Vegas nightlife...haha.

So, Tannah's on-call this weekend. He got two calls, one right after the other at around 01h00 so I tagged along. It's been a long time since I actually rode with him to run calls, and I kinda missed it.

Both calls were for strip clubs. The first one we went to (I'm not sharing names) was okay...mostly...while Tannah corrected the fault I looked at the girls working the pole. I'm not trying to be rude or shallow or sexist, really. But if I were to pay to get into a strip club, I'd expect quality girls there. Living in Vegas, you tend to know the good clubs from the bad: there's the one on Boulder Highway where the girls are like wizened old hookers with track marks and C-section scars, having a few good teeth left. This club usually does not fit that description but these girls just weren't hot. At all. Seriously, I would have looked better working the pole. I was extremely disappointed and I didn't even pay to get in.

The next call was at a strip club downtown that's usually known for being pretty seedy. But the girls in there were of a way higher caliber. It struck me how two clubs, on the same night, only twenty minutes between each other, could have such a vastly different line-up. And it's not that I'm necessarily into girls or anything but...still. The patrons want quality, don't they? I do.

Another thing: I hear from some women that strippers or exotic dancers (or whatever you want to call them) feel empowered in doing that because of men's reactions, having that kind of power over men via libido. And from others I hear that the line of work is degrading, not only to the women at the club but to women in general. I'm not sure how to feel about that, except that I don't think either statement is 100% true. I'm sure some feel empowered and some feel degraded. I just know it's not something I think I could do.

Changes.

Instead of writing my normally very-meaningful posts, I took some time to take this blog and up it a few notches. Reconfigure the layout, fix broken links and add some new ones, and even write a few extras in there as an aside. So that's why you're reading this instead of reading about a side-stepped study group, my inability to find flashcards anywhere, and how I got screwed out of a most awesome time at Crown and Anchor even though Tannah got to go. So there you have it: I'll resume posting something excellent in due time.

Finally: a real reason to go to the bar during class.

The 5th year apprenticeship classes had a sanctioned field trip to PT's Place yesterday, which is a bar that isn't the normal one we go to. Pretty good food. It wasn't just the apprentices either: instructors , the director, and both assistant directors made appearances as well. Ryan and I tried buying a shot of Patrón Silver for Kenny, but he left before our order could be filled, partially due to the fact that most apprentices are straddling the border of alcoholism and the bartender couldn't keep up.

I didn't really finish any drinks, I just tasted, since I know that if I actually drink a substantial amount I'll be drunk in under an hour. So I tried a little Jäger, a little Bailey's Mint, Guinness (of course!), I split a Captain & Coke, and a little Coors Light, which to me tastes like beer-flavoured soda. I didn't get too out of control (proven by the fact that several people wanted to go get tattoos and I didn't jump in) and I ate before I left.

Some people played pool, or sat at the bar slamming shots. There were pockets of us just lounging around talking, most of us nervous about turning out. Don't get me wrong, we're all thrilled to graduate, but it's zero-hour now, and alot of responsibility comes with that pay raise. There's not a lot of time to get our shit together. Anyway, it was laid back, no awkwardness, we discussed who was planning on going to graduation dinner and if we'd meet up over the next few weeks (and summer if need be) to cram for the county exam. Y'know...random things.

I was told I've changed alot since first year. And yeah, that was half a decade ago but it doesn't seem like long enough for any real change to have taken place. I know that a few things are different: beliefs, ideals, mannerisms...is it in a good way? Am I a better person? I'm more outgoing, I know that. Learning to keep my ego in the gangbox and just deal. I'm more driven. I feel more comfortable with myself, I feel I'm more true to myself now. There are moments that kind of echo the past but those are becoming more rare. What the hell: I'll ride it out. It can't be all bad.

LVA's 10-ish Year Reunion.

Y'know, it was cool to see all those people I haven't seen in forever, but for the price I paid, I was kinda hoping for gold-dust encrusted lobster tail and bone-in filet mignon, served to me on silver platters by lithe, acrobatic waiters, so needless to say was a bit disappointed by herbed chicken and tortellini, in a buffet line. And it was a cash bar! What the fuck.

So yeah...it was okay, since I had to pay for drinks I didn't get all crazy (which is good!), and I ran into alot of people I hadn't seen in years: Stephanie, Joanne, Sonia, James, Mark, Kaja, Julia, Warren, Tiiu, Noel, Lana, Fujii...anyway, alot. I reconnected, exchanged info, got to plug photovoltaics, cursed like a construction worker, compared bra sizes, learned about the joys of touring Turkey, was on the receiving end of someone who was drunk and huggy, shocked everyone by wearing a dress, doubly shocked everyone by being married, tried to play wingman for Tenno, and found out that Mark was one of the medieval madrigal guys at the Venetian that freaked Drew out so much. All in all, good times.

Damn it.

I was kinda having a rough day: turns out that I had to nearly remove everything I did yesterday due to a misunderstanding or miscommunication or something. I was sure that my idea of how the home runs needed to be run was perfectly fine, but Jay thought otherwise and it just couldn't work. When I told him I'd already cut the runs too short, Jay closed his eyes and counted to ten. Then he went to twenty, then thirty. Then he walked away. No bueno. Gwynne found out and he was a little frustrated, he told me it was a "rookie mistake"...ouch. :(

It wound up being mostly okay, I only had to replace two home runs and at 15 feet each (even though it was iso-ground MC) that's really not all that bad. The rest I just reshuffled and relabeled, and it was okay. Since I was able to avoid immense fuck-up loss, Jay and I went to the food court for lunch.

