2019 - Rewatching How I Met Your Mother

2019 was a weird year. Grief had struck like a house-prisoned pandemic. All I did was drop out of college, buy Polaroid film, and watch things on Netflix. Among these was How I Met Your Mother.

(How I Met Your Mother, S9 E20 “Daisy”)

The final season features Billy Zabka prominently as Barney’s on-again-off-again best man for his wedding. During this season, I identify with his character portrayal of himself. Comedically, he executes a perfectly unserious take on his life after the ‘villainous’ depiction of Johnny Lawrence. There is one episode where someone recognizes Zabka as a famous poet. He then states ‘No one ever recognizes me for my poetry’. In 2019, I was lonely and starved for attention; more often than not, I was writing terrible poetry. So of course, as said before, I identified.

2019 - Cobra Kai: Discovery

In late 2019, my father sat me down to watch the show. Initially, I had no interest. YouTube Red original series? Come on, how good can it be? Regardless, in an attempt to connect further with my father grown a little distant, I watched. The charm of nostalgia kicked in with the 80s-style background score. I jumped in about mid-season one and finished it that night with a promise to start and complete season two the next day. But there is one scene in season one that truly sticks with me and becomes a driving force for the tattoo.

(Cobra Kai, S1 E10 “Mercy”)

“Life shows no mercy, so neither do we.” —Johnny Lawrence

Johnny takes his students and instructs them on the final rule of Cobra Kai; no mercy.

(Side note, after six seasons and a new direction from being less about John Lawrence’s Cobra Kai and more about the unification of Daniel Larusso and the Rouges gallery of the original trilogy’s villains to heroes and crazier foes, the show should have been named No Mercy. But that is an article for another day.)

Strike first, strike hard, and no mercy. These three rules I began to run my life around.

Strike first to me meant to take life by the horns, run at the problem ahead before it can get to me first, and attack it. Confront your life’s problems, with no fear.

Strike hard was to put your entire energy into your first punch. You don’t know when it’ll be your last. So put every ounce of effort into everything you do.

No mercy. Around this time in my life, life showed me no mercy. My sister died, the world shut down and I got laid off from the only job I ever loved. As Johnny would’ve put it, life threw a spinning heel kick to the balls. Down and out, there was nothing left in this pit of emptiness that I felt in my chest. To me, no mercy meant to put a light of a fire under me to move forward. No one is gonna feel bad and take pity on my loss. To the world, it doesn’t matter. And it didn’t. Life moves on, the world didn’t end, it just felt like it did.

At that point, my fate was decided. It didn’t matter if I was scared for my next steps, mad at the world, or confused about who I was in this world. What matters is that I became badass. So from that point on, I decided I was gonna be a badass, and every moment, every decision in my life was going to be towards that.

2021 + 2022 - Leaving Your Bullshit at The Door

Completely unrelated, the opportunity arose to leave home. Texas was always so big and it always felt like my entire world was only going to be Texas forever. I didn’t expect to be the kid that left, or the one who grew out of my hometown. I thought I’d have Whataburger for dinner every night forever, but life doesn’t shake out that way. As terrible as I felt leaving my family behind, I was 20 and everywhere I went had a good memory turn bitterly sweet. It was time for me to go and find out who I was without the warm blanket of the south sun.

We’ll fast forward to 2022. I’m out of my internship and I secured, a job, a place to live, and a life under the sun, vividly feeling like a summer from my youth, neverending. Picture this, I’m sitting in the tattoo spot, a hundred dollars on my card, and not wanting to feel left out, I wanted to get more ink on these arms. I only had my sister’s rose and a (now faded) Han Solo blaster that looks more and more unfinished every day.

I took a look at my life now. Although I don’t give all the credit to Cobra Kai, it did help mold me into a drive for life that I didn’t think I had.

Sitting there, I thought of a few things to get. But nothing felt more right than Cobra Kai.

May 8th, 2022. This tattoo was wrapped on my arm forever. My dad thought it was stupid but, for the first time in my life, I didn’t care what anyone thought. All I thought, was how cool it looked. For the first time in my life, I truly felt like my badass self.

I Leave You With This:

Collage of My Cobra Kai Tattoo Pics:

This was funky to make but also goes to show how much the Cobra Kai fills up space in my life.

