Things I Wish I Hadn't Done: Well it appears that I didn't need any emails from anyone giving me the third degree about missing Kori's birthday because I was "trying to get promoted". I feel bad enough. I swear I'll never sacrifice anything anymore when it comes to work. Unless its something that cannot possibly be done because I'm going to be meeting with heads of state, I'm taking time off when I SHOULD and not when I am ABLE.
Sorry, Kori. :(
I'll Be 28 Soon: Went out to dinner with Dad on Thursday and he asked me what I wanted for my birthday. It was the day after I found out the crappiest news of them all and I was still recovering (was? still am now!) from it. So he took Amanda and I out to Lorie's Wildridge (very underrated restaurant on West Ridge Road) and had a nice dinner. Even got a piece of awesome blackberry pie!!
Afterwards, he suggested we go to World Of Music to check out some acoustic-electric guitars. I had mentioned about getting "better tools" for my musical reconstruction. So I went and picked up alot of really nice (and some very expensive) acoustic guitars...and mostly picked apart their bad sides the entire time. I liked this small bodied Yamaha guitar, and a pretty nice Alvarez that was a knockout to look at. But we left empty handed.
As well we should have.
Last thing I really need is ANOTHER guitar. Maybe trade in a couple for a nice one, but I shouldn't have this many of them as it is. Most of the time I'm playing my red Stratocaster or my Ibanez acoustic electric, and the rest of them sit in the closet. When I'm feeling spry I pull out the 12-string (because its still an awesome sound!!) and play. I'm doing better.
But I've got four other ones! My dobro I touch only when I'm in my slide phase, the red Washburn electric is good for recording (prefer that one recently), my wine Telecaster sits in the case in the closet, and the bass only gets played when I'm recording.
Anyway, one of things I was telling Amanda I wanted to buy the day I got promoted was a set of matching white letter tires for my car. I had a set on my old Cavalier and they looked so impressive...but now that I'm still just a desk guy (for now, *rubs hands together real fast*) I was just going to make sure my bills are paid.
Dad called me up on Friday and asked me if I wanted new tires for my car for my birthday! How ironic is that?! I can't imagine how he would have known that...unless my stupid short term memory forgot or something, who knows. We're going to check that out soon enough, and get me some nice all-weathers.
Exciting Saturday Ahead: This Saturday is a busy one! For the first time in a while, I'm going to have a lot of things to possibly do....
1.) A bluegrass show featuring some awesome local bands is at Forward Hall at 7:30 pm. Gypsy Dave and The Stumpjumpers, Shotgun Jubilee, and Claire Stuczynski are set to play. Amanda's saw them all before with Eric a couple months ago but I had to work. Not this time!!!!!
2.) Birthday party for Kimmy, a front desk clerk from the property next door at the Plymouth Tavern at 6 pm. Will at least show our faces!
3.) DJ J-Roc show at the Metropolitan that we (as well as apparently everyone at the hotel) were invited to because our laundry guy Ray is doing security. Not entirely sure if thats going to happen.
4.) If all else fails (which I don't plan on it) the Erie Otters home opener is at 7:30 at the Civic Center. The Otters split their opening weekend, losing 4-0 to the London Knights on Saturday, then winning in Plymouth 6-1 against the Whalers. Yes, so everyone understands, now that the Pirates are in their last few games of the season, my focus has shifted and will now be square on hockey for the next few months (football really doesn't interest me, sorry).
September 22, 2008
September 18, 2008
Beginning Again For The First Time
One year ago, I was at Sears, working as the manager of the receiving department, as much of you already know. I was probably wearing a dirty black t-shirt and cargo pants with torn pockets. Relatively floppy steel toed shoes, walking up and down the dusty storage aisles cracking jokes about a customer with the greatest bunch of guys I had known to date.
I had found out that Pam, the Assistant Store Manager in charge of the Home Improvement department, had decided she was leaving for the Ashtabula, OH Sears. She pulled me aside and said, "Tony, I want you to know I'm leaving and I want you to put in for my position. There aren't many people I know that would be a better fit than you." She helped me put in for it and within a few weeks, she was gone.
