Life has been pretty stressful lately, so I welcomed a retreat back east, even if it was only 48 hours. I woke up at 4:45 am and headed to O'Hare. The flight to Hartford was supposed to have thirty open seats, so I wasn't worried. Well, the flight filled up. Apparently bad weather back east had canceled the final flight from the night prior. Amazingly, mom and I got the last two spots. Two people were connecting from Minnesota and their plane arrived late, so that opened the seats for us. I was out cold for more than half the flight. Apparently, I needed the sleep. We landed in Hartford, which looked gray, damp, and disgusting. Pretty standard for that part of the country.
We rented a dark red Ford focus from Budget. It was pretty good; it had a USB port and a 30 preset radio stations. Of course, these stations had the weakest signals ever. They'd last 20 minutes at the most before static took it over. The drive to Providence took around 1:45. We hadn't eaten in six hours, so lunch was stop number one. Olneyville NY system is known for their hot wieners with onion, mustard, celery salt, and wiener sauce (beef based chili). We each had one with fries and they were pretty good. Not the best, the celery salt was pretty strong, but they were a good holdover.
Of course, mom had to get her lobster roll fix. We drove to Federal Hill, the Italian section of Providence. Very old school with guys playing cards, everyone knows everyone, and tons of restaurants. We stopped in this small Italian market that had huge cold cuts, dinner platters, and just about any Italian food you could want. You could even get a container of cannoli shells. Awesome place, I would have had a grinder if we didn't have other plans. Providence Oyster House has the best clam chowder I've ever had. Tons of clams, a rich broth, not too salty. I had shrimp and chorizo tacos with avocado, lettuce, and Chipotle sauce. Plus more fresh cut fries. Amazing lunch.
From there, we drove around the city. We saw Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence College, and Thayer Street. We also saw the First Baptist Church in America, founded by Roger Williams in the 1630s. We would have gone in, but they were refurbishing the floors. We finally headed towards the Omni hotel in the middle of downtown. Unfortunately, there were so many quick turns that we wound up turning back onto the highway. Took another twenty minutes to get back. The hotel is attached to convention center, the Dunkin Donuts Center, and the new mall. Pretty prefect location. We chilled for an hour or two before getting ready to head out. We checked out the mall first, which had eight levels. Since there's no room to build out in most downtown New England cities, it had to be built vertically. It has an IMAX, movie theater, department stores and some nice restaurants. Mom checked out a couple stores, but nothing worth purchasing.
From there, we walked fifteen mins to Federal Hill. Dinner was at Andino's, which had been around 80 years. It looked simple traditional food, but done right. The service was great, first of all. Our server, Erica, knew the menu up and down and was willing to answer any questions we had. We started with hot antipasto: four stuffed clams, stuffed mushrooms and roasted peppers. Outstanding. Mom had what she described as the best chicken saltimbocca she ever had. That's saying a lot. As for me I went with stuffed chicken and eggplant parmesan with linguine. Two chicken breasts and two pieces of eggplant layered like lasagna. Not to mention homemade mozzarella. And the portion size. The food nearly came over my dinner plate. It was cooked perfectly, the sauce was dynamite, the chicken was crispy and juicy. And it was only 18 bucks. I would go back there just for that dish. I had zero room for dessert, but it was well worth it.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Sunday, June 01, 2014
A beautiful victory
After 14 years of waiting and hoping and frustration and heartbreak, I have a team back in the finals. It has been four days now since the New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden. They played a perfect defensive game. Dominic Moore scored late in the second period and Henrik Lundqvist stoned Montreal the rest of the way. The Rangers are back in the finals for the first time in 20 years.
The primary emotions I've been feeling are jubilation with a little bit of disbelief. I believed the Rangers would win this series even before Carey Price went out of the series with an injury. But the thought of this Rangers team just four wins away from winning the greatest trophy in all of sports...it's still amazing to me. I will go on record as saying that if the rangers win it all, I will travel to New York for the parade.
Now tonight, there is a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals. The Los Angeles Kings, who led this series 3-1, travel to Chicago to face the Blackhawks. The winner faces the Rangers. Aside from one year and college, I have lived in Chicagoland since 1997. Never in my craziest dreams did I imagine a Rangers vs Blackhawks final. By tonight, I and the world will know if it will be reality. My belief is it will happen and I'm completely dreading it. I'd still like to have a few friends after it's over and not be made fun of all the time. Because I know it would happen for years. I would be a gracious winner, but losing that final to Chicago would be horrific.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Barry Gibb set list
Jive Talking
You Should Be Dancing
Lonely Days
Our Love (Don't Throw It All Away)
To Love Somebody
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
Staying Alive
How Deep Is Your Love
Ain't Got Time (Stephen Gibb)
I've Got to Get a Message to You
Morning of My Life
New York Mining Disaster
Run to Me
I'm on Fire
Spirits Having Flown
The Steps of My Shadow
I Started a Joke
Spicks and Specks
One
Islands in the Stream
Guilty
A Woman In Love
Nights on Broadway
Night Fever/More Than a Woman
Grease
Immortality
Encore: Words
Tragedy
Saturday, May 24, 2014
What a difference three hours makes
Heading into Thursday's Game 3, the New York Rangers were in an ideal position. They had won the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road and were coming home for Games 3 and 4. And Montreal's best player was taken out of the series in Game 1. Realsitically, I never expected the Rangers to sweep the series, but up 2-0, it would be bad to let Montreeal back in the series. The Rangers won their last two series in seven games, they had to win this series in less than that, especially as Chicago and L.A. beat each other up in the Western Conference.
Since I was having dinner with a friend, I had to watch Game 3 from Madison Square Garden on delay. Three minutes in, current Canadien, ex-Ranger, and former fan fave Brandon Prust elbows Derek Stepan in the head, shattering his jaw. Amazingly, Stepan returned to the game late in the first period. But now he's undergone surgery to repair the jaw and nobody knows when he'll be back. Oh, and depth forward Daniel Carcillo gets thrown out of the game for touching a official. He didn't use any force, but he's been suspended for ten games. The Rangers are already missing Derick Brassard, who has been one of their best offensive forwards throughout the playoffs.
The game itself was entertaining. When I saw Daniel Briere score for Montreal to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead with five minutes left, I should have been nervous. But I wasn't. And why? Because two hours earlier, my friend Jen, who is a huge Blackhawks fan sent me a text. It simply said "OMG!!!!!" So I knew the Rangers had done something huge. Sure enough, Chris Kreider ties the game with 30 seconds left. Somehow, that felt a little anti-climactic.
I set the DVR to record for five hours just in case the game went to overtime. I shouldn't have bothered. Alex Galchenyuk scored on a fluke deflection just 1:12 in and Montreal was right back in the series. the Rangers now lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 on Sunday night. Considering the injuries to Brassard and Stepan, I wish they had three days off between games.
The good news is Brandon Prust was suspended. He got two games, he probably should have had 3-4 games. I think he would have received that if Stepan had been unable to play again. If the Rangers actually handle their business, they won't have to see Prust again in this series. If they lose Game 4, all the advantage they had is history. I don't expect the Rangers to win three straight games in Montreal. If they are going to win this series in six games or less, they really need to snatch control back, win Sunday, and take a 3-1 series lead.
This is the best opportunity the Rangers have had to reach the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994. I know they had home ice against New Jersey two years ago, but they are a more offensively-capable team now and they're not facing Martin Brodeur in goal, they're facing Montreal's 3rd string goalie. The opportunity is ripe for the Rangers. It is hard to imagine a scenario that will be this Taylor-made for them. Montreal plays a speed game, but the Rangers are quicker. The Rangers have dominated special teams play and they have outhit Montreal too. Now they have to take control back.
Since I was having dinner with a friend, I had to watch Game 3 from Madison Square Garden on delay. Three minutes in, current Canadien, ex-Ranger, and former fan fave Brandon Prust elbows Derek Stepan in the head, shattering his jaw. Amazingly, Stepan returned to the game late in the first period. But now he's undergone surgery to repair the jaw and nobody knows when he'll be back. Oh, and depth forward Daniel Carcillo gets thrown out of the game for touching a official. He didn't use any force, but he's been suspended for ten games. The Rangers are already missing Derick Brassard, who has been one of their best offensive forwards throughout the playoffs.
The game itself was entertaining. When I saw Daniel Briere score for Montreal to give the Canadiens a 2-1 lead with five minutes left, I should have been nervous. But I wasn't. And why? Because two hours earlier, my friend Jen, who is a huge Blackhawks fan sent me a text. It simply said "OMG!!!!!" So I knew the Rangers had done something huge. Sure enough, Chris Kreider ties the game with 30 seconds left. Somehow, that felt a little anti-climactic.
I set the DVR to record for five hours just in case the game went to overtime. I shouldn't have bothered. Alex Galchenyuk scored on a fluke deflection just 1:12 in and Montreal was right back in the series. the Rangers now lead the series 2-1 with Game 4 on Sunday night. Considering the injuries to Brassard and Stepan, I wish they had three days off between games.
