What up ev'rybody?!?! It's a Saturday morning post! This is the first of its kind. I can hardly believe it's true! So, I spose that I'll make like the SAVED BY THE BELL kids and get crackin. . .
First off, I'll completely negate Thursday from my posting, if that's ok. I went to school, (skipped ASTRONOMY) got my ears lowered, and went to work, where I TT and stayed til 2300. Busy day. But not that exciting. . .
So Wednesday. I spent most of the morning/afternoon passing time and just kinda waiting for the events that would transpire that night. It is now that I can reveal my GIGANTIC secret, as the contents are now also on this world wide web. My good buddy, (I do, in fact, call him my "best guy friend" - Heather is my best friend) CYRIL SERRANO surprised us all by arriving home six weeks early from the Philippines. So here's out it went down: Monday night, Heather and I were kicking it, watching TIVO'd AMERICAN IDOL stuff when Mrs. Serrano calls me. She says she is home (his parents were due back in town on Sunday night) and that she has something for me from Cy. Well I say that it's totally cool and to come right on over. She knocks on the door (not right then, but a good 5 minutes or so later. .) and my mom answered it. After they hug and laugh for a second, I head over to greet her. I was eating some dinner (It was a little after 2200 - I had worked that night) and set the plate down on our organ bench. As I was doing so, I heard my mom scream! I look up and I see my buddy round the corner and walk into my house! It was pretty cool how they planned that out. So we gabbed for almost a half hour and then they left, but not before Cy and I began plotting how we would get Justin. And boy, did we get him good too!
Back to Wednesday. Justin came over here for our usual movie-fest around 1730 (he had worked the morning shift at IN-N-OUT) and I suggested that we get some dinner. We headed to PRIMO CAFE (a shout out to a former hostess of PRIMO: Hey Beckybelle!) and sat down and ordered and just caught up on stuff. Our food came and we began to eat. Not too much later, in walks Cy, and he sits down at a big, round table next to the booth that we inhabited. So far, so good. A couple of minutes go by and then he finally leans over, saying, "Do you guys know what's good here?" and I swear that I could have fit a ruler in Justin's mouth (and I mean longways!). I think he was just plain shocked! We laughed, and it was a really great moment. He was almost more surprised that I wasn't going crazy, so I told him my Monday story and why we had to surprise him too. Well we finished our dinners, and then headed to CINEMARK 22 to see, yep you guessed it, FINAL DESTINATION 3. This is the movie that Cy and I have been planning in our own heads since the first sequel came out three years ago. Well we headed in and truly enjoyed ourselves, if that's possible during a teen-killing movie. If you don't know, the story is pretty simple. Basically, some terrible event happens in which a whole bunch of teenagers die (the first movie was an airplane explosion, the second a freeway pileup) in really awful ways. Then you see that it was just a premonition of one central character but that the early events leading up to the disaster happen as they did in the premonition. The character then freaks out, leading others to join them away from the place where the tragedy would occur. Then it happens anyway, but without the few people that removed themselves. Well, as in the movies, Death gets pissed off, and goes after those who "cheated" him (is Death a him? This is stuff I need to know). Chaos and death ensues. So we watched the film and decided that it wasn't the best of the series (that would be FD1) but it would certainly pass. The overall grade is biased a bit, because I'm such a fan of the series, but either way. . Grade: B
After the movie, we went back to Cy's and hung out til midnight or so. Just like old times. Good stuff. . . I had a very similar day yesterday. The only difference was that I was waiting for work, not fun. I went into work at 1600 and was again the only TT until 1700. For a Friday night, we weren't busy. Thus, at 1900, Charlie asked for a volunteer from the TTs to go home. There were three of us, so it seemed rather hasty. But, I decided if someone was going home, it might as well be me. I went to BEST BUY and bought THE WEATHER MAN (Great Nic Cage film) and the debut album from PANIC! AT THE DISCO, a band very similar to one of my favorites, THE ACADEMY IS. . . From there, I headed home, changed, and then headed back to Palmdale to Justin's house. Cy and Kevin joined us a little later and then, by my suggestion, we went to JOHNNY CARINO'S, yes that JOHNNY CARINO'S, for dessert. We each got our own (Justin - Canoli, Cy - Tiramisu, Me - Spamoni, Kevin - Spamoni; reluctantly) and we all enjoyed our dessert and conversation. We left there at 2300 (didn't wanna stay after closing ha ha) and headed back to Justin's til about midnight and then rolled out.
Right now, I figured that I hadn't done this lately and decided I'd do a little pre-WEEKEND GRAB-BAG thingymajig. Well I'm done. And that's that.
Gotta work at 1700 tonight. Gotta make the mula (moolah?). Take care. See ya Sunday. . . Maybe - - -
- - - "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
- - - Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson, of course) in THE SHINING
Later gators,
JUSTIN
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
The Weekend Grab-Bag: The Utah! Shuffle Edition
A couple (or a few) initial thoughts about the title and such: ONE - So I saw this license plate while I was driving around with Heather that was from the formerly-mentioned, mostly Mormon state. As I looked closer, I noticed that at the end of the name (Utah) there was an exclamation point! Much like that one there. So I yelled, excitedly, (as if I was reading it off the license plate) "Utah!" and I scared my wonderful girl, although it did inspire strong laughter. I couldn't not use this in the title. SECOND - I am presently listening to all of my music on a SHUFFLE setting, thus, the title. Blog titles are harder to come up with than you think. . SO, yes, I realize that it's Tuesday, and that this is officially 2 days late. Well, it's as good as I could do. Amidst the busy weekend, where I worked somewhere around 20 hours, (I'll divulge more) hung out with my beautiful girl, and learned the true meaning of President's Day, (ok, so I made that last part up) there was nary a moment to fulfill my internet readers' (that's you!) needs. I just couldn't. Consequently, here is the present edition of THE WEEKEND GRAB-BAG; Enjoy! . .
- Upon further review of my time card printout, I worked 21.5 hours over the 4-day weekend. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were TT days, while both yesterday and today (not factored in the 4-day cumulation) were Host shifts. From those TT shifts (which were tough, busy, and without incident!) I garnered over $200!!! I think I could get used to that extra dough every weekend. I put over half of that in the bank, however, as I am still trying to maintain a responsible status. At this point, I pretty much hate Hosting. It's SO not worth the extra $0.50 an hour that we get on our paycheck. Not only is it mentally-challenging, but the citizens of the Antelope Valley officially suck as a whole (if you look really quickly, that looks bad. . .). I have never met a bigger bunch of needy, whiny, just plain unfortunate-acting people. "Can we have a booth", "This table?", and "An hour!?!" are things that I truly never want to hear again, but just know that I'll be hearing it again on Thursday (my next shift). At least I have a weekend of TT in front of me, waiting for me like a loving grandma wanting to spoil her little grandchild. I now look forward to working long, difficult hours, because I know the spoils that I receive in return. It's just a much better deal.
- Heather came home on Sunday night, and because her house is in shambles (they're recarpeting pretty much the entire house; retiling, actually) she stayed at my house both that night and last night. My couch buddy and I caught up on AMERICAN IDOL and HOUSE (almost) by staying up pretty late both nights. On Monday, we got to spend the entire morning and most of the afternoon (until 1600, when I had to work) together, which was just about the best time spent possible. We went to an early matinee of DATE MOVIE, the recently released spoof movie from "2 of the 6 writers of SCARY MOVIE". I really was let down, as it was not nearly as funny as I had hoped. Only a couple of funny moments ("Be-yotch", Little HITCH, and the too brief NAPOLEON DYNAMITE spoof) made me laugh at any level. A big disappointment through and through; Grade: D+ . . From there, we went to the MALL to get some FAMOUS DAVE'S, as it was opening day. The BBQ place is owned by the same guy that signs my checks, and I wanted to try to eat there to see the inside and such. Well, it was quite busy, because when anything new opens up in the Antelope Valley, everyone has to check it out. We decided on having a GREAT STEAK for lunch instead, and that was a wise decision indeed. We trotted around the MALL, finally ending up at the Clearance rack at ANCHOR BLUE, where I found 2 CY Shirts and 2 sweaters (plain, don't worry - they're not COSBY-type) for the minimal price of $45. It would have been over $100 had they not been on sale. I love CLEARANCE!!! My girl is so good to me - she shops with me so well (although I shop with her too. . .). Time well spent.
- Anybody watching the WINTER OLYMPICS? Yeah, me neither.
- When I got home from work on Saturday, I watched all of the NBA All-Star stuff that I'd TIVO'd. I love All-Star Weekend! The NBA is my one true sports love, and I will follow it as long as I draw breaths. I enjoyed the Dunk Contest, which has lately been quite disappointing. I actually jumped off of the couch after two of the dunks, both of which you can view here ( http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2006/news/story?id=2335818 - 1: the Iguodala "off the back of the backboard" dunk and 2: the Robinson "over Spud" dunk). Great stuff.
