Voluntary Ass Kicking

How you ask? I’m going back to rugby practice tonight… And it’s gonna suck… The only physical activity I’ve had since the fall is the Yinz Team Flag Football and our ice skating adventure… Unfortunately, sewing does not exactly qualify for physical activity.

Stay tuned for a post tomorrow detailing the adventure, along with details on which injury of mine decides it’s time to resurface (arches, ankles, knee, back… who knows!)…

You’re probably wondering why I would voluntarily go through this pain & suffering… The only thing I can tell you is to come out to Boyce Park on Saturday and see for yourself.

What a weekend…

I’ve had quite a weekend. It started with Britney Spears’ Circus show on Friday. Calipanthergrl and I really had a great time.

I was up and driving to my tournament at 7am Saturday… 99% of the set up was done by two great groups of volunteers on Thursday and Friday during the day, so there wasn’t much to do in the morning. We were up & running in no time. Everyone worked really hard and I managed to give myself a break to run touch for the guy’s game.  I even managed to run touch again for the Men’s University championship game. During that game, a new guy, Skoal, came up with a brilliant idea involving his hat and my sewing ability. Seriously, we might become millionaires because of this… but we need to work out the details still.

Brother Anthony even managed to stop by to say hi. I didn’t get time to talk to him much as I was running touch when he got there… Sorry Anthony!

There were only a few issues that arose during the day. And I didn’t yell at anyone except for two refs who got into an argument at the end of the day. Amazing, I know. We were cleaned up and out of there by 7:30pm. Amazing. We have a bunch of new men & women, along with current members, who really worked their asses off and made everything a success.

Everyone made it back to the Burgh and to My Living Room. Even Uncle Crappy made an appearance. And with that, my day was long, exhausting and overall pretty spectacular.

Preparations are apparently underway for my last shift @ My Living Room this coming Saturday. If all goes well, I’ll make it to rugby practice this week and maybe get to play a half in the game on Saturday. *fingers crossed*

I’m not happy about Saturday, but the support I’ve gotten over the situation has been amazing. Thanks to all of you.

I’m beat, so I’m going to finish dinner and resume being lazy. Later!

The Circus

No, I did not go to the circus. I went to see “Circus” by one Britney Spears… My good friend @calipanthergrl was given tickets and I volunteered to go. I didn’t know then that it was the night before the “big” tournament, so I was a little worried. Thankfully, everything went really well yesterday & today and I didn’t have any fires to put out tonight.

As you know, I saw Madonna in November. I didn’t really want to go, but in the end, I was glad I did – it was a good show. It didn’t last long, no opening act, but Madonna seriously worked her ass off during that show…

I’m pretty sure that I don’t have the words to explain the interesting, disturbing, unreal, unappropriate things we may have seen tonight. So instead, I give you, from start to finish, the tweets @calipantergrl and I shared with our Twitter friends (and some of their replies) through out the night. (I’ve done a smidge of editing. It’s my blog, I’m allowed.)

I love Google Image results right not so I can provide pics. Even what @calipanthergrl missed b/c someone trapped her in conversation…

AnnoyedAngel: Walking into mellon arena and the circus with @calipanthergrl Approx7:30pm

FashionForward: @calipanthergrl @AnnoyedAngel good luck girls. Approx 7:30pm

AnnoyedAngel: Oh my god. This place is ridic. That is all. Approx 8ish

AnnoyedAngel: view from our seats Approx 8ish

AnnoyedAngel: 16,000 screaming tweens and perhaps adult women? LOUD! Ouch. Approx 8ish

calipanthergrl: Trns out I like more PCD songs than I knew. Nicole? Amazingly talented & hot. Not convinced the othr 4 weren’t pulled frm the crowd b4 hand Approx 8:30pm

unclecrappy: Thinking about @AnnoyedAngel and @calipanthergrl at the Britney Spears show. Trying not to laugh. Approx 8:30pm

