BCBG Sale Nov. 20th

Hey there.  I'm spreading the word on the BCBG sale that is going to be going on this Saturday, November 20th.  I know that many are familiar with the BCBG Max Azria name and these kind of sales only happen once or twice a year.  So, if you're in the Los Angeles area and are looking to score some designer clothes, stop by and get yourself some high end stuff at dirt cheap prices.  Details are in the flyer below.  Later!

Video Game Reviews are Coming

Hey there.  I've got a new gig doing video game reviews!  How awesome is that?!  Now I have a legitimate excuse, err... I mean reason, to play video games!  I need to go over the terms and conditions of the job to make sure that I am not violating any kind of exclusive rights of any kind.  Since the reviews are for a different site that is not mine, I don't know if I'll be allowed to post the same content elsewhere.  If not, no prob.  I'll just provide a link to my awesome review! 

Now, I'm on the hunt for a good video game renting system...  Should I go with Gamefly?  Which I've heard good and bad things about?  Or should I go with that "Red Box" thing that I have seen pop up on super markets everywhere?  Or should I just borrow them from friends and return them when I see fit?  lol  Since I will be reviewing the games, I figured that it would be an expensive job if I were to have to purchase a game a week so I'm sure it's best to rent them out for a few days to get a good feel for the game.  So what do you guys think?  Any suggestions?  Once I go live, I'll provide more details on where I'll be posting my reviews.  Until then, I'll keep you guys in the dark.  =oP  Later!

Feeling Like Death

Hey there.  I've been sick these past couple of days.  Not just, feeling like crap sick, but sick in the way where it hurt.  I take pride in the fact that I don't get sick very often.  I can go years before I'm actually feeling any kind of sickness coming... and if I do feel something, it's usually gone by the end of the day.  This wasn't the case on Sunday night.

As I was lying down, I had a strong pain in my stomach.  To the point where I'm lying down in a fetal position.  On top of that, chest pain was beginning to settle in.  Once the chest pain came in full swing, it settled in on the left side of my body near the rib cage.  Quite frankly, it sucked.  I took some meds and went to bed, hoping that my body will do what it does best and I'll be back to normal come morning.

Once I got up and started to get dressed, my body felt like it was pummeled as if I've been in some boxing match.  I was extremely sore and it hurt to move.  I fought through it and went to work anyways.  While I'm sitting on my desk, trying to get through the day, my stomach rumbles...  Whoa...  I didn't think much of it cause to be honest with you, it's been rumbling all weekend long.  I'll be sitting in bed or on the couch and the rumble would be soooo loud that the wife and kids could hear it even though they weren't that close to me.  It wasn't hunger, and it didn't hurt, so I brushed it off.  Then, it happened...  I felt the stuff coming up my throat.  I rushed to the bathroom and let it all out in the bathroom.  It sucked...  I guess I was pretty loud cause when I got out of the bathroom, more than a few coworkers were staring at me and a few asked if I'm ok.  I said no and I went to turn the computer off.  I wasn't planning on staying.  That's when the manager sent me home.

I spent most of the day on the couch... It felt weird to lie down so I sat up.  I watched Gunslinger Girl and the movie Gamer.  I also got some Bioshock 2 game time.  Come night time...  I was feeling a lot better.  Not 100% better, but well enough where the pain is gone and all I'm dealing with now is a slight headache.

I did make a huge mistake yesterday though...  I was drinking a powerade, to replenish some of the fluids that I lost, and absentmindedly gave some to my baby boy.  That evening, he started spitting some up.  Oh man... I'm hoping that I didn't pass on whatever I had to him.  I didn't realize at the time that I shouldn't be sharing anything to anyone that I am drinking out of...  Hope that doesn't cause him to get sick.  I'll just have to keep eye on him to make sure.  I'll let you know what happens.  Until then, later!

