Aiyani Mersai

I think I want to purchase a bike. As in, a bicycle. I have no idea what to look for in a bicycle. We live in a nice enough area to take bike rides and I know I need to get out of the house more.

Suggestions?

I went to medieval time last saturday for my birthday!!!!! The story line has changed so it was nice to not know what was going to happen, my excitement was all over the place along with my bad accent due to my two tokyo teas. I find it more difficult to speak normally when I drink than it is to just speak in my british…australian…cockney accent. I went with Robin and Katie from the green apron and they even said “happy birthday to aiyani” with the other celebration announcements. SOOOOO cool.

Jeffrey and I had a long conversation about him making decisions without me. not the decisions like “we’re having chicken for dinner” i mean the staying in Vista longer than I imagined part. Jeffrey is attending SDSU and told a director from a Junior college (whom also contracts himself out to professional theatre companies) that he was thinking of returning to the junior college next year to sound design so he could enter a contest. (I don’t remember what its called its a very long title). I later brought to his attention that he left the junior college, sound designed for professional theatre, will have his degree and has been contracting himself out as a professional sound designer for the past year, with jobs lined up through the summer and returning to the junior college to enter a contest with no guarantee he will win without consulting me about staying here to do it – was disrespectful and made me feel like I don’t count. There is a much longer version of this story but, you get the point.

I’m working on clients on the floor at school doing facials and waxing and its AWESOMEly fun.

I am jobless, and interviewing for some hotel positions. I know I swore to myself I’d never return, however it is one of the few industries that offer evening work and that’s the goal. to stay in the daytime class and work at night. I did call a couple temp agencies but all of the work they provide is more of a monday – friday 8am – 5pm thing. As I continue to interview I will keep in my mind my last option is of course to switch to night classes. Which are mon-friday 5pm – 10pm allowing me to work in the daytime. We shall see, its really been nice not working in a coffee shop anymore though – REALLY nice.

Talked to my auntie barbs tonight for a couple hours. love talking to her.

Tuesday April 15 2008 = my first day on the floor as an Esthetician Student. I did and eyebrow wax, lip wax, chin wax and European Facial. It was pretty cool.

Wednesday (yesterday.ish.) April 16, 2008 = My LAST Day Sporting The Green Apron.

That’s right people after 3 years and 9 months I left the company you all know as Starbucks. You may ask questions if you like, about me, about the store, about the policies, about how to order. But if you’re over it – believe me, I know what you mean.

Have a great day.

Thursday April 17, 2008 = my birthday. One more year and I start lying about it. This weekend I’m going to celebrate by going to Medieval Times (my happiest place on earth) with Katie and Robin, both from the green apron. Jeffrey will be working, so he won’t be coming to play

John Mayer tix for the Mid State fair go on sale for fans 4.18 for July and he’ll be in Irvine that same week – I’ll have to see what I can do to get there. I haven’t seen him since October 2006.

For those of you here at LJ – do you remember all those entries about john? I’d analyze his songs, I’d tell you what concerts I’d been too, what he played where I was and that I now have the CD from the same concert. Remember how Adam-from-the-band-I-brought-home was friends with John’s trumpet player, so I got to see him for free and how disappointed I was that I didn’t get to go backstage. Member how I won tickets on the radio (Friday April 25 2003) and PS I have the recording the was played on the radio on a CD now – Jeffrey made it all pretty for me from the tape cassette I had – remember tape cassettes. Remember my FIRST John concert (August 15 2002) and how long winded, but specific, that story is/was because I was in the front row 3 feet away from him. Remember how I’d tell you where he was when he was on tour? Remember when I was trying to win tickets on Star98.7 by calling when they played a song by him and I had to be the 98th caller and how I posted which numbers I was.

Thank you LJ listeners / readers for your support and slight head shaking during my time of obsession and please note, this in no way is me saying goodbye to those time, or giving up on more of them. =) If anything I’d like to tell you that my last day at Starbucks was John’s 1/2 birthday. Don’t you just love useless John trivia??

That’s all, thanks.

SO. I go to school Tuesday – Saturday 8am – 2:30pm and work most nights 6:15pmish – 11(close). although this seems easy enough, I no longer like going into work and I don’t make enough money. Minimum wage is moving to $8.00/hour (right?) Starbucks normally starts people off higher than that so they can say that have “competitive wages” and all these great perks. The only great perk about starbucks is opting for health benefits if you average 20 hours a week each quarter. I don’t need the pound of coffee a week, I get it and give them away. I don’t buy stuff there to often to utilize my 30% discount or 40% during the holiday season. And I don’t drink caffeine like an addict so I don’t really have many free beverages while i’m there. I can have free beverages from a half hour before, then through my shift and up until a half hour after my shift is over. And back to that $8.00/hour thing, I make a little more than a dollar more an hour after working for them for 3 years and 8 months. Yes we get tips, but they’re not great. You know when you go to a bar you normally tip, like, a dollar per drink? well its like $.05 a drink here at the green apron.

