Thanks to Mr. Tony Baldini Sr for some inspiring words passed along from his son 'Tell Kevin: "Get off your lazy ass and find a job!"

I'm not so privledged to grow up in Napa and get a job drinking wine all day, then go out and drink more all night as Tony Jr has. And get paid for it. As the relatives in Italy said when we met them in Tuscany a few years ago: "Baldini - clug, clug, clug" motioning with their hand in a spout throwing back into their mouths. It is Tony's true calling. So why hasn't Tony hooked me up with a job in the wine biz?? Is it because:
a) I don't have any experience or the right background
b) he's drunk all day long and can barely keep his own job
c) he doesn't want to give up his beach cottage in La Jolla
d) all of the above

As I've told Tony several times, there are no jobs.

Its coming up on 48 hours since the end of Tony Cantor's wedding and I'm still dealing with the effects of a brutal hang-over. Yesterday, may have been the longest day in my entire life, hung over after drinking as much as Baldini does on a normal Sat night, driving 4 hours on curving Pennslyvania roads with necessary stops listening to comments from Schmidt and laughing from Sim, 3 hour wait at the airport, then a 6 hour flight home. But it was all weorth it I think. Tony's wedding, while in central PA, Johnstown, was a big success with Tony as happy as I've ever seen him. Upon our check out of the hotel, two hours late for the brunch recption, I was notified by Tony's lovely bride, Patti, that I had been selected as "the drunkest person at the wedding" beating out a sister-in-law and the priest. If you received a late night call, you were lucky it was 3 hours earlier for you. I now have a little more respect for my late night East Coast calls.

All in all a good trip. Upon arriving on Wed, we were able to hook up with Tony & Patti at their home in Reston, VA for cocktails and a great dinner. It was at this time I announced "I like Wine Patti". When I saw Tony & Patti Sunday morning, they had a new nickname for me, "Wine Kevin". Thursday & FRiday were full days in our nation's capitol visiting several Monuments (Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson), lots of Museums (National Gallery, American History, Natural History, Hirchberg, Air & Space) and the top districts (Georgetown, Adams Morgan, DT, and Dupont Circle). I had my first Ethiopian dinner eating with my hands where there were several restuarants in Adams Morgan. Then it was off to pick up Angry Schmidt at the airport for our 3.5 hour drive to Johnstown. Jim wasn't as angry as normal, so I'm hoping a nearing baby is working its magic. Drinks with Tony til 3am on Friday, a crappy sub the next day, another disappointing PSU loss and it was wedding time. And while I thought Fresno was the sticks, the wedding was 25 minutes outside of Johnstown. Then after a two hour delay, the reception began with an open bar, no wine served during dinner then an open bar again. But after stealing a bottle from the bar and bribing a server, we were at the only table with wine. Baldini would be proud. Then it was up back to the hotel bar and yada yada yada. Now I'm still hung over. So as of yesterday, I've started my two week detox not having any alcohol.

Congrats again to Tony & Patti, who are now honeymooning in Barcelona and Mallorca.

Happy belated birthday to Rex Barney on Saturday.

I just looked on Monster.com. There are NO jobs.

After reading these comments, I'm starting to think this blog might have been a bad idea, or at least the invitee list. In any case, any venting from the Angry Guy can only be good for his wife, Allison, their soon to be born child and our society as a whole. To respond to the various comments over the past week: with one arm in a sling, I would have had to put down my beer to actually defend myself. No comments on the roof rack or Mary Moon.

Yes, Angry Jim will be joining Simran & I at Tony Cantor's wedding, so there will be stories. Since I'll be gone for the next 5 days, I've put together a photo album of the top 10 favorite photos, or at least a bunch I like. Check them out at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/kevin_shimamoto

Top 10 favorite photos
10. Lynn & Ryan Pescherine
9. Tony Cantor bustin a move
8. Tony Keeler on my sofa
7. Simran's dog, Tuscany & me
6. Tony Baldini after Schmidts wedding
5. Alaska salmon
4. Mandhandling my boss's girls at his backyard office party
3. Admins kids touchin it
2. Norah Jones
and the number 1 top 10 photo is...

