With God, Anything is possible! - Matthew 27:57-61"The year 2005 will mark a new beginning and a chance to learn from history in order to create a brighter present and future." -The Great One
Today was a marvelous to say the very least. Jaime had her graduation ceremony today at Big Blue and I was fortunate enough to attend her graduation. I am so proud of her. At the same time, as I watched the entire ceremony, I realized how much I wanted to be a part of it all. Being able to attend the ceremony was both exciting and encouraging. I have a few more classes and an internship to complete before I am finally done with college myself. I plan on turning over a new leaf in 2005. It will be a whole new beginning. That is what I love about New Years.
Today's ceremony, coupled with the refreshing winter break that I am going to enjoy, will spark a whole new enthusiasm within myself come 2005. My graduation has been long overdue. Better late than never I suppose, but I believe I would have graduated much sooner had I been going to Stockton from the very beginning. When I transfered in from County College, I lost quite a number of credits. That knocked me back quite a bit. I have been on a mission to graduate from college, but that mission got a swift kick in the ass today as I watched the Fall 2004 Commencement ceremony. Let it be known that I am not in the habit of rushing things. Life is short enough as it is. I will take this journey one day at a time. I have a burning desire to complete all of my course requirements, but I know that I will have a ceremony as long as I complete them.
My moment of triumph is coming, whether it be sooner or later. Starting in January, my mission to graduate continues and I will likely have a different perspective in terms of what I want to accomplish and how significant of a task it is. The Great One is more than capable of graduating and I look forward to living out each individual day that shall lead me to that major pedestal in my life. I had never been to a graduation ceremony at Stockon, or at any other four year college for that matter. I am determined to become a part of the celebration when my time comes. This winter break is my rehabilitation and I plan on feeling rejuvenated as a result of it. My mind will be clear and my body is going to be well rested. Today's ceremony, coupled with the reinvigorating winter break that I am going to enjoy, will spark a whole new enthusiasm within myself come 2005.
After Jaime's ceremony was over, her family took us to Olive Garden for dinner. I had the chance to meet her grandparents. They were all very nice people and they seemed to take a liking to me. Jaime's grandmother was happy to see me knowing that I had hooked her up with a discount last Christmas when I was working at Macys. As I sat at the table and ate my dinner, it was interesting to see how they all interacted with each other as a family. Jaime's grandparents are awesome. One could indicate that they were all proud of Jaime for her accomplishments. The support that they were all showing her was a beautiful thing. I had a great time with Jaime and her family.
Tomorrow I am on-call at 9 am for work. Time will tell whether or not I have to go in to work for the day. In the event that I have to work, my only hope is that I am not closing. My plans are to drive up to Howell for Monday Night Football at 507 with Jaime and company. There should be some kind of special with the beers. Pizza pies will be $3.50 each. Hopefully I will be able to attend MNF at 507 so I can get my eat and drink on. I am also scheduled on Tuesday from 5pm until I get cut. Those who are not scheduled to close usually get cut around 9 or 10pm. After Tuesday, my Christmas vacation officially begins baby! I am psyched about going home for two weeks and spending the holidays with the family. Throughout the two weeks, I will also be spending time with Jaime. BG will probably be stopping by the crib as well. I look forward to seeing my boy from home. Tonight I will be watching television in the apartment, enjoying some drinks, and chilling out for the most part. Maybe Jeremy and G will join me. You never can tell.
BOXING NEWS:
Courtesy of fightnews.com.
Last night Glencoffe Johnson won a razor-thin split decision over Antonio Tarver to claim the World Light Heavyweight Championship! The fight was close from the very beginning up until the final bell. Many observers felt as though Tarver did enough to walk out with the championship. Regardless of how people felt about the outcome, this marks the 2nd major win in a row for Johnson. He bested former pound for pound champion Roy Jones Jr last September by knocking him out in 9 rounds. Now he has claimed victory over another legitimate prizefighter in Tarver. Over all, Johnson now has three solid wins in the light heavyweight division. He has defeated Erik Harding, Roy Jones Jr, and Antonio Tarver. For anybody who had previously labeled The Great One as a bandwagon fan, I am still a hardcore Tarver fan. I believe he will return stronger than ever from this set back. For now, Glencoffe Johnson is "The Man" in the light heavyweight division. Congratulations to Mr. Johnson.
