JUNE 30, 2007
And so it is....I no longer work for the Limited Brands. After 4 years at Bath and Body Works as a designer, I find myself ready to move on. It has been a strange few months. I've bounced around to different managers and different teams, traveled to New York City and New Jersey 2 days a week for almost 2 months straight and still found myself unhappy. Primarily because of money and stress. Who doesn't want more money? When you realize your new role within the company is ten times the amount of work and stress, but you weren't given a single penny more, it's hard to only think about the work itself. I was looking forward to my new position on the Seasonal team designing fashion and personal care accessories. I was now working on the same team with my best friend from grade school, Holly. I would have been able to travel the world, spending a lot of time working on development in Hong Kong, going on shopping trips to Paris, London, and Milan....it may sound like the dream job, and in some ways it could have been. However, the amount of stress and time I would have to dedicate seemed outrageous compared to my compensation. When my friend told me how much the graphic designer position paid at American Signature it seemed like a foolish decision to pass up the opportunity. It was hard to make the decision between the two places when BBW offered to counter. In the end I felt it was best to leave because who knows what might happen if I stayed. A week later I realized I made the best decision as it was announced that a major headcount reduction was in the works for Limited Brands. I managed to escape on my own terms, which had been my goal for the past 4 years. I am going to miss all of my friends and coworkers and I will also miss some of the work, but now it is time to move on.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Moving Onward
JUNE 20, 2007
It has been a tough week trying to determine where to go. I'm still not sure I made the right decision but I hope I learn to adjust. You can weigh the pros and cons but how do you ever know your scale is working?
Last month I took a new position within Bath & Body Works, moving from the Brand team to the Seasonal team. It seemed like a really great opportunity with more room to grow. After 4 years on the brand team, I never really got anywhere. Most likely because I was in Columbus and the rest of the team was in New York. With no desire to move to NY, I was just left here to do nothing. Finally I moved over to the other team. It seemed like such a great change. I would be working with my best friend since grade school, designing fashion accessories, and traveling to Hong Kong for development trips. The experience would be great, but I felt like I would have to dedicate all of my time to the job. I had been working on developing my own business, but since changing positions, I was burnt out and didn't really feel like working when I got home. Plus, I haven't been making enough money to save for growing my business. I quickly learned how much stress and time would be involved with my new position and I realized that this company did not pay me anywhere near enough to deal with it. A close friend of mine had asked me to come work for her as a designer at American Signature Inc. the same week I accepted the new position at BBW. I told her I would have taken it if I hadn't made the change, but she was a week too late. Besides, I was looking forward to my new position. Soon after, another friend from work filled the position and it made me wonder why I didn't take it, but there was still another position open for a graphic designer.
So last Wednesday I went to interview with ASI. Everything went well and my friend called the next day to offer me the job for the rate I asked for. On Friday morning I notified my boss that I would be leaving in 2 weeks. Once the VP was notified, I was called in to his office. He wanted to give me a counter offer, not even knowing what the offer was I was presented. I was hoping they would give me an actual number so I could see what they felt it was worth to keep me. Last year when I quit as a consultant, the offer I was presented to be hired as an associate was still not competitive but when I questioned it I was told I wasn't worth anymore. Not having another job lined up at the time, I decided to take it. Flash forward one year later, I move over to a new position as a lateral title move, but given no salary change. So last Friday I endured the speech that was supposed to convince me to stay. I was questioned on why I would leave this company to go work for a company that sells cheap furniture (which by the way they are trying build a more respected brand for which they have hired new designers to re brand their image). I said that if this company (BBW) was so much bigger and better, than why is it that the smaller less prestigious companies can pay their employees better? I don't think I really got an answer, nor did I expect to. But that's the way corporate works. I also said as far as the creative work, I would prefer to work here, however I am willing to sacrifice that for less stress and more money. My goal is to own my own successful business someday because this place taught me that I don't want to work for corporate my whole life. I said I would take the weekend to think about changing my mind. I found myself really doubting my decision, but eventually I realized the best thing for me was to leave. If I chose to stay and take a huge pay increase, I would be afraid of many things. They could treat me like shit and work me to death because I would be getting paid much more than I was supposed to be paid. Or I could be one of the first to be let go if they have budget cuts. Or they could look for a replacement and then let me go because they think I might be looking again. Most everyone I've ever talked to say it's always best just to take the other job rather than play the game of who will pay the most. On Monday morning I told them it would be best for me to leave, and I believe I managed to do so without burning any bridges in case I ever want to cross back over. It was a great experience working for Limited Brands, I just was ready to move up rather than be stuck at the same rate I was getting since graduating from College while taking on more responsibilities.
Next week marks my 4 years here at BBW and my last day. It's like I'm graduating all over again. I guess good mile markers come in 4s. 4 years of high school and traditionally 4 years of college. Now 4 years of BBW. I'm sad to leave my friends behind, but I know it's time to move on. I'm excited in many ways and look forward to a new future.
It has been a tough week trying to determine where to go. I'm still not sure I made the right decision but I hope I learn to adjust. You can weigh the pros and cons but how do you ever know your scale is working?
Last month I took a new position within Bath & Body Works, moving from the Brand team to the Seasonal team. It seemed like a really great opportunity with more room to grow. After 4 years on the brand team, I never really got anywhere. Most likely because I was in Columbus and the rest of the team was in New York. With no desire to move to NY, I was just left here to do nothing. Finally I moved over to the other team. It seemed like such a great change. I would be working with my best friend since grade school, designing fashion accessories, and traveling to Hong Kong for development trips. The experience would be great, but I felt like I would have to dedicate all of my time to the job. I had been working on developing my own business, but since changing positions, I was burnt out and didn't really feel like working when I got home. Plus, I haven't been making enough money to save for growing my business. I quickly learned how much stress and time would be involved with my new position and I realized that this company did not pay me anywhere near enough to deal with it. A close friend of mine had asked me to come work for her as a designer at American Signature Inc. the same week I accepted the new position at BBW. I told her I would have taken it if I hadn't made the change, but she was a week too late. Besides, I was looking forward to my new position. Soon after, another friend from work filled the position and it made me wonder why I didn't take it, but there was still another position open for a graphic designer.