Alani Nu Witch’s Brew, 9/10

I love Alanis. They are my go-to energy drink at this point in my life. They don’t overcomplicate flavor with caffeine like many do nowadays. As the can illustrates, this Bev’s flavor is a green apple variety. It does nothing more and nothing less. It capitalizes on that spooky energy for Halloween while adding an apple taste to the fall vibe. I would love it if Alani kept this as a year-round flavor instead of just seasonal.

Electric Unicorn Fruity Cereal, 7/10

Bones Coffee Company captured me fiercely with this can. How can you look at this can and not feel like a badass at checkout? If only Wal-Mart stocked these in a cooler, they would be perfect. Taste-wise, this bev was like sipping on a can of Fruity Pebbles milk if you added cold brew to it. A very lightly brewed cold brew. It wasn’t bad by any means but it also wasn’t perfect. I think it was a store error that this drink felt like it was sitting out for a while. If it had the chance to be sold chilled, it would be perfect. Looking forward to trying the other flavors and stocking my fridge with these badass-looking cans.

Elphaba Cold Brew From Starbucks, 8/10

It’s a peppermint mocha dupe, nothing much to say here. Kicked so much ass if you like peppermint mocha, which I do. Tasted a million times better because I got it with a muffin at Univeral’s Cabana Bay in Orlando.

I Leave You With This: my daylist for 11/6/2024

We’ll start first with the Chamberlain Coffee.

Now, when I say wow, I mean wow, I’ve never once seen a video of Emma Chamberlain’s. She could have been brewing this coffee to perfection in every video and I would’ve believed you. Thick and creamy, rich in flavor. It did not make my stomach upset nor did it ever hit that weird warmth that most canned coffee does nowadays. First tried a few drinks from the can, then poured over ice. Both versions of the beverage were fantastic. 10/10.

Dr. Pepper Zero, Strawberries and Cream, 8/10

I recently decided to incorporate a more of a ‘zero sugar’ lifestyle. Especially with sodas. Dr. Pepper is my favorite among favorites. It’s smooth, rich, and easy to sip or chug. Big Red will always have my heart but being so far up north, Amazon declined to ship it up here. As frustrating as it may be, I need to adapt. That’s where this amazing beauty steps in. Light and floaty, the cream is more prominent than cherry but not enough that it overtakes the Dr. Pepper flavor of it all. It only gets a tick off of perfect just because it will be a little harder to find once the season changes. It is rated so high for zero calories and zero sugar!

I Leave You With This:

New Ice Cube in 2024? I love it. AND it is fantastic!

Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat, 10/10

In the most recent try, I picked up this Cherry Wheat ale from Total Wine in Salem Danvers for a Halloween party at home. I will admit, I had low expectations. Cherries aren’t my favorite, but I was holding out hope because I was excited to be in Samuel Adams' Brewery hometown of Boston. (North Shore area but still counts.) What hits immediately is the sweetness of the cherry, the beer’s taste isn’t overtaking the flavor but weirdly coincides with it to give a very light beverage and nice to sip.

Blue Moon Mango Wheat, 7/10

The first freaky bev. My future mother-in-law purchased this twelve-pack and offered me some to start my quirky drink journey. This one already tasted amazing since it was free and provided with some buffalo chicken strips from the 99 Restaurant. Mango overtakes in every sip of this light-feeling beer. I recommend maybe an orange or pineapple juice if you want to get strange with your mixes. On its own, it’s great in a frozen glass, I would move away from drinking out of the can for this expedition. This is the best for you if you have a little umbrella, like getting caught in the rain, and a fun tropically-themed cup.

Breyer’s Cookies and Cream Iced Coffee, 4/10

Now, I am not saying this isn't good. It would be best if you never trusted this drink warm unless you want to have a bad time. If this drink is cold and your mouth is nothing but sweet tooth(s) then more power to you. But after drinking this, I felt no real caffeine boost, even yawning on a car ride to the store for a better drink. Much like the Dunkalatte from Dunk’s, this thing tastes like the leftover melted ice cream (Breyer’s, duh), without the chunks of Oreo of course. Now, that is not. A bad taste; when cold. But in a metal can, that warms up at the sight of the Sun, not the best thing to be drinking. Upset stomach when warm, sweet treat when cold.

