Gray Matter

State of things:

2006-09-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

Well, since my last post things have of course been hectic. The move to the storage room has been successful, and we are living temporarily in Sanford with my Mom and Dad. We have secured an apartment and will be in it on the 11th of October. Jenn and I both work now for Whole Foods, and since we have but one car between us, it's a better deal than one might expect. We have a fantastic apartment that is all of 6 miles from our work, and is below what we had budgeted for rent- We're getting a 2 story, 2 bedroom for $579 p/mth. That's quite a deal, and certainly cheaper than the other apt's we looked at. It's all about the specials, calling every apt. in the guide and getting prices, and demanding the best prices.

more to come later as I continue my incommunicado stage for the next month.

Trying to get my bearings straight

2006-08-01T08:23:00.000-05:00

So I hear that nurses make about $100,000 a year.

That's a high end estimate, sure, but it is worth a look none the less. Add that to cheaper rent/housing/gas, and you have a winning combination.

Thing is, the classes start next year- next fall in fact...

So, we're trying to get things moving. I'm probably going to end up working at a restaurant down there, and Jenn is trying to find something appropriate now. Found some places to live, but that's a few months off. We'll probably float for a month and then get our place.

I am both happy and sad to be moving. We really did try here, but the money is just not worth the headaches of daily life. It isn't even a shadow of what it was 5 years ago, let alone 10.

So that is our plan right now. Move now, ask questions later. I'll get something down there that will pay enough....

What is it with people and the need to give me a job?

2006-07-27T08:26:00.000-05:00

I was in the gas station's quick-e-mart this morning, when a gentleman decided to talk to me:

"Hey, how old are you big guy?"

"29"

"Well, I would have said you were 19, cuz the Redskins are having tryouts and you should play for them."

The guy behind the counter said "You tryin to get someone injured ain't ya?" (talking to my new recruiter)

Test results-

2006-07-19T15:12:00.000-05:00

Seems I wasn't quite what they were looking for. There are other avenues of course, that I will persue. All of which hinge on our moving to NC in the next few months so that we can get to a more respectable cost of living.

Gnarly dude.

2006-07-13T09:58:00.000-05:00

Apparently there has been a group over in the UK that has been kicking quite a bit of ass lately. Gnarls Barkley, whose "Crazy" I heard the other day on US radio. Upon further inspection, it's Dangermouse and his cohort Cee Lo (Of the goodie mob- more on that in a sec). Danger did a great job on the Gray Album, and now it seems he is finding an appropriate voice for the usually voiceless electronic music.

Now then, I have a policy. I don't watch any videos made by anyone who is a member of a "gang" "mob" "crew" or "posse." But, for some reason- I actually LIKED Goodie Mob, and this use of Cee Lo shows some absolute skill in lyric writing and in talent.

Meh, download it already. The whole album is worth it.

Mash ups-

2006-07-12T08:26:00.000-05:00

Found a neat site, with a genre I had forgotten about- The Mash up.

The best known mash up of my Generation is probably "The Gray Album" by Dangermouse, or even- god help me- JayZ and Linkin Park.

That said, I came across this site which had an AWESOME mashup of La Grange and Hit The Road Jack- by a guy named Mixsplosiv. Its one of only 2 that he did, and honestly, I would have liked to see more from him.

Pink vs. Fear Factory, sure why not.

Gorillaz vs. NiN? That's a natch.

Gwen Stefani vs. Blur? Oh yeah...

So, some nice mixes there- would love to find more.

Ginger Altoids will melt your mouth.

2006-07-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

So, I was in this neat paper shop in Alexandria, when I came across this very interesting goody. Among other things of interest:

Big Baby Book about Breasts

The Official Baby Users Guide

The Yoga guide for real men by wrestler Diamond Dallas Page (DDP)

and quite possibly, the best book ever-

"Adventures Of Cow"

ManMan?

2006-07-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, take a bit of Cake, throw in some Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a bit of Beck, and some groovy riffs and you have the weirdest, yet coolest, band I have heard in a while.

Man Man just plyaed here recently and I missed it. I just KNOW these guys would put on a SHOW.

Chateau Suduirat

2006-07-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

Found some info on the other wine we got-

The 2001 is even more remarkable, reflecting the intensity of the vintage. There's a lot of honey to the fruit of this wine and it's richer and sweeter than the 1999. The price remains most attractive. When I mentioned how we liked this little bargain, Montégut rolled his eyes saying "You know, a vintage such as 2001 does not come along very often." We'll drink to that!

Edit: We got the 2001, for $11.00.

Nice for the size.

La Fourme d'Ambert, Sauterne, and other french words...

2006-07-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

We are entertaining guests this weekend, friends from North Carolina, and thought it would be lovely to snark a bit, and enjoy some good food and wine. We picked up 1/2 # of La Fourme d'Ambert, for a staggeringly cheap $4.99 at the local wine shop. To go with it, we got the standard water crackers, and a not-so-common Fig and Ginger Jam to spread along with the very salty, little biting blue. My wife is not so fond of blues, so for her to say "get that" with reckless abandon shows you just how uncommon this cheese is. We went with a Sauternes, which name escapes me, but was recommended to us by the salesman. We liked the Chateau Gravas, and was told that this wine came from the same region, across the Garonne River. We snagged that, and an unknown Muscat on the cheap.

It ain't high society, but it sure is nice to explore your palate with friends :)

Sananda Maitreya?

2006-06-13T08:51:00.000-05:00

http://www.sanandamaitreya.com

Fania and Salsa

2006-06-01T15:51:00.000-05:00

The first Fania albums were distributed to local record stores from the back of Pacheco's car. Slowly, Fania built its fan base throughout New York City. It reinvested profits back into the label and was eventually able to buy other well-known Latin music record labels.

I got this via NPR, and thank goodness I happened to be listening to
it at the time. I really dig it, but never understood why it is called
"Sauce?"

Corpsman continue to do their job, and do it well:

2006-05-04T06:53:00.001-05:00

I am very proud to call this HM2 a shipmate

I talked to all the Marines and Sailors in Iraq before I left, and those back in
Camp Pendleton, and they want me to tell you, ‘good job, and outstanding job!’
They are damned proud of you," he said. "Please continue what you have done for
our great nation, the Marine Corps and Navy team, and also for the Hospital Corps community

Bravo Zulu HM2!

