Dormancy

"...And should I then presume?
And how should I begin?..."

Love on Letterman

There is one Starbucks that I work at, and then there is my local Starbucks where I play the role of a regular customer.  One recent evening I dropped by, got a beverage, and sat down among the nightly informal gathering of regulars.  Someone started talking about the annual onslaught of Christmas TV specials and everyone chimed in about which ones we make a point to watch on an annual basis.  Answers were typical, "It's a wonderful life," "Frosty," and "Rudolph," etc....

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was on the other night.   I always enjoyed it as a kid - it meant staying up an extra half hour, which was exciting itself.  Even though it goes deep into the meaning of Christmas, along with the distractions of commercialization, it remains accessible to children.  And as young as I was, I remember feeling really happy when the other kids decorated Charlie Brown's frail little tree.  Just as happy as when Snoopy danced around.  But I think the most magical moment of those broadcasts, for me, happened before the show even started.  It was going to be a special show. And CBS would let you know that it was special when they ran a five-second striking animation at the beginning with the word "SPECIAL" spinning about the letter C in rainbow colors, with exciting 70s percussion and a blasting brass section.  It would put a big smile on my face, and set the stage for what followed.

At first I didn't really think I had a Christmas TV tradition, but then I remembered - Letterman.  Not anyone's typical choice; and no one I was chatting with that night knew what I was talking about.  On his last show before Christmas- usually the 23rd - Dave's musical guest is always Darlene Love singing "Christmas: Baby Please Come Home."   Letterman considers this the Best Rock'n'Roll Christmas Song, and I tend to agree.  Darlene can still belt it out, Paul and the band accompanies, with an extra string section and a choir.  And how they all enjoy performing and having fun.  And they do it every year, and it's the same song, and it's beautiful.  Not some forgettable new band playing some forgettable new song, passing thru town promoting a CD, as is the case on many nights.  A tradition.  Albeit, a four minute song, saved until the end of the broadcast, but so worth the anticipation.  My God, do I berate myself the years I miss it!  Dave's been doing this every year since 1986, but last year had to be a repeat of 1996 due to the writers strike, so this year, I'm even more eager to catch it.  Then, about two-thirds through the song, the fake snow will start to fall, and I'll get that same happy feeling like I did with "CBS Special" intro.  Kinda marks the end of the stress of the Christmas season, and the beginning of the enjoyment part.  

Until then, I think I'll head to Starbucks, and buy myself a drink.

Baked pride

I'm too careful with words.  That's why I hesitate to post here.  How many "comebacks" to this blog should I attempt until I  either remain consistent, or give up all together.  

I got a rare nine (9) hours of sleep last night, but still feeling low motivation today.  I've got work at the Wedding Mill tonight, but a uniquely free Sunday morning.  The curling club has ice, and leagues begin shortly. 

I've got laundry going now...things never change.

I've been working on Grandma's recipie for Chruscik /kHRUS-chick-key/, those flat twisted cookies she always made.  Now I appreciate all the work that goes into them.  The kneading, rolling (verrry thin), shaping, twisting, flash-frying;  considering the time, the labor, and the mess involved, that she kept doing this until she was 91.  Nevertheless, I feel motivated to keep making more.  Tested them out in public for the first time yesterday (Starbucks picnic) and got a request for the recipe; that's an endorsement if any.

Laundry is calling.  Time to iron.

Awakening the Muse

What do insomniacs do at 2AM?  

We write blog entries.  

Although this would have been entered an hour ago had the modem been working.  A bit of troubleshooting (unplug, plug-in, unplug, plug-in, etc.) then not even a minute after I decide to give up, data starts flowing again.  Good, because I'm still awake.  

I have a gig this Saturday in Princeton at a place called the Halo Pub, it's actually my friend's gig, he asked me play along with him.  I just learned that this is an ice cream shop, while I assumed "Pub" meant Bar.  Should be interesting.  I'm kinda more relaxed about it now.  Bar gigs present a tougher crowd; but cafes, coffeehouses, are a little more relaxed and low-key.  I'm just looking to have a good time.  I'm sure I will.  