Samuel Adams Wicked Fenway IPA, 9/10

A special place in my heart is where this ale lives. The special hole in my wallet is what it leaves behind. On my first trip to Fenway to see the Red Sox, I hopped immediately on this IPA to truly understand the culture. Here’s a video of my first sip:

“Very freaky..” is how I initially described it. A little later on this list, we meet the Wicked Hazy version of this ale, which I can distinctly taste hazy over a regular Sam Adams. What makes this drink special to me is the Title Town vibe it gives. I never knew it existed until I saw it at Fenway, and then again at Total Wine. When I saw it in the store, I will say I was a little disappointed. Not in the drink itself, but in the lack of exclusivity. In my humble, not from Boston, opinion, this beer should stay at Fenway and only Fenway. Which I know speaks to the elitist ideals of paying out of the wazoo to go to a baseball game but I think it truly tasted better sitting in the uncomfortable seats at the ballpark, sipping and hoping to catch a ball.

Naraganset Lager, 10/10

This beer is a fantastic “Ol’ Reliable". Upon purchase, my mother-in-law said this was the regular beer the locals of the North Shore drank when she was growing up in this area. All I have to say about this lovely brew is that it hits differently. Light, smooth, and easy to feel in your stomach. Not much more to say but I wish I had a twelve-pack on me right now.

Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale, 6/10

Now, hear me out. This was okay. As someone who is a freak for the pumpkin season, this is a banger. As the IG Story reads, it is as if pumpkin spice went ahead and was in the beer format. The taste does translate. But does it translate well? That is in the question. I enjoyed it, but it did sit with me for well after I popped open the bottle. This crafty bev raises more questions than answers.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Iced Coffee, 2/10

Bleh. This coffee made me regret ever spending a second in a Dollar Tree. And I fucking love the Dollar Tree. When I bought it, I imagined “Maybe this will taste like the milk after the cereal..” but guess what? IT DIDN’T. It tasted as if I ordered a warm milkshake and drank it off the pavement after I spilled it. It sat in the fridge for a night so I could have a nice cold coffee, but it was somehow still lukewarm when I was drinking. Very eerie.

This Place Is Haunted (4 Quarters Brew), 7/10

You can’t beat the vibe of this drink. Middle of Salem, food truck fair, cool late fall air. The best way to describe it is as if you could drink the liquid that goes into a smoke machine (I’m not sure how smoke machines work). For lack of a better word; hazy. But in the best way possible; spooky!

Jack’s Abby Banner City Light Lager, 10/10

Wow. And I mean, wow. If Larry Bird ever passed me the ball for the game-winning shot and I made it, that would be what this tastes like. If Kevin Garnett dunked on me and helped me up from the fall, that would be what this tastes like. If I slept with the eighteen banners for blankets, that’s what this would taste like. Just an amazing lager. No notes.

I Leave You With This:

Freaky Bev: The Playlist

Remember to always try new things! They might surprise you. Or they could get you incredibly drunk in a matter of minutes. (One kidney things, you wouldn’t understand.)

(Taken by me, Owned by Witch Pix)

Guests Sorry, customers get all their original copies and three different copies that have densely saturated, brown sepia-toned, and black and white filters. It is way more hands-on than my previous work with Disney. From when the models/customers are dressed, it’s a half-hour experience from shoot to on-the-spot editing, split in half. So, 15 minutes on set, 15 minutes editing. With usually really ‘witchy’ music coming from Spotify overhead, which somehow always ends up being Fleetwood Mac.

Larger groups are fun because it is a mad scramble to get to know a family and provide props that fit their personalities. Because without props, what are they supposed to do with their hands? In my interview, they had me walk through the sets and describe what my process is. Being immediately overwhelmed by being on a set in general, and the nervousness of an interview, I, without a second of thought, had no idea what to do with the person’s hands in the photo. It was a breakthrough in my head. After looking back at all the photographers I follow on social media, I realized either they were holding something or their hands themselves worked as props. Which I guess will be the next step in this eventual crash course on posing I’ve put myself on.

