If you're in the general Los Angeles area, come to my birthday party Tuesday night at the Bigfoot Lodge!

Found out tonight that this girl who I've been flirty back and forth with the last couple weeks, is getting married in a couple weeks. What?~

I had a really weird day today. Not in either a good or bad day, as I got news from both sides of that fence, but just in an unexpected and chaotic way. It felt like my life used to feel like, when random crazy big things were happening to me all the time. It was comforting, in an odd way.

This morning as I was walking to work and thinking about my ever-worsening financial situation, I was basically resolved to moving back to Texas with my tail between my legs, to return to a home I never intended to return to, just to try to get my life together financially. I was ready to give up on LA and just take the easy way out.

I got to work, and was crazy busy from the moment I walked in. We were rolling out a new dinner menu tonight, and I had to basically prep the whole thing while dealing with a busy lunch service. That turned into a busy afternoon service, and a super busy dinner service. Total insanity all day. The new menu went over great, and we paid for it

Also, I got a call from a girl I used to date, who'd heard I was looking for a cheaper place to live, asking me if I wanted to be her housemate at this cool place she found -- a 2-bedroom house with a yard, full appliances, garage, you name it. And not a bad price at all. I had no idea how to respond ... I mean, we never got that serious, and it was about a year and a half ago that we were seeing each other, but still ... it seemed strange. But it is also kind of enticing. If you know me well, you know that I will intentionally put myself into odd situations, just to see what happens as a result. And that's the feeling I got from this deal. So it's really tempting.

Then I got a call from another close friend who spent all day in the hospital yesterday, having massive abdominal pains. She was worried because she's fought with some cervical cancer in the past and was afraid it was related. Turned out to be an intestinal infection, and so now she's loaded up with antibiotics and painkillers.

Then I got a couple calls from a couple ex girlfriends who were both being phone-flirty, but not in a serious way. And then I got a couple calls from a very recent ex girlfriend who was being flirty in a very serious way.

Then I got a message from my sister telling me that a guy I've known since I was 9 years old, and who at one point in my life was very close to, is going to pass away in the next 48 hours. He got super super ill a couple weeks ago, went in for loads of tests, and they found out his whole body is absolutely teeming with cancer, and it's killing him very, very quickly.

Then I got a phone call out of the blue from a restaurant here in LA who wants to talk to me about hiring me as executive chef, based on the recommendation of a guy I worked for last year for a couple months. And they pay would almost DOUBLE what I make now. It's kinda smoke in the wind until we actually sit down and talk, but that call came at a really great moment in terms of inspiration and hope.

So all in all, a very eventful crazy day. And I feel good about it.

I'm starting to think about leaving Los Angeles. Not in the Leaving Las Vegas way, just in the "it's time to move on" way.

Last night I dreamt that I was flying to Melbourne to live illegally. I don't think I'll actually do that, but it was a trippy dream.

I'm thinking maybe I'll just head up the coast to like Santa Barbara area or something like that. Or maybe SF or Portland.

Or New Mexico, or Colorado.

Someone smashed up the right front fender of my car some time during the last 10 days when it was parked. I guess I should check on it more often since I never drive it.

Apparently there was an earthquake a couple hours ago. I had no idea.

Now I'm headed to the bar.

So the last table we sat tonight were 45 minutes late for their reservation. It was 8 people, and they were all dressed in Star Trek outfits.

Sigh.

On the plus side, there was an amusing debate last night at the bar about whether I looked more like Doc Holliday or Wyatt Earp. I'd just come from seeing Ryan Bingham at the Troubador, so I was wearing a black collarless rodeo shirt and my black cowboy boots, of course. Too bad I wasn't wearing high-waisted trousers and a frock coat.

I want this guy's eyebrows. Seriously.

Holy cow, I just experienced the most girl drama I've ever experienced. I go to see a friend's band play, and I have 3 ex's there, plus a girl who I met a few weeks ago who I kinda like. Well, Ex A gets all flirty with me, which I didn't expect at all, as we split up about 18 months ago. Ex B was trying to hook up with a friend of mine, which was fine by me, but she was chatting me up a few days ago. Ex C, who I just split up with a week ago, was trying to not be obvious about wanting to get back together, but she was being obvious. Then the new girl comes over to me and tries to be flirty with me but I kinda blew her off, since I figured it was just not the right situation for me to be chatting up a new girl with all the other stuff going on.

Ugh.

Then I get home around 2.30 and get a text from Ex C, the most recent one, saying that she and 2 of our friends had just been mugged at knifepoint, and she got beat up because she tried to fight back. Well, our 2 friends she was with had their keys and wallets and purse taken, so they were stranded. So I went and picked them up and drove them home on the other side of LA and just got back home.

And I gotta be at work in 5 hours to get ready for our first day of lunch service.

Hot!

I think the 2 years of working superlong hours is catching up to me.