So Much to Say..

Lots going on.. since the last time I posted I saw DMB 3 more times.. that makes 57 shows. Went to my usual stop at Post Gazette Pavilion and then went to Alpine Valley.

I finally have a job, I will be working for my friend Jim Clark and Konica Minolta. I will be traveling a lot which will be tough, but the opportunity and money are too good to pass up.

I have been hanging out during my time off, playing xbox, messing around with my house, visiting Chicago and SS etc. It has been a nice break, but I a ready to get started back in mainly b/c I am going broke :)

I guess there wasn't as much to say as I thought, the usual banter about Dave Matthews Band kicking ass and my general life boringness.

WVU football starts on Sat.. and I can't wait!!

Happy b-day shout out to my fav. bald friend Jimmy Stancamp.

Recap of the last few weeks

So, I am officially unemployed (sort of). I am working a little at MAGLEV setting up a computer lab and a few friends have offered me some work so I am going to talk to them about that. Bombardier called and told me that it would be the end of the month before I would hear about the system engineer position but they just called yesterday to tell me that they want me to come in for a possible position in the Advanced Engineering group.. so that is tomorrow. Looks like I will be at Bombardier in one role or another so that should be good.

MAGLEV has been treating me well over the past couple weeks which is all I wanted for 6 years. I would have never left if I would have been treated this way the whole time.

SS was here for a week and even though I worked we had a good time.. saw some movies, went to Kennywood which was a real good time.

I went to a wedding a couple Saturdays ago and got to see so many people that I hadn't seen in years. It was so nice to see my "adopted family" (very close friends that I have always called cousin and aunt and uncle etc..). The wedding was at Ohio University so I got to see a little of the campus and hit a bar after the wedding with everyone. Had a real good time. It is really hard to see people out drinking and dancing etc.. when the last time you saw them they were 12. One of the girls has grown up to be probably the most beautiful african american woman I have ever seen.

It is weird not going to work every day, but really I have only been away from MAGLEV for one day since I came in Tue. and Wed. It should settle in more in a couple weeks.

SS and I have been fighting this week, actually just not even talking since Sat. and it is coming down to a difference in opinion which seems to be the same difference over and over again. It is tough and part of me just wants to back down and let her have her way, but I just don't feel I am wrong and that is one thing I don't get past easily. Who knows where this is going to go, right now it isn't down a good path.

DMB this Friday!!!! So excited to see the boys.

Bonds hit 756 last night and I enjoyed it. I am in the innocent until proven group with him and if he is found guilty I also want to see how many of the pitchers he hit the hrs off of were juicing.
I got pretty choked up last night when he thanks his dad and got upset. Dad loved baseball, he was one of the best little league coaches out there except when it came to me. He was always worried that it would look like he was showing me preferential treatment so he did the exact opposite. I was really good at baseball, but I just grew to hate it. I rode him forever about that and looking back at it I kinda understand why he was like that towards me, but it is still hard to swallow. I still miss him dearly and it really made me break down last night.

I am proud of myself that I am not freaking out about the job thing. I have a few moments on Friday where I was thinking what the fuck am I doing, but really I think it is all going to work out.

It better at least or my mom will jump off the bridge.

Maybe I will just win the powerball tonight and it won't be an issue... yea right

T minus 9

It is so very funny that I am now the most important person in the world around here. People are actually asking for my opinion and such not to mention there is already a TWO page list of things I have to teach people how to do. I think it is funny that they are coming to the realization of how much I did here. I think they are really going to shit when I am not around to do things that just got done that they didn't realize or took for granted.

No word yet from Bombardier but it has only been a couple days so I am not in freak out mode yet.

SS is coming for almost a week so that will be nice as I have been super bored and truthfully just sitting around my house playing video games and watching movies.

This weekend I watched Minority Report for the umpteenth time, Apocalypto (which I enjoyed), my normal Saturday morning 90210 marathon, The Kill Point (which is filmed here in the burgh), and Entourage.

