www.worldofmikeroth.com

new site, yo.

I can't sleep.
Things have been awful at work lately. I recieved a complaint Sunday that was followed by a written disciplinary action on Monday, and now, I have recieved another complaint this evening. I'm sure I'll be written up again, and then possibly lose my job, or be teetering on the brink of losing my job.
Obviously, I'm a little worried about it.
It's not like I go into work and try to fuck things up and get spiteful with people and try to ruin their meal. I think I've been having a horrible combination of having a stressful time in my life, on top of having some really bad luck.
It's strange because I used to feel like I had a lot of room at this place to fuck up and make mistakes, because I make a lot of them. Seriously, I'm not a very good waiter, nor do I really care about being a good waiter sometimes. It's a means to an end. Its a job that I can work right now to pay for my bills. What really gets me about all of it, is that I feel like I am resigned to the service industry. I have no other options but to try and work for a restaurant where I'm just going to feel spiteful all day.
This really makes me look forward to working at the school with the kids. I feel like I'll be in a position of some authority. I won't have to let other people talk down to me constantly, unless of course, my superiors do. I feel as if Parker is going to be above all of that. The teacher I'm going to work with seems very amiable, as well as my boss, the head of the Lower School.
Anyway, I need to go in today (it IS 5:30 AM right now) and get this over with. I can't say that I know what's going to happen, but I just need to get it over with. These sleepless nights aren't helping me at the moment.

So, the inevitable happened. Given my circumstances; those being:
1) I like punk rock,
2) I live in Chicago,
I was bound to run into a member of Fall Out Boy.
Last night, after the Lifetime show, I ran into a guy that I was supposed to play in a band with when I arrived in Chicago. Of course, it didn't work out, but it didn't occur on bad terms. He's a PhD in Anthropology and a scene vet. But he's going to Minneapolis to teach next year, and while the band was trying to happen, he was trying to finish his dissertation, which won out. I met with him outside the show and lo and behold, the drummer from Fall Out Boy was standing and talking with him. I guess I expected worse, but for the one second that I said hello, it was good to know that a guy like that would still come to shows in his hometown, be treated like a normal guy, and not be chased around by screaming 14 year old girls. I guess going to Michigan Ave. is a different story.

Lifetime was great though. I don't know yet how I feel about the full on reunion and the new album and all that, but I know I'll buy the record, whether its good or not. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out. The new song that they played last night didn't seem like it got a good reaction from the crowd, but every other classic Lifetime song had kids tearin' up the pit.

Now it's off to Meditation Class with Jess.

I was supposed to recieve 3 movies from Netflix. Two of them on Friday, so I could watch some movies that I know Gordie wouldn't be interested in, and one for Saturday that Gordie and I could watch together for when she gets back.
None of these movies have arrived. I was looking forward to maybe watching some of them tonight, even if they arrived a few days late. But no. There is nothing in my mailbox.
I have heard things in the past about the Chicago area USPS, and now, I think someone has stolen my movies. And apparently, this is a regular occurrence.

Yesterday was the company picnic. I decided that even though I completely suck at it, I was gonna play softball. I mean, at least I know how to throw and how to hit a ball. But it's the seeing the ball part that I'm horrible at. I can't see where its going, nor can I really tell how fast its gonna be. I just swing and pray.
Needless to say. I didn't really have much success. I swung and I hit the ball, but not with a whole lot of success. We lost in our second game of the tournament, and I think overall, Ben Pao played well.

Additionally, the World Cup final was yesterday. I had come to realize that I really didn't care much about the game. Two teams that I really didn't care for. I chose to watch Ben Pao's soccer team instead.
Ironic, isn't it? I spent all of this past month watching soccer constantly. And when it comes to the final game, I really didn't watch much of it. I missed the "Headbutt Heard 'Round the World" and I don't feel ashamed about missing it.
Now, when the EPL starts again, in August. I will be watching the Hammers every chance that I get. (West Ham United, see sidebar.)

The RDPE is putting together the website for my new domain. It's gonna be awesome.

