R.U. Fest, my upcoming return to D-town, Ruiz vs. Toney, and more!

Last night was an awesome time for yours truly. I drove up to Howell to spend the evening with Jaime, as I usually do once or twice a week. We met Caroline, Charlie, Gena, and Laura at Chevys for $1 Margarita Night. The margaritas were magnificent. Very tasty. Jaime and I shared a $5 pitcher of Frozen Margarita and then I bought an individual $1 glass of Margarita on the rocks at the end of the night. Good times. Thank God there is a Chevys on Route 10 in North Jersey. I will definitely have to hit that up at various times throughout the summer. Jaime and I will also have to team up with Gena and Ken for some good times at the Laughing Lion as well, whenever Gena and Jaime are in town.

*Note* Ken and I are both North Jersey residents, with Ken residing in Randolph and The Great One, yours truly, living in D-town AKA Dova' Rico.

Today is a pretty nice day. It is a little breezy outside, but the sun is out and this is still a gorgeous day to be outdoors. So it turns out that I did not get an A in Money and the American Imagination. I did not even get an A-. The Great One's final grade in that class was a B+, which I felt was the worst case scenario. Not only did I get a B+, but it was an 89!!!! C'mon G.T.! Give me one more point, for being good looking if anything , so I can get an A-!

There goes my 4.0. Oh well, life goes on. What else can I say? Perhaps my work ethic was not solid enough to bring me to an A in that class. Earlier in the semester, I stated that my work ethic in school might be lacking a bit in terms of achieving excellence in all of my courses. I would say I put in a B+ effort for that class rather than an A effort. I previously announced that I would get an A in Money and the American Imagination because the professor said she was giving the people who showed up to class (a week ago this past Tuesday) six bonus points. I perceived that to be six points added on to my final grade; that was not the case. She gave anybody who showed up that day six of the 12 possible points for The Great Gatsby quiz we took one week ago today. Therefore, the bonus was much less significant to my final grade than I originally anticipated. Brilliance and outstanding essay writting can only get a brainiac such as myself so far. I definitely should have done more of the reading assignments, but it is all over now. I do not feel I lost anything out of this, as I look foward to graduating and excelling with my summer internship. It is the present and future that I must concern myself with. Both of those have some promising things in store for The Great One. Oh, yes they do!

I plan on taking my GMATs early in 2006, possibly as early as January. I will do extremely well on that test. It has been on my mind for a few years now.

I still have two more courses to complete. Those are Hospitality Control and Facilities Management. I will be submitting my portfolio for Hospitality Control on Tuesday, May 3. I will also be taking my final exam for Facilities Management on Wednesday, May 4. I will make the necessary preparations for that exam and I definitely look to be successful with it.

Other blurbs:

• Tonight marks yet another chicken bar at N-Wing. Dinner tonight at 6pm for those who would like to join me. Final chicken bar of the year. Final chicken bar ever at Stockton for The Great One. Those who would like to join me are more than welcome to. I know Anna and Ray are definitely coming along.

• The Great One will be attending Rutgersfest this Friday, but I will be getting there a bit late. Nas, as well as the Drop Kick Murpheys (the band that performed at Stockton earlier this semester) will be performing at R.U. Fest this year. I could be hitting up James' crip with Jaime, April, and the rest of their gang. However you look at it, The Great One is once again returning to New Bruni...

• The Great One will also be returning to D-town, my old stompin' grounds, late in the afternoon on Saturday. I will be there until late Sunday night/early Monday morning. At that point, I will be returning to Stockton to finish the semester.

• For the first time in eight months, I will have the privledge of watching a fight this weekend! Yes, that's right. I have been limited to the cheap, low budget ESPN matches here at school, but I will be at home to watch this weekend's edition of HBO World Championship Boxing. WBA Heavyweight Champion John "The Quiet Man" Ruiz will be defending his title against James "Lights Out" Toney at Madison Square Garden in New York. The weigh-in for the fight was held today at Madison Square Garden. Ruiz weighed in at 241lbs, whereas Toney tipped the scale at 233lbs. Usually, I try not to get overly excited over an upcoming fight with John Ruiz. Afterall, he does spend more time trying to hug his opponents rather than beat them up in the ring. However, as long as James Toney is prepared for a tough fight, I doubt he is going to put up with the herky-jerky style that Ruiz fights with. The Great One predicts that a conditioned Toney will knock Ruiz out in the 10th round on a bodyshot (Ruiz does not take bodyshots well and James is a great inside fighter), but if Toney is not in sufficient fighting shape, Ruiz will find some bizzare way (probably hugging, clinches, and a couple punches in between) to defeat Toney (most likely on points). When it comes down to it, This fight is probably going to get dirty due to their styles. I look for this to be a wild and entertaining affair between two top heavyweight contenders, who have a genuine dislike for one another.