- I did have school today (unfortunately) and it was kind of a lame day all around. HISTORY was the usual note-taking class. No PHILOSOPHY today, as Dr. Zhu cancelled class. So, I went to my car and worked on homework until COMMUNICATIONS which was b-o-r-i-n-g!!!! My ASTRONOMY test was great, up until the multiple choice section. The math in that class is very basic (plug-in and solve, essentially) but the MC just kicks me in the butt. We'll see how the curve helps me on this one. I was outta there by 1500 today and then it was to work at 1700 tonight.
- I have a GINORMOUS secret, but I cannot reveal it until I am given permission. Let's just say that I'm stoked and that I'm more content with my present situation now.
- O I also used my Debit card for the first time today! It was pretty exciting (although it would have been cooler had no money come out of my checking accout) as I pulled into SHELL and didn't have to go in and hand the checker lady my cash. This was exciting! Let me celebrate. .
And that's about all I can go with at this moment in time. I'm tired. I do have a free day tomorrow (my only day off this week, plus no school) so that is nice. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday and if everything goes as planned, I won't blog until Thursday night. You'll be okay, trust me. . .
- - - "You can think I'm wrong, but that's no reason to quit thinking."
- - - Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) on an episode of HOUSE; He's my new hero. . .
Goodnight folkages,
The Rambler
- Upon further review of my time card printout, I worked 21.5 hours over the 4-day weekend. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were TT days, while both yesterday and today (not factored in the 4-day cumulation) were Host shifts. From those TT shifts (which were tough, busy, and without incident!) I garnered over $200!!! I think I could get used to that extra dough every weekend. I put over half of that in the bank, however, as I am still trying to maintain a responsible status. At this point, I pretty much hate Hosting. It's SO not worth the extra $0.50 an hour that we get on our paycheck. Not only is it mentally-challenging, but the citizens of the Antelope Valley officially suck as a whole (if you look really quickly, that looks bad. . .). I have never met a bigger bunch of needy, whiny, just plain unfortunate-acting people. "Can we have a booth", "This table?", and "An hour!?!" are things that I truly never want to hear again, but just know that I'll be hearing it again on Thursday (my next shift). At least I have a weekend of TT in front of me, waiting for me like a loving grandma wanting to spoil her little grandchild. I now look forward to working long, difficult hours, because I know the spoils that I receive in return. It's just a much better deal.
- Heather came home on Sunday night, and because her house is in shambles (they're recarpeting pretty much the entire house; retiling, actually) she stayed at my house both that night and last night. My couch buddy and I caught up on AMERICAN IDOL and HOUSE (almost) by staying up pretty late both nights. On Monday, we got to spend the entire morning and most of the afternoon (until 1600, when I had to work) together, which was just about the best time spent possible. We went to an early matinee of DATE MOVIE, the recently released spoof movie from "2 of the 6 writers of SCARY MOVIE". I really was let down, as it was not nearly as funny as I had hoped. Only a couple of funny moments ("Be-yotch", Little HITCH, and the too brief NAPOLEON DYNAMITE spoof) made me laugh at any level. A big disappointment through and through; Grade: D+ . . From there, we went to the MALL to get some FAMOUS DAVE'S, as it was opening day. The BBQ place is owned by the same guy that signs my checks, and I wanted to try to eat there to see the inside and such. Well, it was quite busy, because when anything new opens up in the Antelope Valley, everyone has to check it out. We decided on having a GREAT STEAK for lunch instead, and that was a wise decision indeed. We trotted around the MALL, finally ending up at the Clearance rack at ANCHOR BLUE, where I found 2 CY Shirts and 2 sweaters (plain, don't worry - they're not COSBY-type) for the minimal price of $45. It would have been over $100 had they not been on sale. I love CLEARANCE!!! My girl is so good to me - she shops with me so well (although I shop with her too. . .). Time well spent.
- Anybody watching the WINTER OLYMPICS? Yeah, me neither.
- When I got home from work on Saturday, I watched all of the NBA All-Star stuff that I'd TIVO'd. I love All-Star Weekend! The NBA is my one true sports love, and I will follow it as long as I draw breaths. I enjoyed the Dunk Contest, which has lately been quite disappointing. I actually jumped off of the couch after two of the dunks, both of which you can view here ( http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/allstar2006/news/story?id=2335818 - 1: the Iguodala "off the back of the backboard" dunk and 2: the Robinson "over Spud" dunk). Great stuff.
- I did have school today (unfortunately) and it was kind of a lame day all around. HISTORY was the usual note-taking class. No PHILOSOPHY today, as Dr. Zhu cancelled class. So, I went to my car and worked on homework until COMMUNICATIONS which was b-o-r-i-n-g!!!! My ASTRONOMY test was great, up until the multiple choice section. The math in that class is very basic (plug-in and solve, essentially) but the MC just kicks me in the butt. We'll see how the curve helps me on this one. I was outta there by 1500 today and then it was to work at 1700 tonight.
- I have a GINORMOUS secret, but I cannot reveal it until I am given permission. Let's just say that I'm stoked and that I'm more content with my present situation now.
- O I also used my Debit card for the first time today! It was pretty exciting (although it would have been cooler had no money come out of my checking accout) as I pulled into SHELL and didn't have to go in and hand the checker lady my cash. This was exciting! Let me celebrate. .
And that's about all I can go with at this moment in time. I'm tired. I do have a free day tomorrow (my only day off this week, plus no school) so that is nice. I hope everyone has a great Wednesday and if everything goes as planned, I won't blog until Thursday night. You'll be okay, trust me. . .
- - - "You can think I'm wrong, but that's no reason to quit thinking."
- - - Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie) on an episode of HOUSE; He's my new hero. . .
Goodnight folkages,
The Rambler
Friday, February 17, 2006
Curious Capote and An Early Evening
Isn't alliteration fun?
Happy Friday (Saturday is in 10 minutes) little kiddies! I hope that the first day of a 4-day-weekend (for some) was a great one for everybody. I've had a rather eventful 2 days, and I know that you're just dying to hear about it in the crazy, rambling way that I tell it. Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you. . .
I had school yesterday. History went by as usual. Philosophy was kinda interesting. This one kid was hardcore arguing (albeit respectfully) with Dr. Zhu about what sentence was the conclusion and all that kind of jazz. It was funny to listen to, because he was so adament that his answer was correct. Too bad the teacher disagreed. Communications was not interesting at all. It was actually kinda funny because we were talking about the process of listening and even discussed the ineffective ways of listening. I'm not completely sure what she said though (I was hearing, not listening ha ha). Astronomy was easy and brief, as it was a review day for our test on Tuesday. I was out of there a little after 1500 and on my way home.
I got home and didn't do all that much (a little NBA LIVE action) until 1645. Then I took Caleb to DCHS and waited for my mom and Aimee to get out of their little meeting they had. You see, I was helping my dad out. My mom and he had planned to go out to dinner for a late Valentine's dinner last night. Well, little did she know that he had planned to make her dinner and have a nice little night together. I was willing to help cuz I thought it was a great idea and I found it to be quite romantic. Hints of me. . . Anyway, I got Aimee and the 3 Gott kids headed to CINEMARK 22 to see CURIOUS GEORGE. This was the only film that Caleb could see. It was a cute family movie (geared towards the little ones) that had some funny moments thanks mostly to David Cross. The monkey was cute (Heather, you'll love him!) and the story was innocent and kick-back. Nothing special, but not a complete waste of time. The role of Jack Johnson as the "background music" upgrades this film a single letter grade, thus - Grade: B- . . . After the movie (which Caleb loved) we went to IN-N-OUT for dinner. I wasn't sure what to do then because it was only 1915 and I told my dad I'd come back between 2000 and 2030. I needed another hour. Well, by the suggestion of my wonderful Heather, we attempted CHUCK-E-CHEESE'S. We spent around 45 minutes playing arcade games and the time flew by. Once we were done there, I took them through the AVC parking lot and showed Caleb my "new school". After that it was home again home again. My parents had a great dinner (salmon, which apparently was quite good) and were playing MARIO KART when we returned. Fun stuff.
After all of the hubbub of telling them of our evening, I wandered upstairs to play some more NBA LIVE. It was then that I decided to see the 2135 showing of CAPOTE right back at CINEMARK 22. This is the last of the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture for me to see. This was also the last showing of it in Lancaster, for as of today, it is no longer at a local theatre. So, I got my lazy butt up and went and saw the critically-acclaimed film. For me, it was a pretty good film, but not one that rocked my world. What did rock my world was Philip Seymour Hoffman's amazing performance. He was just plain incredible at playing the lispy, dark, and brilliant Truman Capote. The night before the OSCARS air in March, I will give my predictions and hopeful picks, and you can expect Hoffman to be named somewhere in there! About the film though, it kept me interested for the full 2 hours and really kept the tension well. But it's all about the Hoffman performance. Grade: B+
I got home around 2330 and went to bad soon thereafter. I woke up this morning around 1000 and puttered around til 1230 or so. I did some homework for my online class and played a little more NBA LIVE (I beat the Lakers - I'm the SUNS of course - 119-112 in overtime!) before I had to get ready for work. I left around 1525 and made a stop at the Mall. I found BORDERS and went in and bought IN COLD BLOOD, the "non-fiction novel" that is the subject of the aforementioned CAPOTE film. I thought that I would read it because it sounded really good based on the film. I look forward to beginning a book that I can read for fun!
