365 Days of Coffee [photo walk]

Others may have called this excursion a trip to the grocery store, but I'll take the extra hour and liberty to call it a photo walk.

Oh, and I'm doing that thing that "they" [oooh, the infamous "they"] always say not to do - mixing editing & photo styles.

My brain is full of disconnects lately, so why not my posts?

Let's start with the creepiest bus-stop bench ever:

Move to the coolest bike I've seen in awhile . . . light pink, says SUN and has an [unpictured] basket:

Golf course color-love:

Espresso was all about texture today:

Move on to sunshine . . .

Happy Sunday . . .

365 Days of Coffee [patience]

Patience is the careful rearrangement of countless shelves of books during my technology blackout last week.

Patience is standing, fresh out of the shower, in a long t-shirt and stiff breeze on my front lawn at 7AM while the dog makes his umpteenth puppy-circumference circle to think about where to poo.

Patience is smiling when the customer who has carefully laid out & counted all of her coin change on the counter suddenly wipes it off the counter and begins to pay for her $17 arrangement again, ten minutes after closing.

Patience may not be . . .

 . . . the angry, stabbing dial of the phone number to the customer who just hung up on me, resulting in an equally angry answer on their end to contrast my syrupy "I'm sorry, sir, I believe we were just disconnected?  Please continue. "

That may just be sheer, closeted bitchiness.  

 

365 Days of Coffee [cat 3, like a Tuesday]

How is today like a Tuesday??  It's Friday, right?  TGIF? Time to get down for all of us office ferrets . . .

Not so much for this girl.  While I have worked all day every day since Monday, I'm working every all day every day til this Monday, as well.  Darn weekend hours.

 
Joy.  Three more days, then I'm . . . taking a nap?:)  I hope so!

For now, though, more espresso is needed.

Enjoy your weekend, all!

365 Days of Coffee [cat poster 2, plus a flaw]

So maybe it's not a fun fact, but it's a substantial flaw that is as integral to me as my love for humanity:

I am so superficial.

I did not realize, throughout my childhood, that this one poster was not from the Met.  I also did not realize it in the year it's been hanging in my house.  And I call myself detail-oriented!

It's not judgmental, and it's not shallow.  It's a true, over-arching superficiality that applies almost exclusively to myself.  

Jayca, whatever do you mean?

I mean when I don't like my hair, I don't like my entire being.

Bloated today?  Put me in sweatpants and back to bed, because I just don't want don't want the world to see me, because if I'm bloated then everybody notices and oh my my what oh what must they think of me??

Today was a perfect example of this ridiculous, selfish superficiality - my skin broke out over the weekend.  And I mean broke out.  Huge, angry, painful red zits - five of them across my T-zone and chin and one so close to my bottom lip it swelled like I'd been punched in the mouth.  It hurts to talk, it's so inflamed.  Why?  Who knows.  Stress, time of the month, who cares?  

ME.

So much.

So much that I tried to decline a ride home after I'd missed my bus by staying late to tie up loose ends.  A ride from my boss.  THE OWNER.  While it was raining.  This is how much I hate myself when I don't look 'good' by my ridiculous standards - I tried my darndest to refuse an opportunity to speak frankly and alone with the guy who signs my paychecks about my progress and future, after I'd so clearly demonstrated my commitment and responsibility - preferring instead to wait a half-hour in the pouring rain to take a bus and walk a mile in more rain.  In heels.

Yes, it can be pouring and then sunshiny ten minutes later.  Don't you wish you lived in Florida?
  

He, being all gentlemanly and normal, wouldn't take no for an answer, thus I spent 20 minutes in the passenger seat trying to make myself as inconsequential and wallflower-like as any 5'10" woman in a closed convertible with a five pound purse and ten pound, luggage-sized lunchbag can be. 

Which is to say, I made zero small talk, did not smile nor make eye contact and essentially left him to grasp at conversational straws while I mourned my hideous-ity in the side rearview.  

What, oh what must they think, indeed.  But - contrary to my superficial yet completely ingrained belief - it has nothing to do with the condition of my face.

365 Days of Coffee [a favorite]

Fun fact number whichever:  This is one of my most treasured "things:"

This yellowed, curling Metropolitan Museum of Art cat poster, that's actually one of three yellowed, curling Metropolitan Museum of Art cat posters that belonged to my Grandmother.

Yellowed because she smoked like a chimney, curling because despite their prominence in her house for over 30 years, they were never framed.

Every edge of edge is pocked with tack or nail holes, and the entirety of them warp in humid conditions, but they're special and beautiful and I remember thinking, as a child, "Those came from New York!!" which was about the farthest away from central Maine my brain could imagine.

The other two aren't pictured, but hopefully I'll have opportunity to catch them tomorrow and Friday.  In all their glory:)

365 Days of Coffee [other interests]

Have I ever noted that working a cup of espresso into a scene every day is kind of really difficult?

