one more day of crappiness.

man, my boss has been in my store almost every day this week. his boss has sent him in to find the food cost problem. like i'm not doing anything. five full days of my area director. it's a good thing i like him, cuz this sucks being babysat. so, yeah, tomorrow, we do it one more time and move on, hopefully.

then, i have three days off, oh yeah! normal stuff for first two. but on saturday, i'm taking my nieces to aquarium of the pacific! yay! i've never been there, but i hope they like it. i love being an uncle.

okay, time for bed.

i'm not performing, but this is stupid.

so, i got written up yesterday for not having my guest satisfaction scores where they are supposed to be. i'm not the only one, pretty much the whole region got one. it's pretty much the dumbest thing ever. to explain: we have a guest satisfaction hotline(like many businesses). people call in and grade us in a bunch of categories, on a scale of one to five. every four weeks is a judgement period. i've actually had the best score in my area two of the last three periods. the three major categories our superiors look at are, overall score, buffets stocked with food, and offered samples(what we call passing). passing is the brainchild of our newest ceo, so it's a really big deal. we are supposed to be at seventy-two percent in overall and seventy percent in passing. well, the overall happens every once in awhile, but the passing never happens with most stores. my average over the last three months is sixty-five percent in overall and fifty percent in passing. here's the ridiculous parts. we only get credit for scores of five. you could have all fours(a pretty good job if you ask me), and you would have zero percent for a score. you can call as many times you like(there's a contest), but your rating only counts once every six weeks. so, you have to be a calender wizard in order to get a call in every month that counts(this is what you try to get your regulars to do, ridiculous). this is why my score goes up and then down, month to month. for my performance to be judged this way is really annoying. corporate swears by the system and there is no arguing with any of them. and the stores that are actually hitting their marks, are all pretty much gaming and everyone knows it. what's that? basically, you have your employees, friends and family call in for you to jack your score up. if you're good with timing, you can get a lot of calls in without any real guest feedback. yeah, great, i won't do that. i'm really sick of the whole thing. i was so pissed i abandoned my spend less, drink less road last night. enough about crappy work.

hey, i got a rug for my room and my frame has arrived for the print going above my bed. it's going to look sweet. i'll take pictures.

two more days to relaxation.

kings and sharks tonight. let's go boys!

i'm going to be totally self-involved here, moreso than usual

i cannot go to sleep. i haven't had a drink since vegas, last sunday, and i feel terrible. last night, i tossed and turned all night long and into the morning. i maybe slept two hours total. i felt terrible all day, had a bad day at work, ran around into exhaustion, got home, watched some television, went to bed and it's been an hour and i don't feel my lids falling one inch. what the hell? i should've just got drunk like i wanted to. what the hell do i do now? this self-betterment adventure is going to end quickly; i can already tell.

oh yes, vegas. i had a great time. more than usual even. came back with some money. almost broke even at gambling. got frustrated with the amount of money spent on food and alcohol. got stiffed by a friend. couldn't get in a fight, without doing something that would've cheapened it. had two miserable hangover days. met some cool people. was the life of the party pit. saw the greatest frozen fury game ever. got my ass beaten to a pulp at the hofbrauhaus. and had pretty much the greatest time you can have while running past the point of extreme exhaustion.

can't wait for next year.

oh, n.h.l. season starts today. go, kings, go!

bye bye birdie!

i'm off to chino for a day, then it's off to vegas. i have a room mate now though. dru broke up with his fiance, so he's staying with me in vegas. should be interesting, possibly deadly. that dude can't handle his liqour, so i'm sure i'll be having to keep tabs on him constantly. crap i can barely keep tabs on myself in vegas. that dude is screwed! he seriously bummed too. i hope he has better sense than to bring a bunch of hookers to the room. okay, i'm scared a bit here. i've got a broken-hearted, lightweight in my room. things could go very bad.

alright, enough stalling the day. i'm gonna leave you with some lyrics(i'm pretty sure they're right) from my new favorite strung out song, "andy warhol".

"don't regret what you've never tried

sing what's left inside

nothing really matters, you've got nothing left to lose

look to me for something to believe

you can't write a song if you've never lost and you feel you've truly loved

you can't start a fire burning the rain

so, light a fire, leave it all behind, hit the road and lose your mind

find out what it is you really need

cuz we all play a part in history

and we all end up just a memory"

i'm smiling, eh...

GODDAMNIT!!!

strung out put their new album up on myspace to preview. it's friggin' brilliant. i may just be blown away. it comes out next tuesday. i presale ordered mine. it comes with a magnificient brass astrolux key chain. i cannot wait. i can tell my labtop is not doing this thing true justice. funny, this spell check thing says i spelled tuesday and magnificient wrong. and i'm pretty darn sure i didn't. oh well.

check this out. i got a new neighbor. well, i got a few, but this one actually moved in down the hall. and guess what else? we went to high school together. crazy! we don't remember each other, which is weird since we had a class of two hundred something, but whatever. he was a goth kid, i was a metal kid, so we may have avoided each other. anyways, he's a pretty cool dude and has some cool friends. his wife or girlfriend seemed nice too. a couple of chino boys in the lbc! what are the odds?

okay, so, two more days of work, then it's off to vacation. vegas, baby, vegas! frozen fury twelve and oh, the hofbrauhaus! this is my favorite time of year, next to christmas, and i'm foaming at the mouth to get away!

hmmm...i'm serioulsy strung out on anticipation.

you know what's fucked up?

going to a concert that makes you feel like a kid again and then having to go to work the next day. it's so not fair. it just makes you feel like shit. haha...woooo, enjoying life? ::brick to the head:: how do you feel now? maybe i should look at it the other way around, but i don't want to, so i don't have to. hey, when you're young, you get to throw tantrums and it's OK!!!

