1. In your honest opinion, has Friday Five jumped the shark?

Although I never really did the Friday Five when it was active, I assume what everyone else does, that it has indded JTS.

2. Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

SPONGEBOB! SQUAREPANTS! (This answer dedicated to my sister Naomi and brother-in-law Martin, who are obsessed fans of Spongebob Squarepants)

😀

Before I get into the acutal bulk of this story, I must explain something. For the past few months, I’ve been cashing all my paychecks at a couple of local Food City grocery stores in the city, or near the city. Every time I do this, I’m charged a $5.00 check fee. Now I was told that if I had my receipts for 4 of these, I could use them to buy $20 worth of groceries and have the fees refunded to me. I did this once already at the store just outside of the city, in Mount Carmel, and it went just fine.

This morning, I was pressed because I was low on cash and don’t get paid till Thursday, wondering how was going to eat until then. I got to searching and dug up 4 such receipts. So, I set off on a mission at 10:15 this morning to go take some movies back across town, and go get some groceries at the store in the city on N Eastman Road. I got my groceries, and got to the front, and HAD TO WAIT IN A LINE behind 3 people. They only had 2 lanes open the whole time I was there. When I finally checked out, I got this 30-something cashier that didn’t know what I had, and had to call a manager to ask what they were. The manager knew instantly what I was doing, thank goodness. So I got out of there, and noticed my watch said 10:50 and said “SHIT!”, I wanted to get back in time for TPiR. Oh well, I wasn’t going to kill myself to get back here quickly across town, considering I had to go through 14 traffic lights. So, my final stop was to go by the post office, which is on the corner of Revere St and Center St, about 5 blocks down from my apartment. I get there, and I have to fight for a place to park, get inside, and have to WAIT IN ANOTHER LINE! AAUGH!, I finally got back at 11:20, just in time for the first Showcase Showdown.

Well, at least I got home safely, I’ll say that. Another entry coming up later today with some reflection on another subject.

I don’t ever understand why I can’t seem to update this journal more regularly. I need to so people can be interested in it. No wonder I have barely any friends online, only a few people actually know who I am, and do link me or my webpage. It’s just that I’d like to be more known, more recogized.

But, if life is any indication to this situation, every time I meet a new friend or fan, I just get those “courteous responses”, and then they never speak to me again. Certain people will observe that I’ve been through this phase before, but I feel it’s justified now. I just feel, kinda…. “left out”.

But, as a friend suggested to me as I was writing this, maybe I should “maximize my off days”. I guess I’ll just have to keep to myself as I always do.

These are the musings of a loner.

Starting tonight at work, we get a management change on graveyard shift. Any everyone couldn’t be more happier!!! The two managers that were previously on graveyard were complete assholes. The two that are coming now, one is questionable for certain things he has said to other people, and the other is very highly regarded as a great person to work with. The last 5 months for me ever since the former managers came to nights has been complete hell, the way they always wanted to do things was the stressful way. All they demanded was that you kill yourself to get your job done. As a result, they became hated very very quickly. But, as always, I will keep you posted as to if it’ll get better now, which I imagine it will.

Ciao!

This is one of the most difficult paragraphs I will ever write in my lifetime, but I feel that I must do so at this time.

At 6:55 PM on Christmas night, one of the most signifcant people in my life, my great-grandmother Dollie, passed away after a long illness. It was very quiet and peaceful, and we had a hard time dealing with it in our family. My mother was devastated, as she has been nothing but a mother to her all of her life (I am forbidden of going into the details of my mom and her mom’s relationship). This death affects me on a far more personal level, just as bad as what I had to endure last christmas when my father passed away. Few things ever affect me in this manor. I would say that I will never be the same now that two loved ones are no longer with me, but I can say that I will be the same because their memories are always passing through my mind. I just wanted everyone who reads my journal to know about these things that have been going on with my life over christmastime, and why people may realize now and in the years to come that I am not fond of the holiday season because of my bad memories. But, as I am so fond of saying, I try to make the best hapiness out of a bad situation, so I won’t let it get me down when we draw neigh to the date of 12/25/03.

To my friends, Happy New Year!

As much as I want to continue to like the new episodes of The Price is Right, more things inherently annoy me about it. As I keep watching and rewatching all the 1970s episodes in my tape archive, I long more and more for the pacing and dynamics of a show in it’s heydays. Bear with me if you will as I point out what I think are the 5 things that are most wrong with television’s most exciting hour of fantastic prizes.

1) Camera Angles. No offense to former director Paul Alter or current director Bart Eskander, but I think that more traditional camera angles should be reintroduced, the current ones are too stoic and just too basic to serve their purposes. This is nitpicky, but little things like this affect the overall appearance of your show (at least in my honest opinion).

