Make my day...

Bring on the virtue.

What's up ladies and gentlemen? The Great One is here in full effect. I am off from work today and tomorrow and I look forward to enjoying these two beautiful days away from P.F. Chang's!
As I expected, we took a quiz in Money and the American Imagination this morning based on the novel Daisy Miller. I felt as though the book was a pretty easy read; definitely short for a novel. I got five out five points on the quiz! Congratulations to ME! That is exactly what I wanted to do and I went into class and did it. Perfect scores are always positive things. Reading assigned text for classes can really take a one a long way, can't it? Professor Lenard also returned my essay on Sister Carrie; I got 13 out of 15 points for the essay. Not a bad score at all if I do say so myself. Professor Lenard seemed to fancy my work, as she commented,

"Bryan, I like your essay!! I think it may have been a bit stronger if you'd narrowed your focus to one character. Believe me, I like what I see here! Check errors, but an all-around nice job, Bryan!!"

Very encouraging comments on her part. Everybody loves G.T.!

Today has been a virtuous day for The Great One thus far, and it is sure to get even better as I am off to Howell to visit Jaime in a couple hours. Who knows what we might have in store this evening? Perhaps we'll go out to dinner. If there are enough people, maybe a night at Bar-A in the cards as well. A trip to Starbucks for some coffee certainly would not be a fate worse than death. Or maybe the two of us will just stay in and watch a movie or television. Anything can happen, but whatever happens is sure to provide us with a nice evening. Tomorrow night, I'm off to Hoboken with Jaime to celebrate April's birthday. I assure you, it will be quite a celebration! A night of bar hopping and club hopping like no other. Tomorrow night, The Great One once again returns to North Jersey!

Last night I was on call for work at 3pm and I was asked to come into work at 5pm. I decided to send the managers an email requesting that they reduce my availability. The end of the semester draws near, along with the outdoor weather and end of the school year. Doing a summer internship and graduating shortly after, I will not be here for much longer. Therefore, I opt to enjoy my remaining weeks here on campus with my friends. I choose to enjoy the outdoor leisure activities that come with the warmer spring weather. The spring weather appears to be coming in this direction. Over the past couple days, I have felt some minor changes in temperature indicating that the warmer weather is well on its merry way. Also, if I am going to finish this semester effectively and on top, I must give myself a better opportunity to do so than I have been doing. I will still be working at Chang's, but a day or two less per week than has been the case for the past few months. That place will make you sick if you are there two many consecutive days at a time! The course-related aspect of my life is once again running smoothly for the time being, so it is in my best interest to keep that momentum going strong for the next five weeks.

In other news:

My Facilities Management and Hospitality Controls professor, the renowned and well-liked Donna Albano, will not be completing her duty of teaching this semester. She is taking a leave of absence due to an operation that she must have done tomorrow. As a result, she will be off her feet mending and relaxing for a couple months. I pray her operation is a successful one and wish her all the luck in world. As a class, we will all miss her presence.

That pretty much covers everything. Be sure to have a wonderful day, be safe, and come again soon for more updates. Definitely much more to come.

1 love.

Peace.

Thursday, March 31, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Post-exam thoughts and feelings!

Earlier today I took the 2nd exam for Facilities Management and I felt as though I did really well. I might have gotten tripped up on one of the open ended questions, but for the most part I believe I was successful in my efforts to get a good grade. There were a couple multiple choice questions that I had to guess the answer to, but when I checked the textbook after the test was over, it turned out that I had guessed the correct answers!

Prior to taking the exam, I made note of the fact that this 2nd exam would a success for yours truly. We will see what the result is within the next couple days. God willing, my score will be as high as I expect it to be. Establishing a goal, preparing one self to achieve that goal, and ultimately accomplishing what one had intended to do is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It gives one such a sense of accomplishment...

Jeremy is reading all of this and none of it comes off as a suprise. You heard it word for word at lunch today, didn't you??

Today is a rainy day, but were are supposed to get some really nice weather later this week. I heard the temperature is supposed to increase as high as 65 degrees! Wouldn't that be nice? Due to preceptorial advising, classes are not being held tomorrow. In addition to that terrific news, I do not have to work tomorrow. I get a free day all to myself. It has been quite some time since I actually had one of those.

Believe me... I will take advantage of my free time the maximum capacity.

Tomorrow night was supposed to be a concert here at Stockton that featured Gavin DeGraw, but he bitched out and according to Pedro Santana, associate director of on-campus housing, "he made a very unprofessional decision and put his fans last." To replace McGraw, Stockton is bringing in Drop kick Murphey's, Jem, and Michael Tolcher. My response: "Big whoop!" I do not listen to any of their music. I was not even going to attend the concert in the first place.

Perhaps Anna, Jhon, Ray and I can make another trip to Target tomorrow night. I am due for another 12 pack of Cherry Coke (greatest soda in the world).

Monday, March 28, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

A successful all-nighter! "Sassysandals got sandals."

As challenging and tiresome as it appeared to be, The Great One has made it through an all-nighter of school work. Moments ago, I completed my four to five page essay due in about four hours for Money and the American Imagination based on Sister Carrie. *applause* We are finally done with that book... *an even greater applause*.

Tuesday was a really fun day. The Great One went to Nwing for dinner, accompanied by Jhon and Brian. Anna and Ray were also at dinner. Afterwards, Jhon, Ray, Anna, and I decided to go to the liquor store. We also went to Target for party supplies; Anna was planning on throwing a surprise birthday party for Erin. We spent a decent amount of time in Target. I was on a mission to find Cherry Coke. Sassysandals got sandals. We also went to Dollar Tree, where I bought Spicy Cajun Pringles for $1.00 as opposed to paying the $1.89 Wawa charges for them. Great time at Anna's last night in celebration of Erin's birthday.

Yesterday I was on call for work at 3pm and they told me I had to come in. The moment I walked into to the dining area of the restaurant, I realized how dead it was. After about an hour had passed by, I also realized that none of the scheduled employees for the evening had called out sick. All of the server assistants who were scheduled to work were present in the restaurant. What the hell did I get called in for? Better yet... one of the server assistants was scheduled from 12 to mid, which means he came in at noon and was scheduled to work until approximately 8 or 9pm (middle of the dinner shift). Around 6:45, the one manager decides that he's going to cut the man because the restaurant did not need six server assistants!
Basically, they called me (somebody who was on on call and apparently did not have to be there) in just so they could cut the man (who was scheduled to work a mid) much earlier than he should've been cut. Yeah, that will be the day that I work a mid and get cut at 6:45! They cut him because they claimed they didn't need six server assistants on the floor. I totally agree with that. The problem is... they should have kept the employee who was scheduled to work the mid until 9pm and left me the hell alone! What they did made absolutely no sense.

