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3 Years as a Remote Worker: Blogging Coach, Social Media Manager, & Travel Writer
Three years ago I put in my two weeks' notice at my full-time office job & started walking a strange, unknown path through remote work. I navigated through finding clients & establishing myself as a blogging coach. I did over 75 coaching sessions with a range of awesome women. It has been a whirlwind of 3 years because each year was completely different.
Half of the year was pre-Coronavirus, but ultimately, COVID-19 caused a bit of chaos. Due to budget cuts, layoffs, and everything that ensued, I lost a couple of clients. But I came out stronger than ever. You can read all about that in my blog post Life in Quarantine as a San Diego Blogger + Social Media Manager.
Read my updates from Year 1 & Year 2!
Blogging + Influencer Events
I made a conscious effort to attend more influencer events. I'm pretty introverted so it isn't inherently easy for me to get out there & chat amongst people. It's something I've never been good at, including when I was in middle school & my mom told me to ask the server for more bread. It took a couple minutes before I could work up the courage to go up to the counter & ask. So it's a consistent struggle, not something new, but something I work at daily. For additional blogging tips and tricks, read how to set effective goals so you get things done.
I attended a grand opening party for Cardellino restaurant in San Diego. Take a look at my experience at Cardellino on my travel Instagram. The eatery is big & open but feels cozy once filled with people eager to eat (this event was in February 2020 prior to COVID hitting the area). For dinner, choose the Fusilli Piccanti Alla Vodka with parmigiano, basil, Calabrian chiles, extra virgin olive oil if you're in the mood for pasta.
Interested in social media management, help, or consulting? Fill out my Discovery Questionnaire & I'll get in touch with you within 48 hours.
If you're in a pizza mood, the Bianca e Verde is out-of-this-world incredible. Panna, mozzarella, roasted garlic, ricotta, broccoli, spinach, parmigiano. For dessert, try the Earl Grey Budino with orange blossom caramel, honey chantilly, biscotti. You know I love Earl Grey tea (although I'm sipping on chai tea as a write this)! The pistachio Mr. Trustee's Soft Serve ice cream is absolutely incredible & really reminded me of the pistachio gelato I ate in Milan, Italy. What would you order?
In February 2020, I also went to 101 Home and Away influencer event in Encinitas. I shared the post on my Instagram account as well. 101 Home and Away has beautiful murals, tasty food & drinks, as well as an open dining atmosphere. Dig the captivating colours & botanical elements of the mural by Jonny Alexander. I love that art isn’t just for museums anymore. You can experience art as you nosh on tater tots. 😇
If you're searching for blogging tips and tricks, read how to find blogging inspiration + blog ideas.
Freelance Writing & Remote Work
Year 3 as a remote worker brought in new work. I dabbled with freelance writing for the first time in a couple of years. I write occasionally for clients & regularly for my own blog, but it was a refreshing challenge to write 2,000+ word articles on education. I had a project for a few weeks with a consulting company for Ivy College admissions. I knocked out several articles within that period with each one requiring a minimum of 2,000 words.
I wrote articles for LOCALE Magazine, a lifestyle magazine with markets in Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs. I wrote an online article as well as a couple articles for their print/web magazine. Read my article in LOCALE Magazine about Top Spots in San Diego You Need to Visit on Super Bowl Sunday.
I was a content producer for TripSavvy for a full year. They had me on the team producing posts, essentially I would review already created posts & ensure they maintained the updated brand standard. So I did a lot of replacing images, finding photos on Getty Images, checking the post for grammar, capitalization discrepancies, etc. I spent a lot of time editing travel content so you could say that fueled my desire to continue traveling. It was already part of my workday!