Test-

2006-04-11T08:52:00.000-05:00

I took my FSO test on Saturday at 8 AM. Was NOT as hard as I thought it would be. It had a lot of english correction, grammar and punctuation on it. I think I did quite well on it, the general knowledge wasn't nearly as tough as I anticipated, with the questions all stemming from things I knew already. (Monroe doctrine, War Powers act, etc..)

Gotta admit, I suprised myself that I did well on it.

Now the waiting begins. Results are probably going to be in July or so.

New music find for me...

2006-03-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

Found a podcast called Daves Lounge that has music that absolutely suits me. Stumbled on a grouup called Trapdoor, who has some early u-2ish qualities, but also is in the vein of some jazz like Count Basic's early stuff. It's a nice thing to have some chill music when at work, and the fact that I can download it makes it that much better. Their playlist has me saying "who" more than an owl, and that is not entirely a bad thing ya know?

Over the time of overage?

2006-03-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

Well this week Jenn and I both get a little overtime, about 10 hours a piece. That is incredibly helpful, especially since a lot of our bills are finally getting caught up, and things are starting to settle as they should.

Went last weekend to Old Town, where we got to eat some great Thai food, storlled along the riverfront, and got to listen to a guy singing Pre-War Delta Blues. I went up to him after the crowd had died down and asked if he knew "death letter-" You've never seen an artist so happy. He said "Oh yeah by Son House! That's awesome man! A little down for this group (he had maracas for the kiddies" but, sure man! I never get requests!"

We bought his CD (site link here), and enjoyed the music, the beautiful day, and then were treated to some guiness ice cream. Mmmm.. Lovely ice cream....

Musical Musings-

2006-03-06T09:05:00.000-05:00

I was totally un-impressed with 3-6 mafia last night at the Oscars. How did Walk the Line get totally missed there?

I AM impressed with Massive Attack. Check out Teardrop, a derned nice song, and ironically the theme to one of my favorite show's- "House." I would be THAT guy if I ever went to medical school.

Also checkin out some Olive. Good sound, and can recommend only the album Extra Virgin. Theivery Corp has some good tunes as well, but they get a bit monotone at times.

WHAT did you just call me??!?

2006-02-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

I went and got a Flickr account.

There are some odds and ends- flags, old Navy posters that I get a kick out of, a few of me, etc. If you are looking for pics of me and Jenn, check under my contacts- she's here too.

Added a new section to the navbar- gonna do some creative editing there and give you some neat links as well as some blogs to check out.

That is all :)

Of love and chocolate-

2006-02-26T15:35:00.000-05:00

My good friend John in New Jersey/York has been seeing some success on one of "those" matchmaking sites that most people denounce quickly with very little knowledge of what it does, and who it is for.

When I was living in Lumberton, NC- It was for me.

I was 23, going to college, and could not meet anyone close to my age/interests... and honestly- intelligence. Most people there were locals, and most people in that town dropped out in the 8th grade to go work construction or on the family farm.

So, on a whim, I checked out Matchmaker. com. I filled out the little profile, and uploaded a dated pic of me dressed up as "Sting" for halloween. I have a poor self image, and hate any pics of me. This was a safe one, because it was dressed-up, all black, and afforded me an excuse to be silly. Any woman who wanted to meet me would have to understand that I AM a little silly.

Within a few weeks, I met a girl in Myrtle Beach. She was attending a college there, and since I was lonely, I would take just about any date I could. I met her, and she was very sexually agressive on the 1st date. Things progressed- and in the 4th month or so, she went to New Jersey. At my mothers insitance, I flew up there to suprise her. The suprise was on me, as she introduced me to her "highschool sweetheart" as "her friend Gray."
Despite my new title, she insisted on messing around on the couch that I had to sleep on- her parents didn't want me sleeping in her room/her bed. I felt quite used, and made up my mind before I left that that was it for her.

After we broke up, I went through a period of 1 time dates and whatnot via MMer.

I got upset, and more lonley.

I decided to basically spam every woman on there that was tall, and had a neat profile. I think there were 4 of them.

There was one that caught my eye in particular, and when she replied I was quite happy. We traded emails for about a month, waiting 2 weeks to talk on the phone, until we finally arranged a meeting.

She drove (in a snowstorm) to meet me at the Ruby Tuesday's for lunch in Lumberton. We ate, paid dutch, and rented Office Space from Blockbuster. We returned to my parent's house, where my mom made us some dinner. Mom also suggested that we go upstairs and look at ourselves in her mirror. We DO make a cute couple ;) . It was after we looked at each other that I quit being a chicken and kissed her. For the first time in my life I was dizzy... Loopy.... I had kissed women before, but this was different. She was it. The "one."

Jennifer and I celebrate our 4 year anniversary this Thursday. Were it not for the hard points in my life, I would never be able to enjoy the good parts with her. She is the reason I get up in the morning, and my true love. She makes all the pain in the past worth it.

I wish you John, and Miah, and everyone else looking for love, the best of successes. I hope you find your "Jennifer."

A light at the end of the table?

2006-02-24T07:36:00.000-05:00

So, money problems are never gonna be gone, I've got that premise. That notwithstanding, we can now say that the worst is probably behind us. We have a clear route to keeping our money straight (Quicken), and the fact that I can now work OT is definetly helping loads.

Sure, its menial filing work, but hey- its $21 p/hour filing work so I'll take it.

The GSA invoice hunt is almost finished. State flags done, now on to territories.

Speaking of- many people wonder what I do here.

The flag you see is called a guidon and they comprise about 40% of the military sales here.

The other type of flag is the Embroidered. These can be quite pricey, but are always worth it when you see the finished product.

The days of sick...

2006-02-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

Just got back from meeting my 2nd newest nephew this weekend- Little Fred ain't so little no more, and turns 1 officially tomorrow! We had a good visit, though he was sick, and then teething for the trip- I can't imagine how his mom felt on the plane ride in!

Saw the parents, both are doing well. The middle brother and his crew stopped by for a brunch on Sunday, which was nice. He has 3 children of his own, and for a good hour my head started to hurt. Luckily though, there was work to be done elsewhere whilst the kids did kid-like things.

Did a lot of soul searching while I was down there. I want to join the Foreign Service, so there is some direction. I want to learn about languages, and then go use those languages in their native environment. That said, I can't afford to live in DC right now. I am gonna have to work 20 hours of overtime a week to catch up on late things, and then to upkeep things... and then we MAY be able to save a bit... We're gonna try using Quiken, the thing is keeping a routine in it. We haven't been that bad w/ weight watchers, so this should be an easier transition than just tracking something outright. Depending on April's test results, I may need to move again, this time, to a smaller metropolis...

