End of my day

This picture  of a guy pissing against a rock wall I ran across today was so comical, authentic and
interesting I had to share it. It has nothing to do with this smattering of words I will throw up here. I did get a kick out of it. :)

So it is 6:14 in the evening and I just got off work after a 12 hour day. Needless to say, I am a bit worn out but in rather good spirits. I dropped the top right after walking outside and took the very long way home, Listened to some music, enjoyed the country side, found some great curvy roads, watched the sun hit the lake and then came home.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day! It is the busiest day in the restaurant and hospitality industry and for good reason. Everyone takes their Mom out to eat to celebrate her and give her a holiday off from cooking, which is fantastic! It simply causes quite the logistical problem in every single dining establishment in the country. We are prepped five ways to Sunday and I am ready (knock on wood) for the whirlwind. I will get into my kitchen at 4:00 am, feed the hotel guests their breakfast and then rush down to the Conference Center and go nuts cooking for over 750 people who will be bringing Mom in for our fantastic Mother's Day brunch. Part of the fun is manning the ten burner omelet station and getting a chance to personally talk to, meet and serve many of our guests. It is a lot of work to get ready for but also is incredibly rewarding. I get to see these families, speak to them about their day, make something custom and unique for each person and be a part of the special event that is all of them together.

In other news, my hands and arms are incredibly sore from prepping that many raw ingredients for my station. I literally sliced, diced, julienned, pared, minced and chopped for six hours after serving breakfast this morning. It was good to see the piles of produce, meats and cheeses finally find their way into their containers and on the cart in the walk in refrigerator when I left. I can always measure my progress and success with tangible results. That feels good.

I am just rambling now. My little sister just called and wants me to help a friend of hers with a cupcake business they just bought. I might consult a bit and help her with recipes and to find a kitchen she can rent, but I cannot get involved in another project this summer. My plate is full with my own concerns but I will help as I can. I love getting volunteered for stuff. (meh) She is taking off for Peru for the summer so we are still nailing down all the details for my parents wedding anniversary party in July. They just got their surprise invitation the other day and are excited. This year is really speeding up quick! Christmas will be here before we know it.

A couple of things I am planning now for myself are a solo camping trip, a group camping trip, a road trip out West somewhere maybe Colorado, a canoe trip and a driving trip down to the hills of Arkansas. I need to get away for a bit and reconnect with me and some of my friends with whom life has got in the way. Man, my fingers are tired.

Random thought: I don't remember so much of this stuff I write and post here. I guess that is what time does to us all. Some of it, quite literally, I feel like I am discovering for the first time. Weird that. Well, I am going to make me some dinner, watch the sunset, listen to some new music, catch up on my book reading and then crash early. Morning will be here before I know it and I'd like to beat my alarm clock to the buzzer and hit the ground running.

Tomorrow, I may write about my Mom. She is the most amazing women I have ever known and one of my dearest friends in this entire world. I love her more than I can express. Call your Mom. Tell her you love her. Make a point tomorrow to let her know, in even a small way, exactly how much you love her. Mom's are awesome. Freal.

daemon

Hello me

 I wonder what the world looks like to you? This question can be taken literally or also metaphorically, however you may wish. There is nothing really deep and profound in my mind at the moment but this question popped into my head. It sprang from a quiet settled place as I realized something that I was missing.

What is absent in my life is the craving, the desire, the burning quest for more. More of what, you may ask? More of anything. Sure, there are experiences, places, unmet people and a myriad of things I still hope and long for. I work each day to not only provide for my current needs but also to set aside resources for future times and plans. What I mean by missing the need for more is simply that I am content.

I woke up today relishing the possibility of a day off of work. I would love to have a traditional weekend of two days free from obligation and did get to enjoy that for a month or so, but I am thankful for even this one day. I took a shower, shaved closely and dressed comfortably for a day of leisure and I did miss the body I once had and took for granted at eighteen years old. It didn't tire quite as easy, have the odd aches and pains that accompany time and use or look quite as normal as this one does but I like who I am and what I look like. I could put more effort and thought into getting into even better shape, but the desire to enjoy my time and other things often over rides the drive I used to have to devote hours to swimming, running and lifting. I wouldn't call this complacency or apathy, but realistically, we all change as we grow older. This is what I live in and it pretty much fits the mind's eye view of who I am. I've also learned that broad shoulders, a deep chest and long limbs hides well a multitude of languidness.

There were times in my past when every waking moment was spent looking, searching, questing, working and worrying over the "what next". My curiosity about this world, the people in it and the search for more information, truth and experience has never waned, but rather it has been balanced by the fact and idea that who I am, what I have, what I am doing and where I am at, is a good thing. When I wake up on a day off and realize there is nothing that I need to purchase, no person I must see, no experience I crave, no place I must get my body to, in order to be happy then I think I have found something truly precious. (though I did walk to the store to get some milk for my coffee, because while I do not need it, I really like it)

This is who I am. This is where I am at. This is what I have. I am who I have become.

And I am rather thrilled about that. :)

daemon

Nothing gay here...

I came across this J.C. Leyendecker'esque illustration today and smiled quietly to myself. I do realize that this scene comes from a more simple and possibly innocent time in American marketing history, but really?

I know I always model my swell new underwear while showing my best friend my keen badminton racket in the living room. I wonder what this conversation sounded like? Pictures always tell a story. What does this one say to you?

On subject, but at a tangent. Check out J.C. Leyendecker's illustrative work if you like. His own personal life and style certainly influenced the images he produced and sold to the American public. I have always been an admirer of his work and subject matter. He has a pretty neat story. That is all for now.

daemon

Awwwwwww...

This has to be sweetest thing I have seen in a long while. And yes, it made me cry like a little girl. I love love.

daemon