Happy (Belated) 4th of July, You Sunsabitches From the Pen15 Crew

If you fuck with America, we'll come to your house with socks filled with bars of soap and fuck your commie mothers while we strike you with said soap-filled socks.

Sidenote: Fireworks rule.

Kisses,
The Pen15 Club

R Von D "Takes the Morning Train"

While the people of the internet have long heard me prattle on and on about the shortcomings of a teaching career, I am proud to announce that my stint in the Connecticut wilderness is all but forgotten. For the past month I have moved on from teaching children the ancient values of Roman culture, and into the fast lane city-livin' I have always dreamed of. Day to day I sit in my cube. I do not miss six day weeks. I do not miss the summers off, leaving me with nothing to do and nobody to hang out with. And, I do not miss sniveling children and their well-to-do parents. To put it bluntly, my life is kickin' ass right now. Here's the typical work week for me.

7:00 - I wake, hang out with my man Fridge and head off to work. Sometimes I get stuck in traffic on the Mass Pike going from most glorious city Waltham to Boston. Do I care? No, because I get to listen to Opie and Anthony. Nothing is better than listening to the sexual exploits of Jim Norton early in the morning.

8ish - I stroll into work with my little briefcase and say hi to everybody, I then go to the corner to Starbucks where I get myself a grande redeye with skim milk and two splenda. This will keep me awake for the next four hours.

9:00-11:59 - The three hours until lunch are spent cold calling people. While you might think this is dumb and played out, it is an interesting time for me to play games with people. I try different sales tactics, see what works and what doesn't work, and figure out ways to harass people over the phone and try to get them to meet me in person. Most of the times this doesn't work, but the times it does, I am ecstatic.

Noon - I go to lunch at a 40% discount at Boston Billiards, just one of the perks of my job. I chat up the bartenders there and take my time before going back to work.

1:00-5:00 - More calls, maybe some appointments, more coffee.

5:00-6:00 - This time is spent winding down and maybe going down to Starbucks to take a dump. There is something strangely satisfying about taking a dump in such a yuppy establishment such as Starbucks. The grin on my face as the Brooks Brothers crowd smell my feces is something we all should experience. Next time you're around a Starbucks, drop some heat and then see people try to order a Orange Mocha Frappacino while getting a whiff of your brand of awfulness. Try to keep a straight face. In reality though, I'm just too timid to poop in my office right now.

6:00 - I sit in my cube and wait to see if all three of my bosses have left yet. Then, after they leave, I leave and go to Waltham where my lovely lifemate is there waiting for me with some broiled chicken and some ice cold Coor beers. I then wait to do it all over again, you know, workin' for the weekend and all of that.


And now, R Von D's top five things about the American Work Week:

1. Bagel/Casual Friday - For my money, nothing is better than this. I get to wear what I want, eat what I want and just be comfortable while doing my job. What is better than that?

2. Sitting in traffic - As stated prior, I like traffic. I sit in air conditioning, listen to good music, and I'm in a car where nobody can give me shit. The only thing better than this is doing the same thing in casual clothing. Best thing ever.

3. Sunday Funday - Friday is pretty good, Saturday is a great time, but Sunday Funday is where it's at. The gentleman of Waltham take the time on the Lord's day to eat a healthy brunch, usually some Irish fare, and slug down a couple of mixed drinks in the process. The best part about that is we drink enough where we pass out around 7:00pm and I get a great booze-filled night's sleep for the week ahead.

4. Repetitive Tasks - Say what you want about this, but I have spent the last three years studying the male mind. I know how this shit works. I'm an A to B person. Give me a task and I'll complete it. Tell me when, how, and where to do something and it will get done. You don't even have to give me a why, just tell me to get it done and it will get done. I like linear thinking. Can I think outside the box? Yes I can. Am I of superior intelligence? You bet your fucking ass I am. But, I'm smart enough to know when I've found a good thing and not to fuck it up. If they don't expect me to sell anything in my first three months of work, I'm not going to bust my ass. A lifelong mover once told me "Don't work harder, work smarter." These are words to live by and you should all learn how to do this.

5. Bosses - On the subject of repetitive tasks, the one thing that makes this better is if it comes from one single person. I always hated the tangental conversation that took place around the school I worked at. I would have lunch with a person, talk to them about their day, then five minutes later get an email from them asking me to do something for them. Now I get a single person telling me what to do, face-to-face, no bullshit. There is something to be said for that and I like it.

I will tell you this, dear reader; a 9-5 is awesome. For all of you who bitch and moan about it, the grass isn't always greener, and if you still think it is then whatever. The point of this whole entry is to let you know that my life away from Connecticut rules now, and I'm sitting on my couch watching a Red Sox game with Dana Complaina and Fridge while drinking beer. Fuck summers off. This is where it's at.

Yes sir,
R Von D