I'm going to be SOOOOOOO late!!!!!

I'm late. I'm late. For a very important date...

Well not really. But there are those times where we're running late in the morning. Be it the alarm clock didn't work or maybe we just kept hitting the snooze button, there are many reasons for this. In fact, it could be that you just overslept or just refused to leave on time. Maybe it's the traffic or something with your car. Maybe you got into an argument with someone in your household that caused you to not leave on time. Regardless of the reason, one fact remains: You're late for work.

There's no worse feeling for those who are monitored by the clock by their supervisor/manager. You know what I'm talking about. You're running into the building, already past your start time and you get that knot in your stomach. You worry about being written up or talked about amongst your co-workers. It's a crappy feeling, plain and short. Although, if you are of the select that get to choose your hours or possibly work from home, you're in a much favorable position.

Today, I completely miscalculated the time I thought it would take to chisel my car out of the block of ice it was encased within. On top of that, I left the house only a few minutes earlier than normal, thinking this would be sufficient. Needless to say, when I realized that the ice wasn't being scraped away, I started to panic. You should have seen me attack my car with my scraper. At points, it appeared as if I was making an ice sculpture, what with all the ice flying in the air. I didn't even think to do it discreetly in case I was being too loud. I was banging, scraping, and mildly cussing at my predicament.

Eventually, I got enough of the ice off my front and back windshield and made my way to work. I decided to go on the highway instead of the backroads, considering I already lost about 20 minutes working on my car. As I was cruising along and making good time, I was almost at work when I ran (or should I stay stopped dead) in traffic. I could see my exit, but couldn't get to it. Out of nowhere, all the cars decided to just start crawling along at 1-2 miles per hour and I was anxiously looking at the clock and how much distance I had left.

I then made it to my parking garage, parked the car, chiseled the rest of the ice on my windshield wipers (as it left my right wiper disfigured) and quickly made my way to my desk. With 3 minutes left until 8:30, I plugged my computer in, logged into the phone, and breathed a deep sigh of relief. So here I am now, fully caught up with my work from a day ago (our office was closed yesterday, w00t!) and I am writing this post.

But yeah...late to work. It's not a pleasant experience and for those who aren't used to it, I don't wish it on anyone. But for those who are always late (and you know who you are), shame on you! Then again, it's not like the world would have ended if I did come in a few minutes late.

But I'm not going to be the one to find that out!

I had the weirdest dream last night...



*snore*Oh no! Not....8-BITS?*snore*



...is how the story usually begins. I come into work (see, I was able to relate it to the workplace) and someone starts their conversation off like this. Or if you're like me, your fiancee texts you with these words. Regardless, this post today is about a dream that I remember bits and pieces about. It just felt so vivid and in lack of a better word, AWESOME, that I just wanted to share with all my readers. Plus, if you're looking out the window at the snowy/rainy/ugly day outside (while you are at work), maybe this will brighten up your morning.

So where was I? Oh yes, I remember hanging out with my friend John at someone's house. The room we were in did not resemble any room I recalled, but it did take place in a bedroom (not that kind of story, sheesh!) and a living room. What I remember was is that were giving fighting lessons to people and I had a super-power. That's right, my power was that I was able to look at any action figure (in this case it was X-Men action figures) and I could turn into that person. So, if I looked at the Wolverine action figure, I was able to transform my body into that of Wolverine as well as get his powers. Oh yes, this did happen (in my dream).

After I changed into Wolverine, I went into the living room to fight this guy and his daughter (I think) for a little bit. I remember the TV was on, but I do not know what was playing. We fought for a bit and then I decided I wanted Cyclops powers, so I went back into the bedroom looking for the action figure. I couldn't find it, but was holding a Magneto or Sentinel figure when John came in and say "Don't be cheap and turn into one of them". I said I wasn't and was looking for Cyclops. Stay with me people, it gets weirder.

After a bit of searching, the guy (who I presume to be the father) and his wife (who just appeared out of nowhere) came in and saw that Madagascar was playing on the TV. We started into a conversation pertaining to children's movies and if I liked them. I told them I never saw the second Madagascar (I don't even know if there was a second one) and that my taste for movies had changed. At that point, I think I found the Cyclops figure, but woke up from my dream.

