Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The 500 Greatest Albums Quest
I have decided to set my self a new goal in life; I am going to listen to the 500 Greatest Albums of all time according to Rolling Stone. Now some of these albums I have heard before, but I plan on listening to them again as part of this quest. As much as I look forward to enjoying those albums again, I am more excited about discovering new music. I feel like I should have checked a lot of these albums out a long time ago. Hopefully, as I go through this mission, I will try to write reviews of some of the works. After all, these are supposed to be the best right? What will I think about them? I am really curious as to what I will think about some of the albums of musical genres I am not as familiar with. It is all part of making me a better music lover and expert. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Loving "Graceland"
"The Mississippi Delta was shining like a national guitar," is the opening line to Paul Simon's "Graceland" from the album of the same name. The song details the journey of a man to the legendary home of Elvis Presley. The protagonist of the song is searching for redemption, a mystical understanding, or perhaps some sort of personal knowledge at Graceland similar to a religious pilgrim. In the narrative, the man is on this quest to help recover from the recent end of a relationship.
"Graceland" also hits me on another level. For as long as I can remember, I have believed in the "myth" of America. I am a staunch lover of our popular culture and the reality it creates such as the "American Dream." The notion a man or woman may change from pauper to prince almost overnight.
Simon invokes this belief by making Graceland a holy place for secular America. To Simon, the protagonist will be "received in Graceland" along with other pilgrims. They will find answers they are seeking at the home of a poor truck driver from Tupelo, Mississippi who became a king. To millions of Americans, Graceland is proof of what is possible in America, and Simon recognizes the power of this location.
Since I am a male, the song has extra meaning for me. It is fairly clear that the protagonist is a man. More than likely it is an auto-biographical song by Simon, but the thoughts expressed could be applied to anyone of either sex. However, it seems to be more applicable to men. Additionally, the song appeals to me due to its regional topics. I grew up in the South and recognize the same history Simon does as the character drives down the Mississippi river to the "cradle of the Civil War." The lyrics are simply beautiful. The opening line is one of the most incredible descriptions of the Mississippi River Delta. Simon simultaneously reflects its beauty and cultural significance. Much of America's music has come from this region including the blues and rock 'n roll.
Without a doubt, I believe this song hits me personally. It was released two years after I was born, so most people of my age are not intimately familiar with it. While they listened to contemporary pop acts like Justin Timberlake, I was enjoying the wisdom and artistry of Paul Simon. It sets me a part from others of my age.
An early memory of mine is hearing "You Can Call Me Al," another song from the same album, with my father. It was also a favorite of mine, but then again, Graceland, the album, is my favorite album. My father and I were returning from an outing when I first heard "Al." I loved it, and over the years, I became obsessed with the song. Eventually, I began listening to the entire recording. It did not take long for me to fall in love with every song on the album. As I grew older, "Graceland", the title song became my favorite. In fact, the first time I went to Memphis with my dad, we played this song.
As time goes by, "Graceland" continues to be a part of my life. It is a song that I listen to in any mood. When I am happy, I find joy in the lyrics, and when I am sad, it comforts me. When I go out to do karaoke, I often sing this song, and it makes me enjoy the moment. Many of my friends are not very familiar with it... except for the fact, it is my staple song selection.
This song has always had a special place in my heart. To me, "Losing love is like a window in your heart; everybody sees you're blown apart" is one of the most beautiful truths I have ever heard in a song. When ever I have suffered from a broken heart, I have thought of this line. It seems to perfectly explain how I feel so well.
"Graceland" also hits me on another level. For as long as I can remember, I have believed in the "myth" of America. I am a staunch lover of our popular culture and the reality it creates such as the "American Dream." The notion a man or woman may change from pauper to prince almost overnight.
Simon invokes this belief by making Graceland a holy place for secular America. To Simon, the protagonist will be "received in Graceland" along with other pilgrims. They will find answers they are seeking at the home of a poor truck driver from Tupelo, Mississippi who became a king. To millions of Americans, Graceland is proof of what is possible in America, and Simon recognizes the power of this location.
Since I am a male, the song has extra meaning for me. It is fairly clear that the protagonist is a man. More than likely it is an auto-biographical song by Simon, but the thoughts expressed could be applied to anyone of either sex. However, it seems to be more applicable to men. Additionally, the song appeals to me due to its regional topics. I grew up in the South and recognize the same history Simon does as the character drives down the Mississippi river to the "cradle of the Civil War." The lyrics are simply beautiful. The opening line is one of the most incredible descriptions of the Mississippi River Delta. Simon simultaneously reflects its beauty and cultural significance. Much of America's music has come from this region including the blues and rock 'n roll.
Without a doubt, I believe this song hits me personally. It was released two years after I was born, so most people of my age are not intimately familiar with it. While they listened to contemporary pop acts like Justin Timberlake, I was enjoying the wisdom and artistry of Paul Simon. It sets me a part from others of my age.