I went to open mic night at Cafe Arabica on Tuesday, just to get myself back on stage.  (That place is falling apart.)  I had nothing new to play, but the whole crowd was new to me, so it was new to them, and they seemed to like it, which was cool.  Glad I decided to go.  I should go more often.   It's the parking in Morristown that sucks.  Can't figure out why on a Tuesday of all days.  After driving around for 20 minutes, I settled on a spot on a residential street.  Thing is...it was very steep hill, but I parked, started taking out my gear and then realize, I'm swigging out far from the curb; I need to straighten myself out. (hmmm...)  Attempting to move, I couldn't not for the life of me engage the car in reverse, and it didn't feel right, so I figured i'd find another space.  I hope it's not the car, maybe it's just that I was so frustrated I hadn't found a space yet and I was impatient.  But, still, I had left my keyboard stand leaning up against a phone pole, and had to double back for that.  (I just stopped in the middle of the road with my flashers and threw it in through the front seat!)  And in the end, I found a spot right in front.  All is good.

See you Saturday?  6:30pm?

Alive, and sleepy

Slider says I should blog more. He's right!

I'm sleepy. I was at the wedding mill last night until 12:30am and then Starbucks this morning at 6:30.  And forget trying to sleep through the whole night when you hear firecrackers or gunfire(!) or something like that at 1am (right outside my window) and then loud thunderstorms and pouring rain at 4am.   Thunderstorms which returned this afternoon when I'm trying to take a nap.

Where do I begin (uhm...resume)?  

...iPhone...Starbucks...Music...Banquets...Life...

When do I resume? Not now...I'm going to (try to) sleep...

Stay tuned, Slider...Stay tuned...

Best acceptance speech ever

Hi.  This is notable enough for me to break my silence here.
Enjoy!
UPDATE:  I have learned that he was reciting the work "The Back Country," by prose poet Louis Jenkins.  Nevertheless, the idea to use it was very original, and his delivery was spot on.

I've been crowned

Okay, so apparently I'm the "King of Pad Thai," so proclaimed by this newborn blogger, and someone I happen to know from the physical world. (A co-conspirator in this effort.)  I learned how to make pad thai a few years ago, when friends of mine hosted an Iron Chef dinner party.  At about noon on that fateful Saturday I decided to try making pad thai, went shopping, got what I needed, and by 5pm or so i had a completed dish.  I didn't win the contest that night (never knew so many friends were such good cooks), but I continue to enjoy cooking pad thai now and then, have been able to perfect my recipe.  And I must say the last time I made it, it came out excellent: the same time the aforementioned new blogger last ate it.  

Eat this, Motorola

I dropped my RAZR, then it started going berserk.  Blank screen...dropped calls...frozen screen...and just plain not working at all.  I visited my friendly neighborhood Verizon shoppe, and the associate does what everyone warned me they would do: she opened the back and immediately concluded it was WATER DAMAGE!  Why, because that little sticker dot turned red.  

Let me say again:  I DROPPED the phone (on the floor, not into a lake), and right then and there it stopped working properly.

So, since I was in the mall I walked over to Radio Shack, to see if they had those teeny-tiny funny-shaped screwdrivers I need to take this phone apart.  They didn't, but when I showed the people what I needed it for, they both said I have water damage.  One guy said it was severe.

Anyway, I got the tools I needed from Home Depot.  I took the phone apart (not entirely, just the first stage).  Water damage, you say?  Corrosion? Nope! Dry as a desert inside.  Rather dusty, to be honest.  I figured, when it dropped, it loosened a wire or two, and that was just it.  I snapped some loose connections, put it back together and it works like a charm.

The dot sticker is hardly a indicator of water damage to the phone.  It merely shows that the the sticker itself has been exposed to moisture.  

Subscription for life

Hey!  I'm blogging and using Safari!  When did this happen?  Blogger didn't previously support Safari.  (Safari is a web browser...created by Apple.)  I used to have to go into Firefox to get the full features of the Blogger post editor, but now I can stick to my default browser for everything.  