So last Wednesday I went to interview with ASI. Everything went well and my friend called the next day to offer me the job for the rate I asked for. On Friday morning I notified my boss that I would be leaving in 2 weeks. Once the VP was notified, I was called in to his office. He wanted to give me a counter offer, not even knowing what the offer was I was presented. I was hoping they would give me an actual number so I could see what they felt it was worth to keep me. Last year when I quit as a consultant, the offer I was presented to be hired as an associate was still not competitive but when I questioned it I was told I wasn't worth anymore. Not having another job lined up at the time, I decided to take it. Flash forward one year later, I move over to a new position as a lateral title move, but given no salary change. So last Friday I endured the speech that was supposed to convince me to stay. I was questioned on why I would leave this company to go work for a company that sells cheap furniture (which by the way they are trying build a more respected brand for which they have hired new designers to re brand their image). I said that if this company (BBW) was so much bigger and better, than why is it that the smaller less prestigious companies can pay their employees better? I don't think I really got an answer, nor did I expect to. But that's the way corporate works. I also said as far as the creative work, I would prefer to work here, however I am willing to sacrifice that for less stress and more money. My goal is to own my own successful business someday because this place taught me that I don't want to work for corporate my whole life. I said I would take the weekend to think about changing my mind. I found myself really doubting my decision, but eventually I realized the best thing for me was to leave. If I chose to stay and take a huge pay increase, I would be afraid of many things. They could treat me like shit and work me to death because I would be getting paid much more than I was supposed to be paid. Or I could be one of the first to be let go if they have budget cuts. Or they could look for a replacement and then let me go because they think I might be looking again. Most everyone I've ever talked to say it's always best just to take the other job rather than play the game of who will pay the most. On Monday morning I told them it would be best for me to leave, and I believe I managed to do so without burning any bridges in case I ever want to cross back over. It was a great experience working for Limited Brands, I just was ready to move up rather than be stuck at the same rate I was getting since graduating from College while taking on more responsibilities.
Next week marks my 4 years here at BBW and my last day. It's like I'm graduating all over again. I guess good mile markers come in 4s. 4 years of high school and traditionally 4 years of college. Now 4 years of BBW. I'm sad to leave my friends behind, but I know it's time to move on. I'm excited in many ways and look forward to a new future.
LOST Theories
MARCH 27, 2007
This is for anyone who watches LOST. Hopefully you still watch it. Lots of people have been complaining about this season not being very good. It did seem to loose it's way, but it is definitely back to it's original LOST ways. So DO NOT give up hope.
My friends at work and I have been discussing theories about what is going on. We are hooked on listening to the LOST podcast with Jay and Jack. It's an easy way to stay keen on the theories, easter eggs and whatnot. I'll also check out thefuselage.com if an episode was intriguing enough. Finally it is. Call me a dork, my friends dorks, but whatever. The writers are the most brilliant story tellers imaginable. It's impossible to wrap your mind around the depth of this show. Sometimes spoilers due just that, spoil the episode for me, but without them the show is not as fun. So I'm not even sure where to start, but I'll pick out a few interesting points or theories from the past few episodes.
Flashes Before Your Eyes - Desmond centric
The writers have confirmed that Desmond really did travel back in time. It's not a dream. They have said that there is something centered around the idea of LOST time. Even the name of a character is Mittelos, an anagram for Lost Time. Somehow after Des turned the fail safe, he entered a time loop. He went back to his life in London with Penny, but he remembers things about the island. He see's Charlie on the street but Charlie doesn't know him. He starts seeing the future which later on the island Des predicts Charlie's death and tries to save his life several times by altering the events to steer clear of Charlie. We also learn Penny's father thinks Desmond is not worthy of marrying her. Desmond decides to marry Penny anyway. While they are walking down by the river, we finally see the famous photo being taken. This photo has appeared in 2 previous episodes, both slightly different. People speculated that there had to be a reason for the photo being different. This episode could mean that each time he goes back to relive this moment, something is slightly different. Des then decides to break up with Penny...and now years later he is suck on the island.
Exit 77 - Saiyd centric
Saiyd, Kate and Locke find a house on the island where the eye patch guy lives. Saiyd gets shot and Patchy (Michail) pretends to be the last living member of Darhma. Soon they figure out he is lying. Locke starts playing chess on the computer and wins. Then Marvin Candle pops up giving a bunch of codes to enter....for food drop...for mainland communication...if the hostiles have taken over...Apparently the satellite is broken. Later everyone leaves the house and it blows up, most likely Locke's intention. There is also a grey cat on the island that resembles the one from Saiyd's torture flashback. Is it the same cat? Is it a smoke monster manifestation? Somewhat like Kate's black horse.
