phenom’s world

One of the benefits, as it were, of the company bleeding money is that they’ve recognized how much they can save by forcing us all to take a week’s vacation around the July 4th holiday.   With an empty building they have an opportunity to perform any maintenance that is necessary on the facilities, upgrade any computer/storage items as needed, and do all sorts of other things that are virtually impossible to do with a building full of people.

I don’t work in an assembly plant, so I normally didn’t have this time off.  At first, it seemed that we were being ripped off by being forced to take our vacation time during this week, but it really is a welcome break at an ideal time of year, especially this year, what with the economic state of the company.

Coincidentally, my iPod and laptop just reminded me of my regular 10AM Tuesday meeting.  NOT THIS TIME, SUCKA!!

I’ve got several projects planned for this week, some borne of necessity, such as the gaping hole in the ceiling of my garage, and others of desire, such as the pulled pork experiment I plan on unleashing on the neighborhood Friday night, just prior to burning down the neighbor’s house with various flaming projectiles.

So far, I’ve done nothing.  I went to Zingerman’s for lunch yesterday, and when I got back to the car, there was still 26 minutes left on the meter.  I had Maggie the Dog with me, so I took her for a walk through downtown Ann Arbor, something I never would have done a month ago before she went off to a kind of doggie boot camp.  She was great, and I’m still not convinced the breeder brought back our dog.  I think he switched her for a calmer, quieter, listener of a dog.

Anyway, I’ve been sitting here at my computer for a good part of the morning, with New Orleans Jazz playing on Pandora, and it feels like Sunday.  Yesterday felt like Sunday.  The day before that was Sunday.  I could get used to this, but it’s probably time I got some stuff done.  Drywall doesn’t hang itself, you know!  If only it did.

It’s been a stressful couple of years for me, professionally at least.  I work for an automaker, as some of you may already know.  It’s no secret that it is an industry that has not been kind to people for awhile now, and most unfortunate is the simple fact that new model production can in no way keep up with how fast gas prices have risen recently.  Even worse than that, my skillset is not conducive to being outside of the automobile industry, short of moving to Hollywood and working 80 hours a week for low wage as a worker bee in some animation/CGI studio somewhere.  

I learned my trade in a specialized school that focused on computer-aided industrial drafting and not much else.  I was a cab driver that wanted to do more, and my mother-in-law lived next door to a guy who mentioned a need in the field I’m now in.  In less than six months, I was modeling taillight cans for a show car to be introduced two weeks later.

Our organization has dwindled by nearly 40% in the past year and a half and tomorrow, we’re anticipating notification that the next round of cuts will happen before the end of the day.  This, mind you, coming just two days before the July 4th week-long shutdown.  We’ve already been told that more cuts will occur between July 4th and August 1st.  I’ll be home next week doing things around the house, but others will be travelling for the week, be it to northern Michigan or to a nice, cozy beach somewhere to the south.  How they’ll be able to enjoy that break is beyond me, really.  

Personally, I feel I have less to be concerned about than many other people because my performance has always been rated highly and my salary and seniority would suggest that I might be a commodity, for lack of a better term.  I’m not taking that for granted, however.  I’m afraid of what will happen if I were to lose my job, but it’s something that I’ve been preparing for since probably December of 2005, when we were all informed two weeks before Christmas that there’s be drastic cuts in January of 2006.  That, my friends, is the type of thing we deal with seemingly every major holiday.  

It’s in the low 80s right now and the sun is out.  iTunes is belting out Led Zeppelin’s Rock & Roll as I sit on the deck, my ass on one chair and my feet on another.  There’s a Smithwick’s on the table next to me and the boys are playing on the swingset.  There is no better way to deal with the stress I’m living with right now.

No better way.  

During dinner…

Phenom:  ”Hey, guys, after dinner you wanna go to Frosty Boy?”

Boys, almost in unison:  ”No, not tonight.”

phenom and pgoodness then scrape their jaws off the floor.

I’ve started another blog somewhere.  Where, you ask?  I’ll tell you, but not publicly. 

I’m not leaving this place, but I needed somewhere a little more anonymous, where I could perhaps be a little more candid.

Fourth Cup in 11 years. 

Who needs the Pistons, anyway?