Kids are great because it reminds me of my days at Animal Kingdom (DAK). I do miss it sometimes but after some thought on the 21-hour drive back up to Boston, I realized that I was holding onto threads of hope for a job that would only allow me to be there at most, for 15 hours a week. I loved every minute of it, but it was not sustainable for the life I wanted to live in Orlando. On top of that, I still have dreams. Photography was never the number one thing I strived for. I just started to fall in love with it over time. Writing was my true passion. Stuff like this. Just writing to have it out of your system, with no bars to meet and no quotas to hit, it is nice to just speak outside of just my head once in a while. I just have to be so lazy about it!

Overall, the job is super fun but super temporary. I was only hired seasonal and started on the backend of the slow season and was getting sent home after 3 or 4 hours of being there. Once again, just not sustainable for the things I want to do in my life right now. In my head, I’m struggling to take random freelance Indeed posting for photographers or to work somewhere I know is consistent on hours, and push to do things on my own for my photography. As of now, I haven’t done much but shoot when and what I can on a whim. This Sunday I’m supposed to shoot a Trunk-or-Treat for a friend and their dance studio. When she asked my rate, I had to say I didn’t know. I truly don’t what I am worth, it’s very weird.

Salem Sight, Polaroid Impulse AF, 2024

On one hand, I know a lot about a lot. About my cameras, about movements to take good shots, about angling for lighting, and when to shoot. On the contrary, this Salem gig is only the second official professional photographer job I’ve ever had and I had to ask how to turn lights on for a week before I started to remember where the buttons were.

Witch Leah and Witch Ken, Polaroid Impulse AF, 2024

Then again, I do know that I am good at this. I need to trust that I am. If I wasn’t I would not have gotten this far into it. On top of that, the photographers I’m around are even more immensely talented and know how to critique without stabbing a dagger in the wound and twisting it to make you bleed more. For the first time, it doesn’t feel like I’m the step on the ladder for people to move up, but it feels like I am climbing up myself and bringing my cameras with me. (Did that make sense? It sounds funky but it makes sense to me.)

Katies Got A (Glue) Gun, Polaroid Impulse AF, 2024

What also scares me is the lack of experience that it feels like I have. I do have experience. Albeit, minimal experience is still experience! While applying for jobs past this one, it feels like every applicant except me has a master’s degree in being the best candidate for the job. Boston is a huge college town and not in the normal terms. These kids are rich and smart and they can make look living in a shitty apartment cool. I need to find what makes me stand out and capitalize on it. So, let’s do a list.

• Southern Perspective

Born and raised in Texas, I have such a weird outlook on things this far north. The city itself feels spread but can be traveled in 20 minutes if I knew which tunnel to get confused in. While back in Texas, if I walked for 100 days, I’d still end up at Whataburger. The food is insane but crazily expensive or cheap depending on who you know. What does correspond is the love of conversation. Everyone likes to take the moment at hand and take a chance to breathe, and talk to those around you. It’s sweet, except they all want to sit outside in 10-degree weather while we hang out.

• The Disney Thing

Having not once but twice is something. At least it was when I started, it does feel like everyone has some sort of insane hospitality or customer service check on their resume. But not a lot of people have Disney. What is a gold star is service, also now stands as a glowing review that I can take any kind of shit thrown at me. Angry parents? Let’s talk about it. Annoyed customers? Let’s get to work. Mean insults? Forget about it. Seen it all, heard it twice, and got over it every time. I know now, over these Disney jobs I held, my work ethic improved to a place I had never been before. And now, all I need is the chance.

All in all, this is me just journaling some late-night thoughts when I can. It’s insanely therapeutic. Also, it helps when applying for journalism jobs to have some writing down, so that’s what this is for too.

I leave you with this:

The Show I Had Playing in Background: Bama Rush, 7/10.

A lot of issues in the sorority system. Honestly, thought it was gonna be a lot of first-world problems, but it highlights the discriminatory actions from ‘The Machine’ as it is called. Just a little quirky ride on how deep the rabbit hole goes for some of these girls.

Playlist I Play at Work: Retro Prom

I quit my job. Not because the pay wasn’t great or something terrible like workplace unfairness. I quit because I sat around too much. I quit because out of the eight-hour shift, I did too much of nothing. I felt too comfortable. The itching to do something, anything, ate me up inside. Sitting at a computer screen, watching the literal seconds tic down to a minute where I had to go do a 30-minute job, stretched into an hour or so.