Par Avion - Claire centric
I knew this was coming. Claire is Jack's sister. Most people suspected this from an Ana Lucia flashback last season when she went to Australia with Christian Shephard to be his body guard. She waited in the car while he went to a woman's house demanding to see her (his daughter). Made sense that it could be Claire. So now this proves many connections Christian has with people on the island. Jack & Claire's dad, Aaron's grandpa, he took Ana Lucia with him, he met Sawyer in a bar. Jack has been connected to Desmond while running in the stadium, to Shannon through the hospital where her dad died from the car accident with Jack's future wife. This really is a game of 6 degrees of separation. (Maybe what sparked JJ Abrahms to do another show about it) Anyways, back on the Island Locke, Kate, Saiyd, Patchy and the French woman find the security force field. Patchy tells them that it has not worked for years. He then tells them about the Magnificent man, stating that it is not Ben. He starts to tell Locke that he knows he used to be Para....as in paralyzed. Before he can finish the French woman cuts them off. Locke then decides to push Patchy into the force field which causes his brain to hemorage and foam at the mouth. Once they find a way to climb over the barrier, they discover the village...and Jack playing football with Tom. A complete "What the hell" moment. Is Jack playing them? Was he brainwashed like Carl in the clockwork orange sceene?
THEORY:
Christian Shephard is either "him", the magnificent man, or at least involved with the others or Darhma somehow. He has had way too many connections to people on the island. Plus, the others seem to have a great interest in Jack, Claire and Aaron. Could it be because they have the same DNA as Christian? Since he was a doctor, maybe he was recruited by Mittelwork, the company that recruited Juliette. Jack used to have visions of his father alive on the island. Was it real? He did find the coffin empty. He also heard his father's voice over the speaker while he was held captive in the Hydra. Did he really die, or was it faked if he truly is involved.
The Man From Tallahassee - Locke centric
Kate confronts Jack inside the house. Jack starts yelling at her because they are watching him. He's mad she came back for him. The others capture her and Saiyd. Kate and Jack share a moment where he tells her he made a deal with them. They will let him leave the island, and he promises her he will come back for her. Meanwhile, Locke confronts Ben. Ben tells him he knows how he was paralyzed and wants to know why Locke was healed by the island, but Ben is still in a wheelchair. Locke then demands to know where the Submarine is. Locke makes a sarcastic comment about being a commander in the Navy, therefore he might know how to pilot it. He then tells him he wants to destroy it. Ben says he shouldn't do it because it is the idea of Hope and possibility to leave the island that the people need. He also says it won't matter because the magnetic anomaly (from the button not getting pushed) wiped everything out. Once the sub leaves, there is no way to find their way back to the island. Ben also asks Locke to imagine a box, and anything he wished for would be in it. Locke says Ben might as well imagine a new submarine. Flashback- Locke meets a man who says his mother is being conned by Locke's father, Anthony Cooper. Locke later confronts his dad at his condo. Cooper denys the claim, asking him to call the woman to prove it. Locke walks over to the phone as Cooper charges toward him, knocking him through the window, falling 8 stories on his back. Amazingly he survives, but is paralyzed. Back on the island, Locke takes Alex hostage. While hiding in the closet, Ben tells Tom to bring in the Man from Tallahassee. Locke and Alex escape and go down to the submarine. He is carrying the bag of C4 and climbs into the sub. Next we see Locke return, soaking wet from head to toe, just as Jack and Juliette reach the dock for their departure. Locke says to Jack, I'm Sorry. Behind him is an explosion. Jack's face was priceless. Back in Ben's house, Ben asks Locke about the box again, and tells him to open the door. Sitting tied to a chair is Anthony Cooper. Locke is stunned...Dad? Another What the hell!!! moment.
THEORY:
The big question is, did Locke really blow up the sub? Why was he wet? They made it a point to show him drenched. During the explosion scene, we never actually see the sub. It was visible before he blew it up, but afterward they used camera angles that blocked any view. The explosion also appeared to be in the center end of the dock rather than on the left. Locke also seemed very familiar with the sub, such as where the lights were. Most people wouldn't have a clue what to do in one. So did Locke pilot it away from the dock to hide it, then swim back, rigging the C4 on the dock or something else? There have also been many clues that Locke may know a lot about how to pilot a sub. Which the dialog between Locke and Ben about him being able to pilot it, seems to be a clue. It has been noted that in the flashback in Locke's apartment, there is a poster on the wall will many Military patches. Some being for Special Opps. Could Locke have been in the military? Maybe he was just a collector which lots of knowledge. Could he have studied things while he was in a wheelchair? We know he used to play war games at work at the box company. His coworker, Randy, would make fun of him saying he didn't have real military experience. (BTW, Randy used to be Hurly's boss at Mr. Clucks. After Hurly won the lottery and Mr. Clucks was hit by the meteorite, Hurly bought the box company and hired Randy, and apparently Locke.) Also, Locke has mad skills...boar hunting, knife throwing, hallucinogenic making, building things...He seems to be the survival go-to-guy. So why would he want to hide the submarine when he clearly wants to stay on the island because he is healed? Maybe he realized he was taking away everyone else's hope at getting off the island. Sure enough we will find out more about this...some day. Probably in 2 years.
Well I think this killed about 2 hours of my time. It's 11pm and I'm still stuck waiting for a stupid Body Scrub label to approve. So yes, I really did have time to waste writing all of that.
This is for anyone who watches LOST. Hopefully you still watch it. Lots of people have been complaining about this season not being very good. It did seem to loose it's way, but it is definitely back to it's original LOST ways. So DO NOT give up hope.
My friends at work and I have been discussing theories about what is going on. We are hooked on listening to the LOST podcast with Jay and Jack. It's an easy way to stay keen on the theories, easter eggs and whatnot. I'll also check out thefuselage.com if an episode was intriguing enough. Finally it is. Call me a dork, my friends dorks, but whatever. The writers are the most brilliant story tellers imaginable. It's impossible to wrap your mind around the depth of this show. Sometimes spoilers due just that, spoil the episode for me, but without them the show is not as fun. So I'm not even sure where to start, but I'll pick out a few interesting points or theories from the past few episodes.
