The Libster

Mako's on Church Street

If Trash and Gonorrhea had a baby it would be called Mako's.

I ended up here on a St. Patrick's day night after a bunch of our friends, including the person who had the plans for the night bailed out. My cousin was in town and looking to party and some how our small group ended up here. The armpit of downtown Orlando, or at least that is what I think that smell was.

We actually paid to get in here. Again I'm not sure why, I think my cousin wanted to dance and it was the closest thing nearby. Chalk it up to buzzed people not wanting to walk farther to a better place.

So we get in there and we don't get very far. The edge of the bar, the place is packed. I just paid 10 bucks to be packed in like a little sardine with all the other sardines in a nice bath of beer swill, vomit, broken glass, and other unidentifiable liquids.

I'm really not complaining here, a friend is buying my drinks, and the people watching is quite amusing.

Mako's has an inside joke called "the first table". It's this table in middle of the first part of the club, it's wobbly, either on purpose or from so many drunk people leaning and dancing on it.

The first table is where unknowing victims and by victims I mean drunk people set their drinks, only to be immediately wobbled, thrown, wiggled, or pushed off. Another theory is that the drink was just committing suicide knowing that it was just opened or conceived at Makos.

Be aware that "the first table" has a lot of broken glass around it, along with hordes of drunk women all dancing like strippers at a circus. I guess I can see why this may appeal to some and it does to me to in a weird sort of circus freak show kind of way.

I picked my favorite girl of the night who was beyond sloshed by the time we got there. We'll call her "Lucy".

Lucy's dance moves were stellar. All including some sort of way to prop herself up without falling over. From using the table, the bar, the VIP rope, the stair banister and in a very creative and sexy way by sandwiching herself in between two other people. She fell a few times, but Lucy never gave up, she was a trooper with enough alcohol and spirit to keep going and I admire that.

Speaking of girls let's talk about the Mako's girls. St. Patties day was obviously not cute outfit day for them. Most of them were wearing strips of fabric like a poor mans version of the Leeloo costume from the 5th Element or a girl's version of Borats bikini. I know, what can I expect?... this isn't exactly the classiest of joints.

The shots taken right out of the girls breast seemed really awkward, like they were breast feeding not giving a body shot. The swing near the door was used once while we were there. She gave a very electrifying performance and by that I mean she wiggled her body in such a way that would suggest she was being electrocuted. Maybe that is just some weird fetish I don't understand.

I am enjoying myself here but who wouldn't when your drinks are being bought by a friend and you're just along for the ride. My choice was a simple vodka and cranberry they didn't have great beer choices here so I just went with a simple liqueur drink.

I'm not a germaphobe, and when I realized it was time for me to pee, I was fine with making the trek through the swarms of people that would eventually lead to a bathroom that looked more like the fire swamp from Princess Bride than an actual bathroom.

Well to my surprise it was a bathroom and As I entered the Bathroom I noticed that *Ke$ha was there brushing her teeth with a bottle of jack next to a bathroom attendant, who if you were nice to her would tell you which stall actually contained toilet paper.

Other girls entered. *Ke$ha signed a few of the girls breast with lipstick and then a few guys tried to intrude which were smacked down by Club Security.

I have to say the Club Security, Bouncers, and the Police that where there that night did a phenomenal job making sure everyone was safe. They were very pleasant to me and seemed to really just be focused on people's well being.

It was quite an experience. We had a fun time but this place isn't really my thing. I'd probably wouldn't say no if friends were hellbent on going but I'm sticking to my usual places.

*Please note Ke$ha may have been a Ke$ha lookalike.

Chris Cosentino

Chris Cosentino cooked my dinner.

Chris Cosentino was a guest chef at a local restaurant, needless to say if you know anything about chef Cosentino, every meal is surely an adventure. +6 behind the cut




"Turf & Surf" - Horse heart tartar with PEI oysters, garlic aoli and fries fried in horse fat and brioche.


"Eel, Blood and Egg" - Applewood smoked eel, pig bloood mousse, bread crumb porridge and a two-hour egg with a chili gelée. - Probably the best egg I've ever eaten.


"Lamb Pluck Fra Diavolo" - Spicy seared lamb liver, heart, lung and spleen with mint and basil oil and celery-root ash.