I had my interview with the Store Manager, Chris, and it went extremely well. After all, every single job I'd had in my six plus years at that store had done almost exclusively with that department. I was a salesman for two years; I was a stockman for nearly two years; I was the manager of the signing department and spent almost a year pricing and setting up displays there; and finally worked as the manager of the department in charge of loading those products into customer cars.
The interview went spectacularly. She seemed really excited about it, and I felt like I was seeing my last days of being on the sidelines.
Within a month, I was up at 5 am pouring egg beaters onto a hot grill in the kitchen of the Homewood Suites by Hilton.
Sears had decided to pass over all of that experience for a guy who was the produce manager for the past six months at a Giant Eagle. It was hard swallowing that, I must tell you. Was it me? Am I to blame for what has happened? Did I burn bridges that I couldn't smell the embers of? It was very hard to comprehend, how we were going into the Christmas season and they'd go with someone that was completely new over me. The experience I had.
I was so humiliated that I decided that I needed to find a new place to work. After all, we all know Sears has had financial troubles since they broke champagne bottles over the pillars of the Sears Tower in the late 70's. Who was I kidding? I wasn't going to retire from there. And I sure didn't want to end up like my one time boss Frank; going to work every day with a knot in my stomach and regretting not leaving the company years ago.
So I went to the Homewood to work in the kitchen. Lisa, the manager, had brought Amanda in a few months earlier to be in a management training program they called STEP. (Still don't know what it stands for.) When Amanda was done in February, I'd apply to get into this position that they were scraping for people to get into.
After three months in the kitchen (that I still have nightmares about to this day), I was promoted to the front desk. I didn't think I could do it. It looked easy; there were lots of times I'd look up from sweeping scrambled eggs off the floor and saw the girl at the desk laughing and carrying on with Amanda as if the world were made of marshmallows and chocolates. Answering the phone like a robot, saying the same things, talking to guests as if they were having the time of their lives. It looked like I could never do it.
But soon enough, I learned the job and found my own little way of doing things, and it worked for me. I started to enjoy it. And soon enough, it came time for the STEP program. So I applied, and was interviewed. A few weeks went by and I got nervous, thinking there was a problem. This very same program spot (that six months prior was filled when Lisa went to Sears to complain about her grill and found Amanda) had fifteen candidates looking for it.
The word came down that the company was looking to sell some of their assets and they didn't have the money to continue the STEP program, and it was eliminated.
So I had left Sears for nothing, really. I had risked leaving a job that, yeah, sucked hard, but I was good at and left behind a really good bunch of people.
I still miss them, alot.
Had a tough time with it, and my job performance went in the can. Within a few weeks I was in the managers office getting ripped for being nasty to a guest on the phone and also being nasty to a guest in the hotel in the same night.
I had the next two days off and I thought long and hard about what I was going to do. I felt shamed and stupid for making this jump and it not working out. But I found out most likely I didn't need this STEP program anyway. Who knows, maybe in a few months or so you'll have an opportunity to be a manager! So I decided to refocus and just treat it like it was just a job. Stop TRYING to be something that you aren't.
Fast forward a few glorious months where I shined like a new penny on the sun. Guest compliments, friends made, emails to the manager about my service, everything. At the beginning of August, Lisa relocated to Illinois and her assistant, Shawn, has moved up and become the new General Manager. What a guy, too. Smart, funny, and definitely seemed very relaxed at work. Someone I related to very quickly.
And I was told to put in my resume to be his assistant. Lisa said, "There aren't many people I know who could possibly be a better choice."
Unfortunately here's where the story gets short and cryptic, because apparently there is someone that reads this blog at the hotel and I don't want to say anything mean about the people that I was up against. It was a rough few weeks, looking at everyone else's pros and cons that I worked with on the desk, and I was a jerk alot of times. In hindsight, I wish I would have known this was going to happen.
