They tried to make me go to my job, I said "No, no, no!"

I had to do it. I did not feel very good about it at the time but I had to do it.

I left my job last week without giving any notice. Ever since I have had mixed emotions about the leaving that way. The owner made a point of calling me "classless", he said that I lied to him and that I took the easy way out. As if unemployment is the easy way out. Well maybe it is. You tell me...

The company is owned by a married couple, he is off site all day, she is in the office. He is a numbers guy, always concerned about the bottom line. She is a control freak that takes micro-management to the nth degree.

Lesson One: "Married Couple", "Numbers Guy", "Control Freak", "Micro-management", see any warning signs here? (I am an idiot.)

I was brought in to help "take the company to the next level". Their words, not mine.

It looked like a good gig during the interview process. The company had just signed a large, well known client to a long term project, they had a few nice-sized projects underway and a base of long-term, loyal clients providing steady revenue. They were poised for growth, or so I thought.

I accepted the job for less than I usually would have, counting on the upside later. (I knew better, I really did, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.)

Lesson Two: When joining a small family-owned company take your money up front. Do not bet on any back end money. (I am such an idiot.)

So, the first week on the job went pretty well. I kept my head down, worked hard at what I thought I was supposed to do and made it to Friday without much pain. I was very happy. The people seemed nice enough.

But it slowly dawns on me that the owner, I will call her Dot, (obviously not her real name, I do have some scruples) is out of her mind. She seems to thrive on stress the way that normal humans thrive on oxygen. I would watch in amazement as she would yell at clients, change previously approved client material because "she was the expert, and the client was paying for her expertise", and then verbally eviscerate her husband in front of the staff.

Lesson Three: The term "verbally eviscerate her husband in front of the staff" does not make for a collaborative work environment.

There is more to this story, much more, and believe me, it gets worse, much worse.

Next Chapter - "He said, She said"

My Life in the "Hood" (upscale neighborhood, that is)

I have tried many times to write a blog. Many times I have failed. I had always hoped that someone out there would find my ramblings interesting. But alas, it has never happened. I guess that, when it comes right down to it, I am pretty boring.

This is not a bad thing, IMHO. I like my life. I have a job that I can tolerate. I have great kids and a wonderful wife. I live in a great house in a neighborhood that has a wide variety of people. Some younger, some older, some similar and some very different.

• One guy has every tool that I could possibly need, and knows how to use them.
• One guy didn't know that when you purchase a new lawn mower, you have to actually put gas in it before you use it.
• One day my neighbor transplanted his entire front yard into his back yard and replanted his front yard.
• One guy uses an old fashioned rotary mower to mow his yard.
• Another uses a riding mower to mow his quarter acre lot.
• On the right they have an irrigation system. On the left they systematically water their yard a specific measured amount each week. My kids play in the sprinkler and my yard looks as good as any on the street.
• One guy kicked my 4 month old puppy because it was "attacking" him and he feared for his life.
• Another yells at my son and questions my parenting skills all while calling himself a Christian. I pray for him and his family.
  
• Most of my neighbors speak English, some, not so much. I don't really care about this, they are nice enough and pretty much keep to themselves.

It is an interesting place in middle America. Maybe a lot like yours. Maybe not. Why don't you let me know about your life in the comments below.

Thanks for playing.

Hamster in da House!

Today we broke down and we are getting my daughter a hamster. She is thrilled and I am sure my dog is as well.

My son had a snake and the dog pretty much ignores it. But the hamster could be a problem.

More on this later.

Your Clown or Mine?

I was at a child's birthday party this weekend. There must have been 100 people at this party. Here are a few observations:

1. Overheard: "My clown had to cancel at the last minute, I am glad that I could borrow your clown."
   
   
2. The same person who changed the baby's diaper and took out the garbage also made the drinks, cut the cake and served the pizza, by hand. She was not the hostess.
   
   
3. There were more gifts than my past 20 birthdays combined.
   
   
4. There were not one but 2 blow-up bouncy castle things.
   
   
5. 50 pizzas - 25 cheese, 25 pepperoni, all touched by that women when she served them by hand.
   
   
6. Two wide screen TV's, one for Disney, the other for Nickelodeon.
   
   
7. The firetruck was supposed to show up but it had to go on a run. I wonder if anyone was pissed about that. I would guess so.
   
   

The party was amazing. WAY over the top. The competition to have the biggest, most elaborate birthday party for your kid is getting out of hand.

I have watched "Bridezilla", "Whose Wedding is it Anyway", and "Sweet 16". The next show has to be the planning of on of these kids b-day party's.

Did I mention that the child was turning 3 years old? He probably won't remember a minute of it.

Incredible.

Paris Hilton Was Just Ordered Back to Jail

Paris Hilton was just ordered back to jail in Lynwood to serve out the remainder of her sentence! She'll get credit for at least 5 days already served.

Hilton left the courtroom in tears, screaming, "Mom, Mom, Mom." Hilton was also heard saying "It's not right."

The above quote was taken from tmz.com. Read the entire article here.


First of all, allow me to say... "That's hot."

How the hell did she get out in the first place? Some kids aren't even sent home from school for "health problems". This just makes me sick.

I also heard that she was given 3 blankets and no pillow when she first entered jail. Pat O'Brian, of Access Hollywood fame, (according to my wife - aka POB to his friends) reported that she had to "roll up one of the blankets to make a pillow". I think that I am going to throw up.

I am sure that if I was sent to jail that they would have made damn sure that I got a pillow.

Give me a break.

I Finally Got One...

I've been "in the industry" for years now, almost decades, so it is only natural that I have a blog. I have my own website, work for a web company, have my own pet web project. I know the difference between SEO and SEM and have been known to ftp a file now and then. I am a geek among my friends and family but am pretty much self taught so my knowledge is neither broad nor deep.

I have been surprisingly successful though. I am a "C-level" executive, come to think of it I am also a "D-level" executive. I am not the most talented salesperson, developer or business person in the company, but I talk a very good game. I have been lucky to be able to observe very talented salespeople, developers and business people and I have learned how to fake it pretty well. I get by.

It would be incredible if someone were to stumble across this blog and actually read it. I don't think that it will happen though.

I guess we will see.