Much Needed Distractions

While this new job of mine is still a few weeks away (at best), my brain has already begun to switch gears. Just going back to work, I mean after getting the call and then having the 3 days off to stew on it, everything just felt different.

It all felt so foreign to me, as if I suddenly became an outsider looking in. And I haven't left yet or anything, which makes things a little awkward at times.

But the deal is done for certain and everything is now geared to move forward. My present employer (or I should say my boss and our store manager) did try to sway my choice. Sure, when I find a new job that is when you start dropping words about this and that.

My hope is that these guys aren't just thinking I'm throwing out a bluff in hopes of getting more money. If that is what is cruising through their minds at this point, then they are going to be sorely disappointed at the outcome.

Anyway! Enough about all that for today, distractions is the name of the game today and boy have I gotten my share of it. Last Friday was a heck of a day because my girlfriend and I decided to hit the movies. Two movies to be exact.

So we made our first stop at Dole Cannery, where the choices were laid out before us. Admittedly, the field of choices wasn't all that wide, but there were enough there to make us both go "hmmm." So then it came down to the moment of truth. What to watch? The Incredible Hulk? Get Smart? Wall-E?

After a lot of back and forth, we decided to see Hancock, starring Will Smith. Neither of us remembered that the movie was released, so it became the wild card no one saw coming. And so that is the one we went for.

Overall, short bursts of thought here. It was a pretty good movie and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of story involved. I mean it starts out and it does have it's funny moments then and throughout. But towards the ending, things turn around and become serious and it held my attention from start to finish. I easily enjoyed this Will Smith movie a lot more then I did I-Robot and I Am Legend.

So after that gets through, a very smart idea clicked in both of our heads apparently. Since we've seen one movie and since we've got the rest of the day ahead of us, why not see another movie? But we agreed that a change of scenery was needed and so we made the bus trip to Ward.

Oh lovely, lovely Ward. Reminds me of work. Gives me a headache only on days that end with "y."

I'm kidding.

Sort of.

Anyway, so the second movie of choice ended up being Wall-E. Now with the flood of CG animated cartoons these days, it isn't that easy to find one that is actually good. Wall-E, for example, was absolutely great! It is a funny and cute movie, though beneath that there is a good moral to the story as well.

All this kind of makes me laugh because the movie that I wanted to see was Get Smart, which obviously didn't make the cut on two separate counts. Oh well, maybe next weekend my luck will be more on my side.

Last little note: At long last, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution is coming out tomorrow! I had hoped to get a copy of it today, but no one was jumping to gun on releasing it early. Oh well. At least now I'll finally get a real chance to build my Roman Empire, where I will rule all the world with an iron fist!

That and I'll also get the chance to prove my girlfriend wrong, in that I am not an overzealous "ruler" who just look big, but will end up biting off way more then I can chew. I don't know where she gets these ideas from...?

Besides, that Romance of the Three Kingdoms game was a fluke. Anyway, I didn't realize that all of my opposition was wiped out and that by sending a small force across the river to take a port town, I had just jabbed the "hornet's nest." Needless to say, the lesson taught in that little incident was learned and fast!

Life Certainly Does Change

I've been saying off and on around here that I was/might/probably would be looking for a new job. But that just didn't happen for the longest of time, simply because I procrastinate as if I were trying to contend for the title of World Champion of Procrastination or something.

And so that is how the story went, up until a week or so ago when I was called in for an interview. It blew my mind, but then it didn't. I mean I was getting in due part because of one of the guys I used to work with, is working with this company now. He put in the good word for me, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Anyway, so fast forward to today and my girlfriend and I get home to find a message on our answering machine. Lo and behold, it was the H.R. person.

This is all good and what not, but as I feared this does put me in a slight bind. Actually, I think it is more about how I am putting myself into this bind rather then the other way around. You see, my current employer is slowly, yet surely going downhill. They can't find good workers and they've been having a bitch of a time in trying to replace their managers (who've been going down, slowly, one by one).

