Let me catch you up with my latest celebrity encounter. Here's the story from the beginning.
Last April, my friend Jason put together our own version of the TV show Survivor, calling it Survivor Metairie. Here's a link to some pictures from that day.
We videotaped the entire 10 hours. My friend Debbie - after six months of editing - put together a four-hour version for us to watch, complete with after-game interviews from each player. She hosted a party for all of us to see the video two Saturdays ago.
The previous day, Debbie's tenant Christine came by to see how Debbie had decorated for the party. Christine works at The Gap in Lakeside. Saturday afternoon, Lisa Keiffer and her husband Thomas came into the store to shop. Thomas mentioned to Christine that Lisa is a player on the current season of Survivor. (The show tapes months in advance.) Here's a link to Lisa's bio on the official CBS web site.
Christine said that Debbie was having a Survivor-themed party that night and they should stop by if they're in the area. Lisa and Thomas tried to call us that night, but Debbie didn't answer her phone because we were all busy watching our Survivor Metairie highlights. They decided to just pop in.
You have never seen a more funny sight than watching 14 Survivor fan's reactions when one of the people they watch weekly on TV walks into their party.
Lisa and Thomas ended up staying for three hours. Lisa answered all our questions about the show that she was not bound by her CBS contract to not answer, and then watched the remaining 30 minutes of our Survivor Metairie video with us.
She was having her own Survivor-watching party that next Thursday (October 14) and invited us all to her Mandeville home to watch the show with her. Debbie, Gina, Jason, and I went.
It was so much fun!
Lisa and Thomas had about 50 people there. Lisa introduced us to the entire room as "the people who I was telling you about. They put on their own version of Survivor and I went to their party last week." I have some pictures from that night too, but I have to get them developed.
Well, that's it for my latest celebrity encounter. For now. Pretty cool, huh?
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Friday, October 01, 2004
New car, caviar, four star daydream, think I’ll buy me a football team
Carlos and I have a new Saturday tradition. For the past three weeks we’ve headed off to Port of Call, a great hamburger joint right outside the Quarter. (That’s what us native New Orleaneans call the French Quarter.)
Carlos always orders a cheeseburger - medium, a baked potato with chives and bacon bits, and a large draft beer. I always order a mushroom cheeseburger – medium well, a baked potato with “everything” (chives, bacon bits, sour cream, mushrooms), and a large draft beer. Always.
Neither of us likes change.
Part of our new tradition is that we walk off our meal afterwards. This past Saturday, Vincent rode his bike down to the Quarter to meet us, and the three of us walked over to a local used bookstore.
Carlos bought $10.00 worth of books. I ended up picking up a $6.00 book. This is where my moral dilemma comes in:
Carlos: I’d like to buy these $10.00 worth of books please.
Bookstore Owner (after he figures the sales tax on his adding machine): That’ll be $10.90 please.
Carlos gives him $11.00 and gets $.10 change
B.O.: Next.
Me (after 5 minutes and another customer have gone after Carlos): I’d like to buy this $6.00 book please.
B.O. (not using his calculator to figure the tax): That’ll be $6.00 please.
Me: Here’s $10.00.
B.O.: Do you have a $1.00 and I’ll give you a $5.00 back?
Me: Yes.
Bookstore Owner pulls out a $10.00 bill.
B.O.: Here’s your change. Oh, that must have been in the $5.00 slot. Hang on. I think I have a $5.00 bill in my wallet…Here’s your change.
Me (walking away): Thanks.
B.O. (handing me the $10.00 bill lying on the counter): Don’t forget this.
Me (on the inside): Dumb ass is giving me his $10.00.
Me (on the outside): Thanks.
Then I casually walked over to Carlos and Vincent, waiting until they were ready to leave.
Once outside I told them what had happened. Carlos was outraged - not because I took the money, but because Bookstore Owner charged him tax and not me. Now he refuses to go back to that store.
Another time: The $5,000 bank error in my favor and what I did about it.
Carlos always orders a cheeseburger - medium, a baked potato with chives and bacon bits, and a large draft beer. I always order a mushroom cheeseburger – medium well, a baked potato with “everything” (chives, bacon bits, sour cream, mushrooms), and a large draft beer. Always.
Neither of us likes change.
Part of our new tradition is that we walk off our meal afterwards. This past Saturday, Vincent rode his bike down to the Quarter to meet us, and the three of us walked over to a local used bookstore.
Carlos bought $10.00 worth of books. I ended up picking up a $6.00 book. This is where my moral dilemma comes in:
Carlos: I’d like to buy these $10.00 worth of books please.