Yesterday, Shawn made the decision to bring back a woman who had previously been the Assistant General Manager at this very same property but quit for reasons I don't know the truth about, only hearsay. I must say here in my own little blog that I strongly, STRONGLY disagree with the decision to bring in a person from the past. I thought we were trying to create a new atmosphere with the end of the Lisa era.
Once again, I'm faced with the internal squabbling: Did I do something wrong? Whats wrong with me? I don't smell anything burning! Why can't I break through?
But, in a business sense, if thats what Shawn feels is best for the hotel, then so be it. Although I feel that our team has been cheated somehow of not getting our chance to succeed, I can live with the decision. I'm not happy at all, and I have no bones about saying this. Someone "of influence" could read this. At this point, I don't care. Its the god's honest truth and anyone who knows me more than just a few minutes knows that I wouldn't be Tony if I didn't say something like this.
I'm sure that Dad is reading this right now thinking I'm going to get fired or something. But I won't. I've done worse, and after all...
The real issue is that this political bullshit doesn't matter. I still believe, after everything else, that it doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter to the guy who just got done driving 14 hours to get to Erie for his brother's funeral. It doesn't matter to the woman who stays at the hotel to work at a local business. It doesn't matter to the ten year old kid who just wants to hurry up and get changed and get in the pool! These are the people that are important. Other people, whether they are guests or customers, are the ones who need to be treated decently. Call it a quasi-spiritual quest or whatever, but I feel better knowing I made someone's day, and I will continue to do so.
As of yesterday I had, ironically enough, the next two days to get over this and go back to work. And when I do, it will be with renewed focus and drive. But this time, my life in general will go forward and be successful from this point out, not necessarily just my career.
I'd said in prior posts that if I don't get it that I'll start working hardcore on my musician credentials, and I intend to do just that.
I just want to say thank you if you are still reading this contrived little ditty. I know that in a matter of weeks I'll look back at this post and laugh at how silly it sounded, but thats the beauty of life.
You can forgive.
Its going to take a little extra for me to do so this time, but I will.
I had found out that Pam, the Assistant Store Manager in charge of the Home Improvement department, had decided she was leaving for the Ashtabula, OH Sears. She pulled me aside and said, "Tony, I want you to know I'm leaving and I want you to put in for my position. There aren't many people I know that would be a better fit than you." She helped me put in for it and within a few weeks, she was gone.
I had my interview with the Store Manager, Chris, and it went extremely well. After all, every single job I'd had in my six plus years at that store had done almost exclusively with that department. I was a salesman for two years; I was a stockman for nearly two years; I was the manager of the signing department and spent almost a year pricing and setting up displays there; and finally worked as the manager of the department in charge of loading those products into customer cars.
The interview went spectacularly. She seemed really excited about it, and I felt like I was seeing my last days of being on the sidelines.
Within a month, I was up at 5 am pouring egg beaters onto a hot grill in the kitchen of the Homewood Suites by Hilton.
Sears had decided to pass over all of that experience for a guy who was the produce manager for the past six months at a Giant Eagle. It was hard swallowing that, I must tell you. Was it me? Am I to blame for what has happened? Did I burn bridges that I couldn't smell the embers of? It was very hard to comprehend, how we were going into the Christmas season and they'd go with someone that was completely new over me. The experience I had.
I was so humiliated that I decided that I needed to find a new place to work. After all, we all know Sears has had financial troubles since they broke champagne bottles over the pillars of the Sears Tower in the late 70's. Who was I kidding? I wasn't going to retire from there. And I sure didn't want to end up like my one time boss Frank; going to work every day with a knot in my stomach and regretting not leaving the company years ago.
So I went to the Homewood to work in the kitchen. Lisa, the manager, had brought Amanda in a few months earlier to be in a management training program they called STEP. (Still don't know what it stands for.) When Amanda was done in February, I'd apply to get into this position that they were scraping for people to get into.
