It's the Phriday Phive!

Get you some!!! Happy Friday everyone!

Friday Five

1. What was your first job?

I was a teacher at a day care. I started there when I was 16 and I worked there until my sophomore year in college. I loved it. It inspired me to get a degree in English\Education. I still keep track of some of "my" kids.

2. How much did you make?
Started out at 4.25. By the time I left, I think I was making 6.25 or something crazy.

3. Describe your least favorite co-worker of all time.
Hmmm...I think I'll refrain. All I can say is "what goes around, comes around, bitch!". I better stop before I have to break out my pimphand.

4. What is your dream job?
Lotto-winner-extraordinaire. ;o) I'd want to own my own company and I've often thought about opening up a bar as well.

5. What do you currently do and do you like it?
I'm an engineer at a software company. I like it...I like it aaaaa looooot.

Random thoughts...

Why do Mach 3 razors cost so much? 26 bucks for 16 of them? C'mon. I know they cost like $0.10 to make.

My lawn totally needed the couple days of rain we got.

Dan and Gina's baby is sooooo cool! I saw him last night and I held him for like over an hour. I don't know what it is about babies but when I hold them I think of all the cool things they are going to get to do in their life and I wonder how they'll turn out when they get older. Jack (Jackie) Anthony Santangelo, Uncle Jimmy will be here for you kiddo.

I'm psyched! I get to use my brand new lawn mower for the 2nd time tonight.

My friend just got one of those King Ranch diesel F250s. Oh, it soooo kicks ass. What's the difference? They use saddle leather on the seats for longevity. What a concept!

I need a digital camera. Heather, I'm so sorry you dropped your camera in the lake.

I miss my buddy Shawn Mullan. He's a NYC fireman and I'm hoping I'll get the chance to go see him this winter.

Not that I'm a huge gamer anyway but I just realized that I haven't touched my XBOX for almost six months.

I really do miss seeing and interacting with the MSFT crew on a daily basis.

Found a bunch of old letters, cards and other crap in a filing cabinet from an ex this morning and it actually kind of hurt my heart to look at them. It's probably time to dump that stuff.

Some of my waterski\board friends are setting up early morning (dawn-7:30AM) runs at Chatfield again. I'm going to give it a whirl. I hope I can swing it and still get to work on time. That's a lot of driving but it makes my day.

Catholic school girls are the coolest! You all know who you are!

Huh? The Wednesday Five???

Yes, that's right...a Wednesday Five. As it's been pointed out, I've been slackin' with my "Friday Fives" so here it goes...

The Wednesday Five

What are your creative dreams?

mmmmmmm! That leaves it wide open. I have a lot of "creative dreams" (most of which probably don't really fit the context of this question so I'll simmer-down a bit and try to be good). I'd like to someday run a company. I'd like to design and help build my own house. I'd like to build a custom bike. I'd like to finally land and ride out a "mobe". I'd like to find my match and start a family. I'd like to completely rebuild my 1957 Chevy. I'd like to remodel my current house. I want to buy a boat this winter and possibly a new truck. And sooo many more....

What do you do to make them real?

Hard work and biting off more than I can chew.

What would you do if time and money were no object?

Interesting question. If time and money were no object I'd do anything and everything I possibly could do. And, since time isn't an object, I'd do it for ∞ . General answer for a general question...but it's true.

Who are the supportive people in your life?

My Mom and Dad are my rock. My friends are a close second.

What makes you unique?

hmmm...I guess, I try to be true to myself. I don't think any one aspect of my life is unique...there are other people that enjoy the things I do and walk a similar path. I just strive to be the best person, friend, son, worker, etc. I can be. I fail, yes...but I don't quit.

Please buy this for me

Or this.

Or this.

I'm embarrassed...

People like this tend to piss me off. Bottom line: the woman is just starved for attention and has a screw or two loose.

Thinking back, my parents were pretty liberal raising me. Of course, they didn't feed me booze, give me drugs or solicit my friends like this nutcase did but I was able to do things most kids had to lie about...but that's the relationship I had with my parents. I was able to go to parties with one caveat: I would call them if ever I or any one of my friends were too drunk to drive home. Yeah, I got in my fair share of trouble growing up, but I always fessed up in one way or the other and I either learned how not to get caught or to stay out of trouble all together. And I never got into drugs...I didn't see the point. I had enough fun drinking. I had friends who smoked weed or did other stuff and they were always sitting on some couch somewhere zoned out staring at the wall or some shit. It just never really looked fun to me.