Travel Influencer
I did a WB Studio Tour Hollywood in Burbank, California to see some behind the scenes from television favorites like Friends & Gilmore Girls. I did some other California travels in Julian. I experienced Milan, Italy; Porto, Portugal; Paris, France; Warsaw, Poland; Sitges, Spain. What an experience. I always look for the best flight deals, so my travels usually revolve around where I can find a good bargain. I went to Mexico a couple of times, spending the most time in Queretaro. Then COVID lockdown started & traveling was off-limits, so I don't have many travels to report. At least it allowed me more time to create content & awareness for some of the destinations I visited!
"What is a press trip/familiarization tour?" you ask. I explain it in this Instagram post & a bit in this blog post.
What is a Blog Coach & Consultant? What is a Blogging Coach?
I answer this in-depth in my blog post if you want to read it, How I Help People as a Blog Coach & Consultant. Short answer: I offer blogging tips and tricks. Blog coaching is often on a per session or per month coaching package rate, depending on the client. Some clients want a deep-dive over the course of one to three months with regular coaching sessions each week & daily email access, whereas some clients just want to consult with me for an hour-long session to go over questions, goals, next steps. To each her own. Clients tend to work with me long-term, often hiring me over & over for various projects or consulting. But just like a comfortable pair of shoes, sometimes, it's not a good fit & that's totally okay! No pressure - for both of us.
Interested in social media management, help, or consulting? Fill out my Discovery Questionnaire & I'll get in touch with you within 48 hours.
Press + Media
I was featured in the media a few times this year which is pretty cool. You can find me in TLC (35 Real Love Stories That Will Warm Your Heart); Parade Magazine (Underrated Towns to Visit in Italy); & U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog!
Read my updates from Year 1 & Year 2!
Tonight is Halloween || A poem
She exhaled listlessly
& her spirit escaped.
Her body called it quits
& thus, her soul reshaped.
She began a new life
in the pale, grey moonlight.
This was a special time,
it was Halloween night.
She opened her blue eyes
Do you know what she saw?
She looked at her still self;
it was her last hurrah.
Her name was Athena,
like the goddess of war.
She dusted herself off
& arose from the floor.
Her body just lay there,
but her soul was alive.
That's when she decided
it was her time to thrive.
So she floated away
& explored somewhere new.
That's not really something
she would normally do.
Quiet & heartbroken,
cheerless, sad, & somber,
Timid & powerless,
too frightened to wander.
Fearful of everything,
she was not at all brave.
However, that all changed
when she sprung from the grave.
You're probably asking:
"Why on earth should I care?"
The reason is plain but
it may give you a scare.
She would like you to know
that life is not easy.
There are troubles to have;
it won't all be breezy.
Life is quite difficult
until the day you die.
Then you take your last breath
& mutter a goodbye.
Your body soon decays
& you become a ghost.
You'll meet with the others
& you'll all raise a toast:
Cheers to life & to death,
to the haunting we'll do,
to spooking the children,
& always yelling "BOO!"
To tricking & treating,
to pumpkins & to pranks,
to stealing some candy
with no need to say thanks.
To goblins & spiders,
& to the webs they weave.
Because of all of this
our souls shall never leave.
That's why it's so spooky.
No one will hear you scream.
After all, don't you know?
Tonight is Halloween.
Tonight is Halloween
A poem by Carmen Varner
++++++
Wishing you a happy Halloween. Have fun & stay safe!
Did you enjoy this poem? Feel free to share it! What are your plans today? :]
Dark vs. Light || A poem
Look, I don't want to see you
in any kind of vision.
You're haunting, taunting my mind
treating it like a prison.
Well, let me tell you something
you probably ought to know.
You executed me once,
Truth is you softened the blow.
I dream about it often:
I'm flying high in the air,
escaping from what kills me,
but you greet me with despair.
Seems it's inevitable
that you'd stir up a terror.
Karma will get you, I know.
Call it trial & error.
I admit there's no denying
You may have won the first fight
That was then, this is now &
darkness always falls to light.
I am illuminated
by the ghost of the prior.
Consider me as a sun
Burning noble ball of fire.
