QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

Marriage is like a booty call…one ring away.

My edibles are nigh non-existent.

Well, it’s one of those entries in the journal of life. (The day I started writing this, I was yet again feeling nostalgic.) You wake up and the day is wrong before you get out of bed. Bad news ensues. Your job is in danger. Pumblechook points his finger in scornful derision. You’re not allowed to savor the recent victories because you travel the galaxy from crisis to crisis. Despair is imminent, but somehow, from somewhere you summon the confidence to plod on…and it works. It works, but only for a little while.

You slip into high gear that you were so found of working in those many years ago when you were young, stupid, reckless and in love with love. But at the end of three hour’s duration, you’re tired, washed out, alone, old, depressed.

Ok, so I don’t remember where I was going with that cause it was several days ago that I wrote it, but I think you get the general idea. For those of you who don’t know how to interpret my bullshit, here’s a primer: I was nostalgic, wishing I could relive the memories again. I got some bad news that I know the ass would rub in my face. Won’t post it here, but suffice it to say that my job was/is in jeopardy because of a few stupid mistakes. For what it’s worth, I don’t think it is as much now, but we’ll see.

Speaking of work, that’s all I’ve done, hence the no write for a very long time. This weekend was really weird. After I’d worked long hours this past week, I pulled two all-nighters over the weekend. While at the time it seemed like there wasn’t much of anything done over the weekend, in retrospect, the moral support that I gave was invaluable (I think). Clearly, I’m not wanting to say much, but Blue Portal’s latest project is about to draw to a close. Oh, and for what it’s worth, I just heard back from the Big Project, and it’s not one project but two. All that remains is the bid…

Let’s see, other than that, I guess I’m doing alright. Attempting to shit in my own backyard––I mean––trying to talk to yet another girl at work. Save your breath on the advice, I already know what you’re going to say. Suffice it to say that after this one there will be no more shitting in the backyard.

Speaking of such, went to go see Butterfly cause it was her birthday Sunday. She’s orgasmicly happy with her boyfriend and has taken up a second job which will more than provide for her. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see how happy she was. At least she’s happy and will still talk to me.

Save for the laborious details, that’s all the news that’s fit to print.

Oh to be young again!

I was having one of those nostalgic days not too long ago. Perhaps I’ve watched too much American Beauty. I mean I went back, way back. Remember the entry that really kicked this blog off? The one about butterfly? Well, it was like that all over again. Yannow, the quote that goes, “I guess in the end, you start thinking about the beginning.”

I thought about how I used to listen to Rush during the day in the summer and continued during college until this last year. I thought about the friends that I had made at UAH and how I’ll probably not see many of them again. I thought about the family, even though I want nothing to do with them because we can’t co-exist in harmony, although I still amuse myself by thinking about showing up at Thanksgiving with my (non-existent) girlfriend.. I thought about Bill and how I kicked against the pricks. I thought about how I used to be young and cocky. The good memories of my brothers before they became assholes and went to find their biological parents only to ruin their lives. (I too have thought about looking the old man up, only to find out where my sister is. Perish the fleeting thought.) I thought about Anna. Anna….

Oh how the soul yearns to cry for the things that might have been, but the mind argues that they can’t be, that they never were meant to be. I don’t care now; what’s written is what’s written: there’s no need to cry over spilt milk. I feel as though I’m in the middle of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. With each passing minute, I loose another memory until they are all gone and all I’m left with it a bunch of nothing—emptiness.

I thought about how I had a zeal for programming, but now it’s burdensome to think about writing code, though I do still develop in my head. I thought about how I wanted to write, but how I never did because I have no life experiences. I want to be a filmmaker, but it cost too much and I’m underprivileged. The student loans are about to be called in, and there’s no way I can work 20 hour days for 4 years.

I have nothing to offer society. Perhaps my purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

The neighborhood is getting steadily worse.

I feel…old.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

What we really need is a complete paradigm shift in traffic engineering and city planning to break away from the conventional ideas that have got us in this mess. There’s still this notion that we should build big roads everywhere because the car represents personal freedom. Well, that’s bullshit. The truth is that most people are prisoners of their cars.

–Ian Lockwood
Wired 12.12: Roads Gone Wild

ILLUSTRATING ABSURDITY BY BEING ABSURD

Good morning Mr. Sunshine…

So there seems to be trouble in River City. I shall dispel all myths and rumors at once. I was just saying hello to Amy’s newfound friend Josh. I must say that he’s kinda sexy and looks like he could kick some real ass, so I wasn’t afraid to offer a few jibes in the good hearted humored nature that I offer to each and everyone of my blogging buddies. Since I’m a friend of Amy’s, why naturally any friend of hers is a friend of mine. Hence, I extended a warm handshake of friendship and offering our dear Romeo an open invitation to join in the fray. So you see, there’s nothing to explain and hence this escapade has been much ado about nothing.

