.JPG)
My wife and I have been having talking lately about having a baby. Actually its been more her than me. I don't know what's stopping me from wanting to have a kid. I've been throwing around excuses for some time now such as there's no point in raising a child in a world where there will be no social security available to him/her by the time he/she is our age. I'm not certain if we could afford to have a kid. Let's face it, I don't have the highest paying job and I barely get by with what I'm left with. How can I expect to raise a kid with the mere pennies I'm left with each month? There's also the Peter Pan complex to consider too. I'm just an immature going on 36 years old adult. I still watch cartoons and I race home to see whats new in Asian cinema online. My priorities as you can see are not all there.
I want to make an attempt to change not just for myself but for my wife and yes one day for a kid. My wife though is right at that time where if we don't have a kid now, we're taking risks later.
I look at my friend who I went to visit during the holidays. He's pretty much like me: an overgrown infant with a wife that wishes he would do more constructive things with his time. They raised a child in a small basement apartment along with her mother in law living with them at the same time. He pretty much told me, "If we can do it, you can surely raise a kid."
I found his words most encouraging. His philosophy is that you find ways to get by and when your child needs something, there's no way you won't be able to provide for him/her. I can tell there's a little friction when they talk about household matters but you can see they truly love each other and they truly love their daughter who is adorable. Someone else told me that its a small portion of you and a portion of your partner that you love dearly and that culminates into someone you will treasure.
OK...that's enough of the corniness for now. There are no guarantees in life so who knows whats in store. For all I know we just may end up with another dog.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Friday, January 07, 2005
Ghost of the past
I'm always amazed how the right wing is always able to put a spin on topics to deflect attention from their problems. This time its putting a spin on the appointment for attorney general Alberto Gonzalez and somehow relating this to Mary Jo Kapechne.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
I'm a snail.
My wife was asked once what type of animal does she herself as. She answered that she would be an eagle that would soar through the skies and was an animal with few predators. She asked me what I saw myself as. I told her a snail. A snail can curl up in his shell and take his time to where he needs to go. She wasn't too thrilled with the response which was my intention to begin with but I think she still feels that I was serious about my response.
I don't blame her. I've given her reason to believe I'm a snail. I'm amazed at how much she has accomplished within a year. She left an agency which she helped to establish to move onto a higher paying job which has allowed her to stand apart from other employees as someone who takes action and makes things happen. She finished her certificate in Business at Baruch College, and has taken an evening course in public speaking apart from her regular classes.
I can't say I have been as active. I'm still at the same job and haven't taken any of the classes I promised myself I would take.
Really need to remove this snail stigma.
I don't blame her. I've given her reason to believe I'm a snail. I'm amazed at how much she has accomplished within a year. She left an agency which she helped to establish to move onto a higher paying job which has allowed her to stand apart from other employees as someone who takes action and makes things happen. She finished her certificate in Business at Baruch College, and has taken an evening course in public speaking apart from her regular classes.
I can't say I have been as active. I'm still at the same job and haven't taken any of the classes I promised myself I would take.
Really need to remove this snail stigma.
Helga, the evil eurocraut counterperson
Each morning I go through my routine of going to my company’s cafeteria and getting my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This is an interesting opener to an entry. Peanut butter and jelly. How much simpler does it get than that? The basic necessities of man are within man’s reach, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates. Not only does it provide sustenance but its yummy as well. So what is a man to do when a pompous Gestapo-like eurotrash gets in the way of you and your sandwich?!? I had such an experience not too long ago.
So here I was preparing my PB&J and bringing it up to the counter. Normally I would pay 35 cents for a sandwich when this lady who I will call Helga (I have other names for her which I won’t mention here) declares that the sandwich is 64 cents! I took a double take when she repeated it so matter-of-factly.
I told her: “Excuse me but I normally pay 35 cents for this sandwich.”
To which she replied, “If your sandwich has peanut butter, then the sandwich is 64 cents.” She stared me down waiting for my reaction and eyeing the people behind me as to giving me a hint that she had no time to negotiate something she thought she knew was right and that she had other customers waiting.
I wasn’t going to give her the pleasure of taking my additional 31 cents so I left the sandwich by the register and walked away in ghetto mode muttering to myself, “I’m not paying 64 cents for some stupid ass sandwich! Who the hell do they think they are?”
I decided I would fight it and bring in my own sandwiches and not give in to these corporate cafeteria services that are limited in the meals they provide. The food here truly sucks. This past Christmas season our company had a holiday luncheon where the food comprised of mainly starches (holiday egg rolls, baked potatoes, potato fritters, yams, bread, mashed potatoes, and turkey which was basically heated up turkey cold cuts). The pie, which I think was cherry, had a pinkish hue and when you ate it, did not taste anything like pie should taste like and would not wish on my most hated enemy.
