Don't Ya

Just hate it when you find your online diary that you left open online? Thanks, Google, for reminding me of everything I've forgotten. You're a real, pal!

-Pat
Ps. Are you on facebook?

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Patrick

Back to Bueller

Hi.

I believe that I quoted the Great Ferris in a post back, but I think this time, the saying is overly appropriate. It's already half-way through December, and as I stop and take a look around, I wonder where my time has gone.

It's as though my time was just consumed by work and blur. Specifics are expensive and uncommon.

Now, as I try to read what I've attempted to convey, I'm just filled with disappointment. It's not like I'm fighting it, it's just that it's not coming easy right now. Thank goodness for beer because it's been getting the job done since before I was born.

It's early on Tuesday morning. The tuesday before my big break. As I sit and think about what the next couple days have in store, I can't help but think how the new year is going to be so much more and meaningful than I would have ever imagined.

It's pretty safe to bet that by the time I return from my journey through FL and up to the great Minnesota, my lock on hours of employment will have been picked.

It's a good thing that time goes somewhat slow; otherwise, I think I'd really be in a jam. I hope I never take my eyes off the prize- whatever it may be. I hope someday I figure out why I'm so concerned about that prize. And then, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to describe what it is exactly that I'm chasing.

Until then, I guess I need to start figuring out where I'm going to head when I head out of this place. Is it really time to start moving on? Can 9 months really be enough time to have figured out Austin?

I guess only time can tell. There are less than two weeks left in 2005- now that's a scary thought. You know I won't be waiting around to tell you what happens.

Arriverdirci.

Time Flies When You're Productive

Yes:

It's amazing. I think Ferris Bueller may have said it best when he reported that "if you don't stop and take a look around once in a while. You're gonna miss out."

For example, I got to work today and by the time I turned around, I looked at the clock and it was 5:30 pm. Suffice it to say that I missed quite a bit. What I missed, I'm not completely sure of- but I do know that I missed it.

I did witness some serious frustration in my boss, Jen Ohlson, today. I feel bad for her because she has to deal with an incredible amount of adversity, from all different angles. Most of the time, it's not her fault. I told her that it's merely a flaw in the system and that she shouldnt take it personally.

This, coupled with my personal drive for perfection, has made me really strive to do well. It's sad to think that the biggest indicator of my job performance is attendance at games. It's not how many tickets i sell or anything like that, but simply game attendance.

It's tough to stay focused on that goal given the fact that there are so many other things to worry about. Tomorrow, when i get to work, im going to make it a point to give out the number of tickets that they've alloted me to disperse.

So much to do, and so little time. Funny to think that only a month ago, I was unemployed and very bitter. So weird how things change and how they fly by when you're occupied.

Oh my.

Things do flourish in November

Aloha.

This post is probably about as overdue as my average library book. Nevertheless, here I am. This is what's happened in the past two and a half weeks, and this is what's going to happen in the next two.

The date today is actually December 4, which means there is less than a month left in the year of 2005. Scary thought no doubt.

I got a job. I work with the Events Sales and Services Department in UT Athletics. It's a pretty sweet job although it isn't officially fulltime. My job, as I see it, is to see that the arena is as filled as possible on game days for both women's and men's basketball.

So far the job has been really interesting. It has been pretty crazy because I've learned about the chaos that exists in within the body known as a university athletics department. There is so much money, so many people, and so much red tape that it's absolutely amazing. There is also so much "tradition" which is an incredible hurdle for newcomers and youth such as myself.

The job demands a creative approach as well as persistence and a thick skin. I think that I'm doing a decent job thus far, but I know that I haven't performing as well as I would have liked. Attendance at men's games have averaged about 7,000 people, which is about half of what it should be.

Women's games area whole different story but are equally as puzzling and arguably a bigger problem to solve. Today's women's game versus Duke was probably the most exciting women's athletic event that I will ever attend.

My boss is Jen Ohlson. She is an ex-sportscaster for KXAN in Austin. She's a pretty unique individual, and I enjoy getting to know and understand her. She is incredibly dedicated and a very gifted human. She seems to know what she needs to do but doesn't always know how to get there. My analysis of her usually leads me to believe that I've just been watching too much and not been participating enough.

I fault myself for being swept up in the drama that exists in the job environment. There are about ten students who do what I do as well, but their roles are much more niche roles. I see my opportunity as a great one, but I have yet to swing at the ball that has been approaching my strike zone.

Perhaps I need to take a more statistical and quasi-logical approach, which is what I plan to do in the next couple days. I can't lose sight of the fact that I was hired to get people into the stands, and therefore, that is what I need to do.

I'm going to call it an entry, but please expect more tomorrow for I have been extremely lazy since starting this job. Not lazy in the work sense but more the extracurricular sense. For this, I demand a better job from myself.

One, two. One two.

Moving Closer to the Point of No Return

Saludo!

It's a regular Monday afternoon. I woke up early today after having gone to bed early last night-- novel idea, no? That felt good, I'll just go ahead and write it.

I'm faced with how to fill the day. There is a part of me that wants to immediately find employment for myself, and there is also the part of me that wants to hold out for the brilliant idea that I know looms. This idea I speak of is my new business undertaking.

I feel that I've been close lately, but close does not take me there. It does not get me where I need to go. It does not earn me an income. Sadly, that seems to be my most pressing need as of late.

Let's see... it's early in the week and I have a few things on the agenda. First, I need to find a new place to live for late December. I need to call Mr. Gibson and chat with him a bunch. I need to start working on my short story entry for The Chronicle, which is due December 12. I need clean out my refrigerator. I need buy a ticket home for X-mas. I need to find a turkey costume for Thanksgiving. In short, there are a lot of things I need to do.

But where do I begin? How do I get my priorities in line? There are so many concerns and so little action being done. What gives? Why do I feel like I'm revving the engine in idle? Is it because I don't have a job and constantly fiddle with the small things around my apartment? Most likely. Note to self: Get a job, you lazy bum!

Philio got into Madison. That's pretty darn exciting and grand. It's especially great because I didnt think that they would give him the nod based on his short hussle this semester at Normandale. But apparently, there is someone watching over him. Hopefully that person/thing watching over him will watch over me when I buy my lottery ticket(s) tomorrow. We're shooting for 300 million plus. That's pretty exciting.

In about two hours, I am going to go check out a few apartments in the Hyde Park/Central Austin area with my new real estate agent Aaron. That should be fun; at least I will get out of my place for a little while. It's sad that I need an excuse to leave the house for a while. It's much healthier, even I will admit it.

So here's my latest business idea: Selling cooking lessons to families. Here's the program. I go around to households in the area and find out what they are looking for, food/cooking/etc. I then organize a program, catered to their needs, and we go to the grocery store, get the goods, return home, and cook the food.

Here are the issues... Getting people to buy into my program. Also, how much would one charge for such a service? Also, would there be interest in learning how to cook? Is there a market for a cooking tutor? I'm willing to bet that there is, so I think I'm going to investigate.

For now, it's almost lunch time, so I'm going to resurrect some of the tasty treats from this past weekend. My casserole just wasn't what I was hoping it would be, especially after a few cocktails on Saturday night. Perhaps that's why it didn't taste so hot: I had been cooking under the influence (CUI). Not a good idea.

Things under the influence never appear to be a good idea. CUI equates to pooey.