So long Viking!

Well, it is now official. I received a call from Steve this afternoon around 1 asking me if I wanted to work with him and I took it. I am very very glad to have the chance to work with a great company with some very nice benefits. The only down side is that I had to call someone to quit my current job and since the chain of command is all screwed up over at Viking I called the man who bugged me the most. He didn't answer his cell phone but I told him i was quitting on his voicemail and he should get it sooner or later. I really don't need them for a job reference ever so I wasn't nice but I didn't burn any bridges either. Part of me wonders if he has gotten the message because I haven't heard back from him. I thought for sure that he would call just to cures me out but nothing yet.

I talked to Dano and Moo this afternoon too. I called over to Dad's house and Katie was baby-sitting. Dano went on about some food on the table and then I got him to laugh over my guess what? pizza hut routine. When I talked to Moo, she just said milk a few times and I think that is a great conversation.

After work I dropped by Cosimo's for another slice of the best pizza in the world. I know that when I am gone, I am still coming to Jersey for that pizza. Pizza David is happy that Judo David is coming home, he has been getting some moves together to catch him off guard. What is going to happen is that he will bug Judo David and then get hurt because he was trying to show off. David doesn't like that.

I am happy that David will be home soon. I miss my friend. Even if he is kind of a geek around the ladies and can kill a conversation in one sentence.... he is still a good man and it will be fun to have him around again to hang out with.

Saturday is a busy day of moving women helping out at a singles activity and moving into Manhattan. I'm lovin' it.

The Angie and The Willie

This picture was sent to me the other day. Angie and Bret were enjoying the Kamas Demolition Derby and she saw this Willie Nelson look a like, I am jealous that she got the pic and not me.

Things are looking very good on the job front. Tuesday I took the day off from Viking and met up with Steve and Vinny over at the Orkin office in Queens. Long story made short, they still like me and and I went to take my drug test and physical. Once the results are final and corporate has a chance to review them, I am a full employee of the company with all the benefits. I am just excited about walking away from this job I have now!!

I am very lucky because I called Alan Blumenfeld, a friend of my dad's, and asked him about some of the neighborhoods in Queens that it would be safe to rent a room in until I found out what area I want to live in and he offered to let me stay at his place in Manhattan until I found a room. That is a very kind offer and I am very very lucky to have kind people around to help me in this transition.

Other than that things are still fun here. On monday, I went into Manhattan with Carol to attend a stake FHE at the stake center. It was a mix of comedy and music. The comedy was by this lds girl who I thought was smart and funny and CUTE! A great combination. The music was very generic but.... what are you gunna do? We drove into the city that night and it wasn't bad at all, a lot faster than the train and we had AC.

On a sad note, Fifi the chicken did not make it home last night and I am worried about her. I am hoping that she got lost and will soon find her way back home.

Tonight, after dropping off some laundry to get done, I went to Cosimo's for a slice and found that all of downtown West field was having a party of some kind. It was cool, there was a band and a lot of runners. I got my slice to go and walked through the crowds and listened to the band. They were the Michael Craig Band and were really funny. Kind of like the Smothers Brothers but not as good. I love this town. If I ever some back to Jersey, I really want to live in downtown Westfield.

So that's the scoop. Miss the family. Miss the mountains and those nice cold summer nights but I love being here in the East!

Fat Cat

So this is one of those crazy good sandwiches from the "grease trucks" at Rutgers University. This one was a cheeseburger with fries on it. Nothing too dramatic but still a man's best friend.

I can't say that much has changed on the job front. I will be calling Steve from Orkin to get this next ride and physical set up ASAP! This week at Viking, I am in for another round of tech training.... My 6 years just wasn't good enough.

Yesterday, I left early to make it to the ward in Queens and saw the President Newbold and his family there. It threw me for a loop because Julie came right in and sat next to me it really took a couple minutes to process the information. They came to town to see the sites and head upstate for some church history stuff. After that I met up with the Jersey girls at the Manhattan singles ward for another session of church, don't ask me what I was thinking!

On saturday, I made the mistake of going to the movies to see Superman. I don't know why I forget that I hate theaters. With a few dozen open seats, some idiot sits next to me who is coughing and talking to his wife the whole movie. To add to it, there is some 6 year old brat behind me that is kicking my seat every couple of minutes. I just should have waited for it to come out on video.

