The Meaning Of Lila

Reading Sean's Comic Relief reminded me of what I consider to be the best gift I have ever given Matt.

For years, Matt has been a loyal reader of the comic strip "The Meaning of Lila". Written by John Forgetta, "Lila" chronicles the life of Lila Mayfield, a customer service representative for MetroMart. Lila is joined by her GBFF Boyd and friend/supervisor Drew.

From wikipedia - "The central theme of the comic is about Lila trying to find the right man (or any man for that matter) but always fails due to her pickiness and bad luck. Other themes include her dislike of her job, popular culture and her obsession with shopping, (especially shoes). The trio of friends are most often shown either at work, having drinks at the bar, shopping, or watching TV at home."

In March of 2010 I was struggling with what to get Matt as a wedding present.  The wedding wasn't until July, but I wanted to do something special.  The thought occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, I could get Lila and Boyd to come to the wedding. Full disclosure - if Boyd were a real person and he knew Matt, I wouldn't stand a chance...LOL.

I found an email for John and sent him a note with my idea. I figured what's the worst he can say, "no"?  A day later I got a response asking for a bit more information about the event. John was honored that I asked him to do it. Within a week I had my answer - yes, John would be writing the wedding into the strip. He also asked for a photo of Matt, to see if he could animate him. 

I give you my wedding present to Matt......


*This was the first strip in the series. The day it ran, I was taking a group of students to Washington D.C. so I didn't get to see Matt's reaction to the strip. I remember walking my kids to our gate in the Minneapolis airport and getting a text on my phone, "Is Boyd coming to the wedding?" Followed by photos of each of the panels. I had left him a letter explaining everything. 

*The next four days of the strip dealt with Boyd talking with HR about his intolerant coworker. They didn't really deal with the wedding, so I left them out.

*Iowa was ahead of the curve on this one.

*Fun Fact - Matt is not a fan of "Glee", but he did watch the Madonna episode with me. :-)

 *I really wanted a strapless Vera Wang, but couldn't find anything in my size.

*I was really happy with how Matt was drawn. The artist did a GREAT job. We got married after Prop 8 had passed in California, so at the time gay marriage wasn't legal there.

*I got the impression that this was a lot of our guests. 

We had all of the black and white strips framed and used that as our guest book at the wedding.  It's framed and hanging in our guest bedroom.  The strip is one of the very few things that I have EVER been able to surprise Matt with. I gotta say that I think I did pretty good with it. 

Sunday Selfie - Christmas Break Edition

Yesterday it was a beautiful 50 degree day here in central Iowa. Today, not so much.

I'm on the middle Sunday of my two-week Christmas/Winter Break. This is the first time in a long time that I'm really enjoying my break. In the past either my mom or dad has stayed with us, and we'll, it can be a bit stressful. 

But this year with my mom living in Ames now, I get to see her and spend time with her, but now she has her life and I can spend time doing things that I want/need to do during the break. Don't misunderstand me, I love spending time with my mom, but it's nice not having her around ALL the time. :-)

I've been making it a priority to get to the gym as much as I can during the break, which is where I took today's selfie. I've realized that going to the gym first thing in the morning helps to center my day. I can think about what I need to do and mentally start to prioritize. In addition, well, let's be honest, there are some hotties at the gym and I do loves me some eye candy.

I did treat myself to a Christmas present - Jaybird bluetooth earbuds. I love listening to music during my workouts (as evidenced by my always entertaining lip-syncing), but the cord of my earbuds was a pain. I noticed one of my gym crushes, Lance, wearing a pair of wireless earbuds and I knew I had to have a pair. Problem is, they ain't cheap. Christmas money allowed me to invest in a pair - and I LOVE 'EM! Great sound and freedom of movement!

Presently I've been using the elliptical machine, but I may start incorporating more free weight work into my morning workout. It's just a matter of timing everything out so that I can get ready for school. It sucks that I have to be in the building by 7:45 (I usually get there by 7:30). I'd love to have more time to spend at the gym.