I shall triumph past darkness,
shining like the brightest star.
My journey doesn't stop here
I'll continue to go far.
Bid adieu to all evil,
the wicked & the corrupt.
This is a revolution;
The intent is to disrupt
you from your malignant plot.
One sip from the holy grail
& it acknowledges that
the good will always prevail.
A poem by Carmen Varner
+++++++++
Ocean || A poem
Ocean || A poem by Carmen Varner
Have you ever wanted something so bad
so so bad
that it brought you to tears?
I don't mean those crying tears.
I'm talking about those tears of passion
& rage
& hope
& yearning.
The tears that mean the most.
The water droplets that fall from my eyes
in moments of pure admiration of the future,
in moments of wonder,
in moments of hopefulness
in moments of stress.
These moments come by stampede,
crushing my hatred
& taking over my soul.
I am not sad.
I am not crying.
These are tears.
These drops fell from my heart
& into reality.
I will try
& then I'll try again.
Then I'll try once more
until I become the ocean
my tears created
& the tide will bring me home.
By Carmen Varner
++++++++++++++
Try. Try. Try. Until one day you DO. This poem is for those of us who have a vision & want to achieve it. This poem is for those of us who have no idea where they are or where they're going. This poem is for those of us who are trying every single day regardless of everything that sets us back. You can do it. We can do it. Nobody knows how far you've come.
What are your thoughts about Ocean? Do you have any passion(s) that bring you to tears? Tell me a little bit about yourself. What are your goals? :]
Wingless || A poem
I wondered wholeheartedly
as the whiskey wooed my wounds.
I wandered within my wisdom
while the warmth of the world
washed away my worries
& the wind whispered wordlessly.
Why wish upon the stars
when I can walk among them?
Why wait for the earth to be woven
when I can weave it myself?
Why worry about worthless wars
when I am waging them within my wellbeing?
I am wingless but still worthy;
I am wild but still working,
willfully but not woefully.
Wherever I will whimsy,
I wondered wholeheartedly.
By Carmen Varner
+++++++++++++++++++++
Wingless is about the internal struggle we have within us. We wage a war upon ourselves by constantly criticizing our bodies, underestimating our power, doubting our self-worth. But we are everything & more. Why wish upon the stars when I can walk among them? Don't idolize others, when you are the star. We are stars, we are worth it. Why wait for the earth to be woven when I can weave it myself? We don't have to wait for our futures because we create it every day. We don't need others to do work for us when we are more than capable of doing it ourselves. Why worry about worthless wars when I am waging them within my wellbeing? All these thoughts & problems rise from our own minds. Change your attitude & stop the war against yourself.
What are your thoughts about being Wingless? What did you gather from my poem? I love to learn how others translate what I write. Let me know. :]
Follow me on social media for more poems & writing:
Bloglovin // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Bloglovin // Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Dreams // A Poem
As the night turned to the day
& our bodies turned to dust,
I thought about life's purpose
& what will happen to us.
I pondered about my past.
I wondered about yours too.
Will we accomplish our dreams,
everything we wanted to?
We are dreamers, my dearest.
We've got our heads in the sky,
but I like us like that, love.
We can make it if we try.
So if we end up falling
we can land high on a cloud.
Let's do our best & do it hard.
Let It Go
I said I 'd never do this again
But I did now & did it then.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
I should let it go.
Turns out we are all just lost.
Yearning success at any cost.
Find a penny pick it up;
maybe you'll get good luck.
But you really never know.
You should let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
I think you should let it go.
We're bickering daily it seems, baby.
I was thinking, I dunno maybe.
Maybe it's you, maybe it's me.
Maybe it's us and that makes we.
Who's right? Well I dunno.
I think we should let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
We should just let it go.
Time for the world to see some change.
Peace shouldn't seem all that strange.
Enough with the wars and the hate.
Two words: mortality rate.
Something for something, quid pro quo.