I might be heading into Manhattan again Monday night just because there is some big pioneer thing going on with the stale and it just might be fun. I will let you know.

Pirates

Last night, I met up with some Ladies and went to downtown Westfield. They have and old movie theater there and we watched the new Pirates movie. Other than the girls showing up 10 minutes late and missing the first 5 minutes of the show, it was a great film. The theater is cool but not very comfortable for someone like myself with a large rear end. I kept on sliding off the front of my seat and there wasn't any side to side room. I could have walked down to Cosimos's pizza from there to get a quick slice but I really want to lose a few more pounds.

I am still here in NJ mostly because Orklin has yet another hoop to jump through. Now I need to ride along with a service manager from that office I will be working in..... Why I didn't ride with this guy from the start??? I give up. Steve told just to be patient and good things come to those who wait. after that there is a physical and hopefully, HOPEFULLY, that is the last move in getting this job.

I just about went nuts over at Viking the other day. The sales manager likes to control every little detail in a salesman life and he told me I needed to change the voicemail on my phone!!! What an idiot. I just ignored him. I'm gone in a few days so I will just save the ammo and that can be one of the reasons I'm quitting. The nice thing about training with this company is that I have seen a large part of NJ and gotten familiar with the roads and towns. A very valuable skill out in this neck of the woods.

A home in Queens

In anticipation of finally getting hired by Orkin (cross my fingers), I decided to check out a ward over in Queens this morning and I loved it! Babies were crying, old women were talking, speakers were boring and I felt right at home. This ward was friendly and everyone was wanting to know if I had moved in already and where I was at. A couple of people gave me some great suggestions and the elders quorum pres. gave me his contact info so I can get in touch if I had any problems. The ward was full of filipinos too! I could just tell that I would settle in nicely with this group. Now I just need to find a place in the ward and still make some occasional visits to a few singles wards.

Yesterday morning I met up with another Service Manager at the Orkin branch and I just followed him around while he did his thing and felt sure that it is within my capabilities to do this job. Where I go from here??? That is the question. It has been a very busy week and I am just wanting to get this over and done with so I can start living a life again. I am sure though that my patience will pay off, after all, there are perks to being a manager with a large company. Sure there will be some hard work but the rewards are there.

This evening, I spent with the Ortiz family. They had some guests over and after dinner, we played some cards and watched a movie. We watched the Mormon version of Pride and Prejudice and it is funny enough to keep the laughs going. Up until watching that movie, I haven't been homesick at all but seeing the mountains and the aspen trees just made me miss those nice summer evenings that we get in Utah. Still love being in the East, just miss some of the comforts of home.

A few of us in the institute class have decided that come this Friday, we will be keeping a tally of how many times Grat (David's brother) will be kissing his fiance. My money is around 55-65 and I think that may be a little low after all, the class is almost 2 hours. I will let you know and maybe if I am sneaky enough, I can get a pic of them smooching. (I'm just jealous!!)

This is Fifi the chicken!

Sorry for the delay, due to some user error, the mouse was broken and without a mouse, using a computer can be very difficult.

Where to start? Well, Saturday night I met up with some friends to watch the Ortiz-Shamrock fight. I have to admit that it was very disappointing. While we all knew that Shamrock was going to get pummeled, none of thought it would happen in under 2 minutes. He was on the ground and Ortiz just started throwing those elbows and got in 5 straight hits witout a response so the ref called the fight on a TKO. I think the old man deserved a fair chance but the rules are the rules.

Sunday was another painful day at the singles ward. Again, the only friendly people were the interns everyone else was just in a different zone. To finish the evening I went over to Carol's house and had some dinner with her family and the missionaries. They are really young! That is where I met Fifi the chicken. She is the family pet and lays eggs for everyone to find. For Fifi, everyday is Easter. After that I met up with my friend Jay and hung out at his place while some people played cards. He then told me about the Greasy Trucks. On Rutgers campus there are some trucks that are open 24-7 that serve some really cool sandwiches. I really don't like sandwiches but when mine came with Philly cheese steak,chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, and french fries all rolled into one bun for only $4.75, I couldn't resist. It was great and we decided that we would try a different one each time until we had them all!

