Monday, September 22, 2008

A New Blog - Introductions

Hello. I'm X1 (or some form of that name).
I'm going to try this place out.
JournalCommunity changed my password and didn't bother to let me know. Then, after I asked for it a second time, stating that I was "really irritated", they told someone else that I "flamed" them with a second email.
Whatever.
Time to find a new home!

I'll be transferring everything over here, as soon as I can get to my entries.

***

Today is the first day of Autumn, a situation I'm not exactly happy about, as I hate Winter. However, October is my favorite month. I'm just full of dichotomies, and that's just one!

A little about me:

I'm a single (never been married), female with no children. I do have 3 nieces and 2 nephews, and 1 niece that died of SIDS at age 3 months.

I was born in Milwaukee, WI. I moved to New Orleans, and lived there for years - until Hurricane Katrina came and kicked me out - all the way back to WI. I now live in a Milwaukee suburb, and am just passing time until I can move back to NOLA, which is more home to me than any place on Earth. I love and miss my adopted hometown, her people, her culture, her food and everything else. Well...except the cockroaches and politicians (one and the same thing, really).

I'm on gchat, and also, my name is Im_X1 on Twitter. Follow me!

So. Hi. Nice to meet you.

X1

The Scorecard - Updated

Wow. I didn't pull any punches with my old Scorecard, did I? And since then, my opinions of people have changed, new people have been added, and some fell by the wayside.
Boo and Meg, for example, got married and now live in GA. JT is now Lucky's manager, and I can actually say and spell "Janneke", JT's wife. She still keeps her hair in blonde dreads, but she works for a different hospital now. She's also a rollergirl for BERG, the Big Easy Rollergirls. Her name is "Fleur d'Lethal", but she may change it to "Meggan Groceries".
Jack is still around, but only just realized that we really, really are not dating anymore. Took him a few years. I still care about him, but it is NOT meant to be.
Destiny gave up being a night-time cabbie for United and is now a grade school teacher. She lives with her boyfriend, Johnny, who does construction work. The "marriage" word is in their future.
Rose and Dan are regulars at Lucky's. Debbie still works there, as well, and new bartenders come and go. Karen is still there, and she dumped loser Travis and is now with Angelo, and all is right with that.
A different Travis (AKA T-Love or Big Travis or Big T) is a much-beloved regular at Lucky's, as well.


For the Milwaukee scorecard, we have Dave, the owner of the bar I hang out at, and my friend. Also friends with Chuck, Mike & Beth (AKA Foodlovers), Amy, and Kelly. Daniel, my friend of 21 years, is no longer my friend. His loss.
Other assorted people include: Nancy, Andy, Kevin/George, Chris/Goober, Jackie, and my family members.

The Scorecard - 1/2/05

From JC - The Scorecard - 1/2/05

This is actually relevant to now, as well. I think I'll do a new Scorecard after this one.

Since this is a new diary site, I decided I'd better give a rundown of the "players" in my game o' Life.

Destiny: Cabbie. My best friend in NOLA. Originally from Buffalo, NY. She's older than me by just a few years. She likes to talk, write, and people-watch. She drives her cab at nite in the French Quarter area.

Lucky's: The bar I hang out in. On St. Charles Avenue. It's a 24-hour place. It's got a bar, food, a laundromat, 2 pool tables, a dart board, a small stage for bands, and a quiet "reading" nook with books. You can buy the books for $1.00, which goes to a battered women's shelter. I often donate books there. There's another corner where you can donate clothes or baby goods or foodstuffs, for the women's shelter, but also for the psych ward at Charity Hospital. It also has a porch, so you can sit outside and drink and watch the streetcars go by. It's part of a chain of bars owned by Igor. There's Lucky's, Checkpoint Charlie's, Igor's, and the Buddha Belly.

Boo LaCrosse: The manager of Lucky's. Originally from Wisconsin. He used to work at Buffa's. He dates Meg, who works at the St. Charles Tavern. He's a musician, as well...has played with lots of "big name" people, including the Violent Femmes, the Neville Brothers, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.

Debbie: Weekend dayshift bartender at Lucky's. Also a Notary Public. She's...errr...not quite all there. She's not a really good bartender at all. It's not that she's not nice...she's just...not there. I don't know a better way to put it.

Becca: The weekday dayshift (and Wed nite) bartender. She's a very cool littl riotgrrrl. Originally from Detroit. Very level-headed. Good bartender. Good listener. We often call her "Mama" Becca. Younger than most of us by several years. She dates Don.