anyways, to tell the actual story; me and my bandmates went to see the aquabats and assorted jelly beans last night. ska always makes me feel young and energized, even if it is silly. but the aquabats make me feel like i've reclaimed the youth i lost at such an early age. and i feel great. it's a treat. and here's what's crazy. those guys get to jump around stage in superhero costumes, playing great music and fighting evil. and they are older than me! and the cool thing about being in that band, is you can go back anytime. last night, chainsaw came back on guitar and catboy came back on trumpet. crazy! i don't know how those guys do it. they are really technically sound too. plus! they fought powdered milk man last night. they played a lot of their most awesome catalog, including: "the cat with two heads", "super rad", "powdered milk man", "pool party", "look at me(i'm a winner)", "magic chicken"(they never play this anymore), and "cd repoman". i had an awesome time and so did my best friends.

oh, and after a five year or so hiatus, assorted jelly beans is back! they played really well. they didn't play a lot of my favorites, but they did have a lot of energy and i hope they stick around for awhile longer. there is no band like ajb.

also, between bands and whatnot, me and my best friends worked out some band stuff over beers. maybe now we can move forward.

oh hey, i also got to see my nieces yesterday for a short time. we played on a swingset. it was fun.

okay, now onto a late night dinner and movie.

today is friday!

yup, it's the last day of the work week for me. that makes tomorrow 'sarah saturday'! i'm going to the big red carpet grand opening of my building. it's going to be really boring. but hey, free drinks and it's catered by wokano! gotta find the teppan. cristal is supposed to tell me if she can go today.

so, i went and saw "inglourious basterds" on monday after work. it was freaking amazing! i just love tarantino. he actually made me get squeemish one time in this one. the dialogue and intertwining stories were great. he did bring back a "reservior dogs" style 'everyone dies' scene. i never get tired of that conundrum. brad pitt was great, as were all the other actors. i have to look up the one who played bridget van hammersmark. i've seen her in another movie i like and i can't place it. i'm pretty sure she was in "...the last crusade" too.

anyways, i'm off with a little sadness because brendan kelley hasn't written all week. my week is just a little grayer when he doesn't post. take care!

can't stop the wait...

set your goals tonight! yup. let me say it again. set your goals tonight! tonight is the show of the summer. set your goals and four year strong. i cannot wait. it's going to be off the hook. do the kids say that anymore? anyways, i'm excited. set your goals put out the album of the summer, maybe year and i'm pumped. i'm going with baby sis and her friend. gonna be a blast!

what else is going on? as crappy as work is, it could be worse. moving along. big party here next thursday. i'm trying to get cristal to go with me. we'll see. that girl is an enigma.

god damn, this cd is so good! i cannot wait for tonight! peace!

les paul died

the guy was a great american inventor and musician. i can't believe how much i owe to that guy and i know i've never even thought about it. i wrote a nice little blip about him on my band's myspace. just think about how much great music has come about just because of his inventions: the electric guitar and multi-track recording. it's mind boggling. anyways, i have two gibson les pauls that i love to death. i don't play anything else. so, i thought i'd put up pics of my girls:

this is grace, my gibson les paul custom. i love her.

and this is josie, my gibson les paul studio. i love her too.

well, i'm off to do some cleaning, eating, and hockey playing. happy thursday! and thank you les paul, wherever you are!!!

to prove i'm worth two bits

not much to say, just wanted to put these pics up. i kind of have a real living room now.

this other pic shows off most of my book collection and also my most awesome "transformers 2" poster. sick! no? oh well, sad for your imagination.

later kids, i'm off to relaxation land. oh, i'd just like to say that doreen is a sweetheart. i should ask her out.

"i've tried but can't find the hero"

i cannot stop listening to the new set your goals disc. it's completely weaved it's way into my being. i am singing lyrics and gibberish(i don't know all the words yet, but the melodies still stick) and humming guitar riffs constantly as i go about my day. an album hasn't done this to me in a long time. it's refreshing. these kids got what it takes. and now they are on kroq, so maybe everyone will love them now. i can't wait to see them on august twentieth with four year strong. that show is going to own!

okay, i'm off today and lazy as usual. i may play hockey, i may not. it depends on whether or not people are going. i need to clean up the place a tad and of course, i'm heading to the pool for a bit. i played cod way too late last night with pablo. tomorrow, i'm going to post some new pics if i don't get too lazy. my ikea castle is growing. okay, time for some fun and relaxation...

lost in long beach

ick, i skipped work today. i don't think my boss is going to be happy. i just couldn't go. i called in last night, half cocked. i need the breather. i've been feeling completely beat up by work, so here i am, playing hooky.

so, one of my favorite movie's of all time is "lost in translation". the mad norwegian turned me onto it. and these days, i kind of feel like bill murray in that movie. i'm stuck. right now, i feel like i'm living in an empty hotel, the only guy at the pool. it's lonely out here in long beach. but i feel like i need to be away from my previous life. it's like being on permanent vacation, except you're hating every moment of it.

i don't know what the hell i'm trying to say. i've been trying to come up with a way to articulate this blog all week, but i'm failing terribly and there's nothing i can do, but end it.

holy jesus dude...

wow, i spent a lot of money today. got a ton of stuff for the homestead today. then i took my sisters and our lifelong friend out to dinner and a movie. dude, the bourbonzolla burger at rock bottom is pretty much the best friggin' burger i have ever had in my life. no joke. it's going to be on my menu soon enough. we explored the city a bit before dinner; i had to show them around, but i ended up getting some of my own exploring done as well. movie? we saw "the hangover" and holy jesus dude, it was great. i don't know why so many people didn't say so, but i'm saying so and it was great. that's going in the collection for sure. i feel like celebrating this great day. i needed it after yesterday.

