It's been a while...better late than never!!

It's been a while...better late than never!!

I'm not sure when the last time I posted was but I know it's been a really long time.  I've done so much since then but I'll try to keep it short…no promises!!  I have finished the dresser (with a lot of help from my dad), but not the mirror... I know I know, it should be finished!!  Well, I took a little break from the re-finishing project because...I'm not really sure why...and then I started working.  Not a big deal, right?  It is when you fill out applications at more than one place and then they all call you at the same time!!!  So I've been going a little crazy since the end of June beginning of July.  No big deal :)

My friend Jenna, Kara, and myself...this is at Kara's engagement party...I'm a bridesmaid!!

I know you've heard Coy or myself mention our friends Tori and Mike... If not, here is a short description of who they are... We met them in Del Rio, Mike was one class ahead of Coy, Tori and I are friends, Mike is also in the sandbox doing the same thing Coy is doing, and all of us are going to Dover AFB (eventually!)...except Mike will fly the C17 & Coy will fly the C5.  So that's Tori and Mike.  While the guys were training in MS, Tori and I were discussing plans to go on a little vacation while the boys were having fun in the sandbox.  Unfortunately things didn't work out and Tori and I didn't go anywhere.  No big deal...except I REALLY wanted to go to the beach or something.  My friend Courtney brought up the idea of going on a cruise...I said hell yea!!  So we started planning.  That's when the craziness started!!  She got her passport and researched everything for us and we booked it.  I had a passport, or so I thought...  I forgot I still had my maiden name on my passport because when Coy and I honeymooned my name wasn't changed yet.  So I called the passport people to see what I had to do.  Well I had to get a new passport because it had been over 2 years since my name change.  Ridiculous.  Oh, and I had to expedite it.  So if you can imagine the price of a passport plus the fees for expediting it and the shipping for expediting...that's how much it was.  And this was around the same time my car was in the shop for the headlight and door lock issues...I know Coy talked about that in a previous post.  So at this point I'm really stressed because I wasn't working, my car was expensive, my passport wasn't cheap, and I still needed to pay for the cruise.  So I told Coy I was going to cancel with Courtney.  There was just so much going on and I felt horrible spending all kinds of money on me when it wasn't necessary.  But Coy told me to go...I'd be away having fun for a little while, and it would make some of the time go by faster... He's the best husband ever!!  So we went... But I'll talk about that after I tell you about my jobs before we cruised…

I really wanted something to keep me bust Monday through Friday during the day, full/part time.  I've looked at so many jobs on nola.com and I've applied for quite a few as well.  I don't understand the application process because I had to upload my resume to nola.com... and most of the company information is confidential (for the jobs I was interested in)...so I had no clue what company I was applying for.  Then there's no contact information for the company.  I haven't been called back for any of those positions...standard.  There was one place I did apply for with all the information provided so I went there in person to apply...it was a veterinarian assistant position at a vet clinic...if you know me, you're saying perfect!!  I thought I did great in the interview and I was really excited for the job.  In the interview, I told the guy I loved animals...and he asked me what about people?!  Haha, he said you can love animals but you also have to deal with people sometimes...  I said, I have this covered...have you seen my resume?!  What kind of people are we talking about...?  I've worked in both professional and non-professional environments...retail, volunteered, bartended, substituted, interviewed, etc. So I have experience with older people, younger people, nice people, rude people, under age people, drunk people, liars, children (some Spanish speaking!), perverted people, homeless people, etc.  Those weren't my exact words...I told him I get along with EVERYONE!  And I'm sure the people he was referring to were westbankers.... and I definitely know how to handle them!  Well I didn't hear back from him...until 3 weeks later!!!

Prior to that application, I put apps in at a few bars in Metairie and one Uptown.  My old daiquiris shop called me back and put me on a bunch of shifts right away.  This was after my interview with the vet.  So now I'm making money, tips at that, and the vet calls me back...finally.  He offered me the job and I didn't take it.  It was 6 days a week, $10/hr.  If I didn’t have the bar tending job I would've accepted it, but working part time, getting paid hourly + tips seemed like the way to go at the time.  I was able to save up all my spending money for the cruise!! 