Neat o link

2006-02-16T08:59:00.000-05:00

This guy has links to installations. Not sure of how many of them are his, but I personally like the pong in germany one.

Lucky Turner

2006-02-16T07:49:00.000-05:00

One of my very good friends, named John, runs a little livejournal that he needs to update. His name for the site is a blend of humor and reality that I expect every time I talk to him. Even when he goes on a train and loses his signal ;)

You see, he discovered his Porn name. We all have one. You have to take the name of your first dog (Jasper for me) and the street you grew up on. (We'll call this one Linwood, though I have many..) His name is Lucky Turner. Mine would be Jasper Linwood. If I ever got into porn, that would be the name for me...

It sounds fairly reasonable, don'tcha think?

John works for a division of Clear Channel, and is hoping one day to run Time Warner. Ok, maybe not run it, as much as make movies for boatloads of money.

Welcoime to my little blogosphere-

2006-02-15T07:51:00.000-05:00

On the right is a new addtion, Jeremiah Spoon. He works as a director for the Utica Nightly news- He is also the leader (one of 3) of a special group of people who also happen to play Halo2. Good on ya, nice to meet ya!

In other news- Definetly going the FSO route. I think it would pay off immensely, and the travel alone would make it worthwhile. Besides, eventually I would have to get another stint here in DC, so it works out!

Money Woes-

2006-02-14T08:33:00.000-05:00

I hate being broke. Does it stop it from happening? No. Instead I get the consequences of being broke- For instance:

My car, the one that we haven't gotten legal, that needs to be paid off, got towed by our landlord b/c she thought it was abandoned, despite my having moved the car 2 days earlier.

So now, in addition to the debt I already had, I now have additional debt because of the previous debt.

I think I am gonna go across the street and apply for a second job, it may be the best/only thing we can do to catch up- Rent is late, bills are starting to accrue.... Ugh.

All bout the bennington's baby...

2006-02-10T11:09:00.000-05:00

Heard about Linkin Park's collab-O with Rick Rubin, and I can't say I am disappointed. I caught some of Chester's work (frontman for LP) and it leaned torward techno, so seeing where Rubin takes them will be fun to watch. I haven't heard of a Rubin collaboration that HASN'T helped someone's sound yet-- Hell, even Jay Z did well with rubin.

Other notes and such-

Another 2.2 off the ole body, in week 5 now, and I can live and maintain on this I think.. The fun part is trying to get those last 50 or so pounds off- when i get to that point.

Saw about the FAO program. I have an appointment on a Saturday in April.

Money continues to be tight, and it gets worse when you eat healthily. The upside is that the cost will be outweighed by future costs in healthcare. See also investing in your future.

Really been enjoying Halo2 lately. I found a group of more mature poeple (rather than the p0Wned N00B crowd) who actually have fun, and skill. It's a good thing.

Work continues. I am almost done pulling invoices for getting on the GSA schedule, which should easily up the income of where I work by at least double.

What better way to protest-

2006-02-02T08:17:00.000-05:00

Caught this article about a cartoon that caused a bunch of hrrumphs from Afghanistan. The irony is that Afghanis decided to protest by burning flags....

2006-01-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

Good to hear that Sean is doing well.

Was doing some random thinking, and have come across the horrid thought that it was 11 years ago (march) that I joined the Navy. Such a long time ago, yet those days stay with me. They defined my younger self, and helped make me who I am, and who I am not, today.

Edit: Link fixed

Update:

2006-01-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

7 pounds gone, probably all water weight.

But! This marks week 4 of this, and they say after 3 weeks you have a habit!

The Good, The Bad and the meh...

2006-01-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Good:

Had a doctors appointment last week, and have been downgraded from "you have diabetes" to "you are at risk for diabetes." Seems like a bad, but let me translate. I was at one time on medication for my Diabetes. I cut out a ton of sugars, and starting monitoring my diet more. Because of this, I was actually able to help out my body and get the things working that needed to. It's not an end goal, but it's a victory. As they say in WW, no small victories. My Cholesterol was still high, but not to the point it was before, and within a few months I expect it to fall back into the "normal" division of stats. My BP was normal as well, which was a first for me, because I usually just ask for the big cuff instead, but this was on a normal cuff, and got 140/80. It's high (the systolic was because I had just sat down after walking a bit) for most people, but for me, it was a small victory. The BP diastolic (the /80 part) was within normal limits.

The Bad:
I still have high cholesterol. Though it is lower, it's not as low as it should be and my good cholesterol was nowhere near where it should have been (low 30's, shouldve been in 40+). One of the things I have incorporated in my routine is fiber. This should help prevent it from elevating, and even may help lower it.

The meh:

I haven't been working out like I should. The elliptical gave me signifcant foot problems, so I am gonna try the recumbent bike a bit. It's not as load bearing, and it will do what needs done as far as elevating the ole heart.

2006-01-23T13:15:00.000-05:00

You scored as Linguistics. You should be a Linguistics major!

Linguistics

100%

Theater

92%

Mathematics

83%

Engineering

83%

Dance

75%

Sociology

75%

Journalism

67%

Art

67%

Anthropology

67%

Philosophy

58%

Psychology

58%

Biology

50%

English

42%

Chemistry

33%

What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3)
created with QuizFarm.com

Well, yes I could agree with that assessment.

I could also be a flag historian, but you don't see that on there do you?

This guy knows our people-

2006-01-20T07:45:00.000-05:00

Read in the Times today that Osama wants a truce.

greeeat.

I'll bet you a dollar that at least one person in congress says we should take the truce and "stop the senseless killings."

I find it even more ironic that enclosed in this "truce" speech, Osama also talks about another attack on the US.

As for the delay in carrying our similiar operations in America, this was not due to the failure to breach yoru security measures. .... Operations are in preparation and you will see them on your own ground once the preparations are finished."

Haven't I heard this type of ploy before? Somewhere in Europe perhaps?

Learining something new every day..

2006-01-18T08:47:00.000-05:00

Got a request today from a SFC in Minsk, who was going to be presenting a General Officer Flag to a museum there. I found out about a guy named Kosciusko, who was from Belarus, and fought in our revolutionary war, as well as his own.

