Crap-taculcar.

Yesterday sucked.

I hate my job right now. I used to view it as a nuisance, just biding my time in familiar territory until I find my next great gig. Now, I loathe going to work. This change has come about due to my District Manager deciding that we should take our espresso machine out of the drive-thru and plant it next to the in-house machine, leaving all drive-thru and in-house drinks to be made by two baristas who have no idea how to work in tandem with another barista. Previously, it was all solo. And, we have take our handy computer out of the efficiency equation. Without getting into details, this totally jacks-up our system, and instead of making it better (which I think MIGHT have been the goal), it has made it infinitely worse.

So anyway, my day started at the bastion of hopelessness, and descended from there. I went home to find that my external hard-drive (with all my music and video clips from my cousins wedding that took hours to capture) was going bad. Luckily, I recovered everything I needed. It's working for now, but I don't know for how much longer.

Then, I found out I didn't get an internship I had applied for and had kinda laid a lot of hope on. Then...

It just sucked.

I called it a day after I tried to do laundry and the washer started leaking water out the bottom of it. I'm just glad those days only come once and awhile. Thank you Lord.

Back in laces.

Nothing feels like a new pair of shoes, especially after your old ones have been flattened out my immense downward pressure.

I got two new pair of shoes today both with laces. My old pair of shoes were a pair of leather Skechers, which I love(d). They were slip-ons and I loved the ease of just slipping them onto my foot like a well-fitted glove. I love the fact even more that I didn't have to navigate my belly.

Now I have to lace up, and try not to look like a fat guy. You can always tell the fat guys too—as if their bellies and quick short breaths didn't give them away first. They laces are always tied toward the inner part of their shoes, as they had to prop up their leg on their need to avoid the suffocation of bending over their wobbling mass. It's like diving—take a deep breath and go for it.

Funny thing is, I joined a gym a few weeks ago and haven't lost any weight. Maybe I should start going?

Yeah, I said it.

Last Thursday, I was doing the work that even Mexicans' wouldn't do.

Seriously, they were on the job site, but they were ordering me around—which is fine, as I know as much about construction as they know about neo-classic art.

Making coffee makes you soft. I like to be reminded what a full days work of solid labor feels like. When you leave, your muscles ache with a satisfaction that you actually DID something, and not just pulled shots and steamed milk for yuppies and cranky old ladies.

That is until you get up the next morning.

And your point is...?

Happy Cinco de Mayo.

We celebrate this day to commemorate Mexico beating France. Well, hold the cheese and wine. That's like the Steelers bragging they beat the crap out of a pee-wee football team.

Course, we all know its just an unofficial holiday created by Chevy's.

I hate this state.

So, I'm new to this whole "California" thing. I love the scenery. I love being here and living next door to Anna. I love the church family here.

I hate the state.

I thought Oregon was bad, but it looks like a suckling puppy next to morbidly bloated pit bull that will stop at nothing to get your money. I am learning quickly the dis-advantages to living here.

Exhibit A:
— In Oregon, it takes $64 to register a vehicle ($54 registration fee, $10 to smog) for two years.
— In California, it takes a percentage of the value of the vehicle (in my case this year, $282) and anywhere from $48 to $70 to smog your car—for one year.

For one year. Actually, less than that, as I was honest about the date that I actually moved here. I didn't register the car until almost two months later, so they made up for that by shorting me two months on my registration.

I want to know why this state is broke.

Revisited...

I was cruising my old posts, I came across this one and thought it particularly appropriate, being I'm once again back in coffee. From January 2005:

The stupid ask questions too...

Conversations behind the bar:

-Hey, you guys have a trash back there?
-Nah, we just throw everything on the floor

-Can I borrow your bathroom?
-Sure, as long as you bring it back

-What does the Chicken Salad Sandwich have in it?
-Chicken.

-You still work here?
-No, they just let me stand behind the counter.

More to come later.

Who woulda guessed that?

Nope. Didn't make it to the gym today. But I have high hopes for tomorrow. And with that, I leave you with this...



"You can do anything you set your mind to when you have vision, determination, and an endless supply of expendable labor." - www.dispair.com

Apparently, we should care.

Happy belated Earth Day. Chalk one up for Captain Planet.
Oh, and here is this gem.

I need to scream and cry too.

I love the taste of the bottom of my foot

You should never remind your co-worker that her child is illegitimate, no matter how legitimate the comment. Apparently, them's fightin' words.

Things You Shouldn't Say to Customers in Drive-Thru®

"Sorry about your weight, what can I get for you...?"

Yeah fatty, what can we get for you?

How far is a two mile run?

Yeah, I joined a gym. Again.

Apparently I have some money left over after the credit cards are done with me, and I feel the need to give it to a facility that I will never visit. I have plans to visit it in the morning, but it's kinda sketchy. The plans, not the gym. We'll see how this turns out.

Just when you think I've said it all...

Bryan: ...but you don't want me to be a trucker.

Anna: Would you want me to be a trucker?

Bryan: No. Everyone would think you were a lesbian.

Anna: ...

Bryan: ...

Anna: Is that the only reason?

Bryan: No. Plus, your a woman and a lousy driver. You would kill yourself and others around you.

Think it hurts?

April is gone...

and if your reading this today, you realize that. So, its been a solid three plus weeks since Ive posted, so I thought it was appropriate. So, a few things of interest, and I am totally winging it:

My sponsor kid wrote me! I decided to sponsor a girl from Thailand when I went to the Tobymac/Jeremy Camp concert, and she wrote me! I couldn't read it, but it was awesome and totally made my day (ok, they did translate it, but her handwriting seriously needs some improvement). Her name is Tidarat Dana, and she is 9. It feels weird, someone leaning on you for support. A taste of fatherhood I suppose.

As of May 1st I will have been at my new-new job seven months, which is half a month shy of how long I was at Lithia. Also, I have a new co-worker, Krystal, which is a lot of fun. So, now I have two fellow church members to work with (we are going to take over the company merely by numbers). Before you know it, we will be having potlucks every Friday.

My brother has moved back to the area for a short time, so it is nice to have him around. He is here to help with a family problem that seems to get worse by the day. Please pray for my family in that area.

Ironman comes out this Friday. I am stoked, but sadly I have to work that night. But! I will be seeing it. That, and Leatherheads, if it's still around. Also, I highly recommend seeing Ben Stein's (Dry eyes? Red Eyes? Vysene has the ingredients to moisturize. Wow.) new movie, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed." It's a very well executed documentary (and beautiful too, film and music) about how those who promote or even suggest debate about Intelligent Design (Creationism lite) are having their careers destroyed. See it!

Aight, Im out. Check ya later my peeps. Homies. White folk (seriouly LaDonna, who you kidding?)