Damn This Sickness

Hey there.  I am still sick...  It's odd for me to get sick.  I'm usually the one that the sickness passes by but this time around, it's hitting me... and it's hitting me hard.  I still have a headache, my body aches, my legs feel a little weak, and I've been sneezing and coughing since Monday.  It is now Thursday and this sickness should have long been gone.  The baby and the kids have also been sick this week.  Good thing that our oldest just over his sickness, he started middle school yesterday.  The girls start school on Monday so I'm hoping that they'll get over it by then.  Me?  I'm at work.. sick.  My boss walked in my office this morning and said that he was worried I wouldn't come in today.  I pretty much told him that I can't miss because work piles up and I'll get crap from people.  He basically said, "welcome to real world" and walked into his office.  So much for asking how I'm feeling.  lol

We also started constructing our son's centerpieces for his birthday/baptism party.  It's going to be Super Mario Bros. themed and we're building piranha  plants as the center pieces.  You know, the ones that pop out of pipes and sometimes spit fire at you?  Yeah, those.  lol  But for those are still a little confused or have been living under a rock for the past 25 years or so, I've added a picture of them surrounding Princess Peach.  Enjoy.

We're also making the candy bags and I'm adding a question mark or a coin symbol on them to make them a little unique.  I think I have it on Facebook... let me go get it and post it here.  They are kinda crude and are the first ones but nevertheless, they look pretty cool.  I have about 50 bags to make.  Well... 48 now.  lol  Check these out.  Later!

Win a Free Weekend Stay at any Hampton Hotel

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine. 

Hey there friends.  I recently had the pleasure of taking a week off from work.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the resources to take off on a leisure vacation with the family and see something outside the norm.  I'm pretty sure that with this slowly recovering economy, any accommodations that we can get for free will be a blessing.  Our good friends at the Hampton Hotels know this and are giving away free weekend stays!   

The Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes is definitely one to take part in.  It's not simply a hotel room for you and your friends or family.  No, the Hampton Hotel is offering 100 rooms for 2 nights for the grand prize winner.  Let that sink in!!!  100 rooms!  That's practically the whole hotel for you and your guests.  You can finally spend some time with those friends of yours that you haven't seen in years or invite your distant family members for free weekend stay to catch up and relax.  With 100 rooms at your disposal, I'm not even sure that you will fill them all!  They are also offering 100 First Prizes with is a free hotel stay for the winner and three of his or her friends.  That's still a great time waiting to happen.  To enter, you fill out a simple form with your contact information.  That's it!  Make sure you enter for you chance to win.  The contest ends on 9/4/10 so there's only a week or so left to enter.

It's important to get away from the stresses of work and if you can get that weekend stay for free, why not enter for that free hotel room?  It's great to bond with friends and family.  It builds for a better relationship and it stronger bonds that last a lifetime.  I already told myself that the next chance I get, we'll be taking a vacation as family.  I already have my eye on the Hampton Inn south of the Disneyland Hotel in Orlando Florida.  Yeah, we have a Disneyland in California, but this is Disneyworld that we're talking about here.  I'm sure that friends and family would have a grand time hanging out at Disneyland and hanging out in Florida.  Hopefully, I'll get that call or Email stating that I'm a winner.  Hmmm...  if I do get to be a winner...  should I give out a stay to one of my readers???  I'll have to think about that one for a minute.  lol  Until then, later!

Motivational Monday - Office

I'm just waiting for these files to burst into flames...

Back to Work

Hey there.  So I'm back at work after a week off.  It was good to stay home and not get up at the 7 o'clock hour and even though it was my vacation, I did end up doing some house work which has me feeling a little beat up.  Not too much though, since I wanted to take it easy, but I did end up doing some painting, some plastering, installed some light fixtures and did some yard work.  All in all, a good time to relax and spend with the family and they seemed to enjoy spending the time with me as well. 

I'll try to post a little later on about some of the stuffs we did and what I've been doing this past week.  Some of those highlights include Despicable Me, Monopoly Deal, and Leopard Sharks.  lol  Until then, later!

Motivational Monday - Responsibility

Hey there.  Today is my first day of work vacation.  It's nice to be able to sleep in and not worry about the stress and responsibility from work. So I am taking it easy and just relaxing.  That's why I thought the below was soooo fitting.  That is exactly what I am NOT doing!  lol  Later!