I tried desperately to try and go back to that dream, but alas, it was too late. I was unable to return and was now forced to just write it down like a past memory. But yeah, that was morning before I found out I had to travel in the worsening weather. I'm now safe and sound at work, but worry as to how the roads will be later today. I'm hoping we will be able to leave early before all the cars are on the road, but who knows?

Sometimes I think this job is a bad dream (see what I did there?!).

Weekend Recap for 01/29/2011-01/30/2011

Aww, it's a cat. Upside down. Yeah, you know it's cute!

Howdy and good morning y'all! I hope you are all having a lovely sunny and cold Monday morning. As it is Monday, it must be time for another *drum roll* WEEKEND RECAP! Oh I get so excited about these recaps. Really I do. It's a fun time to reflect back on the yonder-years (well 2 days to be exact) and highlight all the fun adventures. So what did I do this weekend? Wouldn't you like to know? Oh fine, just look below....


ComicDrawer boxes. The wave of the future!

Saturday, January 29, 2010 So this weekend I ended up not visiting my fiancee. It was her dad's birthday (shout-out to Mr. Keller on his B-Day) and Shanna and her family went off and celebrated. I, however, was left in Rockaway to go to Temple and then just relax. I did make a trip up to Madison, NJ to visit my friend at Dewey's Comic City. If you're ever in the area, check it out. They have a great selection of new comics, toys, and trades. Most imporantly, they carry ComicDrawers, which are awesome comic boxes designed to make sorting and organizing much easier. Please take a look at the picture above.

 Afterwards, I came home to watch the shows I had recorded on the DVR as well as more of Oz Season 4 and finally Spider-Man 2.1. Can you believe I never saw the 8 minutes of additional footage in the second Spider-Man movie? I won't say that it greatly changed the movie for the better or worse, but it was enjoyable to see more of the movie. Looking back, I don't think these movies were as good as I thought, but that could be because I'm more into the comics now and view the character differently than how Mr. Tobey M. played him. Plus, is it just me or was Aunt May just too old and useless in that movie? I'm not knocking old(er) people, but I definitely prefer her in the comics and the Ultimate Marvel universe. I don't want to sound mean, but I wouldn't have minded if she went the way of Uncle Ben...if you know what I mean?!

Overall Score: ComicDrawer Box? Yes Please!

PARTAY!

Sunday, January 30, 2011 On Sunday, I went to my Aunt and Uncle's house for my cousin's 18th birthday party. I can't believe how grown up she got. She's actually going to be moving to Israel toward the end of this year. We did have a great brunch with some homemade pizza, as well as: vegetable soup, cheesecake, donuts, salad, and potato knishes and some other stuff. Afterwards, I came home, continued watching Oz Season 4, finished Spider-Man 2.1, and watched the Green Lantern: First Flight Animated Movie.

I must say, I am actually disappointed (I know, I know. I actually didn't LOVE a movie for once) in the movie. I feel that the plot was thin, moved way too fast, and there was barely any dialogue. Within the first 5 minutes, Hal Jordan got the ring and then it was off to space to just fight, fight, fight! Oh well, I got the movie for like $8, so I'm not going to complain.

Overall Score: Yay for B-Day brunch, but eh for the Green Lantern Movie. Let's hope the live action is better.

So that was my weekend. How about yours? What'd you do? Take a few minutes of your morning, make a post, and share your past weekend plans. But whatever you do, DO NOT WATCH the Green Lantern Animated Movie. *shudder*....can't get clean...

Oooh goody it's Friday. Let's see what's on the DVR!

It sure is Pooh. It sure is.

Howdy fellow workers! I hope you've had an enjoyable and productive work week. Maybe you were one of the lucky ones to leave early, come in late, or stay home due to the snowstorm this week. Regardless, it is Friday. Another week gone by and a 2 day weekend to look forward to. For me, I am especially looking forward to the weekend and not look forward to it at the same time. Intrigued? Read on (and even if you're not, please read on!).

