Hump day...

Hope you all had a good new year celebration. Very quiet at my place. Anthony went to the roller rink and brought in the new year with friends and a great time. I sat on my ass, didn't drink, and watched TV. He got home at 1, and I didn't fall asleep until 2:30. Add to that I worked that day, plus New Year's Day, and the remainder of the holiday. Needless to say I was a bit tired. This is the first "normal" work week (no days off) and I'm still trying to adjust to the day of the week. It's getting slowly better though. Heading into my season at work, so I'm happy about that. It means I won't be slow. I am learning new things (ambient categories) which is great! I am becoming a well rounded employee, and actualy enjoying it. With the new seating arrangements, I can be seen (not hiding around a wall and a corner) so they know I exist. Getting involved in other aspects of the business means I am gaining respect. There is a new CBM and when she heard I could be coming on to her categories she got excited. Apparently she has heard one or two good things about me. Makes me excited for my role in 2014. Hopefully it lasts all year. Looking back at 2013, wow that year sucked. They say this year has to be better, but it could get worse. I hope it doesn't though. Haven't played a live poker game in two months. Going to play in a freeroll at a local casino on the 18th, then there is the Boys and Girls Club tournament on the 25th, which I am playing in rather than dealing this year. I want to play, and I'm fortunate enough that Unilever has seats, and I get one. Well, that's about it for now. Have to get back to work. TTFN~!

Almost the end of the year...

Well, 2013 comes to an end soon. Thankfully! It's been a helluva year. Anthony dropping out of school, ending up in the hospital for a few days. He also dropped out of school, and is in the process of going for his GED. Hopefully he will get that done by the end of January/early February, and can start getting his life on track (and a job). My first vacation in 10 years, end result not what I expected, but glad (kinda!). Then Anthony deciding to move out on my birthday, leaving me a note to find when I got home from work (he came back the next day). Vacation the week BEFORE Christmas because of someone's screw up on the vacation calendar. Working the week of Christmas, and kicking ass! And now 2014 is not far away. It's got to be a better year! Most plans haven't changed, it's just a matter of biding time. I haven't played poker live in over a month. Found it on Xbox so happy about that, but it's not as enjoyable as playing with people in front of you and real cards and chips. Saved a lot of money though. Planning to play in a charity event next month (I usually deal, but this time I'm playing). I already warned my coworkers that this time I plan to take them out and keep their chips, rather than just dealing them out. Haha! Christmas was quiet, but good. It wasn't a white Christmas, as some would have hoped, but that's ok. A winter blast earlier in the month gave us more than enough, thank you very much. Well, that's it for now. I probably won't be back until 2014. Happy New Year! TTFN~!

Vacation!!!

Yes, it's the week before Christmas and I am on vacation. Yes, I was online for work this morning. It's normal for me if I'm not going anywhere. I like to clean up reports, get some things that I get daily. I was told by 2 co-workers to get offline! I was only on for about an hour, then I shut it down, packed it up, and haven't looked at it since. Tomorrow I will do the same thing, except I have to get on 2 conference calls. Both are ones I must be on. Business continues and because it's the holiday season if I don't get on the calls, I won't be able to take care of business next week when I get back. Anthony is home today, so later we are going to play Battleship. I've beaten him 2 matches in a row, and he still wants to keep trying. God love him for that. TTFN~!

Baseball...

Yeah, it's winter (at least it feels like it!). Why would I be posting a blog about baseball now?? Well, an interesting news story has been brought up recently concerning collisions at home plate. They want to ban it (basically because baseball is a "non-contact" sport). Ok, here's my thinking on this. The catcher is the only player on the field wearing protection basically head to toe. They are paid millions of dollars to play a game! And they know the risk of playing catcher. The same way a pitcher knows if he has to cover home plate because of a wild pitch and a runner at 3rd. The runner's "job" is to score! It's a ridiculous rule. Here's the way I see it. You signed a contract, you accepted the risk. The same risk that has been part of the game for over 100 years. More than likely you were a scholarship college player (if you weren't and didn't go to college, well shame on you!) and hopefully you learned something other than how to catch and hit a ball. If, God forbid, you get injured, and you are smart enough to have a backup plan AND to have saved a little bit of your millions of dollars contract, get a regular job like the rest of us who do NOT make millions of dollars (hell, we barely make thousands)! Nuff said!

Snow but not winter...

Thursday we got a foot of snow! It's Arkansas! That's not right!! Roads have been ice ever since, and now they are saying we could see up to another inch tonight. This is nuts!! Other than that, not much going on. Many changes going on in my office, none involve me directly. I'm staying right where I am. Good or bad, hard to say. I really should do something to improve my standing, but I am happy where I am, and eventually it will get me into some type of leadership role. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking management. Hoping it will lead to some type of "senior" role. But, when I look at a couple of co-workers, they have the "it" factor that I don't. I guess I'm just too old for this shit!

Another week down

This is the first week my local office is in our new building. We are actually right next to where the AMP (Arkansas Music Pavillion) will be, which is great. We are on the 2nd floor and have a balcony outside so when concerts happen, we can be here and listen for free. Loving that part. We are also close to the mall and restaurants (plus new ones opening). The desks are smaller than what we had at the old office, but like anything you learn to deal with it. Everything is wide open. There are no more cubicles, walls or offices. That part takes getting used to. Not much else going on. On a bad streak of luck this month, haven't been able to do shit right. Then got the ultimate slap in the face today. I've been helping out a category for the past few weeks, and today somebody else got acknowledgement for their work. There are a few of us that don't know what he did. I've been the one running reports, writing orders, changing dates, etc., but I don't even get a nod! Frankly that brought my whole day to shit, and this happened at 8:30 this morning! Plus, if/when bonuses are handed out, I can almost guarantee I'll get the short end of that stick (on a rating of 1 to 5, I'll be either a 1 or 2) because the supervisor I had didn't like me much. No big deal there, I didn't care for her either. But because I don't "play the game" and "take it deep" like some other worthless pieces of garbage in this office, or didn't get anyone to pay for a new chest for me, I'll get screwed. Such is life.

So it's been a few...

Not much to talk about. Been playing a little bit of poker, not much. Hopefully have a dealing job coming up in a couple of weeks. Oh wait, have to tell you about this one... Decided to go to Cherokee on Wednesday night to play in the tournament. It's been a LONG time since I've been there for a night tournament. Saw an old poker buddy there, we were at the same table. That was nice. Anyway, they had 46 players, so paying top 5. Of course I finished 6th. No money. Driving home, close to 11pm. As I turn onto the main road to go north and head home, I feel my car pulling to the right something fierce. I started slowing down and heard the "thump thump". Flat front right tire. Great! Late at night, no lights on the road, and I can't even FIND the spare tire. Called a towing company, no help. Suggested that I call my insurance company. Called, and YES! I have towing coverage. Meanwhile, I am hearing coyotes howling! Someone better hurry the fuck up! Long story short, tow truck showed up at midnight and found my spare tire. It's UNDER the car! He asked about changing it, I told him "it's 30 degrees outside, there are coyotes, let's tow and go!" Tried getting to the spare tire yesterday after work, no luck! Gotta figure it out this weekend. Other than that, nothing new. So, TTFN~!