Bars are such strange places. Me, being only 18, have not experienced many bar atmospheres. But, the Bonfire has a huge bar in the center of the restaurant. And, as I am coming to realize, it is a halarious place to people watch and occasionally eavesdrop on when it's not busy.
My host stand is about three feet away from the edge of the bar stools, so late at night, I hear many an interesting half-drunk conversation of older guys trying to woo younger women. It is very entertaining.
Last night especially (Friday night) the bar was so full, the people were spilling out into the walking paths of the servers, there were about 20 more needed bar stools, so people just stood around and chatted. It was a lively night, and made me realize what good dialogue I can pick up and possibly use in my book if I want.
I've been working a lot lately. I worked a double Thursday, am working a double today, and will be working a double tomorrow as well. It's making me a lot of money.
The servers really like me. I got tipped again by a server for helping her out. And, they said that I should be a server instead of a host because i'm doing so well.
I applied for a serving position. I want it. But, i'll probably get it next summer over my college break.
College is coming up in a month and a half. I will be having about 16-18 credits of writing classes and a lab science. I am so stoked! (Not for the lab science, in case there was any confusion).
I have been so freakishly busy with work and stuff, it's been hard for me to get a lot of reading done, so i'm still working on the first book I started. I'm over half way, and it's really good.
I've gotten a lot of writing done lately. The next 80 pages will be really hard to write. I have to prolong a hostage situation for that long and a kidnapping investigation, all while making it interesting. So, I need to come up with a few creative ideas on what can happen to keep it lively.
I'll keep you updated.
(P.S. Josh, you say that you read my blog every day, but you never comment. I demand some comments, it's making me feel unread!) ;)
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
climbing and discipline
Today I went rock climbing.
At Lifetime fitness, depending on the location, they have huge indoor climbing structers. It was so fun!
I have been indoor rock climbing before, but it's been a long time. So, the first climb was pretty scary, especially when I decided to look down. I have a fear of heights, but for some reason, my love for adventure and adrenaline trumps my fear for heights and forces me to do things above twenty five feet.
Rapelling down after a climb was really fun. Maybe I pretended to be a secret agent rapelling down from an infiltrated building, maybe I didn't. All you need to know is that I enjoyed it immensley. My forearms hurt so badly, I can feel a slight burn on my laptop typing. My fingers hurt too. It makes me feel manly.
Working at the Bonfire has been going very well! I think everyone there likes me. After a busy father's day morning, a server came up to me and put something in my pocket saying that all the servers pitched in a little in thanks for my help to them throughout the day. First off, you must understand that at no time does a server tip a host, ever. So, that was an incredible guesture of their appreciation, and it made me feel loved and appreciated. Then, my manager told me he heard that I did awesome, so he said he "gave you a little something" in my folder in the back. I have yet to see what it is. =) I like it there.
I have been running lately. I've been doing 2 miles at a time. I've only timed it 3 times, and each try the time drops considerably. The first time was around 18 minutes (because I stopped and walked for like 5 minutes because I was so tired), the second time was around 16 minutes, and the third time was about 14:30 minutes. I have never been a dedicated runner, so I am not expecting to be able to run 2 miles in 10 minutes by the end of the summer, but 13 minutes flat would be nice. 2 six and a half minute miles in a row, that's good.
Lately, I have been noticing my incredible lack of self discipline. It bothers me. I want to be a driven person, but i'm just not. I hate setting goals for myself because I almost always go past them. To quote the movie Julie and Julia (amazing movie) "Deadlines, don't you love them? I love the sound they make as they go wooshing by!"
That's what I feel like, and I hate it. I have been trying to change that thing about me for a long time, but it never works. I know that there's books on how to get motivated... I might pick one up to add to my list of 8 other books. (I just bought The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) Thanks, Helena, for blogging about it. It perked my curiosity, so I checked it out, read a bit, and loved it. So, I bought it and now my summer reading is even longer.
Anyways, so, any tips anyone may have, put them down for me to be able to have a better reign on my life. Examples of me being passive and apathetic include: watching TV shows online instead of writing my book, talking and hanging out with my family instead of reading, staying up wayy too late with the escuse of having nothing to do the following morning, only to wake up around 12:00pm, which makes me feel like a piece of crap.