Flashes Before Your Eyes - Desmond centric
The writers have confirmed that Desmond really did travel back in time. It's not a dream. They have said that there is something centered around the idea of LOST time. Even the name of a character is Mittelos, an anagram for Lost Time. Somehow after Des turned the fail safe, he entered a time loop. He went back to his life in London with Penny, but he remembers things about the island. He see's Charlie on the street but Charlie doesn't know him. He starts seeing the future which later on the island Des predicts Charlie's death and tries to save his life several times by altering the events to steer clear of Charlie. We also learn Penny's father thinks Desmond is not worthy of marrying her. Desmond decides to marry Penny anyway. While they are walking down by the river, we finally see the famous photo being taken. This photo has appeared in 2 previous episodes, both slightly different. People speculated that there had to be a reason for the photo being different. This episode could mean that each time he goes back to relive this moment, something is slightly different. Des then decides to break up with Penny...and now years later he is suck on the island.
Exit 77 - Saiyd centric
Saiyd, Kate and Locke find a house on the island where the eye patch guy lives. Saiyd gets shot and Patchy (Michail) pretends to be the last living member of Darhma. Soon they figure out he is lying. Locke starts playing chess on the computer and wins. Then Marvin Candle pops up giving a bunch of codes to enter....for food drop...for mainland communication...if the hostiles have taken over...Apparently the satellite is broken. Later everyone leaves the house and it blows up, most likely Locke's intention. There is also a grey cat on the island that resembles the one from Saiyd's torture flashback. Is it the same cat? Is it a smoke monster manifestation? Somewhat like Kate's black horse.
Par Avion - Claire centric
I knew this was coming. Claire is Jack's sister. Most people suspected this from an Ana Lucia flashback last season when she went to Australia with Christian Shephard to be his body guard. She waited in the car while he went to a woman's house demanding to see her (his daughter). Made sense that it could be Claire. So now this proves many connections Christian has with people on the island. Jack & Claire's dad, Aaron's grandpa, he took Ana Lucia with him, he met Sawyer in a bar. Jack has been connected to Desmond while running in the stadium, to Shannon through the hospital where her dad died from the car accident with Jack's future wife. This really is a game of 6 degrees of separation. (Maybe what sparked JJ Abrahms to do another show about it) Anyways, back on the Island Locke, Kate, Saiyd, Patchy and the French woman find the security force field. Patchy tells them that it has not worked for years. He then tells them about the Magnificent man, stating that it is not Ben. He starts to tell Locke that he knows he used to be Para....as in paralyzed. Before he can finish the French woman cuts them off. Locke then decides to push Patchy into the force field which causes his brain to hemorage and foam at the mouth. Once they find a way to climb over the barrier, they discover the village...and Jack playing football with Tom. A complete "What the hell" moment. Is Jack playing them? Was he brainwashed like Carl in the clockwork orange sceene?
THEORY:
Christian Shephard is either "him", the magnificent man, or at least involved with the others or Darhma somehow. He has had way too many connections to people on the island. Plus, the others seem to have a great interest in Jack, Claire and Aaron. Could it be because they have the same DNA as Christian? Since he was a doctor, maybe he was recruited by Mittelwork, the company that recruited Juliette. Jack used to have visions of his father alive on the island. Was it real? He did find the coffin empty. He also heard his father's voice over the speaker while he was held captive in the Hydra. Did he really die, or was it faked if he truly is involved.
The Man From Tallahassee - Locke centric
Kate confronts Jack inside the house. Jack starts yelling at her because they are watching him. He's mad she came back for him. The others capture her and Saiyd. Kate and Jack share a moment where he tells her he made a deal with them. They will let him leave the island, and he promises her he will come back for her. Meanwhile, Locke confronts Ben. Ben tells him he knows how he was paralyzed and wants to know why Locke was healed by the island, but Ben is still in a wheelchair. Locke then demands to know where the Submarine is. Locke makes a sarcastic comment about being a commander in the Navy, therefore he might know how to pilot it. He then tells him he wants to destroy it. Ben says he shouldn't do it because it is the idea of Hope and possibility to leave the island that the people need. He also says it won't matter because the magnetic anomaly (from the button not getting pushed) wiped everything out. Once the sub leaves, there is no way to find their way back to the island. Ben also asks Locke to imagine a box, and anything he wished for would be in it. Locke says Ben might as well imagine a new submarine. Flashback- Locke meets a man who says his mother is being conned by Locke's father, Anthony Cooper. Locke later confronts his dad at his condo. Cooper denys the claim, asking him to call the woman to prove it. Locke walks over to the phone as Cooper charges toward him, knocking him through the window, falling 8 stories on his back. Amazingly he survives, but is paralyzed. Back on the island, Locke takes Alex hostage. While hiding in the closet, Ben tells Tom to bring in the Man from Tallahassee. Locke and Alex escape and go down to the submarine. He is carrying the bag of C4 and climbs into the sub. Next we see Locke return, soaking wet from head to toe, just as Jack and Juliette reach the dock for their departure. Locke says to Jack, I'm Sorry. Behind him is an explosion. Jack's face was priceless. Back in Ben's house, Ben asks Locke about the box again, and tells him to open the door. Sitting tied to a chair is Anthony Cooper. Locke is stunned...Dad? Another What the hell!!! moment.
