So you wanna pay me to do…nothing?

I have a few things I want to touch on, so I’ll split them up and start with the only real news of them all:

• A few months back, I submitted my letter of resignation and asked for my last day to be August 1st. Well, yesterday the head of HR came in and informed me that they needed my last day to be next Monday. While startled at first, they explained that they needed some place to put a member of their newly reshuffled team, so they needed me to be gone a little sooner. She then informed me that they would still effectively pay me till nearly the end of the month, and that I would still have company insurance till the end of the month. I asked, “So, you’re gonna pay me in July, I get my insurance…and I don’t have to actually come to work? Ma’am, you’ve got yourself a deal”. But don’t expect me to be catching to me rays, I’ll be picking up some type of side work to make some extra money till law school starts. Still, I should at least be able to catch up on some reading!
• What on earth is with all the songs about inanimate objects lately. Rhinanna has “Umbrella” ( ella, ella, ella, ella, a, a, a,), Lil’ Mama has “Lipgloss”, and now Eve is back on the scene with “Tambourine”, which is just plain weird. That’s right, in the music world, inanimate objects are having the Best Week Ever.
• I have seen a lot of articles recently, pondering what has cause the downfall in the prominence of rap in the world of music sales. In the 90’s, you could always count on at least 6 or 7 of the top ten albums to be some type of rap or r&b album. These days, you’re hard pressed to find one or two past their launch dates. People can’t seem to figure out why rap has fallen so hard, so fast. Well, yesterday I saw the answer. As I stood there waiting for the bus to work, I noticed a gentleman in his truck, a nice looking Toyota Tundra, jet black. He was on his way to work, with a white button up un-buttoned at the top. He appeared to be in his mid to late 30’s, very corporate looking. What was he listening to, you ask? Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”. And he had it up loud, with his windows open. This is why rap is dying as a chart topper. I attribute much of it’s success to its early reputation as being dangerous, as being counter-culture. You felt cool as a kid listening to it because it was a world you didn’t actually have access to, and even more, it drove most parents nuts. Now, parents sing along with raps songs while their kids hang their heads in shame in the back seat. This, my friends, is why rap is dying at the charts.

Chicago, it’s my kinda town…

Well, put another Cosa Nostra trip in the books. This year’s “Summit” in Chicago has officially come and gone. I gotta say, I had a blast with the guys. We all talked about how great it is to have something like this, once a year, to just get away with the boys.

Thursday night I got into Chicago on the Megabus (you can check it out yourself at megabus.com). I took the L over to our hotel, the McCormick Place Hyatt, and changed real quick. I then headed over, and not two seconds after I arrived at Harry Caray’s, the rest of the boys showed up. This trip was Patty, Patrick, Buckley, and Match. We had dinner, and then because they were fairly warn out from jetlag and from walking around the city all day, we headed back to the hotel. There, we spent the next six or seven hours…I’m a bit embarrassed to say this…ughhh, ok, I’ll just say it…we played Risk. Yup, I can’t hide it – me and my guys love Risk, and it was brought along to Chicago by Patty. And not just Risk – Star Wars Risk. All bits of cool I might have had died at that moment. But hey, we had a blast, so I can’t be too ashamed.

Friday we headed over to Wrigleyville for the 1:20 game between the Cubbies and the Pads. After a blazing quick two-and-a-half hour game, the Cubs had notched another W for the season. After the game, we headed over to the Cubby Bear, and then we we went to dinner at Goose Island Brewery. After that, we took a free shuttle from the hotel to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN. Spending three hours in that casino confirmed some of the worst aspects of humanity, poverty, desperation, and I’m pretty sure a little of my soul died. We were all happy to get the hell outta there.

Saturday was “tourist” day. We got up and headed over for lunch on the majestic mile at Giaradano’s. Then we headed to the top of the world in the Sears Tower. After that, we had a quick water taxi ride over to Navy Pier. With $5 each on the line, we played a wet and competitive game of mini-golf (Patty was the ultimate winner of $20). Then it was on to dinner and cigars at Ditka’s. The night ended with all of us grabbing at pint at Fado, the “disneyland of Irish pubs”.

So I can officially say that today I’m a little worn out, a little bloated from too much good food (and a few beers), and overwhelmingly glad to have such great friends.

Thoughts at the closing bell:

• There is officially a date for Bianchi’s wedding. Words I never thought i’d say (but glad that I can!)
• I got to see Holly for the first time in full scrubs this morning headed to work. I’m so proud of her!
• Lots of exclamation points!
• The Tigers are hanging around the top of the division, I’m pretty sure we’ll secure a playoff birth.
• 1776 has been an amazing read so far.

That’s all for now kids, one love to you all. Holla.

25 and feelin fine

That’s it. A quarter of a century has now officially passed me by. Kinda sad, actually. It feels like it was only 24 years. Guess I’m still getting over the haziness that was year 1, what with birth and all.

For my 25th, Holly threw me a birthday party, which she gave a Southern theme, complete with Alabama flag, fried chicken, and PBR (yeah, I know, it’s from Milwaukee, let’s not get hung up on technicalities). It was alot of fun, and even more impressive considering that she threw it together only one day removed from taking her boards.

That’s right, Holly took the boards on Friday – she is officially done with her 2nd year of Med School and is done with being a book student. It’s all about rotations now. I couldn’t be happier or more proud of her. So how’s she celebrating? She ditched me and headed to Gulf Shores with two of her sorority sisters. Yeah, I know. But I didn’t have enough vacation time left, so I actually encouraged her to go. So this week it’s been me and Karley in the house.

Everything else is going pretty well. School is somewhat annoying just because the two classes I’m in this summer semester have packed a TON of reading into eight weeks, and so it’s bene hard to keep up somewhat. Oh well, better not complain now, cause it only gets worse starting in August. Got some fun things for my birthday, and I’m only about a week away from heading to Chicago with the boys. That’s right – Cosa Nostra is taking the Windy City.

Thoughts at the closing bell:

• Tigers haven’t been playing to great, the bullpen has just been in shambles with injuries. Pistons got bounced by LeBron James out of the playoffs (no, the rest of the Cavs didn’t have anything to do with it – it was all LeBron).
• I just gave blood. The Star ran an article saying the state was “dangerously low” on O+ and O- blood. There’s a blood center right next to my work, and I’m O+, so I figured why not. Plus, you get cookies and juice – it’s just like kindergarten. With needles.
• People have started falling back to giving me Oatmeal Cream Pies as a gift when they want to get me something small. Look folks, I love them and all, really I do – but schnikies, I got them from three different people on my birthday. I’m trying to NOT become Fat Andy again, kids.
• I’m starting to get a little fed up with most of the Republican candidates. Romney is loosing me, what with his “double Guantanamo” remarks and other gun-slinging references. Could I actually vote for Ron Paul?
• This is why I’m hot. I’m hot cause I’m fly, you ain’t cause you not.
• I NEED to travel overseas, and soon. I’m a travel-fiend, and I need a fix.

That’s all for now, one love to you all. Holla.