We really should let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let's all let it go.
By Carmen Varner
But I did now & did it then.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
I should let it go.
Turns out we are all just lost.
Yearning success at any cost.
Find a penny pick it up;
maybe you'll get good luck.
But you really never know.
You should let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
I think you should let it go.
We're bickering daily it seems, baby.
I was thinking, I dunno maybe.
Maybe it's you, maybe it's me.
Maybe it's us and that makes we.
Who's right? Well I dunno.
I think we should let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
We should just let it go.
Time for the world to see some change.
Peace shouldn't seem all that strange.
Enough with the wars and the hate.
Two words: mortality rate.
Something for something, quid pro quo.
We really should let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let it go, let it go, let it go.
Let's all let it go.
By Carmen Varner
A Glass Door // A Poem
My life is like a glass door.
I can see the other side.
It's sunny & green & lush.
It's everything I wanted it to be
& it's forgotten everything I loathe.
But this glass door is just that.
A glass door.
A barrier.
A clear wall.
I can visualize, imagine, think & ponder
but I can't get to the other side.
If I am a plant,
I must bloom where I'm rooted.
But I don't wish to be rooted here.
By Carmen Varner
I can see the other side.
It's sunny & green & lush.
It's everything I wanted it to be
& it's forgotten everything I loathe.
But this glass door is just that.
A glass door.
A barrier.
A clear wall.
I can visualize, imagine, think & ponder
but I can't get to the other side.
If I am a plant,
I must bloom where I'm rooted.
But I don't wish to be rooted here.
By Carmen Varner
Fall Becomes Winter // A Poem About Autumn Festivities
i can't wait for crisp cool nights
& christmas lights
& scarves & fuzzy socks,
for films & tea & holding hands
& never ending fun,
for foggy mornings & rainy days
until the year is done,
for pumpkin pie & cinnamon
& all those tasty eats,
for costumes & candy
& spooky trick or treats.
for me, i love this time of year
it's the happiness, the love
& that overall sense of cheer.
i better not blink too fast
because i don't want it to end
but it never seems to last.
By Carmen Varner
& christmas lights
& scarves & fuzzy socks,
for films & tea & holding hands
& never ending fun,
for foggy mornings & rainy days
until the year is done,
for pumpkin pie & cinnamon
& all those tasty eats,
for costumes & candy
& spooky trick or treats.
for me, i love this time of year
it's the happiness, the love
& that overall sense of cheer.
i better not blink too fast
because i don't want it to end
but it never seems to last.
By Carmen Varner
Back to the Light
There was a time when life was a nightmare
& nightmares followed my dreams.
Reality was a horror,
a mess,
like me.
And then there you were.
You followed me into the dark abyss,
which I desperately tried to escape,
and brought me back to the light.
By Carmen Varner
& nightmares followed my dreams.
Reality was a horror,
a mess,
like me.
And then there you were.
You followed me into the dark abyss,
which I desperately tried to escape,
and brought me back to the light.
By Carmen Varner
The bougainvillea or the bag
What am I doing and where do I go? I can choose between the bougainvillea or the bag. The conflict within my cerebral cortex may be permanent. I prepare for the constant battle between what I strive for and what I settle for. But beauty endures throughout. At first glance, the eye spots the faded fuchsia bougainvillea. She extends her arms through the fence, showing off her parched pale pink petals. Her allure is undeniable. The empty plastic bag sadly billows by the fence. Despite my desire for the bougainvillea, I must first throw away the bag. Of course beauty seems like the most valid option, but the plastic bag might contain a lesson or two.
