I’m aging well on Fat Tuesday
Fat Tuesday, that famous Mardi Gras celebration day. I’ve had the opportunity to be in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday and have fond memories of a Fat Tuesday of yesteryear.

But this year on Fat Tuesday I wasn’t thinking about partying, Mardi Gras beads or even going out. My Fat Tuesday was all about deadlines. I had spent the entire day at work trying to complete an invoicing cycle to meet a March 1st deadline. After work I rushed home to meet another deadline. The Cerro Coso Community College literary and art journal Metamorphoses was accepting submissions from students and community members and the submission deadline was March 1st. Although I had previously read about the call for writers on the Ruined by Books blog run by Gary Enns, creative writing professor at Cerro Coso Community College and the Dalloways frontman; I had only recently decided to submit some of my writing. I also had the chore of paying a few bills that were due on March 1st.

I was sitting at my computer trying to format a couple poems and short pieces of fiction according to the Metamorphoses submission guidelines. The instructions seemed simple enough, one online submission form and email for each item being submitted, but for some reason I was having a hard time categorizing my short fiction pieces. I considered them more narrative prose pieces because they didn’t fit into a fictional short story category, but narrative prose wasn’t one of the choices. I finally decided to put them in the ‘other’ category and describe them as narrative prose. I would be extremely happy if anything I submitted was published in the 2006 Metamorphoses for there are a lot of talented writers out there.

While formatting my submissions I received a call from NL.

“I’m hanging out down here at Fishlips doing a podcast and listening to Mento Buru if you want to come down.” He invited.

“That sounds like fun!” I said smiling. I was done with deadlines! I decided.

“I’ll come down in a little bit, after I finish submitting this stuff to Metamorphoses.” I explained.

Soon I was walking down 18th Street towards Fishlips. I could hear Ska King Matt Munoz and Mento Buru belting out Latin Ska music from outside the building as I approached. I stood at Fishlips door waiting with Paul Cartwright, Violinist extraordinaire while the bouncer checked my ID.

“No way! This can’t be right!” Fishlips bouncer exclaimed.

Paul Cartwright and I looked at him dumbfounded. We were involved in a conversation when the bouncer’s comment interrupted our train of thought.

“My God! You are aging well!” The bouncer continued amazed.

“Oh thank you.” I said flattered.

“Not that you’re old. But you don’t look as old as you are.” The bouncer back peddled.

Old! I may not look my age, but boy did I feel old with knees of an 80 year old and whiplash in my neck!

“Don’t worry about it. I love being carded!” I replied.

He just made my night, my week, hell probably my year! I thought.

I went in and found NL back by the pool tables deep in Buck City Podcast conversation with Bakotopia’s Dan the man. Mento Buru was rocking the house and I could feel my stress starting to fade away. Mento Buru is the perfect band for a party! I thought.

I headed to the bar for some Mardi Gras drinks from Fishlips' bartender, who in a former life was one of my bartending students. I do get a sense of accomplishment deep in my heart knowing that he’s earning a living on a trade that I taught him.

I settled into the music and let myself enjoy a little Fat Tuesday revelry because... I’m aging well.  posted by Matildakay at 5:23 PM