The good news is Brandon Prust was suspended. He got two games, he probably should have had 3-4 games. I think he would have received that if Stepan had been unable to play again. If the Rangers actually handle their business, they won't have to see Prust again in this series. If they lose Game 4, all the advantage they had is history. I don't expect the Rangers to win three straight games in Montreal. If they are going to win this series in six games or less, they really need to snatch control back, win Sunday, and take a 3-1 series lead.
This is the best opportunity the Rangers have had to reach the Stanley Cup Finals since 1994. I know they had home ice against New Jersey two years ago, but they are a more offensively-capable team now and they're not facing Martin Brodeur in goal, they're facing Montreal's 3rd string goalie. The opportunity is ripe for the Rangers. It is hard to imagine a scenario that will be this Taylor-made for them. Montreal plays a speed game, but the Rangers are quicker. The Rangers have dominated special teams play and they have outhit Montreal too. Now they have to take control back.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
And...breathe...
It's strange how I thought I was so busy while I was working full-time and going to grad school. I knew what I had to do. Now I have a lot of little things to do every day and now I'm not sure if I am getting everything done that I want to every day. In the last week alone, I've had a birthday party for one of my best friends, a day-long hike, Rangers playoff hockey, more issues with the unemployment office, a computer crash twice, job applications, grad school work, starting DDP Yoga, career networking events, and a career fair. So every time that something gets done, I feel like another huge task is right around the corner. Hopefully, we can soon add legitimate job interviews to that list.
I have had some good news in the last 24 hours though. My first unemployment check finally came after a month of deliberating with the IDES. The less said about a certain rep at that office, the better. I had to file an appeal, but it worked. Also, I have my computer back after over three days away.
The HR field is getting frustrating for me already. It's amazing how to even be an HR assistant or generalist, candidates need 2-3 years experience. I'm not asking to be a manager or make a lot of money. But even the best HR person in the world had to start somewhere. It feels like an exclusive fraternity that I can't break into. I don't even know if I'll get a fair shot once I complete my Master's.
I did go to that career fair in Oakbrook Terrace, as I alluded to earlier. It certainly wasn't ripe with opportunities; only eight companies showed up. Ironically, I applied to one of them (a certain college that I won't reveal yet) three weeks ago and have been waiting for an interview since then. One of the reps had called me, promising the hiring manager would get a hold of me. Of course, they never have. So at least I have a second contact at that school now. I think something may come of it, we'll just have to see.
Let's talk about something better. The New York Rangers are on an absolute roll. They have won five straight playoff games and are up 2-0 on Montreal in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 3 is tonight in Madison Square Garden. Once Montreal's best player, goalie Carey Price went out, my expectations changed. I felt the Rangers were the better team all along, but after this injury, I want to see the Rangers win in four straight. I wouldn't be upset if they won in five, but it might be too much to ask for them to win three straight games in Montreal. I feel the Rangers will win this series in either four or six games. And I'm rooting for the L.A. Kings in the West. Because I really have no idea how I would handle the Rangers and Blackhawks squaring off in the Stanley Cup Finals.
I'll have to DVR Game 3 though. Tonight, I have a pseudo-date. Eh, it really isn't a date, since I think she has a boyfriend. But that's cool, we get along well regardless
I have had some good news in the last 24 hours though. My first unemployment check finally came after a month of deliberating with the IDES. The less said about a certain rep at that office, the better. I had to file an appeal, but it worked. Also, I have my computer back after over three days away.
The HR field is getting frustrating for me already. It's amazing how to even be an HR assistant or generalist, candidates need 2-3 years experience. I'm not asking to be a manager or make a lot of money. But even the best HR person in the world had to start somewhere. It feels like an exclusive fraternity that I can't break into. I don't even know if I'll get a fair shot once I complete my Master's.
I did go to that career fair in Oakbrook Terrace, as I alluded to earlier. It certainly wasn't ripe with opportunities; only eight companies showed up. Ironically, I applied to one of them (a certain college that I won't reveal yet) three weeks ago and have been waiting for an interview since then. One of the reps had called me, promising the hiring manager would get a hold of me. Of course, they never have. So at least I have a second contact at that school now. I think something may come of it, we'll just have to see.
Let's talk about something better. The New York Rangers are on an absolute roll. They have won five straight playoff games and are up 2-0 on Montreal in the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 3 is tonight in Madison Square Garden. Once Montreal's best player, goalie Carey Price went out, my expectations changed. I felt the Rangers were the better team all along, but after this injury, I want to see the Rangers win in four straight. I wouldn't be upset if they won in five, but it might be too much to ask for them to win three straight games in Montreal. I feel the Rangers will win this series in either four or six games. And I'm rooting for the L.A. Kings in the West. Because I really have no idea how I would handle the Rangers and Blackhawks squaring off in the Stanley Cup Finals.
I'll have to DVR Game 3 though. Tonight, I have a pseudo-date. Eh, it really isn't a date, since I think she has a boyfriend. But that's cool, we get along well regardless
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Holy crap!
I did not expect to be writing at 10:30 pm tonight. But oh my gosh, I can't believe how happy I am. The New York Rangers have defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals and are in the NHL Final 4. They will play either Boston or Montreal in the conference finals. I can't believe it!
All season long, two teams stood out in the Eastern Conference, Boston and Pittsburgh. The Rangers needed seven games to eliminate a formidable Philadelphia squad. Going agasint Pittsurgh, I knew it would be a challenge. But Pittsburgh needed six tight games to dispose of the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets. Plus, the Penguins had a lost a lot of Game 7's in their building. They seemed mentally fragile and ready to lose.
Then Pittsburgh won three of the series' first four games. I was convinced the Rangers were done. Their best defenseman, Ryan McDonagh, looked slow and injured. Rick Nash, their star forward, hadn't scored a goal in the first 11 playoff games. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvit had been good, but not great. Not the level we as Rangers fan expect. Even worse, the MSG crowd in Game 4 was disinterested, defeated, and quiet. They were all but finished.
Then Martin St. Louis' mom passed away unexpectedly. It happened just a couple of days before Mother's Day. St. Louis had only been a Ranger for six weeks, having come over from Tampa Bay in the controversial trade for captain Ryan Callahan. But St. Louis' new teammates rallied around him. They won Game 5 in Pittsburgh decisively, by a 5-1 final. Derick Barassard scored twice and Mats Zuccarello had three assists. And then Game 6 was on Mother's Day in the Garden. When St. Louis scored three minutes in, it just felt meant to be. The Rangers held on to win that one 3-1, forcing a decisive Game 7 in Pittsburgh tonight.
I felt pretty good going into tonight. I knew I'd have the butterflies in my stomach. But the Penguins have a had a knack for losing Game 7's at home. They have a classic glass jaw. As much as talent as they have, they also tend to fold when the going gets difficult. They outplayed the Rangers for the first half of the game, in my opinion. They hit the Rangers hard, they had twice as many shots on goals, they won twice as many faceoffs. But Brian Boyle, who many Rangers fans have never opened up to, scored five minutes into the game off a great pass from Dominic Moore. When they scored that pivotal first goal, I felt really good. Each time in this series, the team that has scored the first goal has won. Throughtout the rest of the first period, the Penguins were pouring a ton of pressure on and Henrik Lundqvist had to make some spectacular saves. Then Jussi Jokinen scored four minutes into the second period to tie the score. Just two minutes later though, Matt Niskanen tripped Brassard, putting the Blueshirts on the power play. Ah yes, the power play, which went 0-for-36 at one stretch during the playoffs. But St. Louis dropped a backhand pass from the left sid eof the goal line into the slot where Brad Richards slammed it past Marc-Andre Fleury. The Rangers had a 2-1 lead.
What else can I say about the third period. Lundqvist sometimes goes into these stretches where he stands on his head and you just know he is not going to be beaten. I felt he was in that kind of stretch during the whole third period. Even facing a team with elite players like Kris Letang, James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Evgeny Malkin, and the almighty Sidney Crosby, I knew Henrik was going to come through. And he did just that. He faced 36 Pittsburgh shots, and stopped 35. He made an amazing stop on Neal who was all alone in front with 5:26 left. Right after that, he stopped Paul Martin's backhand attempt. He was on his way to becoming the first goalie in NHL history to win five consecutive Game 7's. The time continued to tick down. When the buzzer hit 00.0, I jumped in the air and screamed for at least a minute! "YES!" "WE'RE GOING TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS!"
Rick Nash and Derek Stepan did not score a goal in this series. The Rangers scored 17 goals in 7 games, not an impressive number. Yet, they eliminated a team that scored the second-most goals in the conference during the regular season. They eliminated the team that they had never beaten in a playoff series in four previous attempts. Now they get to watch Boston and Montreal play Game 7 on Wednesday night. Hopefully, that game will go about five overtimes.
I don't know what's going to happen going forward. But if the Rangers and Blackhawks play each other in the Stanley Cup Finals, I may have to move away. But for tonight, I'm going to enjoy this win. Let's Go Rangers!!!
All season long, two teams stood out in the Eastern Conference, Boston and Pittsburgh. The Rangers needed seven games to eliminate a formidable Philadelphia squad. Going agasint Pittsurgh, I knew it would be a challenge. But Pittsburgh needed six tight games to dispose of the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets. Plus, the Penguins had a lost a lot of Game 7's in their building. They seemed mentally fragile and ready to lose.
