Unchained Melody

I must have heard this song a million times on the radio (and on MP3) and sung or heard it sung a thousand times at karaoke. But I don't recall having heard the cover by the Kings of Sappy Love Songs, Air Supply. Could this version actually be better than the original Righteous Brothers version? Probably not, and Air Supply was never known for making good videos, but enjoy nevertheless.

Fracture

Damn that Anthony Hopkins guy can act. In a lot of ways, this movie was like Silence of the Lambs without the mask. Hopkins was creepy as only he could be. He even showed a comedic side with the memorable line "My dick is big". As to the context of this line you'll have to see the movie.

In other news, oh great, another week of bandwagon jumpers. There's a reason why I don't cheer for the Canucks. I don't suddenly root for them just because they're doing well. I have no team to cheer for this year because my team is not in. To be honest, I have 7 Anaheim Ducks in my pool, so if I'm gonna cheer for someone....

The Landlord

Easily one of the funniest videos I've seen in a long time. Enjoy.

What Happened?

It was a challenging end to my week at work. Most of the last few hours were a blur. My obsession with avoiding OT (unless absolutely necessary) mean I would be out on the floor a lot, and I was. I had to supervise for about an hour but somehow things turned out and nobody had to do OT (lots had to do exactly 8 hours). And now it's time to rest and catch a movie. Tomorrow I'm hanging out with Lil (hope she's feeling well) and probably do some shopping. Life is good.

In other news, put in a fork in them, the Canucks are done.

Another Day Another Dollar

It's been a relatively easy week at work. I had the graveyard shift on Sunday, followed by two days off. The last two days I've been supervising midshift and it really hasn't been busy at all. My week ends with midshift and graveyard managing shifts (the latter a switch). It will probably be busy on the weekend but it's been busy before. It's just a matter of making sure everything runs smoothly.

In other news, I've acted somewhat grumpy at work. And I don't care.

Perfect Stranger

It was a tough choice for my weekly movie; the "teen" movie Disturbia or seeing Halle Berry in Perfect Stranger. Despite the unfounded rumors (in the American version at least) of the aforementioned Halle Berry in some masturbation scene, I thought I'd go see it instead of Disturbia. What a mistake. Ever since her Oscar performance in Monster's Ball, she has gone downhill. Ironically the only reason why anybody would watch her is to see her breasts, and since I didn't even see them in this movie, the movie was very very bad. I had it figured out in the beginning. Halle Berry cannot act.

Senseless Violence

My prayers go out to the families of the victims at Virginia Tech. I don't know too much of the details as to who and why, but to hear that 33 people have lost their lives is almost too much to bear.

When's My Day Off?

At least it was a relatively easy night as graveyard floor. The casino was busy earlier but died down quickly as the night wore on. Now I'm hoping for two days off today and tomorrow. Might end up being tomorrow and Wednesday. Who knows anymore.

One out of Three Ain't Bad

My hopes of a three-day weekend were dashed this afternoon, as TWO of the managers called in sick. Of course I could have said no but I've become the company man and with no plausible reason why I SHOULD say no, I agreed to go to work for the graveyard shift. I am scheduled for tomorrow off of course, but it is possible that I may have to work tomorrow as well. At some point I will get two days off (hopefully in a row). I can't complain because it is I who agreed to work. The alternative would have been to find a manager from one of the other locations. Besides, I really had nothing much to do tonight anyways other than perhaps catch a movie. There's always another night.

Textbook

My week finished off wonderfully at work, even though I had work my ass off to avoid OT. I had a number of mad rushes at 1am, 3am, 5am and 6am, but utilized my staff fully to achieve no OT. And it wasn't as if I closed tables haphazardly. Everything was done to perfection. I had three supervisors who were pretty sure they were doing OT for their 9pm-5am shift but I pulled off a miracle in the end. I couldn't have run it better if I tried again. And now it's hibernation time for three days.

Hanging On

One more graveyard managing shift and then it's three days off in a row (hopefully). It's been a weird week and I'm glad it will be over. The weekend will be spent doing very little, maybe catch a movie with Lil and then who knows. Let's hope the weather is OK although I've heard otherwise.

Talk to the Hand

That's become a favorite expression at work, even though it's usually in jest. But today, I was in an unusually bitchy mood and it was quite evident that it showed. And you know what, I didn't care. Once again, I had sick calls coming in left and right and it got to a point where I could have just given up. But I didn't. And in a way, I almost liked this mean streak that's becoming a part of me. I'm not going to let those (fill in the blank)'s take advantage of me anymore. I have a job to do. Outside of work we can be good friends but work is work. So piss me off and you can talk to the hand.

...(I forgot the third line)

It wasn't that it was a tough day at work as much as it was a frustrating day at work yesterday. It was a matter of dealing with the staff that wanted to go home early. Normally there is no problem with this; it all depends on how busy the casino is and if I feel (as floor manager) that I can close a table to send somebody home.