After talking to several of my friends, I'm realizing that most were stupid enough to not know that they needed to actually go back to this web address to see postings. So if you get an email with the address again, its to all the retards who had no clue. And you better start read this, as I ain't doing it for my non-insured health. After talking to Lynn last Thursday and telling her that I had my first big interview on Friday and a friend from the East Coast coming in Thursday night, she asked "You're not going to be stupid and get drunk tonight before your interview, are you??" After telling her "Of course not, do you think I'm retarded?", let's just say its not good to forget the question after you start answering it during an interview. Even with a 1pm start, a work out and breakfast, I was still dry heavin in the lobby. And it was all Joe's fault. I don't think I've ever had even a midly drunk night out with this guy. This guy drinks more than anyone you've ever met, with the exception to these guys we used to work with at Hahnanule. Lines them up at the bar staying to either last call or he passes out. Either is 50%-50%. And I've seen him pass out anywhere at any time, in restuarants, cabs, clubs, even in strip bars in Vegas. I heard of the last one since I never go to those places. Imagine a dyed blond Tony Soprano look alike drunk at ZAO on a Thursday telling the waitress when she asks if she trusts him to bring his change if he could hold on to her panties as collateral. Anyway, I'm not waiting next to the phone for my final interview.

I am heading out to DC on Wed for two days of fun in our capital then a weekend in Johnstown, PA to celebrate the wedding of Tony Cantor. Did you buy his book, yet?? Get on it. http://www.docvoc.com/books.html

Whenever fall rolls around, I remember my one Fall living in the East Coast out in State College, Pennsylvania. What I remember more than the colors changing, was the most retarded retreat I’ve ever been on called MBAction and meeting my future roommate and good friend, Jeff Nicholson, or as I like to call him Costanza. These days I just refer to him as “T-Bone”. What I remember most about MBAction was that it was announced that it was T-Bone’s birthday. So as we agonized over stupid team building activities for 5th graders, cleaning up a filthy lodge for slave labor, eating crappy hot dogs and sleeping on the floor, I constantly reminded T-Bone of his special occasion by repeating “Hey Jeff, Happy Birthday”. I also remember Schmidt & Pescherine NOT coming out to rescue us from this hell after several phone calls. I did finally manage to get out early, but at the cost of re-dislocating my shoulder on a retarded river crossing exercise requiring me to visit the hospital. After T-Bone volunteered to take me to the hospital, an MBAction leader asked me if I needed Jeff to stick around to help me. I said No and back to MBAction went T-Bone. I think that was the first of his many angry days. Our next two years at PSU would result in many more.

You see T-Bone didn’t always have the best of luck. He also is angry. In fact, at almost all times, he’ll either be ready to go postal or just have a distant stare, this probably from going to undergraduate in West Virginia. (I had to remind him that having affairs with his really hot blond sister was not acceptable.) The only times he does have a shit eating grin on his face is either when he’s playing good golf (remember in the East its only a 4 month sport and while good, he doesn’t always play good) or when he’s watching a 3+ hour Penguins game sitting in his rocking chair like a geriatric. T-Bone is also one of the main reasons I got thru my MBA or almost didn’t get thru. Like the time he almost got us kicked out of a class because I couldn’t stop laughing when he asks me while our Indian accent instructor is teaching “Did he say wheel or veal?”. The rest of that first year he hung around a new best friend, some dork who wore “Big Johnson” tee-shirts because his last name was Johnson. Why didn’t these guys hook up with more undergrads?? Or even one.

And since T-Bone is one of only two friends who never has come out to visit me in SD, (the other being Wes Smith, who’ll have his day in the sun very soon) and because he added that nice porn comment about me, I feel compelled to share my favorite story of T-Bone with no remorse. For the record, T-Bone is afraid of California, as he thinks everyone out here is so liberal and that homosexuals run around molesting straight guys. My favorite T-Bone story to this day is from our first year when we were both in the same study group along with a very smart, pretty girl, let’s call her Julie. Jeff was pining on and on about how much he liked her and wanted to ask her out making me sick on almost a daily basis. After several months and finally building up the courage, he decided to ask her out one Monday after a study session. As he made small talk for awhile building up to the right minute to ask, the conversation went something like this:

Jeff: “So what did you do this weekend?”
Julie: “Not much. I went home to upstate NY,…”
Jeff: “Julie, would you like to……”
Julie: “..oh, and I got engaged.”