Idealy, I want to go to bed at 12:00am and wake up at 8, or asleep at 11 and up at 7. But, to change it drastically is out of the question, because I am never tired by 11.
At Lifetime fitness, depending on the location, they have huge indoor climbing structers. It was so fun!
I have been indoor rock climbing before, but it's been a long time. So, the first climb was pretty scary, especially when I decided to look down. I have a fear of heights, but for some reason, my love for adventure and adrenaline trumps my fear for heights and forces me to do things above twenty five feet.
Rapelling down after a climb was really fun. Maybe I pretended to be a secret agent rapelling down from an infiltrated building, maybe I didn't. All you need to know is that I enjoyed it immensley. My forearms hurt so badly, I can feel a slight burn on my laptop typing. My fingers hurt too. It makes me feel manly.
Working at the Bonfire has been going very well! I think everyone there likes me. After a busy father's day morning, a server came up to me and put something in my pocket saying that all the servers pitched in a little in thanks for my help to them throughout the day. First off, you must understand that at no time does a server tip a host, ever. So, that was an incredible guesture of their appreciation, and it made me feel loved and appreciated. Then, my manager told me he heard that I did awesome, so he said he "gave you a little something" in my folder in the back. I have yet to see what it is. =) I like it there.
I have been running lately. I've been doing 2 miles at a time. I've only timed it 3 times, and each try the time drops considerably. The first time was around 18 minutes (because I stopped and walked for like 5 minutes because I was so tired), the second time was around 16 minutes, and the third time was about 14:30 minutes. I have never been a dedicated runner, so I am not expecting to be able to run 2 miles in 10 minutes by the end of the summer, but 13 minutes flat would be nice. 2 six and a half minute miles in a row, that's good.
Lately, I have been noticing my incredible lack of self discipline. It bothers me. I want to be a driven person, but i'm just not. I hate setting goals for myself because I almost always go past them. To quote the movie Julie and Julia (amazing movie) "Deadlines, don't you love them? I love the sound they make as they go wooshing by!"
That's what I feel like, and I hate it. I have been trying to change that thing about me for a long time, but it never works. I know that there's books on how to get motivated... I might pick one up to add to my list of 8 other books. (I just bought The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) Thanks, Helena, for blogging about it. It perked my curiosity, so I checked it out, read a bit, and loved it. So, I bought it and now my summer reading is even longer.
Anyways, so, any tips anyone may have, put them down for me to be able to have a better reign on my life. Examples of me being passive and apathetic include: watching TV shows online instead of writing my book, talking and hanging out with my family instead of reading, staying up wayy too late with the escuse of having nothing to do the following morning, only to wake up around 12:00pm, which makes me feel like a piece of crap.
Idealy, I want to go to bed at 12:00am and wake up at 8, or asleep at 11 and up at 7. But, to change it drastically is out of the question, because I am never tired by 11.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Quarantine
I saw my first horror movie.
On a scale of scary in the spectrum of horror, the movie Quarantine, thankfully, is quite low respectively under some like Paranormal Activity, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the like.
You must understand that I get scared very easily. Examples of this include: jumping with surprise at random noises in the house, quite convinced that sometime in my life on a foggy night a hitchhiker will stand in the middle of the road and force me to stop... well, you can just imagine the rest.
With my jumpiness in mind, I see this zombie-like, thriller/horror, intense, documentary style film with my close guy friends at 1:00am at my friend's house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by feilds, corn, and scarecrows.
After the movie, I am terrified out of my wits. With luck against me, my dad needed his car early the next morning, so I had to drive home alone at 2:45am. Let's just say that the drive on abandoned backroads in the middle of nowhere back to my house was less than pleasant.
Plan of attack: if I see someone walking by the side of the road in the mist, then I speed up to 100mph and don't bother swerving if they step out in the road.
I checked my windows five times, triple checked the locks on my car doors, and of course, cranked some music to get my mind from the impending and inevitable hitchhiker.
I arrived home with no hitchiking incident, hence this blog post.
I slept with my nun-chucks.
I am better now. In hind-sight, the movie isn't all that scary. It had a lot of jump scenes, but mainly just jolted me, escpecially so late at night. I am proud to announce I am back to myself.
