The case of the Exploding hair!

For the last 9 months (or longer) I have foregone cutting my hair. Yes, it has grown quite long, a lot of that due to not having the cash for a cut, and some due to my own need for a different look.  Today was the straw that tipped the scale over to "Cut if Off!"

Humidity is not my friend, at least not with my current hair length, which is to my shoulder blades. Yes, it does have a certain amount of natural curl. I use extra conditioner, and 2 hair products which are basically oils to keep it tame. I can remember my youth and almost waist length perfectly straight hair. Unfortunately my hair is predominantly gray, never mind that the gray has been colored for age coverage. My gray hair? Totally has a mind of it's own. Cork screw curls or completely frizzy depends on the weather entirely.

Now that Summer is approaching the humidity has returned and with it....Hair Explosion!

I stopped on this seriously busy night and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror...YEA GADS!
My hair was everywhere, like it's own exploration team, trying to cover all the bases everywhere.
Poodle poof has nothing on me,.It was very humid, and with a jacket and a long sleeved blouse I felt like I had taken a shower mid shift and had forgotten to dry off afterwards. There was no taming it, one head band and two big barrettes could not hold it down. I worked damage control all night to no avail.

So naturally I am considering returning to a manageable length, one where it does not "poof", with the weather. I had hoped to be able to have length enough to pull it up for the hotter months. Now I do not feel that it is a viable option. Since we do Not run around with mirrors while working, I can only imagine what our guests were thinking when they saw my unruly mop. ( oh poor girl! She looks like Glenda the good witch.)

Yes, it is nice to have a change of hair styles, it keeps us fresh and not bored with our looks. But sometimes those changes do not work in our favor. My curiosity has been appeased, I surrender to the blade that can stop the hair explosion. I shall be calling my angel with scissors on Monday to tackle the jungle that my hair has become.

For your own safety, please stay far away from my hair...it might grab and suck you in....

K

Derby Madness

A wickedly busy day, and record crowds all blurred together now at the end of my evening. We have several racing days during our year that push the capacity of our Off Track Wagering and actual track area. When 350 people are leaving all at once into the casino? Yes, a challenge. But as usual Swing kicked butt, even running with less than normal staffing.

Every race day of the Triple Crown books our track side fine dining for 1000 for dinner, with overflow into the Ballroom,  reservations are a must. I saw a few cute hats today and made sure I told the guest that is was very nice. It's a shame more do not get into the spirit of things. Maybe next year we should have a contest for the best hats?

I'm proud to be part of our team because we really do rock. Quite often our busiest days are when we really shine and feel like family.

G'nite
K

Dirty Fingers

Yup! Got my fingers in the dang dirt..and loved it!  Garden therapy suits me to a "T."  Oh...I get a goofy ass smile just thinking about a pleasantly warm day and a plot laid out before me. Wishes..they are good things...they keep hope alive in your heart.

Apartment living means planters and pots, and no real nurturing of the soil, but it helps me a bit with my addiction. Last year the theme was purples and pinks (and that was mainly because they were all they truly had for sale.) This year I am scrounging for some true reds..and damn..pink flowers are everywhere..again!
Cream, purple and red..ahhh..you see the genius of my colors..red-white-and blue. I may have to look further afield for the reds though.  I had two very healthy ferns hanging last summer, they were a lot of work, and could not be transitioned into the house, they shed too much. Right now I have my biggest pot (was a tomato pot last year) and the hanging hooks to fill. Slow going because I cannot afford to buy everything all at once.

It has been on the rainy and cool side but I know that summer is coming. Gilly has enjoyed coming outside with me again and sort of expects it now. I have to remind him that he is not going out every time I open the door. There is a limit to how much grass nibbling one cat can do before he barfs. Of course, if he feels it coming he races for the inside and the carpet, and not the yard.

Schedule changed, I have different days off. I have been working every weekend for almost 4 years now, not counting vacation/sick time. This is truly no different from any other job I have ever had, I always worked weekends, sometimes every other. It will be nice to have one day to go to the public events I always missed due to work. Craft fairs, Farmers Markets, Flea Markets...etc. With my job there is no telling when my schedule might switch again, but I hope to have this for at least a little while.

Have a good week and go play in the dirt!
k

On the grumpy cat side

Have you ever heard or saw a cobra rap? It's hissing done to a beat, lol. (picture me making wild and not so technically correct dance movements while hissing.) Our call sign is a 'C' on our shift. We have been Cobra with our own individual numbers for a while, and the officer in question has a last name of Rapp. (cobra rapp-get it?) Well, it was my one and only true funny of the day, at least 3 of us laughed. Another ass kicking Saturday night with the West Virginia Class race pulling in the crowds.

