a dose of some friday spice.

Have I mentioned how much I love waking up (okay, reluctantly dragging my sleepy ass outta bed when I had finally became conscious enough to see it was already 7:51am) only to rush my getting-all-dolled-up-for-work-and-the-day routine and race into work (which included going 15mph, at least, over the speed limit on the main roads, for the record), only to get a call from my boss two minutes before I'm supposed to open up shop and welcome in business. It went a little something like this:

"Hey, uh.. Court? I am SO sorry, but..."

*in my best attempted it's-10-o'clock-on-a-friday-morning-but-I'm-just-gonna-pretend-as-though-I-got-out-of-bed-by-choice act* "Goooood mornin' buttercup, what's up. You wouldn't be calling me before noon if something wasn't up."

"...you got me. I'm assuming you're already starting to open up but do you think... would you mind coming back at three or four and working all night?"

*long pause* "Jax..." [except it was in my sarcastic, over-exaggerated tone of voice and not my bitchy employee one]

"I know, I know, just work with me, [insert boss's husband's name here] just got called in and I have no one to watch the kids and..."

"Oh, get your butt in here. Oh, and you owe me one."

And that's how my morning got started. Not to mention a mere three minutes later I looked down to see my phone vibrating and picked it up only to be welcomed with a: "You like white chocolate lattes, right?" My disorganized and involuntary boss at it again, and this time determined to redeem herself at least. Psh, working over employees with their favorite morning snack, is that even legal? An utter waste of 7 miles of gas and one hot coffee fix later, and I was one tired/moody/delighted girl. At least I got a nice and hot caffeinated apology out of it, right? (I also failed to mention that she conveniently managed to time her call when I was already 95% of the way through opening up the shop. Extra brownie points for me for not screaming in frusteration and going with the flow instead?)

On a separate note, TGIF, and I cannot say that any louder/type that any more noticeable. Ah, there's just something about that distinct feeling of waking up and having the first thought pop in your mind be that it's the last day of the week I have to use an alarm. On the brightside, and I should buying my boss's ass coffee for this one since she's to blame, the clock has yet to strike noon and I'm up and ready to take on the day - dressed, fed, sitting down to blog my morning away with my coffee fix in hand, and even almost awake. It's going to be a good day, ladies, so my instinct says at least. My schedule calls for me to go in again by 3, and if business is as slow as it is half the time, that just means I'll have another five hours to blog my life away. And find a minute to sweep in there, of course.

What about you guys, stuck with the getting-weekend-plans-in-order-while-procrastinating-at-work syndrome yet? Any exciting details or stories in your day so far? I'm in the best and yet most chill/relaxed mood ever, and happy hour hasn't even hit so I'm convinced, and crossing my fingers, that today's just going to be one of those allday good-mooders, and for your sake, hopefully it's contagious. Chances are ya'll will hearing from me continuously throughout the day seeing as work is currently SLOW and wonderful and not too demanding these days, but if not, make it a fantastic weekend and be ready to get your lovely selves back here come Monday with some worthwhile and entertaining stories/awkward moments/juicy girltalk we can all soak up, and knowing me, relate to.

the W-word.

Reasons Why I Love Wednesday Mornings Even More So:

#1. Because today I have a 99% higher chance of adopting the title as a certified barista than yesterday. Yes, you heard me right, the interview went smoothly and FANTASTIC, and *fingers still crossed* as, naturally, I don’t know the verdict yet, but let’s just say damn, I’m good. I mean, let’s get real here, not everyone can turn their stress and anxiety into positive energy and have it benefit themselves in the long run. Oh, and that strong fix of coffee earlier in the AM today didn’t hurt too much either. I’m not going to lie though, I wouldn’t mind coming home with coffee stains on my dark wash People Liberations and cute white tops every once in a while. That or proudly jotting down “Barista” on myspace surveys when asked about my job.

#2. Because Wednesdays happen to always be the days where my conscious favors my extreme (and probably unhealthy) coffee addiction over my extreme-but-apparently-more-mild-than-love-for-coffee desire for weight loss (okay, not so much weight loss as my desperate longing for my abs to finally peek through!) and I give in and treat myself to stopping at the local espresso stand. And not just any local espresso stand, but my favorite one of the three hundred million in the same five-mile perimeter of my house. One “16oz. iced white chocolate Americano with nonfat milk instead of water, double shot please” and one hell of a mood lifter and energy boost that goes hand in hand coming right up. And when I say it’s my favorite all across town, don’t you think I don’t have my reasons.