Since my TV shows have started coming back on the air in full force, I haven't had time to watch them during the week. I come home late after the gym and those few hours in the evening that I can call my own, I tend to want to do other things than watch TV. Yet, that is what the DVR is for. It lets you fast-forward through commercials, re-watch funny scenes, and give you the option of watching a plethora (vocabulary word for the day) of shows in any order you want. Since I have watched a few of the shows this week, this is what is awaiting me at home:

1. Community
2. Parks and Recreation
3. Outsourced
4. Fringe
5. Friday Night Lights
6. Kitchen Nightmares
7. Archer

I will probably start tonight and finish them either Saturday or Sunday. On top of that, I hope to clean my room and throw out some junk. A cluster-free room leads to a happy...uh...cluster...uh..free life? Yeah, let's go with that!

At this point, you may be asking why I wouldn't be looking forward to the weekend? Go on, ask. Yes you in the back. The reason I'm not looking forward to it is because I don't get to see my fiancee this weekend. That's one of the downsides of having a long-distance relationship. It's not as easy as just driving a few minutes or meeting up somewhere. We have to plan in advance for our little bit of time together and when other plans come up, it delays us hanging out. But that's alright because once we're married (November 13, 2011 baby!), it will no longer be an issue.

So enough about me (even though it is my blog, remember?). How about you? I always want to hear from our readers and see what your plans are. Do anything fun? Going anywhere? Watching anything? Fill up those comment spaces and share your thoughts.

One other request I have for my viewers are: What do you want to see from this blog? We're almost going into the 2nd month since it's opening and I want to know what everyone looks forward to reading about. Or maybe what you don't want to hear about anymore? I want feedback. I need feedback. I CRAVE FEEDBACK *wipes foam from mouth*. Well that was awkward, but enough rambling.

Share your thoughts and tune in on Monday. Same cubicle time. Same cubicle channel.

This Just In: 2 Hour Delay & A Death in the "Fantastic Four" Family!

2 Hour Delay! w00t!

What better way to start the work day than with a text from your co-worker stating that there has been a 2 hour delay. So instead of waking up early and trying to make it to work between 8:00-8:30a.m., you now get to come in for 10:00a.m. What's that you say? It's only an hour and a half of a difference? Well shame on you good sir for not taking into account those extra minutes of happiness.

For you see, I made good use of that time this morning. On top of that, I still woke up at my usual 6:30-7:00a.m., which allowed me to really enjoy the morning. I woke up, actually had breakfast, read some educational books (OK, it was comics; happy?!), read some Torah (yes, I am quite scholarly), and actually woke up and not feel groggy. I got to enjoy the sky turn brighter, the sun come out, and watch all the plows hard at work trying to clean up my development. But that wasn't even the best part.

The best part was driving to work in less traffic than normal and working a little shorter than the other days of the week. Because if you remember your time as a student, a 2 hour delay always made the day go by quicker. Classes were shorter and everything just seemed to speed up. Don't ask me why this is because I'm not a physicist, but I am a former student. Before I even knew it, I started writing this blog at 1:05p.m.. IT WAS JUST 10:00A.M. FOR GOSH SAKES!!!

But the most important thing is that you just feel better. I'm not sure why our brains work the way they do, but I do know that it's always a much better feeling coming in later to work and still leaving at the same time.

NOT #5!!!!! (inside joke people, c'mon!)

Before I end this post for today, I would like to take a moment in all seriousness and pay respects to a recently departed Fantastic Four member. For those who follow this family's adventures, you know by now that one of their own has met his unfortunate end. So as you're enjoying your 2 hour delay (or snow day), please remember the hard work that the Fantastic Four have done for the Marvel Universe and raise a glass in honor.

Now if you'll *sniff* excuse me, I have to get back to work.

R.I.P. Fantastic Four Member #5 ;)

Everybody's gone surfin'!

A cat surfing the web? That's A-dorable! Plus a little freaky to be honest.

 
Surfing the Internet. The focus of today's post is one very dear to me. In fact, if it wasn't for surfing the Internet, where would I be without video game FAQs, YouTube videos, and of course Blogs. The Internet has provided me with countless hours of insight, entertainment, and wisdom. From free online games to website about nothing (http://www.nothing.net/deult.html).