Does it get any better than that?? I don’t know for sure, but that may have been the reason he studied in Australia the following semester. I went to Italy. And when we got back, we shared an apt together, cruising thru our last semester, drinking like our last time in school forever, and looking for jobs (after not getting one job, t-bone put his fist thru our glass top coffee table). Looking for jobs is still FUN.

Since our MBA, I’ve had the pleasure to attend his wedding (where I was the groomsman’s wives’ pimp), (where’s BeerGirl??), participate on one of his famous Murtle Beach Golf trips (4 full days of golf, drinking and adult entertainment), and attend his best friend’s wedding, Dave & Jackie Hogg (where a joking kick to the bride’s brother’s crotch caused a maylee). T- Bone went on to a banking career with PNC Bank in his hometown of Pittsburg, went on to marry the fantastic Kris and I’m happy to announce have recently had a baby boy and now lives in Altanta. He is sad that the famous strip club which catered to NBA stars is now closed. What else to know about T-bone?? There’s so many stories, I don’t even know where to begin. His favorite song is Destiny’s Child “say my name, say my name”, he knows more trivia about sports that could ever be useful or reflecting of a normal human being, and is one hell of a good guy and friend. I only hope to see him more often in the future and that he someday chooses San Diego for his yearly golf outing.

As summer comes to a close, I know everyone is getting a little bored. So when you get 10 minutes to spare away from the kids or from sleeping at work, check out the "Triumph at Attack of the Clones Premiere in NYC" clip from Triumph the Insult Dog. Granted this is kinda old and you may have even seen it, but its still damn funny. My friend Cindy showed it to me at work one day and I thought it was laughs. I just remembered it when they showed a clip from Conan's anniversery show last night. http://www.chasingthefrog.com/triumph.htm
May the force be with you

Today on September 12, 2003,

Sincerest thanks to my parents, one brother, Simran Zilaro, Cindy Mc Combe-Akers, Kevin Isola, Tony Keeler, Jennifer Barney, Karla Rodriquez, Maurren McDonough & Mike Hiddleson for birthday wishes.

To everyone else, thanks for nothing you inconsiderate bastards and bitches

Today, on the second anniversary of 9/11;

To the friends of Michael Pescherine, have peace in knowing Michael is in a better place, is looking over us, and would want us to remember all the great times we spent together.

To Lynn & Ryan, know that Michael lives on within Ryan, you are never alone in remembering who Michael is, that all of my love and support is always there for you, and that I’m ecstatic that you are so close living in California.

To all my other friends, know that you have a friend that was apart of this day in Michael through me, pray for Lynn & Ryan, and thank you for all of your support and friendship.

To Michael, you are always in my thoughts and prayers, I cherish the times we spent together, you will forever remain one of my closest and most special friends and I thank God he gave me the opportunity to get to know you.

To Michael, Lynn and Ryan, God Bless You.

By way of his rambling comments, the next introduction to my series on “wacked out friends of Kevin” is Rex Barney. Where to begin? College friends and roommates, we only seem to become better friends year after year. And that also includes his gorgeous wife, Jenny, (who thinks she’s really from the block, but I really have to tell her who’s who each month). Graduated at 22 (wasn’t there a break sometime for an unexpected parental visit??), met a girl at 23 (the shortest engagement I’ve ever known in 3 months) and married 6 months later, house in an exclusive Silicon Valley neighborhood at 24, and let the kids begin at 25. Jenny would spend the next 8 years pregnant. But don’t sympathize, especially the new moms who just went thru hell, because despite the fact this girl barely breaks triple digits, she has the remaining 10lbs off two weeks after each birth. Not so for Rex. Instead of inserting fat joke here (which I’m now becoming very black pot about), I do have to make sure everyone who knew him in college, knows this guy ran a marathon a couple years ago. Which proves, anything can happen.