I go way back with daiquiris... I started working there when I was 18 or 19.  I worked there for 3 years... In Bucktown, which is a rough crowd.  But I love em down there!!  It was always me and a bunch of dudes...shrimpers, construction workers, etc.  They’re hard workers and big tippers with big hearts.  They don't have much, but they'd give you the shirt off their back if you needed it.  Every now and then a few would get out of control, but I just learned how to deal with them.  I think that's where I got my backbone.  I was young with a squeaky voice...if I had to kick someone out they laughed at me...in the beginning.  So, I learned how to yell and point to the door and threaten when needed :). I left Bucktown after Katrina because it just wasn't a good area.  So, now I'm back there for the time being.  At first I was thrown all over the schedule just anywhere...and now I have set days. And I've been called to work other employees' shifts, so I've been working a lot lately.  And not just in Bucktown...I have shifts at all 3 locations! 

I also started working at a bar Uptown.  They put me on whenever. I worked once before the cruise and now I'm on the schedule the next couple weekends.  I really like this place...it's non-smoking, you work with other people, and the clientele are really cool...it's a more upadee (is that a word?) place.  I still get nervous here because it's been a couple years since I've bartended at a “real” bar... at daiquiris, I don't have to make all kinds of fancy drinks...  I did when I worked at Jiggers, but that was a long time ago... Daiquiris is a real bar also…it’s just a different bar… if that makes any sense.  So far I’ve been pretty good at the new bar…I’m sure if I forget a drink I can ask someone! 

I cooked shrimp etouffee this week...it was yummy!

I've also been trying to work at one more place in Metairie.  Four regulars who would come to daiquiris on my Sunday or Monday night shifts for football games back in the day own it.  It's also non-smoking and has great clientele and you work with another bartender.  I just haven't really had a chance to train here yet.  I went once but I was really sick so I didn't stay long.  There's not much to learn... I was told I don't really need to know how to bartend, I just need to learn the computers.  And yes, the computers are different at every place!!...Prices are also different, so are alot of the liquors that each place carries!!!  I've been so stressed trying to juggle all three places because I haven't had the chance to go to this place again...I'm trying to fit it in this week...we'll see!! 

I know all this sounds crazy.  I am basically a floater the two other bars.  I'd love to not work at daiquiris for a number of reasons and just work at the other two places.  However, I'm not sure how often I'll be put on the schedule at the the other places, so I have to stick with Daiquiris for now and just be stressed with all three for the time being…I just wish I’d be put on week days at daiquiris which is the total opposite of what most people would want.  I’ve done the weekend thing for years…and for now, I need to keep busy when no one is here which is Monday-Friday in the daytime.  I have things happening on the weekends and weeknights.  So hopefully my schedule will change one day!  I’ve missed out on family stuff while in TX and I’ll eventually be missing out on things in the future when we’re in DE, so I’d like to not miss anything while I’m here for these next few months… guess we’ll see.   

I haven’t talked to Coy too much often, and that upsets me.  We’re on totally different schedules and we keep missing each other.  And I don’t have the type of job where I can just talk to him because when I’m bartending I’m by myself so I can’t just walk away for a minute.  There are times when I’m not busy and could talk, but those are the times Coy isn’t available.  I like keeping busy and working, but I don’t like not being able to talk to Coy when he calls.  I know he understands, but it sucks.

So now, the cruise...

I went on the cruise with my friend Courtney.  We used to dance on VooDoo together.  We had a really good time cruising and boozing!!!  Much needed fun :). The only thing that sucked is that she's single and I'm married.  It’s not that big of a deal, but dudes travel in pairs (just like we traveled together)...so, whenever one would talk to her I'd have to entertain the friend the whole time!!  Pretty funny, especially because I would talk about Coy to any dude I was stuck talking to!  I mean, if I was asked about me and what I do, Coy would automatically come up!!  I couldn't help it!  But I was totally ok with it :). I can talk about Coy and what he does all day long...to anyone :) Courtney also kept a close eye on me :). Anytime a guy was aggravating me or too close...she would yell "SHE'S MARRIED!" Haha!!!  She is awesome!!  I remember being in Las Vegas a long time ago with her and some dude coming to dance with me and she got between us and told him I had a boyfriend…I love her!! 