This weekend I've been getting caught up on school work that I've been putting off and also catching some ISU women's basketball.  This weekend the team is hosting their annual tournament. We beat Holy Cross yesterday and play William & Mary today. Sure, the games won't help our RPI, but they do help shake off the rust from the 16-day break. 

I'm still working on my SMART goals for 2014. I hope to have them posted later in the week. 

Cheers!

Robert

What a Difference A Day Makes

After yesterday's rough start at the gym, "they don't open until 9?", this morning went MUCH better.

I was up and awake at 5:15, and at the gym at 5:30. I felt energized, if not a bit sore from yesterday's workout, and ready to go.

I hoped on the elliptical and hit it. I wasn't able to go as far as I did yesterday, but my beefy guy was there (still no name yet, but I'm calling him Tom in my mind) and he was looking hot as always.

I'm working on creating SMART goals for the upcoming year. It's one thing to say I'm going to lose weight, it's another to actually have a focused plan of attack.

Now I'm going to get to work on school stuff that I've been putting off.  Time to focus.

Holiday Musings and Other Stuff

It's the day after Christmas. Ahhhhh.

Yesterday Matt and I hosted our families for dinner and gift swapping. The food was sooooo good and of course there was too much of it. Matt roasted an amazing turkey along with his green bean casserole, stuffing and mashed potatoes. We also had ham, corn casserole, rolls, etc. And for dessert - pumpkin pie and cranberry upside down cake.

Carb overload.

My favorite gift was a dri-fit Minnesota Twins shirt.  It looks and feels amazing. It's one of my goals to look damn good in it. :-)  I also got a couple of gift cards, some cash, and a "stress" doll (love my Mom). I surprised Matt by buying us a blu-ray dvd player that will also allow us to start streaming Netflix.

After the family left, we napped for a bit before heading over to Pete's to watch the Iowa State men's basketball team play in the championship game of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.  ISU played Boise State and won. Both the men's and women's basketball teams are undefeated, the last school in the country to have both of our teams still unbeaten.

This morning I drug my bloated self outta bed to go workout. I have eaten way too much over the past few days. This has to stop!

I drove into the parking lot and saw no cars.  Uh oh. Checking my cell phone I discovered that they gym wouldn't open until 9 am.  Drat.  Oh well, back to bed.

Attempt number two was much more successful. I got there at 9 and hit the elliptical. Evidently a lot of people were working out this morning.  It was like silver daddy heaven. Lots of mature beef for me to drool over. The sauna was great and I left the gym feeling very energized. Each day is another step.

DirecTV came in the afternoon to upgrade our receivers and then I made the trip to Best Buy to officially cut the cord. I bought a pair of Jaybird Bluetooth Earbuds. I really needed a pair of headphones that would allow me a bit more freedom of movement. I'm charging them now and will try out different earpieces to customize the fit.  I'm kinda giddy.

The big thing I did today was to register for a class at Des Moines Area Community College.

The class - statistics.

It's the one class that I failed in college. It's not something I'm proud of. I'm in the process of improving my teaching license so that I will be able to teach Algebra. I'm one class short and while it's not required, this is the ghost I need to excise. I'm excited but nervous.

Back in college, I took statistics during my freshman year - the year I'd like to forget. Now's the time to correct my mistake, do the work and pass the class.

TMI Tuesday - Happy New Year 2014

Special thanks to Sean for putting together these questionnaire's each and every week.  I love answering them!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

No resolutions! Just your best hopes and wishes for 2014!

1. Entertainment... - That Pixar finds the magic again. That Lady Gaga is as good in concert the third time. That "Cougar Town" continues to be one of the funniest shows on television. That "Godzilla" doesn't suck. 






2. Politically... - That Iowa would elect a Democrat for governor in 2014 (not likely). That states that have laws against same-sex marriage continue to fall like dominoes (New Mexico and Utah welcome to the club). That Brian Sims invites me to be his "personal" assistant.




3. Globally... - That the 2014 Sochi Olympics will be a gathering of peace in spite of the bass-ackwards anti-gay laws that the Russians have enacted. That Kim Jong Un will discover too late that he is deathly allergic to shellfish. That Finland will stop being so damned snooty. That India will wake the F up and start treating women and gays respectfully. 

