i ain't no queen! shooooooot!

So I have huge feet. No Seriously, if you slapped a pair of bindings where my ankles are you'd have a sweet pair of downhills. Unfortunately for me, big feet = small shoe selection. Just because I have huge stompers doesn't mean I have no fashion sense (aka navy pumps aren't going to cut it). I want want to wear the same things as the girls with the size 8s. I remember one time in college I needed a pair of heels for a wedding and I went in to a store and asked if they had my size and the sales girl said, "Oh, sure, we outfit drag queens here." H U M I L I A T I N G. Now, I have a bunch of weddings coming up and am shopping on ebay for some cute pairs and 90% of the shoes in my size have: "stripper," "drag queen," or "cross dresser" in the title. I am none of these. Although I must admit I think I have a sassy drag queen living inside of me. Ebay leaves me with slim pickens; it's either red vinyl thigh-high boots or clear, plastic platform slides. Somehow, neither of these seem appropriate to wear while doing the electric slide next to my grandma. I hope your feet are smaller Cleveland!



What I look like on the Inside




The only tip I need is where to find shoes that fit

caper in the cuckoo nest

I haven't posted in a long time and I die a little inside everyday because I don't have the time/energy to write. 3 jobs is too much! Anyway, once I find a better balance between work and blog I will be posting like the "good ol' days: (remember those days of yesterfar from about 2 months ago?). I feel all out of balance with myself. Not only do I feel all over the radar mentally, I literally tripped and fell today and my kneecaps broke my fall. No amount of Dora The Explorer band-aids will heal the pain of a swollen knee. Ouch! So until I can stop being a basket case I can't write anything that makes sense. I leave you with this video of Domo (my fave little character), as it represents the mayhem in my head:

langhorne slim @ grog shop 3.14

I don't mean to inundate the blog with music posts, but music is soul candy and I've been "eating" a ton of it lately. One artist that gives me a sweet tooth is Langhorne Slim. I first learned of him when I started listening to the Avett Bros. The combination of his down home sound and honest lyrics quickly made him one of my favorite artists. It also doesn't hurt that he is ear candy AND eye candy. It's no secret I have a weakness for musicians, but I've started to wonder: Do you have to be good looking to be a musician or does being a musician make you good looking? Either way, go see Langhorne Slim @ Grog Shop on Saturday.

time for a music break

I was just reminiscing about my days of debauchery in jersey. some of my greatest memories are of the great bands we could see at any of the bars in new brunswick. in particular, i remember matt witte and the new blood revival and the fun i had at their shows at the harvest moon. hot boys with tattoos + beer + music = happy me. i don't think these guys are a band anymore, but it's a shame because they were grrrreat! i wonder if I can find something similar here?

it was my first time...

Things are really starting to be fun and fabulous for me. I've used this blog to bitch far more than I ever wanted (or expected) to and now I think it is time to take note of all that I am thankful for and excited about. I also realized that I have had more FIRST TIME experiences in the past 24 hours than I have in my 1.5 years in Cleveland combined!

FIRST FIRST

Yesterday was my big onstage experience with Spring Awakening. Entering The Palace, I showed the usher my ticket and evidently she didn't have the 411 about the onstage seating because she had no idea where to direct me. This in of itself made me feel very special; my ticket was so exclusive no one knew about it! Anyway, I finally found an usher that was in the know and she led me to a secret room where I had to put my coat, purse and all belongings into a locker (the onstage audience isn't even allowed to bring Playbills onstage!). The ushers checked to make sure I didn't have my cell phone and I wasn't chewing gum. This shit was serious. After my cavity search I was led down a narrow corridor backstage (so cool) and then on to the stage. I can't even tell you how totally VIP my entrance felt. Once at my seat I started to get a little nervous about what was actually going to happen so I leaned over to the girls sitting in front of me and asked them to fill me in. They told me that the cast would be sitting among us. I think I went blind and deaf for a moment! As a proud theater geek, this was nirvana! I won't bore everyone with a play-by-play, I just want to say my FIRST TIME sitting onstage for a show was an incredible one. Everyone should check out Spring Awakening and try to snag a seat in the action!

SECOND FIRST

This morning I started my new job and I am already enjoying myself. It's not exactly my dream job, but it feels good to walk around sans knot in my stomach and to know that I will be bringing home the bacon. I have also started freelancing for a PR firm, so between the two jobs I will be busy and more importantly have money to do some of the fun stuff around Cleveland. So far I enjoy my co-workers and think that I will like it even more once I feel more settled in. I hate being the new guy. I hate feeling helpless and uncertain, but it motivates me to learn faster so I can be on my own ASAP. I'm sure I will have more to say about this as time goes by. My FIRST TIME at work went well so I can only hope it stays that way.