what am i talk about? my r.v.p. tore me a new ahol. and he didn't do it quick with his teeth, he used his tongue and it took forever.(if you don't understand that metaphor i just came up with, god bless you and your life because you don't have to deal with b.s. like this) anyways, i was seriously jacked up after that. i drank 'til five in the a.m. watching terrible, terrible movies that people should be killed for making. serious. i had problems dealing with that altercation.

so, yeah, today made me feel soooooo much better. too bad it took a ton of money to feel great, but it did the trick. now tomorrow i get to accomplish some new apartment perks after building some ikea products. i've barely started and the homestead has freshened up a bit. so cool. you know what, my dialect has turned into valley boy rhythmns and i don't care.

i can't wait for tomorrow duder!

here i am...

struggling with mediocrity in the workplace. my store has lost money the past four weeks and it is really annoying. we even had a good food cost this week and still lost money. ack...forget it, work sucks, so i'm not talking about it.

okay, today is about relaxation, apartment beautification, and a hockey game tonight. also, i'm going to pick up the new set your goals disc, which is amazing. i've already listened to it a bunch of times on myspace. alas, they took it down or i'd be listening to it right now. i'm going to hang my first picture today; it's a print of face to face show poster that i've had forever waiting to be hung in my first place. i'm also waiting on my exploding dog print that i ordered last week. it's an uber cool splash of red called "unstoppable" that is going over my bed. if you haven't seen sam brown's work yet, got check out www.explodingdog.com right now and enjoy. all of his stuff is done from titles submitted by fans. how cool is that? i'm going to get a movie poster to put over my t.v. area. the choices there are immense, and i'm not sure what to pick. we'll see.

what else is going? knott's berry jerry, that's what. next saturday is going to be great. i've been charged with carne asada and salsa. i'm going to try and get cristal to go too, which will be an achievement in and of itself. i've got a good feeling though.

okay, off to start the day. a bit late, i know. what are days off for, if not to waste time?

technology can be manipulated!

okay, so i finally pulled it off and got my phone to work with yahoo. yippee! so, i have a few pictures of the place to put up now. my phone started dying before i could send more, so this is just a taste.

the bed in the sort of bedroom area...

el bano grande...

this is my media whore collection. that thing on the wall is called a dvd wall decorator. mine is call of duty themed and has my online name on there. my friend makes them. they are great gift ideas. go to www.dvdwalldecorator.com to get one. i'm getting disney princess ones for my nieces for christmas.

well, i hope this looks okay. i was playing around big time with where to put pics and words. hopefully, it's not a mess. i have the day off, so i need to get outside and live a bit. today's relaxation will be key to a great wednesday. then, it's three days off and a ton of hockey. i'm talking four games in four days, two back to back on sunday, with an on the pond thrown in there. phew.....i'm going to be one tired goalie. i hope everyone is having a great week.

thinking of doing a wine blog

what the hell am i thinking? who would read a wine blog? especially, one by a wine novice like myself. i guess i just thought it would be fun.

anyways, i can't get more photos here yet. my phone is having difficulty dealing with yahoo and when i hook up with my att account, i can't access my email on the web. i'll try something else or just figure out how to interface my phone with my computer. that actually sounds easier, but i don't have the time to install software and play with it. maybe friday?

so, last night i got to go see rise against and rancid at the grand old forum in inglewood. both bands put on a great show. rise against did not play anything off of "revolutions per minute", which ticked me off a little, but all of their other songs are so great, you kind of forgive. funny thing is, halfway through rancid, we realized we were rocking out next to weeman. funny, rancid is playing as i type this on aol radio. haha...yeah weeman was really cool, posing with photos for people. i didn't bug him, just rocked out with him. he got mobbed after rancid ended, so he went to his vip thing, but it was cool he was down there with the hoods for a bit.

okay, i'm off to subway for dinner and then up to the pool to relax a bit. tomorrow, i open and then take off to chino. gonna get some stuff done for once, i swear.

testing, what?

okay, i'm exhausted and i have things to do. but i'm going to test this picture thing and see if it works, just to see if it's worth the effort of sending pics from my phone to my computer, via email and whatnot. okay?

bye....

okay, i've been absent for a bit now, and i'm going to be absent for a bit more. i'm off to minnesota for a couple of days of buffets business. about a week after i get back, i'll have some days off, so i'll post more then and catch up with peeps. late!

zombies everywhere. zombies everywhere.

wow, am i spent or what. all that lack of sleep has caught up with me. i just woke up from three and a half hour nap and i don't feel one bit refreshed. damn! it's all that call of duty and sleeping on the couch. it drains you physically and mentally. it's almost the same as work, speaking of which, i have the next two days without! did that sentence make sense?

okay, so i'm taking pictures of the place tomorrow, so i have something to show mom, and i will attempt to post some on here, a la kate's request. it'll be cooler later, but this will do.

alright, it's friday night and i'm home alone. cristal is doing some family thing. so, guess what i'm doing? guess. that's right, i'm going to drain myself physically and mentally.

feeling like myself again?

so, what's better: fresh or reheated coffee? obviously, fresh is better, but two day old coffee has some virtue to it that fresh does not have. first off, there is a metaphorical boost, being that your coffee is getting a second chance to start your day right. we all need second chances right? so, you have to root for the two day old off the bat. secondly, two day old coffee has a different taste, slightly. it just seems more powerful, like sitting around and stewing for a few days brings out some darker flavors. okay, to sum up: fresh, piping hot coffee is better, but two day old coffee has a certain romantic draw to it. just make a big pot of coffee and you'll end up doing both.