The morning hustle and bustle
The morning hustle and bustle has officially begun. The drones line up one after another to get their daily fueling. Like gas powers a car, caffeine powers the people. They look fatigued. Her eyes are puffy. His eyes are half open. These people appear dead, out of sorts, dazed and confused. Perhaps sleep is not something these addicts have experienced. She orders dirty chai tea latte with two extra shots of espresso and four pumps of hazelnut syrup. He orders an iced vanilla coffee. I witness these behaviors because I am the scientist, watching my experiment to see how it unfolds. Will my hypothesis come true or will I have to account for variables? I don't appreciate the price of that $4 specialty drink that I could make infinitely better. After all, I too used to be a barista. I order a regular coffee but add chocolate. The poor gal's mocha. The barista didn't call "Carmen" as I expected. She instead yelled, "coffee with mocha." I add some half and half, a dash of vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa and nutmeg. Yeah, why not? I like to take risks. I can make my own specialty drink thankyouverymuch. I had originally purchased this coffee as a crutch, to support my lack of sleep from a late night with my lover. But by the time the concoction caresses my lips, I've already awakened. Just as the morning glory opens up for the dewy dawn, my mind has revived. At this point, my consumerism allows me a critically acclaimed spot in the cafe so I can have a spot to type ferociously. So here I am. At least it's Tuesday.
Wind Whispers
We sat at the wooden bench.
The sunshine soaked into me.
I felt the rays warm my entire soul.
It's so joyous.
A monarch fluttered by us elegantly.
The wind whispered secrets of Earth's essence.
- Carmen Varner
Alien
Photo by: Carmen Varner, 2012 |
An excerpt from "Alien," which I wrote July 29, 2012.
"Alien"
By: Carmen Varner
I'm not sure where I am.
All I know is that I'm an alien,
a martian, a one-eyed green monster.
Out of place and alone
in this house of white.
To be alone,
to feel alone
is not as simple as being by yourself.
It's entirely real to be alone in a crowd.
Don't Get Lost
Don't Get Lost
By Carmen Varner
I think I've been down this road before.
But it's too early to tell.
The signs are familiar, yet the street is different.
I hope I don't get lost again.
The times they are a-changin.
But patterns are patterns,
They don't alter when you falter.
22
I can't believe life goes by so fast.
Each day is shorter than the last.
The evening air turns into the brisk morning breeze
then morphs into the warm noon wind through the trees.
Flowers bud, bloom and blossom in the spring.
Then there's always that summer fling.
The leaves change color and begin to fall
And after that winter concludes it all.
Technically, April 10th I turn 22
but to me, today is nothing new.
The sun is shining and my mood is sweet.
To be alive and well is the ultimate treat.
Thank you for your well wishes and support.
But it's super nice out, so I must cut this short.
Each day is shorter than the last.
The evening air turns into the brisk morning breeze
then morphs into the warm noon wind through the trees.
Flowers bud, bloom and blossom in the spring.
Then there's always that summer fling.
The leaves change color and begin to fall
And after that winter concludes it all.
Technically, April 10th I turn 22
but to me, today is nothing new.
The sun is shining and my mood is sweet.
To be alive and well is the ultimate treat.
Thank you for your well wishes and support.
But it's super nice out, so I must cut this short.
:]
A day like this // Poem
A day like this
by Carmen Varner
It's a day like this
that makes me want to stay inside.
The rain pours
and the skies are grey.
I wouldn't want to leave the house anyway.
I wish I could stay in bed,
under the covers,
warm and sheltered from the tears of the atmosphere.
It's a day like this
I feel more confused about my existence than ever.
It's so perplexing how the weather
and our moods
can be so easily swayed.
It's a day like this
I'm reminded of how small I am.
Nothing revolves around me;
I revolve around the sun.
And when I feel down,
I realize the skies don't lie.
They're up there,
up so high.
It's a day like this
I understand I must journey on,
even if heaven cries.
The world won't stop for me,
What is this? Pokemon?
"I choose you. I choose you. I choose you," a female voice said faintly, although I paid no attention to it.
"I choose you," the voice said again. I wondered who she was choosing and why she was choosing them.
"What is this? Pokemon?," I asked myself, as I strolled down an abandoned hallway. "Gotta catch 'em all."
