Token end of The Year Post

Alright y'all, the end is here. I believe this will be my last post of the year. I wasn't sure exactly what it should be about. I hate New Year's resolutions so I don't think I'll be listing any of those. I do, however, believe I'll be giving y'all an overview of my year. Accomplishments, random highs, and yeah, even embarrassing moments and failures.

I had one hell of a year for 2013.  My first complete year to live in Mississippi since I'd moved away when I was younger. Every birthday, holiday, adventure, shenanigans all in Mississippi. Well. Mostly in Mississippi.

January I started the year out right with my birthday, having a gingerman over from New York.  I got woo'ed by him and also beat out him and his friend from hitting on a waitress and getting her number. Score for the ginger lady.  I also got a ginger cat named Bacon Shamus who drove me up a fuckin wall and after only a couple months of having him, gave him away to someone who could give him the attention he needed.

Lots of gingery in the month of January.

February also started out great with bartending school where I (didn't know at the time) met the gal who would become my best friend and my rock, Kandy. I also managed to get pulled over for intoxication of a vehicle I wasn't even driving and, the best part, in which no one was even drinking in. That's right. Dick cop saw a bunch of youngsters having fun and didn't think it was possible without the liquid courage. Womp womp.  Also finally got to participate in Mardi Gras and caught seven spears!

March was just smooth sailing. Making friends in school and learning who to avoid. It was the start of real friendships that would last and some that would later get me into trouble at the clubs.

April I finally found someone who would show me the ropes going to the clubs throughout the Gulf Coast. How to mingle for an easy drink and dip out before committing to a lame one night stand. Free drinks and shots began a new lifestyle for this northerner.

May is when I get my big news- no longer a housekeeper but a barback.  Then I got a second job as a bartender as well for a little while.. found out that one was a huge bust... I find out barbacking is everything I was looking for in a job.  Hustling for tips, add on a swag and a charm, along with hard work and keeping the bar under control. I meet some awesome people my age that I can hang with. I also scored a gig of (supposedly) seven hundred Indian guests. Dot, not feather.

June I take a trip to the past and fly up to Montana for a deliciously German wedding! Visit with old friends, tell them of all my new adventures, and invite them to come with me to create more. By the end of the month, I buy my baby... my '73 Volkswagen Beetle. I also meet some interesting people in the club and my dancing days come crashing in Biloxi when I find my friend isn't a friend at all.  My girl Kandy comes to the rescue and shows me what's up in Gulfport.

July is when I finally get to see New Orleans in my adult life.  A full year of living an hour away and I'd yet to find someone to adventure it with me.  This time I had five others- coworkers from my fantastic job.  Then 7/20 rolls around. For those of you who know my superstition, you know it was a big deal me losing my dream job on that day. A week before my probation period ended.  My world gets shifted out of motion.

In August, one of the shifty characters I'd met in the club introduced me to someone I wouldn't ordinarily talk to.  Some Brit he worked with.  One word was said about Volkswagen and BOOM the nonstop talk of the cars began. I'd finally found someone I could relate to and count on.  He taught me about the cars and in return I made banana bread and paintings. Oh, and finding another job as a barback was easy enough. Only unemployed for a couple weeks max.

September I was getting into my new swing of things working as the new graveyard barback and spending a lot of time with my new acquaintance.  Still in high hopes of hitting something big but the part time barback job was enough to keep my bills paid so I wasn't worrying. Kandy and I meet two more gentlemen at the club. Later to form what we call "The Group" and our own little makeshift family.

October... always my least favourite month of the year. A high superstition about this one as well, my heart strings are tugged on in all different directions.  I lay low for this month. Work. Mema. Home. Work. Mema. Home. Kept it simple until Halloween bartending gigs and the big Halloween party at one of the clubs. Ya girl here got schmammered.  Unlike in previous times though, I had a pack of friends with me that had my back and wouldn't let anyone try to harm me... not even some unsuspecting black Superman.

November I'm officially working more shifts on day and after a month of both grave and day shift barbacking, I'm a day walker. Took some getting used to and even a time or two of being late before getting into a "normal" sleep pattern... I'm still nocturnal.  Mister VW and I decide we're better friends and yes, to this day we are still talking and social.  My inner artists kicks in and paintings and puzzles are popping up everywhere.

December is where we bring my year to a closing. I talked to my boss at my old job, I don't want to spoil or jinx anything, but things might be looking up.  As for me and men? Well I think I've narrowed my search to just one. If he behaves, we'll see.  Last night I had to get out my baseball bat and call the cops, but that's a story all in it's own.