THEORY:
The big question is, did Locke really blow up the sub? Why was he wet? They made it a point to show him drenched. During the explosion scene, we never actually see the sub. It was visible before he blew it up, but afterward they used camera angles that blocked any view. The explosion also appeared to be in the center end of the dock rather than on the left. Locke also seemed very familiar with the sub, such as where the lights were. Most people wouldn't have a clue what to do in one. So did Locke pilot it away from the dock to hide it, then swim back, rigging the C4 on the dock or something else? There have also been many clues that Locke may know a lot about how to pilot a sub. Which the dialog between Locke and Ben about him being able to pilot it, seems to be a clue. It has been noted that in the flashback in Locke's apartment, there is a poster on the wall will many Military patches. Some being for Special Opps. Could Locke have been in the military? Maybe he was just a collector which lots of knowledge. Could he have studied things while he was in a wheelchair? We know he used to play war games at work at the box company. His coworker, Randy, would make fun of him saying he didn't have real military experience. (BTW, Randy used to be Hurly's boss at Mr. Clucks. After Hurly won the lottery and Mr. Clucks was hit by the meteorite, Hurly bought the box company and hired Randy, and apparently Locke.) Also, Locke has mad skills...boar hunting, knife throwing, hallucinogenic making, building things...He seems to be the survival go-to-guy. So why would he want to hide the submarine when he clearly wants to stay on the island because he is healed? Maybe he realized he was taking away everyone else's hope at getting off the island. Sure enough we will find out more about this...some day. Probably in 2 years.
Well I think this killed about 2 hours of my time. It's 11pm and I'm still stuck waiting for a stupid Body Scrub label to approve. So yes, I really did have time to waste writing all of that.
Nothing Really
MARCH 27, 2007
So it's been awhile. I thought I'd try to write another blog so a year doesn't go by since my last. I pretty much hate the computer. But it's unfortunately never going to go away. But I could really use a new one at home. Mine is practically an antique in computer years. Almost 10 years old. Macs do last longer than PCs, which is a good thing because I probably paid around 5 or 6 grand for it over the last 10 years. But thankfully it has gotten me this far. Ever since I upgraded to the new operating system, it takes me 20 years to load a page or start typing.
I've also been working my ass off on getting my business going. It's going to take awhile, but I know it will be worth it. I just don't know how many more years of corporate I can take. Once I'm ready to launch my web store, I will let everyone know.
It's after 9pm and I'm in NJ for a press approval once again. 3rd time here and NYC in 3 weeks. I saw Elton John at Teterboro airport on Friday. No, not our neighbor, Jay dressed for Halloween. The real deal.
Wish I had more exciting news to report. But I don't. Not even sure why I'm writing this. Maybe just to see if it actually still works. Maybe now I'll go back to reading the LOST message boards, trying to look for more evidence supporting the idea that John Locke hid the submarine, swam back to shore and blew up something else at the end of the dock.
So it's been awhile. I thought I'd try to write another blog so a year doesn't go by since my last. I pretty much hate the computer. But it's unfortunately never going to go away. But I could really use a new one at home. Mine is practically an antique in computer years. Almost 10 years old. Macs do last longer than PCs, which is a good thing because I probably paid around 5 or 6 grand for it over the last 10 years. But thankfully it has gotten me this far. Ever since I upgraded to the new operating system, it takes me 20 years to load a page or start typing.
I've also been working my ass off on getting my business going. It's going to take awhile, but I know it will be worth it. I just don't know how many more years of corporate I can take. Once I'm ready to launch my web store, I will let everyone know.
It's after 9pm and I'm in NJ for a press approval once again. 3rd time here and NYC in 3 weeks. I saw Elton John at Teterboro airport on Friday. No, not our neighbor, Jay dressed for Halloween. The real deal.
Wish I had more exciting news to report. But I don't. Not even sure why I'm writing this. Maybe just to see if it actually still works. Maybe now I'll go back to reading the LOST message boards, trying to look for more evidence supporting the idea that John Locke hid the submarine, swam back to shore and blew up something else at the end of the dock.
Halloween Music Hall of Fame 2006 - Results
OCT 28, 2006
Last night was a big success for the fourth year in a row. I honestly don't know how I'm going to compete next year! Seriously. I would first like to thank all of you who made this possible. Jason came up with the great idea to have a music themed party. Anyone who knows me, knows I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have my own concert. I think I'll just have to add this one to my list! Steve helped me get everything printed, and damn did I use a lot of paper! I also have to thank Steve for putting up with my shit for the last week or so, and for the trip to the ER we had to make due to his utility knife wound while setting up for this party. And Tiffany, thank you so much for sticking all those posters on my wall.... one.... at.... a.... freaking..... time..... and for spraying, cutting and stomping all those CDs! And mostly I want to thank everyone who came, because every night before a party I get anxiety about nobody showing up.
Now on to the good stuff. We had a pretty good turnout, around 40 people, although unfortunately many of the regulars were not able to make it. We did have many new faces...who were wearing new faces...which can make for a very interesting time when meeting new people. Thanks to all of you for braving a house full of crazy drunk ass people. I think most of the people here have bonded over the years only through seeing each other at our parties. Hopefully I didn't make too much of a fool out of myself either. I was extremely impressed by the performances by many of the musicians last night. I have many video clips...thankfully none of myself performing What You Waiting For. It is so tempting to post them on Youtube.com. Anybody feel like being an instant internet star like our pal Judson? It was a bummer that Jud couldn't make it down this weekend. It would have been awesome to have him get up an perform his evolution of dance. But we sure couldn't go wrong with a little Y.M.C.A. by the Village People, Britney Spears - Toxic, Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boy , Moulin Rouge - Lady Marmelade, Wake Me Up -Evanencence, Bjork, Charlie/Drive Shaft - You All Eveybody, Eminem - Lose Yourself, Nirvana - Teen Spirit , and Slash/Guns N Roses - Paradise City.