alrighty, i'm done with that topic for so many reasons. check me out, the loft is progressing nicely. my couch now has throw pillows and there are rugs in the bathroom. go me! this weekend, i'm picking up a coffee table from my mom and probably some other odds and ends. then i'll just need to get a kitchen table and i'll be set for a bit. i still need a night stand, some book shelves, and some other seating type things, but those can wait a bit. i also need to decorate the walls, which will be the fun, yet expensive part. i'm thinking of doing my own stuff, take back the artist in me. sounds good, no?

okay, off to work i go.

eastward, ho!

i'm leaving for chino in a bit here. i really do not want to go. not because i don't want to go there, but because i don't want to sit in traffic for an hour and a half. at least that's my estimate, it could be worse. ick....this is the worst time to be on the road. but my friends are twisting my arm. i guess some people miss me. we're gonna eat wings and go to see "terminator salvation", which i really can't wait for, to be honest.

cristal leaves tomorrow for the l.a. marathon, so i won't be seeing her until next week. we're getting along famously, so i think i'm pretty damn lucky these days. everybody pray i don't mess this one up.

me? after tonights adventure in the i.e., i'll be coming home and then tomorrow i'm off to huntington beach for a mutt's run. for those of you who don't know what that is, it's a pretty long skate from my friend dan's in huntington beach to mutt lynch's in newport beach, where we get really drunk and then skate back to dan's. it's pretty much the most dangerous thing i do in my life and this is only my third time. the first time i almost died. literally. i have no idea how i lived through that. the second time i did better, but i think i had one less schooner.

okay, i've been thinking of cool bands that anyone could get into. i listen to a lot of bands, and a lot of people would not check them out because sometimes, for some people, it's hard to get past the noise. so, i've come up with two bands everyone should check out and here we go:

marathon-these guys are pretty fast and pretty loud, they played post modern melodic hardcore. got that? the music is really good for the genre, but this is why you should check them out. the lyrics! they are the best lyrics out there, ever. so smart! think bad religion smart, and then imagine those lyrics ten times more creative. the subject matter is expansive and covers a lot of ground from pollution of the earth to pollution of the heart. it might be hard for you to get into at first, but if you give it a try and some time, you will see the genius of this band. too bad they broke up. they have a self-titled album out and an ep, which i strangely don't have.

whippersnapper-why these guys? a few reasons. first, my friend, aaron's mom likes them. so, maybe it would be easier for you to get into them. these guys played melodic pop punk, but like really melodic. these guys used four part vocal harmonies and layered lyrics and stuff. no one did it like them, except maybe some progressive metal bands. haha...anyways, the other great part about these guys is that they are one of the most positive bands ever to come out of the punk scene. they really pump you up and i don't mean in an angry hardcore sort of way, but moreso in a 'god, it feels great to be alive and i'm an amazing person sort of way'. too bad they broke up as well. they have three albums out. i recommend "the long walk" to start with, but the other two are almost as good.

okay, there's your music lesson for today. have a great weekend everyone!

down, not out

i have too many password god damnit!

okay, so work is a nightmare. my numbers suck and the restaurant is losing money again. ever since the dollar ninety-nine promotion started, i've been sinking like a rock with an anchor. what bugs me the most is that i can't find it. this is my specialty. i make money from nothing. and i can't even get ahold of what's wrong. i can't see it. neither can my boss. i'm going to be the last gm to lose a restaurant for christ's sake!

so, currently, i'm re-stimulating the brain. i'm listening to generic insight radio and about to open my birthday beer, an alaskan smoked porter two thousand-eight. and then i'm going to call 'my star', cristal.

i'm tired and i don't want to sleep. or maybe i'm sleeping and tired of living. either way, i'm exhausted and looking for an out.

damn, this tim barry song is great! i think i have a sample disc around here somewhere.

anyways, on with life, hope everyone is doing well.

wow!

i had an amazing time with cristal today. i can't wait to see her again. we stayed out much longer than we were supposed to. it's a good thing i can be late. now, it's off to chino. weeeee....

"'til we don't have the strength to go"

my title has nothing to with this entry. or does it? it does if i'm writing about my impending thirty-fourth birthday. it's on sunday and i'm taking the weekend off to celebrate. although, i haven't made any plans. hmmm...i don't know what i really want to do. i had originally planned to go to vegas, but that busted as soon as i moved out on my own. on saturday, i have a date and i don't know if it's in the afternoon or at night. we kind of left it open ended. i want to go home on saturday and party all night, then pass out somewhere, and wake up and go have an awesome breakfast at cockadoodles. we have a game on sunday night, so i'm not really doing anything until after that. our game is a tad late, so we'll probably not do much after that, which sucks. we'll either go to angelos(early night) or t.g.i. fridays(later night). hell, we just might end up in a parking lot drinking miller lite. i guess my birthday doesn't mean much to me anymore, although it feels like it should. i guess if i have a good date and get to spend time with friends and family, i'll be alright.

now i'm off to work, have a life drunk day!

oh yeah, mother's day!

the traditional feelings and happenings that go on with mother's day are such an afterthought to me. and it's a shame because i love my mom. she's great and we're great together. but it's not really about her for me, because mother's day is our biggest business day of the year. i'm an exceptionally successful and responsible businessman and restaurant proprietor and on mother's day, that's where my focus has to be. and that's how i got where i am. don't doubt, i still call mom when i get off work and we talk for awhile but i don't think i've ever done anything special for my mom on that day, ever since i became an adult. the great thing is she understands that. i just wonder if she ever gets disappointed by it. maybe i should just call her more throughout the year? i'm terrible at that too. we'll see, everything else in my life has been changeing, maybe that will too.

this is what winning is like?

haha, yeah, the fuzzy bunnies started off our first season in a new league with a win. it was actually a pretty lopsided win. i barely saw any shots. i wonder how good the other teams are in our division.

other than that, i've having a boring week. i'm avoiding the stress that comes with buying a couch. i really need one though, so i should be shopping sooner than later. sheesh....

mother's day is coming up. i'm a terrible son. my mom gets excited when i just call. that's how much i include her in my life. i have to make some time for mom. her birthday is on thursday too. what should i get her? hmmm....

ughhhh...

i have to get up in like four and a half hours and i'm exhausted. however, i haven't had internet for an eon, so i'm catching up. so, i thought i'd stop by and say hi. hi. i'm moved into my loft in long beach and it's great. except i don't have a place to sit yet. i need a couch. and a lot of other things. we'll see when that happens. it's beautiful here at least. and i met someone. how cute. i'm going to bed.

