Brad Minus’ blog

I was honored to be in the chorus of "Los Gavilanos" at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center last night.  I witnessed an amazing ensemble of talent brought together for one performance of an art form that, for all things considered, is dead here in America.  It is labeled a Zarzuela and I can only define it as a Spanish Opera. 

What I do love about it is that it is very positive.  No one ever dies, and it always has a happy ending.  While it might be trite, simple and might seem to be irrelevant, the music and lyrics are amazing.  The company brought in the two leads, Raphael and Ilyia who had voices that made me cringe with envy.  They both have traveled the world singing and have CDs and live a very good life doing what they life.

Of course there were other incredible talents as well, Noemi as the ingénue, Anna and my partner Rosemary as the sisters, Tara as the friend, Renee, Roberto, and of course the spectacular Jorge as the town leaders.  These were all extremely memorable performances.  Noemi has a voice that will move your heart in ways that could never be understood. 

The most interesting story comes from the Tenor of this story.  A contract went out a year ago for this performance to a professional out of Mexico; Leonardo.  Well, when he showed up he was a little unprepared which due to the extremely condensed rehearsal process really unnerved some of us.  Three days before the performance the producers of the show decided to replace him with a Humberto which we were hoping was going to happen because you haven't heard a tenor until you have heard Humberto sing.  He took this role he learned in three days and turned it into the most spectacular display of emotion and music of I have witnessed from back stage.  Humberto literally brought tears to my eyes during a scene when he is pleading with Noemi to elope and run away with him to escape her being sold to a loveless marriage.  It was an experience and a half for me.  I was in the chorus, a narrator and a featured dancer but still very minor, and it was totally worth it.

Prior to this performance I was honored to be a part of a cabaret at Maestro's also at TBPAC.  It was basically a fundraiser and a replacement show for Gigi which could not be done because it became too expensive for the company.  So they did an afternoon lunch for their season ticket holders.  They called it "April in Paris" and it was a set of songs with French origination.  A couple of numbers in French and Spanish but the rest were in English from Les Miz and Phantom and of course Gigi.  It was fun, but unfortunately I was the weak link in the ensemble. 

I don't know what it is.  I can jump out of a plane, be stuck in a war zone, lead a team of people through an extremely difficult project, be completely naked on stage, but for some reason I can not gain any confidence in singing solo in front of  an audience.  When I sing at home, I swear to you, it sounds good and sometimes really good.  I just have this inferiority complex about my singing and I cannot seem to get rid of it.  I know if I can just relax it would sound just as good as anyone in that ensemble, with the exception of Humberto, and well, Jill.  I am not exaggerating I swear.  I know how I gained confidence in my acting, I did a lot of it.  Unfortunately, you have to be good to be in a musical or a cabaret but to get good I have to perform more and be prepared to fail.  Who is going to hire someone that needs the experience?  And Karaoke…forget about it.  I could sing with a piano no problem, but tracks on a karaoke machine throw me.  Does anyone have any ideas?

I think that should do it for this episode.  Remember to tell your friends and love ones that you love them.  It will mean a lot to them and you, because life is short.  Don't let the obstacles of life stop you from what you want to do.

Love, Life, Happiness and Success!!

-Brad

“Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us.” - Stephen Covey

I woke up pretty excited today. The plan was to hang out at the Outback Pro-am and be outside and hang out with some friends.  I was finishing some emails and playing with Mogwai, who turned 1 today, when I got a phone call from my friend Carl.  After a bit of yammering and catching up he then dropped the bomb that changed something internally.

Basically, a brother of good friend that we have in common, lost his wife on Tuesday.  When the news spilled out of the phone into my ear I literally lost my footing and hit the ground.  Talk about a shock.  Then the aftershock.  This didn't happen because of an auto accident, or an illness that could possibly of been forecasted.  She literally sat in a chair, had a heart attack and died.  Twenty-nine years old with no history or family history of heart problems.  Nothing to indicate that this could happen.  My friend was at his parents’ house and couldn't seem to contact her, and of course just thought she was busy, but when five o'clock rolled around with no phone call and no email, he headed home.  He contacted his neighbor who had to jump a fence and break into the house, called 911 but it was too late.

Three thoughts came across my mind.  1) How is he and what is his state of mind? 2) Where is he and who is with him? and 3) I am glad I am not him.  I felt guilty about the third thought and that it came so quickly.  I was assured it was normal, but it really didn't make me feel better.  I cannot even fathom what he is going through.  After a couple of texts and voicemails to his brother, my friend, I was told the story and where everyone was.  So, we showered and left.

Three hours later we walked into a crowded house in Vero Beach where the mood was light, but somber.  I saw my friend who I haven't seen since he and his wife and son left for Chicago.  Carl and family and the rest of this clan, but no sign of my friends brother.  Later on he walked in and I hugged him.  I gave him every last bit of healing energy I could.  "If I could take your pain away", I thought, "I would."  We hung out and just enjoyed the company.  I felt good he had so many people around that cared for him and wife so much.  I just don't feel good for him next week, when everyone goes back to work and he has to spend so much time with nothing but his thoughts.

