Phoebe's Gift.

This is Phoebe.  I took her in when she was 4 weeks old and I was 12 years old.  I learned a lot about responsibility, putting another's needs before my own, unconditional love and heartbreak from her.  She was with me for 15 years until she died in 2005.  I made a soap in honor of her called Phoebe's Gift, the proceeds from which I donate to Furkids of Atlanta.  The problem is, I am not presenting it right.  People think it's a soap for cats (psst...  they do NOT like baths), or are kind of weirded out by the fact that there's a picture of a cat on the label, so it defeats the purpose.  I am trying to rework this idea to be more effective.  I've only got four bars right now, so I'll be working on that while the next batch is curing... 

Back In the Saddle

It's been an emotional week to say the least.  I've been pretty consumed with the emotional aftermath of a senseless death that hits really close to home, so I've been angry, scared, sad, confused, over and over again.  I've been trying to take action with the community as a whole and also with the specific neighborhood in which I work.  I've found some good information and am happy to say that action has been taken where I work that makes me feel more comfortable.  I wish it was an off duty cop in the parking lot at close every night, but it's a creative solution that makes me feel like the chances of someone getting away in a situation similar to what happened at Standard are slimmer anyway.  We are getting wireless panic buttons.  Granted it's a reactionary rather than a proactive solution but business is slow, margins are slim and there's just no way they can/will justify hiring an off duty cop every night of the week.

I've tried not to put my life on hold during this time of emotional roller coasterishness.  Peter is coming January 25th for two weeks before he heads to the Yukon Quest to handle dogs for Dave Dalton.  Also, I've been running again and ran 5 road miles last Sunday and 5 trail miles yesterday.  I'm slower than I used to be, but the fact that I've kept in good enough shape to start back at that distance feels good.  The fall is such good biking and running weather and because my Graves Disease came out of remission I couldn't exercise until my thyroid levels went down significantly to avoid damage to my heart and thyroid storm and also because my body just couldn't.  I have to say my gym attendance has been suffering while trying to get this idea of customizable groomsmen gifts put together under a deadline.  However, I believe it will be worth it and once the packaging structure is set, I should be able to get more gym time in.

How about a lovely picture to make everybody feel better?

It's my new logo in the works.

I'd Rather Be Out On The Lanai.

I've spent many evenings lately making soap while episodes of Frasier give way to three consecutive episodes of The Golden Girls on the Lifetime channel.  Something about that show fills me with nostalgia of a seemingly simpler time when my mom had all the answers and could solve all of my problems.  Tonight this feeling is especially welcomed.  Yesterday I found out that one of my peers and someone who I really liked was shot and killed during a robbery at the bar he worked at.  He used to work in the bar next door to the bar in which I work.  Four robbers armed with guns threw a brick through the glass of the front door, gaining entry; led John and a co-worker to the back office where they complied with the robbers and gave them the money.  They made them lie face down on the ground and shot John twice in the head and twice in each leg.  The break-in occurred at 4:15 a.m. as they were closing up from a night at work and John later died at Grady Hospital at 7 a.m.  He was only 27.

I've been crying and talking and crying and talking about this for the last 36 hours, so as one might imagine, I'm pretty exhausted, confused, scared, angry, you name it..   I just can't think with a clear head enough to really write more about this.  So, I'd like to provide a link to the John Henderson Memorial Fund which goes towards John's family for funeral expenses and to help take care of his 3 year old daughter left behind.

Not only am I deeply rattled by this, the rest of the bar/restaurant community is truly shaken by this as well as an entire community.  This is one of many in a wave of violent crime that seems to be growing not only in the city of Atlanta, but in other metropolitan areas across the country.  At a time when financial times are unrelenting, people are becoming desperate, police cutbacks are plentiful; it is up to communities to come together and demand to make public safety a priority.  Any Atlanta resident that wants to stay abreast of community action in which they can take part can join the ATACC.

One comment on the AJC article online made a good point:

By heartbroken and outraged

Jan 7, 2009 3:02 PM | Link to this

the issue that is being overlooked here is the blatent disregard for employees' security and safety by owner Chris Johnson.

this establishment has been broken into SIX times in two years, and an employee was held up and SHOT AT in the parking lot TWO WEEKS ago. even with all of these prior warning signs and close calls, Mr. Johnson still neglected to hire security for those closing (much like Six Feet Under, a block away, currently and has long employed), install security cameras (really???), or even an alarm system, apparently.

Shame on you, Mr. Johnson. I hope this tragedy at least serves as a wake up call to any other business owners who think they can save a few bucks by neglecting to install proper security measures at their establishments at the risk of their employees' well-being.

I was a very close friend of Johns, and he didn't deserve to die like this. He was a smart, kind, generous, and fun-loving guy, and he won't be forgotten. RIP, Johnny boy. You will be dearly missed.

Owning a bar is a responsibility.  I think we all take for granted that the chances are slim that something like this might happen, but there's not an employee in the industry that hasn't been  creeped out by someone at a vulnerable time of night.  Out of sight, out of mind I suppose.  If you owned a bar and almost never set foot in the place during the most vulnerable times, of course you wouldn't see value in spending that money.  Over the years, the topic of paying off-duty police as a security measure has been brought up but never realized.  The climate today is different and there is no question now that action must be taken, not only by bar and restaurant owners, but by community members, employees, civic associations, etc.  It seems backward that business owners wouldn't think of going without property insurance, but you'd be hard pressed to find a bar or restaurant where there's an ongoing financial investment aimed at the security of its employees.  Some food for thought.

Christmas In January.

I got Peter's Christmas package the other day and it had real mistletoe in it!  I've never seen real mistletoe, it's pretty cool.  My point, though is that when I opened one of the presents, it was a picture frame with a picture of us all kissy at the Chena Hot Springs in Alaska last February.  That very same picture was among my gifts to him.  Just waiting for the picture frame I ordered the other day.  Yes, my Christmas shopping tends to happen in January.  Not for sales really, but it's just sort of become a tradition.  

That picture:

Is going to go in this bad ass frame:

from Black Eyed Susan Artworks

I was also looking into a gallery wrap of this piece for my mom since it matches her home in Albuquerque completely.  It's out of my price range, so I'm just going with the print of this beautiful photograph from Jen Murray Photography.

Fortunately both my mom and my boyfriend almost never read this blog, so their gifts shall not be ruined.  Err...  unfortunately?