plug me back in please

Feelin’ a little out of the loop. Instead of running down the list of what’s been keeping me away, I’m leaving myself a To Do List:

1. Write three essays for tomorrow’s Psychology class. (Guess I’ll get to that after finishing this blog entry)

2. Import the rest of my old blog entries. (Had to include something about the website)

3. TAXES. (Err… maybe I need to file an extension?)

4. Finish working on two client websites. (Hey, at least those projects are started)

5. Work on my portfolio. (This is an ongoing project for this semester)

6. Scrape up extra cash for a new workstation. (Anyone want to steal my current workstation?)

7. Fix all the Azarok.com scripts broken by my webhost. (Maybe I’ll get the site mods done while I’m here)

8. Catch up on all the blogs I haven’t had a chance to read. (I miss you all I really do)

9. Add 12 more hours to my day because that’s what I need to get caught up.

I need a professional to come in and lay some time management on me. Between work & school I’m not getting anything done… or I could just be procrastinating.

Give me the summer, a shot of Jaeger and a Long Island Ice Tea.

Thursday Shout Outs

Mid-afternoon items:

1. About two weeks ago I received a package in the mail from Mr. Helpful. He was kind enough to send his readers a videotaped performance by The Jezebel Diary which features his son “The Pride & Joy” on drums. As a musician/roadie/video tech/music enthusiast, I could’t pass up the opportunity to check out the band and the video that was shot by Mr. Helpful. I have to apologize for not posting about this sooner, but let’s not relive my tech issues.

The tape provided me a nostalgic trip down memory lane back when I myself played hole-in-the-wall joints for tips that covered gas expenses. There’s nothing more exhilarating than being on stage performing. I miss it, I really do. Mr. Helpful tried to downplay the quality of the tape, but I know how difficult it can be to film live shows. I enjoyed the tape and the reminder of fun times. You can check out MP3s on the band site and if you live in the Washington area you might see if they’re playing in an area near you.

2. Sean Johnson must be a busy guy. Not only does he have the killer blog (go read it now), but he also has various side project including A Bright Red Package. Currently he is giving his book away for free. While the book targets college graduates, I highly suggest this book to anyone looking for employment. What impressed me the most was not the ideas presented (whatdoyaknow I actually used some of his techniques already), but I thought the packaging/arrangement/explanation of said ideas very useful. I’m certain his success will be reached once his concepts become the everyday mainstream techniques used by graduates everywhere.

Oh, and before I forget, yours truly is one year older today. Today’s update by Tony Pierce listed some famous folks celebrating with me. Who knew I had something in common with guitar legend Jeff Healey? Maybe that means I’ll get some cool gifts. The parents already hooked me up with a nice software upgrade. Now if I can only get out of school tonight.

Tuesday Filler

Today’s theme Men vs. Women.

Joke #1
An old man and woman were married for years even though they hated each other.

When they had a confrontation, screams and yelling could be heard deep into the night. A constant statement was heard by the neighbors who feared the man the most. “When I die I will dig my way up and out of the grave to come back and haunt you for the rest of your life!”

They believed he practiced black magic and was responsible for missing cats and dogs, and strange sounds at all hours. He was feared and enjoyed the respect it garnished.

He died abruptly under strange circumstances and the funeral had a closed casket. After the burial, the wife went straight to the local bar and began to party as if there was no tomorrow. The gaiety of her actions were becoming extreme while her neighbors approached in a group to ask these questions: Are you not afraid? Concerned? Worried? that this man who practiced black magic and stated when he died he would dig his way up and out of the grave to come back and haunt you for the rest of your life?

The wife put down her drink and said “Let the old bastard dig. I had him buried upside down.”

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Joke #2
A guy boards his plane bound for Pittsburgh and sits down in his seat. He notices immediately that the guy next to him has a black eye. He says to him, “Hey this is a coincidence, we both have black eyes, mind if ask how you got yours?”

Other guy: “Well, it just happened. It was a tongue twister accident. See, I was at the ticket counter and this gorgeous blonde with the hugest breasts in the world was there. So, instead of saying I’d like a ticket to Pittsburgh, I said, ’I’d like a picket to Tittsburgh.’ She socked me one.”

First guy: Mine was a tongue twister too. I was at the breakfast table and I wanted to say to my wife, “Please pour me a bowl of Wheaties.” But I accidentally said, “You ruined my life you f#cking bitch.”

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Joke #3
During a course in human sexuality, the instructor was discussing various items in the Kinsey report.

The class members gasped audibly when the instructor read out that a woman had several hundred orgasms in a single session.

