Yeah, sort of forgot to post the "I'm OK, You're OK" after the bridge fell. the site is about 5 blocks from my apartment, so traffic has been insane, compounded by the people who just feel the need to wander down there and stare at the wreckage. Other than that, everyone I know is ok, including me.

Crap crap crap crap crap! Oversleepage!

I'm due at work in several minutes, so I'll make this as brief as is logical. Book 7 of a particular children's series came out at midnight last night, and here it is, some 8 and a half hours later, and I still haven't picked it up. Far from being due congratulations on my restraint, I am avoiding this book like the plague for personal reasons. Namely, I know how difficult endings are for me, and this particular series has been responsible for so many moments of joy, new friendship, and other Hufflepuff-ish feelings and experiences that I don't know that I'm ready to give it up. I'm sure I'll have read it by the time the next week is out -- even now I feel my resolve on this matter cracking away -- but in this moment, I'm not comfortable with it. Not yet.

It's been an interesting few days at the new job. Everyone gets along quite well, but it doesn't seem like there are too many *friendships* floating around. I reiterate, everyone gets on well, and works well together, it's just... a bit hollow, I suppose. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing; certainly the work takes some serious focus, and I'm glad to give it. I'd imagine that this will remedy itself, that I'll see what Radisson friendships look like soon, once people are done introducing me as "the new Night Manager, Joe", and just know me as "Joe". I like my new job. I'd really like my new paycheck. Two weeks is a long time.

Anyhow, that's all from me tonight. Talk to you all later.

J

First off, my apologies to those who were expecting this post last night. As is often the case before something new, I couldn't sleep the night before my new job, and so I went to bed straightaway after getting home yesterday.

Even though I was sleep deprived, it wasn't hard to see that the new hotel is going to be ideal. We had a nine o'clock run down meeting, where I met most of the managers. The staff works incredibly well together, and unlike my last hotel, there wasn't any "you're new so let me warn you about..." gossip. Everyone seems to like everyone else a lot more than they did in Shoreview, which is a little thing, I suppose, but it certainly makes working with people a lot better. As expected, there's an army of managers and staff; I should know -- i think I was introduced to every last one of them yesterday.

Expectations are a lot higher, but the working environment is a lot less focused on excellence -- they don't have to doublecheck every little thing like Julie felt she had to -- people just live up to expectations.

On a side note, there's a severely cute waiter there, too. ^_^

They're hiring a new Night Auditor, for which Kevin (from the old place) is applying. He'll probably get it -- why wouldn't he? -- which would be great for about 40 reasons, not the least of which being that the Hilton will be completely screwed over. Everyone I worked with seems to be bailing out of that place. Anyone surprised?

Well, I'm assembling new closet organization stuff, so I'll leave it there. Looking forward to talking to you guys online soon!

JB

Visit http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3*, and select five of the offered quotations that you feel reflect who you are or what you believe....

• Truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking.
  Malcolm Gladwell, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, 2005
  
  
• Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd.
  Edith Sitwell (1887 - 1964)
  
  
• A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world.
  John le Carre (1931 - )
  
  
• If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have paradise in a few years.
  Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)
  
  
• It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do.
  Jerome K. Jerome (1859 - 1927)
  

So, I'm going to go in and ask for a raise tomorrow. If I get it, I stop looking for other work. Otherwise, I go away from teh hotel.

I'm asking for a raise from $10.77 to $12.00, along with bonuses for the software I write that the hotel uses. We'll see what happens.

J

(001) Your gender: male
(002) Straight/gay/bi? 99.4% gay
(003) Single? *nodnod*
(004) Your birthday: Nov 4
(005) Age you wish you were? 25
(006) Hair color? dark brown
(007) Long, Short, or medium length? long enough that it's starting to curl into this weird Caesar thing
(008) The color of your eyes: Brown/hazel/golden-flecked, sometimes
(009) Piercings? They look cool on some people -- I'm definitely not one of them
(010) Want more? ....
(011) Tattoos: No >_<

DO YOU...

(012) Smoke: Not Anymore.... 1 hour, 1 minute and counting
(013) Do drugs: No >_<
(014) Read the newspaper: Arts & Leisure and anything above the fold on the front page
(015) Drink: sometimes
(016) Talk to strangers: they usually do the talking
(017) Take walks in the rain: *nod*
(018) Drive: to work, and often, back
(019) Like to drive fast?: meh, speed limits are ok by me
(020) Hurt yourself: Not intentionally....

HAVE YOU...