After three months in the kitchen (that I still have nightmares about to this day), I was promoted to the front desk. I didn't think I could do it. It looked easy; there were lots of times I'd look up from sweeping scrambled eggs off the floor and saw the girl at the desk laughing and carrying on with Amanda as if the world were made of marshmallows and chocolates. Answering the phone like a robot, saying the same things, talking to guests as if they were having the time of their lives. It looked like I could never do it.
But soon enough, I learned the job and found my own little way of doing things, and it worked for me. I started to enjoy it. And soon enough, it came time for the STEP program. So I applied, and was interviewed. A few weeks went by and I got nervous, thinking there was a problem. This very same program spot (that six months prior was filled when Lisa went to Sears to complain about her grill and found Amanda) had fifteen candidates looking for it.
The word came down that the company was looking to sell some of their assets and they didn't have the money to continue the STEP program, and it was eliminated.
So I had left Sears for nothing, really. I had risked leaving a job that, yeah, sucked hard, but I was good at and left behind a really good bunch of people.
I still miss them, alot.
Had a tough time with it, and my job performance went in the can. Within a few weeks I was in the managers office getting ripped for being nasty to a guest on the phone and also being nasty to a guest in the hotel in the same night.
I had the next two days off and I thought long and hard about what I was going to do. I felt shamed and stupid for making this jump and it not working out. But I found out most likely I didn't need this STEP program anyway. Who knows, maybe in a few months or so you'll have an opportunity to be a manager! So I decided to refocus and just treat it like it was just a job. Stop TRYING to be something that you aren't.
Fast forward a few glorious months where I shined like a new penny on the sun. Guest compliments, friends made, emails to the manager about my service, everything. At the beginning of August, Lisa relocated to Illinois and her assistant, Shawn, has moved up and become the new General Manager. What a guy, too. Smart, funny, and definitely seemed very relaxed at work. Someone I related to very quickly.
And I was told to put in my resume to be his assistant. Lisa said, "There aren't many people I know who could possibly be a better choice."
Unfortunately here's where the story gets short and cryptic, because apparently there is someone that reads this blog at the hotel and I don't want to say anything mean about the people that I was up against. It was a rough few weeks, looking at everyone else's pros and cons that I worked with on the desk, and I was a jerk alot of times. In hindsight, I wish I would have known this was going to happen.
Yesterday, Shawn made the decision to bring back a woman who had previously been the Assistant General Manager at this very same property but quit for reasons I don't know the truth about, only hearsay. I must say here in my own little blog that I strongly, STRONGLY disagree with the decision to bring in a person from the past. I thought we were trying to create a new atmosphere with the end of the Lisa era.
Once again, I'm faced with the internal squabbling: Did I do something wrong? Whats wrong with me? I don't smell anything burning! Why can't I break through?
But, in a business sense, if thats what Shawn feels is best for the hotel, then so be it. Although I feel that our team has been cheated somehow of not getting our chance to succeed, I can live with the decision. I'm not happy at all, and I have no bones about saying this. Someone "of influence" could read this. At this point, I don't care. Its the god's honest truth and anyone who knows me more than just a few minutes knows that I wouldn't be Tony if I didn't say something like this.
I'm sure that Dad is reading this right now thinking I'm going to get fired or something. But I won't. I've done worse, and after all...
The real issue is that this political bullshit doesn't matter. I still believe, after everything else, that it doesn't matter.
It doesn't matter to the guy who just got done driving 14 hours to get to Erie for his brother's funeral. It doesn't matter to the woman who stays at the hotel to work at a local business. It doesn't matter to the ten year old kid who just wants to hurry up and get changed and get in the pool! These are the people that are important. Other people, whether they are guests or customers, are the ones who need to be treated decently. Call it a quasi-spiritual quest or whatever, but I feel better knowing I made someone's day, and I will continue to do so.
As of yesterday I had, ironically enough, the next two days to get over this and go back to work. And when I do, it will be with renewed focus and drive. But this time, my life in general will go forward and be successful from this point out, not necessarily just my career.