It was that one of the supervisors wanted to go home because she "just had surgery and she forgot to bring her painkillers". First of all, is she telling the truth? It gets to a point at work when I take every statement with a grain of salt. She could just as easily have said she "forgot to turn the iron off". Added to that, there were other people ahead of her on the list who always said "they weren't feeling well". Granted, she did look to be in pain, but then again, we have some great actors and actresses at work. Against my better judgement, I did send her home.

Then a dealer works no more than 30 minutes before she suddenly decides she wants to throw up because of food poisoning (because she ate some bad cake). So little by little, the staff disappears well before the end of the night. Meanwhile, I've been sick for two weeks practically unable to talk, taking shit from anyone and everyone.

"Calgon, take me away"

...let me count the ways

The week from hell will be over shortly. What was supposed to be four days of 2:30pm supervising shifts became a plethora of start times that would make grown men cry. Let us summarize:

Original Schedule:

Thursday April 5: 2:30pm
Friday April 6: 2:30pm
Saturday April 7: 2:30pm
Sunday April 8: 2:30pm

But Thursday I was awakened to be told that I would be working the graveyard managing shift instead, 9 hours later. This created a problem for Friday, as I would be back to work 7 hours 15 minutes after I got off work. Yes, it's "illegal" but I thought just this once, it's no big deal. Even though I was sick (but not as sick as the managers that called in sick!) I could handle it. And so I struggled on Friday, surviving on my can of Red Bull. I got home and it wasn't so bad.... except Saturday I was called to do the same thing again... another manager called in. Now as much as I love my job, I couldn't do the 2:30pm on Sunday. Luckily we decided on a 7pm start instead. I won't even begin to talk about some of the problems we had tonight, maybe another post. And now, my Neo Citran is almost finished so good night all. Happy Easter and all that.

Job - How Much Do I Love Thee?

Yesterday morning I was awakened at around 10am. I thought they'd needed me to come in earlier (I had a 2:30pm start) but instead, they woke me up to tell me that I was coming in later.... much later... almost 9 hours later at 11:15pm for a graveyard shift, as one of the managers was sick. While that's no problem (the occasional graveyard shift is OK), I just got home (finished at 7:15am) and my next shift is another 2:30pm supervising shift. And I'm sick. But once I drink my Neo Citran I'm going to bed for a few hours, then it's back to work but not before a Red Bull and perhaps my old favorite, triple espresso with caramel.

Trivia

Interesting trivia question that I came across which I can't seem to find an answer to (and I'm sure there would be a number of answers) even with my immense knowledge of TV and Movies.

Which TV shows or movies featured actors playing siblings ended up in real life with the actors engaged or married?

Did the question make sense? Like A and B played siblings on TV show C, then afterwards A and B hooked up. And no, A and B aren't siblings in real life. That would be a nono.

Blades of Glory

After a great week at work, and an unexpected early shift today (a 9am-5pm shift after a 3:15pm-11:15pm shift the day before!) I had time to take a quick nap before deciding to catch this movie. It was hilarious! I'm not usually a fan of Will Farrell's toilet humor, but this was an exception. Jon Heder (he of Napoleon Dynamite fame) has the makings of a real movie star.

And now I still get to enjoy two days off!

Feeling Good Again

It was an easy and pleasant three-day week for me after my vacation in paradise. Things went smoothly although there were a few hiccups. The holiday was a very good refresher and I went back to work feeling a lot better. And now tonight, it's back to the usual Vancouver favorite, KARAOKE!

I Need Another Holiday

Back to work today. It was rather uneventful although it was a bit hectic around 7pm because the poker room was full. As well, I had to cover some sick calls on the floor, but it wasn't like anything I couldn't handle. As a result, my first day back was nice and easy. Let's hope it stays that way for a few days.

Shooter

When I was in Portland I went to see this movie with Johnny. Wow, $5 for a Saturday matinee, haven't seen those in a long time! The movie was your standard thriller, nothing special. The two girls in the movie were hot. I remember Rhona Mitra from Hollow Man but the other one I don't recall from any films. Not bad at all.

Return From Paradise

And so ends my short holiday in Portland. Actually I stayed in a town called Colton, about 30 minutes drive from Portland. It was up in the mountains and it was so peaceful. The back of the house overlooked a stream that is actually a waterfall in the spring as the snow melts. It was breathtaking and I miss it already. Thanks to my good friend Johnny and his wonderful grandmother for their hospitality.

Aside from the amazing view, I had a great time at Powell's City of Books (as I knew I would), that's a bloody big bookstore. I also had a nice walk downtown to check out the LV store, and buy See's candies for my Mom. No tax! And of course Johnny and I spent Saturday night at Chang's Mongolian Grill, all you can eat for $10.95. How can you beat that?

I need a holiday.

Premonition

Yeah well I pretty much had a premonition that Premonition would be a bad movie. BINGO! It was too confusing and the supposed ending was just silly. What's with Sandra Bullock and all these back and forth in time movies as of late (first Lake House and now this)? Her acting is so bland there was just no chemistry between her and Julian McMahon.