I mean, that's not really the picture I wanted to take tonight.   This is:

And these:

And yes, one more of the Augustus dog:

That being said, however, I'm glad I have a couple more months to go on this project - I'll probably even extend it beyond it's starting date a year ago in order to stay true to the title [last week was the first time I'd ever gone more than a day without posting - and I've only done that three times? Maybe four].  And I'm beyond beyond glad that I chose to do it, and to stick with it, and now to recognize that while I may not be able to accomplish 365 straight days, I'm pretty darn close and I've absolutely kept to the purpose of the self-assignment.

[Can you tell I have to forgive myself for not being able to post last week?  And for being slightly bored at my subject matter?  Forgiveness is a good thing, even if it needs to be both public and private at the same time:)]  

365 Days of Coffee [customer service]

For the second time in a month, I lost internet, phone and television service.

Last time, I posted by taking photos, editing them, snapping photos of those and blogging via the iPhone. Last time, it took Verizon four days [and a technician at the house for less than 20 minutes] to restore my service.  And at the end of those four days, I got a lovely little text on my iPhone, telling me my mobile data plan was 90% used up . . . until March 24th.  That text?  Example of good customer service.  The rest of this post? Unbelievably bad.

Here's this time:  I woke up to no service, and called Verizon - okay, the automated system tells me they have a billing problem.  I have to go to work, so I ask the boyfriend [who's now working in West Virginia] to sort it out.  He does, sends me a text that service should be restored by noon.

That was last Tuesday at 8:30 AM.

When I get home, I still don't have service and and call again.  Verizon tells me there was no restore order, they'll send one now, so sorry about the misunderstanding, restoration by midnight.  The next morning, I talk to a technician who says they are restoring it right now, he can see on his magic screen that they're doing it, it'll be back by noon.  At noon, I talk to every department about ten times, each time explaining the situation, who has already passed the buck, and eventually get the "Of course.  We have already credited your account, so sorry for the inconvenience, it will be back with two hours."

And this went on and on and on - about every four to six hours, either my boyfriend or I would call and we'd get the same basic treatment - processing through an automated system, to one department that would bounce us to another, that would bounce us back to the first, and then there would be NO ONE to talk to because [having waited like we were told to, then on the phone since 4 or 5pm] customer service would be unreachable, we need to try again tomorrow.
And we did.  And we did.  And we did.
For four straight days.
Until Friday afternoon, when I very calmly stated I would not wait two hours for a call back from an agent, when five out of the last six times I haven't received one, and I would not expect my service to be restored by midnight, because it hadn't happened any of the last kajillion times it was promised.  "I'm so sorry, that must be so frustrating.  I'm putting in the restore order now . . ."  By Friday night, I was literally in tears.

"Do you know what this is like?  Going to a restaurant and having them say, every five minutes, that your food will be out in five minutes.  FOR FOUR DAYS AND NOW THE RESTAURANT IS GOING TO CLOSE FOR THE WEEKEND AND YOU'RE STILL HUNGRY??!!  Will you just tell me what the problem is?  Why wouldn't someone tell me it was going to take so long?  I WOULD HAVE GONE TO ANOTHER RESTAURANT." [yeah that's probably why]

"Ma'am, I'm sorry I can only see what this department does.  I do see you've called several times, so I'm going to pass you over to our [insert official-sounding name] department . . ."

Never once did I speak to the same person.  I had seven different 800 or 888 numbers by the end of the fiasco, untold numbers of agent names and their extensions.  Each time, "Ma'am, I don't know who you spoke with the that told you your service could be restored, since I don't show a record of . . . What's that?  Who?  They must be a different department.  Let me transfer you . . ."

My boyfriend saved the records of three 'live chats' online - all of which clearly stated the problems we had been having, all of which promised that all we had to do was wait another X amount of hours and everything would be solved.

I logged over six hours of time on the phone with Verizon.  I know, because I went back through my phone a documented all the call times - the longest one was two hours and 49 minutes.  My boyfriend logged almost four hours, plus live chat time.

By Sunday, I truly did not care anymore.  My left ear was still ringing from all the hold music, my eyes puffy from crying over something that seemed so trivial at first ["Shoot, I just don't have a way to post today.  Sigh.  I'll be able to tomorrow." "Oh, I wish I hadn't missed that show.  It's okay, plus I'll just get the weather from NPR.  And I need to catch up on my reading."] but escalated to the point of feeling like I was being lied to, personally and constantly, and for reasons I didn't understand. 

At the end of all the drama [this morning, when everything but the phone was inconceivably working] and possibly by some Machiavellian Verizon Grand Plan I don't feel like analyzing, I don't want to call customer service and demand reimbursement for the incredible amount of difficulty we went through to fix a problem that originated internally, with them.

A'int that always the way.

365 Days of Coffee [facts of love]

Today's fun fact about me is more about others.

