Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Almost Famous
Lately, city living and the accouterments of the urban setting have provided some photographic opportunities. And a few of the opportunities have been noticed. All of these images below have appeared on a Chicago related site or 2 or three.
Just today someone said to me "congrats, Todd, on your slow takeover of all Chicago media."
Monday, January 11, 2010
Saturday, March 28, 2009
March 28 - Monologue
My boss said it was a short assignment. She said I’d be here 3 weeks, that was in July. It’s now November. I had been home for 2 days after a month of work in Virginia. I wasn’t rushed to get out of the place because she did say it would only be a couple of weeks . . . that was 5 months ago.
So here I am. In Dublin. Sounds nice to people that have always dreamed of visiting the place where they like to believe that their relatives were from here. Truth be told they were most likely Welsh but were just ashamed to say that so they wouldn’t be associated with Prince Charles.
The home of U2, whom I have not seen because they live in France now. A weekend get away for everyone from the UK or the European mainland so they can get trashed and wreck the town with impunity if they can make the returning flight or ferry on time.
I hate this place. Just the city itself, the people are fairly nice. Drunk or sober they are either cordial or so overly friendly that it could border on molestation in some states. The streets are dirty and there’s “liquid” everywhere. Could be water. Could be beer. Could be urine. It’s probably urine.
Work is a short walk from my 200 euro a night hotel through only a few puddles. Too close to take a cab and too far to ride the bus with the hungover or in most cases still inebriated workers at an all too early hour. The hotel staff is pretty friendly, they know who I am, they are glad to see me or maybe they just want my company’s money. I settle my bill every 6 weeks with the corporate card and the last time this was done it was 23000 euros. So they are always nice to anyone spending that amount. It’s not my fault the bills are so high, it’s the project leader. He’s been here 4 months longer than myself and has decided to immerse himself in the local culture. This doesn’t mean he’s taking the bus tour, visiting the museums, the galleries or the historic sites. This means he’s getting plowed every night at my hotel bar with the locals. Drinking to the point of incoherency and is usually passed out and placed in a cab leaving me with the bill.
I’m not in the bar with him mind you, the front desk normally calls me at 2AM to tell me that it is time for him to go home and his tab needs to be settled. My evenings here are quite different, every night I order soup from room service and I cry in the corner of my hotel room. Okay that’s a lie, I don’t always order soup.
You might think that this assignment is uneventful, it’s not. You see project lead has a bad habit of making commitments with strangers to get together over the weekends to take in some local color. Local color does not mean taking the bus tour, visiting the museums, the galleries or the historic sites. The end result of this is usually much worse. Like the time we wound up in Belfast.
So here I am. In Dublin. Sounds nice to people that have always dreamed of visiting the place where they like to believe that their relatives were from here. Truth be told they were most likely Welsh but were just ashamed to say that so they wouldn’t be associated with Prince Charles.
The home of U2, whom I have not seen because they live in France now. A weekend get away for everyone from the UK or the European mainland so they can get trashed and wreck the town with impunity if they can make the returning flight or ferry on time.
I hate this place. Just the city itself, the people are fairly nice. Drunk or sober they are either cordial or so overly friendly that it could border on molestation in some states. The streets are dirty and there’s “liquid” everywhere. Could be water. Could be beer. Could be urine. It’s probably urine.
Work is a short walk from my 200 euro a night hotel through only a few puddles. Too close to take a cab and too far to ride the bus with the hungover or in most cases still inebriated workers at an all too early hour. The hotel staff is pretty friendly, they know who I am, they are glad to see me or maybe they just want my company’s money. I settle my bill every 6 weeks with the corporate card and the last time this was done it was 23000 euros. So they are always nice to anyone spending that amount. It’s not my fault the bills are so high, it’s the project leader. He’s been here 4 months longer than myself and has decided to immerse himself in the local culture. This doesn’t mean he’s taking the bus tour, visiting the museums, the galleries or the historic sites. This means he’s getting plowed every night at my hotel bar with the locals. Drinking to the point of incoherency and is usually passed out and placed in a cab leaving me with the bill.
I’m not in the bar with him mind you, the front desk normally calls me at 2AM to tell me that it is time for him to go home and his tab needs to be settled. My evenings here are quite different, every night I order soup from room service and I cry in the corner of my hotel room. Okay that’s a lie, I don’t always order soup.
You might think that this assignment is uneventful, it’s not. You see project lead has a bad habit of making commitments with strangers to get together over the weekends to take in some local color. Local color does not mean taking the bus tour, visiting the museums, the galleries or the historic sites. The end result of this is usually much worse. Like the time we wound up in Belfast.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
March 21 - Monologue
You know I’ve been waiting tables for about five years now. Not at the same place, mind you. I’m an actor, did I mention that before? So anyway I wait tables to pay the bills between acting gigs. Yeah I’ve worked at most of the chain restaurants right off the interstate. Olive Garden, Outback, Sizzler, Applebee’s . . . you name it I’ve worked there, well if it’s in this town.
I think that the best opportunity for me would to get into dinner theater, but I don’t think that this town is ready for that kind of scene yet. Maybe in 20 or 30 years when the population is older but not right now.
My work keeps me in the public eye so I am always on stage. Whether it’s the theater or the lunch to dinner double shift I stay in character. I feel it enhances the customer’s experience. I want them to feel like they are on a journey of sorts. A veritable culinary cruise. Over the years I have perfected a variety of accents which I use at my place of employment.