He has a statue up around here, and now I can put a name to the statue. Hmm 1 down, 500 to go!

Happy Weekend!

2006-01-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

This weekend was Jenn's birthday, and we celebrated in Style!

Ok, well we THOUGHT we were in style...

We boarded the Spirit of Washington, which was interesting..

Is Masta P Really appropriate on a boat? Aww skeet skeet indeed.

Despite bad Stevie Wonder voiceovers, and "fancy" glitter bottommed women, we had fun-- managed to escape to the deck to see what we came there for anyway- the sights. Cruising down the potomac is truly a unique view of everything, and Jenn totally loved looking in Old Town, her new adopted home. Passed by the War College, and NRI, where they came up with RADAR, GPS, and other neat type things. The best part was when we were on the boat, alone, just watching the land go by. Got to spend a lot of quality time together, and that's what it was all about.

After the cruise we went on to the Freer Gallery, where Jen remembered having seen everything there at LEAST once before. Boy they sure do like Whistler.

Went to the castle. Again. Forgot there was nothing to see there.

Then it was off to Alexandria to a little party I had planned. Me, Her, and a belly dancer! Yup, we went to Casablanca off King Street, and was treated to some good unique food, and entertainment. Oh, and I learned a new word- Shukran.

I'll stick to trying to learn Khmer thanks.

We headed home and she passed out from being out for so long. We suprisingly ate well the whole time, save for her cake she had at her work's birthday party on Friday. This week it's back on plan and back in the groove.

GoogleSam?

2006-01-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

Found a neat resource- Google for military stuff

It's helpful, but I am still having a problem finding a way to develop a government contract (my company makes flags to spec) . Ideally, I would like to start with a Base's contract, I.E. Fort Bragg, etc.... Anyone have any ideas/resources? I've checked out already made contracts through FedBiz and TACOM for the Army, but nothing for flags....

You've probably already read it-

2006-01-13T09:03:00.000-05:00

But Get Fuzzy hits home today with insight into the terroist mind.

I always knew what caused me to go crazy. Cold Pasta Salads. Hate em.

Weight Watchers and other things=

2006-01-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

As I posted before, I have been in the gym lately, trying to excercise and get this older, fat body of mine into a shape other than round.

With this, Jenn and I have also started Weight Watchers, which is not what most people think it is. Basically it boils down to portion control, and eating what is right, not what is right now. I've been On Plan for over a week now, and though I missed working out yesterday ( I was dead tired- went to bed at 8:30), I am making up for it today.

I'm listening to a great station called onomotopoea on Live 365. Playing Dj Shadow right now, but they throw in stuff I haven't heard before like Theivery Corp, which I dig... Spylab, and a lil Zero 7 in there too... It's Tasty!

Multicellular?

2006-01-12T10:17:00.000-05:00

Somehow the people at TTLB have confused my blog for someone's that has readers, the 2 of you I know of aren't enough to propel me to the awe-inspiring Multicellular Microorganism. It's lunacy!

Hitting the gym with a thud-

2006-01-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

So, this is going to be my 30th year on this earth, and I have decided to finally (and way over due) actually GO to the gym. I've been doing the Elliptical machine on no real incline for 20:00 every other day. Boy oh boy does THAT get the heart goin. I got my BPM up to 178 for most of the time, which is probably not all that good a sign of things if I did NOT work out. But, the good thing is that I am starting, and maintaining. My wife says that after 3 months something becomes a habit. Probably a very good thing.

You would be suprised at the lack of info that Google has on the matter. I searched Elliptical, workout, yadda yadda to no avail. Does anyone know of a good ellip-based workout regimen? I want to keep it down to less than 45 min, (30 min would be ideal) and would involve the ellip and freeweights or the recumbent bike. Just some guidelines would be great.

And on that note- off to lunch!

Are they out of their minds?

2006-01-06T14:35:00.000-05:00

Ok, I don't care how much of a foodie you are. This is ridiculous.

In the same vein as a good blonde joke..

2006-01-05T07:20:00.000-05:00

whatever you do-

DO NOT CLICK HERE.

New Years Eve Done Right-

2006-01-03T07:49:00.000-05:00

Jenn and I went to the ever infamous 9:30 club for NYE, and boy were we rewarded. Doors opened at 9:00, with the openers, State Radio, going on at 10:00 ish. Not a bad band, kind of ska, but couldn't understand a word they said, and I was standing next to the stage. Center Stage, middle, up front and personal. Still couldn't understand a word they said, other than that they were from Boston, and didn't like the commercialism of the world, but you could buy their CD and T-shirts from the back....

The reward for Metro-ing it to a not-so-familiar place in DC, and listening to ^^them^^ was Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Holy Shit.

Like I mentioned, we were up front, and literallly I could touch his steel guitar- If you haven't had the chance to yet, check out some of his music on his site here. I highly suggest Ted's Jam, which was recorded live at the Wetlands, get 12:19 into it (again, you can do it on his site), and think of that kind of stuff live...

Sure, you may have seen a million jam bands, but when they start switching off, and the lead guitarist goes to play the drums, while the bassist comes over to the pedal guitar..... the whole group did that. Axel freakin F. on an electric violin-

My first concert in over 10 years, and damn it was good. I was TIRED from the workout we got. He and his band were amped, and made my new years one to remember for a long long time!

Terrorists- Harsh Language

2005-12-29T07:31:00.000-05:00

Read this report today about a bombing of a Science institute in Bangalore, where the bombers are officially being called terrorists.

He described the attack "shocking" and said it was aimed at creating panic among people of the city. The government has decided to bring under tight security cover all international and national conferences to be held in the city hereafter, Singh said

If the criteria for describing something using that word, terrorist, is creating panic, what is the appropriate term for the bombings in Iraq? Let's see the dictionary's opinion on it-

Main Entry: ter·ror·ism Pronunciation:
'ter-&r-"i-z&mFunction: noun: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion- ter·ror·ist /-&r-ist/ adjective or noun- ter·ror·is·tic /"ter-&r-'is-tik/ adjective

It gets even better-the terror links to :

1: a state of intense fear
2 a : one that inspires fear : SCOURGE
b : a frightening aspect
c : a cause of anxiety : WORRY d : an appalling person or thing; especially : BRAT
3 : REIGN OF TERROR
4 : violence (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands (insurrection and revolutionary terror)

On a whim, I checked out insurgent.