I think it's important to spread blog love, so the following is a list of some of my daily reads.  And I do mean daily.

First off, I have to get dressed.  I couldn't do it properly without Kendi Everyday, What I Wore, A Pretty Penny [another Florida girl who works in a flower shop!  Sweet!], and Little Tin Soldier.  If I'm feeling extra uninspired, I'll check out Basic Cravings, Love at First Shop, Wendy's Lookbook and Jill G's Good Life.

When it's time to get down to business, and my brain is drained, I head to The Blue Hour, DESIGNLOVEFEST, Pugly Pixel [I chose one of her templates for my blog, btw], and then an ever-ever-ever-expanding/changing list of photographer's portfolios.  Today I crushed on Jasmine Star and Max Wanger's 2011 year in review.  

Then there are the days when I've just got to do something with the house.  Rearrange some shelves, furniture, artwork, organize my shoes . . . whatever.  Dans Le Townhouse, SFGirlByBay,  Design Sponge, Jessica Comingore, Making it Lovely . . . actually, I think I've checked out just about every blog on Apartment Therapy's Homies list.  What can I say?  When it comes to home decor, design & styling, I'm a follower all the way.  

I like to think of it as simply knowing when others know better/more.

Then there are the random blogs I follow for no special reason - One Sister's Rant for laughs, Anamu because I like her eye, Oh Joy, Oh Happy Day, Frolic just because, Makeunder My Life  and Live.Eat.Smile because they're inspiring.

Of course, the list goes on and grows by the day, but I feel the above list provides a pretty well-rounded  glimpse into my Internet life, and maybe you've discovered some new peeps today!

Happy Monday!

365 Days of Coffee [fact snapshot]

Little fact about me #2:

I collect my boyfriend's old photos.

Kid photos, his family's village in Switzerland, snapshots of his mom in her scandalous 70's style and sunglasses [I didn't include those, b/c I don't think she realizes that I do this].

My family photos are sooooooo . . . gaudy.  80's.  Cheap-looking.  I mean, I love my family, but we didn't go skiing in France in '78.  We went to, you know, Funtown in '89.

Plus, he is just so freakin' adorable!!! I tease him about the insane amount of pure dork he must have been.

He loves this whole random fetish of mine, I'm sure:)

365 Days of Coffee [little secret 1]

So my first of eleven facts about me [see end of post] is a new little secret I've become accustomed to since turning myself off sugar and Splenda at the beginning of the new year . . .

My always-black espressos now always get an entire packet of Stevia.

I feel like less of a badass!  Like, I should resign from my coffee-connoisseur office.

Mmmmm, though.  So good.  Like a morning treat.  Y'all can have your cinnamon buns, gimme my Stevia:)

The sun-setting light was also so good today that I started snapping my second-favorite subject: the pets!

Myron two seconds from eating my flowers:

The Augustus puppy heading out to investigate the earliest evening sunshower:

Tasting the sprinkles:

Then preferring to sit and watch:

See you Sunday!

365 Days of Coffee [it was the funniest thing. . .]

So as you may know, I've been answering eleven questions posed by Tanya of Dans le Townhouse as part of a blog tag game.  And today is the last day!

As part of the rules, I have to post the rules, which are as follows [well, in summary form]:

1. Answer the eleven questions you're asked
2. Post eleven random facts about yourself
3. Come up with eleven more questions to ask eleven others.
4. Tag them, tell them, and humbly wait to find out if they bother.  

That last one seems like no fun!  Because I have no faith in my blog-buddy-development skills.  So I'm choosing to postpone it by taking another eleven days to address the random facts about myself.

Tricky!!

With that to look forward to tomorrow, I shall leave you with the last question I was asked:  "What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you?"

Well, see, there was this one time this  girl named Tanya thought I would be able to find eleven bloggers willing to answer my questions . . .  and it was the funniest thing because I don't think I can find eleven people to even read my blog . . . . :)

Much love, all - see you tomorrow!

365 Days of Coffee [10 out of 11]

What does that title mean?

Amount of days I've worked since February 27th?

Ranking of this photo among my others since the same date [11 being the worst]?

Amount of TV hours spent on Project Runway this week [I had to purge the DVR!  It was necessary]

All of the above!

But it's also the 10th question out of 11 for Miss Tanya's blog tag today:

Do I screen my phone calls?

Thought I'd let No Doubt help me out with that answer:)

365 Days of Coffee [lucky stems]

Do I buy myself fresh cut flowers?

Just today, as a matter of fact.  Small green hydrangea & a few few spider mums [not pictured].

For better or worse, whenever I see hydrangea, I think "wedding!"

So while the green cut that feeling for me [a bit] I realized when I got them home that they scream "St. Patrick's Day!" instead.

So Happy Lucky Day! A smidge early:)

PS:  Must remember to use the diffusers on the dining room light.  Those bright shiny spots in the espresso are working my last nerve . . .