As I left the house today, I felt that funny feeling when you know you’ve forgotten something, but just can’t place what it is.  I had the iPod for the tunes, an apple for the road, and I skipped grabbing something for lunch on purpose.  There’s no dog to let outside, it was late enough that no lights were left on, so I hopped in the car and drove off in search of Starbucks and the fine Pike Place Roast, with three shots of hazelnut (regular, not sugar-free, thank you). 

By the way, I have a new-found… well, just found, I guess, since I never really had Starbucks before the New York trip… anyway, new-found love for Starbucks because the coffee I get here in the thriving metropolis that is Dearborn tastes just as good as that small-town New York stuff, if you can find it there, of course. 

Friday night was the monthly steak roast that a few of us go to.  It’s a good time, as we drink, cook our own steaks on a gihugeous grill, and spew all sorts of bullshit that guys tend to do from time to time.  Up until a couple years ago, we were also able to bring our shotguns and shoot trap as well, but some idiot got drunk and stupid and their insurance premiums went through the roof.  Therefore, we’re not allowed to shoot anymore, and apparently drinking is way more important than shooting to the old fools who run the place, as they seemingly won’t even entertain the idea of banning the alcohol and allowing the guns instead.  Based on the physiques most of these guys have, I can’t say I’m at all surprised. 

I’m getting old myself, I’d say.  We decided what we wanted to do was go to a bar where we could watch the Pistons (lose) and stay pretty low-key.  We shot some pool, were ridiculed by the waitstaff for some light beer we ordered (started with an L, I think, and tasted exactly as she described - like water), and watched the Pistons lay an egg. 

A sidenote - I tried a Heineken Light.  It tasted like shit.

I recovered on Saturday, and Sunday got to break out the chainsaw.  It was out of gas, but those things run on testosterone anyway, so I was good.  :)  The Shoo and I washed the car and the boys played in the water for about three hours before we all ended up in the house, exhausted and scrambling for dinner.

Today, as I left, I realized how long of a weekend it had been, as my ID badge seemed foreign and rather unnecessary.  I grabbed it and my car key, my watch and my ring, my iPods and apple, and the newspaper as I backed out of the driveway.  It got to be about 8:30 so I decided to make my morning call home to see how everything was and I reached for my phone.

It was then that I realized what I’d forgotten.

I found an old digital camera that I used to keep handy in my truck, which I traded in about a year ago on The Fast Car.  Anyway, I was checking out the contents of that camera’s memory card, which was mostly of our trip to Chicago for a wedding a couple years ago.  This one stood out most of all:

Thank God we were on the No Circus Animals Allowed floor. 

Did you know that The Letter by The Box Tops was a minute and 58 seconds long.  Means nothing.  Nil.  But it takes them less than two minutes to accomplish what Jethro Tull takes HOURS to NOT accomplish.

- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Lester Bangs

Almost Famous, or Untitled as Cameron Crowe wished to title it, is probably my favorite movie right now.  I watch it/listen to it probably three times a week, as it’s on my iPod and I spend a lot of time in front of a large computer screen all day long with little to no outside interruptions.  As I watch it today, I wonder if Philip Seymour Hoffman has ever been bad in anything he’s done.  From Twister to Capote, and even The Big Lebowski, PSH is excellent.  I watched Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead a week and a half ago, and once you get past (if that’s possible) the sheer agelessness of Marisa Tomei, you see yet another side of PSH.  The man has range, no doubt, and he seems to actually become the role. 

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I think it’s time to hit up iTunes for some Iggy Pop. 

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From time to time, I get locked into what some may call obsessions.  Maybe I want to build a new computer, or burn our entire DVD collection to the Apple TV, or leave M$ Windows behind (Once you go Mac, you never go back!).  My latest obsession seems to be forming now, and it involves some minor home improvement.  Our house is a fantastic house.  We’ve got tons of space and lots of variety in the layout, and if only it were in a slightly different neighborhood/town, it would be absolutely ideal.  Anyway, we have a front room that’s wide open, and I’m thinking about closing it off.  Before Goog came around, I had my own room for my computers and other… crap, but I moved that all to our bedroom.  Partly because I didn’t use much space really, and partly because pgoodness definitely needed a room for herself and her hobbies WAY more than I did.  She kindly offered up some real estate in that room for me, but it’s really too small.