I did edit out some things throughout the year. Moments I couldn't pinpoint like when I finally joined the 21st century and got a cellular communication device- even has picture messaging! No matter how damn oldschool the phone is.  Things that I did in this year I told myself I never would. A night where ruphalyn might have been involved. You get the picture. Just a lot of crazy things in 2013.

For all of my friends who have always wondered what it would be like in a day of my shoes.. here's a whole year for you. It's an extraordinary life and it's mine.

It's a Small World After All

As y'all know by now, I do enjoy my clubbing from time to time. Not that of the baby seals, just the dancing, occasional drinking, and ego boosts from getting hit on by men.

A couple Thursdays ago, me and my ladies went to one of our favourite night clubs- we get in and drink free on these nights. It was a typical night, not one worth going into detail about. The usual happened:

• Dodge the man in a jumpsuit rolling on acid
• Dance to the songs we know
• Avoid 'creepers' and shank a bitch if one tries to mess with one of my girls
• Mildly  make fun of the go-go dancers who are terrible at dancing
  
  Typical evening.  

There was one gent in there kinda worth mentioning- a light skinned mulatto who eyed me from the edge of the dance floor. His approach was graceful and polite, his dance moves within the realm of ordinary black man moves, and his smile genuine. With him, the evening went on in waves.

He'd come for a dance, I'd stay for one, run back with my girls and continue our thing until approached again.  Once or twice he'd asked for my number and all I replied was "We'll see how the night goes." By the end of our evening when we were cutting out early, he makes a last attempt and I politely take his phone and enter in some random ten digits and tell him my phone is in the car.

We walk away, nothing to be seen here, nothing out of the ordinary.

Now the next week one of my main ladies was in town and upon request wanted to go to the same club as it is a favourite of her's as well. Thursday nights are always good nights so we go in and our usual yet again:

• Dodge the man in a jumpsuit rolling on acid
• Dance to the songs we know
• Avoid 'creepers' and shank a bitch if one tries to mess with one of my girls
• Mildly  make fun of the go-go dancers who are terrible at dancing
  
  Typical evening.
  

Until the nightmare of all of the wrong-number-handing-out girls' happens- the same guy sees me in the club.  I act natural, give him a wave, smile, and turn to dance with my ladies, sending the face of red-flag. It's our code face for abandon ship.

Of course, he casually came over to dance again within the night and told me the number was wrong.
"Oh that's weird," and gave him another fake. 

See, I have this problem with being rude or tellin someone to 'fuck off' if they really haven't done anything wrong or been mean in the slightest. So, giving out a wrong number and crossing my fingers I'll never see them again is the nicest way to let them know it's just not gonna happen.

We walk away, nothing to be seen here, nothing out of the ordinary.

Two days ago I started my workweek again. Ate the usual lunch down at the employee dining area (tuna wrap with spinach) and on my way back to the casino entrance, I look over at valet like I usually do to see who's coming in out of pure curiosity.

I'll have you know I see that delightful son of a bitch.

I'll also have you know he works for the same casino. In valet.

When I looked over, he was walking up to the doors and at the same time, we smiled at each other, I gave a half-assed wave and our facial expressions were similar; perplexed and thinking, hm. I've seen them somewhere before and as if our brains at the same time made the connection to the club, our eyes got wider and awkward oh shit smiles came across our faces.

I didn't stop, just kept walking and ran to my cocktails to gossip to them.

"BUSTED! You are sooooo busted!" One of them said as I concluded my story telling them who I just saw.
"Just tell him. Tell him you're taken if he says anything. That's understandable." Said another.
"Yeah, I know, it's just so weird! This never happens!"

The same day I did have to pass valet again to drop off the dirt rags in their determined bin. Headed back to the casino, he's walking toward me this time, smile on his face and we both start laughing.

"Oh my gosh hi!" He says with a hug.
"Haha hi. You're the guy from the club, aren't you?" I blush, wincing with embarrassment.
"Yeah yeah that's me. I was so drunk when I was there..." he chuckled a little, almost apologetically.

We're in good humours so I cut to the chase.
"So I totally gave you the wrong number on purpose." I start laughing. He laughs too, "Oh I asked for your number? I didn't even know! Oh man I was so gone that night. I remember us dancing a little," He says, a big smile still on his face.
"Oh really? It was no big deal, you didn't act an ass or anything, I'm just dating someone and I didn't want to give you a huge shut down is all."
Still chuckling at the whole scenario,"That's great! It's really no big deal, I don't even remember half the night!"

You would have thought we were old friends carrying on the way we were.
"Yeah I was there with him actually," Gesturing to one of his coworkers. He started walking toward the sliding doors to the outside and I also took my cue to head back to my post. "That's cool, I'll see you around."

And that, people, is why you always stay polite, courteous, and spare people their shame as often as you can. Never know who you'll run into again or work with.