April Crazies Bring May Daises... and What the Hell Am I Doing Here Again?

Good grief, it's about time for April to be over. It's been a real roller coaster of a month, and I blame it on the spring fev-aaah. What's more is that the next few months are slammed packed already; it's going to be an interesting summer. I'm nearing my eight month in Jacksonville with the AmeriCorps, and I'm approximately 200 hours ahead of schedule -- to break it down, that's about 5 weeks. It just goes to show that a combination of undying committment and no social life can really help you get ahead in life... and really ruin your sense of self-worth.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before or not, but a few months ago I decided I was going to re-apply for another term with the North Florida Health Corps. I based my decision on:

1) I've got a decent set-up going; why knock it?

2) I've spent a lot of time getting to know Jacksonville and wondered how much further I could take it.

3) There are no real jobs - either here or back home - that really suit my skills and interest... Okay, that's being pretentious. There are no jobs AT ALL. Even the skr'ip clubs ain't hiring ("Presenting Celia 'Titty Bits' Goetowski!").

4) You can only do two consecutive terms anyhow, so it'd force me to get my life together. I work well under pressure.

5) And: It'd give me more time to properly apply for graduate school, which I'm not quite ready for yet but think I will be soon. Having no homework is so nice....

All in all, I focused on a lot of the practicality factor of such a decision. I wouldn't have to scramble to find a place to live and frantically move all over again; I know the AmeriCorps "system" and could balance my life a little better; and John's still not sure where he's going to be next year (he won't be notified of the transfer decision until July). So, how I can I plan to end up closer to him if there's a big "IF" still looming in the air (and blocking my sunlight, stupid thing)? I guess I've gotten comfortable here in Jacksonville, and any added hassle just didn't seem worth it.

But the crappy and honest truth of it is, I'm not particularly happy here. I'm content, and some days are really good days; but overall, I hate being away from friends and family and constantly feeling out of place. My head hurts from beating it against the wall all the time. Jacksonville's funny, in a way. It has so many networks and clustered groups of people, but it has no real "interconnectedness." Most folks pick one or two groups, stick to what they know, and that's the end of it. And what's crazier is that most of the people I know here are from here, grew up here, and never want to leave the area; it's not like the rest of Florida with all the retirees and transplants from the north (except Erin). I feel like kielbasa at a Mexican themed fiesta: nothing's wrong with it and people might think it's kind of funny (and tasty!), but it just doesn't fit.

Le sigh.

I'm starting to think I've done what I could in Jacksonville, and now it's time to move on. I'm maxed OUT. I've exhausted myself trying to makes things happen and get people excited about them. I'm tired of being the only one who cares. Sometimes I wish I had a life outside of my service description like everyone else does. I'm not used to loneliness or lack of progress....

That being said, I don't believe coming here was a mistake nor do I regret it. I've discovered more about myself than I actually cared to find out (I really do gag at the smell of white cheddar popcorn!), and my interests are far more focused and developed. I've gained some serious experience and learned a thing or two about conflict resolution (you deal with some real dumbasses in this bid'ness). I've gotten a lot ballsier and don't wait for opportunity to find me, but rather I track it down and say "Now, looky here, bubs!" And most of all, I've met some of the most wonderful people here and wonder how I survived without them. And I mean that.

But God has that funny way of His of making us bump into people and stumble into things for a reason. I never told anyone this story, particularly because it's lame and I doubt any of youse kids will believe me. Two days before moving to Jacksonville, I suffered a pretty horrible panic attack and almost decided to screw the whole thing. I took a deep breath, and Mom and I decided to go to Sunday Mass and grab lunch. On the way there, she turned to me and said, "You know what, it's not too late. But just ask God for a sign - uh... I know! If someone gives you a flower, then you're supposed to go." I gave her the most perplexed look I could push my face to do and gave a nervous laugh. Whatever Mom, I thought. Upon returning home, there was my goofy Dad playing in his "garden" in front of the house. He lumbers over with a classic "Dad" smile on his face (that oblivious "It's a great day for building character!" kind of face), and boisterously proclaims, "My roses are starting to bloom! I picked one just for you!" He boyish bows infront of me, hands me the rose, then practically skips back to the baby flower bushes. Not sure whether to spew an awkward laugh, shed a tear, or smile -- I did all three. That was it. I had to go to Jacksonville.