I'd said in prior posts that if I don't get it that I'll start working hardcore on my musician credentials, and I intend to do just that.
I just want to say thank you if you are still reading this contrived little ditty. I know that in a matter of weeks I'll look back at this post and laugh at how silly it sounded, but thats the beauty of life.
You can forgive.
Its going to take a little extra for me to do so this time, but I will.
September 16, 2008
Found: Barber In Erie
The Crystal Ball: 9 am. Ah, yes. Woke up this morning and went to the bathroom, blew my nose, and took a look at myself in the mirror.
YIKES!
Dialed up Sears. They have this new "automated phone system" so you can't actually call direct anywhere anymore. And even though I KNOW that the hair salon people are there at 9 am, I can't get through to them. I tried to force it through and the call went to the auto center. Whoops.
Dialed up Best Cuts. They can't take me until 1:30. Too many appointments. Never seemed that busy before...but maybe their computer was down. *shrug*
Dialed up Joe's Barber Shop over on West 8th Street. Bingo. 9:45 am. Jumped in the shower real quick and got moving over there. Walked in and the place had that "hasn't been remodeled in twenty years" wood paneling on the walls.
This woman comes walking out from the back and meets me, introduces herself as Crystal. She looked like this lady I worked with at Sears but I didn't think of asking her. She was very, very cordial, as was I (thank you hotel industry!!!) and we got along very quickly. I wanted to do something a little different with my cut this time (why I was so leery about going somewhere I'd never gone before) and she was very patient and very efficient as well. I'll definitely go back...as long as Cheryl's okay with that.
Shine On, You Crazy Diamond: Had some bad news this morning...read that Richard Wright died.
(Who the hell is Richard Wright?)
Okay, I'll tell you. Wright was the keyboard player in Pink Floyd, one of my favorite bands. (Okay, top ten. Not like I sit in blacklight rooms with Dark Side of The Moon on every night.) Anyway, most of my favorite tunes of theirs he was credited with writing. Lots of the Dark Side keyboard stuff that I like.
I was talking with my resident Pink Floyd friend Eric this morning and he was lamenting about how in the next twenty years all of our big named musicians/legends are going to be gone, and its sort of depressing to learn that, but you gotta realize that there's alot of really edgy good music going on right now. Oasis, The Killers, Wilco, Ben Folds, Robert Randolph...gotta look at it that way.
Maybe I'll Be In A Commercial: Got an email this morning from Progressive, my car insurance company. I have electronic debit on my account to save me about $15 a month on my policy, and have for a few years now. Progressive has basically rebuilt my car (Remember, $9,500 in damages a few years back?) and I always expected it to be really high premiums.
But I've always been a really good driver. I've only been in two nonfault accidents (only one reported, other driver's choice), got one ticket for going through a red light (freaking Cambridge Springs cops), and one ticket for bad inspection (motorcycle cop on Presque Isle. How embarrassing!). Other than the complete annhiliation of my car a few years ago, really not alot of incidents.
My monthly bill has been around $125 for about two years now. I got the email this morning and it says they're only taking out $96 a month. Thought maybe there was a mistake so I called them up. And, as always, they were extremely nice and explained that I am a "loyal customer" and "low incident record" gave me a $29 a month discount for this six month period.
I was so happy I actually hollered for joy!
That Lucky Old Sun: Downloaded the new Brian Wilson album, That Lucky Old Sun. (I had a free album coupon, get off my back) Freaking awesome! Course, you have to be a Beach Boys fan. But there's really not much "Surfin Safari" type stuff here...its very orchestrated with these lush harmonies, its just so damn awesome. I love this guy.
The album is basically a run down of his love for Southern California life. Lots of little raps about neat things he sees on the street corners. I saw a documentary on him and he looks like Ozzy Osbourne; all drugged up. But listening to this album sounds like a guy who is completely enamored with his life right now. Just beautiful music. Makes me smile. :)
YIKES!