4. Personally... - That I continue to work towards becoming the teacher my students need. That I find and unleash my inner hunk/hulk. That I find the financial discipline to pay off debt. That I learn to be fearless.



5. Friends... - That my friends find success in all their endeavors. That we find the time to get together and socialize more often. That I make friends with the hottie from the gym this morning (or is that more of a personal goal?).

6. Family... - That my family will continue to have good health and happiness. That I get to spend time with my brothers and his family over the summer. That my Mom continues to find herself here in Iowa. That my 19th year with Matt will be the best yet. 

7. Your Suggestion... - To my blogger friends, I hope that you all find success and happiness in 2014. I've enjoyed getting to know you all and can't wait to read your thoughts in the coming year. 

Bonus
Sexually... - That I learn to unleash my slutty side in the bedroom. ;-)

Brrrrrr

And the wind chill was -33.  Yup, it's freaking cold this morning.

But I got up this morning and motivated myself to get to the gym. My thought was, if I can do it this morning, I can do it ANY morning.  

I worked out yesterday with Kyle, my trainer, so I knew today's elliptical workout wasn't going to be my strongest. In addition, I shoveled the driveway on Sunday with about 3 inches of snow on it, which meant my lower back was NOT pleased with me.

I did my 35 minutes and burned about 475 calories. I was impressed that there were a good number of people there at 6 am on the day before Christmas.

But I was extremely happy to see "him" there.  There's a guy that I'm kinda crushing on at the gym.

Yes, I remember that I wear a wedding ring, but just because I'm on a diet doesn't mean I can't look at the dessert menu.  ;-)

He's about my height, my age, but beefy.  Honestly, he's the kinda guy that I would love to look like.  

So he was in the free-weight area of the gym and I was on the elliptical.  I happily watched my guy workout while listening to my updated workout music mix (thanks to Chris for the additional tunes). He finished up a few minutes before I did, sigh.

After a good sweat in the sauna, I hit the showers. Well low and behold, who should walk it? My guy. I got a look at the whole package. Ohhhhh Myyyyy.

Back in the locker room, we ended up chatting about the 49ers - Falcons game from last night and just chatted. I'm hoping to get to chat him up again. 

I'm guessing Santa will be skipping me this year. I've been a naughty boy.  

I'll Take "15 Minutes" for $1,200 Alex - Epilogue

I've always had a problem with finishing projects. I can't explain why, but maybe it's something I should talk with my shrink about.

Today was the last day of school before Winter Break. Instead of our usual classes, we had a day filled with special activities. It was a lot of fun and the day flew by pretty quickly (although I still felt the need for a Xanax by final bell).

One of the activities was "Jeopardy!" and it reminded me that I had yet to write up the final chapter of my game show experience. Time to break the cycle of unfinished business.......

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7)

Now that I had finished the actual taping of my episodes, I could actually relax. We spent the rest of the day in Santa Monica and then meeting an L.A. friend for dinner and drinks. The next day was the trip back to Iowa. This took a bit longer than expected due to bad weather in Denver (our layover stop). It was around 2 a.m. when we finally crawled into bed at home. Of course I hadn't taken off Friday from school. Whoops. Friday was a very long day. I was exhausted, but all I did during the day was talk to the kids about the trip.

One of the conditions after I finished taping was that I was not allowed to divulge to the media about how I had done on the show. Contestants are told that while we aren't forbidden from telling family and friends about how we had done, that it was more fun to keep it under wraps.  Two months was gonna be a long time to keep this secret.

Over the two months, I did tell friends that my episode was going to air December 26th, and they "might" want to keep the 27th open as well. It was the one way that I could think of to let people know that I did okay.

Word eventually spread that I was going to be on the show and I was contacted by a couple of local newspapers to talk about my experience. I have to admit, it was kinda awesome being famous for a little bit of time. I shared my experience without giving away to final outcome.