The Great One does not mean to complain or sound like a whiner (I know I sound like one right now), but something about that situation doesn't seem quite right to me. Spending too much time at a place of employment will eventually make you sick of the place, regardless of how much money you are making. On top of everything else, I do have school work that I am responsible for as well.

Nonetheless, I still made a little bit of money and managed to get cut relatively early at 10pm. I need to sit down with one of the managers and review the total number of hours that I have worked since November 29, 2004. Once I reach 400 hours, I can start my summer internship. I do not have to wait until the official start time in June, which is awesome.

Today should be a pretty nice day. Jaime is coming down for the night. We're going out for dinner tonight and renting a movie afterwards. At 2:30, there's going to be a Hospitality Management guest speaker at TRLC. Students in Donna's classes who attend the lecture will receive extra credit in one of her classes. Nuff' said. I will definitely be at the lecture. After that, I am heading back to the apartment for a nice little nap before Jaime gets here. These all nighters eventually catch up with you at some point during the day.

That is all for now. I still have to study for Monday's Facilities Management exam, which will be a success. Everyone have a great day. 1 love.

Peace.

Thursday, March 24, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

A respectable day!

Pretty decent day I am having today, I must admit.

This is the second day in almost two weeks that I do not have to work. That is definitely a good thing. I have plenty of money, both in my pockets and my bank account. That is another situation to be happy about. Professor Lenard chose not to quiz us on Sister Carrie today, which was a beneficial decision for me on her part. Donna is collecting the case studies for Workplace Diversity on Thursday rather than today.

These are all positive things that have happened to me on this respectable day. My plan is to be productive and get some work done. Right now, I have three goals on my mind and they are the following:

• Finish collecting manager's names, phone numbers, and addresses for the survey project in Hospitality Control.
• Finish reading and reviewing Sister Carrie in preparation for the essay that is due on Thursday in Money and the American Imagination.
• Read some of the text for Facilities Management and begin studying for next Monday's exam, which will be a success.

So... I was driving to the Wawa on White Horse Pike last night to get a sub, a Redbull, and some iced tea. I noticed a sign on the one door (which was locked) that said, "Please use the other door." I walk over to the other door and enter the store, noticing that all the shelves had been moved around and boxes and equipment were obstructing my path through the store. Apparently there was a custodial staff doing a thorough cleaning of the floors. On top of all that, the man doing most of the cleaning gives me a dirty look and tells me to come back later!!!

It was bad enough the douchebag was preventing me from making the quick purchase I had intended to make, but he chose to get moody about it as well??? That's not very good for business, now is it????

"Go hump a doornob, retard! I'll simply go to another Wawa!"

Meanwhile, 10 other people besides me came into the store and were told to wait until the floors the were done. They all stood there waiting to make their purchases as these fools took their good old time moving the shelves around the store. They were making more of a mess than cleaning the floors. Eventually, I left to go to another Wawa (there's one located on practically every street in every town in South Jersey). Soon enough, I purchased my goods and made my way back to the apartment. The nerve of some people...

Anyway, there is no time like the present to get my ass in gear and do some work. Perhaps I will take time out of my schedule tonight to chat with up and coming heavyweight contender Calvin Brock in the Boxingtalk chatroom. Also appearing in the chatroom will be Former Three Division Champion James "Lights Out" Toney, who is challenging John Ruiz for the WBA Heavyweight Championship on April 30.

Everyone have a nice day (hopefully it is a decent for you as it is for me) and be safe.

Peace.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Holy Week, six more weeks of course work, and more!

Holy Week has begun and classes are once again back in session. The Great One is here in full effect and I am ready to finish this semester, which only has six more weeks left, on a high note. The six weeks that are left in spring semester 2005 are the final six weeks left of course work for your's truly. As most students are sad to be back at class, I see it as a minor relief because there will be a little more balance between class, work, and fun.

This morning in Facilities Management, Donna informed the class that the 2nd exam (Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8) will be administered to us a week from today. That gives me a solid week to prepare for that exam. I will make the necessary preparations to succeed on the 2nd exam. My first exam was anything but a success due to the fact that I was unable to study for it, suffering from an upper respiratory infection that just wouldn't quit. The time has come to represent and exercise that brilliant brain of mine. Time to show what that powerful mind of my is truly capable of. It will all be on display next Monday. This exam will be a completely different story. Ya'll heard it here first!

Last night I went up to Howell to see my beautiful girlfriend Jaime. We met Jaime's friend Jackie (who works with her at Kohls) and her boy friend Sisxo at Applebee's. Jaime and I ordered nachos as an appetizer. We didn't order entrees, but we did end up getting some drinks. I had a Mudslide, while she drank something that resembled a strawberry daquirie (the exact name of the drink escapes me). As the three of them talked about their experiences at Kohls as well as the various employees who worked with them, I sat back and acknowledged just how much they all enjoyed their jobs. Some people do like their jobs, which means that I may yet find a place of employment that I enjoy working at to some extent.

P.F. Chang's is really just a part time job that I have during my senior year of college. I am doing this for my professional experience and money to pay my bills and occasionally purchase luxury items. At certain times, the job brings me so much grief. Other times, albeit very few, I have so much caffeine in my system that of all the unpleasantries that come with being there float over my head. I do not mean to nag or whine, but I must speak what is on my mind. If life, there are ups and downs, twists and turns, and good and bad. We must be prepared take the good with the bad at all times. However, with both good and bad days to be expected, one can only hope that the job I have years down the line will be more pleasing to The Great One.

Tonight I am scheduled to work at 5pm, but I am not closing. Thank God for small favors.
At this moment, I do have to eat lunch and give Jaime a ring. She is going for her interview at Rider University (where she plans on going to Graduate school). I want to give her a call and wish her luck. Everyone have a great day, be safe, always remember to come again. You can learn a thing or two from and about me! 1 love.