It really made me think though.  It is so important to tell the people we love how much we care for them, and how much they mean to us.  All of them, from you significant other, all the way to the person you work with that you tend to connect with.  Then, it's time to get affairs in order.  Who would it affect if you died tomorrow?  How would your bills get paid?  Who would end up being responsible for them?  Is there someone you wish to take care of in the event of your death?  How do you want your body dispositioned?  Do you want to donate organs?  What if you were determined to be in a coma and the outcome is bleak that you will ever come out?  Do you want the expenses to pile up on your loved ones or do you wish to be terminated?  All these things sound morbid, but they are very important. 

My family has a lot of longevity.  I have blood relatives who are over 90 and still golf eighteen holes three to four times a week.  My family has buried more centurions than I can count.  This being the case I always thought I had time, to figure a lot of things out.  Mary dying the way she did, shows me there are a lot of friends I need to talk to and a lot of affairs I need to get in order.  Wow...I am just still in shock.

Mogwai turned one year old today.  Tomorrow is the first anniversary of Jamali's death.  Today I mourned with my friends for a family member.  Tomorrow I sing at TBPAC.  If that isn't the epitome of an emotional roller coaster I don't know what is.

Do me a favor, please?  Hug your significant other.  Tell your parents you love them.  Mention how much your friends mean to you.  You never know if you will ever get the chance again.  Life is too short.

LOVE, LIFE, HAPPINESS & SUCCESS!!

-Brad

Five AM came pretty quick this morning, but to no avail I did get up, and put the DVD in the player and started my workout.  Imagine my shock when the timer on the TV started counting back from 1 hour and 32 minutes.  Of course I said, ok a lot of slow moving stretching so it just will be a bit little longer.    YEAH!! RIGHT!!  Let’s call it slow moving, stretching, balancing, strength conditioning torture.  I think this was the hardest workout of them all.

I knew I was out of shape, hence the reason to start the program in the first place, but this kicked my ever-loving ass.  Mentally, I felt like I was about an inch tall, but to be honest, physically I felt pretty good.  Limber, energized, centered.  There is something to say for this Yoga thing.  I have been through yoga classes before and they were hard, but they were a half hour long.  This was a pure 90 minutes of totally engaged muscles.  It is going to be a while before I can say that I enjoy it, but somewhere down the line, of course saying that I do not give up, I think I might like it. 

I was a dancer for quite a while, so I am used to getting razzed for taking part in something that can be perceived as demasculating.  Well, there is no way for that perception to appear for this "Yoga X" program.  If it does, then you haven't tried it.  From the warm-up to the cool down I was sweating, and my heart rate was up and I didn’t move from a 4 foot radius.

Other than that, I am still pushing along on day 5.  The diet thing is a little tougher than I remember.  Not that it is tough to eat, just as often as I like.  I just dive in to work so intensely I actually forget to eat.  I ended up, putting reminders on my calendar at work so a window pups up every 2-3 hours and says "EAT!!:.  Isn't that funny?  Next thing you know I am going to be doing the same thing to remind myself to go to the restroom.

Did anyone watch the series of "The Biggest Loser"?  This season was amazing.  I mean I have seen some of the episodes in the past and the people on the show really make some great progress, but not memorable.  This season there was this woman, Ali, who got there with her mother and she was about 240 pounds and maybe five foot three.  Well, when she ended the show, she was around 120 pounds and she was cut and absolutely gorgeous.  The whole thing happened in 21 weeks with just diet and exercise.   It was a true testament to eating clean and working out.  I'll never even doubt the basics don't work.  I mean 21 weeks from obese to sculpted.  Incredible!!  There were 5 guys that had almost the same transformation.  Mark, Dan, Jay, Rodger and Justin.  Justin couldn't even get health insurance because he was over 350 lbs at the finale he as around 220 and ripped up.  I just think if there are people that let themselves go, but realized it and decided to make the change, that anyone can make a change for anything in their life no matter their age, sex and race.  We really do create our own destiny.

Rehearsals are going well, we have one more tonight and the benefit is on Sunday, then I continue on with Los Galinos which only rehearses a couple times a week.  If there is anything else out there that anyone is auditioning for, please let me know.  I am dying to get jump into an actual character.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Life, Health, Happiness & Success

-Brad

The blogs are going to get more frequent I hope.  Just to catch you up.  We went to Andy and Jesse's wedding last weekend.  It was a blast.  We shared a room with Craig and Erin which was a first.  We got a long great, we ate well, and saw an amazing ceremony.  It even took me back to Fiddler since Jesse did circles around Andy.  Of course she claimed it would get her too dizzy so Andrew split the seven circles with her.  Yeah it was quite entertaining.  They both got up and sang at the reception and we all know what a wonderful singer Andy is but who knew that Jesse had a pair of pipes as well.  She was great!!!  So bar a few transportation problems the wedding weekend was really nice.

Work has been extremely busy and challenging of which I am still really having a good time.

I am back in rehearsal for a couple of concerts.  I am singing a couple of solos for a benefit at TBPAC and singing in a the chorus for a Spanish Opera called Los Giliantos.  I am putting my phonetic skills to the test.

Now the big challenge:  everyone knows I have problems following through on things I do myself.  If other people are involved or its work related this problem is non-existent, but when it comes to me, I let myself down more often than not.  So, I am challenging myself for 90 days.  I started a home workout program called P90X and it is just as tough as any workout I did in the military.  I am just working so much right now that I am not getting in any exercise so I started yesterday with the first workout about noon, and this morning was the second at 5.  This is when I start thinking about quitting because I am so sore.  If I can just get through the next two weeks I will not be as sore after each workout and the dizziness and nausea will subside.  So I figure if I let you all know what I am doing, then maybe Ill trick myself into thinking I need to follow up because I am staying accountable to you.

