& no, I’m not referring to doing myself! I do that all the time already! 😉

As a part of my I-want-to-do-the-whole-Midwest-while-I’m-in-Chicago mission, my next stop was Cleveland, Ohio. I have already been to Cincinnati, some call it “Cincy.” Cleveland was cool, & cold. I learned a lot from my time in Cleveland. OH does OH.

Like a lot of places I’ve travelled to, I didn’t know what to expect. All I knew was: Cleveland is by the river, Canada is across the way, it’s not too far from Pennsylvania, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is there, the Cubs won the World Series there, Ohio is on east coast time, “The Drew Carey Show” was set there, & I had a strong idea there’s a cool ass bar called, Clevelander. I didn’t know that’s where the “Christmas Story” house is. No matter how many times I’ve drank it, no comment, I didn’t know that’s where Great Lakes Brewery is. & I didn’t know how good the food would be!

I met a couple at the Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick. They’re the owners. Crossing the museum happened at random for me. Go figure. It turned into a must. The couple & I talked about various things. We touched on the topic, why are we in the places we’re in? Geography wise. They’ve moved around a bit. It was great sharing stories. She & I had more of a stone conversation –actual rocks, people! –aside from geography, & He & I talked mainly about the craft, how a lot came to be; the history. The museum taught me a few things about my ancestors 😉 & things about those folk tales & what is close to & far from the truth. With all the artifacts, there were a few weird vibes moments. There were so many kinds of talking boards. On display, they had a box. In that box was a was a captured demon [spirit]. It had salt around it. Per the saying, the demon can only be released if you guess its name. They shared how sometimes they’ll get random people going into the store & telling them the demon said to release it, & that people have tried to tamper with the artifacts. People they hadn’t seen before, that hadn’t visited the store. Creepy. There was silverware bent by telekinesis. The day I went it was the last day they had the “William Mortensen’s Witches” collection on display. William Mortensen, for those who don’t know, was an old Hollywood glamour – era photographer extremely ahead of his time. In addition to setting trends that are of the norm today, frowned upon then, he was also quite the controversial character. After Hollywood he moved to Laguna. Hello! ‘The Hills’ in reverse! 😉 & then he REALLY thrived & made himself something. All so totally rad! Funny, because aside from blogging more! Thank you & you’re welcome! I’ve also been focusing on photography, too! Witchcraft is nothing bad. It’s a form of religion. It’s an “American” thing. Yes, other countries practice it, too, but it’s common & been around forever. It’s big in English, too.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’ve been longing to go there! I’ve been longing to hit up Cleveland! …Cleveland Rocks! That was my MUST. I was there for what felt like hours –in a good way. Suddenly, I was an Elvis & Beatles groupie. Not that I hadn’t like them already. Their showcases, watching the footage & lifestyles of those times. So amusing. So different. I was fascinated by how John Lennon created a fictional/ mock magazine titled, The Daily Howl in his younger days. He even created the ads. What a genius. Looking at the Beatles first signed contract was a little weird. In the beginning, the Beatles performed under many different names. Elvis was a god to many. Girls were OBSESSED with them. Back then, it was nearly forbidden to be that obsessed with someone. I can’t believe Linda Thompson dated Elvis. She wasn’t in the museum. At least I didn’t see her, & besides, what the hell would she be doing in there!?!

I crossed a letter Madonna wrote her friend, Ondina. It was during her university/ Ann Arbor, Michigan years, or time rather. I was quickly intrigued by it. Madonna shared that college life wasn’t for her. She shared she was too scared to express her feelings about wanting to quit because she didn’t want to let her dad down for all the money he had spent. What was more interesting was how she described the people & lifestyle of Ann Arbor. Madonna said, it was too easy; everyone is pretty much comfortable. It had me thinking… There is a hustle in the Midwest, but it’s not your LA or NY hustle in my opinion, for the record. It’s different. It’s a total “normal” hustle, in my opinion, but then again, where is there not “normal hustle.” Basic bitches hustle, too. Anyhow! Madonna shared how she was passionate about moving to a faster-paced environment, NY, but she also knew the chances of making it [big] were slim to none. Madonna made it clear she had to do it for herself. She had to take a chance, otherwise, she would’ve regretted not taking any chances at all. Hmmm…. Sounds REAL familiar! 😉 I was like, I am destined to be here. It’s true! An artist knows when they must put work out there. 30 years later, the Queen of Pop was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She’s fucking Madonna for crying out loud! All because she did it for herself. Madonna is an icon. She not only pushed the envelope to the max, she created a whole new kind of envelope, & found a new way to push it! As for all the plastic surgery now, that’s all you & another story, girl. No hard feelings. It all sounds cliché but like all clichés, they’re true. What if Madonna stayed in Michigan to please her dad & fulfill her college education? What most “should” do. Madonna clearly wasn’t basic & boring. Madonna did share that she stood out from most people. Was Madonna selfish? Maybe, probably, but she did what she had to do, & yes, she put herself first, & look where it got her. If one wants to make something happen in their life, they must take a risk. We can’t always live comfortably. It’s not going to fulfill you. You can’t be naïve & expect things to just fall in your lap. OK, maybe sometimes! 😉 Those should’ve, could’ve, would’ve feelings will eat you alive, especially if YOU know you’re destined for more. Being normal won’t get you anywhere. Don’t be a basic bitch! The whole letter was touching & real, but the part that REALLY stood out was when she states, “Writing is very exhausting but satisfying.” & then I collapsed.

You best believe I was posted at Stevie Nicks & Fleetwood Mac’s part of the museum for a minute. Stevie Nicks has been inducted twice, once as a band member & the other as a solo artist. She is, after all, the white witch. She can do that. I’m really curious as to what Stevie would be if she weren’t a musician-Rockstar. I could picture her working as a waitress or bartender at some roadhouse in the middle of nowhere & on occasion be the talent for the night. She’d be a hit. I think music is truly in her; music is in her origins.

For the longest, I’ve been wanting to do a Rockstar photo shoot; pose with a guitar & look super rockerish. Guest what? I got to do one! I would’ve LOVED to do it naked, but I was in public. I guess I could rent a guitar… The setting was right though! I’m OK. The museum also gave me inspiration on accessorizing clothes. My other forgotten hobby.

I did have a minor hiccup. As I was walking in downtown Cleveland, I missed the curb as I was crossing the street & landed on my foot sideways bending the shit out of it nearly spraining it. It hurt so bad I cursed out loud & almost threw up. I was like, OH.HELL.NO! I’m not about to have my trip ruined. I “walked” it off, or “shook” it off rather. It was fine after a few moments, but when I woke up the next morning, I was in soooo much pain. Again, I was like, screw this! My trip is NOT ruined. Nothing sets OH back! I was only ½ way into the adventure.

When I travel, I like to walk & take the bus & explore & flaneur –my favourite French word 😉 & see things. I hate continuously ordering cars. I’m also very cheap & could use the exercise, so I’ll inconvenience myself to save money & burn a few calories. It’s also annoying hearing every other sentence be, let’s just call an Uber. Oh, God! Haven’t you realized we pay for convenience in life & consumers pay the price. Literally! Besides, I’m more of a Lyft person. & no, it’s not so I can get my “steps in.” Some people actually like walking. It’s comedic & a little concerning when one doesn’t want to walk 0.1 miles, shouldn’t even be plural! away but would rather drive there. It’s more time consuming to get in your car, find a decent song to bump on the way –parking lot pimpin’! look for parking, & then go to your destination — as if it were miles away! Lazy fuck. You deserve those love handles. & no, I don’t own a Fitbit, nor do I wish to. Those things are stupid. I’d rather spend my money on… never mind! The government already knows where I’m at all the time, courtesy of Google maps via my beloved android. Fuck your conformity.

The Cleveland Museum of Art, which was GREAT, was on the other side of town from where I was staying, right by the West Side Market, & this limper didn’t have all day to get there. So, I broke down & ordered a car. I never stated I don’t use the services! I hate continuously using it. Luckily, my sore foot didn’t last long. I kept putting pressure on it, otherwise it would’ve been sore for days. My temporarily disability made me appreciate my ability to get up & go as I please. We should never take our walking ability for granted! I’m also a fast walker for being on the shorter side, so I tend to get places faster, & I’m thankful for that, too. In the pedestrian world, aside from people bumping into you because they’re too wrapped up in the mobile, another annoying thing is being behind a slow walker. For God’s sake move to the right, people! Get the fuck out of my way! & don’t follow me because I don’t know where I’m going! I am the eighth Vagabond! What also prompted me to call a car was it started to boil down to the time I had available. Cleveland is a city, but their transit system isn’t like a major city where it runs super continuously & conveniently, but I think some routes are free, so hheeeyyyy! I wanted to get the most out of my trip. I had checkmarks to make on my to-do list. I almost ran out of time at the Cleveland Museum of Art. I was surprised at all that it offered. No shade thrown. There was a Tiffany lamp collection on display. I did see some familiar artwork. Lots of new. Michelangelo was in town. The museum has a nice garden area with a little big lake in it.

There was so much good, cheap food at the West Side Market. I got a bunch of small portions of various foods & feasted away. I crossed Horizonal Bookstore by West Side Market & became so fascinated by it. It was a different kind of bookstore to me. It was set-up differently & had an appeal that easily caught my attention. There was a form of art to itself.