That is all for now. I know that was a long post, but that is not a bad thing when you consider who is posting and the material that I post.

Take care and be safe. 1 love.

Peace.

Thursday, April 28, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Loving memories from my years at Stockton!

I am currently in the computer lab and I have completed two pages of my Gatsby essay for Money and the American Imagination.

In writing the essay for The Great Gatsby, we are given various choices in regards to the topic that we want to compare with the story. Such topics include Gatsby and conspicuous consumption, Gatsby, money, and the American Dream, Money and success in The Great Gatsby, Gatsby as the self-made man, and a few others. The Great One has chosen conspicuous consumption, only because it is so obvious with Gatsby. Everything, from his garden to the parties he throws and the automobiles that he drives, illustrates his subjection to conspicuous consumption (according to Thorstein Weblen, purchasing goods that are far superior to what one needs for sustenance).

Enough of that for now...

Approaching the end of a long and adventurous journey

I can not believe that this is the final week of class for the semester and the school year. Furthermore, I am shocked that this is the final week of my final year of college! As I stated in the previous post, this whole situation is a combination of sadness, shock, and excitement. There are plenty of things that I will miss about this college. Many of the memories I have of my years here will live on in my memory and my heart, probably for the rest of my life.

This institution is where I met my significant other, the first real love of my life. This institution is where I broke out into the society on my own, arriving at a college in a different location with nothing more than my most valued possessions. The Great One, establishing himself in a new environment at a different school amongst a diversified community, did not need to hold the hands of seven or eight high school classmates in order to fit in.This s is where my confidence (which was never truly lacking ) skyrocketed to an all-time high and enabled me to accomplish tasks and reach goals that I was previously unsure of attaining.It is a strong belief of mine that this school is what greatly contributed to making me who I am today, as opposed to who I was three years ago. Today, I see myself as more of a leader. I view myself as somebody who can adapt to society more than I was capable of doing before I moved away from home.

Here are some terrific memories that The Great One will always cherish about being a college student at Stockton:

• Going to Nwing with friends for some intelligent (some enjoyable) conversation with my peoples.
• Walking over to the apartments with the L-Dorm crew to drink on Thursday nights in 2002-03.
• Anthony Chodan, his snakes, and how he used Aaron as their bait.
• Meeting Jaime at F23 on Halloween night 2002, only to begin going out with her on December 18, 2002. My gosh, has it been that long???
• Dr. Worthington, his Intro/Management, Business Policy and Strategy, and Human Resources Management courses, and the fact that I aced all of them EASILY. Dr. Worthington = greatest professor EVER! Quite fitting that the World's Greatest Professor would be teaching The Great One at some point or another. It was a right of passage; one that amused me.
• Late night trips to Wawa for coffee and snacks. I did this every single year I went to Stockton. Having social gatherings in the lounges in L-Dorm. Wawa hoagies are off the hook!!
• Drunken Volleyball at the court by TRLC (including Drunken Volleyball opera).
• Meeting and hanging out with all of the various people I encountered in my three years here at Stockton: Jaime, Anna, Ray, Jack, Evan, Nicole, Chuck, Aaron, Anthony, Shiek, Colleen, Kristen, Jeremy.S, Mike, Keeley, Jeremy.M, Sean, Brian A, Junior, Debra, Andrew, Rich, and many many many others who I failed to mention in this bulleted piece.
• Shiek's generosity with alcohol (I remember him giving out those 24oz bottles of Yuengling Lager at D 15 year spring semester). God bless him!
• My single in N-Dorm. Ohhhhhh, how I realized it's value when I no longer had it!!!!!!!! That single was such an asset. I still miss N206 to this very day.
• Going to mass on Sunday nights (sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't) and listening to Father Jeff. I always felt at peace when I left.
• Taking walks around the campus when the weather is nice (sometimes during the day; other times at night). Admiring the pine barrens and the nature surrounding the campus.
• Community Liquors and all the good times I was able to have (mostly on Thursday nights) because of that amazing liquor store. Every town in every state should have a community liquor for poor college students.
• Jaime, Shiek and I sobering Aaron up with chocolates.
• My drunken trip to the Chinese Restaurant on White Horse and to Home Depot with Erin and Ray. Who else slaps five with a card board cut out?????
• Taking random trips to Target with Anna, Ray, and the rest of the gang(sometimes for Cherry Coke ).
• Eating lunch at G-Wing and dinner at N-Wing with the regulars (Ray, Anna, Jeremy, Jack, etc).
• Working at M.A.H.G. on the upper floor of the library (with Kathy, Marcie, and Dr. Lithell) my first year here and having Jaime join me in the library to study so she could be with me (even before we were going out).
• Trips to Ocean City when the weather got warmer. Going with Ray, Kristen, Erin, Anna, Nicole, and Jaime spring semester 2004. Bacardi Crunch! Anna shaving my head later that day.
• Firmly believing, after a long night of drinking in F Court on my 22nd birthday, that I was Superman and jumping out of a moving car in the parking lot believing that I could fly. I never hit the blacktop so hard in my life. Crazy times!
• Fight Night 2004 with Chuck every Tuesday and Thursday at my apartment last semester. Then he had to go ahead and graduate on me!
• Fratority REPREZENT. Fratority dinners at N-wing. Rabies on a stick!
• Walking back to my apartment or dorm drunk to the fullest extent. Running into random people at random times in random locations. Wasted and meeting Dan Chapman in the computer lab after Evan's Jungle Juice party just a few weeks ago.
• The Irish Pub in Atlantic City.
• Standing outside of the L-Dorm Residential Hall and drinking with 15-20 of my fellow L-Dorm residents. Those were the good times, before the on campus police came out of the closet.
• Going out for random drives around the South Jersey area (Smithville, Galloway, Absecon, Atlantic City, P-town, etc).
• Historic Smithville, with all of the old shops.
• All the times I spent with Jaime, from watching movies, to spending every day at the library with her, to being with her every night and do homework with her.
  