Is it bad that I want to be Ari. Seriously, that would be unreal.

One of the kickball teams I umpire had cross dressing night last night. The guys actually wore dresses, I was dying laughing.

I talked with one of my Dell reps today and she cracks me up. She always has good stories about boys that she has gone out with etc.. she just got back from Italy. I am so jealous it is my dream vacation.

I am worried about my friend Dan. He continues to fight for this "marriage" of his that just makes him miserable. I don't think he is ever going to end it even though they break up for months on end (but continue to live together). He gets mad when I tell him to get rid of her, so I have backed off. I told him though he needs to decide if he is going to be all the way in, or all the way out.. because there can't be any "in between".

Well it finally stopped raining, I guess I didn't have to water my plants this morning. Maybe I will get outside to do something tonight... who I am kidding I will sit in my chair and do nothing, it is what I am best at.

D - Day

That's right folks... today is the day. My normal staff meeting went terrible as another employee decided to bring up something that has no business in the meeting. The VP said that he could talk about it, but when it was my turn to talk he told me I wasn't allowed to and had to talk about it outside of this meeting.

SO... I am resigning. I am so done with this place and have been for a while. I have an interview today, and a few things brewing on the back burner but I am putting in my resignation today.

2 more weeks, then I have another week of vacation left that they will pay me so I need to be in a new job in 3 weeks. So cross your fingers and hope for the best b/c I just can not work at this place anymore.

It is really sad to think 6 years ago I thought that I would actually get to build maglev and work at a great an innovative place for the rest of my life. Then I got to see why US Steel and Westinghouse didn't make it.. they let people be in management that are now management here. Tells everything.

Interview at 1pm today. Wish me luck!

A new milestone .. 1001

Yup that's right, Sunday I heard my 1001 DMB song live. It was my 54th show. Now mind you I have only heard 139 *Unique* songs but I think 1000+ is pretty cool. It was a good show @ Toyota Park which is where the Chicago Fire soccer team plays. I did get to hear a new song, first time ever played, called Falling off the Roof. As always there was drama during one of my fav. songs.

We had this interesting pair in front of us that did nothing but make out the whole show, I mean it was quite disgusting. Well this girl got pushed into us by a bunch of dudes and SS yelled at the dudes easy b/c she was getting the crap pushed out of her. Well the douche in front of us thought SS was talking to him and started turning around giving her the stare down and then called her a bitch to his GF. Well this is when I got mad. I tapped him on the shoulder and said excuse me is there a problem. He goes yes there is a problem. I said listen here buddy, we weren't talking to you when we said easy we were talking to..... and told him the rest. I said turn around and enjoy the show. His gf then told him see, I told you so.. which lead to a huge fight with them, she was crying, he left and punched me in the arm on the way out (but before this he shook my hand and apologized originally). He never came back b/c I was ready to throw him down the stairs when he punched me. Anyhow... drama as always during Seek Up, but I got to hear it and I'm happy.

So I have 2 more shows so far and hopefully 2 more but we shall see. I did enjoy it though, as always going to a DMB show just kinda takes me a way for 2 hours which is nice.

Whats been going on...

So a quick recap of the past week or so.

I was off work for a week... 2 days sick and then the 4th holiday -> the weekend which was nice (Except the sick part).

The 3rd SS and I went to AJ & Suzi's house for a picnic. It was a good time and rather calm compared to parties past.

The 4th started with the Pirates beating the Brewers and a concert by Big & Rich. Then SS, JS and I headed over to Calico Jack's Cantina. This place was pretty sweet. SS had a fish bowl drink and JS and I had these HUGE Margs that lasted us the whole night. We got a prime seat outside and had a great view of the fireworks. I finally checked something off my list (along with SS&JS) as we all rode the mechanical bull. Let me tell you did we pay for it. All of us have these huge bruises on our inner thighs. Mine is still nasty looking, but it was fun.

