One of the categories on my resume is my eBay feedback.

I use it to illustrate to prospective employers, my promptness, follow through, and commitment. I feel you can learn a lot about a person’s character by their eBay feedback.

I’d like to share with you what some eBay users I’ve done business have said about me. I especially like the person who says “An amazing person, and an amazing eBayer. I like them.” True story - I actually delivered that person’s baby.

You’ll notice below, that there’s a lot of A’s and +’s. I blame the public school system for destroying the value of the grade. You’ll notice on my second transaction I only earned an A++. I was new to eBay, and didn’t really understand it. I kind of screwed that one up.

I’m thinking, I will actually try to balance out this eBay grading schedule. From here out, when I leave feedbacks, I’m going to tell the real truth.

Neutral: “My product arrived on time, it was like every other eBay transaction. B-”
Or
Neutral: “Seller could have tried harder. Needs to apply him self. See me after transaction. C+”

My eBay feedbacks, to date:
Praise: Fast Pymt! “Mr. Shawn” receives our thanks & our highest recommendation
Praise: Good Transaction. Recommended buyer. A++++
Praise: Good buyer, prompt payment, valued customer, highly recommended.
Praise: An amazing person and an amazing Ebayer, I like Them
Praise: Great Ebay Experience..on time payment, promt emails..Awesome…A++++
Praise: fast pay, good communication!
Praise: ASSET TO EBAY COMMUNITY A+++++++++ THANKS FOR BIDDING
Praise: A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH*SPEEDY PAYMENT*WOULD RECOMMEND*THANKS!
Praise: Perfect Buyer! Prompt Payment! Smooth Transaction! Highly Recommended! Thanks!
Praise: A+ Great buyer! Very prompt payment, smooth transaction!!!
Praise: Quick payment, arrived in a blink of an eye! A highly reliable eBayer! Thanks!
Praise: GREAT BUYER SUPER NICE A++++++++++ THANKS
Praise: SUPER FAST PAYMENT AND GOOD EMAIL AN ASSET TO EBAY A’s ALL THE WAY A+A+A+A+A+A+
Praise: Great communication - Recommended - Thanks!!
Praise: Quick Response, Quick Payment, Highly Recommended, AAAA++++
Praise: Wonderful person to deal with. Friendly!! HIGHLY recommend this ebayer. A+++++
Praise: Prompt payment & quick response to emails. A++
Praise: Good emails and prompt payment, highly recommended A+++++++

It also means “Not Safe For Work”. If you’re at work, or your mom is reading over your shoulder, do not click [here].

So, when some kind soul showed me this picture on the internet. I knew, like a new born knows the face of his mother. I knew the story behind this picture.

It wasn’t supposed to be on the internet. His roomate put it on the internet.

So the next day, he’s strolling to work at the big B. Dalton’s. He walks in, and all of his coworkers are standing around the counter, huddled over something. He walks in, they look up.

…and he knows.

He meets their eyes. They look back at him. He knows that they know.

He turns around and quits that job, without a word.

He doesn’t even come to collect his last check.

It’s almost over. As I was landing, just before dawn, I was looking out over the landscape. I was listening to Pink Floyd on the Airplane’s inflight radio.

“Home, home again.
I like to be here when I can.
When I come home cold and tired
It’s good to warm my bones beside the fire.”

Fitting, for the end of the trip, even though it came at the start.

(I wrote this last night, but couldn’t post it until this morning, because the power was out. So was the internet. THE WHOLE INTERNET.)

The power is out here. The whole hotel lost power. I think the whole block did. What’s worse, the cell site that serves this block died too.
I was just typing, talking to Daks. Then everything went black. The whole damn thing. It’s eerie. At least my hotel door still works. I’m worried that I won’t get up for school tomorrow.
In the future, I’ll look back and read this entry, and think to my self…
“Yea…That’s the night that the lights went out in Georgia.”

Ok, so… some know that I’m here in Atlanta (Yes, I’m STILL in Atlanta) for voicemail school.

A WHOLE SCHOOL, DEDICATED TO VOICEMAIL.

It’s a big subject. Yesterday we worked on “Press 7 to delete this message.” Tomorrow we’ll tackle “Press 9 to skip this message, and go on to the next one.”

Now, I know you’re saying “But Shawn! You’ve been there two weeks! Surely you could have gotten through all of the numbers by now.” To that I say… “You have six new messages. To play new messages, press 1 now.”

Anyhow… We were talking about dumping user messages to tape, and the topic of file formats came up. That led the class to a story of how the support group, has gotten several tapes with user messages on them.

They were asked to save these messages in a format a end user could use, because they were of their dead spouses. They wanted it, because it’s the only way they could hear their voice again.

That’s sadder than the [saddest] [thing].

So I put together a mental play, based on that story. It went like this.

Setting: A living room. An middle aged woman, sits with a small tape recorder. She presses play.
RECORDER. This is John, I’m not here right now. Please leave a message.
Woman. (Sobbing)
The End.

If I ever get the death penalty I want the electric chair.
and then
I would want my last meal to be 3 cups of popcorn kernels.
Then… they would be all “Any last words.” and I’d be all “Yes.”
Then they’d be all “What is it?”
and I’d be all. “You shoulda brought some butter.”
then POW
POPCORN EVERYWHERE

I hopped a red-eye to Atlanta on Sunday.

I got checked into my hotel at 6:45am… The front desk was incredulous that I would try to check in that early.

I knew I wasn’t supposed to, but I just kept shrugging my shoulders and saying “I didn’t book it.” until they finally let me in.

Before I arrived, a dear friend, told me her story of Atlanta. She was in a Waffle House, drinking Iced Tea, and reading a book.

The waitress approached and said “Whatcha readin’ fer?”

Now “Whacha readin’?” No No, she asked “Why are you reading?”

Her reply was “So I don’t grow up to be an illiterate waffle house waitress.”

She was brought some more iced tea, but she figured it was probably doctored, at that point.

Navigation here is impossible. I wish I had purchased a GPS for my laptop, so I could see just where in the hell I was.

Roads take 270 degree turns and change names, all of which have “Peachtree” in it…

Here’s a story, of Monday morning, as I related it to Daks.

“Monday morning Driving into Duluth GA and Rue de Peachpeachpeach vanishes. I have no clue if I’m even close to the next road. I turn, in a panic, down a one way street, with no way to turn around.

The sound that came out of my mouth lasted for 15 seconds. It only stopped because I ran out of air

“HURRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”

Also, I have engineered the worse possible driving direction for the city of Atlanta.

“It’s just off of Peachtree, right past the Wafflehouse. You can’t miss it!”