Abstinence

Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten season and the day when "good" Catholics get some dirt put on their head and abstain from eating meat... unless you forget. Often you may make it through breakfast without eating meat, not too hard of a task. By lunchtime it seems to get much more difficult. You may find yourself eating a steak taco for lunch and ruin everything. I did manage to abstain through this Ash Wednesday, not for reasons of fate but more for reasons of health. For dinner the last two nights before Ash Wednesday, I ate a giant hamburger and a giant steak. I really just needed a break from all the red meat. Plus all that 'good for you soul' stuff is a bonus I guess.

Pep Talk

This morning our work group got quite a pep talk from our boss. He expressed how disappointing we all are and that we need to start making more money. He also indirectly threatened to shut down the operation. Then after these (I don't want to call them threats) he asked if we had any ideas, very well knowing that if anyone spoke up with any idea, good or bad, it was almost certain to be violently shot down. All the while we are looking at each other all thinking the same thing, 'is this guy for real?' The answer is of course no. But I find it interesting how a leader can really culture a group dynamic. Some leaders have the ability to inspire by a charismatic personality. Some are so good at what they do that you feel compelled to listen to and follow them. Others treat their team so poorly that they actually unite their team by a shared dislike for the leader. Perhaps this is the reason that centuries ago humans started to organize their societies by electing leaders instead of just follow the most ruthless of the pack.

Oh Good, the Flight is Delayed

With all the problems that airlines, JetBlue in particular, has had with recent weather, I wanted to share a story about how flight delays actually helped us get back home from New York. Our flight was scheduled to leave JFK at 8 pm. Before we left for the airport we checked the flight status and discovered that it was delayed by nearly an hour, and getting us in much later than we desired. But because we has a train to catch we had to get to the airport early anyway. I noticed that the 4:20 flight was also delayed. I had a fleeting thought that if it got delayed any more we may be able to get on it standby. I kept it in mind with the understanding that my plan was definately going to fail. We got to the airport at about 5:30 to find out that the earlier flight was further delayed until 6:10. Maybe it could work, I thought. But after standing in line for about 15 minutes to get on the standby list my hope faded again. And then there was the matter of checking a bag that had fluids in it. I asked if there is a chance that the bag would make it on the plane, and the clerk told me there was a chance. So against my better judgement, I decided to give it the old college try, very well knowing my poor luck with flying. After we actually got on the flight (it ended up taking off at around 6:30), I knew the checked bag would be on the later flight anyway and we'd have to wait for it. But when the moment of truth came the bag was swinging around on the carousel. That was truely a moment of triumph. I enjoyed the moment because I knew that this was probably the only time in my life that I was going to truely benefit from a delayed flight.

A City So Nice...

Other terms first come to mind when I think about my visit to New York. I would say it is expensive, littered, crowded, and very glamorous. My first observation is about how New York nickle and dimes you to death. Most things that I never get charged for ended up on our final bill. For example, we went into a pub for some lunch and the waitress was very attentive to make sure that our soft drinks were full. Then I found out why. We were charged for each refill, even when she took my glass when there was a little drink left. Other miscellaneous charges were for internet access in the hotel, bag/coat check, and paying triple when you buy tickets on a train instead of in the station. I know that is common and we tried to buy tickets in the station but the machines sold tickets to two different trains and we guessed wrong. And then there is the rent. A three bedroom for $12,000 a month does not seems worth it. I was surprised to learn that people who live in rent controlled buildings can pay as little at $200 a month.

One of the things that was a bit of a turn off about the city was the garbage in the streets. Bags were piled up on the sidewalk and a brisk wind sent trash blowing into the street. We decided that this problem is most likely the result of people's attitude, poor collection, and the sheer number of people living on the small island. With so many people space is at a premium, so everything seems much smaller, which is bad news for a big guy such as myself. Everytime we went into a resturant I was bumping into things or knocking something over. But the people living there put up with all these incoviences to live in the amazing aspects of the city. It seemed around every corner a famous location was to be found (perhaps a benefit of the limited space). Seeing the sights in something not be missed. Time Square, Rockefeller Center, Music City, the Met, and Grand Central Station were some of the amazing places that we got to see. New York was fun to visit but I don't think that I would ever be able to put up with the speed and pace.

XLI

So the Super Bowl just ended and of course the Bears lost. Goody, now I don't have to hear about them all the time. With the Bears losing, a lot of people around here don't have much else to look forward to in their lives. I'm sure that many people feel very let down. Not just because the Bears lost but rather because they had high definition installed at their home and with all the rain at the Super Bowl the picture didn't look good with all the water on the cameras. At times only blurrs of colors appeared on the screen. Oh well, I'm just glad that I didn't pay up.

Priorities

It's kind of funny how you can earn what your piorities really are. You make choices everyday that effect the rest of your life. For instance I wake every morning and convince myself that I need to go to work despite the fact that it is a life wasted. If I spent my entire life doing what I am doing now I would not really accomplish anything, worthwhile at least. But thie most interesing thing that I learned about myself is where my prorities lay by the decisions that I make. the reason that I think about this topic is that I have a very important day at my office tommorow and I have chosen to spend the night drinking with people that could further my career as a brew instead of getti a full night's rest that I probabl need to think clearly tomorrow. And on top of that I have chosen to forgo rugby practice tonight to go to my brewing meeting. And lets be honest the only reason that I have advanced in my career as a trader is because I am a good rugby player. I think that it is very interesting that you can sit down at your computer when you are drunk and learn so much about yourself. But I guess that is what a free write does.

It's Not What You Know It's Who You Know

I had my third Chicago Beer Society meeting tonight and I think that I make great leaps tonight. I learned a lot from a teacher that teaches a $1300 homebrewing course, but more importantly I made some more contacts that are invaluable. In fact he established that if you want to make a name for yourself you should go to a homebrew conference and people will start to reconize you. I meet the brewer at the local brewpub that I previously made a point of meeting but never expected to meet at events that I plan to usually attend. I was surprised by his age. He is 32 and invited me to join him for early previews of his newly tapped beer. I think that he actually reconized me from one of my many visits to his brewpub. Now that I have met him I much more open to take him up on his offer. And if I ever get to the point that I can't take my job anymore I have a contact that could lead to a job that I would actually want. I guess that it is not so bad to be a networking whore as one of my former roomates so aptly put it. Thanks Andy. I just feel that I know what I want to do but I have some reservation about doing it. Perhaps I need to follow my own advice. Hopefully I will get there at some point.

What You Can Accomplish in Three Days...

When it comes to the movie "Little Miss Sunshine," I am somewhat of a superfan. I just think that it captures the essence of the human stuggle in such a brilliant funny way. And the people who hand out awards for movies think so to as the writer Michael Arndt has won the People's Choice award for best screenplay and is nominated for the Oscar in the same category. Now I own the screenplay (I said I was a fanatic) and I have read the notes about the script. I was shocked that he managed to write the first draft of the screen play in three days and about 17 hours and after that inital push he is up for the most prestigious award in all screenplay writing. Then I started to think about what I accomplished in the past three days. I did watch more episodes of Smallville in one night than I ever had before. But you really do need some drive to get going and I guess that is my point. Until you really set your mind to something there is not much of a chance that you will get anything worthwhile done and your dreams will stall while you sit on the couch and watch TV.