The 5th SS and I hung out at the house watched tv, movies etc..

The 6th We headed to Chi-town and went to dinner with Dick and V (her parents).

The 7th we went to a wedding

The 8th.. well that is what the next post is about :)

So not a bad little week if I do say so myself.

Help me find a new job

I am completely fed up with this hell hole. I have a potential deal lining up to sell a shit load of software that the company gets paid back 40% so we sell 1 mill we get paid 400k. Well if I do it i see ZERO dollars unless I switch to a commission only salary. How fucked up is that.

So, my resume is on my website http://www.bryanbond.com

Some of my skills

Degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering
Microsoft Certified Engineer
IT - Can manage install etc.. any windows based network and some linux
Web Design
PHP programming
MYSQL, MS SQL databases.
Project Management

and so on... so if anyone sees anything out there.. hook a brother up.

Its on Bitch!

While I don't have time right now to do research, trust me my friend I will respond to this

Just a few comments my friend:

Listening to Heath Ledger talk history about West Virginia is like listening to Evgeni Malkin talk about the history of Pittsburgh.

Thats comment one, the rest is on the way.

oh and eat shit PITT :)

AHAHAHAHA - as if I needed more things to make fun of PITT about

What the fuck is that thing??? Looks like some sort of cat that got scalped!

That is just too funny, my buddy PUMA told PittGirl that it looked like a rabid golden retriever.

This is what I think whatever the hell that thing is would sound like :

Happy B-day West Virginia

(This is a reproduction of an article from a long time friend of mine Mike Swisher. I thought he did a nice job. )

Today is the 144th birthday of the Great State of West Virginia. It seems like only yesterday that West Virginia was just a little pup of a state, split from Virginia thanks to that little conflict known as the Civil War. Today, West Virginia is all grown up and Open for Business thanks to the governor. Let's look at a few historical facts about the great state, shall we? These are all supposedly true:

• The first brick street in the world was laid in Charleston, West Virginia, on October 3, 1870 on Summers Street between Kanawha Boulevard and Virginia Street.
• The first patent for a soda fountain was granted in 1833 to George Dulty of Wheeling, West Virginia.
• Mother's Day was originated in Grafton, West Virginia on May 10, 1908 by M. Anna Jarvis. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother's Day as a national holiday to be celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
• West Virginia has the second lowest cost of living rate in the United States.
• Bruce Hardwood Floors in Beverly, West Virginia has the world's largest hardwood flooring plant.
• The first spa open to the public was at Berkeley Springs, West Virginia (then Bath, Virginia) in 1756. Berkeley Springs has more massage therapists than lawyers and is the only place in the United States to boast, "George Washington bathed here."
• West Virginia University played the University of Pittsburgh in the first football game ever broadcast on the radio in 1921 on KDKA.
• The pepperoni roll was invented in the 1920s by Guiseppe Argiro, owner of the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, WV. The first pepperoni rolls were sold to coal miners working near Fairmont.
• The first organized golf club in the U.S. was opened in 1884, when Oakhurst Links was constructed in White Sulphur Springs, WV.
• The first political speech broadcast over radio in the U.S. was given by the Democratic nominee for President, John W. Davis, in 1924. Davis broadcast his speech from the front yard of his home in Clarksburg, WV.
• On June 20, 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state in the union, the only state born out of the cauldron of the Civil War and formed as a result of a Presidential Proclamation.

Sopranos Spoofs

Here are 2 video's making the rounds at YouTube.. I saw the first at the Pirate game Sat. and from what I hear it is very popular.. the second is Hillary Clinton's (I love Bill.. thanks Kelly!!)

Even my XBOX has a blog!

Check it out here

... but ended good

Wednesday night was a lot of fun as the PSL Cornhole league started. Miss Bitch and I played against 2 good friends of mine and we had a really good time pulling out a 2-1 victory. All the games were close and it was a lot of fun.