AnnoyedAngel: Omg. Stripper poles! During the pcd remake of jai ho! Geebus. Approx 9:00pm

calipanthergrl: @unclecrappy laugh if you want, but I’ve got free food, booze and ncaa basketball on in the suite! Approx 9:30pm

unclecrappy: @calipanthergrl Touche. Approx 9:30pm

AnnoyedAngel: Big apple circus! Yay Approx 9:30pm

calipanthergrl: Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a juggling midget… Approx 9:30pm

calipanthergrl: Well. That intro was hella disturbing Approx 9:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: This is kinda freaking disturbing. And scary. And quite ok. In short, a trainwreck times 40 Approx 9:45pm

calipanthergrl: On sensory overload here. Epileptic seizure in 3, 2, 1 …Approx 9:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Oh geebus. Brit brit is in a cage on stage. Bwahahaha Approx 9:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: And dudes r hanging from that cage. Ummmm Approx 9:45pm

calipanthergrl: Also, unlike Nicole S., I’m pretty sure Britney hasn’t sung a word yet. #lipsync in the house! Approx 9:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Agree w @calipanthergrl. We’re all lip synch up in here Approx 9:45pm

calipanthergrl: I mean, she’s not even pretending to move her lips Approx 9:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Someone better tell @calipanthergrl to get outta my head. At least she’s here to share the trainwreck w me….Approx 9:45pm

unclecrappy: @AnnoyedAngel @calipanthergrl I’m happy yinz are approaching the show with the proper spirit. Approx 9:45pm

calipanthergrl: So we’ve gone from circus theme to bad 90’s color me bad video? Huh? Approx 9:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Oh goody. More stripper poles. Hi, kids! Approx 9:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: I am totally planning costume changes for april 4th @ the bar. The basics stay the same, we’re gonna accessorize w feathery things & jackets & stuff Approx 10:45pm

calipanthergrl: Sorry brit …. Christina already did the genie thing … And better Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Alert the press. She is singing for reals. On an umbrella like those ins commercials. Approx 10:45pm

calipanthergrl: For those keeping track at home, we’ve gone circus, color me badd, slumdog millionaire and now traveler’s comm. Can’t wait to see what’s nxt Approx 10:45pm

unclecrappy: @AnnoyedAngel Actual singing? I don’t believe you. Approx 10:45pm

unclecrappy: @calipanthergrl I want hippies and/or a Sinatra impersonation. Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Ok now this stuff kinda makes me feel dirty. Ew. There are kids here Approx 10:45pm

calipanthergrl: @unclecrappy well we just about had an orgy on video (think eyes wide shut) so it may be in the cards Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: I’m pretty sure @calipanthergrl and i have NO Words for what we just saw Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Sex scenes? We haz it. O.M.G. Approx 10:45pm

@calipanthergrl missed this... wow.

AnnoyedAngel: If my mother knew what i was seeing here, she’d b quite disappointed in me Approx 10:45pm

FashionForward: Can’t wait till next sat. Really looking forward to @calipanthergrl @unclecrappy @mrscrappy et al and the @AnnoyedAngel #asshat tweetup Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: There are parents here who have to explain a LOT to their kids, guaranteed. Holy crap. Approx 10:45pm

FashionForward: @AnnoyedAngel @calipanthergrl @unclecrappy yeah but does brit perform while doing synchronzed trampoline jumping or with a vacuum? Approx 10:45pm

unclecrappy: @FashionForward I think #Asshat Tweetup is the perfect name. If @AnnoyedAngel approves, we’re gonna run with that. Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: @unclecrappy @FashionForward #asshat tweetup is fine. Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: Anime sex goddess now. My eyes are burning and my brain is rotting. Oy Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: I am out of words. Srsly. Ridic Approx 10:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: All done w the shit show trainwreck, god help me, it was fun. Approx 11:45pm

AnnoyedAngel: This was def the BEST way to spend the nite before a stressful day. Thx @calipanthetgrl. Will blog abt it when i get home! Approx 11:45pm

Keep in mind, when we sent these, we didn’t know what the other sent. While we did talk and laugh our a*^es off during the show, we just didn’t share what we “tweeted.” I swear it made the night better. I also learned that @calipanthergrl has a direct read on my mind…. strange.