Peace.

Monday, March 21, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

So tired...

It is 8:45 am and I am so tired right now. I'm just waiting for my work uniform to finish drying in the laundry room. Last night was not bad for a Saturday night. I was in a pretty decent mood for the most part. Pepped up on caffeine and candy, I had the energy to get through such a busy evening.

We had nine server assistants on last night, so I only made about $60 in tips. I made $74 in tips on Friday night, taking home a total of $134 when I left the restaurant last night (five and a half hours ago to be exact). This is really sad. Here I am talking about my job again, but my job is all I have been doing lately.

Later on tonight after church, I will be driving up to Howell to stay with Jaime for the night. I realize that I'm going to see her pretty late at night, but I have not had a chance to see her much in the last two weeks due to the ridiculous schedule that slugs from work put together for me this past week. Driving up to see her at 9pm and staying at her place for the night is better than nothing. Jaime and I will probably get some coffee at Starbucks and rent a movie.

That is all for now. Time to grab my uniform and head back to work. Take care, be safe, and have a nice day. 1 love

Peace.

Does anyone have about five or six Redbulls to spare??

Sunday, March 20, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Coming to you one hour after the conclusion of the day...

I almost forgot today was St. Patrick's Day! The Great One happens to be 25% Irish, but I did not eat corn beef and cabbage for dinner. Instead, I shared a pizza pie with my mother. Am I bad, or what???? My Irish ethnicity did come to the surface when I went to Rock Hard Liquors and purchased some Heineken and Yuengling. St. Patrick's Day is all about enjoying the lusheries, especially if you're Irish...

Tonight was a marvelous evening of leisure activity. Knowing that The Great One had made a marvelous return to his old stompin' grounds, my boy Billy G came over for a visit. We ended up watching The Grudge, which I thought was a pretty good horror movie. We watched the movie with my mother and uncle and I really enjoyed it. I guarantee you they come out with Grudge 2 within a another year or so. If they can come out with a sequel to a movie that was as horrible as The Ring ( a movie that made absolutely no sense), they can make a sequel to The Grudge.

Seeing Bill is always a pleasure, especially after considering the fact that I never see the man enough to begin with. I do keep in tough with him quite a bit via instant message and phone conversations. He is one of my best friends and I want to hang out with him whenever I am in town.

We took some time to reminisce about our times at Discovery Zone when we were seniors in high school. While drinking bottles of Yuengling, we made a toast to those memories as well as the time when we were tinting the windows on my Beretta. Who could forget the red Beretta that I pimped in high school????

Considering the circumstances that I have faced throughout this entire week, one can not ask for a day than the one I had today.

Today was a tremendous day and I am pleased that I had the ability to hang out with my beautiful girlfriend Jaime, my boy Billy G, and my family all in the same day. The Great One truly could not have asked for anything better than that today. Those are the people that I need in my life during the one day that I have off from work in this seemingly long week of spring break. This day was a blessing from God and I can only ask for more of them in the near future.

Big ups to my family, Jaime, Billy G, and my almighty God. A special big up to this wonderful day, as well as the people who made this day so enjoyable for me. These are the moments of clarity reminding me that there is something more than just the stressful environments I can confront when being overworked at my job during spring break. Thank you God for this beautiful day.

Time to depart. Take care and be safe. 1 love.

Peace.

Friday, March 18, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Through it all, I remain on top!

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen! Hopefully you're all enjoying spring break. So far, every single day of mine has been spent at work.

Tomorrow I am on call at 3pm. For the main reason that I want to see Jaime before heading up to Dtown on Thursday morning, I seriously hope I do not have to go into work tomorrow. Aside from that, I am just sooooo tired of being there every single day. I have not done anything else this week besides going to work and busting my ass. Having a couple days off would be lovely.

Looking at this whole situation on the bright side, I have been making quite a bit of money. I am proud to announce that I also won a contest at work tonight. The contest stipulated that the first server/server assistant who could accurately describe the incredients in Almond Cashew Chicken (entree of the week this week)would receive a "Good for No Sidework because of Superior Food Knowledge."

Great for me!

I rattled off the ingredients, as well as the method of its preparation, to the manager like it was my job, and I am not even a server! I believe I am going to use the ticket on either Friday or Saturday night. Knowing how late non-closers can potentially be held by managers on a Friday or Saturday night, using the ticket at that time (when I do not have to close the restaurant) will help me get out for the night much faster. After one gets cut by a manager for the night, sidework (not always easy work) can sometimes take up to half an hour for one to complete. For that reason, I am delighted that I won this contest (which wasn't even a "contest", if you follow me ).

I have decided that I need to do something fun and exciting this summer. Jaime and I have discussed the possibilities of going on a road trip (possibly to Virginia Beach). The Great One is long overdue for going away on vacation. I definitely want to fly out to California in August to see my friend Scott. After hours and hours of busing tables, buffing silverware, and polishing plates, I begin to think about the enjoyable activities (the better things in life) that I would like to plan in the near future. At this moment, all I can do is finish college and begin my summer internship after I complete my professional hours at P.F. Chang's.

Where is the summer internship going to be? That still remained undecided. The internship could happen in North Jersey. It could also happen in South Jersey. South Jersey has Atlantic City, which has various resorts and casinos. Conducting my internship down here could be advantageous to me, but it could also be more expensive if I have to pay rent for a summer house. Doing my internship up North allows me to stay at home and enjoy the benefits of free room and board. This decision is not an easy one, but one that I must make within the next week or two. Regardless of which alternative I ultimately choose, I will end up doing a spectacular job. I do a great job no matter what I do. Managers at P.F. Chang's are asking me to do my internship there. That is power and it opens yet another door for your's truly.

Due to previous experiences at the restaurant, chances of that happening are slim to none. However, I would probably consider interning at P.F. Chang's if they provided free housing for me throughout the summer. That is the only way they would get me to intern at their restaurant, and I must say, I would be more than deserving of the free housing. I am a tremendous asset to their business; an extremely handsome young man ( with a mind like a steel trap) who quickly turns tables and knows the ingredients of entrees better than most of the servers do. They do not want to lose somebody so valuable and important. We, the restaurant staff and myself, both know this for a fact.

Through it all, working during spring break and suffering from a burning desire to see my family and beautiful girlfriend, I still rule.