When we were at the lake, it didn't matter. My Mom always said that if I passed out, the hardest thing I would hit on the way down would be sand. My Dad didn't like it just because I was drinking his stuff. He finally cut me off and said I had to figure out how to buy my own. Of course, where there's a will, there's a way. ;o)

I guess it made me respect them and open up to them a little more than most.

blah! In the nicest way possible...

I give! I seriously give! Quite frankly, women are impossible to figure out...in a good way. I guess that's what intrigues me so much. I am beguiled and I love it!

I had a conversation with one of my female friends the other day and I've been thinking about it a lot and I hope she doesn't mind if I share (not that I think she reads this anyway). She's a GREAT person, smooooookin' hot, married and wants to have kids soon. Very attractive, very attracted, this girl is pretty much the total package however, she is spoken-for which make it fair game for me to bounce women-related questions off of her. This time I didn't even pose a question. She had her own and proceeded to go right for my throat,

"Jimmy, you really think there is a girl out there that wouldn't make you look
the other way again? Just wondering. Not saying you are a player (NEVER thought
that), BUT could you settle for just one gal if she was the right one?"

My retort:

"OK...this is gonna get a little deep. I'm a lover...not a
player. I have a ton of love to give and I know it's well within
my power to shower all of that love on one woman. Of course it gets a
little complicated...mix of affection and keeping me on my toes (etc.) but,
she has to be out there...just has to be. I don't know...I really do
want to kick azz with someone in life."

And, then I started thinking about her question. It has plagued me. I've had dreams about it. I'll be working and it'll just pop in my mind. I'll be driving somewhere and *bink* there it is. Why would she ask that? Is it because she thinks it's impossible for me to love one woman? I wonder if everyone around me has the same perception.

I'm not really susceptible to bouts of questioning myself or my actions but this one hit home.

I do want to find "the one"...
don't I?

You know the stories. You know what I mean. I'm sure all of us have heard them..."I met Jane at a party and I 'knew' right then and there that I was going to marry that woman!" "You'll know too, Jimmy! You'll know." Or, "I bumped into John at the mall and I 'knew' he was the one for me." If I had a nickel for every time I heard that...well...I'd have a bucket full of nickels.

Well, they're all smokin' crack...and I mean that in the nicest way possible. There's like some private fraternal mojo that happens when these people get married and they are instructed to say shit like that to all of us "single" folk as a means of torture.

People tell me I'm picky. To that I say, hell yeah. Again, I mean that in the nicest way possible.

I guess I really didn't want to work today...

A friend of mine stumbled upon this blog. All I can say is WOW!

All is fair...except at the office

OK...so my cube-neighbor has been fighting with her husband over the phone all morning. I'm not one to pry; I really don't give a shit, but her personal life is being thrust on me. I'd put my headphones on but I left them at home. I'm stuck. I know this person has a cell phone so why would she choose to air-it-all-out in cube-ville? It's almost like getting stuck in an elevator with an old lady who decided to put on too much perfume. You really can't say anything. You have to be polite. Still, it gets on your nerves.

She is definitely not very nice to him. I think I would have to run-her if I was her man...geeeeet! Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya, kkkkkbye!!!

On another note, they are inducing Dan and Gina's baby at Swedish tonight at 7:30!!! I'm soooooo psyched for them! They still haven't picked out a name. I can't wait to meet him! That kid is sooooo hooked up with Summer clothes. Everyone at their baby shower got him baby stuff. Not me. I got him 2 pairs of board shorts, a life jacket, some of those floaty arm things and some Broncos gear. It was like shopping for me...except in the kids section. With Gina's permission of course, I'll have him boarding by the time he's three.

T-minus...

...two and a half days before I leave for Glendo. I'm going to make breakfast burritos tomorrow night since we've all been assigned a meal. How easy is that??? I mean, no forks, no knives, no dishes. You just roll up some eggs, some bacon or sausage and some green chili in a tortilla...BAM! You have yourself some portable tinfoil wrapped sustenance. Great idea HappyKap! Muchas gracias.

I do wish Jason and Deann were going on this trip. I feel like I haven't seen that cat in ages. He just adds such a unique element to the dynamic. It's like he is a more intense...well...me! Moreover, it's a good thing Mike, Jason and I became friends AFTER our wild party days (not that we don't get rowdy now). We'd probably still be working off our jail sentences.

Meetings...meetings...meetings! Oh, I love meeeeetings! Rawhide!

I have a bad feeling about a few things today but I don't wanna jinx it by saying anything. I just hope things work out.

Slammed!