We worked on our budget, or lack there of last night. we have to bring home about $2500 a month for rent, utilities, groceries and bills. No fun money. Period. I bring home about $550 of that. He gets about $300 from PetCo and have run out of his student loan for the semester and he does not get paid from any theaters any time soon. He starts in Santa Rosa in May and won’t get paid from there until June. So, that leaves us up the creek without a paddle, doesn’t it.

THEREFORE I have to make a change so we can earn more money. I either have to switch from Daytime school, to night school (mon-fri from 5pm – 10pm, and i wouldn’t graduate as early, but that’s fine) and get a more fulltime/daytime/office/hotel (ACK) kind of job. Or stay at daytime school and get a different job that can be more like…4pm – 10pm/11pm (still tiring, but not starbucks – a nice change of ANY kind) Or cashiering at something like a bed bath and beyond for a few months. But something has to change. What I know I don’t want to do is clean toilets, mop the floor, make coffee, offer to warm up a pastry, or work in a restaurant of ANY kind in ANY position. No bartending, no hostessing, nothing in a restaurant. – SUGGESTIONS WELCOME

All I do is stress, have mild anxiety attacks, cry and lose sleep. Then I go to school and those feelings stay at bay. They exist but they don’t take me over. Then I leave and it overwhelms me once I get in my car.

I don’t really know what to do right now. I don’t feel at a total loss, I’m just frustrated and disappointed and need to fix stuff and don’t know how i’m going to do it.

que the excerpt from Annie “I think I’m gonna like it here!!”

Started Esthetician school today. There I was in ALL white, hair down, light makeup. Since orientation was saturday I already knew the girls in my class but our Theory class is with all the Esthetician students, so there was more people and that’s fine, i’m not shy. We had to introduce ourselves – guess who went first, guess who made the nervous and shy people (I counted 3) feel comfortable and guess who wasn’t afraid to ask questions. yay. Its good to be doing something for ME that I like and am eager to learn more about. Today we learned how to do a simple cleanse, and yes we just went through the motions on a dummy for now. Dumby? anyway! But it was still fun and we start practicing on each other next week to do stuff, yes – even waxing! haha!! and we start working on clients our fourth week. I can’t tell you how I wish some of you female friends of mine would be near so I could practice on you. I have to have a ‘model’ next saturday to do a European Facial on and I think I’ll have to ask someone with whom I work, since here I don’t have any lady friends. We’ll see, they’re all supportive of me going but their not really my “friends” so I don’t want that to be wierd for them, you know?

I may or may not stay STGA until Im’ finished. I just feel DONE there. I don’t care about things, and as any employee anywhere should care about the people and environment and quality – I just don’t. The biggest head honcho, Howard Shultz, will be in the “San Diego Area” this thursday and friday, guess who doesn’t care? That’s right! ME. And guess who has to stay late wednesday to scrub the floors, ME. I told the Bossman, Dan, he hated me and I even asked why. He had some funny come backs then when he saw I didn’t want to play along, he said it had to be done and it just so happened I was scheduled to close. So instead of being done at 11pm, I will be there til midnight. I hate it. whatever. I’m trying to remember that we are all pulling more hours because our ASM, whom I really like, is out with a back injury. I’m okay with a 4 – 4.75 hour shift, its the 8 hours of coffee that make me not care about anything. AND I’m trying to keep in mind I will be done there soon. That right now I DO have health benefits, and that’s good and I do enjoy my discount and I still get 1lb of coffee free a week. I’m trying to remember that not every customer is a jerk, its actually only a few. But when you feel done – everything seems worse somehow, you know?

I’m going to have a schedule that is 8am – 2:30 school, then gym, then STGA 7pm ish – Close most nights of the week. I will probably also work sundays and mondays. So no real COMPLETE days off, which may or may not take its toll and depending on how it goes I will take a sunday or monday away from my availability for work. We all need recovery days and since i’m not a mom 24/7 I can opt for a full day off if I want.

We went to the zoo for Easter, we have membership passes for the Zoo and Wild Animal Park and can go whenever we want, and then had dinner with his parents and played Mind Trap. Ever heard of it? I had never heard of it, but it was actually pretty fun. lol I think that will become the game we always play over there. Sometimes we play Yahtzee (sp?) or Scene it, but ….meh, I like this one the best. They like to visit and play games when we go over there. They don’t drink coffee, or alcohol so when we visit its normally food and games. It’s fine, it’s cool – i like it.