BONG!!!!

4-10-09

i'm stalling and wasting time. i'm such an idiot. oh well, i need to refresh.

lately, i've been reading mr. kelly's blog and i realized that he tells a lot of old stories. and that is the main reason i read his blog. so, i thought i should tell an old, entertaining story about me because everyone could use a good quez story.

so, i get a little crazy in vegas. who doesn't? i have a million crazy vegas stories. they say what happens in vegas, stays in vegas, but how fun is that? but i'm going to tell a stupid vegas story. well, not stupid, moreso how did that happen sort of thing. i drop lots of money in vegas. thousands sometimes. i've gotten into all sorts of problems because of it. i also win big in vegas every so often. i lose more than i win for sure, but those times when you take thousands of extra cash home is an amazing feeling. i'm good at playing twenty-one. good enough to hold my own and take advantage of my opportunities. which is what you have to do because it's almost all luck, but you can take advantage of luck if you know what you're doing. and i know what i'm doing. so, this particular story takes place at the excalibur. the previous night, i had dropped a thousand or so there. but on this night, i was up like four thousand dollars. i was on the hottest streak of my life. me and my friends were having a blast and were pretty damn drunk. but it's all good when you're winning. and then the most amazing thing happened. i mean movie like amazing. the casino did something you only hear about in legends. they brought in a 'cooler'. if you don't know what a 'cooler' is, they are the dealers that the casino brings in to shut down hot players. don't ask me how they do it, but they are very good at what they do. i know, you're thinking, "it wasn't a cooler. you just went cold." nope, this guy wasn't on the floor all night. they brought him in just for me. this cooler's name was jackie. he was a seriously high energy guy and was pretty damn funny. he walks up and is our best friend. jackie goes to work and is chatting it up with us. we start losing right away, but i'm not betting big, so i'm alright hanging out, laughing, and having a good time. then the pit boss walks by and grabs a stack of my chips and puts them out as my bet! he says, "that's not a bet, this is a bet." well, i feel challenged, like oh well i can handle this five hundred dollar bet. i pushed. so, i leave the bet out there. and i lose. well, jackie looks at me, aims his thumbs at his mouth like dicks and shouts "BONG!" and this is how it went the rest of the night as jackie proceeded to take all of my money. now, if i had been sober, i might have gotten up after that first 'bong' but i was drunk. and when you're drunk, you get big balls and think you can do anything. but trust me friends, no one can beat a cooler. and right after me and my friends left the table, jackie went home. just like that. my friends tell this story all the time. and that's how i lost four g's and saw a myth come to life.

next posts will be moving stories about moving.

oh, the new strung out is amazing. well, it's not really new, it's all their b-sides and rarities, but those are some of strung out's best songs.

new new new

4-3-09

everything is new. well, not everything, but i'm sprucing things up a bit. i'll be in my new place in two weeks, with lot's of new stuff. i just got my new phone the other day and it is amazing. not only is it super techy-functional, but it is also dead sexy. and in a bit, i'm going to get some new music! oh yeah. the strung out b-sides album came out this week. i can't wait. plus, new new found glory. i love their new song, "listen to your friends".

okay, enough about me. let's talk about laundry. that's pretty much what i'm doing today. lot's and lot's of laundry. next week, i'll be packing packing packing. yay!

alrighty, i hope everyone has a good weekend.

what we take for granted.

3-29-09

my title is a bit presumptious. but i wonder how many people take for granted that they have sundays off from work/school/whatever. i took a vacation day and i'm really loving it. and despite the fact that there is no hockey or football on television, it's still pretty sweet. it's much better than having off my thursday or friday, like i normally do. the day just seems bigger and more relaxing. maybe because i have no agenda for today. but for those regular folk who have every sunday off, i wonder if they have an agenda on sundays. or do they get things done? i have tons of things to do on my days off, so it's nothing like having a sunday off to me. or so it seems. anyways, i'm going to enjoy my sunday off and i hope you do the same.

oh, thanks for the concern kate, but i get this cruddy sickness everytime i change restaurants. it has to do with changes in air quality and i haven't died yet. i'm doing much better today, although i have a few weeks of phlegm left to deal with. blegh....

must go on...

3-26-09

holy crap, am i sick. it's nasty. i ache so much and my lungs are full of fluid. i can't believe i'm going to play hockey right now. sheesh...

so, the show last friday was incredibly awesome. all of the bands were amazing and my band was seriously rockin'. people were freaking out and rocking out. that's such a great feeling. i didn't even play that well, but no one really picked up on it. i imagine we'll be even better the next time we play.

well, okay, time to die.

trouble in rockland

3-19-09

okay, last real deal sort of broke up and cancelled on my show that was set for tomorrow night. great. they were the headliner and the biggest draw. none of the bands want to play later either, including my own. this is not good. hopefully, they'll just let me end the show early. my band is going to have to stretch though. our set was going to run over anyways. man, i hope this works out okay. this isn't the only problem. i blew my voice halfway out last friday at rehersal, and it's still not fully back. i've been drinking tea and honey all week and i've avoided booze. i even tried to get more sleep, but that failed. this could end badly. i'm still excited to play with hit the switch. those guys rock!

work has been no good. it was really slow and my numbers sucked this week. this new promotion that starts on monday is going to kick ass though.

i was thinking of all sorts of things to talk about this week, but they have gone by the wayside.

less than a month and i move into my first place! weehee, woohoo!!!!

stalling the day...

