The Snow is Falling

As I write this, I'm looking out the window and watching the snow fall. It's not even winter yet the snow and temperatures keep plummeting. I do like it when it's all snowy around the holidays, but it also really makes me want to hibernate and never go outside. It's the end of the year and everything seems really bleak right now...everything seems cheerless. Every week people are getting laid off. This week alone, I've known two people who've lost their jobs. And the thing is, it's going to get worse before it gets better. I'm sorta glad I don't have to worry about losing a job, but it would be nice to get a severance package and go on unemployment. I also keep thinking there's got to be a way to still make money in these dark times. What do people need the most? Of course there's booze and Myopenbar fulfills that niche, but there's got to be a way to make some serious cash now. I've been trying for years to figure out how to do what I love for a living yet make money in a tolerable way to sustain myself and have the time and energy to do what I love. I haven't come close to figuring it out and maybe I never will. Nothing in life is stable anyway.

Last night we had our Drambuie event. The bar was packed to the gills considering it was freezing out and it was a Monday night. A good time was had by all. There was a burlesque show. I'd never seen one before. The girls took their tops off but were wearing pasties. I'd never have the gumption to get up and "strip" in front of people. I'm too self-conscious. But it's a good way to make money, I suppose. I wish I had a talent like bartending or DJing or stripping. Those are good ways to make money.

I really want to get the holidays over with. The boyfriend and I have coordinated our Xmas schedules and it's a little complicated. We're spending Xmas Eve and Christmas in Columbus dividing the time between my family's and his family's place. We are driving to Columbus next Wednesday with his mom. On the 26th, the boyfriend and I are driving to Dayton to engage in a horror film marathon with my friends visiting from NY. I haven't seen them since last Xmas. Yes, hours and hours of horror movies. It's very Christmasy. Then, we're going back to Columbus on the 27th, spending more time with the boyfriend's family, then coming back to Dayton yet again on the 28th so the boyfriend's mom can meet my mom. Whew. It's going to be a lot of driving around. And hopefully a lot of cool presents. I hope the boyfriend's parents get us flight vouchers but I have a feeling they won't be that generous.

Speaking of travel, the boyfriend keeps asking me where I want to go on our vacation this winter. We're eying Costa Rica, Belize or South America. I have this idea where I really want to go to some random countries no one I know has been. Like Luxembourg. I wrote a paper on the country in my French high school class. There isn't much to do there, but it sounds cool. And I want to go to Lichtenstein and Monaco...places like that. Of course I also really just want to lie on a beach somewhere. So many options. I want to go everywhere. We're hoping since no one has money to travel that resorts will cut us a deal to fill rooms. Even though no one has money to travel, now is probably the best time to do it.

The other night the boyfriend was lecturing me that I need to take better care of myself. This sort of upsetted me. I mean, I know I need to exercise and eat better. I need to find a better form of exercise then just sex. I hate jogging, especially in tundra. I hate going to the gym. If there was an indoor pool nearby I could do laps. Maybe I'll just start jogging in place. And it bothers me the boyfriend is telling me to take care of myself when I'm the one with the low pressure. I don't smoke, I've cut down on my drinking, and I don't eat red meat. I know I'm not the epitome of health--I don't have health insurance so it's hard for me to go to the doctor--but, I could be much worse off.

Tomorrow night I'm working an event for Time Out. Over the summer I worked events for them all the time (no pun intended) but they haven't needed people until now. So, that'll be some extra cash. I'm also suppose to go to a concert tomorrow night. And I still need to interview a band and write a long article on them within the next couple of days. Hopefully I can fit it all in. As much as I want the holidays to be over, I'm also looking forward to spending time with friends and family and just relaxing for a few days--if that's even possible.