I’ve visited other company’s cafeterias and was floored by the variety of food that is offered and the quality of what is served. It’s amazing the crap they serve and to top it off they have the audacity to ask for more money in return?? The only thing that is safe to eat in that place turns out to be a PB&J sandwich and they want me to pay more for something that is the simplest item on their list of crap??
Eventually I went back. It was hard to give in but when you’re hungry at 9 am you have few options (especially when you work in an industrial park like setting). There she was in an empty cafeteria. She was like a monolith, overseeing her territory. There was no way of getting around just making my sandwich and paying the initial 35 cents I was used to paying. She would look down at the bread and declare, “64 cents please.” Damn you, Helga!
I have to admit, I was a bit sneaky sometimes. Sometimes I would time my visits to the cafeteria knowing that around 9:30 when people are still procrastinating the food court would fill up allowing enough time to toast my bread and at the same time get a scoop of PB&J and placing it in a cup which I would later sneak into my pocket. I have to say it was bit exciting. I guess it's the same feeling a shoplifter would have looking about making sure no one is watching you as you place the container in your front pocket nonchalantly. It was even a greater thrill watching Helga’s confused face as I proudly placed the toast in front of her. She would inspect the bread the same way a customs officer would inspect luggage and would say tersely “35 cents.” It was like being Brad Davis in Midnight Express but only getting away with it!
I kept this charade going for a few weeks till finally my conscious got the best of me. I was compelled to break her and have her announce that as of this day all PB&J would be 35 cents but I knew that wasn’t going to happen so I gave in and starting paying it up front even though when I did, I would mumble “…peanut butter and jelly on toast.”
I had my sandwich this morning but to my surprise she wasn’t in. One of the old guard was in standing in for her. She charged me 35 cents to which I happily paid and wished her a happy morning. It tasted pretty good this morning. I hope Helga gets transferred to some other industrial park food court. Today was a minor victory. There will still be other Helgas around in some shape or form.
So here I was preparing my PB&J and bringing it up to the counter. Normally I would pay 35 cents for a sandwich when this lady who I will call Helga (I have other names for her which I won’t mention here) declares that the sandwich is 64 cents! I took a double take when she repeated it so matter-of-factly.
I told her: “Excuse me but I normally pay 35 cents for this sandwich.”
To which she replied, “If your sandwich has peanut butter, then the sandwich is 64 cents.” She stared me down waiting for my reaction and eyeing the people behind me as to giving me a hint that she had no time to negotiate something she thought she knew was right and that she had other customers waiting.
I wasn’t going to give her the pleasure of taking my additional 31 cents so I left the sandwich by the register and walked away in ghetto mode muttering to myself, “I’m not paying 64 cents for some stupid ass sandwich! Who the hell do they think they are?”
I decided I would fight it and bring in my own sandwiches and not give in to these corporate cafeteria services that are limited in the meals they provide. The food here truly sucks. This past Christmas season our company had a holiday luncheon where the food comprised of mainly starches (holiday egg rolls, baked potatoes, potato fritters, yams, bread, mashed potatoes, and turkey which was basically heated up turkey cold cuts). The pie, which I think was cherry, had a pinkish hue and when you ate it, did not taste anything like pie should taste like and would not wish on my most hated enemy.
I’ve visited other company’s cafeterias and was floored by the variety of food that is offered and the quality of what is served. It’s amazing the crap they serve and to top it off they have the audacity to ask for more money in return?? The only thing that is safe to eat in that place turns out to be a PB&J sandwich and they want me to pay more for something that is the simplest item on their list of crap??
Eventually I went back. It was hard to give in but when you’re hungry at 9 am you have few options (especially when you work in an industrial park like setting). There she was in an empty cafeteria. She was like a monolith, overseeing her territory. There was no way of getting around just making my sandwich and paying the initial 35 cents I was used to paying. She would look down at the bread and declare, “64 cents please.” Damn you, Helga!
I have to admit, I was a bit sneaky sometimes. Sometimes I would time my visits to the cafeteria knowing that around 9:30 when people are still procrastinating the food court would fill up allowing enough time to toast my bread and at the same time get a scoop of PB&J and placing it in a cup which I would later sneak into my pocket. I have to say it was bit exciting. I guess it's the same feeling a shoplifter would have looking about making sure no one is watching you as you place the container in your front pocket nonchalantly. It was even a greater thrill watching Helga’s confused face as I proudly placed the toast in front of her. She would inspect the bread the same way a customs officer would inspect luggage and would say tersely “35 cents.” It was like being Brad Davis in Midnight Express but only getting away with it!
I kept this charade going for a few weeks till finally my conscious got the best of me. I was compelled to break her and have her announce that as of this day all PB&J would be 35 cents but I knew that wasn’t going to happen so I gave in and starting paying it up front even though when I did, I would mumble “…peanut butter and jelly on toast.”