That is all I have to report from the World of Mike Roth.

Mike Roth's world is currently as such:
1) Gordie is away. I miss her. Her cousin is getting married in October, and she had her Bridal Shower today. We got her some mighty fine plates from World Market. I called Gordie at around 5:00 Eastern time and she was already drunk. I'm glad she's having a good time.
2) I found out a couple of weeks ago that my friend from MWC, Nick Bognar lives here in Chicago. Additionally, he went to see Snowbeast play, and he's also a musician. I recieved his CD in the mail Thursday, and listened to it yesterday and was floored. It's fantastic, and I'm going to be playing drums with him for his CD release party. We practiced tonight and I've learned 3 of his songs. Afterwards, we went to the Map Room and I had some fantastic Allagash White Ale. The first glass was delicious, and it went down very easy. I do like a good witbier now and again, and the summer has to be the best time to have it. I suppose I also didn't feel the need for any Hoegaarden because it wasn't on tap. Whatever, they're both good beers.
3) For some reason, I felt compelled to play softball at the Lettuce picnic tomorrow. I'm arriving at around 9:00 tomorrow morning and it's going to be interesting. At least there will be free food, and free food, and free food. The World Cup final will be shown as well, so at least I won't be missing out on that. I expect to sweat quite a bit. The shit part is that I have to be at work at 4:00. But at least I won't miss out on the World Cup final because the game starts at 1:00. So hopefully the Italians will lose by 3:00.
4) Yeah. The Italians will lose. I hope. They don't really deserve to be there. The Australians should have beaten them way back in the round of 16, despite that bullshit call about the penalty kick. However, it's all in the past. Even though the Italians haven't given up a goal, I'm tired of those whiny-ass bastards winning all of these games. It ends tomorrow.
5) I have also been invited to join the Russian Dog Publishing Empire, so hopefully the World of Mike Roth will relocate shortly. Naturally, I accepted. I'm excited. So hopefully within the next month, things will be up and running.

As I watch another match of World Cup Soccer, I feel the need to recount the George Hamilton Look-a-like Transvestite experience at Ben Pao.
Sunday night last week was extremely busy for one reason or another, and as anyone in the restaurant industry knows, Sundays are weird nights to work, due to the strange clientele that walks in the door. I'm already busy and running around when I notice a fake-tanned man with a cleft chin, slick dyed black hair who has obviously been a recipient of some type of facial plastic surgery walk in with a 6'4" tall Black Transvestite. Right away, I'm thinking: Holy Fuck. They sit down at the table, and I walk up to them, and try to treat them with respect, referring to the transvestite as miss, or she, or ma'am, or what have you, because that's obviously what she's going for with her looks. Aside from their apprearance and their poor tipping, they're my usual guests: indecisive, picky, and looking to order something that's not fried. (come on, this is chinese food. the whole basis is that everything is fried.
Later on, after they've left, our resident, surly, older, nearing 40 server, the Burke, asks me if I served the transvestite.
"Oh yeah," I say, assuming he was going to ask if I thought he was a woman or not, or something of the like.
"She lost her tit in the ladies room."
"What?"
"Yeah. Michelle [our manager.] found her fake breast. Her boob must've fallen out when she had gone to the bathroom."

Now, after all of this, I have two questions.
1) How does one lose a fake breast and not have her date, George Hamilton, notice? Or not notice herself, for that matter?
2) What has Michelle done with this little cutlet?

