Well my friends it has certainly been some time since I have written. All I can say for myself is that I have been super busy with both work and surfing. On top of the usual bull shit there have been some minor unsatisfactory issues in my personal life and annoyances in my financial affairs as well. When it rains it pours people, at least I remembered to pack my umbrella this time. Lets get started. If you are a regular follower of the surflog I shall apologize in advance for any redundancies. If your not reading the surflog then your missing out cause it is where all the uncut excitment happens on this blog these days. Check it out.
Surfing
Finally after a near six week flat spell with waves in the knee high and under range the northern pacific decided to wake up and start sending some swell our way. Considering NW is our primary swell generator up here in the Santa Barbara area it was a rather welcoming sight to be hold. I managed to get as much water time as possible and when I compile September’s numbers I will post up that month in surfing’s review. What I will say is that I am thankful everyday that I am a surfer and that no matter what happens or how hard I am tested when I put on my wet suit and step into the water everything makes sense even if only for the duration of that session.
Work
My boss decided to put shrimp skewers on the menu about two weeks ago. Do you have any idea how many shrimp you need to skew for 800 people. Look at the size of that bowl. Its a lot of fucking shrimp!
Work is a necessary evil or so I am told and we are all led to believe. Thus everyday, five days a week I show up to this place, this slave ship, punch the clock and work my fingers to the bone for a wage that is barely enough to keep my head above water. None the less I do enjoy what I do and make a solid effort to cook one really good thing a day for the students I feed. Its all good food, but I try and take one dish and just go that extra mile with it. That way at the end of the day I can go home with a small sense of pride. I have also decided to use the constant repetition of tasks to perfect my skill and technique. My knife to hand coordination at this point and overall speed is getting to be unreal.
Ultimately I know I need to make a change soon. Realistically I have hit the ceiling at Westmont for how high I can climb in the ranks. Ever since I got passed on for sous chef a year ago I had known this. I have seen plenty of cooks in this game stay at establishments years longer then they should have hoping to get a sous position only to be passed on time and time again. I feel this may be the case for me. My bosses don’t believe in me to be able to hold a position of responsibility and they are certainly entitled to their opinion. As for me, I have to do what is best for me.
At the moment I am weighing all my options even considering an entire career change. I love the culinary profession, but the pay just isn’t right and if it is then the hours are terrible. At this point I think the only way I am going to stay in the game is if I open up my own place. Otherwise I am exploring other avenues in life that could be more lucrative. Time will tell.
My Romantic Turmoil
As many of you know I have been in a topsy turvy relationship for the past seven months. We were stuck riding an on again off again roller coaster that neither of us knew how to stop. Our love for each other was pure. I know I loved her with all of my heart and would bet all I have that she felt the same. Life and our meager situations in life got in the way. Upon meeting me she had a falling out with the guy she was seeing, lost her job and found that the high cost of living and low wage rate in Santa Barbara had just about brought her to the brink of ruin.
I have been living in the above situation for the past six years and I suppose I am just used to it. Between all of that stress and the normal problems that can be encountered in a new relationship combined with the fact that I am a very acquired taste for most women we were most likely doomed from the get go. Of course this always happens when I decide that I am in love and ready to commit. Too little too late, when will I ever learn? Yeah, at the moment I am feeling a bit on the meloncholy side.
We didn’t leave things with out any hope. She mainly needs some time to get her personal affairs in order and think things through. I was granted that time by her not so long in the past and totally respect where she is coming from even if it pains me terribly. “If you love something set it free and if it comes back it was meant to be”. Yes I know I have written that before during all the Adrienne bs (You can check out “One Last Perfect Day” and “Bowing Out” to see what being pathetic and heart break is really about. Sorry long term readers, but there a tons of new readers now who may have missed these two gems of Lisanti despair).
I sort of got drunk on Saturday night at the Wild Cat, of all places. Then decided to drunk dial her 11 times in a matter of a half hour and left her four crazy messages at 2 am. Two were desperate pleas. The third was angry and the last an apology for the latter. Yep, that’s right I am a psycho. Any chance I had a patching up that relationship is over. I am sure the restraining order is in the mail. It was sort of like this scene from “Blades of Glory”:
I really need to start understanding that actual life and fiction are not one in the same. Then again how boring would life be with out a bit of drama. Hope you all got a good laugh at my expense cause long live Chris Lisanti, king of the idiots.
The Party Life
The epitome of Fancytown!!!
Never fear my friends it has not been all bad times here in Lisanti Land. As a matter of fact there has been many great adventures had in and around the vicinity of Fancytown. After a somewhat of a hiatus this summer I hit the Wild Cat with a reckless abundance restoring the unstoppable duo of Bizarro and I know as “The Chris'”. Besides the usual drunken debauchery that goes on in a club where the rules are few and gnarly personalities many the annual Gay Prom took place in September. This year it was a Gatspy theme and a formal attire affair. I have not had that much fun out since New Years. Except it was better then New Years because the attendees were almost all regulars and since it was a Sunday night there were no amateurs. Its bad enough we have to deal with that shit Friday and Saturday.
I am happy to report that the Gay Prom was the last time I have blacked out making it almost three full weeks. I know that doesn’t sound like a long time for you non alcoholics out there, but for me its quite an accomplishment. I hope to keep the being more sober ball rolling. Besides that its been business as usual on the scene.
The Chris’, a party force to be reckoned with.
Fuck Money, I am Going Back to Wampum
Financially my life is a fucking joke as usual. About ten months ago or so my creditors finally caught up with me after eight years and decided to sue me through the mail, no court room necessary. To counter file was like over $300 so I was shit out of luck. Then I thought a lawyer friend of mine was helping me out with the whole thing. As it turned out he didn’t do anything at all. End result I had a default judgement against me for over three thousand dollars. Currently there is a lean on my assets, which is comical since I don’t own anything, maybe they want Alfie and my pay checks are being garnished 15%.
If you thought it was tough living in Santa Barbara on my minuscule paycheck before, it is even harder with 15% less a week coming in. Then my shit head land lord decided to raise the rent $100 a month meanwhile my salary has stayed the same even thought he called it an “increased cost of living raise”. For who is what I want to know. I will tell you who, ME!
Thanks to Obama care in all its stupity and splendor I have been cut down to part time status this way Sodexo doesn’t have to supply me any benefits including paid sick time, vacation time and paid holidays. Looks like I just got screwed by big business and the US government. On top of all of that I am going to have shell out a sum of money each month for health insurance I am being forced to buy. Hmm…and that is how the rich get richer folks. Thats all from Lisanti Land at the moment. Now if you don’t mind I am going to fail at suicide and attempt to hang myself from my shower curtain rod. Awesome!
This face is pretty much how I am feeling at the moment about everything. At least its Rincon season.
Surfing Ruined My Life 