Blood, Wet, and Tears

Do you remember the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer can't get good water pressure in his shower? I've been living that episode every day since I moved into apartment 402 here at Forest Plaza in lovely Ann Arbor. So aside from the shower sucking, the aforementioned unfinished hole in my closet is still there (please refer to my August post for the details), and still my hot water pressure is insultingly weak. So I've been in touch with my landlord's office about getting the situation rectified. Because the building was constructed in 1925, if the water needs to be turned off in one apartment, the water needs to be turned off in the entire building. And this is kind of an inconvenience as you could imagine. Typically, the management company drafts a letter and slips it under each person's door notifying residents of the situation. Well the letter I got regarding this repair really pissed me off and I'll just share with you the part that pissed me off.

"Please be aware that we will be conducting plumbing work in the building at 715 S. Forest on Friday, September 28th, 2007. The Forest Plaza resident in Apt. #402 is requesting for maintenance to increase the hot water pressure in their bathroom. In order for this to be corrected, it is necessary for us to temporarily shutoff the water to the building beginning at 9:00 am on Sept 28th".

Every previous "repair letter" made no mention of apartment numbers or reasons or anything. So why now is it necessary to specifically call me out in a letter to the entire building? I asked my landlord this and he didn't even know about the letter. So who is the culprit then? Some angry flipping birch, who has it out for me. I have no idea why she doesn't like me since I've been nothing but nice and respectful to her. I want some answers, and if I don't get them I just may have to go in and speak to her myself the next time I drop off my rent check. The construction, as stated in the above excerpt was supposed to happen today, but yesterday maintenance came in and fixed a small leak in the hot water pipe and now my water pressure is very respectable, and no further repair is needed. So I'm going to stop talking about my apartment now even though the fridge is now leaking.

"Hey Finger, I hear you on the crappy water pressure and what's the deal with that angry woman? Jess and I love the blog by the way"


Anyway, as you may recall from the last post, the Econ test didn't go so well. Everyone thought they failed, and you know what, it looks like I'm one of the few people who has any shred of honesty around here. When I say I think I bombed a test, damn it, I'm not lying. As opposed to the rest of the class who clearly can't keep their word. Next time someone comes out of a test and says "Oh I think I failed" my response will be "Well you know what I think? I think you're a curve killing liar". But I love my classmates, I really do.

Lastly, I had to get some blood drawn this morning. Long story as to why and not interesting. At this point in my life I'm kind of a grown up. A grown up who is still on the family cell phone plan. I'm not going to deny hate having to get blood drawn. So I go to the lab at the University Hospital and their blood drawing area is an open room with a bunch of different "stations". What is this, a career fair? I don't need a bunch of 7 year olds seeing me cry and then pass out curled up in the fetal position. So they call my name and I lean over to the nurse and I say "Do you think I can get my own private room?". So she says fine and then I say "Do you think you can do it with a baby needle?" and she says fine. They're so nice up here in Ann Arbor. So I'm basically about to pass out lying there waiting for her to stick a tiny needle in my arm. She's tells me she's about to put on the rubbing alcohol, and I'm still conscious, so that's good. And then she says "do you want me to tell you when?" and like a Trojan warrior I say "Nope, just do it whenever". I'm brave like that.

So here I am, writing this blog with my smiley face sticker and lollipop. It's actually time to go do some Statistics. You probably have a 10% chance of hearing from me again at some point this weekend, so if you don't, enjoy the weather, enjoy the football, and enjoy your water pressure, because I'll be enjoying all three.

Re-charging my Batteries

On Friday I had my first midterm. I was feeling pretty decent about it going in. We were able to take in a 8.5x11 formula sheet also, so I had that little extra boost of confidence right there. So what happened 5 mins into the test? My calculator crapped out. It serves me right though, since my TI-83 had been telling me it was low on battery power since Labor Day.

So not on speaking terms with Duracell right now.


So I'm taking the batteries out of the calculator, rubbing them, switching their position, somehow trying to buck the forces nature and reverse the chemical process, and resuscitate my calculator for just the next hour and a half. No dice. I go up to the front of the class, and I tell the professor my calculator just died and he's looking around, not sure what to do. He follows me back to my seat and he taps the guys sitting next to me on the shoulder and says, "Hey, can you share your calculator with John?". So obviously I object, telling my professor that there's no way it's fair to make the guy share his calculator with me. I know at Michigan the culture is all about helping one another and spreading the love, but that was a lot to ask, even for Ann Arbor. Luckily I was able to borrow my classmate's Treo and I used the calculator function. The only problem was that some girl kept calling during the test and I sent her to voicemail 3 or 4 times. I was ridiculously frazzled, and I was pretty sure I bombed the test. Everyone was congregated outside the school talking about how they all thought they failed, and it was music to my ears. And when an ambulance pulled up and brought a stretcher inside the business school I officially knew it was okay because at least I didn't pass out during the test. But you do what you do and then you move on, and that night I had two friends coming in from NY.