• I will make plenty of money, as I am doing right now.
• I will remain a valuable and powerful force at P.F. Chang's (regardless of whether or not anybody wants to admit it).
• I will finish my business with the restaurant. I
• will begin and complete my internship this summer.
• I will graduate from college.
• I will make the necessary preparations for the GMAT, take it, and get a very high score.
• I will be very successful in my efforts on that test. It is then that I will gain a substantial amount of power.

I kid you not. I speak the TRUTH. This will happen. Gamble much? Bet your house on it, and you shall have a CASTLE.

Time for bed. Have a good night and come again soon for more updates.

Peace.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Does the work ethic need improvement?

What's the good word ladies and gentlemen? It has been a few days since there has been an update, but I can assure you there is plenty to talk about.

So we had one beautiful day on Monday, when the temperature rose as high as 63 degrees! What the hell has happened since then??? Is there some vengeful, supernatural force that feels the need to severely punish us for each nice day we have??? For every one nice day there is, 10 to 15 freezing cold days immediately follow. Is that really the way it's supposed to work?

Anyway...

Our evening in Atlantic City two nights ago was superb to say the very least. In fact, the past two days have been wonderful. Jaime ended up staying with me on campus for another night after our evening in Atlantic City. There is much to talk about as well as pictures to show from last Tuesday night. If I was to combine that with today's thoughts and occurences, this individual post would be massive. Therefore, expect a separate post pertaining to our festivities in Atlantic City, which has already been identified as "The Celebration of Life," either later this evening or tomorrow afternoon.

Today we had a quiz in Money and the American Imagination and I totally blew it. Why did I do so bad?? I did not finish the readings that I was assigned days ago. Fortunately the quiz was only worth five points, which does not totally kill my chances of earning a high grade in the course (I can still get an A). The fact is that I did not finish the reading assignment and that is why I did as poorly as I did. At that moment, I discovered that I am an extremely intelligent and knowledgable young man with a work ethic that needs significant improvement. It is true that I am a hard worker at my job, but it is my work ethic at school that needs to be straightened out.

About two weeks ago, I actually had one day that I was very proud of. On that day, I wrote down three or four things that I needed to get done and I completed each of those tasks. I really need to use that particular day as a model for success on a daily basis. I have a daily planner, but very rarely do I ever use it. I recently started using it and will continue to do so from here on out. Here are a few things that I need to do today. My goals, in no particular order, are to:

• complete Chapter 6 Facilities Management reading and homework
• continue reading Sister Carrie (for Money and the American Imagination). I do not read books with titles like that for my own pleasure.
• do a load of laundry
• enjoy the Thursday night chicken bar
• attempt to clean the apartment
• begin the next set of case studies for Hospitality Control

Spring Break begins for The Great One tomorrow at 12:35. For the most part, I will be working throughout the entire week. I will also be making money at a time when so many others are spending it. Nonetheless, I will probably be returning to D-town for a day or two whenever I get the chance. The fact that I have spent two and half weeks in D-town throughout the past seven months is shocking. I really have not been up in that area very much at all. Hopefully I have time away from work to go home for a day or two. Regardless of whether or not I have to work next week, the fact that I am getting away from class for a week is going to be relieving for me. I need to some time to relax, earn a little money, see the family, and chill with some friends.

That is all for now. At this point, I need to get some work done in an attempt to complete those goals listed above. Everyone have a nice afternoon and check back either later tonight or tomorrow afternoon for the aftermath of our fun times in Atlantic City last Tuesday night!

Until then... take care, be safe, and bundle up in this ridiculous cold weather.

Peace.

Thursday, March 10, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

I spy, with my observant eyes, a beautiful day outside!

Spring is well on its way ladies and gentlemen! When I walked outside to go to my car this morning, I noticed one hell of a change in the weather. For the first time this year, I did not need to wear a winter jacket outside. Granted I was wearing a sweater, but the fact that my face was not frozen numb within three minutes of being outdoors was quite a relief. The bright sun and warmer temperatures definitely put me in a terrific mood to begin the day. Thank you God.

I am feeling pretty good about myself right now. Tonight I am working at 5pm, but thankfully I do not have to close. As a result, I will get home early enough to do some school work and perhaps a load of laundry. I still need to read Sister Carrie (I read about 16 pages last night and fell asleep) and Chapter 6 for Facilities Management. The homework for that chapter is not due until Friday, but it never hurts to get a head start. Procrastination is such a bad habit; one that I can not afford to undertake.

I may have to work tonight, but tomorrow night it's party time at Trump Plaza and the Showboat in Atlantic City baby! After working all of these hours, going to class, and doing excessive amounts of course work, I deserve a night such as the one I am going to enjoy tomorrow. Eating, drinking adult beverages, partying, and a moderate amount of gambling describe the events that I will be enjoying tomorrow night with good people.

I also need to start working on my tax returns A.S.A.P. I am dreading that as I do every year, but it needs to get done.

The time has come for me to get some lunch at NWing before getting ready for work. Everyone enjoy this beautiful day and be sure to come again soon. The updates just keep coming and you do not want to miss anything. Plenty to cover within the next few days! Take care and be safe...

Peace.

Monday, March 07, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

From a stressful work environment... to feeling at ease after mass.

There must be a God!

This weekend went by relatively fast. I went into work at 10am today and worked until about 6pm.

Immediately after being released from work, I drove straight to mass. How do you like that? This is the second week in a row that I have been able to attend mass. I am extremely pleased about my recent opportunities to do that. May this be the case for a very long time! Next week I am once again scheduled to work at 10am on Sunday, which will enable me to attend mass for the third week in a row. Mass is such a relaxing and relieving activity. Every time I go to mass, I make some prayers and it seems as though my prayers are being answered to some extent. One must never underestimate the power of prayer. I always feel stronger, happier, more comfortable, and at ease after mass is over.

For the most part, the restaurant was pretty slow today and we only had two reservations during the lunch shift. For the server assistants, however, the day felt rather busy. Try to figure this one out...

How the hell are the managers going to schedule 13 servers and just two server assistants for a lunch shift??? Is it just me, or does anybody else see the disparity between the number of servers and server assistants? On top of everything else, the other S.A., who was scheduled to come in at noon, showed up almost an hour late. As a result, I was the only server assistant in the restaurant for approximately three hours. Server assistants definitely deserve more respect than what they receive.