Happy Friday (Saturday is in 10 minutes) little kiddies! I hope that the first day of a 4-day-weekend (for some) was a great one for everybody. I've had a rather eventful 2 days, and I know that you're just dying to hear about it in the crazy, rambling way that I tell it. Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint you. . .
I had school yesterday. History went by as usual. Philosophy was kinda interesting. This one kid was hardcore arguing (albeit respectfully) with Dr. Zhu about what sentence was the conclusion and all that kind of jazz. It was funny to listen to, because he was so adament that his answer was correct. Too bad the teacher disagreed. Communications was not interesting at all. It was actually kinda funny because we were talking about the process of listening and even discussed the ineffective ways of listening. I'm not completely sure what she said though (I was hearing, not listening ha ha). Astronomy was easy and brief, as it was a review day for our test on Tuesday. I was out of there a little after 1500 and on my way home.
I got home and didn't do all that much (a little NBA LIVE action) until 1645. Then I took Caleb to DCHS and waited for my mom and Aimee to get out of their little meeting they had. You see, I was helping my dad out. My mom and he had planned to go out to dinner for a late Valentine's dinner last night. Well, little did she know that he had planned to make her dinner and have a nice little night together. I was willing to help cuz I thought it was a great idea and I found it to be quite romantic. Hints of me. . . Anyway, I got Aimee and the 3 Gott kids headed to CINEMARK 22 to see CURIOUS GEORGE. This was the only film that Caleb could see. It was a cute family movie (geared towards the little ones) that had some funny moments thanks mostly to David Cross. The monkey was cute (Heather, you'll love him!) and the story was innocent and kick-back. Nothing special, but not a complete waste of time. The role of Jack Johnson as the "background music" upgrades this film a single letter grade, thus - Grade: B- . . . After the movie (which Caleb loved) we went to IN-N-OUT for dinner. I wasn't sure what to do then because it was only 1915 and I told my dad I'd come back between 2000 and 2030. I needed another hour. Well, by the suggestion of my wonderful Heather, we attempted CHUCK-E-CHEESE'S. We spent around 45 minutes playing arcade games and the time flew by. Once we were done there, I took them through the AVC parking lot and showed Caleb my "new school". After that it was home again home again. My parents had a great dinner (salmon, which apparently was quite good) and were playing MARIO KART when we returned. Fun stuff.
After all of the hubbub of telling them of our evening, I wandered upstairs to play some more NBA LIVE. It was then that I decided to see the 2135 showing of CAPOTE right back at CINEMARK 22. This is the last of the Academy Award nominees for Best Picture for me to see. This was also the last showing of it in Lancaster, for as of today, it is no longer at a local theatre. So, I got my lazy butt up and went and saw the critically-acclaimed film. For me, it was a pretty good film, but not one that rocked my world. What did rock my world was Philip Seymour Hoffman's amazing performance. He was just plain incredible at playing the lispy, dark, and brilliant Truman Capote. The night before the OSCARS air in March, I will give my predictions and hopeful picks, and you can expect Hoffman to be named somewhere in there! About the film though, it kept me interested for the full 2 hours and really kept the tension well. But it's all about the Hoffman performance. Grade: B+
I got home around 2330 and went to bad soon thereafter. I woke up this morning around 1000 and puttered around til 1230 or so. I did some homework for my online class and played a little more NBA LIVE (I beat the Lakers - I'm the SUNS of course - 119-112 in overtime!) before I had to get ready for work. I left around 1525 and made a stop at the Mall. I found BORDERS and went in and bought IN COLD BLOOD, the "non-fiction novel" that is the subject of the aforementioned CAPOTE film. I thought that I would read it because it sounded really good based on the film. I look forward to beginning a book that I can read for fun!
It was then time for work. I was there at 1600 and TTed until 2100, when I was prematurely cut. I was completely fine with it, though, as I didn't feel like working tonight. We were not busy at all for a Friday night. I may have made $40. But hey, that's $40 that I didn't have before tonight. Some fellow graduates of DCHS (Class of 2005 as well) came in tonight so that was kinda cool. My good buddy Tom was among them, and it was really nice to see him (You still need a haircut pal). We might grab lunch tomorrow. That'll be fun.
Well as much as I'd like to share some more anecdotes and such, it's after 0100 and my wonderful Heather is on the phone. I miss her so much and I really wanna chat with her as I fall asleep. Hope everyone's Saturday and Sunday is great and I'll see in the next edition of THE WEEKEND GRAB-BAG.
Goodnight - -
- - - "Ever since I was a child, folks have thought they had me pegged, because of the way I am, the way I talk. And they're always wrong." - - - Truman Capote
The Rambler
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Valentine's Day + Restaurant = AHHHHH!!!
I swear it was like anarchy. I have no other words that can describe the absolute chaos, confusion, and did I mention chaos that was present at good ol' JOHNNY CARINO'S on Tuesday night. My life actually passed before me eyes. I kid you not. But I didn't begin my day at work (although it sure felt like I did). Here's my Tuesday and Wednesday folks (and thanks for checking in on The Rambler!):
I woke up late yesterday (0900) but still made it to class in time to snag a seat. History went fine (notes as usual) and I got my test back (shockingly, a 91 - I thought I did worse) so that was nice. I then went to Philosophy and turned in the paper that I was up til 0130 doing (see my last blog. .). Just as class ended, my phone began vibrating so I answered. My manager Tim was calling me in early to work. You see, they only had one busser in the morning and then the other 5, including me, scheduled for night. Well the lunch rush proved to be busier than usual (no kidding) so they were trying to get someone in there. Well I went to Communications and saw that my friend Joyce was in class (this is rare - ha ha). She's also in my Astronomy class. I gave her my homework for Astronomy asking her to turn it in for me. We had a group project work day in Comm so I was thinking I could get out of class easily. Thus, I left school and headed home to eat and get ready. I was at work by 1330 and began the LONGEST NIGHT EVER!!!!
It was funny (not at the time mind you) that the first table I bussed, the plastic cups fell off the tray, spilling water over the booth and the floor. It only took me another minute to clean it up, but I should have seen that as a sign for things to come. I bussed for a little over 2 hours and then went on break at 1600 when another TT came on. I ate and chatted with our MIT (Manager In Training) Veronica who is super cool. This was the best 30 minutes of my work day. After that, I went to go TT some more, ready for the busy night. All of us TT were on by 1700 and it appeared as it was going to be a cake night. WELL, all that changed when one host didn't show up. There were only 3 hosts up there plus our manager Jennifer and that was not nearly enough as we had a line out the door just to put names on the list! The girls were just not productive enough to handle it on their own unfortunately. Well Tim asked me to go up to the Host stand and help, as I wasn't necessaily needed as a TT. I was bummed, shared that disappointment, and then trudged to the front. Around 1800, I ended up taking names and I didn't move from that spot until 2230. We were on a 2 hour wait! Throughout the night, I went through 19 pages of names for out wait! I could go in to greater detail, but it's really not important. It's interesting, but it's not important to go into again (can't you tell I'm trying to avoid thinking about it?). Last night was long, difficult, and one that I hope I will be able to forget. Can't wait for Mother's Day. . .
I woke up this morning around 1000, and pretty much putzed around the house all day. I did do some laundry for the family and I did clean up my stairs and began the chore of cleaning my room. I also played some Nintendo with Caleb and browsed my many movie sites for new information. It all culminated in my buddy Justin coming over to hang out. He was here around 1700 and we were able to hang out til 2230. We watched two movies (THE ARISTOCRATS, a crude, pervasively profane documentary about a joke that's been around for centuries. It features anecdotes from almost 100 comedians and it certainly had it's funny moments. It's not for everyone though. Very crude. Grade: B- . . . HUSTLE AND FLOW, a gritty, hard-hitting drama about a pimp who hits a mid-life crisis and attempts to break onto the rap scene. Terrence Howard, who also appears amazingly in CRASH, gives an incredibly powerful performance, and although the music won't appeal to everyone, I found it to be quite amazing-sounding. Great film with great performances. Grade: A) and just got a chance to hang out, which was cool. Wednesdays seem to work out well for both of us, so it has kinda turned into our movie days. Fun stuff.
It's pretty late now, so I'm gonna head to bed. Another school week is ending tomorrow (Yes Yes Yes!!!) so that's exciting. I'll either be posting tomorrow, or waiting til this weekend. We'll see. All five of you reading certainly won't mind waiting, right???
Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. I didn't, but then again, it's JUST A DAY. It's no different than today or tomorrow. That's what people don't understand! Wow, it just blows me away! Ok, I'm done on my soap box. .