At the Outback I have an Australian one that I picked up from watching Crocodile Dundee . . . one and two. Things like “G’day mate,” and “now that’s a knife,” always play well there. I spent two years working on my Italian accent while working at Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and Maggiano's. I only bused tables at Maggiano’s but sometimes I could use some lines; “hey-ah that’s-ah lots-ah dirty-ah dishes.” The customer is instantly transported to the Spanish Steps in Rome at a small ristorante tucked away on a side street while the local kids play “football-ah.” I have one that’s en français that I used at La Madeline. A British one that I used over at O’Malley’s Sports-n-Darts Pub “Freshen your drink, Guv'ner?”
I can do them all. I even do a real nice Mexican one that I used when I worked at Uncle Julio’s Casa Nacho Grande Bonito but the kitchen staff didn’t like it very much. I think they were just jealous because my accent was as authentic as three types of salsa that we served. Come to think of it I was there less than a month because I got that dual role as Mitch and Murray in the Shady Lane Retirement Home production of Glengarry Glen Ross.
I think that the best opportunity for me would to get into dinner theater, but I don’t think that this town is ready for that kind of scene yet. Maybe in 20 or 30 years when the population is older but not right now.
My work keeps me in the public eye so I am always on stage. Whether it’s the theater or the lunch to dinner double shift I stay in character. I feel it enhances the customer’s experience. I want them to feel like they are on a journey of sorts. A veritable culinary cruise. Over the years I have perfected a variety of accents which I use at my place of employment.
At the Outback I have an Australian one that I picked up from watching Crocodile Dundee . . . one and two. Things like “G’day mate,” and “now that’s a knife,” always play well there. I spent two years working on my Italian accent while working at Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill and Maggiano's. I only bused tables at Maggiano’s but sometimes I could use some lines; “hey-ah that’s-ah lots-ah dirty-ah dishes.” The customer is instantly transported to the Spanish Steps in Rome at a small ristorante tucked away on a side street while the local kids play “football-ah.” I have one that’s en français that I used at La Madeline. A British one that I used over at O’Malley’s Sports-n-Darts Pub “Freshen your drink, Guv'ner?”
I can do them all. I even do a real nice Mexican one that I used when I worked at Uncle Julio’s Casa Nacho Grande Bonito but the kitchen staff didn’t like it very much. I think they were just jealous because my accent was as authentic as three types of salsa that we served. Come to think of it I was there less than a month because I got that dual role as Mitch and Murray in the Shady Lane Retirement Home production of Glengarry Glen Ross.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Untitled
He kept a sundry of lucky items and homemade poultices at his desk. A plethora of severed animal parts and witch-doctor potions. A chicken’s foot from New Orleans for voodoo spells. A luck rabbit’s foot stained with Dr Pepper, caked in powdered donut sugar and it’s fur matted with bits of tobacco. The belief in the ghost of John Wayne that stalked him and left his soul cold.
He was the best and brightest of the new wave of office workers. Too smart to be where he landed but too unmotivated to search for new avenues of advancement. What was the point? If you’re in a half-a-horse town, how many miles is it until you find a whole-horse town? 100 miles, 1000 miles, 10,000 miles?
He liked it as much as he hated it. He sometimes came to work reeking of liquor and reminded his cube mates all too often that some of them stunk of garlic. His life was a mesh of over-lapping days of the week.
Waking up as Bryant Gumble called it quits.
Working late but not so late as to miss last call.
Staying out all night and hitting a diner by dawn. A little man passed out in the seat across from him . . . he was drunk too but not as bad as he would be in the years to come when in the not too distant future he would vomit on the floor at his going away party. Or the time he would finally hit rock bottom and find himself on the lowest of 12 steps to wellness . . . confessing he was powerless to alcohol.
He was the best and brightest of the new wave of office workers. Too smart to be where he landed but too unmotivated to search for new avenues of advancement. What was the point? If you’re in a half-a-horse town, how many miles is it until you find a whole-horse town? 100 miles, 1000 miles, 10,000 miles?
He liked it as much as he hated it. He sometimes came to work reeking of liquor and reminded his cube mates all too often that some of them stunk of garlic. His life was a mesh of over-lapping days of the week.
Waking up as Bryant Gumble called it quits.
Working late but not so late as to miss last call.
Staying out all night and hitting a diner by dawn. A little man passed out in the seat across from him . . . he was drunk too but not as bad as he would be in the years to come when in the not too distant future he would vomit on the floor at his going away party. Or the time he would finally hit rock bottom and find himself on the lowest of 12 steps to wellness . . . confessing he was powerless to alcohol.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Almost Famous . . . in the call center
Hi Call Center and Correspondence Volunteers!
It is debate season and we are in the home stretch of the campaign. We appreciate you finding a few more hours in your schedule for us every week. We are continually amazed at the organization we have been able to build. It would not be possible without your willingness to make such a strong commitment to the campaign.
Since we're in the final stretch on our way to Election Day it's about time we make some custom Operations-Communications t-shirts. One of our volunteers, Roxana, and her husband have designed some awesome shirts for us. If you're interested in getting one of these shirts (see attached designs), please reply to Noah with your name, preference of Call Center or Correspondence shirt, and shirt size. (If you wish to buy more than one shirt, specify quantity, design preferences, and sizes.) The shirts will cost between $12 and $17 apiece. Please reply with your order by the evening of Sunday, September 28, as we will be placing the order first thing on Monday morning. Once you have placed your order make sure to bring your money into the Ops-Comm Center at your next shift in order to reimburse the person
who will place this (large) order.
Below please find the remaining shift needs for the Call Center and the Correspondence department.
We're looking forward to seeing you this week!
Thanks,
The Ops-Comm Team
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