Nothing's official and it could very well be I'm still on a high from my weekend John & Celia soiree, but I'm starting to think I should just focus on the next couple of weeks. My anxiety level's through the roof, and there's not enough merlot to calm me down (still $6.99 at Target! heyyy!). And with that, I need to pack for my weekend in Orlando volunteering at Give Kids the World. I hope it takes my mind off of things... and I really hope we get ice cream for breakfast.

There is Such Thing as a Perfect Weekend.

So it is, I've been fortunate to enjoy another beautiful and lovely weekend -- it ended much too quickly and was almost too wonderful, and I'm left wondering when I'll get so lucky again. After another long six week stretch, John finally came to visit for a few days. It's almost cruel, in a way; 3 days is hardly a blip in over a month and a half, but we make it work and there's never a second wasted.

Thursday
- John arrived from the airport after midnight, followed with late night conversations fueled by cheap wine and blissful anxiety of the moment. By 3am, drunk on love and Barefoot Merlot ($6.99 at Target - heyyy!), we crashed and prayed for a beautiful rest of the weekend.

Friday
- After slowly pulling ourselves out of bed, we took a stroll down Riverside Ave to get breakfast at Einstein Bros Bagel because 1) It's one of our favorite places; and if our love was a bagel, it'd be Honey Whole Wheat w/ Honey Almond Shmear, 2) they're always really nice to us there, and 3) I had a coupon. Our wine induced conversations from the previous evening sobered up to more proper discourses over coffee (the largest size available, of course).
- We spent more time walking around Riverside, browsing through shoppes and stopping for random moments in Memorial Park; I forget how much I love my neighborhood sometimes.
- The evening kicked off with dinner and happy hour at European Street Cafe -- for those who come to visit me in Jacksonville, HH at E Street is a rite of passage. It's actually dangerous having such deliciously (cheap!) beer within walking distance. We dashed across town and made it in time to see State of Play, the latest political thriller with an interesting cast. I highly recommend it, especially if you're at all into politics or journalism. John's into both, so it fit perfectly.
- Not ready to end the night, we wandered over to 7 Bridges Grille to find that - ha cha cha! - they have a late night happy hour! Not that we're raging alcoholics, but what's not to love? John and I always have a habit of debriefing after a movie: we dissect it, analyze it, search for symbolism, see if we caught any of those silly mistakes that never quite get edited out. Now, add home-brewed ale and $5 margaritas... we'll give those "film kids" a run for their money.

Saturday
- FINALLY, a day at the beach! It's sad, but I've been in Florida for 7 months and had yet to make it to the ocean. Accompanied by ever favorite Jacksonville couple, Erin and Joel (who compliment each other as well as being awesome completely independent of each other, of course), we took off for a long afternoon at the Fernandina shore. Armed with delicious snacks and plenty of SPF (we wear our Anglo-Saxon heritage well), we soaked up the sun... well, most of it. John and I somehow managed to get artistic splotches of bright pink sunburn, while poor Erin looks like someone took a thick paint brush with red ink and drew a straight line up the right side of her body. I think Joel was the only one to get away slightly unscathed.
- I ran into my mentee, Stormie, of all people! I knew she's big into surfing and her family goes to Fernandina a lot, but what are the odds of bumping into them on a huge stretch of beach? Stormie showed John some of the ropes on skim boarding; after a few brave attempts and a pretty nasty wipe-out, John calls it quits. I'm still proud of him.
- PS. Cranberry and vodka (cleverly disguised in Gatorade bottles, mind you) and 85 degree heat do funny things to you: we thought we saw a "sand bunny" that turned out to be a strip of tarp, and then we couldn't stop laughing this mildly overweight girl who decided to "Bay Watch" it into the ocean... did we mention she was on crutches? The whole way into the water? Awkward.
- After much needed showers and aloe vera lotion upon our return home, the four of us topped off the night with Bono's BBQ... beach and BBQ? For John and me, it was simply brilliant!