Sleep well world - - See ya on the flipside
- - -
JUSTIN
I woke up late yesterday (0900) but still made it to class in time to snag a seat. History went fine (notes as usual) and I got my test back (shockingly, a 91 - I thought I did worse) so that was nice. I then went to Philosophy and turned in the paper that I was up til 0130 doing (see my last blog. .). Just as class ended, my phone began vibrating so I answered. My manager Tim was calling me in early to work. You see, they only had one busser in the morning and then the other 5, including me, scheduled for night. Well the lunch rush proved to be busier than usual (no kidding) so they were trying to get someone in there. Well I went to Communications and saw that my friend Joyce was in class (this is rare - ha ha). She's also in my Astronomy class. I gave her my homework for Astronomy asking her to turn it in for me. We had a group project work day in Comm so I was thinking I could get out of class easily. Thus, I left school and headed home to eat and get ready. I was at work by 1330 and began the LONGEST NIGHT EVER!!!!
It was funny (not at the time mind you) that the first table I bussed, the plastic cups fell off the tray, spilling water over the booth and the floor. It only took me another minute to clean it up, but I should have seen that as a sign for things to come. I bussed for a little over 2 hours and then went on break at 1600 when another TT came on. I ate and chatted with our MIT (Manager In Training) Veronica who is super cool. This was the best 30 minutes of my work day. After that, I went to go TT some more, ready for the busy night. All of us TT were on by 1700 and it appeared as it was going to be a cake night. WELL, all that changed when one host didn't show up. There were only 3 hosts up there plus our manager Jennifer and that was not nearly enough as we had a line out the door just to put names on the list! The girls were just not productive enough to handle it on their own unfortunately. Well Tim asked me to go up to the Host stand and help, as I wasn't necessaily needed as a TT. I was bummed, shared that disappointment, and then trudged to the front. Around 1800, I ended up taking names and I didn't move from that spot until 2230. We were on a 2 hour wait! Throughout the night, I went through 19 pages of names for out wait! I could go in to greater detail, but it's really not important. It's interesting, but it's not important to go into again (can't you tell I'm trying to avoid thinking about it?). Last night was long, difficult, and one that I hope I will be able to forget. Can't wait for Mother's Day. . .
I woke up this morning around 1000, and pretty much putzed around the house all day. I did do some laundry for the family and I did clean up my stairs and began the chore of cleaning my room. I also played some Nintendo with Caleb and browsed my many movie sites for new information. It all culminated in my buddy Justin coming over to hang out. He was here around 1700 and we were able to hang out til 2230. We watched two movies (THE ARISTOCRATS, a crude, pervasively profane documentary about a joke that's been around for centuries. It features anecdotes from almost 100 comedians and it certainly had it's funny moments. It's not for everyone though. Very crude. Grade: B- . . . HUSTLE AND FLOW, a gritty, hard-hitting drama about a pimp who hits a mid-life crisis and attempts to break onto the rap scene. Terrence Howard, who also appears amazingly in CRASH, gives an incredibly powerful performance, and although the music won't appeal to everyone, I found it to be quite amazing-sounding. Great film with great performances. Grade: A) and just got a chance to hang out, which was cool. Wednesdays seem to work out well for both of us, so it has kinda turned into our movie days. Fun stuff.
It's pretty late now, so I'm gonna head to bed. Another school week is ending tomorrow (Yes Yes Yes!!!) so that's exciting. I'll either be posting tomorrow, or waiting til this weekend. We'll see. All five of you reading certainly won't mind waiting, right???
Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. I didn't, but then again, it's JUST A DAY. It's no different than today or tomorrow. That's what people don't understand! Wow, it just blows me away! Ok, I'm done on my soap box. .
Sleep well world - - See ya on the flipside
- - -
JUSTIN
Monday, February 13, 2006
Things To Do When You're Procrastinating
Well I have found quite a few things this afternoon/evening. I have a PHILOSOPHY paper due tomorrow and I just can't do it. Nothing can get me to do it. Well except maybe that I HAVE to do it! Dangit. Late night. So here's the list (and it's only partial - I'm still discovering other winners):
- Watch A Movie (I watched 2 today - I went and saw GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK by myself - no pity parties please - at CINEMARK 22 this afternoon. It was a well-shot film with a great story and great performances. If it wasn't so hard to follow, I may have enjoyed it more. Grade: B+; I also watched HIDE AND SEEK on HBO tonight. That is that awful Robert De Niro film from last year where little Dakota Fanning says she has an imaginary friend and then all sorts of crazy crap starts happening. Meh. I wasn't impressed, scared, or altogether interested, but again, it was better than doing homework. Grade: D)
- Bother Good-Student Girlfriend (I did this several times tonight. Poor Heather. I would just call to see how she was doing, knowing full well that she was trying to be a dedicated student. Talking to her is one of my most favorite things. I'd do it even if I wasn't procrastinating!)
- Check ESPN.COM for nothing in particular (I do this every now and then. It's more of a "hypothetical situation" thing that I create in my head. Just making sure my SUNS are doing ok and that my hated-LAKERS are doing poorly. So far, so good.)
- Walk Around (Boring, but better than bullshitting a homework assignment)
- Blogging (This was one of those obvious things, huh?)
- Twiddle Thumbs (Way better than it's cracked up to be!)
- Pick Up Shifts (I worked as a Host this morning from 1100-1600. I also picked up my tips from Saturday - $75! I like this TT thing)
- Stop Procrastinating ("Everything must end badly. Otherwise, it wouldn't come to an end." - That's from the great, that's right - great, Tom Cruise film COCKTAIL. I feel that it has many truisms within it. Is truism a word? Either way, I gotta mosey on forward)
On to my paper. Gotta create something at least. Wish me luck!
Good night, and good luck (I need a catchphrase. . .),
JUSTIN
- Watch A Movie (I watched 2 today - I went and saw GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK by myself - no pity parties please - at CINEMARK 22 this afternoon. It was a well-shot film with a great story and great performances. If it wasn't so hard to follow, I may have enjoyed it more. Grade: B+; I also watched HIDE AND SEEK on HBO tonight. That is that awful Robert De Niro film from last year where little Dakota Fanning says she has an imaginary friend and then all sorts of crazy crap starts happening. Meh. I wasn't impressed, scared, or altogether interested, but again, it was better than doing homework. Grade: D)
- Bother Good-Student Girlfriend (I did this several times tonight. Poor Heather. I would just call to see how she was doing, knowing full well that she was trying to be a dedicated student. Talking to her is one of my most favorite things. I'd do it even if I wasn't procrastinating!)
- Check ESPN.COM for nothing in particular (I do this every now and then. It's more of a "hypothetical situation" thing that I create in my head. Just making sure my SUNS are doing ok and that my hated-LAKERS are doing poorly. So far, so good.)
- Walk Around (Boring, but better than bullshitting a homework assignment)
- Blogging (This was one of those obvious things, huh?)
- Twiddle Thumbs (Way better than it's cracked up to be!)
- Pick Up Shifts (I worked as a Host this morning from 1100-1600. I also picked up my tips from Saturday - $75! I like this TT thing)
- Stop Procrastinating ("Everything must end badly. Otherwise, it wouldn't come to an end." - That's from the great, that's right - great, Tom Cruise film COCKTAIL. I feel that it has many truisms within it. Is truism a word? Either way, I gotta mosey on forward)
On to my paper. Gotta create something at least. Wish me luck!
Good night, and good luck (I need a catchphrase. . .),
JUSTIN
Sunday, February 12, 2006
The Weekend Grab-Bag: The "Honkytonk Badonkadonk" Version
Yes folks, this is a new blog. Can you believe it? It's interesting how I chose right before midnight on a Sunday night/Monday morning to catch everyone up on the last three days or whatever. I guess I do it when I can. . .
Now, about the title. Well, first off, I think it's funny. Second, I'm listening to country music more and more nowadays and that is quite a popular song at the present time. It's a Trace Adkins song and is quite catchy actually. The lyrics aren't all that groundbreaking ("Got it goin' on/Like Donkey Kong/And whoo-wee/Shut my mouth/Slap your grandma") but dangit if I don't blast it when KTPI plays it every hour! Thus, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most recent installment of THE WEEKEND GRAB-BAG. And, as always, it's very unlikely that any of this will be chronological (it's hard enough remembering what happened!) so just hang on with me. . .
- Well the whole JOHNNY CARINO'S situation has shook from the ground up, very much like the earthquakes that so rock our Southern California communities (Although not recently, thank goodness, but don't you feel like we're way overdue? I think about these things. .). I headed into work on Friday at 1600 as I was scheduled and clocked in, but it clocked me in as a Table Tender again, meaning that I would be making less for hosting again (I had done that on Wednesday night too). So I asked around (it was Pay Day, so it was a little chaotic) and I finally decided to just check the schedule and see what had gone on. WELL, the schedule for this week (actually, last week - it was this past week) had been changed midweek! Instead of being scheduled to host on Friday night, I was scheduled to Table Tend (from now on, for the sake of my fingers, Table Tending will be referred to as TT - you can add the appropriate suffix my friends)! That meant a long night, but I was up for it. Well I looked at next week's schedule and I was completely off the Host schedule! I couldn't figure it out! Then I looked at the TT schedule. There was my name followed by 4 days (Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) scheduled as a TT. I have finally done it. I pushed my nose into places and said all the right things and worked just hard enough to finally get Charlie to give the OK to make me a TT. This is great! Although they say I will periodically Host (for example, I can still cover Host shifts - like tomorrow morning - and I am scheduled on President's Day) but I am now a TT. I am smiling in my chair right now. Well, I TT both Friday night and Saturday night. I also hosted Saturday morning. Saturday was spent almost entirely at JC. I spend a lot of time there, but I'm starting to regain some stability in my checking account (finally!) and for that, excitement fills me up.