Dialed up Sears. They have this new "automated phone system" so you can't actually call direct anywhere anymore. And even though I KNOW that the hair salon people are there at 9 am, I can't get through to them. I tried to force it through and the call went to the auto center. Whoops.
Dialed up Best Cuts. They can't take me until 1:30. Too many appointments. Never seemed that busy before...but maybe their computer was down. *shrug*
Dialed up Joe's Barber Shop over on West 8th Street. Bingo. 9:45 am. Jumped in the shower real quick and got moving over there. Walked in and the place had that "hasn't been remodeled in twenty years" wood paneling on the walls.
This woman comes walking out from the back and meets me, introduces herself as Crystal. She looked like this lady I worked with at Sears but I didn't think of asking her. She was very, very cordial, as was I (thank you hotel industry!!!) and we got along very quickly. I wanted to do something a little different with my cut this time (why I was so leery about going somewhere I'd never gone before) and she was very patient and very efficient as well. I'll definitely go back...as long as Cheryl's okay with that.
Shine On, You Crazy Diamond: Had some bad news this morning...read that Richard Wright died.
(Who the hell is Richard Wright?)
Okay, I'll tell you. Wright was the keyboard player in Pink Floyd, one of my favorite bands. (Okay, top ten. Not like I sit in blacklight rooms with Dark Side of The Moon on every night.) Anyway, most of my favorite tunes of theirs he was credited with writing. Lots of the Dark Side keyboard stuff that I like.
I was talking with my resident Pink Floyd friend Eric this morning and he was lamenting about how in the next twenty years all of our big named musicians/legends are going to be gone, and its sort of depressing to learn that, but you gotta realize that there's alot of really edgy good music going on right now. Oasis, The Killers, Wilco, Ben Folds, Robert Randolph...gotta look at it that way.
Maybe I'll Be In A Commercial: Got an email this morning from Progressive, my car insurance company. I have electronic debit on my account to save me about $15 a month on my policy, and have for a few years now. Progressive has basically rebuilt my car (Remember, $9,500 in damages a few years back?) and I always expected it to be really high premiums.
But I've always been a really good driver. I've only been in two nonfault accidents (only one reported, other driver's choice), got one ticket for going through a red light (freaking Cambridge Springs cops), and one ticket for bad inspection (motorcycle cop on Presque Isle. How embarrassing!). Other than the complete annhiliation of my car a few years ago, really not alot of incidents.
My monthly bill has been around $125 for about two years now. I got the email this morning and it says they're only taking out $96 a month. Thought maybe there was a mistake so I called them up. And, as always, they were extremely nice and explained that I am a "loyal customer" and "low incident record" gave me a $29 a month discount for this six month period.
I was so happy I actually hollered for joy!
That Lucky Old Sun: Downloaded the new Brian Wilson album, That Lucky Old Sun. (I had a free album coupon, get off my back) Freaking awesome! Course, you have to be a Beach Boys fan. But there's really not much "Surfin Safari" type stuff here...its very orchestrated with these lush harmonies, its just so damn awesome. I love this guy.
The album is basically a run down of his love for Southern California life. Lots of little raps about neat things he sees on the street corners. I saw a documentary on him and he looks like Ozzy Osbourne; all drugged up. But listening to this album sounds like a guy who is completely enamored with his life right now. Just beautiful music. Makes me smile. :)
September 15, 2008
Wanted: Barber In Erie
Shave and A Haircut, Two Bits! Over the last couple of days, Amanda keeps saying, "Boy, you need a haircut." "Tony, you look fuzzy." "Hey Lori, doesn't Tony look like he needs a haircut?" I called up Cheryl a couple nights ago to ask if she could do it (like she has for the last four years) and she told me she's got school and work and a bunch of stuff; she can't do it til after six pm on Thursday. She gave me permission to go elsewhere and wouldn't be offended.
Today. Ten am. Phone rings. "Hey honey. Just wanted to get you up and rolling, so you don't waste the day away. You know, get your bills paid, get your hair cut. You said you didn't want to sleep all day. You also said you wanted to record."
