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| I've been away for so long I need to take roll. Who's still here, anyone? | | |
| So w/ my first 3 months having gone by here in NYC, and after a trip to Ikea, the apartment is finally adequately furnished. Here's a tour of the finished product:
Our living room. Out the window is the Hudson River w/ Jersey City/Hoboken on the other side. The Statue of Liberty is just to the left.
If any of you come out here, that folds down into a sofa bed that can sleep two and it's all yours.
The hallway w/ the bathroom and kitchen to the left.
The bedroom is nothing to write home about, but it gets the job done. Would have painted the walls, but it's just too much of a hassle since a move in the near future is highly likely.
The view from the rooftop deck of Staten Island.
As for everything else out here, I'm currently working with my old company, Upper Deck, doing athlete signings while I'm patiently waiting for something to come to fruition w/ an industry competitor I've been in discussions w/ for the past few months (who happens to be only 2 blocks away from my apt  wouldn't that be convenient?). It's a cool gig since I just go to players' houses and hang out w/ them while they autograph stuff. Alice seems to be liking her job now and our live-in visitor, Liz, recently moved out into her own place in the "projects" of the Upper West Side.
I hope everyone is doing well back there in Cali. I feel so disconnected from everyone so feel free to drop me a line and fill me in w/ everything there.  | | |
| The Move from Cali to NY:
Said Goodbye to some of my Upper Deck colleagues...
Said goodbye to my roommates Jen (Dan not pictured), and Max the largest cat in the world (doesn't look like it in the picture, but he's huge...30lbs)
I'm going to skip over the boring states (Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) since nothing really happened there. To summarize, I ran into a carport at a Sonic Burger in New Mexico. Didn't think about the 8ft clearance and my 9ft Penske truck until I heard the loud *BANG! Ripped a pretty big whole in the roof, but they said not to worry about it. Also got a speeding ticket in Texas by Walker Texas Ranger, or someone who looked very similar to Chuck Norris.
This cross had to be over 100 ft tall. This was in Oklahoma somewhere...
Olaf being Olaf in the truck...
First noteworthy stop, St. Louis...
Stopped by the city I was born in, Cincinnati and the house I lived in for the first year of my life...
What's that I see in the distance? Over 5 days and 3,500 miles later...
We've finally made it!
Toll booths, you've gotta love em...
...except our truck was too large to go through the Holland Tunnel, so they detoured us around to the Lincoln Tunnel. But of course the signage was horrible so we ended back up in Jersey somehow, but eventually found our way back...
Here's our building right across from Battery Park in downtown...
and finally, the view from our apartment at night across the river to Jersey (not pictured, Statue of Liberty is just to the left)...
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| Ashlee Simpson's Vocal Malfunction
Making viewers long for the days of Janet Jackson's breast
"I watched the Orange Bowl Tuesday night, like millions of other Americans. The first half was all USC. When halftime arrived, I sat at the kitchen table, watching the TV from a room away. Because of the distance, the sound seemed lower than it was if I was right there in front of the screen. I started to enjoy a fine meal. I felt safe and secure.
When Ashlee came on and began to perform, though, I literally dropped my fork. Then I cupped my hands over my ears, but it didn’t help. Ashlee’s singing sounded like a cross between a political prisoner being tortured and a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.
I desperately searched for the remote so I could hit the mute button, but I must have misplaced it. But I also couldn’t believe that someone didn’t rush the stage and stop her. The local police. The FBI. Homeland security. Even an angry mob of vigilantes. Instead, they just let her keep going. I’ve never felt so helpless or vulnerable in my life.
I happened to look out the window and noticed that some of my neighbors were running down the street, their hands over their ears, screaming for help. I wanted to help them, I really did. Yet I was gripped by horror and disbelief. I was practically catatonic. For their sake — and for mine — all I could hope for was a swift end to the halftime show.
Shrieking like a hyena giving birth, she closed her “song” with something that approximates the phrase, “you make we wanna SCREAM!” And then she waited for applause.
Instead, she got boos, the kind of irate and vindictive boos that usually occur after a pro wrestler taunts a crowd. Through the cacophony, the gentle strains of “You suck!” could be heard. Ashlee was escorted off the stage and through a tunnel, and let’s just say the Indiana Pacers were received more warmly by Detroit fans when they walked toward the locker room after the brawl.
What I hope and pray for now is that Ashlee will go away and leave the public alone. On behalf of the world community, I implore her to pursue another career. There are many avenues for a young woman of her abilities. Pig farmers need wranglers. The U.S. Forest Service has many outposts in remote areas of our nation’s parks, where one can make all the noise one wants and not be heard by another soul for miles. And if she’s determined to remain in the entertainment field, the horror genre in Hollywood could always use a good screamer.
But Ashlee must cease and desist her professional singing career immediately. The lip-synching angered many. The Orange Bowl debacle undoubtedly caused thousands to seek counseling. What does she want next? Is she setting up some sort of blackmail scheme: “Give me $10 million or I’ll keep singing”?
If that’s the case, I’m prepared to donate generously. I don’t think I’m alone." | | |
| Greetings from San Diego (well North County SD). it's been a little over a month since I moved down here and things are going great. I started my new job with The Upper Deck Company, LLC as a sport coordinator (basketball) in their product development/brand management department.
To put it shortly, I'm in charge of deciding which players we're going to be including in our basketball card sets, buying game-used jerseys that we cut up into small pieces and insert into our cards, budgeting the cost of our products (production volume, card quantities, and player autograph and game-used equipment rates), and also proof reading our card sets before they go to print (making sure correct pictures, names, team logos and colors are applied, any misspelling, etc). We have designers who deal with the artistic aspect of the cards, because most of you know that I have no artistic skill at all! I struggle drawing a tree let alone designing a basketball card, haha. it's amazing though working in the sports industry, because i love sports and sports card and what better thing is there than dealing with something you love. my perspective: "come on, i help design basketball cards for a living and get paid for it!" sure beats the financial and automotive industries that I've worked in before.
I'm excited about meeting the players in the near future, as we have a photo shoot with the players once a year. I already missed it this year, so it'll have to wait. I'll also get the chance to go to the NBA All-Star Game this year, and hopefully the Finals???
I still have yet to really explore San Diego, since I know almost nobody here. I do have two cool roommates (a couple) from ASU and some co-workers whom I go out with once in a while. Mostly though I'm a lazy bum. I find myself going to Starbucks to read a lot (Donnie, read?!? Holy shiet). Current Book: Trump: The Art of the Deal (this would be the 3rd book I've ever finished in my life). And I get excited whenever I have the opportunity/time to go to Best Buy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, or anywhere for that matter since I usually get off of work pretty late, lol. God we're getting old, has it hit you yet?
My roomates have 2 of the coolest cats. One of them is the biggest cat I've ever seen in my life. He's like a grey-colored Garfield. I swear he probably weighs about 25-30 lbs, and he's bigger than my dog at home. I'll post pics once I get my own computer.
Well that's probably the most extensive update I've given in over a year! If anyone's down in the San Diego area, let me know. | | |
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