On a different note... would you like to read a list of what I will be reading for the rest of the summer?
After my graduation open house party, which produced quite a bit of cash, thankfully. (But, tomorrow it will all be gone as I pay my parents for the first of many payments for my college education).
But, back to the story, I purchased a few books from Borders Bookstore. I took an afternoon, and scouted the bookstore, sat down with a Vanilla White Chocolate Mocha and scanned through about 20 books until I settled on five books to buy. I walked out with my summer's reading list of: The Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating (thanks to Helena for the suggestion, it looks like a good book), Sin and Syntax - how to craft wickedly effective prose, Dialogue - techniques and exercises for crafting effective dialogue, and Plot and Structure - Techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers start to finish, and the most difficult read yet, Computer Hacking for Dummies.
Also, a few weeks ago, I purchased from Borders: Forensics - a guide for writers, and the Writer's Idea Book.
Yeah, I have my work cut out for me that will seep into the school year, because I have 7 books that i'd like to get through, and probably more.
My intent is to cut down on the work on my book, which an early title is: Breakthrough. I'm not sure if I like it, but that is the one we have so far. So, for Breakthrough, I would like to have all the proper techniques completed in the first and second drafts of the book, so I don't have to spend a year editing my work. Although I have taken about 10 writing classes and write in my spare time, I have very specific areas in which I know I need improving, dialogue for example. So, I would like to read these books and do the exercises in them so I will my "hot" for when I complete Breakthrough.
On a scale of scary in the spectrum of horror, the movie Quarantine, thankfully, is quite low respectively under some like Paranormal Activity, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the like.
You must understand that I get scared very easily. Examples of this include: jumping with surprise at random noises in the house, quite convinced that sometime in my life on a foggy night a hitchhiker will stand in the middle of the road and force me to stop... well, you can just imagine the rest.
With my jumpiness in mind, I see this zombie-like, thriller/horror, intense, documentary style film with my close guy friends at 1:00am at my friend's house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by feilds, corn, and scarecrows.
After the movie, I am terrified out of my wits. With luck against me, my dad needed his car early the next morning, so I had to drive home alone at 2:45am. Let's just say that the drive on abandoned backroads in the middle of nowhere back to my house was less than pleasant.
Plan of attack: if I see someone walking by the side of the road in the mist, then I speed up to 100mph and don't bother swerving if they step out in the road.
I checked my windows five times, triple checked the locks on my car doors, and of course, cranked some music to get my mind from the impending and inevitable hitchhiker.
I arrived home with no hitchiking incident, hence this blog post.
I slept with my nun-chucks.
I am better now. In hind-sight, the movie isn't all that scary. It had a lot of jump scenes, but mainly just jolted me, escpecially so late at night. I am proud to announce I am back to myself.
On a different note... would you like to read a list of what I will be reading for the rest of the summer?
After my graduation open house party, which produced quite a bit of cash, thankfully. (But, tomorrow it will all be gone as I pay my parents for the first of many payments for my college education).
But, back to the story, I purchased a few books from Borders Bookstore. I took an afternoon, and scouted the bookstore, sat down with a Vanilla White Chocolate Mocha and scanned through about 20 books until I settled on five books to buy. I walked out with my summer's reading list of: The Idiot's Guide to Private Investigating (thanks to Helena for the suggestion, it looks like a good book), Sin and Syntax - how to craft wickedly effective prose, Dialogue - techniques and exercises for crafting effective dialogue, and Plot and Structure - Techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers start to finish, and the most difficult read yet, Computer Hacking for Dummies.
Also, a few weeks ago, I purchased from Borders: Forensics - a guide for writers, and the Writer's Idea Book.
Yeah, I have my work cut out for me that will seep into the school year, because I have 7 books that i'd like to get through, and probably more.
My intent is to cut down on the work on my book, which an early title is: Breakthrough. I'm not sure if I like it, but that is the one we have so far. So, for Breakthrough, I would like to have all the proper techniques completed in the first and second drafts of the book, so I don't have to spend a year editing my work. Although I have taken about 10 writing classes and write in my spare time, I have very specific areas in which I know I need improving, dialogue for example. So, I would like to read these books and do the exercises in them so I will my "hot" for when I complete Breakthrough.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
laziness
I have set a little goal for myself this week. I guess this blog used to be daily resolutions and complete them, but I haven't done that in like three months. But, simply talking about random stuff is fun, so i'll do that.