Geeeeeeeez...work has been kicking my booty. I'm slackin' on my posts.

Some random thoughts:

• Traffic on Hwy 36 and McCaslin SUCKS because of all that construction. Interestingly enough I never see anyone working on it.
• That Rib-eye I threw on the grill last night was soooooo good!
• Picked up that new Tide Sea Breeze and now all my clothes smell like a chick.
• It's HOT! Daaaaaamn HOT! I love it.
• Can't wait to go to Glendo this weekend. Count them...two, dos, 2...pimped out board boats and a TON of good friends. Gaaaaawd, I love Summer.
• I never thought it would be possible for me to be this ecstatic over getting a new mower and mowing my yard. 6.75 HP baby! Get you some of that! It eats puny mowers like yours for breakfast.
• The BBQ sauce Jim gave me is almost gone, damnit. I use that shit on everything...from chicken to pizza to french fries. And, of course you have to drive your happy azz like 1100 miles to get it.
• My roses look awesome and that automatic drip system ROCKS!
• I still don't know where my other 20 some pair of boardshorts are and it's pissing me off.
• I want to personally thank the individual who invented HUGE travel mugs that can be taken on the boat and refilled twice all day.
• I'm horny...but that's standard.
• I cut my head shaving this morning. I hate it when I do that.
• I want to go to see my friends in Sacto.
• My friends are all heading to Vegas this weekend. Was a tough decision but I'd rather be at Glendo.
• I have a TON of clean clothes to put away tonight and I'm not looking forward to it.
• Why do I turn the swamp cooler on at night just so I can cuddle up underneath my down comforter?

stuff n stuff

During my travels last night I found an interesting blog entry and a gorgeous picture in which the photographer used infrared technology.

I had to go to the doctor yesterday for those stupid wasp stings. Seems I'm mildly allergic to 'em. My hand swelled and it itched like crazy. Even more reason to get that electric tennis racket thing. I think I'll get two...one for each hand.

I've been evaluating functional and load testing software here for the past week because all work on Sac has ceased for the time being. It's actually a nice break from the stress that went into that project but it really would be nice to hit this important milestone.

I'm triple booked on Sunday which is pretty standard for me. My friend is having a party, another friend is having an engagement party and my office is having a picnic at Boulder Reservoir. The engagement party will probably be the priority.

Lockout has ended...finally!

Insane!

What a busy day! I've been running in and out of meetings all day and I feel like I haven't accomplished anything.

I went over to my parent's house last night for dinner and they hooked me up with stuff from Florida. They got me this crab that holds a wine bottle and it cracked me up. That crab looks so real. I guess you have to see it but I dig it.

Oh yeah...I've never been stung by a wasp before last night but I highly recommend against it...twice on the same hand last night. The lil' bitches totally dive bomb you too and there's not much you can do but get out of the way. I want to get one of those electrified tennis racket looking things and have some fun with them. That shit hurt...but BRING IT! I'll be back. I'm not number one in the food chain for nuttin'.

Days of our Lives

OK, so I get this call last night from...well..."a friend". Said friend tells me that my ex-girlfriend is now over 5 weeks prego. I don't know why but it was received with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I was relieved that this pup was not mine and that I was not in that particular situation with her solely because I knew she was a far cry from my "the one", but on the other, it stung a little knowing that she had moved on so quickly. Either way, it sounds like an episode of Springer and I'm elated that I'm away from the drama that is Jennifer. If I had any sort of hang-ups coming out of that relationship and needed additional closure, that was it. Thanks "friend". Onward...upward. Tally-hoe!

Ooooh yeah! The Friday Five!

Ching! Ching! Money Train Comin' through!

1. How much money is in your wallet right now?
63 bucks...and a duck.

2. How much money would you need in the bank to feel secure? Rich?
A lot more than I do right now. #4 would help so if anyone feels the need, you can donate to my cause. I'm trying to become a chairity so you can write it off at the end of the year.

3. If someone gave you $100, no strings attached, what would you do with it?
Hey! That's two weeks worth of gas!

4. If someone gave you $1 Million, no strings attached, what would you do with it?
Start my own company and\or invest in rentals. Aaaaw, who are we kiddin'...I'd go to Vegas and throw it all down on black. ;o)

5. How much does something have to cost before it starts counting as "real" money, as a purchase to be considered and evaluated, but below which you'll buy without really thinking about it?
Hmmm...that's a tough one.

bon voyage

So I went over to Tami's place to see Jonelle and Jeff off last night. Of course I sucked it up and kind of kept it light but in all honesty, I said goodbye with such a heavy heart that it choked me up. Jonelle has been like a big sister to me (not that I really know how that whole sister\brother thing is supposed to flow).