As the big day approached, we still hadn't figured out where we were actually going to watch the show. The answer came in the form of an invitation from the ISU women's basketball team to watch the show with the team before their practice that day. Matt and I are big fans of the team and we know the coaching staff very well. It was their first practice following the Christmas Break and the coach's wife thought it would be a lot of fun.  I said yes in a manner of about 1 second.

So to say that watching the show with the team (players, coaches, etc) was nothing short of amazing is pretty accurate. Every year I sat in the balcony and watched in awe at talent these young women displayed on the basketball court.  Over the course of 30 minutes, I saw them give me that same look of awe. When the credits began rolling, the team was stunned at how well I had done. I was a rock star for a few minutes and it was absolutely incredible. For just a little bit, they looked at me with that same look.  I was honored.

After that, phone calls came in from around the country from friends and family who had watched the show.  It was one of the few months ever where I have actually used all of my cell phone minutes.

In April, I received a check in the mail for $24,180 - my winnings minus 7% California state income tax. I put money aside to pay my income taxes the next year and then had some fun. I paid off my car (which I still am driving), bought a computer, and we took a few trips - Cleveland, Washington D.C. and.... Hawaii (to see the ISU women's basketball team play in a tournament).

I hope you enjoyed my 15 minutes as much as I did. Matt likes to tell people that I NEVER get tired of talking about it, even after 7 years. LOL

My Grown Up Christmas List

A couple of weeks ago I identified Amy Grant's "Grown Up Christmas List" as my favorite holiday song.  Well, just this week one of my students commented that she liked Kelly Clarkson's version better.

Wait?!  Kelly has a version of this song?!

OMG. Amy, I love your version of the song, but I'm afraid Kelly has stolen my heart.

Yet again..

Getting Back on the Horse

The early morning full moon as seen over my gym.  I took the photo this morning as I was getting in my car to head to work following my workout.

It's been six long weeks since I've done a pre-work workout. 

And boy did I feel it.

I fell off the wagon during Parent - Teacher conferences in early November. And then there was getting sick, and then Thanksgiving, and then a sinus infection, and then I just stopped running out of excuses and was just lazy.

A body at rest tends to stay at rest. Yup, proved that axiom.

Last night I got my stuff ready and set the alarm for 5:30. As much as that little devil on my shoulder tried to convince me to stay in bed, I got up and got to the gym.

I'm not gonna lie, it was rough. About 5 minutes in I wanted to quit.

But I stuck with it and got through 30 minutes on the elliptical. No hotties to look at this morning, but that's okay. My focus needed to be on me today.

And it was.

Friday morning, I'll take the next step.  One foot in front of the other.

TMI Tuesday - Call Me

It's that time again. :-)  Time to answer the call of Sean's weekly TMI questions. 

If you like my answers, check out the rest of my blog. Please feel free to start following it an add it to your blog roll. I don't like to beg (but I'll do it if I have to). 

CALL ME

1. Do you still have a land line? 

Yes we still have one, although I'm honestly not sure why.  The only time it's ever used is when we get hit up for money or Matt's mom calls.  

2. Which cell phone do you use and why?

iPhone, iPhone, iPhone.  Both Matt and I got one this past year - I got the 5, he got a 4. I debated between the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S-IV.  The winning factor was the size. The Samsung was simply too big to fit in my front pocket and the iPhone fit just right. Also I'm an Apple guy, so I was kinda leaning that way already.

3. Which provider do you use? Is there really a difference?

Verizon. Yeah, in central Iowa it's a big difference. The main rival in these parts is US Cellular and their coverage is TERRIBLE.  I can think of a number of friends who have switched from US Cellular to Verizon simply because of the better coverage and features.

4. If you call someone and they don't pick up, do you leave a message?

Um, it depends. I usually leave a message, but sometimes I don't. A lot of times it depends on what I'm calling about.

5. When you have a missed call (with no message), do you call the person back?

If I recognize the number I do, otherwise I just assume that it's a wrong number. 

6. Do you txt willingly or reluctantly? How are your skills?

I got mad texting skills. LOL! I really do find it easier to text than to actually call someone on the phone. 