A male voice said, “Wow, who was she?”

A female voice followed with, “The hell with that… Who was HE?!?!?!?!”

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Joke #4
A husband is at home watching a football game when his wife interrupts, “Honey, could you fix the light in the hallway? It’s been flickering for weeks now.”

He looks at her and says angrily, “Fix the light? Now? Does it look like I have G.E. logo printed on my forehead? I don’t think so.”

“Well then, could you fix the fridge door? It won’t close right.”

To which he replied, “Fix the fridge door? Does it look like I have Westinghouse written on my forehead? I don’t think so.”

“Fine,” she says, “then could you at least fix the steps to the front door? They’re about to break.”

“I’m not a damn carpenter and I don’t want to fix the steps,“ he says. “Does it look like I have Ace Hardware written on my forehead? I don’t think so. I’ve had enough of you. I’m going to the bar!!!”

So he goes to the bar and drinks for a couple of hours. He starts to feel guilty about how he treated his wife, and decides to go home and help out. As he walks into the house, he notices the steps are already fixed. As he enters the house, he sees the hall light is working. As he goes to get a beer, he notices the fridge door is fixed.

“Honey, how’d this all this get fixed?”

She said, “Well, when you left, I sat outside and cried. Just then a nice young man asked me what was wrong, and I told him, He offered to do all the repairs, and all I had to do was either screw him or bake him a cake.”

He said, “So, what kind of cake did you bake him?”

She replied, “Hello… Do you see Sara Lee written on my forehead? I don’t think so.”

Survey says “Tone it down buddy”

Just another busy day here in Dallas. Been a lot on the brain lately (if I hadn’t said that enough) and I think I’m slowly formulating coherent thoughts for publishing.

A common Hallmark anecdote is good friends accept you for who you are, flaws and all. I like to think I’m surrounded by some great people, but truth is I think most people only have a few really close friends.

Recently one such person told me that I had reached the age where I should start acting more conservatively. “The time for risk is over, you’re not in your 20’s anymore.” As an Aries I tend to lead more with my gut then my head. Mix in some tenacity with an overwhelming dose of stubbornness and the result should either been a whopping success or well… me. I’ve been chewing on my buddy’s statement for a while. I thought I had pieced together quite the rebuttal then I read the latest entry by my idol and current BWF tag team partner Ryan “Hardcore” McGee.

While I’m fortunate enough to be involved with someone the points Ryan made about other people deciding who/how/why he should be struck home.

I’m a people pleaser. If anything I’m giving to a fault. It’s a trait that’s bit me in the ass more times than I can remember, but I really can’t help myself. I also tend to have some damn grand ideas and pursue them with every resource available. Trouble is, I’m in my thirties and many of those resources have finally been exhausted.

I’ve been on the downswing for a number of years now waiting, praying, hoping my dreams & crazy ambitions would bear fruit. Statistically, I’m probably right in line with every other wannabe and yeah even my family & friends have been saying maybe my time has past.

Trouble is I haven’t had MY TIME.

It’s funny, as a little kid your parents, teachers, mentors are so encouraging, full of cheer “What do you want to be when you grow up?” sprinkled with “You can do whatever you set your mind to?”

As you enter young adulthood, experience high school & college the tone slowly changes to “Pick a solid trade, make sure you have something to fall back on.” followed by “Life isn’t fair, not everyone gets what they want.” or “We can’t all be somebody.”

Oh it’s been quite the long stretch of badness these past several years, but I’ve learned right or wrong I have to do things my way. I want to realize my dreams, I don’t want to worry about being too old, too inexperienced, too late. I’ve been so engrossed in other people’s opinions of me that I stopped doing the things that made me happy, that allowed me the successes I have had. Worse, I started to doubt my own abilities to do things.

I may be a little fuzzy on future specifics, but I’m righting the ship as of today. (I may just be the next William Hung)

Continuing Cell Phone Saga…

Continuing my rant from yesterday I had a student in class this morning answer their cell phone during my lecture. Normally they take the call outside or quickly turn off their ringer, but this lady chose to keep talking.

For those stubborn few I can generally stop the class (a tip I picked up from Ben) and they get the point and quickly end their conversation. This morning I was not so lucky and I had to take a slightly more aggressive approach.

“Excuse me, but if that call is important you’re welcome to take it outside.”

“Well this IS an important call – THANK YOU.” (the lady goes back into her phone conversation)

“Hey, don’t thank me. Thank everyone else who’s sitting here politely while you interrupt the class.”

I don’t think I’ll be making it on her favorite instructor list, but she did get off the phone.