"Big Brain, Little Brain" - Seared cow brain and testicle, radish, chive, onion and lemon zest salad with a brain-naise (bearnaise) sauce.


"Chicken Bowl" - Sweet and sour pickled cock's comb, veal "jelly bean" testicles - coated in jelly of three different berries, dark chocolate ice cream with nuts and salami.

Upon the beginning of February

I said I had some big news and I'll probably go into more detail later but the big news is that I will be starting a new job at the beginning of February and I am very excited about it.

So where is this new job? It's right here, in fact I'll actually be sitting in the same cubicle.

I really don't like to talk about my career here a lot because there is no privacy settings and I love my job so much that I would never want anyone to take something the wrong way. I am very well aware of what I can and can't say due to sensitive information at a development level and would never violate that. I don't even tell my own husband, although it's not like he'd want to hear about it anyway. I'm sure it would just bore him.

So for the past 3 and a half years I have been working for a software company as a web developer. That software company is a vendor for another larger company who we do work for. This means that while I'm employed by the software company I am contracted out to the larger company to work on their sites and applications. I work directly with the larger company at their international office here in Orlando.

At the beginning of December I was asked if I would like to come aboard as a full time employee for the larger company.  I accepted and went through a long process with interviews, and the likes. I received an offer letter and accepted a week and a half ago.

There are several reasons why this is such exciting news. While I love the software company I am currently employed with they could never guarantee me that my contract would be renewed every 6 months. This leads to a feeling of instability never really being able to plan to far in advance. Also it doesn't leave much room for personal career growth.

I will miss being apart of the software company I have worked for, for 3 years. With the economy the way it has been, (although I feel it is getting better), I appreciate their hard work in making sure my contract always got renewed.

My new position is a lead programmer analyst position. I will get the opportunity to learn some exciting new skills to add to my repertoire. New growth and opportunities will be coming my way.

I'm also very proud that the company I will be working for is on fortunes list of top 100 companies to work for (it doesn't mention that there is also an international office in Orlando) but it is on the list. It's also been voted one of the top company's for Women to work for and I am very proud that women are advancing in the world of IT and Digital Media.

I plan to celebrate by buying myself some new clothes for work. :)

 

 

What's Cooking 2011

Something new I'm doing this year is blogging some of our home made food triumps and failures.  I love fish tacos and we had scored some awesome Mahi from the farmers market and decided to make our own take on fish tacos.

Over the years I have had dozens of differnt styles. The true classic is probably the baja california fish taco. but I have tried fish tacos all over the us from Cali, Seattle, Oregon, to North Carolina, Orlando,  Miami, Key West. I had an amazing key west grouper fish taco but also a great cali fish taco. Some styles are grilled, some are fried.

So what did we do. We mixed it up and made a version all our own. Nick actually made it as I guided him through the world of fish tacos.

This is a Grilled Mahi Fish Taco with lettuce slaw, lime juice, skinny guacamole (meaning no sour cream),  and shredded cheddar cheese.  Also along for the ride is a wild rice.

The lettuce slaw was accidental we in haste had bought lettuce and not cabbage in a mad dash during the catering we did for new years. More on that later. 

It's just gets better.

So the year is coming to an end and we have already started up the BBQ Smoker.

We've got:

• Prime Rib
• Shrimp
• Pulled Pork
• 2 different kinds of Chicken Wings
• Bacon Wrapped Jalopeno Poppers
• Potato Salad
• Cole Slaw
• Baked Beans

Our French Candanan friends Eric and Frank are down and we are having a 2 house party. No doubt I will receive another lesson of how to speak french drunk. A possible  poker game may break out and it's not a party until something gets destroyed.

Welcoming in the New Year is not complete however with out some deep thinking as to what is to come. Thinking back now reminds me that things just keep getting better. I have a feeling I'm coming upon a year with tremendous growth, personal, creative and skill set wise.

There is an amazing opportunity ahead in the next few weeks and when that comes about I will talk about it more.

I'm in the midst of reorganizing some things in my life. I can't wait to get my art studio finished. We've painted it now I just need to organize it and decorate it.

