of myself.
Halfway through my first class I looked down and actually took stock of my outfit: it was hideous. My "favorites" didn't match at all. In fact, my apricot bowling shirt totally clashed with my orange Halloween socks, and the big, baggy shorts and the green converse just made the whole thing look like a clown's outfit. I ran back to the dorms in shame, hoping he wouldn't see me.
Even though I and my wardrobe have grown since then, there are still some days, like today, where I look in the mirror and ask myself, "Wtf are you thinking?"
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Vegas, I'm Over You.
Seriously.
This past week I spent almost 6 days in Las Vegas. After Day 2, I was over the town. Don't get me wrong, I had a good time. I traveled with good people, Paco Collars did some good business, and we made lots of important connections. But the things that make Las Vegas so charming in a 24 hour window suddenly became huge inconveniences when spread out over several days.
For instance, it's impossible to get a healthy meal in Vegas. Dare you to try. If you're remotely sick then you'll never overcome it being stuck in recirculated air that's constantly filled with cigarette smoke. You have no choice than to be stuck in air-conditioned, smoke-filled hell as the temperature outside it 107 degrees (oh wait, it was a cool spell when we got there so it only hovered around 98-100 the whole time). You stay up way too late due to unnatural lighting and you wake up way too early from the heat. It's hard to stick to a budget since everything costs an arm and a leg (and the cheap deals will probably get you in doctor's bills down the road). The 10+ hour car ride either way does not help the pain.
The way I see it, I've done Vegas right. I've eaten my share of buffets, gambled the night away, been to a strip club, gotten my blood alcohol level probably up into the double digits, nearly gotten married, seen mud wrestling and bikini bull riding, consumed mushrooms and then played nickel slots all night, celebrated the turning of the New Year... twice...
I've pretty much done it all so, you know what? I'm done. I'm done with Vegas and I don't really see a need to go back (until next year... shudder!)
But to prove we actually had fun, here are the pics:
This past week I spent almost 6 days in Las Vegas. After Day 2, I was over the town. Don't get me wrong, I had a good time. I traveled with good people, Paco Collars did some good business, and we made lots of important connections. But the things that make Las Vegas so charming in a 24 hour window suddenly became huge inconveniences when spread out over several days.
For instance, it's impossible to get a healthy meal in Vegas. Dare you to try. If you're remotely sick then you'll never overcome it being stuck in recirculated air that's constantly filled with cigarette smoke. You have no choice than to be stuck in air-conditioned, smoke-filled hell as the temperature outside it 107 degrees (oh wait, it was a cool spell when we got there so it only hovered around 98-100 the whole time). You stay up way too late due to unnatural lighting and you wake up way too early from the heat. It's hard to stick to a budget since everything costs an arm and a leg (and the cheap deals will probably get you in doctor's bills down the road). The 10+ hour car ride either way does not help the pain.
The way I see it, I've done Vegas right. I've eaten my share of buffets, gambled the night away, been to a strip club, gotten my blood alcohol level probably up into the double digits, nearly gotten married, seen mud wrestling and bikini bull riding, consumed mushrooms and then played nickel slots all night, celebrated the turning of the New Year... twice...
I've pretty much done it all so, you know what? I'm done. I'm done with Vegas and I don't really see a need to go back (until next year... shudder!)
But to prove we actually had fun, here are the pics:
Winner, winner, winner!
(the ticket proving I was up to $14.80 after gambling only $10... and after I lent $5 to Dang)
epic entrance
slammed I am
reluctant cuddler
um...
daybreak after a night of gambling
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Work talk
A long time ago I promised I wouldn't talk about work. Well, I lied...
I am so freaking busy right now it's stupid. We're gearing up to go to SuperZoo which will be our largest sales endeavor to date. In the world of large companies, mass production, and slick displays we're the underdog with our homegrown DIY mentality. Despite the fact I was pulling work days that lasted until midnight last week, it was just today that the enormity of the task in front of us hit home.
About 11:30 am the work phone rings. It's a woman who remembers us from the Costa Mesa show and she wants to know if we'll be on the SuperZoo TV segment to be played on local television (with little Xdog, of course). Of course I agree, despite the fact this means I'll have to look presentable at 4:30 Wednesday morning (we'll be on with Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog).
We finally get around to reading the rules for the thing (we like to fly by the seat of our pants) and find out that we have to ship our entire booth down in advance and have it set up by the union. Not wanting to piss off the Las Vegas mafia but also well aware we're capable of carrying all of it in ourselves, Paul makes some calls and finds out we're exempt so long as we use the main entrance and not the loading dock. Crisis averted.
We spent the entire day cutting and training two new production-pinch-hitters so that we'll simply have enough product to show at the event. I'm scheduled to work insane hours until we leave, my day off being Saturday. And my day off I'll be spending in Aaron's shop making us new signage. All the while e-mails are pouring in at an astounding rate since we're having a sale to fund the gas money to get down there.
Don't get me wrong, I love this, I thrive on it. Minus the "OMG, I don't have one single decent pair of shoes to wear" freak-out I had yesterday this has been a relatively stress-free process, and the folks going are exactly who I'd want to hang out with in Vegas (bwahahaha!).
All the cards are lined up just right...
I am so freaking busy right now it's stupid. We're gearing up to go to SuperZoo which will be our largest sales endeavor to date. In the world of large companies, mass production, and slick displays we're the underdog with our homegrown DIY mentality. Despite the fact I was pulling work days that lasted until midnight last week, it was just today that the enormity of the task in front of us hit home.
About 11:30 am the work phone rings. It's a woman who remembers us from the Costa Mesa show and she wants to know if we'll be on the SuperZoo TV segment to be played on local television (with little Xdog, of course). Of course I agree, despite the fact this means I'll have to look presentable at 4:30 Wednesday morning (we'll be on with Tillman, the skateboarding bulldog).
We finally get around to reading the rules for the thing (we like to fly by the seat of our pants) and find out that we have to ship our entire booth down in advance and have it set up by the union. Not wanting to piss off the Las Vegas mafia but also well aware we're capable of carrying all of it in ourselves, Paul makes some calls and finds out we're exempt so long as we use the main entrance and not the loading dock. Crisis averted.
We spent the entire day cutting and training two new production-pinch-hitters so that we'll simply have enough product to show at the event. I'm scheduled to work insane hours until we leave, my day off being Saturday. And my day off I'll be spending in Aaron's shop making us new signage. All the while e-mails are pouring in at an astounding rate since we're having a sale to fund the gas money to get down there.
Don't get me wrong, I love this, I thrive on it. Minus the "OMG, I don't have one single decent pair of shoes to wear" freak-out I had yesterday this has been a relatively stress-free process, and the folks going are exactly who I'd want to hang out with in Vegas (bwahahaha!).
All the cards are lined up just right...
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