Memories of St. Louis

My father came in to the studio tonight and checked out some of my art. He likes everything that I don’t(go figure) and was amazed at the amount of work I’ve churned out lately. It was nice to have a bit of recognition from him since he hardly ever seems to notice. Its always nice when someone gets excited about something you created.

The word might or might not be out, I was fired. I’m not sure who knows and really who cares? I was planning on quitting soon as something opened up some place else. I told them I was going back to school and that I couldn’t pick up any more days. The next time I show up for work my schedule was cut down to 2 night shifts and with that I said it was bullshit and I am quitting.  The next day I came in to pick up my check, they handed me this confession to sign. It basically stated I was drunk on the job and that I had stolen booze from them. I read it, laugh, say i’m not signing anything, and wait for the next line of bullshit they have for me. The little Japanese boss starts telling me in broken ‘Engrish’ that I am TERMINATED! I grab my check and say thank you.

I’m working on putting together a presentation package to send out to prospective Art galleries. I have everything just about right. I’ll let you know in a month how it all turns out.

I have lots of free time now.

I never write in this thing enough. Where to begine?

Some times I neglect this journal because the will to write share is not always there. I like that I have a more limited audience(if anyone) reading this thing so I really should write more. Sometimes I like the feel of paper. I receive great satisfaction from writing by hand and ideas generally flow much easier and faster that way. I think next semester I will try and hand write my papers from now on and focus less on computers for drafting. Oh ya I forgot to tell you I had to sign up for two classes at Schoolcraft next semester. I hate the idea of going back to the (pardon my french) ‘Fucking shit hole’ school, but my money situation is better off just taking the classes there. I still plan to graduate from Washtenaw and as of Wednesday I am done with the preques to get onto the wait list for their radiography program. The decisive factor was the cost. I could take both classes at Schoolcraft for the cost of one at WCC, plus the school is less then a mile away. The wait list for the Radiography program is somewhere in the range of 1-2 years. I have discovered a quicker route going through a hospital based program. However I need to have prerequs for them, college level Algebra and English classes before I can apply to them(I think). Hopefully I can submit an application and by the time I would be admitted into the hospital based program I will be done with the classes.

I need to get my ass in gear. I must get out of this fog that I am stuck in. Damn it I hate you winter!!

PS: For some reason I keep spelling writing with two t and not one.

Bar Talk #212334

I don’t claim to be an expert at anything, but I am opinionated and think that making good judgments on anything requires careful studying of all sides of an issue. This guy by the last name O’Connell came in and we started talking about the major shittier Michigan is in. He said how he believed that humans are (like it or not) an organic part of this Earth. That no matter how much we think we have control over some things in the end we must bow to natures power. That economic recession and boom are all part of a natural cycle that kept everything in balance. How very Zen!

Too good

So far I am not so sure how I feel about Facebook. Some features are nice, but I’m not sure I need more stupid internet things to waste time on. I like that you can find people with the same last name as you. It is a good thing to get in touch with other McC’s and see how I might fit into their family. Tagging people in pictures is also pretty nifty. The only problem is no one I want to keep in touch with has one and everyone else that sucked from all the schools I have been to has one. I’ll give it another week before I kill the experiment.

Tonight I had to train someone how to do a job I do not fully understand myself. The owner is a strict Japanese business man and started yelling at me for talking to my trainee ‘too much’. I guess we did not direct a customer to the bathroom quick enough for his liking. This takes us to the other things I have been yelled at by him for.