Sunday
- In classic Sunday morning fashion, I made homemade parfaits and then we strolled down to church. I typically attend Saturday night Mass by myself, which doesn't bother me; but I love having John go with me. Everyone needs a little Jesus kick before the week starts.
- For those of you who don't know, breakfast food is one of John and my favorite food groups (yes, it is a "group", 'k?) -- 2nd only to BBQ, of course (another important food "group"). We finally made it out to this little place called Metro Diner -- for you Cola kids, think Cafe Strudel -- and it was heavenly! Fat and happy, we had just enough time to get home and for one of our other favorite things: Sunday afternoon naps.
- The time came to drop off John at the airport, and I instantly become a blubbering mess. I couldn't turn off the water works if I wanted; thank goodness John's the kind of dude who makes me feel awkward about it. Pretending we were the only ones standing at the terminal, he launches a perfect Oscar winning kiss and still holding my face says, "I love you. And we're going to be okay." With that, he walks away to the entrance looking back only once with that classic John Carroll smirk. I believed him. We're going to be okay.

With that, I returned home and the rest of the evening felt like I was moving in slow-motion... I wondered if all that really happened? Do I really have to wait almost another month to see him again?...

Bring it. ;)

**PS! A big Happy Birthday to Tracy H. on her 23rd birthday today! No crazy mango martinis or wine tastings this year my dear, but you'd better believe you're special and I miss the heck out of you. And that's a fact.

The Double Feature Picture Show

Post A: There's No Place Like Home (And Sure - Poppies Make You "Sleepy")

One little known fact about myself is that from the age three, I've been obsessed with the movie (and books, dolls, paraphernalia, etc, of or relating to) Wizard of Oz. One of my mom's favorite stories to embarass me is when I had this goofy plastic dinosaur I stole from my brother, slapped on an old Christmas bow, put him in a basket, and deemed him "Toto." That's right: before there was Audrey at Tiffany's, there was Dorothy in Kansas for me. The fantasy never seemed too outrageous to me, and I think that's when my young mind began to wrap around the notion of symbolism. Clearly, the four things sought by each character in the story are the basic elements needed to understand the very nature of humanity: brains, a heart, courage, and just trying to get home. There are clear and defined forces of both good and evil (Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West); and there's that one place we're always trying to get to find what we're looking for (Target has ultimately become my Emerald City - I mean really, what can't you find there?!).

While I've ultimately projected this whole Jacksonville experience as my own Holly Golightly transformation (and shame on you folks who have yet to see Breakfast at Tiffany's), I sometimes find my mind wandering back to the days where I genuinely believed in a sort of metaphoric Yellow Brick Road. I'd meet people along the way and find myself face-to-face with all sorts of hideous challenges. But arm-in-arm with an eclectic bunch of characters and following the horse of a different color, I'd wind up finding I truly had what I needed all along. Dorothy really was no different from Holly after all.

That being said, I found my own pair of ruby red slippers this afternoon on an impromptu shopping trip on my way back from a church picnic (thanks again for the invite, Virginia!). Slightly mentally askewed and not ready to return to an empty apartment (my Mom left this morning with my two doggies - I'll explain later), I pulled off looking for something completely unrelated, and there they were....


No, I won't tell you where I got them, how much I paid for them, or how they make my calves look so amazing. But I will tell you this; I'm ready to strut my stuff down that windy yellow path of life, and that Wicked Witch had better be jealous of these bad boys - they'll stop those pesky flying monkeys in their tracks.


Post B: Flashes of Misguided Inspiration

I've never considered myself to be talented. I dabbled in many things over the years, but I never pushed myself to be anything other than average. I present a host of qualities I think will help me succeed and hopefully fairly well in life, but I don't think that makes me "talented." Being able to organize and time manage is not a God-given talent; they're skills developed through survival! Not that I'm fishing for compliments here, but it just makes me feel unfulfilled and undoubtedly one-dimensional... I used to believe that my precocious nature and interest in a variety of subjects made me a sort of Renaissance woman. Now I'm just a 23 yr old dork with a wealth of useless information and dead-end passions. I laugh at fart jokes and consider Chinese food from the mall a stroke of genius. I find Target to be the pinnacle of modern human achievement, for crying out loud!

