While I’m Braging…

We will be closed for a few hours tomorrow for a “Private Session” at the shop.
Story of The Year and Deftones will be in the shop for tattoo’s…
Yeah, Brian is doing them…
He does everything!
Pictures to follow in the next day or two.

Louis Vuitton Cake Art…

Brian is one of our talented artists, he left us briefly to work at Hart & Hunnington (A&E’s Inked) and was touted as one of the best tattoo artists in the world. Brian designed last years remodel in the shop, which has made us one of the nicest, cleanest tattoo studios I’ve ever seen.
Brian is an amazing artist in just about any medium.

A year or two ago, all of the girls in the shop (and wives) got really into Louis Vuitton purses. Yesterday was the birthday of one of the wives… this is the Louis Vuitton cake that Brian made:

Everything, even the “hardware” is edible. The rivits are even stamped just like the real deal.
I liked it so much that I actually volunteered my ‘real’ birthday to Brian so I could get a cake too… he says they’ve already been planning it!

Now there are tests about WHY we take tests!

Snarky You scored %82 quirkiness, %72 nerdiness, and %72 coolness!

You just can’t help yourself can you? You try really hard to be yourself, but you find that, on occassions, people look at you as if you’ve just grown another head. It’s not your fault that your head is jam-packed with all sorts of useless knowledge. Yeah it is. Stop taking these stupid tests!

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on quirkiness You scored higher than 99% on nerdiness You scored higher than 99% on coolness ***(so I gather this means I am the only person “MY AGE” who took this test)***

Link: The Why do you take these tests Test written by brujahboy on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Urrgggg… part two.

You guys are wonderful, thank you for just listening and offering support…
I’ve been in the person’s shoes, that is the most difficult part, I know what lies ahead.
But then again, this person knows better as well.
It’s a different instrument this time, but the song is the same…
I’ve also found that having been in those shoes has greatly decreased my patience for such self destruction.
To me, these actions are selfish and attention seeking.
I’m not such a good co-dependent anymore.

Urrrg…

I have been depressed the last couple of weeks…
I’ve been going over a situation over and over again in my brain trying to decide what to do or if there is anything that I am even able to do.
I can’t really blog any details… it’s just the level of my patience until it passes that is in question.
I’m worried about someone.
That someone has a problem and I cannot fix it.
Watching it is difficult because I’ve seen a hobby become a habit and that habit has become an obcession, one that I think might be difficult for the problem bearer to get past. The problem is becoming more and more appearent to everyone surrounding the person… but the person doesn’t see it and the person thinks it’s basically a secret. It is something that can wreck the persons career and relationships. It has caused the person financial problems… the problem is that I think the “problem” is more important to the person and that the person wouldn’t care so much if relationships and jobs were lost because of it…
I feel sick tonight.
I’ve tried talking to the person, it becomes a fight where things are twisted to where I am the person with the problem for being worried and that the problem is not a problem at all…
I know this doesn’t make much sense to someone reading it… but it helps me to write it…
If you know me IRL, please don’t ask me about it, I won’t talk.
I just needed to write tonight…

I need a hobby…

Tonight we taught the bird to dance:
View the video dancing bird hosted by Myzine.org
It takes a while to load… and the bird isn’t very good yet, but s/he’s working on keeping a beat…

Is it weird that I think that it’s weird?

So…
Everyone get’s the attention of a stranger from time to time, married or not. I’m trying to figure out why I find it so weird on those (rare) occasions that someone flirts with me.
I think I have a fairly good self-image and I think the years have been kind to me…
but it *always* shocks the hell out of me when someone flirts with me.
Thank God I’m not single, I’d never survive out there…

Playin’ tag!

Tagged by Mom, here’s the rules:

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

Having just bought an ipod (which I love), this will be easy!
Here’s a variety of the most listened to ones, alphabetically.
Don’t laugh 🙂

1. Alice’s Restaurante Massacree by Arlo Guthrie
2. Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes
3. Come on Eileen by Kevin Rowland
(and Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Yeah, I’ll admit it)
4. Follow Me by Uncle Kracker
5. Never been to Spain by Three Dog Night
6. Raise your Hands by Bon Jovi
7. Your Man by Josh Turner

I didn’t mention any Jimmy Buffett songs because those are just gimmee’s, lately Barefoot Children has been my favorite JB.

Since I run a tag hospice program (here the tags pass on comfortably to tag heaven), you can leave a comment if you want to “adopt” this tag and we will check out your answers!

So… Why is it than when someone yawns, it makes me yawn, but when someone snores, it keeps me awake?

Yes… these are the things I wonder about.

Good news in the paper about parking posted below…
Yeah, good news. Crazy huh?

This Just In…

Today’s front page news!

SALEM CITY COUNCIL

City delays action on downtown parking
Plan to set 2-hour limits is put on hold until after a study

DENNIS THOMPSON
Statesman Journal

March 21, 2006

Salem will perform a comprehensive study of the demand for downtown parking before considering whether to put a two-hour limit on parking there, the City Council voted Monday.

The council also voted to delay completing the study until after the Marion County Courthouse reopens so its impact on downtown parking can be considered.

“Nobody seems to have an answer, but everyone has a concern,” Council President Jim Randall said, agreeing to the delay suggested by Councilor Brad Nanke. “We need to get this right.”

The study will provide a comprehensive assessment of downtown parking, including how much turnover takes place on the streets and how long cars park there.

In delaying the decision about two-hour parking, the council heeded the advice of both the Downtown Advisory Board and the CAN-DO neighborhood association. Both groups voted against imposing a two-hour limit without first proving that it was necessary and would work.

“I think it would be good to have someone from outside come look at it and give us some ideas,” Mark Shipman, the chairman of the Downtown Advisory Board, told the council Monday.

Sylvia Dorney, the owner of Greenbaum’s Quilted Forest and an advisory board member, told councilors that the two groups plan to hold their own parking forum in April.

The city initiated a two-hour parking limit along four south-downtown blocks in November, after business owners complained that people going to the Salem Conference Center were using all of the on-street parking.

The two-hour limit is in effect from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Councilor Frank Walker said he has walked the two-hour limit area and has found support for the policy.

“My own conversations with many of the business owners in that area is this program is working. The parking study is warranted, and we should proceed with it,” Walker said.

He later added, “I don’t think there’s any high-level dissatisfaction with what we’ve done so far.”

However, a staff report assessing the current two-hour limit noted several businesses that had concerns about the policy.

For example, two counselors with offices on High Street said they were worried about being able to complete psychological evaluations within the two-hour period.

Owners of salons, tattoo parlors and other establishments also have voiced concerns.

—

The delay give those of us with serious concerns a chance to continue to organize and put together a working plan…
I’ve gone to and spoke at all of the city council meetings (the first speech was quite memorable as in nervous chatter I accidently stated {into a microphone and on CCTV} that I was picturing the city council and mayor naked, but that’s another post, anything to make an impression I guess!) when parking was on the agenda….
Limits are fine, but a concession needs to be made for long term customers and/or paid parking w/valadation from retail establishments for “all day wanderers” need to be considered as well.

Yay for delays and studys and Horray for Can-Do and the Downtown Advisory Board!