...

Life sucks, it's always going to, but when it does you simply have to beat it to the ground and laugh in its face.

Listening to Alex Day's music helps.

Word of the day

Waldeinsamkeit (German) The feeling of being alone in the woods. Can be described as wonderful, poetic, peaceful, calm, relaxed, at one with the universe, infinite, free, loving, meditative.

Songs to have in your head when angry

I always try to have something else to think about when at work. Whether it be Destiel fics, listing places and times I'd go if I traveled with the Doctor, or (when annoyed) specific songs, which are listed below:

* I Can't Decide (if you should live or die)- Scissor Sisters (you may recognize it from Doctor Who. But certainly not a good song to sing under your breath)
* Kill Everybody - Skrillex (yeah, sometimes I'm angry...)
*Maxwell's Silver Hammer - The Beatles. So cute, so creepy. 

I'll add more when I think of them, but those are the main ones. ^*^

Word of the day

Chilblain n. A painful, itching swelling on the skin, typically on a hand or foot, caused by poor circulation in the skin when exposed to cold.

Origin - mid 16th century

(Normally I'd post a word like this in the dead of winter, but it's a good word, so...now...)

Ana's guide to being a (decent) customer

(a.k.a. Things I'd like to say to people I have to deal with)
1. Don't be impatient if there are other people in line, or your order isn't given to you the moment you step through the door. It is NOT the end of the world if you don't have the coffee NOW.
2. Don't cut in line. If you cut in line, I will ignore you and serve the person you cut in front of.
3. For the love of god - if you've given me money, I've rung up the order and am getting your change, DON'T suddenly give me coins. I am not good at maths and I will just give you back your coins with your change. Don't get mad at me when this happens, it's your fault. (Yeah, a rant, because this happens ALL. THE. FUCKING. TIME. and it pisses me off.)
4. Don't be rude to me if I say "have a nice day" or am polite to you. I don't WANT to be polite, it's part of my JOB, it's what I'm paid to do and I get in trouble if I don't. If I had my way, I'd just keep my mouth shut and give you your coffeel. (seriously, today some old guy told me to "Not fucking tell him to have a nice day" *sighs*)
5. If you are nice to me, I will give you the best bread and pastries. I can't help it, it's just how it works.

Yup. So...yeah...People aren't half as polite as they should be. So if you don't want me to beat you with a stale baguette....Be nice to your barista.

Word of the day:

Malapert: adj -archaic- Boldly disrespectful to a person of higher standing. n. An impudent person. -or- adj. Clever in manners of speech.

Costume challenge idea

So...well, a LONG while ago, I though of a cool costume challenge to do (probably in the winter), so I thought I'd try to perfect the idea and put it on here. I'm going to make sort of levels for it. I mean, it's not like a video game or anything, you don't have to go through 1 to get to 2 or 3, it's just ideas of the level of challenge.
ANYWAY! The idea was to sew (or make in some way) clothing from the past, using the methods and materials that people of that time period would use. For me the most challenging part of that would be getting materials that fit the standard, so that isn't TOTALLY necessary.
What sparked this idea was the thought of times before we had sewing and knitting machines. Common knowledge that they made everything by hand, I know, but for some reason it never struck me to actually *try* costuming in that way.

So, Level 1: Sew a simple garment by hand. It could be a medieval coin purse, a victorian handkerchief, a pair of colonial dress pockets, whatever. Just make sure that the way you go about making it is the same way that they did back then. (even if the cloth you're using is from an old sheet XD)

Level 2: Try making something bigger. A simple small toga, a medieval hood, etc.

The levels just keep going up with the size and complexity of the item being made. So like,  level 3 would be a pair of gentleman's pants from the 1900s or a traveling cloak from the 1700s. 4 could be a full medieval under dress or a long victorian tail coat. You could also try making shoes or hats. The point of this exercise is historical appreciation. It's easy enough to whip up a full 3 layer Renaissance court dress complete with hoopskirt and full undergarments when you've got an electric sewing machine and an iron that can be plugged into the wall rather than being heated on the stove. I'm constantly trying to experience thing in the way that people in the past did, so this seemed like a good idea.

(bit of a side story, sorry. Another thing that added to this idea was using my sisters foot powered sewing machine from the 1800s. I totally fell in love with that thing, it made the best sound and the stitches all came out perfect.)

Another variation (and a more difficult one) would be actually MAKING the fabric or yarn or leather with which you're working.

So anyway, those levels are just examples using my own plans for costumes. If you wanna try this, feel free to use those or write your own with challenges that feel right.

[EDIT: I'll be posting a list of costume supply stores that have historically accurate materials, probably tomorrow.] 

Ana's guide to being a (decent) barista:

About a month ago I started working as a barista (coffee maker, to anyone who doesn't know), I'm not the biggest fan of the job, but it pays for the rent (as well as fabric and yarn). A lot of other baristas have made blogs for ranting and advice (which you may see more of), so I thought I'd share this short list of things I thought of at work. The approach I take to this job is only my way, everyone has their own style of dealing with things. (Personally, I like being polite, but I won't take any shit from anyone either)

1. Say hi to everyone; ask them how their day is. I mean everyone: customers, other baristas, dishwashers, bakers... People like it when you show interest in them and their lives.
2. Be as polite as possible, even if the other person is being rude to you. However, if someone is being needlessly cruel to you, or acting inpatient at the fact that you hadn't finished their extremely complicated order in 3 seconds, just ignore them, it's just coffee and they need to calm the fuck down. Be polite, but NOT submissive. (but also, if someone is actually giving you shit or yelling at you, it's your right to defend yourself, they don't own you and have no right to yell.)
3. If anyone looks like they're struggling, ask if you can help. Same goes for if you have a free moment and don't need a break, ask what you can do to help. Just like asking how people are, it shows that you are on top of things.
4. Make sure everything is well stocked. Seriously, this seems like it should be a simple thing, but apparently some people don't get it.
5. Be generous, but don't be self sacrificing.
6. If you make a mistake in an order, don't beat yourself up about it, it's just coffee and usually people will understand. If they don't, it's their mental issue and they need to (as stated above) calm the fuck down. If you make a mistake involving money (which I have), deal with it, apologize, offer solutions, be polite. Dealing with your boss in regards to money is pretty terrifying, but if you remain honest and level headed, they'll see that you're not stealing from them or what have you.
7. If you're unsure about something - ask questions! It's better to make absolutely sure about something and risk being thought of as forgetful, than possibly messing something up. This especially goes for complicated drink orders. Even if the person gets annoyed, it's better that they have the right drink, rather than you having to make it again.
8. If someone "higher on the foodchain" makes a mistake, but expects you to apologize for it, (seriously, this happened to me today) Don't. It's their mistake, you have no reason to say sorry.
9. If someone does something for you, thank them. If someone gives you a tip, thank them. Again, being polite is paramount.
10. (And I hate it when people tell me to do this, but it's necessary) Smile! A lot. At everyone. Interact with the customers, laugh at their jokes. Most of all, don't take things too seriously, it's only a job.

So there... I guess it's not that short. And I repeat stuff a lot...but whatever. If you find it helpful, yay! If you don't, well, try someone else's blog, or write your own.