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taz_39You see, I am typing this on September 12th.
We are already nearly halfway through September.
Got up at 6:30am on Thursday, did NOT want to be up that early but life is life.
Did about 1.5 transcription modules, had breakfast, did another 30 minutes until it was time to get ready for work.
Today's hat:
A leather flat cap, handmade in Belgium and selling for around $130.
It's the only flat cap in the shop that looks "ok" on me. I am eating lunch super fast because I was offered a paid 15 in place of an unpaid 30, and took it (money is money.)
It was a very slow shift, I sold what I could but most people were just coming in to kill time before their meal reservations.
At 4pm I clocked out and drove 10 minutes to Epcot.
The Food and Wine Festival is going on right now, so there is Remy and Ratatouille decor everywhere.
It still blows my mind that I can just walk into the parks, especially when I'm alone (I associate "getting into Disney" with Jameson's presence.) Flashed my ID at parking and they waved me through (normally $36.) Waved my phone at the entry scanner and was immediately let in (let's not even talk about what ticket prices are these days.) I recognize that entry to Disney is a Big Deal and am grateful for however long it lasts.
The American Garden Stage is exactly on the opposite side of Epcot from the parking lot, so it was a solid 10-minute walk around the lake to get over there. If it hadn't been so incredibly, oppressively sticky and stagnant and humid, it would have been very lovely. Lots of people enjoying the limited time food and merch offerings for Food and Wine. Great views on the lake. I didn't stop to take pics because I wanted to make it to the band's first set, but appreciated seeing it all.
Got there and had a few minutes to cool down in the Best Bathroom At Epcot, the American Pavilion restroom! It's like an icebox in there, I LOVE IT. Found a seat and watched Jameson rock!
The Hooligans!
Jameson had a Queen solo!
They did an awesome job of course! I am so proud of Jameson. He struggles with depression and that interferes with his ability to perform like this, and he's also had some health struggles lately that make it painful or more difficult to play. But he does what he can, while he can do it, and does his damnedest every day. He amazes me all the time :)
They had three sets, so after the first set I walked to Tangierine Cafe mainly because I wanted their seasonal hard cider flight!
In the interest of having a protein I got a chicken kabob with a carrot chickpea raisin salad.
The ciders are fig, blackberry pear, and tamarind mint (don't ask me which is which, they weren't labeled.)
The kabob was nothing special, the ciders were very nice. The cafe didn't have small tables so I had to sit at a five-seater, and when a huge family walked in looking for a place to sit I invited them to join me (I don't like being social but I'm also not an a$$hole who hoards seats and tables.) So I got to meet some really nice people who had just seen The Hooligans and were chuffed to find that I was "with the band." We chatted as we ate and drank and then I said my goodbyes to go see the next set.
All of the sets were great. I took several videos and photos and sent them to Jameson and his parents, and was VERY glad that I'd remembered to bring my battery pack along! It was so hot out, and the charging and uploading of videos even caused my phone to overheat at one point! But when the sun went down it got a lot cooler.
Between the last two sets I walked to find a bottle filler, and visited the Danville PA letter box.
I grew up in Bloomsburg PA, which is just 15 minutes down the road from Danville.
Then I hung out in that icy cool restroom for a solid 15 before the final set. Some of Jameson's friends joined me and we had a good old time screaming "JAMESON WE LOVE YOU!" during breaks in the music, seeing him trying-not-to-smile at our heckling :D After the last set we waited for the band, then all went over to the American Pavilion bar for a round of ginger mules. We talked and laughed as the Luminous: The Symphony of Us fireworks show went off loudly behind us. I've never seen it before, and missed it again tonight due to being social.
It was a really nice night of getting to watch my very favorite person strut his stuff on the Epcot stage.
Sometimes, being a musician ain't all that bad.
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Friday, I got up at 8 to get as much done as possible before my hat shop shift.
Something I ate or drank last night did not agree with me; I didn't feel nauseous but (TMI WARNING) my body definitely wanted something to get out, ASAP. I suspect the kabob or the carrot salad, it's hard to believe the drinks would've had anything to do with it.
Anyway, those "interruptions" messed up my timeline a bit, but I still did an hour of transcription training, washed our sheets and made the bed, practiced the first act of Elf, and packed myself dinner. I felt exhausted but also know that tomorrow is a day off and maybe I can allow myself to rest a little extra.
Today's hat:
As soon as I walked in Rin, the quietest retail worker I have ever worked with, jumped in front of me in a full-on goth red-and-black getup, 13s painted under her eyes, flapping her arms excitedly. "HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!" she said. Oh! I hadn't realized...but I'd conveniently worn red and grey with black shoes, so thought, why not do a novelty hat to celebrate!
The day started out unfortunately slow but picked up after 8pm thankfully.
And I had a wonderful surprise!