Don: Dates Becca. He runs Cafe Reconcile, and is a chef. A big bear of a guy (compared to Becca's 5-ft nothing frame), very genial. Our own local celeb, as he's always appearing in newscasts and in the papers for things related to Cafe Reconcile.

Cafe Reconcile: A restaurant only open for breakfast and lunch. On Oretha Castle Haley Drive...about 2 blocks behind Lucky's. It's basically a halfway house, with a twist. The ppl that work there are all street kids that are in the process of being rehabilitated...ex-gangbangers, dealers, druggies/alcoholics, battered/homeless kids, etc. CR takes these kids and teaches them job skills...everything from cooking to waiting tables to working a cash register. When they are done with the program, restaurants all over New Orleans line up to hire these kids, because they know the kids are good at what they do. Don runs the Cafe.

Buffa's: Bar/restaurant on Esplanade. Destiny and I hang there. Boo used to work there, and used to date Sarah, who is a bartender there. JD bartends there.

Sandy: Thursday day shift and fill-in bartender at Lucky's. Relatively new to the Lucky's scene. She's very cool. Also an "exotic dancer". She dates JD.

JD: Bartender for Buffa's and Checkpoint Charlie's. Dates Sandy. Originally from Washington, D.C. Lots of piercings and ink. Fire-eater. Very cool, intelligent, mellow guy.

Karen: Bartender at Lucky's. 3rd shift weekends. Intelligent. Writes poetry. Most guys love her. She dated (dated? Well, ok...slept with) Jack for a while. She dated Travis and Angelo at the same time, then chose Travis over Angelo.

Travis: Dates Karen. Lives upstairs from Lucky's. Very young, but thinks he has the entire world figured out, and everyone is stupid except him. Knows Karate and Judo. Looks like the typical renderings of Jesus. Alcoholic.

Angelo: Boo's best friend. Divorced. Has 2 sons. Greek. Originally from New York. Used to date Karen. Very nice, very mellow guy. Dangerous, too, but you'd never know it. Was Special Forces in the military, and a bouncer in New York and New Orleans. Could prolly kill someone 20 different ways with a single finger. Good thing he's so mellow.

JT: 3rd shift bartender at Lucky's. Musician. I don't see him much anymore. Married to J. She's from the Netherlands, originally, and her name's hard to spell and pronounce. So "J" will do.

J: Married to JT. She's an OT in the psych ward at Charity Hospital. Likes to sew and do crafts. Originally from the Netherlands. Keeps her hair in blonde dreads.

OTEL: Saturday nite band at Lucky's. They play elsewhere, as well. Nominated for "Best Emerging Band in New Orleans". Paul is the lead singer, lead guitar, and keyboards. Al plays bass and sings backup. Hiero plays second guitar and sings backup. He's from Japan, and barely speaks any English, but is absolutely amazing on a guitar. I forget the drummer's name, but he's not there all that often. I think they're trying to replace him.

Jack: My ex-boyfriend of one month. He used to "date" Karen, too. He's 34. Long hair. Drifter. Couch-Surfer. Talks non-stop. Thinks he's smart...and there may be some intelligence there, but acts more stupid than anything else. Gets his information about women from "Maxim" magazine. Racist. Homophobe. Cheerfully proclaims to be a Redneck Asshole. Nothing is EVER his fault.
What did I see in him? No clue. I was lonely, and he paid attention to me. I've learned my lesson quite well, thank you.

Sean: Lives upstairs from Lucky's with his g/f Arienne and Arienne's son (when her son is not w/his father in FL). Big guy, well over 6' tall. Looks scary but is a teddybear. I love him, he loves me, but he loves Arienne more. Hates most ppl. Wants to go back to Arizona and live in the desert. I think he'll actually do that this year. Prolly right after Mardi Gras.

Dockside: Dockide is a restaurant in River Ridge, where I used to live when I first moved to LA. The owners, Ms. Rebecca and Dan, basically adopted me. I used to eat there 2 or 3 times a week. They (or the waitstaff) taught me how to eat boiled crab, fix Turtle Soup, and the proper way to eat Crawfish. Rogie is a waitress there.

The rest of the scorecard is my family, and lesser players in New Orleans and Milwaukee and elsewhere. People I don't see as often as I should, or some that I know only as "acquaintance"...the barflys and so on.