Last night I got a phone call about the Pirates game that there might be tickets... well at 6pm Jimmy called me with HOME PLATE CLUB tickets. I have always wanted to sit in this section. We pigged out on the free buffet, sat 4 rows up from the field eye level with the catcher and had a great time. Guy and Jim and I were all in amazement with the seats. Nice thing was that Jim and I had been talking about just buying the tickets and doing it one time, but for Fox Sports to hook us up with them for free was unreal.

We went to Ugly afterwards and ran into AJ. So of course AJ bombs followed... He had a co worker with him that hooked me up with a parking pass at her place in Oakmont!!! I am stoked, I can park right beside the course and not have to take a 20 min bus ride on Sunday when I go to the open.

So this is officially hook up week.

I got free Home Plate club tickets
free ticket to the US Open on Sunday
Free parking

well almost hook up week -> no random sex hookups. I don't think SS would like that.

So hopefully the weekend turns out good.. another bucco game on Sat. with the WVU alumni.

I needed this after all that shit happened earlier... and I am ready for the weekend to start now!

Week started off bad...

So I had to put $400 in brakes and rotors on my car on Tuesday which killed me b/c I finally made a big payment on my CC and was hoping to do that for the next couple months but .. well next month is out for sure.

Then I got home and my washer broke. I couldn't find the paperwork on the warranty so .. I emailed Emily. She responded by calling me. I wasn't really prepared when I saw her number come up, (how could I be) so I answered. We talked, it was awkward but I learned that her Uncle has prostate cancer who I adore. That was pretty upsetting and it is hard to hear of news of former family illnesses whether we are "together or not". I was already upset about everything going wrong that day and it just pushed me further. The end of the convo is what kinda sticks out in my mind (the rest was just this is what is going on etc..) when she said don't be a stranger. I said I don't know if I can do that, which of course made her mad. I just don't think I can be friends with her after everything. I struggle with the obligation that I should be nice, we did have some good years together, but I always do that. Just like I am going to a party tonight just to not make waves within the circle even though I really don't want to go. I don't know why I do this to myself, but I guess in the end it will make things better. I really don't need another Fiona situation on my hands where I have to leave when she shows up places or people treat me differently when she is around (even though I did nothing wrong). I wish I could have less of a conscious or feel less guilt on these things. I make the decision not to talk to people or avoid them but I still feel bad about it...

Sid the Kid

Thats right... swept the awards!! Most Outstanding Player, League MVP, Scoring Leader, All League

Malkin won rookie of the year and him and Jordan Staal are on the all rookie team.

Next year should be a treat!

Reincarnation

So after watching the Sopranos I really was interested in the cat. Was it Christopher, Adrianna.. someone else? I thought it was a great metaphor for "life after death". So it made me think what would I want to be reincarnated as? Here is what I have come up with so far:

• Leotard (I love Pauly Shore so I stole that one from Bio Dome)
• Cicada (sp?) - Sleep for 17 years, get up, shed some skin, get laid, go back to sleep. not bad
• Squirrel - you know always trying to get a nut, sleeps in the winter (and I hate winter), can climb trees and stuff.. sounds like fun
• bra - boobs rule
• stripper pole? - nah that would be too nasty
• a woman? - multiple O's would be nice
  

I am sure I will come up with something else but that is all I have for now.

thoughts?

Weekend Recap

I headed out to my usual weekend away location, Chicago for a quick trip ...

Friday SS's dad got us sweet seats to the White Sox's game. I want to get to all the MLB parks in my lifetime so it was nice to check another one off the list. We sat 4 rows up from 3rd base right behind the dugout and had club access. It was pretty sweet. The Sox lost, but it was nice seeing a new stadium. Only downfall is it is interleague play and they were hosting the Astros, so I didn't get to see "American League" baseball since I see the damn Astros 16 times a year in Pittsburgh.