Monday at Viking I was paired up with another salesman and this one is really cool. He has a laid back approach to sales and really focuses on gaining trust and then presenting the service options. So the last couple days with the company have actually been enjoyable. And since the office ladies like him, we don't have to work until 8pm every night.

After leaving work tonight I decided to get a haircut for my interview tomorrow and the lady found a way to butcher my scalp. So much for looking nice to make a great impression. Maybe the guy will feel bad for me and hire me because my haircut is crappy. Earlier this afternoon Steve, my future boss, called to wish me luck and ask me if I had any questions before my interview tomorrow. That is impressive that he would take the time to keep in touch. I really think that this is a much better move. I just need to find an affordable apartment in a somewhat safe neighborhood to make the final leap.

On a side note, it appears that David is making great strides of improvement while in Japan.... Wink, Wink. The man is becoming more aware of the crafty women that surround him. Congratulations!

A Jersey Sunset

This is the sunset tonight on my way to the stake institute class, it really isn't that bad. It has been a very busy week, this is to make up for my lazy 4th of July. These last 3 days, I have been leaving the house at 7 in the morning and coming home after 8. Tonight I was lucky and came in 10 minutes before so I had time to change and get ready for class. Last night I was able to make it for the last part of the morristown class and had another great evening of flirting with cute girls and enjoying some clean company. I never thought the day would come when I would be the conservative one in a group that people were worried about offending.

I talked with Steve today the manager at Orkin and he has an appointment set up for me next wednesday in East Orange with the regional manager and that should be my last hoop to jump through before getting this job and moving to Brooklyn. viking really isn't terrible but I just keep finding out more things that just really bug me.... no pun intended. For example, when I start my sales in August, I don't receive a dime in commissions until the 3rd week of September. That is a long time to wait for things that I have sold but that's "company policy" there are more policies there than in the US Congress. Even the secretaries there told me that when Rich, the salesman I'm with for training, bothers them they schedule his work later and farther apart! What a great bond of friendship! I really hope something comes through other than this.

On my happy note, I was able to go for a nice motorcycle ride this morning on company time. No one in the Corporate office is able to send my paycheck to the right branch. Last week I drove out of my way to get it after work. This week, I took my bike. It really was a great way to start the morning, other than the millions of bugs that hurt like none other when going 80 mph.

Shy Carol

This is a pic of Carol evading the camera after attending the singles ward on Sunday. She is in the stake here in Jersey and thought it would be fun to head into New York and see the singles scene.... Oh what a party it was. Actually, it turned out to be another Sunday full of snobby singles and lost tourists.

Today is the 4th of July, and just like every year, I am bored out of my mind. The worst part is, the humidity. The last few years, I have been able to spend the 4th in my cave of a basement apartment watching movies and eating pizza and ice cream. This year I have been cleaning David's room and driving around town to kill time. One nice thing is that last night I went to the store and bought some Godiva ice cream bars that are absolutely amazing. It reminded me at first of an old flame but the ice cream won out in the end.

Funny story from yesterday, I was riding along with another salesman for Viking and this guy liked to joke around. The more he joked, the more I thought of a way to get him back. Towards the end of the day he had to make a bathroom break and left me alone in the car, this was not smart on his part. I moved his seat all the way up to the steering wheel thinking that he would be smooshed as he sat down. Well, when he came running back to the car to get in he jumped feet first and slammed his right shin into the dashboard. I laughed my butt off and he was cursing like there was no tomorrow, of course my laughing stopped when he pulled up his pants and showed me a large gash in the skin but I started laughing once he told me the wound was just healing from when he did that to himself just last week. I do feel bad so I am buying him lunch on wednesday to make up for it.

Katie my little sister called me to rub it in that it was my favorite holiday and I realized that I am the Ebenezer Scrooge of July. Humbug! That's all I have to say about today.... Although on a happy note, the driver that smashed my bike will be dropping off the check to the bike shop to replace my front fender. I would say that there is hope for New Jersey but this guy is a foreigner.

As far as moving to Brooklyn is concerned, I talked with Steve the manager hiring me and he is just waiting approval from his boss and then I have the green light to jump the river and start fresh again!