- Now for the same reasons that I'm excited, I'm frustrated. I know that I'm gonna be busy (very busy) and I fear that I'm gonna get behind in school. The class suffering the most is my online class because it's very easy to go a week and completly forget about everything that's due. It's tough, but I gotta keep up my grades. Basically, I'm just not getting A's right now (although, in my defense, most of my classes have had very limited grade opportunities). I'm not failing or anything - it's just not usual Justin schoolwork. Three more months!!!
- I stayed up late on Friday night and Saturday night with my wonderful Heather who was home this weekend from THE LB. Friday night we stayed up til almost 0300 watching TIVO'd episodes of AMERICAN IDOL, getting her all caught up. Last night we stayed up playing MARIO KART: DOUBLE DASH at her house with Chelsea. All in all, I just plain enjoy spending time with my beautiful girlfriend (Yes, I have a girlfriend! It feels great to say that!). Today was our Valentine's Day. It was the only opportunity we had to celebrate the holiday that is so commercially motivated, it's not even funny. We went to Valencia for lunch and shopping - that's it. With us, we don't have to do some gigantic date thing to celebrate V-Day. We ate lunch at T.G.I. FRIDAY'S and then went looking around Town Center and the Mall. I had already told her that I would get her whatever she wanted at her favorite store (Charlotte Russe) and she finally agreed when she found a cute dress that she really liked. Throw in some gold high heels and some earrings and it was Happy Valentine's to my Heather. I figured I could do that with the tips I am now earning. Thanks CARINO'S! We went to BEN AND JERRY'S for our favorite Cherry Garcia and ate it by that fountain in front of the movie theatre. After that, it was time (very very unfortunately) for her to head back to THE LB. When I kissed her goodbye, I couldn't help but wish for the day when I don't have to say goodbye every weekend (at the most - sometimes it's a bigger gap between visits). When I got home, I was apathetic and unmotivated to do anything. That's what happens when you're gone Heather. . . Sure, I did a few things, but is was only to distract my mind from dwelling on my selfish loneliness. I won't apologize for missing Heather, so don't even tell me not to do it! It's all I can do at this time.
- Is anyone else happy with our warm weather? I'm quite ecstatic by the lack of the need for a jacket. This is the time of the year that is my favorite. Sandals are back!
- O yeah, Heather got a job! She walked into PETCO down in THE LB and they practically hired her on the spot! I said, "Good goin' Cy" (those who know Cy know what I'm talking about - you know I'm just jealous bud ha ha) but I was honestly very happy for her. She's going to Australia this summer and still has a bit more to pay for (it's half-school stuff, half-recreational fun; she's going with Chelsea, so that's cool) so the job will be really good. The only bummer is that she's gonna work Thursday-Sunday. You can read between the lines on that one and find out why I am bummed out. I'm happy for her (stoked, elated, jovial) but still bummed out. Hey, I can do both!
- I have resisted the temptation to see FINAL DESTINATION 3 through one weekend. Cy, I will do my best to hang on til you get home. Maybe you'll have to come back early!
- The Desert Christian boys basketball team lost their last regular season game in Boron (by 13 points even), finishing just one win shy of a perfect 10-0 league record. I was at practice with them on Thursday, and I predicted that they'd lose. Maybe it'll be a wake-up call for playoffs. Congrats on a great season, guys! Undefeated just wasn't meant to be.
- O and one more thing: WEEZER is the greatest band of ALL-TIME! Just thought I'd mention that real quick and subtle like. . .
Night for now my internet friends. Gotta work in 10 hours (it's now 0100) so I need to hit the hay. Hope everyone is doing well and maintaining their busy lives as I am trying to do. Remember to prioritize and don't forget to tell those you love how you feel. It's just that important! See you tomorrow night!
- - - "But I'm shaking at your touch/I like you way too much/My baby, I'm afraid I'm falling for you/And I'd do about anything to get the hell out alive/Or maybe I would rather settle down with you"
- - - "Falling For You" by WEEZER (Track 09 on PINKERTON)
Feeling a GRAB-BAG of emotions,
The Rambler
Now, about the title. Well, first off, I think it's funny. Second, I'm listening to country music more and more nowadays and that is quite a popular song at the present time. It's a Trace Adkins song and is quite catchy actually. The lyrics aren't all that groundbreaking ("Got it goin' on/Like Donkey Kong/And whoo-wee/Shut my mouth/Slap your grandma") but dangit if I don't blast it when KTPI plays it every hour! Thus, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most recent installment of THE WEEKEND GRAB-BAG. And, as always, it's very unlikely that any of this will be chronological (it's hard enough remembering what happened!) so just hang on with me. . .
- Well the whole JOHNNY CARINO'S situation has shook from the ground up, very much like the earthquakes that so rock our Southern California communities (Although not recently, thank goodness, but don't you feel like we're way overdue? I think about these things. .). I headed into work on Friday at 1600 as I was scheduled and clocked in, but it clocked me in as a Table Tender again, meaning that I would be making less for hosting again (I had done that on Wednesday night too). So I asked around (it was Pay Day, so it was a little chaotic) and I finally decided to just check the schedule and see what had gone on. WELL, the schedule for this week (actually, last week - it was this past week) had been changed midweek! Instead of being scheduled to host on Friday night, I was scheduled to Table Tend (from now on, for the sake of my fingers, Table Tending will be referred to as TT - you can add the appropriate suffix my friends)! That meant a long night, but I was up for it. Well I looked at next week's schedule and I was completely off the Host schedule! I couldn't figure it out! Then I looked at the TT schedule. There was my name followed by 4 days (Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) scheduled as a TT. I have finally done it. I pushed my nose into places and said all the right things and worked just hard enough to finally get Charlie to give the OK to make me a TT. This is great! Although they say I will periodically Host (for example, I can still cover Host shifts - like tomorrow morning - and I am scheduled on President's Day) but I am now a TT. I am smiling in my chair right now. Well, I TT both Friday night and Saturday night. I also hosted Saturday morning. Saturday was spent almost entirely at JC. I spend a lot of time there, but I'm starting to regain some stability in my checking account (finally!) and for that, excitement fills me up.
- Now for the same reasons that I'm excited, I'm frustrated. I know that I'm gonna be busy (very busy) and I fear that I'm gonna get behind in school. The class suffering the most is my online class because it's very easy to go a week and completly forget about everything that's due. It's tough, but I gotta keep up my grades. Basically, I'm just not getting A's right now (although, in my defense, most of my classes have had very limited grade opportunities). I'm not failing or anything - it's just not usual Justin schoolwork. Three more months!!!
- I stayed up late on Friday night and Saturday night with my wonderful Heather who was home this weekend from THE LB. Friday night we stayed up til almost 0300 watching TIVO'd episodes of AMERICAN IDOL, getting her all caught up. Last night we stayed up playing MARIO KART: DOUBLE DASH at her house with Chelsea. All in all, I just plain enjoy spending time with my beautiful girlfriend (Yes, I have a girlfriend! It feels great to say that!). Today was our Valentine's Day. It was the only opportunity we had to celebrate the holiday that is so commercially motivated, it's not even funny. We went to Valencia for lunch and shopping - that's it. With us, we don't have to do some gigantic date thing to celebrate V-Day. We ate lunch at T.G.I. FRIDAY'S and then went looking around Town Center and the Mall. I had already told her that I would get her whatever she wanted at her favorite store (Charlotte Russe) and she finally agreed when she found a cute dress that she really liked. Throw in some gold high heels and some earrings and it was Happy Valentine's to my Heather. I figured I could do that with the tips I am now earning. Thanks CARINO'S! We went to BEN AND JERRY'S for our favorite Cherry Garcia and ate it by that fountain in front of the movie theatre. After that, it was time (very very unfortunately) for her to head back to THE LB. When I kissed her goodbye, I couldn't help but wish for the day when I don't have to say goodbye every weekend (at the most - sometimes it's a bigger gap between visits). When I got home, I was apathetic and unmotivated to do anything. That's what happens when you're gone Heather. . . Sure, I did a few things, but is was only to distract my mind from dwelling on my selfish loneliness. I won't apologize for missing Heather, so don't even tell me not to do it! It's all I can do at this time.
- Is anyone else happy with our warm weather? I'm quite ecstatic by the lack of the need for a jacket. This is the time of the year that is my favorite. Sandals are back!
- O yeah, Heather got a job! She walked into PETCO down in THE LB and they practically hired her on the spot! I said, "Good goin' Cy" (those who know Cy know what I'm talking about - you know I'm just jealous bud ha ha) but I was honestly very happy for her. She's going to Australia this summer and still has a bit more to pay for (it's half-school stuff, half-recreational fun; she's going with Chelsea, so that's cool) so the job will be really good. The only bummer is that she's gonna work Thursday-Sunday. You can read between the lines on that one and find out why I am bummed out. I'm happy for her (stoked, elated, jovial) but still bummed out. Hey, I can do both!