Fido

No, this post isn't about my cell phone company, it was about the quirky Canadian-made movie I saw last night, starring Carrie-Anne Moss and Billy Connolly. I was pleasantly surprised at this comedy-horror mixture. There were some really corny lines but in the end, I really liked it. I'm glad because the last two movies I saw (Number 23 and Ghost Rider) were absolute duds. Next up is probably Premonition with Lily tonight.

Bye for Now

And so begins a well-deserved holidays for me, as the week didn't exactly end on a positive note work-wise. I look forward to visiting my good friend Johnny down in Portland, as well as: buying candies for Mom, booze and cigarettes for Daryl, checking out the coolest bookstore in the world, and eating Mongolian BBQ, and of course catching up on old times with Mr. Mc. I haven't decided yet if I will Greyhound it or Honda Fit it, but either way I can't wait. See you all on March 25.

March 14

To all the mathematical nerds out there, Happy Pi Day.

Cough Cough Hack Hack

I hate being sick.

Torture

And so ends a long and frustrating week at work. I had to work 6 days in a row due to the usual management holidays. At least after my days off I only work 4 days before I'm off again. It wasn't the best of weeks at work, all graveyard shifts. According to the higher ups, I made some incorrect decisions which I still stand behind. But what can you do?

I'm awaiting my holiday, even if it's to a silly crossword tournament in Connecticut. Anything to get away from thinking about work.

Ghost Rider

Last night I went to see yet another "adapted from the comics" movie, this one starring the guy who named his baby Kal-El Cage. All I can say is I should be more selective in choosing the movies I see, because I saw another bomb. After Music and Lyrics early in the month (which I liked), I've seen two really bad movies with supposedly good actors (Number 23 with Jim Carrey and Ghost Rider with Nicholas Cage).

The fact that I'd never read the comic Ghost Rider probably had something to do with the confusion I felt in the movie. It just didn't make sense. Perhaps the only good thing about the movie is that every once in a while I got to see Eva Mendez' cleavage because they definitely had that in mind when they selected her wardrobe in the movie. If you can get a hold of ANY clips with her in the movie you'll see what I mean.

Pissed Off

This bloody kidney stone is really frustrating. On one hand, I've felt pretty painless since my brief stay in emergency. They detected the 4mm kidney stone and now it's a matter of it passing. Supposedly 85% of them pass within 1 or 2 days. Luckily for me I always defy the odds so now I'm on day 3. Every time I go take a piss I wonder if it's THE TIME. Just get it over with and let me have the painful pee that is usually required. Then again, maybe the stone managed to already sneak through (because I really don't feel much these days). Just get it over with.

Now aren't you glad you read this entry?

The Number 23

No use waiting at home for my friggin' kidney stone to come out so I decided to go watch this Jim Carrey "thriller" despite a lot of negative reviews. Perhaps the movie would be so bad my kidney stone would pass. The movie was pretty bad but my kidney stone didn't pass.

The movie made no sense. Yes, I know about a lot of these connections with the number 23 but that didn't make the film any more sensible. Yuk, I should have gone to see Ghost Rider.

And now back to my suffering.

Pain Threshold

So that's what having a kidney stone feels like. And so for the first time in over 13 years, I'm calling in sick for two days. Hopefully this friggin' stone gets pissed off soon enough (hmm, that sounds hilarious on second reading).

But Seriously Folks

I've begun to change a bit at work, acting more seriously (and therefore more professional?) because I know for a fact that my "Mr. Nice Guy" persona means that I can easily be taken advantage of (and I have). Interestingly, a number of people have come up to me and ask me if something's wrong with me. They're used to the "Happy Go Lucky" atmosphere that I try to convey at work, but now it's a bit different. They have to do their job... and as long as they do that I have no problem. I snapped at two dealers because they decided to switch tables without telling me. We'll see how this turns out.

Just a thought, a really mean girl is called a bitch, what's a really mean guy called?

Words from a Friend

The following is taken word for word from the blog of my old friend, johnnymc. The words are hauntingly similar to those I would have written for myself.

"There are times when I am not so sure that things are at closure. Though it is obvious by this time in my life that relationships from a decade ago or longer are long over, apparently my greatest thrill in life is wishing to 'try again' at old jobs, relationships, etc where I know I can do 'better'.

This of course is all horse puckey since hindsight is just that; a view of the past with wisdom to do 'right' where you did 'wrong' and cannot be reversed.

These things should not be dwelled upon, unlike my realization to let go, inasmuch as my life needs to continue forward - growing with these past experiences and blooming future endeavors to be more productive and successful."

