Tired of my Attire

Ya know, when your unemployed, sometimes the hardest part of the day is deciding what t-shirt to wear. Most of my t-shirts are of the short sleeve variety and just about all of them, have some sort of dopey saying or colorful image plastered over the middle (I just got an awesome Spy vs. Spy shirt! Sweeeeeett!!).

But when it’s time to ‘step it up’ a bit, I tend to reach for the traditional, collared, solid color golf shirt. I know what you’re saying, if that’s his ‘step it up’ look, I would hate to see ‘formal’. Speaking of ‘formal’, that is usually some sort of long sleeved button down with crisp starched collars that can cause skin abrasions when worn for more than 30 minutes. It’s more like Velcro than silk. Anyway, those ‘armor’ styled shirts are still hanging in my closet, with the dry cleaning tag still attached (and hopefully the blood stains removed).

Back to the golf shirts; the ones I have are mostly just solid prints, with the occasional striped accents ala Bobby Brady and not too many logos (an alligator or someone’s initials stitched on my upper left chest? I think not!). Basic golf shirts, too me, are one step up from the classic ‘Guinness’ t-shirt.

Then, a while back, my wife returned home with the most awesome-ist, down-right kick ass, most totally wicked traditional golf shirt I have ever seen. And, it has a logo – this logo –

Check out that bunny head. Totally cool. Yes, I now have a very cool Psycho Bunny traditional golf shirt (in a blue solid print, of course). And, it doesn’t matter where I go, someone always manages to comment on my new, way cool ‘polo.’ “It’s not a traditional polo,” I am sometimes asked for which I answer, “It still has a collar and two buttons so I think this still qualifies as a ‘polo’.”

http://www.psycho-bunny.com/servlet/StoreFront

Does wearing this shirt make me want to listen to ‘Psycho Killer’ by the Talking Heads or ‘Psycho Analysis’ from the Ramones? Not really. But take note all you alligator wearing, collar up two initials sporting ‘polo’ looking guys, do yourself a favor and think outside the proverbial golf shirt box. Grab yourself a Psycho Bunny polo and snub your nose at convention. I like to think of the Universe as wearing the alligator and me wearing the Bunny. Psycho Bunny, that is. (I don’t work for the Psycho Bunny, I’m just a fan).

What's in a name?

Totally Wink.

What a strange surname and domain title. What kind of person uses such a creative and thought provoking alias?

Well, it’s not so thought provoking as one might think, but it still catches folks’ attention.

So, here’s the story of how Totally Wink became such a phenomenon (well, at least in my head).

Years ago, when I was a young lad, I was in a cover band that was going to focus all its songs on the 1970s. Didn’t matter who the artist was (Captain and Tennille) or what the song sounded like (‘September’ by Earth, Wind and Fire). We were going to do the songs our own way (damit!).

One night, during a band meeting at the local Chili’s Restaurant, we reviewed our set list, pondered gig schedules, and discussed attire. Everything was going very smoothly (as were the industrial strength margaritas – on the rocks with salt) when it dawned on us that we lacked the one thing a working band needs, a name.
“Who were we?” we thought in between bites of our epic beef nachos and salsa. “What’s our niche” we deliberated while alternating our margarita and beer consumption. Finally, the lead singer announced, “We need a 70’s icon that we can have as the face of this band, so everyone start thinking about that” (this was before smartphones were invented). Well, that only left me (the bass player) and the singer as we were both born in the 60s and the drummer and guitar player were born during Disco’s peak (i.e. they had no clue).

So, names were launched out – Mr. T? Nah. Fonzi? No way. Poncherello? “What the hell is a Poncherello…” the drummer asked. Anyway, we continued and the guitar player says, “Who was this guy Wink Martindale? I remember my parents saying that was a funny name.” Like a ball peen hammer hitting your pinky toe in the middle of the night, it came to me. I said, (and probably was slurring a little when I said it) “Man, that’s totally wink…” The other guys waved me off like the drunk bass player I was and continued with their search.

Me? The next day at my job, working for an internet service provider, I bought the domain name Totally Wink (that was in 1993) and still have it. As for the band, we lasted about as long as a contestant on Tic-Tac-Dough and called it quits soon after. But the name, Totally Wink has lived on.

