He-Men: Real-life good guys: The Adventurer

World, meet my good friend, Eli Bischof. I met Eli my sophomore year in college. I sat in front of him on our first day of creative writing class, where we were paired up for our first assignment. From then on, everyday after class we spent 30 minutes to an hour bantering. I had never met a guy that had such a passion for life. The stories of his life's adventures are worth writing a book about. He's a good guy, and I'm blessed to call him my friend.

1. What is your story?

I was born in Salem, OR on November 22, 1986 and am the youngest of 7 children. We moved every couple years and by the time I left Oregon, at the age of 9, I had already lived in 4 different cities. After Oregon, we spent a brief 2 years in the motherland (Utah), before moving on to New Mexico. For most of my adult life, when asked where I hailed from, my response was invariably: New Mexico. I spent most of my teenage years there, graduated high school, etc... those years made the most impression on my memory. However, over the past few years, my answer to "Where are you from?" has become a little muddled, due to years spent working in various states on various jobs, and a declining attachment to my memories in New Mexico. 

While working in Michigan as a steel burner and crane operator, doing demolition/dismantling in an abandoned nuclear power plant, I finally went to get my first tattoo, at the age of 21. I'd never thought of being a tattoo artist, though I had been a mixed media artist most of my life. Out of pure curiosity, I somehow asked the right series of questions of the tattooer/owner that was working on me, and within 2-3 weeks, I was holding down a demolition job, while apprenticing to tattoo on the side. I didn't take it very seriously until I quit, due to personal conflict with my mentor. I didn't have much experience tattooing when I quit, so when I picked it up 1 year later on my own in Arizona, I had no clue what I was doing. It took me about a year and a half before I had the technical ability and the courage to approach a tattoo shop for a professional position as a tattooer. By that time, I had fully realized and accepted that I had found my passion in tattooing and that I would do whatever it took to take it as far as I possibly could. 

The beginning was quite rocky, as I was ignorant of what to look for in a good shop. I was lied to and cheated financially by both of my first 2 shops, before I wizened up a bit and quit. I had the good fortune of finally landing myself in a great shop, Living Ghost Tattoo Parlour, with great artists to learn and grow with and it has been a night and day difference. I am still quite fresh to the tattooing scene and have a lot of room for improvement, but I strongly believe that an artist who is satisfied with his/her work, is an artist that has stopped growing. I hope that I never believe that I have done a perfect tattoo, painting, or drawing.

2. What/who motivates you daily?

This is a tricky one. As far as the "who", I would say I gather motivation every time I see another artist pull off a great piece. It inspires me to create something as striking and beautiful as they did. And as far as the "what", I'd say that curiosity takes the cake. I'm always curious about what life has in store for me; what will I learn, who will I meet, and how far can I push the envelope with my work?

3. What is your favorite childhood memory?

I don't know if I can pick one memory that encapsulates all of the things that can make childhood magical, but I can pick a time frame. My time in Oregon as a boy definitely gave me quite a few lasting memories. Everything was new and exciting; untainted by worldly concerns or the concept that life can be painful a lot of the time. We lived in the woods, with no neighbors, so I had unlimited access to plenty of outdoor activities. Building forts, fishing for crawdads in the creek with my brothers, being terrified by the idea of Bigfoot, and a dozen others.

4. What is your biggest accomplishment?

Riding out the months and years it took to land my butt in a good tattoo shop.

5. If you could be anyone for a day, who would it be?

Hhmm... another tough one. Nobody in particular. Maybe someone with more wisdom than me?

6. When was the last time you cried?

I can't remember any specific scenario, but I imagine it's been 2-3 months since I last cried.

7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I'd like to think that I'll be somewhere green, with rain and seasons, unlike Arizona. I think I'll still be tattooing and possibly own a shop by then. No big plans on starting a family. I don't see any sense in trying to force it, so if that's in the cards for me, it'll happen, if not, I'm alright flying solo.

