HAPPY NEW YEAR: She's Ba-aack!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

No, this is not a joke. Yes, I am actually updating my bartending blog. Amazing, right?

It all started, as do a lot of things these days with a tweet (Chris Brown, Raz B... I'm looking at you). A friend of mine from college announced he was throwing a New Year's Eve party and needed a bartender. Never one to look past an opportunity, I replied (essentially), "I be dat." No hesitation.

Mind you, I haven't stepped behind a bar since July 2009. I've never served 150 people at once. And the private parties I'd done before this one have been considerably smaller. Honestly, I was a little nervous as the day approached, but being a bartender is part of who I am. You don't forget what comes naturally. And I aint neva scared of savage crowds banging their cups on the bar demanding, "WE WANT DRINK! WE WANT DRINK!"

The key to being a good bartender, I think, isn't in how you mix the drinks. I mean, that's definitely important, but I think the key to it all is entertaining people. Everybody just wants to have a good time, man. You gotta, you know, bedazzle them with choreographed routines of bottle flipping and twirling and shit! ...Okay I lied. I can't actually do this:

...But a little witty banter, eye winking, sparkly smiling, and dancing goes a long way. I do my best to keep customers very well entertained whenever I'm back there, and I have a great time doing it.

Since I was a child, I've enjoyed performing, and the way I see it: the bar is my stage, the customers are my audience, and the drinks come secondary. I'm no mixologist, but I am a damn good bartender. And I love that.

I mean, I love it so much my customers love that I love it.

So yeah! Yeah... all that being said: Deena Behind the Bar is BACK IN FULL EFFECT!

Since I just can't seem to stay away from the liquor, I'm going on the hunt for a bar gig... again. I like large nightclubs, strip clubs, and concert venues. If you hear of anything let me know. I also do private parties. Hit me on Twitter at @ohDeena!

PS: I know I usually have very candid stories about the crazy things that happen to me behind the bar, but if you want specifics on NYE, you're just going to have to ask me directly, lol.

PPS: My other blog, http://marginalwisdom.wordpress.com/ is still active, I promise. You should dig around on there too.

This Past Week in Brooklyn

I've been up to a lot a bit this past week:

On the Job Hunt

I called about 50 different places in Brooklyn and the LES, looking for work. Out of those 40, maybe 4 were actively hiring. After calling these places one day, I then spent the next day hoofing it around town, dropping off resumes and filling out applications (from 10 am to 11 pm!). I learned some key things through this exhausting exercise though: 1. comedy clubs are a cool place to bartend and I think I'd really like it, 2. all even avenues in NY run north, and 3. the fact that I went to bartending school actually makes my resume look worse. Bartending school isn't really looked upon as an institution of prestige where you learn how to do everything the right way. It's frowned upon as a two-bit scam where they teach you the quick-n-dirty way how to mix drinks for people who don't know the difference between a cocktail and a cockatoo.

I learned that bit from the bartender and manager at my apprenticeship. No, I didn't come away from my recent bit of hunting with a job (Aside: how did the owner of this bar tell me I had a sexy picture and that he'd definitely be calling me, but never call. I'ma come back 'n shoot your bar up, playin' wit my unstable emotions like that! I got rent to pay, don't get my hopes up!), but I did get an apprenticeship at this really cool, new old-school cocktail bar in Brooklyn. It's chill because the first thing the manager did when he met me was offer me weed (which, incidentally, I don't smoke). It's old-school because they're real masters of the cocktail. I mean, this place is among the .01% of bars around the world that make all their own syrups. This bar is so high class that KETEL ONE, COINTREAU and HENNESSEY are rail liquors. Your typical rail liquors are like... Velicoff (vodka), Ronrigo (rum), Montezuma (triple sec), Odesse (gin), and Bols (triple sec).

I spent my first day straining pecan milk into pecan paste and pecan syrup. ...And sampling drinks and interacting with the customers, of course. And let me just say, that after having a REAL cocktail... I don't think I can drink anywhere else. Oh, I can drink a Jack+Cran, but not a cocktail. Nah. I gotta have a REAL cocktail, homes. Yep, I'm becoming a snob (and for good reason). I've learned a lot through observation and listening too. I like this.

On the Home Front

So, the apprenticeship is great, but I have bills. And my living expenses require about $1,100 to flow out of my checking account each month. I need money. I really, really hate asking my mother for it, even though I have no choice right now. But it's killing me because I know she's got so many responsibilities and such and I hate being another burden. Until an opportunity opens up, Mommy is it for me though. I just gotta keep hustling, keep looking... especially at places around colleges or where a lot of college kids will go. They typically need more staff around this time of year.