THIRD FIRST

Tonight I met some of the other local bloggers for the FIRST TIME. I was flattered to be invited out to by people whose writing I enjoy on a daily basis. I must admit, I was kind of nervous to join what felt like an exclusive club of people who already knew one another. All of my apprehensions subsided the moment I sat down. I felt welcomed and at ease and really enjoyed our meandering conversation. Everyone was cooler and nicer than I could have imagined. I have to say that after college I think it is difficult to meet new friends; working from home doesn't help much in the socializing department. I never thought my blog would lead me to a cool bunch of people, but it did! In the day and age of internet dating, I couldn't help but feel as though I was on a great blind date...with 5 people. Hahaha! Hmmmmm...How do you gauge the success of a platonic blind date? I know the, "This was fun. We should do it again sometime," on a regular blind date is the nice way of saying, "I never want to see you again." I think I actually said that. Oh no! I really meant it though. I had a great time with a great group and hope to do it again soon.

HERE'S TO SECONDS!

The most important meal of the day

After careful deliberation over our "mimosas" this "afternoon" we conclude that if there is fruit or vegetable garnish in your AM drink of choice then it becomes a nutritional part of a balanced breakfast. Happy rainy Sunday Cleveburg! Cheers!

phish. food. fornication.

I am sitting here for the second night in a row watching the Phish Hampton set list post on twitter as it happens. Now i know how diehard sports fans feel when listening to a game on the radio. I am biting my nails, swearing and i even shook the dog a little. Oh, the memories of being a dirtbag on Phish tour. it seems like a lifetime ago that I was sitting in a car for 32 straight hours waiting to see (and hear) the band that I love. Alas, no job = no money for concert tickets so I had to sit this one out. I am terribly nostalgic for those carefree days of following the band with some of the greatest friends a girl could ever have. Ah, well, I hope everyone who is at the show(s) is having a blast!

In addition to concert stalking online, today was a very busy day for me. After attending a funeral in Toledo this morning (it felt so far away!) I picked up the boyf and as we were both starving we decided to grab a late lunch. After some deliberation we decided to check out 56 West in Lakewood. The menu at the restaurant caught our eye because it reminded us of our favorite restaurant in Phoenix. 56 West's simple, chic interior is also reminiscent of Delux Burger. We were seated quickly and ready to order as we had perused the menu on their website before we came. The boyf wanted to try to recreate the Delux burger and since 56 West has a "build your own burger" menu it was easy to do. He selected a regular beef burger topped with gruyere, arugula and caramelized onions. Even though my mouth craved a burger, my butt craved a salad. I looked over their selection of "Cool Greens" not expecting to find something as interesting as "The French Kiss" salad: Mixed & wild field greens, caramelized pears, goat cheese, fresh berries w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette. Our food arrived very quickly and we both started digging in. My salad was super yummy. I especially enjoyed the blackberries and strawberries withe the goat cheese. This salad also reminded me how much I looooooove pears. I would definitely order it again. The boyf ate his burger, but did declare, "it was no Delux Burger"( I should disclaim that he is my little Padma Lakshmi and VERY difficult to impress). The caramelized onions on his burger smelled and tasted so good ( i snuck a few) and the fries were fresh-cut and crispy golden brown ( I snuck a few of those too, obv!). Overall, I think 56 West is a great little place. I wasn't knocked out of my socks (or flip-flops as it were), but I still think it offers a unique dining experience with great food, service and atmosphere. And that, my friends was my Saturday.

Tomorrow, I get to use the ticket the boy got me for Christmas to see Spring Awakening. Not only do I get to see this amazing show for the first time and indulge my theater lust, I GET TO SIT ONSTAGE!!! oh, yeah that's right...on the mother effin' stage with the cast! Again, now I understand where loyal sports fans are coming from. These are my floor seats at a Cavs game. I will be singing along and am more than willing to fill in as an understudy should the need arise. Even if musical theater isn't your thing, give this soundtrack a listen as it was written by Duncan Sheik. I am particularly excited to see (hear) "Mama Who Bore Me" and "Bitch of Living." OOOOOh, I can't wait! See you at the theater Cleveland!

someone finally hired me!!!!

YAY ME! I HAVE A JOB! I'd like to thank my family, all those who interviewed and subsequently rejected me. Thanks to God, the academy...oh wait, that speech is still a few years off. Seriously though, sorry that i've been such a grumpy biatch lately Cleveland. Hopefully, gainful employment will bring my sparkling personality (and my checking account balance) to the surface. I do really want to thank my whole family for supporting me with encouragement AND odd jobs. YOU ROCK FAMILY! I would be remiss if I didn't say a huge thank you to my two main men: the boyf and the pupperino! Thanks boys! I love you!!!!