Friends we met on the cruise...

I don't know how to be mean...well I do know how I'm just not mean right away.  I feel like if a guy is talking to me it's ok...and me being married always comes up, nothing wrong with conversation...I'm used to it from bartending.  And sometimes guys will come up to you while dancing...it's what they do...they're called creepers.  That's where things get a little strange!  Like I can be on the dance floor with Courtney and all of a sudden some creeper comes up behind me!!  I don't even look back...me and Courtney would grab hands and just dance right off the dance floor!  Guys just have a funny way of dancing and I don't want to be that close with any of them! I really missed my hubby on the dance floor!  I love dancing, especially with Coy.  Every so often Courtney would come dance with me... She's a sweater so she didn't care to bust a move on the dance floor too often!  But trust me, I didn't need her with me to cut the rug...I was totally fine dancing solo!  There were a few times when some creepers would come by me to dance...all was fine, I can handle myself...but you know my wing (wo)man was not far behind...soon they'd hear "SHE'S MARRIED", and they'd back off or I'd just leave the dance floor. 

We went to Progresso and Cozumel in Mexico.  We didn't get off the boat in Progresso, but we did venture out in Cozumel.  I think we spent most of our time in cabs, but it was fun.  We met some friends at a bar when we first got on the ship in NOLA so we had planned to go to Carlos and Charlie’s with them...but there are two Carlos and Charlie’s!!  So we went to one and they weren't there...so we walked into some shops, ate at a Mexican restaurant where we saw some iguanas just chilling, and then went to senior frogs for a drink.  After we learned there were two Carlos and Charlie’s, we took a cab to the other one...and that's where our friends were. It started pouring raining while we were there!!  We did the whole dance around and take shots, and then we took a cab back to the boat.  It was a fun and confusing time in Cozumel!!  I have no sense of direction and neither does Courtney...put us together and we don't get anywhere! Haha!!  Can you guess how many times we got lost on the ship?!  We lost count, so I don't have the right answer!!  I did fall asleep in the sun the last day at sea, so I was hurting for like two days when I got home.  I was also so tired when I got home because we really didn't sleep much...we'd stay up so late at night...just clubbing and people watching and eating pizza at three in the morning!!  Then we'd get a knock on the door at 8 or 9 for breakfast... Courtney is a morning person and we all know I'm not!  So I was very tired when I came home and had to get back into work mode because I've been non stop ever since.  I'm glad we cruised together...we definitely had fun and we keep laughing at ourselves when we tell and re-live stories from the cruise! 

Dallas with her souvenir

Two weeks ago a couple friends of Coy and I drove through Louisiana and I met them for lunch.  Their names are Kristen and Jesse...they used to live behind us in Del Rio.  They are really cool people!!  I miss them.  We used to drink beer and BBQ on the weekends with them.  They doggy sat Dallas for us a few times.  They're moving to Japan!!!  I'm so excited for them!!  Hopefully one day Coy and I can go visit them!!  How cool would that be?!  And they can come to Delaware...we can show them Amish people!!  Haha!  Jesse wanted to eat a muffaletta and I don't like those so I had no clue where to go...we ended up going to World Deli (recommended by my friend Tia)...and we ran into Uncle Jack there!!  Our sandwiches were delicious!!  Thanks Kristen and Jesse for calling and lunch and being good friends!! 

Kristen, Jesse, and me

This past week, I went to lunch with an old friend, Nicole.  I went to grammar school and high school with her.  We haven't seen each other or talked in years!  It was so good catching up!!  It's so sad how people become so busy and lose touch...we're going to try to stay in touch from now on!!! 

Well, I think I've rambled enough.  I'm sorry it's so long...but I guess it has been a long time!!  I don't blog often; maybe I should start adding to Coy's posts every now and then...?  Thanks for reading!!  Till next time....WHO DAT!!

P.S. Here are some pics from my 10 year reunion...I didn't talk about it because I forgot...yep, its been 10 years!!!