- Johnny McMenamin

ThankYou Mr. President

Thanks to President Bush, all Canadians wishing to fly to the States (as of January 21) had to get a Canadian passport. I haven't had one for 10 years because I've never needed one. But I needed one now, and yes, it was my fault for waiting so long but I figured that the lineups to get one wouldn't be as long one month after the deadline. Well I got to the "end of the line" at 8:33am this morning, and waited... and waited... I did not leave the Passport Office until 2:25pm. This was after I'd completed a 10:30pm-6:30am shift. I'm gonna be friggin' grumpy at work tonight.

Boy I can't wait to do this again in five years. No wonder nobody likes that Bush dude. Sorry Johnny, I really can't stand the guy.

Music and Lyrics

In truly masochistic fashion, I decided the best cure for my Valentine's Day blues was to go BY MYSELF to see a romantic movie. And it just so happened that this movie was out today. I sat down expecting the usual formula:

boy meets girl
boy and girl falls in love
boy does/says something to upset the girl
boy and girl break up
boy does something mushy and gets girl back

The movie itself could be summarized with the above formula, but it was a lot more than that. I found myself travelling down nostalgia lane. The opening music video had me (and most of the theater) in stitches because it was so 80's (which was its goal), and in fact, so WHAM! In fact, the main character reminded me so much of Andrew Ridgeley (you know, the OTHER guy that was part of WHAM!).

Both Hugh Grant (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, et al) and Drew Barrymore (Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, et al) have done these movies before and there was nothing spectacular about their performances but nevertheless I enjoyed the movie. I also like the song that the two characters wrote together. Maybe it will become an actual hit?

Yuk

And so begins the most overrated day each year. People (like me) without a loved one to spend with curse February 14 because it makes them feel that much lonelier. I can't go out anywhere because the thought of going somewhere by myself on Valentine's Day is silly. So I have a dentist appointment at 2:15pm instead.

Ennui

It's been a boring week at work but at least I'll finally have two days off after tonight's 10:30pm shift. There was one graveyard managing shift but other than that, it's been all late night supervising shifts. I found myself staring endlessly into space. Unfortunately it will be more of the same as next week is also to be comprised of supervising shifts.

Anna Nicole Smith

When she was alive, I have to admit I thought her life was a joke. From her marriage to someone 60 years older than she was, to her weight/drug/alcohol problems, I couldn't believe how silly she was.

But in the end, she died too young. I don't care how she died, but her death mirrors a lot like that of another blonde whose life was cut way too short. Elton John sang about the death of one Marilyn Monroe and this one is just as tragic. She leaves behind a 5-month-old daughter who will never get to know her mother.

Rest in peace, Anna Nicole Smith. I hope you are at peace.

Laughter is Contagious

This must be the most hilarious video I've seen in a long time. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. I dare you not to.

Work is Cool

I had a great night (and morning?) at work yesterday. The casino was busy and as a graveyard manager it is my responsbility to close tables and run the floor as efficiently as possible. Every now and then staff will have to incur overtime, and for a long time it looked as if that would happen. Rather than close tables haphazardly, I managed to do everything efficiently and somehow, some way, everybody went home on time. Some of the staff were amazed that I pulled it off. I love my job again. Stress actually is a great drug for me.

Another Week

Two graveyard floor shifts to start the week, and then who knows. My schedule keeps changing as the week goes on, as it seems even the managers have to call in sick once in a while. But, as I've said time and time again, that's work.

What Time is It?

Friday January 26: 10:45pm-6:30am, but stayed OT until 8:30am!
Saturday January 27: 10:30pm-6:30am
Sunday January 28: 9pm-5am, but changed to 11:15pm-7:15am
Monday January 29: 3:15pm-11:15pm

Sleep who needs sleep when I have Red Bull at work?

I Like Dreaming

So the video is not the actual video but who cares. I forgot how much I used to love this song and now I can't stop listening to it. I also can't believe that it was thirty years ago when Kenny Nolan had this song near the top of the Billboard charts. Enjoy.



I like dreamin' cause dreamin' can make you mine.
I like dreamin', closing my eyes and feeling fine.
When the lights go down, I'm holding you so tight.
Got you in my arms and it's paradise 'til the morning
light.

I see us on the shore beneath the bright sunshine.
We've walked along St. Thomas Beach a million times.
Hand in hand, two barefoot lovers kissing in the sand.
Side by side, the tide rolls in.
I'm touching you, you're touching me.
If only it could be.

Chorus

Through each dream, how our love has grown.
I see us with our children and our happy home.
Little smiles, so warm and tender looking up at us.
Blessed by love, the world we share
Until I wake, and reach for you,
And you're just not there.

I like dreamin' 'cause dreaming can make you mine.
I like holding you close and touching your skin
Even if it's in my mind.
Oh, sweet dream baby, I love you
Oh, my sweet dream baby
Don`t keep me waiting all my life
I need you, sweet dream baby
I love you, sweet dream baby
You`re in my dreams every night.....

-- Kenny Nolan

Oscar Predictions

Why wait, I'm confident enough with the following predictions. Let's see how close I am.