Some servers will actually try to take advantage of the server assistants. As I was working stock/float (polishing the silverware and dishes and restocking them at the side stations), servers were coming up to me asking me to bring the dirty plates, glasses, and silverware back to the dishroom. I thought to myself, "How are they going to ask me to do something so simple while I'm polishing clean dishes that desparately need to be placed on the tables with the clean silverware???" Tables that are not set are tables that guests can not be seated at. Unseated tables do not earn any money for anybody working in the restaurant. Atleast to me, it is common sense. However, I am also a genius... I am not totally sure about some of my co-workers...

The point is: it does not take a genius to figure out that one can not set a table without polished plates and silverware. I can not polish the clean plates and silverware if I am constantly being asked to do certain tasks that the servers can easily do themselves.

Obviously we were short on appetizer plates as well as entree plates. If the servers keep coming to me with such absurd requests, I am unable to polish the plates and silverware. Therefore they do not get placed on the tables and the servers lose customers as well as money. The servers are supposed to take the dirty plates and silverware to the server assistants who are busing tables, not the server assistants who are polishing and restocking silverware and plates. Some of the people in the restaurants (especially some of the servers) need to start thinking before making such tactless requests.

Oh well... The physical labor of such a job is enough to drive one insane at times, but I made some pretty decent coin this weekend. On Friday night, I made $53 in tips, as well as $61 last night. I still do not know what I made today because I am supposed to claim that money tomorrow. In terms of making money, this weekend was pretty solid.

Enough about work already! The Great One is really looking foward to Tuesday night. Jaime and I will be spending the night in Atlantic City with Caroline, April, and a few others. Courtesy of Caroline and her complimentary room, we will be staying at Showboat. We will also be going to the Rainforest Cafe at Trump Plaza for dinner. Expect pictures, expect a post describing the nature of this evening, expect it all baby! I'm ready for some fun, as Dr. Seuss was once quoted as saying, "Fun is good." For the first time in almost a month, I will have the privledge of enjoying some cold adult beverages. Lord knows it has been long enough since I had that type of fun. Good times are in the very near future and I am absolutely thrilled about it.

For most of my spring break, I will be in P-town due to work. Hopefully I will be heading up to D-town for a couple days during the break. It all depends on how many days I am scheduled and which days they are. I also plan on spending some quality time with Jaime during that week.

Tonight I plan on reading Sister Carrie for Money and the American Imagination as well as Chapter 6 for Facilities Management. Maybe this week I'll start the homework a little sooner so I am not cramming like I did last week on Friday morning.

That is all for now folks! Have a great evening, an even better week, and be sure to come back soon for the latest news and information. Anything that has to do with The Great One always qualifies as not-miss material.

Take care and be safe. 1 love.

Peace.

Saturday, March 05, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

An amazing weekend!

This had to be one of the best weekends I have had in quite some time! Not having to work this weekend has really been healthy for me. I got the chance to clear my mind a little bit and get away from the fast-paced environment that I have to face at work. Jaime came down to see me last night around 6:30.

We hung out at the apartment for a while and went to the Galloway Diner later in the evening. The Great One ended up getting not one, but two breakfast entrees. For some reason, I felt like having breakfast last night. Some of the breakfast meals are really delicious. I ordered an Italian omelet with home fries on the side along with three pancakes. What a satisfying meal it was. Jaime got a cheesesteak wrap with fries on the side. Today we got out of bed around 1pm, enjoying approximately 12 hours of sleep (definitely a positive thing).

Cute, sweet, and a nice shape as well... that's my baby!

Jeremy, Keeley, Anna, Jaime and I all ended up going to brunch. It was nice to be able to eat with all of those people. As I have said on many occasions in the past, one does not go to NWing for the food, but for the people. We always have such entertaining conversations. After brunch, Jaime and I went on a nice relaxing drive around South Jersey. Going out for a ride and acknowledging one's surroundings is certainly a good thing. South Jersey is primarily known for its country scenery, farms, and pine barrens, but there are some really nice locations. We drove to the Renalt Winery as well as Historic Smithville. Historic Smithville, with all of the old little shops, is really a pleasant place to go. We drove through, but did not take a walk around because Jaime was not feeling very well. She has a cold, so I wish her an expedient recovery.

Tonight I had the privilege of going to mass, something I have not been able to do for a very long time. I have tried to prevent working on Sunday nights, but management has done little to make that happen. Fortunately I was off from work today and able to attend mass. What a terrific mass it was. It was nice to see Father Jeff again. Brother Peter came to mass and talked to us about vocation (a calling from God). God has a calling for each one of us. Brother Peter talked to us about determining what our calling truly is. The best place to determine a calling is in any quiet place, a chapel being a prime example.

Even though I am a Business Hospitality Management major, I am still unsure as the whether or not that is my calling. I still have a temptation for fame and a small desire to go into acting. When I was younger, I went to acting school and the agents who watched me audition were impressed with my abilities. They wanted me to travel with them, but my family was skeptical about me traveling alone with the agents. Now that I am older, I would have no problem traveling. I may not go into acting after all of those years, but who knows? I still remain unsure of what my calling is or what I want to do with my life. We'll see what happens. However you look at it, tonight's mass was tremendous. To sum it all up, this was truly a magnificent weekend overall. More good times are well on their way, as I look forward to going to Atlantic City for an evening of leisure activity on Tuesday, March 8th! I have to work tomorrow at 5pm, but I will think about the wonderful time I had this weekend while I am busing tables and restocking silverware.

Time for me to go. Always stay tuned and keep reading the thoughts, occurrences, and happenings of this magnificent living legend. As many of the people who remain close to me already know, I am never at a loss for words. Have a great week and remember to come again.

1 love.

Peace.

Sunday, February 27, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

The Road Back:

To health and life the way I know it...

Today I actually went to both of my Tuesday/Thursday classes.

How about that???

In Money and the American Imagination, we talked about Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class. I never thought I would come across an author who was almost as bad as Max Weber. Apparently Weber has met his match with Veblen. In Hospitality Control, Donna asked me if I was feeling any better. I told her that I was a little better, but that I also faced difficulties with the managers at my job. At any rate, I do feel a little better today. Nonetheless, I will continue to take it easy and try not to overexert myself. I must continue to take my antibiotics.

