Week 8 – Day 53 off Wall Street – New Year’s Eve

It’s technically Jan 1 already, but I’ll post again tomorrow.

I went to Busch Gardens at Tampa Bay for New Year’s Eve.  I went on Sheikra, which is a floorless diving rollercoaster with a 90 degree 200ft drop.  It was pretty fucking intense.  Then I went on Kumba, which is a steel sit down rollercoaster with 7 inversions.  The last one I went on was Gwazi, an extremely uncomfortable dueling wooden rollercoaster that felt like riding a jackhammer.  There was no time to go on Montu, which I believe still holds the record for number of inversions on an inverted roller coaster.  No problem though, I’ve already been on it in the past.

At night, I went with immediate and related family to Don Cesar at St. Pete’s Beach for one of the best dinners in recent memory.  This resort is gorgeous on the outside and inside, evoking a grand hotel design from the 1920s.  There was free champagne at the party.  On the way out after dinner and the ball drop, EMT showed up to help a lady who cracked her head open because she failed at life.  LMAO congrats, what a great way to start out the New Year.

http://www.loewshotels.com/en/hotels/st-pete-beach-resort/overview.aspx

I went to shoot fireworks on the beach.  As I was lighting up sparklers and rockets, I thought back to last January when I helped set up fires and blew up a can of waffle mix, WD-40, Wheel & Tire cleaner, Airwick, and a giant tank of propane with some people who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons.

Week 8 – Day 52 off Wall Street

Flying Jetblue is awesome.  Free bag check.  Television for every seat.  No Nazis with the airline snacks.

The airline security check took forever.  I think things were tighter than usual because of that recent terrorist attack.  My flight was also delayed by over an hour due to some difficulties getting the plane ready.  I always think about Final Destination whenever I fly, but I know there’s no possible way that getting killed on an airplane is my way to go out.  I have way too much shit to accomplish in this life.

I arrived at Tampa International Airport at around 7:30pm.  Back to jeans and a t-shirt.

Week 8 – Day 51 on Wall Street

I hate it when I see something I like on television (a commercial), then I try to commit it to memory only to forget it hours later.  Leaving tomorrow on a jet plane.

Week 8 – Day 50 on Wall Street

Took an exam today that was supposedly much harder than the Greenlight.  Got a 74.  That means I should be able to pull 80+.

I also spoke to my senior broker about taking some days off.  Looks like I’m headed to Tampa.

Week 7 – Day 49 off Wall Street – Sunday

We live by the Golden Rule.  Those who have the gold make the rules.

Money is the problem and the solution, and money often costs too much.

Week 7 – Day 48 off Wall Street – Saturday

Please direct your attention to this $43, 000 suit by Brioni.  It is made from extremely soft fine wool from the vicuña, an animal that can only be sheared every 3 years.  The cloth is so rare, only 150 of these suits will be made a year.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123275452531011647.html

While middle-income consumers have cut spending because of their income, “that’s not the case with the wealthy,” says Carl Steidtmann, chief economist at Deloitte LLP. The wealthy are “constrained by guilt, and that’s the hurdle high-end brands have to overcome.”

Week 7 – Day 47 – Merry Christmas!

As of 11:45am this morning, my immediate and related family are headed down to Tampa, Florida.  I’ll be stuck here until next week.  What a ton of suck.

Here’s a freaky drawing I found last year.  What if presents opened people?  Click for the full widescreen wallpaper.  Lots of details.

"Presents Opening Children" by Rob Sheridan

Week 7 – Day 46 on Wall Street – Christmas Eve!

The market closed at 1pm today so the firm is out at 1pm.  Some people decided to not show up, but I went in and pretty much got nothing accomplished.  Everyone was just eager to get on with their holidays.

You’re supposed to spend Christmas with family, but this year I’ll just be moping around in New Jersey.  The reason for this is that I need to go in on Monday to take a 3rd official test to see where I am, and I also need to study a bit this weekend.  I think I can fly down to Tampa next week so it’s not too bad, but this holiday season sucks overall.

Whenever I feel like I’ve been screwed, I usually think of this –> No matter how bad I think I have it, and no matter how bad I think my day is, I know someone out there is having a worse day than I am, or even a worse life.  Some people don’t have the stuff I take for granted like families, money, or the opportunity to celebrate anything.  I have this opportunity to become a huge producer on Wall St, and I really shouldn’t be complaining about anything.

I’m born in the United States though in the group known as Generation Y.  We’re generally impatient, like things to come easy, and we’re never satisfied with anything.  We complain about waking up to go to school to be educated.  We complain when we have to wait in line.  We complain when we have the opportunity to go to work, even if we’re making tons of money.  We just complain about stuff and say “Fuck my life.” to things that REALLY aren’t that bad.  I use this blog to complain, but I almost never complain anymore in real life.  I can’t even begin to describe days where I’ve gotten royally fucked from what seemed like every angle, and all I did was LOL because that’s all I could do.

It’s Christmas Eve so I have to end this on a high note.  I present to you Sara Jean Underwood.  The all American girl next door.  In full Christmas ceremonial gear.

Week 7 – Day 45 on Wall Street

I somehow spent like $18 on food today and none of it was really that good.  Fuck my fast metabolism.

Something I forgot to mention yesterday was that our two bathroom attendants got year end bonuses from the brokers.  I think it totaled to roughly $3200.  That’s more than the year end bonus I got when I worked at Citigroup, disregarding the fact that I was a first year analyst.  Maybe I should become an attendant?

Also, a trainee got the working authorization for his apartment today.  I think he’s moving to 37 Wall Street -> http://www.37wall.com/.  Where is this kid getting his money?  What the fuck???!!!  I need to move to a luxury high rise!!!

Looks like my family and cousins are headed down to Tampa on Christmas day without me, but I’ll try to join them sometime before New Years.  So it doesn’t seem like it’s the greatest holiday season for me, but two years from now I want to be able to say this was the greatest holiday season for me, because that’s when it ALL started.

I’ll end with some Angels & Airwaves – “Call to Arms”.  Their new song is coming out tomorrow for free download.  It’s called “Hallucinations” from their LOVE album.

Do you feel like you lost everything you can lose?
This is it, can you hear me
When you cry do your tears ever chill up the room?
Calling out in a moment of need
Do you ever lay awake with the look in the eye?
Asking God if a wish is too big to deny
I will offer a line, it was ready for use
Let me know, are you ready for me?

Week 7 – Day 44 on Wall Street

I need to stop eating food off these carts that are littering the financial district.  We like to call it “street meat”.  If you’re a baller on a budget (lol, how’s that for a paradox?), you gotta have it every week because it’s $5 for a chicken, rice, and soda.  Mmm…I love telling other people I ate food cooked in a car, or I bought my lunch at a store with wheels.

I get breakfast almost everyday from Ashby’s so I’m not really skimping at all.  It just costs way too much to keep yourself full in Manhattan, and I am consuming things constantly.  I’d rather spend my money on $180 cufflinks from Thomas Pink or a $120 pocket square from Hermes, if that makes any sense at all.

There was another firm compliance meeting today on the topic of anti-money laundering, and only one other trainee and I had to attend because we’ve already been fingerprinted.  The only thing I got out of it was that there are a shit ton of regulations designed to fuck you.

I’m getting mid 70’s on these practice exams.  By next week, I should run mid 80’s consistently.  The week after that, hopefully low-mid 90’s consistently, and I’ll be ready to take the greenlight.