Back to the four incredible, well mannered, cute kids, Miles, Madie, Camie, & Chloe. 10, 8, 6 & 4, rounding. If all kids were as good as these, it would be a different world. So, I know all who know Rex are asking me: married a babe, has had a successful and prosperous career, bought, remodeled and sold two houses, drives sweet rides (one seats 9), lives in a 5000 sq ft palace, goes to 4 large charity dinners (bragging or complaining you bastard?? Some of us can’t even afford to eat out. I’m still paying off my grocery bills from your visit), a socialite in his community,….??? Is this the same Rex?? While Rex is a self-proclaimed meat-head (literally his head is huge), there is one flaw to this fairy tale: it takes place in a land, far, far away named………FRESNO. A town where they just got the first Lord of the Rings, they just learned who Britney Spears is (from the VMA kiss) and have their first restaurant with table cloths. On one of my previous visits, drinking at their most famous bar called the Bulldog, I saw more Cameros, gun racks and hair bares than in Sacramento in the 80’s. But to get away from all that (typically for a Weekend of Jenny, aka a WOJ), they just pack up the gang and head to LJ. 3 adults and 4 kids all in 750 sq ft of fun. Check out how they slept in my room.

With me sleeping out on the futon (the futon will be featured in a blog all to itself), the kids waking up at 6am, funny how two people can sleep in so late. Ever see 4 kids demand 4 different breakfast items all while jumping on your head?? Doesn’t seem that long ago that Rex was getting busted on a return flight from a weekend in LA from our roommate’s wedding for stealing a small, screw top bottle of wine, arguing and trying to deny it to the stewardess, then getting reprimanded by the captain after the flight. Or the day I first met Jenny, at a Cal football game and party at Tony Keeler’s in Berkeley, where we drunkenly kept screaming out “Fifteen” in reference to guessing her age. And coincidently where Rex described Patterson’s girlfriend as looking like there were two pigs wrestling under her blouse. Or the second time I met Jenny at my party in the creek, where she was greeted with an Oreo shower. But over the years, the three of us and incremental kids, have had some of my most memorable and funniest times, making a roadtrip to the Rose Bowl to see PSU, out for a WOJ in SF, taking the kids to the track, nights out in Palo Alto and Los Gatos, a big night at ZAO, watching a giggling Jenny try to do the splits after watching “Bring it On” and a couple of cocktails, and too many great dinners to remember. I really can’t say enough about these two friends and their incredible kids. I only know that they will remain a part of my life forever. Mostly, because they will always be calling me to ask about something new, like who’s Beyonce?

What up Dawgs?? Miss me?? I've been busy, baby. Up to Newport Beach on Tuesday-Wednesday to see Jim Schmidt, out on business. A quick update on Qwigibo: he's still angry, tells long stories and always right. But we had a good time catching up for beers and dinner, then a nice run, swim & lunch the next day. I definitely need to spend a long blog on Jim very soon. Folks rolled into town yesterday so its a clean living weekend, except for the wedding of Stephanie Souchek tommorrow night. Drinking will be involved. Some trips to the Wild Animal Park, Palm Springs and Joshua Tree National Park and there's the weekend. Have a great one. Since its been a lite week, I'll leave you with some research work I've been consulting on : the mystery of Britney Spears' breasts. It will amaze you.

Next week:
* Who's Rex Barney and why is he angry??
* Helpful tips from Kevin on your Expense Reports
* Top 10 things unemployment has changed list
* Funny stories about people who leave wacked comments

What the hell is Labor Day?? I never questioned 3 day weekends when I worked, but now its just another day for me except the library is closed, I don’t get mail and my beach is packed. Someone, after reading my blogs, recently asked if all of them were going to be tributes to my friends and that the intent of my blogs were to find out what I’m doing. We’ll what I’m doing is pretty damn boring. And anyone who knows me knows that my greatest asset and most important thing to me are my friends and family. So I’ve been using this blog to update mutual friends on one another, introduce new friends to others and tell stories about some of my wacked friends. And there’s many to tell. But to let everyone know what I did this uneventful 3 day weekend: (No guests – unbelievable) I went on a few bike rides, runs and walks, went on a 3+ mile kayak up to LJ cove, went on an unsuccessful snorkel due to visability, watched the Lord of the Rings – Two Towers and Jailhouse Rock with Elvis Presley DVDs, practiced my new toy, a 6 steel string, acoustic guitar, went to the beach, did some shopping, made waffles on my new wafflemaker, read, talked to some friends, drank some beers & wine and bbq’d Cornish game hens on my other new toy, a full size Weber grill. All in all, a pretty good weekend, but also pretty much what I do every other day when I’m not traveling. I did think about a job search for a minute and thought I’d start networking with this group to help me. I’m pretty good with my hands. Can anyone help me find a hand job??