Last year's award winner, Jason R. presented the awards for Best Costume via a live audience vote. The nominations for Best Male Costume (please forgive me if I am wrong): Slash ..1 (Matt K), Slash ..2 (Chris H), KFed (Rob S), Elvis (Chuck). We had a tie between the 2 Slashes who both took home the $15 iTunes award. The nominations for Best Female were: Britney Spears (Jen S), Amy Lee from Evenecence (Jess), Bjork (Christa K) and Avril Lavigne (Tiffany K). After appearing to have a tie between all of the nominees, Sir Elton John was nominated in this category. By a staggering cheer from the crowd, Elton John (Jay S) won the award for Best Female Costume. Since both awards were passed out to Slash 1 & 2, Elton was presented the 6 disc CD set that was originally reserved for Best Performance. Sadly we did not get around to presenting an award for Best Performance. Since they continued through out the night, many people had left before everyone had the chance to perform. Upon reviewing a few video clips, I would vote for The Village People or Britney Spears.
By 2am, most people had left or gone upstairs to sleep. A smaller group of us chilled with a few actual musicians and listened to Matt, Aaron and Adam play and sing with their guitars until 4am. Actually, I'm not even sure how long Adam and Aaron were playing after we went to bed at 4. Oh, and thanks to Adam for washing the dishes this morning and everyone who helped clean up. I still have to get all the posters and guitars off the wall. Well I supose I'll go try to upload some photos for this blog.
Oh, and today was the first OSU game I went to. It was a lot of fun, but cold and windy as hell! I'm so ready to finally get some sleep...and an extra hour tonight is the best ever!
a n n i e
Gwen (Annie), Avril (Tiffany), Satine/Nicole Kidman (Holly) and Ava
The Village People
Avril Lavigne (Tiffany) & Britney Spears (Jen)
Garth (Steve) & Gwen Stefani (Annie)
Amy Lee of Evenecence (Jess) & Gwen Stefani (annie)
Amy Lee (Jess) & Drive Shaft's Charlie on LOST (Jason)
Kevin Federline & Britney Spears
Bjork (Christa) & Slash (Matt)
Yes, I made my costume from scratch. JoAnn Fabric's and 15 hours later it looked like this.
Brit and KFed still can't escape the Papparazzi!
Red Carpet's Worst Dressed: Bjork's famous Swan dress (Laura) & Abe Lincoln (Jake)
Guns N Roses: Slash (Chris) and Axel Rose (Sarah)
Oh God. I don't have any words...Ba ba Benny and the Jets.
Bonny & Clyde (Jeremy & Rachel)
Shania Twain (Alison) and Kenny Chesney(Kevin)
Patti Smith (Kellie), Gwen Stefani (Annie) and Nirvana Cheerleader (Corinne)
On the tour bus with Slash.
Lose Yourself in the Music...You better never let it go....you only get one stop...
Rock Star Samantha asleep at last!
Adam and Matt start their own show at 3 am.
Taking requests
Gibson Collection
2004 Inductee: Michael Jackson (Jeremy)
Last night was a big success for the fourth year in a row. I honestly don't know how I'm going to compete next year! Seriously. I would first like to thank all of you who made this possible. Jason came up with the great idea to have a music themed party. Anyone who knows me, knows I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have my own concert. I think I'll just have to add this one to my list! Steve helped me get everything printed, and damn did I use a lot of paper! I also have to thank Steve for putting up with my shit for the last week or so, and for the trip to the ER we had to make due to his utility knife wound while setting up for this party. And Tiffany, thank you so much for sticking all those posters on my wall.... one.... at.... a.... freaking..... time..... and for spraying, cutting and stomping all those CDs! And mostly I want to thank everyone who came, because every night before a party I get anxiety about nobody showing up.
Now on to the good stuff. We had a pretty good turnout, around 40 people, although unfortunately many of the regulars were not able to make it. We did have many new faces...who were wearing new faces...which can make for a very interesting time when meeting new people. Thanks to all of you for braving a house full of crazy drunk ass people. I think most of the people here have bonded over the years only through seeing each other at our parties. Hopefully I didn't make too much of a fool out of myself either. I was extremely impressed by the performances by many of the musicians last night. I have many video clips...thankfully none of myself performing What You Waiting For. It is so tempting to post them on Youtube.com. Anybody feel like being an instant internet star like our pal Judson? It was a bummer that Jud couldn't make it down this weekend. It would have been awesome to have him get up an perform his evolution of dance. But we sure couldn't go wrong with a little Y.M.C.A. by the Village People, Britney Spears - Toxic, Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boy , Moulin Rouge - Lady Marmelade, Wake Me Up -Evanencence, Bjork, Charlie/Drive Shaft - You All Eveybody, Eminem - Lose Yourself, Nirvana - Teen Spirit , and Slash/Guns N Roses - Paradise City.
Last year's award winner, Jason R. presented the awards for Best Costume via a live audience vote. The nominations for Best Male Costume (please forgive me if I am wrong): Slash ..1 (Matt K), Slash ..2 (Chris H), KFed (Rob S), Elvis (Chuck). We had a tie between the 2 Slashes who both took home the $15 iTunes award. The nominations for Best Female were: Britney Spears (Jen S), Amy Lee from Evenecence (Jess), Bjork (Christa K) and Avril Lavigne (Tiffany K). After appearing to have a tie between all of the nominees, Sir Elton John was nominated in this category. By a staggering cheer from the crowd, Elton John (Jay S) won the award for Best Female Costume. Since both awards were passed out to Slash 1 & 2, Elton was presented the 6 disc CD set that was originally reserved for Best Performance. Sadly we did not get around to presenting an award for Best Performance. Since they continued through out the night, many people had left before everyone had the chance to perform. Upon reviewing a few video clips, I would vote for The Village People or Britney Spears.
By 2am, most people had left or gone upstairs to sleep. A smaller group of us chilled with a few actual musicians and listened to Matt, Aaron and Adam play and sing with their guitars until 4am. Actually, I'm not even sure how long Adam and Aaron were playing after we went to bed at 4. Oh, and thanks to Adam for washing the dishes this morning and everyone who helped clean up. I still have to get all the posters and guitars off the wall. Well I supose I'll go try to upload some photos for this blog.