Then Pittsburgh won three of the series' first four games. I was convinced the Rangers were done. Their best defenseman, Ryan McDonagh, looked slow and injured. Rick Nash, their star forward, hadn't scored a goal in the first 11 playoff games. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvit had been good, but not great. Not the level we as Rangers fan expect. Even worse, the MSG crowd in Game 4 was disinterested, defeated, and quiet. They were all but finished.
Then Martin St. Louis' mom passed away unexpectedly. It happened just a couple of days before Mother's Day. St. Louis had only been a Ranger for six weeks, having come over from Tampa Bay in the controversial trade for captain Ryan Callahan. But St. Louis' new teammates rallied around him. They won Game 5 in Pittsburgh decisively, by a 5-1 final. Derick Barassard scored twice and Mats Zuccarello had three assists. And then Game 6 was on Mother's Day in the Garden. When St. Louis scored three minutes in, it just felt meant to be. The Rangers held on to win that one 3-1, forcing a decisive Game 7 in Pittsburgh tonight.
I felt pretty good going into tonight. I knew I'd have the butterflies in my stomach. But the Penguins have a had a knack for losing Game 7's at home. They have a classic glass jaw. As much as talent as they have, they also tend to fold when the going gets difficult. They outplayed the Rangers for the first half of the game, in my opinion. They hit the Rangers hard, they had twice as many shots on goals, they won twice as many faceoffs. But Brian Boyle, who many Rangers fans have never opened up to, scored five minutes into the game off a great pass from Dominic Moore. When they scored that pivotal first goal, I felt really good. Each time in this series, the team that has scored the first goal has won. Throughtout the rest of the first period, the Penguins were pouring a ton of pressure on and Henrik Lundqvist had to make some spectacular saves. Then Jussi Jokinen scored four minutes into the second period to tie the score. Just two minutes later though, Matt Niskanen tripped Brassard, putting the Blueshirts on the power play. Ah yes, the power play, which went 0-for-36 at one stretch during the playoffs. But St. Louis dropped a backhand pass from the left sid eof the goal line into the slot where Brad Richards slammed it past Marc-Andre Fleury. The Rangers had a 2-1 lead.
What else can I say about the third period. Lundqvist sometimes goes into these stretches where he stands on his head and you just know he is not going to be beaten. I felt he was in that kind of stretch during the whole third period. Even facing a team with elite players like Kris Letang, James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Evgeny Malkin, and the almighty Sidney Crosby, I knew Henrik was going to come through. And he did just that. He faced 36 Pittsburgh shots, and stopped 35. He made an amazing stop on Neal who was all alone in front with 5:26 left. Right after that, he stopped Paul Martin's backhand attempt. He was on his way to becoming the first goalie in NHL history to win five consecutive Game 7's. The time continued to tick down. When the buzzer hit 00.0, I jumped in the air and screamed for at least a minute! "YES!" "WE'RE GOING TO THE CONFERENCE FINALS!"
Rick Nash and Derek Stepan did not score a goal in this series. The Rangers scored 17 goals in 7 games, not an impressive number. Yet, they eliminated a team that scored the second-most goals in the conference during the regular season. They eliminated the team that they had never beaten in a playoff series in four previous attempts. Now they get to watch Boston and Montreal play Game 7 on Wednesday night. Hopefully, that game will go about five overtimes.
I don't know what's going to happen going forward. But if the Rangers and Blackhawks play each other in the Stanley Cup Finals, I may have to move away. But for tonight, I'm going to enjoy this win. Let's Go Rangers!!!
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
Denver recap, part 2
Going into this trip, I was interested in the makeup of downtown
Denver. There are a mix of old and new buildings. There is some old school
stone architecture and then there are modern skyscrapers a block away. Many
buildings are vacant, yet as I saw the surrounding suburbs, it feels like
Denver is growing quickly. As far as the people, many are thin, but there is a
lot of ink on them. It's their choice, but getting a lot of tattoos is just not
something I'm going to do. Fifty years from now, it's not gonna look so good.
And I also find Colorado to be fiercely political. Between immigration and pot
issues, people need to be prepared to defend their position on the hot topics.
Back to Day 3, which was Monday, not to
mention Cinco de Mayo. We decided to spend the day in Colorado Springs, which
is a little over an hour drive south from Denver. I bought everyone breakfast
at Bruegger's (I went with egg whites, cheddar and sausage on a poppy seed
bagel and an OJ) and we headed south on 25. The traffic was difficult getting
out of Denver, but once we hit the burbs, it was smooth sailing. For the third
straight day, we had amazing weather. 80 degrees and sunny. Couldn't ask for
much better. Mom decided to arrange for us to take a
cog railroad to the top of Pikes Peak. It was 9 when we arrived and we couldn't
get in till 1:20, so we had some time to kill.
First, we went to Garden of the Gods, one
of the most popular parks in America. It's great for hiking, rock climbing,
bicycling, strolling, etc. And it's free, which always helps. They also have a
great trading post and gift shop. I wound up buying a Pike's Peak long sleeve
t-shirt. It's black with a little orange and white. It just looks very fresh
and very athletic.
Lunch was approaching, so we drove five
minutes to downtown Colorado Springs. We even passed by Air Force Academy on
the way. We parked downtown and as soon as I got out, I saw a statue of Humpty
Dumpty sitting on the ledge of a municipal building. I'm sure no matter how his
summers go, he always has a great fall...Colorado Springs is also the home of
the United States Olympic committee headquarters. Their building is right
across the street from the place I had in mind to eat at. Since it was Cinco de
Mayo, I wanted some Mexican food. Sonterra advertised themselves as having
innovative Southwestern cuisine. And they made guacamole tableside. That
sounded perfect to me. Only one issue, my father is 64 years old and has never
eaten an avocado or a guacamole in his life. But he promised me he'd try out.
We walked inside to a classy Mexican-themed atmosphere. We ordered the
guacamole and our server, Brent, mixed 1.5 avocadoes with onion, cilantro,
lime, and pico. All three of us loved it. I don't think Dad wanted to admit how
much he liked it, but I could tell he was genuinely surprised by the look on
his face. Needing a break from red meat, I got pollo asada, chicken topped with
chimichurri and Mexican cotija cheese. It also had cilantro-lime rice, grilled
onions, and a tortilla for doing. Just an excellent dish and I would be happy
to order it again. Dad got an order of St Louis ribs topped with a pineapple
salsa and tobacco fried onions. He really enjoyed them too. Safe to say, I
opened my Dad up to liking Mexican food, if only a little bit.
We headed ten minutes west, back into
Manitou Springs to board the train at 1. We climbed from around 6,000 feet to
14,100 feet in under 90 minutes. The entire trip covered 8.9 miles of land and
we climbed at 24 percent upgrade at some points. That is a brutally steep
climb. We had great views of waterfalls, mountains, ponds, grassy hills, and
even the states of Kansas and New Mexico. For animals, we saw some sheep and groundhogs.
I had been told it would be much colder at the top. Indeed it was; the wind
chill was around 6. Now coming from Chicago, that's like springtime. I put on
my new shirt and a gray thermal shirt as well and I was fine. We spent about a
half hour at the summit before boarding the train for the ride back down. I
actually slept most of the way back. As I woke up, I realized my ears had that
popping feeling. I was pretty tired, as we all were.
It was 4:30, so we headed back north to
Denver. We stopped in Castle Rock, a nice developing suburb and had dinner at Siena,
an Italian restaurant. We sat outside, right near a fountain. A couple of
times, the wind blew the fountain water on my father. I must admit, I found it pretty
funny. Siena has excellent Italian bread, soft on the inside and crunchy on the
outside. Dad got his typical order of linguini and white clam sauce with no
butter and no cheese. I got chicken parmesan and wasn't too impressed. The
marinara sauce was orange, probably from all the parmesan in it. The
presentation was beautiful with the spaghetti under the chicken and a layer of
cheese covering the chicken. As for Mom, well, she got the fish special. It was
a Hawaiian butterfish and she said it was one of the best dishes she ever had. Coming
from her, that is some seriously high praise. I also had my only dessert of the
trip, a slice of key lime cheesecake with a tropical fruit compote and crispy
macadamia nut brittle. I liked it, especially with the crispness of the
brittle. We were all pretty happy until we got the bill and saw it exceeded
$100. That fish dish cost $36 and we weren't told that in advance. It was even
more expensive than the New York strip steak.
I admit during dinner, I checked in on the
Rangers second playoff game in as many nights. What a joke. The Rangers couldn't
score for the second straight game against Pittsburgh and fall behind in the
series 2-1. And if that wasn’t bad enough, we had the Mets. Ahhhhh yes. The
Mets blew a 3-0 lead in the eighth inning and fell to Miami 4-3. We got back to
the room and knowing how early we were getting up, I didn't think any of us
wanted to do anything. Both my parents were asleep by 8:30. I wasn’t at all
ready to sleep, so I watched the last hour of Raw. The Shield vs. the Wyatt
Family is always entertaining. I turned in around 10:30. I struggled to sleep,
I felt dirty and I just could not relax. Maybe it was because I feel the need
to start applying for jobs. Maybe it was just fatigue. Maybe it was the
altitude. But I didn't even brush my teeth because I didn't want to wake anyone
up.