It might have been better if there had been more of us...but that was not the case. Most of the shift was spent dealing with people who fall down and the too intoxicated patrons--sometimes one and the same, but not always. I admit to being a grumpy cat by the end of the shift..not liking people so much. I just get very tired of the disrespectful, the self entitled, and the rude that arrives with crowds of this size.(and of this day) And getting around in the masses? It's like putting a couple of thousand Florida grandmothers behind a wheel and set them to driving with no clearly marked lanes of travel. As you step into a room they come at you from every direction, not seeing over the wheel,eyes barely visible, and never braking to allow for other traffic.  Did I mention that their hearing was also not so good? Yeah, that too.

I swear I say "Excuse me please" hundreds of times on a typical Saturday night. And know what? I never hear any of the guests use the same phrase. And That is what bothers me more than any other part of my job....being thought of and treated as though I was invisible. Oh, they can see you for sure when you have to stop them for an unpleasant reason, but that is about it. If they need something they will find you among the thousands.(If I was not racing to be somewhere I am usually happy to help.)  I won't go further in describing the attitudes upon confrontations due to policy. You can be as polite and empathetic as you can attempt to be, but there is no guarantee that it will bring you positive results.

So yeah, I am getting burned out on dealing with the general public. Unfortunately I don't believe that there is job for me now or in my future that will get me away from them. It really is too bad that I am not accomplished enough to become a writer of fiction. It would be so cool to work at home with just Gilly for company.

G'nite
k

The latest

Good weekend approaching, really looking forward to it.  Long awaited visit with Mel. Not saying we will paint the town red, but we will leave a mark on it.

For the troll who watches this blog:  whenever I see your name come up in a mutual friends post...I spend the day cursing your continued existence. For in my mind you no longer exist. I hate to be reminded that you are still on this plain.

Saying Good bye to a dear friend and Manager tomorrow night. It will not be the same without him.

k

Leaving like a Lion

An old expression," March enters like a Lion and leaves like a Lamb." Somehow it has gone topsy-turvy this year. We had 3-4 snows this March, which technically made it February, and now the wind has been howling for the last several days as we approach April. ( so April must be March this year...wait..a minute..a month disappeared some place.)

In my past when I lived in So.California I desperately missed seeing winter turn into spring, and summer give over to fall. Out there it was either fire season or mud slide season, with a few earthquakes tossed in to keep it interesting. There was nothing so depressing as 85 degree weather on Christmas day, well, for me that is, it just did not feel right.

I think Mother Nature is having hormonal mood swings this year and is feeling all discombobulated. As for me? I am itching to dig in the dirt and plant flowers or veggies, which is typical for me. I have been known to jump the gun and plant too soon, which leaves me fretting and cussing myself out. Patience? A virtue that either really works for me or completely fails, nothing in between.

My eyes are open wide and searching for that bright green of spring. The robin's have made their appearance, taunting Gilligan from the safety of the front yard. They must be wondering where the worms are themselves seeing that the ground is not ready to spring forth grass or worms.

I'm waiting for the Lamb to bring gentler and warmer breezes. It is going to be a chilly Easter here.

Oh....and I left a sign out telling the bunny to hop on by. As usual, like most every holiday of the year, I am working. The bunny may not be safe if he stops here without me home. I will also be missing my favorite religious holiday as Easter Sunday has always filled my heart with joy. With Easter falling on April fool's day this year, it's no wonder our weather is nuts...best April Fool's joke ever... Spring?!? Nope...more Winter.
Grrrr.

hugs,
k

PS: OOPSY!  I stand corrected by the editor. She reminded me that Easter falls on the 31st of March and not April 1..damn! I say..close enough..lol.

I Need a break!

Well, I do, but it's unlikely that I will get one. I'm not asking for much, just some time away from work. It seems like forever since I had a real vacation. It's been 11 months since I got a chance to step away and gather some needed rest. September SHOULD have been a vacation, but lets face it, being seriously ill and recovering slowly does not really count. There are no Club Samonella vacations listed anywhere...or I at least pray that there are not. And Hellfire!.. I am still paying for that luxurious hospital visit.

The pressure seems to have been growing full speed ahead since after Christmas. Work used to be something that I looked forward to and enjoyed. That all changed with a change in management. I don't think there is one person on our shift who feels differently, because I have heard most of them and can commiserate on my own. I tried and still do try to keep the positive energy flowing, but it seems as though we are being buried in negative energy from the top on down. I hate losing good people who probably would have stayed.

So yes, I long for a quiet beach, the sound of waves breaking against the shore, sunshine soaking in...and rejuvenation. Realistically, on my budget, none of that is possible, but it is a nice dream. I can always hope, and always will.

k