I STILL HEART MY BIG BROTHER

Why am I so giddy that Dan won Big Brother 10? I have no reason to be happy... really I don't! Yesterday I was so happy to be going to the television taping of the show. I got my haircut, my eye brows cleaned up, and got all my friggin errands done early so we could be there at least by 3:15 - apparently 3:15 was way too late because Lorrie and I never got into the show. There were about 60 people in line to see the show who acquired their tickets from a ticket agency, on the contrary there were over 130 people who got their tickets from CBS directly, so of course they got in first!

I was almost in tears because I didn't get in, however I did get to see Matt and Adam from last season - and Adam even said a friendly Hello! There were numerous house guests from previous seasons and it was fun to see them all... did I mention Matty, LOL?


After the rejection Lorrie and I went over to a restaurant in Studio City called Mexicali to sulk in our loss and drink margaritas - two pitchers and some fajitas!
Joseph, my best friend, joined us to laugh, talk and share our margaritas... it was
a lot of fun I have to say!

Lorrie and I ended our night by grabbing some frozen yogurt and then watching the Season Finale at her house with her fiance Mike.

I hope I get into the Wrap Party tomorrow night, Dee Dee said she could smuggle me in and it's so important to me.... I hope, I hope, I hope!!!

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!!!

The Spice Girls new Christmas commercial for the store Tesco in Great Britain is below for your viewing pleasure!!!

I love the Spice Girls. They first came to be when I was just out of high school and and just ending my teen years! I can remember when they first broke every girl at my old job Mimi's Cafe had to look, dress and talk like the fab five! Leslie, Mari, Dawn, Carrie they all were a Spice. Shit, I remember I was sucked into the glam glitter life style! Before I was out to myself, I was donning glitter, flair pants, flambuoyant flair shirts and platform shoes!

DREAMS

Last night I had a dream... No really, I had a dream about the restaurant I work at -this is the second night in a row I have had a dream about Beckham Grill. When I used to work at Mimi's Cafe and we had a nightmare about waiting tables there we'd call them Mimi-Mares (Mimi Nightmares - drop the night, get it?)

Last night I was at a wedding of some hot guy and he was a sorta of Journey Man/time traveler - yah, I know it's strange. He and I traveled back in time to reverse his wedding. Although he was straight I wanted him and even though I was trying to get him to marry his wife again I secretly was hoping he would take me instead! It was pretty intense, and my speech that I delivered to him was what Oscar winning soliloquies are made of! I remember he was showing me pictures of a restaurant where he once dined at and it was Beckham Grill, in the background I could see various servers that I have met in the last few days.

After the dream had ended I then was with friends and family in a pool at nighttime.
David Beckham was naked... wait I just made a connection David Beckham, Beckham Grill. I wonder if that is a coincidence or my brain actually put them together for my dream? Come to think of it I think the time traveler was David Beckham... hmm, I just woke up five minutes ago so I will have to think about that one as the day progresses.

The dream after that gets too involved but also in my dream was all my cousins, my mom, and Brandon Baker had just returned from Germany. Ahh, I am going to miss seeing Brandon Baker everyday when I leave Cybersocket. I have mentioned him before in my blog but Brandon is one of the nicest people I have probably ever met. Okay, I am getting sad, so I will stop.

Today I am going to go watch TJ and Andy play softball at Whittier Narrows Field - I like going and taking JJ with me, it gives us both a chance to get out in the beautiful sun and have some fun!

I hope you too make it a fan day!

STAY TUNED...

MY FIRST TIME....

Thanks for the emails asking me how my first night back in the restaurant business was – I really appreciate those who check my blog out everyday and either comment, email or call to let me know they are reading!

Last night I drove straight from Cybersocket to Beckham Grill. Actually I had to drive home to grab my Social Security card and then back to Beckham Grill – major waste of gas! I arrived at 5:45 to the restaurant and instantly was introduced to my trainer Lorraine.

I have to admit that it was a bit peculiar being on the receiving end of being trained. At Mimi’s Café I trained new workers for six or seven years and am currently training my replacement at Cybersocket, so to be trained and know that I am not a PRO at what I am doing is pretty humbling.

Lorraine was sweet and so was another server named Rachel. Actually I was a bit taken back by Rachel’s forwardness. After barely introducing herself to me, she looked at me and said “So what is your story?” Yah, just like that!

I told her the truth – well except that I work for a gay magazine that specializes in porn ads. Instead I told her that I work for a web directory magazine, I didn’t lie, I just didn’t give her the entire focus of our magazine! =)

She told me that she was attending USC and wants to get her Masters… Honestly I wasn’t fully paying attention to her. My main priority was to memorize as much of the menu as I could, however I was polite with her and told her that my good friend Leslie works at County USC – so I was friendly.

I also met a few other people who were also extremely nice – including the managers!

Yesterday before I left to the new job I was speaking with my gym buddy Kenny about my hesitations and how I will give the restaurant a few months to grow on me. (Is that a negative comment?) Something interesting that Kenny told me was that I didn’t have to give it a few months that I would know pretty much right away and as much as I hate to admit it – he was right! I felt a good chemistry there and besides having to memorize a lot of the menu items I think I will like there.

Yah, I am not good at memorizing things. I am more of a experience person… If I look at food and menu items enough I will memorize the stuff but I am not a textbook guy who can memorize things quickly, maybe it is time to change my study habits!

