A Happy Halloween Post

Well, it's been an exciting week. I've been working 12-13 hour days juggling my jobs, and this weekend I was well-rewarded with good company and Voodoo tickets from Edmund at Amelie G.

I wanted to be productive this morning/today, but it seems like we'll be leaving for Voodoo again in about an hour so I don't know how much I'll actually accomplish, BUT Drew is coming over/spending the night tonight so we'll be working on NANOWRMO (National Novel Writing Month) so hopefully this is the start to a wonderful month of productivity and creativity.

I also have quite a few deadlines approaching for my freelance career, and only being scheduled one o/c shift and babysitting on morning this week will probably be an advantage as I sort through the transcription, research and interviewing and writing.

-finish cover shoot piece

-interview/photograph men's boutiques for shopping features

-interview for profile piece

-eat at ________________ for restaurant review (a surprise)

And, surprisingly, I believe that's all. Definitely manageable.

Friday was a lot of fun because I got to go with Jes, Mia and Neill to Voodoo Fest in City Park. It was my first time going because I've never been able to justifyingly afford the tickets. But, Amelie G surprised me Thursday night with two all-weekend passes to the Halloween weekend annual music extravaganza. We saw Metric, Weezer and Muse! And, if you don't know, I've been loving Muse since I was in high school, I believe. They really were amazing (and the former two were wonderful as well), but I was slightly disappointed at their abrupt end to their show, twenty minutes before schedule according to the program. Anyhow, at least I got to see them. Their technology (lights and instruments) were incredible, Matthew Bellamy has the voice of an angel (I'll say it again), and the three as a whole are so cohesive and electrifying. Probably the best live show I've seen (closely followed by Bond and Imogen Heap). Weezer was another off the radar act, but this was heavily because of the lead singer's stage (or offstage) personality. He was climbing the sound stage and porto potty towards the back of the audience, and because he slowly made his way there, we had already moved to the other stage to camp out a few minutes early for Muse. But, we could hear Weezer at a slight distance and they were also broadcast on the screen on the stage in front of which we were standing so we got it from different perspective. Weezer did a cover of "Poker Face" (where he wore a blonde wing and danced) and MGMT's "Kids." All in all, I was impressed by the three groups I saw (and I much prefer Metric in person then recorded).

Yesterday...

Long Hair on Middle-Aged Women

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/fashion/24Mirror.html?_r=1&ref=fashion

I must say this is something I'm not looking forward to. I love short hair so much on me right now that I think eventually, I'll want to have the luscious long locks spoke of in this article (I won't even think about greys yet though!). Will it be too late by then? Or, will I defy American conformity regarding long hair for the middle-aged? How does this apply to men, too? And, will hair style change in the next 25-35 years? I remember my mom having very long hair when I was a very young child, but then sometime after my sister was born, she cut it. Oh, what beautiful black hair she had though! Now, she's worn it less than shoulder length for probably a decade. Hmm, hair really is a way to express yourself. I do it, minus the coloring. I don't go for too edgy or trendy though I admire those who are gutsy or fashion forward enough to do so. Sometimes, I put very little effort (time and money...), but this is to my dismay in retrospect. So what does your hair say about you?

New post to come.

Fleur de Tease

Tonight I went to my first ever burlesque show. It was rather spontaneous as around 9:43ish, I was doing some research on the woman I'm interviewing tomorrow for an Amelie G piece, and I noticed her troop went on at 10 at One Eyed Jack's. So after contemplating a few minutes and throwing on some clothes, I drove the three-minute drive, found parking, waited in a line and then stood up a good 20 minutes until the show began. Jesse didn't want to come, and I can't blame him since I decided to go less than 10 minutes before. But, then again, burlesque isn't really his thing either.

I'm tried, and I have lots to do tomorrow. But, I'll share more about the show and the woman I'm interviewing, Trixie Minx. I'm still processing it all, I guess. The show, I mean. It wasn't what I expected, but I don't know much I liked it and how much I didn't yet. I told Jes when I walked in a few minutes ago that I guess I thought it would be more classic. And, he questioned, like Moulin Rouge? And, that's not it, but I can't put my finger on it. I left early too so though I think I saw at least one act of each of the members, I missed the finale with the ensemble of characters. I'd give it another chance, but I don't think it would be something I regularly go to. I didn't feel gross as if I was in a strip club, but I did feel a little awkward by myself. And, this show was their Halloween one so probably the irreverence isn't always as gorey. Like I said, I'll get back to it once I've had time to make a solid opinion.

But, boy, would this have been a good place to write an ethnography on! Oh, and even though it may have been irresponsible and unpredictable, it felt kind of good to ignore my inhibitions. If that makes sense.

Oh, did I show you my website?

http://angelabernadette.wordpress.com/

Drew did it for me!