I think it’s interesting how Ohio is part of the Midwest but under east coast time. It was fucking cold in Cleveland. But guess what? Not as cold as it was when I returned to Chicago! It was a nice extended weekend getaway. Plus, there’s only so much to do in Cleveland. LOL. JK! About every 3 months or so, I need to escape to keep whatever sanity I have left. Work hard, play hard, as they say. A perk of being in the Midwest is everything is a hop, skip, jump, car, or bus ride away! I took the bus. It was a long trip, but it was a good long trip. I got to read & watch movies & sleep & gaze out onto the flatlands & do nothing! I needed to get away from that basic, normal hustle crap. I also celebrated my mid-mark of going around the sun 33 times. In other words, my ½ birthday! The downfall about OH is it’s super conservative. There we go, back to being basic, & not in a back-to-basics way. I don’t think I could ever live there. I’d be more objective if I were a woman, being stripped of many rights. No, thank you. I got a lot of writing inspiration & have expanded the OHMG universe. I’m curious as to what prompted the founders to have the hall of fame in Ohio. I mean, not everything can be in L.A., N.Y., or Chicago. & that’s a great thing! It’s simply not fair. It’s crazy how it’s “nearly” in the middle of the country. LMAO. One more thing, not all Rockstars have been inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 😉

Indian summer, or not! I recently learned the term, “Indian summer” & I quickly became fascinated with it. I know! Where have I been?!? Too bad the word “blackout” holds my black heart though. “Blackout” is my favourite word, & apparently my favourite activity, & favourite Britney album. Britney also sings a song –in French! —titled, Coupure Electrique. & guess what it translates to!?! Hahaha! Blackout! LMAO! I like that song, too!

Anyhow, for those who don’t know what “Indian summer” means, 😉, it means you’re not far behind me! LMAO! Do not follow me though! I don’t know where I’m going! 😉 Crazy! One-way ticket. “Indian summer” means, basically, an “unofficial extended” summer. Legend has it, that’s what the Indians coined it as. Bless those Indians. It means summer hangs around for a little bit longer… Those hot summer nights are extended, all to your leisure, of course. It hung around, yes, but then, Mother Nature kicked in, as she usually does, especially here, & decided to summon the cold sunshine early; return of cold sunshine! It snowed like a mother fucker on All Hallows’ Eve. Like no lie. That didn’t stop yours truly from dressing in a toga costume! Covered in a very nice Zara crème-coloured trench coat, of course. 😉 RIP the warm weather that hung out for a bit. & to me, it’s crazy because the thermometer says one temperature, but it feels like another; it’s not as cold as it feels. Could I truly be becoming a Chicagoan?!?! Hell, I should be! I finally know how to pronounce “gyro!” LMFAO! I’ve always enjoyed the cold though.

When it’s cold as shit, I seriously stop & think, how did the Indians do it?!? It gets cold as hell in Chicagoland, in case one needs to be reminded. Google “Polar Vortex 2019” when you have a free moment from consistently refreshing your social media feed from your last post/ story that no one liked or viewed. But it is beautiful right after it snows. It’s like white glitter was thrown everywhere. But when it turns to mush, it’s fucking disgusting. ANYHOW! & mind you, the Indians didn’t have any double-breasted Burberry trench coats to keep them warm either!?! They had no Gucci, just what makes it. Was it, “all Gucci?!” They actually had the real deal, & it was all authentic! LOL. Instead of paying some company hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars for an article of clothing, for some, some stupid piece of material, & for some, a bold statement of character, an icon, the Indians got their asses up, killed an animal –with their bare hands, BTW, & then served as a designer making the bitch! All to keep really warm in their man-made teepees! Or, while out & about frequenting their local public house. Whatever tickled their fancy. & you know Indians probably had some great ass fun in their day! Talk about tailor made. Beat that!

The sun shines every day, yes. Sometimes, there are dark clouds that overshadow it, but I know the sun is there. Kind of like, bad breath. You know it’s there, & more aware in certain people, but overall, we know it’s there & we know it’s not there, until it peaks, or reeks, out. Should that not make any sense, I’m sorry you feel that way. LMFAO. People ask me all the time, why am I in Chicago. Believe me, there have been a few times where I have seriously asked myself that. But mainly people reference that question when it has to do with the weather, especially during those Midwestern winters. I love living in Chicago. I like how we get all 4 seasons here. Yes, the winters drag a little & yes, spring & fall are my favourite seasons & they’re short-changed the most! & it did take me a while to get used to all the humidity in the summer. & I have learned to appreciate consistent sunshine à LA, CA. WOW! That sounds bad re-reading it. LOL. No further comment… LMFAO! The cold sunshine hurts, & when viewing it from inside, it’s all an illusion; it’s so misleading it is trickery at its best when you go outside. Kind of like when one meets a hot ass individual with a small –mindset!!! LMFAO!!! Yeah, you can still rock stunner shades, but bitch, you better get whole gloves instead of ½ gloves with yo fashionista ass!

The sun has the ability to shine extremely cold in Chicago, extremely hot in Los Angeles. I also think the sun glows very differently in the 2 regions. It should, they’re two different hemispheres! I’ve also learned how the moon glows differently in the 2 regions, too. It’s funny how the weather is always a topic of conversation among people. I would find it funny, & sometimes annoying, on how dramatic the anchor people are in CA when it comes to the rain, or when it drizzles rather. Apparently, a storm is ahead! But in both places, people drive stupidly. It does sucks how it can rain so often in the summer in Chicago. I do, though, love a “summer storm.” 😉 I also LOVE lightning storms. They’re beautiful. I think this past summer was my favourite Chicagoan summer. I’ve liked them all, but this one hits a high note, if not the highest. Speaking of things, one questions & thinks about, how there are so many businesses in Chicago?!? I mean, I’m not complaining, I’m just like, hmmm… The taxes are super fucking high here, & the weather can be a tad bit extreme, to say the least. New York’s real estate is off the chains. Florida has sick ass hurricanes & the near craziest among them all, aside from Wisconsin. Employers HATE California. Plus, the behaviour of the civilians… That’s probably why everyone is moving to Texas. We’ll see how long that last for. Every place has its perk, & sadly, downfall. Enjoy every Indian summer & embrace the cold sunshine. It’s worse when you can’t consistently see it.

All Hallows’ Eve comes but once a year, yes, but so does OHC – Open House Chicago. What is OHC? Open House Chicago is an event that occurs once a year when buildings that are generally not available to the public become available for viewing. Some museums that normally charge a fee for admission will allow you to check them out in a “lite” version; you don’t get the full shebang. Basically, it’s a way to show off, or admire rather, Chicago architecture. I have to say, Chicago has some really good architecture! OHC takes place over a weekend, & it takes place all over Chicago. It even reaches out to the suburbs.

I feel like there’s always something to do in Chicago, even when there’s “nothing to do.” Throughout the summer, there are festivals every weekend. Nearly every neighbourhood has their own in some form or another. In the winter, around Christmas, there’s the Christ Kindl Market. That’s always cracking. There’s always the theatre –in the theatre district! The city has like 500 breweries. There are many museums. Let’s not forget the magic shows! 😉 Chicago has a team, or two, for nearly every major sport. I’ve heard about OHC before, but I didn’t really pay any mind to it. I was just like, oh… But this year, I decided to take FULL advantage. It’s a great way for me to get more acquainted with the city & work on photography. The idea hit me like a big white CTA bus driven by a miserable CTA worker. Plus, it’s free!

My number 1 must-do was the Rookery building, the Oriel staircase. I waited an hour & a ½ to view it for about a minute & a ½, max. It was all worth it. I’m glad I was on a time limit, because I could’ve been there for hours making sure I got the best shot I could &/or shots from every angle possible. I did sacrifice a few places for it, time wise, but it was all worth it. I’d still take a tour there though.

The Driehaus Museum was a must for me. I have been LONGING to go here. The Driehaus was where I started the journey of it all. I wasn’t able to see the whole estate, per se, but I fed that need to see it. Maybe I’ll go back.

The Arts Club of Chicago, too, was on my must list of places to visit for the longest. Everything that I had been longing to go see & anything that normally charged an admission to see or anything that I knew would be nearly impossible to get in to because it’s a “private club” of some sort, I pushed that place to the top of the line.

The Old Post Office: I read that Walgreens is expected to make that it’s new [Chicago] headquarters, well, at least have it be 1 of the 2. Or, “campus” rather, as a lot call them now. There was so much “open space” in there & I was like, where are all the cubicles & office spaces. HELLO! Back then, everything was open & people had desks instead of cubicles, even though there is a desk at your cubicle [now]. Makes sense? Probably not. Fine by me. ½ the time I don’t, but I do to me, & that’s all that matters. Now, a lot of people get to work from home. How about that luxury for you? That was probably NEVER a glimpse in the eye for them back then. Hell, for some places now, today, it’s still not an option.

The Blackstone Hotel had some good artwork. I got old school vibes in the Crystal Ball Room. The restaurant there though, I don’t know… The venue called me, not the menu.

I got good shots of Sears Tower, or Willis Tower I should say, from the Gentleman’s Cooperative/ Penthouse Private Club @ 111 W. Jackson rooftop. I also got good shots of downtown buildings & a view of the lake.

The Surgical Museum. I read it’s free on Tuesdays for you Chicagoans. I didn’t know what to expect there. I want to go back when there’s no one there to get a better picture of the room with the statues. Otherwise, there’s nothing really there unless you’re some doctor historian or something.

There was really nothing too special about the Fine Arts Building or Goettsch Partners. At least, I didn’t think so. Maybe better art is produced there than actually displayed? Again, we didn’t have access to everything!

The Elks National Memorial headquarters was nice. There was some detailed work there.