There are many more memories of my times here at Stockton, but they will be posted as my final days come to pass. This school will be sorely missed and I am not exactly sure at this moment what will come of me immediately following my departure from here.

At this time, all I know is that I am heading to Wawa with Brian. He is currently tapping me on the shoulder with an empty Pepsi bottle.

Take care and be safe.

Peace.

Monday, April 25, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Three more weeks of school!

Millionaire at 36 years old? Hey, it is worth a try Ray.

"I simply get off at Exit 82 on the Parkway, and then I take ... shit."

now there is a prime candidate for the job of Mapquest directions coordinator if I ever saw one.


A few days have gone by since my last update, so here we go ladies and gentlemen. Braces yourselves. On Sunday, while driving with to mass with Jhon, I discovered that my car was making a loud thumping sound.

Bad sign.

As I drove back to the parking lot by TRLC and looked at my right front tire, I realized that it was completely flat! Not only that, but when I removed the tire to put the donut on, I immediately discovered that the rim had been dented and severely torn! Terrific! Now I have to buy a new rim as well as a new tire. When I called Bennett Chevrolet in Egg Harbor Township to get a price check on a rim for my car, they quoted a price of $718! All for one rim!!! Heaven forbid there was something wrong with all of my tires and rims. Shortly after that, I called Gearhart Chevyrolet in Denville and they quoted a price not too much cheaper than Bennett's price. Gearhart was ready to order me the rim for $608.

The Great One was not going to settle for either price. My mother helped me out by calling many of the local junkyards and asking if they had any rims available. Fortunately, the one junkyard she called (I think it's Ackers in Hackettstown), had an aluminum rim for $125 that matched my car perfectly and a steel rim for $35 which did not match my car. I chose the aluminum rim for $125 for the reason that I want my car to look stylish. Hey, I am able to afford it so why not? Uncle J is picking up the rim for me today and he is bringing it down to me on Thursday. At that point, all I have to do is purchase a tire (most likely at Pep boys) and then my car will once again be back to normal. That is all taken care of now, but it is amazing how certain things in life can be a such a major inconvenience.

At this point, my main concern is my group presentation based on the construction of P.F Chang's for Facilities Management. My group is scheduled to present to the class at P.F. Changs this Monday! We have to get it done soon. My group and I are going to meet in the library tomorrow after class so we can put most of the presentation and research paper together. That is really the only thing I am worried about for the remainder of the semester in all of my classes. I also have a project with Inn Basket due in Hospitality Control the last week of the semester, but I am not really worried about that. We are not scheduled to start that project until April 26, so I'm alright for now in regards to Hospitality Control.

Tonight I had dinner with Ray, Jack, Keeley and Jhon. Jhon got there a bit late, so he was sitting at the table next to us. We began to discuss life after college and where we see ourselves in the job world once we are out of school. Ray, who will be getting a bachelors degree in Business Studies Accounting, claimed that his goal is to be a millionaire at 36 years of age. Not a bad goal and not totally unrealistic. I suppose it is worth a try to attempt such a noble landmark.