As I finished checking a customer out, a woman came up to the register and said something like, "I hope this isn't weird but...I'm bringing you a part of your digital life, in person!"
It wasbrittdreams from DreamWidth!!! She lives nearby and happened to be at Disney Springs, and thought she'd drop in to see if I was working!! AAAAAAAH this was such a treat! I've only ever met my LJ and DW friends a few times in person, but each one of them has been absolutely wonderful. And I admire brittdreams SO MUCH. Like most of us on these blogging sites, she writes about her work and her general life, outings and travels and day-to-day. But in doing so, she shares a deeper look at the challenges that she, specifically, faces, as a black woman. Reading her blog has revealed to me many areas where I've been blind to my entitlements...or rather, society's built-in entitlements. That aside, she also works damn hard at everything she does, and shares her travel adventures (especially what she gets to eat!), and all of this means that I look forward to her posts and root for her endlessly on the interwebs :)
We chatted a bit, as much as we could; the store was kinda busy and she had to get home. But we got to meet in person!! Really made my day!
Before I knew it the shift was over. And back home, Jameson had two pieces of amazing news!
1 - His masters degree arrived in the mail! He's going to get it framed :)
2- While he was holding his degree and pondering what opportunities he could now apply for with it, his phone rang. It was Carnival Cruises, inviting him to interview with them for a music production position!!! He applied for this job over a month ago, really wanted it, and was elated to finally hear back from them today!! I am SO EXCITED for him!!
Of course, we have both had bad luck and let-downs when it comes to exciting interviews/auditions, so my excitement and hope are tempered with bracing myself for the aftermath if he gets rejected. But at least he's got an interview and a chance. This job would take him to Miami, either a few days a week or we'd have to move there (we need more details.) This is actually a factor in our favor, because being touring musicians with no children or pets, we are more flexible than most when it comes to relocating. But again, we need to wait and see.
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Saturday, I was up at 8 to type this post and harvest my jalapenos.
I'm making cowboy candy! It's just jalapenos boiled in sugar and spices, and it tastes fantastic as a topping for eggs, sandwiches, etc. Think spicy pepper jam. Good stuff.
In firefly petunia news, one of my cuttings (the smallest one, that I started out in a dish of water) has survived and is now growing exponentially!! I will repot it before going on tour, and would like to give it as a gift to my Aunt. She has always been so supportive of me, and I'd love for her to have my first cutting from this rare plant.
It glows very nicely, though being so small it's hard to get my camera to focus on it :p
When Jameson went to the gym I worked on transcription modules, then hit the grocery before lunch.
After lunch I practiced and then made the cowboy candy.
Sugar, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, garlic, celery seed, turmeric, and ginger.
The sliced jalapenos and garlic are added to the slightly thickened syrup.
The finished jars. I'm not water canning them, so they'll go in the fridge and last a month or so. We are supposed to wait a week before eating them, to let the flavors mingle. Yum!
Cleaned up after that, vacuumed and mopped the floors, and chilled for an hour. I ended up doing more transcription modules after dinner. I'm now more than halfway done.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday...I was up at 8 because there's so much to do :(
Would really like to sleep in one of these days and have eight hours of sleep.
The firefly petunia (the main plant) was the brightest I've ever seen it last night.
I had to put it on the floor so I could sleep!
This is the most blooms it's ever had too. I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible because once I go on tour it will probably have to live outside, it will not be getting full care, and I expect it to either die off or die completely. In fact tomorrow I'm probably taking another cutting, since I've promised the first one to my aunt.
Anyway I won't bore you with the rest of my day. In summary: typing this post, doing transcription modules, going out to get printer ink, installing said printer ink, getting cheap sushi for dinner, practicing Main Street Philharmonic stuff, and going to work the closing shift at the hat shop. "Today's hat" will appear in the next post since I have to post this before work tonight.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: A day off. I need to catch up on cleaning, take a petunia cutting, and other chores.
Tuesday: Hoping to take my transcription tests + closing shift at the hat shop.
Weds & Thurs: Days off. Jameson's Carnival Cruise interview. I might pick up some Papa Pals, and I plan to possibly make a batch of caramels and send them out just so I can check it off my To-Do list. Definitely making dinner one of those nights. And definitely expect to be taking the transcription onboarding tests by then.
We are already nearly halfway through September.
Got up at 6:30am on Thursday, did NOT want to be up that early but life is life.
Did about 1.5 transcription modules, had breakfast, did another 30 minutes until it was time to get ready for work.
Today's hat:
A leather flat cap, handmade in Belgium and selling for around $130.
It's the only flat cap in the shop that looks "ok" on me. I am eating lunch super fast because I was offered a paid 15 in place of an unpaid 30, and took it (money is money.)
It was a very slow shift, I sold what I could but most people were just coming in to kill time before their meal reservations.