Anyway, I was on the floor from 5:45 until 8:30 following Lorraine around and observing her. As far as the customer service goes I rock, but what I do need to work on is the small stuff – that will get you every time!

I finished off the night with trying two different salads – the Stilton and the Spinach Salad. Plus the fried artichoke hearts, peppercorn steak, Julian veggies, some potatoes that were stacked like cornbread… I will find out what they were tonight, and creamed spinach. Of course all this was free and the manager said that every night that I train I will need to have another new food item to get familiar with the menu – that shouldn’t be a problem as long as it’s not fish – BLAH!

Tonight I want to try their famous Raspberry Cobbler… yum, I am getting hungry already!!!

Stay tuned…

STORIES OF OLD

This morning on the way to work I was able to speak with my very good friend Judy.
I am not sure if I have ever mentioned Judy before on my blog but if you know me then you must know more about Judy – my adoptive aunt.

Judy is the one lady that should have been my aunt but for some reason wasn’t – she acts like my other aunts in all way, including her strong opinions. I first met Judy at Mimi’s Café in Long Beach over three years ago. Judy would often come in with her family and sit in different peoples section. Her food orders (and her family) excluding her husband, were extremely picky and I never wanted wait on her – EVER. For one reason or another I ended up waiting on her and the fam, and while I didn’t particularly like the way they crafted the menu into their own kitchen there wasn’t something about the family that attracted me to them, wanting to get to know them more!

Over the next three years Judy and I would get to know about each others families and discovered that we had much in common, even though we were generations and decades a part in age. Both of our moms had passed and we shared the same religions: Judaism. Since I have left Mimi’s over a year ago we still talk a few times a month and get together for breakfast…every time I see Judy I never know what is going to happen at brunch – she is a riot, even though she doesn’t mean to be!

What I love most about Judy is her honesty and she is approachable. There is nothing I cannot share with Judy. From boyfriends to porn stars, she knows it all and accepts it (and if she doesn’t, she sure lies well!)


So this morning on the way to work I decided to give her a call and thankfully she answered! We gossiped about a bunch of stuff and then she told me how in the next week or two she is going to Disneyland with her family – again I was so envious that not only was she going to The Happiest Place on Earth but she was also going to Club 33. If you are not aware of what Club 33 is at Disneyland, Google it or paste the following website into your browser! (www.disneylandclub33.com )The only word that comes to mind when I think of Club 33 is Historically Enchanting!

Judy then went on to tell me about her first experiences at Disneyland when she was a little girl. She remembers it as if it was memory in her eyes. Describing all the attractions that were there and the attractions that had not been built yet, Judy was so detailed in her descriptions even telling me about a particular exhibit called The House of the Future (top of page) and the fortune telling the attraction did. She specifically remembers the cast of the House describing that in the future the world will be able to cook a potato in eight minutes in contraption. Judy was unsure of what they called it but we call it the microwave! She also explained that they made reference that in the future people would create furniture out of plastic which we used to see a lot in 80’s/90’s décor!

FASCINATING, I love stories of old!!

EXCITING CHANGES

Thank God this week is over - Saturday is here alas! Last night I dreamt about going back to school and waiting tables – very strange especially since today I have an interview at a restaurant in Pasadena (wish me luck). For those who don’t know too much about me I used to wait tables – 10.5 years at Mimi’s Café to be exact. Ever since I started my job at Cybersocket I missed waiting tables. I know it sounds weird coming from someone who has a degree but waiting tables was so exciting and fun – taxing on your feet but fun nonetheless. The restaurant I am applying at is a very nice restaurant that has expensive meals – definitely not Mimi’s Café prices! Comparatively at Mimi’s Café two people could eat for under $30 for dinner and under $20 for lunch… Not the case at the place I am going to be interviewing today. I have a good feeling about this place and the food is impeccable so I am excited!

If you missed my earlier post this week I put my resignation in at Cybersocket – my last day being November 9, 2007 – 11 days before my birthday!
Cybersocket wanted to find a replacement for me as soon as possible so by Thursday afternoon they interviewed some applicants and made their decision. Starting on Monday I start training my replacement – I am actually excited about handing over the possession of the magazine and to see what direction he takes it!


This morning I spoke to my friend Collin O’Neal about his business and the exciting things that he has going on around him as well. I have said this before but Collin is one of the few guys from the adult industry that I genuinely trust and consider like a brother. Him and Rich, his business partner have always been warm and welcoming to me - they are just normal guys and big success will come to them. I remember when I first met Collin, Chi Chi contacted me and told me that her friend Collin O'Neal was in town and wanted to be booked at Cocktails with the Stars on a Thursday night. Now again, if you know me, I am not so quick to have just any white boy come down to CWTS and show their ass off! I am generally not attracted to, don't trust and don't like other white guys... LOL, no it's not self-racism, instead it's just my preference on who I choose to associate with! I remember coming home from work one night and I called Collin and spoke to him. I could instantly tell that he was not too receptive and was unsure of who I was. To make an already long story short, he loves Latin guys as well and is not attracted to white guys either - yes, we were made to be friends!!!


From then on Collin, Rich and myself would meet up in Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles to hang out and check out the gay parties. I remember one night last January we went to Vegas and were ringside for what was to be a female mud wrestling contest... we should have stayed but we didn't. Say Collin, what ever happened to those photos???

Wow, it seems as if 2008 is going to be a year of change… dramatic change!! I wish I could speak of all the business ventures I have planned for 2008 but I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see what I’m talking about – in fact after November 9, I can give more details!

Stay tuned…