- I have resisted the temptation to see FINAL DESTINATION 3 through one weekend. Cy, I will do my best to hang on til you get home. Maybe you'll have to come back early!
- The Desert Christian boys basketball team lost their last regular season game in Boron (by 13 points even), finishing just one win shy of a perfect 10-0 league record. I was at practice with them on Thursday, and I predicted that they'd lose. Maybe it'll be a wake-up call for playoffs. Congrats on a great season, guys! Undefeated just wasn't meant to be.
- O and one more thing: WEEZER is the greatest band of ALL-TIME! Just thought I'd mention that real quick and subtle like. . .
Night for now my internet friends. Gotta work in 10 hours (it's now 0100) so I need to hit the hay. Hope everyone is doing well and maintaining their busy lives as I am trying to do. Remember to prioritize and don't forget to tell those you love how you feel. It's just that important! See you tomorrow night!
- - - "But I'm shaking at your touch/I like you way too much/My baby, I'm afraid I'm falling for you/And I'd do about anything to get the hell out alive/Or maybe I would rather settle down with you"
- - - "Falling For You" by WEEZER (Track 09 on PINKERTON)
Feeling a GRAB-BAG of emotions,
The Rambler
Thursday, February 09, 2006
On Second Thought
I'm really tired (not much sleep last night) and I have a headache. So I'm not gonna hardcore blog tonight. Sorry - - -
School is school and work is, well, work. That's been my life this week.
I watched two movies: HOTEL RWANDA (Don Cheadle is one of the finest actors out there today - Grade: B) and JUNEBUG (Heartbreaking, real, and quite poignant - now if I only knew what poignant meant. . . Grade: B).
Heather's coming home this weekend and I have to work Friday and Saturday. I have Sunday off. Can't you hear the choir singing behind me? . .
Sleep well all - -
JUSTIN
School is school and work is, well, work. That's been my life this week.
I watched two movies: HOTEL RWANDA (Don Cheadle is one of the finest actors out there today - Grade: B) and JUNEBUG (Heartbreaking, real, and quite poignant - now if I only knew what poignant meant. . . Grade: B).
Heather's coming home this weekend and I have to work Friday and Saturday. I have Sunday off. Can't you hear the choir singing behind me? . .
Sleep well all - -
JUSTIN
Monday, February 06, 2006
Delightfully Tacky, Yet Completely Unrefined
I saw this on the back of a guy's shirt at work this past weekend. I looked closer and I saw that the shirt was from the restaurant HOOTERS. I found it funny because the guy was scraggly and kinda unkempt. I decided that this was the perfect shirt for that man. And I just couldn't not tell all six of you that read this :D
Well today was pretty busy considering that I didn't get out of bed until noon. I slept in til around 1100 and then just stubbornly laid there cuz I couldn't get myself to hop out of bed. I finally did, went downstairs, talked to my dad, ate a little something, took a shower and then the errands began. I left the house at 1400 and didn't get back til 1730! I took the recycleables to the place, ($25 there) went to work to get my tips from Saturday, ($70 there) went to Jamba Juice to be refreshed and Circuit City to spend some of that cash (bought 2 cd's: Matchbook Romance and James Blunt - this guy rocks! - and also SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE; only $30 spent) and then picked up my mom at work. Our van (her mode of transportation) is in the shop and she needed to get picked up and since I was close, we arranged that. After that, we picked up my winnings from the Super Bowl (I was in a pool that had to do with points and such - I spent $70 and won $100). From there, we went to the Credit Union so that I could get rid of all the cash that was very much so burning a hole in my pocket. After that, we went and got another estimate for my car (the highest one yet) and then got gas in my car. By that time, our van was ready. Thus, we went and picked it up and returned home again home again jiggity jig.
By the time we got home, I was ready to kick it for the night. I browsed the net while my mom made dinner and then we watched the SUNS/TIMBERWOLVES game on TV. My SUNS played terrible and still almost won, but a botched call at the end of the game cost them a victory. Dangit.
I played a few games of MARIO KART with Caleb and then I had to get on some homework. After that, I burned a CD for Aimee and then chatted with Heather on Yahoo. She's in bed now, so I figured I'd blog. Not much more to report really, except that I miss her super much! I can't wait for the weekend! My girl is so beautiful and I'm so fortunate to be with a girl so much out of my league:
Thanks for sticking with me honeybunny :D
That's it for now - - Gonna get ahead on some ASTRONOMY homework. Night folks!
- - - "You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful, it's true. There must be an angel with a smile on her face, when she thought up that I should be with you."
- - - "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt
JUSTIN
Well today was pretty busy considering that I didn't get out of bed until noon. I slept in til around 1100 and then just stubbornly laid there cuz I couldn't get myself to hop out of bed. I finally did, went downstairs, talked to my dad, ate a little something, took a shower and then the errands began. I left the house at 1400 and didn't get back til 1730! I took the recycleables to the place, ($25 there) went to work to get my tips from Saturday, ($70 there) went to Jamba Juice to be refreshed and Circuit City to spend some of that cash (bought 2 cd's: Matchbook Romance and James Blunt - this guy rocks! - and also SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE; only $30 spent) and then picked up my mom at work. Our van (her mode of transportation) is in the shop and she needed to get picked up and since I was close, we arranged that. After that, we picked up my winnings from the Super Bowl (I was in a pool that had to do with points and such - I spent $70 and won $100). From there, we went to the Credit Union so that I could get rid of all the cash that was very much so burning a hole in my pocket. After that, we went and got another estimate for my car (the highest one yet) and then got gas in my car. By that time, our van was ready. Thus, we went and picked it up and returned home again home again jiggity jig.
By the time we got home, I was ready to kick it for the night. I browsed the net while my mom made dinner and then we watched the SUNS/TIMBERWOLVES game on TV. My SUNS played terrible and still almost won, but a botched call at the end of the game cost them a victory. Dangit.
I played a few games of MARIO KART with Caleb and then I had to get on some homework. After that, I burned a CD for Aimee and then chatted with Heather on Yahoo. She's in bed now, so I figured I'd blog. Not much more to report really, except that I miss her super much! I can't wait for the weekend! My girl is so beautiful and I'm so fortunate to be with a girl so much out of my league:
Thanks for sticking with me honeybunny :DThat's it for now - - Gonna get ahead on some ASTRONOMY homework. Night folks!
- - - "You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful, it's true. There must be an angel with a smile on her face, when she thought up that I should be with you."
- - - "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt
JUSTIN
Sunday, February 05, 2006
The Weekend Grab-Bag: The XL Version
Hey all - -
What a Saturday/Sunday! I couldn't possibly have had two more polar opposite days! I'm completely fine with it all too. I certainly earned my Sunday. But you'll see. . .
So I fell asleep on Friday night/Saturday morning around 0200. I was up doing nothing productive - basically, I was just up. I was sleeping great until I heard my phone buzzing. Someimes, vibrate is worse than ring! So, I answered it half-consciously, thinking it was my Heather with a morning call. Instead, I heard, "Hey Justin, it's Jennifer from Johnny Carino's." Jennifer is one of my managers, and one of the 2 that I like. She's really kick-back and quite funny. Well, apparently they needed me to come in to host at 1100 for one of the other hosts who called in sick. Jennifer suggested that I work in the morning instead of night (which would have been just dandy with me) but I told her that I was bussing instead of hosting. You see, Charlie (the big GM) is having me table tend on Saturday nights to test me. For me it's cool, cuz it's an extra $70-$80 that I can live on. So I told her that I'd work a double shift if that was ok. She agreed and I was into work at 1100. I hosted til 1615 and then got a 45-minute break, during which I ate a free Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (my second favorite dish of ours). I came back on the clock at 1700 and bussed my tail off til 2300. For those of you who have issues adding (hey, it's ok) that would be 11 1/4 hours! The last 3 hours are overtime, which is time-and-a-half. Overall, it was a busy busy day, but one that will be worth it in the long run.
Because of my long day, I slept in a bit. I woke up around 1100 this morning and puttered around the house for most of the morning/afternoon. I enjoyed Lunner with the family around 1300 before my dad headed off to work. Then it was time for SUPER BOWL XL! The mucho-anticipated game that you watch even if you don't like football. The following is 2 paragraphs, one for the sports fan, and the other for the commercial fan: Enjoy!
- The game was slow. There were exciting moments, sure, but overall, the game was kinda disappointing. I was rooting for the Steelers (the eventual victors) so that was an added pleasure. I really like Bill Cowher, the head coach of the Steelers, and I was rooting for him to win his first ever Super Bowl ring. I think that the Steelers played a bad game and that the Seahawks played a worse game. Seattle had very poor clock management and they often looked like they just wanted to go and play out in the snow outside of Ford Field in Detroit. Congratulations Pittsburgh on winning the franchise's 5th Super Bowl. A Super season, indeed!
- Quick comment on the Halftime Show: The Rolling Stones are OLD!!!