At 4pm I clocked out and drove 10 minutes to Epcot.
The Food and Wine Festival is going on right now, so there is Remy and Ratatouille decor everywhere.
It still blows my mind that I can just walk into the parks, especially when I'm alone (I associate "getting into Disney" with Jameson's presence.) Flashed my ID at parking and they waved me through (normally $36.) Waved my phone at the entry scanner and was immediately let in (let's not even talk about what ticket prices are these days.) I recognize that entry to Disney is a Big Deal and am grateful for however long it lasts.
The American Garden Stage is exactly on the opposite side of Epcot from the parking lot, so it was a solid 10-minute walk around the lake to get over there. If it hadn't been so incredibly, oppressively sticky and stagnant and humid, it would have been very lovely. Lots of people enjoying the limited time food and merch offerings for Food and Wine. Great views on the lake. I didn't stop to take pics because I wanted to make it to the band's first set, but appreciated seeing it all.
Got there and had a few minutes to cool down in the Best Bathroom At Epcot, the American Pavilion restroom! It's like an icebox in there, I LOVE IT. Found a seat and watched Jameson rock!
The Hooligans!
Jameson had a Queen solo!
They did an awesome job of course! I am so proud of Jameson. He struggles with depression and that interferes with his ability to perform like this, and he's also had some health struggles lately that make it painful or more difficult to play. But he does what he can, while he can do it, and does his damnedest every day. He amazes me all the time :)
They had three sets, so after the first set I walked to Tangierine Cafe mainly because I wanted their seasonal hard cider flight!
In the interest of having a protein I got a chicken kabob with a carrot chickpea raisin salad.
The ciders are fig, blackberry pear, and tamarind mint (don't ask me which is which, they weren't labeled.)
The kabob was nothing special, the ciders were very nice. The cafe didn't have small tables so I had to sit at a five-seater, and when a huge family walked in looking for a place to sit I invited them to join me (I don't like being social but I'm also not an a$$hole who hoards seats and tables.) So I got to meet some really nice people who had just seen The Hooligans and were chuffed to find that I was "with the band." We chatted as we ate and drank and then I said my goodbyes to go see the next set.
All of the sets were great. I took several videos and photos and sent them to Jameson and his parents, and was VERY glad that I'd remembered to bring my battery pack along! It was so hot out, and the charging and uploading of videos even caused my phone to overheat at one point! But when the sun went down it got a lot cooler.
Between the last two sets I walked to find a bottle filler, and visited the Danville PA letter box.
I grew up in Bloomsburg PA, which is just 15 minutes down the road from Danville.
Then I hung out in that icy cool restroom for a solid 15 before the final set. Some of Jameson's friends joined me and we had a good old time screaming "JAMESON WE LOVE YOU!" during breaks in the music, seeing him trying-not-to-smile at our heckling :D After the last set we waited for the band, then all went over to the American Pavilion bar for a round of ginger mules. We talked and laughed as the Luminous: The Symphony of Us fireworks show went off loudly behind us. I've never seen it before, and missed it again tonight due to being social.
It was a really nice night of getting to watch my very favorite person strut his stuff on the Epcot stage.
Sometimes, being a musician ain't all that bad.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, I got up at 8 to get as much done as possible before my hat shop shift.
Something I ate or drank last night did not agree with me; I didn't feel nauseous but (TMI WARNING) my body definitely wanted something to get out, ASAP. I suspect the kabob or the carrot salad, it's hard to believe the drinks would've had anything to do with it.
Anyway, those "interruptions" messed up my timeline a bit, but I still did an hour of transcription training, washed our sheets and made the bed, practiced the first act of Elf, and packed myself dinner. I felt exhausted but also know that tomorrow is a day off and maybe I can allow myself to rest a little extra.
Today's hat:
As soon as I walked in Rin, the quietest retail worker I have ever worked with, jumped in front of me in a full-on goth red-and-black getup, 13s painted under her eyes, flapping her arms excitedly. "HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH!" she said. Oh! I hadn't realized...but I'd conveniently worn red and grey with black shoes, so thought, why not do a novelty hat to celebrate!
The day started out unfortunately slow but picked up after 8pm thankfully.
And I had a wonderful surprise!
As I finished checking a customer out, a woman came up to the register and said something like, "I hope this isn't weird but...I'm bringing you a part of your digital life, in person!"