This was my second visit from friends since the school year started and both weekends I had friends in town have been the two best weekends I've had up at school. So thank you Steven, Sean, Bos, and Chiiinese. Yesterday was another one of those beautiful days where you start at 10am you go straight to 2am and you kill it at the tailgate, your team wins, and you kill it on the dance floor after the game, and then you take down a burrito at 2am, and then you get home and you've sweat through your shirt and your shorts, and then you shower, eat a piece of rye bread, and sleep the sleep of kings. Some people, who won't be named on this blog, apparently like to add urinating in the kitchen garbage to that list, but that's a story for another day.

Target sponsored one heck of a tailgate on Saturday for the business school students. They even gave out long-sleeved t-shirts, and FingerTheBlog lurves him some freebees. Notice how the savvy former marketing man on the right makes sure the logo is facing out. Count those free impressions. They just don't teach that stuff in business school.


And before I forget, best shirt of the weekend award goes to a Penn State fan who wore a t-shirt that read "Ann Arbor is a whore". Simple, yet creative. It was a perfect gameday and a day in which I realized that it's best to tailgate in Vineyard Vines belts because as you sweat through your clothing, there's no leather dye that stains your belt line. Yours truly wears this one...

Of course none of this makes a difference when you end up wearing some drunk girl's Jack and Coke. Sunday was clean up day, and I was back grinding, going to meetings and getting ready for the school week. I'm just excited at the prospect of only having to wear a suit for recruiting once this week. Anyway, I'm exhausted and as much as I love gamedays, I'm looking forward to watching the game on TV this coming Saturday. Bed is calling. Sweet dreams.

Seriously Isiah? Seriously?

If you've been keeping up with the Isiah Thomas lawsuit you know the crazy details that have been coming out. Basically, former senior level employee, Anucha Brown-Sanders sued Thomas for sexual harassment, and was let go from MSG shortly after she spoke up. All sorts of details are emerging about Isiah and his office demeanor, and all I can say is that this guy is no mensch. I never really liked Isiah. I especially didn't like how he was always trying to kiss Magic on the cheek and then he bad-mouthed him as a philanderer. But just to give you an idea of some of the details, I'm copying some of my favorites below.

#1. "I'm sorry to say, I do make a distinction," Thomas said in a videotaped admission viewed by a Manhattan federal jury yesterday. "A white man calling a black female 'bitch,' that is wrong with me. I am not accepting that. That's a problem for me," he said. But asked if he'd have a problem with a black man calling a black woman "bitch," Thomas said, "Not as much."

#2. Quoth Isiah to the plaintiff in this case "What the fuck is your job? What are your job responsibilities, you fucking ho?"

I'm just trying to think about this for a minute. Imagine yourself at your job. Imagine these words coming out of your mouth. I mean, it is absolutely unreal that someone could or would actually say these things. It's like when a new hire gets shown around the office and she's like "Oh, I start today, and I'm sitting on the 3rd floor", and you say "That's great bitch. What the fuck is your job you fucking ho?" And not only do you say that, but you say it like you're asking for someone to pass the salt. Unreal. Absolutely unreal.

Some of you may know that Isiah became the owner of the Continental Basketball League from 1998-2000 and basically ran the league into the ground. How did he do that you might ask. Well, my guess is that he didn't start things off on the right foot. I think his first company-wide meeting went something like this:

Isiah: I'm very excited to stand in front of you today. We have a great product and I believe that we can turn this league around. My biggest asset is you, my workforce, and together we are going to finally see the CBA reach its potential. Before we start talking about strategy I'm going to need that bitch in the red to get me some coffee.
Woman in Red: Excuse me? What?
Isiah: The bitch. In. The Red. Get me coffee. I'm pretty sure I didn't stutter.
Woman in Red: Um, ok, how do you want it?
Isiah: Black. No cream, no sugar, and yes I am sending mixed messages to you right now. Anyway, we are going to need to focus our efforts in the PR department this week. Steve, I'll need you and your team of bitches to write up a press release that needs to go out by Friday.
Steve: Ok, so how many bitches should I have working on this project then?
Isiah: Whoa whoa whoa. You watch your mouth. I, as a black man, can call those hos "bitches". Those words coming from you, a white man, I have a serious problem with that. Consider that a warning and if you do that again I'll warn you again. And I'll continue to warn you as long as you work here. Let me be very clear about that. Listen folks, I don't wear this Burger King crown around the office for nothing. I run this league, and I'm the boss.