I’m getting cramped in the bedroom now, though, and it would be nice to have a place more my own, and with the basement in a constant state of disarray, the front room is the best option.  I’m still thinking about it, but if it’s anything like my other obsessions, this will get done, no matter the cost, no matter the headache.  I don’t know why I just don’t hire a contractor now.

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Deadline day at work was yesterday.  Today’s my Friday, since I don’t work Fridays.  Productivity will likely take the day off.

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Brats and dogs on the grill tonight.  Special trip to find some Smithwick’s to go along with it.  May Mother Nature shine her light down upon us.  Have a good weekend, everyone! 

So yeah, it’s Tuesday, right?  A good friend of mine recently lost his job due to what his superiors called “excessive internet usage.”  It was a development that scared a few people into seriously curtailing or even completely stopping their internet usage at work.  I am one of those people.  I feel so out of touch now.  So much so I subscribed to the Detroit News this morning, in hopes that it’ll be at my doorstep before I leave for work in the morning so I can stay informed.

Anyway, if it’s Tuesday, it must be Tuesday Tube day.  And not to get all scatterbrained on you, but…

Flutter got me going this morning with a post that’s a few days old now.  Again - I’ve been unable to keep up.  Like her, and so many of you, I dig music.

And what’s with In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel?  It’s like an audible aphrodisiac for you women.  I thought my lovely wife was the only one, but it’s like an epidemic.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 

Back to Flutter’s post.  I like many of those songs she posted, and I’ll admit to being a bit of a sap, too.  My heart has had a total eclipse once or twice, and God love Bonnie Tyler for saying so.  Hmm… that reminds me… But that’s not what I’m here for now.  Instead, while my current favorite song has a woman singing, it rings a little bit of a different tune.  Enjoy Flyleaf.

Check out those dudes playing guitar.  Who needs Wii Fit?  Guitar Hero, FTW!!!

First time I heard this next band, I asked my coworker, “Is that Linkin Park with a guest singer?”

Notice a theme yet?

Shirley Manson could kick my ass and your ass and his and her asses all at the same time.

Finally, I wonder if this guy will be caught singing along to this last tune on his imminent move out to this neck of the woods.

I’ve been getting bugged to blog, as it’s been quite awhile and Don Cherry and his attire are not really appealing things to look at day in and day out. I, umm… tend to agree.

First of all, if there was a choice sponsor for this blog, I might have to currently go with Smithwick’s Irish Ale, which is made by the folks that bring you Guinness. Last weekend I was at a bar with friends and I asked the waitress what they had on tap. She went through the usual 20-something fare: Bud Light, Miller Light, Blue Moon (almost), something else, something else, Guinness and something she mumbled. “What’s that last one?” I asked. “Smithwick’s,” she said. I’d never had it before; probably never even heard of it before, so I said why not?

I think I had four. They were very good.

My friends and I are rather adventurous when it comes to drinking at bars. It’s not unusual for us to have the waitress/bartender choose our drinks for us, and it usually ends up being, at the very least, reasonable. Sure, you get dogs like that Woodchuck crap that smells like a dead skunk and tastes even worse, but you can end up with stuff like Smithwick’s. Quite honestly, the first Sam Adams I ever drank was on the request of a bartender several years ago, and it, along with Killian’s, are my current go-to beers. Locally, the stores are branching out and carry lots of stuff I’ve never heard of, let alone tried, so I’d say it will be an enjoyable summer of sampling various brews from various places. Add to that the things I’d like to cook and make, and it should be quite a summer. You’re all invited!

I’m hoping to make some tasty ribs that take all day to cook, as I’ve never done that before. Perhaps I’ll use my own barbecue sauce that I also plan on learning how to make. Crab legs and shrimp and endless other items will surely end up on my grill this summer as well. Booked your flight yet?

I’m pretty excited about the summer, not only for the above reasons but also because as my boys get older, they get to be so much more fun as the days get warmer. It all kicks off with the trip to New York to see Yankee Stadium in a few short weeks. It’ll be Summer Of George-like. Summer Of Phenom. Sounds good to me.