An early memory of mine is hearing "You Can Call Me Al," another song from the same album, with my father. It was also a favorite of mine, but then again, Graceland, the album, is my favorite album. My father and I were returning from an outing when I first heard "Al." I loved it, and over the years, I became obsessed with the song. Eventually, I began listening to the entire recording. It did not take long for me to fall in love with every song on the album. As I grew older, "Graceland", the title song became my favorite. In fact, the first time I went to Memphis with my dad, we played this song.
As time goes by, "Graceland" continues to be a part of my life. It is a song that I listen to in any mood. When I am happy, I find joy in the lyrics, and when I am sad, it comforts me. When I go out to do karaoke, I often sing this song, and it makes me enjoy the moment. Many of my friends are not very familiar with it... except for the fact, it is my staple song selection.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Embracing My Board Game Geekiness
For the past few years, I have been getting into the board game hobby. I love playing these hobby games like Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Chicago Express, Dominion, and more. They have become one of my biggest passions and time consumers, but it was not until today that I truly reached the level of board game geek. I have been edging closer and closer to this level of devotion to the hobby, but today I crossed over.
Today, I pre-ordered a board game, called American Rails, that is being designed by a small independent publisher. It is this gentleman's first game, and it is limited to 60 copies. I have never bought a game that has been published in such a small quantity. Usually, I buy games made by the well respected and established companies like Rio Grande Games, Fantasy Flight, and Z Man Games. However, I have been following the development of this game for about a month now, and I am really excited by it! When I found out pre-orders were today, I made sure to get my copy. Now I will own the first edition of what I hope and believe is going to be a very exciting and popular game.
By buying from what is basically a one man operation, I am supporting this man's devotion to a dream of his. It is my support of this small independent game that makes me feel like I have crossed into the realm of true board game geekery. Normally, I would just buy a game from a store either in person or online, but this time I am supporting a brand new publisher and developer. It makes me feel even more part of the community.
Of course this purchase was only part of my push over the edge. As for my second move, well I am seriously contemplating desiging my own board games.
For the past couple of months, I have been fiddling with the idea of this one game, but I have not done much with it. On Sunday, I brainstormed an idea for a second game, and this one I have actually started writing notes down about it. I have almost two pages of material, and I am going to start creating a prototype copy to play sometime early next year. I am really excited by the idea. As my creative wheels were turning for this game, I began developing ideas for a third game. Before long, I will probably be creating a list of game ideas. Who knows where this will lead, but it excites me.
After helping one man follow his dreams by buying his game, I began to think about my own ideas for games. I doubt I will ever create a true classic, but maybe I will one day publish my own game. Hopefully, some people besides me will get enjoyment out of it. Following this path makes no doubt about it, I am a board game geek.
Today, I pre-ordered a board game, called American Rails, that is being designed by a small independent publisher. It is this gentleman's first game, and it is limited to 60 copies. I have never bought a game that has been published in such a small quantity. Usually, I buy games made by the well respected and established companies like Rio Grande Games, Fantasy Flight, and Z Man Games. However, I have been following the development of this game for about a month now, and I am really excited by it! When I found out pre-orders were today, I made sure to get my copy. Now I will own the first edition of what I hope and believe is going to be a very exciting and popular game.
By buying from what is basically a one man operation, I am supporting this man's devotion to a dream of his. It is my support of this small independent game that makes me feel like I have crossed into the realm of true board game geekery. Normally, I would just buy a game from a store either in person or online, but this time I am supporting a brand new publisher and developer. It makes me feel even more part of the community.
Of course this purchase was only part of my push over the edge. As for my second move, well I am seriously contemplating desiging my own board games.
For the past couple of months, I have been fiddling with the idea of this one game, but I have not done much with it. On Sunday, I brainstormed an idea for a second game, and this one I have actually started writing notes down about it. I have almost two pages of material, and I am going to start creating a prototype copy to play sometime early next year. I am really excited by the idea. As my creative wheels were turning for this game, I began developing ideas for a third game. Before long, I will probably be creating a list of game ideas. Who knows where this will lead, but it excites me.
After helping one man follow his dreams by buying his game, I began to think about my own ideas for games. I doubt I will ever create a true classic, but maybe I will one day publish my own game. Hopefully, some people besides me will get enjoyment out of it. Following this path makes no doubt about it, I am a board game geek.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Problem With Being In a Relationship...
One of my biggest issues of being in a healthy, loving relationship is that sad country songs just are not as much fun to listen to. I don't know how many times I have listened to a song about a broken hearted man while drinking and mending my own broken heart. I have always found some comfort in these songs, but now, they just do not touch me the same way. I do still feel sympathy for the character in the songs, but I am too busy being happy for my relationship and not wanting to think sad thoughts. As much as I miss connecting to these songs, in no way, would I change my relationship. I am way too happy right now, and I hope I never go back to connecting with these songs. Unfortunately, happy country music is no where as good as listening to a man lament about his loss love while drinking beer, but I guess it will have to do to satisfy my love of twang.