Pictures from Loni

These are the pictures taken by Loni and Scooter when they were in town. Enjoy!
Me chowing down on my favorite NYC food!
Manhattan Temple, also where the singles ward meets.
Loni and Archie on a bridge in Central Park
A singer playing at Strawberry Fields
Free loving disco roller skaters! I love the City!

My Boy

Well I guess it was going to happen sooner or later, some idiot in his fancy mercedes backed up into my motorcycle earlier this evening. I figured that since it had cooled off I could just cruise around while there wasn't any traffic on the road..... Lucky for me, the bike wasn't hurt bad. Oh, I wasn't hurt either but I am more worried about my boy. The front fender was bent into the tire and I was able to bend it back and continue on my ride and it felt like there isn't anything wrong with the forks or tire but I am going to take it in and have someone go over it too make sure. Luis Salmun, the driver, was really apologetic and said he would pay to fix it. I just paced back and forth for a bit until I didn't feel like slamming his head into his bumper anymore.

Once we got things straightened out, I continued on my ride. After all, the best way to unwind is on the highway. I have to say this about New Jersey, I really like the way that I can ride 20 miles one way and just loop onto another highway for the 20+ miles home. It really ended up being a nice evening especially because on my way home I stopped by Cossimo's for a slice. I saw David there and he hooked me up with a free cheese slice and it was mmmmmmmm. Really, that is without a doubt the best pizza anywhere. What a nice way to finish a ride.

This morning was fun too. Grant and I helped his fiancé's roommate move some furniture and then installed a new dishwasher in her condo. It wasn't too hard to do and we even got a killer breakfast to start our day. I am always up for food.

In tribute to my motorcycle, I have his pic on the post today, he has served me well and I will not let him down. I love my boy. Of course I know that it is just a bike but he never argues with me or tells me what to do and best of all, we both enjoy the highway at sunset!

Frank Browning Ellis III

This is Frank. Frank is David's brother. David is in Japan. Frank is my new friend. Frank likes cats. Frank likes to "clean" his room.

Today was another amazing day in the Viking training program. The nice part was riding along with a tech supervisor Craig. He is a few years older than me and has been in the pest world for 6 years and he is one of the few people in this company that know anything about bugs and chemicals, so we have a lot of things to talk about. He has invited me to his apartment next weekend with some other guys for the ultimate fighting ppv thingy that is getting a lot of hype out here. It should be fun besides, I don't have much else to do.

As far as Orkin goes, I have done another test for them and am still in the hiring process. The manager hiring me is really nice in keeping me informed whenever he knows anything about what is going on and that just makes me trust him a bit more. It will be nice to work for a competent manager.

We had the stake institute class tonight and there were a few cute ones there. One of course is from Utah and is town as a nanny for 6 months, surprise. One of the cute girls will be attending BYU in the fall and that just means one less for me here in NJ. Bummer. I will just have to go into Manhattan more often for the ladies.

PS thanks to "the girls" for sending me a couple of Metro Cards, they will come in handy!

big bridge to long island

It looks like I will soon be moving to Long Island. I have had an interview with Orkin for a service manager position and they are now running me through the corporate hiring process, but hopefully I will be employed within a couple weeks. The nice part is that I will be in a better job with a better company with much better pay and benefits. Of course I'm going to need to find an apartment in New York that won't swallow my entire salary but I have the luxury of being mobile so I don't think I will stay in Queens. So that was my big secret and I am really excited for this new job!

Another one bites the dust

What can I say? Spencer is a married man! Danny sent me this picture hence his head is in it! Congrats to Spencer! I'm just glad I'm out here so no one can rub it in too much that I am still single.

I actually enjoyed attending the singles ward today. I saw CK, a girl that graduated from Olympus the same year and she is a nice one to be friends with. The only downside to attending the singles ward today was NJ Transit on the ride home. Apparently, a few of their platforms at the Newark Penn station were not open so everything was backed up, we sat on the tracks for 30 minutes and just watched the trains go by until it was our turn. Thank goodness for air conditioning.

Last night was a multi stake dance lesson thingy and it was fun for the first half hour then it was just a downward spiral. I think maybe some other people had fun but my attention span is only 20 minutes and the lady doing the teaching went on and on about the Cha Cha Cha! I mean come on! The hard part was that she couldn't teach it in any simple way. We did learn a waltz that was fun, until she made us do it to country song at twice the normal speed.