7. Has your cell replaced your camera? 

Pretty much, although I'm not crazy about the pics that I take. Perhaps there's a class that I can take to figure out how to use the camera phone correctly so that I actually take a good photo with it. 

8. Selfies....

Have you read my blog?  :-)  I take em each week as part of the Sunday Selfie project. I've gotten kinda of used to taking them, although I haven't been as creative as I want in places to taking them. I would love to be able to take a selfie that was just shirtless, sweaty and hot. 




9. How many apps do you have? Which is your favorite and why?

40 apps, although I really should do a purge of the ones that I just don't use. I would say the one that I enjoy the most is the Sportscenter app. Since they've redesigned it, it is MUCH easier to use. 

10. What would life be like with no cell/smart phone for one month?

I think I'd feel much more free. I feel compelled to answer every text or email that comes in. I have discovered that my iPhone has a "Do Not Disturb" feature that I'm starting to use when I'm at the gym.

BONUS
How much has your cell phone become a part of your sex life? Sexting, hookup apps, selfies, video, GPS, more?

I'll admit it, I like Growlr. I've met a few nice guys on there and yes, I've sent a few selfies to other guys. Nothing inappropriate though. As a teacher I gotta be careful about that.

Hypnotized

I see a counselor. I've found it helpful over the years and let's be honest, as a middle school teacher I often need to vent.  LOL

One topic that I feel I've been working on forever is my weight.

Surprised?  Have you read my blog?!

But I digress.

During my last session, my counselor mentioned that he had used hypnosis with other patients. Me being the suggestible type, I asked if he thought it might work for me.  He said he did and that we would try it during my December session - today.

I arrived at my session nervous and excited.  I really want to get over whatever mental blocks are holding me back from losing weight.

I won't go into specifics, but it was a very interesting experience. I found my therapist's voice very soothing and within moments of beginning I was very relaxed. I do remember some of the suggestions that he gave me, but there was a short time where I was COMPLETELY under.  He told me that was normal.

This is just the beginning. I have another session scheduled for next month and I'm hopeful that it will be successful.  I went in with an open mind and while I know this won't take the weight off for me, I want it to be a part of the solution.

On another note, I worked out with my trainer this afternoon. Holy Cow there was a hot DILF in the locker room. I also happened to be in the shower room with him.  Um. Wow.







And thanks to Sean at Just A Jeep Guy for posting this photo of a ginger hottie.  OMG this guy is HAWT!!!!!

Taking a Ride on the A-Train

I've had a crush on Mike Alstott for close to two decades. Mike was a fullback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 90s and early 2000s, his nickname was the "A-Train." This was because once he started running and it was hard to stop him. For me, it was because he had a great caboose. ;-)

For a while I even collected his trading cards. There's one of him sitting on a weight bench wearing his football pants and a tank top (I seriously have to take a photo to post on here).

Mike retired from the Bucs in 2007 and I was content to live with his memory (and my imagination...teehee). But yesterday as I was on the elliptical machine at the gym I spied a commercial for Mancore, a male nutritional supplement. Looks like Mike has found a new spokesman gig.

I swear I thought I was gonna fall over, so of course after my workout I had to see if he had anything on youtube and I found the following...

Good lord that man still looks good and I still wouldn't say no to him.  Hmmmm. Maybe if I get some of this stuff I can look like him someday.  

Nah, that genetic train has already left the station. 

TMI Tuesday - The War on Christmas 2013

I got my TMI questions done early this week. :-)  Thanks so much to Sean for posting them.

THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS 2013

1. Which religion or faith do you belong to, if any?

I call myself to be a recovering Southern Baptist, although I was also raised Methodist. More than anything I consider myself to be agnostic.

To quote Max from the show "Happy Endings" - "I'm Eggnostic. I'm not saying there is Egg Nog, I'm not saying there isn't Egg Nog. I'm saying we just don't know."

2. What is your opinion of Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays?

Having worked retail for a number of years, I'm a Happy Holidays guy. I would always answer the phone "Happy Holiday" as I didn't know who would be calling and it's just respectful. But I don't have a problem when someone says "Merry Christmas."