I'm Taking Some Time Off From Work

Hey there.  I need a vacation.  I've been working my ass off at work and I'm beginning to feel a little burned out by it all.  So next week, I'm taking the week off.  I'm not going anywhere, I'm just gonna stay home and hang out with my family.  Sleep in when I can and re-energize my batteries.  I go through long stretches of work without vacation.  It's been almost a year since I took some time off and that was because my son was born.  I need to start planning some vacation time to where I actually go somewhere with the family.  That's not going to happen this time around, but maybe next time it will.  Until then, later!

Tuesday...

Yeah... That just happened

Motivational Monday - Monday

Yeah... I wish I could kick my file cabinet too sometimes...

A Day in Branson, Missouri

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there friends. I recently wrote that I need a vacation.  Too much pressure in the work place and it doesn't help that I live in Los Angeles, CA.  A very dense and over populated city.  Don't get me wrong, I love my home town and my job, but sometimes you just want to step away and take a breather from the city and work life.  How fitting that I stumble across an awesome vacation package to visit the heartland of America, Branson, Missouri.

Going through some of the vacation packages at both the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing, I'm loving the Bed & Breakfast deal.  And it's summed up perfectly, "Leave the stress of the work week behind and relax and revive with a Hilton Bed & Breakfast weekend."  Yup, that's definitely something that I am in desperate need of.  Though I am sure that the wife would want me to seriously consider the "Shopping Package", but I'm looking for some off time and leisure activities.  Maybe I'd take advantage and have a nice round of golf or two.  We'd definitely go and and "Ride the Ducks".  From what I hear, it's a must if you're in Branson and check out some of the fine dining by stopping by at Cantina Laredo or check out the wonderful atmosphere at Buckingham's Restaurant & Oasis.

Ans then to take it all back and relax at the Hilton Promenade would be the icing on the cake.  A little fishing or a nice dip in the pool would be the perfect way to end the day.  Yup.  I definitely need a vacation and staying at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is definitely up for consideration.  Check it out friends and take a minute to consider joining me in the heartland of America.  Later!

Feeling Burnt Out by Work

Hey there. I've had a pretty rough stretch of work these past couple of weeks and I feel like it's time for some time off. The problem? I'm not sure when I can take it... I was hoping to get a day off this week... That's not going to happen. I was hoping to take a week off, you know a "vacation", but I don't know when that's going to happen either. I've been swamped with work and reports and research that it's simply burning me out. The plan, as of a few minutes ago, looks something like this:

Wednesday: Conference calls with accounts.
Thursday: Go to San Francisco to meet with an account on Thursday. (Nothing is reserved)
Friday: Reporting needs to be entered and research needs to be presented in sales meeting. Conference calls with Customer Service to discuss issues.

And on top of that, my son is having his hearing checked again so I can't be there for him... AGAIN!!! I feel as if I just need to step away for a bit. Let myself recover from the chaos that is my job.  I need a vacation... bad...  but with all the work that needs to be done... who knows when that will happen.  Later!

Motivational Monday - Monday

Hey there. Monday's are such a drag. Especially for those of us that need to get up in the morning, drive through terrible traffic, and then work in a strenuous work environment. Sometimes... you simply just don't want to show up. But we know that we have to. We all need to work to pay our bills so sometimes... just sometimes... you just have to gut out that smile and carry on. Later!