Amazing!

I just got the new Mac OS 10.5 "Leopard."  Maybe it's the new version of Safari that's compatible.  Or maybe it's because I haven't posted in several months, that I haven't even thought to check up on these things.  And it's a cool upgrade, although it's rendering almost everything else obsolete.  I couldn't launch my old version of iPhoto, so I had to buy the latest version of Apple's iLife. And all my old versions of Adobe/Macromedia products don't seem to be compatible either.  I'll have to buy new versions of those eventually. 

Upgrades beget upgrades.  Purchases lead to more purchases.  New upgrades require more memory.  You can pay off your car, but you still need new brakes, tires, oil...Pay off a house, but then you need a new roof, windows, carpets.  My cell phone has been crapping out since I dropped it a few days ago.  I'll need a new one of those soon, too.

It seems everything in life is a subscription with mandatory renewal.  

Amazing.

So close

Thought I had won the lottery, the New Jersey Lottery, that is.
The numbers were drawn:
15-16-20-28-30
I had one one my boards:
15-16-21-28-36
That's the Jersey Cash5. Choose 5 out of 40. You can see how the placement of the three matching numbers, along with the similarities with the other two, was enough to make me gasp at first. But it was a short-lived moment, and I missed the $225,000 prize. But it still pays $11 for three numbers, so a $6 net gain on a $5 investment is not too shabby.

So back to my crazy life. One of my barista co-workers disappeared the other day and stopped showing up for work. Scheduled for 5 days this week and 5 days next week. Oh...and the manager is on vacation. So we're fending for ourselves at Starbucks. Just like the good old days.

And then my car wouldn't start last night. WTF? I was leaving the movie theatre (Oceans 13, pretty good, btw) It started fine there, took the scenic route back home. Stopped for gasoline, and could not leave the gas station. Attendant tried to push start me, but it didn't work. So I called my brother at 1AM to get me. Mommy and Daddy are out of town. (Oh yeah, I still haven't fledged....but that's another post) I went back myself to try jump starting and it worked. Drove it back home today. Yep..more auto-repair expenses (where's that lottery ticket?)

Woke up this morning with one bitch of a sore throat. I hate being sick. But I think some people like to be sick; sympathy, excuses, IDK? But for that reason, i fear, that when I'm sick, people think I'm using it as a reason to slack off, give a little less, or withdraw completely. I don't like that.

Anyway, 56 hours of work this week, split between Starbucks and the Wedding Mill. Plus the undercharged battery, short staffing, a sore throat...
...but topped with a token lottery win...

Oh...and how I could I forget...all this damn laundry!

I'm still here

Really...I am.
So much fucking laundry. It never ends. Why is that? I'm a single guy for crying out loud. It shouldn't be.

Re-Starbucked

Where have I been?
Who cares! I won't waste your time with excuses.
Well, I am back at Starbucks. I have been since October. Came back to join the opening crew of a new store that was supposed to open in October but then got pushed back to after Christmas. So, I was placed in a crazy-busy store until the new store opened. And now I work at a store that no one has found yet. It's like being on vacation!
But that's no excuse not to post here. Here's hoping I can be consistent. (HAH!)
I still bartend weekends at the Chanticler, but not this weekend, there's nothing scheduled.
Instead, I'll be in Rochester, NY for the Francis Dykes Bonspiel once again. (recall: bonspiel = curling tournament) Last year we were 4th event winners. This year we hope to remain in the 1st event.
...I can smell it...I really can...
I figure this will be my last year in this bonspiel. I mean, I still can play next year, it will my fifth year curling. But two of the guys i play with won't be able to, and I figure I'll be doing the masters degree full time, so I won't be able to take off long weekends.
Oh! And I met Winter. He's the guy who travels to all the Starbucks in the world. I saw on his blog that he was coming to New Jersey just when the new store opened and wanted to be sure I was working when he made his visit. He's got a documentary coming out called Starbucking.