I woke up at 4 and we were all ready to
check out within an hour. Sidenote: A little organization helps reduce
lateness. Anyway, we drove a half hour east on 70 to drop dad off at the
airport, only to turn around and drive an hour west to Golden, home of the
Coors brewery. Well we didn't go there, but that's ok. Mom’s just not a beer
drinker. At six am, we didn't have many breakfast options. It was just Einstein
bagels. This time, I had eggs, cheddar, and turkey sausage on a pretzel bagel.
Excellent. With access to free wifi, I finally checked my email after four days
away from it. And I still didn't miss much!
We went south to the town of Morrison, home of the legendary Red
Rocks Amphitheatre. It is so picturesque between the colors and the sightlines.
I would really like to go see a concert there one day, but I’d also like to
attend one of their Easter sunrise services. We also visited the grave of Buffalo
Bill Cody. We wanted to see the buffalo overlook so I could take some
pictures of live buffalo, but we never could find it.
Without anything else going on, we thought we’d head back to the Denver
airport early and try to catch the earlier plane home. It still amazes me how
far from civilization this airport is. They need to finish building that train
from the airport to downtown. Anyway, there were no good food options in the
main terminal, so we headed towards security, planning to get food at Concourse
A. Well, that took a little longer than we expected. Mom always is able to
access through security through the employee entrance. She couldn’t find it
this time. It was listed on a sign in tiny print, so tiny that we both missed
it. So we got on line and even though there weren’t too many people on line, I
noticed they were moving through very slowly. They basically had just two
people handling the body scanners and pat downs. I have been through that
scanning machine at least 50 times in my life now. I have never had to be
inside it for more than five seconds. This time, I had to stand in the scanning
machine for a full minute. I could only look outside at the other passengers
waiting to get in and shrug. Even worse, we were so far behind that our items
were going through security and we couldn’t get to them for a few minutes. This
is an excellent opportunity for items to get stolen. The Denver airport is just
very poorly organized, I’m sorry.
Anyway, we really wanted to eat some buffalo burgers and we went
to Mesa Verde for lunch. We both ordered burgers with cheddar, bacon, and
guacamole. I have to say they were delicious. The burger was big and juicy and
it came with several slices of tomato, romaine lettuce, thinly sliced red
onions, two slices of jalapeno, and a big pickle spear. Every ingredient was
well planned. I was very satisfied. We also got these amazing onion strings. It
is so easy to mess these up. But these were done properly. Not only were they not
greasy, but they were crisp and well seasoned. That said, I need some serious
time in the gym and produce and seafood back in my diet.
I am now on the ground and I can't wait to
get off this plane and away from these two screaming boys in the seats in front
of me. They’ve been going at it for the last two hours. I should have asked
them if they wanted to go swimming in the water in the men’s room.
Denver recap, part 1
I woke up at 4:30 on Saturday, May 3. I drove 45 minute to the Radisson near Rosemont. I took their airport shuttle since it was free. When Mom returned later that afternoon from her tour, she would just take that car home. I got on the shuttle without a problem, I'm sure it helped that the driver didn't see me so he never saw that I came in from the parking lot instead of inside the hotel. I got to the gate without a hitch and I was sitting feeling pretty relaxed. The fact that there were 19 open seats on my plane helped. Suddenly, the gate agent made an announcement that it was a "very full flight." I was like, "What in the world?" Eventually, I got seat 8B and I learned they were just referring to luggage.
I walked onto the plane and sat next to a 300 pound guy, who was chomping on Ritz crackers. I could see the crumbs in his black goatee, it was gross. Even worse, this guy had no armrest consideration. Here's what I mean. I don't mind if the other person claims the armrest, that's ok. But the elbow better not cross the far end of the armrest and violate my personal space. His elbow crossed. His legs didn't stop shaking even as he tried to sleep. When I took out my tray table, I may have lowered it on his side with a little extra strength just to shake him a little.
And there was this weird part of the flight too. Just before we took off, I was asked to come to the front of the plane. I froze. I was wondering, as a standby passenger, if I was getting taken off the plane. Thankfully, they just asked to see my boarding pass, checked my row, and everything was fine. We took off and made two loops around the Denver airport before landing. My father met me at the gate, I collected my bag, and a headed to the super shuttle. It took us about 45 minutes to get downtown to the Hotel Monaco, a small, but luxurious hotel in the heart of Denver. They have happy hour with free wine from 5-6. Their water fountains are always filled with fruit. The lobby furniture was all different colors and very bright. On the other hand, there is no swimming pool and the internet costs eight bucks for every 15 minutes of use. If I wanted to use Wi-Fi, it would have been $13 per day per device. The room was on the 7th floor, which is also the top floor. It was well furnished two queen sized beds and some elegant southwest paintings. I really wanted to take the yoga mat with me though...
Our hotel was between 17th and 18th streets. In downtown Denver, 16th street is a pedestrian walkway with shops and restaurants. Dad and I walked eight blocks down that street till we got to Larimer, when we turned right and headed to Ted's Montana Grill. I had been there many times, but he had never had bison before. We started with their salt and pepper onion rings, which were excellent as always. And free half sour pickles always works for us. In the high altitude, I was guzzling Arnold Palmers and ice waters. I ordered an Americas Cup bison burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, and mushrooms and it was great. the fries are fresh cut, which is so key to a great fry. I dipped them in the mustard remoulade and I can't emphasize how good that dip is. I also got some roasted asparagus, maybe so I wouldn't feel so guilty. He ordered bison pot roast with double garlic mashed potatoes and no green beans. Not the healthiest approach! But he really enjoyed the meal.
Then we walked a few blocks north to the Tattered Cover bookstore. This is one of the biggest independent bookstores in the country. As much as he likes bookstores, I knew he'd enjoy spending a while there. I think the decline of the bookstore is as sad as the decline of the newspaper. There are few indoor places left to hang out where you don't have to spend money and can just relax. In the cold of the Midwest, that matters a lot. OK, I'll leave the commentary aside. We walked around the west side of downtown of Denver, or LoDo and checked out the outside of Union Station, which is under construction. And I got to torture my father a little more.Within two blocks of each other and on either side of Union Station are Morton's steakhouse and Fogo de Chao. Probably my dad's two favorite restaurants. Each time, he just stopped walking and stared at me. I didn't plan it!
We walked west again by the Pepsi Center and Sport Authority Field, where the Avalanche and Broncos play. We headed back to the room to clean up before walking north to Coors Field. I was armed in my blue Matt Harvey Mets jersey. On the walk, two different groups of people cursed at me. Classy state...I thought they were gonna be more...mellow, for many reasons. Anyway, I had been told I should try the Rockie dog, a foot long Hebrew National hot dog with onions, peppers, and kraut. When the woman reached into a drawer and plopped a cooked dog on the grill, I should have walked away. but I ate it anyway and it was one of the worst dogs I'd ever had.
I watched warmups by the left field foul pole where the Mets were warming up. Mostly, I saw bullpen guys. I got pretty close to Daisuke Matsuzaka, Scott Rice, Gonzales Germen, and Jeurys Familia. We sat in the rockpile, which are the elevated center field bleachers. And they only cost six bucks a ticket. My view wasn't really obstructed, aside from the deepest part of center field. People were still showing up in the fifth inning, which is ridiculous on a Saturday night. I felt like I was at Dodger Stadium. As for the game, it was just another disaster. The Mets built a 6-0 lead only to blow it all in the sixth inning as Colorado scored seven runs. The Mets rallied back and ultimately lost on a walk off home run to some schmuck that no one has ever heard of. 10-9 final.
On Sunday morning, I used the 5th floor gym: about ten minutes on the elliptical and a half hour with the dumbbells. Not great, but it was something to get me awake. After my shower, we had a light breakfast at Bruegger's. Well, mine was light, I had a whole wheat everything bagel with light cream cheese, whereas he had a salt bagel and rosemary/olive oil bagel and had grape jelly on both. Gross. Anyway, we walked south to the State Capitol building and the Denver mint. Most of the roads were closed off since they were preparing a cinco de mayo fiesta. I got to see the "One mile above sea level" sign on the Capitol step. We headed back to the room to clean up for the next Mets game.
After a fight over whether or not the cleaning crew was going to clean the room, I took off and began walking to game alone. He eventually came and we went to Biker Jim's, which is like a Hot Doug's, in that they make all these fancy sausage from unique meats. I had an all beef dog wrapped in bacon served Sonoran style. It had pinto beans, diced jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, mayo and yellow mustard. The quality of the beef was amazing. It tasted like high-quality beef with fresh ingredients on top. And they didn't serve it in a hot dog roll; it looked more like a Philly hoagie roll. It was soft, yet it held together even with so many ingredients. I also had a southwest Buffalo dog topped el diablo style. That one had tomattillo green chile salsa, bacon bits, and Sriracha lime mayo. I loved the spice of the buffalo dog and I'm a sucker for green salsas. The crunch of the bacon gave a great contrast to the mayo. I also had a side of baked beans, which were fine, but not great. The manager told me some other news. He said the Mets owner came in a few days prior and it enjoyed it so much that the restaurant was catering the Mets that afternoon! As bad as the series had gotten, I don't think the Mets deserved those hot dogs!