1 : a person who revolts against civil authority or an established government; especially : a rebel not recognized as a belligerent
2 : one who acts contrary to the policies and decisions of one's own political party

So, from a layman's standpoint, it seems that the most appropriate use of insurgent would only apply if there were an established government, or if there were specific demands from a group.

The Office Space Drinking Game

2005-12-28T07:55:00.000-05:00

My friends and I had way too much time on our hands. During Jenn's college days (Earlier last year), we developed a drinking game to this cult classic. The rules are as follows:

Every time we played, we had a newbie. As such, we gave them the lumburgh- which is where everytime he says Mmmmm. or Yeeaahhh, the n00b has to drink. The strange part is, the n00b usually agrees to do so way too quickly, and is the first to pass out.

Every time Samir curses, you have to curse with no repetitions. Loudly. The first one who stops has to drink.

Every time Flare is mentioned, you have to flip off the screen. Last one to do so has to do the hokey pokey while doing a shot.

When Lawrence appears, those who have beers must drink all of it. If you don't have one, you have to go get your own, cuz "No thanks, I got it." Dos Equis and Rolling rock are preferred for maximum accuracy.

Quoting lines gets you one drink.

Whenever a joke is made about Michael Bolton, everyone must name one of his songs. No repeats, and the loser has to sing something by him. Feigning ignorance costs 5 shots and 2 hokey pokeys.

When Mike Judge is on screen, you all must laugh like beavis or butthead- or for the advanced- Hank Hill. No penalty, it's just fun.

We made up some other rules as we went along, but these are the better of the group.
Enjoy!

Fantastic?

2005-12-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm joining in on the 4-play.

Four jobs you’ve had in your life:

Hospital Corpsman, stationed at both Bethesda Naval, and Walter Reed. Heard a good story about a young sailor getting hitched there in the chapel. I've had a few friends get married there, and consider it to be good luck for the newlyweds
Water treatment plant pipe Scrubber. I let the water sit, and had to scub off huge PVC pipes to get the sediment off. Yum.
Line Cook for Outback- See more of the blog below for info
Pizza Slut manager. What's worse, it was in Pembroke- they averaged $1000 fridays...

Four movies you could watch over and over:

Office Space- My first movie with my wife, and as I am now in an office setting, it just fits.I got your flare right here.....
Super Troopers- Most people don't like this movie the 1st time around, but believe me that any subsequent viewings are hilarious.
Beyond the mat- The only mainstream documentary about wrestling, showing all sorts of sides not normally thought of in that biz.
Down Periscope- I could just see myself as Buckman... No, Really.

Four places you’ve lived:

Largo, MD
Pembroke, NC
Bethesda,MD
Lorton VA

Four TV shows you love to watch:

Law and Order, CI
WWE Raw
Pinks
Good Eats

Four websites you visit daily:

Ctrlaltdel, a lovely little webcomic
Chapomatic. Hey, he's gotta get some love right?
Slashdot- I can seem uub3r633kzoors
My Google homepage, that usually links me to wikipedia.

Four of your favorite foods:

Chicken Rama
Honey Chicken
9 oz Filet with a nice blue on top
Chicken Tikka Masala

Man I just realized I tend to like chicken..

Four places you’d rather be:

London
Sydney
Amsterdam
on tour with my favorite bands

Four albums you can’t live without:

Royksopp, Melody AM
AC/DC Back in Black
Tribe called quest, Midnight Marauders
Psychic Whores, Pericardiothoracentisis- because I loved making it.

There, now you know waayy too much about me.

Christmas joy!

2005-12-27T08:53:00.000-05:00

The holidays went quite nicely for us this year, as my mom and dad came up to visit us in DC (Lorton, VA to be specific)-- Which is convienently placed near Potomac Mills. It's strange that everyone else would want to go shopping the same day we did (Day after xmas), but besides being packed, offered some great deals.

I got a lot of nice "stuff" this year, including tonsa sweets and ethnically diverse candies, as well as a gift that everyone should get-

New Years eve with Robert Randolph and his Family Band.

Car Logging?

2005-12-22T07:54:00.000-05:00

There was an interesting article today about Britain, as a whole, logging all vehicular movement. The idea is that the CCTV cameras capture all plates going by, and apparently no road in untouched. It's an interesting idea, mainly because of the civil liberties aspect of it.

If this were to happen in my neck of the woods, would I disagree? Only if they used it to enforce traffic laws. I have never been a big fan of red light cameras, especially since the problems they address can be fixed by an engineering decision. This technology is an extension of this, and again- if used to enforce law, it rules out any mitigation.

When asked if they would pull over most of the people the camera is shooting, the officers say no. "Thing is," says Cephas, "the speed limit's 25, but people just constantly drive with the flow of traffic." "We know everybody drives over the speed limit," adds McCoy, "so you have some tolerance." At that moment, a fellow officer whizzes by, waving. "No discrimination here," says McCoy pointing to the camera, which likely just captured their colleague racking up a citation. While emergency vehicles are supposed to be exempt from paying fines, even ambulance drivers and fire trucks get tickets. (The Washington Times recently reported that a raft of tickets earned by D.C. police has actually slowed their response time on calls.) "If George Bush comes through here," laughs Cephas, "he's gonna get it too."

So, no mitigation- no "discrimination," no justice. Which brings me back to the Traffic monitoring- If this can be used as a tool, and not a replacement, then I am for it. If it is used as a means to enforce law, then we are one step closer to a police state.

Location location location

2005-12-21T16:14:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has an interesting feature out there-

It only works in cities like DC, but it works! Click on the large boxy-building thing in the upper left corner to get REALLY close...

If the image weren't old, you could see our waving at you!

A lot can happen in a few weeks...

2005-12-21T15:59:00.000-05:00

Here I am at my new locale- National Capital Flag Company. Interesting stuff we do here- Yes, we make flags- But we do other neat stuff too. All things flag related- and derned if I haven't seen our work out there lately. Nice to see the champ go to the ring with something our company put together.

There was an interesting article in the Wash. Times (the one with only one page of comics) this morning about a supposed leak in 1993 by them. It goes on to defend itself, but why would Bush accuse a "buddy" paper like that? Well, truth is he didn't- their competitors did...

Mr. Bush did not name the newspaper, but The Washington Post yesterday quoted the White House as saying the president was referring to an Aug. 21, 1998, story in The Washington Times. The New York Times reported that "the president was apparently referring" to the article.

