This isn't the way I planned it

Well, today's post is going to be lame. My amazing picture won't show up on the page. Or rather, it won't show up how it should. I got this email from a friend with a picture that shows a sequence of events for a ghetto transformer. It starts off with a box outside a warehouse and slowly it changes into a guy holding a fake laser. Huh. Reading about it makes it seem not quite as cool. I guess you have to be there.

So I'm sorry, but there is no picture for Picture Tuesday. There's always next week.

You're how old???

First of all, today is the twenty-first birthday of my favorite brother-in-law. A big congrats to him on making it this far. To celebrate, Jamie and I are not hanging out with him. Actually we were really hoping to, but tonight Jamie starts her first day of art classes at Phoenix College. Big changes for everyone. Except me.

My life continues to be boring. So today's blog is understandably short. Tomorrow I should have an amazing Picture Tuesday, but I don't know if everything is going to work out. If tomorrow is lame, you know my plans fell through. If it rocks your world, then you have just made my life a little more exciting.

Chocolatey goodness and the return of blogging

I have been debating whether to return to blogging after my brief hiatus. My wife and I attempted a joint venture which sputtered out after a couple of weeks. Since then, I have missed writing and today I have found some time to kill. The pieces just came together.

Today, I want to discuss a little something called irony. I have been telling my friends for years that eating chocolate is the best way to keep healthy. A new study has just come out validating my claims further. This article from Foxnews.com discusses how chocolate can actually help prevent cavities. Amazing. Every time I go into the dentist, they always comment on what nice teeth I have. I blame it on chocolate. I eat it excessively. And it has done me a world of good.

So, I think it's about time that chocolate got the recognition it deserves. I'm all for starting a movement that makes it an official food group. Three servings a day, I'm thinking. I'm going to be a good pediatrician. The kids will love me, I'll tell them to eat lots of chocolate. Their parents can't argue with me. I'm a doctor.

Anyway, now that I'm back, I suppose you should expect the usual. Infrequent posting, promises that I don't intend to keep and plenty of apologizing for both. It's going to be a bumpy ride, but tons of fun as usual.

So long... for now

My dear sweet wife has finally convinced me to quit my solo project. Be Radical is getting shelved. After nearly three years of infrequent blogging and broken promises, I will be moving over to our combined blog: Pandamonium. I bid you, the faithful reader, farewell.

It has been a fun journey, but all good things must come to an

This little piggy works at the hospital

It certainly has been a while since I last posted. No excuses this time, just making a comment. I think it has been about two weeks. Wow. That's a long time.

And so on to other stuff. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a little something about how much I love working for Chili's. I still love it. But it's time to move on. Tomorrow I will be turning in my two weeks notice. It is with a somewhat heavy heart that I do this. I'm pretty sure I was made to serve people. I absolutely love taking care of other people and making sure they have everything they need or want; being a waiter is an occupation that comes naturally to me and is a great fit.

However, since I don't plan on being a waiter for the rest of my life, I need to start thinking a little bit more about the future, and that means it's time to start getting my foot in the door of hospitals. I already have a training date set for John C. Lincoln hospital in Phoenix in the middle of March. It should be a very nice transition from serving people as a waiter to serving patients in a hospital. I will be volunteering at the hospital for about 15 hours a week instead of working at Chili's. Although I'm not exactly sure what my duties will include, I will be having lots of patient contact. It seems a little scary now, the unfamiliarity of it all, but it is definitely a good thing.

I know this is a little discombobulated, but I wanted to write something while I had a chance. Maybe if I have time to think tomorrow, I will post something a little more intelligible.

Aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper...

I like kids. Really. And I definitely do not condone the trafficking of kids to provide circus midgets for the enjoyment of the uninformed. Have a great picture Tuesday and don't forget to watch your kids.

L-O-Y-A-L-T-Y

So I got an informal offer to work for Macaroni Grill this past week. The restaurant is located in a nicer part of town and I would be put on a fast track to become a bartender. They also have a different philosophy concerning how best to care for the guests, a philosophy that I like better than Chili's. It's a pretty amazing offer, and I probably won't be taking it.

My choice has less to do with the fact that I will only be serving for another two and a half months and has more to do with loyalty. I don't know much about being a manager, but I know that I have been blessed with some amazing bosses. They have taken such good care of me as an employee, working with my schedule, treating me fairly and being very gracious and forgiving when I make mistakes. They make the work environment fun and have taken the time to get to know me and my wife and to make sure we feel special whenever we visit the restaurant.

Their kindness has transformed me from an employee into a LOYAL employee. That one little adjective makes all the difference. Because of that loyalty I am going to stick with them, knowing that I am treated well and I am important to them, rather than going to another job which may pay more but may or may not take care of me as well. That one little adjective means that I will go the extra mile when they ask me because I know that they will take care of me when I need that extra day off. That one little adjective means that I'm going to work just a little bit harder, even when no one is watching.

That one little adjective means that I'm going to be sticking around for a while.