We just finished up the evening at a multi stake fireside that had about 40 people in attendance. The lady that did the fireside, is the same one that teaches the Morristown institute class so she was fun to listen to. Afterwards, David and I had a chance to flirt with the ladies.... I love to flirt but haven't really asked anyone out on a date yet just because I really need to get on my own before I can do that.

Well, tomorrow is another day at Viking and Tuesday(cross my fingers) will be a very good day for me. More on that later.

Nuts in NYC

Alright, I know it has been a few days since I have written as Megan pointed out to me but I have a good reason an I will explain it to you when I am able.

This week has been more training and fooling around with Viking. I can't say it is any easier getting through the red tape of the NJ dmv but I think I am making some headway. This morning, I was at another branch of the company to do a training class to get my pest license and I thought I saw the clock move backwards. Our instructor had to have been at least 70 and couldn't say more than one sentence without sounding like he was falling asleep. I know I have to do these classes to get licensed but I really wish that I could just avoid it all together. The nice thing about hopping from office to office here in the company is that I am able to see which branches have the cute secretaries..... There are a few really cute ones and there are a few that truly represent New Jersey.

This pic is one I took a few weeks ago on Doomsday over in NYC. I think that it was just publicity for the Omen movie but I still think they are nutty. Tonight is Institute for this stake and tomorrow night, they will be having a dance so it might be enjoyable.

The old ballgame

What I was hoping would be a great singles activity was in fact a regional activity for everyone and we didn't get a chance to meet any females but we did have a great time attending this evening's Mets game. I felt like I was living back in Texas attending a Rangers game. Sandy Alomar Sr, was the first base coach for one of the teams. Even the great Ken Griffey Jr was there playing on the reds. We left right before the 7th inning just so we could make it home at a decent hour. They also had Missionaries sing the National Anthem. They could have used some more practice but what's the point in complaining? There was one section across the stadium that was full of white shirts and ties, my guess is that the entire mission was there.

I was hoping to make it through the DMV today and have a Jersey drivers license but I have discovered that Utah is not as backwards as I one thought. I was pushed from one station to another and told so many different things that I am not sure even now that I know what I need to do to get a new one. I almost think that it would be easier to just take the test all over again and get it over with.

As far as work goes, I am up for more tech training tomorrow with another ride along at the Denville branch. I have also decided it would be easier to just rent a room for the time being until I find a place that I really want to live. There are many more affordable rooms that will suit me fine until I am ready to pay 1500 for an apartment! Good grief!

Guess Who?

I almost slept through church today considering I didn't get to sleep until around 2 this morning but David was persistent and I made my way into the city to attend the singles ward. I really wasn't too excited to go mostly because it was just a 1 hour meeting because of the Gladys Knight concert and they were combining with the family ward at the same time. I am glad I did go because I saw Nancy and Steve Mcdonald outside the building on my way crossing the street. They were in town because Steve has some business up in White Plains. When we got inside, I saw the Stevens family from the Grandview second ward. They were in town because their son-in-law graduated from medical school and the ceremony was here. After the meeting I talked with some of the females of the ward and made some headway in the never ending battle of breaking the ice.

Back here Jersey side, I have just been enjoying the night with Grant and Lisa (David's brother and his fiance) and playing some more video games. Tomorrow I will be going up to the Saddlebrook office and doing some more training. If I am able to sneak away early, there is a multi stake activity going to a Mets game and I think that should be really fun. It is quiet now and I think most everyone has gone to bed so I might as well join them.

Oh what a night!

David, Christine, Archie, Damien
This Saturday consisted of me being a lazy bum and playing video games here at the Ellis home most of the morning and afternoon. There was a brief moment when I left to go pick up my laundry and drop by the grocery store but that was about it. However, around 7pm, David Christine and I left to go to Long Beach Island. It was a nice place to visit other than the sun setting in the west and not over the water. We went down there because Damien (next to me in the photo) is the night manager at a restaurant there that claims to have the best wings. Well this little place had the best wings I have ever tasted! The place is called The Chicken or the Egg and they are open 24 hours a day and serve everything on the menu all the time. It is a seasonal place so they are closed in the winter but they had a great place to eat at. One item I will have to try nest time is a Dragon burger. It's a hamburger with bacon and eggs on it and that may sound gross to some but it just makes me hungry.