(Also including a sort of related thread… #asshat tweetup… you will be seeing more on this soon, I promise… but mark your calendars now – APRIL 4th…)

(And before I blog abt it, thanks to Uncle Crappy and FashionForward for next weekend. Really, guys, you have no idea…)

Serenity Now…

My big old tournament is in not even two days. And it is a trainwreck in the making.

Two years ago, we decided to put a limit on the number of teams allowed. Worked well the first two years… this year? Not so much. We now have too many teams. Seriously. Like 4-6 too many. Great.

Right now the only thing good going on is that the crew today got WAY more done than we ever do on Thursday. I *heart* PghRugbyRef from my comments for this. He knew what needed to be done, and the people he had there with him were great workers. Tomorrow there isn’t as much to do, but I still have a zillion things to get done.

Oh, and did I mention that all those extra teams were added in the past 24 hours? And that tomorrow night I’m supposed to go see Britney Spears in concert? (You question this, I’m sure – it’s free. Just like Madonna. It’s not like I’d pay to see either one.)

My brain isn’t even working today. I went to Get Go to buy a bottle of water. Paid for it then left it on the counter. Got home, meant to put it in the fridge. Where is it? On the floor next to me. Awesome.

I can’t even find the words to fully explain the insanity going on right now… Instead I’m going to just listen to my “calm” song…Enjoy.

Is this week over yet?

I posted this and then I had to edit it. Not much of it, but really, I realized it’s been a while since I posted any music…. and I didn’t really have much of an idea of what to post. Many links I saved are now not available (dumb). But this one… if I ever hear this on the radio or my IPod, I might cry. When it was released, I immediately thought of My Living Room…

I know many of you hate this music, but for now, please just allow me this…

If you had asked me last week to tell you what the worst thing that could happen this week would be, I would have probably said it would be a repeat of last year. Hardly anyone showed up to help finish up the fields on Friday – I was there, alone, at 10am, for like 2 hours. Freezing on the windy, cold, barren camping ground… Then we find that half of our goalposts are trashed… A bunch of people were at the site till after dark, the rest of us running around the Burgh buying things to make things right at 7am the next day… Yeah, that was fun. However, the tourney ran the best it ever has and we were out of there by 7 or 8pm.

Never, did I think that my job at My Living Room would be gone right now, that I’d be dealing with THAT on top of my tournament… That I’d still (update: 11:53pm) be waiting on a call from Viking to talk to me about the situation. NEVER EVER did I think that on top of my tourney, I’d be trying to figure out how I can turn my apparent pretty good sewing skills into some way to make enough money each week/month to make it paycheck to paycheck. NEVER. NEVER EVER.

I worked there for nearly 7 entire years (no, not 8. I realized it the other day. My first year in my club and at the bar were in 2002,) which apparently right now means NOTHING. Did I think I earned my shift? HELL YES. I started there working Sunday nights. ALONE. And they sucked. Sorry that I can’t work weekdays, but I’ve always given up 50-100% of my weekends to work at or maintain that damn place… I can’t even keep writing about it because I’m so mad, hurt, upset and violent that it just will not end well for me or a few others I may encounter… But really, that was the LAST thing I ever expected…

But it figures… This year, I have a ton of people signed up to help Thursday and Friday. Good people I think I can depend on. And the dependable people who CAN’T make it Thursday or Friday? They proved that I can count on them and have each individually emailed me to say they’ll do whatever I need on Saturday. Because I know them and depend on them, I already knew this.

BG has already figured out our goalpost issue. And little pregnant miss KRL has agreed to print the items I need printed on Friday… (I’m hoping this means she won’t try to chase me around w/ her pregnant belly… please? You actually can’t cause then you won’t get the fantabulous things I’m making for Baby Love!)