I have noticed lately that I have little motivation for anything. I love to write, but I don't write every day when I should and have the time to do so. I am idle. I swoon around the simple pleasures of life and get lost in time until I realize that I work in thirty minutes and leave. Sure, that's good to enjoy the small things (I have no problem with that in my life considering I am ecstatic about naming my new cell-phone Jarvis after the computer in the Iron Man movies. But, there needs to be a happy medium between an at attention Marine ready to sacrifice all personal desires for service and me. I'd like to find that medium so I can actually accomplish things that need to get done, and still enjoy random things and "take it easy".
It would be nice to accomplish this completely before college starts. The little goal that i'm setting for myself this week is just to spur it on. But, it is to not watch any TV shows the whole week, work out every day, take time to read my Bible, maybe read a book, write my book, and then do one thing that I do not want to do that day.
The last point may be slightly confusing, so let me explain. A wise person once said something like: "Take time everyday to accomplish the hardest and least fun thing to do in your schedule, and in time, you will become a much more patient and better person."
So, for example, I really do not want to balance my checkbook. Like, I REALLY do not want to do it. Sure, it's not all that hard, I just don't want to do it, so, tomorrow I will try to do it for the sole reason of going against my lazy nature saying: "Step aside and let the real man do the work".
I have noticed lately that I have little motivation for anything. I love to write, but I don't write every day when I should and have the time to do so. I am idle. I swoon around the simple pleasures of life and get lost in time until I realize that I work in thirty minutes and leave. Sure, that's good to enjoy the small things (I have no problem with that in my life considering I am ecstatic about naming my new cell-phone Jarvis after the computer in the Iron Man movies. But, there needs to be a happy medium between an at attention Marine ready to sacrifice all personal desires for service and me. I'd like to find that medium so I can actually accomplish things that need to get done, and still enjoy random things and "take it easy".
It would be nice to accomplish this completely before college starts. The little goal that i'm setting for myself this week is just to spur it on. But, it is to not watch any TV shows the whole week, work out every day, take time to read my Bible, maybe read a book, write my book, and then do one thing that I do not want to do that day.
The last point may be slightly confusing, so let me explain. A wise person once said something like: "Take time everyday to accomplish the hardest and least fun thing to do in your schedule, and in time, you will become a much more patient and better person."
So, for example, I really do not want to balance my checkbook. Like, I REALLY do not want to do it. Sure, it's not all that hard, I just don't want to do it, so, tomorrow I will try to do it for the sole reason of going against my lazy nature saying: "Step aside and let the real man do the work".
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Bonfire
I just finished my first shift at the Bonfire Bar/Restaurant as a Host. Yes, I did just capatalize the word Host because I am the Host. Just like the movie "The Marine", sure, the dude is a marine, but it is capatalized because he is so awesome. Need I clarify more?
Just kidding, I just felt like saying that.
But, it was fun. I caught on fast. I didn't even shadow. I signed the paperwork yesterday, memorized the table numbers, and started as a host tonight. It was quick transitions, but I am a quick learner, and I think I will like it there.
I think there is a pattern in my work history. At Caribou I am the only male aside from the store manager. At Bonfire, I am the only host, all the rest are hostesses.
Grin.
Anyways, I have seven shifts in the next six days. I will be working a ton this summer making bucko bucks. I think I will really enjoy it at Bonfire. It was fun, the people were nice, and it's easier than I expected.
Just kidding, I just felt like saying that.
But, it was fun. I caught on fast. I didn't even shadow. I signed the paperwork yesterday, memorized the table numbers, and started as a host tonight. It was quick transitions, but I am a quick learner, and I think I will like it there.
I think there is a pattern in my work history. At Caribou I am the only male aside from the store manager. At Bonfire, I am the only host, all the rest are hostesses.
Grin.
Anyways, I have seven shifts in the next six days. I will be working a ton this summer making bucko bucks. I think I will really enjoy it at Bonfire. It was fun, the people were nice, and it's easier than I expected.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Love
I believe in love at first sight. Do you?