St. Benedict the African Roman Catholic Church & the Columbus Park Refectory were on my list, in high ranking, but unfortunately, I did not get to see them. Those were too far out there for me to go to & it came down to choosing this or that. Sacrifices!

I felt vintage-ish checking out the Grand Ballroom at MacLean Center.

The Monroe Building was also at the top of my list. That was the 2^nd longest line I waited in. The lobby is beautiful.

The Cliff Dweller’s Corner was nice, except for the fact that the fog was hanging low, so I couldn’t get as good of shots that I wanted to.

I waited longer to see Room 13 at The Old Chicago Inn than the actual venue. It had a cool, speak-easy underground feel. I wouldn’t mind checking out a cabaret there. I’m sure some haunted shit goes down there.

I felt successful after the event was over. I even incorporated time to volunteer at my favourite Chicago library, the Newberry Library. When I started my mission to conquer as much as I could, especially the museums & private estates, I had this form of high when I started. It was surreal. Sadly, I didn’t see everything I wanted to. Is it the end of the world, no. I feel very pleased over the places I did. I didn’t just feel like a Californian in Chicago, I felt like an actual Chicagoan. A lot of the venues & “open houses” were along Michigan Blvd. I definitely got to do downtown. I checked out things that were not on my list. Because of OHC, I now have more leads on where I can visit, also in reference to those places I wasn’t able to check out.

Recently, I went to a magic show: “An Evening with Joshua Jay.” I came across it while reading the newspaper. Yes, newspapers still exist in the paper form & yes, they’re still printed & read. When I saw the advertisement, I was like, I HAVE TO GO!!! I love magic. Anything can happen with it. 😉 Just like anything can happen with fiction. 😉 Something called me.

As Joshua Jay opened the show, he told us the theme of the night was time travel. He said we were going to go back in time. He then whipped out a bottle of bubbly out of nowhere. My panties nearly got wet. I like time travel & I love the bubbly! It’s strange, because as of late, I’ve been seeing more things about time travel. [I recently watched AHS season 8 among other things]. The venue was at the University of Chicago, the southside. Hey, the southside needs love, too! It’s not entirely bad. LOL. The university was founded in 1890. The date of the show was October 17, 2019. It was a Thursday. What I also learned/ discovered was the show was about numerology. I am nearly obsessed with numerology. The Number 23 changed my life. I’m telling you, I felt like I was meant to be there. The show was audience participation, obviously. Which one isn’t? Well… Anyhow, Joshua Jay picked a random person from the audience, & made it very clear they had never met, & had them state one of the addresses they lived at in their childhood. Prior to that, he gave another random person an unopened box. No one knew what was inside it. JJ then had another person who recently got a speeding ticket for doing 44 in the 30, let’s just say, come into the picture. He then got another person to randomly pick anything from a grocery store. This person picked M&M’s. You know, the candy that melts in your mouth & not in your hand?!?! JJ did some whacky calculation of the speeding ticket with the address of the random person & came up with a number. That number was concluded as 189010172019. The other random person opened the mysterious box given at the beginning of it all. Guess what the fuck was in there. It was a fucking pack of M&M’s candy. But wait, it gets better! [I’m reliving the moment as I am typing & it is fucking great!!!] Guess what the number on the barcode was. FUCKING 189010172019! OMFGG!! UIC was founded in 1890 & the date, 10.17.2019! OMFGG!!! C R A Z Y! That, my dear, is the art of magic. It was mind blowing! Again, all right in front of my Bette Davis eyes! I was seriously like, holy shit. I knew there was an explanation to it all, but how!?! What if the person chose a banana or something? Joshua Jay also did this really cool trick where he put some random guy’s wedding ring onto the stem of a wine glass. That was interesting. & he took it off, too, without breaking it. The art of magic!

As a part of his finale, Joshua Jay mimicked the record he has broken for memorizing cards. Everyone in the front row received a card, & he had to find it after shuffling the deck continuously. The last card, which was mine, had to be found after throwing the deck up in the air. I was the finale, finale 😉 & everything had to be done in under minute. Yeah, he totally did it. The irony of my card. HA! The king of hearts. Hahaha! Go figure! Anything can happen with magic, right? I wanted to keep the card as a bookmark, a souvenir, but the help wouldn’t let me keep it. Grrrr——

The saying goes, a magician never reveals his tricks. Well, in this case, Joshua Jay gave his audience the inside scoop on how to pull some magic tricks of their own. It was all very subtle. & people are so dumb they’re not paying attention to things going on right in front of their face to catch this guy fooling you. Essentially, you are fooling yourself. That is, the art of magic. One is so focused on one thing they forget the other. They say seeing is believing, but what exactly are you seeing? Is your mind on auto-believe? In case you need to be reminded, not everything you read on the internet is true, either. 😉 When JJ showed us how he performed certain acts, I was like, I am not paying attention… –& I WAS trying to pay attention! Maybe he’s that good. He is easy on the eyes. LOL. Distraction! That’s how he really gets away with it all. 😊 Anyhow, some of the tricks he didn’t give us intel on were mind-blowing. I was like, WTF!?! & I saw right from in the front row! My intentions were to catch him slipping but no! JJ was very good. What acts did he share on? A magician never reveals his tricks. 😉

It was an evening with Joshua Jay, not a night, so it didn’t last forever, sadly. Dude, that guy probably has soooooo many groupies! Like, no lie! & he is probably never lonely! 😉 After his performance, there was a Q&A. The audience got to know a little more about Joshua Jay. There’s your intimate “evening” part. Joshua Jay is from Ohio. There you go! A Midwesterner. Like a lot of artists, he experienced a tragedy & was able to overcome it & channel his hurt energy into something beautiful; he didn’t let anything affect him, that could. Had JJ let his tragedy of almost losing his hands permanently affect him, then he would’ve got nowhere. I appreciate his passion for his craft. He’s an inspiration. Another strong talking point that came about was the blurred lines of being a magician & witchcraft. It’s true & crazy! There are people under the impression magicians can do anything. Anything can happen with magic, right!?!?! Some people REALLY think that! It then made me think of the movie, Oz, The Great & Powerful & AHS season 3. Joshua shared on what it’s like having to come up with your own tricks & how the magic community reacts to “stealing” ideas or having tricks that are near identical to others. He also touched on how it was disappointing that there are less actual magic shops around & available; it’s a dying breed, I guess, which is true! But which stores, physically, aren’t dying down!?! But, I mean, magic is better live & in person. Don’t you think? Yes!

I was struck by it all. & I don’t starstruck, per se. You know, me already being a celeb & all… & because I overthink everything already, the setting, the place of time, all the numerology, everything hit me. It was great. Yes, the English in me came out: JJ/ Joshua Jay, M&M’s, in the southside, SS, me randomly picking up the newspaper. The whipping out of the champagne bottle, me sitting in the front row, the fact that I got the king of hearts card is more hilarious! Joshua Jay had us fooled, yes, as most magicians do, aside from con artists, but we’ll stick to magicians for now. Magic is all orchestrated. It is a form of science, everything boils down to something, but you must do it right. Not everyone can be a magician. This show has added extra excitement to me for an upcoming magic show that I am SUPER excited about. & yes, I had heard about the Chicago Magic Lounge before, but I was reminded when I saw an advertisement in the newspaper!!! —don’t underestimate the power of the newspaper! The Chicago Magic Lounge is having an All Hallows Eve special on All Hallows Eve! How exciting. I’m ready for that one! After the general show, if you upgraded your ticket, then one will be able to see an additional magic act & I guess that is like “opening the vault” for them. I decided to “treat” myself. Without a doubt, I’m going to be tricked.

They say you should never judge a book by its cover. & this past weekend, I did nothing near that. Literally. I got to nerd the fuck out by volunteering at the Newberry Library bookfair. I love the Newberry Library! I don’t frequent it as much as I should, sadly, but that’s a work in progress. I was a little bummed when I learned there were other cool activities going aside from the bookfair during my shift, at what I thought was already a fun thing to do! I should’ve submitted myself for another shift!! Grrr— Should’ve, could’ve, would’ve! Anyhow, it was such a good way to nerd out & do me & be around what I like/ love. I was checking everything — & nearly everyone 😉 out. Lol. I did not discriminate. Literally. 😊

A few months back, I donated a copy of The Cubicle Diaries Volume III for the bookfair & as I was there, I realized I should’ve donated more!!! Screw the profit! I’m more concerned about getting my product around! Great marketing! But whatever, I donated a copy & looked for it as I surfed the stacks. I had no luck finding it. There were so many books! It was literally like looking for a needle in a haystack. & I had to let the customers have the upper hand by not getting in their way. I couldn’t make it that obvious I was pleasing my own needs being around so much art! Plus, what if someone had already snatched it up!?! I’m hoping that.

It was great seeing all the random people, being around all those immortalized authors. In a way, I felt like the guy from You, the show now on Netflix that most don’t know started out on Lifetime! Fun fact. I’m also, in a sense, like Penn Badgley’s charter on Gossip Girl. Anyhow! Books! Because that’s what matters. They’re all recycled. Books are truly the gift that keeps on giving. There’s a nod toward my series of short writings under the name, Clouded Judgment. [keep scrolling]. It’s funny how I got to “experience” that moment in reality as I gazed at all the books instead of just writing about it 2 YEARS PRIOR! WOW!

