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Thread: I did it!

  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phonetek View Post
    Yes most definitely walking on air. Now just getting through the next 2 weeks of anticipation. The hardest part is my GM don't come in until Monday so I can't give my notice until then. In the meantime, I have to keep this quiet? How on Earth am I supposed to do that working tonight and tomorrow? I can't even bring up the bowling match because they have no idea I was down in TN. Grrr! As Tom Petty says "The waiting is the hardest part."
    Haha, it's a conundrum, but what a beautiful conundrum to have! XD

  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by boatman37 View Post
    Now if those things would start going right for me...lol. My whole year has been tough. Nothing serious, just stupid things. Hope my luck turns soon...lol.
    I'm sorry to hear that. I'll pray that things start going better for you. For everything there is a season, but the next season always comes around.

  3. #13
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mc_runner View Post
    Great stories : ) And happy to hear things are working out for you!

    Edit: I'm curious who the pro is, haha
    Yeah about that....I was going to post it initially but now that I think about it...maybe not a good idea to do so? Using tact would probably be in my better interest. Besides, you never know who's out there and he may not appreciate it coming up in a google search. LOL If it was purely a bowling match and I wasn't working for him then you bet I'd be like "I WHOOPED PDW!" and NO it wasn't Pete, that was an example! All I'll say is he has been on TV back in the day but he never won on TV. I can PM you the name if you really wanna know though. =)
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

  4. #14
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by J Daisy View Post
    Haha, it's a conundrum, but what a beautiful conundrum to have! XD
    I came into work and I was way too happy walking around. My co-workers kept asking me "What's going on with you, you're acting strange?" Answering back "I'm always happy" just wasn't cutting it for a reply, they knew something wasn't right. Customers were even coming up to the bar asking me "What's on special?" I said "EVERYTHING is special, if I'm pouring it for you, IT'S SPECIAL" LOL Nobody in that place was from not getting some sort of joke coming out of my mouth last night. I had one group that stayed for like almost 6 hours last night because I was so whacky, they had never been there before and said "This place is awesome, is the atmosphere always like this?" I was like "Yeah sure, every day" LOL In my head I was thinking "Yeah, for the next two weeks anyway" Heehee.

    So as it turned out my boss (not the GM) had to come back later last night and he even noticed I was acting different. What gave it away to him when I was running around loudly belting out "Play that funky music white boy" and bouncing around the place. He's like "Are you drunk or something?" LOL I said, "Nope but I think we need to go to the office and talk" He just said "Uh oh, something's coming" I said "Yep, you bet you're ___ it is" So we sat down and talked and I told him the whole story. He wasn't at all upset and he said "Man, just go after your dream don't even look back at this place. You're gonna do great there and I'm really happy for you"

    He also said that he didn't realize things were going so bad for me before with my family having me go to such extremes. He admires the fact that I did what I did and how I did it. He didn't think I had quite that much drive in me as I do. He realizes now that they took me for granted and see how valuable member of the team I really am. I said "That sounds like a counter-offer to keep me." He laughed and said "If I had anything to do with that then yeah it would be but the higher up's here are too cheap and would never consider it". Again he said just go for it and never look back. I got a heck of a chance to have a lot of great things happen and see things I'd never see here.

    Now that the cat was out of the bag I told the rest of my co-workers the story and even one of my favorite regulars Joe who as always been like a dad to me. He was in tears when I told him because he's sad to see me go. He's very happy for me though and said I deserve it. It's bitter sweet, I'm going to miss a lot of people here. I didn't realize the friendships I have made and that there were people who came in looking forward to seeing me. I guess I made more of an impact than I really knew. The next two weeks are going to be fun but emotional, especially that last day. They are already planning on taking me out one night before I leave for one last hoorah with them where I don't have to pour the drinks but consume them. LOL

    I didn't get home until 2 am last night because everyone wanted to know. When I got home wifey just shook her head and said "Obviously you told or you'd have been home an hour and a half ago" I said "You know me well".

    Oh one thing I forgot. When I was talking with Joe, I was sitting next to him at the bar. My boss was still there and the other employees were asking him questions about stuff, making him do things. Meanwhile I'm at the bar chatting. He says "Man, I ain't even on the clock....what am I doing this for? Oh because my manager is over there chatting and not working!" while giving me this look. I looked and him and said with this huge smile on my face "What are you gonna do....fire me?" I gave him a thumbs up and said "Good job boss, keep up the good work" He busted up and said "Very nice! I'd have said the same thing and now I know you aren't doing a damn thing except talking the rest of the night. No, good job to you!"
    Last edited by Phonetek; 08-04-2019 at 10:56 AM.
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

  5. #15
    High Roller vdubtx's Avatar
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    Congrats Phonetek
    High Sanctioned Scratch Game - 300(12) Hi Sanctioned Scratch Series - 822(3)
    2016/17 Book Average=221, 2017/18 Composite Average=223
    Equipment in the bag - Storm Crux Prime, Storm Physix, Roto Grip Idol, Roto Grip Idol Pearl, Roto Grip Hyper Cell Fused, Storm Sure Lock, Storm Drive, Roto Grip Winner Solid, Roto Grip Haywire, Storm Fever Pitch, Roto Grip Red ball spare.

    Rev Rate 400. Speed 18 at heads, 16.5-17 at pins. Axis tilt 10, Axis Rotation 55. PAP 5 5/8 x 5/8 up

  6. #16

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    I wanna hear about asshat and what happened there lol

  7. #17
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vdubtx View Post
    Congrats Phonetek
    Thanks bud, I appreciate it. =)


    Quote Originally Posted by chrono00 View Post
    I wanna hear about asshat and what happened there lol
    Man...(expletive) that dude! He's not worth my time talking about but I will indulge you. Bold face liar and the only way to help him make money on that center is for me to hand him a gallon of gas and a match. Provided anyone would provide insurance on a center that belongs on the show Hoarders. Just walking from Lane #1 to the bathroom you walk through 4 decades of decor and never make it past the 1990's. I've seen video's of kids breaking into abandoned bowling alleys on YouTube that were a vast improvement over that place. No WAY that place is staying around for long. If it did catch fire it would smolder for 6 months with the amount of junk he has in there.

