awesumness continues

I've never been the "Woo! Spring Break!" type of girl. Oddly enough, the desire to hear men yell "Show me your boobs!" while trying to relax on the beach never appealed to me. Body shots and belly piercings and dirty hotel rooms never found a way to my radar. In high school, I'd do volunteer trips with my church and fix peoples houses or work in a soup kitchen. In college, I worked to pay the bills. A myriad of drunken Spring Break memories is something I'm glad I don't own.

Now, as a teacher, I'm on the flip side of spring break. For the first time in my life, I could probably afford one of those Spring Break Debauchery excursions. I actually don't have to work during Spring Break because, um, they won't let me. Now, I'm the "Woo! Teacher Perk!" girl. Woo! Teacher Perk!

On most breaks from work, I find myself watching too much reality tv. And sleeping. I always say I'm going to paint my house and it never happens. I realize that this a desperate cry for help. In order to break this habit, I've been saying yes to whatever is presented to me this week. This theory worked extremely well last night.

I went to Art Walk for the first time. Art Walk is an awesum event hosted downtown the first Wednesday of every month, rain or shine. Local businesses shut down and serve as impromptu art galleries. The new main library, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Hemming Plaza were hosting spoken poets and jazz musicians. I also really liked the exhibits in the "old library", a 60s retro building being renovated into offices.

I met up with some friends from my travel group and wandered around for awhile. Another awesum thing about Art Walk is after parties. Two bars were offering free drinks to anyone attending AW. It was great to spend the evening getting to know new people and drinking a deliciously free martini.

The not-so-awesum part of the evening was having my car locked in the parking garage and also being stranded. Luckily, my travel buddies were awesum enough to stick it out with me and flag down a MOCA employee. This guy just happened to know the man who ran the parking garage and a three second phone call was all it took to bust me out. Sadly, though, my reality tv habits die hard. I got home a little after midnight, but you better believe I was up til 2 watching Top Chef.

Woo! Spring Break!

recipe: spring break awesumness

Pour four drag queens into large mixing bowl. Remove excess testosterone. Add equal parts silicone. Stir in the phrase, "You must be the straight people." Serve chilled in shot classes at a gay club. By a shirtless midget.



(no, sadly, that's not me in the above picture, but you get the idea!)

please don't stop the music

(this post is inspired by Emily's 21 Days to Happiness)

Sometimes we indulge in things that aren't exactly "good" for us. For some people it's food, others might enjoy celebrity gossip.

Me?

I love reality tv. And I love super cheesy pop music.

Therefore, I love Danity Kane. Danity Kane is the cast of a reality tv show (Making the Band) fabricated into modern Spice Girls.

Reality tv and cheesy music. A combo of my two favorite things. A deep-fried, chocolate covered Paris Hilton wedding.

I can't help it. I'm damaged.
So damaged.
Can you fix my h-e-a-r-t?
Cause it's D-a-m-a-g-e-d.

Please don't judge me too harshly.

oh happy day

My Saturday:

Woo hoo! Seafood Festival today! Can't wait to devour a fried sea creature of some sort.

Wait. The only crowd I see is a pack of homeless guys. Where is the festival? Maybe I should walk down to 3rd Street and find one of the street-light banners.

Ah. Right. Good thing this festival is actually scheduled for next weekend.

Alright. Day not ruined. No need to panic. What's that I see in the distance? Why, it's the Jacksonville Beach pier! People are fishing and watching the surfers. Awesum. I shall join them. (And, coincidentally, stop using the word 'shall'.)

Ok. There's a gate. A cashier. Looks like you have to pay a dollar to walk on the pier. And I don't carry cash.

This is grrrreat, only, not in the Frosted Flakes manner I would much rather prefer in this moment.

Screw you, beaches! I am going downtown!

Where to? Who knows. Over the Matthews and through the ghetto, to...something...we go. What's this street? Duval Street? As in (say it with me) Doooooooooooo-vaallllll, the county in which I so proudly reside? Make that turn.

Ah! The Downtown Public Library. Find parking garage. Get parking validated, feel so urban. Wander aimlessly. Fall haphazardly into nonfiction section. Sit cross-legged on the floor and read Hunter S. Thompson for an hour.

Regain feeling in legs (pins and needles!) and take elevator the first floor. Who knew my favorite beaches coffee shop can also be found in the public library? Order delicious Irie Sandwich (heavenly combination or turkey, swiss, green apples and Dijon mayo) and eat in library's adorable courtyard. Read Skirt. Watch people.

Drive home happy.

Yay for having more time to spend in Jacksonville.

my new daily obsession

is awesum.

and the award for most dramatic performance goes to...

EVERYONE.

And this is my acceptance speech.

Why is it when something EXCITING happens (births, celebrations, wedding, promotions, falling in love, home-buying, puppy-adopting, etc.) no one calls is drama? I'm not an expert, but I've studied enough minimal Shakespeare to know that not everything that people nowadays classify as drama is NEGATIVE.

No relationship is perfect. It takes work from everyone involved. This applies to the people you work with all the way up to the people you sleep with. There is no perfect situation. When the good stuff happens, it's still dramatic, right? Disagreements, discussions, misunderstandings, miscommunication, poor decisions ... it's all a part of life. You can't avoid these things. Can you work them out? Yes. Can you have a life without them? No.

I'm so sick of people saying "I don't want any drama." It's so unrealistic. Yes, people can control the way they handle things. However, we all have different ways of communication. We all have different ways of loving. We all have different paths and stories and goals. We are all different.

Drama is going to happen. The good and the bad. I say, embrace all of it. Keep on living. And quit crying to me about it.

P.S. I want to thank the academy, your mom, Jesus, and my 2nd grade teacher. I couldn't of done this without them.

Vindication is mine...and Tina Fey's.

Check out this video: Saturday Night Live - Tina Fey on Update

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