I have never been in love, but I am enraptured in the power of love. I cannot wait until I fall in love. Head over heels.
But, until that day comes, I will enjoy my singleness for all it's worth. Most people keep looking forward to the day that they meet "Mr./Ms. Perfect" and lose sight of what they have at that very moment: freedom.
No, i'm not saying that marraige is a ball and chain concept, but how easy is it once married and both have jobs to spontaniously travel to another city, go mountain climbing with hardcore guy friends, go on camping trips, and have less worries in the world.
Marraige is going to be wonderful, not a cake-walk by any stretch of the imagination, but totally worth waiting for. But, until then, i'm not going to waste time thinking about the future because it can't and won't change anything in the present.
I am going to rock my singleness through college. If I meet a wonderful girl, then that's great, but i'd like to "roam free" for a while and taste some aventure and spontenaeity.
I have never been in love, but I am enraptured in the power of love. I cannot wait until I fall in love. Head over heels.
But, until that day comes, I will enjoy my singleness for all it's worth. Most people keep looking forward to the day that they meet "Mr./Ms. Perfect" and lose sight of what they have at that very moment: freedom.
No, i'm not saying that marraige is a ball and chain concept, but how easy is it once married and both have jobs to spontaniously travel to another city, go mountain climbing with hardcore guy friends, go on camping trips, and have less worries in the world.
Marraige is going to be wonderful, not a cake-walk by any stretch of the imagination, but totally worth waiting for. But, until then, i'm not going to waste time thinking about the future because it can't and won't change anything in the present.
I am going to rock my singleness through college. If I meet a wonderful girl, then that's great, but i'd like to "roam free" for a while and taste some aventure and spontenaeity.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
back in black
I am sorry for not blogging for so long. =(
Let me update you on my life in bullet points. (More like "Star Points" though, sorry if your dissapointed)
* Had my Graduation Open House
* Applied at Bonfire the restaurant/bar and waiting a call back after I had an interview two days ago. I'm looking to work full time between two jobs this summer.
* My Grandma just left today visiting from CA
* My Grandma is officially the first person to have read my entire book so far. She reads about a book every two days (not exaggerating at all) and she said that she loved it!
* Got a new cell phone, one that will get reception while i'm at college
* My dad is now working at his new job and is right now in Cincinatti for about four days to do some problem solving.
* P90 X (the workout program) is going wonderfully. I hurt all the time everywhere, but a good pain. I am already feeling a difference. I cannot wait to complete it all and see the results.
* I just bought an awesome shirt at H&M and am wearing it right now with dignity.
* I've written quite a bit in my book lately and am loving the results. Can't wait to continue.
* I like these bullet points.
* I started watching the TV show So You Think You Can Dance and am now extremely jealous of their MAD skills.
* Will be writing a million Thank You letters for my graduation open house.
And, I think that sums up all that I have not blogged about in the last two weeks. Sorry for my failings as a blogger. I will try to be better at it, especially now that it's summer, I should have no excuse, and I don't.
Let me update you on my life in bullet points. (More like "Star Points" though, sorry if your dissapointed)
* Had my Graduation Open House
* Applied at Bonfire the restaurant/bar and waiting a call back after I had an interview two days ago. I'm looking to work full time between two jobs this summer.
* My Grandma just left today visiting from CA
* My Grandma is officially the first person to have read my entire book so far. She reads about a book every two days (not exaggerating at all) and she said that she loved it!
* Got a new cell phone, one that will get reception while i'm at college
* My dad is now working at his new job and is right now in Cincinatti for about four days to do some problem solving.
* P90 X (the workout program) is going wonderfully. I hurt all the time everywhere, but a good pain. I am already feeling a difference. I cannot wait to complete it all and see the results.
* I just bought an awesome shirt at H&M and am wearing it right now with dignity.
* I've written quite a bit in my book lately and am loving the results. Can't wait to continue.
* I like these bullet points.
* I started watching the TV show So You Think You Can Dance and am now extremely jealous of their MAD skills.
* Will be writing a million Thank You letters for my graduation open house.
And, I think that sums up all that I have not blogged about in the last two weeks. Sorry for my failings as a blogger. I will try to be better at it, especially now that it's summer, I should have no excuse, and I don't.
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