Monday, June 18, 2007

Pralines


For the mate's birthday night, I had the best shrimp po boy in the world. R&O's had the genius to open a restaurant on my side of the lake. Michael and I are fanatical about their shrimp po-boys and have travelled the hour to get them every now and again. Now that they are closer to home, we don't need to go so far, though at $12 per - it will still be a big treat when we do indulge.

Then we went to our other favorite spot, MiMamacita's, for 2 margaritas each. We even did a shot of Petrone. I always advise against shots, but this was a special night, and a little tequila doesn't hurt anyone. We never donned a lampshade hat, nor swung from chandeliers. It was just a quiet, private party between a caveman and his cavewoman.

Woke up feeling happy and healthy on Father's Day. Made these pralines. I'd give Aunt Sally's in the French Quarter a run for her money.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Happy birthday to Saturn's main man...


He is not your typical Gemini. Oh sure, he runs hot and cold in a flash. And yes, he is very quick on his feet. But that's about it. He is not very chatty - like his Dad was whose birthday would have been yesterday, and his Mercury - ruler of Gemini - was conjunct his Sun. Talk about never shutting up... sheesh - loved him, though.

We have all kinds of flowing aspects in our synastry, and a heck of a composite chart. He is very lucky I understand his challenging aspects, otherwise, his Mercury opposite Saturn would send me packing.

Mercury is the planet of communication and how a person thinks and what they think about. Saturn can constrict, oppress, and ultimately depress a person. Only because they are opposite in his chart, that means he will sometimes project that onto others - the blame game.

One of my reference books says that Virgo on the 7th house cusp, which I have, can attract a critical partner. Or be one. That it is/does.

Michael has Aquarius on the 7th house cusp, and look he who chose to marry - an Aquarian that he can love/hate. And he tells me he hates me sometimes. Those are times when I get him to stretch beyond his limitations. Then, he loves me after the expansion.

Today, I wish to help him celebrate his life in whatever way he wishes. And may he have many more.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Fire the Grid up

http://firethegrid.com/eng/home-fr-eng.htm

This is something people of good will all over can do to help the situation we find ourselves in.

In 2002, the Rainbow Children of Hawaii sent an invitation for all who care to join our minds together and bombard GW, Saddam, Rumsfeld, and all other players in the Middle East conflict with light and love. It was a set time for a 15 minute meditation during which we were asked to tune in collectively and envision these leaders as children.

I was working with a woman in a garden installing a fountain at the time. The garden was designed using Feng Shui principles so it was most conducive to a meditation. We broke for the 15 minutes of silence and visualized the world leaders - as children that us fearful adults could love.

It was absolutely the most powerful meditation I have ever experienced and it rendered the usually chatty woman and myself speechless for the rest of our time that day.

I read the message from the above link, and pencilled in the date and time on my calendar. Even if you are a disbeliever, how can it hurt for you to intend not only to do no harm, but intend to do good as a citizen of this planet?

Pass it on.

Monday, June 11, 2007

My latest resume, sort of

Started my work career at Orange Julius in Lakeside Shopping Center when I was 15. I learned how to add really fast in my head and that hungry people are mean.

Went onto the N.O. Int’l Airport -started off as cashier, line server and ended up cocktail waitress/bartender/hollow-legged friend of older women.

After college flunk-out - bartended at a lovely hotel, then moved to front office and did the night summarizing for years, all the while checking guests in or out, answering the switchboard and expediting other employees to handle guest demands - like security for the big bug in the guest’s room. The graveyard shift only had one lonely desk clerk who handled the same jobs of three people during the day. I ate breakfast in the restaurant every morning before going home and sleeping off the night.

The hotel closed for rebuilding. It was old.

I went back to school, got a computer programming certificate from a vo-tech and then set my sights on the most boring job I could find. I was a computer operator for an insurance company for over 3 years. I watched a file clerk, who worked in a windowless room for 10 years, have a nervous breakdown and come out screaming profanities as she was exiting. It was quite a rant. She never came back. I knew that she was me in 7 years.

I had two babies.

I did many things for supplemental cash during the at-home Mom years; watched another’s baby, cleaned houses, little odd jobs here and there (not that odd).