It's not actually forbidden to go to the food court onsite, but it's frowned upon. A Strip casino like the Venetian is, for the most part, filled to the brim with tourists who don't want to have to look at dirty construction workers eating near them. But Jay and I cleaned up and took off anything identifying us as electricians (hardhats and such) and as we walked in we made jokes about the possibility of meeting one of the higher-ups in there as we were trying so hard to be all sneaky-like.

We got our food (Panda Express is expensive in casinos!) and scanned the seating area, found an empty table not to close to anyone else, and I said with confidence, "No management will find us here, haha!" Then Jay grinned and said through his plastic smile, "Oh wow, speak of the devil..." I turned around and saw Henry and Mike waving from two tables away. I waved back and smiled...there was no use in hiding or acting ridiculous, we'd been caught by both a general foreman and a project manager and that's all there was to it.

I'll just say that we ate quickly and made damn certain we left early so there was no speculation about the possibility of us being late back to our work area.

Exams and field trip.

A field trip for class is to the bar next week...not Bonanza, but PT's. I'm told it's tradition. I might switch from Guinness that night to something a little more fun, to mark the occasion.

I'm going to schedule my county journeyman exam for 26 April, I think. It'll give me plenty of time to study and really get on what I need to improve. Our JATC exam is 12 May, study group dates and times to be announced. Now all I need is to find out when NABCEP's exam will be and I'll be set. I'm seriously hoping it doesn't fall on a day that I've got something already scheduled.

Yay for sugar highs!

I'm sitting here. In fact I'm remembering FATTEST DUCK! [fatfatfatfatfatfatfat] I loved its bilby fatness! Mmm I ponder delicious ducky stew... :D

Class tonight oh joy, I doubt we'll have time for Guinness-induced fun since we're supposed to be doing something with a high-voltage splicing lab. I don't know. I'm about sick of school with less than three months left but I can't have absences. Need study group for the county exam! Need study group for the NABCEP exam! Who wants to get on that?

Exhausted.

Watching the BBC. I'm zoning a bit, waiting to finish up with dinner. Today was odd, I guess; I had to do all the layout for the sawcutters and such and I was stressed about getting it spot-on. Luckily, Jay told me that there's no way I can possibly screw it up irreparably, and that I'm really big-dealing it. We'll see. :)

I haven't slept well lately, my piercing has been giving me pain. The kind that makes me have to drool. I was able to start the salt-soaks, which helped immensely. Hoping the redness and swelling will diminish by the weekend, I've got much planned and I don't want to have to worry about it.

Missing Europe lately. And missing family there as well. I'm reminded of Uncle Welshie too...I haven't heard from him since 2006 and I have no way of contacting him other than via mail, to which he hasn't responded. He was getting on in years, about 70, and his health wasn't the best. I wish he'd been in London when we visited there, during our trip to France, Germany, and the British Isles. In a way it feels like a part of me is home there, in Europe, even though I'm sure it makes very little sense to many at all. (Must be the CCK in me!) But really: the history, the architecture...I don't know. My heart hurts for what I left there. Kandern, Lille, Edinburgh, Wolfsburg, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin; some more than others of course, but there's tiny empty space inside me that can't be helped, really. I've gone into detail about it before, heritage and Before and all the rest of it. No reason for that now.

This post is kinda all over the place. Maybe I'll feel better after eating something. It's not that I feel icky just...not quite here.

Veinte para las doce:

Creo que ése es cuando comencé realmente a pensar en estas cosas. Los veinte minutos antes y después la medianoche es como magia. No puedo explicarla. Los pensamientos más fuertes me invaden, y los pensamientos son generalmente oscuros pero son a veces casi filosóficos. Y esta noche, lo mismo... (igual que todas, igual que todas: como la historia de Caperucita Roja...¿recuerdas?)

Estoy pensando sobre todo de vida en general: parece un camino largo sin vueltas o callejones. Ningunos árboles u hogares o muestras, solamente el camino, todo al color de gris. El sol y la luna son perezosos, ellos no luchan para el control, y aceptan solamente el ciclo. No entiendo lo qué significa, cuando no hay color. No estoy asustada. No soy triste. Pienso que me cogen en un agujero donde todo está lo mismo, siempre.

Me dijeron que estoy en una encrucijada. Es la verdad pero no me cae bien. Me siento inquieta. Tanto está cambiando adentro, yo no saben porqué, solamente es una fuerza que no puedo parar. Deseo permitir el cambio, me siento que es bueno para mí, pero ese cambio es drástico y puede ser que dañe la armonía. Estoy en una batalla con yo mismo: Odio el cambio, pero me beneficia siempre. Ahora esto... y yo no sé qué hacer. Me dijeron que debo vivir para mí, yo debo permitirme que crezca y que prospere ¿pero en qué coste?

I don't understand.

Tannah is still pissed (or at least "extremely irritated") that I got the piercing without consulting him. And I thought for awhile before writing this, yet I still just don't get it.

He said that, in marriage, the two become one so what I do to myself is also done to him. I don't believe that at all. It's not like this is a venereal disease. It can't hurt him. Also, it's not like I got any genitalia pierced. I remember he wasn't too happy when I got my nipples done and he wasn't there, so I can definitely see how he'd feel if I got a Christina piercing in a group setting like I did with the industrial...but I didn't. (The Christina is something I do want; waiting for the right time.)

Tannah says it's a respect thing, but an industrial piercing is so minimal. I equate getting pierced (in general) to going out and buying a pair of shoes or something. Sure you do some research into what you want and you comparison shop but it's no big deal, at all. And it's certainly not like I tried to hide it from him.

This feels like the Text Messaging Debate all over again...insight would be appreciated.