So why talk about something so obvious to everyone? It's because the Internet helps me (and probably you) make it through the day. Think about it for a minute. Who's there to pick you up from your afternoon boredom? The Internet. Who's there to make you laugh with a silly video of monkeys and poo? The Internet. Who's there to mend a broken heart? Duh! Your parents. But it's a good chance they read an article on the Internet.

If it wasn't for the Internet, I wouldn't have gotten the idea to start a blog at work to help me get through the day. Sharing my thoughts and hoping for feedback from my readers (we're up to 4 now!).  But I feel we need to give thanks to this awesome piece of technology to save us from the mundane work week. I for one love the act of minimizing the screen as a co-worker walks by, just to maximize it and continue reading whatever it is I was reading. If not for the Internet, how would I know about all the great sales on Amazon? Without the Internet, there would be no Amazon!!!!

But enough praise (for now). As I type this post up, looking outside at the snow coming down, it made me thankful to have a place at work to go to get away from...uh...work. Let's be honest for a minute: We're not always busy with work and there are moments throughout our day where we have a moment to breathe, sit back, and just sigh some relief. During those moments, why not jump online, read something quick/watch something quick, and then get back to the day? I guarantee it would help make the day go faster and more enjoyable.

Who wants to sit staring at an inbox all day or an inventory screen? I sure don't, but I'm supposed to. Even if there is no work to be done (not often, but it does occur). Why is it not allowed to surf the web in your free time? Who says you have to be working every second of your shift? So what if I'm not busy the whole day? Does that make me or you a bad employee? No! If anything, it makes you a diligent and efficient worker. Yet, some co-workers and management frown on not having anything to do.

So let's weigh the options: Work slower to drag it out all day or do your work first and then spend a few moments online? I vote for the latter and I don't think I'm alone. But I can't assume so let's hear what the readers have to say. That's right! Time for you to post some comments and share your thoughts. You know you love the Internet as much as the next cubicle-enclosed worker. You know the Internet is the closest thing to your friend at your desk next to that red stapler.

In short : Thank you Internet for being legen-Jewish people cannot mix meat and-dary!

Oh no! Not........T-R-A-F-F-I-C!!!

You all know it. And we all hate it. TRAFFIC. At some point in our adult lives, we have been stuck in traffic. In fact, I believe that if it's not the perfect ideal driving weather (a little sunny, but not too bright), no one knows how to drive. Rain? Traffic. Snow. Traffic. Morning? Traffic. Is there no escape?!

Now some of us are smart about our daily commute. We find back roads, leave early, carpool, and find alternative means to making it on time to our job. The job that requires us to be at our desk on time on the dot. I won't speak for everyone, but from my personal experience, my managers have seemed to be oblivious to the fact that there are some things out of our control.

"Why were you 2 minutes late today?" my manager would ask.

"It's not my fault. A school bus full of orphaned children bringing kittens to a shelter got a flat tire. They closed the whole lane and had to redirect traffic. On top of that, the lights went out, 6' of snow fell on the ground, and my house is on fire" would be my response.

"Well, I still expect you to be on time, on the phone, and ready to work at 8:30a.m." is her retort.

At this point, some of you may be thinking that this scenario is a little far fetched (and not the Pokemon might I add), but we've all had reasons why we are late. And for those of us who are always on time, always stay late when asked, and do whatever is expected of us, we shouldn't have be interrogated when we are a few minutes past our start point. I mean, we didn't do it on purpose.

So we're stuck in traffic. We make the phone call to our supervisor/manager, inform them we are going to be late, and then wonder what kind of punishment will rain down on us once we arrive. For those who have understanding managers (and I do believe I have one now), it is a much more pleasing feeling working into the workplace late than walking into a manager who is naive that nothing ever goes wrong. Think about it; that manager is always on time (minus the fact that she could work from home if she wanted to) and expects everyone to follow her example.

Well I'm done apologizing for things beyond my control. I can't control the weather, I can't control other drivers, and I can't control traffic (unless I'm a traffic coordinator, heehee). What I will do is call into the office if I will be late to give them a head's up and that's it. I won't get knots in my stomach anymore and I won't care what snickering comments my co-workers feel they have the right to say.

The only thing I will do is leave a teeny tiny bit earlier tomorrow. It is supposed to snow, you know?