(021) Been out of the country: yes!
(022) Been in love: I thought so.
(023) Done drugs: I smoked pot once, and then once more.
(024) Gone skinny dipping: once
(025) Had a surgery: yes
(026) Ran away from home: Didn't get too far.
(027) Played strip poker: No, believe it or not
(028) Gotten beaten up: Not really -- had quite a few scrapes as a kid though
(029) Beat Someone Up: Only a few, and not since I was like 12
(030) Been on stage: Meh, not in a while -- I don't really enjoy it anymore
(031) Slept outdoors: *nod*
(032) Pulled an all-nighter: you're lookin' at one right now, pals
(033) Talked on the phone all night: Not for a very, very long time V.V
(034) Slept all day: yeah
(035) Killed someone: um...nope. Come close once. <--DiC's answer is accurate
(036) Made out with a stranger: Once
(037) Had sex with a stranger: Nope
(038) Kissed the same sex: *nodnodnod*
(039) Done anything sexual with the same sex: *nodnodnod*
(040) Been betrayed: yep
(041) Broken the law: yep
(042) Met a famous person: Pres. Clinton, Prince (who's nuts, btw), and Joe Gordon Levitt
(043) Been on radio/tv: yep
(044) Been in a mosh-pit: yep
(045) Had a nervous breakdown: yep
(046) Been criticized about your sexual performance: well, people have stopped sleeping with me before....
(047) Had a dream that kept coming back: yep >_<
(048) Was it a good dream: how'd you guess? No.
(049) School: Roosevelt Elementary, Wilson Middle, Moline High, Augsburg College
(050) Wear hats: only sometimes, like when my head's cold, if I'm cleaning or building something, or if it's a goofy weird hat
(051) Judged other people by their clothing: yeah >.> <.<
(052) Judge by their piercings: sometimes
(053) Favorite place to shop: Rainbow Foods
(054) Favorite article of clothing: brown socks
(055) Are you trendy?: Dear lord no

BELIEFS...

(056) Believe in life on other planets: unless they're offended by it... the aliens, I mean
(057) Miracles: sure
(058) Astrology: it's fun
(059) God: *shrug*
(060) Santa: ooh, I want a pony!
(061) Ghosts: Yep
(062) birth: Definitely Not. (?????)
(070) Love at first sight: yea
(071) Yin and Yang: Sure
(072) Witches: Yeah
(073) Easter bunny: Hippity-Hoppity... but no
(074) Birth Control: N/A
(075) Sex Before Marriage: Whatever feels OK for y'all
(076) Sex without love: Nah
(077) The pull of the full moon: it seems to affect people
(078) Do you remember your first love/crush: *nodnodnod*
(079) Still love him/her: *Nodshrugnod*
(080) Do you consider love a mistake: sometimes
(081) What do you find romantic: a boy cooking in my kitchen
(082) Turn off: republicanism
(083) Turn Ons: openness, blondeness, maturity with boyishness, etc.
(084) Do you base your judgement on looks alone: more on body kinetics and voice than anything
(085) Have you ever wished it was more "socially acceptable" for a girl to ask a guy out?: Not my area
(086) Have you ever been romantically attracted to someone physically unattractive? see questions 78 & 79
(087) Do you think the opposite sex finds you good looking? I've never had anyone run in fear... so that's good
(088) Do you think the opposite sex finds you charming? *shrug*
(089) What's the last present someone gave you: A gift certificate to a restaurant at a golf course
(090) Do you like someone at this moment? : *.*

LAST PERSON...

(091) That you laughed at: Sherry
(092) That laughed at you: Dane
(093) That turned you on: Peter
(094) You went shopping with: *shrug*
(095) To disappoint you: me me me!
(096) To make you cry: My mom - it's her passtime
(097) You saw a movie with: Jill
(098) You talked to on the phone: Sherry
(099) You talked to through IM: Teelee

LAST TIME YOU....

(100) Had sex: 2005
(101) Laughed at someone: Feb 21
(102) Cried: January
(103) Bought something: Fries at Santanas around 1:30 this morning
(104) Danced: at work last night when *BOOGIE SHOES* came on the Muzak
(105) Were sarcastic: See question 96
(106) Hugged/kissed Someone: Hell if I know
(107) Talked to an ex: Talked to Evan a few months back, but that shouldn't count, so 2002
(108) Watched your fav movie: Monday Night
(109) Talked on the phone: last night at work
(110) Listened to the radio: on the drive home from work last night
(111) Watched TV: about 3 hours ago

HAVE YOU EVER...

(112) Helped someone: I try to regularly
(113) Felt betrayed by someone close: *nod*
(114) Said "I love you" and meant it: yep
(115) Did something with someone u didnt want to: yep