Now I don't want to look like a deserter, a guy who bailed out when the going looked bad. Stupid me tries to be loyal in a world where I know (in the back of my mind) is a courtesy that is oft not returned. Especially not at a 9-5 job.

Ok, alright... to cut a long and boring writing to a minimum, my biggest problem as of right now is if I should stay with my present employer AND try and work this new job together? Or should I say sayonara and focus solely on one job?

What bums me out all the more is the fact that I know with my leaving of my current employer, is I'd be forever on the shit list of my boss. Evidently, the guy does not take well to losing long time guys. I mean, ever try working with a 30 something year old guy who sulks around and has this angry Japanese I-KILL-YOU-IF-I-COULD look on his face? Damn near impossible and that is speaking from experience.

Even still though, the point I am trying to get at is I want to try and leave (if it comes down to that) on a good note. I was raised with the idea that it is not a good idea to "burn the bridge" when leaving a job and I'd like not to. But the more I think about it, the more it seems that that is just not possible.

In the end, I guess regardless of how my boss reacts and the situation of the company, I gotta watch out for my own ass here. A fact once told to me by my mom rings through my head right now about how, regardless of my stupid loyalty ideals, these guys don't pay my bills, don't ensure that I have a roof over my head and probably wouldn't piss on me if I were on fire. Or however that saying goes...

Damn it! I wish I could just come to a conclusion or a solution that I can live with. I know I can't please everyone here... but shit...

My head hurts, thank god I have a 3 day weekend to stew over this mess in my brain cells. ><

The Makings of a Very Busy July

Man, I am still pumped about what went down on Monday night (CM Punk winning the World title)! It was just so unexpected and that means something these days, let me tell you. I just never would have imagined that I'd see Punk win one of the major titles (ECW title doesn't really match up with the WWE and World titles, in my opinion at least) before guys like Jeff Hardy.

What is so interesting is the rumors that made the rounds before Wrestlemania earlier this year, was that Hardy was chosen to win the Money in the Bank ladder match. But then he was busted on Wellness violations and was suspended, which lasted a month or two after 'Mania.

Makes me wonder now, if Hardy hadn't gotten suspended in the first place, would he be the man holding up the World Heavyweight Championship TODAY? Hmmmm...

Anyway, like the title of this writing states, man July is gonna be a busy little bugger!

On the movie front, there are so many movies I'd like to see that are out right now, it just ain't funny. Topping the list is Get Smart, The Incredible Hulk and Wall-E. Yet this month brings about The Dark Knight (pictured, top), plus the new Hellboy movie as well. So many choices, where does a guy possibly even begin?

The gaming front (for me) doesn't look to let up in the least either. But the game that I am looking forward to the most (at this point) is Civilization Revolution. I've played through the demo more then just a few times and I am really digging it. Another prospect is Final Fantasy IV, which should be released towards the end of this month.

While I wait for this judgment day of movies and games, I rented and have actually been playing Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. To sum up my feelings of it, I certainly like this version over the original C&C3 game. It just seems a whole hell of a lot easier to control this time around, which is a blessing because I ended up hating the original almost solely for that reason.

One thing though, about C&C... if you get hit by any of the super weapons and it's almost certainly game over.

Anyway, because of the changes made to C&C3: Kane's Wrath, I am more excited then ever about Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3. Plus since I cannot play that on PC either, it getting released on XBox makes things a little better.

Last game I'll mention here is Fable 2, which is looking and sounding pretty damn promising in my opinion. But then, so did the first Fable and that sucker promised everything and the sun back in the day. Either way, I am sure I'll be giving that one a try sooner rather then later, once it is released that is.

CM Punk, NEW World Heavyweight Champion!

So after being on the losing end since Wrestlemania, then being drafted away from ECW to Raw, CM Punk finally cashes in his Money in the Bank briefcase and defeats Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship! On top of that, that means Monday Night Raw has a world champion again! Ah hell, I'll just let the damn video speak for itself! PUNK WINS! PUNK WINS!! PUNK WINS!!!

CM Punk cashes Money in the Bank against Edge - Raw 6/30/08
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