Best Picture: The Departed (although I suspect Little Miss Sunshine will get a lot of buzz as the night rolls near; it's one of those years)

Best Actor: Peter O'Toole (even though Forrest Whittaker should win, they'll hand it to O'Toole so he won't end up 0 for 8 in nominations)

Best Actress: Helen Mirren (bet the farm on this one)

Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy (but damn, what a comeback for Jackie Earle Haley; remember him from Bad News Bears?)

Best Supporting Actress: Rinku Kikuchi (strictly sentimental because she was so hot in Babel; I know Jennifer Hudson is the front runner and Abigail Breslin stole the show as a 10-year-old in Little Miss Sunshine)

Best Director: Martin Scorcese (if he doesn't win this time...)

zzzz

I'm back into a rut at work. As expected, my supervising shifts are nothing but excuses to count the ceiling tiles and pace nonchalantly back and forth in the pit. After my almost month of straight managing at the end of 2006, going back to supervising (even if part time) is just soooo boring. But I have no choice of course. I have to accept what I get and be satisfied.

I have to set some goals for myself this year. Thing seem like an endless cycle of work/eat/sleep. I need to do something better with my time.

I was at the bookstore and came across a new book called "The Secret". I browsed through some of it and it seems quite interesting.

Banana Living

This post is to help my friend launch his magazine, which will be out in the stores shortly. The website is up and running and is linked below. The magazine is geared toward the Asian-Canadian community but is open to all. I will be contributing articles and what not. Have a look!

Banana Living

My New Toy

I recently bought a new cellular phone, the Sony Ericsson Z710i, which features MP3 player, radio, and a 2.0 megapixel camera. Oh yeah, and I can talk on it too. It is compatible with the Sony M2 memory stick which means I now have an MP3 player with 1G of songs! Battery life is quite impressive: 9 hours of talk time and 15 days (!??!) of standby. So far I've only been successful at finding about 350 megs of worthy songs. I can probably keep the rest of the memory empty for photos and videos.

I love the new toy. Two nights ago at work when I was supervising, I spent every break closing my eyes and losing myself in my music, something I haven't done in a while. It's quite relaxing. I'm sure I'll wear out the battery quickly because I'm pretty sure playing music uses up more power than talking on the phone. Oh well, so be it.

Alpha Dog

Originally I was going to go see Casino Royale again with Suzanne but it was sold out (still?) so the only other reasonable choice was this movie. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't just a typical drug movie. Sharon Stone put in a surprisingly powerful performance which just might garner a Best Supporting Actress nod. And for all you teenagers out there, yes, Justin Timberlake is in this movie, and for a debut he was pretty good.

Back to the Dungeon now.

No Comparison

To this day, and probably forevermore, the most beautiful woman of all time. Thanks Johnny.

Summary

The year has been both dull and interesting, if that makes any sense. Work is work... same shit different day. I've opened up a lot to Mel over the past few days, something I hope I won't regret having done (that's some weird grammar there). I've pretty much told her everything about my life, something I have not done to anybody else. And even though right now I'll have to say there's nothing serious, at least I have her as a confidante. Maybe the future will bring us together, but at least in the present we aren't apart.

Tomorrow is a graveyard shift, one of those rarities. Then my schedule is going to get weird, some midshifts, some graveyard shifts and even some day shifts thrown in. Just part of my job.

2007

And so begins another new year. I had a graveyard shift on January 1 and it was dreadfully slow. As a result, the night was pretty boring and dull and I ended up just walking around the casino for 8 hours. But at least it was less stressful and relaxing for once.

I don't know what 2007 will bring, hopefully more joy and happiness for me. There are a lot of unanswered questions about life, and worries about my future. But I guess that's part of every year.

The Calm Before the Storm

My first experience as a floor manager on New Year's Eve. It's going to be crazy with sick calls. I hope things aren't half as bad as I'm sensing they will be. My next post will probably be in 2007, so we'll see if it's a HAPPY one.

Bye Bye '06

The end of the year is near. Whoever had Saddam Hussein in the Death Pool before the end of the year must have made some money. OK I'm in a weird mood tonight. Long post will be coming soon when I feel like writing.

A Night at the Museum

No date, no plans, so when all else fails take self to movie. I thought a nice comedy would hopefully cheer me up and this movie did. The story was outrageous but the film itself was quite enjoyable. Ben Stiller is funny as usual, and any movie with Robin Williams in it can't be all that bad. I had a great time.

And now, once again, I shall wake up alone.

December 24

Merry Christmas to all. Remember those that are less fortunate than we are.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

A gem from a long, time ago!

Rocky! Rocky!

How can I resist one of the greatest underdog movies of all time? Even thought it's been almost 30 years since the original Rocky (how time flies) and my gut feeling was that this movie was going to suck, how could I, the perennial underdog, pass up the movie? Well, I wasn't disappointed. While the premise of the story is still a bit far fetched, I identified with the movie. So much of the movie mirrored my own life. No, I'm not a secret boxer or anything, but my underdog story is a lot like Rocky's.