Friday was our "chosen" day for SS and my year anniversary. She came to Pittsburgh on June 9th of 06, but that was my wedding anniversary so I looked back and we met on June 7th of 05 originally so the date in between is what worked.

We went to a wedding on the 9th, ironically. The wedding was nice, finally got to meet some of her friends. The DJ was not good, but that is how it goes. I almost got into 2 fights this day also.

First was when a guy and his family got out of their car at Rock bottom and I was standing there waiting to get into SS's car along with her friend and her husband. I watched the one kid hit SS's car with the door, but it was a tap so I didn't say anything. All of sudden this douche bag goes, SIR I AM IN MY SPOT AND YOU ARE NOT. (which btw we were totally in between the lines). This guy is one of those guys that "backs in" to every spot. SO by backing in he got close to our car. Not to mention when he got out his wife says "you have lots of room over here honey".

So I respond to the guy I didn't say anything to you.

DB: I saw you staring at me
BB: how can you see me staring at you when I HAVE SUNGLASSES ON (everyone starts laughing)
DB: says something else I don't remember
BB: Not to mention your kid just hit our car with your door

now he comes walking back and I seriously wanted him to come up to me b/c I would have knocked the fuck out of him, I was in that mood.

He stops and stares.. I think he thought I was going to do something to his car. So I back out as he stares me down. I stop b/c at this point I am fuming and SS and her friends stop me from going after him.

On the way out we scream profanities at him and move on..

Now tell me please why people have to be assholes. I did nothing to this guy, he didn't park well at all b/c he had to back in (which took him 3 tries). Then he is going to start a fight with me? Man I wish I just would have punched him, I would have felt better.

The second fight came when this guy SS works with got drunk and started talking to SS about her losing her job and that he had her back (which isn't true) etc.. She told him to leave her alone, her friend pulled him away and said the same thing, then an hour later he came back for more which made SS start crying... that is when I got mad. I said listen go away and got very confrontational with him. So he left, but came back to apologize to me if he ruined the evening. UGH

Sunday I installed new locks in SS's house (long story) and we went and saw Knocked up.

My review is this:

Movie was ok, funny at times had some guys from a show I loved that got cancelled (Undeclared).

I was asked about the movie by a friend and I basically said this:

Besides the 2 hour hard on.. it was ok.

I also added:

you know someone is hot when they show a shot of the baby's head poking out of the vag and you don't go down

Katherine Heigl..... *drools*

so that's the weekend

FINALLY!!!!

After 15 freaking seasons I finally won a Pittsburgh Sports League Kickball Championship. We avenged our 2 losses this season and beat Orange 2-1 in 8 innings and beat Brown 2-0 (or 2-1 I can't remember) in the normal 7. It is nice to finally get that monkey off my back as I think I am the only one in my group of friends that does not have one.

Congrats Keg Kickers - PSL Spring 07 Rec Kickball Champs!!!

more NFL

Just as I suspected Mr. Commish handed down an 8 game suspension (which can be reduced to 6) to Tank Johnson yesterday. I think he just handed Pac Man a win in his appeal seeing that this guy spent 2 months in JAIL. Once again, I think Pac deserves a suspension, but he is correct that he has never been sentenced or found guilty of anything yet.. this db spent 2 months in JAIL. Nice to see the NFL is so consistent.

WVU Football - 9 uniform combos!!

From an article on MSNSportsnet.com

A version of West Virginia's new gold football jersey has already been circulating on web sites. The Mountaineers are planning an official unveiling of the nine different uniform combinations later this summer when all of them arrive.

9 uni's!!! Wow. I am semi upset b/c I just bought a jersey last year, but now I am pretty excited. I am assuming there will be a blue, gold and white jersey and the same in pants to get the 9 combos. Here is the gold jersey which I am digging.

Slaton is in the middle (Playboy Preseason All-American)