B-A-C-K

Someone in my office just said "No Talent Assclowns" and that, of course, reminded me of you fools.

1. Back from Panama and Costa Rica on Sunday...what an f-ing trip. Highlights in no particular order:
-Turned 26, very possibly the most fun I've ever had on my birthday. The beach, a live band, dancing, stars, ocean, palm trees, hot central american women all over. etc, etc. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica is alllll right with me.
-My traveling buddy from Michigan was robbed in Bocas Del Toro, Panama.
-I was bitten apparently by a spider and now I have a half dollar size bruise on my arm. I'm going to the doctor today.
-Went mountain biking and hiking on Volcan Baru, the highest point in Panama (it's a volcano).
-Got a tan. Yes, a tan. I couldn't believe it either.

2. Red Wings/Pistons Update: Despite the loss last night to the Stars, the Wings look to be headed to the best Stanley Cup Finals in years with a matchup against the Pens. BB's heart just skipped a beat.
Pistons are rolllling and hopefully this break will allow Chaunce to get healthy in time for the matchup against the 'Brons or the Celts. This series is going 7 because clearly, Boston is incapable of winning on the road.

3. Is there anything more annoying that when people have Bible quotes on their answering machine? I'm all for religion (well, sort of), but when it's on your work phone? Is that appropriate? Really? Thank you, I will have a blessed day, you jerk.

4. Tigers: Still suck, but not quite as bad as before.

5. Bonus Goal: I ran into Mrs. Jnicho on State the other night. Actually, it was less of a "run into" and more like a "secret date at Flemings, in which we shared all our innermost secrets and planned to run away together to the South of France". I mean, what?

A Book, A Movie, Inbreeding and Smoking! Where are we? Alabama (minus the book)?

1. Started reading this last night, I'm sure BB owns a 1st Edition signed copy...either way, it's good. Although I can tell you, after 24o pages, I'll be done reading his snide remarks and probably have a few of my own.





2. Anyone else see the Simpsons this weekend? I saw it opening night at a raucous theater in Philadelphia, it was a lot of fun. I'm a huge Simpsons fan and one of my friends that I went with isn't...we both loved it. "STOP! That's my whipping hand!"



3. I blame inbreeding. (I'm righthanded)

4. So obviously most places in the world you can't smoke indoors (save: the South, various random islands in the South Pacific which don't have windows or doors anyway, etc). However, I am now enjoying the fruits of the Small Business Owner at our client site. I write to you all from my office in Scranton, PA sipping my coffee and having an early morning cigarette. I can almost feel my skin turning into leather. Welcome to Flavor Country.

Off the Punch

1) So I was sick all last week and pretty much didn't go to work. No voice, no point in doing phone sales.
2) The week off the punch must have had its effect 'cause I came to work, and I looked around and said, "fuck this shit" and quit. Walked into my bosses office and said thanks but no thanks. He shook my hand and thanked me for being a man about quitting. Most people just never show up again. Got his card and said I can use him as a reference.
3) What the fuck?! I'm jobless. Crazy. Had a conversation, and a great conversation with two recruiters. One at Robert Half, and the other at Global. Global's got something nice and easy lined up in two weeks. Got an interview with Apple One tomorrow at 3. BB where do you work?
4) Skurny, the Global folks want a third reference, so I'm using you. You were my "team lead" at AIU. Do me good.
5) Enjoy the time off. Make beer, bbq, and chillaxe...

Goal in the Hole

1) My job spent almost 5grand to send almost 20 of us to the Get Motiviated seminar at the All State Arena today. Zig Zagler, Forbes, etc... It was okay. But I think this might be the first job I've worked that footed the bill for something like that. Next month they're footing the bill for 3 of us to go to training with all of the regional directors. Kind of a big deal. I probably won't get to go... Which is good, 'cause I enjoy my marriage.
2) I saw Young Frankenstein last night. Written and starring Gene Wylder and directed by Mel Brooks. Bar none the funniest Brooks movie ever. Beats the hell out of History of the World and Blazing Saddles. Marty Feldman made that movie and Terri Garr was classic beautiful.
3) My beer is fermenting. The fermentation lock bubbles every 3 seconds. That's pretty much at its peak.
4) Speaking of beer. If you're ever out in seattle go here. For $1 you get a tour and 5 5.5oz tastings of beer. No f'n joke. Bring a friend or loved one who doesn't like beer. More beer for you.

Weekendshizzie

1) Wrote the most beautiful lead ever and it went to sale putting almost a grand in my pocket. 13 million dollar company looking to raise 12m for 3 acquisitions. The client had the money in hand but it fell through in the 11th hour. If this thing goes all the way it would be 4 transaction fees that I would get a bonus on, and that would be this year. He's looking to do 25m next year over 4 or 5 transactions. We'll find out Tuesday or Wednesday if he engages us for the job.
2) Company is paying for a group of us to go the All State and see Zig Ziglar and bunch of others speak on monday. Where are my boom sticks? Top guys get an all expense paid trip to Vegas in July for "training". "No wives, no girlfriends" type of "training".
3) Drank a beer this weekend that was 20% alcohol. I think it burned my throat. And then I drank another that was 20 years old. F'n amazing. Brewing later on today.
4) Boss took us out for beers today. It was crazy. 3 guiness and a shot of tequila later I'm on the el train home. It was only 6pm! On with the downward spiral into alcoholism...