I just feel old right now.  I go to work, I come home, or maybe rehearsal I go to bed.  That's my life and on the weekends, I watch movies and do household crap.  I am tired of it.  I want to start living again.  So, here is where I start.  Maybe it will work maybe it won’t.

SO TODAY:
Plyometrics - its basically a lot lateral jumping and a lot of squats and lunges mixed in.  VERY TOUGH.  I made it all the way through except for the last set where I was starting to feel dizzy and sick.  So I stopped.  No problems next week Ill do the whole hour. 

Yesterday - Chest, Back and Abs.  Made it through all of the chest and back, but really felt sick about 3/4s the way through abs.  Just the first couple of days.  Next week I wont have that excuse.

Ok, so have a wonderful day and week everyone.

LOVE, HEALTH, HAPPINESS and SUCCESS!!!

-Brad

When was the last time you can remember actually being excited about going to work?  Can you remember?  Has it ever happened that you wake up prior to the alarm going off wondering if you were going to be TOO EARLY?  I have to tell you that for the last four weeks, I have been in awe of the motivation and pure focus that has engulfed me.

I started this position with an open mind, but I have to be honest it was a little bit of a salary cut, so I considered using it as a stumbling block.  That, ladies and gentlemen, has completely been washed by the pure excitement I have for this position.  Are there stressful days, long hours and situations I would rather not be in?  Of course, but it's challenging and the people I work with are amazing. 

Let me give you some background.  First of all, I have the title of Program Manager of the client facing team for the Infrastructure Consolidation Program at JP Morgan Chase.  I know, I know the first thing your probably wondering is, what the hell does that mean?  In simple terms, I manage a staff of four team leads who each have a team of eight project managers.  We have the responsibility of migrating over eight hundred clients from older, legacy platforms to upgraded and more secure systems.  I not only have the responsibility to make sure that all of our resources are taken care of but I only interface with technology, product and sales teams in order to move the clients within a specific time frame.  Basically, all of the clients are my responsibilty to be transitioned over the course of the project.  It is a huge challange and with also helping to lead the technology team to create a tracking tool that specifially meets the need of the program the challanges just keep getting more plentiful.  And you know....I am happier than I have been in a long time at work.  It's not that I haven't enjoyed my other projects, but it has been a really long time since I have been this happy at work.

So, it finally answers the question, can a huge paycheck make you happy?  Is financial security worth being miserable 10-12 hours a day, no matter how long the project is?  Sure, I am not making the amount I was making in New York, but I am happy and it's worth it. 

There is only one more thing that would make the way my life is more complete.  To be back on stage again.  To go from being excited at work to a rehearsal and acting again, well that would be....hmmm....I don't know if I can put that into words.  Maybe I can....I would say it can be defined as.....ORGASMIC!!!!

Love, life, peace and success!!!

-Brad

"Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds." - Oscar Wilde

Things have been kind of quiet on the "Brad Front" lately.  Unfortunately, it gives me time to ponder, and that, my friends, is never good.  With the new presidential election on the home front, the war still taking place and all of the constant negativity in the media, I cannot help to think how good we really have it.  I mean as Americans, we really have a pretty good deal.

This thought process actually started after seeing a little movie titled, "Rambo".  I know, I know a good number of you reading this are enjoying a good laugh right now.  The movie was riddled with violence, blood and gore, but it was realistic.  Granted, I have been one of the few (well, one of the 80 or 90 million) audience members that enjoy his characters once in a while, but this one was directed brilliantly in my opinion.  Stallone wanted to make a statement with this movie, but understood in order to do that he also needed to stay within the confines of the franchise, so of course John Rambo wins in the end.  (If you haven't seen it I apologize, but I am sure it doesn't come as a shock.)  The movie opens with real footage from Burma where barbarians calling themselves the military, rape and murder their own for sport.  This goes on today.  Right now as you are reading this there could possibly be a village being burned to the ground and women and children with it.  The whole thing erupted emotions of anger, sadness, and helplessness.  Then I think about our lives as Americans and how everywhere I look people are complaining about our life here.  Even worse, I am one of them.

What is so bad?  A country where 70 percent of the families own homes, 95.4 percent are employed.  A place where if your house starts to burn a group of government workers show up and do everything in their power to salvage everything possible.  We live in a place where it is against the law for a hospital not to treat you, even if you cannot pay for it.  In Tampa, I cannot go for 3 miles where there is not a grocery store that I do not see in one isle enough food to feed a third-world village.  The idea, that anyone in this country can express their opinion in public and not get arrested.  These things happen in other countries, I have seen it. 