Oh, and today was the first OSU game I went to. It was a lot of fun, but cold and windy as hell! I'm so ready to finally get some sleep...and an extra hour tonight is the best ever!
a n n i e
Gwen (Annie), Avril (Tiffany), Satine/Nicole Kidman (Holly) and Ava
The Village People
Avril Lavigne (Tiffany) & Britney Spears (Jen)
Garth (Steve) & Gwen Stefani (Annie)
Amy Lee of Evenecence (Jess) & Gwen Stefani (annie)
Amy Lee (Jess) & Drive Shaft's Charlie on LOST (Jason)
Kevin Federline & Britney Spears
Bjork (Christa) & Slash (Matt)
Yes, I made my costume from scratch. JoAnn Fabric's and 15 hours later it looked like this.
Brit and KFed still can't escape the Papparazzi!
Red Carpet's Worst Dressed: Bjork's famous Swan dress (Laura) & Abe Lincoln (Jake)
Guns N Roses: Slash (Chris) and Axel Rose (Sarah)
Oh God. I don't have any words...Ba ba Benny and the Jets.
Bonny & Clyde (Jeremy & Rachel)
Shania Twain (Alison) and Kenny Chesney(Kevin)
Patti Smith (Kellie), Gwen Stefani (Annie) and Nirvana Cheerleader (Corinne)
On the tour bus with Slash.
Lose Yourself in the Music...You better never let it go....you only get one stop...
Rock Star Samantha asleep at last!
Adam and Matt start their own show at 3 am.
Taking requests
Gibson Collection
2004 Inductee: Michael Jackson (Jeremy)
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Party Designer...Any Job Openings? - SEPT 19, 2006
SEPT 19, 2006
Party Designer...any job openings?
Current mood: working
It's another one of those nights. Stuck on press, in an empty confrence room, this time in Louisville Kentucky. I actually kept pretty busy today. Got a lot of things done, which I never would have gotten around to on my own time. I actually wish I had more time to do other things. Well, not here really. It's basically just me, the sales rep, and a factory full of guys who look like Earl. Yeah, you know his name. Usually I don't have to go up to the press for approvals, they bring it to me. But heck, it's an adventure in there.
I seriously can't believe it's almost Halloween. I've got so much to do to top the past parties, but trust me, I will. This year's theme is Halloween Music Hall of Fame. It's going to feel like we're at a rock concert. At least I finished my costume already. Made from scratch. That's the way I like to do things. Well, definately not in the Kitchen. Not tellin who I'm going to be, but it should be fun. I felt like I was on project runway. Make it work. I'm pretty sure I did since it matches my photos to a T. I seriously want to be a party designer. I swear I have more fun doing this shit than anything. Just can't figure out how to actually turn that into a business. It takes a lot of work to do everything by hand, and who is willing to pay someone to design and produce everything for a silly little party like Halloween? People will pay big bucks for a Wedding Planner/Designer but what other events are worth it? I want to be more obscure. Themed parties, not your typical stuff. And not the kind of crap people can go into a party store and buy. That shit is so freaking cheesy. And I don't want it to be just for rich people who can afford to do elaborate events. But otherwise, how would I ever make any money. It's a lot of work. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.
Good lord, it's after 10pm. Thank god I'm on my last approval. I was hoping to be back to the hotel watch Boston Legal by now. Guess not. Well I really don't have too much else to write.
At least I scored some free OSU/Wisconsin football tickets from the vendor. Steve's happy about that.
Lata Gatas.
Party Designer...any job openings?
Current mood: working
It's another one of those nights. Stuck on press, in an empty confrence room, this time in Louisville Kentucky. I actually kept pretty busy today. Got a lot of things done, which I never would have gotten around to on my own time. I actually wish I had more time to do other things. Well, not here really. It's basically just me, the sales rep, and a factory full of guys who look like Earl. Yeah, you know his name. Usually I don't have to go up to the press for approvals, they bring it to me. But heck, it's an adventure in there.
I seriously can't believe it's almost Halloween. I've got so much to do to top the past parties, but trust me, I will. This year's theme is Halloween Music Hall of Fame. It's going to feel like we're at a rock concert. At least I finished my costume already. Made from scratch. That's the way I like to do things. Well, definately not in the Kitchen. Not tellin who I'm going to be, but it should be fun. I felt like I was on project runway. Make it work. I'm pretty sure I did since it matches my photos to a T. I seriously want to be a party designer. I swear I have more fun doing this shit than anything. Just can't figure out how to actually turn that into a business. It takes a lot of work to do everything by hand, and who is willing to pay someone to design and produce everything for a silly little party like Halloween? People will pay big bucks for a Wedding Planner/Designer but what other events are worth it? I want to be more obscure. Themed parties, not your typical stuff. And not the kind of crap people can go into a party store and buy. That shit is so freaking cheesy. And I don't want it to be just for rich people who can afford to do elaborate events. But otherwise, how would I ever make any money. It's a lot of work. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.
Good lord, it's after 10pm. Thank god I'm on my last approval. I was hoping to be back to the hotel watch Boston Legal by now. Guess not. Well I really don't have too much else to write.
At least I scored some free OSU/Wisconsin football tickets from the vendor. Steve's happy about that.
Lata Gatas.