Goals

1) Stumbled upon a bottle of Perrier-Jouet 1988 Brut. This bottle is worth at least $200. Maybe more. A lot more. Figure out what to do with it.
2) Played Wii boxing this weekend. After 2 1/2 hours, 12 fights (8 by way of ko) 2 losses (1 by ko) and a draw I was quite tired. I woke up the next morning and my back was sore as hell. Just like a day in the gym!
3) Tried my friend's lager. It was nothing like I had ever expected. Probably because that's how lager is supposed to taste. I'm going to take it into the homebrewer's meeting next thursday since I have no beer of my own.
4) The company continues to grow. Where there were once 18 there are now 22, and I'm not counting the people that leave every week. The goal is to get to 40 by then end of the year with the plan of bringing in 10 a week and having one of them stay.

goals

1) Fuckin' A
2) The company has doubled it's volume in the last year. I don't have exact #'s but I believe our department alone did 12m in sales and we've done that so far this year.
3) Gave up my ticket that I won to the cubs game so i could spend time with the wife. what to do now....
4) Go play more Jedi Academy.

Happy Sats

1) I had dinner with Allen Trammell last night. Allen fucking Trammell!!! Only Skurny can truly appreciate what that means to me. Brown Buddy can grasp it. I'm tempted to make this goal #4 'cause there's no way I can top this. Bless you Boys!!!
2) So who's "bob" in this story?
3) Rip a new guys head off yesterday. He's been there two weeks and made a stupid 1st day mistake. I lit into him. Gave him a dollar for screaming at him so much and then ripped into him some more. That was 3pm. They shut it down at 6 and he came up to me and said, "Hey, I'll try not to disapoint you next week." I flipped him off.
4) Wife's gone all day. Smoking some Q...

Goals

1) Flurry of activity at work this week. Busy is good. Pondering a switch upstairs to the analytical sector. I think we hired a d-1 basketball guy from Illinois named Jackson.
2) Cheesecake Factory tomorrow. Always soooo crowded...
3) Who to root for tonight? I'm not sure. But the real winner is Joe Dumars. Win or lose, he's doing better than Isiah Thomas.
4) What's the weather supposed to be like this weekend? I hope its dry.

4-sheezy

1) Pray for warm dry weather this weekend. Time to get my Q on....
2) I have 8 beers left. 6 I promised to my wife and 2 I promised to my friend in the 'Zoo. Despite having had a drink every day for the last month I've proved I'm not an alcoholic by "Bertsche"ing these beers. (note: compliments for this term can be posted in the comments section).
3) Remember the guy with the rat tail that used to work at AIU? Totally works at my new job. He sucks as bad as he did at AIU. I warned the recruiter too. Oh well...not my time being wasted...
4) Go play Jedi Academy.

Oh Yeah I forgot

5) Reason # 37 why I love my job.

Boss comes to me and three other guys and pulls us aside.

He says, "So I've come up with the greatest contest in the world this afternoon. If any of you four write a lead between now and the time I leave I'll buy the four of you a shot across the street. So write a lead and come see me. Then I'll give you money and you guys go take a break and have a shot on me. Sound good?"

I wrote a lead a 1/2 hour later. Someone else wrote one and hour after we got back. My boss joined us for the second one. He said, "I hope you realize you have the coolest fuckin' boss in the whole world."

No doubt.

Goals

1) Business is still growing. 15 people hired in the last two weeks. Of the 7 hired in last week's class, 4 are still around. We'll see how this new batch works out.

2) Bummed my smoker is not taking advantage of these rays. Out of town for the next 3 weekends. No bbq for me. :( But this beer tastes excellent. :)

3) If the Cubs announced they were moving to Charlotte what would happen to the Northside? Seriously, would Wrigleyville, Boystown, and Southport go in the complete shitter? Notice I didn't mention Uptown. 'Cause I don't care how many $250,000 condos you throw up in that bitch, you couldn't clean that area out with a tsunami.

4) Start making plans for this summer. After June 2nd I'll be home for awhile. I'm thinking my birthday (end of june) will be at the Billy Goat under the Wrigley Building. Sound cool?

Goals

1) Gone every weekend between now and June 2nd? Blows.
2) If we tie are record this week as a team the top 4 associates get Bulls Playoff tickets. Will the Bulls be playing next week?
3) If you're a basketball coach and you're being shredded on the inside, at what point do you make the adjustment? 10 points? 15 points? 18 points? I'll let you know when the game is over.
4) Frickin' hilarious. Which inspired me to find this one and my personal favorite.

Did Some One Say Goals Group Reunion?

Goals Group Reunion this Thursday?!!!!