Still Networking...

Well, here I am, now having surpassed a year of not working, and the one major accomplishment so far, is that my lawn is the best looking one on the block.

Really.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy having an awesome green, well manicured lawn that stands out from the slightly more yellow in hue looking lawns that surround me, but I would rather be employed.

Upon further inspection, I have noticed that two other lawns, further up the road on my street, are in competition with me for the ‘best lawn on the block’ award (I just made that up). And as I drive by these masterful putting greens, the men in charge of these tour de forces are all (get this) retired.

Retired? I’m competing against retired men? Can’t be.

Well, I thought that when I RETIRED, I would have conversations with other retired men about our lawns (Say Bob, what kind of weed killer are you using? Well, Skip, I just used Ortho Weed B- Gone MAX in the spray bottle that you can get at the local Ace Hardware for only…)

I’m not there yet!!! I’m in my forties and can’t even think about retiring let alone what I’m even having for dinner tonight (I checked – leftovers). This is like a bad dream that has come true. So, what’s an able bodied person such as myself going to do? Well, I’m still networking with the New Jersey Open Coffee Meet Up about Social Media and Digital Marketing on Thursdays (http://www.meetup.com/New-Jersey-Open-Coffee-Montclair) and I’m getting ready for my awesome class at the Rutgers Center for Management Development in Digital Marketing in July (It’s part of their Mini MBA program - http://www.cmd.rutgers.edu/mini-mba-digital-marketing.html). So, if nothing else, I’m keeping busy.

And I will get to all this as soon as I’m done taking out the Craftsman Gale Force gas powered leaf blower to rid my deck of the grass clippings that my Honda Elite Mulcher lawn mower sprayed all over the place. Well, at least there are no weeds in the lawn. Well, not yet.

Going to a State School

So, the Universe is taking pity on me and finally, throwing me a bone, so to speak. I attended several training workshops with the New Jersey State Unemployment and they have agreed to send me to school for some additional training (whoo hoo!!).

Now, unlike my recent venture into the world of community college (see blog posts dated January 27th and May 20th), this class I am about to take is geared toward a skill set that is very current. Anything to get an edge on the workforce.

This coming July, I will be taking a one week intensive in Digital Marketing at the Center for Management Development at Rutgers. This class is part of their Mini MBA program and even my Unemployment counselor has heard good things from this program. (http://www.cmd.rutgers.edu/mini-mba-digital-marketing.html)

My counselor has also told me that this career is still in its infant stages and to go to this class at Rutgers will certainly help my resume. So, I am a little over a month away from taking this class and I can’t wait. In the meantime, to sharpen my Digital Marketing skills, I’ve joined a Meet Up that meets every Thursday to talk about Digital Marketing and Social Media (http://www.meetup.com/New-Jersey-Open-Coffee-Montclair/). Could there be light at the end of the unemployment tunnel? Or is that still an oncoming train piloted by the Universe?

Stay tuned.

Getting the Band Back Together

Well, it’s happening. Something that I really didn’t think would happen but, I guess the Universe had other plans for me. Yes, it’s true.

“We’re getting the band back together.”

I’d never thought I would be a part of the famous 'Blues Brothers' movie quote but now I guess, I've come full circle, musician wise.

The band that is getting back together was a group that I auditioned for back in 1993 in a seedy rehearsal room in West Paterson. Well, they picked me and for seven years, we rehearsed in said seedy room and played out in the surrounding area. We called ourselves ‘Gang O’Kids’ after a phrase that the guitarist mom used to say about her neighborhood. “Look at all them gang o’kids running around…”

Nice.

Well, times change and lives change. The singer left in March of 2000 to move to Seattle and I left a month later to move to Colorado with my wife. Fast forward 11 years and I am now back in Jersey with my wife, a five year old daughter, a thirty year fixed mortgage and a dog. Wow. Our first rehearsal is at the end of June and I’ve started to relearn the demos and practice tapes of the band yet again. For this band, I have to break out the five-string bass for the deeper low end that the music demands (Thank You Modulus Flea 5!!) and because of everyone’s schedule, this will be a one-off gig. Ok, no problem. This should be fun. I’d like to thank the Universe for giving me a present during my unemployment time.