Jaime will be calling me very shortly. I must get going. Everyone have a great night and come again for more updates. Believe me - this is all the education you need. 1 love.
Peace.
There is still plenty to learn...
A little while ago I completed the last final exam I had left which happened to be Part II of Dr. Worthington's HRM Final Exam. My respect for Dr. Worthington has always been high. He has elevated himself to a higher level than any other professor/teacher I have had in my years of school. Human Resource Management was my final class with him. I had him for Intro/Management in 2003 and Business Policy and Strategy earlier this year. He is a wonderful person, an amazing professor, and as one of his students I will miss him dearly. I would like to take a moment to congratulate Jaime on successfully completing her college education today. She is graduating on Sunday, December 19 and I will be attending the ceremony with her family and April. She will be graduating with a G.P.A. that is damn near a 3.7. I envy her for her achievements and I am very proud. Way to go Jaime! I LOVE YOU.
I am so relieved that this semester has come to an end. Now is when the healing process once again begins for my tattered and overloaded mind. Slowly but surely, I will bring my mental state back down to par and relax my mind. Detox is sorely needed and this winter break is going to serve as a nice rehabilitation period from school. LOL. For the most part, this has been four months of torture. It was one of those semesters in which everything seemed to go wrong. Bad luck was the theme of the semester, from the multifunction switch malfunctioning(dating back to September) to my flat tire (October). My course load was also a little too heavy this semester. Donna actually warned me about taking too many significant courses the first day of school. I thought I could handle such a course load, but it was an extremely challenging task on my part.
As a person who had successfully completed so many courses throughout this past year and received such exemplary marks, I made the mistake of believing I could handle such a heavy course load. That was a major mistake on my part. I will learn from that experience and become better for it as a result. Humans learn through trial and error and I will learn from this experience (even though I only have one semester left). One can always learn from the past up until the day they die. We are always capable of learning as long as we are living. We must learn from mistakes that we make in history. History will repeat itself if we do not learn from it. This winter break should be just what I need. When the time comes for Spring Semester to start, I will feel refreshed. I will be ready to go about my courses with a new found hope. Let's not get into that though... At this moment I am enjoying the present.
I look forward to the holidays with great anticipation. Tomorrow I am going to the mall to do some Christmas shopping before going in to work at 6 o'clock. My two week vacation is going to be quite relieving as well as comforting. P.F. Chang's will be courteous enough to give me those two weeks, which I requested over a month ago, or else they have seen the last of me. The job is nice, but at the same time I certainly deserve a break. There is no doubt about that. In the event that they do not give me the time off, I shall walk out and explore my opportunities for future employment at either Borgata or The Hilton. Donna is capable of hooking me up with a job at Borgata. She helped open the hotel over two years ago. As a result, she has some really good contacts within that company.
Hopefully I do not have to walk away from my job at P.F. Chang's because I enjoy working there, but I must look out for what is in my best interest. Two weeks of vacation are in my best interest this winter. Rarely have I been able to drive home (up North) and see the family this semester. Throughout this past semester I only went home two times (my birthday and Thanksgiving). I have earned a break and I requested the time off way in advance. All management has to do to avoid me leaving the company is be good ladies and gentlemen and give me the time off that I requested.
Tonight is going to be absolutely wonderful for The Great One. Jaime is out with Laura doing some Christmas shopping. When she gets back, we are going to Blockbuster to rent Elf (starring Will Ferrell).
Shamefully I have not yet seen that movie but we will be watching it tonight. Everyone knows Will Ferrell from Saturday Night Live, but I never really took a liking to him until Old School came out in the theater. In my opinion, Old School was his coming-out party. I heard the movie was hysterical and I want to see it for myself. According to the people I speak to who have seen it, this is not your ordinary, everyday comedy. This movie contains "piss your pants" type comedy, which is comedy that is on an entirely different level. Gradually I am becoming more and more of a Will Ferrell fan, so I am really looking forward to seeing Elf.