- Now, the part that most viewers of the Super Bowl truly care about: Commercials. Well folks, you have a special treat in store for you, because I, the Rambler, took a running diary of all of the commercials that made me laugh, think, oooh and ahhhh, and also the ones that left me dumbfounded. And it was all done out of love. . .
DVD:
- SAW II (Released 02/14 - no joke): Great follow-up to a great horror film. I'm gonna hold off buying so that I can buy the trilogy set after SAW III takes us by storm this Halloween
- THE WEATHER MAN (Released 02/21): Underrated Nicolas Cage film. Funny. Heartbreaking. Interesting. AND NIC CAGE!
. . .
Well folks, I'm exhausted and it's now after 0200 on Monday. Hope everyone has a great Monday! Take care and drive safely - - -
Goodnight (finally),
JUSTIN
What a Saturday/Sunday! I couldn't possibly have had two more polar opposite days! I'm completely fine with it all too. I certainly earned my Sunday. But you'll see. . .
So I fell asleep on Friday night/Saturday morning around 0200. I was up doing nothing productive - basically, I was just up. I was sleeping great until I heard my phone buzzing. Someimes, vibrate is worse than ring! So, I answered it half-consciously, thinking it was my Heather with a morning call. Instead, I heard, "Hey Justin, it's Jennifer from Johnny Carino's." Jennifer is one of my managers, and one of the 2 that I like. She's really kick-back and quite funny. Well, apparently they needed me to come in to host at 1100 for one of the other hosts who called in sick. Jennifer suggested that I work in the morning instead of night (which would have been just dandy with me) but I told her that I was bussing instead of hosting. You see, Charlie (the big GM) is having me table tend on Saturday nights to test me. For me it's cool, cuz it's an extra $70-$80 that I can live on. So I told her that I'd work a double shift if that was ok. She agreed and I was into work at 1100. I hosted til 1615 and then got a 45-minute break, during which I ate a free Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (my second favorite dish of ours). I came back on the clock at 1700 and bussed my tail off til 2300. For those of you who have issues adding (hey, it's ok) that would be 11 1/4 hours! The last 3 hours are overtime, which is time-and-a-half. Overall, it was a busy busy day, but one that will be worth it in the long run.
Because of my long day, I slept in a bit. I woke up around 1100 this morning and puttered around the house for most of the morning/afternoon. I enjoyed Lunner with the family around 1300 before my dad headed off to work. Then it was time for SUPER BOWL XL! The mucho-anticipated game that you watch even if you don't like football. The following is 2 paragraphs, one for the sports fan, and the other for the commercial fan: Enjoy!
- The game was slow. There were exciting moments, sure, but overall, the game was kinda disappointing. I was rooting for the Steelers (the eventual victors) so that was an added pleasure. I really like Bill Cowher, the head coach of the Steelers, and I was rooting for him to win his first ever Super Bowl ring. I think that the Steelers played a bad game and that the Seahawks played a worse game. Seattle had very poor clock management and they often looked like they just wanted to go and play out in the snow outside of Ford Field in Detroit. Congratulations Pittsburgh on winning the franchise's 5th Super Bowl. A Super season, indeed!
- Quick comment on the Halftime Show: The Rolling Stones are OLD!!!
- Now, the part that most viewers of the Super Bowl truly care about: Commercials. Well folks, you have a special treat in store for you, because I, the Rambler, took a running diary of all of the commercials that made me laugh, think, oooh and ahhhh, and also the ones that left me dumbfounded. And it was all done out of love. . .
There were no real stand-outs this year when it came to the commercials. That is to say, there were no cat-herders or talking frogs/lizards. However, the winner of the night in my mind was, and without a doubt, Bud Light. They had 4 commercials, all in the first half, and they were all touchdowns! They ranged from "Hidden Beers in an Office" to a "Magic Fridge" (my favorite of the evening) to "The One where a Bear Chases Guys" (remember?) to finally one where "Husbands Do Rooftop Chores". All of these made me laugh and I take my hat off to the advertisers who came up with these great commercials.
Honorable Mention: Ameriquest, ("Don't Judge Too Quickly") Michelob (the one with the couple playing football - I loved when the guy tackled his girlfriend! It was hilarious!) and Nationwide (anything with Fabio in it rocks!).
There were 5 moments that made me think, "What the crap?!?" thus we call the following commercials the "What the Crap Commercials"! (Enter Theme Music - preferably awful-sounding) WTC Moment #1 took place at the very beginning of the game with a terrible Burger King commercial that featured women with costumes ranging from lettuce to onions to burger patties. Together, they made a WHOPPER. Together, they were an awful commercial. WTC Moment #2 was the 2 Diet Pepsi ads with Jay Mohr as an agent for a Diet Pepsi can. The first featured P. Diddy and the second, Jackie Chan. Neither was any good. WTC Moment #3 was when FedEx's commercial featuring cavemen made me actually cock my head to the side cuz I was so dumbfounded. Just ridiculous. WTC Moment #4 was the godaddy.com commercials featuring a buxom woman making an elderly man go into shock/respiratory arrest. Apparently it was a play on last year's commercial. Apparently, both were just that forgettable. And the granddaddy of them all, the WTH (that would be Hell - cuz crap just didn't cut it) Moment #5 was the horrid Hummer commercial. What began as a wannabe-Godzilla trashing a town ended up with a pregnant monster via a giant robot. I wish I was making this up. It culminated in the birth of a baby Hummer (red, in fact - get the symbolism?) and it drives off. I will not buy an H3 not only for this commercial alone, but also, the fact that I couldn't afford an H3 maybe ever.
Irregardless (ha ha) it was just a "Meh" SUPER BOWL. But Congratulations again to Pittsburgh!
There were also movie TV spots during the Super Bowl. Usually, studios take this time to unleash the first look at their big summer blockbusters. Not this year. I did rate the following TV spots out of 4 stars; no stars meaning "You won't catch me watching this film. Ever." and four stars meaning "Why can't this come out tomorrow?" Get it?
- Mission: Impossible III **** - Tom Cruise might be off his rocker, but this flick looks so incredibly awesome, that I am just beside myself with excitement. May 05, 2006 is the day after finals. It's also the day that I buy a movie ticket.
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest **** - Johnny Depp. Giant Octupi. Sword-fighting. Sequel to giant film of a couple of summer's ago. No more words needed.
- V For Vendetta *** 1/2 - This film, having already been delayed several months because of last year's London bombings, looks gritty and really cool. Plus, a masked Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith, y'all) and a bald Natalie Portman (she's still good looking somehow) just peaked my interest. Let's just hope the Wachowski brothers don't screw this up like they did the Matrix sequels.
- Cars *** - Looks entertaining. All Pixar movies are entertaining. I just wonder if any of the Pixar guys have seen Larry the Cable Guy's routine. . .
- Shaggy Dog ** - Could be funny. Tim Allen is due for something funny after a losing streak.
- Poseidon * 1/2 - Another unfortuante remake. The cast is cool and the effects could be nice to look at, but the effects were cool in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. And that really sucked!
- Running Scared * 1/2 - That's what the audience will be doing. Two words: Paul Walker.
- The World's Fastest Indian * - Huh?
- 16 Blocks (no stars) - Sorry Bruce Willis. No dap here. Plus, you gotta get rid of the mustache!
(Whew, I'm tired. . You're welcome by the way)
Now, and finally tonight, your Entertainment Preview for the month of February:
MOVIES:
- FINAL DESTINATION 3 (Opening 02/10): Yes! Cy and I are huge FD fans, and this one we have been waiting for (and pretending to write) for several years now. We thought of a theme park before this film was even greenlit, so we feel like we deserve some of the money from this film. Either way, I made a deal with him not to see it til he gets back from the Philippines in March. It'll be a long wait! (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=7302)
- SOMETHING NEW (Opened 02/03): Don't ask why I'm interested. I just am. Now leave me alone about it. (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=9503)
- DATE MOVIE (Opening 02/17): Could be funny. I'm intrigued. (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=10674)
- EIGHT BELOW (Opening 02/17): This is NOT (read: NOT!!!!) for me. Heather loved the trailer and so I will be seeing it. Hopefully, it features more of the dogs, and less of Paul Walker. Can you tell I really despise that man? (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=9089)
Honorable Mention:
- CURIOUS GEORGE (Opening 02/10): Meh (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=4909)
- FIREWALL (Opening 02/10): "I'm Harrison Ford. I'm mad. Hear me yell." (http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=11574)
DVD:
- SAW II (Released 02/14 - no joke): Great follow-up to a great horror film. I'm gonna hold off buying so that I can buy the trilogy set after SAW III takes us by storm this Halloween
- THE WEATHER MAN (Released 02/21): Underrated Nicolas Cage film. Funny. Heartbreaking. Interesting. AND NIC CAGE!
. . .
Well folks, I'm exhausted and it's now after 0200 on Monday. Hope everyone has a great Monday! Take care and drive safely - - -
Goodnight (finally),
JUSTIN
Friday, February 03, 2006
Drama Thy Name is "The O.C."
More on that drama-overflowing, night-time soap-opera later. The last few days have been interesting and have moved rather quickly. You wanna know why? O c'mon, I bet you do. . .
