HAPPY LEAP YEAR DAY!!!

Need I say more except to say that it only comes once every FOUR years???

An UNPLEASANT Experience at "Pleasant" Valley Bowling Center in Raleigh, NC...

I had an unpleasant experience at the "Pleasant" Valley Bowling Center at 5501 Commercial Ave. Raleigh, NC 27612...Phone Number (919) 783-0080...this evening. I was so upset that I even contacted the AMF Customer Service Department about the situation. Below is what I sent them...and yes, please feel free to read! Amen brother!


Hello. I have a question to ask. Is it really illegal to take pictures in a bowling center? I was at the Pleasant Valley Lanes in Raleigh for a charitable event on Saturday, February 23rd (http://www.volunteercaregiving.org/BowlingBall2008.html) and I had my camera with me. I decided to take some pictures. The manager then interrupted me and told me that it was illegal to take pictures inside the center. I put my camera up and decided not to take pictures then.

Well, there were other people in the bowling center taking pictures as well. I approached the manager about this. He told me it was fine that it was okay to take pictures only if the camera is pointed AWAY from the lanes and screens. Obviously, that was a lie because he told me otherwise before. Anyway, I took that to heart and decided to take some pictures AWAY from the lanes and screens while other people were taking pictures of the lanes, screens, and everything else since it was a charitable event and the place was decorated.

However, an employee noticed me taking pictures and rudely told me to quit because the manager told me that I couldn't take pictures inside the bowling center. I then became humiliated and even angered. I then told this employee (an African-American in his late thirties/early forties?) that there were other people taking pictures as well. He told me he didn't see any even though there were camera flashes going off everywhere! There were these contests going on as well as Elvis impersonators and people were taking loads of pictures of all that. Fortunately, after my confrontation, I did hear this particular employee tell someone else that they couldn't take pictures. But, this "someone else" didn't listen and took pictures when everybody else was.

After being insulted and humiliated, I decided to take my camera outside to my vehicle and put it up because I didn't want to take any more crap from the manager or employees. I will admit that I was hurt, bewildered, and confused. I asked the manager for his card. He asked me what the problem was. I told him it was about the camera/picture situation. He told me that it was okay to take pictures of everything except the lanes and screens. I did go back inside...this time without my camera. I was so uncomfortable and confused about all of this that I really felt like leaving....and I did. The event was until 10 PM and I left at 8:30 PM. If it weren't for the confusing situation that I had to endure from the manager lying to me and telling his employees to be on the watch-out for me and my camera, I would have stayed until the event was over and I'm sure I would have enjoyed all of it!

Unfortunately, I will say that I will NEVER step foot back into the Pleasant Valley Bowling Center ever again....NEVER!!! I have friends who go to the church close to the bowling center and I will make mention to them that they should boycott the (Un)Pleasant Valley Bowling Center because of the unpleasant experience I encountered.

Please feel free to contact me about this situation via email, etc. I look forward to receiving a reply...especially if it really is illegal to take pictures inside a bowling center because I've taken pictures inside bowling centers plenty of times (including the UNpleasant Valley Bowling Center) and never have been treated as poorly as this!

Sincerely,
Gregory E. Johnson

The CANES Thrashed the THRASHERS 5 to 3!!! :-)

I was able to go to a hockey game this evening...and it was Raleigh's local team - the Carolina Hurricanes. I usually am NOT a big sports fan of any kind. I do like to go to the baseball games at the Carolina Mudcats or the Durham Bulls. Speaking of which, they start playing their season in a couple of months. (Is it really that time already???)

Anyway, a co-worker of mine had two tickets to give away. (I think he's a season ticket holder.) From what I do know, he couldn't go to the game and didn't want the tickets to go to waste. I actually was sort of reluctant to take them because really I was thinking about going home because this week has been exhausting at work and my body even has been telling me to get rest by aching. Not that fun!

Also, I have had something every night this week! On Sunday night, I went to an ordination service for a friend and then left for another friend's birthday celebration. On Monday night, I was at work late. On Tuesday night (my birthday), I went to a friend's "circle meeting" which he has monthly. On Wednesday night, I went to a friend's house in Durham. He had a few friends over and we went out to Champp's in Southpoint Mall for dinner. He will be moving to Fort Lauderdale, Florida this weekend and I missed out on another "goodbye" dinner held in his honor a few weeks ago. So, I really wanted to catch up with him. I'm glad I did.

Well, when this co-worker gave me these two tickets for the Canes hockey game, I then tried calling a few of my friends and hoped they were too busy or whatever and would like to go. I even made a "shout-out" on my FACEBOOK status. Ha! I know these tickets were short notice. I was given the tickets at 5 PM for the game which started at 7 PM.