The media is starting to really piss me off.  There is a lot of good going on in this world and especially here in America and it's not acknowledged.  For every positive story in the newspaper, news website or network news program, there seems to be 15 to 20 negative ones.  Why is that?  Blood and chaos sells.  We like it, we live for it.  Why do people slow down and rubberneck when there is a horrible car crash?  I wonder all the time. Why does anyone want to fill their head with a picture of death?   I cannot figure it out.  When I was younger, I was naive to think people looked over at an accident to see if there was anything they could possibly do to help.  What a wakeup call I had when I moved to DC and accidents were more frequent and wondered what the hell everyone was looking at.  Just curious?  If there is an accident what the hell is everyone trying to see?  The media uses that "chaos curiosity" to sell their product. Look at the ads for the candidates, listen to their speeches are they really focusing on the issues?  You know why they aren't?  Because they are too busy trying to tear each other down.  What is worse, the media is not striving to dig up the positive pieces that each candidate has done, but instead spends countless hours digging up the dirt of the past.  Is just seems ass backwards to me.  Wouldn't it be an interesting election if America was wondering which one of the candidates have done and/or will do the most good instead of which candidate is the lesser evil?

I know I am really ranting, but I am lucky.  I live in a country where I can sit in my house, pay for the internet with a job I have, use the electricity that is directly connected to my home, to power the computer I own and write opinions to rant however and whatever I please.

LOVE, PEACE, HAPPINESS & SUCCESS!!!!

-Brad

Interesting experiences have been intruding on my life for the past 6 weeks and it is obvious I have not blogged or have had the ability to mention it to a lot of people.  I think I bottled it up because I really didn't think it could happen and in a way I am still trying to process everything that has happened. So, here is my attempt to look at it from another viewpoint and in the process put it out there.  I perceive that sometimes if I do not write it, then maybe it isn't real.  So here goes.

In our last episode, (why not start with comic relief), I broadcasted I got a new job in New Jersey right near the city and it was supposedly the best thing that could have happened.  Well, I was so excited about the company making good decisions quick and the did.  When I walked in the door the first day, I was handed a laptop, a badge, and all the accesses I needed.  I thought to myself, "this is incredible; I usually have to wait up to two weeks to get everything I needed".  So my perceptions were correct, this was a company that had it's act together.  Within the next week, I had a project that needed to be started and I had the resources to get the initial project charter off the ground.  I thought things were wonderful, except for the fact that this was more of a swing shift company.  I would walk in to the office around 8:30 every morning and the lights were still off.  Most of the workers did not walk in until 10am, but they would work until 8pm regularly.  This was the downfall.  I knew as long as I held this position I would not be performing.  I accepted it and thought, "ok I'll do this for a year and get everything paid for and squared away and just look for something else, of which would allow me to perform.  The coming weeks were not fun, the environment was productive but cramped.  The glass conference room I was interviewed in was the reception mirage, but the rest of the working spaces were like sardine cans.  This company was very big on meetings face to face, but for 350 employees they had 5 conference rooms so it was very hard to hold meetings.  I improvised by using lobbies, and restaurants and the hotel next door.  Things were going really well..

I rented a condo in Hackensack, that had never been lived in.  So, new appliances, new house smell, plenty of windows and it measured around 1600 square feet which is pretty much the size of my house in Tampa.  I was really excited.   I rented furniture and got hooked up with Verizon Fios and even had the ability to work from home occasionally.

Right before Christmas, I was able to get my project charter approved and I was finishing the risk assessments and preparing to assign resources when I was introduced to the resource manager for the east coast region.  Nice guy, Sergio was his name.  He pulled me into a conference room and right after a little chit-chat he then went on to tell me the company made a decision that for the new calendar year they needed to alleviate some capital so they were downsizing 10% of all the consultants across the globe which would free up close to 10 billion dollars.  Well, I was last in so I would be first out.  The first thing that came into my head and out my mouth was, "Hey, do you realize that they hired me knowing I was making a huge move from Tampa?  That I just invested 15 thousand dollars on the move?"  He said he was sorry, that this was the first time he had to do this and he would have to do it 35 more times before the end of the following week.  I really was flabbergasted.  I didn't know how to react.  I was torn between relief and despair.  I really wasn't crazy about the environment and I couldn't perform no matter what, but this was my break, a chance to get out of debt and put some money away.  Then there was the fact there were going to be 35 more people that were going to experience this exact situation.

So, I headed home to Tampa, and I just couldn't tell anyone.  I was ashamed.  I shouldn't have been, it was my fault but I felt like I made it the city and then failed, AGAIN!!  I went about everyday looking for new opportunities, but letting everyone believe I was working from home.  I didn't even tell my Dad until after the holidays. 

Good news was, I was able to perform on the tour of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas with Spanish Lyric Theater and while I thought the show was less than perfect I still enjoyed being on stage, dancing and singing.  It really was a blast to do.  We were in Miami, Kings court, and Ocala and witht the exception of Miami, all of the audiences were really appreciative.  Standing Ovations followed every show(again with the exceptions of Miami).  So, it was a lot of fun.

I also. started skydiving again.  I completed the first round of 8 in the Advanced Freefall course.  I took my first dive, without a tandem on my back, but with instructors on both sides.  They let go when I pulled the cord to open the parachute and I had to pilot it back down to the Drop Zone.  I cannot possibly explain the euphoria that hits when you jump out of a perfectly good airplane.  It is a rush beyond all rushes.  During AFF, which is 7 jumps, there are specific requirements that have to be accomplished.  I can only imagine what it is like to jump out on my own and just relax and enjoy the ride.  I will continue through all 25 jumps and get my license.  Unfortunately, I have not been back up yet.  I hope to really soon, but with the tour and finding a job and not to mention, I hit a little hard on my first landing, because I didn't listen to the radio my instructor was guiding me with, so I twisted something.  I hope to get back up there this weekend or the following weekend.

