MY FOURTH JOB - THE WOOD SHOP

Well I told you about my first job (delivering newspapers) and my second and third jobs (bustin' suds) so let me tell you about my fourth job. My fourth job was working in a wood shop. Yep, the dreaded wood shop. I can tell you that this was one horrible job! This was without a doubt the nosiest place I have ever (and will ever) work! We had multiple saws going at once, several sanders going at he same time, all kinds of power tools being used and the big blowers which are typically outside of the building were inside the building! The noise was relentless but this was only a small part of the job. My job? I was gluing wooden boxes together all day long. I would use a roller to put glue on the ends of boxes and then assemble the boxes, clamp them up and wipe up the glue. I was bending over a table and doing this all day long! A really horrible job that I must have done for at least a year. Here I was 20 years old, a high school graduate and working like a donkey! No fun at all! I can tell you that I even took a cut in pay when I left this job. HAHA!

LET THE NBA PLAYOFFS BEGIN

Well it's that time of year again. NBA Playoff time! Yes indeed! After many months of games the regular season finally comes to an end. Now being a true Laker fan I really look forward to the playoffs every year. I can't imagine rooting for a team that never makes the playoffs. Anyway, during the playoffs you see a whole lot of great games and at least two every night! I can honestly say the wife won't be getting much out of me in the coming months. HAHA! I look forward to my beloved Purple and Gold (Lakers) defending their NBA Championship and adding another banner to the wall. I must admit though that my Lakers have not looked good at all lately and I am hoping they turn it around as the playoff start. We shall see.......Stay tuned!

EATING AND DRIVING - WHY?

I'm not sure why but I frequently see people eating and driving at the same time. I have never really understood this at all. Now I have no problem with eating a little snack (apple or fiber bar, etc.) but what I see is people munching on a big giant hamburger or a large ice cream cone while trying to drive. Maybe food is just too important to me, but I would pull over and savior my meal before I would consider driving anywhere. Eating and driving? Not for SAXOMAN! What do my readers think? Am I the odd one here?

SKATEBOARDING AND A BIT CRAZY TOO

As a young kid I used to ride a skateboard around town as my primary mode of transportation. One of the crazier stunts I remember doing is this: I used to live on a pretty busy street and there was a small hill and then a busy intersection at the bottom of this hill. What me and my brothers would do is put a skateboard under each foot (like we were skiing) and then go riding down the hill towards the busy intersection. If the light was green we would jump the curve and sail across the intersection with skateboards under each foot. If the light was red, we would jump off the skateboards prior to reaching the intersection and the skateboards would then go flying across the intersection all by themselves as cars honked and people yelled at us. HAHA! Today we would probably be arrested for something like this but back then it was just crazy fun. Anyway, just some crazy things we used to do.

T-SHIRTS, CAN A GUY EVER HAVE ENOUGH?

Can a guy ever have enough t-shirts? I think not! I think t-shirts are the most comfortable thing a guy could ever wear. Not only that but the t-shirts that you wear are also a way to advertise your various tastes in musical artists, record stores, fashion, politics, tv shows or whatever. I personally wish I had a job that I could wear a t-shirt to but sadly that is not the case. The best thing is that the more you wear (and wash them) the more comfortable they get. My wife keeps threatening to get rid of my old t-shirts as I stuff my dresser drawer fuller and fuller. My solution? I hang some of these gems in the closet instead. HAHA! Anyway, here's an image of an Afro-Samurai t-shirt that I thought I would share with my many (2? 3? readers).

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK - DO THE RIGHT THING

This weeks DVD Pick of the Week is Spike Lee's 1989 film, Do The Right Thing. I saw this movie when it originally came out and recently added it to my ever growing dvd library. You may have passed on this dvd thinking it is a comedy but it is much more than that. Although this film does have its funny moments, it is really taking a hard look at race relations in America. The 20th Anniversary Edition is definitely the one to get as it has over 4 hours of extras and of course I watched every bit of them. Here's a brief excerpt from the film that I think you'll enjoy. Check it out!

WHERE'S THE EASTER BUNNY?

Imagine my surprise this morning when I woke up and there was no Easter basket filled with candy! What? OK, now I have to admit that when I was young kid I really believed in the Easter Bunny. As a kid waking up on Easter Sunday there was always an Easter basket filled with chocolate bunnies, chocolate Easter eggs, jelly beans, and a whole bunch of other candies sitting by my bed. Yep! I kid you not. Now one night I actually woke up and saw my Mom putting the Easter baskets by our beds but she gave me some excuse and of course I fell for it and went back to sleep. Anyway, one way or another I'm gonna get me a chocolate bunny today! HAHA! Happy Easter to all!

JAZZ CD PICK OF THE WEEK - HORACE SILVER

This weeks Jazz CD Pick of the Week is one of the lesser known titles by jazz pianist Horace Silver. This gem is from 1972 and is titled In Pursuit of the 27th Man. Featuring Michael and Randy Brecker on horns this is one swingin' cd. Now I must admit that I am a big fan of Horace Silver and have never gone wrong with any of his cd's that I have picked up (currently 12 cd's and counting). Anyway, check this one out and I'm sure you will agree with my pick of the week.

THE HAT - A PASTRAMI AND CHILI CHEESE FRIES PLEASE

Yesterday I was in the mood for a pastrami sandwich. It had been quite a while since the wife and I had visited The Hat so off we went. Now I always order the pastrami sandwich except without mustard. What? Then I get the packets of the spicy mustard they keep on the counter and it is pure heaven. The wife craves the chili cheese fries and I usually help her to eat this mountain of food and it is a mountain of food (see photo). Anyway, if you haven't experienced The Hat, go check it out!

PLANET OF THE APES - THE BOX SET? Hmmm....

I like to browse the dvd section at Best Buy. As a matter of fact I was there yesterday after Amoeba. As I scanned the aisles to see what 's new I saw John Woo's Red Cliff (a great film) but only the single disc (U.S. version) and not the preferred 2 disc (International cut). Anyway, one item that has caught my eye the last several visits is Planet of the Apes - The Complete dvd Box Set. I think what also caught my eye was the price, only $38. Now I think I have seen all of these movies and this even includes the later ones where the apes are in suits and riding in limos HAHA! Anyway, this box set includes the following: Planet of the Apes (a true classic), Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Conquest for the Planet of the Apes, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes and a Bonus Disc with several misc. items. One day I just may pull the trigger and buy this and then subject the whole household to a marathon session of all of these ape movies. HAHA!