3-12-09

i'm wasting time, doing not much of anything. okay, i did a little promoting of the rock show that's going down next friday. but that's it. i overslept because i was up way too late. i was supposed to get a haircut, mow the lawn and do some errands, but i think i'll just do errands.

did i mention i'm shutting down my record label? it's sad but true. it's a money sucker and i can't throw cash away anymore. it's going to be alive for promoting shows and whatnot, but no new releases for awhile. i'm debating whether or not i should even keep the p.o. box. i love my label, but it's really just a big failure. ewww, this is a lame way to leak the demise of up to zero. like anyone reads this besides kate and dorrie.

dude. punk u on aol radio is the best radio station ever! i've probably mentioned it before, but hot damn! they are playing all the best songs today. right now? new found glory's new song, "listen to your friends". this song is soooo good! i can't wait for the new album! and i didn't even buy the last one.

okay, enough stalling. i'm going to eat lunch and watch c.s.i. miami. and then and only then, will i venture out into the world.

rock @ 5:30
kings after that
maybe watch "rolemodels" after that
tiny bit of c.o.d.
pass out

i'm buying a new bed!

3-11-09

and it's going into my new place! that's right! today, i signed a lease agreement for my very first place ever! this is exciting. i move to long beach on april sixteenth. my apartment is six hundred and thirty-three square feet. can you say tiny? but that's okay, cuz that's all i need right now. it's right across the street from my restaurant and it's brand friggin' new! i mean so new that it isn't finished being built yet. the thing is super expensive, but the amenities are immense. imagine living in a las vegas hotel...yeah, that's pretty much what it's like. this includes a roof top oasis, complete with glass enclosure, lap style pool, the biggest jacuzzi you can imagine, bbq's and other whatnot luxury crap. i've spared no expense at getting my first place, so money is going to be tight, but i absolutely love it and cannot wait to move in.

go me.

the hardest blog ever!!!!

okay, so as i contemplate giving up my life and moving to a way too expensive loft in long beach, i thought it would be nice to do some light blogging. this came about a discussion last night with b and bear about our favorite ten movies of all time. now, this sounds really easy to do. but, trust me, it's not. i am a lister by nature. i have to be organized in everything; including my loves. if you are at my homepage reading this, you can see my list of top one hundred albums of all time. now that list is not definitive, but it's pretty accurate. okay, now do your top ten movies of all time. it's not so easy, is it? i mean the difference between taste and love will define you. how many comedies are in your top ten? how many dramas? how many sports movies? hahahaha...yeah, how many slasher flicks? it's crazy, i know. okay, here i go, with my heart in the wind and my balls tucked behind my legs.

10-"superbad"-dude, like can any movie be funnier than this? somehow this beat out "old school" AND "ghostbusters". i don't know. as far as things that make me laugh, this is at the top, with the exception of real life comedy. see higher choices.
9-"serentity"-yup, this is on here. it's such a slice of life from another time. it rules. i wish the t.v. series had not been cancelled. i love everything about this movie.
8-"slc punk"-why is this on the list? because it's only one of two movies that have made me cry in my life. yup, this old softy has only cried at two movies. and i'll tell you, when bob dies, it kills me every time.
7-"miracle"-holy crap! the only other movie that ever made me cry is next. yeah, i'm a hockey player and this is the ultimate treat for any american hockey player. yup!
6-"aliens"-this movie rules. i've been obsessed with it since i was twelve. it's never ending.
5-"big trouble in little china"-i don't think this would be on many people's lists, but it has to be on mine and it has to be high. jack burton floors me. everything about this movie is from the heart and from the bizarre. i don't know, i just love it to death.
4-"the empire strikes back"-yeah, just when you thought star wars wouldn't make the list, here we are. i mean the other holy trinity didn't make the list? this is the best of all nine. i want to watch it now!
3-"swingers"-really? you've never seen this? go own it. now. this is the second most quoted movie of all time. trust me. look it up. it's that good and that special.
2-"clerks"-as good as kevin smith is, this is still his best. i never tire of this movie or it's characters, who repeat in every kevin smith movie. most times i think "chasing amy" is a better movie, but this is the one that made the list, so suck on that.
1-::drumroll::"pulp fiction"-okay, anyone who knows me, knows this movie is my fav of all time and with good reason. it makes me laugh, think, ponder, quote, sing, and want to smoke all in one. no movie has had a bigger influence on my life than this one. tarantino is my hero just for this. i love all of his work and they could easily be on this list, but this one is sooooo special. i go nowhere without this movie in my heart.

and how would your list be? really. do you know how many great movies are not on this list? it's ridiculous. i could come up with another top ten and it still would be better than afi's top one hundred of all time. put it down!

"death, you are my bitch lover!"

2-26-09

okay, disturbing. i've had a lot of crazy dreams in my life. some were weird and others were strange. i have dreams come true, like deja vu, but more concrete. i've done a million off the wall things in my dreams, some even deviant, but last night was scary. i actually killed people in my dream. read that again. i killed people. and i have the feeling inside me that i killed people. it's a sick feeling. i don't like it. i can't remember the details of the dream, but i distinctly remember breaking someone's neck and slitting the throat of another person. the former done in front of somebody. i don't know if i was angry or scared doing it, i just know i did it. and i felt guilty. i'm seriously creeped out. i need a hug.