At this point, it is time to make a trip to the liquor store for some well-deserved cold adult beverages. I need some time to just cool off and get my mind away from the responsibilities of college. Should be a lot of fun. Take care and keep on the look out for more updates. As I go about this winter break/rehabiliation process, they will be coming more frequently than ever! I know you are all PSYCHED. Hell, I have yet to post my Christmas List and New Years Resolutions!
Have a great night.
1 love.
Peace.
There is still plenty to learn...
A little while ago I completed the last final exam I had left which happened to be Part II of Dr. Worthington's HRM Final Exam. My respect for Dr. Worthington has always been high. He has elevated himself to a higher level than any other professor/teacher I have had in my years of school. Human Resource Management was my final class with him. I had him for Intro/Management in 2003 and Business Policy and Strategy earlier this year. He is a wonderful person, an amazing professor, and as one of his students I will miss him dearly. I would like to take a moment to congratulate Jaime on successfully completing her college education today. She is graduating on Sunday, December 19 and I will be attending the ceremony with her family and April. She will be graduating with a G.P.A. that is damn near a 3.7. I envy her for her achievements and I am very proud. Way to go Jaime! I LOVE YOU.
I am so relieved that this semester has come to an end. Now is when the healing process once again begins for my tattered and overloaded mind. Slowly but surely, I will bring my mental state back down to par and relax my mind. Detox is sorely needed and this winter break is going to serve as a nice rehabilitation period from school. LOL. For the most part, this has been four months of torture. It was one of those semesters in which everything seemed to go wrong. Bad luck was the theme of the semester, from the multifunction switch malfunctioning(dating back to September) to my flat tire (October). My course load was also a little too heavy this semester. Donna actually warned me about taking too many significant courses the first day of school. I thought I could handle such a course load, but it was an extremely challenging task on my part.
As a person who had successfully completed so many courses throughout this past year and received such exemplary marks, I made the mistake of believing I could handle such a heavy course load. That was a major mistake on my part. I will learn from that experience and become better for it as a result. Humans learn through trial and error and I will learn from this experience (even though I only have one semester left). One can always learn from the past up until the day they die. We are always capable of learning as long as we are living. We must learn from mistakes that we make in history. History will repeat itself if we do not learn from it. This winter break should be just what I need. When the time comes for Spring Semester to start, I will feel refreshed. I will be ready to go about my courses with a new found hope. Let's not get into that though... At this moment I am enjoying the present.
I look forward to the holidays with great anticipation. Tomorrow I am going to the mall to do some Christmas shopping before going in to work at 6 o'clock. My two week vacation is going to be quite relieving as well as comforting. P.F. Chang's will be courteous enough to give me those two weeks, which I requested over a month ago, or else they have seen the last of me. The job is nice, but at the same time I certainly deserve a break. There is no doubt about that. In the event that they do not give me the time off, I shall walk out and explore my opportunities for future employment at either Borgata or The Hilton. Donna is capable of hooking me up with a job at Borgata. She helped open the hotel over two years ago. As a result, she has some really good contacts within that company.
Hopefully I do not have to walk away from my job at P.F. Chang's because I enjoy working there, but I must look out for what is in my best interest. Two weeks of vacation are in my best interest this winter. Rarely have I been able to drive home (up North) and see the family this semester. Throughout this past semester I only went home two times (my birthday and Thanksgiving). I have earned a break and I requested the time off way in advance. All management has to do to avoid me leaving the company is be good ladies and gentlemen and give me the time off that I requested.
Tonight is going to be absolutely wonderful for The Great One. Jaime is out with Laura doing some Christmas shopping. When she gets back, we are going to Blockbuster to rent Elf (starring Will Ferrell).
