Grind Time

It seems like I'm always coming back from flitting off somewhere; I've got location ADD or something.

Anyway, I returned from a brief (weekend) trip back home to Maryland yesterday. I go back every 6-8 weeks to get my lovely mouth bling tightened and tuned and such. I love what the braces are doing to my teeth (my smile is THIS close to perfect now! 10 out of 10 [okay, 4 out of 4] dentists agree that my teeth themselves are pretty, so having them straightened will be even more awesome), however I can't wait until June, October at the latest, when they come off!

While I was down home, I listened to my 11 year old niece play the piano (beautiful!) and gave my soon-to-be 14 year old niece some advice about high school. (Eyes well up). I remember when I helped teach her how to read, and now she's going to high school! High school! I want to be as available for her as possible since I'm here and my sister's a single parent. I want to be the cool aunt who makes her prom dress and helps her fill out her college applications. (I definitely made sure to tell her to study, study, study for the PSAT because that's how I got my scholarship which paid for my undergrad career in its ENTIRETY).

After enjoying certain DMV delights, like LEDO'S PIZZA!, for the first time in ages and DC Chillin' with my fam, I stepped out on the town with some friends from Howard and my Bowie Crew.

We ended up going to Grand Central in Adams Morgan. I definitely recommend it. You can walk in dressed chill, enjoy movies such as Finding Nemo (yes, "I shall call you My Squishy and you shall be mine," Finding Nemo) on the flat screens downstairs, and dance around like you haven't got a care in the word (i.e. jumping the "invisible rope". And after it's all over you can engage in some playful banter with the entirely too pressed cops outside and grab a JUMBO (and I mean JUMBO) slice from next door. #GoodNights happen here.

Going to Adams Morgan definitely made me miss DC 40x more than I've been missing it. I haven't really had time to miss DC since I've been back so frequently, and I actually like New York now, but going out on the town just made my heart ache a bit when it was over. I have to have a residence in DC/MD when I get successful (no, I will not put up a link to the Drake + Trey Songz jont because I'm so tired of hearing Drake everywhere I turn). When I become rich enough so that taking a shuttle flight between DC and NY is nothing, I will do it. DC really has my heart and I can't deny it.

But now I'm back in New York, still searching for a job that will allow me to pay my rent. My tuition is being paid for by my mother (this semester/year, at least), but I've got to cover my rent and bills myself. I can't let her do that too. I need something to pan out with the quickness, too. I really want to keep the bartending job, but being a real estate agent or apartment shower person or whatever is lookin' kind of attractive too. We'll see who hits me back (if they hit me back) first.

Just had orientation for school and the theme seems to be: you THINK you know what you're getting into but you have absolutely NO idea. This is a fashion hazing process. In the words of Shane Sparks, "I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just trying to prepare you." ...Too late. I'm scared.

PS... Shane is SUCH a hater!

Sayonara Sunday

That's right, I'm saying goodnight and goodbye to the bikini bar.  (I'm horribly fickle, I know.).  Reasons why:

1.  I can't hide my attitude problem with my boss.  I refuse to be ordered around like a dog.  I'm just not doing it, and I don't respect anyone who does it to me.  You tell me, "go talk to them," and I will answer, "alright, already!"  I know it's rude.  I know I'm the employee here.  But I don't consider that a real job and I'm not going to defer to such behavior.  Accordingly, my boss doesn't like me.

ASIDE: I don't know when I got like this, but I'm a lot less close-lipped than I used to be.  I used to take everything with a smile, but now I'm more "nice when I deem the cause worthy".  I... I... I think I'm becoming a bitch.  (Only when it's deserved, of course!).

2.  The customers get on my nerves.  After I reply, "no, I'm a bartender, not a prostitute," after you ask me to go with you tonight, do not ask me, "why not?"  ...Excuse me?  These perverts.

ASIDE:  I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on who I am and who I'm not; where I belong and where I don't.  I can chill in an environment I don't belong in for a minute, but I know it's not the place for me.  I feel like as long as you know who you are, it doesn't matter where you are, you can't get lost.

So, for all my family members who may be out there, reading all of my crazy tales: don't worry about me.  Of course, I don't know everything about who I am, but I know who I'm not.

3.  I made my rent money!  Consequently, I have no further use for that place.

4.  Boss Man took me off schedule (because he doesn't like me), which works perfectly for me because I didn't want to come back next week anyway.  Hel-lo free time!

This other bar wants to hire me to dance (salsa, merengue, etc.) with customers and bartend, but I want to work at a club, where the main focus isn't the bar.  It's more my speed.

I like really fast-paced places where I can keep my conversations with customers short and sweet, where I'm always moving so the night goes by quickly, where I don't have to work 5 frickin days a week.  ...Where there isn't a chance for customers to get perverted with me.  

So... bigger clubs, here I come.  I've got some NYC bartending experience under my belt: my resume has had its butt shots.  Let's go.

Before I left the bikini bar, I had the proper send off though.  We gave a Cablevision customer service rep (I actually think he might've been one of the ones I got loud and indignant with... whoops), the night of his life: five girls dancing for him at once.  He tipped us $20 each.  And another guy tipped me $20 just because I looked Dominican and he said I would fit right in in his country.  

Again: RENT MADE!

CHILL TIME shall commence once again.  Time to make a list of dance clubs and concert halls, etc.

I'm living in NYC: life comes at you fast.