The trial of me.

I seriously felt like I was on trial at work today. I finally had my interview for the open billing manager position... but I had to meet up with six people, and the whole thing lasted three hours. THREE hours.

Everyone that I interviewed with, I knew already. They asked me some stuff about my expectations, and what I can do to make the department better (actually, now that I think about it, if they knew there has been lots of problems for awhile... why was nothing ever fixed before?) I felt like i was repeating myself to everyone, trying to use key words ("I would be a HANDS-ON manager, working together through COLLABORATION").

The worst was meeting up with the CFO. This guy was brutal... he has a way of saying things really nicely and asking you questions, and then BAM! argue against everything you just said. All with a smile, of course. I was totally rambling my answers to him, worse to him than anyone else.

But besides that, I think I performed well. I still believe that I have the inside track because of my experience there, and lots of co-workers would back me up. And if they don't hire me, they are screwed when I leave.

Anyways, at the end of my three hours, I was seriously exhausted. But at least it's over. And tomorrow, they are interviewing two other candidates, one of them being my friend from school. Weird, isn't it?

1-2-3-4.

Four jobs I’ve had:
Billing Coordinator, consulting firm
Billing Coordinator, law firm
Assistant to the Controller
Camp Counselor

Four movies I can watch over and over:
Back to the Future
Clerks
Pulp Fiction
Singles

Four places I have lived:
Watertown, MA
Somerville, MA
Brooklyn, NY, Bensonhurst
Brooklyn, NY, Kensington

Four television shows I love to watch:
24
The Sopranos
The Office
How I Met Your Mother

Four places I have been on vacation:
Aruba
London
Puerto Vallarta
All over Canada

Four of my favorite dishes:
Teriyaki chicken wings
Steak tips
Gnocchi
Penne with chicken and pesto

Four websites I visit daily:
ESPN.com
Comcast e-mail
NY Post online
Danecook.com

Four songs I love:
Black by Pearl Jam
Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses
New Years Day by U2
In Bloom by Nirvana

Bomb!!

Ok, there was no bomb. But there was a bomb threat here yesterday, at around 4 PM. Nothing ended up happening, but I did get to go home early. I did hear from my friend today that they made an announcement at around 4:30 that all was clear and the threat was no more. But by that time I was almost home. :)

What PROBABLY happened was that CTU was called out here, but they probably wouldn't have gotten here in time. Jack Bauer, who would be in town visiting, would manage to catch the bad guys and diffuse the bomb.

Obviously, right?

Office politics.

Ok, I have not really had a chance to go into all of the work bullshit that has been going on lately. So now's my chance.

So I mentioned before that my manager left the company... not coming back after her second kid. I thought this was great for me... I didn't really like working for her, and I thought they would just basically give me her job, since I was already do it while she was gone (and somewhat while she was here), and everyone seems to really love my work here. And it gives me an incentive to stay, after I was told I was topping out at my current position. I gave my boss (the VP of Finance) my resume, and I waited.

But I have not heard anything since... well, make that anyone from this company. It's been a couple of weeks now, and I notice one of the HR women going into my boss' office, but no one has told me anything. Why are they waiting so long to start this process? To save some extra bucks in paying a manager, because we are doing just fine now?

But I did hear something... from my friend L. Apparently, her boss and my boss are friends (and we work in the same building) and her boss told mine about this job opening she her boss recommended L. When her boss told her, she said that she knows me and didn't want to apply for the job if I was still going for it. I thought that was cool of her... but I did think it was weird that this was happening in the first place. They are spending all of this time and money doing this candidate search, but the best candidate is right here.

I also did a little job search of my own on Craigslist, Monster and Hot Jobs, and guess what? I saw this job posted on those websites, by three different agencies.

So now I have to really start working on this stuff. I am going to start looking more at billing manager positions, because I am really qualified for those types of jobs, and I need to concentrate on making good money now, especially with a baby on the way. So either it will be here, or it will be somewhere else. Doesn't matter to me much, but if I find a better paying, better situation job somewhere else, I am all for it.

Don't use heroin.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/lgarrettmug1.html

(Please note: I am having trouble uploading images to this thing right now... I will do my best to post the awesome mugshot picture).

Leif Garrett was arrested for drug possession. Again.

Some people know Leif as a former teen star from the 1970s, and had a hit song "I Was Made For Dancing." Others probably don't remember that, but they do remember his amazing VH1 "Behind the Music," which I thought was the best one that they did. He went from being a superstar that was being held down and not able to do the music he really wanted to do, to dabbling in drugs and alcohol at a young age, and getting in a car accident, leaving his friend Roland paralyzed. The episode then documents Leif and Roland's emotional reunion. Now that was good TV.