Home Alone, or So I Hope...AUG 2, 2006
AUG 2, 2006
I'm so tired, so I don't know why the heck I'm writing this tonight. Maybe cos Steve's gone for the night, and I just got home at 1am to an empty house with an unlocked front door and no security alarm set. Took me a while to figure out how the door was left unlocked. I freaked out and searched every closet, shower, bed and basement for the possibility of finding someone hidding. As if that's gonna save me. Finally I remembered answering the door earlier tonight for Shayne dropping by to pick some stuff up. Holly and I were out of breath from freaking out over a cricket in the kitchen. She thought I was screaming about something on her, so she jumps on top of me, like that's gonna help. So in the midst of trying to get a cricket out of the house, and shayne ringing the doorbell, I must have left it unlocked when we left for the movie. Somewhat relieved, but I probably won't sleep too well. So what am I doing, watching a 48 Hour mystery about the Black Dalia serial killer. Go figure.
So it's been a long week. A busy one at that. Last week I had another press check in NJ for a few days. When the NY shuttle was landing, my coworker decided he would drive us into Times Square since I hadn't been there. It was cool to finally see it after all the times I've been to the city this year. Ended up at a going away party for someone I didn't know. The next day was boring as hell, so by evening we were ready to have a little fun. I guess I went a little overboard at the place we went to in Philadelphia. I think I'll be staying away from Martini's for awhile. The next day was rough. Thank god we finished our press check the night before, cos it took all morning for me to pull it together enough to go to the Philly airport. There was no way I was going to be able to drive back up to NYC to catch the Limited shuttle. When I got home, all I wanted to do was sleep. A few friends were staying with us, and we had our Luau to get ready for the next night. I was supposed to be figuring out a drink menu and whatnot, but I just didn't even want to think about partying. Fortunately Saturday morning was much better. I was really stressed out trying to get things together. We'd been playing this with our neighbors all summer, and the past week I didn't have a chance to do anything. Steve, thank you so much for pulling so much together without me. I'd say it was a pretty successful turnout. Maybe 40 or 50 people throughout the night. Amazingly only one person was slightly out of control. Last year we got yelled at at 2am for talking to loud in the hot tub. We were told we were getting drunker by the minute and to shut the F up. So this year another neighbor decided to piss on those neighbors' welcome mat. It's actually hilarious as long as they never find out about it. A few other things that belonged to the neighbors we don't like were marked. He also stole my entire desert and mowed down on it. He was also drinking beer, which someone filled with water. He thought it was the best beer ever. It was a great party over all. Nice to have some of our Bluffton friends down like Alison, Kevin, Kim, Matt, Christa, and Abby. Now it's time to start getting ready for Halloween. It's always bigger and better each year. I just started working on my costume today. Can't wait.
Well I should probably try to get some sleep. I don't think anyone is in the house. Hopefully Sammy would try to protect me, but probably not. I guess somebody will read this and know what might have happened to me if something were to happen. I'll just go back to watching my murder mystery and convince myself that nobody is here. As long as the ghetto bird doesn't fly over tonight.
I'm so tired, so I don't know why the heck I'm writing this tonight. Maybe cos Steve's gone for the night, and I just got home at 1am to an empty house with an unlocked front door and no security alarm set. Took me a while to figure out how the door was left unlocked. I freaked out and searched every closet, shower, bed and basement for the possibility of finding someone hidding. As if that's gonna save me. Finally I remembered answering the door earlier tonight for Shayne dropping by to pick some stuff up. Holly and I were out of breath from freaking out over a cricket in the kitchen. She thought I was screaming about something on her, so she jumps on top of me, like that's gonna help. So in the midst of trying to get a cricket out of the house, and shayne ringing the doorbell, I must have left it unlocked when we left for the movie. Somewhat relieved, but I probably won't sleep too well. So what am I doing, watching a 48 Hour mystery about the Black Dalia serial killer. Go figure.
So it's been a long week. A busy one at that. Last week I had another press check in NJ for a few days. When the NY shuttle was landing, my coworker decided he would drive us into Times Square since I hadn't been there. It was cool to finally see it after all the times I've been to the city this year. Ended up at a going away party for someone I didn't know. The next day was boring as hell, so by evening we were ready to have a little fun. I guess I went a little overboard at the place we went to in Philadelphia. I think I'll be staying away from Martini's for awhile. The next day was rough. Thank god we finished our press check the night before, cos it took all morning for me to pull it together enough to go to the Philly airport. There was no way I was going to be able to drive back up to NYC to catch the Limited shuttle. When I got home, all I wanted to do was sleep. A few friends were staying with us, and we had our Luau to get ready for the next night. I was supposed to be figuring out a drink menu and whatnot, but I just didn't even want to think about partying. Fortunately Saturday morning was much better. I was really stressed out trying to get things together. We'd been playing this with our neighbors all summer, and the past week I didn't have a chance to do anything. Steve, thank you so much for pulling so much together without me. I'd say it was a pretty successful turnout. Maybe 40 or 50 people throughout the night. Amazingly only one person was slightly out of control. Last year we got yelled at at 2am for talking to loud in the hot tub. We were told we were getting drunker by the minute and to shut the F up. So this year another neighbor decided to piss on those neighbors' welcome mat. It's actually hilarious as long as they never find out about it. A few other things that belonged to the neighbors we don't like were marked. He also stole my entire desert and mowed down on it. He was also drinking beer, which someone filled with water. He thought it was the best beer ever. It was a great party over all. Nice to have some of our Bluffton friends down like Alison, Kevin, Kim, Matt, Christa, and Abby. Now it's time to start getting ready for Halloween. It's always bigger and better each year. I just started working on my costume today. Can't wait.
Well I should probably try to get some sleep. I don't think anyone is in the house. Hopefully Sammy would try to protect me, but probably not. I guess somebody will read this and know what might have happened to me if something were to happen. I'll just go back to watching my murder mystery and convince myself that nobody is here. As long as the ghetto bird doesn't fly over tonight.
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