Bookstore Owner (after he figures the sales tax on his adding machine): That’ll be $10.90 please.
Carlos gives him $11.00 and gets $.10 change
B.O.: Next.
Me (after 5 minutes and another customer have gone after Carlos): I’d like to buy this $6.00 book please.
B.O. (not using his calculator to figure the tax): That’ll be $6.00 please.
Me: Here’s $10.00.
B.O.: Do you have a $1.00 and I’ll give you a $5.00 back?
Me: Yes.
Bookstore Owner pulls out a $10.00 bill.
B.O.: Here’s your change. Oh, that must have been in the $5.00 slot. Hang on. I think I have a $5.00 bill in my wallet…Here’s your change.
Me (walking away): Thanks.
B.O. (handing me the $10.00 bill lying on the counter): Don’t forget this.
Me (on the inside): Dumb ass is giving me his $10.00.
Me (on the outside): Thanks.
Then I casually walked over to Carlos and Vincent, waiting until they were ready to leave.
Once outside I told them what had happened. Carlos was outraged - not because I took the money, but because Bookstore Owner charged him tax and not me. Now he refuses to go back to that store.
Another time: The $5,000 bank error in my favor and what I did about it.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Communication Breakdown, It's Always The Same
I am such a wuss.
My co-worker Gilya and I have been battling back and forth for the past two weeks. She creates the purchase orders for me when I need to order something. She's constantly complaining that I'm not following the correct procedures. I'm always complaining that she keeps changing the procedures every time she and I work together.
We're both frustrated with each other.
Yesterday our conflict came to a head when, after all the underlying tension for weeks, I emailed her:
Me: "Nothing's easy with you anymore. You okay? You've seemed very grumpy the last two weeks or so."
Her: "Marshall, I really get tired of debating everything with you. Everything is being done for a reason. Things will go a lot smoother if you would just cooperate."
Me: "You'll get no more debate from me."
Her: "I GREATLY, GREATLY, appreciate it. THANKS!!!!"
I gave in, as I do in any situation like that. I'd rather just avoid the conflict and look like a complete pussy. The bad thing is that when I came home from work last night, I was so frustrated. In the past, I would drink a few beers and lash out at Carlos. I think I did pretty well avoiding that last night. I took a calm walk around the block, jerked off to Academy X, and finished with a hot shower. When I was in the shower, I mentally told myself that the water was washing away my worries from the day. I then called Carlos. I was feeling good by then. It’s not fair to him if I take my day’s stress out on him.
After a good meal of Tuna Helper, I headed off to bed. It was 9:30 pm.
A bit of exercise, a good meal, lots of sleep, and no alcohol seemed to have worked. I feel fantastic today. I’ve already spoken to Gilya this morning. She and I were smiling and laughing like old times. I obsessed about our conflict for no reason.
I am still obsessing that I gave in – again – but I’ll work on that another day.
My co-worker Gilya and I have been battling back and forth for the past two weeks. She creates the purchase orders for me when I need to order something. She's constantly complaining that I'm not following the correct procedures. I'm always complaining that she keeps changing the procedures every time she and I work together.
We're both frustrated with each other.
Yesterday our conflict came to a head when, after all the underlying tension for weeks, I emailed her:
Me: "Nothing's easy with you anymore. You okay? You've seemed very grumpy the last two weeks or so."
Her: "Marshall, I really get tired of debating everything with you. Everything is being done for a reason. Things will go a lot smoother if you would just cooperate."
Me: "You'll get no more debate from me."
Her: "I GREATLY, GREATLY, appreciate it. THANKS!!!!"
I gave in, as I do in any situation like that. I'd rather just avoid the conflict and look like a complete pussy. The bad thing is that when I came home from work last night, I was so frustrated. In the past, I would drink a few beers and lash out at Carlos. I think I did pretty well avoiding that last night. I took a calm walk around the block, jerked off to Academy X, and finished with a hot shower. When I was in the shower, I mentally told myself that the water was washing away my worries from the day. I then called Carlos. I was feeling good by then. It’s not fair to him if I take my day’s stress out on him.
After a good meal of Tuna Helper, I headed off to bed. It was 9:30 pm.
A bit of exercise, a good meal, lots of sleep, and no alcohol seemed to have worked. I feel fantastic today. I’ve already spoken to Gilya this morning. She and I were smiling and laughing like old times. I obsessed about our conflict for no reason.
I am still obsessing that I gave in – again – but I’ll work on that another day.
Friday, August 06, 2004
First Post
I'm starting anew after six years here. Why don't you read all of those entries and then come back here. Or not.
Next time: a real entry.
Next time: a real entry.
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