And so what probably happened the next day? Everyone quit except for Steve and a couple of white bitches. And how are you going to run a sports league with 10 people. Not well, that's how. CBA, the Raptors, the Knicks...I mean, this shouldn't be CSI here. Isiah will likely settle and then he'll resume terrorizing the bitches and hos at MSG until he gets fired by James Dolan. I can't see this playing out any other way.

Regardless, as the soap opera known as MSG and Isiah play out I recommend keeping current by reading the NYTimes because the things that he is quoted as saying are so ridiculous it is almost funny.

I Too Wear an Oversized Clock as a Necklace

So I come to Ann Arbor and Michigan loses to App St, and then the Ross School of Business goes from #1 to #7 in the Wall Street Journal rankings. Coincidence? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The sorority girls could care less about Ross' drop in the rankings because for the past week I've heard the following screamed from somewhere outside my window: "It's great...to be...a Michigan A E Phi...It's great...to be...a Michigan A E Phi". Is it really THAT great to be a Michigan AEPhi? I don't know, but I'm thinking maybe I'll need to set up and AEPhi/MBA mixer just to put all rumors to rest.

Recruiting is in full swing. On Friday there was a career fair in which I wanted to speak to one of probably 30 companies present. I spoke to that company and then walked around and passed by the ConAgra table. I have no interested in a Consumer Packaged Goods internship (or a CPG internship, say the cool kids) but there was one packaged good they had out on display which I was interested in sampling. ConAgra makes David Sunflower seeds which I happen to love. So the dilemma is do I just leave or do I go over, endure the 5 min conversation and get the seeds. Well, all I can say is that those seeds are a mighty tasty snack. It isn't so much that I don't like talking to the recruiters, because I actually like the practice and like making the contacts, it's just that I felt guilty for coming across as if I'd move to Omaha, NE for the summer. The only way I'm moving to Omaha is if Warren Buffett calls me up and says, "Finger, I have a job for you, and I'm going to pay you in sunflower seeds. And by the way, Susan and I love the blog".

The craziest thing these days seems to be getting my budget in order. When I lived in NYC budget was mostly dollars and cents. And just an aside, I think it was during MTV Cribs once when Master P so eloquently said "If it don't make dollars, it don't make cents". I think still my favorite quote of all time. Anyway, now, budgeting is all about time. Everything everything everything is budgeted. Writing "everything" thrice...probably a waste of time right there. For example I budgeted time for the following activities this weekend:

-Eating an 8 piece BBQ Chicken plate: Est time allowed 15 minutes, actual time 13 mins. I'm coming for you Kobayashi.
-Folding clean laundry: Est time 30 mins, actual time 3 days. Oops. At least it was clean laundry.
-Dropping off paper at B-school: Est time 10 mins, actual time 8 mins plus eating peach while walking counts as multi-tasking points.
-Writing this blog: Est time done in 15 mins

There's this thing, they call it the "gym", I think it sounds like "time" but a "g" instead of a "t". Anyway, I heard it's a pretty cool place where people go to get healthy and stay healthy. Maybe one day I will visit this crazy land where undergrad girls dress to impres, and there are 5 full length basketball courts. Until then I'll only get to dream about such a place.

Anyway, I hope to hit you all back up later this week before we go for win #2 against Penn State

Actual time writing this blog, including break for choking on sunflower seeds...18 mins.

Battling the Open Faced Turkey and Swiss on Rye

My biggest beef these days has been that the day only has 24 hours. My body is absolutely begging me for a nap. The classes after lunch are the hardest, because like a baby, I want to be fed and put down for a nap. You can look around the room and see all the head bobbing action post-lunch. Between meetings and class and recruiting and homework, there aren't enough hours in the day. And on the flip side, when it's Saturday I wish the day was more than 24 hours also because you don't want the fun to stop. Every day should be Saturday, plain and simple. Aside from an embarrassing loss the weekend was great. I had two friends in from NYC and we burned the candle on both ends pretty hard. My game day theory is this: If you get home on Saturday night and want to burn the clothes you were just wearing you know had a good Saturday. Can I do that every Saturday, not a chance.

Who wears their sunglasses at night?....

We do because earlier in the day we were blinded by the horrible football we saw. True story.