2005 is Odd, So Far - 1/2/05

From JC - 1/2/05 - 2005 Is Odd, So Far...

You know how, sometimes, when you're sick, everything around you seems TOO bright, and TOO real....but at the same time, you have a feeling that if you blink one too many times, it'll all disappear?
I have that right now.
I woke up yesterday not hung over, but sick. Most likely a sinus infection. I can't breathe without gagging. I haven't eaten since New Year's Eve. I haven't smoked since then, either.
The only meds I've taken are the horrid-sounding "Mucinex", and some hot tea.
Oh, and I took some Excederin, too....kinda hoping that this was all just hangover-related.
Nothing changed, so I guess not.

I was supposed to go to Lucky's last nite to see OTEL play.
Also, Angelo bought me a Christmas prezzie, and said he would bring it last nite to give it to me.
I'm very touched, and now feeling guilty, because I have nothing for him.
I told him he didn't have to get me anything, and he said "I wanted to." He said he gave everyone a prezzie except bartender Debbie...'cause nobody really likes Debbie. I felt guilty leaving her out, tho', and I got her something small, anyway.
Then he said, "I hope you like it", to which my response was, "Well, of course I will", and he said, "No, I mean I really do hope you'll like it", with a touch of anxiety. Well, as anxious as Angelo can get, anyway....he's way mellow.
This makes me think that (unlike a lot of guys) he actually gave thought to what to get me.
I'm touched.
Destiny is, too. She said she's more anxious than I am to see what he got me now. Heh.
I'm s'posed to go to Grits on Lyons to watch the football games today. They have many TV's, so we can watch the Saints, the Packers, and the Jets all at once. I've never been to this bar before, but apparently, the rest of the Lucky's crowd goes there quite often.
Besides not being able to breathe, I guess I feel OK. Just spacey.
I don't work tomorrow, so I could stay out late if I really wanted to.
Do I really want to?
Being sick means rest and tea and meds.
But I really want to watch the games. I'll only get the Saints game if I watch at home.
And I want see what Angelo got me.

I think I'll take a shower. I always think (and feel) better after a shower, sick nor not.

I'm kinda worried about my parents. They went to Greece for New Year's Eve. I usually talk to them every Sunday morning at 8 AM (my time), regardless of what time zone they happen to be in.
I tried all of their numbers there, and nobody answered any of them.
And...it's now 8.30 AM (my time), and they haven't called me, either.
It's evening in Greece. They could be headed out to dinner somewhere. If they're in the mountains, they don't get phone reception.
If I don't hear from them in about an hour, I'll start calling my sisters for news.

The start of 2005 continues to remain....odd.

01.01.Omy - 1/1/05

From JC - 1/1/05 - 01.01.OMY

I've been up for something like 30 hour now.
I just got in.
Forgive any typos...I'm still a little dranked and a lot tired.

NYE was OK. I managed to piss off Jack to such an extent that he left around 8.30 PM and didn't come back all nite.
Yay me.
I gave many back rubs to many ppl. My hands and wrists are sore.
Even w/the many JacknCokes, I can still feel how sore my hands and wrists are.

I had a donut. It was good.

Sean....
*sigh*
He so disappointed me. I did NOT want to ring in the new year with tears, but I did.

I don't ask for much, ever. Very little, in fact. I hate asking for anything from anyone.
I asked Sean one thing. ONE THING.
Please, please, please come downstairs (he lives above Lucky's) right before midnite and give me my Midnite Kiss.
He PROMISED he would.

He didn't.

He came in around 1.30, with another girl and her b/f...sat at the opposite end of the bar..ignored me....then, came over to me about an hour and a half later, and kissed me on the cheek. I ignored it and just lit up a smoke. He got pissed and stormed out.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make him mad, but I was (and am) so hurt.
I know it sounds so stupid. Whothehell cares about a stupid kiss on NYE?
I'm 36, and just once in my life, I'd've liked a NYE Midnite Kiss from a guy.
I didn't think it was too much to ask the universe for.
Apparently, it was.
Not getting one brought me to tears, which is also stupid on my part.
It's not a big deal to anyone except me. I put waaaayyyy too much stock in it. But I can't help it.
Just once, please, can I start a new year with a smile instead of tears?
I only wanted to feel that someone cared enough, and nobody does. Not even my "friend" Sean.
I called him after he stormed off, and tried to explain, but just hung up after a few words. He hasn't tried to call me back, either.
So I guess I now know where I stand.

