I feel like Dante in the original Clerks. "I'm not supposed to be here today."

And there is really no reason except somebody felt like denying. It's been a week full of snubs. My manager handing some crap out to everybody except me, saying there isn't enough. Well, I'm thinking then DONT FUCKING GIVE IT OUT. Common Sense is in short supply.

Well, it was a nice idea. Even though I have the time coming, I got rejected in my plan to take the fridays of December off. I suspect largely that I just got beaten to the punch, but it can't help but give you a complex. There is a screwy complicated system for accounting for your time and it didn't have me completely resolved until the middle of October. Being poor, I've been nickel and dime-ing my time with a day here, a day there ever since and I somehow still have 40 hours of time to play with, but so far no love.........bastards.

Saw a project coordinator opening at Roswell Peep and mailed off some stuff yesterday morning. They want stuff I can do with my eyes closed so I did up a resume/cover letter combo and it will be in when inhumane resources opens up again on Monday.

Having to work today is a little surreal. The phones are almost inanimate objects.

Yesterday was a good day off. Caught up on sleep, hung out with the youngins for a little while, sponged off the suburban parents. It was an interesting drive through the fog. I skipped the expressway for a tour through Main street back into the city. It was a little better lit and easier to see. I was cruising up by Main and Parker and this one car was scaring the crap out of me. They were moving around with no lights. Both schmucks in the car were yawning and looking like they were on a sofa instead of behind the wheel. I cruised up Parker to avoid their inevitable impact with whatever stops in front of them. I got me and my left overs safely into apartment in time for a good episode of Grey's -- the awkward look between Alex and Addison?? They'll be the doctor with two backs by February sweeps.

Heard from a former colleague Wednesday night who lives in Orchard Park who offered beer and food after the Bills game on Sunday. That seems like an infinitely better way to wait out traffic coming out of work than I usually get. She offered Labatt's and food. My stock answer is usually "Yes, please."

Got the rest of the kids shopping done with a few keystrokes yesterday, so I can afford to sit and laugh at the freaks who partake of Black Friday. 5am is something nobody in their sane mind CHOOSES to see.

If I am ever at a Target at that hour, you are welcome to slap me, hard.

Make it a good one, ya'all.

So, let's see. I was headed to the Underground Garage show at the Town Ballroom Tonight but people right and left bailed so I'm alone on that now after two cancellations, so I think I'm cowarding to a movie instead. Ah well, rainchecks all around.

Twas a very bizarre week. Very late in the day, I got pressed into service at the Front Counter at the Chicago Street office. The engineering chief stuck his head in the door to say he has a emergency staff meeting to go to and the interviewee he has coming in has to cool his jets. Later the memo comes down, that the two people who were in charge when we were Adelphia and senior people in Time Warner quit, at the same time. Three rooms had staff at the point of the evening and despite being filled with a wide cross section of people, the universal reaction of "Holy Shit" seemed to be very pervasive. Something is up, but if it means I can get some better hours than the ones I'm dealing with now, I can roll with it. I did manage to accumulate enough vacation time so I don't believe I'll be working at all on any Friday between now and Christmas. Woo-hoo, four days weeks!

Stupid landlord picked this afternoon to look at the one deteriorated wall in my place. Water damage from rains, etc gave the plaster an oatmeal quality. His repairman said he wanted a look. The "Look" turned into a whole removal of all the bad plaster so my living room has some brickwork where the wall used to be.

I was driving back with the youngins from the Mayer Bros place today and walking along Transit was an actual turkey, unaccompanied, strutting his stuff in front of Basil Resale. I couldn't really stopped but daughter mentioned we have to start keeping a camera at the ready for such events.

In lieu of my concert ticket this afternoon, I bought the new Willie Nelson CD. Ryan Adams produced it. Adams and his band back Willie up and it is friggin great. It's one of those cds that just "get" you.

Gonna go check the movie listings. Any takers?

Later friends (as well as romans, etc.)

All work related -- New pricing structure is in its 3rd day and causing much confusion, befuddlement, and general bumfuzzlement. The upshot is that if you make any changes on your Time Warner Service you get strolled into the new pricing. The only reason I devote a post to this is that the price of the internet DROPS!!. You get into one of the new packages and you get the main Roadrunner service for $33.00 -- a big improvement over what it was. Typically, the people who have everything don't get much of a breather, but just about everybody else is making out. So, if you got to call customer service, let me know. You might be able to save a buck or two.

Almost monday already.

Anybody want to go to the Underground Garage show on Saturday night at the Towne Ballroom? Just thought I'd ask. The NY Dolls are playing. C'Mon, it will be fun. I'll even drive.

Nice laid back weekend. I had to spend Friday in the Amherst Time Warner Office waiting on trade and must have been running the befuddled line because each person took forever. Time Warner revamped all the pricing and it's causing a little confusion for peon like me and customer alike, but I got a kick out of one couple who after I did my thing with them, they still didn't know what they wanted. It took an hour. They apologized for being so indecisive. I couldn't resist, telling them the other customers think we're going steady. Lucky for me , they chuckled. There is a shot for me to get back into my old job that I plan to take advantage of. There are two manager openings occuring, which I won't apply for, but once filled, those manager should yield a opening for my vast constellation of qualifications.

Here's hoping.....

Had the kids all weekend and in an dazzling display of cool dadhood, drove the young ladies to catch up with friends. That permitted me and number #1 son to catch a little Star Wars in HD on a rainy saturday. I also backed some kick ass break and bake cookies. Not a one scarred, but not a one left either.

After turning the youngins back to their lovely mom, I ran some errands and wound up at the folks house in Clarence. It felt good to shoot the breeze with Dad and watch some of the Bills game and a little of the other 1:00 football games. CBS had a great one and instead of showing Cincinnati and San Diego doing all this scoring, they stuck with their four nimrods yammering away in the studio. A few helpings of Mom's pot roast and biscuits later, I guess I'm ready for the working week once more.