Here are the official Amy and Josh Update themes. How cute; we can refer to them as AJ.

Well, I’ll get into what is happening with Blue Portal after work, provided I make in through the day.

Dan, you’re absolutely right. It’s time to create. It’s time to let go of all that pent up energy. Time to be motivated by all the emotional baggage and re-channel it into something productive. But first, one more venting.

So I’m in more trouble. I keep looking for the credit card statement to come in, but it never did. Finally the email came. However, it came yesterday and said that payment was due tomorrow. The earliest I could make the payment was on Monday per their convenient pay-online bullshit website, so now I have a $39 late fee that will be added to the card.

On top of that, I got a ticket the other day. The citation is for, and I quote, “Reasonable and Prudent Speed.” Huh! Ok, now before you go off on the deep end on me, let me explain that I was on my way from the dorms because I was listening to Chris’ woman problems. Actually, they weren’t really problems, but that’s more information than what needs to be divulged to tell the story. So I was cutting across campus with no one around so that I wouldn’t have to deal with all the traffic lights on the road parallel. Needless to say, this was a costly mistake.

When I got the citation, the first thing I noticed was that the officer had the wrong social security number on the ticket, and that he hadn’t followed the directions that say, and again I quote, “Ask if motorist’s address is correct on driver’s license.” He didn’t ask me anything. Furthermore, he didn’t clock me. If he did, he didn’t write down the clocked speed on the ticket.

There is some salvation in all of this. He’s a night cop, and the time that records wants me in court is 9 in the morning. Hopefully he’ll be exhausted from the previous shift and won’t show up. But of course that’s not my luck. What I can’t figure out is when they tried to ding me for not having insurance, traffic court was at 5 in the evening. Go figure!

Work was bitching at me the other day because my shirt wasn’t ironed. Come on people, it’s a fucking wrinkle-free shirt. Jesus! And no, I don’t have the $12 to go buy the iron, just like I don’t have the $4 to go buy deodorant or the $10 to buy razor blades. There’s no food in the pantry, but that’s ok too because I need to loose some weight. For Christ’ sake, I went up two waist sizes in the past two years because I can’t keep the goddamned pie hole shut. Oh yeah, there’s exactly $100 in the bank and payday is next Friday. Court is the following Tuesday. Chances are good that there won’t be enough money in the checkbook to pay the ticket, so I’ll be incarcerated. That’s all well and good, considering that I’ll be out of work for that much longer.

Will Pumblechook lift a finger to help in this nonchalant daily bumbling? Hell no, and for good reason too. He’s got crises of his own. He’s had to repair the air conditioner in the van three times in the past thirty days because, well, you know how grumpy and cranky old people get when they get hot. Oh yeah, he’s done the same with the lawnmower too. Where’s a good mechanic when you need one? They’ve also killed two cell phones in the process, both of which cost $150 to replace. Damn not having paid that $4/mo insurance! Oh well.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We had our Katrina benefit car wash at Cracaroni Grill today. No one got their car washed and business was in the toilet. The whole time I was standing there holding the sign, I kept seeing images in my head. But this time, it wasn’t the final film. I was seeing description. I was hearing paragraph after paragraph describing the setting for various locations, various actions. It made me want to write again.

A fellow co-worker decided to have a cigarette. Don’t know why, but I bummed one. The first drag and I immediately calmed down. I had no clue that I was that stressed. Shortly thereafter, I left, came home, and finished the pack that was sitting on the counter. And this is after being smoke free for a month. Cigarettes work wonders my friends.

So I’m thinking to myself that if the schedule isn’t good when it comes out for next week (after voicing my great need for exorbitant amounts of cash in the next short time period) as soon as the stitches come out, I’ll go down to IHOP and take the job. Who cares if I don’t get sleep? Sleep is overrated anyway.

One last thought: I bumped into someone in the mall that I know from school. He and his fiancée are getting married December 16th. I asked if they had anyone to tape the wedding and they said that they did not. Hopefully we’ll pick up that project too besides the big event that we’re still waiting to hear back on so we can make our bid. Haven’t heard from the Arte yet, but something tells me I will soon. Oh, and I just got a phone call and someone wants a website.

A bird in the hand….