8. What makes you unique?

This is a tough one to answer without sounding egotistical, but I suppose I'll try anyway. I'm fascinated with human potential (what humans can accomplish with the spirit of creation and the pursuit of excellence) and am far too curious for my own good. I crave more life experiences always and the pursuit of those experiences has both benefited me and been harmful; possibly or probably at the same time.

Three years and loving life

Sunday the 24th my mr and I celebrated three years together. It's the longest relationship we both have been in. To celebrate, we spent the day in Arlington, at Six Flags over Texas.

My mom's idea of an anniversary celebrations is wine and dining at a fancy restaurant, candles, sexy music, and other sappy romance movie ideas. As sweet as that sounds, Phil and I kind of like to live on the adventurous side--for example, he took me sky diving for my birthday last year. Roller coasters were what I was jonesing for.

Roller coasters are what I got.

The night before, I think we were so excited about our next day's events, neither one of us could fall asleep. We intended to be up and ready to leave by no later than 9am. Though I was up by 7am, we didn't actually leave Austin till 11am. About 10 minutes into the drive, I napped. It was only a 20 minute nap, but I ended up taking at least 5 of those naps.

By the time we got there, I was pumped. But it was lunch time, and rather than spending $50 for mediocre food in the park, the mr and I planned ahead and brought a picnic. We ate our food in the shade, but it was still 108 degrees out--H-O-T!

Finally, we were in the park by 2:30. Our first thought was to easy ourselves into the big roller coasters. We stood in line for the bobsled ride. After 20 minutes of waiting, an announcement was made that there were technical difficulties with the ride and they had to call maintenance to fix it. Bad way to start the day.

We jumped out of line and moved on to the next ride. The closest one was the Giant--the main reason we went to this Six Flags and not the one in San Antonio. They just reopened the ride in April after completely renovating it. So we hopped in line, which wasn't a very long one, but after having been in the park for an hour and a half we were ready to ride something.

SO worth the wait! The Giant had to be the worst, most painful coaster before they redid it. It was all wooden and slung you around and shook you till your head hurt and you wanted to cry (which I almost did the last time I was on it). BUT, it is now the smoothest, most breathtaking ride ever.

The first drop is insanely steep (79 degree drop). Phil and I wondered why we didn't hear more people screaming as they dropped. I found out why. You're not able to catch your breath as you drop that fast! You're left gasping for air as your hurled across the track at 65mph. Phil grabbed my hand and held it up the whole ride--which I'm thankful for because I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as I did because I would have been hanging on for dear life rather than feeling the free-falling feeling.

It was hard to start the day with the best coaster at the park because nothing else compared. But we still had a blast. Our next ride choice was the Superman, which thrusts you 32 stories into the air and drops you back down at a speed of 45mph. I had a mini panic attack while we waited the seconds--that seemed like hours--to be dropped down. I love the anticipation of it, but it scares the crap out of me at the same time. Not gonna lie, I screamed like a little girl.

Superman was followed by a drink break. The mixture of heat and excitement was getting to us. We made our way to our next ride, Batman. We wanted to ride Mr. Freeze because of the sweet a/c while you wait in line, but it too was closed for maintenance. When got to the front of the line at Batman, that's when Phil remembered it was a coaster where your feet dangled freely. He was very excited about it (he stopped mid picture-taking to stare in awe). It was a fun ride, but my head was flung back and forth against the restraints and gave us both a headache.

The next few rides were rough on us too. We rode the Pandemonium, Shock Wave, and La Vibora. But the one that took a toll on me was the Titan. I literally blacked out for a couple of seconds on it. There was a lot of force to it! Over a mile long of 85mph spirals, twists and turns. Yikes! But again, so worth it. We did however need to sit after we got off that one.

Thankfully we'd gotten our overpriced "souvenir" drink bottle for endless amounts of refills. All of which were water. And thankfully I sported my fanny pack so as to not lose anything on the rides (don't laugh! You know I sport it well).

We were spent at this point. We were tired from all the walking and waiting, the heat wore us out and the rides had definitely done a number on us, but I wanted to ride the Giant one more time. I wanted to see if that was the best coaster because it was our first one, or if it really did just rock our socks off.