I was able to bounce around from genre to genre. I was OK, for once, just being a window shopper. I was reminded being a floater had an advantage. The cookbooks were cool. They gave me some food for thought 😉. The books on film & entertainment had me thinking… The travel section: I was like, thanks for the ideas, but I’d rather experience in real life than read. Yes, I could’ve got some leads, but that’s where I challenge myself by “figuring things out.” They gave me a lead for research, so there you go! Someone, or people, donated a bunch of theatre playbills. They dated wwwaaaaaayyyyy back & it got me thinking about my collection of playbills & how I should be going to the theatre soon! I think the blank book section hit me at a soft spot. The opportunity for anyone to write a story, good or bad, I’m for. We don’t always understand art, but that’s OK. That’s kind of the beauty of it. It can be for their eyes only, or for the world to see. Writing, physically, as in pen to paper, I find very therapeutic. That’s why when I’m not blogging or writing & creating future best sellers, I’m writing, writing. I think we all have a story to tell, but it’s up to the individual, or writer 😉, to make it a page turner. I wish I donated books for that section, to give anyone the chance to write. Now, I’m pondering on how important “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield is! The mystery section had me thinking, who are these people? Especially the hotties!!! Please, speak nerdy to me. I had a moment of stillness in the self-help & psychology section. LOL. I was like, not today! 😊 I tried to keep my distance from the classics section. I could feel myself melting every time I got near it. I would be like, yup, I have that one on my bookshelf! The comic books section: I bet people were fishing for gold there. I was also sneaking a peek there to see which ones have made it to the big screen. I’ll admit, I’ve been sucked into the Marvel universe. I’m SUPER excited for the sequel to Doctor Strange. Marvel’s 1^st horror movie! [happy face emoji with hearts as eyes]. I’m also excited to see Robert Pattinson as The Batman. Reminds me, I need to que Gotham. & I’m fascinated with the whole Arrowverse going on. The photography section: in case you didn’t know… photography is a[nother] hobby of mine. It was funny because an aperture book kept standing out to me & I always use aperture. It reminded me how I have been longing to take a photography class! You can teach yourself, but it’s always good to get fresh takes on things. Language books: teach me something new! I was fixed on learning how to say, There’s something in the coffee in any language possible for the longest. No witchcraft books in the religion section. Hmmm… I’m concerned. Or maybe my big eyes didn’t cross any. I did still have to work! I was nostalgic & felt like a kid in the children’s section, thinking anything can magically happen. There was a sense of warmth being there. Then, being in the fiction section, I knew anything can happen in fiction 😉! Hahaha.

The bookfair was organized by genre, yes, but I think the more exciting part, & possible intent, of it is that the books, & DVDs, CDs, games, etc., weren’t highly organized & broken down, so it gave one the opportunity to really expand their horizons & discover more. OH! & I’ll share, with there being various people coming in & out, especially in the city, & with the Newberry being just a rad place in general, you best believe I experienced A LOT of people with BO! I was like, oh no! Next section! People walked away with boxes of books! I overheard many people asking themselves & fellow patrons on how they were going to carry all their goods on the train!?! Ha! City life! 😊

I prayed the entire time I wouldn’t get a papercut or slice myself on a book end. Bookends. All that’s in between. I like volunteering. I don’t do it often, but I do it. I’m all for giving back. & what was even more of a rewarding factor was that I received an email from the Newberry Library stating this past bookfair was the most successful one they’ve had thus far! Could it be because of me?! Of course! That’s [kind of] what they alluded to. 😉 hahaha. Was it because there was an actual author/ celebrity there doing manual labor & not being paid to be seen or sign books or give a read? Who knows!?!? I was trying to be incognito, but you know that paparazzo, they will find their way. Plus, aside from all that, I have a deep interest in the Newberry. I totally feel it. Never underestimate the power of the library & more importantly, NEVER judge a book by its cover.

Mid 2019 has approached! The first half is done! I feel pretty great about everything. How do you? I have to sometimes stop & be like, OK, this is where you’re actually at & I’m totally OK with it! I’ve come a long way. & it keeps getting better! I’ve reached a good place. Not a comfortable place, but a good place. You should never live too comfortably. Yes, it was dark for a while, but after every storm there is a rainbow. Ironically, I’ve actually saw rainbows lately, too. That’s after the acid rain falls & summer storms, of course. Gotta love Chicago & it’s unpredictable weather! That’s life. & remember: we must listen & pay attention when life is talking to us. 2019A ended in a minor storm, but it was only to flush everything out. “When the rain washes you clean, you’ll know.” Right, legendary Stevie Nicks, Fleetwood Mac? The rain has washed me. It was a great midseason finale.

During summer sabbatical I looked forward to exorcising myself of all the bad I’ve encountered as of late, a.k.a. “My Time at ‘Cliniswirl,’” & launching into 2019B clear & happy & headstrong! What’s also great is that everything going on in my fantastic life is GREAT footage for “Midwest’ Best!” Hahahaha! It’s all so crazy! With 2019B launching, that also signifies the second half of season 3! I swear, the story writes itself. Luckily, I’m the EP. It’s magic & anything can happen with magic. I’m excited!

I’ve gotten a lot of answers I was looking for. I’ve done some unofficial soul searching. Things aren’t so easy when you’re indecisive & look at things from 2 solid perspectives. I decided I was going to let things [really] fall into place. There’s only so much in our control! & yes, I still have a soul. Actually, if I haven’t shared already, & if I have, sorry to be repetitive, but my soul, what’s left, 😉 is divided into 3: it’s old, it’s British, it’s Robert Downey, Jr. from the 1980s. All those mixed with me, that is me. That over-the-top-extraordinary individual they call, Ronnie. I felt like I really needed to get back to me! I was in & out of this sick funk. I was still doing me & having a good time, but I knew I needed to make changes in other areas. Otherwise, I was going to really be in a spot I didn’t want to be in, a place that I had worked hard on to let go. Spoiler alert! Season 3A closes with “JC” leaving Cliniswirl, dramatically. Go figure. There’s definitely a bang, or two. Hey! It’s not an Otter Holmes story if it’s not scandalous & fun & thrilling! Then comes a break. I will share, what happens with me & what happens with “JC” are different things. Watch JC, read me. 😊

Aside from exorcising myself of Cliniswirl & the whore-ible bosses that ran the show, or tried to at least, I’ve really focused on catching up on my sleep! I was lacking sleep for a long time. Then came the time where I felt like I was depressed because I was sleeping so much. My hot body just needed to rejuvenate. I’ve also been able to give undivided attention to “Midwest’s Best.” I’ve been able to come up with some crafty stuff for an excellent piece of work. I’m still not ready to premier it. Just know that the cook is in the kitchen with a cool chef hat on.

I arranged it so that I had a few weeks in between leaving Cliniswirl & starting my new gig to do me, hence Summer Sabbatical. I’ll admit, I had originally only planned a week, but after I resigned from Cliniswirl, I was like, yeah, fuck you, be lucky I gave you notice. My two weeks’ notice was actually 2 business days. That should sum it up on how bad I didn’t want to be there. I had to do me. I did go back to LA in the beginning of June, which I would say “launched” summer sabbatical, but it’s always summer there. & I was just beginning to see actual results & answers on where life was taking me. At that time, I was REALLY just going with the flow. That trip was just an escape from the city here. This past LA trip was one of the better ones. I spent a lot of time with my family & things actually went pretty well! I did get to hang out with some friends, not all, but a good handful. & I didn’t need to detox for days when I returned to Chicago. That was an accomplishment. Sometimes, I’ll be down in the dirt & I’m just like, when will I ever learn?!?! But that’s life. I’m still living & learning!

After I quit Cliniswirl, I was eager to go somewhere, travel, get out, do something. It’s not like I’ve deprived myself of anything. I also went on holiday at the beginning of May to the south: Charleston, SC., Myrtle Beach, SC., & Savannah, GA. I was just wanting to feed the travel bug in me. But, again, I knew I needed to chill & sleep & take it easy & in some form or way get reacquainted with Chicago. Chicago IS like an onion, you can keep unpacking it & once you think you’ve learned something about it, dig a little deeper or view what is around you & then you’ll be like, OH!

With this new change, I’m going to see another side of Chicago & I’m going to take it for all its worth! The weather truly was on my side during summer sabbatical. If it did rain, it was an excuse to stay home & I was, & am, OK with that! I love my apartment. I binged watch so much random shit. But when it was sunny, which was a lot, humid or not, I was out & about. I took some of the best pictures that looked seriously picturesque. I was like, this looks fake. I did a lot a nature-like things. I felt like such an old school writer who went to the park & sat under a tree & wrote & pondered. Mentally I escaped from all that was around me. I love when you can find tranquility in or around chaos. I didn’t just spend all my time getting wasted. 😉 Although, there was plenty of that. This little piggy’s fatass started running by the lake again. I got to do a lot of everything. & I wasn’t rushed or limited on time. Like every person who gets super happy, I packed on a little weight, but I was like, fuck it, I’m still hot! & I’m happy, so fuck it! Now, I have to lose it. LOL. It’s all l good. I like exercising. & you best believe I took advantage of whatever free museum days I could! There’s so much to do & see.

I did escape to Detroit, Michigan. I wanted to go somewhere & it was very accessible. Gotta love that Megabus! Plus, it helped me with my I-want-to-see-all-the-Midwest-while-I’m-in-Chicago mission. I’ve been to Michigan, but I hadn’t been to Detroit, only the airport via a layover. I had a good time in Detroit. Everything worked out. I didn’t know Canada was just across the river. I was shocked when I learned there was an MGM Grand! I also have a passion for Motown. While I walked the streets of Michigan, & mind you, I did A LOT of walking, a piece of me wished I had experienced Detroit in its heyday. That place was probably the shit! Now, it sadly carries this stigma of being ghetto & corrupt & dangerous. I was fortunate enough to have a great experience. I saw beauty & greatness in it. There was a lot of great street artwork. It just has to reestablish itself.