Excuses, excuses

I'm so overdue for a blog entry, and a lot's been happening. I get my new macbook pro tomorrow so I'll my own computer at hand most of the time so I'll be more likely and motivated to blog, I think. You know, instead of using Jes' macbook (which he has to take to work and school most of the time) or trying to type from our loveseat to his 40' tv which serves as the monitor to his desktop. Don't get me wrong, he has a great wireless keyboard and mouse. I just can't see the small print from afar. And, I don't like the scrolling zoom options. Anyway.

Update on life ongoings. Because I'm rarely scheduled at Anthro, I've decided to take a part-time nannying position for Jes' boss. 2 kids, one of which I've babysat before. I will pick them up from school, so I'll be using Mia's car and spending a few hours with them during the week until their parents get home. I'm looking forward to this. It'll be kind of a change for me though because I haven't picked anyone up from school since Mia was in middle school. Yay trips to St. Louis King of France with Neill and Kayla (and sometimes Yuka?). Stops at the fried chicken place across the street from her school where creepy Vietnamese guys hit on us. Stops at the bubble tea cafe. And, Fashion India for samosas and mango, lychee and guava juice!

I am going to keep on the schedule at Anthro since it doesn't interfere with my other life. However, I will continue to babysit as much as I can, and I'm hoping to schedule 3 classes next semester at UNO. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I want to write a thesis for my Master's. Besides looking good and bringing my overall grad school course load to 30 hours (instead of 33), it'll give me an excuse to research something and challenge my writing ability. Ah, academia!

Hmm, Jes and I have been living the good life, or our version of it. We've been enjoying the CBD and impromptu walks through the quarter to satiate our appetites. We discovered a few new places recently, and when Drew and Jeff come at the end of the month, we're gonna have to share at least one of them. I've found my "go-to" place for when I'm hungry and not sure what I want. It's an Argentine place in the building next door, outside of the food court area, but still a space in that general vicinity. Monday, Jes stayed home with me because I wasn't feeling well. I walked next door to grab lunch: a fruits de mer crepe for him and tomato basil gnocci for me! Yesterday, I went back for more gnocci. And, today, disappointed that my macbook pro (but not as disappointed when Apple credited my account $99 to our account) was lost at the hands of UPS, I treated myself to lunch at Tango, ordering the baked tilapia, a side salad, and a side of gnocci! Yum :)

What else? I took the Foreign Service Office Test on Friday just to see how I'd do and if I might be government material. We'll see. The test was eclectic, as Jes said it would be. And, though I don't know how I did on a couple of parts (leaning to not as well as I would have liked), I am pretty sure I was 100% accurate in the English section. I didn't finish the essay part, either. Amelie G is going well, and I have quite a few articles in the works. I'm going to a photo shoot with Trixie Minx because I'm going to write a short feature on her. I have another development, job-wise, in the works, but I don't want to say anything until I know for sure.

Well, I'll leave it at that right now because Jes and I are going to try to exercise for a bit.

To write or not to write? No longer a question.

With the help of my best friend [turned personal webdesign publicist], I'm more committed to seriously launching my writing career. First step, assemble hardcopy and online portfolios. I read this article that this same friend shared with me, but even before that, her pep talk and encouragement yesterday elicited feelings of optimism about how my life is currently and what I can do to be happy in chasing a realistic dream I've had for a while: to write (and make a living from it). Anyhow, I do have to go because I have to babysit at 10:30, work at Anthro between 4 and 9, and find time to do homework and Amelie G spread sheets. But, I am in higher spirits and I hope that things are the same for you, my readers.

http://www.self.com/health/2010/02/one-woman-follows-her-heart-and-her-dream?currentPage=1

Oh, the things we have to do! Book clubs, NaNoWriMo (http://www.nanowrimo.org/) and more. Til next time!

"Awful Day" in Mia's words

I'm pretty tired. My neck is stiff and hurting. A lot has happened today. My mom's closest sister, Tita Alit, died and I don't know what to do or say. It's made me think a lot. I see how painful it is and how much she's suffered in her life.

I'm not going to be so idealistic anymore. It's time to try harder and find a better-paying job so I can help my mom, so I can take the burden of the loans she took out to send me to Loyola. I've applied to the Department of State in the hope that they will notice my application and test scores. (Maybe this very act is naive, but we'll see.) I was encouraged to do this by my parents and extended family, but I had resisted on idealistic and uninformed principles. Now, I'm going to try to learn more about positions as a civil servant. I think with my interests, I might be a good candidate and then I can consider a position in academia in the more distant future. Who knows where this will take me?

Well, I'll write more later. I have a busy week with an exam and work. I have so much more to say, but I'm drained and unable to articulate it.