So, the people REALLY responsible blame those who aren't... Sounds just right!

back online, for as long as I can stand it!

2005-07-06T17:59:00.000-05:00

Just got done reading Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain. Quite good, and suprisinglyeasy for me to identify with. I read a paragraph in Olsonn's in Dupont Circle, and had to get it. That, and the Not For Traveler's guide to DC, which is handy- gives gas station locations in SE DC... good if you happen to be there at that time ;)

Transfer? What is this you speak of?

2005-02-01T14:53:00.000-05:00

I've been looking in the southern MD/Northern VA (also called DC) area for an outback to go to, and so far have found that they all need someone, the real quest is to find who needs ME specifically. It seems that Springfield, VA might be that one place. I am going to have to go set up shop up there while Jenn finishes up here, and graduates, and continues her quest for a government job.

Yes, we ordered more ramekins- they keep friggin disappearing though! You can't make people care, or have pride about what they do, you can only encourage them to, or praise them when they show pride. If I can get my store to have pride in it like I do, then there's half the battle alone.

Ipod Shuffle- Is it really worth it?

Love the concept, Hate the price.

2004-12-09T01:46:00.000-05:00

Of course, I am talking about the MyFi from delphi.

What I really want is a radio/type walkman (gotta be more durable too) that can pick up internet radio. It doesn't have to be a Lappy 486, but something with some variety is crucial. Live365 is a great thing, but is constrained to the computer world. I primarily need music for work, and CD's get repetitive, are restricted by type (not everyone digs both In Space by Royksopp and Minnie the Moocher ala Big Bad Voodoo Daddies), and honestly I can focus easier when I am doing the prepwork in the morning with music(I work all around the place--). I hate the radio around here, and honestly hate commercials too-- so much so that I would rather plunk $5.00 a month not to listen to them on live365.

The hatchet comes down, and heads start to roll-

2004-12-06T03:48:00.000-05:00

Warning: Work related crap here:

7 people in the last 3 weeks have been fired. They range from low paying newbie dish guy to high paying experienced trainers. This puts me in a serious bind as I now have to float throughout the whole restaurant (or more accurately have been.) It's been rough, and I have begun putting up with less and less shit at work; expecting more from my guys, since more is being expected of me. One such scenario caused a dishwasher to quit:

Simple premise: dishes that are wet (like gigantic cookie sheets) will pool water if layed out flat. This is also a grade "A" no-no as far as the health dept. goes. We set up a nifty rack that our guys in dish could line up these pans standing up, but I noticed that it was not being used correctly. I asked my dish guys to come over, and explained the importance of stacking them that way, and the need for them to do it correctly from now on. I even went so far as to fix their mistake for them (they had a lot of pans flat, with nice big puddles of water on them.) One of my guys questioned the request I had made, stating that it was easier for them to stack them flat, as they could put more up there, requiring fewer trips. I acknowledged his arguement but re-emphasised that this was not negotiable for anyone at the restaurant. I considered the case closed, and resumed work. When I went to dish for some reason (probably grabbing ramekins... those damned things are like gold!) My dish guy wanted to resume the arguement he had before. I listened and restated the obvious: this is the way it needs to be. He wanted to keep argueing, and I finally called him on it, stating that his only reason for not doing this simple thing was out of lazyness. It pissed him off. He continued work, I continued work, life moved on. The next day he came in and told my boss that he quit because of me.

#1) I am an AKM. Yes, I am only an assistant, but for cryin out loud I know what the hell I am talking about in that Outback.
#2) He got pissed, which is the ultimate motivator. My mentor (also my boss) told me one very busy and frustrating saturday night to get pissed. I asked why, and he said it pushes you. It does... It motivates me to do whatever I am doing faster. This guy, it seemed, pushed him to quit.
#3) I hate that I was used as a reason someone quit.

This situation made me reflect on what I had done at outback since I started, and to be honest, it's quite a bit.... I started at $6.50 a year and a half ago. As of yesterday, only 3 people have been here longer than me. All have either been fired or quit. I told my mentor my goals (I give him a list every month) and one of them is to be a KM in the DC area by next August, and a culinary school started next fall. He wants me to succeed, sees me every day, and has an active interest in me. If I do well, he does well. I am a reflection of him. It's nice to have a leader show me how its done.

Having what it takes to do what you need to do

2004-11-19T11:53:00.000-05:00

I have had many lives.

I have wanted to be one of about 200 things, the following are but a smattering of the choices I at one time considered as my future "when I grow up" scenario:

Wrestler
Nurse ( I was a HM in the Navy)
Doctor
Computer programmer
Computer Game Designer
Artist
Graphic Designer
Professional Bartender (I actually did bartend for a while)
Physicians Assistant
Actor

While all of those were things I wasted valuable life time on, I think I have finally found the job I want. Chef.

Ok, so those things above have similar interest schemes, and Chef isn't really all that related-- and that may make it the best fit. There is artistry in it, rules to follow, rules to break, and it serves people. Maybe they aren't as unrelated after all-

I realize that working at Outback isn't what I want, but it gets me in the door. I have no other experience with food service, and I am looking at culinary schools. My brother, in all his wisdom, asked me "So what's the end result?" (He has a way with saying exactly what needs said to clarify a situation) I want to own. I want my own place, with a menu by me, and a gimmick I came up with.

Its a long road (5-10 years) But I think I can do it, and that's half the battle.

More of the life shit---

2004-11-07T15:51:00.000-05:00

Worked all this week and on thursday I had a Kitchen Manager shift. The heirarchy is as such:

Partner
FOH Manager ---------------(BOH)Kitchen Manager
Key Employees ---------------------Assistant Kitchen Managers
Administrative/Head Wait Staff ---------------Senior Kitchen Employees

Partner/Proprietor - This guy has a contract with OB where he invests his own money ($25K) into the store, and it's sucess. It's payoff in 10 years is $250,000. He also gets a bonus every month based on profit, so of course he wants the store to do well. He has 2 "XO's" running his ship. One runs the Front of house, where the customers actually eat and such, and one who is Back of House, where the food is made, bought, etc. Both of these positions share the bonus, but also the burden of making up the difference if the profit drops below a certain point.

I am on the next tier, where the Assistant Kitchen Manager position is. Employees at this level have keys to the store (and/or the safe as appropriate), and are the highest paid hourly employees. When I was hired, we had 3 AKM's. One got promoted to Kitchen manager (KM) and one went to school and is now part time. When our current KM got promoted, so did I, and another person who couldn't hang and quit. As of 3 days ago we had 3 AKM's.