Sometimes I wish I could just live here for one more semester, come back, and live my life the way it has been for the past three years - minus the classes. Wouldn't that be hot? Life passes us by so quickly. We must stop and take a look at who and what surrounds us. I believe it was the infamous Ferris Bueller who once said, "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". While that was merely a fictional character from the classic 1986 motion picture Ferris Bueller's Day Off, that quote could not be any closer to the truth in real life than it already is. How shall I look around and acknowledge life? You know that The Great One must return to the location that elevated me to completely different heights I had never before reached. Upon my graduation from Stockon, one can rest assured that I will be back in Pineys for visits and parties come Fall 2005! Stockton has been an eye opener for yours truly in terms of my perception of life. Status-wise, confidence-wise, knowledge-wise, skill-wise, and wise-wise (wise-wise , yes I am wiser for the wear), I am greater than I have ever been before. I am, and will always be, The Great One. That title will never escape me folks. One can never disregard the facts.

It is important that I continue to demonstrate my greatness by doing research for this presentation. Everyone have a good night, take care, and be safe. Stay tuned for more... you do not want to miss a beat!

Peace.

Tuesday, April 12, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

Facilities Management exam officially a success!

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

This post is rather lengthy, so... grab a snack, sit back, relax, and pay attention. Professor Scales returned our Facilities Management exams to us in class today. Low and behold, The Great One scored a 92%!!!! How great of a result is that??? After stating on 1,001 occasions how successful I was going to be, and confidently announcing it on here, such a result is nothing short of glorious! I do not f%&k around.

There is no mystery to the fact that I said I was going to do a really good job and the significance of a successful outcome. So glorious! A marvelous and magnificent outcome that serves as a right of passage for someone as intelligent and wise as myself! I am no joke people. I talked the talk and I walked the walk. Screw you multiple choice... The Great One has your number! This exam will make up for my poor performance on the first exam, for which I barely studied or gave any effort at all due to my severe illness. This time I was not confined to a bed coughing up a lung throughout the three week period leading up to the exam. This exam was a completely different story. That is truly the best I have ever done on a Donna Albano exam. Her exams are not the easiest exams either, but I came through in the clutch as I knew I would, hit a homerun, and aced this one like it was my job! I accept the honour and give God the glory.

God had this planned for me the entire time, which is why I predicted this exam would be a success so far in advance. Not only did I know it would happen, I knew it needed to happen. God knew the score in advance, which is why it was delivered to me in a dream last week. Yes, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I drempt I got a 92 - I think it was either a 91 or a 92 - one night in my sleep last week. There is no doubt in my mind that the man upstairs had the plan; all I had to do was carry on with the action to solidify that plan. This is a lesson for all of you to learn if you have not yet learned it. There is a God.

When God is with you, nobody can be against you. God will not always give you what you want. God will give you what you need. As long as God gives me what I need, I will make anything happen that needs to happen. Of course it also helps to be intelligent and make use of that muscle called the brain that is in my head. Know that NOTHING can alter my destiny when I am traveling down the highway of fortitude to make it happen. The test result has been so uplifting for me today; the fact that it's raining has totally gone over my head. Great result! ULTRA MEGA SUPER GLORIOUS! This is all a good sign. Thank you God. Expect plenty more where that came from.

Yeah... so in case you have never met me, I am THE GREAT ONE.

Last night was a really good time at Evan's Jungle Juice Party. I hardly knew any of the people, as some of regulars who are usually present - Ray, Anna, Kristen, Kevin, Chuck - were not there last night. However, Aaron managed to come to the party and have a pretty good time. Erin, Nicole, and Dave Flanders (my beer-brewing buddy) were also in attendance. The apartment had a festive look to it, as they decorated and made it look like a jungle with vines and bananas hanging from the ceiling. I got obliterated off of Jungle Juice, Hennessey, and bottles of Killian's Irish Red and Yuengling. Good times. Another great news item is that Jaime is coming down to visit me tonight. She will be here around 8:30 and she is staying until tomorrow when I have to go to work. We will probably get something to eat, rent a movie, and... you can come to your own conclusions on the rest. Deduce what you want.

I'm still heading to Nwing in a little bit to grab something small to eat with Ray and whoever would like to join us. For the most part, I am attending to be sociable with the crowd at hand.
That pretty much covers it all. Everyone have a great evening, enjoy your Friday night, and live it up like there is no tomorrow.