My Problem with Summer

Hey there.  When I was a kid, summer was awesome.  No school, no homework, nothing to worry about but play video games, wrestle with friends, and general childhood mischief.  Sounds like a pretty bad ass time to me.  As an adult...  summer is not so great.  I know that it can get hotter in other places, but summer in LA sucks.  The commute to and from work here is so bad, that you spend a lot of time stuck on the freeway and with a scorching sun beaming down on you, you're going to get sweaty.  Even though the AC is on blast, the fact that you're in a heated metal box for a long while will slowly negate that AC of yours.  Then there's the prob with people in offices across LA.  People... it's hot outside!  Let's be merciful to those that just came in from that blazing sun and turn on the AC!!!  If you start complaining (ahem ahem... you know who you are) then you should be shot!  lol  I would rather be in a cold office than a hot one.  If you're cold, it's easy to slip into a sweater or jacket.  If we keep the office hot... there's nothing you can do to remedy that.  No amount of water or drinks, no fan, no anything will dispel the heat from your body.  I can be walking around naked in the office and still feel hot.  (It's not a pretty sight, friends.  Don't make me go there) lol

Now, I'm not saying all of summer is bad...  Out of the 3 months or so of uncomfortableness, they'll be a few days where we'll go out to the beach and take in some of that sun and splash around in the Pacific Ocean.  The big difference between beach day and work day???  Beach day = fun where as work day = work.  lol  And working while all sweaty sucks.  I'm just saying... 

I think I'm going to write a strongly worded letter to the Mayor.  See if I can convince him of giving us Los Angeles workers some mandatory, PAID, time off to go to the beach during the week.  It's that... or we will all take a page out of Al Bundy's book and grab some lawn chairs and hang out in the frozen food section of the local market.  Either way... I'm down.  lol  Later!

Earn a Year Long Subscription of TrainingVOD ($399 value) and Improve Your Business

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of TrainingVOD. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hey there friends.  I'm made comments before how my blog, Metallman's Reverie, is now considered a small business.  I think it's great, but like all small businesses... I need to make sure that I'm on top of my game to protect and grow my business.  With more exposure comes increased critique and you want to put the best product out there when dealing with potential sponsors and clients.  This is where TrainingVOD has been an irreplaceable ally. 

With over 50 years of presentation experience (ranging from classrooms to fortune 500 companies), TrainingVOD gives you the look and feel of in person training in the form of 10 minute videos.  If put it in perspective, there are 7 minutes in between commercials when you watch TV so these videos are streamlined towards the common consumer.  By keeping things tactical instead of story based, the videos are perfect in giving us the information we need and how to apply those skills.

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I'm currently a subscriber to the "Business Skills" set of videos (197 courses) and I must confess that the courses are definitely for the average Joe.  There is no fancy gimmicks in the videos and they definitely feel as if actual trainers made these and not graphic artists.  If I can "get it" within 10 minutes, I don't see why no one else can.  With that being said, who wants in on TrainingVOD and learn the skills to improve your business and improve your skills of being a leader? That's right, my good friends at TrainingVOD has offered one of my readers a full year of the "Business Skills" set of courses and videos for free. FOR FREE! That $399 worth of training for free when fortune 500 businesses are paying up to a $1000 for similar training DVDs.All you have to do is leave a comment telling me how these videos would be beneficial to you.  That's it.  A simple comment and you're in the sweepstakes.  On August 1st, I will announce the winner among the comments (chosen by random.org) and provide them with instructions on how to obtain their free year subscription. 

Good luck to all you friends and don't forget to check out this quick tour of TrainingVOD.  http://www.trainingvod.com/content/tour It's just a taste of how to improve your business and leadership skills.  Later!

Being Blocked by the Man

Hey there.  Looks like I no longer have the freedom to do as I please online at work.  lol  It's not that I took advantage or anything, but it was nice to know that if I wanted to look up a video, I could.  Now, this Websense thing, is blocking most of my favorite sites, deeming them "inappropriate".  No more Cracked.com...  No more Youtube.com...  Limited Facebookcom....  and some of my sponsors' sites are blocked too.  Damn...  Now I'm being forced to actually work!  lol  (kidding)  Way to keep a guy down, job!!!  lol  Later!

I'm Back From Boston

Hey there.  I'm back home!  My trip to Boston was a short one, but certainly an eventful one.  Here's what went down...