My birthday coming up, April 17th. I have mixed feelings about it. I won’t get to see any of my friends and family so a part of me doesn’t care for it to come. But I will tell you this, if you are my friend or related to me I have a request. If you are going to wish me a happy birthday, will you send me a real card, via snail mail? I know the internet is easier and a quick message on my phone is simple, but…it gets lonely here and the only mail I get are bills, yay and I won’t get any real interaction with you. I’m not opposed at ALL to online happy birthday wishes, and i will love it and appreciate it still, of course! Its always nice to be showered with messages that way, just something I wanted to throw out there.

So, right now I’m in a pretty good place I guess. Cleveland and I are fine, we have mini fights but nothing drastic or horrible. Money is tight, as always, but we’re going to get rid of cable (one tear) for now and try to cut back in other places as well. We don’t really eat out or anything, so I’m not sure what we’re going to cut back on, lol, but we’re going to try!!

Also this year I would like to record the songs I’ve written, provided I can still play them ahahahahaha, and perhaps let people have them. My ultimate goal has never been to have a record deal and go on tour, but I do write sometimes and I would like to have them and allow my friends and family to also have them.

So that’s that. Thank you.

I had orientation today for Esthetician school and begin tuesday. I’m so excited!!!! We start working on clients our 4th week and I got my kit today, well my LUGGAGE of fun stuff to play with!!! hhahahahaha. Make up kit, facial stuff, all kinds of goodies.

My goal is to successfully go and pass school, get certified and find a place to work quickly so i can be done STGA. I’ve been shlupping beverages for the caffeine deficient for 3 years and (counts) 8 months. I wanted to move here and not transfer, but obviously that was not the case. I do have my health benefits right now, so I can get some stuff done and whatever but when I leave the green apron Cleveland and I have decided to just get health insurance from an insurance company vs. through a job it will be easier to move with because of the entertainment field we are in / want to be in. I should be done by early September, I want to find a position shortly after and be done at the green apron. my time there needs to be done.

Smurf n Jenn n baby samuel are no longer going to move at the end of May. A few financial things happened so its just not going to work right now, I know they’re upset by I told Jenn that no matter what they did if it wasn’t supposed to happen yet, it wasn’t going to. They’re fine, I know but I know how disappointment feels.

We filed our taxes and owe for federal. doh! but its not alot and we get some money back from state, which is nice – its not alot, but every bit helps as we live from check to check right now.

Cleveland bought me Enchanted two nights ago and we will watch it tonight. It came out around Thanksgiving and we didn’t get to see it, (cry cry cry) so i’m SUPER excited to finally see it!

Helping Caitlin (wifey) plan her wedding is coming along smashingly and sister is helping me plan her bridal shower and i’m working on her bachelorette party, so yay.

Our house needs to be cleaned better, I know I don’t dust enough, I know no one else will do it. bla bla bla.

I have some projects I’m still working on too, so I’m staying busy and that feels good and productive.

I’m going to the gym more, that also feels good and I have a new favorite dressing. Gerards Light Champagne.

yum.

1) One of our photographers from our wedding submitted a picture of ours with a little info about our wedding to a wedding magazine in SLO and they did a feature on us. The magazine is called California Weddings and it will be out in an april edition of The Tribune. It will also be on racks and will be available at The Tribune offices in SLO and Paso Robles.

Close family, you need to help Jeffrey and I shnag a few copies for us, some of his family members and send one to Barbs please.

2) We are still looking for a few quotes for the wedding DVD. We have received some but if you still want to play in the competition just send us something. Remember, if you’re quote is chosen to go on the cover you will get a copy of our “2 disc special limited edition” wedding DVD with all its special features (commentary, a photo slide show, interviews etc) – of course, that’s only if you want it. =)

Those of you who couldn’t make it to our wedding, you can send a quote about how much you KNOW You missed out!!!! hahahahah and of course if your quote gets chosen you too may receive a copy from us.

We are looking for 2 quotes total for the cover.

3) AND, some people have told me you want to purchase a copy. It makes me laugh, but thank you. The sets will be $25. You can pay me via paypal and I will send it with our big payments directly to our videographer for $20, $2.50 is for the DVD cover designer, Summer, and $2.50 is for the packaging and shipping it to you, we are not looking to make a profit from this. We are flattered that you want our DVD in your collection. lol So just let me know if you want a copy and when they are done I’ll let you know and we’ll order all of them at the same time.

These will be out probably in late spring / early summer