After only a 30 minute wait, we were on the ride again. We went balls to the walls crazy since it was our last ride; arms up, shouting because we could. We came to the conclusion that, yes, the ride was best because it just plain rocked. I think having just been rebuilt, the smoothness made it so much more enjoyable to ride.

As awesome as the park was, we were so ready to go after 5 hours. We still had the 3 hour drive back. Being the thinker I am, I also packed up food for the ride home. It gave us just enough energy to make it back. We sang songs and enjoyed each other's company all the way home.

It was a great day, made even better by the company. I'm a lucky girl to have such a great guy and feel super blessed to have him in my life. Who knows what the future has in store for us.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Project 334: July week 3

July is still super rocking. Friends and food have been the basis of this week--well I guess they always are, but this week more than normal.

Don't laugh, but I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. The mr got us tickets to the 12am premiere show of the last movie. Since I never dressed up during any of the other movies, I had to do something for this one. Since I closed the store on Thursday, I didn't have any time to prep a costume. The best I could come up with was the infamous lightning bolt. I sported well.

Saturday the 16th was a looong, awesome day. I finished Friday's close at 1am Saturday and had to start my Saturday work day at 8am. Insanely busy day with a DM visit, but I rocked it. Right after work I met up with Jesse and we drove to San Antonio for a Jack's Mannequin concert. AWESOME show, but both of us were exhausted by the end of the night. Worth it!

Sunday the 17th was everything I needed in a day off. I finally caught up on sleep--slept 13 hours, spent lazy time with my mr, and made a delicious dinner. Asparagus, broccoli, meat-less beef fillets, brown rice and egg. TASTY!

I was still really worn out on Monday. After work, Phil and I shared a tasty bottle of wine and watched some Netflix. For some reason at 11pm, it sounded like a good idea to go to Sonic and indulge. And it was a good idea! I got a Reese's blast--ate it all up within the 10 minute drive home.

Tuesday the 19th was a lovely day. The mr and I cleaned Tibbers' tank before I went into work. When I got home that night, he was swimming all over the place, climbing on rocks and being happy. I watched him for a long time, and when he finally realized I was watching him, he stopped and gave me this look:
Silly turtle.

It was hot as heck on Wednesday, but I didn't let that stop me from enjoying the great outdoors. Every other Wednesday KGRS holds Blues on the Green--a free music series at Zilker Park. I went with my friend, Chris, for the first time and loved it! The grass was soft, the people were friendly, and the music was great. Perfect, until I stepped in dog poo--barefoot.

I had Thursday off too this week! Having two days off in a row felt like a vacation. I gymed it up then made a stop at the store for some tasty veggies. For dinner I indulged in this beast of an avocado.

I loved this week. Routine is great, but doing out of the ordinary things and being outdoors makes me super happy. There's only one more week left in July. I hope yours wraps up nicely.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Real life good guys

If you grew up in the 80's, you may have had the pleasure of watching (and possibly playing with toys from) He Man and the Masters of the Universe.

He Man's true identity is Prince Adam, of Eternia. Adam was given the ability to transform into He Man, who's sworn to defend the universe from evil. His transformation is made as he thrusts his sword in the air and proclaims "I have the power!" (If you know what I'm talking about, I know you just acted it out in your head).

As silly as the cartoon was, He Man is what pretty much every woman wants in a man. He's an everyday prince, but when need be, he "has the power."

I've had the fortune to have in my life everyday He Men--real-life good guys that have the strength, knowledge and desire to do good. I'm starting a series called "He Men: Real-Life Good Guys." It gives a look at what real men should be like. Each week starting August 1, I will feature one guy from my life that has made an impact on me.

Be assured, you can rest easier knowing there are real good-guys out there.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Project 334: July week 2

This week was not the most exciting week. It was filled with more stress than usual, but also filled with tasty food--which is my go to stress reliever.

My assistants and I typically discuss what we're eating during our lunch breaks. On Friday the 8th, I made a comment that french fries are my weakness. This somehow turned into me being convinced that I should have Irish fries from Zingers as my lunch. It was such a deliciously bad idea.