My alarm did NOT go off on Thursday morning.  That's right.  It decided to mess with me and simply not go off, even with the stupid thing CLEARLY saying that the alarm is on.  It's 6:30 AM and my flight is set to take off at 7:15 AM!  I grab my stuff, put on some clothes, kiss my wife good bye and speed off to LAX.  I manage to get there at around 7:00AM.  I got and punch in my confirmation code into the kiosk to get my boarding pass.  I sigh a sigh of relief since I don't see anyone in line at security should it should be a breeze to get in.  "Confirmation code not recognized"  What the...  I try it again.  "Confirmation code not recognized"  Oh man...

I head over to the desk while valuable seconds tick away and give the clerk my confirmation number.  The guy punches it in the computer and says that I missed my flight.  I point to the huge clock behind the guy and say, "It's 7:05.  If you give me my pass now, I can still make my 7:15 flight."  The dude persisted that I missed my flight, all the while getting me upset.  After arguing with him, and the manager, I decided that I'm just wasting energy here and decided to get a standby pass on the next flight...  4+ hours later.  I'm going to miss my appointment with our client!  Ugh...

My flight taking off without me

I grab the pass, go through security, and when I reach the terminal of my flight, I hear "last call for flight blah blah blah from LAX to BOS"  Damn it!!!  If that guy would have given my pass when I asked for it, I would have sooooo made my flight!  I see them shut the doors and minutes later, watch as my flight takes off without me.  *Sigh*  I go over to the attendant at the desk and ask her what are my chances on getting on the next flight since it is a standby ticket.  She punches in the info...  "It's 50/50 right now.  There are only 2 seats available."  Ugh...  She sees my dejected look and assures me that I'll probably get on since there's always cancellations and people being late.  I thank her and decide to have breakfast at the airport.  I also called our client to let him know that I won't be able to make it and would have to be pushed to Friday.  The meeting was rescheduled but it was a huge bummer for me since I wanted to use Friday afternoon as a means to check out the sites of the city.

Afterward, I continue to check in on my chances.  "1 seat left"  Oh man... I'm getting nervous at this point.  I ask her, what if I don't get on this one?  She then told me that the next flight to Boston is the red eye... Ugh!  Not a good way to start the day.  The plane pulls in and I ask again what are my chances.  "Better than before," she says, "there are now 3 available seats."  YES!  I watch as passengers board the plane still waiting for them to give me a "confirmed" boarding pass.  After just about everyone is on, they call my name.  YES!  I get my ticket and hop on the plane.  Relieved.  7+ hour flight...  COMMENCE!

Nothing too eventful on the plane.  A lot of the "Boston vs Cleveland" game that could have been LeBron's last game as a Cavalier.  I arrive at Boston close to 7 PM... oh man... The group that I was meeting was scheduled to have dinner at 7 PM!  By the time I get in a cab, check in my hotel and start looking for the place, it's already closer to 8PM.  I get to the restaurant and feel weird walking in while everybody else is enjoying their dinner.  I go ahead and advise the head of the group that I made it and said my hellos to some familiar faces.  I sit in an empty seat and menu and a wine glass is handed to me.  No kidding... that was ONE EXPENSIVE MENU!!!!  Nothing on there was under $40!  Before the waiter decides to take off to "give me some time" I asked him what he recommended.  He pointed to a prime rib steak and he claims is the best in the world.  I don't believe it, since the restaurant's specialty seems to be seafood.  I was starving, so I asked to be served the steak and wow... what a steak it was.  It was one of the better tasting steaks I've ever had... and in case you don't know what a $40 steak looks like... here it is.

After a couple more glasses of wine (I needed them after the morning I had...)  I went back to the room to catch the Boston - Cleveland game.  I texted my bro while watching the game, giving our opinions on James' looking rather lethargic and once the game was over, I called my wife to chat for a bit.  After we said our goodnights I tried to sleep.  Not happening...  Stupid time change really messed with my head.  Clock said 1 AM but it's 10PM in LA.  I don't usually go to sleep until midnight or so...  3AM...  Still up, but managed to drift asleep.  5AM... I'm up... it's light out and I don't feel all that sleepy anymore.  Hell with it.  I got up and showered and went for a walk. 