Shamefully I have not yet seen that movie but we will be watching it tonight. Everyone knows Will Ferrell from Saturday Night Live, but I never really took a liking to him until Old School came out in the theater. In my opinion, Old School was his coming-out party. I heard the movie was hysterical and I want to see it for myself. According to the people I speak to who have seen it, this is not your ordinary, everyday comedy. This movie contains "piss your pants" type comedy, which is comedy that is on an entirely different level. Gradually I am becoming more and more of a Will Ferrell fan, so I am really looking forward to seeing Elf.
At this point, it is time to make a trip to the liquor store for some well-deserved cold adult beverages. I need some time to just cool off and get my mind away from the responsibilities of college. Should be a lot of fun. Take care and keep on the look out for more updates. As I go about this winter break/rehabiliation process, they will be coming more frequently than ever! I know you are all PSYCHED. Hell, I have yet to post my Christmas List and New Years Resolutions!
Have a great night.
1 love.
Peace.
Grab a snack, sit back, and enjoy.
Hola ladies and gentlemen! What's the good word? Obviously you have returned to my website in order to get the latest scoop on my scene. The Great One has absolutely nothing against that. In fact I encourage it. Brace yourselves as I have plenty to say in this particular post. As many of you already know, yesterday marked the opening of P.F. Chang's China Bistro in Atlantic City, NJ. Leading up to that point, I had suggested to many friends and fellow employees that opening night would be unpredictable. Nobody quite knew what to expect in regards to the grand opening. With cloudy skies and a hint of rain, the weather conditions were less than inviting. The Great One did a wonderful job and managed to survive the evening.
Julius Erving, the great and dominant basketball player commonly known as Dr. J, came in to the restaurant early in the evening for a bite to eat. The manager for Destiny's Child (who happens to be Beyonce's father) made a reservation for a party of 50 on Saturday, December 18.
Provided that I am working on that evening, it will interesting to see who exactly is going to attend that party. My guess is that Beyonce and possibly even Jay Z will be amongst such a sizeable crowd. What a thrill it would be for The Great One to seat such talented and well known artists! As hosts we must remember to remain professional as well. I will have to face the challenging task of restraining myself in front of the celebrities that walk through that door. I had previously been instructed to notify the managers that a celebrity has arrived the moment they walk through the front entrance. Managers want to have the celebrities seated as quickly as possible.
My philosophy is that they are people just like anyone else. We as restaurant employees are not there to scare people away. The objective is to make as much money for the restaurant as possible. By scaring away our guests, we limit our chances of achieving our goals. I do not plan on losing my cool over the excitement of seeing some familiar faces. One must acknowledge that they are people and they want to enjoy the same dining experience that all of the other guests are experiencing.
Wait a second... scratch that.
Knowing who they are and how much money they demand, I am sure they are looking to experience enjoyment that is 100 times greater than our average guest.
Nonetheless, I will be treating them like regular human beings. Besides, one never knows how generous or cheap they could possibly be with the tips. Some of the world's wealthiest people can have the most greed. The fact that they are stars could signify that they will try to take advantage of us because of "who they are". You never know what is going to come out of their mouths.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Why am I not being seated at a table?? I am 'Johnny such and such' and I deserve expedient service because I get paid MILLIONS of dollars to perform for you in motion pictures!"
Some of them may not even be nice people. Many people do not take such factors into consideration. Therefore it is in my best interest to avoid being star-struck as often as possible. Afterall there is a fine line between being star-struck and being excited to see a star.
Apparently the managers do an adequate job of following the standards that they preach to their workers. This was evident last night, as two of them stood outside directly in front of the restaurant and took it in their liberty to smoke cigarettes. During the week of training, they had instructed us not to smoke cigarettes in front of the restaurant for the primary reason that it gives the restaurant a bad image. Smokers were advised to take a walk across the street or to to boardwalk if they had to smoke during breaktime. Therefore why were the managers doing it? I suppose they are anticipating their holiday bonuses and that anticipation is obscuring their perception of the values our restaurant has. Whatever. I am not a smoker so that is not my problem to deal with. To each their own I suppose.