I'm goimg to bed. I need sleep.

Calming Down, But Still Bitchy - 12/31/04

From JC - 12/31/04 - Calming Down, But Still Bitchy
(I'd typed up a whole entry, which took a while, and JC "lost" it)

OK, I've settled down a bit.
This entry is going to be nowhere near as long or detailed as the one I lost.....

I ended up going to Lucky's last nite. Sandy was working the bar, and Karen was there, gettin' dranked. Poor girl..it's been a tough couple weeks for her: Last week, her b/f got arrested for attacking JT (Lucky's weekend 3rd shift bartender), this week, she had to call the cops to arrest of friend of hers for drunk & disorderly on her shift, and last of all, her cat died.
Actually, she still had the small container with her at the bar. She had just come from picking up the kittie's remains, and needed a drink...or several.
Poor thing.

Then Boo came in for his shift, and Sandy left.

Sean came in after work. He was in a horrid, angry, crappy mood, too. I plied him with beer and shots of Jameson's until he calmed down enough to go home to bed.
Arienne is out of town visiting her son, so he promised he'd come in the bar tonite and give me my Midnite Kiss.

I've decided to wear a black velvet blouse with silver glitter designs on it, a tank top underneath, black pants and my black pointy-toed shoes. Black & White is traditional NYE wear. It's sorta dressy and sorta not. Nobody in Lucky's dresses up. It's your traditional neighborhood dive bar.

It's going to be 76 degrees here today, going down to 58 tonite.

I don't have much to do, other than go to the grocery for some cheese and some paper plates.

Sometimes, I think Lucky's is really my bar, since I'm the one that does everything (or anything) fun around there.
I'M the one that bought the party favors, champagne glasses, masks, beads, bubbles (for the bubble machine), etc.
I'M the one that's bringing food and appetizers.
I'M the one that's going there early to decorate the joint.
Do you think anyone chipped in money...or will come and help me set up? NO! Not even Boo, the manager. Ugh.
Sometimes, I wonder why I bother.
Then I remember: I want to have fun, and in order to do that, I've gotta be the one that provides the fun stuff.

I'm bringing my own champagne, too. I can't stand that cheap-ass "sparkling wine" shite they serve. Champagne should be CHAMPAGNE.
In case you're wondering: Vueve-Clicquot Ponsardin. It's a Brut, produced in Reims, France.
Better than that Moet & Chandon crap, or (gods forbid) Martini & Rossi. Or Cold Duck, of all the.....
I'd rather drink sparkling cider than that stomach-churning poison.

I know that all prolly sounds horridly pretentious, but ya know what? I don't care. Champagnes and wines should be done properly, or not at all.

I have so few rules in my life....I need to stick to the few I do have. Heh.

Have a safe and happy new year, everyone.

Debating 12/30/04

From JC, 12/30/04 - Debating

I'm debating on whether or not to go to Lucky's tonite.
I mean...I was there last nite for a while (I picked up Becca and took her to the airport), and I'll be there tomorrow nite for NYE. And again on Sunday to watch football.
That's way too much time to spend in a bar.
On the other hand....
I'm bored.
The only person I've talked to all day (besides the kitties) was the guy at the brake tag inspection station.

I already did my "I'm Bored Drive", which consists of driving in a circle in/around the city.
I start at Camp, and drive into the French Quarter. I ogle the tourists as they ogle everything else. Drive by Johnnie White's to see if I know anyone in there.
That eventually leads me to Rampart. I take Rampart to Esplanade Ave. Beep the horn as I pass by Destiny's apartment. See if Nick Cage is at his house. Turn onto Decatur, and drive past the Cafe du Monde, Jackson Square, and all the buggies. Pass by House of Blues to see what tour busses are there.
This leads me back to Magazine Street. I drive the entire length, then turn and drive back the entire length of St. Charles Avenue. I peek at Lucky's as I pass, to see if I know anyone sitting on the porch, or if I recognize the cars or bikes parked in front.
Then I turn and end up back at my house.

All in all, it takes about an hour and a half to do the circuit, depending on traffic and how many tourists jump in front of my car.

It's 74 degrees here, btw. A nice sunny day.

Meh, I guess I'll go. I don't work tomorrow.
And Sandy is working. She's cool. She made me brownies for my birthday.
And perhaps Sean will join me later for a shot.

That wasn't much of a debate, was it? Heh.