That's not to say I'm shallow, I promise. In another vein (vane? vain?), I feel myself to be a creative personality, definitely thinking in more abstract, colorful, and theoretical approaches versus analytical and concrete. I live my life inspired by the out-of-box thinkers and out-of-the-loony-bin personalities (Jane Austen, Andy Warhol, Oscar Wilde, Frank Lloyd Wright, the band Queen). I wish I had enough gusto and charm to pull off something fabulous (or "faaaabulous!", need be). The truth is, even if I did, I have nothing to offer - my attempts at creative writing are marked with stupid cliches and bouts of word vomit; I quit dance when told I was "too big" to ever make it professionally; I enjoy scrapbooking, but Martha Stewart already has a lock-down on that; my theatre "skills" went as far as high school plays and bit pieces in main stage productions; and I can cook a decent meal out of random food products from around the kitchen, but who gives a rat's ass unless you're hungry (the rat does!).


The point being, I'm stifling my own creative flow and I'm not sure why. I've long believed it has something to do with my fear of mixing business with pleasure, but my work load has consumed more of my life lately than my hobbies. I truly am one of those people constantly living for the little things. As corny as it sounds, I feel like I'm artistically frustrated: I know I have the capacity to understand and create, but I have no means of expressing myself.... Most of the time, I find myself wanting to pull a "Funny Face" - that wonderful and spastic dance scene in the French cafe as Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) cries out, "It's a means of expression... and I could certainly use the release!"

In a wild attempt to constructively begin the attempts to get back to my girlish and romantic roots, I finally shelled out on a delicious little SLR - the Nikon D40. It's been a plan in my budget for over a year now, but kept putting it off because unpredicted expenses. I finally said SCREW IT, rearranged by bank accounts a bit, begged for a "Daddy loan" for what I couldn't cover, and bought it. I'll be eating Mac n Cheese for weeks, but it's so worth it! I enjoyed putting it to work over Easter, and we'll see what comes out as I get more used to it. I broke down and got a Flickr account, 1) because Facebook really does distort the quality of the pictures, and 2) it'll hopefully give me a venue to put the more artsy-fartsy stuff...

With that, I've been inside way too long on this perfect day, so I think I'm going to be self-indulging, pop in the iPod, and walk around Riverside while the sun filters perfectly through the Spanish moss around the neighborhood. Besides, I need to walk off that hotdog and cupcake from lunch...

Happy Week!

Not so exciting updates. :)

I'm happy to report that I'm happy. After a few months of agonizing through parts of life, I feel like things are slowly coming under control. I enjoy having a hand in how my world pans out, but I've enjoyed the surprises along the way. I'm still in living "day-to-day" mode. I still live in constant anxiety over "the future" (really, can anyone conceptualize such a thing?), but it's nice to know I'm not the only one going through it. Likewise, the people I had hoped would help me through this experience ultimately have, and I have the Universe to thank for the new people I've met along the way. My Chi is quiet for now.

As always, I've sat down many times to write a post, and I can't ever seem to spit out a decent one. Perhaps it's my struggle with perfectionism; but I'm guessing it's more that I'm so exhausted when I get home, my brain refuses to stay on. I'm not sure how over the last several year I was able to crank out a 10 page paper the night before it was due, and now I can't put a few cohesive paragraphs together. I'll hopefully have a little down time this weekend to create something that will astound and amaze!

The bottom line, I had a great Easter weekend and this week has gone by pretty quickly. I'm at a loss of witty things to say, so I've included the links to recent SC albums. See below. (If you're on Facebook, I'm sure you've already seen them.)

Further, my Mom is coming this weekend, and I've been cleaning like a mad-woman since I got home from the gym (after a 9 hr day at the office). Who knew laundry and scrubbing could make one so sleepy?!