"the butt of your sick joke into this ashtray life"

2-20-09

wow, it's been a week already? my life is a blur. need to slow down.

funeral for a friend was awesome. it was strange that the glass house was only half full though. they played almost all my favorite songs. what did they skip? "beneath the burning tree" and "kicking and screaming", my two favorite songs off the new disc. oh well, they sounded amazing.

my rock show is finished and booked. hit the switch, twice defeated, last real deal, and trial by fury on friday, march twentieth @ friar tucks in pomona, ca. it's going to be awesome. we have rehersal today after about a month off. yikes! we have work to do. but like, the good kind of work.

work is hell. i had a bad visit with the senior vp on tuesday. it didn't go well. i felt so bad i had to come home on tuesday. living out of a suitcase is wearing me down. my area director said i should just stay at home and deal with the hour long commute. he might be right.

okay, something positive. oh, i got my new glove!!!! it's soooooo pretty. i did a good job designing the color scheme. it feels soooooo goooooood! i played with it yesterday. i didn't get many opportunities to use it, but it did it's job. it might take a while to break it in though. i'll keep working on it.

okay, that's all for this friday. i'm going to start taking my labtop to dan's place, so i won't be so bored. maybe i'll blog more. or maybe i'll spare the world. enjoy your weekend!

manic partay fun!

2-13-09

so, last night, i went to the kings game with a bunch of people from the manic element message board. except for the beatdown of the kings, it was fun. davey and christal were there, but the cool part was that chris(ollie) from calgary was there. he was here in socal with his family on a vacation they won. pretty cool. he's a good guy. we talked hockey and various other cool stuff. i was a bit drunk. i hope i wasn't an ass.

tonight, i'm taking baby sis to see funeral for a friend. this is going to be great! i've never seen them in a big show setting, just a short set at warped. hopefully, they'll play all my favorite songs. :)

okay, brendan kelly has gotten sidetracked. he's been blogging about all the jobs he's had in his life and he's now gotten to the point were slapstick started. but he's kind of stopped and started blogging about felching and shitting again. weird. i want the cool stories about slapstick and the lawrence arms! dang.

okay, to do list for today:
laundry
hair cut
mow lawn
eat
play cod
rock out

goodbye days off, :(

and so, it has begun, anticipation...

2-12-09

at the end of march, it's time to get a new phone! oh, the agony! this is going to be my third cell ever, and i'm dreading the decision. my first two phones were perfect picks and i loved them to death. this time, i'm going all out, with a touchscreen, p.d.a., put my whole life in there phone. the choices for verizon are pretty decent, but neither one is an lg, my favorite style of phone. so, i've got it down to a motorola krave, a blackberry storm, or a samsung omnia. i think the omnia is winning. it's more like a computer and seems more personalizable, if that makes any sense. it's pretty looking too. i almost got a samsung last time, so this isn't unprecedented in my purchasing thought process. the thing also has a five point oh megapixel camera, which dominates the scene. i'm surprised i'd never heard of this thing, up until today when i was on verizon's site. from here, it's on to reviews and a search to see if anything new and shiny is coming out around the time of my new every two opportunity pops up. wee....

okay, tomorrow i'll talk about something other than phones.

america's favorite pastime

1-29-09

okay, so last wednesday i was driving to work and rocking out in my truck. i changed my cd changer a few days earlier and put in my favorite uplifting, melodic, hardcore, punk discs in the thing. well, not my favorite discs, but my favorite bands: strung out, staring back, set your goals, thrice, a wilhelm scream and WHIPPERSNAPPER. okay, i love whippersnapper, but sometimes i forget how much. and i always forget how much i love their first album, "america's favorite pastime". so, that's what i was listening to when i drove up azusa ave. and pulled into work. i was singing my ass off and for those of you who don't know the whipp, they are extremely positive and melodic and the music just makes me feel extremely good and confident. so, i went into work feeling really good about my state in life. that night, they offered me long beach and it has been hell ever since.

this week has been a rollercoaster, both mentally and physically. i've been my usual walking contradiction self. i've never felt better about myself, proud and confident, but at the same time i'm dreading every minute as i'm the one who hates change.

my store is the most beautiful nightmare ever. that's my best way of describing it and i might get around to talking about my store and my life there, but not right now. my life is in upheaval because of this. long beach is an hour drive from my house without traffic. i've been staying at dan's whenever possible, as that's only a half hour away. i've had no time to do anything. it's ridiculous. i only have two pairs of pants and i hate going to buy clothes! my schedule is all messed up, even though i'm taking super bowl sunday off! woohoo! i have so much to do today and here i am blogging! eesh!..

today is my first day off in a week. in about three hours, i'm off to see the kings play the hawks with most of my good friends. i played cod last night until six a.m. this moring. that was nuts! me and cobra even played number four for about four hours. can you believe my nerdy self?

so, i'm staying at dan's about four or five nights a week for a while. it's kind of like moving out on my own for the first time, but not really. i'm treating dan's more like an extended stay hotel. i'm not moving anything in there, just stuff for living. i'll mostly be sleeping there. then i'll be coming home on my off days. this is a whole other different feeling for me. i still can't afford to move out or buy a place of my own. maybe someday, i'll get there. maybe someday....hmmm...good name for a song.

oh, and christ! the show i'm booking is off the hook! twice defeated is playing with hit the switch, pour habit, and trial by fury! hts and ph are huge here in socal. hit the switch is from chino too, but they're on nitro records. i can't wait for this show. it's going to make me feel soooooo good.

on a last note. i sometimes forget how good the suicide machines are, and i think i should listen to their cd's more often. and so should you. okay, enough wasting time and typing skills.

i'm one promoted foolio!

1-21-09

okay, you are now reading the blog of the general manager of hometown buffet, long beach, california. this is crazy! like, how did it take this long? and now, just like that, it's happened. i'm celebrating with fat tire and tomorrow, i go to ski at mountain high. woooooooo....!!!!! go me. more details to follow. let's celebrate!

reviews, previews, and interviews...