Alright. Enough about my job for the time being. The job is decent, but if I ramble on about it too much, I may begin to bore myself.
Who is looking forward to winter recess?? Who is looking forward to the holidays???? Is anybody going on vacation? The Great One welcomes the holiday season with open arms baby! There comes a time when one just needs time to think and have some privacy. Living on campus has been a privledge in all the years I have been going to school. Living with the friends I have lived with has been a pleasure, but I am looking forward to having some time off from school and work. I would like to go home for a couple weeks so I can enjoy some time to myself.
One's privacy is limited by living in an apartment with three other residents. The single dorm was a positive experience, but the availability for single dorms was limited this year. Having said that, I have absolutely no dislike for my roommates nor do I intend to disrespect them. They are genuinely nice people, great personalities (Jeremy and Sean, that is), and I totally enjoy having them in my presence. Ya'll know I am not in the habit of surrounding myself with trouble makers and drama queens. We all know that I eventually detect those bad seeds and kick them to the curve where they belong. Nonetheless, Jeremy and Sean are friends of mine. There are very few people that I could even think about living in an apartment with. These guys are cool cats.
Going home for the holidays, watching television at night, staying up late to do whatever I want to do, and just having free time to think about certain things is going to be really healthy for me. I remain optimistic that I will feel a whole lot better when I return to school for the spring semester (my final semester to be exact ). In a sense it will be a new beginning. I look to turn over a new leaf. Next semester will be an entirely different story from this one. I will be taking three courses (two of them major-related) instead of five. Those three courses include Hospitality Controls, Facilities Management, and Money and the American Imagination. I will also leave more free time for myself when I give the managers my updated availability for next semester. Spring time has always been good to The Great One and next spring should be no exception. My goal will be to pass those three courses successfully, complete the internship, and finally get the paper I so rightfully deserve!
Donna recently advised me to live in the now and to stop feeling so frustrated over my late entrance into the program. Now comes to an end, we do our best to learn from now after it has become history, and tomorrow immediately follows. I am The Great One. I will always be who and what I am because that is the way I was born. I would not want to be anybody else but me. Why would I?? I must accept my life for what it is. God has blessed me with will power and a strong mind that classify me an amazing individual. I am articulate, good looking, exquisite, flamboyant, personable, and thoughtful. Why else would I be in a host position at work?
I am THE TRUTH.
At this point, it is time for me to go. Have a great day and keep on the look out for further updates. One love.
Peace.
Grab a snack, sit back, and enjoy.
Hola ladies and gentlemen! What's the good word? Obviously you have returned to my website in order to get the latest scoop on my scene. The Great One has absolutely nothing against that. In fact I encourage it. Brace yourselves as I have plenty to say in this particular post. As many of you already know, yesterday marked the opening of P.F. Chang's China Bistro in Atlantic City, NJ. Leading up to that point, I had suggested to many friends and fellow employees that opening night would be unpredictable. Nobody quite knew what to expect in regards to the grand opening. With cloudy skies and a hint of rain, the weather conditions were less than inviting. The Great One did a wonderful job and managed to survive the evening.
Julius Erving, the great and dominant basketball player commonly known as Dr. J, came in to the restaurant early in the evening for a bite to eat. The manager for Destiny's Child (who happens to be Beyonce's father) made a reservation for a party of 50 on Saturday, December 18.
Provided that I am working on that evening, it will interesting to see who exactly is going to attend that party. My guess is that Beyonce and possibly even Jay Z will be amongst such a sizeable crowd. What a thrill it would be for The Great One to seat such talented and well known artists! As hosts we must remember to remain professional as well. I will have to face the challenging task of restraining myself in front of the celebrities that walk through that door. I had previously been instructed to notify the managers that a celebrity has arrived the moment they walk through the front entrance. Managers want to have the celebrities seated as quickly as possible.
My philosophy is that they are people just like anyone else. We as restaurant employees are not there to scare people away. The objective is to make as much money for the restaurant as possible. By scaring away our guests, we limit our chances of achieving our goals. I do not plan on losing my cool over the excitement of seeing some familiar faces. One must acknowledge that they are people and they want to enjoy the same dining experience that all of the other guests are experiencing.