The whole place down there is really neat. As you drive down the main street, you can look down the side streets and see the ocean on one end and the river on the other so it really is a skinny island, I think that it will make an excellent date place once I find a girl I would like to date.

On a side note, it is definitely buyer beware at the grocery stores here in Jersey. Last night after institute, we bought some deli pizzas to bring home and eat but we never ate them because they were moldy.... what are you gonna do?

What are you gonna do aboudit?

I may not sound like I am from Jersey but I am not talking like one. I was riding today with one of the techs from the company and I noticed that at the end of every sentence I would end with the classic Joisey phrase; But what are you gonna do.... I think that makes me official or stupid, I haven't decided which.

Last night, was the Morristown institute class. It felt nice to be surrounded by Utah girls again. Most of the people in that class(there were 16) were nannies from Utah and they were cute too. I think that this might work for me because they all live more than 30 miles from me and that means that I can flirt but not date because of the distance. Lucky me!

I have a nice lead on an apartment that I am checking out in a couple minutes. It's in Cranford and hopefully it works out, if not, I will keep on looking. I think I got most of the smoke smell out of my hair that I got today while riding along with David. Not Judo David, this guy was the tech that I rode with. I liked him, he is a hard worker and likes his customers and other than the smoking it was a great day.

A Viking Man Am I

Today was my first day with Viking, and what a day it was. I got there around 8:30 this morning and met up with Dan, he is the owner's son and a decent salesman. He walked me through the basics of doing a map of the home and how they make their bids. It is quite different from me walking around a house and just giving a number, They actually do measurements and have charts for the rates. At least I won't have to do any bug learning, although I did find out they have an insect here called a cave cricket and from what I have heard, I am afraid of it too. It is a large cricket that has big hairy legs like a spider and when this cricket is disturbed, it leaps in your general direction.... I am not looking forward to that one.

I wasn't able to make it to the Joseph Smith statue like I hoped because once again I got lost and it took me a hour to get back to the Ellis house. I am just happy to start work again. I am hoping to try a different route tomorrow and see fit that will make the commute any easier. The more I think about things, I realize that it would be best to stay somewhere around Westfield. Even if it makes for a longer drive to work at least I can come home to a nice area.

Tonight calls for some ice cream. I stopped by the store after dropping off some laundry (the cute girl wasn't there that normally is) and picked up a half gallon of chocolate peanut butter cup. I want to just sort of soak in the paperwork that I went through today.

David and Damien need some help keeping time for their workout so I am heading down to the basement. Enjoy!

Westfield garbage

This is some of our salvage work from Sunday night. David and I set up the system yesterday afternoon in his basement so now he can have an even better workout experience. I just got a few books out of people's garbage, but there was a really nice wood table top I was considering and also an old style radio cabinet with record table. The garbage here in Westfield is nicer than anything you can find at the DI.

I have accepted the position at Viking Pest Control and start tomorrow at the Denville office. It will be nice to get back to work and stay busy again. I have enjoyed hanging out with the Ellis family but I am ready to be on the move again. I spent this morning riding around the towns out here looking for some available apartments on the little back-streets. I did find one that was within walking distance of the train and even better, walking distance to Cossimo's place. Speaking of that, David came to work out with Judo David yesterday and brought a pizza with him for us. MMMMMMM. It is without a doubt the best pizza I have had in my life. I haven't even found anything in the City that compares. I was talking to him about it and he said that his mom and dad are full Italian and emigrated over here. Everything they cook with is fresh homemade and they use only the best cheeses. I am hungry just typing all this up. So anyway, the place I saw was really close and even though my job might be a bit of a drive it would be nice to stay close here.

I will be going to the Morristown institute this coming Thursday though just to meet some new people and ask around about apartments up there. I have heard they have a decent size class so I will be on the prowl once again. I am hoping to go to NYC again tomorrow night to see the Joseph Smith statue in lower Manhattan before it comes down. That will also be a good time to try more pizza!