Morons

Or the people that live in my building. My neighbors. They are all related to my brother in law. They are well meaning, I guess. However they are the most intrusive group of folks I've ever met. Example; the group that live across from me leave bags of trash, dirty diapers, in front of their door, which would be in front of my door too. This coupled with their nightly arguments, that occasionally end in the child screaming "daddy stop" or clothing being tossed out of the window or into the courtyard. Or the ones that live below me that get high every night, in the hallway. Or the fact that it seems that I can't seem to leave or come in without someone sitting on the steps forcing conversation, which is usually a series of questions about where I'm going or coming from or comments on my increasing or decreasing weight. 

Well today was the kicker. The yard in front which is really just the leftover paved yard from the school that was here, was transformed into a picnic ground. Complete with a barrel bbq, tent, 2 hammocks, picnic table and chairs, basketball hoop and dozens of people. Through all of this I have to go though, no back door. 

Now this is on the street, next door to a large apartment building on one side, and a hassidic dorm on the other. 

I have to keep on saying to myself, I've got the deal of the century on rent. I've got the deal of the century on rent, I've got the deal of the century on rent...

Mo's in the Hood

Over the past couple of weeks that little voice in my head, (you know the one we all have that says the unspeakable, but usually funny but true things) has been begging the question "has the whole word gone gay?" Its been asking that question for a while now, not in the usual places, but like in midtown or late a night when riding the subway and two young kids heading to new lots ave. can't keep their hands off each other.
But lately I've noticed here in the hood a marked increase in the boys. I say great bring em on. Could be that they have been here all along and having the dog, I'm out more with him. But I tell you more and more I've been getting that knowing nod, or the slight "hi there". Not the "lets go back to my place and make babies greeting", but the "hey you're one too" greet.
I say bring it on.
Seems of late though the neighbors have noticed it too. There have been some of posts on the local boards about mostly verbal gay bashing. It's so strange to think, that even here in New York, in 2008 that shit is still going on.

Mundane

I think I've become mundane. There was a time back in the 90's when I was a fun guy. Used to know a fair share of people, had many things penciled in in my date book, but somewhere along the line I guess I started to coast, and came to a stop.
Well this summer, damn it, I've kick started my social life! Sort of.

many months since...

I've thought about let alone posted anything on this thing.

MBA

Part of the grand plan that lead me back to Magic Kingdom was that I was finally going to go back to school, drink the "koolaid" and get my MBA. I put aside all the misconceptions (I hope they are misconceptions) about business school, and started looking at local MBA programs.
After the last year of hell with Gymboree (funny note, three months after leaving I get a call asking if I want to come back!) I figure that I can never, ever work in store based retail again, but after doing it for so many years, what next. Going to school seemed to make the most sense, take a couple years off, make some contacts in the process, and get the hell out of the stores.
Good idea except, I forgot about the main barrier for getting into a MBA program... the GMAT.
I bought the study books, downloaded the practice tests, but soon realized that not playing attention in math class did eventually catch up to me and bite me in the ass. That along with the fact that it was the 80's since I even had a passing thought about intergers, quadratic equations, or angles in a triangle made my head spin.
I dicided to put the books down, and hope that luck would get me through the test. Really. I paid my $250, scheduled the test, went in with the kids (really most of the people taking it with me could have been my kids) and guess. It was multiple choice so I had a 1 in 4 chance for every question. The verbal and the essay, that I can do but the math was a crap shoot.
The security was crazy at the test center, no watches, calculators, no jewelery, just you, a dry erase notebook, and pen. Come on who does math without a calculator!
The results are ready for you when you are done with the test... great, I'd rather wait than have to ride the elevator down with the young smart ones... but no.
End result is 74 percentile, and didn't crack a book, not enough for Harvard, but it should do just fine for CUNY.
Take that Princeton Review....