Anyway, I wanted to try some local beer. I went to Wynkoop brewery, the oldest brewery in Denver. I tried seven beer samples and to be honest, I wouldn't have ordered a full glass of any of them. The Patty's green chile was pretty good, you could actually smell and taste the essence of the chile peppers in the beer. Thankfully, it wasn't an overwhelming spice, but it was a lively-tasting brew. After getting inside the ballpark, I went up to the rooftop, the new hangout in the upper deck above right field. I found about the $3 Miller Lite, Coors Lite, and Coors original before first pitch. Suffice to say, I drank a couple more beers. After getting somewhat happy, I went over to my second row seat sat on first base side, which gave us a good view of the mountains past left field. I remember being nervous the whole game, since a four game sweep would be a total embarrassment. Thankfully, Dillon Gee pitched great and the Mets won 5-1. Unfortunately, since I left the room so abruptly, I hadn't yet applied sunscreen. All game long, the sun sat right on my left side. By the end of the game, my forehead, the left side of my legs, and my forearms were all bright red.
During the game, Mom arrived. Dad had actually left in the seventh inning, he apparently figured she wouldn't want to be alone. Anyway, I met up with both of them in the lobby. Despite the availability of the free wine, I just wanted to drink about a gallon of water. We planned our evening and I went back upstairs, where I washed up and put on blue jeans and a designer Tori Richard shirt. Around 6:45, we left for dinner at the Buckhorn Exchange, the oldest restaurant in Denver. Since we were so early, we were informed our table was not ready. The restaurant wasn't half full, but nevertheless. So we sat in their 150-year old bar. I drank a bourbon and apple juice blend, which is one of their signature drinks. It was pretty good, I wouldn't get it again though. We sat down surrounded by rifles and animal heads on the walls. Clearly, it's a very unique steakhouse and distinctly Colorado. We started with fried artichoke hearts, which were ok, but I've had better. The batter tasted a lot like cornmeal, and I just didn't like how it blended with the artichokes. The salad was embarrassing. It was romaine lettuce, three grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, and mandarin oranges. What are mandarin oranges doing on any house salad? Anyway, I asked for vinaigrette and I couldn't taste any dressing at all, so I added oil and vinegar.
All three of us ordered a 16-ounce New York strip steak. I ordered mine medium-rare and it came out grilled perfectly bright pink. It was nicely seasoned and it was one of the juiciest steaks I have had in a while. They also top it with a spoonful of garlic butter. I personally think that a great steak should be able to stand on its own, but a little bit of the butter did indeed add another layer of flavor. My baked potato came with butter, cheese, and a lot of green onions, which is exactly how I like it. Very good. Unfortunately, the waiter forgot our side of vegetables. We didn't mention this to him, so I'm not sure why the end of the meal went as it did. The waiter brought out a complimentary dessert: a Dutch hot apple pie with sides of cinnamon rum sauce and vanilla ice cream. Well, mom took care of the vanilla ice cream. I had no trouble wolfing down the pie. It was a good place to go, but I think I would opt for other steakhouses for an overall experience. Not to mention $50 for an NY strip is outrageously expensive.
I wanted to walk around all night; it was still 70 degrees outside. But we got back to the room a little after 9. We turned on the Food network and watched Food Casino and America's Best Cook before falling asleep around 11.
I walked onto the plane and sat next to a 300 pound guy, who was chomping on Ritz crackers. I could see the crumbs in his black goatee, it was gross. Even worse, this guy had no armrest consideration. Here's what I mean. I don't mind if the other person claims the armrest, that's ok. But the elbow better not cross the far end of the armrest and violate my personal space. His elbow crossed. His legs didn't stop shaking even as he tried to sleep. When I took out my tray table, I may have lowered it on his side with a little extra strength just to shake him a little.
And there was this weird part of the flight too. Just before we took off, I was asked to come to the front of the plane. I froze. I was wondering, as a standby passenger, if I was getting taken off the plane. Thankfully, they just asked to see my boarding pass, checked my row, and everything was fine. We took off and made two loops around the Denver airport before landing. My father met me at the gate, I collected my bag, and a headed to the super shuttle. It took us about 45 minutes to get downtown to the Hotel Monaco, a small, but luxurious hotel in the heart of Denver. They have happy hour with free wine from 5-6. Their water fountains are always filled with fruit. The lobby furniture was all different colors and very bright. On the other hand, there is no swimming pool and the internet costs eight bucks for every 15 minutes of use. If I wanted to use Wi-Fi, it would have been $13 per day per device. The room was on the 7th floor, which is also the top floor. It was well furnished two queen sized beds and some elegant southwest paintings. I really wanted to take the yoga mat with me though...
Our hotel was between 17th and 18th streets. In downtown Denver, 16th street is a pedestrian walkway with shops and restaurants. Dad and I walked eight blocks down that street till we got to Larimer, when we turned right and headed to Ted's Montana Grill. I had been there many times, but he had never had bison before. We started with their salt and pepper onion rings, which were excellent as always. And free half sour pickles always works for us. In the high altitude, I was guzzling Arnold Palmers and ice waters. I ordered an Americas Cup bison burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, and mushrooms and it was great. the fries are fresh cut, which is so key to a great fry. I dipped them in the mustard remoulade and I can't emphasize how good that dip is. I also got some roasted asparagus, maybe so I wouldn't feel so guilty. He ordered bison pot roast with double garlic mashed potatoes and no green beans. Not the healthiest approach! But he really enjoyed the meal.
Then we walked a few blocks north to the Tattered Cover bookstore. This is one of the biggest independent bookstores in the country. As much as he likes bookstores, I knew he'd enjoy spending a while there. I think the decline of the bookstore is as sad as the decline of the newspaper. There are few indoor places left to hang out where you don't have to spend money and can just relax. In the cold of the Midwest, that matters a lot. OK, I'll leave the commentary aside. We walked around the west side of downtown of Denver, or LoDo and checked out the outside of Union Station, which is under construction. And I got to torture my father a little more.Within two blocks of each other and on either side of Union Station are Morton's steakhouse and Fogo de Chao. Probably my dad's two favorite restaurants. Each time, he just stopped walking and stared at me. I didn't plan it!
We walked west again by the Pepsi Center and Sport Authority Field, where the Avalanche and Broncos play. We headed back to the room to clean up before walking north to Coors Field. I was armed in my blue Matt Harvey Mets jersey. On the walk, two different groups of people cursed at me. Classy state...I thought they were gonna be more...mellow, for many reasons. Anyway, I had been told I should try the Rockie dog, a foot long Hebrew National hot dog with onions, peppers, and kraut. When the woman reached into a drawer and plopped a cooked dog on the grill, I should have walked away. but I ate it anyway and it was one of the worst dogs I'd ever had.
I watched warmups by the left field foul pole where the Mets were warming up. Mostly, I saw bullpen guys. I got pretty close to Daisuke Matsuzaka, Scott Rice, Gonzales Germen, and Jeurys Familia. We sat in the rockpile, which are the elevated center field bleachers. And they only cost six bucks a ticket. My view wasn't really obstructed, aside from the deepest part of center field. People were still showing up in the fifth inning, which is ridiculous on a Saturday night. I felt like I was at Dodger Stadium. As for the game, it was just another disaster. The Mets built a 6-0 lead only to blow it all in the sixth inning as Colorado scored seven runs. The Mets rallied back and ultimately lost on a walk off home run to some schmuck that no one has ever heard of. 10-9 final.
On Sunday morning, I used the 5th floor gym: about ten minutes on the elliptical and a half hour with the dumbbells. Not great, but it was something to get me awake. After my shower, we had a light breakfast at Bruegger's. Well, mine was light, I had a whole wheat everything bagel with light cream cheese, whereas he had a salt bagel and rosemary/olive oil bagel and had grape jelly on both. Gross. Anyway, we walked south to the State Capitol building and the Denver mint. Most of the roads were closed off since they were preparing a cinco de mayo fiesta. I got to see the "One mile above sea level" sign on the Capitol step. We headed back to the room to clean up for the next Mets game.
After a fight over whether or not the cleaning crew was going to clean the room, I took off and began walking to game alone. He eventually came and we went to Biker Jim's, which is like a Hot Doug's, in that they make all these fancy sausage from unique meats. I had an all beef dog wrapped in bacon served Sonoran style. It had pinto beans, diced jalapenos, tomatoes, onions, mayo and yellow mustard. The quality of the beef was amazing. It tasted like high-quality beef with fresh ingredients on top. And they didn't serve it in a hot dog roll; it looked more like a Philly hoagie roll. It was soft, yet it held together even with so many ingredients. I also had a southwest Buffalo dog topped el diablo style. That one had tomattillo green chile salsa, bacon bits, and Sriracha lime mayo. I loved the spice of the buffalo dog and I'm a sucker for green salsas. The crunch of the bacon gave a great contrast to the mayo. I also had a side of baked beans, which were fine, but not great. The manager told me some other news. He said the Mets owner came in a few days prior and it enjoyed it so much that the restaurant was catering the Mets that afternoon! As bad as the series had gotten, I don't think the Mets deserved those hot dogs!
