Sunny Days, Keeping the Clouds Away

Officially, it's been spring for almost a month, but it's only starting to feel like it in Sacramento. This beautiful, sunny Sacramento weather has inspired me to walk the dog more, spend more time in the sunshine and exercise more.

So far, I'm doing well on accounts, and my new giant trampoline is certainly helping with resolutions two and three!

The trampoline was a gift from a friend who is moving and didn't want to take it with her. Aaron and I put it together yesterday, and I'm having a lot of fun on it ... in small increments. I'm just too out of shape (and with heart problems) to bounce for very long.

Aaron and I, and by that I mean mostly Aaron, have been working hard to ready our large yards for human use. We tend to ignore the backyard all winter, until the grass grows so high, Gizmo gets lost in "the jungle."

 

Now the jungle has been tamed into nice, short suburban blades. Roses have been trimmed, weeds pulled and the yards sprayed for bugs.

Soon we'll go through the exhausting process of dragging the patio furniture out of the shed and setting up the shade canopy. I can't wait until I'm sprawled across the patio couch, reading a good book.

First roses of the season.

Our resident squirrels seem to be enjoying the weather, too.

Maybe we'll even plant some flowers along the fence, finally!

Hello, Spring!

T-Shirt Surgery FTW

I used to be skinny, and now I am not.

Back in my itty-bitty days, I amassed a collection of rock band babydoll tees I haven't worn for years because I'm not an x-small in juniors anymore. Plus, I'm over the babydoll style.

Give me something loose so my pits can breathe and and my muffin top isn't popping out for everyone to see!

Not wanting to see my band tees go to waste (and too cheap to spend money on more), I long ago hatched a plan to repurpose them and finally made good on it this evening.

For my first project, I snipped away at my Ramones "Road to Ruin" babydoll I've had for over 10 years.

Yea, my camera phone sucks a big one.

This picture from January 2008 probably shows one of the last times I comfortably fit the tee. (That skirt, too.)

This outfit was for The Secretions' "That Kind of Girl" video shoot.

I cut the graphic into a patch. My paper slicer was handy for this.

I then hand-stitched the patch on this awesome black cold-shoulder tee I treated myself to for my birthday. At $7.99 on clearance from Delia's, I consider that a score. I got one in teal, too.

 And, voila!

To christen my new favorite tee, I wore it to The Dollyrots show at The Blue Lamp.

Because I'm Awesome!

These semi-skinny jeans were also a birthday present to myself. They have a rhinestone button and were $10 from Ross. Once I got them home, I realized they are a little loose on my legs for skinny jeans. The Ross mirror tricked me, I guess. Still, $10 for Lee jeans I've seen at department stores for $30+? No complaints.

And yes, that's our bathroom trash on a table. It's the only way to keep the dog out of it. Isn't it cute? My mom decorated it with craft foam to match my shower curtain. It looks identical to the one JC Penny sold for a ridiculous amount. The thrifty and crafty genes are strong in my family.

Justice for Trayvon Martin

On Thusday, I marched for justice in the Trayvon Martin case.

Justice. That's all I want.

In my opinion, George Zimmerman should be arrested and tried for his actions in Martin's death. What he should be charged with, I can't say. He may be guilty of manslaughter; he may even be guilty of a hate crime. And because of all his previous 911 calls for things that seem insane to me, I think his sanity should be evaluated by a state-appointed psychiatrist.

But, I don't have all the facts. No one does right now. And as much I have disgust for the man I heard using a racial slur on the 911 tape -- who by his own admission, followed and killed an unarmed teenager -- he should not be judged by public opinion, especially when there's still so many questions left unanswered.

That's the problem with how this case is being played out. Bits and pieces of evidence become public and people jump to judgements. A lot of the time, the "evidence" isn't evidence, at all. It's an anonymous witness or Zimmerman's father (who wasn't even there that night). It's a picture of Martin that turns out not to be Martin, as if how he once posed in a picture has any shred of relevance to his terrible death.

