This is the biggest guy from Taiwan I've ever seen. I hope he doesn't kick the crap out of me.

As of now, I am without a job.

I quit.


Almost six years working at the United Center, at the same position, for less than 8.50 an hour, and a year of sitting in a chair for five hours in the bowels of the building only to point people in the direction of the restroom took its toll. And I chose to be there. The United Center and Sox Park has allowed me to realize that there are really nice people out there. It also showed that people can be cunts. Yeah, I know...big deal, tell you something you don't know, that's life, blah, blah, blah.

But during the last two years or so, I felt more and more easily annoyed with the people I see there in general. I was annoyed with the whole sports arena atmosphere. At Sox, I basically worked as a doorman, sealed off in the corner of the building, only coming in contact with a few people, most of them I have come to known over the past couple of years, and they were really nice folk...especially at the end of the season when they gave me tips, which sometimes totaled twice I made in a month. I used to look forward to working at Sox every summer...that is until they started winning. Long story short: more assholes, patience tested, stress rising, almost punched out an undercover cop. I was miserable there, and knew that last year was the last year I would work at Sox.

So when my supervisor at the United Center asked me to go and watch the new restrooms built for the classy restaurant in virtually the basement of the building, I jumped at the chance. I got to sit down, read books (something I hadn't done in a while recreationally), and interact with few people. Not only that, they put in my own flat screen television. I made a lot of acquaintances with the people who work in the area. Things were easy. And I got bored easily. I felt that I should be spending my time better doing something else. But I did not want to work in the crowds again. So I stayed at my spot for about a year.

By the end of last year, with both teams being sorta successful, the same thing happened to me that happened over at Sox, the difference being the autograph whores and their knowledge that the players and coaches of the teams left the building in full view and in shouting distance from the restrooms. I grew annoyed with any person who came looking for the restrooms, and took satisfaction out of sitting and watching people with confused looks struggling to figure out which way to go.

I thought to myself, "I went to college, I should be doing something better than this!"

I then accepted this fact: I'm letting this job turn me into a miserable asshole, and I should quit before I come close to punching anyone else.

Last Saturday, I asked for my resignation. That is, after I worked up the urge to not put it off by telling everyone I knew there I was quitting.

After doing that, the last three days I worked were the best in a long time, because I knew the end was coming.

My last night working was this past Wednesday. I handed my ID and the lanyard that took me three months of asking to get, and went to the uniform room to hang up my work vest, fighting off the urge to loot the place and get a couple of shirts (worth 25 dollars each).

I went to the Dominick's near by, bought a pint of chocolate milk and some cookies, ate them as I walked towards Downtown with no nostalgic sentiments at all.

I also found an 20gb iPod that some guy named Mike used to own. With lots of indie pop for me to delete.



I'll be able to grow a beard at my new job now.