1 love.

Peace.

Friday, April 08, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

On call and not having to work!

The Greatest feeling ever...Especially on a beautiful spring day!

Today I was once again on call, as I have been every Wednesday now for the past month or so. Usually the managers, especially Jared, make me come in On Wednesdays. Fortunately, on this beautiful, sunny, 70 degree day, I did not have to come into work tonight!! That was a blessing if there ever was one. Nobody should've had to work on a day as nice as today was. Today was absolutely beautiful. I am not sure who had to work today or not; I just know that I did not have to and that was perfectly fine with me.

Before leaving to go see the Barnegat Lighthouse, and then eventually driving back home, my Uncle J took me out for lunch today to the Galloway Diner. He got some Corn Chowder Soup while I ordered a Kansas City Grilled Chicken Sandwich (delicious!) Thank you Uncle J!

Tomorrow I am off from work as well as Friday night. The fact that they gave me Friday off is quite an unbelievable shock! Friday is not the type of day that management likes to give away that easily, unless of course one requests off. Even then it is not guarantee. The Great One has been going to work so frequently day after day and I feel as though I deserve a break so I can have some fun and clear my head. I deserve this time away from work to enjoy the gem that is the beautiful spring weather we have had. Lord knows I like to have cash in the pockets. I also enjoy being able to make money and feeling financially secure for someone at this stage of my life.

However, I also know that I am still young, still vibrant, and this is my final semester of college. I am beginning the final month of my extensive college career. There will be plenty of time to work in the future. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me getting three or four days off in a row from P.F Chang's. I think it is great. This feels wonderful! By the time Saturday night comes around, perhaps I won't feel as cranky at the beginning of my shift.

I have a menu test to take on Monday, which will decide whether or not I get in-house trainer certification. You know what? I will take some time to study for that test, but I am not going to lose any sleep worrying about it. Why should I worry about such a thing? They know that I am leaving their establishment in June. I know that I am heading into the final four weeks of the semester and I will have to give a bold account of myself to make the kinds of grades that will leave me satisfied.

I will do a little bit of studying for that menu test. If I pass it with a 90% or better, good. Grand. Wonderful! If I do not pass it, oh well. It is not like I am sticking with this job for another five years. I have plenty to worry about. I have plenty of business to keep me occupied for another couple years. God will not punish me if I fail to earn a 90% or better on a menu test that will determine my two status of in-house trainer! I find graduation from college, having fun, and scoring high on the GMATs to be much more significant. We'll see what happens. I will not worry about that. Worrying gives you premature wrinkles, which a couple people say I have... I don't think so. Those people are in a VAST minority, as I am still maintain a youthful look according to everybody else (including myself, most importantly). The Great One is very handsome!

Although it never hurts to take precautions. I bought this creme that is used following the cleansing of the face. Neutrogena makes it; it's anti-wrinkle creme, which reduces and prevents wrinkling of the skin. It is crucial that I do my best to preserve the youth of such a handsome face.

Fratority was in the house!!!! Earlier today, Ray, Jhon, Anna, Brian, Jeremy and I all went to Nwing for dinner. They all kept trying to throw things in my coffee. Brian was successful on two attempts, landing both the broccoli and the Reeses candies into my cup. As a result, I did not drink that cup of coffee. Aaron joined us towards to end of the dinner period. After dinner, Ray, Anna, Brian and I went on another trip to Target. I ended up purchasing a 12 pack of Wild Cherry Pepsi. Why not Cherry Coke? Twelve packs of Cherry Coke were being sold for over $4.00 a piece. I bought a twelve pack of Wild Cherry Pepsi for $2.25. Although Coke still reigns supreme in the battle of Coke and Pepsi, the difference in the taste is not all that distinguishable.

We originally wanted to play volleyball by TRLC, but apparently those plans have been postponed. Many of us have work to do and it is getting pretty late. Tomorrow night I will be attending Evan's big Jungle Juice shindig. The kid is always inviting me over to parties at his apartment and I always end up having prior engagements. It is about time that I hang out with that crew (Evan, his new roommates, Nicole, Dan, Chuck, and sometimes the unforgettable beer brewing Dave Flanders makes a special guest appearance) because it has been a while. I have been looking forward to it for a few weeks now. The Great One will be live and direct in F-Court tomorrow night baby! It is going to be HOT!

For now, I must do some reading for Money and the American Imagination as well as some research for my Facilities Management group project. Everyone take care and be safe.

Peace.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005 | posted in | 0 comments [ More ]

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 ]