Although it was pretty funny to find out that Roland became a porn producer and probably met his wife thanks to his porn connections.

Anyways, Leif has been trying to kick his drug habit for many years. In this "Behind the Music," his friends and family held an intervention for him which he did not like, but ultimately said that he "kicked heroin cold turkey with meds" (after his then gf Nicolette Sheridan drove him to rehab).

He seemed to be getting his life back together somewhat. He was in a couple of bands, and Melissa and I actually went to see his band F8 perform at TT the Bear's in Central Square, just because we thought it would be funny. And it was... we saw Leif before the show hitting on some girls in this bar/restaurant nearby, and he totally looked trashed.

And now, this. The mugshot is classic. Kids, this is what you'll look like on heroin. Don't do it.

A hobbit is running CTU! Flank 2! Flank 2!

Last night's "24" was great. Even though the terrorists at the airport found out that Jack was there (thanks to that scumbag chief of security Cummings) he still managed to save the day. Only the hobbit (Lynn McGill, played by Sean Astin) figured out that "flank 2" was a distress signal that an agent was making a call under duress.

And I still think that Logan sucks big time. Every time he smiles, or smirks, or makes a face with his teeth, I want to puke.

What now sucks is that next week and every week until the finale, there will be only one episode on Monday nights. I was enjoying getting two hours! The episodes seem to fly by really quickly.

What also sucks is that even though I only have classes on Mondays, I have to make up yesterday's holiday and go to one class tonight. Blah. And then next week, I have two papers due already! I don't think these professors are following the proper protocol! Maybe we should figure out some schematics, interrogate them and try to gain some leverage...

Ok, I am too obsessed with "24." Help me.

Jack's back!

Last night was the season premiere of season 5 of "24," starting off with two episodes (another two episodes are on tonight). It was great. Since I know that anyone who reads this probably doesn't care that much or they saw it last night (knowing that Red watched it at her parents house and called right before it started to mess with me) I will reveal what happened. Ex-President Palmer gets assassinated! Michelle dies and Tony gets badly burned in an explosion! And Jack, being Jack, manages to get into the building where Palmer got killed and does not get noticed by any FBI agents and gets some info that he needs, and then manages to escape anyway after the FBI are finally on to him.

This season is going to be great. The guy who plays President Logan does a great job at being a pussy... whenever I watch him, I always get pissed off at him and think about how much better Palmer was. And Jack is the best... you know whenever he grabs his big messenger bag full of toys, you know something badass is about to happen.

I am psyched that there's another two hours to watch tonight! But it sucks being at work today, although it should be a quiet day. And no class tonight!

I never do these, but I have nothing else to write about.

I got this courtesy of Red's blog...

1. What time did you get up this morning?
7 AM. And as usual, I wish I could go right back to sleep.

2. Diamonds or pearls?
I'm a guy. Do I care?

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Brokeback Mountain. It was really good! And I am not even gay!

4. What is your favorite TV show?
24... it's back this Sunday and Monday! Jack is back and more pissed off than ever.

5. What did you have for breakfast?
Chocolate chip granola bar and some 100 calorie cookie wafer things.

6. What is your middle name?
I was deprived... I don't have one. :(

7. What is your favorite food?
Depends on the mood. Chinese food, buffalo wings/tenders, soup.

8. What foods do you dislike?
Anything with mushrooms. And pig intestines. And eel.

9. Your favorite Potato chip?
Lays original.

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
The Strokes "First Impressions of Earth"

11. What kind of car do you drive?
Honda Accord

(Did 12 and 13 just magically disappear?)

14. Favorite drink?
Coke

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be?
Australia. Back to Italy. Ireland.

16.What color is your bathroom?
Nasty tile colors from the 70s.

17. Favorite brand of clothing?
The Gap, maybe?

18. Where would you retire?
On the couch, watching tv.

19. Favorite time of day?
When I get home from work.

21. Favorite sport to watch?
Baseball

22. Who do you least expect to send this back?
I didn't sent this to anyone.

23. Person you expect to send it back first?
See above.

24. What laundry detergent do you use?
All Fresh Rain

25. Coke or Pepsi?
Coke

26. Are you a morning person or night owl?
Neither, but I am probably more of a night person.

27. What size shoe do you wear?
9

28. Do you have pets?
Used to have the cutest hamster, till she died. :(

29. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with your friends?
Melissa is pregnant? Everyone knows that already.