Speaking of looking for a job, this is what is killing me.  I actually started working for JP Morgan Chase on Thursday as a program manager.  This is a step up in career progression, but since it is here in Tampa, it does not make nearly the money I was making in NYC.  Well, I am also waiting on an offer from Ernst & Young and if that happens I will be back up in NYC.  Just in case I needed to take this job here.  Problem is, I like it.  Yes the project ends in October, but there are so many avenues after that can be followed within Chase that it is hard to think about leaving.  Plus, I hate leaving so quickly after taking the job.  Ernst and Young are offering more than double and it help, but who is to say what happened at NYK wouldn't happen at E & Y?  So, I am torn.  I determined to wait until I have a written offer from E & Y before I even think about it.  It is just easier said than done.

Other than that, things are status quo.  The cats are great, Kim is doing well.  She hates her job, but I think we took care of that today in a discussion over breakfast.  Now the only thing is to make this decision, if there is one to be made, and move on to a performing project if I can find one.

I will put a video of my AFF jump up sometime soon.

Love, Life, Happiness and Success!!!!

"You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.” - Anthony Robbins

So, I'll start this the same way I told my friend Kelly.  "Who is the last person in the world you thought would move to NYC?"  Yeah, that's right ME!!!!  It happened so quickly I thought I was in a dream. 

If you have been around for the last few months you have heard me complain about my position at work.  Not that my team is bad, or the actual work is horrible, it was just that I am over qualified for what I am doing and I needed to move on.  Not to mention, my supervisor and I are at extreme ends of the universe when it comes to running the project.  I loved my team, they are the most talented and amazing group of people I have ever worked with in the corporate world.  The problem was that I didn't have the ability to run the team in the managerial style I am accustomed.  More on that later.  Needless to say, I resigned last Tuesday after this whirlwind became a reality.

So, due the reasons above I put my resume out on Monster and have been constantly talking to recruiters and telephone interviewing and even being flown up and down the east coast to interview in person.  Well, on Tuesday, the 23rd of October I received a phone call from a recruiter in New Jersey and like I have done a thousand times, I listened as she introduced the project and the company to me.  It sounded very interesting as a lot of them have, so I said "Yes, please submit me."  She said if I was offered the opportunity would I be available to relocate up to New York/New Jersey area.  I said,"Hell yeah, it is only my favorite place in the world."  So began the process.  Three hours later she calls me and asks if I would be available the next day for a phone interview and we set a time.  The phone rang right at 4:30 pm Wednesday, the 24th.  Ken from the company I was interviewing for, proceeded to grill me on my knowledge of Project Management.  There were very few questions about what I have done, it was very intense 35 minute test on my technical knowledge.  At the conclusion I really did not know what to think.

The following morning, at 9am Anna, my recruiter, calls me and asks me how it went and I explained to her that I answered the questions the best I could and that is all I could do.  I felt confident about my answeres but could not tell by the tone of the interviewers voice what he was thinking.  She explained that they thought I was very knowledgeable and it could only come from experience and training AND that they would like me to fly up for a personal interview.  She then continued to tell me that her confidence had risen greatly because only 1 in 15 had passed the first interview.  At this point my heart started to race.  Can this really be happening?  Then she mentioned the pay and even though she couldn't tell, my mouth was on the ground.  I said that would be sufficent and we made arrangements for me to fly to Newark on Monday.

Monday, was stressful, I needed to be at the airport at 5am in order to get on the plane and land in Newark by 10:30 for my noon interview.  I just have to express as a side note, I really hate flights with layovers.  It made a quick flight to Newark and back a 15 hour inconvenience. 

I got to the office building of NYK Logistics and NYK Lines.  This Nippon Yusen Kaisha Logistics company is one of the largest transportation companies in the world. They have more cargo ships than I can count, there own cruise line, and their own airline not to mention several partnerships with major airlines to move goods all over the world.  They have offices all over the world including New Jersey, Seatle, and Tokyo.  Tokyo being the world headquarters. 

Well, I sat in this beautiful glass conference room across the table from seven...yes that's right...seven project managers.  They drilled me, and drilled me....and when they were done drilling me, they drilled me again.  All on project management and how I would handle certain situations.  The end of the interview did not bolster my confidence.  I did, of course, dig into my acting capablilities and at least made them believe I was confident in my answers.  One of the last questions came from the head of the Project Managment Office.  He asked me, "What is your management style?"  My answer went something like this.  I told him that my answer might just make or break the interview but I would not compromise how I managed a project.  If I told him what I thought he wanted to hear, then I if I started and we didn't agree on my specific management style then it wouldn't be good for either me or the company.  I told them that in my world and view, the client was not my number one concern.  My team was my priority.  If my team was taken care of and they knew whatever happened I had their back, then they would be more productive and by default the customer would be ecstatic as well.  If I needed a little more effort or hours then my team, knowing I would do anything for them would in turn have no questions if I asked them for a little extra they would give it...no question.  This was my experience and I never ever had to kill a project or ever came in over budget or behind schedule. 