1) BB, J.O.B, and Skurny are invited out to the Goose Island in Old Town for my beer group. First timers are free. I'll definitely be going (sorry Brown Buddy about last time) and bringing a couple bottles of this delicious English Bitters (which I've named The Destroyer). Plan on being there between 7:30 or 8p.m for the start. Just ask the bartender where the homebrewers are meeting.
2) As a team we've had a rough couple of days. What did our boss do about it today? Took us all out for drinks! My boss rocks!
3) Going to Michigan again for another graduation. Taking the amtrak. Spartans blow.
4) Bulls do look like a well oiled machine. Jesus. I take back every bad thing I said about the way they finished the regular season. But let's be honest, the Pistons look pretty bad ass too. Quite frankly I don't care who wins because I know the NBA title will be settled in this series like the NFL title was settled between Indy and the Pats this year in the AFC divisional.

Goals

1) It's been almost a week since I've had a homebrew. I guess I'm not an alcoholic yet. yet...
2) Wrote 3 leads today. Computer networking, a wholesaler, and a home healthcare service. I found out we didn't move on another lead I wrote because the company lost 1.3 million over the last two years. I said, "On what? Hookers or gambling?"...
3) Leaving for 3 days tomorrow. Cue music: don't forget me when I'm gone...
4) Am going to see Bill Clinton speak at UofM's commencement on Saturday. I'm half expecting him to announce his candidacy for the 2008 election. I don't know how he would pull it off, but if anyone could...

Goals

1) Probably gonna read "The Secret". Punch tastes good.
2) Put money on the fact that if creatures from another planet were found that were exactly like us in looks and appearance, there would be at least one fuckin' idiot who use to believe that life could only exist on this planet would then come up with an amazing theory on how life got their too and how it was all God's plan.
3) Swear to God I talked to the secretary to the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters. Melvin wasn't in. Imagine though how sweet that would've been. What if he was trying to buy the Sonics?
4) Somebody please explain to me how Sade still rocks?

Happy Friday

1) There's this guy who hangs outside of my downtown El Stop every Friday and screams "Happy Friday! And then begs for change". I couldn't help but smile this morning. He voice had some extra in it. Like he got a hummer from a toothless crach whore the night before.
2) Made money again today! So after two months I've officially accomplished the goal of making more money in two days at the new job then at two weeks at the old job.
3) The "Big Wig"'s party was great. Met some great guys in other areas, made sure the president new I was bringing in business, and found a great time to exit. Did I mention the $300 scotch?
4) Who do I miss the most from my old job? D. What about you guys?

Moving on

1) Give B.B. a hug the next time I see him. Sorry about you're hokies.
2) Made money today. Second time in this pay period. Pay period doesn't end for a week. Make more money.
3) Figure out as many recipes that require beer. My homemade beer. Beer can chicken is out, since my beer isn't canned. Although I probably cold pour some into a can. Fish n' Chips this weekend, and I have to figure out how to make steak n' ale pie. Any others?
4) Got invited to the "big wig"'s party at his place in Evanston tomorrow. Don't know if I'll go. But how sweet is that sh!t?
5) All it took was the worst mass shooting in the U.S. for this blog to start posting some decent rhetoric? Aim for 35.
6) Why couldn't George have been on Virginia Tech's campus that day?
7) I'm not a big law guy, but I feel this furthers the case for deputized police officers on college campuses and not rent-a-cops.
8) Bulls suck. Way to choke b!tches. 5th seed and you're going to lose at home to the heat. You heard it hear first.
9) Congrats to the Buerle. 4 balls away from a perfect game. But I would've probably walked slammin' sammy all night. Big Kudos to you and your no-hitter.

Fri

1) Skurny - I wrote "next". J.O.B. jumped the gun and Brown Buddy followed along happily.
2) J.O.B. - Part German? You can taste part of a beer. Kidding. But I really do want a born and raised kraut to try my next beer. It'll be a Kolsch and I'd like to get that person's opinion. I might go to Lincoln Square.
3) Talked to Mo today. How random is that? We talked about exiting the company. Which I thought was ironic since I talked to business owners all day about exiting their company. Let me tell you Mo doesn't have a good strategy in place.
4) The 20m gig the company landed this week ended up in the wall street journal. Kind of cool. It was classified as a "rarity" in which an M&A group gets two leads that so closely align with one another. Almost identical cultures, infrastructures, and business plans and one was looking to sell while the other was looking to buy. Most of the time a buyer and a seller comes from two different Capital Market sources.

Got two records and a microphone

Love that lyric.

1) My wife made the best chicken cacciatorre (sp?). Chicken was tender, moist, and peppery. Delish.
2) My new seat over looks downtown chicago. Only on the 3rd floor, and its fun to watch the worker bees bustle off to the hive....
3) ...And some how I recognize I was ripping on myself.
4) Got word from the man himself that the Skurny-monster might be headed toward the Windy City next week.
5) The english man who tried my english bitters said it was awesome. This is one of the most blunt men I know, so I got a great review from a very fair opinion. Now I just need to find a german. Who knows beer better than the German and Enlish? Isn't that what World War II was about, Ale vs. Lager?
6) Fastest week ever. Friday is already tomorrow. Start planning the weekend.