30. What (who) did you want to be when you were little?
Don Mattingly: first baseman for the Yankees.

31. Favorite Candy Bar?
Milky Way caramels.

33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life?
Billing coordinator, billing coordinator, summer camp counselor

34. Favorite season?
Spring

35. Nicknames you've had?
Ice Delin

36. Piercings:
None

37. Eye color:
Brown

38. Ever been to Africa?
No

39. Ever been toilet papering?
No

40. Love someone so much it made you cry?
Sure.

41. Been in a car accident?
Not really... if you don't count that weird cab driver driving us back to the Shawmut Inn...

42. What's a question no one has ever asked you?
How would I know... it hasn't been asked yet!

43. Favorite day of the week?
Saturday

44. Favorite restaurant?
Master Grill!! But I never get to go there much so... John Brewer's.

45. Favorite flower?
Um...

46. Favorite ice cream?
Ben & Jerry's Half Baked

47. Disney or Warner Brothers?
Disney?

48. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Um... if I had to pick one... the BK Lounge.

49. What color is your bedroom carpet?
Um, some nasty color?

50. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
None, surprisingly!

51. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail?
Some consultant guy in our LA office.

52. Which store would you choose to Max out your Credit Card?
Best Buy

53. What do you do most often when you are bored?
Computer, PSP, TV

54. Bedtime:
Around 11 PM

56. Last person you went to dinner with?
Melissa and Red... got a yummy huge soup at the NE Soup Factory! Mmm I love soup.

57. Ford or Chevy?
Ford?

58. What are you listening to right now?
FNX radio

59. What is your favorite color?
Blue

60. Lake, Ocean or River?
Ocean

61. How many tattoos do you have?
None

62. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Who cares?

63. How many people are you sending this email to?
Eleventeen million

64. Favorite Cocktail?
Kamikaze!

65. Red or White wine?
White

66. Where would you go for a girls or boys weekend get-a-way?
NYC to a Yankee game and then into the city to get some ribs at BBQs

67. What do you want to be?
Done with school already!

68. Republican or Democrat?
Independent, but more Democrat.

69. Favorite Family Vacation?
Wally World!

Worst date ever.

Well, class sucked last night. I won't get into that... not really worth it.

I've been asked to write about my worst date. Now it's not like I've gone on a million dates in my life, and I had to think back and think hard of a bad one. But I remember something... some of the details might be a little fuzzy, but it was bad. And kinda funny.

I don't remember the exact year... all I remember is that I was in college, early 20s, and I had just discovered the internet. I was stupid back then... it was always so hard to talk to girls or whatever, and the internet was an easy way to talk to whoever. I remember when I showed Ralph that stuff he was so addicted. During the break in between school and summer camp, Ralph would come to me to the college computer lab and chat all day. Anyways...

So one day I was chatting with some girl from Staten Island. I don't even remember her real name... all I remember is that her online name was "Nemchinov," which was the name of a hockey player on the Rangers. The first day I chatted with her, we decided to meet up that evening, in Staten Island. I was cool with it because what did I have to lose? Not much, except my time. I called my friend Herb beforehand to tell him what I was doing, and he said to call him if it was going good or bad.

So I got on the SI Ferry and went to meet up with "Nemchinov." When I got there, I recognized her, and immediately I felt like walking back the other way and back on the ferry to Manhattan. As Dane Cook might say, this girl was "shapes" and she was wearing these white Mickey Mouse sneakers. But I was a trooper, and I went up to her and off we went. I got her in car, which was a total mess and smelled like old nasty McDonald's. I felt uncomfortable the whole time, and she didn't really have anything good or cool to say, but I continued to act nice towards her. We went to some billiards hall to play pool, and while we were there, I gave Herb a call to say hey and to hint to him that he needed to come and save me. So Herb came by, we all hung out for a little bit, and then I said my goodbyes to this girl and Herb and I left. Herb just kept laughing the whole time, and I was just thankful to get away.

I never spoke to her again.

News...

Well, after I got a threat in the comments section of my last entry, I guess it's time to reveal the big news that will change my life this year.

No, it's not Johnny Damon going to the Yankees.

No, it's not wondering how high of a draft pick the Jets will get, and who they will waste the pick on.

And although I will getting my MBA this year and either a new job or a promotion, that's not the biggest news.

The big news? Melissa is pregnant!

Yup. She's due in July, and I am psyched. We went to the doc last week and heard the heartbeat for the first time, and we'll find out the gender in about a month. It's still all hard to believe... like who is ever ready to be a parent? But once it happens, everything just works out... and I know Melissa and I will be kick ass parents.

So there, the secret is out, although most friends know about this already.

So... happy 2006. It's gonna be a good year!