Then, I met bi-polar boss and became an executive producer for his entertainment company. It was fun in the beginning. My computer skills got a lot better. I was expected to do anything and everything to get a theater up and running. The only thing I didn’t do was get people to support it financially. Nobody wanted to come to an old, run-down theater for anything more than the Rocky Horror Picture Show (good setting for that) and then the Asst. Director for that troupe was arrested for a couple of murders - which wasn’t good for business either. During that time, I produced an Improv Show that I am very proud of. I had some Masters in the troupe. I love good, live Improv, and they were the best. The boss pulled the plug on it after a few weeks, though it started building a following. He was determined to get prime, first-run movies in that theater, though studio distributors were telling him to go art-house. There was no reasoning with a man who thought he was smarter than anybody. I stopped trying to because he was ego-maniacal and held my purse-strings.

Got laid off for obvious reasons after 9/11.

Floundered some, helped my Dad and then Father-in-Law make their transitions, then got a call to work at Synchronicity - a new age retail store. I did it because of the hours 12-6, with Sundays and Mondays off, and because I could take my kids to work with me. Business was very slow, dismally so. I thought it was going to close any minute.

I started rearranging, having the owner invest in merchandise that I thought might work, holding weekly guided meditations, and classes in Kabala and Astrology (which I taught), and working all the angles that I could. It was a neat place - with a free tea stand, lending library, and it smelled good.

After running it for over a year, I made the owner an offer, invested in more merchandise, put the utilities and phone in my name and became the proud owner. What I forgot to get was a little thing called insurance.

A month later - the hurricane took care of that nagging question of “will it work?”

Since then, I have had 6 jobs - the first one was a day, the second 3 half-days, the third was for 3 and a half days, the fourth one was a week, the 5th was 4 months, and then this last one has been almost 8 months.

During this time, I have also pursued making a living at my two passions: I am a very good actress - focused and disciplined, able to emote at the drop of a hat, good memorization ability. I prefer comedy - it’s all over my face. I have done stints as an “extra”, but pretty much hate doing that. I’ve got it in my head that I am deserving of a decent role - maybe a nosy neighbor, or somebody’s Mom.

I am also an intuitive Astrologer. I use Tarot and Reiki when I have to. I am not above divining by I Ching or Goddess Cards. And mostly, I just use plain old intuition when responding to a client‘s issues. I am very good at getting to the root of a problem.

In other words, I am a freak. I occasionally get paid for my services, but mostly I read for friends, and as an Aquarian, everyone easily becomes my friend. It’s a 12th house Sun I have, so therefore boundaries are easily dissolved and my sympathies easily tweaked. How can I charge someone in a more penurious situation than I am if my God-given skills can help shed light on it?

There’s my resume, sort of. I have had other ones for administrative work, food and beverage, and acting. They all speak of my qualities of honesty, reliability, and versatility. I should get them all updated now instead of sitting here doing this.

On to it…

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Can't get enough of Florida.


I am meant to be vulgar wealthy. I am sure of it. Ft. Walton Beach is a beautiful place. I am already planning my next trip to the beach. It'll have to be a day trip to Gulf Shores or something. I just lovelovelove it.

An hour after we got back, my friend drove 5 hours to either collect the cat, or leave a cross on a tree to memorialize her. She called for her, opened cans of tuna, and then grabbed her when she surfaced from under my shed. Jupiter is the planet that rules luck. I thought the cat was dead. It had another life left in it after all.

Life has a way of turning out allright with a proper attitude. Once again, that philosophy is being tested. I found out yesterday that I will be losing my job. My husband too. The grocery chain that we are working for is being sold; some of them turned into Dollar Generals. There's all kinds of talk on the vine about what will become of them, who will buy them, what will happen, and soon, from what we hear.

My boss's 12 year old step-daughter, told my daughter that we are losing our jobs and they are moving to Philadelphia. He never told US that, though we are not surprised. Both girls were visiting my niece that lives a few doors down from him; we met the boss at my brother's barbecue last 4th of July.

I am sure to land on my feet, but this unsettlement leaves me wondering about my place in the scheme of things. The theme "what now?" is not funny sometimes. I am thinking of accounting school. I like numbers. Hmmph. That doesn't feel right. It is just one of the millions of passing thoughts I will entertain between now and the next job opportunity.