When the friends I called told me they weren't able to go with me, I then almost didn't even want to even go myself. (At times, I do wonder who my friends are...and I get depressed and even jealous because I don't want any fake friends and I actually hate to lose friends because I think I'm still not over losing my dad. I'm a bit paranoid??? I don't know.) But, I did go to the hockey game....just me, myself, and I....and we had a good time! I didn't have to spend most of the time trying to hold a conversation with me and I didn't have to try to figure out what time to leave, etc. I actually was able to enjoy the game in the midst of thousands of other people - the majority of whom I did NOT know.

I don't have the opportunity to watch the hockey games at the RBC Center (where the Canes play), so I am glad I went. (I was able to watch a pre-season Canes hockey game at the RBC Center on September 21st, 2007.) I do like watching hockey in person rather than on television...and I do prefer hockey over basketball or football. With all of these university rival teams being so near each other in the Triangle, I figure the best thing to do is to NOT root for any of them....and I don't! But, there is only one hockey team in the Triangle...and you either love the Canes or you hate them.

Really, what's there to hate....especially with the good game the Canes played this evening? The Canes had a victory over the Atlanta Thrashers 5 to 3. True, that wasn't quite an upset, but the Canes did have an interesting lead in the second period. The third period was almost as good. The first period was nominal, however. But, I am more interested in the Canes hockey than NCSU or UNC or Duke basketball/football. I know that March Madness is coming up and I have tried to get into it, but I really can't. My parents never were and I used to wonder why they weren't. Oh well....it might've rubbed off on me.

Oh...I need to go now. Time to go to bed. If I didn't go to the game this evening, I probably would've tried to catch up on some digital photography. But, I'm not blessed with going to hockey games often, so I decided to take adavantage of it. :-) Also, the photography does NOT pay my bills. The full-time job which has been tiring me out this week pays my bills! Hee hee! (Just joking around even if it is the truth!)

TURNING 35...and BOYCOTTING BIRTHDAYS???

Well, it's time once again to add another year to the age meter. Tomorrow (February 19th) is my 35th birthday...and in a way, I'm NOT looking forward to getting older. I wish I could boycott it. Turning 30 was not the best, but now 35?!?!?! I have to get my driver's license renewed just as I did at age 30. I won't have to get them renewed again until I'm 43. I think 35 is the start of the middle-age, is it? Lord, I hope not! But, then again, it can't be that bad. There are scores of people older than I am. Ha! Besides, my dad's Scout is four years older than I and it still runs under its own power. :-) In a way, it might even outlast me.

As for me, I'm noticing some extreme thinning of my hair up top (there, I've admitted it) as well as my gum lines receding. A couple of people have mentioned the thinning hair bit. I wasn't too amused, but I noticed that a few years ago and was more open about my feelings, slight stuttering, thinning hair, etc. I think the thinning hair now might be getting worse! (Want to see a picture? Yeah, right! I don't think so!) Once it goes, it won't come back. That goes with the gum line recession as well.

I am beginning to feel every year of my age...and maybe a few extra ones as well. Really, if I feel worse as I get older, I don't know if I want to get older. But, my maternal grandmother (Grandma) is now 92 and my mom is 61. My maternal grandfather lived to age 57. Grandma's mother lived to be a few weeks shy of her 98th birthday and her father lived to be 88. My Dad died at 61...courtesy of the %*# cancer. His parents lived to be in their late 80's/early 90's. So, if I don't die anytime soon (Lord willing), I guess I do have some "genes" which could keep me ticking and kicking along, huh?

Okay, maybe I'm making a big deal about getting older and my reluctance to do so even though I don't have any control over it. I'm sort of depressed about getting older and knowing that 35 is a cut-off mark in various circles and groups. For example, I was involved with the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) Young Single Adult Group in Cary from 1997 until 2004. The age range was from 18 to 35. I was 24 when I started. I was 31 when I left....and that was when my Dad died. I've also noticed that my health insurance this year has actually gone up more per month. I'm in the "age 35 and up" bracket now. Goodness!

I've been wearing eyeglasses since 1988 and even had my prescription changed last year when I noticed some changes in my eyesight. I'm taking medicines for depression, heartburn, allergies, headaches, etc. If I don't take them daily, then I do pay for it...and yes, there are times in which I do skip a dose. I hate taking medicine!!! I wish I didn't have to.