***

Last night, Gordie took me to the movies at the Gene Siskel Film Center, it was our first Siskel experience. Its a very minimally decorated theater with art exhibits there as well. It's located next to the Art Institute of Chicago, so its a very nice place. We arrived early, and were taken aback by an odor of newly crapped diapers. As we walked around the lobby, we noticed a homeless woman siitting around, and i'm not exactly sure what she was up to. For those of you not in Chicago, you have to understand, the homeless in our city are up there in craziness with all of the homeless in New York, if not worse. Please don't get me wrong, I feel for the homeless, I pity their state in life and I wish that they could improve their quality of life. But in addition to being shocked that this woman was at the theater, she was also allowed into the movie that we were seeing, and walked out halfway through the film. I assume that the workers there let her stay. Which is a very nice thing for them to do. I think the surprise of the whole situation caught me completely off guard.
Anyway, the movie we saw was one called the Razor Eaters. It was an extremely violent Australian movie about this gang of vigilantes in Melbourne, and the media frenzy that followed them. I basically saw it as a cross between Natural Born Killers and the Blair Witch Project due to the fact that the gang self-documented alot of their crimes. The violence in the movie was completely ridiculous, but the overall message of the iconization of the gang in the media was a pretty well done one. It was a very difficult movie to watch, even for me, but especially for Gordie. 24 hours after watching, though, I can definitely say that I enjoyed the film. I don't know if this movie will see a broader release, and its probably for the best, because I know that there will be copycats out there as a result of this film. And, I think it was for the same reason, that people were banned to see this movie in Melbourne.

So these "gaucho bastards" are kicking the shit out of Serbia and Montenegro. Everyone was saying at the beginning of the cup that this group that they're in with the Netherlands and Ivory Coast was the "group of death." And I must say that Argentina's been doing all of the killing. The first half is just ending and they're up three- to- nil.
The cup this year has been exciting, and I've been watching a lot of the games. but no surprises just yet. I've been seriously dissapointed by the Americans, and I have to say that they have no chance in hell to get out of their group now. This game against Italy is going to be an ass kicking.

In other news, I have a new job that I'll be starting in August. I got a position as an Assistant Teacher at a good private school here in Chicago. I hadn't really expected to get a position at a school for the upcoming year, but a bunch of random emails that I sent out looking for advice turned into a phone call and an interview, which turned into a second interview, which turned into a job. The only upsetting thing is that I may have to change restaurants that I work at. Ben Pao has some sort of policy where I need to work at least one day a week. We'll see what I can do. Hopefully I can stay within the company and keep my insurance. Or, if I can get insurance from my new job, perhaps I can work something out. I can at least still teach swim lessons and make money that way. We'll see what goes down. I really owe a lot of thanks to Gordie for the motivation.

I had a great night at the Map Room last night. Gordie and I went to hang out with her schoolmate Aleks and his girlfriend Erin. They had $3.50 Ayinger Brauweisse on tap. And well. I drank them. Not only do they come in these great glasses with these swirly ridges, but it's probably the best weiss beer I've ever had. I've had their Ur-Weisse which is a dark weiss beer, and it's absolutely outstanding as well. I need to go back within the month to have some more. Anyway, Aleks just came back from Russia, his home land, and so we discussed his travels. I discussed my incident with the George Hamilton look alike and the Transvestite at work, and they were honestly excited for me and my job. It's good to hang out with people that are genuine, after being at work and sort of having to fake it all of the time. I admit, its a pretty general statement, but sometimes it takes having to say it aloud to realize how true it is.

So, I’ve officially watched 4 matches (and now ¼ of a match, as well) of the World Cup on TV. And I have a couple of things to say.
Generally, I’ve been pleased about the play from all of the teams thus far. The coverage has been great, and my fears of the possibility of missing any matches have definitely been false. However, the commentary has been completely shitty. Horrible even. The commentators need to do a couple of things to improve themselves.
1) Stop comparing soccer to basketball or football or baseball or whatever sport you can seem to think of. Soccer is better than any of those sports.
2) Additionally, stop treating the fans watching these games like they’re idiots. We’re not stupid. We know what an offside is.

As far as the games go, I’ve been really impressed by Costa Rica, despite their loss to Germany, who are always impressive. The Poland – Ecuador match was fairly boring, and I was extremely disappointed by the Poles who looked like a bunch of tossers on the field. The England - Paraguay match was a snoozer as well, aside from the David Beckham goal in the first 3 minutes. Paraguay just basically gave up during the second half. Sweden – Trinidad was the best 0-0 draw I’ve ever seen, and I take a lot of pride in watching West Ham’s keeper, Shaka Hislop, step up for Trinidad.
As I’m watching the Cote D’Ivorie – Argentina match, I’m gonna stand by Joe and say that I hope these gaucho bastards lose. I’m picking Ivory Coast and Netherlands to get out of this group.