But to me, it showed growth. Ask anyone, I was known around the universe for my laziness. If a couch potato made chips, that’d be me. The S in my name basically stood for shortcuts. But lately, I have strived for more. Becoming so, so tired of being in the back, hoping to get looked over for leadership in the fear of doing more work. I finally feel, just awake.

In this age of social media sharing, everyone is taking part in showing off their trips to the most magical place on Earth. With the beautiful cameras in everyone's pockets, to the artists who sit and sketch some of the best views from the parks, there is no shortage of amazing views around the Disney property. Here, I've compiled a list of some of my favorite shots, settings, and cameras I have used while capturing the magic held in Orlando (or Winter Garden if you want to get technical).

Evenings on Sunset

Usually down this street, and really anywhere that has a good angle, you'll see the celebrated Disney Photopass cast members. Ready at a moment's notice to capture some amazing memories. But if you're like me, any angle of this iconic ride is spectacular. Sunset Boulevard not only houses the glitz and glamour of any Disney fan's favorite episode of the Twilight Zone but also is home to a number of beautifully lit store signage, palm trees so tall they reach the sunset, and even a billboard for the iconic Fantasmic!

Beauty Below

On your way out of Hollywood Studios, you might board Disney's Skyliner, a wonderous adventure in the sky for most with some great views. But today we are discovering what some would call a hidden gem for photos on the property. On the way to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resorts' Skyliner station going to and from Epcot, you'll be soaring over the countries Martinique, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados. During my time working at Walt Disney World, I was fortunate enough to work on these islands as a houseperson. On these radiantly beautiful Florida days, multicolored buildings just tend to light up, enhancing their saturation of them, as well as the beautiful fauna surrounding them.

Tickets and Transportation

Based on architecture and design alone, the Tickets and Transportation Center remains, in my opinion, the best on Disney property. Being able to feel empty and calm, while also containing the excitement of Magic Kingdom being just a Monorail trip away. Watching the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom Ferry dock also holds a special place in my heart. A space away from the crowds while being able to take in the luscious night sky. While during the day, the welcoming blues, the smooth oranges on the ground, and the ever-changing Monorail colors are enough to warm your heart, even on the hottest days.

Conclusion

To round out this writing, I genuinely miss everything about Orlando. But with an unpaid Universal pass and my Disney Annual pass being blocked out because of too many folks entering the grid, I shall remain in a state of longing. Forever and always miss the aching in my ankles after walking everywhere or the existential crisis I would have just waiting in a long line for a ride (most likely Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind). However you like to spin it, these are my favorite spots for some of the best photos I’ve captured at WDW. I’ll definitely continue a part two in the near future but for now, follow my Instagram and like some of my other pictures (somebody has to, I mean, literally 6 hours and 3 likes is kind of hurting my feelings at this point).

For Now;

Softest Touch by Khalid

I got signed off (finally) to work my job on my own.

Finally learned how to let go of things, and hold onto what makes me sane.

My photography, to me, looks like amazing work. But only manages at the most 15 people to stop and look at it and actually like it too. Out of the at least 60 people who see it in an hour, only that fraction actually produces a feeling of “hey, that looks kind of cool”.

I miss the portraits I would do of people, or in short, I miss the confidence I had behind me. But being in Boston, nobody knows me or the work I’ve done. Sometimes it’s a blessing but sometimes, it terrifies me. The city is cold, forgiving and the people are nice and quiet. That seems to be a problem though, especially for me. Everyone keeps to themselves, but to me, friendships rely on the instincts of being nosy.

Back then, I would walk around with my Polaroid and people would strike up the conversation, “Oh is that a Polaroid?” I loved it, thrived on it for the most part. People I was around wanted the conversation, I did too.

But now, I feel bothersome being anywhere and existing sometimes because I feel like I am dragging my cameras out of bed to shoot something, that, like mentioned before, only a fraction of people will enjoy. But that is a common problem for most in this line of work I am guessing, I just need to lay low, love the work I keep doing and hope others enjoy it too, someday. I’ve always felt that these Polaroids I take or I guess the 35mm too now, will have real value once I am gone, but of course the big question as always is who knows?

For now;

Change Ur Mind by HUNNY

Enjoy(ed) PAX East with the love of my life.

I am beginning to switch to refresher instead of coffee, and I fuck with bagels.

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