10 Things I Learned This Week

1. My Brother is Engaged
"Pistol Pete" popped the question to his girlfriend Brooke upon her return from a Dominican vacation. I'd like to congratulate them on this event in their life and wish them all the best now and in the future. No date is set as of yet.

2. My Brother and I Aren't Close
It sucks when you learn about your brother's engagement via a mass email. Sucks isn't the right word; hurts is the word. Realizing that you're no longer important enough to warrant a personal email, yet alone a phone call, from the person you idolized until you were twelve hurts.

3. Michael Musto Cares About His Readers
After penning my Musto on Lohan on Marilyn piece earlier in the week, I sent a quick email and link to the Village Voice columnist, just because. Saturday morning I read an email from Musto, thanking me for my message and piece and sharing a couple of laughs over the "bimbettes" of the world. Michael Musto is good people!

4. Still Waiting
Conversely, Kevin Smith has never once replied to anything I have sent him. Nor has Jayson Stark, the ESPN Baseball writer who agreed to an interview with me for Bugs & Cranks during the season last year. He said yes, I emailed questions, he got ghost. Michael Musto wouldn't do a thing like that to his readers...

5. Job Hunting Isn't As Bad As I Remember
I applied for two jobs this week - the one with The Score that I've told you about before and one as a Sports Reporter with the Kitchener Record, a daily newspaper where I went to university. In previous employment searching experiences, it wasn't this prosperous. Normally I don't find anything and get discouraged. This time, I actually think there is a chance that I get a job I enjoy. Imagine that!

6. March is a Busy Month
Somehow, it's March 9th already. My flight back to Ontario is exactly one month away. Zero packing has been done, we've got three weekends booked solid with events and there is that little inconvenience known as work that I still have to attend five days a week until I leave. This could get hectic.

7. There Is An Easy Way Out of Customer Disputes
Use big words. When people want to argue with you about stupid things like $2 Restocking Fees on movies, use the biggest words in your vocabulary when answering them, even if you use them improperly. Most of the customers won't know the difference and if you can do it with an even temper and a straight face, they'll just let it go and be on their way. I had some fun with this one last night...

8. Peter Cetera Was Right
Saying "I'm Sorry" or some variation of such is really, really difficult for a lot of people. I mean, no one likes to admit they were wrong, but if you made a scene, dropped a couple F-bombs on minimum wage employees who were just doing their job and then realized you were the one who had made the error, don't you think you could say, "Listen, sorry about the F-bombs. My mistake" or something like that? At the very least, don't call and tell me you found the movie in question under your couch and then proceed to question why we never reminded you about it not being returned...

9. One Free Jose Reyes Bobblehead Doll Coming My Way
One of the perks of preparing merchandise for rental is five finger discounting some of the little flyers and inserts that are inside. Major League Baseball 2K8 came with a website for the bobblehead in question. I've placed my order and am now accepting offers for this little piece of memorabilia. How much you give me B-Rad?

10. Me and Shopping Are No Longer BFF
I know how incredibly gay that sounds, but at least it is past tense gay... not that there is anything wrong with that. See, I used to be a shopaholic, sending whatever money didn't go towards bills went to buying things. No specific things, just things. We went shopping Friday night for some new clothes for YT and it was somewhat painful. I used to walk in, find what I needed instantly, try it on and roll. Now, I stagger around the store unsure of everything. Even picking out a black tie was a bit of a chore. I guess it's a good thing - saving money and all that - but still, part of me is a little sad...

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Good People, Bad Business

Things on the writing front aren't always as wonderful as they may seem, if it ever seems wonderful to you out there. Sure, I get to sit around in my housecoat looking at the Internet all day and call it research, but that doesn't mean I don't have other shit to do too...

Believe it or not, I don't sit around the house waiting for the people I am working with to call. I'm more of a schedule guy, so if we don't have plans in advance, I'm out, especially when I remain underemployed at Blockbuster with only two days off a week. Time is precious and I'm not at anyone's beck and call... except maybe Sarah's.

So this rant really goes in two different directions.

The first is that if you want to work on something, you have to be willing to put in the time. Deciding the day of that you want to get together just doesn't cut it. Like I said, I'm a schedule type of dude. If I don't hear from you by Friday, don't expect me to be available on Saturday, that's just how it goes.

As much as this is my passion and what I want to do, it is also a business for me and time is therefore a very valuable commodity, especially when the work is pro bono. Not that I expect everyone to shell out for my mediocre services, but understand that the time I spend working on one project takes away from the time available for others. Since the others are the paying gigs, there needs to be a great amount of commitment and dedication to the project.

Yes, we all have lives full of things that are far more important than sitting down and writing, but if it's something you want to do and every time we talk you want to discuss the urgency of getting it done, call me mid-week and make concrete plans. That is the only way the work will ever get done.

Avenue Two is home to two men for me - former Toronto Raptor and current Houston Rocket Mike James and ESPN Senior Baseball Writer Jayson Stark. I know - look at me name dropping...deal!

Anyhow, their stories are very similar. Both are people that at one point or another I got in touch with about conducting an interview and both were quick to say yes and excited about the prospects.

Basically, after agreeing initially, I put in work on coming up with questions, prepping the pieces and getting set to do the actual interview. And then nothing.

A week goes by... nothing.

Another week... nothing, so I send a "Just Checking In" email.

Still nothing.

Eventually, Mike James' agent, whom I had been dealing with all along, just stopped taking my phone calls. Jayson Stark hasn't even been that courteous.

Now both are probably outstanding human beings and I know that they are busy men with busy lives and I'm just some hack with a keyboard in BF, Idaho who wants to interview them, but c'mon:

HOW HARD IS IT TO SEND A "SORRY, BUT I'M GONNA PASS" EMAIL?!

That's all it takes. 37 seconds at a keyboard to tell me that the questions sucked, were too long, you're too busy or you never wanted to do it in the first place and things would be fine. I honestly wouldn't have any problem with that; I too have lots on my plate and no time for interviews... just do things the right way.

Tip your waiter, sign every autograph you can and get back to people if you say you're going to do something with them. It shows class and professionalism and it goes for the Senior Baseball guy at The World Wide Leader and the Shoot-First Point Guard of the Houston Rockets as much as it does for the guy who is just starting out.

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