Back to the game.

***

Of course, this was written a while ago, but I wasn't able to post until now.

Saw Pelican and Mono tonight.
I think I was able to brush the sound away from my face like leaves. Holy shit that was loud.

Day of the Beast, 6/6/06

So yeah, I know it was supposed to be the National Day of Slayer, but I don't own any of their records, unfortunately. So I did my best and played my copy of Number of the Beast on vinyl.
Vincent Price's voice never sounded so good.
I thank Satan for the day off too.

So yeah, I did manage to get sick, and I spent my Memorial Day weekend trying to recover. I had to work, unfortunately, but at least I got through it. Anyway, that was last weekend. This past week has been a blur.
The band tried out a new guitarist, Rob, and we brought him back on Thursday as well. We decided that he wasn't going to work out, based on his guitar tones, but at least it was nice to see someone with some enthusiasm.
This past weekend, Gordie and I went out to eat at a Spanish restaurant, owned by the same company that owns Ben Pao (where I work), called Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, which was pretty fantastic. I hadn't had good paella in a long time. Now if I could only take care of my hankering for a really good steak. We met up with one of Jess's friends from school and her husband, and Gordie's friend is pregnant. She's four months along and already showing. I like how they refer to the fetus(es) as the Giblet(s). I think I'd just like to refer to it as the fetus. There's pregnant women all around Chicago these days, I've noticed. Maybe it's just because I work around children, or because of my age, or because I see a lot of people walking through the doors at the restaurant, but I can't believe how many people are having kids. Especially those that probably shouldn't. Are we all so vain to believe that we need to continue to pollute the gene pool with our DNA? Of course, people could be saying that about me some day. But, of course we all have our biased opinions.
The rest of the weekend was spent at the Printer's Row Book Fair. It's good to get out of the apartment to check out some books and enjoy the day, but Gordie and I were completely overwhelmed by the amount of books, that we couldn't really decide that we wanted to buy anything. Prices were too high, and I think by the time I reached the end of the row of tents at the fair, I would have puked if I had seen the names Danielle Steel or John Grisham again.
Lately, I've been splitting my time between a couple of books. A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke, about a British man working abroad in France: basically a guide to understanding the French, and taking them all with a grain of salt; and Collapse by Jared Diamond, which is where I am rediscovering my love for Geography. I can't really believe how long I take to read some books, but I've had these forever. I don't find a lot of time to read, I usually spend my free time trying to finish another season on FIFA 2006.
I have to say, Snowbeast has been making me very excited lately, and I think that it has to do with the liveliness that is Chicago in the summertime. There's so much happening every weekend and even every day. Everyone wants to be outside, and just on a Monday night like tongiht, there's a free show happening around the corner, and people drinking on their front porches, just watching the world go by. I sometimes need to stop myself after working so much, and just relax on the front porch and just take it all in for a second. Things have been a fucking whirlwind since I've arrived here 9 months ago, I need to slow it down once in a while, just to realize all that's happened.

As for the future in the world of Mike Roth, there's the following:
1) The World Cup
2) A Job Interview
3) The World Cup
4) The World Cup

1, 3, and 4 are obvious. As for 2, I recieved a call today for a follow-up interview with a teacher at a private school here in Chicago to be a teacher's assistant. I have my interview on Friday, and hopefully I'll know soon after. It's for 4th grade, and apparently they work a lot with Geography in that grade, so I'm really excited about it. I'm sure by the end of the process, I'll figure out if this is what I really want to do with myself or not.

Random Dream Vacation Idea: (Stolen from Juliette Gomez)
-Take buses across Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and the rest of Central America. Reach Panama and fly back. Scratch off more countries on my list of places that I haven't visited yet.
Coinciding goal:
Visit all of the countries in the world. I've only got 16 so far. I think if I reach 100 before i die, I'll be very happy with myself.
Short term goal:
Save some fucking money.