2) Contestants. Why oh why must we get these contestants on stage that ALWAYS turn to the audience for help? Who in their right mind lets 300 screaming mad fools decide what to put where and affect how YOU play the game? That’s just totally unacceptable to me.

3) Copycatting of Pricing Games. Bonkers is like Clock Game on heroin to me, but it’s addicting after a while. But seriously, when was the last time an ORIGINAL pricing game idea was introuced. What happened to good games like Give or Keep and Walk of Fame? (I know why they went, don’t make comments to me on that).

4) Host stepping on Announcers Lines. If you’ll pay close attention, Bob 3 times out of 5 during the hour will step on Rod Roddy’s lines while he’s calling a conestant to “come on down”. This is not only rude, but impatient on Mr. Barker’s part. If one person speaks, DON’T INTERRUPT HIM!

5) Split Screen Credits and Closed Captioning plugs. I know it’s been over 3 years since this switch was made, but I think the inherent cheapness on the part of CBS to take away time from TPIR to do these stupid plugs is a sign of money-grubbing. Hope you’re happy CBS.

In closing, I think that TPIR could be the show it once was again, without resorting to these million-dollar primetime specials they’re planning on doing. TPIR became a success as a daytime show, and the emphasis on the overall look of the daytime show in all facets needs some serious examination. These are the musings of one of the most rabid fans of TPIR, I feel for the production staff, most of which have been there since the beginning in 1972. They do a great job, and if given proper control, can make the show what it once was.

Until the next time, see ya later.

Well, as you will notice, it has been quite a while since my last entry. This will attempt to explain “Where the hell have I been?”

The phone company I used to be on Sprint, tried to charge me for certain long distance calls I was said to have made during late October and early November. Calls totalling $40. I called them 2 times to get an explanation of why these calls were on my bill, and they refused to remove them. So, I did the proper thing and disconnected my service. I will pay for everything but the long distance calls, and they can bill me all they want to, because I’m not paying for them! I switched to a different phone company and am NOT carrying long distance. I’ll just use my rechargeable card that I’ve had for over 4 years from Wal-Mart, and leave it at that.

BTW, the High Rollers 70s theme rocks! Thanks Klaussie.

Also, if you’re looking and want to post a comment, please do so, I’m wondering if people really are looking at this journal!

Ciao!

Sorry I haven’t updated gang, just haven’t gotten around to it. But here we go…

I have been moved to a permanent department, and one that’s a challenge… Pet Supplies, Department #8.

I know, you all are gasping now, but I’m enjoying it! At least I knew what to do when I got there because I had worked it here and there before. And the dept. manager already likes me! So there you go! And, also, I’ve gotten register training, so I’m checking customers out up front only during a bad rush period. But still, I’m a helpful chap. Last night, I was walking by the front going to lunch, noticed that the CSM had a line backed up and she was alone, so I just asked her “got a bag? I’ll open up for you”, and she stuck me on 24 then and there, so that’s how willing I am to relieve the pressure of working in a place like that. And believe me, with the shopping season looming on the horizon this week, that talent of mine will be put to good use more often than not. But we’ll see. And as always, I’ll keep you posted.

Ciao!

Well, I went to the doctor on Thursday, and got some antibiotics, and started feeling better on Friday. Thank goodness, I was so scared over the blood that I thought I was going to die. But, my throat is clear, and I’ll take the rest of the prescription (4 days worth left) to get it gone good.

In other news: MANAGERS STILL FUCKING SUCK! Both graveyard managers pulled me into an office last night at work and told me that I need to pick up my pace and see improvement in a week. They’re treating me again like I’m supposed to be Superman. I DON’T KNOW THESE DEPARTMENTS BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS! Geezus, I mean, they expect Joe the Bum off the street to be able to know how to stock in one night. They’re NOT giving me the benefit of the doubt, although if you were to ask them, they would like to you and say they were giving it. What a fucking sick world we live in when all management cares about is getting their job done and not worrying if someone dies in the process. I think I might start looking for me another job.

And another problem: I don’t think I’m gonna get the phone bill paid again, so I might disappear again for about 2 weeks at the end of this month. Oh well.

Folks, over the last 2 or 3 days, I’ve had a real problem with a sore throat and nausea. The nausea has passed, but when I woke up today, I started to spit up blood. It’s definately not a good sign, and I am going to see the doctor later on this morning. I think I may have gotten a case of strep throat real bad and my mom recommends that I get some antibiotics. Hopefully I can put the pieces back together by Friday so I don’t have to miss work.

Again, pray for me and I’ll be thinking of all of you today.

Nick