Summer sabbatical was exactly what I needed. It really helped turn things around. Everyone always raves about Chicago being the shit in the summer. It was something I had already known & experienced, but now, I think I truly am going to experience something great & different. I feel like I’m going to see a whole new side of Chicago it’s great! I get a fresh start & the opportunity for a new outlook on things.

WARNING: This article has quite the spoilers for the pending premier of Otter Holmes’ fictional hit Hulu series, “Midwest’s Best.” Yes, the show is already a hit & hasn’t even premiered. #buzzworthy

As you may know, I am from Los Angeles, but I currently reside in Chicago. I crashed coming here. It was one of the biggest & best risks I have taken in that thing called “life.” Yes, & sadly, even though we grow older, some still can’t seem to find one. Money can buy you a lot but not everything. & as for those who have said, money cannot buy you happiness, you don’t know where to shop or how to spend. Let the nouveau riche in you out & splurge a little.

Anyhow, back to me, because let’s face it, it’s always about me. 😉 JK! I like to believe I am still humble & SOMEWHAT innocent. Hahahahaha! ANYHOW! I crashed Chicago & didn’t have a job. I gave myself one month to figure shit out. & if you know me, which most don’t, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I started Chicago on a grind, no, not on Grindr, & hustle; this fast thinking mind had to figure something out. At the time, what I did know was, I wasn’t ready to go back to Los Angeles.

I secured 2 jobs within the first couple of weeks of being here. One fulltime, one part-time, both paying low. I just needed something. The fulltime was just something I called “work.” Nothing fulfilling, nothing promising. I then secured a job at the infamous, “Cliniswirl Enterprises.” & that’s when I definitely knew I was staying in Chicago. Thank you, Jesus; Thank you, Fiona Goode; Thank you, Dionysus! I quit that fulltime-dime-a-dozen job & kept the part-timer. I said I was a hustler…

When I first started “Cliniswirl,” I thought it was a great company. See me 3 years later, months only to actually figure it all out. I was sooooo pleased to be there. It’s downfall, at the time: it was in the fucking suburbs! & not just the outskirts, THE FUCKING OUTSKIRTS! Never would I have had of imagined… lol. But that’s me, finding myself in predicaments only one would be like, how in the fuck did I really get here?!?! Sticky situations! Call me “Elmer!”

Anyhow, my first job within Cliniswirl was just to get my foot in the door, I guess. After learning the business of the environment about a few months after I started, I was like, there’s no way in hell I’m staying here! I can’t. Been there, rocked that. That division was the bottom of the barrel. B o t t o m. OMFGG! We’ll call that division, Shit Show 1. It literally was like a shit show, & I don’t use that term often. There was NO communication. You were trained to do something completely different from your job, by people who didn’t actually do your job. It was literally like you were chained to your desk. Your voice was never heard. The only real challenge the job offered was not going off on anyone, keeping your cool. The levels of hate that was obvious in the air, OMG! It was bad. & they hired anyone! Literally! Anyone who could pass a drug test, & even then, a bunch of the scoundrels came via a temp agency, so they probably weren’t tested? Who knows? I mean, yes, even I started there, but I’m not that bad! 😉 I’m not just any random off the streets. I was their rare find. I have waaaaayyyy more to offer than most [of those] people. & no, I’m not being cocky about it either. I know what I’m capable of. Do you? Plus, I was paid very low for that position. VERY low, for the company’s holdings, but it was what that position was paying & that showed a lot & it showed a lot when they weren’t willing to pay more. In retrospect, that was a foreshadowing of the company. I just hadn’t been exposed to the rest of it all, yet. This mega company, a “leader” in the industry. YEAH. FUCKING. RIGHT.

I found myself in a dead-end job. I was like, hell fucken no! I am not getting stuck here. I didn’t like the job & I was over the people. There were very few people I did like, & I’ve learned, don’t stay at a job for the people, stay for you & it’s potential! If you become friends after, then so be it. The commute was not worth the job. NOT. But, Cliniswirl was a big corporation & “always has positions available for growth & opportunity & they like promoting within” & yada-fucking-yada! HA-fucking-HA!! We’ll get into that soon. I mentioned I was becoming miserable in that position, yes? If not, there you go. I dreaded going to work. It was taking a toll on my then hot body. Plus, I was still figuring out life in Chicago. I eventually quit that part-timer.

When you sign on for a job at Cliniswirl, you must be in that position for at least a year. Some positions are 18-months, some 2 years. Lucky for me, all the jobs in the Shit Show 1 division required a stay of 18-months. Go-fucking-figure. I said I find myself in sticky situations. I knew I was not going to last 18-months in that position. There was no way. I had to start looking for a new job & I had just “decided” I was going to stay in Chicago!

Then, a spec of light came from a far. Cliniswirl moved its headquarters closer to the city, which meant my commute was going to be chopped in 1/2. Cliniswirl liked to recruit young talent. They fed off it. That’s because fresh out of college kids who move to the city are desperate for a job & Cliniswirl was desperate to have anyone stay longer than a week after they were thrown with the wolves & not have to work on their ongoing issue of turnover — & not just in Shit Show 1 division, the entire company. Soon the secret will be shared…

As a part of recruiting city talent & being so far out there in butt-fuck Egypt, Cliniswirl had shuttles that went from the city to the suburbs, & they heavily promoted public transit. So, Cliniswirl not only paid you, they actually paid for you to get to work. The shuttle was what kept me. It was a bonus I was never privileged to.

It was learned Shit Show 1 was NOT moving closer to the city. That was bad news #1. I was going to be stuck at that company going further than everyone else. Bad news #2: they were cutting off the shuttle I was taking —basically the only thing, aside from a check, that kept me there. Cliniswirl was only going to offer shuttles to the new, closer location. FUCK ME! I don’t drive, I’m a city boy. Driving, in this city, doesn’t really make sense & it’s fucking expensive! The worst was pretty much there.

Then, the best thing my director, “Barb,” at the time, did for me, aside from giving me a job, was grant me permission to bid out of my position at 1-year instead of 18-months. Cliniswirl knew they weren’t keeping their end of the bargain when it came to recruiting city people & the benefits they offered. The sucky thing: I STILL had a few months to get to the 1-year mark. Fuckers. It was sooner than later though. They weren’t going to let me work remotely. YEAH RIGHT! Not from home or from the closer office. Mind you, there was also a Cliniswirl office in the heart of downtown Chicago! All these resources & one could not utilize them. But they also let people work in other states without management… Believe me, I will get into that later. So many contradicting double-standards there. This is just the tip…

My commute was HELL for a few months. HELL! I seriously don’t know anyone who would do the commute I did. Mind you, I don’t drive & I wasn’t going to get a car. It went from bad to worse. Them midwestern winters… But, like an idiot, I was loyal. & like an optimist, I saw the brighter side of things. I was also very fucking patient. I made the best out of my situation.

My 1-year mark approached & I wasted no time looking for a new job within the company. I had started before then. I went on holiday to Mardi Gras, & yeah, I was recharged, after coming down & detoxing –I will NEVER stay 6 days in New Orleans again, not a good idea, but 10 minutes into returning “back to the cubicles” of Cliniswirl’s Shit Show 1 division, I wanted to walk right back out. It was like watching plastic melt. All that I had gained, I lost. & I don’t mean weight. I put my internal job search pedal to the metal. I was seriously like, fool, what are you doing here?!?

Yeah, most people would’ve given up on the company, but I had worked hard to get there & I didn’t want my experience of Shit Show 1 to affect my entire outlook of Cliniswirl. I knew there was more to it. I just had to survive bootcamp. What comes easy won’t last, what last won’t come easy.

With the help of the gods & life doing its thing & persistence & my charm you will never admit you love, I landed a position in division Shit Show 2. I felt like it was a total upgrade, my own personal promotion. Hell, for all I know, becoming the janitor was getting a promotion after leaving the trenches of the company. That place was disastrous. I don’t know how people work in those situations. When the atmosphere is very public & obvious, have a little dignity for yourself. If you could land that job, you could more than likely find something better. Have some confidence in yourself.

While in Shit Show 1, one of my old –pun intended– department-mates, an old, annoying, loud, desperate seeking attention, old maid, who I nicknamed “Chupacabra,” was recorded on the company phone line gay bashing another department-mate. It was reported & all that bitch got was a slap on her nasty tired face. Then, there was the time I met probably the craziest, scariest person in my life. & not in any attractive-way-like either. I would say, THIS BITCH WAS PSYCHO!! I had never felt so watched & stalked in my life. I had pity on the bitch, but again, have some dignity for yourself & know when to step back! Yeah, I’m a celeb & all & I should be aware of the packaged deal… But this deal was the real deal! & I was like, yeah, there are straight up crazies in the Midwest, like they talk about… That bitch still haunted me after I moved to Shit Show 2, & that was when I had to get nasty. It was awkward in that division, & in retrospect, the whole company.

Things got better, for a moment. I felt a lot better about Cliniswirl & my situation when I moved to Shit Show 2. I was soooo happy to be out of Shit Show 1. SO HAPPY! I was in a whole new environment, new world. I was closer to the city, too. So, new real estate also. The building itself was a total upgrade. It wasn’t like they were trying to dress an old person in a young person’s clothes. At the time, my attitude was, hard work DOES pay off. That spec of light turned into a beam, I nearly thought I had died! I decided to place my stunner shades on & everything was back under control.