3. Holiday music on the radio? When and how much?

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - THAT'S IT!  I worked for a music retail chain and from Black Friday to Christmas Eve all we played was Christmas Music. It really burned me out on the stuff. There is a radio station that started playing Christmas music in October. Insanity.

4. When do you start decorating? Do you?

We do decorate at the house. Well, I should say that Matt does the decorating. He decorates the tree and pulls all the other stuff out of storage.

5. White lights or multi colored?

White lights for the tree.

6. Gift cards, cash or actually shopped-for presents?

Depends on the person. Usually gift-cards are easier for friends, but for relatives and really close friends I actually shop for presents (but I'm not a huge fan of it).

7. Christmas cards and or family update letters are... 

Neither - I'm just that lazy.

8. Snow is...

Pretty to watch fall, a bitch to shovel.





9. Have you been a good little boy or girl this year?

I'd like to think I've been a good boy, but I know better.

10. RAPID FIRE FAVORITES:
     1. Food - Roast Beef / Prime Rib
     2. Dessert - Cella's Chocolate Covered Cherries
     3. Drink - Hot Chocolate
     4. Holiday movie - "Love Actually" (Yes, it's a Christmas movie!)
     5. Holiday music - "Grownup Christmas List" by Amy Grant
     6. Holiday tradition - Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls on Christmas morning

BONUS
Christmas sex: What have you done under the mistletoe? Have you caught daddy kissing Santa Clause? Have you done it a santa suit? Did you come down the chimney? Just how merry have you made Santa's helpers?


Not normally frisky on Christmas Day. We're too exhausted from having the family over and cooking at our place. Although a good snuggle is always appreciated.

TMI Tuesday - Kiss The Cook

So I'm a little late in posting my answer to Sean's weekly TMI Tuesday questions.  But better late than never.

KISS THE COOK!

1. How good of a cook are you?

I'm a decent cook. I try to follow the recipes as well as possible and am always my worst critic when it comes to how the meal turns out.

2. Who taught you how to cook? 

My mom and grandmother taught me to cook. I wish I had spent more time in the kitchen with my grandmother. Her food was amazing and there are things that she made (glazed ham, potato salad, etc) that I wish I knew how to make.




3. Who does the cooking in your home?

Matt mostly does the cooking in the house. He's a really good cook and he's a little more freewheeling than I am. He measures by feel and doesn't look at recipes. He also loves to doctor up mixes and such. No take and bake pizza would be complete without Matt adding a little garlic salt and pizza seasoning from Penzey's.

4. Do you cook more or eat out more?

We eat out WAY too often (as referenced in my Saturday post). We tend to stick to the places that we like and go for more basic food than fancy or fru-fru.

5. Are you more of a cook or dessert maker?

This is where I excel - desserts.  I love making them! I'm especially good at baking cookies and cakes (not so good on the decorating). When I bake I use the best ingredients I can find (spices from Penzey's). I'm thinking about entering a few of my cookies in the Iowa State Fair, which is a pretty big deal. :-)






6. What was your worst/funniest cooking moment? 

I think I was about 12 and my brother and I decided to make peppermint candies. The recipe was pretty easy although I didn't think that 3 or 4 drops of peppermint extract would be enough. I added a lot and oh man those candies would have cleared the sinuses of even the most congested person.  Wow.  LOL

7. What's your best dish?

I make a mean lasagna. Oh it is sooooo good. I also do a red rice side dish that eats as a meal. I get a lot of requests for both of those dishes during pot lucks. Oh and my chocolate crackle cookies are legendary. 

Sean, if you ask nicely I'll send ya the recipes. :-)

8. Is revenge a dish best served cold? 


"Revenge" is a dish best served on Sunday nights at 9.  It is my favorite guilty pleasure and lord the men on that show are hot and delicious!







9. Is the best way to a man's heart truly through his stomach?  

A man who can cook is a sexy beast. When Matt and I first started dating, I made him dinner (lasagna, sides, black forest cheesecake). I tried to make it as romantic as possible.