1. Having a hand in my pocket
2. Having a 5 o’clock shadow
3. Chewing gum
4. Not reading his mind and setting up ‘his’ way

I’m not sure why he hates me so much or even if he hates me at all. The other managers tell me I am doing fine, but he makes me feel like I am doing everything wrong. I think I should probably stop calling him a fucking prick every time he walks away. I think the trainee Carmen was feeling the same was as me but he did not let it be know. Maybe he expects that sort of shitty treatment? After talking with him for the few hours we worked together I realized how boring a person he is. He really had nothing interesting to say except that he really liked the 300 movie. What really made me dislike him is the entire reason for this long ass post. I brought a book to read and todays book happened to be “The flash of lightning behind the mountain” by Charles Bukowski. I was reading it and had Carmen read one of my favorite poems in the book. I could tell after the first page he wasn’t really reading it anymore and just flipping through. He later explained that he was an English major of some type and that he thought of him as not very talented. Too good for Bukowski I guess?

First day of fall

The way the sun looked today just reminded me of fall. Sort of a shitty feeling to know that summer is over and you have nothing to look forward to then 6 months of cold. Fall is a great season, but winter and most of spring just suck.

I signed up for a Facebook the other day and I am finding it pretty interesting. It is just another way to waste time online and some features are a bit useless. I like that you can group with other people that share your same last name.

I am starting to get the hang of bartending and my job in general. I like being in my own little world when I am behind the bar. It is just me and the camera for awhile, then slowly people pour in. I pour the drinks and they keep asking for more as fast as I can serve them. Their really is no down time once it gets busy and it is nice not to be standing around watching the clock. I need to get a book on the subject because to be good their is a lot I need to know that I don’t. At least I don’t still have the feeling that I have 2 feet for hands. I am even starting to learn a few Japanese words.

My Life

I forgot to tell you all about my first day at work. I went into so much detail about how nervous I was to goto work and forgot the details of how easy it was. The bartender was not in that day so they trained me as a host. It got really busy for an hour and then I just stood there waiting for lunch. The great part about this job is that they feed you a meal after every shift you work. For lunch it was Sake haramiyaki or grilled Salmon neck in English with Soba noodles. It was quite tasty in a strange way. I am all about trying new food and anything is fair game in my book. Unless it smells like a foot or a butt crack I will give it a try. I start working a lot of hours next week, Tuesday – Saturday I work pretty much all day. The weird thing about this place is they open from 11-2 then close and open back up from 5-11. The bar is open till 2am which means I might be getting stuck their until then, who knows tho?

I am so lost in my thoughts

Today has been absolute shit for me. I am an idiot and that is the end of that. I found out I am not qualified for the ‘No Worker Left Behind’ program after all. When I first heard about it I thought it sounded like a pipe dream. I wish I lived in a society that valued education over guns and bombs. I’m not really bothered that I am not getting the money. What really is bothering me is the way my dad started yelling at me just because he had a bad day. He really had it in his head strong that I was passing up something that could help me with this program. I was putting my shoes on to go bowling and he just began calling me a lazy n@#$%. It really upsets me when my dad says those things about me. I want my parents to be proud of me, but he is someone I will never be able to satisfy. Nothing I have ever done has ever been good enough for him. He yelled at me some more about how ‘working at some fucking bar was never going to get me any place’. At this point I was ready to snap so I just left. It really ruined the rest of my night.

Karen beat the crap out of me in Bowling. I think the best I bowled was a 103. Sad because I can always bowl the shit out of the Wii.

Tomorrow is my first day of work since November. It feels really strange to have my ‘vacation’ be over so soon. It was really fun while it lasted. I’m not really sure what to expect. What more can I say?

It seems like only yesterday I was slaving away at the race track. Speaking of which Margret Z passed away the other day. She used to be in charge at the Downs when I first started. She used to call Dan & Me ‘Hoodlims’ and tried to get me fired. I’m not sure if I should feel anger towards her anymore seeing as she did start loosing it really bad towards the end.

oh my mind, how you wander….

New Job

I start working as the Bartender for Cherry Blossom on Friday. You could say that I am quite excited about this.

I went fishing pretty much all day today and got skunked. Not even one little bite and we even had a canoe. Those bastard fish!

Sorry, I just don’t have anything else cool to talk about.