My major resolution that flopped this year were:

• Getting my passport - there really is no excuse for this. I just didn't put in the little bit of effort and time it takes. This is a goal that rolls over to 2011 and should be something that I can do easily within the next month. 
• Getting a raise - after an outstanding review I did not recieve a raise for the 3rd year in a row.
• Routine skating - It's been on and off this year, currently I have a hurt foot and am waiting for it to heal so I can start back up again
• Paying off my student loan - See raise - but something tells me it's not going to be a problem in next up coming year.

Some of the resolutions I was able to meet where:

• Sketch Book - I entered the sketchbook project 2010. I'm almost finished and have until the 15th of January to send it in.
• Moving - we moved to a larger house with a fenced in yard instead of a pool and cut down our rent by 500 dollars a month.
• Enjoyed trying new food - Uni (Sea Urchin), different kinds of cheeses, the bacon maple dooughnut at Voodoo Doughnut, and enjoyed discovering Pacific Northwest Oysters, and seafood.
• Trip - Seattle to Portland Trip was amazing. I really love Seattle I can't wait to get back up that way.

Things for the upcoming year:

• More Art and sketching
• More Blogging
• More fun food experiences
• More learning - more digital media projects
• Start a garden
• Clean and organize my bedroom and art studio
• Skating and more walks with my dog
• Cutting out time wasters that are not important

Should be a fun night tonight.  Looking forward to seeing old friend, reminicing and having a good time.

I'm back from my quick Christmas Vacation. We went down even more south to Isles of Capri which is the sister Island to Marco Island down in Naples Florida. It wasn't even warm there.

Got back to our house in Orlando, the heat is on and it SAYS it is 70 degrees in this house but I don't buy it. I'm all bundled up and my dog refuses to get out from underneath a blanket.

We took the scenic route home and did a time lapse of our drive. What ended up happening is we got a little lost and then a little found and then we got home an hour and a half later than normal.

Something very exciting is going to be happening in my life. I can't talk about it now but it has been something I have been working towards for over 3 years.

The Best of Ets - 10 Interesting Etsy Items

I recently painted my art studio a nice bright Orange. It's really a happy, inspiring, color and I love it. Now all I have to do is steam clean the carpets and organize the room. There is a lot to do and I've been inspired by Jonathan Adler. His aesthetic is fun. Maximumist with some great pieces. He wants you to be you and make your home, or room into what you would want to protray and what makes you happy. Your personality and life should be reflected. He isn't about stuffy expensive things you wouldn't dare sit or eat on. A home should be a place were you can be comfortable and be yourself.

So what I need to do is organize all my stuff. Find out what I like, what I'm over, organize my supplies, get rid of anything that isn't working, donate anything that I just don't want or need anymore and decorate my art studio so that when I walk in the room it inspires me. I want it to be all the things that inspire me.
I also started looking at sites just sort of browsing around letting whatever I stumbled on that I liked inspire me and give me ideas.

I got into looking at Etsy which reminded me of www.regretsy.com (NSFW). So I wasn't sure I'd find anything here that matched my style. I was wrong, there are a lot of neat things on Etsy if you search around.

Here are some things that I enjoyed taking a look at.

The Best of Ets

1.  Vintage Fenton Candy Dish - $35

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64581099/vintage-fenton-candy-dish

This vintage Fenton milk glass hobnail ruffled pedetal candy dish s five inches tall and six  inches accross. Looking at it made me realize how much I love milk glass. My mother had some of these milk glass goblets and vases when I was growing up. I forgot how beautiful they are.

This one has the original sticker down on the vase and I haven't seen any more with the hobnail stem. This was one of my favorite pieces of milk glass that I had found also one of the more expensive pieces as well.

 

2.  CTRL+Z Sign - $35

http://www.etsy.com/listing/63279631/control-z-plywood-plaque

I love this it's perfect for the home designer office and or studio. It comes in 6 other colors but I actually like this color.

Dimensions are approximately 8" x 25"

It has asSlightly distressed finish and is painted with wax top-coat for a smooth touch. The plaque hangs with D-ring hangers. Everyone could use a little control plus z in their life every so often.

 

3. Pillow Talk Pillows - $89 a piece

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60805239/it-wasnt-me-recycled-felt-applique
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62115751/lets-make-out-oatmeal-and-red-16-inch

Very Fun - wish the price was a bit more modest.