BONUS
Have you made whoopee in the kitchen? Which foods have you used to spice up your love life?

Other than making out in the kitchen, I've never done the dirty. I don't recall using food to spice things up. 

I Hate Being Picky

Matt and I eat out a lot.

Way too much in fact.

Unfortunately it seems bad dining experiences and I have a habit of finding one another.

Tonight Matt and I attended a birthday dinner at a new Italian restaurant here in Ames. I really had high hopes for the place as there have not been any good Italian places in the city.

The night began very favorably as we were well taken care of in the lounge area. Unfortunately once we moved to the dining area things did not go as well.

After ordering our food, I felt as though I was invisible to the waiter.  While I watched our waiter ask other members of our party (about 15 people) if they would be interested in another drink from the bar, I sat with an empty gin & tonic glass in front of me then entire meal, never being asked if I would like another, which I would have if I had been asked.  

I also did not have a water glass, so I went without something to drink during the meal.  I know I could have attempted to get the waiter's attention, but when I observed other's being taken care of and then the waiter passing by, directly seeing my empty glass and kept on walking, it just frustrated me further. 

In addition, I also took note that our party's plates were cleared before dessert except mine. It wasn't until well after dessert that the plate was cleared and no one asked if I would have liked the pasta leftover boxed up.  All of this was occurred while I also observed members of the wait staff, including our waiter, eating and drinking at the service window in full view of the dining room guests.

I truly felt ignored as a customer for the better part of the evening.  I had high hopes for the restaurant and while the food was good, the service soured my evening.  I consciously chose not to say something during dinner as I didn't want to ruin my friend's birthday celebration.

I really hate being "that guy".  The one who complains in a restaurant about the food or service, or whatever.  But I feel like if I'm going to pay good money for a meal, that there are some basics that should be attended to. 

Oh and the Caprese salad was nothing short of disappointing - $9 for a few small chunks of cheese, sun-dried tomato and basil pesto.  I think I priced it at $1.13 a bite!

Sigh. 

Jim's Stuff: Random Questions

In the honored tradition of Sean's TMI Questions, Jim of Jim's Stuff has posted his own. Here are my answers.

1. Has anyone been to a Renaissance Fair? After seeing my pictures and tales would you want to go now? Would you dress up?

I've never been to a Renaissance Fair. But from reading Jim's blog, I have to admit, they look interesting. I would go to one if I could go with Jim (since he's a veteran and I HATE going to new things not knowing anyone).  I'd also dress up if it wasn't anything too embarrassing.  :-)

2. Has anyone just quit their job without having a job already lined up? If you did, how long did it take to get another job? And how did you get money for your monthly bills & expenses?

The last job I quit was working at McDonald's while in college - long story short, it sucked. In 2011, I was laid off from my teaching job. I had no idea what I was going to do and was pretty freaked out because my husband Matt had also recently lost his job. Fortunately I was hired by my current school district the day after the school year ended.  Whew!


3. What is the bravest thing you've done in your life? 

For me, coming out and being honest and open about being gay is probably the bravest thing I've done. I was miserable being in the closet and it was if a great weight was lifted off of my shoulders. Sharing this with my students is always nerve wracking for me, but if I'm able to be a role model for even one student who is gay, then it's worth it.

4. Do you or would you ever work in a job where you see your coworkers naked and they see you naked?

Not me, but a boy can dream right?

Well considering I teach for a living, I do not currently have employment where one would see me naked.  That being said, I don't think I'd have a problem with having a job where coworkers would see me nekkid.  

5. What would you consider to be your "Claim to fame"?

As I've blogged about previously, I was a contestant on "Jeopardy!". I had a very long 15 minutes of fame and loved every minute of it. But that was 7 years ago and is now just a very fond memory. Although I have to admit, it's still a blast when I tell people that I was on the show. 

6. If you were forced to wear a warning label, what would it say?

This one is easy, "Warning - Can take any conversation and make it inappropriate".  I can (and often do) take any conversation and make it sexual in nature. I'm incorrigible.