Other than the bills though, I'm loving my home life. My roommates are great. I love my neighborhood. And even though Brooklyn smells like dog shit and garbage, I love it too. My room is coming together nicely... although living on the basement floor does have its drawbacks, chiefly: 1) the buggos and 2) the fact that I suffocated an alive-thing (which I think was a mouse) in my trashcan. I don't eat or allow food in my room because I don't want to attract any alive-things. My dumbass threw a muffin paper in the trashcan. All I can say is: at least the alive-thing couldn't crawl back out and I was able to kill it without seeing it by tying the trash up. Ugh. I'm so not made for that type of thing.

On the School Front

OMG. So. I start Parsons tomorrow and I'm SO excited/nervous. I can't wait to actually learn things I'm interested. And! I've already met someone in my program... she lives right above me, actually. I can't wait to meet people who are as excited by fabric as I am. I'm nervous about the learning curve and all that, but honestly... I'm just so ready.

Lesson of the Day:

(Quoted from the manager at the bar where I apprentice)

"Hesitation is death. That split second where you're deciding which way to swerve is what gets you killed. Just go with your instincts."

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!

Growl. I'm Hunting Again.

So, I'm on the job hunt again.

Going on open calls, hitting up random bars, calling places, etc.

I'm realistic, yet optimistic.

Just went to another bikini-themed restaurant/club. I really hope I get this one; it's not as much money per week, but I really, really liked the atmosphere. All of the employees seemed to like each other, the managers I spoke with were nice and completely un-hood. The entire vibe of the place was relaxed and friendly. Me likey.

I'm getting tired of running around, but that's the hustle.

School starts in two weeks, as well. Eep! Orientation next week. Eep! I'm SO scared/excited. Can't wait.

WTF!? >=|

Attention: I wrote these lyrics with the intention of copyrighting and recording them. They are MY intellectual property. Anyone who poaches will feel the wrath of my father, who happens to be an entertainment lawyer.

WTF!? >=|

He must really think he’s cute
With his li’l
LOL smiley face
LOL smiley face
(Funny shit, yo)

(Chorus)
Shorty just text me,
say he wanna sex me
LOL smiley face,
WTF angry face
Wants me to send a twit pic
Thinks he gonna get this,
OMG, I’m ROTFLMAO

Ain’t gonna fake; nah, I can’t lie ya’ll
He turned my head; SNAP! Caught my eye, ya’ll.
This boy was chisel-chisel, cut-cut, FINE ya’ll
And I was like: get ‘im, thought he shoulda been mine, ya’ll
But he was That Dude. Bragged about his strokin’-mandigo.
Winked at all the girls and talked that nasty boy lingo
In class he sat behind me; used to pull my ponytail
I flirted back (couldn’t help myself) so he tried to get a piece of tail
But when it came down to it/couldn’t get around to it
For all his braggin, he was bluffin/never touched the muffin (Uhhh…)
I’m confused, can’t figure out the deal
Come to find out he was on the DL…

(Chorus)

Can’t believe he thinks I don’t know,
That he likes it a little homo
Shorty sending twit pics
sayin come and get this
LOL smiley face
SMH womp face.

Now, this one, I met club-hoppin in the summertime
I was poppin, he was clockin like I’d really give him my time
He wouldn’t lemme ‘lone, grabbed me when I tried to walk away
Kept repeating, “you’re so beautiful,” like that was gonna make me stay.
When I told him, “get some better game,” he pulled out his frat card
Please. That wouldn’t impress me even if it was a Black Card.
I tried to leave again, but he wouldn’t move out the way
I gave him my number just to get him out my face
Now it’s a year later and he’s still tryna hit me up
Gettin’ familiar like we been talkin’, gettin’ up and stuff
Tryna horse-and-carraige this…
How did I encourage this?
I aint said one word to ‘im
You would think I put that good on ‘im.

(Chorus)

Can’t believe he thinks I don’t know,
That he’s a lot-a bit psycho
Shorty sending twit pics
sayin come and get this
LOL smiley face
SMH womp face.

[ALTERNATE verse 3]

Just broke up, but I wasn’t on the rebound;
I wasn’t lost, and I wasn’t tryna be found.
But I had excess energy, you know what I mean
So I played the field, I was always on the scene.
Hittin’ dudes up, 2 am, “where are you?”
Hittin’ dudes up, 4 am, “where are you?”
Most of ‘em were cool and knew I didn’t want forever
Some started trippin, thought I wanted to be together
Started getting possessive
So I got progressive
On to the next one
Case-closed, done son!
But he didn’t take the hint, and he’s still callin me
LOL OMG, what an exercise in futility.

(Chorus)

Can’t believe he thinks I don’t know,
That he’s delusional
Shorty sending twit pics
sayin come and get this
LOL smiley face
SMH womp face.

Original "LOL =)" - Trey Songz feat. Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy