Satisfaction

When ever people find out that although I work retail and hospitality, I hold degrees in accounting and finance as well as history and classics, they are genuinely shocked. Why would I pass up a cushy salaried office job to slog it out in the kitchen?

Because of days like today.

Days where you spend 11 hours rushed off your feet, running around like a crazy headless person. Days where people can't get enough of something that you have created from scratch with your own two hands. Days that you start with nothing more that ingredients and manage to pull together catering for 150 people, even with things going wrong. 

The days where you go home, whole body aching from being so long on your feet on a concrete floor, having achieved so much.... those days make it all worth while. They satisfy the soul so much more than sitting behind a computer for eight ours ever did.

At least for me.

Ordering 101

It blows my mind on a daily basis that eighty percent of the population find it so difficult to do such a simple thing as ordering coffee:

customer: I'll have a coffee please.

me: sure, what kind of coffee would you like

customer: a white coffee

me: okay, so flat white, latte, cappuccino....?

customer: oh, a latte

me: sure, so was that a small or large?

customer: a medium

me: small or large?

customer: medium (they are getting irritated now)

me: I'm sorry, we only have small or large

customer: fine, large

I can understand it, if your in a cafe that has specialty drinks, but in a bakery? I had this conversation not just once, but at least half a dozen times today. And probably will tomorrow as well. Is it really so hard just to ask for a large latte straight off the bat?

The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore - George Khoury

In my strange little brain, Alan Moore can do no wrong. His thoughts and views on the world and life in general are things that I agree with wholeheartedly and that these opinions are reflected in his writing style is something that I both appreciate and enjoy.

I do not however, like biographies. I don't know why, I just never have. So it took me a while to convince myself that I had to read this one.

And I really glad that I did.

Its not so much a biography as tribute. Yes there is biographical information, but it is in the form of an interview, so the quintessential Alan Moore intellect and wit still shines through.

Three stars.

Lost Girls - Alan Moore

“My dear, beautiful and imaginative things can be destroyed. Beauty and imagination cannot.”
Lost Girls, volume three

Sex in books is always an interesting topic - even more so in comic books. Where does one draw the line between art and erotica; between story telling and pornography. Sex is such an important part of adult life and yet we, as a society, tiptoe around it as if it is some boogy man hiding in our closets, waiting to pounce when we least expect it.

The Lost Girls trilogy addressed this wonderfully, I think. 

Yes, its graphic; yes, its full of sex and lesbianism and masturbation and all those other things that we are not supposed to talk about - especially as women. But it serves its purpose, and it serves it exceptionally.

Now I'm not saying that every book should be packed cover to cover with sex, but as writing tool it can be very powerful, either as an aid to character and emotional development, or in this case, a thematic platform. The use of sex by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie to create such power and thought provoking contrasts was, in my opinion, truly inspired. Life and lust against the backdrop of the horrors and deaths of World War One told through the now grown up eyes of women so intrinsically linked with our childhoods - Wendy Darling, Dorothy Gale and Alice. Opposites that all fit together so perfectly to form the whole.

The only thing that let the series down for me was the artwork itself. The look was just ever so slightly off for me. But with such a thought provoking effect on me, I was willing to work around that. 

Three stars all up.

Dune - Frank Herbert

I wanted to like Dune, I really truly did.

But I couldn't.

And I am sorry.

I know its considered one of the classics of the science fiction genre, and well loved by millions of loyal fans world wide. I just couldn't bring myself to like it no matter how hard I tried.

No, that's not entirely true. I liked the idea of the plot. The sand worms and spice and links to the environment I thought were beautiful concepts. Its just a shame that my attention was constantly diverted away from that towards a clunky writing style that I had to fight against in order to emerse myself in said world, and lead characters that I had no empathy or intact feelings (beyond irratation) for.

I'm sorry. As a sci-fi fan I hang my head in shame.

Beginning - Part Two

Okay, so apparently sometimes I have the attention span of a gnat. I'm a big enough of a person to admit it. I'm that person that gets sidetracked by the shiney light spot on the wall from the sun radiating through the key hole.

Judge me if you will, I am okay with that.

 So I am going to start this enterprise again. Books-read-review... its in the post below, I'm not going to repeat myself. I will, however, endeavor to back track on the reviews for he books I have read so far this year on my 100 books goal, not just the current ones... hopefully I can redeem myself a little.

Terrible Person

Like the title says, a terrible person - that is what I am. Some times I get so distracted by what is going on around me that I forget to take the time to clear my thoughts. Its an endless cycle really. A full head leads to being more easily distracted which leads to a fuller head.... 

I should know better. I caught myself getting insanely irratable at my customers today. Never a good sign.

Although, in my defense, customers are the bain of every customer service job ever. I am a firm believe that 90 percent of supposed bad customer service stems from bad customer behaviour. But I digress.

 I am moving again. Some times I wonder if I will ever settle down and find a place that I can truly call home. This will be one step closer I think, but still not quite there. The other half has bought the house that he has been living in since uni and has asked me to live with him. In that respect, it is closet to having a 'home' than I have ever been. It is also a situation that is so full of firsts that the excitement is equally balanced with fear. It'll be the first time that I have ever lived with a boyfriend, all be out first house, our first mortgage, our first try at renovations, and out first property towards our goals of property mogul-ship.... I am under no illusions that this is going to be easy.

As a consequense, I think that my head is going to remain relatively full for a while to come. So, I really really need to make a conscious effort here. Everyday until it becomes habit, even if what I have to say is of no importance, it needs to be done.