Well Thursday I had school. Now, I couldn't fall asleep on Wednesday night until close to 0230 and that posed a problem at 0800 when I needed to wake up. I slept in a little later than that but was still at school in plenty of time to begin my day, which went as well as could be expected. It still is school:
HISTORY - Notes. Nothing changes in this class, which is fine, but still. . .
PHILOSOPHY - The class is filled with morons. I'll put it that way.
COMMUNICATIONS - A highlight of my day as we began the film WINDTALKERS, starring Nicolas Cage (have I not stated before that I am a GINORMOUS fan of Cage?) because of it's central theme of communication. We spent all class watching it and will conclude it on Tuesday. This was a nice break.
ASTRONOMY - First test of my second semester in college. It went pretty well I think. Because of his grading style and such, I am confident that I got an "A" on it.
I was outta there by 1500 and off to where my mind had been all day. I left school, headed home, changed, and vamanosed (I know it's not grammatically correct - or any kind of correct - but I like using spanglish. So sue me.) to THE LB to surprise my wonderful Heather. She had absolutely NO IDEA that I was coming, and that was mostly due to the fact that I told her that I was at work! Traffic was ridiculous and it took me almost 3 hours to get down there. I stopped off and got her flowers and then the surprise was on. I walked up to her door and then texted her something to the effect of: "Did you get the flowers that I sent? Check your front door." Well, she checked her front door and let out a scream (it was loud ha ha) when she saw me standing there with flowers. It was incredible. I don't know if I've ever hugged her so tightly! It was great to be with her!
Since she had already eaten (freakin' traffic) she suggested we go to the grocery store since she needed to go anyway. We went and got some things for her and some things to make for my dinner. We got back to her place and she made me macaroni and cheese to go along with the fried chicken we'd gotten. It was yummy :D
As I ate, we watched CRASH. I just plain love that movie. It rests firmly in the Number 2 slot on my ALL-TIME list and I don't see it ever moving. I still cry at the same parts ("It's a really good cloak") and I still react the same to all of the twists and turns. THIS is the best film of 2005 and should receive the honor of BEST PICTURE at the ACADEMY AWARDS. We'll see. Anywho, she hadn't seen it, so this was why we watched it. She really liked it and actually had me leave it there to maybe rewatch it. Good stuff. We played Egyptian War like always and chatted about school, us, her dad, and anything we could bring up. We both shared that it was great just to be together and that it really didn't matter what we did as long as we were in the same room! I left and headed home (again, the freakin' hardest thing that I have to do!) and sleepily returned safely. A great night all around and one I certainly won't forget. I owe it all to Stacy for covering my shift. Thanks girl!
I slept in a bit this morning (1100) and got myself out of bed and in the shower since I had to be at work at 1230. I went in and did my thing til almost 1730 and then got to go home. I didn't know what to do with myself, as tonight was one of my first free Friday nights since I started at Johnny Carino's. I decided on Nintendo with the brother, reading, dinner and convo with the madre, some online poker, and THE O.C. from last night with the hermana. You see, I got Aimee hooked last week when I watched 3 episodes back-to-back-to-back via good ol' TIVO. She watched with me and I paused it to interject backstory for her so she could follow along. Well, we watched it again tonight and every commercial I would say the same thing: DRAMA. The show is so dramatic, it's not even funny! There is no possible way that any of this could happen to the same city, let alone the same small group of people. Either way, I still like it and am glad that I have someone to watch it with. Thanks Aimee.
And yes, I'm aware that it is February and that I owe y'all an ENTERTAINMENT preview, but that will have to wait until THE WEEKEND GRAB-BAG on Sunday. Can you wait???
Thanks folks - - Have a good weekend and enjoy SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! I know I will!
- - - "Life is not tried, it is merely survived, when you're standing outside the fire."
- - - "Standing Outside the Fire" by GARTH BROOKS
Goodnight,
HUSTEEN
Well Thursday I had school. Now, I couldn't fall asleep on Wednesday night until close to 0230 and that posed a problem at 0800 when I needed to wake up. I slept in a little later than that but was still at school in plenty of time to begin my day, which went as well as could be expected. It still is school:
HISTORY - Notes. Nothing changes in this class, which is fine, but still. . .
PHILOSOPHY - The class is filled with morons. I'll put it that way.
COMMUNICATIONS - A highlight of my day as we began the film WINDTALKERS, starring Nicolas Cage (have I not stated before that I am a GINORMOUS fan of Cage?) because of it's central theme of communication. We spent all class watching it and will conclude it on Tuesday. This was a nice break.
ASTRONOMY - First test of my second semester in college. It went pretty well I think. Because of his grading style and such, I am confident that I got an "A" on it.
I was outta there by 1500 and off to where my mind had been all day. I left school, headed home, changed, and vamanosed (I know it's not grammatically correct - or any kind of correct - but I like using spanglish. So sue me.) to THE LB to surprise my wonderful Heather. She had absolutely NO IDEA that I was coming, and that was mostly due to the fact that I told her that I was at work! Traffic was ridiculous and it took me almost 3 hours to get down there. I stopped off and got her flowers and then the surprise was on. I walked up to her door and then texted her something to the effect of: "Did you get the flowers that I sent? Check your front door." Well, she checked her front door and let out a scream (it was loud ha ha) when she saw me standing there with flowers. It was incredible. I don't know if I've ever hugged her so tightly! It was great to be with her!
Since she had already eaten (freakin' traffic) she suggested we go to the grocery store since she needed to go anyway. We went and got some things for her and some things to make for my dinner. We got back to her place and she made me macaroni and cheese to go along with the fried chicken we'd gotten. It was yummy :D
As I ate, we watched CRASH. I just plain love that movie. It rests firmly in the Number 2 slot on my ALL-TIME list and I don't see it ever moving. I still cry at the same parts ("It's a really good cloak") and I still react the same to all of the twists and turns. THIS is the best film of 2005 and should receive the honor of BEST PICTURE at the ACADEMY AWARDS. We'll see. Anywho, she hadn't seen it, so this was why we watched it. She really liked it and actually had me leave it there to maybe rewatch it. Good stuff. We played Egyptian War like always and chatted about school, us, her dad, and anything we could bring up. We both shared that it was great just to be together and that it really didn't matter what we did as long as we were in the same room! I left and headed home (again, the freakin' hardest thing that I have to do!) and sleepily returned safely. A great night all around and one I certainly won't forget. I owe it all to Stacy for covering my shift. Thanks girl!
I slept in a bit this morning (1100) and got myself out of bed and in the shower since I had to be at work at 1230. I went in and did my thing til almost 1730 and then got to go home. I didn't know what to do with myself, as tonight was one of my first free Friday nights since I started at Johnny Carino's. I decided on Nintendo with the brother, reading, dinner and convo with the madre, some online poker, and THE O.C. from last night with the hermana. You see, I got Aimee hooked last week when I watched 3 episodes back-to-back-to-back via good ol' TIVO. She watched with me and I paused it to interject backstory for her so she could follow along. Well, we watched it again tonight and every commercial I would say the same thing: DRAMA. The show is so dramatic, it's not even funny! There is no possible way that any of this could happen to the same city, let alone the same small group of people. Either way, I still like it and am glad that I have someone to watch it with. Thanks Aimee.
And yes, I'm aware that it is February and that I owe y'all an ENTERTAINMENT preview, but that will have to wait until THE WEEKEND GRAB-BAG on Sunday. Can you wait???
Thanks folks - - Have a good weekend and enjoy SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! I know I will!
- - - "Life is not tried, it is merely survived, when you're standing outside the fire."
- - - "Standing Outside the Fire" by GARTH BROOKS
Goodnight,
HUSTEEN
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
The Mini Blog
Hey folks - - -
I am really in no mood to blog right now. I had a really busy day yesterday and then today was pretty jam-packed too. I'm kinda tired. Plus, I'm really really happy and in a good mood because I've been talking to Heather on YAHOO IM for the last 45 minutes or so and we've been using our webcams. It's incredible to talk to her AND see her!
So I have school tomorrow. And I don't want to go anymore, so I'm not going to talk about it. Not even a little bit. I'm retiring for the evening. I just thought I'd at least let everyone know I'm still breathing.
O. I saw THE MATADOR today with Justin. Funny movie. Quirky and right up my alley. Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear both gave great performances and I really enjoyed the entire film. Yes indeedy. . . Grade: B+
Goodnight folkpeople,
JUSTIN
I am really in no mood to blog right now. I had a really busy day yesterday and then today was pretty jam-packed too. I'm kinda tired. Plus, I'm really really happy and in a good mood because I've been talking to Heather on YAHOO IM for the last 45 minutes or so and we've been using our webcams. It's incredible to talk to her AND see her!
So I have school tomorrow. And I don't want to go anymore, so I'm not going to talk about it. Not even a little bit. I'm retiring for the evening. I just thought I'd at least let everyone know I'm still breathing.
O. I saw THE MATADOR today with Justin. Funny movie. Quirky and right up my alley. Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear both gave great performances and I really enjoyed the entire film. Yes indeedy. . . Grade: B+
Goodnight folkpeople,
JUSTIN
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