And what can I say, when Rocky starts training for the fight and you hear the notes of Bill Conti's immortal theme, how can you not be inspired? During the fight itself, many of the moviegoers were shouting "Rocky! Rocky!" as if it were a real fight. And in some ways (for me at least), it's been a real fight. When you know you are up against unbeatable odds, when you know you are fighting an unwinnable fight, do you still fight? After all that's gone on for me in the last few months, perhaps it's only fitting that it ends with this movie. I end with an inspirational line from the movie, spoken by Rocky himself:

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very rough, mean place... and no matter how tough you think you are, it'll always bring you to your knees and keep you there, permanently... if you let it. You or nobody ain't never gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit... it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward... how much you can take, and keep moving forward. If you know what you're worth, go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit."

Crying

I can't remember the last time I cried because of something other than a movie. And now I feel so much pain and confusion inside.

48 Hours

This Tuesday is the Christmas Party at work. While normally I'd be waiting anxiously to get drunk and act silly around my staff, I'm worried this year; worried I'll do something silly. There are a lot of things I don't mind embarrassing myself to do, such as karaoke, dancing on tables, taking my shirt off, etc. But the one thing I'm scared to (and hope I don't) do is do something regrettable in front of Mel. Yes, we are just friends (and very good friends at that) and she knows how much I care for her. So hopefully I don't make a COMPLETE fool of myself. Maybe I just won't drink. And Mel, if you happen to be reading this (since I did give you the link), whatever happens happens. If at the end of this all we are just good friends, that's fine. But if somehow in all of this craziness in the world we end up together, than it was worth the journey. I'm crazy about you. And right now you probably don't feel the same way about me yet, but I'm here for you anytime. I hope you know that by now.

Return to Graveyard (for one night)

Just got called into work today for the graveyard shift. It's been a while, as I've been on midshift for the last month. I hope I remember everything. Efficiency has been my motto but things can be quite challenging if the casino is busy at night. We shall soon see.

In the meantime, I hope my pretty little Mel gets better from her ugly little flu.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear Mel
Happy Birthday to you

My Way

Ol' Blue Eyes

8 More Hours

Short week for me. After Friday-Saturday off, I'm back to Tuesday-Wednesday off for two weeks, so it's my Friday again. I'm glad. These days off are quite precious now, because I don't want to suffer burnout from work. Hopefully I'll find something productive to do on my days off. Then again, doing absolutely nothing can be productive in its own special way.

Return of the Blues

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I'm relaxing after quite the momentuous week at work. I made a number of what turned out to be incorrect decisions at work, and generally my heart wasn't into it. Bonnie had talked about that passion for work that is necessary and I lost it this week. The stress, however small, has gotten to me again and it's affecting my performance. I could use a vacation, but what happens when I come back? Same shit different day again? There must be something better, I only hope I can find it soon.

Stranger Than Fiction

With nowhere to go and nobody to do anything with, I decided to go see this movie last night. I'm not a big Will Farrell fan, as I don't really like his brand of humor. But the movie was a pleasant surprise as there were elements of true drama in it. There were great performances from Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson (where has she been?), and I believe I saw Maggie Gyllenhaal for the first time in a movie, and she was radiant. She combines the innocence of Scarlett Johansson with the sexiness of Angelina Jolie. She could be the next breakout actress.

All I Ask of You

Never was there a more appropriate song.

Week End

And so ends another week in the life and times of a random guy in the universe. It's been a strange week, filled with confusion and worry, but in the end, things weren't as catastrophic as I originally thought. There is still a long road ahead to reach my goals and aspirations.

Deja Vu

I decided to brave the snow and catch this new flick with Denzel Washington. It was a standard drama with some weird things thrown in. I won't spoil it for anyone but suffice to say it was OK. I wish that the premise in the movie was something that actually existed in real life.

Snowing in November?

Yup, it's snowing big time in Vancouver. Who would have thought. Does this mean the water is going to be cleaner now?

SSDD

Another week has ended. Work is work. It's been a bit of a challenge this week, as I've had to deal with a number of sick calls at work. But it's all part of the job. I've learned to deal with situations as they arise. If these people want to call in sick, then I could really care less. If they don't give a shit about their job then so be it. I'm trying to do my job too.

Meanwhile, I've been losing sleep because maybe, just maybe, after all these years, I've found "her". It's so weird, I've been so used to failure I'm actually scared of success. I just don't want to screw things up for the 8724th time.

Boiled Water My Ass

For those of you who do not live in the Lower Mainland, well, we are under what is called a boiled water advisory. Because of recent rainfall, dirt fell into the reservoirs or something like that. As a result, our water is undrinkable (yes, Vancouver water undrinkable). What this means is that we have to boil water before we brush our teeth and make, well, things with water. The big downside to all this is we don't have any friggin' ice anywhere. So there are no fountain drinks available ANYWHERE. I go to McDonald's, I can't order a friggin' combo. They have bottled water, whoopee doo. This is dumb. Can't get a bloody cold drink anywhere unless it's bottled. The end of the world is near.