There was a couple more question and at 1pm they led me out of the building.  I grabbed a cab and I was very leary about the results of the interview.  I booted up my laptop to find Anna's number, called Kim and told her not to worry I didn't think this was going to happen.  At 1:15pm as I am just about to find Anna's number she calls.  I told her I was not confident and I apologized for making her pay for a ticket up to Newark just to have me fail  at impressing the Project Management team.  She said, "Well, that;s funny they just told me they really liked you and they wanted to make sure you were interested before they sent the paperwork to Japan."  I guess they didn't want to expend the effort if I wasn't going to accept the offer.  You can guess my reaction.  I was shocked.  We talked about when I could start and she said she would get back to me the following day.  The rest of the day was good, I had lunch with Sean and then went back to the airport to catch a 430 plane, which was delayed by an hour and then delayed another 45 minutes on the tarmack.  I got to Atlanta just in time to catch my connection but of course that was delayed to.  Another side note...Air Tran....not impressed.  I arrived home around 1045 and crashed.

The next morning, Anna calls and verifies I still am interested in the job and says that NYK is finishing the paperwork to send to Japan and I should have an offer by the end of the day.  I couldn't believe what was coming out of my mouth, but all of the sudden, I was asking for more money!!!  I was thinking am I really doing this, am I re-negotiating.  I was asking for another bump for just a few months to take care of relocation since they needed me up there so fast.  Anna told me they would not just do a three month bump, and that if she going in to renegotiate then it would be a total contract increase not just for three months becuase they did not work that way.  We decided mutually to cut the request by 25% and go request it.  I told her this was not a show stopper, but it would help.  Two hours later she comes back and tells me it was accepted and I should have a contract the following day.  I was floored.  They didn't even think twice and just gave me even more money.  After doing some quick calculations, I realized that I would be making over 2.5 times my salary!!! Oh JEEZ!!  How could I say no?  So, I didn't. 
Maybe your thinking, but your not really in NYC your in New Jersey.  Ok, well, let me just tell you that from my office to times square by taxi was less than 20 minutes, and from Penn Station to Newark by train was just about the same.  I am planning on living in Weehawken which is 10 minutes to the office and 10 minutes to mid town, so in my opinion I might as well, be living in the city but it is not as expensive. 

So, I am off to NYC/or NJ whichever you want to call it.  I start working on the 14th of November and I will be back after Thanksgiving most weekends. Probably until the end of February.  I need to do a lot of work on my house so I can turn it into a vacation villa or a snow bird's paradise.  With the real estate market the way it is, I will not be able to sell it.

So that's it.  I am moving to NYC and I am really excited.  I will catch you all up next time on Whorehouse and some of the shows I have seen.  Not to mention, some of the connections I have already made in NYC.

Love, Life, Success and Happiness!!!

Here it is again, almost two months since I publically blogged.  I swear every day I have experiences that I want to share and in my head the words are there and the inkling to share them.  Of course something comes up the words leave and nothing is written.  So, what happens, I am finally bursting at the seems with information overload and I end up writing these 5 page blogs, or I sit down to write and everything I want to share refuses to come back to me.  Well, let's just see if I can get everything I want down this time.

First, let's catch up with Brad and see what he is up to:  Not a lot!  That is the status and to tell you the truth, IT IS KILLING ME!!   I need an performance project so bad.  I can feel the skills leaving me by the day.  I haven't performed since Cabaret and it is the longest break in three years.  That's right....I haven't been out of rehearsal or performance since August of 2004 and now I have been without a project for 6 weeks.  I am dying here friends.  If you know of a project let me know please cuz I really need something.  It must be an addiction.. I never really thought of myself as having an addictive personality, but I am starting to wonder now.  Maybe I am addicted to the theatre,  I guess there could be worse things.

Anyway, the break did give me an opportunity to actually get certified in Project Management.  Remember last time I mentioned going to DC for a class that Northrop Grumman sent me to?  Well, I took the class studied my little ass off and passed the test.  This turned out to be one of the greatest academic achievements of my life.  I never was a good student either in high school nor college.  Pretty mediocre.  This time, with only a four day review class and 3 weeks of passive studying and three days of intensive I actually passed a test that only 38% of the people who take it pass on the first time.  AND I did it ON MY OWN!!  To a lot of you, well probably most of you, this isn't the most groundbreaking achievement, but to me it was huge...HUGE!  So now I am Brad Minus, PMP.  Project Management Professional.  Oh, just to give you how much this means in my corporate life.  I immediately put it on my resume and put it out on Monster and I am literally getting 5-10 opportunities sent to me per day and all with a 50% pay raise.  I am a happy happy person.

Speaking of work, let me tell you the gifts I got after coming into work the day after the test and everyone finding out I passed.  I received massive praise from my team.  The emails that came through were all so heartfelt, my customer even gave me a huge hug with is unlike her, everyone was just wonderful.  Then there was my boss.  He doesn't have his certification and we have different methodologies about handling this project.  He brought me into a conference room, told me congratulations and then removed all responsibility from me.  So, now I am a highly certified, highly educated, highly experienced Administrative Assistant.  Not in title mind you, but in duties.  It took a week or so, but I finally got the point where I just say yes sir, no sir and only do an eight hour day.  Meanwhile, I am being submitted for jobs with a hefty pay raise, my own office, responsibility for my own team and budget and most of them are a lot closer.  Hopefully things will happen here in the next couple of weeks.  I will keep you posted.