Of course. Yeah. Haircut. How could I forget?
So I crawl out of bed, jump in the shower, get dressed, pick up my bills, and head on down the road. Went to the gas company first, paid the bill. Drove across town to Millcreek to go to my bank. Called Sears to find out if they had any openings.
"Sorry, we had someone call off this morning. I can get you in around 1:30 if you want to come by!" I declined. Too close to work time.
Drove up to West 26th Street and went to Best Cuts, the place Cheryl used to cut at. I walked in the door and this sixteen year old looking girl looks up from her customer and says, "Sorry, I can't take any more appointments right now, the computer crashed. Managers orders, I'm really --" Walked out of the door. Called a few places for a haircut, and they didn't answer the phone. Closed, probably.
Maybe a haircut wasn't in the cards today.
I did avoid two pretty nasty accidents today on my way to work as well -- one on 38th and Liberty (car in facing lane was turning left, and luckily I was paying attention or we'd both be short a hood, engine compartment and a front bumper, as well as some teeth and an airbag) and one near 54th and Peach (a vehicle in the right lane let a car out from a side street and the impatient perpendicular driver didn't see me coming in the left lane, and luckily I wasn't hungry for a T-bone). Not a great day so far.
Lunch with Theresa and Robert and Amanda was okay, though. Its also Robert's birthday (21). Unfortunately due to my schedule I was able to go to lunch with them and not to Kori's cake-and-ice-cream meeting tonight at Mom's house. DONT ANYONE SEND ME NASTY EMAILS. I'M NOT IN THE 'SWITCHING SCHEDULES' POSITION RIGHT NOW. TRYING TO GET PROMOTED, REMEMBER?!?!
*whew, sorry about that*
I've Done Something Wrong: Wrote a new song last night about my "guilty" personality, thinking I'm always the one doing something wrong or that I've always done something bad. Don't know where that comes from, but I make fun of myself in the song. Nothing that sounds like it'd be on the upcoming U2 album, rather something that sounds right out of the Bob and Tom Morning Show.
On that same note, I read the Rolling Stone interview with David Letterman that everyone keeps talking about. There were two questions in there that, if anything else, show that Letterman and I have one huge personality trait in common:
Talk about the same personality, huh? I was really surprised to learn that. But then again, I think I have that same thing in common with Eric Clapton. He was once interviewed saying that he put off making an album with B.B. King because he didn't feel he was "accomplished" enough.
I always thought, "Is the guy serious?!"
The album was basically shit though. Oh well.
Today. Ten am. Phone rings. "Hey honey. Just wanted to get you up and rolling, so you don't waste the day away. You know, get your bills paid, get your hair cut. You said you didn't want to sleep all day. You also said you wanted to record."
Of course. Yeah. Haircut. How could I forget?
So I crawl out of bed, jump in the shower, get dressed, pick up my bills, and head on down the road. Went to the gas company first, paid the bill. Drove across town to Millcreek to go to my bank. Called Sears to find out if they had any openings.
"Sorry, we had someone call off this morning. I can get you in around 1:30 if you want to come by!" I declined. Too close to work time.
Drove up to West 26th Street and went to Best Cuts, the place Cheryl used to cut at. I walked in the door and this sixteen year old looking girl looks up from her customer and says, "Sorry, I can't take any more appointments right now, the computer crashed. Managers orders, I'm really --" Walked out of the door. Called a few places for a haircut, and they didn't answer the phone. Closed, probably.
Maybe a haircut wasn't in the cards today.
I did avoid two pretty nasty accidents today on my way to work as well -- one on 38th and Liberty (car in facing lane was turning left, and luckily I was paying attention or we'd both be short a hood, engine compartment and a front bumper, as well as some teeth and an airbag) and one near 54th and Peach (a vehicle in the right lane let a car out from a side street and the impatient perpendicular driver didn't see me coming in the left lane, and luckily I wasn't hungry for a T-bone). Not a great day so far.