Anyway, I wanted to try some local beer. I went to Wynkoop brewery, the oldest brewery in Denver. I tried seven beer samples and to be honest, I wouldn't have ordered a full glass of any of them. The Patty's green chile was pretty good, you could actually smell and taste the essence of the chile peppers in the beer. Thankfully, it wasn't an overwhelming spice, but it was a lively-tasting brew. After getting inside the ballpark, I went up to the rooftop, the new hangout in the upper deck above right field. I found about the $3 Miller Lite, Coors Lite, and Coors original before first pitch. Suffice to say, I drank a couple more beers. After getting somewhat happy, I went over to my second row seat sat on first base side, which gave us a good view of the mountains past left field. I remember being nervous the whole game, since a four game sweep would be a total embarrassment. Thankfully, Dillon Gee pitched great and the Mets won 5-1. Unfortunately, since I left the room so abruptly, I hadn't yet applied sunscreen. All game long, the sun sat right on my left side. By the end of the game, my forehead, the left side of my legs, and my forearms were all bright red.
During the game, Mom arrived. Dad had actually left in the seventh inning, he apparently figured she wouldn't want to be alone. Anyway, I met up with both of them in the lobby. Despite the availability of the free wine, I just wanted to drink about a gallon of water. We planned our evening and I went back upstairs, where I washed up and put on blue jeans and a designer Tori Richard shirt. Around 6:45, we left for dinner at the Buckhorn Exchange, the oldest restaurant in Denver. Since we were so early, we were informed our table was not ready. The restaurant wasn't half full, but nevertheless. So we sat in their 150-year old bar. I drank a bourbon and apple juice blend, which is one of their signature drinks. It was pretty good, I wouldn't get it again though. We sat down surrounded by rifles and animal heads on the walls. Clearly, it's a very unique steakhouse and distinctly Colorado. We started with fried artichoke hearts, which were ok, but I've had better. The batter tasted a lot like cornmeal, and I just didn't like how it blended with the artichokes. The salad was embarrassing. It was romaine lettuce, three grape tomatoes, dried cranberries, and mandarin oranges. What are mandarin oranges doing on any house salad? Anyway, I asked for vinaigrette and I couldn't taste any dressing at all, so I added oil and vinegar.
All three of us ordered a 16-ounce New York strip steak. I ordered mine medium-rare and it came out grilled perfectly bright pink. It was nicely seasoned and it was one of the juiciest steaks I have had in a while. They also top it with a spoonful of garlic butter. I personally think that a great steak should be able to stand on its own, but a little bit of the butter did indeed add another layer of flavor. My baked potato came with butter, cheese, and a lot of green onions, which is exactly how I like it. Very good. Unfortunately, the waiter forgot our side of vegetables. We didn't mention this to him, so I'm not sure why the end of the meal went as it did. The waiter brought out a complimentary dessert: a Dutch hot apple pie with sides of cinnamon rum sauce and vanilla ice cream. Well, mom took care of the vanilla ice cream. I had no trouble wolfing down the pie. It was a good place to go, but I think I would opt for other steakhouses for an overall experience. Not to mention $50 for an NY strip is outrageously expensive.
I wanted to walk around all night; it was still 70 degrees outside. But we got back to the room a little after 9. We turned on the Food network and watched Food Casino and America's Best Cook before falling asleep around 11.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Recovery
So here I am, jobless again. Six days after the bomb was dropped on me. I can't say it's been the best week of my life. I've lost jobs before, but on top of losing the income and benefits, I've lost my free tuition for my Masters program. It really feels like I failed, like I blew a great opportunity.
Was I surprised? I knew I would be expendable if any of us got let go. But the timing...that's what disgusts me. I was on a three month action plan for improving my processing accuracy. What is really low on the company's part is that they promised me three months. I got 2.5. I had my best month eve in February with 95 percent. Well above the company standard. In March, I did slip to 90. My mentor and confidant quitting was a tough blow. I would go to him if I had any tough questions, and when he left, that void was hard to fill. April didn't start off great, but I was getting better. By the second week of the month, I had figured out new ways to concentrate and focus. Red Bull was part of it. In my last seven working days, I made one error. I was up to 93 percent and the only reason it wasn't higher is because we had so few files to work. My confidence was soaring.
Tuesday morning, I told my manager that I wish we had more files because I was doing so well. He laughed in agreement, acting like he understood. Three hours later, he calls me into a conference room. He gives me the bullshit about based on my totality, my employment at Kaplan is terminated. Nothing in writing, no package, nothing.I was walked back to my desk where I was allowed to gather a few possessions. My manager was watching me the whole time like he was a damn prison guard watching a prisoner who's heading straight to the chair. I grabbed my books, water bottle, a phone charger, one or two other things, and walked away without saying goodbye to a soul. I went into the break room to find my lunch inside the overly crammed refrigerator. Couldn't find it. I turned around and he is still watching me. I said "Screw it" and walked away into the elevator. He joined me in. I couldn't look at him. I really don't think it was his choice, I think it came from the scumbag working above him. I walked towards the revolving door for the last time. He quietly said "Good luck to you." I still couldn't look. I offered my hand for a weak handshake and that was it. A 15 minute walk to Ogilvie, an hour train ride to West Chicago, and a 30-minute drive to Willow Creek Church where I cried my eyes out with one of the care pastors in the Care Center.
Let's recap. I've lost my job, my income, my insurance, my benefits, and maybe worst of all, my free Masters tuition. That scumbag I mentioned can feel free to give me $20,000 to cover my tuition anytime.
As I said earlier, this feels like the worst failure of my life. I know the job did not suit my set of skills. It was analytical to an extreme level. I did verification for six months in 2006 with CEC. I hated it then. But this time, it was all I did. Looking back, when I was offered the position at Kaplan, maybe I should have taken the phone job instead. As much as I would have hated it, I don't doubt I would have lasted.
So, time to move on. I have a hell of a lot of time on my hands. I'm going to lose a lot of money. It's a blow to my pride. Hopefully, it will be a blessing in disguise. I really don't know. I wish I could have gotten a full time job in writing or editing, but that's nearly impossible nowadays. So I tried to make myself more marketable with the financial aid. And hopefully, school will do that even more. In fact, I know it will. It's not like I'm being kicked out. As bad as their graduation rate is, they need me!
I have friends who care about me and I know will support me. I know God won't forsake me. I just hope wherever I go from here is something I enjoy, something I can succeed in, and will allow me to make a respectable living. I don't think that's asking too damn much.
Was I surprised? I knew I would be expendable if any of us got let go. But the timing...that's what disgusts me. I was on a three month action plan for improving my processing accuracy. What is really low on the company's part is that they promised me three months. I got 2.5. I had my best month eve in February with 95 percent. Well above the company standard. In March, I did slip to 90. My mentor and confidant quitting was a tough blow. I would go to him if I had any tough questions, and when he left, that void was hard to fill. April didn't start off great, but I was getting better. By the second week of the month, I had figured out new ways to concentrate and focus. Red Bull was part of it. In my last seven working days, I made one error. I was up to 93 percent and the only reason it wasn't higher is because we had so few files to work. My confidence was soaring.
Tuesday morning, I told my manager that I wish we had more files because I was doing so well. He laughed in agreement, acting like he understood. Three hours later, he calls me into a conference room. He gives me the bullshit about based on my totality, my employment at Kaplan is terminated. Nothing in writing, no package, nothing.I was walked back to my desk where I was allowed to gather a few possessions. My manager was watching me the whole time like he was a damn prison guard watching a prisoner who's heading straight to the chair. I grabbed my books, water bottle, a phone charger, one or two other things, and walked away without saying goodbye to a soul. I went into the break room to find my lunch inside the overly crammed refrigerator. Couldn't find it. I turned around and he is still watching me. I said "Screw it" and walked away into the elevator. He joined me in. I couldn't look at him. I really don't think it was his choice, I think it came from the scumbag working above him. I walked towards the revolving door for the last time. He quietly said "Good luck to you." I still couldn't look. I offered my hand for a weak handshake and that was it. A 15 minute walk to Ogilvie, an hour train ride to West Chicago, and a 30-minute drive to Willow Creek Church where I cried my eyes out with one of the care pastors in the Care Center.
Let's recap. I've lost my job, my income, my insurance, my benefits, and maybe worst of all, my free Masters tuition. That scumbag I mentioned can feel free to give me $20,000 to cover my tuition anytime.
As I said earlier, this feels like the worst failure of my life. I know the job did not suit my set of skills. It was analytical to an extreme level. I did verification for six months in 2006 with CEC. I hated it then. But this time, it was all I did. Looking back, when I was offered the position at Kaplan, maybe I should have taken the phone job instead. As much as I would have hated it, I don't doubt I would have lasted.