It was
brittdreams from DreamWidth!!! She lives nearby and happened to be at Disney Springs, and thought she'd drop in to see if I was working!! AAAAAAAH this was such a treat! I've only ever met my LJ and DW friends a few times in person, but each one of them has been absolutely wonderful. And I admire brittdreams SO MUCH. Like most of us on these blogging sites, she writes about her work and her general life, outings and travels and day-to-day. But in doing so, she shares a deeper look at the challenges that she, specifically, faces, as a black woman. Reading her blog has revealed to me many areas where I've been blind to my entitlements...or rather, society's built-in entitlements. That aside, she also works damn hard at everything she does, and shares her travel adventures (especially what she gets to eat!), and all of this means that I look forward to her posts and root for her endlessly on the interwebs :)We chatted a bit, as much as we could; the store was kinda busy and she had to get home. But we got to meet in person!! Really made my day!
Before I knew it the shift was over. And back home, Jameson had two pieces of amazing news!
1 - His masters degree arrived in the mail! He's going to get it framed :)
2- While he was holding his degree and pondering what opportunities he could now apply for with it, his phone rang. It was Carnival Cruises, inviting him to interview with them for a music production position!!! He applied for this job over a month ago, really wanted it, and was elated to finally hear back from them today!! I am SO EXCITED for him!!
Of course, we have both had bad luck and let-downs when it comes to exciting interviews/auditions, so my excitement and hope are tempered with bracing myself for the aftermath if he gets rejected. But at least he's got an interview and a chance. This job would take him to Miami, either a few days a week or we'd have to move there (we need more details.) This is actually a factor in our favor, because being touring musicians with no children or pets, we are more flexible than most when it comes to relocating. But again, we need to wait and see.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, I was up at 8 to type this post and harvest my jalapenos.
I'm making cowboy candy! It's just jalapenos boiled in sugar and spices, and it tastes fantastic as a topping for eggs, sandwiches, etc. Think spicy pepper jam. Good stuff.
In firefly petunia news, one of my cuttings (the smallest one, that I started out in a dish of water) has survived and is now growing exponentially!! I will repot it before going on tour, and would like to give it as a gift to my Aunt. She has always been so supportive of me, and I'd love for her to have my first cutting from this rare plant.
It glows very nicely, though being so small it's hard to get my camera to focus on it :p
When Jameson went to the gym I worked on transcription modules, then hit the grocery before lunch.
After lunch I practiced and then made the cowboy candy.
Sugar, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, garlic, celery seed, turmeric, and ginger.
The sliced jalapenos and garlic are added to the slightly thickened syrup.
The finished jars. I'm not water canning them, so they'll go in the fridge and last a month or so. We are supposed to wait a week before eating them, to let the flavors mingle. Yum!
Cleaned up after that, vacuumed and mopped the floors, and chilled for an hour. I ended up doing more transcription modules after dinner. I'm now more than halfway done.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday...I was up at 8 because there's so much to do :(
Would really like to sleep in one of these days and have eight hours of sleep.
The firefly petunia (the main plant) was the brightest I've ever seen it last night.
I had to put it on the floor so I could sleep!
This is the most blooms it's ever had too. I'm trying to enjoy it as much as possible because once I go on tour it will probably have to live outside, it will not be getting full care, and I expect it to either die off or die completely. In fact tomorrow I'm probably taking another cutting, since I've promised the first one to my aunt.
Anyway I won't bore you with the rest of my day. In summary: typing this post, doing transcription modules, going out to get printer ink, installing said printer ink, getting cheap sushi for dinner, practicing Main Street Philharmonic stuff, and going to work the closing shift at the hat shop. "Today's hat" will appear in the next post since I have to post this before work tonight.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday: A day off. I need to catch up on cleaning, take a petunia cutting, and other chores.
Tuesday: Hoping to take my transcription tests + closing shift at the hat shop.
Weds & Thurs: Days off. Jameson's Carnival Cruise interview. I might pick up some Papa Pals, and I plan to possibly make a batch of caramels and send them out just so I can check it off my To-Do list. Definitely making dinner one of those nights. And definitely expect to be taking the transcription onboarding tests by then.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-15 11:00 pm (UTC)Seeing that menu makes me reeeeelllly want falafel now. Ok, I want falafel anytime. Also the cider flight sounds great.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 01:36 am (UTC)Yeah they had pretty good food (though I hafta hope it wasn’t anything from there that upset my tummy. To be fair 24 hours before I’d accidentally eaten a partly moldy bagel so that could’ve been the problem)
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 02:00 am (UTC)Fingers crossed for Jameson's interview! 🤞🏾
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 12:41 pm (UTC)Thank you, I've got fingers and toes crossed as well.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 05:37 pm (UTC)I'll be eagerly awaiting an update on Jameson's interview.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 07:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 12:40 pm (UTC)Thank you, definitely crossing my fingers and toes for him!
no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-16 10:42 pm (UTC)We are quite tired of "This could be exciting!"-type news haha. So many times he's had exciting interviews and exciting discussions, and so far all of them have been let-downs where he is not offered the job/opportunity. I really hope this time is different.
no subject
Date: 2024-09-17 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-09-18 12:44 pm (UTC)