Testing this new service

Testing Gabcast

Cam Sham

Why did ever get me this iSight? I thought I'd open myself up the wonderful world of video chat only to realize that no one else has a webcam. AIM has had this feature for two years now and it hasn't seemed to catch on one bit. Did anyone else grow up watching the Jetsons? Didn't you dream of a day when people could hear and see each other on the phone? Well, you can!...Now! And you don't have to have a Mac with an iSight, just any computer with a cam and a mic and an AIM Screen Name, and you're all set.
Reminder: It's the 21st Century, kids!
(...and now I search for a wrist phone...)

Summer bummer

I had to drop my summer class. My Probability class. Well, I didn't have to drop it, I chose to. After getting a lousy grade on the first exam (stupid, stupid, stupid errors!), I put my faith into doing exceptional on the second exam, which I got an okay grade on, not enough to equalize the first. Now I could have put my faith into doing exceptional (again) on the coming final exam; but here's the story: the instructor (a grad student, mind you, not a prof) is so far behind, that with three(3) class periods left, he's left with THREE WHOLE CHAPTERS to introduce! Now, there is no doubt in my mind that I can grasp the concepts in the course, but to rush through three chapters in a week, leaving us students with the burden to go over examples by ourselves, with the task of trying to absorb three chapters in one week's time, as well as prepare for a comprehensive final exam, that I have to do exceptional on in order to equalize my low standing...I don't think so.
I can take it again this fall and get an A.
Not to mention summer classes have more of the brighter students, which sets the curve unnaturally high.

I Hate MySpace

(Edited to show further hatred.)

What a fucking waste of time...that piece of shit. And no, I'm not just saying that because I regret spending too much time on it....I'm hardly ever on it actually, and I only have a page out of necessity. Consider This:

Scenario 1 -- Friend sends MySpace comment:

1. Receive and read email notification of MySpace comment.
2. Click on link to open MySpace in browser window.
3. Log in to MySpace.
4. Click on "New Comments" in MySpace profile.
   
5. Click on the new comment in the list of comments.
6. Read message from friend.
7. Go to friend's profile.
8. Click on "Add Comment"
9. Type comment and submit.
10. View and confirm comment.
    

Scenario 2 -- Friend sends email directly:

1. Read message from friend.
2. Click on "Reply."
3. Type and send reply.
   

Which of the above scenarios make more sense to you?

Dominoes?

So, I've been watching the FIFA World Cup soccer(football) the past couple days, trying to be a worldly American. We're not used going 45 minutes without a commercial break here. But after ESPN's coverage of the soccer(football) games, they aried World Championship Dominoes. No kidding. A sports network...showing guys sitting around a table playing some hybrid of a card game, a dice game, and Scrabble. Don't get me wrong; games like chess and contract bridge are masterful games, and are "mind sports" recognized by the International Olympic Committee, I'd like to see them on TV. But Noooo.....we get Dominoes.

and don't get me started on that Texas Hold 'em bullshit....

Oops...Don't listen to this

Bonspiel!

I've found myself a small moment of solitude, during my stay here in Maryland this weekend. I'm one again playing in the Francis Dykes Memorial Bonspeil, and we're still in the first event. (This means we haven't lost a game yet. In curling tournaments, a.k.a. bonspeils, when you lose, you move into 2nd 3rd, and 4th events as you lose, and stay in the event as you keep winning.) We're in the semifinals for the top spot. Cool, to say the least, as i sit here in "business center" of the Holiday Inn were staying at. Next game tonight at 7:45.
Nap time...

Crazy Dave

I met "Crazy Dave" yesterday. I was sitting by myself at the Starbucks in Gillette, NJ, and this guy gets a drink, and sits next to me in the other comfy chair. He introduces himself as "Dave, ...Crazy Dave." He asks, what the name of this place, and writies it down in his book, and than starts asking me about my life story like why i'm here at this time and place and if i'm married with kids, etc., etc. Amusing to say the least.