So, time to move on. I have a hell of a lot of time on my hands. I'm going to lose a lot of money. It's a blow to my pride. Hopefully, it will be a blessing in disguise. I really don't know. I wish I could have gotten a full time job in writing or editing, but that's nearly impossible nowadays. So I tried to make myself more marketable with the financial aid. And hopefully, school will do that even more. In fact, I know it will. It's not like I'm being kicked out. As bad as their graduation rate is, they need me!
I have friends who care about me and I know will support me. I know God won't forsake me. I just hope wherever I go from here is something I enjoy, something I can succeed in, and will allow me to make a respectable living. I don't think that's asking too damn much.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Five things I'm digging
1) Tony Evans sermon titled "Who You Know" http://youtu.be/Y0YWXhM2vSA My Mom has only worked for American Airlines for forty years, so it holds a special place for me.
2) Red Bull at work.
3) Growing a beard again, first time I've been able to in two years.
4) Retiring my winter jacket for the next five months.
5) Getting a brand new car tomorrow! A 2014 Honda civic.
What just happened?
Just another Saturday night... Dave and Busters, buzz words, slowest service ever, two orders of sweet potato fries, getting my ass kicked at shuffleboard, drive to Chicago at 2 am and vine right bank, sitting in car at Jewel Osco parking lot, 30 minutes of sleep, drive home at 5 a.m. At least I shared it with someone.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
My Mets video
I'm really proud I was able to participate in this. I got a quite a bit of face time too! Let's Go Mets!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Warrior
I don't write about wrestling on this blog much, unless it has to do with one an upcoming Ring of Honor show that I'm attending. But considering the magnitude of Wrestle Mania weekend and the wave of emotions that has circulated through wrestling fans all over the world, I cannot keep quiet.
On April 8, less than 24 hours later, he died.
It's almost as if he knew. It felt like he was giving his own eulogy. The one good thing is he made peace with WWE and his fans got to see him have one last hurrah. We as fans lost an icon. But his wife has been widowed. His daughters lost their dad. I didn't agree with everything he believed in. But I respect him for not giving in to society or the popular trends and instead standing up for what he believed in.
I purchased WWE network, in large part so I would have access to all WEE PPV's for $10 per month. WrestleMania 30 was included so I was quick to jump on that. One of the best features of the network is that they were going to broadcast the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in full. I had been waiting for this to happen for years. The list of 2014 inductees was impressive" Paul Bearer, Carlos Colon, Lita, Razor Ramon, Mr. T, Jake "the Snake" Roberts, and the headliner, the Ultimate Warrior.
I was getting into wrestling right around the time that Warrior burst onto the scene. I had never seen anything like him. The painted face, the arm tassels, the log hair flying as he sprinted down the aisle towards the ring. He'd climb up on the apron, and violently shake the ropes up and down. I think this was to catch his breath after the running. The basic warrior match always ended the same way...clothesline, clothesline, flying tackle, overhead press slam, splash, 1-2-3. He certainly wasn't the best wrestler, but his energy caught the attention of kids like me.
He then captured my attention a year after his arrival. I remember watching Summer Slam 88 when he dethroned the Honky Tonk Man in under one minute in Madison Square Garden to become the Intercontinental champion. A year and a half later, I watched WrestleMania 6 with my father and best friend at the time. We went to Dad's apartment and ordered fried chicken. The city was Toronto, Canada with 68,000 people in attendance. It was title for title, Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan. No one knew who would win. I remember when Warrior won the match, I couldn't believe Hogan had gotten beat. And I felt like the torch had been passed and Warrior was now face of the company.
I remember my heartbreak when Sgt. Slaughter won the title from him. I remember the surrealness when Jake Roberts locked him in a coffin and had his cobra bite him. I remember my interest dissipating when he left the company after holding the company up for more money before a match. I remember random feuds with Jerry Lawler, Goldust, and Triple H. I remember cringing at his reign in WCW. That follow-up match with Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc is easily one of the five worst matches I have ever seen. His loud promos that once thought were so cool now seemed non-sensical, random, and just confusing.
He legally changed his name to Warrior in 1996. He left WWE after 1996 and many thought he wouldn't go back. He had his principles, he had his values, and wouldn't be swayed. His peers resented him for being greedy, unprofessional, and selfish.
On April 5, he was inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame. It just felt right. He belongs there. I watched as his young daughters walked out on stage with him as he prepared to give his speech. His wife was crying in the front row. On April 6, he appeared at WrestleMania with the other inductees on stage in the Superdome. On April 7, he appeared on Raw for the first time in 18 years. He gave a speech.
No WWE talent becomes a legend on their own. Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something larger than life then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized. By the story tellers, by the loyalty, by the memory of those who honor him and make the running the man did live forever. You, you, you, you, you, you are the legend makers of Ultimate Warrior. In the back I see many potential legends. Some of them with warrior spirits. And you will do the same for them. You will decide if they lived with the passion and intensity. So much so that you will tell your stories and you will make them legends, as well. I am Ultimate Warrior. You are the Ultimate Warrior fans. And the spirit of the Ultimate Warrior will run forever!
On April 8, less than 24 hours later, he died.
It's almost as if he knew. It felt like he was giving his own eulogy. The one good thing is he made peace with WWE and his fans got to see him have one last hurrah. We as fans lost an icon. But his wife has been widowed. His daughters lost their dad. I didn't agree with everything he believed in. But I respect him for not giving in to society or the popular trends and instead standing up for what he believed in.
Saturday, April 05, 2014
When your idol insults you publicly
I really never thought something like this would happen. Thursday was one of the craziest days of my life. I woke up at 3 am to fly to New York City. I finally met a friend I had been communicating with for six months on social media. The wait was worth it. Then I went to the Mets-Nationals game with my father. After the Mets got thoroughly trashed, I took the Q48 bus back to LaGuardia Airport. I was listed for the 6 pm flight and even thought the evening flights looked tight, I was confident I would get one of them. After all, there were three more flights after the 6 pm and 150 passengers were going on each one.
But little did I ever expect what would happen to me in the security line. I was maybe eight people back in the security line. All of a sudden, Joe Benigno from WFAN sports radio in New York walks into the line. I couldn't believe it. My favorite radio host in the world! I had met him twice already, but this was the first time where he showed up and it was totally unexpected for me. BTW, it took him forever to get through security! Three pill bottles, tons of media passes, two coats. It was kind of funny!
Once we got through the security line and getting our stuff together, I asked where he was going. He said Dallas for the Final Four. I tried to engage him in some sports talk and he was answering in short sentences, but he seemed willing to converse with me. We walked towards the gates, and I met his co-host Evan Roberts for the first time. We talked a little about the Mets, some other sports stuff, and Texas. They were kind enough to take photos with me.
After maybe 15 minutes, I left them. Before long, I realized that every Chicago flight was delayed. It was around 5:30 and the next Chicago flight wasn't leaving till 7. I didn't want to think about that, so I went back to chat with Joe and Evan for a few minutes. I knew their flight was leaving at six. Maybe I should not have gone back. I didn't do much talking, I just hung bear them for a bit. Being around those delayed flights, not knowing if I was getting home, was tough. I guess I wanted a distraction. They left around 5:50 and I thanked them for having a great show and entertaining me every weekday from 9-12 Central time. As for me, I got the last direct Chicago flight home. Everything seemed cool.
12 hours later, I'm at work, processing financial aid files. Joe and Evan go on the air. And the first thing Joe does is talk about the horrible travel. He mentions the "obnoxious Mets fan in a Matt Harvey jersey who was up his rear end". Considering Joe's problem with Harvey, that jersey may have been an issue too! Joe also said Evan did a great job getting rid of me which was not true, since I walked away on my own. But I'm listening to this rant and I swear it's a dream. I couldn't even move. For him to get on me like that after the fact is only inappropriate, it's disrespecful and it's disgusting. I thought I had been very respectful and appreciative. If he and Evan had something to do, I would have walked away sooner. I never got that impression whatsoever. And I pity him that he decided to go the backbiting route. It shows me what a coward he really is. Yet, I'm kind of flattered that he remembered me so well that he felt compelled to insult me 12 hours later.
Maybe it was because he hates flying. He had the nerve to then say how brutal it was that he couldn't get peanuts in coach, and they were serving filet mignon in first class in front of him! Since he clearly hates flying., maybe I just caught him at the wrong time. The fact is I'd met him twice before this and he was cool then.
I tweeted Evan expressing my disappointment in Joe for taking cheap shots at me. Of course, he hasn't responded and I'm sure he won't. How do I feel now? Well, it's been 15 hours and I still really don't believe what happened Don;t get me wrong, I still love their show. That doesn't change. But Joe Benigno once said he became successful in sports radio because he never stopped being a fan. Apparently, he has forgotten what it's like to be a fan. Because he clearly doesn't care about them. I have lost a lot of respect for him as a man.
But little did I ever expect what would happen to me in the security line. I was maybe eight people back in the security line. All of a sudden, Joe Benigno from WFAN sports radio in New York walks into the line. I couldn't believe it. My favorite radio host in the world! I had met him twice already, but this was the first time where he showed up and it was totally unexpected for me. BTW, it took him forever to get through security! Three pill bottles, tons of media passes, two coats. It was kind of funny!
