Category: Uncategorized

My job isn’t particularly hectic. There are certain times, however, when the pace speeds up and there are long hours of work. Yesterday was one of those times. About 10 hours of preparation and work to get ready for room sign up for next year. My boss told me when I walked in yesterday that she had an extremely hard task for me. She handed me 10 boxes of pencils and an electric pencil sharpener.
I had plenty of time to contemplate life while I sharpened those 240 pencils. I thought that somewhere in the Papermate company there is someone who works for quality control who does what I was doing every day they comes to work. I felt sad for that person and hoped that they were paid very well for their services. I also thought that no matter how hard someone works at quality control, some bad ones always get through. I found two pencils without lead in them, one with no eraser, and several that just looked worn when I took them out of the box.
I used one of those pencils until I had worn it down to the nub last night. The same could not be said for the packs of pens that we bought for the occasion. Talk about junk. They wouldn’t write for some reason. If life ever turns on me and I need a job, I’ll look and see if Papermate is hiring.

AppetizerWho is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why? Honestly, Brit Hume. I remember him reporting on ABC World News Tonight back in the day with Peter Jennings. He is a very intelligent man who has been praised for his journalism skills by our past two presidents. Very telling since they were a Democrat and Republican president, respectively.
SoupName 3 foods that are currently in your freezer. Frozen taquitos, Chicken, and I think my wife has some ice cream left.
SaladIf you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it? Since there is a Truth or Consequences, New Mexico already, I think something like Truth or Dare, Arizona or Deal or No Deal, North Dakota.
Main CourseWhat will most likely be the next book you read? I’m in the middle of two books now but I am thinking of going and buying Stephen King’s On Writing to get some help with my own book.
DessertWhat’s the first thing you notice about the opposite gender? Don’t really notice them since I am married, but back in the day, I would say their eyes or their smiles.

Great Feast this week. Don’t forget to read some of my other posts. Especially the one I wrote yesterday. Comments are always appreciated.

Appetizer Name two things that made you smile this week. I found time to read some really good books and to work on a book of my own.
Soup Fill in the blank: Don’t you hate it when _you wake up two minutes before the alarm clock goes off__? (I really think that this is the worst feeling in the world.)
Salad When you can’t go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland? I interview myself in my head. I ask myself questions like I am giving an interview to Charlie Rose or something.
Main Course What is something about which you’ve always wondered but have not yet found a good answer? I always wondered why good things happen to bad people instead of the other way around.
Dessert What is your favorite pasta dish? Fettucini alfredo

Appetizer What is your usual bedtime? Don’t really have a set bedtime. Usually between 11 and 12 if I am not on call.
Do you like that, or would you rather it be different? I wish I could do everything I needed to do at night and still get some quality sleep time.

Soup When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more? I usually receive but lately it seems as if I have been giving more. Now whether or not people actually take my advice is another matter entirely.

Salad Describe a memorable meal you’ve had. When my wife and I were literally down to our last few dollars until the tax refund came and had to stay at my parents house for a few days because we did not have enough food. We sold stuff to get gas money. When we finally got to my parents house, my mom made us some grilled cheese sandwiches. I would not have traded that grilled cheese for filet mignon at that moment. I will never forget it.
Main Course Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something. Huck Finn by Mark Twain affected me deeply. Also this little mystery called Cold Slice by L. T. Fawkes also affected me because at the beggining of the book the hero is down and out and pulls himself back into things. Which is something that I was going through at the time I read the book myself. It really helped me a lot.
Dessert What is your favorite type of fruit juice? I love apple juice and pineapple juice. I have learned however that if you drink a glass of grapefruit juice a day that it will change your outlook on life. Sometimes things that are good for you don’t always taste good.

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

It has been quite a while since I did a regular post. I have been busy as heck at work. Going almost non stop for a while now. I just wanted to drop a quick note to let everyone know that I am still alive.

I went on a conference related to my job a couple of weeks ago. The keynote speaker at the opening event said something that stuck with me. He said that life is not about time, It’s about choices. If you were to, God forbid, die tomorrow, the job that you work 40 plus hours for would have you replaced by next Friday while the people who love you would only miss you for the rest of their lives. If that doesn’t make you think, then nothing will.

AppetizerWhat does the color pink make you think of? The Breast Cancer ribbons in October.

SoupName something you thought you had lost, but later found. My hope in humanity and the goodness of people.

SaladIn 3 words, describe this past week. Not that stressful

Main CourseWhat are you obsessed with? Baseball and television I’m sorry to say.

DessertWhat kind of perfume or cologne do you like to wear? Don’t really have a favorite. I wear all kinds because despite me saying no, my family insists on buying me 100 different kinds of cologne every Christmas. I won’t run out until 2237.

It feels good to be back answering Fridays Feast after being away for a while. Have a good one.

One Hundred & Twenty Nine
AppetizerWhat was one of the fashion fads when you were a teenager? Those crazy shirts that would change colors when wet is the only thing I can think of.
SoupName one thing you think people assume about you when they first meet you. That I am some big scary dude
SaladOn a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how hard do you work? This week, a 10.
Main CourseIf you were given a free 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl to sell anything you currently own, what would you advertise? My Moleskine notebook.
DessertFill in the blank: I love to _curl up with a good book___ when it is __rainy outside_______.

Appetizer If you could take lessons to learn any musical instrument, which would you want to learn? I would love to be able to play the piano.
Soup Have you ever mistaken a person for someone else? Yes I have on many occasions. Just yesterday I wasn’t really looking and nearly put some tuna in a strangers cart because I thought it was my wife.
Salad On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets? I would say an 8 overall, when it comes to work stuff I am a 10 because hey man I don’t even want to be sued. LOL
Main Course What’s the closest you’ve ever been to a dangerous animal? I would say when I went to the zoo although I was going to visit my parents one time I turned a corner on a back country road and a bull was just standing in the middle of the road. Very weird.
Dessert When was the last time you lost your patience? Really lost my patience? hmmm…two years ago at my old job. Some kids wouldn’t leave the library at closing time and the other guard didn’t want to make them get out. I don’t really like confrontations, but sometimes you have to grit your teeth and do your job.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Feast One Hundred & Twenty Seven
Appetizer Which television shows do you just refuse to miss? Probably too many but off of the top of my head: 24, Prison Break (returning this week), Heroes (also returning this week) and House.
Soup Who did you last speak to on the telephone? A woman from accounting at work.
Salad How many pillows do you keep on your bed? Four. Two for me and two for the wife.
Main Course Name one addition to your computer (software, hardware, etc.) that you’d love to have. Right now to be honest with you, speakers. (LOL)
Dessert What is your favorite foreign food? I love Chinese and Greek food.

As the title of this post says, today is my birthday. I am 29 today. Getting older doesn’t bother me. I have always felt older than I was anyway. I hated my teenage years. I was never really into that going out and being stupid thing. When I think back to my teenage years, the thing I always think of is the kids that went out mudslinging. Mudslinging to the unenlightened is taking a truck out to a muddy field and then going around and around slinging mud and getting your truck dirty. It always seemed like a waste of time to me. I always seemed like I had better things to do with my time. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t have a vehicle of my own until I was 21.

I was so glad to get to my 20’s. The day that I turned 20 was a great day. I woke up that morning with an epiphany that things would make more sense to me now. It was like my physical number of years would catch up to my emotional number of years. For the most part, the last 10 years of my life have been wonderful. There have been mountains and valleys of course; but the biggest valleys don’t compare to the mountains. The best part was meeting and then marrying the woman of my dreams.

I hope the last year in my 20’s will be as good as the rest. Then onto the 30’s. It should be one interesting ride.