Starbucks is my high-maintenance (hello, over $3 for something that‘s going to last me a mere two hours and I‘ll pee out by dinnertime? There goes my new car/college funds…) once-a-week indulgence and I’ll only throw a mini-internal temper tantrum when I have to settle for any other ‘Coffee Bean’ or ‘Caféista’ or some other generic, but entertaining, attempt at a creative espresso-inspired name. But in order to qualify as favorite in my book, you have to: be close (face it, girls, I’m not faithful enough customer to agree to throw away more money in gas to GET to it than what my actual drink alone costs). Be not-semi-but-very affordable (see above for evidence that I’m not made out of money, and finding ones in my push-up bra every once in a while is an exception, gotta love the perks of having a goofy boyfriend?). The girls must be wearing clothes; just for the record, I’m giving you business for my own pleasure, and that unfortunately doesn’t include anything to do with wanting other straight girls giving me a show in their lacy thongs and X-rated lingerie. I don’t want to see your boobs anymore than your grandmother, get over it you damn hoochie! And to finalize the list, you gotta be a straight up fun and upbeat environment. Oh, and make damn good coffee. And in following my strict rubric, you’ll get those beautiful green George Washingtons in your tip jar/cup and you will make your boss happy. And as of now, only one has done so, and thus I am faithfully committed to it for my every-other-daily caffeine fixes from there and there only.

I also have this habit of taking my time when I stop. You see, more than a good 78% of the girls who work there would qualify as “friends” of mine (or life companions in a more logical sense, because none of my real ‘friends’ even offer to bow down and serve my ass and whip up coffee for my delight), and as the interested-in-people person I am [on good days], it’s only natural for me to ask ‘em how their days are going, politely comment on the weather and the latest gossip in politics and US Weekly, are you hiring yet?, etc. And their life story, if I’m in the mood. I’m not categorized as the generic friendly, but I do love spending the time to get to know someone if I think they’re worthy in my book. And seeing as I adore each and every one of my usual baristas, I go forth and do my thing. Once, I even spent a good 20 minutes or so with my car in park as the girl who was working and I covered bases from feng shui’ing the bedroom I had newly moved into to what we thought of ‘s death, to our mutual recently-founded reputations as Food Network junkies and our secret desire to learn how to cook without seeing black when you reach into the oven for the final product. I really wish I was kidding, too. Hey, we all have our quirks/flaws/stories, right? Needless to say, it makes my day, and preferably Wednesday, when I drop on by the stand for my mid-afternoon coffee run and see what’s new with my women. Except I’ve learned the hard way, by a rude streams of honking in attempt to scoot my ass out of the line so everyone can get their drinks. So I’m female, I have a lot to say. Apparently they don’t like that. I’m good at picking my cues (except you wouldn’t know that if this is the first thing you’re reading upon entering my blog), and I really know when it’s my turn to shut my mouth and put a ‘the end’ of whatever story I’m telling, when the dirty looks I negligibly acknowledge in the rearview mirror turn into the one tangible English translation that you’re on someone’s hit list: the middle finger. So, my Americano happily in the cup holder (and the ice magically halfway melted already), I make my exit and begin the part of the day that actually matters to me. I may have pissed everyone on their 3 o’clock work break on Main Street off, but hey, I managed to throw some good conversation in my day, did I not?

#3. (Making the rest of these super short to balance out my essay-length potential numero dos.) Because the sunshine always shows its face on Wednesdays. Whether it’s a quick three minutes of sneaking out of the gray skies it’s hiding behind, or an allday event, the stuck-in-the-middle-of-the-week mode always call for a bit of hope/UV rays. Always. And I love it.

#4. Because I always manage to find myself down with the Is-Friday-Here-Yet? syndrome and have a habit of beginning to mentally plan my weekend out during slow hours at work. (I get paid only slightly over minimum, plus commission, so I have a right to slack off and waste time a little bit… besides, I’m probably the world’s most successful procrastinator, ever. Ever.)

#5. Because there’s always, and mark my words, always mid-week leftovers in the fridge from Sunday-Tuesday night dinners. Or it’s a really good day when I stumble across Chinese takeout or some 4-star-spicy teriyaki yakisoba from when I was too lazy after an all-dayer at work to put my creativity to good use and cook for myself on Saturday night. Mmmm, nothing’s more delicious than day-(or two)-day-after meals, and I suggest you try it sometime if you have refused to up this point due to sanitary issues. Trust me, there’s just something about giving that casserole a few more hours to refrigerate and having all the ingredients mesh together a little bit more for the best possible flavor ever…

#6. Because something surprising or unexpected always sneaks somewhere into my Wednesdays. That monthly Glamour makes its presence known when I walk down to get the mail, or an old ex (the good kind only though) posts a dorky message via my facebook wall, or you drive the back way home from work past the lake and it’s smooth as paper and utterly stunning and you make yourself stop the car and turn off the radio and realize how much beauty you’re surrounded by in life (I know, I know, “Mother Nature is a gift and not a given” blah blah blah… so what if I sound like your mom/pastor, get over it!). I’m convinced by now it’s the little things in life that are thrown together to make the beautiful results, I could live on life’s simplicities and life’s simplicities only, and be fine with it.