It turned out it was more of a flash in the pan instead. There was more & better of everything, for the right reasons. My transition reassured me that Shit Show 1 was a disastrous shit show. Shit Show 1 was like a big, huge, angry beast in a small kennel that obviously did not fit, coming out of the cage; the manpower was out ruled by the demand for business. All the while, Barb was doing nothing to perfect it, nor did I think she was going to. She passed everything on to people who didn’t care. As long as business stayed somewhat afloat, & nothing was extremely obvious, nothing money couldn’t fix, the management did not give a rat’s ass. That rat was evolving into the mother possum.

Barb’s management staff had no interest, swirls in their eyes & they were sober, I think. It was all dead-end. Barb was never around either. Doing what? Only God knows. & Lucifer. I liked Barb. I knew where she was lacking, but I liked her. I was surprised to know how many people hated her. Maybe my perspective is different. Well, it’s different.

Coincidentally, Barb & my new director, “Christine,” knew each other. They were both Cliniswirl lifers & both had big egos. Barb’s wasn’t as bad as Christine’s. Different ballgames. I felt like, as big as Cliniswirl was, was as small as Cliniswirl was. Word got around fast & everyone seemed to know everything & everyone & everyone was always playing some game or card. Looks were deceiving. Everyone wears a mask.

I fell in love with my new position, & it took me a lot & long time to fall out. I think it was because I was more invested on what the tasks called for & offered me: exercising my skills, office skills that was — & I mean actual office skills, not like the scandalous ones needed in The Cubicle Diaries 😉. The environment: I was able to keep tame, in my mindset, & not let it get to me, as bad. I have been in shitty environments, so at first, Shit Show 2 didn’t bother me in the way it bothered my peers. Shit Show 2’s atmosphere was better than Shit Show 1’s. It was shady versus ghetto, still both unprofessional environments.

One of the many downfalls of Cliniswirl was, it was growing faster than it could manage –everywhere. & Cliniswirl was not really for investing into protocol enhancement & it did not invest into its people, especially good or decent beings. A lot of different management teams claimed they were for process improvement, but every time I discussed it or proposed it, it wasn’t acknowledged, shined upon. It was all at their leisure, as if they were actually someone. I’m sorry, I thought I was at some movie studio or something. & everything with the “manager,” “Zoey,” was, next quarter, next quarter.

Every shit show division claimed there was good structure & leadership & training & SOPs, but in reality, the known secret, aside from Cliniswirl being a private company, which meant it could do whatever it wanted to & get away with it, was doing  things “the Cliniswirl way,” which meant you figured everything out on your own! One received no real training! You were thrown with the wolves, literally, in the deep end, & it was up to you to figure it all out. By the way, everyone was inundated. Even the management. That’s why they never saw anyone gone from their cubicles, note: certainly not happening in Shit Show 1, not going on multiple long breaks or surfing the internet doing EVERYTHING @ their privacy-less cubicle or watching movies, while standing up in their face or in one of the huddle rooms, or smoking in the huddle rooms or doing inappropriate things in the bathroom while surfing hook-up apps that started in their privacy-less cubicle 40 minutes prior! Or just gone or not knowing they showed up for work. But this did not all occur on your time, dear prior management, & in return not let one work remotely because you didn’t trust them or wanted to maintain you power by dictating or claim that you were competitive with other employers but couldn’t & didn’t want to keep up with the Joneses, was it?

“Cliff” was Christine’s boss. Cliff had a Napoleon Bonaparte-like syndrome with a Machiavellian attitude. I don’t know what was worse. Cliff was all bark & no bite, an overgrown brat. Cliff was super loud, & liked to inject fear into people, especially his management staff. Cliff had very strong ties to the “executive office” at Cliniswirl. If only they knew all that he said about them. I’m surprised they hadn’t heard from his office 2 floors down! Everyone kissed Cliff’s ass, & it was very obvious & annoying. I think one of the major issues I had with my management of Shit Show 2 was that I didn’t kiss their ass & I didn’t play the game & they knew I wasn’t going to do it & they hated it, they used that against me. I know my value & again, I wasn’t going to stoop down.

Working at Cliniswirl, I saw another angle of corporate environment. The egos – LMFAO!!! The budding one of “Zoey,” my former “manager.” “Zoey,” as Christine would say when she was talking down to/ about someone, which was most of the time because she was a wannabe know it all, & wannabe bitch, was as useful as tits on a bull. Zoey was lazy & entitled. She was NEVER around. When she became the “manager,” or as most referenced her, additional waste of the division’s money, her ego began to grow larger than her head, & gut. She was given the position. She lost out on another gig & NO ONE wanted “Valerie” in it. Too bad, everyone frowned after she was crowned.

“Valerie” was my previous supervisor who “resigned” but we all know she was forced to quit, because that was the position she put herself in, the position Christine allowed her to be in for so long! Everything went back to dumbass Christine! She was the incompetent that had allowed most of everything to happen. She was to blame, especially if Valerie, who was deemed as the problem was gone. Cliff, as controlling & dictating as he liked to be, had a soft spot for Christine, & vice versa, & it was sick & gross. A lot, not all, like me, were fearful of Christine, too, & I would just laugh in & at her sad face.

Back to what I was saying… Zoey was the pointless manager who had a budding ego, like one of the sad directors, “Tessa.” There were so many things comedic about “Tessa.” I’d giggle to myself when I would see, or hear, her stomping around the office. Tessa would try to act like a hardcore bitch. Tessa’s claws, & tongue, were always out. Tessa was not thirsty, she was dehydrated. & she would purposely hire youngin’s. I would be like, bitch, I’ve fried bigger, battered fish than you! When thinking her claws were out toward me for some specific reason. Tessa’s ego, like Zoey’s, was comedic & entertaining, like when you watch a dog walk on its hind legs. A lot, not all, were intimidated by Tessa, too. Tessa & Christine were office frenemies/ rivals, especially when it came to Cliff. They would prance around the office, not only like their shit didn’t stink, but like they owned the bitch, & they would compete for Cliff’s attention & then shout & joke about being able to control their boss & tell him what to do. It was gross.

I want to get into a lot, but I don’t want to get into everything. Stay tuned for “Midwest’s Best!” What I will share is, over time, I became fed up with EVERYTHING at Cliniswirl, all across the board. I wasn’t down for it [anymore]. It no longer called me; I saw no real opportunity there. In Shit Show 2, I was more exposed to the other shitty divisions & it became a no-go for them, too. There was no [more] FOMO. The place, as a whole, was very obvious to me & everything was “well known.” It wasn’t until the end of my stay when I actually realized everything, especially other shitty things done to employees in other shitty divisions & racism, to say the least. Talk about awakening! An Epiphany! Plus, I’m pretty sure, actually, I was assured by Tessa, that Christine abused a lot of her power by doing what she could, get away with, by not letting me transfer. There were all sorts of “subtle” forms of retaliation I could resort to. I did say, spoiler alert! 😉

Everything was clear to me & my peers & the dead, but somehow not really clear to the HR rep, “Iris.” “Iris…” HA! We had a pleasant interaction at my exit interview. It was funny[ier] the second time we met; she was a lot nicer & her attitude changed. I told her a lot. I was upfront & clear about everything. It was my time to speak why it didn’t work out at Cliniswirl: the battles, the actual truth-hurting reasons, all that was wrong with it, & I was going to be vocal. I held nothing back. Of course, she defended the company & management. If her & I agreed on something mutually, I don’t recall it. I don’t recall her actually agreeing with me on anything. There was more of an understanding with Valerie & “Jack-off Jeff.” It was more of an understanding & she was reserved about it.

I could see the black in her blue eyes. Iris knew nothing was going to be done. Why? Because I was leaving, they were relying on the turnover rate to “clean” everything up [& fuck up the fresh start they were hoping for], & it resorted to Cliniswirl being a private company that did whatever it wanted to & hopefully get away with it. I felt like meeting with Iris was not much of a help. She tried to dismiss all my arguments, kick them to the curb. I began to see she had succumbed to that sad place. This was all nothing new. I was another providing actual proof. Some just need to be reminded, I don’t just blow smoke, I spit fire.

One of Iris’s many excuses for the behavior of the company was, this company was not built overnight, & if you’re expecting things to change overnight, you’re wrong. Um, I’m sorry, but people have been complaining about the way it was for how long?!?! Known secrets! Don’t act like what I shared was new news or just gossip or complaints of a disgruntled employee [hmmm…. that would be a good title… 😉]. Everyone had the same story. & since Valerie left, yes, with your help because Christine was only going to keep sweeping things under the rug like she knew how, but fuck, even that literally took a village, an army, the real problem was illuminated & that was Christine.

Christine wasn’t good with confrontation, so she would always pull the bitch & old school seniority card out on people to intimidate them & scare them off. But, like Cliff, she, too, was all bark & no bite. Christine knew I am my own person & what I’m possibly capable of. & my last, last, last, last, last straw was when that inexperienced, uneducated, egotistical fill-in-the blank-here improperly evaluated me, & probably wasn’t expecting me to find out either, but I did 😉, to a potential boss within the company that happened to be very candid with me about the situation. It was on the slanderous side, instead of the usual scandalous. For someone like Christine who didn’t like drama, sure started it. I refused to be judged by someone like that. & if there were things that occurred under their reign, Shit Show 2’s whore-ible management, that made them look bad & not in control, then that was their bad & it was an obvious sign they did not have control over their department; that was an indication of their weakness[es]. The older people were more childish than the younger people. & if it looked like any of its non-members of management had control over the management or department, then that individual should not be penalized. It would be the management’s fault that they’re not in control.

