Yelp me get my feet back on the ground.

I know everyone's been wondering where I've been these last few months. [Said with sarcasm and the notion that I've been wondering the same thing, perhaps?] 

Well, I will tell you. For the first little bit of summer I was spending all my internet efforts on Yelp.com, writing reviews for the Jacksonville area as a hired Yelp Scout [to help build up Jax's market some]. Pretty sweet gig, if I do say so myself! I got paid to go out, have fun, and tell everyone about it.

I thought that there was the sealing wax stamp.

What started out like this:

[Look at that grin. I know what awaits me in my near future.]

Ended like this:

When David Bowie met Anastasia met Sia... in my mind.

I have a bizarre and somewhat contestable habit of finding similarities in things that are not... well, similar. But in my mind, they blend seamlessly into some kind of emotional expression! Aka, they remind me of each other.

That happened today when I was listening to my friend's 8tracks playlist that started out with Sia's "Soon We'll Be Found". It is an amazing, somewhat heart breakingly painful song that mixes minors with majors to create a dark, but melodic masterpiece. [Yes, I said masterpiece. I really like it!]

As I listened to it for maybe the 13th time in a row [why do we do that, people?] I started to remember this similar sensation from my childhood... from a song I couldn't really remember, not the words, nor the actual melody, or even the film it came from exactly. But I remembered the feeling. And it was the same feeling as this new song from Sia.

After some digging [both inside the caverns of my mind and on google] I found the other song - "Once Upon A December" by Liz Callaway. I first heard the song as a child in the animated film "Anastasia" [some high quality old school animation, before PIXAR came in and took over the genre]. However, I found an awesome video of the song featuring DAVID BOWIE and Jennifer Connolly in Labyrinth, another film I haven't thought about in ages. Whoa. [It's kind of an elaborate version of the actual song, with some enhanced choral backings, but its an awesome reminder of Bowie's creepy awesomeness, so it's the one I am using.]

Here they are, side by side, above and below, for your own comparisons and enjoyment.

[Sia, "Soon We'll Be Found"]

[Liz Calloway, "Once Upon A December" circa "Labyrinth"]

Is it 5 P[osh]M yet?

Went to Matthew's recently for their happy hour after receiving an enticing email about their offerings. Three delectable French Fry innovations for the amazing price of just $4 and I was sold. The $6 dirty martini didn't hurt either. 

MIApril

[I should warn you now... went a little CAPS LOCK crazy.]

So, been taking a little break from blogging/social networking/plugging into the virtual world for the past month. Sometimes it happens. Typically post awesome vacation where I go and LIVE my life, don't think at all about how I can "report" my life to the mysterious masses that may or may not care. I remember all over again what it used to be like before there were cell phones and internet and when the words FACE and BOOK never went back to back EVER. Unless someone was threatening to hit your face with a book out of anger... and had really bad grammar/English skills? In which case, why were they holding a book? And maybe they should have been reading it?

However, enough time [weeks, multiples of weeks] have passed since returning from our amazing vacation in Californian Wine Country/Oakland/San Francisco. [That post will probably come later.] [Or, on second thought, I might just keep that little gem for myself.] [Or maybe in a few MORE weeks I won't care anymore as the numbness of the internet should have fully set back in.] [I am really not this jaded. I swear.]

Orchid Style

Recently, I went to the Orchid Show at The Garden Club with my madre. We are both kind of new to the orchid scene. It's a little bit cultish. But, understandably. They are not your average flower. There's a lot going on there. Beauty, grace, intelligence [beauty pageant requirements met]. Although I have yet to join the Orchid Society. Not that fanatical... yet.

 

My interest began by accident. My mom gifted me an orchid for a Spanish Dinner Party I was hosting [with my friend Katherine who had recently returned from living in Bar[th]elona]. My friend Cielo came over, met my orchid, and explained that she had multiple pet orchids, herself.

I didn't even know you could "keep" them that way. Like, the flower dies, out to the trash it goes [my mom's somewhat ruthless stratgey]. Cielo versed me in the easiest-flower-to-keep-on-the-planet ways [water once or twice a month, leave in the same spot all the time, check the leaves], and voila... now I have three. [Not counting the one that died. A tragedy.]

[Our bounty.]

Orchids are really fascinating. Fickle, delicate, mind blowingly beautiful, but yet aloof, loners, and extremely easy going [unless you move them, in which case they get extremely morose]. I think we could all take a little cue from an orchid. In any given situation just ask yourself, what would your orchid do?

Stand there looking pretty, fascinating people and making them slightly uncomfortable. A complex creature. There is more to you than meets the eye, but you simply can't be bothered. Orchid style.

The Last Cold Night of Winter

This winter has been intense. It has shoved us Floridians into our dwellings, lock and key, heater blasted, huddled together or huddled alone to try and keep warm. We can't handle cold weather, especially not for months on end.

 [Hogan St.]

So, this March when the monthly Art Walk rolled around, everyone's resounding cries to get out of the house and explore the cavernous regions of our local downtown was short lived. By dusk, it was but again a whisper, huddled inside, barely heard by any.

[229 N. Hogan - Off the Grid Galleries]