Sweet dreams. :)

Easter Album!
SC Adventures

My Spirit is Young, But My Soul is Old.

(I have a soul?!)

I hate chain emails... You know, those horrible ones with pictures of babies or kittens in stripper outfits and crappy animations saying, "God loves you! Now, send this to 9483 of your closest friends or the ghost of Christmas past will shoot spitballs at your head. Have a super delicious day!"

You get the idea.

Most of the time, I delete them from site before I give them a second thought (thank the dear Lord for Gmail and being able to see "clips" of messages... you'll never fool me!). Still, I'm tempted to open one once in a while, usually when I can't stand looking at another work-related email. Nine-times-out-of-ten, they're still as lame as I imagined them to be; but on those "blue moon" kind of days, I find one I like. I typically don't post messages other than my own to my blog, either, but I know I have a lot of lady readers ("haaaay!") and thought this deserved another chance to be read. Further, it reminds me of my own personal quest for female independence (in a very non "women's lib" sort of way); sometimes I fancy myself a sassy Beyonce type. But seriously, enjoy. =)

'MAYA ANGELOU'S'

BEST POEM EVER


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough
money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
something
perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour....


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
a youth she's content to leave behind....


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
a past juicy
enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her
old age.....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers,

a cordless drill,

and a black lace bra...


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
one friend who
always makes her laugh..

and one who lets her cry...


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a good piece
of furniture not previously owned

by anyone else in her
family...


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …

eight

matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...


A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE …
a feeling of
control over her destiny..


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to

fall in love

without losing herself..


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit
a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend
without
ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder...

and WHEN TO WALK
AWAY...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her
childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she
would and wouldn't do for love or more...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
how to live
alone... even if she doesn't like it...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to
go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table....
or a
charming Inn in the woods....
when her soul needs
soothing...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW…
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a
month...and a year...

Let's Light the World with Glowsticks.

I'm perfectly exhausted, but I'm also purposely delaying the slow crawl into bed... I feel like I can stretch my happy weekend a few minutes longer while avoiding thoughts of another work week. Lucky me, though: I actually get a short week and have lots of fun and different projects going on over the next few days, so I'm looking forward to a break in the recent monotony of my site. I'll update you all on that later.

I was going to give you all a play by play of my weekend; but honestly, if you weren't there, it might be a little lame. So, I'm in the process of assembling a photo album to which I'll caption each event (visuals = sweet!). In the meantime, I've stumbled on yet another survey I hope brings a sparkle of entertainment and/or delight. And this time, with numbers!

1: Do you speak any foreign languages?
I dabbled in a little Espanol for three years in high school and one semester in college; but after that, I can't even remember if it's "quesa-dee-yah" or "quesa-dillah."

2: What do you like do to online (other than checking Facebook lol)?
I don't say things like "lol."
But, I do enjoy reading the "Rants and Raves" on Craig's List, brushing up on other people's blogs, and using Google Earth to stalk people when I hit a roadblock on Facebook.

3: What's the best job you've ever had?
My gig as Barbie last November.


4: If you had the time and money to travel, is there anywhere you've been that you'd like to visit again?
GREECE. Savannah. Carolina BBQ.

5: Have you ever had some sort of arts and crafts type hobby that your friends might not know about?
I like to make busts of famous pirates out of marshmallows and elbow noodles.

6: Do you ever wish you could be a teenager/child again?
Only so I could get away with wearing hot pink tights and jellies sandals.

7: Do you have a tendency to be stubborn?
I don't give up things easily, but I'm not totally hard-headed. Tendency? No.

8: Regarding #7, do you think you're stubborn about the right things?
Survey, why didn't you just combine this with #7 and not waste a perfectly good question, huh?

9: Do you have a long-term creative pursuit that you don't widely share with others, and if so, what is it?
I do interpretive dances inspired by horror films to Judy Garland songs.

10: Are you very close to your parents/siblings?
Despite there being so many of us, I think so. We're the only ones who get each other's humor.

11: Do you write letters that you don't send?
That's like baking a cake and throwing it out; you're such a dumbass, Survey.