And so I tried the name thing. I wonder….

TOMAS

A twin : Greek

Very intelligent, broadminded and a good listener. You are an ideas person, with a wonderful creative imagination who is always seeking practical applications to apply this to. Your intelligence means that you have great potential for business success if you can apply some discipline and caution. You enjoy sensual pleasures and with a natural restless nature and liking for adventure life is rarely dull with you around.

ANDREW

Strong and manly : Greek

Very much the individual you have enormous energy and vision and must find a suitable use for your talents. You have great potential for success in business if you can guard against indecision and worry. Your generous nature means that you are never short of friends and with cooperation your relationships can be very rewarding. Perseverance and firm decision making will ensure you achieve your objectives.

GALLUCCI

You have great self-confidence and a charming personality which attracts many friends and admirers. Your innate sense of personal power and ability to lead are ideally suited to positions of authority. Being so versatile and seeing the big picture your ambitions are high and much is usually expected of you. With patience and tenacity you will certainly fulfill the great potential you have for success.

TOMAS ANDREW GALLUCCI

You have a practical, determined and serious approach to life and are willing to accept great responsibilities in order to achieve your ambitions. You have a quick mind and the ability to create tangible results with your ideas. Possessing discipline, tenacity and courage you are able to overcome any challenges and accomplish goals. You are well liked and respected by friends and colleagues.

—
Can someone grab the bullshit meter? The only thing I think they got right is that the Tomas stuff clashes with the Andrew stuff, and thus I keep chasing my tail going round and round in circles.

Surprised the last couple of entries didn’t garner as many comments as I hoped they would. Oh well.

NEW FEATURE: QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

That’s right gentlepeople; I am introducing a new feature here on my blog called The Quotation of the Week. Since I was rather impressed with a comment from last week, I shall “archive” as it were by providing last week’s quote and this week’s.

Last week’s quote:
Leave it to Tom to bemoan the correlation between the price of gas and the price of ass.
–drax0r

This week’s quote:
A woman occasionally is quite a serviceable substitute for masturbation.
–Karl Kraus

I swear to God that Charles Dickens couldn’t have come closer to describing the ass Pumblechook. I swear.

So I’m at work and I have a glass in either hand. The glass in my right hand starts to slip, so I try to grasp it with the glass in my left hand. But what happens? The glass in my right hand breaks, slicing a right angle into the outside of my left hand.

Ok, so I’m standing there holding my hand above my head in the apron I had worn all day trying to make a decision about whether or not to go to the ER and get stitches. The setup: if I go to the ER, the doc’s gonna put me out of commission for several days. If I don’t go, infection is likely. Ok, fine. Here’s the kicker: I call the house and voice my concerns about the fact that I will be without work for an indefinite period of time if I go get stitches and how will I then pay the bills considering the fact that workman’s compensation doesn’t pay out well to tipped employees. You know what Pumblechook said? He said, and I quote, “Don’t go down that road.” As if I were threatening him. What an ass!

So after much pontification, and with the help of an RN that works at the Grill, it is decided that I need stitches and that the company will pay the $3000 insurance claim over a fucking $2 glass. I call the house back and let Pumblechook (who’s an MD himself) talk to the RN and the manager on duty as they try to explain the situation to him. You know what he tells me? “Go get the hand sewn up, tell the doctor that you need to get back to work as soon as you can, then communicate that with you manager.” “So what about the interim? How am I going to get some cash flow to pay the bills?” “Stop making a scene.” “Ok, I’ll go get the stitches and then I’ll go look for a job in the morning.” More asininity from Pumblechook.

Moral of the story? Three stitches later, I’m told that it will be a week before the stitches can come out, hence, no less than a week before I can return to work without restrictions. In the meantime, the speculation on the part of management is that workman’s comp nor insurance will let me come back at all until I have a doctor’s note saying that I can. That is, of course, after those asses pontificate about it. Oh well, I guess I’m going to have to go around town and see what odd jobs I can do for about three weeks to get some cashflow.

I hates Pumblechook. I hates it, I hate.

I heard back from one of my contact with the Arte…think we’re gonna get the ball rolling soon.

Didn’t
review any video tonight and I’ve got to work a double tomorrow…don’t
know when or how I’ll sneak in 4 hours of video to scrub through.

Meeting
the folks for breakfast @ 8 in the morning, working all day, getting
together with Stephen @ 11 to edit till about 4 in the morning to go
back to work all day Saturday, Sunday, and Mondy. Should tip out good
this weekend, considering it’s a holiday.

Project will come soon.