I never mentioned what I received from Jaime for Valentine's Day. She got me Dodgeball - A True Underdog Story (Fullscreen Edition) on DVD! I absolutely love that movie. I watched it last night as I laid down on the couch and relaxed. She also bought me a beautiful spring shirt from American Eagle along with a new hat and a box of chocolates. I ended up buying her Napoleon Dynamite and Garden State on DVD. I also got her a box of chocolates and took her to Gourmet for dinner on Valentine's Day. I know Valentine's Day was over a week ago, but I have been sick for quite some time and I never really got a chance to provide you with my post-Valentine's Day feedback.

Even though I will be conducting my summer internship very soon, I look forward to the warmer weather. Not even the summer season, but the warmer weather in general. Lord knows I love going to the beach and walking up and down the boardwalk. There is nothing better than going to the shore and smelling the sea breeze. In addition to that, being able to walk around outside and breath the fresh air is comforting. I still remember last spring semester, when Jaime and I would occasionally go out for walks around the campus once the weather got warmer. I can not stand walking outside and feeling like my face is freezing. The warm weather and sunny days can not come soon enough.

As much as I have been trying to "live in the now," the present has still managed to trouble me and I can not hide that. Along with being sick as a dog, my job has been nothing short of irritating due to the way management handles problems with employees. Who wants to work in a place where management could care absolutely less about you? No matter what one does, it is simply not good enough. If I go into work sick and move a little slower than normal, I get reprimanded for giving such a poor account of myself. If I call out because I am sick, management rubs in my face the fact that I called out all those times. What am I supposed to do??

Such a disgraceful situation makes me want to count down the days I have left at P.F. Chang's. I assure you my days at that establishment are numbered. I am taking this job for the money and the 400-600 hours of Professional Experience. At this point, I believe I am going to call it quits when I reach 400. Originally I had thought about the idea of staying with them for the internship because of the fact that I had been there since the place opened in December. In the beginning the job seemed so intriguing and my experiences were pleasant. My feelings have changed since then and I could really care less at this moment. I really feel as though I need to gain some experience in a hotel. Hotels are generally less stressful than restaurants. Perhaps I will try the Hilton Garden Inn by the mall for my Summer Internship, which is literally two minutes from my house.

Overall the last two weeks have taken me on a very bumpy road with a lot of sharp turns and inclines. Hopefully there is brightness and happiness coming my way on this road very soon. The bumps have been just a little too much and I need to come across the smoothness at some point.

That is all I have to say right now. Everyone have a good day and stay as healthy as you can. Keep on the look out for more updates in the near future. Now that I am up and about a little more, I will try to post more often. It can be rather difficult to update when you are constantly laying on your back and coughing up a lung. God willing, I will not be in that horrible position again any time soon.

Exam tomorrow in Facilities Management. Must be prepared for it.

A special thanks goes out to my mother for paying for my antibiotic and offering to pay for me to see a real doctor. Thanks also goes out to Jaime and her mother for taking such good care of me when I went to visit them last Thursday. I really appreciate it folks!

Peace.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

The Great One is doing great!

No time to backpedal... BIG plans in 2005!


Beautiful weather we had here today! As I walked outside to head to class this morning, I noticed how much warmer it was.

The last few days have been superb for The Great One. On Monday night Jaime came down to visit me here at school. She stayed for a few days and left this morning when I went to my Facilities Management class. Last night, Jaime and I went to the mall and looked around in some of the stores.

She was debating whether or not to buy this Coach bag she really wanted that was on sale. Originally priced at $198, Macy's was selling it for $136. Instead, she opted to purchase a $15 bag at Shoe Dept., realizing that she would have plenty of loans to pay back in the next few months. Afterwards Jaime, Keeley, Jeremy, and I went to Chili's for dinner. Fun times with good friends. We concluded the evening by playing War (card game), having some mixed drinks in the livingroom, and ...

The fact that Jaime was here for such an extensive period of time really made my week. Having her around is always enjoyable, especially since I do not see her everyday anymore. Tomorrow night I am heading up to Howell once again to go to Bar-A with her and her peeps. Yeah I know, this is becoming a habit on my part. This is either the second or third Thursday night in a row that I am going to Bar-A, but I can not resist getting 75 cent drinks from my girlfriend.

On top that, we usually have a tremendous time getting our dance on. At the end of the night, we will probably grab a bite to eat at Windmill as well. We love those chili cheese fries! I discovered that Windmill is a great place to go for a post-drunk meal.

Lately there has been talk of a trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL for spring break. I really hope this trip is finalized within the next week or so because I would love to go there! I have never been to Florida before, let alone Disney World! I believe such a trip would be quite an experience; adventurous to say the least. It would certainly be The Great One's first time on an airplane! Isn't that amazing? Whatever. I have absolutely nothing to fear and I expected this to happen eventually.

There is also talk of a road trip to North Carolina. I also plan on flying out to California to visit my friend Scott and his wife Liesel in August. As you can see, there are plenty of activities in store for The Great One and I plan to take advantage of every single one of them should they occur.

This semester is going really well. I am pleased with my performance up to this point, as I have produced some really good results. A couple of days ago, my spirit of capitalism essay was returned to me by my professor in Money and the American Imagination. Her comments read,

"Bryan, Overall, a very nice job! A few errors, problems, etc, but I like this essay, and I think your writing is clear - a pleasure to read, too! Nice organization. Good for you!"

How magnificent is that?

Perhaps within the next few days, I will post the actual essay for all of you - my family, friends, and fans - to read here at BLOG OF BRYAN. I am pretty talented and there is no doubt that my talent should be put on display when necessary. Only certain talents though, so get
your mind out of the gutter if you're thinking about something else.

Donna also returned one of my case studies to me in Hospitality Control. At the top of
the paper, she wrote, "Thorough Job" and gave me a check plus. Such noble
results for an academic scholar who works a job, parties, and still manages to
complete his course work. At this point in time, this is as good as I have
performed in school in a very long time. I am ready, willing and able to finish
this stage on my life on a high note. There is no better way to leave this game
than on top. As I have said on many different occasions, in the end my
brilliance and intelligence will prevail. There have been times when I have
gotten fed up with school and the attitudes of some of my professors, but in the
end I always get the job done! I will complete this final semester of college
and continue to progress in the work force as well as life.