But what is killing me right now is that every year, no matter what time we get out of the site, most, if not all of us head to My Living Room. Last year I ran a raffle at the site for those who helped clean up and then again at My Living Room. What am I going to do this year??? I can’t even imagine walking into that place right now without feeling so uncomfortable and unwelcome… I don’t WANT to go there… Just thinking about it makes me want to cry my face off or physically harm someone. But I loved hanging out with everyone last year… loved it. It was a good time. One of the few times I actually enjoy being on the patron side of the bar….

Right now, I am planning to hand off the second raffle thing to someone else and just come home. Yay.

I can haz free move to Florida nowz? Plz?

Now, where were we?

Oh, yeah, my sister’s baby shower.

Here are some pics of my sister’s shower before everyone showed up… It really turned out nice. I not only bought extra books to give her, but I stole some books from the baby’s room also… some books that were MINE long before they were hers and as I was setting up one of them, I found proof… look what fell out of one of the books:

One of MY bookmarks!! From my mom… When I saw the front of it, I didn’t even have to see the back. I knew immediately it was mine… So guess what’s marking the page of my current book right now?

So back to the shower pics:

See that last book on the table? The Starter Kit? Here are some close-ups…

Yeah, that might be the funniest, most awesome baby thing ever. I found it at Half Price Books. On clearance. And it’s hilarious. It sort of likens a baby to a new car or appliance. Baby’s hair color? Yeah, it’s the tint. And tint is optional… NE started reading the “owner’s manual” while we de-tagged clothes on Saturday night. We were laughing like crazy when he started reading from it. Hysterical.

Ah, good times.

Good thing blogging is free…

You all know I work at My Living Room and have done so for the better part of nearly 8 years. I work there because I don’t live paycheck to paycheck from my “real” job – I live paycheck to tips to paycheck to make ends meet. I NEED that job.

And then today I get a phone call. From Asshat of all people. I call him back and long story short, I have ONE shift left and then I’m basically fired. Apparently my shitty Saturday shift is “great.” And there are others there who deserve my shift. Excuse me? I’ve worked there for nearly 8 years. I’ve been treated like crap, never given a raise, dealt with all of Asshat’s issues that the management doesn’t know about… and they do this to me???

Well guess what? Shit’s hitting the fans kids. Not only am I making all hell break loose in my own way (more on that in a week or two or three), but my last night will be a rugby, social media and Living Room train-wreck-crazy-ass-drunken-dowhatyouwant-circus. You want to throw me away? Go right ahead. I’ll make you regret it. Because I intend to have NOTHING to do with that place after that night.That Mug Club? Whoever takes it over? Good luck figuring that shit out. It’s a damn mess. But not my problem anymore.

I’ve said it before, I was so welcomed by the Yinz Team and everyone I’ve met online and in person through social media things. And I’ve taken them to My Living Room and made sure they felt welcome so that they would come back again and again. And many of them have. Even when I haven’t been there! Many of the Yinz Teamers have also welcomed my rugby teammates that they have met. With open arms and minds. LOVE IT!! And tonight when I sent a rant to Twitter, I immediately received a few replies and a few DM’s… I explained what happened and the response? Overwhelming that my friends would all be there for my last night. And also that some of them wouldn’t go there if I wasn’t there.

I’m incredibly sad about the thought of not working there. So much so that I’m shocked… Partially because of the money issue. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’ve had some good ideas and opportunities sent to me. And I’ll be honest, it’s one less thing that ties me to the Burgh and used to make me not up & move to Florida… But it’s more so because this new group of people that I convinced My Living Room was OK really ended up LIKING being there…

Most of the “regulars’ at the bar disappear during rugby season. But you know what? I know a few of the Yinz Teamsers were there last weekend while 99% of the women’s team and some of the men’s team was there. Whoo boy… But they were FINE. Regulars? They leave. Yinz Teamers? They stick with it.

I really, really thank my Tweet friends and Yinz Team friends for their messages and support tonight. I didn’t need this right now… I have a huge tournament to run on Saturday. Not that Asshat cares….