I read the comments to news stories. People comment on hearsay as if it's undisputed fact. People use the assault on Martin's reputation as justification for his death. People are cruel, ignorant and biased. And my gosh, our country is racist.

If and when this case actually goes to trial, I imagine the lawyers will have a hard time finding jurors who haven't formed opinions on Zimmerman's guilt or innocence. Most of those opinions will be based on inaccurate information.

As a journalist, I know that despite my obsessive following of this story and my knowledge of what information reported is fact, what is conjecture and what is just outright misinformation from unreliable sources, I still only have a small part of the whole story.

That's why I marched for Trayvon Martin. I want justice to be done -- justice that this case will go to trial and Zimmerman's guilt or innocence will be decided by the legal system, and the legal system alone.

Gathering for Trayvon Martin at William Land Park in Sacramento, California on March 29, 2012

 

Recommended reads: What is known, what isn't about Trayvon Martin's death via Miami Herald

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/01/4381721/marcos-breton-a-hoodie-didnt-kill.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

Marcos Breton: A hoodie didn't kill Trayvon Martin; Zimmerman's gun did via Sacramento Bee

A Mad Men Kind of Birthday

I had given up on maintaining this blog, but Mad Men has brought me back. My Mad Men birthday party, that is.

I love themed parties. I love dressing up. Since I was a kid, I've felt like I was born in the wrong era. I drool over '50s and '60s cars. I have an addiction to vintage-style polka dot dresses. I know it's so trendy to embrace the vintage style, especially with the growing popularity of rockabilly, but I was pretty much born this way.

Planning this party was half the fun.

Wardrobe

Looking in my closet, two dresses jumped out at me. I ultimately decided against this sailor dress because it was more Peggy Olson at the office, and I was going more for Betty Draper hosting a cocktail party. Peggy has brains, but ice-queen Betty has style.

Menu

I would have loved to go all-out with the food, but we had a miniscule budget. We stuck with classic finger foods from the early '60s. Pigs in a blanket was the most hearty appetizer. Deviled eggs, chips and dip, veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, and jello rounded out the menu. I wanted to do fondu, using our awesome fondu set, but the menu was already stretching our budget.

Guests ate on our wedding china -- only the second time it's ever been used! And, of course, we drank from martini glasses and chain smoked. Well, OK, we drank generic 7-Up with maraschino cherries and pineapple chunks, and smoked candy cigarettes from Candy Heaven in Old Sacramento.

Memories

I smoked from my Gramma's rhinestone-encrusted cigarette holder, which was so very Breakfast at Tiffany's. I found the cigarette holder when I was packing up Gramma's apartment after she died. It was fitting because not only did Gramma smoke like a chimney during my childhood, but when she got her smokes and lottery tickets at the 7-11 down the street, she let me pick out candy, and I often picked out candy cigarettes.

Games

We played charades with clues relevant to the Mad Men era. In the excitement and laughter of the game, I forgot to take pictures. Everyone failed pretty miserably at this '60s Ad Slogans and Tagline quiz I adapted from Oprah.com, of all places.
 
Decorations

Speaking of ads, I decorated with print ads from the era, including some used on the show. I focused on Sterling & Cooper accounts, including Lucky Strike, Heineken, Belle Jolie and Kodak.

Much of the decor in my house already suited the era. I covered up anything that didn't with curtains and sheets. I littered the fireplace mantel with literature from the time and played '60s tunes on our record player.

Photo Booth

I used white lace polka dot curtains to turn our Ramones wall into a backdrop for photos.

By the end of the night, we had killed four packs of candy cigarettes and drank way too many mocktails in true Mad Men style.

Whatever Happened to the Customer is Always Right?

At a time when people are tightening their belts like never before because the economy, for lack of a better word, sucks, businesses and service people should be going out of their way to please the customer, and to take heed not to offend the customer. Lately, I've noticed the reverse.