Leah and Sammy were in town for a week and I only got to see them for a few minutes, but they both look amazing.  Leah, got to perform her dream role in Joseph which you can catch on You Tube.  She was amazing.  Sammy is now doing a show where he playing both and Elvis Impersonator and a John Denver Impersonator.  I wish I could see it, because I think he is going to be hilarious.  Wendy sent me a pic yesterday and he looks very funny.  I wish them both the best of luck.  I can only imagine after spending a summer performing as much as they did that they couldn't help but get so much better.  Can you imagine doing two equity runs in just the course of a summer?  Heaven, just heaven!!!  I just wish the theatre would compensate them a little more for all the work they are putting in.

I just want to say a quick thank you to all that made it to the bash we had here for Kim.  She was amazed at the amount of people that showed up.  I am so incredibly grateful to all of our friends who care so much about her that they would find the time to come out and celebrate her birthday and her new job.  She started by the way and I think she just may enjoy it.

Speaking of friends...I might have gone on about this in some of my earlier blogs, but I feel like I need to re-iterate a little.  There is nothing like cast mates.  I mean truly.  You get so close to people in shows, because you have to give yourself to them in order for them to trust you.  When I am on stage I have to know that my fellow cast members have my back and me theirs.  Well, the benefit to gaining that trust is close relationships.  Even if I haven't been in a show with that person for years I still hurt when they hurt, get angry at things that may happen to them and of course am ecstatic when good things happen.  I would do anything for my friends and when situations change for the worse I want to be there for them.  Now, I do not know if people feel the same way I do.  There are definitely actors I have been in shows with that don't care about me that way, but it's not the love you receive in this world that will make the difference it is the love you give.  To all of you (and you know who you are) I love you.  My friends are my life and I am here for you no matter what.  I wish I had more contact with a bunch of you, but know that if you need someone from the infinitesimal amount to the extreme I will try my damnedest to give everything I can.  Okay enough of the soap box.

Yesterday was a tough day.  It was Jamali's Birthday and the first one I celebrated without her here on earth.  It was kind of interesting, she brought something out in me I just didn't know was there.  I never thought that I could be connected to a presence as I am to her.  I grabbed a picture, her ashes and lit a candle and just stared and thought about her for a long while.  She had more of an effect on me than a lot of humans.  Well, I gave a treat to my cats, 9 lives wet food...yeah they love it.  And then I found myself pulling out paper plates and putting down wet food for the feral cats we have in the backyard.  I wasn't even thinking, I just started doing it.  It was like I was on autopilot giving tribute to Jamali by giving everyone food she loved.  Then of course we treated ourselves to Kentucky Fried Chicken which of course, she loved.  She used to sit in back of us just waiting for us to tear off pieces of chicken and hand it to her.  She could smell it as soon as it was brought home.  So now, two days a year we make it a point to have KFC.  September 21st, her birthday, and April 20th the day she passed.  If you ever would like to share these days with us, everyone is welcome.  Just let us know so we know how much to pick up.

Mogwai and Mogley are doing great and Mika is having the time of her life with the boys.  She still complains a little but deep down I think she likes them both.  Mogwai is actually starting to channel Mali I think.  He just has some quirks where he acts extremely similar to her at that age.  Maybe there is something to this reincarnation.  I mean he was born on April 19th and she passed just after midnight of the 20th.  Hmmmm.  Or maybe I am just imagining it.

So, that is about it.  If anyone has a performance project they need help on let me know I need something soon.  The Jocker has not started yet due to some space issues and I screwed myself by not going to auditions because I thought that the minute I found something rehearsals would start.  Well, now I guess I have to take my chances because I really need something.

Love, health, happiness and Success!!!

"In my last year of school, I was voted Class Optimist and Class Pessimist. Looking back, I realize I was only half right." -Jack Nicholson

Well, once again it has been an eternity since I publically blogged.  Crazy, right?  So, all of you know me, this is probably going to be long.  Grab a cup o' joe or a coke and smile and sit back for another rant from your favorite friend. 

Cabaret went extremely well.  It was the first time actually finishing a project with CWP and while I was not a fan, I will say this; it was extremely easy working for them.  Everyone in the crew made everything so comfortable and the cast was so easy to work with that I would definitely consider working with them again.  It was a first for a few things for me.  The first time working for this company, the first time with a lead in a musical and the first time with a solo in a musical and wouldn't a know it the first time I was in a show where every seat of every show was sold out, INCLUDING the preview and the extra show put on the schedule with very little marketing.  The show wasn't for everyone and I have to say if you are theatre educated then you might have found some things that were a little disappointing, but the fact is, the show was extremely successful for CWP and some audience members came back 2 and 3 times.  After every show there is a requirement for the cast; they have to stand in a receiving line.  Anyone that has worked with me, knows, I hate this.  I cannot stand meet and greets.  I feel like I am begging for an accolade, but if it is a requirement then I do it and I say my thank yous.  It is interesting - the people that came by had one of three reactions; "nice job" with a very insincere smile on their face; they would pass right by or they would look me in the eyes and tell me with the most sincere look on there face "You were amazing!"  No, this did not come from my friends.  Most of my friends said; "nice job: with a subtext meaning "I talk to you about this later."  Of which I would get the real story.  Which I appreciate more than you know, to those of you that did this for me.  I crave direct and honest feedback.  I would rather you give me the truth so I can learn rather than give me the old "nice job" and blow me off.  I love performing, but I know that I am, by far, not the best performer anywhere, but I strive to be so.  In my earlier blogs you will see me tell you time and time again, I am the Pete Rose of acting.  Pete Rose did not have a single athletic bone in his body, but by sheer determination and work he became on of the best athletes in baseball.  I am not naturally gifted, but I am willing to put in the work.  Another epiphany I had while performing in this show, it doesn't matter anymore to me whether I get paid or not, I just want to perform and yes there are other factors beyond the show.  The part, the cast and now how far is it to rehearsals.  Gas prices...crazy?  Anyway...that's my story and I am sticking to it.

