Abbey-Roads2

Read all about it here:
Ist Vespers In St. Peters

It reads like a review of an opera or a play. Critical analysis, checking out who was there and what they wore, etc. (That’s what I don’t like about St. Agnes sometimes. I often think many people are there just for the music and the liturgical costumes.)

How prayerful.

(Sorry, still no ability to upload photos.)

So I can’t bitch. I still cannot download photos - what if someone is on to me and I’ve been banned from taking copyright photos???????????????

So anyway - today was hell day at my STORE - I had 3 events going on at once - and we were so busy. So I’m smiling - and tired.

“FREE FORM!” - That’s a Janet Jackson lyric as well. I love “Design of a Decade” - a greatest hits album from JJ. Anyway - that’s what this post is about………..or stream of consciousness.

So I’m hard at it at 6:30Am - getting the Store ready for all the events. I had asked some of my people to get there early - 2 did so. I was way p–sed! The “F” word being creatively rehearsed in proposed statements to my crew as they arrived, all going through my head before they finally got in. Nevertheless, I restrained myself, as well as the profanity, with, “This is unacceptable! Totally unacceptable!” My ‘best boy’ worked his tail off, recognizing my high anxiety.

A manager is sometimes like a mom or dad, at one point I pleaded, “Can’t you just pretend for one day that I am actually in charge and do what I say?” They did, and it went well.

Bad manager that I am, they all got hugs, and thanks as the day was an unimaginable success. And so I had to be my silly self to get them out of the funk I put them in. One person was popping valium and vicodin all day - I do not know how she can work so doped up. I’ll have to address that. Seriously. When she was waiting on one poor customer I had to intervene and rescue the guest and found what she had been looking for. I explained that this one sales associate was somewhat impaired…the guest rolled her eyes. I have to address it.

Why do you have to address things like this when it’s the holidays? Bi-polar or not, this person has got to go.

We had as our cause d’celebre a principal from a famous family in from Italy to do signings for his product. The women loved him, long hair, dark swarthy Italian looks - more Napoladon looking to me than Tuscan. Well dressed - Armani. One person said she hated how short his tie was - I said that is the fashion, high button suit, high tie. SHE dismissed it because I’m old. HEY! I KNOW MY FASHION MS. SUBURBIA! (Even if she happens to be the president of the company.)

I may be getting old, but I know my stuff - let me tell you about the dowds that sh………………or go to St. A……………………..or work with m…………………….or I work w…………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These people are all from St. Paul for heaven’s sake. Sorry Lori and Julia - you can’t cut it either. (Lori is from Duluth of all places, and just a slut!)

What was cool about today was the really sincere people who came in. Those impressed with the idea of the collectability of having a signed piece from this collection - live for 100 years and see if they are worth more. Actually - they are already - because of the artificiality of collectibles with signatures - short lived phenomenon, totally dependent upon market demand and scarcity.

The other sinceros in the Store are truly edifying, there is this wonderful family that comes in. I don’t care, I’ll say the name, Dragonowski. Two little adorable babies, a wonderful mom and dad. Now there is an example of good Catholic married love and family. They would so think I’m nuts but I’d love to hug them all. What a perfect couple. I used to see the dad at Mass - when he was single, I always admired him. What pure people, so completely joyful, and normal. Hugely normal.

I saw a very rich man with his family as well. Very tight-a–ed. Such a difference between couples - such a difference between spiritualities.

Back to the nut case that works for….so how many valiums can one down in a day, with vicodin - two every four hours, for even the slightest pain? I had surgery a few times and I’d only take a half when I went to bed. What the h…………………………..?

Oy what a day! Remember I titled another post with that? I thought of that priest and told several people about his post on his exhausting day in Rome. Did you know lunches last a few hours over there and dinner obviously extends from 8PM to who knows when? Don’t cry for me Argentina, genteely sipping the vino and puffing on cigars all night.

So, around 4:30AM, I go down to the basement to get some clean underwear out of the dryer - yeah, my house-keeper hadn’t folded them - LOL - so, whadya think, I’m a priest already? - and I discovered the sewer was backed up after my shower. South MPLS is notorious for roots blocking the sewer system. I had to leave it flooded - I couldn’t be late for my day. I get on the freeway - there is construction - it looked like rush hour - no ‘F’ word - just the rosary, with little ejaculations such as, “Merry Christmas Bull-$&#@! Did you know you’d cause all of this commotion by your birthday? It’s not even THE event of the liturgical year - for your sake! I hate Christmas!”

And so we are full circle here. THEY WERE LATE TO WORK! And I had chest pains and sweats that would have sent even the most resistant man to the emergency room - so much, one person said, “Are you alright, your face is beet red!” And I said, “Yeah, I’m fine, I took an extra atenolol” - blood pressure meds Karen - NOT valium you drug addict. (I really had all the symptoms, crushing chest pain, arm pain, coughing, shortness of breath, and I prayed, “Take me now!” - like Cher in “Moonstruck” - but the Infant Jesus is so like the people who work for me - he does what he wants, and I’m here to write about it.)

Yet, I’m smiling, because we had a great day, and I got to hug my best workers. Thanks y’all. And yes, I’m neurotic - and Adam ate the apple and everyone has chinks - even the rich guy, with his perfect wife and kids, his perfect houses, and his perfect mega-business, and his perfect friends, along with his perfect Church affiliations - who was in the Store today - just wait until your highly disciplined, perfect kids grow up - just you wait. (I wonder if he ever saw the film”Chocolat”?) He’s such a schleppe!

Happy Holidays! (I so hate “Merry Christmas” - until after the birthday - OKAY?!)

Free base quote that always, always consoles me - “I am Christ’s and Christ is mine, all things are mine!” S. Juan de la Cruz (The only mystic I know of worth his stuff! He was so REAL! Well, Holy Mother Teresa was as well, and Therese - although she was constrained by French bourgeois manner - yet one may read through that - except maybe the St. Paul people - there seems to be a strong correlation there.)

“Nasty Boys!” (Janet Jackson)

This guy was a brat! He was a spoiled, fat, rich boy, who got himself into trouble in the military, while he enjoyed a live-in mistress. How French - huh?

Through the influence of his angelic cousin, Marie de Bondy and her friend, Abbe Huevelin, he gave up his indifference to the Catholic Church, as well as his immoral and frivolous life. He entered the Trappists of Our Lady of the Snow, taking the name Marie Alberic - a pen name I once used as well.

His restless spirit and desire to imitate the poverty and hidden life of Nazareth, led him to leave the cozy security of the Abbey. He went to Jerusalem and worked as a gardener for a monastery of Poor Clares. The Abbess, Mother Elizabeth, a rather persuasive figure - stay away from domineering nuns - convinced him to become a priest.

He returned to la Trappe and was ordained, making his novitiate for his new religious order while there. He found his way to Algeria, the only member of the religious order he intended to found, to live among the Tuareg as a hermit. He was later killed by Islamic rebels, the Eucharist he had been adoring, thrown in the desert sand. This happened on December 1, 1906, I believe. After he was beatified a couple of years ago, his feast was set for December 2 - today!

(Forgive me for lack of dates, etc. - I wrote from memory; and blogger still will not permit me to post pics! I’m a visual artist! How can I exist without visuals?)