Maybe This Time

So beautiful...

Casino Royale

I am a huge 007 fan; as a result, I go to each and every new Bond movie as a harsh critic, expecting and hoping for the very best. With all the negative publicity that had surrounded the new movie, I wasn't expecting much. But I was wrong.

Daniel Craig's interpretation was more than adequate, and he reminded me a lot of the Sean Connery days, with a more grittier and meaner Bond, while Roger Moore was more comedic. And it's good to see Dame Judi Dench doing another fine performance as the bitchy M.

But for me, the thing that did it for me was the appearance of the delicious and ravishing Eva Green. For many, many years Barbara Bach (Agent XXX in The Spy Who Loved Me) was my favorite Bond girl of all time, a title that I never thought could be relinquished. And it's a tough choice this time. Eva Green stole the show in this movie. I laughed, I cried, I gasped (that dress at the poker game). They dressed pretty nice in this movie. I even gasped when Bond appeared in that $10,000 Brioni tuxedo. Yikes, where can I buy one?

I only wished I could have seen it with the equally ravishing Melody. But I shall see her tomorrow...

Ultimate Poker School

I attended the poker seminar yesterday; I didn't know it would go on for 9 hours! It was OK, most of the things they talked about was stuff I'd already known before. Even Phil Hellmuth's lecture was about topics he'd written about in his books. But Johnny Chan signed my bobblehead, Phil signed two of my books, and all the lecturers signed my shirt. I also got some pictures taken (I shall post these shortly). The first speaker was an incredibly beautiful girl who I'd never heard about from the poker world. But damn, she was hot. I'll keep everybody in suspense as to who she is.

Manager Perks

I was lucky enough to be invited to a lecture by a number of renowned poker players tomorrow (well technically today) at the River Rock Casino, including one of my heroes, Johnny Chan! The tickets for the seminar cost $495 but a number of us got to go for free. I'm going to get Johnny to sign my Johnny Chan bobblehead! Other lecturers include Phil Hellmuth (sorry, never really liked the guy) and two other guys. Who cares, Johnny Chan will be there! I can't wait.

Rocky Balboa

I supposed the movie will suck but anything just to hear the greatest music notes in movie history...

Long Weekend

Last weekend was supposed to be my long weekend but I had to work on the middle day, so instead it was this weekend. It's been an easy week workwise, everything has run smoothly at work with a few little hiccups, but that's part of the job. And now it's time to relax and see how many times I will see Casino Royale. But of course this weekend I hope to set up a date with one very special lady. We shall see what happens. Deal or No Deal (by the way, I should be hearing soon if I get chosen for an audition soon).

Bond, James Bond

November 17, the new James Bond movie will be out, Casino Royale. As it was Ian Fleming's first novel, the movie will be a prequel of sort, about how it all began. With all the negative buzz regarding Daniel Craig, I will go to this film not expecting much but we shall see. Let's hope I can convince Mel to see it with me.

Deal or No Deal

I just spent two hours filling out the online form to apply as a contestant for the limited Canadian production of the game show. Now it's me against probably 20,000 people in BC. But you never know.

Just in case, I won't quit my day job just yet.

Babel

Not that I'm a Brad Pitt fan, but with all the critical acclaim of this movie, I decided to go see it, and I must admit it was quite enjoyable. The story was interwoven with subplots that all connected at the end (a la 21 Grams), and the whole movie for me was excellent... except for the ending which left me with questions (perhaps that is the intention). I think the Oscar buzz will begin for this movie.

Blind Date

For the second time in my life (as far as I can remember), I was set up for a blind date from a coworker. I went to White Spot and met Sandi. I think we were both nervous and sizing each other up. I'm not sure what she thinks of me, and currently, I'm not sure what I think of her. She is somewhat shy (as am I) but we'll see what happens.

In the meantime, there is still the matter of a pretty young lady at work that I've set my sights on. As Vandy always tells me, why do I always pick the difficult ones?

Work as Usual

Two more nights of supervising and then it will be midshift floor managing for about a month. I look forward to this time as I will have a lot of time to finetune and develop my managing skills. There is still a lot to learn but with what I know so far, I'm getting into the rhythm of things. This will give me time to concentrate on other things.

The Prestige

I finally went to see this movie (with Lily), and although it wasn't as fabulous as I'd originally thought, I still enjoyed it. Scarlett Johansson was absolutely radiant and lit up the screen. I was a bit disappointed with the ending but I still recommend the movie.

Football Pool

I won the casino pool last week, for a cool $360! It was quite exciting because New England had to win (which they did) and the total points scored had to be 41 and under. After three quarters 38 points had already been scored but luckily nobody scored in the fourth quarter. Time to celebrate and party!