Speaking of roles...I do have a new project coming up called The Jocker with Gypsy Productions.  I have read this script a few times now and it is absolutely amazing.  It is based on Hobos in the 1930s and the traveling and relationships they had with each other.  This show has everything, a great story, violence, intrigue, crime and sex.  It is extremely "R" rated, but nonetheless and amazing script.  Once a space is locked down I will give everyone the details.  Yes, unfortunately Gypsy lost their space because Home Depot came in and bought it up, but from my understanding there are several options that are in the works.

Now for some shows I got to see. Midsummer Nights Dream at Eight O'clock staring my friend Kelly as Hermia.  This is probably one of my all time favorite Shakespeare comedies.  It was done extremely well.  Yes, there were a few things as a director I did not care for, but on the whole it was wonderfully done.   The colors, the costumes, the set were all beautiful.  Most of the actors had terrific command of the language which is very impressive in a community based show, but of course this is Eight O'clock so I have come to expect a little more from them due to Six Guns, Into the Woods, and Urinetown.  It was a wonderful production and if it wasn't the last weekend that we saw it I would've made a point to see it again.  If you missed Kelly's performance then you really missed something special.  She was, by far, one of the strongest actors up there and so beautiful to watch. Even if I didn't know her as well as I do, I would've kept wanting to see more of her up there.  Kelly, next time you do this show, I want you to play Titania...ok?  That part was written for you.

Next was a couple of nights ago I saw, The Mystery of Irma Vepp.  90 minutes of pure enjoyment.  Two of my favorite people, Derrick Baxter and Larry Buzzeo, playing 3-4 characters each with rapid changes including genders, were the funniest performances I have seen here in Tampa Bay.  I thought I was going to fall off the chair and Jorge, my date for the evening, did I think, a few times.  The costumes, the set, the lights were perfect and their characters were specific and drastically different which is an extremely difficult undertaking being that they were switching from character to character every 30 seconds in some scenes.  It was just an amazing show.  I wish I could've gone earlier in the run so I could've seen it more than once. 

On to the movies.  Quickly let me just run down the list of 3 that I have.  Harry Potter, The Order of the Phoenix - WOW!  Amazing cinematography and the story just keeps getting better.  This one was so good; I actually started reading the books.  I am on Prisoner of Azkaban now and there is so much more in the books.  I cannot wait to find out what I missed.  If you are a Harry Potter fan than this movie will not disappoint you one bit.  Next, Hairspray - if you are a fan of classic musicals, then this was amazing.  Every voice was brilliant and no matter what the critics say, John Travolta was wonderful as a woman.  Yes, it could've done without the character being played in drag, but he was a lot of fun to watch.  Christopher Walken was wonderful and he sang and wasn't half bad.  He definitely didn't detract at all.  James Marsdon - all I can say is, WOW!  Who the &*^% knew he could sing like that?  It was just an absolutely wonderful musical movie. It makes me want to see the stage show that much more.  Congrats to Nikki Blonsky.  This is a long way from scooping ice cream a year ago and she was amazing.

On the other side of my brain, my job is going well.  I am not happy with the choice my new boss, but we are slowly working it out.  He just doesn't listen to me and is totally threatened by the fact I ran the project by myself for eight weeks, with doing my job, and someone else's.  I am a little peeved, but I am slowly learning how to handle him.  The good news is:  I am being sent back to the Washington DC area for my certification in Project Management...YEAH BABY!!!  If I can buckle down and get the cert it means a huge raise and a ton of opportunity.  Being back in DC means I get the opportunity to see a lot of my friends that I have missed so much.  So, to all of you back in DC, keep the week of the August 6 through the 11th open and let's get together.  I miss you guys...and dolls.  I'll be staying at some Best Western in Tysons Corner so drop me a line.

Just an update:  The cats are doing well.  The plan worked.  Mika got Mogley and became happier just to have another cat in the house, even though she kind of just ignores him.  Mogley just wanted to play and Mika didn't so we ended up getting Mogwai and he is doing the trick.  Mogley is loving having a live toy to play with and wouldn't you know it, Mika is awake more often now because she is now amused with both of them.  Once in a while I even catch her off guard playing with both of them, but SHHH don't say anything because I don't think she want me to know.

Well, that should do it for this round.  I do have some thoughts I need to put down a little later so stay tuned.

Love, Life, Happiness and Success!!!

"The minute I start to talk about acting, I realize that I can't. You know, it's an abstract thing, a little bit mysterious even if you do it for a living." - Christopher Walken