"I choose you."
I turned around to see who it was. Nobody. I listened in an attempt to hear where the voice was coming from. Nothing.
"I choose you," the voice said suddenly.
"Is there some really rad Pokemon ringtone I don't know about?," I wondered.
"I choose you."
"No, really. I wish someone would choose me. But I'm never the girl to get chosen," I said in the direction of the voice.
"I choose you," it said again before I finally figured that the voice had followed me to my classroom. I immediately took off my lime green backpack and unzipped it.
"I choose you," the lady said. This time it was much louder, clearer. I opened up my pencil bag and there she was.
"I choose you," she said for the final time before I turned her off. It was just my trusty tape recorder. The night prior, I had recorded my roommate's voice as she read off lines for the memorization quiz I had in the morning. She recited her lines as Adam and left gaps for me to practice mine.
"Mystery solved," I thought to myself and smiled. "Although Pokemon would've definitely made a less lame story."
"I choose you," the voice said again. I wondered who she was choosing and why she was choosing them.
"I choose you," she repeated.
"What is this? Pokemon?," I asked myself, as I strolled down an abandoned hallway. "Gotta catch 'em all."
"I choose you."
I turned around to see who it was. Nobody. I listened in an attempt to hear where the voice was coming from. Nothing.
"I choose you," the voice said suddenly.
"Is there some really rad Pokemon ringtone I don't know about?," I wondered.
"I choose you."
"No, really. I wish someone would choose me. But I'm never the girl to get chosen," I said in the direction of the voice.
"I choose you," it said again before I finally figured that the voice had followed me to my classroom. I immediately took off my lime green backpack and unzipped it.
"I choose you," the lady said. This time it was much louder, clearer. I opened up my pencil bag and there she was.
"I choose you," she said for the final time before I turned her off. It was just my trusty tape recorder. The night prior, I had recorded my roommate's voice as she read off lines for the memorization quiz I had in the morning. She recited her lines as Adam and left gaps for me to practice mine.
"Mystery solved," I thought to myself and smiled. "Although Pokemon would've definitely made a less lame story."
The Krazy Tales of Kirby Tierney
It was a Monday evening. The night air was cool, yet it was stuffy in the small living room where four twenty-somethings gathered together for a chill evening. The group consisted of two men and two women. Some had been friends for years, while some had met only a week prior. However, at this exact moment in time, they were close.
The four reclined in various parts of the room. The apartment belonged to Charles 'Kirby' Tierney and his two roommates. Kirby's roommates didn't respond well to company and remained hidden in their rooms. Kirby sat on the dirty brown couch in his living room next to Olivia Burlingame. Olivia browsed the television, constantly clicking the remote. She smacked her gum loudly and sighed as she went from channel to channel.
The four reclined in various parts of the room. The apartment belonged to Charles 'Kirby' Tierney and his two roommates. Kirby's roommates didn't respond well to company and remained hidden in their rooms. Kirby sat on the dirty brown couch in his living room next to Olivia Burlingame. Olivia browsed the television, constantly clicking the remote. She smacked her gum loudly and sighed as she went from channel to channel.
Jamaal Amoros sat on a small black beanbag near Kirby's feet and slowly sipped on a beer. Flora Franco leaned against the white wall with a tie dye pillow behind her back. Kirby met Flora his freshman year in philosophy class. Olivia was Flora's roommate and Jamaal was a friend of a friend who happened to be was crashing on Kirby's couch for the time being.
"So what'd you do this weekend?," Flora asked Kirby and Jamaal. "Any girls this time?," she inquired.
"Yeah, we were hanging out with girls," Kirby said.
"I know, but you're "hanging out" with me and Olivia," she said, adding air quotes to emphasize her point.
"You're always like 'did you get it in?'" Kirby joked, imitating Flora. The four of them laughed.