Take, for example, last night.

Husband and I are big fans of the Applebee's chain. They have this queso blanco dip that is too die for. (If you are a normal red-blooded American that likes spice and cheese, that is.)

We ventured to the Rancho Cordova location because we had been out shopping in the Sunrise area. We normally dine at the Arden location. So begins my story:

Our waitress greets us shortly after we sit down and asks, "Can I start you off with some drinks?"

I reply, "Water." And she replies, "Two waters, then?" Aaron nods.

Waitress leaves the table and I notice a flyer saying if your server does not offer you a Corona or margarita, you get a coupon for a free appetizer on your next visit. I point it out to Aaron, but it is too early to get excited over a free deal.

We settle on the Ultimate Trio, picking the three appetizers of Wonton Tacos, Steak Quesadilla Towers and the said Spicy Queso Blanco. Waitress takes our order, and to my delight, she still doesn’t offer the alcoholic drinks.

Aaron comments, "Maybe she doesn't think we look old enough to drink?" I laugh. We're only 27 and 30, going on 31, after all.

Everything is going well. We’re surprised by the amount of food, and I discover I love Wonton Tacos, made with "zesty pulled pork ... stuffed in crispy wonton shells and topped with crunchy Asian slaw with cilantro." Yum!

Several times our waitress comes by asking if we were ready for dessert, but we are both so stuffed, we can’t decide. The lure of dessert at $1.99 is too much for Aaron, so he talks me into ordering two Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters, promising he’ll help finish mine because I am oh-so-full. (What a sacrifice on his part.)

As Aaron's finishing off my shooter, the bill comes. We notice the waitress billed us for three appetizers at the happy hour price instead of the Ultimate Trio price, which is cheaper. We point this out and she replies, "Oh! You wanted the trio!?!" 

Yes, that's what we ordered when Aaron said, "We're going to have the Ultimate Trio" and pointed to it on the menu and made our three choices.

Waitress leaves to correct the bill, and I (think I) overhear someone (her manager?) telling her that she actually served us three separate appetizers instead of the Trio. This would make sense, considering the large portions. But, I can't be sure that's what I heard or if that's what happened. 

Waitress brings back the corrected the bill, and I show her the flyer for the free appetizer and say with a smile, "So, do we get this because you didn't offer us one?" 

"I did! It's the first thing I do at every table." 

Aaron and I look at each other confused. No, she didn't.

"I offer every table a margarita. It's the first thing I do because we get in trouble if we don't. Maybe you didn't hear me."

“Uh, no we didn't hear you ... ”

“Yes, because we get in BIG trouble if we don't. I make it a point because we get in BIG trouble if we don't.”

We laugh awkwardly. "Uh, we didn't hear it." 

I'm now thinking, Wow. You can't just admit your mistake? You have to make us feel bad for you because you didn't do your job, so you're making us the bad guys if we push the matter? 

When she comes back with our card, she hesitantly asks, "So did you want the appetizer? Did you want one right now?" 

"Well, we're full ..." (Thinking, the flyer says it's a voucher for your next visit ...)

She reiterates for the billionth time how it's the first thing she asks and how they get in trouble if they don't, so we finally let it go. 

Aaron tabulates the tip for our unprofessional waitress, because again, if we don't leave the minimum standard tip, we're the bad guys, even though my husband doesn't have a job and I'm self-employed and underpaid, we're still expected to leave a tip for a job poorly done.

---

I notice this just about every time I go out to eat. The servers don't work for their tips. They expect it. And when they make a mistake, they don't own up to it. I don't know if it's Restaurant Theory 101, but it's like they've been trained to say, "Oh, you wanted ... " instead of "Oh, you ordered ..."  

Maybe it's human nature to use that dissociative language, but it pisses me off. Maybe next time I should reply, "Yes I did WANT that because THAT'S what I ORDERED, BITCH!" (OK, so maybe I'll leave off the bitch part.)