Wait a second... scratch that.
Knowing who they are and how much money they demand, I am sure they are looking to experience enjoyment that is 100 times greater than our average guest.
Nonetheless, I will be treating them like regular human beings. Besides, one never knows how generous or cheap they could possibly be with the tips. Some of the world's wealthiest people can have the most greed. The fact that they are stars could signify that they will try to take advantage of us because of "who they are". You never know what is going to come out of their mouths.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Why am I not being seated at a table?? I am 'Johnny such and such' and I deserve expedient service because I get paid MILLIONS of dollars to perform for you in motion pictures!"
Some of them may not even be nice people. Many people do not take such factors into consideration. Therefore it is in my best interest to avoid being star-struck as often as possible. Afterall there is a fine line between being star-struck and being excited to see a star.
Apparently the managers do an adequate job of following the standards that they preach to their workers. This was evident last night, as two of them stood outside directly in front of the restaurant and took it in their liberty to smoke cigarettes. During the week of training, they had instructed us not to smoke cigarettes in front of the restaurant for the primary reason that it gives the restaurant a bad image. Smokers were advised to take a walk across the street or to to boardwalk if they had to smoke during breaktime. Therefore why were the managers doing it? I suppose they are anticipating their holiday bonuses and that anticipation is obscuring their perception of the values our restaurant has. Whatever. I am not a smoker so that is not my problem to deal with. To each their own I suppose.
Alright. Enough about my job for the time being. The job is decent, but if I ramble on about it too much, I may begin to bore myself.
Who is looking forward to winter recess?? Who is looking forward to the holidays???? Is anybody going on vacation? The Great One welcomes the holiday season with open arms baby! There comes a time when one just needs time to think and have some privacy. Living on campus has been a privledge in all the years I have been going to school. Living with the friends I have lived with has been a pleasure, but I am looking forward to having some time off from school and work. I would like to go home for a couple weeks so I can enjoy some time to myself.
One's privacy is limited by living in an apartment with three other residents. The single dorm was a positive experience, but the availability for single dorms was limited this year. Having said that, I have absolutely no dislike for my roommates nor do I intend to disrespect them. They are genuinely nice people, great personalities (Jeremy and Sean, that is), and I totally enjoy having them in my presence. Ya'll know I am not in the habit of surrounding myself with trouble makers and drama queens. We all know that I eventually detect those bad seeds and kick them to the curve where they belong. Nonetheless, Jeremy and Sean are friends of mine. There are very few people that I could even think about living in an apartment with. These guys are cool cats.
Going home for the holidays, watching television at night, staying up late to do whatever I want to do, and just having free time to think about certain things is going to be really healthy for me. I remain optimistic that I will feel a whole lot better when I return to school for the spring semester (my final semester to be exact ). In a sense it will be a new beginning. I look to turn over a new leaf. Next semester will be an entirely different story from this one. I will be taking three courses (two of them major-related) instead of five. Those three courses include Hospitality Controls, Facilities Management, and Money and the American Imagination. I will also leave more free time for myself when I give the managers my updated availability for next semester. Spring time has always been good to The Great One and next spring should be no exception. My goal will be to pass those three courses successfully, complete the internship, and finally get the paper I so rightfully deserve!
Donna recently advised me to live in the now and to stop feeling so frustrated over my late entrance into the program. Now comes to an end, we do our best to learn from now after it has become history, and tomorrow immediately follows. I am The Great One. I will always be who and what I am because that is the way I was born. I would not want to be anybody else but me. Why would I?? I must accept my life for what it is. God has blessed me with will power and a strong mind that classify me an amazing individual. I am articulate, good looking, exquisite, flamboyant, personable, and thoughtful. Why else would I be in a host position at work?
I am THE TRUTH.
At this point, it is time for me to go. Have a great day and keep on the look out for further updates. One love.
Peace.
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