Retirement: Online Art Workshops

Mom left Wednesday :( and we're trying to "return to normal" here...normal as in "boring, everyday life with no running around for "fun" stuff" ;)
I was a "bad" mom on Monday (influenced by my "bad" Mom -LOL, she's not) and Mom & I took Tristan out of school on Monday. eek! We figured that she didn't get to see him at Christmas time in Boston and we didn't go to AZ that this one little time wouldn't hurt...soooooooooo we went to Knotts Berry Farm. We had a great time. It was Tristan's first time and our second time. Mom & Dad took my sister, Erin & I in '87, I think it was?? We did discover one VERY important rule: do NOT NOT NOT *EVER* ride a "rapid" water ride at 4:45 in the evening in February...especially one that warns you "You WILL get wet. You MAY get drenched." Ok, I wasn't drenched. I wasn't wet. I was friggin' SOAKED. It was like jumping in a pool with your clothes on. Mom & I were went down to our underwear (yeah, me with nylons on too, that was fun. :P) Tristan (luckily) only got "wet". Try walking around with the sun setting in a SOAKED shirt, skirt, bra, underwear, nylons, shoes, etc... NOT fun. We even tried going into the bathroom and using the "dryers". Well, the so called dryers don't get you very dry. Needless to say, avoid that damn ride that late in the day. Noon, it would've been great. So close to sun down, it's a thumbs down. Now if it had been JUNE or JULY or AUGUST or SEPTEMBER, it'd have been awesome but NOT in February.
It was a FUN FUN day though.
Valentine's Day -
Well it started off fine....Mom & I dropped Tristan off at school. I dropped my car off at the shop for a minor tune up (more $ Grrr). Then we both went to Hollywood & Highland to drop our rental off at Budget. After eating a so so breakfast at Mels Diner on Hollwyood, we went to the big ass mall at H & Highland. I really don't like the mall. There isn't anything there other then two hugomongous elephants (that I wonder what THEY will do heaven forbid there is an earthquake :P) and some interesting "hieroglyphics" from D.W. Griffith's "Intolerance", I believe it is. Any ways, we went to one of my (former) favorite stores "Hot Topic". I walk in with Mom and say hi to the clerk that is opening the door. Very friendly and seems nice. I manage to find four shirts I want to try on before I buy. 'cause Hot Topic does not seem to know how to "size" shirts. I wear a medium, usually...yet at Hot Topic I could fit into a small, medium, large, XL, XXL, etc... depending on which freakin' company makes the t-shirt. GRR (I noted this to a sales clerk once and she told me that I should shop at their "large" store...needless to say, I was a little pissed with that comment-but this was a year ago AND at a different store). OK back to topic. I give my Mom a plastic shopping bag that I was holding (funny: it was only holding extra "paper napkins" that we had "borrowed" from Knotts to put on the seat of the rental car so we could drive home some what "comfortably". I also had to line the inside of my skirt with the damn things so I could "sit" down in the car). SOOOOO I give Mom the bag to "hold" while I ask to try the shirts on. The guy at the register (who really reminded me of Will *shudder* Ferrell) tells this blonde chick with *really* short hair that was terribly dyed (she really needs to take my color theory class LOL) that she should let me into the dressing room. I go over with her and show her (pulling each shirt apart separately) that I have "one...two...three...four..." t-shirts. She gets a funny look on her face and tells me that their policy is 3 shirts in the dressing room. OK no biggie. I can give one to Mom to hold or she can maybe help me out and hold one and switch it with me so I don't have to leave the damn dressing room. She then says that she'll let me in with 4 BUT and she flicks her finger at my side and snidely remarks "BUT I DON'T like the bag." I think at that point, my mouth dropped. She doesn't like my bag? What the hell does that mean? OMG. It dawns on me. The bitch thinks I'm going to stick a friggin' shirt in my bag...AFTER I just told her EXACTLY how many friggin' t-shirts I have IN my hands (even SHOWED her). I opened my purse up (now those of you that know me KNOW how big my purse is....but you also know that it is usually FULL of more crap then I need to carry...well, this purse that I had that day was about a 1/8 of the size of the one I usually have) and I ask her "WHAT MORE CAN I FIT IN HERE?!?!?" I then throw the shirts at her (well, I felt like it, I actually handed them to her) and told her disgustedly that I do not plan on buying these any more (I REALLY wanted at least 2 of them-esp. this cute pink thing that I wanted for Valentines Day) and that I was extremely insulted, blah blah blah... I then told the "guy" and the "other woman" at the register what happened and that I was NOT going to shop there any longer. So I leave...with Mom. I go outside and start to think about it. HELLO? Do they know how much $$$ I have spent at Hot Topic over the years...that my whole family (my sister, my cousin, friends, etc...) shop there. Do they KNOW how much $$ they are about to lose. I was pissed!!!! I go back into the shop (now I know why and how people go postal) and tell the "guy" who ends up being the "associate district manager" (he was useless, nice but useless). He takes me outside and I tell him MY story. I wasn't going to steal anything. I don't do that. I had $ to pay (ok, well, Mom was buying, how could I refuse? ;) ) and that I had even given my Mom the friggin' plastic bag. He apologized and said that she handled it wrong, blah blah blah. I said I didn't want her fired but that I was extremely upset and that I will not be back into that store. Well, after a five minute conversation, all I received was an apology. I was really upset that he basically (as a friend pointed out) did NOT offer to 'grease my palm' NOR did he bend over backwards to right what was wrong. I have spent thousands of dollars in that damn store over the years on t-shirts. NOT any more. I'm also telling my sister, cousins, etc... NOT to give them any $. I have been in customer service since I was, like, 10 years old and had a newspaper route. NEVER would I have EVER treated anyone like this...
So now I'm shirtless in La La Land...well, not really, but I need to find a new place to shop...maybe I should "grow up" and get shirts made for 31 year old women ;)
FYI, this is a canvas approx 12 x 16" and this was one of my "part one" photos. The hands now have layers of color on them, the painting has gold leaf and some more things added. I hope to have an updated photo up here soon. I still consider it a work in progress but I had a helluva lot of fun making it...