    He's got parts for every type of pinsetter that he doesn't own and tools to work on them from Dollar General. No wonder he's the one that fixes them or rather rigs them. There isn't any self respecting mechanic that would take on working on those machines. Besides, he'd probably only offer them minimum wage. I seen one with a notch cut out of the center of a sweep cut with a sawzall and asked him what the notch was for? He said that the sweep kept hitting the headpin knocking it out of the fingers so he cut the notch so it wouldn't do that. I said, "Did you set the timing on the cams, it sounds like it out of sync?" and he said "How do you do that?" Seriously? That's level 1 mechanic stuff probably taught on day one of school.

    It took everything I had to bite my tongue and keep things professional. I really shouldn't have because he really needs a wake up call. I didn't go down there to do that though, I'm not the Chef Ramsay of bowling centers. Back by the machines, everything was just creaky and squeaky with nothing but crud and bits of metal, screws, washers and other parts that have broken off surrounding them on the floor. It was disgusting. Mike Rowe would have balked about doing a show there.

    Not only did he go back on our agreement that he made with me on the phone. He says because he just found out his wife wants a divorce. "Gee...what a shock" He was still trying to get my ideas that I had on how to bring in business. He only said he could bring me in part time and at less than I make now. He said he'd bring me in if I had another part time job set up. LMAO Yeah sure, I'd bring my family down to make less money, work and work two jobs and offer up my ideas for him to make money. I don't think a fresh smiling face and drink specials are going to help. The only event I'd be able to plan to get the town interested in that place would be to charge people to gather around watching the place get imploded.

    I was soooo pissed when I left that place. Not only because of his bait and switch tactic on me. I was mad I took the time off work and lost money to come down, I spent money I didn't have to do it and it was all for nothing at that point. I called my wife and said "What am I supposed to do now since this was an epic fail?" She had no suggestion. I got something to eat, feeling very ashamed, low and on the verge of giving up. I said to myself...."There are two more centers down here I haven't dealt with yet, I have to suck this up and move forward!" It was 7pm now which was a bad time to do this but I had nothing to lose from trying.

    The first center was over an hour away on the other side from Spring Hill. I pulled up at 8:30pm thinking "Man this is such a long shot, no way anyone with any juice is there to talk to" Nonetheless, I decided to go in anyway. Ended up talking to the GM's son. Nice people, nice place but another "Fun Center". The son says I'd have to talk to his dad but he knows they need a bar tender and it pays really well, he'd be in tomorrow. Staying over night wasn't in my plans time wise nor financially. I figured, "Well...it's better than nothing so I guess I'm sleeping in the car tonight.

    The next center was up the road 20 minutes away. Again I said "This is going to be like shooting a bullet, at another bullet, blindfolded whilst riding a horse but I gotta try!" I walk in at 9:45 pm. I ask the girl at the counter "What time do you close?" She says "Thanksgiving" I said "Huh? No, I meant what are your business hours tonight and when do close?" Again she said "Thanksgiving" Ah....."24 hour establishment, got it" I told her my reason for being there and she called the GM on the phone. He said to come back at 10am. She said "If you like drama then this is the place to work". She wasn't very friendly or personable and given what she said I wasn't at all confident that this was the place to go and probably wasn't coming back. I was going to blow off the appointment.

    Next morning after waking up in the car at the truck stop I figured I'd go back to the second place first since I had a set time. I don't like blowing people off, I'm too ethical to go back on what I say. Luckily I did because that brings us full circle to the OP and you know the rest.

    As far as the asshat, as it turned out it was my saving grace. Had I ended up there, none of what is happening now would be. I wouldn't have found it within myself and dig deep to keep pressing on and keep moving forward despite my failures. I was too determined to not come back to Chicago with my head hanging in shame. Still that asshat.... I wish him the worst of luck and none of his dreams come true. Hopefully karma puts him in his place. When he's out of business which can't be far in his future, I pray he needs two part time jobs to survive as he smugly suggested for me. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to bowl at his establishment.
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phonetek View Post
    Yeah about that....I was going to post it initially but now that I think about it...maybe not a good idea to do so? Using tact would probably be in my better interest. Besides, you never know who's out there and he may not appreciate it coming up in a google search. LOL If it was purely a bowling match and I wasn't working for him then you bet I'd be like "I WHOOPED PDW!" and NO it wasn't Pete, that was an example! All I'll say is he has been on TV back in the day but he never won on TV. I can PM you the name if you really wanna know though. =)
    LOL, no, totally understand your reasons (and agree).

  9. #19

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    Congratulations Phoney!!!

  10. #20
    High Roller Phonetek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by djp1080 View Post
    Congratulations Phoney!!!
    Thanks Djp, You know...you never made it to my center since I've worked there. I really wish I had the chance to meet you in person before I left, especially since you are the one who's geographically the closest on here. =( Now I have to find people on here who are in TN who won't come see me
    Bowling Center Manager
    Arsenal consists of mainly 15# Motiv balls, I have several now and they are the bomb! Too many to list and carry. Still have a couple Hammer balls and my AMF RPM Swirl (old reliable) & 25+yr old Linds worth a mention
    Currently 535+ Rev Rate @ 19 MPH (This probably needs to be updated, I think I've toned each down a click or two these days. I'm letting the ball do more of the work as I get older.)

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