You know what really sucks? Sending out this to Twitter, Plurk and my rugby Yahoo groups: Last Shift at My Living Room: Sat April 4th. BE THERE. HANG FROM THE CEILING. I WON’T CARE,  but NO fights. JUST BE THERE AND HAVE FUN.

Tears.

Baby Shower Mania!!

Ok, it’s happened! I co-hosted my sister’s baby shower this weekend. I had never been to one, but I’m pretty sure it was a darn good shower. And my sister and NE loved it, they got some amazingly awesome things. Including their car seat, their highchair and lots of other fun baby stuff. NE proved yet again that he is a kick-ass guy – he not only helped set up for the shower, but he was there the whole time and helped my sister open their gifts. He also got to talk to some women who he and my sister are friends with through his work, which I’m thankful for.

I’m pretty sure that my hand-made gifts for the baby shocked the you-know-what out of them. I cried when they opened my quilt. Even though they knew about it and saw finished pics on this site, it was just so awesome finally give the quilt to them and to see them open it. So. Freaking. Awesome. And I didn’t get a picture of it, (if I had, I wouldn’t ever put it here,) but my sister opened her last gift (see below), and looked at me and said, “Did you make this?” with a look of utter astonishment on her face. I think I danced around at that point.

So, my gifts. I’ve promised forever to post these. And finally, I can. So, here we go, in order of how my sister & NE opened them:

One: Pooh Bear teether (& a pack of hangers.) Totally lame… but leftover from other gifts!

Two: From the cat “C” and Aunt Claire – home-made baby bath towel & washcloth and bath toys…

Three: My Quilt. Look at the fun bag I got for it! yay!

Four: The bibs & burp cloths…. I really thought my sister caught onto this when I mentioned that Teaspoon had been born. She knows I am also making a quilt for him (and she’s excited about it too!), but I mentioned after he was born I had to rush to try to make his bib and burp cloth… Apparently, that baby is eating her brain, because she had NO IDEA…

B is for Baby. But also for BIBS and BURP CLOTHS. Who knew?

I swear, I chose a box that could fit BABY hangers across them. But no. Not when I tried. Thus, the are angled left and right… Oy. Here is most of the bibs etc. I think there are a few missing…

And then Five: From the dog “D” and Aunt Claire

I now present to you the finished RING TOY OF DEATH. AKA the Heather Bailey Happy Stacker Ring Toy. I wrapped it so that they could just push aside the tissue paper and then pull on the top ribbon. I tried it at home it worked…. At the shower? Not so much…  My sister ended up with 3 of the 5 rings randomly on the center… ugh… I had to run over and grab the bottom two rings and shove them on the bottom!!! That figures right? THIS is what made my sister stop and ask if I made it… Personally, it isn’t perfect.I’m okay with that. My mom was amazed at it when she saw it. (Yes, that made me cry. Shut up.)  All I hope is that it makes this baby HAPPY – at least once. That’s all I asked when Lili and NE opened it. Just once. And then if D decides it’s the perfect stuffed thing that needs its stuffing removed, I’m okay with that… Not even kidding.

See that smidge of bright orange & turquoise??

Tada!!! The Ring Toy of Death!!!

The look on my sister’s face when she realized I MADE it? That was enough. I didn’t even want to cry. The quilt, yes, but this thing? I was so happy. Lili tried to tell me right before we packed up that she couldn’t believe what I made. And I told her to stop & tell me later – because she’d make me cry – I think at first she was offended or caught off guard… But she didn’t bring it up – but she and my mom, her friend, our Aunt, NE’s mom and his aunt all checked out my gifts when they came over after the shower…

I also think my sister realized why I MADE everything and just bought “accents” here and there. That look on her face? And that I just had to show a tear or two? That is why I love my sister. And, by the way, Lili, again we prove NE wrong. We just read each other’s minds… We don’t forget certain words while we’re talking… He just is still new to us and hasn’t caught on… We just know what the other is going to say…. Yes, that’s it. You tell him that… Please. lol. (OMG. That is totally like a 45% lie right there.)