For now, I have another essay about Benjamin Franklin to write and it is in my best interest to complete that as soon as possible. I also have to work on some case studies. Before I do that, I'm going to Wawa to get some coffee so I can stay awake. Be sure to come back again soon for some more updates and news based on this living legend and puglist of life. It's about to get HOT.

Peace.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Max Weber OVERLOAD!

Ok I need to take a break from this Weber "capitalism" essay that is due tomorrow at 10:30 am. There is only so much one can tolerate in terms of run-on sentences and being taught that wealth is a negative thing (as if poverty is any better).

Even though Weber is clearly the love of our coffee- drinking, chocolate-loving professor's life , his works tend to be a bit heavy on the eye and brain. I certainly attest to the belief that obtaining riches through hard work in one's calling is in God's graces. That's just my view of the matter (a bright view at that ). As I have said before, I would rather be wealthy than impoverished. Who takes pride in being poor?

Tonight I am working from 6pm to close for what will be my last night of server assistant training. Hopefully that shift goes along smoothly and I do not run into any major complications. I am just trying to get through this day as peacefully and stressless as I can. The world is my oyster. It is incumbent on me to keep my life and responsibilites as stable as possible. Perhaps I should go to work in a happy mood with the train of thought that everything is going to be alright. This is where the optimistic approach that I had talked about using comes into play.

Sometimes it helps for me to get in a zone or trap myself in my own little world at work, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else or prevent me from doing my job. Doing so contributes to making the time go by faster. Usually I am a psyched and ready to go to work after drinking one of those Rock Star Energy Drinks. Energy drinks are effective for as long as they last, until you eventually come back down from the fix. I have also tried Amp and Redbull and they're not bad either. They have their own unique tastes and they are just as effective as Rock Star.

As a result of getting up at 8:45 am to work on my paper and attend a meeting, I just remembered that I only ate breakfast today. As I listen to the rumbling of my stomach and feel my appetite beginning to peak, I realize that I have to get lunch.

Everyone take care, have a nice day, and come again soon!

Peace.

Wednesday, February 02, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

We turned back the clock in F-Court!

Last night was a terrific time in F-Court with old and new friends. So many familar faces were present in Evan's apartment, some of which included Dan, Chuck (who recently graduated), Nicole, Greg, Kevin, Dave Flanders (our old beer-making friend), many others that I can not recall at the moment, and Evan himself (I would hope so, considering the fact that he lives there ) I also had the opportunity to meet some new faces, including Evan's new roomies Ryan and Matt. Chuck was drinking a mixed drink out of an N-wing coffee cup, perhaps attempting to look like a hardcore N-Wing fanatic who hadn't graduated yet. Who on God's green Earth did he think he was fooling???

Let it be known that I went over to Evan's with absolutely no alcohol. Thankfully Greg was generous enough to give me one of his Yuengling Black and Tans along with some of his Cherry Twist Shmirnoff. On campus partying has not exactly been my prefered style of living recently, but for the first time in a while, the cops were not constantly on our asses. In fact, I honestly do not recall seeing a cop in sight last night. Plus I was in the mood to see some old friends. Great times last night, and hopefully they will not be the last. I really did enjoy myself last night.

Today I went to N-Wing with quite a group of people to accompany me. People who dined with me tonight included Anna, Nicole (take note of the comma before you make a mistake - I did not dine with Anna Nicole Smith), her roommate Jessica, Brian, Ray, Melissa, Jeremy, and a few others. One thing came to mind today (suprisingly it never did in the previous 2 years that I had been here) when I walked into the cafe. Chris Farley's Lunchlady Land! You never know exactly what is in that food, besides the laxatives that they soak it in. Sometimes one is inclined to wonder whether or not the N-wing food is actually going to get up and start dancing.

The past two days have felt a lot like last year, when we all used to go to dinner together and have our own little parties in the courts. I must admit that is a great feeling! One very important person is missing, and that is my love, Jaime. Speaking of Jaime, I am supposed to see her tomorrow provided it does not snow all weekend (which it is supposed to). We both had plans to hit up New Bruni and visit April. The Great One can only hope that the snow passes us by and goes somewhere else. I really do not want to get snowed in! I want to see my beautiful girlfriend, who I dearly heart.

Good news! My textbook for Hospitality Control arrived in the mail today!!!! This was literally a miracle! Ladies and gentlemen, there is a God! The expected arrival for this delivery was during the time frame between January 25 and February 2. Considering the fact that I had an assignment due in that class on Tuesday, I was in a little trouble had it not arrived. I prayed to God that the book would come early and it did just that. Thank you God! My book for Facilities Management has not yet come in the mail, but Dave from class loaned me his book for the weekend. The Great One sends a sincere thanks to Dave as well!
Everything is pretty much at a level base right now in terms of textbooks and being able to complete my assignments. There is a boxing doubleheader on ESPN2 tonight, so I want to go check that out. Have a great night, an even better weekend, and come back soon for more updates based on this young, brilliant and dynamic splendor. You do not want to miss a beat! Try to stay safe in this inclement weather. 1 love.

Peace.

Friday, January 21, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

French maid loose at Stockton?!

Two or three beers, and those French maids are OUT like
working girls on a busy Saturday night!

On call at 10 o'clock this morning, I got out of bed and called P.F. Chang's to see if they wanted me to come in or not. My manager Ryan answered the phone and stated that they did not need me today. WHEW! That means I am off from work today and tomorrow. Today is the perfect day for me to do whatever I want. Those types of days come few and far in between, but today appears to be one of those rare occasions.

Maybe The Great One will do some cleaning of the apartment later on in the day, but not a whole lot of cleaning. I happen to be on call on Wednesday as well, but we'll see if they want me to come in or not. I choose not to fret about the lost hours for the reasons that I had a really big work weekend and made plenty of money from this weekend alone (having worked 6 to close from Friday to Sunday). Next weekend I will be working from 6 to close on Friday and Saturday as well.

I drove to the school today to see if Donna was in her office because I had to talk to her about my professional experience and a few other things. Professor Scales was in the office and told me that she was not there, but she would be in tomorrow. Fair enough. I will return to the office tomorrow. My goal at this moment is to get everything sorted out before the semester starts so I can go about my last semester with as few unnecessary tasks as possible. If anybody can properly monitor my professional experience, it would have to be Donna. Dr. Whithem, director of Stockton's Hospitality Program, will be observing me for my summer internship, which is my very last requirement to be completed before graduation.