12: Are you still friends with any of your exes?
Facebook friends. It's totally legit.

13: Do you think you get along better with one sex or the other? If so, men or women?
Whatever, everyone loves me.

14: Do you have a hard time taking a compliment?
I never have a hard time taking anything... (THAT'S WHAT SHE SAAAAAID.)

15: Do you think that you would be friends with someone who was EXACTLY like you?
I think the world would implode if there was another person exactly like me. One horror film/Judy Garland interpretive dancer is plenty.

16: In casual conversation, is there any particular topic/off-color joke/etc. that offends you, even if you don't usually say so?
I don't like when people make fun of the whales. They can't help they're fat!

17: Have you ever had surgery?
Oral reconstruction surgery for the last 3.5 years, breast biopsy, tonsillectomy.... the usual!

18: Do you like to dance?
Only if I'm feeling existentialistic.

19: Regarding your own personal style, is there a certain "fashion era" that suits you better than the "contemporary" look?
I think I could rock the Mongolian get-up, circa Genghis Khan.

20: What's been the most prevalent subject on your mind for the last week?
Booty.

21: If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would you do with the money?
Get some booty.

22: Morning or night person?
Mid-afternoon-not-quite-evening person.

23: What are you most thankful for right at this moment?
A brilliant weekend in the motherland of SC and all the people who made it positively phenomenal.

24: Would you like to be more or less impulsive?
Kim, my site mentor, says I need to be more impulsive. And I like her, so we'll go with that.

25: What are your favorite love songs?
"Booty Booty Booty (Rockin' Everywhere)" by Bubba Sparxx
"I'll Be Watching You" by the Police
"Oompa Loompa Doopity-Doo" by the Oompa Loompas

26: Do you prefer comedy or drama?
I've got enough of the drama-rama in my life, give me something to laugh at!

27: It's 6:30am on a Friday, what are you doing?
In college, hopefully I was strolling in from a great night.
Now, I'm getting up then to get to work.

28: Do you have a secret that you want to tell someone?
Yes.

29: Regarding #28, what's keeping you quiet?
I don't want people to know I wipe actually sitting on the toilet!

30: Do you believe that anything in our lives is pre-destined or "meant to be"?
Not since Taylor Hicks won America Idol a few years ago... seriously, Universe?!

When my mind's not reeling from a 4.5 hour drive and little sleep, I'll try to write a cohesive post. But I felt an awkward need to blog, and this is my best given the circumstances. ;)

And if you have yet to add yourself as a "Follower", you'd better get on that.

Happy April. :)

-C

Happy Happy, Joy Joy!

Ahhh, the lovely state of anticipation and excitement!

I've had a long and busy week, but it was productive and I feel very accomplished. My life here in Florida has taken a wonderful turn for the better, and I really believe it's because of my own efforts. Nothing's better than deserving what you've worked hard for. =) Not only that, but I've put my faith in other people and they've given it back to me ten fold (and I don't know if I deserve that, but I do know it motivates me to work harder). At some point, I'm going to write a post dedicated to the Floridians (or "transplants" who just so happen to be living in Florida now) who have changed my life. But at the moment, I'm getting sleepy and I don't want to leave anyone out....

So, tomorrow I get another chance to go back to SC. My sorority is participating in Relay for Life, as we do every year, and it's by far my favorite time with ESA. It's a great excuse to go back and see all my USC friends all at once. Not to mention, Relay is one of my favorite causes; my dad was the MC for yeaaaars back home (he's a radiation oncologist, so this is kind of his biz'nass), and I remember going year after year as a little kid. I've already donated towards the goals of my "Little" in the sorority and also to my real little sister, Bridget - but if you're interested in donating, please let me know. Bridget is so close to reaching her goal for fundraising, and I'd love to see her succeed!

Not much to report other than that, and I'm sorry for the sporadic nature of this post. I'm just so happy right now about things to come, and I hope I can share my postive energy through this post. ;)

Hopefully, more tidings of the good life to follow after this weekend... And if you're one of those Cola people reading this, I expect to see you at some point!

Good night!