But, fortunately, I'm in my mid-thirties and I still have time to think about what I've done in my life (which sort of stinks almost???) as well as try to figure out what to do next. I can't leave this earth yet, can I? Oh well.

Maybe one of the things this "thirty-something-year-old" can do is to try to still enjoy life the best he can and to let go of petty pain and aggravations which can slow him down. I will admit that lately I've been reluctant to let go of things...good and bad!

Oh, the clock on the computer just turned 12 midnight. I guess I'm 35 now, right? (Not until 7:34 AM.) Regardless, it's my birthday! Do I have plans with friends? Actually no. I've been too busy to even plan something but might try to do something in a few weeks or so even though the birthday will be history and I'll be thinking of my 36th birthday!

Just wait until February 19th, 2009 and the post then (if I'm still doing the blog...which I hope I will.)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Just wanted to wish a Happy Valentine's Day to all!

25,000 MILES AND COUNTING...

Today is somewhat of a special day...I guess. My 2006 Jeep Liberty (which was bought on December 27th, 2006 with only 50 miles) now has hit the 25,000 mile mark!!! What, pray tell, have I been doing the past year, one month, and couple of weeks??? Driving??? I guess so! Ya think?

The Liberty's been driven to quite a few places since the early part of 2007. I didn't drive it only about a couple hundred miles from December 27th to the 31st of 2006. BUT!!! I will say that I've driven to the beach a few times...such as Southport, Calabash, Wilmington, Wallace, Morehead City/Atlantic Beach (same trip), Fayetteville, etc. I've also driven it to the mountains and central Piedmont...such as Jefferson, Eden, Kernersville, Newton, etc.

The Liberty's also been driven to Florida TWO times within five months of each visit. I will say that really is interesting because I literally never drove any other vehicle of mine that far...especially twice within months of each trip. Ha! The first trip to Florida (in August of 07 for a cruise) was 1,263 miles and the second one (which was the Key West vacation last month) was 2,090 miles.

Oh, I guess you also have to factor in my daily work commute from Garner to Cary. That's 40 miles round trip at least five times a week!!! Then you add in church and other events/activities....I guess that it all adds up, huh? (All that with an average gas mileage of a "not-so-good-or-so-bad" 18 MPG.)

But, I've got a JEEP, right? It will last me forever, right? I pray so!!! (My dad's 1969 Scout with only 87,000 miles still is here...and has been since 1977. The Scout has outlasted practically everything else and maybe the Liberty.) Really, I do hope the Liberty will last "forever" because at the rate I've been driving it since December 27th of 06, it will have over 100,000 miles on it before it even gets paid completely off and I purchased the 6 year/100,000 mile warranty with it. That means I have only 75% of the warranty left now. I'll run out of miles before I run out of time. Whew!

Anyway, I suspect the Jeep will do fine, though. It's done well so far....and I will admit that I'm glad that I do have it! :-) I hope that I'll have it for many more years and miles to come....and I'm sure I'll still be taking pictures of it and even writing about it as well.

PS - Just think, on December 8th of 2007, the Liberty reached the 20,000 mile mark.

I'm on FACEBOOK...

It's been a few days since I've posted anything here....and there's a reason for that.

I'm now on FACEBOOK (http://www.facebook.com) and I will admit that I've been spending quite a bit of time making my profile and adding various features there to make it more interesting, etc. I'm already on MYSPACE (http://www.myspace.com), but I never really have liked it. MYSPACE seems more "cheap" and degrading versus FACEBOOK. (Hope I'm not offending anyone!) I have been on MYSPACE since early 2006 and even did some of the blog there. Since doing this blog here, I've deleted my entries on MYSPACE, but have kept the profile there (which is private).

One of the features on FACEBOOK which I like better than MYSPACE is that the user's actual name HAS to be used rather than some nickname (such as RETTAMAN). I'm "Gregory E. Johnson" on FACEBOOK. "RETTAMAN" can't be found there. Ha!

I could go on and probably dog MYSPACE more, but I guess there are some features there which are good too??? However, I can't think of many now. Sorry!

I also could go on and sing the praises of FACEBOOK, but I won't do that either. Obviously, there are some features on FACEBOOK which deserve criticism...such as possible "spamming" of your friends on notifications and the mini-feed? I really would like to turn some of those features off!

Anyway, if you're interested in viewing my FACEBOOK profile, please click here.

Getting Younger? (My Birthday's in Two Weeks!)

Well, my birthday is about two weeks from now...and I've decided to actually go BACK in years. I think I might as well go back to age 29, you think? Actually, I know quite a few people who are 29 and holding. I do believe that will be a grand idea! :-) Any comments?