What happened to the customer is always right? 

And what happened to the Applebee's manager or assistant manager coming by to check on the meal and make sure the server made the promoted offer?

Applebee's put us in the awkward situation in the first place by making it our responsibility to bring it up, and then our waitress made the situation worse. That's a sure way to lose customers. And that location certainly lost our business.

I just wanted my freakin' free appetizer. I didn't know my meal was going to come with a guilt trip for asking what I was entitled to. 

Update: After complaining online, the manager called me, apologized for the waitress' behavior, and noted that waitress no longer worked there. The manager also sent me coupons for free appetizers/desserts. I am satisfied with the way the manager handled the situation. She was very professional.

Happily Married After

Fourth row bleachers for Joan Jett

I'm 27 years old, and I've been with my husband for 7 years.

We met when I was just 20.

Aaron likes to joke he had to get me when I was young and dumb.

He's 4 years older. I like to tease him about how old he is. He is, after all, in his 30s!


I am especially proud of our relationship. I've had friends and roommates tell me they envy it and that they hope for the same thing in their lives.

Aaron and I spend a lot of time together since we're both home all the time, and we just love hanging out together. Lately, we've been spending a ridiculous amount of time together in a very small space.

At the end of May, we had to temporarily move out of our house because we discovered our house had serious mold. On top of that, we just got a roommate, so she had to leave, too. It was a nightmare.

At first, we were told, 4 days. That's how long we'd be out of the house for mold remediation. Then 4 days turned into 4 more, and 4 more after that.

Now, the mold is gone and the rebuilding has begun. New kitchen counters, new carpet, new paint, etc. We're supposed to be back in our house by July 1st.

In that time, hubby and I have shared a room with our cat and dog at my mom and stepfather's house, which is also home to my disabled uncle and stepgrandmother who has dementia. (Pac Man, the snake, is staying with friends.)

To say it has been trying would be an understatement. But through it all, I've had my wonderful husband.

We've both felt like we're going to lose our minds, like we couldn't take another day cramped in this room with the suitcases overflowing with wrinkled clothes, the small fan attempting to combat the heat of a Sacramento summer in a house that rarely turns on the A/C, and with the cat's stinky litter box not far enough away in the hall outside the bedroom.

But, I think we're still sane, because we have each other ... and Netflix on the Wii.

June 19th was the 7-year anniversary of our first date. June 23rd was our 4th wedding anniversary.

We celebrated by seeing Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in concert and Bridesmaids and Water for Elephants on the big screens. Our movies were free!

Even though our living quarters weren't what we wanted for our anniversary, we had an awesome anniversary because we spent it together ... and with Joan Jett!

Back, and Happy to Boot

You probably thought I forgot all about my blog. This isn't true. Blogging crosses my mind all the time, but I'm just so busy, I have a really hard time taking time out to blog when it's time I could spend writing another article for pay I always need. 

Being a freelance writer is tough; it's even tougher when you're the breadwinner with bills to pay and five mouths to feed. (Aaron and I have a dog, a cat and HE has a snake).

But, I haven't crashed yet from my day of cleaning, bill-paying and writing, so here I am.

I'm in an excellent mood thanks to the good news from the past few days: Obama and Seth Myers roasted Donald Trump at the White House Correspondent's Dinner; U.S. forces killed Osama bin Laden, and the Kings are staying in Sac, at least for one more season. All of the above makes me very happy.

I know some people love Obama, some hate him, many are disappointed, blah, blah, blah. Can we all just agree that Donald Trump is a douchebag and it was awesome to watch him squirm in his chair?  

As a person of faith who is a pacifist at heart, I would have prefered that we captured and tried Osama bin Laden, but I'm a realist when it comes to the world, especially war, so I leave you with this:

I don't care if you've seen it a million times on Facebook. It's funny. If you can't laugh at that, it's time to pull the partisan stick out of your butt and lighten up.