Happy Hallowe'en

I'm off so I don't have to dress up as a woman this year, even though 50% of the players wanted me to. It was a weird week at work and I'm glad it's over. Let's hope I can accomplish some things on my days off (very cryptic, isn't it?).

Time Flew By

Has it been a week since my last post? Well, nothing much had happened, until last night. We were absolutely busy at work and there was so much OT everywhere. But I remained calm as a manager even though it was incredibly stressful. Tonight will be more of the same, because added to the possibility of keeping tables open, we are also setting clocks back, in which case some dealers will be doing 9 hour shifts at the end of the night. Oh well, OT is OT.

Wired

I was stupid enough to drink a Rock Star around midnight. Now I'm wide awake. And I have an appointment at 12pm to taste test some coffee!??! I'm getting $30 so I'll be even more wired. Meanwhile, The Prestige opens, but perhaps I should wait until next week so I can go see it with Lily (or someone else?). There is also Marie Antoinette. And very soon... Casino Royale!

Man of the Year

As a big fan of Robin Williams, I decided to go watch his latest movie, and as usual, he was funny. He was able to do a lot of his improv stuff. The movie itself was average, with nothing special about it. But I got to see the preview for Casino Royale, which I am look forward to. Also next week is the premiere of The Prestige, a movie I am very anxious to see because of two words: Scarlett and Johansson.

The Lake House

I had dinner with Lily and then went to her place to watch this video, a reunion between Sandra Bullock and Keana Reeves from that bus movie years ago. This movie was rather confusing and complicated and I still couldn't figure out the ending. So I must say thumbs down.

Then we watched Russell Peters Outsourced and that was awesome.

Next Time

I just got the call from my boss that I did not get the promotion to full-time floor manager. It was to be expected as I had to be realistic about my chances. I do not know who did get the position, but in the meantime, there is always next time

Good Morning

I am still feeling the after effects of my tiny bout with the flu. It's been over two weeks now and my nose is still a little stuffed up and my throat is still itchy. I guess it's not as bad as some other people at work.

Tomorrow (and I believe Thursday too) I get to start at the previously unheard of 7:15am. These are my first daytime FM shifts since the 24 hour started so it will be interesting to see what kind of zombie-like state I'm in at work. Starbucks better be open.

Against All Odds (Again)

The interview is over, it didn't help I was a little bit late, and as usual I could have done better. Added to that, I am up against formidable competition. But you never know...

Wordplay

Maybe I should have stayed at home but I needed to get out so I went to see this much talked about movie. I figured since I'd begun my crossword constructing career I should see this film, and it was quite interesting. I must pay more attention to independent films, as I have seen two very good ones this year (the other was Little Miss Sunshine). And now it's off to bed, or at least try to somehow get rid of this illness I have.

P.S. I'm waiting to hear some good news Johnny

Precious Time Off

Two days off to recuperate from my flu (which appears to be getting worse), and then on Thursday 9am, I have an interview for the full-time Floor Manager position. I know I am up against incredible odds based on my low seniority and lack of experience, but you never know. I just hope I feel good enough to put forward a great interview. Time will tell.

Cough Cough

Just when I thought my dry throat and minor cough was getting better, I think I'm feeling the onset of a flu. My nose is starting to run and my throat is sore. Plus the minor cough is getting a bit major. And I sneezed a couple of times at work.

Translation: I feel like shit

Sigh

Will I ever find true happiness?

Sick and Tired

It's been a rough week for me. We've been running around at work getting the 24-hour thing going and it hasn't been easy. We are understaffed and as a result the managers must efficiently run the casino as much as possible. Luckily we just got some new staff which should help a bit.

It also doesn't help at all that I've come down with a bit of the flu; cough and a bit of a sore throat. I bought a bottle of Benylin and drank it up in 24 hours (not a good idea). Hopefully I can get better soon.

The Battle

There is a promotion opportunity at work as a salaried/permanent floor manager (as opposed to my current position of Relief Floor Manager). What it essentially means is that I am on salary, will not get any more supervising shifts, and get better benefits (days off in lieu of stats, improved medical/dental, etc.). It will be a tough fight as I know there are a lot of candidates (some from other locations). But to not apply because I don't think I have a chance would be stupid. I never thought I'd have a chance to come back to the casino, let alone as a supervisor. I never thought I'd be able to get promoted to relief floor manager 17 months after coming back. So while this will be a tough battle, I shall fight the fight. David vs. Goliath.

Cruciverbalist

I've discovered a new hobby, the wonderful world of creating crosswords. I came across a book "Grid Lock" which perked my interest into this interesting pastime. It won't be easy but it will be something to do in my spare time. From what I've gathered, I can be paid anywhere from $50US to the hundreds for one good crossword puzzle. It won't be easy but I love a good challenge.

24

No, this isn't a post about the TV show, it's about my casino. As of today we are open 24 hours. It was a challenge to get used to the new lineups and figuring out new procedures. But the transition went pretty well, now let's hope we can make a lot more money!