Thursday, I opened the store, noticed the front door was unlocked, but the alarm was on, and did the standard inventory of meat. We had been missing whole cases and needed to track it and find the "Leak." Since I had worked the night before (closing the store,) I had done the inventory, but double checked it for any inconsistencies. Naturally, I was missing a case of pork, which we pay about $100 for. One of my fellow AKM's came in at about 10 minutes after I did, and I told him of the problem, both with the meat and the door, since both were very unusual. He said he would track it down and to call someone. I did. I called my FOH manager, since he and I closed the store the night before, and since he was the last guy out, he would be responsible for loss.

The AKM left at about 10:00, and All went on normally. My FOH got there and we called our security people to track the alarm activity. It seems someone had been there at 6:30, a good hour before I got there, and unlocked the front door, took off the alarm, left through our side door, came back in, and reset the alarm. What this person did NOT know is that our security camera actually had tape in it.

After a very painful 10 minutes of a meeting with all of the AKM's, and the Proprietor, we were now down to 2 AKM's: Myself, and Mr. Part-Time.

Vertigo and 4 more years

2004-11-04T11:06:00.000-05:00

First, I think it is incredibly ironic that the man who, throughout his campaign, was called a flip-flopper decided to concede before his party wanted him to-- the ultimate flop. Still, I am glad he did, eliminating the tired arguement that has been used the last 4 years-- that the supreme court elected the president.

Now on to important stuff- For some odd reason, I was working night shift and suddenly, out of nowhere, became very dizzy. I was extremely hot, and that wasn't helping. It has been 2 days since, and it is a bit better, but it's still there. When I went to the ER, (I had to come off the line at work, and felt---drunk) The doctors tested everything and decided I had Vertigo with unkown etiology. Great. Ironically this was my 1 1/2 year anniv. at outback, and election day. Go figure. Maybe the planets aligned funny and thats what did me in.

Rough Week all around-

2004-10-31T14:09:00.000-05:00

Yet another fun week here in the land of the Lumbee- Here' s a few highlights:

-One of my co-workers got burned (1st deg.) and becuase of that, I had to make up his shifts- wow wee fun long time. At least I got some OT.
-My car got robbed. The irony is that they took my 10 disk CD player, (durabrand- worth about $100), rifled through my cd's and left them all. Wow. On top of that, they took markers (I use them for labeling things at work) from my center console, and left my wallet which was sitting underneath my hat.
-The day before I got robbed, I got a speeding ticket, which I can honestly say is a crock of shit. The officer claimed I sped from 0-52 in less than an eigth of a mile, in a 35 zone. Its a crock, and I'm gonna fight it.
-I had to consecutively close and open the store 2 times this week, and that wears on ya-- not to mention we had our monthly Outback Food Police there to ensure proper product, etc.
-I DID get something positive done this week, and replaced my plugs with BOSCH rapid fires and wires with AC Delco's. Heck, just another $2000 and that car will haul with the best of imports!!

It's been a fun week, and frankly, I haven't gotten much time off. I had saturday off, but had to go in because people I work with can't do their jobs right, therefore, it was also time for an ass chewing of the kitchen staff. My mere presence in the building obligated me to work, so I had another 5 hours of unscheduled work under my belt. Yay. Today I will spend cleaning house, lounging, and enjoying the fact that I am not at work for a change :)

Twigs and Berries-=

2004-10-19T21:59:00.000-05:00

I will be voting this nov. (already regg'd and good to go), but the fact remains that have been unsure why I was going to vote for president? My vote doesn't count, right? I decided to research some stuff to find out==

Our current system of Electoral College allows party members to vote for us, much in the same way that representatives and senators do. But as a whole, they don't come back with mixed results-- They don't split states- or so I thought. It seems that 2 states, Maine and Nebraska don't adhere to the Winner take all rule

from NARA

Only two States, Nebraska and Maine, do not follow the winner-takes-all rule. In those States, there could be a split of electoral votes among candidates through the State's system for proportional allocation of votes. For example, Maine has four electoral votes and two Congressional districts. It awards one electoral vote per Congressional district and two by the state-wide, "at-large" vote. It is possible for Candidate A to win the first district and receive one electoral vote, Candidate B to win the second district and receive one electoral vote, and Candidate C, who finished a close second in both the first and second districts, to win the two at-large electoral votes. Although this is a possible scenario, it has not actually occurred in recent elections.

So, it is conceivable that we could have a tie-- for only the 3rd time in our history-- Based on popular vote. But, hey- I don't live there, I live in North Carolina... Let's see what else NARA has to say about the whole arguement

Yes, within your State your vote has a great deal of significance. Under the Electoral College system, we do not elect the President and Vice President through a direct nation-wide vote. The Presidential election is decided by the combined results of 51 State elections (in this context, the term "State" includes DC). It is possible that an elector could ignore the results of the popular vote, but that occurs very rarely. Your vote helps decide which candidate receives your State's electoral votes.

but in the very next paragraph it says this :

The founders of the nation devised the Electoral College system as part of their plan to share power between the States and the national government. Under the Federal system adopted in the U.S. Constitution, the nation-wide popular vote has no legal significance. As a result, it is possible that the electoral votes awarded on the basis of State elections could produce a different result than the nation-wide popular vote. Nevertheless, the individual citizen's vote is important to the outcome of each State election

So, that tells me that A: There is no legal reason to vote, especially since not all states bind the electoral votes to the popular vote of that state, and B:It's still important to vote.

Did I miss something? I understand that a popular vote would ALWAYS be debated, and honestly, the guy in podunk, DE wouldn't get his voice heard over the plethora of people in LA. I also get that I am voting for a rep, just like I would be for my state (or district) Congressperson.

I did learn a lot, and I will be voting just to countermand those who would seek to get rid of the evil but the whole thing gives me the willies.

So the wife asks me-

2004-10-10T00:46:00.000-05:00

"If you were gonna vote tomorrow, who would you vote for?"

I replied George Bush.

She was either pulling my chain, or she's scaring me because she said she'd vote for Kerry. I asked her why, and she said "He's not Bush."
AARGH!

I almost have to vote now that she's countermanding me.