"Sorry I'm intrigued," Flora said, kicking Kirby's shin. "You always have the coolest stories. If I had a cool story, I would tell you too."
Kirby seemed amused and thought about his weekend.
"We went to a warehouse party in LA on Friday," Kirby responded. "We skated all day. There was all the beer you could drink. Everyone was sipping beers and cruising on their boards. I drank so many I couldn't even skate, which is saying something," he said. "So I went to my buddy's car to chill, but ended up passing out in his car. I woke up like three hours later back home. Then, get this," he paused.
Olivia stopped flipping through the channels at this point and left it on Hey Arnold! Jamaal got up from his seat and went to the fridge to get another beer.
"Want one?," Jamaal asked nobody in particular.
"Yeah," Flora and Kirby said in unison. Jamaal returned with four beers in hand, two for himself.
"So what happened?," Flora probed.
"I hung out with my ex. She gave me like a 30-rack of beer for my birthday," he said.
"Seriously?" Olivia asked. "I'd never buy a gift for an ex."
Kirby gave Olivia a weird look.
"Even for someone as magnificent as yourself," she added hastily. She wasn't trying to be mean.
"The same girlfriend that you all of a sudden stopped talking to you? Let me get this straight. She wasn't pissed at you, but instead buys you beer? Interesting," Flora said, squinting her eyes in a train of thought.
"Anyway," Kirby began. "So I took it, told her thanks and bounced the hell out of there. We drank it all that night," he said pointing to Jamaal. "So pretty much, I had a ton of beer that day, beginning at the skate park. It resulted in a massive two-day hangover. It hurt my head to breathe. I swear it was like blasting a foghorn in my ear. My brain was pounding. Me and Jamaal just vegged out on the couch all weekend. Worst hangover of the year," he said.
"But it's only March!" Olivia exclaimed.
"Friday was totally worth it," Kirby said. And with that it was evident he was done retelling his story.
Olivia stopped flipping through the channels at this point and left it on Hey Arnold! Jamaal got up from his seat and went to the fridge to get another beer.
"Want one?," Jamaal asked nobody in particular.
"Yeah," Flora and Kirby said in unison. Jamaal returned with four beers in hand, two for himself.
"So what happened?," Flora probed.
"I hung out with my ex. She gave me like a 30-rack of beer for my birthday," he said.
"Seriously?" Olivia asked. "I'd never buy a gift for an ex."
Kirby gave Olivia a weird look.
"Even for someone as magnificent as yourself," she added hastily. She wasn't trying to be mean.
"The same girlfriend that you all of a sudden stopped talking to you? Let me get this straight. She wasn't pissed at you, but instead buys you beer? Interesting," Flora said, squinting her eyes in a train of thought.
"Anyway," Kirby began. "So I took it, told her thanks and bounced the hell out of there. We drank it all that night," he said pointing to Jamaal. "So pretty much, I had a ton of beer that day, beginning at the skate park. It resulted in a massive two-day hangover. It hurt my head to breathe. I swear it was like blasting a foghorn in my ear. My brain was pounding. Me and Jamaal just vegged out on the couch all weekend. Worst hangover of the year," he said.
"But it's only March!" Olivia exclaimed.
"Friday was totally worth it," Kirby said. And with that it was evident he was done retelling his story.
Nevermore
Nevermore
by Carmen Varner
"Honey," she told me. "That's no fun.
Take a seat in the hot, hot sun."
I told her yes and went outside,
where there's no place for me to hide.
My feelings for you just won't go.
It seems that time has made them grow.
I wonder why, I wonder when,
you'll say you want me back again.
"A great day to write, isn't it?
At least life has no speed limit,"
a guy told me as he walked by.
I nodded and tried not to cry,
tears of sadness or tears of joy.
All of this is about one boy.
I told myself to stop this shame.
Nevermore will I say his name.
Lonely, lonely, alone, alone.
By now, this fact should be well known.
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