I took a stroll down the "Freedom Walk" path.  It's basically a red line on the sidewalk that takes you to several of Boston's points of interest.  That's a neat idea.  So I walk and catch several glimpses of the city's statues and monuments.  I snap some pictures and take a few videos.  Boston definitely has some unique sights to see.  Being one of America's first settlements definitely resounds across many of the cemeteries and buildings that are littered with plaques stating their historical importance.  I missed out on seeing the Constitution (a ship... not the document.  lol) and Paul Revere's statue.  But here are some of the stuff I did get to see.

Once 7:30 AM rolls around, I head back to the hotel for my meeting.  During our lunch break, I notice that the cemetery across from the hotel seems like a pretty lively place.  I see several children storming in and even caught a glimpse of some people dressed as patriots...  I need to see this.  I excuse myself from the table and head over there.  I managed to snap a pic of the patriot but he wasn't too happy that I did.  I walked the other way and then saw another guy dressed up as Ben Franklin (I think) and listened in as he gave the small crowd some historical facts on John Hancock's grave.  He then snapped at me for taking a pic of him and asked me if I knew that this was a paid tour.  I smartly responded that I didn't know since I just walked up to him no more than 2 minutes ago.  He didn't seem to happy so I decided that I best better go.  Dude was carrying a gun (or replica... I didn't want to find out) so I told him that I'd just be "on my merry way".  lol  I was too upset to look for Paul Revere at this time so I headed back to the hotel.

We finished up our credit conference and I moved on to my meeting with our client.  It being close to 2:30PM really set a damper on me since I would have had all this time (flight leaves at 8:25 PM) to check out the city, but instead I decide to walk to my meeting, a mere 1.5 miles away.  Nothing too eventful on my way there other than I got to walk on a bridge.  I had my meeting, discussed some business, made a good impression and I was off to the airport... all at around 5:30 PM...

Three hours from my flight.  I could have gone back... But I was too tired to walk.  I get to the airport and looked for food.  I then grabbed some coffee and sat in a chair where I got to see planes come and go.  I kicked off my shoes and enjoyed the view.  Soon after, I'm on a plane, heading home.  I get to LAX close to midnight and I'm not home, in bed, until about 1 AM.

Yup... condensed trip indeed.  lol  Later!

Mentally Preparing for Boston

Hey there.  No, I'm talking about the Celtics, I'm talking about my trip to Boston.  I'm off to a credit conference later in the week and am meeting with a client of ours.  My schedule looks pretty brutal so I'm getting mentally prepared for it.  Trip (so far) is as follows:

Leave LAX @ 7am
Arrive at BOS @ 3:40
Rush over to downtown Boston and meet with our customer
Rush over to check into the hotel
Rush to the group meeting at 6 PM
Probably leave dinner close to 10 PM<
Sleep...
7:30 am Credit Conference
Conference is over at 5 PM
Find something to do before heading to the airport for my 8 PM flight
Arrive at LAX @ 11:55 PM


Yup... I would say that's a condensed trip if I do say so myself.  I was hoping to be able to fly in on Wednesday evening.  That would allow me to check out the city and meet with our client during the morning and not be so rushed right out of the airport.  Well...  that's how it rolls sometimes.  Later!

I Need to Attach a Front Panel to a Computer

Hey there. I like to fix computers as a hobby and I've been fortunate to hve been able to fix any machine that has been brought to my attention. The other night, a friend needed 3 machines to be fixed. 2 laptops and a desktop computer. The laptops will be fine, once I am done with them... Its the desktop that I'm a little concerned about.

The desktop looks a little odd. It's missing a front panel and when I opened it to see what's going on, someone cut the front panel wires and rigged it with a completely different set of wires (different colored ones too) and I was surprised to see something so half assed. I have an extra computer that I keep for spare parts and since the desktop needs new wiring, I'm glad I have the spare computer to take them from. The mission now is not only to get the machine on, but also to attach a whole new front panel to it. I've never done that before so this will be m first with this issue. I don't want to say, "I couldn't fix it" so I'm gonna do by best to get it going. Wish me luck! Later!