Damned Clutch-

2004-10-10T00:38:00.000-05:00

It seems that when you place an 2 1/4" exhaust on a 3.0 ltr. v-6, and it HAD a restrictor on it, there had to be a reason right? Well, it turns out, the clutch I had in it (stock) was garbage, and once I upgraded the exhaust, the old clutch wasn't as useful anymore. $500 to replace the damned thing, but all in all it is an investment- A $500 repair that will enhance the life of the car vs. paying $300 a month for a car that will probably do the same thing in 2 years.

I have a little tacklist of things I want to do to the car:

New Plugs
New Wires
New Distrib Cap
Cold Air Intake
Headers*
Race Seats

The headers-
My engine is made by Mitsubishi, a fact I became aware of when looking for a part for my Dodge at a Domestic shop. It seems that the specific version of engine/etc. has excellent headers, and I really don't have to go get the Edelbrock anyway ;) It's one of those "Gee if I had a couple hundred laying around" type scenarios.

The seats are for comfort and stability. I am not a small guy, and the seats in it now are old and shot. A good set of seats will alleviate a lot of problems in that department.

Good for them!

2004-10-10T00:34:00.000-05:00

The Afghan election marks a milestone in a country emerging from 22 years of war and facing continued threats from remnants of the Taliban regime, which U.S.-led forces ousted in 2001. In a nation of about 25 million, the UN estimated that more than 10 million were registered to vote at 22,000 polling stations around the country.

There were no reports of voters killed or injured, U.S. Maj. Scott Nelson, spokesman for the Combined Forces Command, said by telephone from Kabul.

Now of course, there were some skirmishes, one resulting in 3 police officers deaths, but considering how the press in this country was making it out, it seemed a lot worse!

In less than a year, Iraq will be seeing the same thing-- is the MidEast ready for a tidal wave of democracy?

DubyaBait

2004-09-30T21:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, I gotta tell ya, though he did pause- a lot- He sure made his stances known. Kerry wanted to attack all he could, but he kept running into "flipflop," nothing easily dispatched.

Kerry doesn't impress me. At the outset, Bush said "You know where I stand." He is literally making the case "better than the devil you know, rather than the one you don't," and makes it work.

I already didn't like Kerry, but his smug fake smile, his jabs at the president, and using friggin Vietnam were sick. Vietnam, from the many vets I have talked to, is not something you use in any kind of dialogue- IE-" I am used to looking around corners b/c I did that in Vietnam," though what -- on a puddle skimmer-- you would be looking around corners for is beyond me. Maybe beaches- That, I would get.

At any rate- I think that sealed the deal, and Kerry looks weaker, and frail. Missing Poland as one of our allies probably did more to hurt him then hurt poland.

Jeanne? Oh shit, not another one...

2004-09-26T00:52:00.000-05:00

Yup. For those of you who don't remember what happened the LAST time we had a hurri-pain come through this is as good a reminder as any. It is SO time to get sandbags, it's not even funny.

Fable/SRS Gaming shit-

2004-09-25T00:50:00.000-05:00

I liked the premise of Fable- The Sims meets Final Fantasy. The concept was fantastic, but the engine that pushes this game, coupled with limited gameplay really make me mad I plunked any money on it at all. Same goes for Street Racing Syn. Garbage? No, more like a rental with maybe a one day late fee.

Exhaust equals power? Whart the heck?

2004-09-22T00:48:00.000-05:00

So, I bought a Flowmaster© exhaust for my car today. It desperately needed a new muffler, so I thought- "If I am gonna get one, why not get a good one?" It is amazing what not choking your engine on its own byproduct can do.

Basically, in my little Dodge, I can get to 65 a lot faster than I could a day ago.

First CD purchase in a while..

2004-09-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

I bought the new Prodigy CD, and I must admit to liking it. Certainly $8.99 for it anyhow. Its got one song on there that I swear sounds like he took Thriller's cool backbeat and vamped it up a bit, but I don't see it in the credits. Weird. That and that red baloon song rock all sorts of coolness.

My Wife's love of RAwK

2004-09-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

I can thank Jenn for introducing... well... re-introducing me to rawk, of the classic variety. She really digs VH, Jimi, Bahstan, Eric Clapton, SRV, etc.....

I can't agree with all of her choices, but growing up, I missed out on the "classics" and instead went with contemporary pop or R&B. My classics include the whole License To Ill album, Some Run DMC in there, and a sprinkling of Flock of Seagulls for fun. Queen too, now that I think about it, and some group called Oingo Boingo- of which Dead Man's Party remains in my Itunes. I actually had the Muppet Album and played it relentlessly on my Dad's huge record player. That and Queen's Flash Gordon Soundtrack.

I have had a very musical life.

Weird Ass Smells

2004-09-19T10:12:00.000-05:00

Working at the OB, I have found that certain smells remind me of the strangest things.... For example: Our Caramel Mustard glaze, which has pineapple juice and creole mustard, reminds me of my grandmother Sara's house. I have no idea why.

Work continues, now we are going to chef's coats, which is a long time coming. My boss and I reviewed budgeting, a useful skill to have. I can now effectively do profit and losses, project and forecast all based on last years info. Yay.

Chiffonade

2004-09-13T21:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a great technique for getting long strands of oh.... Basil...

Chiffonade

Stack the leaves one on top of the other and roll tightly into a cylinder. Slice the cylinders of leaves crosswise into thin strips.

This requires a sharp, honed blade. Keep the blade on the board at all times. The biggest rookie mistake I see every time I work is guys with the blade going up higher than their fingers. I also see guys without fingernails, or deep gashes because of said stupidity.

Assistant Kitchen Manager

2004-09-13T21:10:00.000-05:00

So, its been official for 2 weeks now, I am an Assistant Kitchen Manager-- Which despite popular belief-- Does NOT mean that I know how to run the fries.

I run shifts (usually once a week for now) in the morning to help the prep crew stay focused, and to play fire marshall. I have keys to a store that makes 3.5 million a year (and growin daggumit) and yes, I do take pride in my work.

I make a decent wage too. In podunk, backwoods Lumberton, I make $9.25, which is unheard of since I started at $6.50 a year and a half ago.

My boss is taking a very special interest in me. He seems to be grooming me for a KM *(big dog who shares in profits monthly) position. It probably will happen that Jenn gradjimates in May and I get offered a store--- or at least, that's one of the scenarios. I like keeping my options wide open, and with nursing stalling like it is, (getting my instamatic license) I have some job security. Not to mention, I like what I do, which always helps.