Good things did come out of Cliniswirl. There are a few plotlines in “Midwest’s Best” take place at Cliniswirl; writing inspiration. I met some great people there, some fucking hottt people. (There was a lot of eye candy!). There was a gym & discounted lunches, but & more importantly, I met “Charlie” a.k.a. “Bill,” my costar on “Midwest’s Best.”

I did experience a different kind of “scandal in the office” work drama. That was not my mission. At first, when I started & when people started finding out I write, they were like, are you going to write about us!?!? My response was, no, you’re not that interesting. Then, later down the road, people then started saying they didn’t want to be written about. They assumed I was writing about them, because they knew they were being shady!!! & my response then, was, well, don’t give me reasons to write about you & I won’t! I, again, found myself in a situation where the story writes itself 😉.

Getting out of Cliniswirl was my number 1 priority. I was ready to move on. I was tired of riding the waves of drama. I had all the answers I needed to not be there. Plus, I was not going to have my Chicago stay, because as much as I love it, Chicago is not forever…, be defined by Cliniswirl. Hell-fucking-no. It was a great experience, but I don’t ever want to go back. I was reminded, I only needed this job to stay in Chicago. & now that I’m situated, I can move on up & out! It’s time to work & live in the city & unwrap a whole new part of the city & more importantly “Midwest’s Best!”

-unknown artist

438 pages. 25, some rather long, chapters. The height of the series. The conclusion. That’s “The Cubicle Diaries: Anything to Be on Top.” My God! I seriously thought this day would never come. This is literally something I’ve dreamt of & pushed so hard to make happen. I put A LOT of pressure on myself, & one of the few of my many flaws is, I’m tooooo hard on myself. So, imagine that. I just kept thinking, I must produce this, I must get to the finish line. & here I am! Out of breath, sweaty like the pig I am, or rhino I should say, & thirsty like a mo’fo! Hydrate me! Pop the mother fucking champeeeezy! This makes 3!

I’ll be honest, I was REALLY pushing for the book to go live in 2018, the way latter of 2018, but that thing called ‘life’ tended to get in the way of things, as it does, especially if you’re living a good one. Anyhow, while I was editing volume III, which took all of 2018, I then started to tell myself, don’t rush. I mean, good art should NOT be rushed, that’s a fact & I can definitely speak from experience. 😉 I was torn because there was a piece of me that kept telling myself, get it done, get it done! That’s the on occasion impatient part of me, but I just call that my drive. 😉 & then there was the piece of me that was like, don’t burn yourself out! Don’t half-ass it. I didn’t want my passion for my project to die out. I still wanted it more than ever, yeah! But I didn’t want the “I’m over it!” feeling & have it be like it was something I was obligated to do & not be able to enjoy. Because I knew one day, I would reflect & miss it & then have remorse over those emotions, especially if I truly love my work. It’s kind of like having braces, going to college –college work wise— or doing a TV show. You live and love it at first, it’s exciting, then you get over it, then you want out & years down the line, you’re like, that was a great time of my life! I wanted to take it all in. Blowing off social events because I had to edit, not calling such & such to have a 2-hour convo about nothing, not going to that free museum, not sleeping, being somewhat anti-social, writing/ editing on the way to work, on my lunch, on the way home, stopping myself from avoiding the author representatives on their follow-ups for the finished product: all things I loved doing for the sake of my book series, my project, my life! I did have self-discipline, obviously, but they, “the company” helped me, too, a lot, & I encouraged them to.

I took my time with the cover art. I thought, how can I make this one different from the others? We see the black rose –multiple times. We see people gossiping, watching each other, & “working” together. Let’s see where the “magic” happens, lets go to where it all started: the cubicle. This cover art is very different, it’s in color! As for the back-cover art, I thought, do I stick to what I’ve done to make it a whole, or do I really switch gears? The front’s getting a makeover. I saw the inner MEs -LOL- battling with each other in another form. Decisions, decisions… In the meantime, all I did was continue to work on the editing & let time make the decision making over my uncertainty. Then I was re-re-reminded, never give up!

I also had to think, this is the conclusion, how am I going to make this all work? Make it different? I have a good product, that’s not played out –which is in my favor, & my take is a fresh take. I’ve focused on making my product unique & fresh with a take that hasn’t been done before. I like turning, thickening plots, no dragging the foot, a little on the faster movement, a hint of old school –just a hint! Traditional and classy elements where they should be. If something is boring to you, it’s going to be boring to your readers. You must keep them wanting more —literally!

Then, there was “Holiday Madness.” All I’ve ever done is talk about “Holiday Madness.” It’s the height of the story, the near climax –pun intended. 😉 It’s the longest chapter of the series! I had to divide it into 2 & even those individually are long! It’s thematic. In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a 7 deadly sins theme to the now chapters. The chapters, at the time they were 1, took me 3 weeks to edit, & I was consistent. “Holiday Madness” is a story of its own; a story within a story! A true teleplay. 😉 I LOVE “Holiday Madness,” but I think “Skeletons in My Cubicle Drawer” is probably my more favourite chapter. It shares soooo much! Hell, it’s just as long! & besides, “Holiday Madness” is something of its own.

One of my other major accomplishments for volume III is the crossover between “The Cubicle Diaries” & “Midwest’s Best.” This crossover is the start of something new, new & great! I’ve given away a lot in this entry, but I won’t give away everything! One of our beloved villains makes a major move from the west coast to the Midwest. That individual will relocate to Chicago & have interactions with & become a recurring figure on the fictional hit Hulu TV show, “Midwest’s Best.” This individual will cross paths with “JC” & “Charlie” & start anew in the white city, & this person is ready to paint red all over it.

This volume, I feel, truly is scandalous. Yes, the others are, too, but this one… my God! There’s a particular plotline where you’re just like, damn! That’s super shady & fucked up & this person works with that person! I wasn’t joking when I decided to have Trust No One as 1 of the 2 main taglines. The other being, Know Your Coworkers, which is also very true, in reality & in the book. & Yes, there are a lot of OMG! moments. The sexxx scenes are graphic. You’re welcome. 😀 I hope as a reader you get aroused. You’re welcome. 😉 Volume III has a few different backstories going on. The cast of characters is reduced, somewhat. I swear, when I think of some of the chapters & plotlines & interactions among the characters, I hear a score of violins going on in the back of my mind. “The Cubicle Diaries” is very episodic, very TV show, or soap opera, -like. I want to say “Agnes” is more evil than comedic? I’ll let you be the judge of it. The narrator has not lost its sense of sarcasm & is on the way of being one of the best storytellers, to-date. Everyone gets their last hoorah. Even people we haven’t heard of since volume I. It’s very full circle like. Everyone wants to be on top –pun intended & some do. Volume III is more cutthroat & grander than ever.

It’s funny, because people who have read the first volume tell me that it’s scandalous & what the characters do to each other is brutal. & then, they learn it’s just the beginning of a series & they’re shocked even more! My usual answer, there’s A LOT more & it gets better! & that’s the thing about “The Cubicle Diaries,” it gets better & better. I didn’t want everything paraded out in the first volume. I planted the seeds, watered it, & have watched it blossom. I love every volume, but this may be my favourite. Don’t quote me. I also recently had someone share with me, no matter how subtle I tried to be about “closing” everything up, LOL, that he thought I could go for a fourth if I wanted to. It had me thinking…

New novel charts the dramas and scandals of corporate American life

Otter Holmes releases third and final installment of ‘The Cubicle Diaries’ book series

CHICAGO – Otter Holmes is back in the literary limelight with the third and final installment of “The Cubicle Diaries” book series that creatively exposes dramas and scandals of corporate American life. The series follows the lives of officemates who experience the perils and pleasures of mixing their personal and professional lives.

In “The Cubicle Diaries: Anything To Be On Top – Volume III” (published by Xlibris), limits and relationships within the Los Angeles walls of The Firm Firm are pushed to a height like none before. Personal levels and workflow are more intense and cutthroat than ever, especially to secure the seat that only suits one. The third volume depicts that some employees, frenemies and foe workers will do “Anything To Be On Top.”

Main protagonist Derek drives the story. Making his life more interesting are Louva, the office gossip queen and a frenemy of Derek; Agnes, the volume’s main villain; Doris, the human resources director and the ongoing villain of the series; Mingche, an employee of The Firm Firm and a frenemy of both Derek and Louva. She is also an opportunist and someone who wants to be on top; veteran comedic relief acts Karla and Ramona; MaryHelen, an entitled diva around the office; Amanda, another entitled diva around the office and a frenemy of MaryHelen. Readers will find an interesting connection between Derek, MaryHelen and Amanda; and Samuel, the director from The Firm Firm’s Northern California office. He has a dark history and side to him.

“It’s relatable. It’s entertaining. There’s at least one character in the book that people will be like, yeah, I work with that kind of person,” says Holmes.

Ultimately, “The Cubicle Diaries: Volume III” is not just a story of corporate life but life in general and what it means to be human in a competitive world.

“The Cubicle Diaries: Anything To Be On Top – Volume III”
By Otter Holmes
Hardcover | 6×9 in | 438 pages | ISBN 9781984569202
Softcover | 6×9 in | 438 pages | ISBN 9781984569196
E-Book | 438 pages | ISBN 9781984569189
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Originally from Los Angeles, California, Otter Holmes currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. He enjoys travelling, photography and being a good storyteller.