Lunch with Theresa and Robert and Amanda was okay, though. Its also Robert's birthday (21). Unfortunately due to my schedule I was able to go to lunch with them and not to Kori's cake-and-ice-cream meeting tonight at Mom's house. DONT ANYONE SEND ME NASTY EMAILS. I'M NOT IN THE 'SWITCHING SCHEDULES' POSITION RIGHT NOW. TRYING TO GET PROMOTED, REMEMBER?!?!
*whew, sorry about that*
I've Done Something Wrong: Wrote a new song last night about my "guilty" personality, thinking I'm always the one doing something wrong or that I've always done something bad. Don't know where that comes from, but I make fun of myself in the song. Nothing that sounds like it'd be on the upcoming U2 album, rather something that sounds right out of the Bob and Tom Morning Show.
On that same note, I read the Rolling Stone interview with David Letterman that everyone keeps talking about. There were two questions in there that, if anything else, show that Letterman and I have one huge personality trait in common:
In the past you've described yourself as suffering from anhedonia, the inability to feel happiness. Where are you on the anhedonia index these days?
Well, I think it has always been a defense. If you mention often enough how disappointed you are in your own behavior and your own performance, then you've pretty much just pulled the rug out from under people who were just about to say, "Jeez, that was really disappointing, we're not pleased with his performance."
Isn't that just false modesty?
Jeez, no. I don't think it's a false modesty. It's just everybody has their own mechanism for getting through the day, and I guess it's easier for me to pretend to be a perfectionist. Or, maybe, I really was a perfectionist and there's no difference there.
Talk about the same personality, huh? I was really surprised to learn that. But then again, I think I have that same thing in common with Eric Clapton. He was once interviewed saying that he put off making an album with B.B. King because he didn't feel he was "accomplished" enough.
I always thought, "Is the guy serious?!"
The album was basically shit though. Oh well.
September 14, 2008
Fifteen Years Old
September 15th: Tomorrow is my little sister Kori's birthday. She turns 15. FIFTEEN. Oh my god am I getting old.
I can still remember the moment I found out she was born. I was playing roller hockey on an overcast day. I was wearing a black Penguins sweatshirt that was too small for me; I also had on red sweatpants and roller blades. All of the sudden, Bill's mom Hilda came stumbling out of the door and yelled, "Hey Tony! You have a sister!" I remember being pretty happy.
Fifteen years later, I have plenty of memories from her. Failing to protect her that night that Bill stole her from the house...getting up at the ass crack of dawn to see her off to school in Waterford...that first day I saw her with straightened hair. Just strange to know she'll be able to drive a car next year.
God am I getting old.
My Barometer's Gone CRAZY! Had a chilly weekend filled with some rain here in Erie. But for some reason it was humid as hell today, and now we're battling some nasty rain bullets. The hotel's power flickered for a sec, but it came right back on. We've actually gained some guests from the hotels that lost power completely. Yay for God's wrath! Just kidding. Thats completely tasteless.
Anyway...
I can still remember the moment I found out she was born. I was playing roller hockey on an overcast day. I was wearing a black Penguins sweatshirt that was too small for me; I also had on red sweatpants and roller blades. All of the sudden, Bill's mom Hilda came stumbling out of the door and yelled, "Hey Tony! You have a sister!" I remember being pretty happy.
Fifteen years later, I have plenty of memories from her. Failing to protect her that night that Bill stole her from the house...getting up at the ass crack of dawn to see her off to school in Waterford...that first day I saw her with straightened hair. Just strange to know she'll be able to drive a car next year.
God am I getting old.
My Barometer's Gone CRAZY! Had a chilly weekend filled with some rain here in Erie. But for some reason it was humid as hell today, and now we're battling some nasty rain bullets. The hotel's power flickered for a sec, but it came right back on. We've actually gained some guests from the hotels that lost power completely. Yay for God's wrath! Just kidding. Thats completely tasteless.
Anyway...
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