As I mentioned in the last post, on Friday we had our MBA games. My legs are still so tweaked from playing three games of football that yesterday I did my Accounting reading while taking a hot bath. I literally cannot sit and lift my left leg 8 inches off the ground and I wish I was kidding. We lost in the finals of football, and my section came in last, and now I can't put on my pants with out using my hands to lift my legs into the pant legs. And on top of that I had my favorite shorts ripped in half during our second game. I spent the rest of that game and part of the next with one full leg and half a tush-worth of Jockey underwear showing. Thankfully someone had a spare pair of shorts. Feel free to send me a new pair of Under Armour shorts in the mail.

Recruiting has already started and today I had my first event. The dynamic of these events is quite interesting and I never really did this as an undergrad so it's very new to me. It's a lot of jockeying for position, making some good contacts, learning about the companies, and eating coconut shrimp. I'm really good at one of these, and I'll let you guess which one. So, I'm going to leave you guys now because I have work to do, and because tomorrow is another day of class, meetings, recruiting, and coconut shrimp and I need some much needed Zs.

Like College, Except You Actually Do Work

All I can say is that I've never, ever been more busy than I've been in the past week. I'm under the weather from burning the candle on both ends. I've been delinquent about the blog a little, but that's because every spare minute must be used for something very important. "What's more important than the blog?" you say...well, eating, sleeping, hydrating, and crying in a stall in the ladies bathroom after stats class.

You go into the working world, you develop a mastery of what you're responsible for and then you come to school and it's really not a good feeling to be lost on something. It's like, I'm 25, this ish isn't supposed to happen to me now. I've developed the eyelid twitches which I haven't had since I started my job back in 2004. Some people have the financial background so they've placed out of classes and/or have a solid handle on the stats or accounting material or whatever, but not I. I'm just waiting for those 10 minutes they spend on media buying for me to knock their socks off. It's going to be a beautiful 10 minutes, I promise you that.

So, like everyone else I'll need to find the right balance and then it'll be all good. Don't you worry about me though. I'm doing just fine. Tomorrow morning we have our MBA Games which is basically Color War for the 25-35 year old set. For those who went to camp or played sports, it's kind of old news to us. The cheering, the sports...been there already... good times of course though, but for me, it's about competing, getting a good sweat, having fun, and not turning an ankle. But one forgets that there are students who have never been involved in anything remotely close to this, and they kind of go crazy, and it's great to watch. Hopefully they'll be some blood sweat and tears tomorrow, because a good cathartic release after a week like this is much needed. And if Friday doesn't take care of that, the Gods of College Football will hopefully be smiling rays of sunshine down upon us on Saturday. You gotta love the Sabbath.

It's time to get back to the grind and my Thai food.

Wait, what just happened?

Basically, I'd been looking forward to today since I don't know, January 7th or so, when I got into Michigan. My first football game at the Big House.

Season Tickets: Check
Refreshments/Pie/Chips: Check
Pair of bitchin' sneakers: Check

Who's ready for some Big 10 tailgating?.... This guy


This year I (along with 49 others) am a partial owner of this beauty, which is affectionately known as "The Bus".


So the day started like any other game day would, I guess, a 50 person breakfast at 6:30am, and then we set this bad boy up and started the tailgate. And for those skipped out on their Wheaties we had some liquid breakfast available for all.




The weather is perfect, the music is going, I'm getting tons of compliments on my sneakers. Everyone's feeling it, everyone's ready to see the #5 ranked Wolverines take on I-AA App State. It was a real thrill to walk up to the stadium with tens upon tens of thousands of Maize and Blue clad fans yelling and chanting. Again, I'd been waiting for this for months. And then what happens, Michigan loses in what has to be the most embarrassing loss, ever, in the history of Michigan football. And it was the kind of loss where the team just toys with your emotions all day. All I can say is that it was truly sad. It's kind of hard to swallow getting beaten by a team that's not even in your league and that throws some salt on what was supposed to be a celebratory afternoon. National Champ hopes crushed, like lone Solo cup on a Saturday afternoon. It could be a long season for the Wolverines, and by long I mean short.

What can you do? Well for one, you go home and clean the dirt off your sneakers, you make some spaghetti, and you savor the fact that you have a long weekend ahead of you. Most importantly, you think about next week's tailgate.

Summer is over folks, Labor Day is upon us. School starts Tuesday and then FingertheBlog will start getting all kinds of technical on your collective asses. You can look forward to some spreadsheets and some interesting takes on some serious supply and demand issues that you need to know about.

Anyway, have a relaxing and safe Labor Day, and just be happy that you didn't turn down instant millions in the NFL draft for a chance to lose at home to Appalachian State.