#7. Because, at the end of the day - blame it on the probably-expired-and-should-be-thrown-out-soon leftovers, or espresso stand pick-me-up (and causing drama, which contributes to the public’s tolerance levels, and my entertainment), or good weather or simply the fact that I’ve successfully managed to make it halfway through the week without dying due to my extreme trademarks of sleep deprivation/caffeine overdose/road rage - I fall asleep with a smile on my face. And damnit, as stressful or hectic or downright crazy as life can get sometimes, I’d do it a million times over just to go to bed happy and comfortable by Wednesday night (or morning, depending on just how crazy the week really is and how much zzz’s I have to sacrifice for work/school). No matter how many “WTF?!” moments we’ve had in the week, or how many times that jackass in the red Subaru takes the parking spot our heart/love of having not to walk 0.7 of a mile just to get in the building was set on, but we’ve made it to Wednesday, and now I’m saying where’s that Coor’s I deserve?


And I just realized half the time I make lists, whether daily to-do’s or these, I have a tendency to stop at #7. Hmm. We all have our quirks, some of us are just seem to be more obvious about them than others…

a nice balance of yoga&coffee, cure to finals week

Q: What does one do/go to when they're attempting to survive one of the most stressful weeks of their teenage life?
A: See below, and read up on legit instructions on howta stay alive.





OMG STRESS STRESS STRESS.
I'm currently on this 8 shots of strong java per two hour period, and so far it's workin out good. Until time comes for night night.. wait, am I on crack?, everyone knows sleep isn't even an option during finals week. I just wanna take something and throw it against the wall as forceful as imaginable, to enforce my control seeing as I have none right none. School's officially kicking my ass, and I've come to the conclusion that my original aspiration to tell colleges that rejection isn't an option of theirs, signing up for all these impressive AP and college courses to create an oh so irresistible transcript is going downhill and wasn't sucha good idea in the first place. I AM SEVENTEEN, remind me why in the helll I need to write 17 different papers in one week? My lord, let me live my life and do not intimidate my dreams.

PS: so much for my since-I-was-a-little-girl fantasy of running my ass outta Snoho the second my diploma is in my hands and Wazzu'in it up for four years straight, "starting my life off the right way" ...hello Community?



Entities I am revolving every breath I take and every thought I have for the next 70.0 hours of my life:

1. 2nd qtr AP presentation - Madame Bovary journal.
2. Spanish final. And the 389201 "prepping is good practice" worksheets, damn class.
3. US History final. And tests I'm making up.
4. Trig final.
5. Chem final.
6. Chem lab/write-up.

From here on out, I'm dropping any and all social life whatsoever and putting my life on pause until this week's over. AFTER I survive passing my written and work, that is. There's never any breaks anymore, I suck at life.

the weekly advice column of Court

How To: survive a week from hell

__________________

Consider my guidance. I'ma 17yrold teenage girl attempting survival ina messed-up world and just as everyone, I'm takin it day by day and hour by hour. I'm in love with life, but that doesn't mean I have those days I want nothing more than to screw everything - school, work, relationships with anyone halfway important in my life, my daily shitloads of homework, responsibilites, priorities - and post a notice of officially being a failure and giving up on the bedroom door of my life. Of asking the world to swallow me up, just like that... who needs to consider suicide when it takes so much time and effort? I'm human and I lead a comparably human life. Sometimes though it's not just limited to a bad day, but a bad week. A streak of annoying drama, uncalled-for encounters, mortifying moments - you name it, the works. But then again they say these are the times that toughen us up a lil', define our character and everything.

On the brightside, these are the type of weeks we look back at a few months down the road and laugh at. Not because of our stupidity, especially seeing as 89% of my life is outta my control, but because of our reactions to them. Once we find ourselves in the classic I'm-living-this-entire-week-on-the-verge-of-stepping-off-the-next-cliff-I-come-across state of mind, we have no escape. The mood is temporarily permanent and we're given no way out. To the times in our lives when we wonder why and how we're even surviving, pushin through the week and comin out alive... Cheers? With that said, we all know how brilliant some of my advice can be, due to the fact I'm just the one who speaks what everyone else is thinking. So read on, nod your head in agreement when necessary, and take notes:

#1. Keep that head held high no matter what gets in the way, what falls from the sky, what runs in front of your path. Imitate poise, and thou shalt have poise, and thus fool half the world into what kinda week you're really having.