1-10-09

okay, here i am, at the beginning of a new year, looking back at last year and gearing up for oh nine. last year was a pretty boring year for me. basically, everything in my life went nowhere. hmmm...that's kind of lame i guess. i should be thankful that nothing bad happened. this year is already shaping up to be something special. i have a gm interview on tuesday for the long beach store. it's not the ideal store for me but it'll get my foot in the door. i have a real good shot at getting it too, so, go me. my band has a good show in march. my hockey team is switching leagues after sunday. and i'm going after meat sauce with a vengence.(you're looking for a decoder, i know)

you know the saying, "everyday is a new day"? well, get this. yesterday actually felt like a new day to me. everything went my way. i was walking around like i was on top of the world. it was amazing. i found the last copy of "pineapple express" at best buy. the clerk said they had been sold out for days and he couldn't believe i found it. amazing. then, i get to bevmo and they appear to be out of monster assault. so, i move the front cans around, and what do i find all the way in the back? monster assault. amazing. these things don't seem like much, but they never, ever happen to me. again, amazing.

okay, year end lists. i'm only doing one for music, because i can't remember what movie i saw. this year seems kind of like a lame duck year for music. usually, i have trouble widdling my list down, but this year i'm struggling to find bands to put on it. here you go!

1-The Gaslight Anthem - "The '59 Sound"
Doesn't get any better than this album. I could listen to it forever. And in fact, I'm going to play it right now.
2-Funeral for a Friend - "Memory and Humanity"
This totally makes up for their 'concept' album. It rocks harder than anything else that came out this year, but still manages to be beautiful.
3-Rise Against - "Appeal to Reason"
Why do punkers knock these guys? They still sound the same to me and they still write great anthems.
4-Thrice - "The Alchemy Index: Vol 4, Earth"
The first of many great E.P.s on this list. Dude, how come the other volumes weren't this good? I think Dustin just feels better in the Earth.
5-The Loved Ones - "Build and Burn"
I haven't seen this one on many lists. But I love it. It took a bit of time for the whole thing to grow on me, but it did. It rocks and is great to sing along to.
6-Alkaline Trio - "Agony and Ivory"
Again, why are fans turning against these guys? I love this album. It's much better than their last one and hooks you easily.
7-The Gaslight Anthem - "Senor and the Queen EP"
Uh, yeah, this could make the list just for "Say I Won't(Recognize)" alone.
8-Bayside - "Shudder"
Yup, another band with a comeback album. Not that their last one was crap, this is just that much better and is great throughout the whole thing.
9-Tomas Gabel - "Heart Burns"
Yes, another great E.P.! I love Tomas. He rules!
10-No Use for a Name - "The Feel Good Record of the Year"
Is this album great? Probably not. But it's a Hell of a lot better than their last disc.

okay, that's my list. a lot of bands came back with discs that made previous efforts seem week, which is a good thing. only less than jake was a disappointment this year. other than that, i'm looking forward to this year's releases: strung out, a wilhelm scream, mad caddies, green day, karate high school, etc...i already heard a new a wilhelm scream song. it's called "The I Hate_____Club" and it rocks hard! they are going to impress with this one. the song is on my myspace page, so you should check it out.

okay, i'm done babbling on my first saturday off in a long time. i've got to get ready to go to the kings game. we have bad seats, but they're playing the devils, so it should be good. we're going to try and get to the tailgate party, if it's not sold out. the briggs are playing, which would be really cool to see.

this one's for boo!

1-5-09

okay, boo wants to know the playlist for the 2008 Holiday Commute Mix. So, here it is!

1-thrice-"the lion and the wolf"
2-bayside-"i can't go on"
3-the gaslight anthem-"miles davis & the cool"
4-the gaslight anthem-"drive"
5-the flatliners-"eulogy"
6-rise against-"the dirt whispered"
7-funeral for a friend-"kicking and screaming"
8-blueline medic-"precious things"(tori amos cover)
9-jimmy eat world-"sunday"
10-thrice-"digging my own grave"
11-marathon-"gravity's temptation"
12-alkaline trio-"do you wanna know?"
13-eyes set to kill-"young bloods spills tonight"
14-catch the fallen-"set the night on fire"
15-emery-"holding out for a hero"(bonnie taylor cover)
16-ignite-"burned up"
17-gameface-"cupcakes"
18-fall out boy-"chicago is so two years ago"
19-longfellow-"softer"
20-the movielife-"spanaway"
21-gob-"wake up"
22-dead to me-"ran that scam"
23-marathon-"where we hide"

songs that didn't get on the disc, but were supposed to:
-funeral for a friend-"beneath the burning tree"
-the loved ones-"i swear"

not too bad. until next year!

okay, totally new year, i guess...

12-31-08

here i am. it's a new year, just about an hour ago, and i'm spending time trying to figure out a way to blog without journalspace. i don't know what to do. so, here i am on a minimilistic blogspot adventure and i decide to feed the damn thing to my homepage. my homepage rocks! it's all sorts of pretty. but this isn't going to look like much on there to start. i have to figure out how to do everything. i'm just starting, much like the new year. i was reading what everyone was doing at donnie's and i decided i didn't want to join another community. so, techinically, i joined blogspot, but i will be sprucing it up at my homepage, where people are actually supposed to go to read it. dig? i'll be happier on my own, i guess. i was never such a community member there anyways. i'll miss kate and paul, but that's about it.

okay, i have lists to post later, but right now! this moment! cool things about the new year:
z is super friendly tonight
punk u on aol radio is playing all the right songs tonight/this morning
it's a new year
i'm going to gm review board later this month
i'm going to big bear tomorrow to party for a few days with my best friends

okay, we'll see how this goes and find out if i can blog for real.

no more journal is just sad, still.

it's a new year, gotta do something new, no?

night world!

testing fool

f this, journalspace is dead!