Saturday the 9th was a good day, but like I mentioned, nothing exciting happened. I came home to an empty house so I snuggled up with a bottle of wine and a good book. Daniel Quinn is an awesome writer and his books are so thought provoking. Read Ishmael if you get a chance!

Sunday the 10th was another completely uneventful day. The best part about the day was eating. I had myself a bowl of vanilla almond cereal with fresh strawberries--and yes, I know I've P334 a photo just like this, but I just love cereal.

For some reason I thought it was okay to stay up till 4 in the morning on monday. As my head was hitting the pillow, I wondered "who's doing the update at 6am?" ME, that's who. I literally got an hour of sleep, but somehow made it through the day. When I got home I made sure to eat a healthy meal--lentils and jasmine rice with salsa. It was delish, but didn't make up for lack of sleep. Lesson learned.

Did my best to rest up before work tuesday afternoon. I closed the store and came home to this beautiful face. I hope I don't seem to you guys like a crazy cat lady, but I can't not take photos of my cats when they look this adorable!

Off on wednesday, and I swear I feel like I'm fighting a cold. It's probably because I have been stressing a ton and not resting enough. I got a good workout in the morning, but spent the rest of the day with my cats not moving from the couch. It was much needed.

My sister featured me on her blog, Pie 'n the sky, on wednesday and by thursday the 14th, my follower numbers jumped up. I started my blog to write for myself, but being read by friends and strangers is super exciting to me. Thank you followers !

So there you have it; a pretty uneventful, nonphoto worthy week. My apologies for lack of excitement. Let me return to full health and get back onto my normal routine. Fingers crossed, I'll bring you something more exciting the rest of the month.

Love and light,
Adrienne

Pie N' The Sky: Girl Talk: The Eternal Optimist

My pretty little sister did a blog series called Girl Talk. It's a series on inspirational ladies, and she picked me as one! Take the time to check out the post, peruse her blog and check out her Etsy store too. She's adorable and insanely creative!

Love and light.
Adrienne

July, july, julyyyyy

It's July! I love this month. There's so much to celebrate. Here's a little ditty by the Decemberist that always comes to mind when this time rolls around. It's sung by a sweet voiced little lady, Kristen Korkowski,  who I just found on youtube. Totally dig it!

It's that time of the month, Project 334!

July 1st, Friday, after work I came across the sweetest deal (literally) at the grocery store. 2lbs of blue berries for $4! Oh man, I was in heaven. When I got home, I ate half the carton. Shoulda bought two...

Saturday the 2nd, I opened the store and was on my feet all morning. I used my break to rest my "dogs". Haha, is that the phrase? I walked around and ate lunch outside barefoot. It's liberating and feels so good being shoeless.

I was off on the 3rd, and did the usual routine of sleeping in and gyming. I also installed my Progressive Snapshot tracker in my car. Fingers crossed, I'll get my rates lowered.

Monday was 4th of July, and sadly I had to work, but only till 7pm. I celebrated my freedom with a tasty cookout at our friends' house. We played card games and did a bit of drinking. Sadly, there's a burn ban in Austin, so we couldn't light fireworks. But the celebration was still awesome.

I had a management meeting at 8am on Tuesday. I wasn't rushing to work, but was  going about 10 over the speed limit. For the third time since I've been driving, I was pulled over for speeding. And for the second time, I got a warning. I did, however, end up getting a citation for not having my most recent address on my drivers license. Sucks.

I had Wednesday the 6th off. It was a good day too. I had brunch with my mr and our friends at Kirby Lane, ran some errands, relaxed with some yoga and made a tasty dinner for the mr and friends.

Thursday the 7th was a stressful day. There was a lot going on at work that I wasn't able to finish by the end of the night. On the way home from work, I stopped by the grocery store. Because it was too late to cook, I got a quick dinner and stocked up on a couple bottles of wine. My $12 dinner.

It's been an interesting first week. I've liked it so far. Hope everyone out there is loving their July too.

Love and light.
Adrienne