Dave J

Odds and Ends

So we've reached the league of the end of days, with most people back in school and myself a mere four days. Four days cannot pass quickly enough. Because certain people lack the ability to hire decent replacements, I am stuck overworked and exhausted right up to and including Friday night. It used to be back when there was still two months, then a month, then three weeks, etc., that this was a welcome pace. Go to work, forget about the day. Mark one day off. Now that New York is so close I can taste it (and it tastes like Pizzeria), my general motivation to do anything job-related has hit the absolute deep end. Forget beyond the call of duty; I'm not even managing the regular call.

For months and months they scheduled me at insane hours and continue to do so (witness: tomorrow, wherein I work from 11-2, then I get a brief break which is being consumed by further dental work that will leave me numb and unable to speak for the rest of the night, but guess what, I get to return from 4 to 11/close!) in part because they have been unable to hire anyone else that even approaches basic competence. I have been trying to get myself let go early with antics but to no avail. So now I just sit on a chair and if I customer shows up I holler at one of the new people and tell them vaguely what to do. From the chair. Burnnnout.

If you would like to partake in a last hurrah at this hellhole, though, feel free to show up my last night of work, Friday 6pm-9pm, wherein I will be serving up free smiles and hopefully free food items (depends on lax management). Afterwards there will be fun and games before I collapse dead. Or burn the place down. Fun fact: Did you know their First Aid Kit is actually fake, and just a hollow box? It's good to know when your arm has had scalding hot grease tossed on it from our fatty chips!

In other, less whiny news, today saw the release of The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema album, a mere $9.99 at Best Buy. The Canadian supergroup has surpassed itself with great results, finger-snapping feel good powerpop for those days when you really don't feel like being depressed. Track 4 (Bleeding Heart Show) has revealed itself to be an early favorite, due to an eerie resemblance halfway through to the opening song of the Lion King that is somewhat uncomfortable/somewhat awesome. Y'all know what I'm talking about; the African-chant-for-white-people where all the animals are assembling to see the new lion exhibit. Actually it sounds only abstractly/conceptually similar, but let's not fight.

In other media, when I am not working I have been trying to get through several projects. One is viewing Au Hasard Balthazar, a movie about a donkey that gets the continual shit beat out of it in an allegory to Jesus. Like I expected, it turned out to be an incredible movie, although the real animal cruelty that was forgiveable four to five decades ago has become a barrier now. The other project is the first season of Six Feet Under, because I feel I should see it now that its just wrapped up its final season on HBO. So far I have only watched the first episode, and I have to say that among the death-driven premium channel offerings, its a close call but at this point I still side with Showtime's Dead Like Me (offed after a tumultous second season).

However, I do love the last song on the final episode of Six Feet Under, which I haven't even seen, but it's been making the blog rounds like wildfire:

Sia - Breathe Me

It's a saddish, slow wispy song. Maybe I will turn into an MP3 blog...

Oh, and I also beat Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, having revisited the original MGS for the first time in several years. I forgot what a great hammy storyline it possesses.

Genes don't control your fate from birth and you don't have to justify your life, Snake. JUST LIVE.

Videogames give the best advice.

It's a good thing Jeff and I will be experiencing such advice on a badass TV. Four more days til this sucker is mine!

Posted by dave at August 24, 2005 1:14 AM