Ah, it was great. Tomorrow I will post pics of the shower & the fancy tables that we set up. Including some books borrowed (ok, stolen, for the day) from my sister’s stash that she took from when we were both growing up…

And no, I’m not done sewing. Teaspoon’s quilt has to be done soon! Since he just decided to grow and get healthy and come home super early!!! And I’ve already come up with new things to make for my sister’s baby. I’m insane, I know. But until I move to Florida what else  can I do for that baby but make it things and project my love from so far away??

Buying liquor outside of PA

So earlier today I went to Super Target. It was my first time in a SuperTarget. And I realized they probably have beer, and they did. 6 packs, 12 packs, cases. Just like every other state but PA… And they had individual craft & import beers. For $1.50 each. I nearly bought one bottle just so I could have proof of it on my receipt.

Later this afternoon, my sister and I wandered over to the Total Wine store. Total Wine bills itself as America’s Wine Superstore. And based on what I saw? They are not lying. We’re talking 3-4 times the selection of just wine as compared to the the new liquor store in Eastside (by Whole Foods). Heck it could even be more than 3-4 times. I didn’t even see all of it. They have a wine tasting bar where you can taste wine/champagne from 2-6pm EVERYDAY. I don’t think there is someone out there who drinks alcohol who could not go there and find at least 10 things they like.

Bear with these pics, people, they are really bad & blurry. I was rushing and I was totally overwhelmed by this store. PA should be ashamed of the PLCB stores.

Entrance - wine area

Another wine area shot

We picked the champagne and then checked the beer aisle. Holy crap:

I  must have been rushed and forgot to take a picture of it, but they have PENN BREWERY beers there, people. By the bottle. And the bottles? ARE CHEAP. The most I think I saw was like $2.79 for a bomber.

I didn’t even venture to the other SIDE of the store because baby momma wanted to go. And I didn’t even make the liquor area. But what I did see? Amazing.

That plus just being out of Pgh, plus having the leader of my Fan Club perch on his majestic chariot not once but TWO times today??? Super win.

his majesty on his chariot

Tomorrow!!!

I’ll be with my sister in Florida. SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. And NE and the animal kids. Yay. I might be jumping up and down excited right now. But I might not be. I might be sitting down & typing.

Three hours later: It’s so freaking late. I had a few rugby things to tend to. And I still have things to do. Nuts.

However, I did just discover that certain things that I kinda need to take with me, sewing wise, are actually allowed in a carry on. Who knew!? Not anyone on Twitter earlier, that’s for sure! yay. Happy to educate myself and others on that. BUT if the TSA Agent isn’t happy about what I have, I’m not that distraught over losing the items they might not want me to have… As long as they don’t take my three spools of thread. Seriously. They are perfectly matched to my quilt and something else. I packed my less-than fave less-than 4″ skissors, just in case i run into a mean TSA agent. And only 1 needle. The rest in my cute sewing bag? All thread. Not kidding. When you see EVERYTHING I’ve been sewing, you’ll understand why I happen to have THREE shades of GREEN thread… Green? Really… And knowing me, if you do, I ONLY HAVE ONE SPOOL OF ROYAL BLUE THREAD. ONLY ONE. No “off” shades of slightly royal blue, or trying-to-be-royal blue, the only thing close is a bright turquoise… which reminds me, I might as well take the apron I sewed, since I’ll be cooking…

Did I pack what I NEED? Besides the apron? No idea. Thankfully, mypre-prego sister and I are basically the same size (not the same height though, and not the same shoe size – I hate that shoe thing. She has great shoes.) and if I forget something, usually there is something in her “give to Goodwill” pile that I love and fits me. Whew.

Aaagh. I have no idea what I’m doing now, except going to clean my car. Craptastic.

Okay, post-everything I had to do, it’s now today. Goodnight.