Once we got through the security line and getting our stuff together, I asked where he was going. He said Dallas for the Final Four. I tried to engage him in some sports talk and he was answering in short sentences, but he seemed willing to converse with me. We walked towards the gates, and I met his co-host Evan Roberts for the first time. We talked a little about the Mets, some other sports stuff, and Texas. They were kind enough to take photos with me.
After maybe 15 minutes, I left them. Before long, I realized that every Chicago flight was delayed. It was around 5:30 and the next Chicago flight wasn't leaving till 7. I didn't want to think about that, so I went back to chat with Joe and Evan for a few minutes. I knew their flight was leaving at six. Maybe I should not have gone back. I didn't do much talking, I just hung bear them for a bit. Being around those delayed flights, not knowing if I was getting home, was tough. I guess I wanted a distraction. They left around 5:50 and I thanked them for having a great show and entertaining me every weekday from 9-12 Central time. As for me, I got the last direct Chicago flight home. Everything seemed cool.
12 hours later, I'm at work, processing financial aid files. Joe and Evan go on the air. And the first thing Joe does is talk about the horrible travel. He mentions the "obnoxious Mets fan in a Matt Harvey jersey who was up his rear end". Considering Joe's problem with Harvey, that jersey may have been an issue too! Joe also said Evan did a great job getting rid of me which was not true, since I walked away on my own. But I'm listening to this rant and I swear it's a dream. I couldn't even move. For him to get on me like that after the fact is only inappropriate, it's disrespecful and it's disgusting. I thought I had been very respectful and appreciative. If he and Evan had something to do, I would have walked away sooner. I never got that impression whatsoever. And I pity him that he decided to go the backbiting route. It shows me what a coward he really is. Yet, I'm kind of flattered that he remembered me so well that he felt compelled to insult me 12 hours later.
Maybe it was because he hates flying. He had the nerve to then say how brutal it was that he couldn't get peanuts in coach, and they were serving filet mignon in first class in front of him! Since he clearly hates flying., maybe I just caught him at the wrong time. The fact is I'd met him twice before this and he was cool then.
I tweeted Evan expressing my disappointment in Joe for taking cheap shots at me. Of course, he hasn't responded and I'm sure he won't. How do I feel now? Well, it's been 15 hours and I still really don't believe what happened Don;t get me wrong, I still love their show. That doesn't change. But Joe Benigno once said he became successful in sports radio because he never stopped being a fan. Apparently, he has forgotten what it's like to be a fan. Because he clearly doesn't care about them. I have lost a lot of respect for him as a man.
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle recap
After two months of training, 3/30 was the day for my first 8k race. I woke up at 5 am on a Sunday, which is usually the time I get up during the week for work. I wolfed down a oatmeal raisin power bar, a banana, and a liter of water. For clothes, I wore my new black thermal headband (which covered my entire forehead and kept my ears warm), black mesh shorts, a mesh black long sleeve t-shirt, and over that, my green sleeveless "Play Like a Jet" shirt. I grabbed my Mets hoodie and drove to the Bartlett train station.
I was pretty surprised that 20 people were waiting to board the same train I was. It was still pretty cold outside, close to 30 degrees, nothing like the 60 degrees. I had seen in the forecast. So I was sitting down and this cute redhead walks by me and says hello. I must have been half asleep because I just said hi and didn't think twice about it. Two days later, I found out it was a girl I'd met on Valentine's Day and hadn't seen since. I was wondering when I was going to see her again; I guess God does have a sense of humor!
So I arrived at Union Station around 7:15. There were no buses going east to Grant Park so I walked the one mile down Jackson Street to the red gear check in station. The sun was starting to come out so I decided to shed the hoodie. I stretched for maybe ten minutes and drank two small cups of water and lemon-lime Gatorade. Around 8:10, I headed to Start Corrale A, which was the second group to begin, behind the Elite runners. We were all packed in really tight. I stood in place for maybe 20 minutes, just counting down the minutes. I kept trying to move around to stay loose. Mentally, I felt pretty ready, but it was still something I had never done before. After the National Anthem, we were ready to go.
My goal was to complete the 4.97 mile course i under 40 minutes. In the first mile, a lot of runners passed me, but I was just trying to keep a good pace. I did not want to wear myself out early. My big concern was I couldn't breather through my nose after the first half mile. Maybe I should have worn a Breathe Right strip. The first two miles went pretty quickly, but going from 2 to 3 seemed to take a little longer. I ran all three of those miles in about 7:30 each, so I felt good about my pace. Between 3 and 4, I was keeping my pace, but my legs started to get heavy. I needed to see that 4 mile sign. I had to know when there was one mile left. On Michigan Ave, I saw it and I felt that little extra life kicking in. At that moment, I was playing Metalingus, an Alter Bridge song, which was also Edge's theme music in WWE. Then, I played songs from Rocky, which always gives me an extra gear. I made a left on Michigan and went uphill and then downhill over a bridge. Then, I made one last left turn, taking me into the southern entrance of Grant Park. I could see the finish line about a half mile out.
With Gonna Fly Now playing at near full volume, I had to find one last charge. I had kept my pace the whole race, but I hadn't sprinted. After running at that pace for about ten seconds, I knew it was time to turn it on. I let out a primal scream and took towards the finish. It seemed so far way, but I knew every step would get me closer. Finally, I crossed that finish mat and I nearly collapsed. I could walk, but my legs didn't want to move. I ate a banana and drank a bottle of water as I slowly paced down Columbus St.
I picked up my gear, had my picture taken, and I went into the post-ace party. I redeemed my ticket for my free Michelob Ultra beer and drank while I stood on line waiting for a massage. Both of them hit the spot! My left calf was strained and my right Achilles felt tight. Other than that, I was okay. I also grabbed a cheeseburger and drank another beer before heading back down Jackson. there were other people I knew running the race, but I had no idea where they were. So I just grabbed the 12:30 train and went home. That hot shower felt so good!
My final time was 35:01, which put me around 1,260 out over over 40,000 participants. Not bad at all.
I was pretty surprised that 20 people were waiting to board the same train I was. It was still pretty cold outside, close to 30 degrees, nothing like the 60 degrees. I had seen in the forecast. So I was sitting down and this cute redhead walks by me and says hello. I must have been half asleep because I just said hi and didn't think twice about it. Two days later, I found out it was a girl I'd met on Valentine's Day and hadn't seen since. I was wondering when I was going to see her again; I guess God does have a sense of humor!
So I arrived at Union Station around 7:15. There were no buses going east to Grant Park so I walked the one mile down Jackson Street to the red gear check in station. The sun was starting to come out so I decided to shed the hoodie. I stretched for maybe ten minutes and drank two small cups of water and lemon-lime Gatorade. Around 8:10, I headed to Start Corrale A, which was the second group to begin, behind the Elite runners. We were all packed in really tight. I stood in place for maybe 20 minutes, just counting down the minutes. I kept trying to move around to stay loose. Mentally, I felt pretty ready, but it was still something I had never done before. After the National Anthem, we were ready to go.
My goal was to complete the 4.97 mile course i under 40 minutes. In the first mile, a lot of runners passed me, but I was just trying to keep a good pace. I did not want to wear myself out early. My big concern was I couldn't breather through my nose after the first half mile. Maybe I should have worn a Breathe Right strip. The first two miles went pretty quickly, but going from 2 to 3 seemed to take a little longer. I ran all three of those miles in about 7:30 each, so I felt good about my pace. Between 3 and 4, I was keeping my pace, but my legs started to get heavy. I needed to see that 4 mile sign. I had to know when there was one mile left. On Michigan Ave, I saw it and I felt that little extra life kicking in. At that moment, I was playing Metalingus, an Alter Bridge song, which was also Edge's theme music in WWE. Then, I played songs from Rocky, which always gives me an extra gear. I made a left on Michigan and went uphill and then downhill over a bridge. Then, I made one last left turn, taking me into the southern entrance of Grant Park. I could see the finish line about a half mile out.
With Gonna Fly Now playing at near full volume, I had to find one last charge. I had kept my pace the whole race, but I hadn't sprinted. After running at that pace for about ten seconds, I knew it was time to turn it on. I let out a primal scream and took towards the finish. It seemed so far way, but I knew every step would get me closer. Finally, I crossed that finish mat and I nearly collapsed. I could walk, but my legs didn't want to move. I ate a banana and drank a bottle of water as I slowly paced down Columbus St.
I picked up my gear, had my picture taken, and I went into the post-ace party. I redeemed my ticket for my free Michelob Ultra beer and drank while I stood on line waiting for a massage. Both of them hit the spot! My left calf was strained and my right Achilles felt tight. Other than that, I was okay. I also grabbed a cheeseburger and drank another beer before heading back down Jackson. there were other people I knew running the race, but I had no idea where they were. So I just grabbed the 12:30 train and went home. That hot shower felt so good!
My final time was 35:01, which put me around 1,260 out over over 40,000 participants. Not bad at all.
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