#2. Permanently attach a cup of caffeine in your hand, be it a morning starbucks quickie or latenight energy fix to keep your not-so-sweet dreams back on track. Coming from a certified coffee addict, trust me on this one, it's guarenteed to work wonders on a temporary depressing outlook on life.

#3. Temporarily disown everyone in your life, and I'm serious about this one. People only add to, if not create, the problems/drama/bad mood. Take a break from the world, it'll understand. We gotta breathe sometime without it breathing down our necks, I mean right?

#4. Enough said? Acknowledge and adore. If this alone doesn't do the trick, at least putta smile on your face, I would suggest seeking a counseling group, for depression reasons. Possibly a shrink, seeing as people at this time in our lives can be a dangerous suggestion...

#5. Stop pretending to starve yourself and be normal. You're stressed, you're moody and you're all-around grrr. What now? Pack on those calories and indulge in everything your normal everyday "diet" says no no to. Mmm, I smell peanut butter chocolate chip butterscotch dough in the kitchen? It is now time to throw rules and the idea of the scale in your bathroom out the window for the time being, and eat up. And get to get to, because we start worrying about the damage we've done in 3.1 seconds...

#6. In follow up to #5 above, view it as motivation to drag your lovely little ass outta its comfort zone [aka off the couch surrounded with Godiva and weekold Cheesecake Factory leftovers from the decent-that-soon-turned-disaster blind date with that "eye candy" your co-worker hooked you up with without your consent] aaannd onto the treadmill! Whip out some hXc let's-drown-ourselves-in-annoying-screamo-and-Andrew-WK tunes and hit uppa gym quickie or early morning jog. Laziness only adds to the bad mood, and hey hey, we gotta strut those too-tight pair of I-only-have-these-because-I'ma-ex-rower spandex somewhere anyway, right? Exercise<3

PS, if all else fails in life, you'll still havva likedamnnnthatshot body...

#7. Make a soundtrack of your week, and oh, I'm serious. Throw together some classic and relaxing Bob Dylan, - or addictive oldschool - the Offspring, Nickelback, Tim McGraw, Nirvana, Jamie Foxx, and the best of the best, the love of my life, my man Jack Johnson. Hello automatic one hour of nonstop anti-depressants? Can't resist the affect the right music can have on us, ahh.

#8. Go out forra midnight stroll, or if that's seasonally inappropriate, settle forra latenight drive. Screw the GPS for one night and get lost. Give yourself permission to waste gas, it is cheaper than a therapist after all. Drive east drive west and end up in godknowswhere, and soak up self-time. One rule: limit this one to a sober night, there'sa good chance DUIs will only add to the stress/unlucky encounters in your life...

#9. Speaking of alcohol... psh, you know the drill. Make damn well certain you don't hafta be at work by noon or earlier the next morning, and you're covered. Spike your hot chocolate if you insist ona comfortable night by the fire at home, or better yet, go out and splurge your paycheck ona rainbow of drinks.. and a recipe book, a modern-day betty crocker for the alcohol lover's soul. Invite over half your phone's contact list and bartend the evenin away. Legally, this is NOT comin outta the mouth ova 17yrold's but you know, who are you to judge? I'm sure you're in full support of the idea.

#10. Yeah, definitely out of ideas. I would throw out the idea to go out on the town with some friends in the most daring public-inappropriate outfit available in the stores and let loose for the night, but thinking about it, coming home witha hangover from hell and 7 different guys with 891 different problems/attachment issues in tow, isn't always the solution to a bad week so... scratch that one.

___________________________

...And now you're wondering where in the world I find the time to actually think up all these solutions, and try em, testdrive em out before I okay them outside of strictly my access. I don't. But it is the upside of getting stuck with several bad weeks on my record, I'll leave it at that. I'm living proof that even the most [seemingly] happy-go-lucky people in this world get delivered with those days, and weeks, from hell. And according to many, I haven't exactly mastered the art of faking a smile yet, so I can't let it destroy my social reputation. I hafta limit my bad moods to only a few days atta time and at least attempt to finda solution, or else I'd have no friends anymore.

And there you have it, advice/suggestions from the pointless and oh so creative thoughts of Court. I am planning on publishing a book one day, if you're at all wondering. I mean, Oprah always lectures on making sure you havva resort to fall back on if your career/marriage/childhood dreams fail...