I met her on a "girl's camping trip" to Guernsey, WY. I was supposed to be a "cabana-boy" or some crap and when I found out what that really meant, I wasn't havin' it. I said I'd go to help teach everyone to wakeboard and make sure everyone was safe but that's where it ended. I'm no chump and I wasn't about to bow-down. So they decided to invite some other guy to be their cabana-boy. This guy was making all the drinks, giving them back rubs and pretty much making a fool out of himself in general..."are you comfortable?"..."do you need me to fluff your pillow?"..."let me feed you some grapes."...that type of shit. I've never had so much fun laughing at somebody trying so hard in my entire life. Hell, I even made him get me a beer or two. Of course the fatties were all over my case because he was doing all this cabana-boy *work* for them. One of the bigger ones decided to call me out in front of everyone by demanding that I fix a drink for her and as you can imagine, that pretty much went over like a lead-balloon...I think I told her she looked like she needed the exercise and I made some mention of Sea World. I guess no trip with that many women is going to be drama-free. Anyway, Jonelle and I pretty much talked trash and laughed our asses off the entire weekend...we instantly became friends.

Some of the most memorable times of my life have been spent in her company. She has helped me grow personally as well as professionally...I am forever grateful.

3 cheers to safe trips, good friends and new experiences. Have fun in Japan!

Sacto Bust???

Well, I thought I was going to Sacramento. I have the etickets. My bags are all packed. Now we have this meeting in a few minutes to decide if we're actually going to go. I guess there are like 4 show-stopper issues that cropped up last night. This is like the never-ending-project. Trish, girl, I'm sooooooooooo sorry if this ends up going South. I'll make it up to you guys...you know I'm good for it.

My friend Jonelle is in town and we're going to Gasho's. By 7:30ish the Jimmythang is going to have a cocktail in his hands. Jonelle and her husband are passing through on their way to Japan...and they're going to live there like foooooooorever. Way too long. She used to party my azz under the table. Times, they are a changin'. Imonnamissyagirl!

Big Ass Fish

Daaaaaamn...this is a big ass fish! Can you imagine how much this big ass fish had to eat to get that big (ass)?!?! Here's a better pic of the big ass fish.

Sucks to be YOU!

I'll think about you the next time I order up a Crown and Coke...which I won't be doing for awhile.

Your friend has a kid and BAM! Might as well go get our draaaaaaaank on! Hangin' bad today. Powered through some Mexican food at lunch today but only because I needed sustenance. I should have just stayed at the hospital last night and had them hook up an IV.

Oh...and can I just say that I had to look at glass water yesterday at the lake. There were like 4 fishing boats out there...total. The friends I thought were going to be up there, weren't and I was left drooling on the shore. I totally need to get married and pop out a pup so I can have a 3rd...driver, flagger, boarder. It was torture so I made myself a drink and did a little naaaaaked-baaaakin' on the sun-deck. I feel so naaaaaaughty! I think I need a ssssssssspankin'!

Born on the 4th of July!

Welcome to the world baby Ronnie Lynn Franklin!!!

Congratulations Jason and Deann!

Ronnie Lynn Franklin

It's the PHriday PHive, bebe!

This one is pretty intense folks...hold on to your pants.

1. Photo albums or picture frames?
Hmmmm...let's see. I have frames on the wall at home and a couple of albums gathering dust somewhere.

2. Digital camera, disposable, or point-and-click?
Depends on the situation, I guess:

Say you're in Havasu, you've been drinking all day, frolicking in the water and you've been handing beads out (because you're so generous). This situation calls for a disposable camera, without question. I've seen no less than three digital cameras at the bottom of the lake.

Now, say you're at a house party...as long as you stay away from bodies of water (pools, sinks, etc.), you're safe with either a point-and-click-a or a digital.

3. What facial expression (of yours) is usually captured in pictures?

4. What's your favorite picture and why?
uno - My Mom and Dad and me at the lake a few years back. dos - My last FRx Christmas party: Jason, Mike and me...in our tuxes. tres - Brian\Stacie and Dan\Gina's wedding party pictures with all of us guys...in our tuxes. quatro - Evan, Brian and me before we went clubbin' many moons ago.

5. Do you take the picture after you say "1, 2, 3", or after you say "2" and right when you say "3", or do you use another method or not count?
The best pictures aren't staged. I love action pictures...like when someone is laughing, talking or pondering something and they have no idea that their picture is about to be taken.