Guess Who's Back, Back Again...

Man, 26 days since my last post? Time flies when you're not having fun!

I did get a few emails, texts and MySpace comments from you guys asking when I'll be back blogging and I really appreciate all the readership, I do!

Well, to get ya all caught up on what's been going on in the last four weeks, here's a not-so-short rundown:

*Returned to work with administrative nightmares in almost all departments. Apparently work doesn't get done (or done right) if I'm not there 24/7. So for the last month or so since I got back from vacation, I've been working overdrive getting stuff fixed.

*In addition to my huge workload, we've added a new department head, another key co-worker and had another co-worker get a promotion. What's that all mean, you ask? Well, I've had to train everyone on odds and ends, help get them situated at work and basically do their jobs while holding their hands until they were fully ready to do their roles on their own.

*Got into a gnarly car accident. Remember this scene from Tommy Boy?:

Yeah...I re-enacted it. On the 5 freeway. During morning rush hour. From the fast lane.

I case you never saw the movie, while going about 50 MPH, my hood decided to unlatch itself, fly open and smash my windshield. Oh, it gets worse. Because of the on-coming wind current, the hood stayed pressed against the windshield. So picture me spitting tempered glass out of my mouth, blind as a Kung-Fu master, trying to get me and my Honda to safety. I know getting over to the right side of the highway was out of question unless I wanted to try and start a demolition derby, so I figured the shoulder on the left was my only option. I think I panicked and punched it to quickly get out of harm's way, and in doing so, I clipped the car (truck?) in front of me, causing even MORE damage.

It's a packed freeway, so imagine you just witnessed this whole ordeal...got it? Now imagine being INSIDE THAT CAR! So there I am, side of the road on the way to a GM meeting in Oceanside next to my Japanese death machine. I call a friend to pick me up, which takes 45 minutes. Whomever I hit never came back, so either: 1) the driver never knew what hit him (literally), 2) the driver had no insurance or 3) the driver exited the freeway and noticed no considerable damage. I'm freaking out because I think I've just been involved in a Hit and Stay.

Anywho, I get home (not before texting the Regional Director "umm, won't make it to the meeting...car accident. i'm okay...i'll be at work if you need me.") and call two local Honda dealers who both recommend me to the same collision repair specialist (which will remain nameless, but for the sake of the story, let's call it Penske Automotive Collision Center...which is NOT the Penske Automotive Collision Center located at 7860 Balboa Avenue in San Diego. I stress, it's most definitely NOT that place...)

More on my (still on-going) experience with them later...

*Dealt with a serious health scare. I was supposed to have a melanoma, or a carcinoma, some kind of noma. So Alan Stanwyk does not I don't have cancer. I was so relieved.

*Spent a few days in a downward spiral after getting the initial news of the aforementioned medical situation...it involved a lot of drinking, a lot of dancing, a night that ended up with me waking up in a bed I don't remember getting into at a house I don't remember ending up at next to a girl I'd never seen, my shoes missing but finding two $100 bills in my pockets that I didn't start with (jury is still out if I was a jigalo that evening.) Soon the wildness turned into depression until I got the great news I was okay. So that happened...

*Got denied a salary increase.

*The nation's championship came into town (U.S. Open at Torrey Pines) and I may have been the only person working in the golf industry in San Diego who DIDN'T attend. Oh, it's not like I didn't have tickets. I was going to take Saturday off and go, but apparently I can't take any days off and had to give away my ticket and end up working from 7 AM until 10 PM. Not only did I not go, I caught only four holes for the entire five days. I did work 73 hours last week and the course made $80,000 more than last year during the same week. Did I forget to mention I got denied a salary increase?

*Cool thing is I did get my name in print...

*The Birthday Party Incident. (This will be detailed in greater detail tomorrow.)

So that's about it. Not much has happened since we last spoke...