4.  Vintage Brass Owl Book Ends - $14.95

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64405927/urban-chic-upcycled-vintage-brass-owl

These have been upcycled, meaning painted white. I know they would look cute on my book shelf.

If you are an Owl fan there are tons of owl designs, accessories, and items on Etsy.

 

5. Elephant String Holder - $52

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64452173/vintage-elephant-string-holder

This elephant is cute I've got plenty of things I could put inside him. 52 bucks seems a bit much I tried googling the pottery maker but didn't make out with much.

There is a stamp on the base that reads, Lord Nelson Pottery England with an impressed 99 or 66.

I also know a few elephant lovers who would love to have this in their collection. Very playful way to keep your yarn, string, ribbon, etc from getting tangled.

Elephant measures 4.75" high x 3.75" wide x 4.75" deep.

 

6. Haagen Dazs Cream Liquer Bar Mirror - $80

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64167311/probably-the-coolest-bar-mirror-of-all

This awesome bar mirror measures 21" x 17" and is in a grey plastic frame. It looks very70's.

It's just fun to look at and I had no idea Haagen Dazs had a cream liquer.

Great for a bar, or as a conversational piece in any room or entertaining area.

I also tried googling to find out more but didn't come up with much.

I do love the style and colors of it though. 

If anyone has any more knowledge on this let me know.

 

 

7.  Vintage Copco Apple Trivet - $6

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61746503/vintage-copco-apple-trivet

Despite some scratches I still think this is cute and for 6 bucks it's not a bad deal either.

Use it as a trivet, display it or both.

It's 7 inches in diameater and has little rubber legs to keep it in place.

 

 

8. Fenton hobnail milk glass comport bowl - $29

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64184709/vintage-fenton-hobnail-milk-glass

More Milk glass! This is another beautiful piece from Fenton. This 3727 low footed bowl is called a comport or
compote. It has a ruffled and crimped rim, hobnail sides and is 8" diameter.  In perfect condition. Fenton made this piece between 1958 and 1979; this is an older, pre-logo'd piece.

 

9.  MinPin Pop Art Print - $45.99

http://www.etsy.com/listing/13263853/minpin-dog-pop-realism

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love the Miniature Pinscher breed.  They are as fun and wild as this pop art print yet still showing the very regalness that got them the nickname, King of Toys.

I like the color choices because it gives everyone a chance to see the minpin without the idea of the black and tan or red coat colors. Too many people confuse them as mini dobies when in fact they are just miniature pinschers and the Doberman is actually a newer breed compared to the minpin.

The size of this pring is 12 x 16.

 

And the Award for: S o weird I can't stop looking at it goes to our number 10 spot.

10. Orchids Of Hawaii Fu Man Chu Mug - $9.50

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64022571/orchids-of-hawaii-fu-man-chu-mug

Keep this mug out of the reach of children. It may cause them to cry.

Seriously though, what is this? I can't stop looking at it. It's oddly interesting.

I'm not sure I'd want to drink out of it but it could be pretty cool just sitting up on my mantle in my art studio watching over everyone.

Is he sinister, or is he a protector from evil? I guess you have to buy him to find out.

Thanks for the weirdness Mr. Fu.

Pondering

I haven't really posted anything here for a bit. Mainly because I've been trying to figure out what to do with this this blog. No privacy settings means I don't have an avenue for post that I would like to be between a small select group of friends. While my life isn't scandlous, it's not something I want to share with everyone in the world who has an computer and an internet connection.

At the same time I don't want my blog to be something I'm not and so there will be little random things about my life, but I'll spare you ramblings and post of family get togethers, challenges road blocks, and successes in my life. Oh okay well maybe I'll share the successes and even some of the failures. What I'm really trying to say is that if I don't feel comfortable putting it out to the whole world, then you won't see it here on this blog.

What I think I'll use this the most for is the things that inspire me. Ideas, creative musings, food becaus I love food and anything that captivates me.

I've got a lot going on heading into 2011 and I have a gut instict that this coming year is going to be amazing. I feel some personal growth is coming my way. I feel geared up to learn, create, write and become a better human being.

Orlando Magic Beat the Heat! Hell Yeah!