Monday, August 27, 2012

85 and Counting...

So one of my all time favorite bloggers Ducky at batcrapcrazy posted something that made me think. I won't go into her post, so just go check her out. She's funny.

Anyway, she posted a top ten list of sorts, and one of her items was something about not having an attention span long enough to actually finish a post.

Immediately I thought, that's me. You see lately I've sort of neglected the 'ol blog. Well, not completely. I do write. I just don't..well, always finish them. In fact I went back and looked at my dashboard and it turns out that I have 85 draft posts waiting to be finished or published.

Yep, 85.

That's a lot of writing. That's a lotta words just waiting out there in bloggy purgatory. I've got posts about former co-works and conversations had. About dutch ovens and the DW. Hell, I've even got one about the Penis versus the Vaj. Posts about how I have nothing to say, and posts where I can't shut up. Posts about clowns, being Hardcore, and dying.

Now I know what you're thinking, so what gives? Let's see 'em.

You see the problem is I get so caught up in perfection, or the belief that it exists, that I sometimes forget why I started a blog in the first place. It started out just like every other blog, as a platform to express my thoughts and opinions. Somewhere for me to speak my mind, rant or just share. But the problem is, I worry to much about offending people. I worry about traffic and comments. Oh sure we all say we don't, but we do. We want to be liked. We want to be interesting. We want people to read. Isn't that why we tell 'em we have a blog so they'll read it? And I worry about the content. Does it make people laugh, or is it just boring everyday life crap? Will people keep reading if it's offensive?

So you see, this is why I have a post about having crabs that nobody has ever seen. Or why my story about 6 dollars may never see the light of day.  

So that's why I have 85 unfinished posts just sitting there waiting to...

Oh whatever...

J-Tony

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

I Quit...

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end~ Semisonic


Last week I quit my job. I didn't exactly just up and quit, I put my two weeks in. I'd been there for the past 5 years, and over that time, I had built good relationships with co-workers. Heck some of them even good friendships. So it was somewhat of a sad day for me on Friday as I didn't particularly want to leave the company. But a month or so ago, another company approached me with an offer I couldn't refuse.

What's Five Years


In the grand scheme of our lives five years is not that long. I've had t-shirts longer. And after all, I've already been in the work force for nearly 20 years and I plan to work 20 or so more, so what's five years? Well, it's a car loan, or the amount of time we take to get through college. It's longer than 6 US Presidents were on the job. They only lasted four years. They say that the average professional only stays at one place for 3~5 years. I continue to be a statistic.

Is Loyalty Dead

A couple weeks ago I was talking with someone about this potential job change, and the subject of loyalty came up. I explained that I'm as loyal as they come. After all, I've watch every Colts game I possible could since they came to my town in '84. Even the lean years before Peyton. And I'm a die hard Notre Dame fan. In fact I'd punch my own mother in the ear if she wore a Michigan or USC shirt. So don't tell me about loyalty. I was taught loyalty at an early early age. After all, my father is a Cubs fan, and hell they haven't won anything since 1969. So I know loyalty.

I don't think that's exactly what he meant though.

So why aren't we more loyal to our company?


Money Money Money

Back in the day people used to work at a company for thirty or forty years. As long as there was work, and money coming in people stayed put no matter what the conditions. But let's face it. Most of us work to make money. If you're one of those few who get to do what you love, then don't ever give it up. But for me, my passions in life are sports, music, and writing. I've given up hope that any of these will ever be my life's work. My bad knees and dunlap belly make it impossible for me to get into the starting line up of any professional team. And my musical knowledge consists of 90's cover tunes on an acoustic guitar. Now once upon a time I did do some sports writing for a local newspaper but quickly found out that there's no money in it.

When the DW and I started having our clowns I decided that I needed to go back to school. Again, this wasn't because I loved school. It was because I could see the writing on the wall. In order for me to be able to provide for my family I'd have to make myself more valuable. And in the work force valuable means more money. And after all that's what it's about. Being able to support and provide for my family.

In The End

Now maybe this won't be the best job I've ever had and maybe in the end it won't even be my last. But it's where I need to be at this point in my life. As for my previous employer, in the end I was asked what it would take to keep me, we all have a number you know? It turns out they had no loyalty to me either. 



J-Tony











Tuesday, August 7, 2012

What would you do...

So the other day the family and I were waiting in a Burger King parking lot for my parents. Anybody else singing the Humpty Dance right about now?

Anyway way, we were planning to meet up with my 'rents so they could just ride with us to dinner. We were a little early so I went inside to use the bathroom. OK now you gotta be singing The Humpty Dance right?

As I was going into the men's room I spotted an older gentleman, maybe late fifties early sixties coming out of the women's restroom. Now if you've never read this story of my uncool moment,  I urge you to go there now and read it. If you've already read it, then you know that sometimes this happens to the best of us. So I wasn't terrible disturbed by the old guy coming out of the wrong bathroom. It was what I heard following that  got me going.

As we crossed paths I heard two voices. Two voices of young girls already in the bathroom. My mind raced. I heard the old man ask if he was in the wrong room, and the girls respond that indeed he was, so I quickly finished my business so I could investigate.

I walked to the dining area where the old man was sitting by himself eating. A young Mexican couple with a baby sat to my left. No other customers, and only a few employees within sight. I wasn't sure what to do, or even if there was something to do. So I head out the door and back to my family. As I walk the ten feet across the parking lot again my thoughts turn to those two girls in the restroom. Maybe it was nothing, but what if...

The fear in my head as I walk tries to convince me that it was nothing. Nothing weird was going on, or was about to go on. Just keep going like you didn't see anything. But the adult in me says you gotta go back and be sure. Damn, being an adult sucks sometimes.

I wasn't sure what I was going to do if something funny had been going on. I'm not an action hero, I don't pack heat like Bruce Willis or Clint Eastwood, and truth be told I get gassy when I'm nervous. But still I walked back into the BK looking for answers.

When I walked inside I did what every calm, cool, collected, gentlemen would do who was about to face off with another man like it was high noon. I grabbed my phone and looked busy.....

OK so I wasn't exactly calling people punks and telling them to make my day, but I was there. I stood there in the front of that restaurant incognito until those two girls walked out of the restroom. I had to make sure that what I saw was in fact just an Uncool Moment and not more.

Well, long story short the girls walked out of the bathroom giggling and acting like two normal 12 year old girls would. They returned to the table where their grandpa was sitting, still laughing and being silly, and I walked out of there more like Barney Fife, than John McClane.

J-Tony

So, tell me Lifers. What would you do? Did I over react? Would you have walked away or stuck around?