Jaime will be coming down to school to visit me tomorrow, which is nice because our schedules have been conflicting way too much. She should be here around 6:30 tomorrow night and she will sleeping over. I am really looking forward to seeing her once again. Perhaps we'll rent a movie from Blockbuster. We always used to rent movies and watch them on Saturdays when we were less busy than we are now.

At this moment it is time for me to leave the computer lab and head back to my apartment for a little while. Everyone have a nice day and come again for more news and information based on random activities at work (I know you like the most recent work-related story), boxing news, and some of the most intriguing and significant occurrences in my amazing life.

Take care, be safe, and keep on the look out for a drunken French maid.

Monday, January 10, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Drunken Spectacle of Rage!

Have I not seen that show before?
Perhaps I have even auditioned a few times in my day...


Drunken Spectacle of Rage!Have I not seen that show before? Perhaps I have even auditioned a few times in my day...

P.F. Chang's was an interesting place to be last night. Saturday night is usually the busiest night of the week for all restaurants and hospitality establishments. Last night was certainly no exception. We were running on close to a two and a half hour wait. Reservations were booked from 6 pm until 9pm before the restaurant even opened yesterday morning. Our situation became all the more interesting when a reserved party of 12 arrived at the restaurant at 7pm (three hours before they were due to be seated at 10pm), only to inform us that more people would be joining their party. The one guest asked if we could move their reservation to another time slot for that evening. By that time, everything was booked in terms of reservations for the rest of the evening. As a result, we explained to their representative that we would have to cancel their reservation and put them on a wait list in order to accommodate the rest of their party. That is exactly what we ended up doing.

One of the other hosts grabbed a pager and put the party on a 2 hr and 15 minute wait. As a result, all of them went upstairs to the bar and drank themselves into a frenzy. They kept walking back downstairs to check and see if their tables were ready yet. We explained to them that they would have to wait until the party that was sitting at their table was done eating dinner. Afterall there was already another party of 12 sitting there, who had previously made their reservation in advance and did NOT cancel out at the last minute as a result of additional people coming. They got there first and they still had to finish their meal. When the time came for the drunken party of 12 to be seated, it was already much later than the approximate time we told them they would be seated.

They ended up getting seated around 10pm (their original reservation time). Obviously they were aggravated as a result of the time they had to wait in order to be seated and served. We apologized for the inconvenience, but sometimes one has to expect that when you cancel your reservation on a Saturday night at the last minute and place yourself on the waiting list with a pager. We are primarily a walk-in restaurant, but reservations are first priority.
This gets better.

Immediately after the lushery convention finally wrapped up their evening of dining and drinking (yes, they did not stop), the man of the group who cancelled the reservation in the first place came up to us at the host stand and said, "The food made the wait well worth it!" He continued, "the only thing was, you shouldn't have told us you were going to seat us at 9pm and then seat us at 10pm because then we have to wait around for too long and I had to take a lot of shit from the rest of the group because they were getting restless. A few of the people in my party are in the restaurant business, so we know how these things work. We will be back though."

Again, we apologized for the inconvenience, taking into account the adage that "the customer is always right." We are also a brand new restaurant that recently opened up and there are certainly kinks that need to be worked out. On the other hand, when a party decides to cancel their reservation in order to be placed on a wait, they run the risk of falling behind on the list and waiting a little longer. Everything in the restaurant is run on a first come, first serve basis.

Shortly afterwards one of servers went up to the guy who was talking to us after the meal and showed him a charred napkin that had been burnt at the table. I still fail to grasp the logic behind the server's decision to do that. All of a sudden the guest says in a loud tone of voice, "Maybe if we didn't have to wait so fucking long to eat, we wouldn't have gotten bored enough to have to burn napkins" The server responded, "Well we were running on a two hour wait sir and you cancelled your reservation at the last minute." The guest was drunk and he started getting really angry as he raised his tone of voice at the server. He turned around to us and said, "Is his father the retarded firefighter??" Whatever the hell that meant. He added to that by saying, "Maybe if the little retard would learn to bus these fucking tables, we wouldn't have had to wait so long."

The server's assistant began to laugh as he helped the server clean the mess at the tables. That is when the drunken guest walks up to him and says, "You think that is funny??? Fuck face! You got something to say to me??? Why don't you go ahead and take a swing at me?? Hit me and you lose your job". That is when things really started to get out of control and I had to get the manager to come up and get him out of the restaurant. The manager applauded my actions and told me, "Good job, you did the right thing." Tell me this young dynamic pugilist of life does not have Operating Partner written all over his bright future????? LOL. I don't know about all of that. The Great One is certainly capable of such a destiny, but I just do not know if I want to stay in the restaurant business. We shall see what happens and you - my family, friends, and fans - will be the first to know.

Our restaurant has some flaws that need to be cleared up, as do many restaurants when they first open with a relatively inexperienced staff. Everyone makes mistakes and we must learn from making mistakes. Perhaps certain guests should take that into account when drinking too much alcohol at the bar and then spouting off at the mouth in public in front of families with children. If he really is in the restaurant business with his buddies as he stated they were, they should already know these circumstances. They should definitely know that it's inappropriate to get drunk in a public place and then start shouting obscenities at servers! In addition to all of that, a guest fiercely grabbed one of our female servers earlier in the evening and got a complementary meal as a result. I am not quite sure how that happened, but I suppose this is a learning process.

Wow that was a long story.

Hopefully I did not bore you (as exciting as I am, rarely do I ever pick up such a negative trait), but I just wanted to explain what can happen in such a place of business. This was quite a story and it is far from the last one that I will be telling you. The Great One is sure to come across some unique situations at his job and I will keep you informed as they all happen.

For now it is time to grab some lunch and head to work (perhaps another evening worthy of note, who knows?? ). Everyone take care and come again soon for more of the latest in the life of an individual who is HALF MAN and HALF AMAZING. 1 love.

Peace.

Sunday, January 09, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

FALL 2004 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: Jaime's graduation!

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.

Sunday, December 19, 2004 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

FALL 2004 OFFICIALLY OVER!

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.

Wednesday, December 15, 2004 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]