I did do something that could be cool. My younger sister offered space to stay at her place in March so my eldest is getting a trip to NYC for Christmas. I got the airline tickets with jet blue certificates. I just have to figure out how to cover the rest. Well, maybe a job cutting grass after school (oh wait a minute, got one of those already).

Brace yourself, peeps, Monday is about to come raining down all over us.

Be well.

The Buffalo Sabres are a big deal around their league. They are moving the most trinkets in the league at the moment. You know you made it when the new logos are getting photoshopped into stuff. Bein a Stadler and Waldorf fan, I liked this one quite a lot

I'm working in the burbs today, but I spent my lunch hour driving with the windows rolled down and the Ipod turned up. Get out before it's gone ya'all

I believe in these difficult and mean-spirited times in which we live there needs to be a message of hope. Just a single image that speaks to us of love, harmony, peace and joy. An image that suggests the universal brotherhood of man. I have found that image, and I ask that all of you take a moment to be inspired by it.

I just drove past Roswell returning home from dropping my son off at school and it seemed a little weird for a bunch of folks to be outside on a smoke break.

Watch out, Roswell peeps -- contradictions are everywhere

My master plan for getting some extra cash is having a bit of a down side. For the uninitiated, I usher at the Bills games down by some of the players suites where things are fairly tame.

The colder weather has its downsides when you have to stand around for six hours in it. I'll post some pics at some point. On one hand, it's kind of cool to place yourself iin something bigger. On the other hand, I'm looking at the security guys with a little suspicion after some drunken fucksticks allegedly beat up some New England fan at the last game. Most of the guys are pretty good and on the ball inside the stadium, but the forces aren't very numerous outside the stadium where the needs are just as great.

I'm not suppose to get security, just checking tickets and giving directions, but I had to break up a couple of knuckleheads yesterday. I got it done, but took a stumble into a railing so I've got a nice thigh bruise courtesy a couple of losers. The signed Bills helmet did little to make it hurt less.

The drive home was the cherry on the cake for me. I thought I was smart (smrt!) by scooting down milestrip rd and going to route 5 and basicially getting to our turf via the skyway. Now, everybody is fucking doing it. So, no matter how fast the Bills finish embarassing themselves, it's a hour wait till all the thruway guys get their entrance. Nothing like being a little stiff from standing, bruised from whathave ya and tired to really hate the fact that your great little car is a standard. That was pain. By the time I got home, I was walking like I was in an old western and not in a good way.

Nothing a hot shower and 3 pints of Guinness couldn't assist with.

I took the kids to "Flushed Away" on Saturday night as a precursor and it was so worth it. Lots of unabashed silly. Just the tonic. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, me or the kids. It was a reward for number one son. He had another Tae Kwon Do Tourney and medalled in forms. I got to help him get over his fear of sparing before he can make the next great leap.

On other fronts, Bill Maher on his last show proposed banning campaign commericals and I sort of think he has a point. Nothing has been gained from the tremendous waste of money in this area. Nobody has said anything of substance in their ads other than their approving of their messages. Nothing has been learned. No candidate be it democrat or republican has come out and said why we should select them. Reynolds and Davis are so busy taking shots at one another, there really isn't anyway to know what they stand for. The same holds true for most of the races out there.

Sad, really. That said, vote, peeps, vote

Jack Davis is so crazy and he'll never accomplish anything if he happens to win. Tom Reynolds is an immoral pig who has incredible clout. You know there is much to worry about when both national parties are pouring money into this area. Given the choices, I'm glad I don't live in the district. Speaking of congresspeoples, anybody seen Louise Slaughter (our rep) recently?

I bet John Kerry reads his scripts a little more thoroughly next time he works without a prompter.

Jeannine Pirro is running for Attorney General and is picking a fight with Alan Hevesi, who she isn't running against. I'm not sure I get that one fully. Other than a loose allusion to Andrew Cuomo who hasn't said much of anything about Hevesi, the ad doesn't make a lot of sense to this seasoned political watcher.

Alan Hevesi is getting crucified for not initially paying expenses for a state funded driver for a sick relative. He didn't pay initially, but has since made full restitution for all the expenses. It is wrong, and I feel bad that I don't feel worse. Given all the crappy things that need fixing in NY state, can we just move on already?

At the rate Keith Olbermann is calling out the President, I'm pretty sure he's getting audited for the during of the GOP being in power. He gave an interesting comment on his show last night. I'm not sure I agree with it entirely, but I do admire his actually having a spine and speaking up, instead of ranting a la The Jerkass Factor on Fox.

Not sure who pointed it out, but I concur with how the storm helped all of the politicians in the area deflect from their foibles. The only thing more vexing is how many of them tried to take credit for getting the throughway tolls down. All those cretins have been in office for some time and all could have gotten it done a lot sooner, but none would have if Carl Paladino hadn't taken the heat with his lawsuit.

The Buffalo Teachers Federation is upset with the Buffalo News. I just think it's a crappy paper, but they believe they are getting a raw deal. It's been documented that the district (distressingly cash poor) could save a crapload of money by consolidating the health care coverage. All their Napoleonic leader, Phil Rumore, can do is whine about negotiations logistics and how that needs to be talked about. Instead of sitting down and talking about it, he carps to any tv camera he can find. I'd be a lot more sympathetic if this guy who insists that he's for the children would quite whing and get his butt to the negotiating table and save the district some money, so my kids can have a music teacher intead of him getting another useless sound bite.

James Carville just sent me a junk email -- the subject line was "Desperate"

Vote, peeps, it's a cruel world out there