I had my sandwich this morning but to my surprise she wasn’t in. One of the old guard was in standing in for her. She charged me 35 cents to which I happily paid and wished her a happy morning. It tasted pretty good this morning. I hope Helga gets transferred to some other industrial park food court. Today was a minor victory. There will still be other Helgas around in some shape or form.
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Subtle changes...
Started using Firefox which is waaaayy better than IE. Sucks that I have to use it still at work though. Thanks Corey, you finally convinced me to get rid of trash!
Also started using RSS feeds to check on other blogs and news but the one I'm currently using defeats the purpose of having an RSS feed since I still get the dopey web page pop up with ads and all. Gonna see how to uninstall and load a better one so I can just read plain text.
Like whats the point of having it if it won't show me updated news or if I still have to wait for a fuckin page to load up because of stupid ads.
ARGH!
Also started using RSS feeds to check on other blogs and news but the one I'm currently using defeats the purpose of having an RSS feed since I still get the dopey web page pop up with ads and all. Gonna see how to uninstall and load a better one so I can just read plain text.
Like whats the point of having it if it won't show me updated news or if I still have to wait for a fuckin page to load up because of stupid ads.
ARGH!
Resolutions for 2005?
Ok I have neglected my little blog about the burbs for two weeks. I was out sick for two weeks with the flu (along with the wife). Felt like crap and had no urge to go into my PC and let the world know how shitty it is to drink soup on a daily basis and wake up in cold sweats.
I don't have any real resolutions this year. The one my wife would like me to have is to get my act together and grow up. I'm trying! I'm trying!
I'm trying to see about changing careers. This publishing thing is just not working for me. My company is changing the way it operates by ditching the people who were once knee deep in the process of putting a publication together and just have them oversee the projects being done now by someone else. They are phasing out jobs like there is no tomorrow.
I decided this year to take some action. I'm signing up tonite for a class at my local vocational school and learn about digital printing. It sounds pretty interesting and is the type of course that is pointing me in the direction I plan on going (I'm not saying here only that I'm interested in taking some courses in Mandarin and in Project Management).
I don't think there is anyone out there in the white collar world who hasn't noticed how things have changed in their offices. You have more skeleton crews and responsibilities are shifting. I can't keep complacent while shit like this happens here and in other companies. Its definetely a wake up call.
So as far as resolutions go:
1. try to write in the blog on a daily basis - no matter how dull it may be,
2. try to read a good book once a month,
3. take some courses that will take me in a new direction,
4. try to be more loving to my wife,
and
5. hate the burbs less.
I don't have any real resolutions this year. The one my wife would like me to have is to get my act together and grow up. I'm trying! I'm trying!
I'm trying to see about changing careers. This publishing thing is just not working for me. My company is changing the way it operates by ditching the people who were once knee deep in the process of putting a publication together and just have them oversee the projects being done now by someone else. They are phasing out jobs like there is no tomorrow.
I decided this year to take some action. I'm signing up tonite for a class at my local vocational school and learn about digital printing. It sounds pretty interesting and is the type of course that is pointing me in the direction I plan on going (I'm not saying here only that I'm interested in taking some courses in Mandarin and in Project Management).
I don't think there is anyone out there in the white collar world who hasn't noticed how things have changed in their offices. You have more skeleton crews and responsibilities are shifting. I can't keep complacent while shit like this happens here and in other companies. Its definetely a wake up call.
So as far as resolutions go:
1. try to write in the blog on a daily basis - no matter how dull it may be,
2. try to read a good book once a month,
3. take some courses that will take me in a new direction,
4. try to be more loving to my wife,
and
5. hate the burbs less.
Holiday recovery
Finally the holidays are over with! It's the most difficult time of the year for me seeing that its also the time of the year where I am the most broke. I had practically no money to buy any gifts so I had to sell my body to some old men. j/k! Somehow I managed it.
A couple of words of advice to those people out there planning on getting involved in long term relationships: make sure you tell your significant other that you don't celebrate birthdays or major holidays. You can save a bundle and you can test their love to you by seeing if they are willing to tolerate not receiving any material items from you.
Speaking of gifts, I didn't do so bad this year. Wound up with my LoTR Return of the King DVD which I watched all week of Christmas and New Years and also got my iTrip which I have running at home. Found that it works better in the house than when I'm driving.
I did ok. Lets see how I do for my birthday in the next two weeks.
A couple of words of advice to those people out there planning on getting involved in long term relationships: make sure you tell your significant other that you don't celebrate birthdays or major holidays. You can save a bundle and you can test their love to you by seeing if they are willing to tolerate not receiving any material items from you.
Speaking of gifts, I didn't do so bad this year. Wound up with my LoTR Return of the King DVD which I watched all week of Christmas and New Years and also got my iTrip which I have running at home. Found that it works better in the house than when I'm driving.
I did ok. Lets see how I do for my birthday in the next two weeks.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