Recently, I got a new Microsoft program. Why? Because yours truly must write. & nothing is forever & always. Subscriptions must be renewed. & as much as I would like to, I can’t just write on paper & then upload it to the internet. Or maybe I can…? Hmmm… & since everything is downloadable via the internet now, those days of printing, pictures more notably, but even things on paper, too, & using CDs, has nearly become obsolete, the program’s key-code was printed on a paper card. One might say even that’s a little ironic. The problem? The sticker that covered the key-code wasn’t user friendly. It was hard to come off & when it did, it peeled off the damn code! & whatever didn’t peel off was rubbed off! WTF?!? I was like, great! & since, now, a lot of “Customer Service” is via some stupid chatroom or a list of links that eventually only ask you, was that helpful? NO! They never are! Those stupid chatrooms are no help either. A lot are not good at communicating, let alone via typed words. I was like, great! I’m screwed! & then, of course, we know how some major AMERICAN corporations do, they outsource everything to some foreign country where the language barrier is worse than the chatrooms that are probably outsourced, too! & us American consumers who support these AMERICAN products know we’re going to face a challenge calling these “Customer Service” numbers not only because of the language barrier but because of the stupid, horrendous automated system that refuses to connect you to someone live, foreign or not! & half the time the automated system can’t recognize your voice! OH, & don’t get me started when it is so quick to just hang up on you after being on the phone for over 20 minutes!

So, I call, after digging & digging for an actual number to dial. Yes, on a phone to use that thing called a voice, to hopefully speak with a live person to get to the point and not have to interact with some distant relative of Suri or Alexa, or my current roommate, Google home. I was eventually connected to someone, go figure, overseas. The experience went rather well. I didn’t/ don’t want to be biased, or for God’s sake, seen as racist, because you can’t do a Goddamn thing now without being perceived as a racist. BUILD A BRIDGE & GET THE FUCK OVER IT! As harsh as it may sound, it’s NOT all about you. It’s about ME! LOL. Stop being like the stereotype, then people won’t discriminate you. The guy & I chatted for a bit, a 2-hour bit. I’d about say we’re new BFFs now and when, not if, I go to the Philippines I have a tour guide and somewhere to stay. I talked to him more than I do with some of my acquaintances. Hell, even some of my family members! Because now-a-days no one talks, they fucking text! & no one knows how to use a fucking period. They just know how to act like they’re on one! & that they do really good. When I read people’s emails & texts & posts, I’m like, WTF are you saying?!? It looks like one long ass sentence. & mind you, I’m not a scholar, it’s just so damn obvious. & everyone relies off of spill check! LOL. Maybe it’s just the English in me.

Anyhow, we got to talking & we started talking about work & how it is for them over there & how their hours accommodate Americans and yadayadayada. Everyone accommodates Americans, except for the Americans, because, again, it’s all about us. 😉 They basically work graveyard all the time. Then, we started talking about wages. I didn’t want to get too personal because that’s personal. But we all know why American companies outsource in the first place. I know they get pennies to our great American dollar. Then, we started talking about the exchange rate. I know the Philippines is cheap, but I learned more from the conversation. Then, I got to really thinking. I thought, these fucking American companies! They charge an arm & a leg for products, expect Americans to pay it, which they do! & then pay these people pennies to the dollars & on top of that, refuse to give Americans those jobs to invest into their own country. But isn’t that how it all works? Greed. Meanwhile, these CEOs, American fucks with their own ego, probably larger than the size of their gut that they rest their clasped hands on, are raking in fat paychecks, stealing from the company, causing the economy to go down & then expect to get bailed out by the Government, when needed. It’s all a vicious cycle, that’s the “American” way, & in a sense, it’s something to do. Anyhow, that’s nothing we all haven’t already known, yes? BUT at the same time, on the contrary, America is helping these people be exposed to a life they would have never experienced, talking and meeting interesting & celebrity-like people like me. We’re giving them their American dream, kind of. It’s just very, very distant. I mean, with the rise of virtual reality, it’s basically like they’re here, so maybe THEY are having their cake & eating it, too?

The rep basically told me they earn $7 USD a day, which can be “decent” for them. $7 USD?!? WTF?!? I was like, OMFGG! Is any minimum wage in the U.S. even $7.00, per hour? $7 USD can only get you so far at the Dollar Tree/ 99 cents store & the dollar menu — at certain fast food restaurants! In American eyes, they must save for months to actually do something risky, if they can, because most of them believe in getting married and having children at a young age. HA! Makes me wonder, are there foreign millennials? I think not. They still have values & morals, so no. I took away so much from that convo, that short 2-hour convo that probably could’ve jeopardized his job. Sorry fella! They, I believe, truly appreciate their job, unlike most Americans. No American in their right mind would work for $7 a day, not even under the table! Most would barely work for that triple an hour. It’s just not possible. & I think almost anything is possible. 😉 This isn’t 1934. According to Americans, they don’t make enough as it is. They, we, never do, which is true because of the greedy American companies that are here, & then you have to think about living expenses, because everyone is entitled to a little fun. All work & no play?!? Get real! & then there’s Tio Sam, as I call him. That fucker comes first, literally. I guess it is a “man’s world” because there isn’t a Tia Samantha. But in time there probably will be, especially with all these movements. & everyone’s always complaining about housing being sooooo expensive, too! Then, I laugh, hard –er! & these American companies expect you to just take it & swallow it. It’s worse for the locations, in America, where there really isn’t much to offer & these people HAVE to take it — & swallow it.

Here I am getting a program to write stories, more notably about the workplace, the American workplace, as scandalous as can possibly be; a story/ triology 😉 that brings to light allllll the things we shouldn’t be doing during work hours, but we do, well most, because I still believe, not necessarily so naively, that there are Americans that actually care for their job, that are still here, & don’t just IM or surf the internet or gossip all day, or falsify documents just so they don’t have to actually work or call in sick from being tooooo hung over, or call in late to go on a job interview to contribute to the bad habits of the next workplace where they hope they’ll get even more money, or are scoping out their next colleague they want to shag or ruin! & this affects EVERYONE, even the scared little chicken shits that pretend like they don’t want to be involved but do, because the only thing worse about being noticed is not being noticed, & those chicken shits gossip when no one is around, or at least think no one is around. Plus, someone WILL sell your bitchass out. Nice people are nice, but essentially, they have no backbone & are just as guilty as anyone else. Believe me, I wanted to ask the rep that soooo bad if all that occurs, but I know the business. Of course, it probably does!

It’s a game for the corporate American foreigners, too, because in their eyes, they have a “good job,” but because there’s so much Goddamn outsourcing, they’ll just bounce to the next American company that’s over there. I also started to think, does “The Cubicle Diaries” really occur there? [I’ve pretty much answered my own questions!] Hell yes! Stupid question(s) to myself! No one likes their boss! The cutthroat aspect of it, yes! There’s probably a lot of pressure on them to keep us Americans happy, because at the end of the day that is all that matters…, so their contract doesn’t get pulled and sourced to another 3rd world country. I’m sure a lot of mixing business with pleasure goes on there, too. Put a bunch of people, attractive or not, in a confined space, & someone is bound to hook-up. We all have needs, literally! The guy is married —- to his coworker. They met there. Go figure. But do they have scandal and drama? Yes! I’m sure the ones who actually deal directly with the corporate Americans, that gave them their job, the foreign “higher ups,” are probably just as cocky as the next American, or probably are American themselves housed there. Do these corporate American companies that are currently being foreign treat their employees the way a lot of corporate American companies on American soil treat their employees like here & try & instill in their mind that this is the only & best job you’ll ever have, & that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, & good luck finding a new job because when they call for a reference, you won’t get one, a good one? Yes! The rules may be different, but the game is all the same. Is there a legal system there, employment wise, like there’s one here? I’m not sure. Because we all know, aside from being “great,” how shady & scandalous, & entitled & pompous –OK, I’m stopping, Americans can be & some will go to any extreme to blackball you, especially when it comes to your income. All it takes is a few words… Plus, given my exchange with many foreigners, the men are EXTREMELY cocky, & I’m just like, kick it, fool! What do you REALLY have to offer? I’ve experience that in America, imagine non-domestically, & not to sound racist, here we go again… disclaimer needed, this isn’t your hometown/ country. It’s a privilege for you to be here, so don’t try acting like a dictator in a free country – yes, this is still a free country! There’s a reason why your family left where it’s from. Don’t get ahead of the game. It annoys me when foreign people come here & begin to bad mouth America & begin to feel entitled. I’m just like, shouldn’t you be thankful you’re here?!? Who in the hell do you think you are?!? It’s so annoying when they get mad they can’t take advantage, yes, advantage because they do, & even natural born citizens are worse! of Government benefits & not have to work. Be like everyone else & get yourself a fucking job!

Then I thought, if it wasn’t for work, socially, would we be the people we are? Work life is very crucial to us. For some, it’s all they have. Some, or most, dread it. & then there’s the ones, the few, who literally have never worked a day in their life. No happy hour after work for you! It’s happy hour every hour. I wanted to ask, do you get free health insurance, but I didn’t want to go there, because I pretty much know the answer. I also wanted to ask about PTO & OT, but we were on the phone for too long already. & then I thought, sadly, no wonder these places outsource… I also couldn’t help but think, do they feel like an American working for an American company dealing with American people? They are people, too. All it really is, is corporate America, foreign.