Monday, July 27, 2009
We're Having a Heat Wave
Wow. It is hot right now in Stumptown. It is currently 97, and they are predicting it to be in the 100s for a couple of days and to remain in the 90s the rest of the week. As you may, or may not know, Portlanders are not prepared for this kind of weather. Air conditioning is almost non-existent. I do not have it in my apartment, and before today, I did not even have a fan.
To try to beat the heat, I decided I needed some fans. Of course, I am practically broke, so this decision was a big one and involved some banking magic. Luckily, the choice to go to the store was nice because it was air conditioned. I think I should have stayed longer.
Anyway, I now have two fans. I bought a bigger box one to go in the living room. I figure my roommate and I can both utilize that one. Then I got a smaller one for my room. I can move it from by my desk or near my bed dependnig on where I need it more. All I have to do is unplug it. Hopefully, this heat wave does not last too long. Otherwise, I am going to find it difficult to do anything.
To try to beat the heat, I decided I needed some fans. Of course, I am practically broke, so this decision was a big one and involved some banking magic. Luckily, the choice to go to the store was nice because it was air conditioned. I think I should have stayed longer.
Anyway, I now have two fans. I bought a bigger box one to go in the living room. I figure my roommate and I can both utilize that one. Then I got a smaller one for my room. I can move it from by my desk or near my bed dependnig on where I need it more. All I have to do is unplug it. Hopefully, this heat wave does not last too long. Otherwise, I am going to find it difficult to do anything.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Where Have I Been?
Back in the day, I used to consider myself tech savvy. Back in middle school, I had my own website, and I was reading webcomics in high school. When facebook became available at MTSU, I was quick to join. As soon as I was able to acquire a Gmail invite, I signed up. I used to know what was going on in regards to the web, but apparently I have fallen behind the times. During the past few days, I have discovered so many new things!
On Sunday, Liza introduced me to the world of RSS and ATOM feeds. Thanks to gadgets like Google Reader, I no longer have to surf the web! Everything I care about is sent to one location. I know longer have to wait to see when a webpage will update; I get it automatically. I am sure I am one of the last people to join on this bandwagon, but I am kind of excited. However, I do feel this technology kind of negates surfing the web. Perhaps, I should start stumbling now as well.
For those unfamiliar, Stumble Upon is a website (or some sort of technology... or magic) that sends you to random websites! How cool is that? I do believe it has guidelines as well to direct your stumbling. I have known of it for a while, but I am becoming more intrigued. Apparently, I have been under-utilizing the web lately, but I am discovering new stuff to do... like more social networking websites!
The first one I signed up for is called Readernaut. It tracks what books you are reading, have read, plan to read, abandoned, want, and so on. So far, I am pretty impressed with it right now. Liza and I both signed up for it, but I think you should too! You can find me here.
Then there is 97 Bottles. It is a social networking site devoted to beer. I do believe I have found heaven on the web! It is a way for me to track the beers I try, tell you where I tried them, what I think about them, and more. As of right now, I have not played around with it too much (mostly because I have not drank any beer lately), but I plan to do more with it soon.
If those aren't up your alley, perhaps you might like Dopplr. Dopplr is a way for you to share your travels with friends and complete strangers. I've not played around with it too much, but Liza really likes it. Perhaps you will too.
Now I realize I can do a lot of this on Facebook or Myspace, but I really like having more niche sites. In my opinion, many of the applications on Facebook like these are really buggy and not user friendly. I like being able to share this information with anyone, and most of them have options than available on the big two sites.
Of course, Google is also trying to join in on the social networking fun, apparently. They have created Orkut. I think I noticed it the other day, and my friend, J, sent me an invite for it. As of right now, I have not investigated it, but I probably will in the days to come.
Finally, Liza showed me that Google has their own website hosting and building capabilities. I do believe I am going to create a new site soon. It should be a way for me to share all of my loves and interests in one place. It should have lots of crazy gadgets and what not. I will keep you up to date with the progress. I have some rough plans for it, but I think it will offer me some more options than just a blog.
On Sunday, Liza introduced me to the world of RSS and ATOM feeds. Thanks to gadgets like Google Reader, I no longer have to surf the web! Everything I care about is sent to one location. I know longer have to wait to see when a webpage will update; I get it automatically. I am sure I am one of the last people to join on this bandwagon, but I am kind of excited. However, I do feel this technology kind of negates surfing the web. Perhaps, I should start stumbling now as well.
For those unfamiliar, Stumble Upon is a website (or some sort of technology... or magic) that sends you to random websites! How cool is that? I do believe it has guidelines as well to direct your stumbling. I have known of it for a while, but I am becoming more intrigued. Apparently, I have been under-utilizing the web lately, but I am discovering new stuff to do... like more social networking websites!
The first one I signed up for is called Readernaut. It tracks what books you are reading, have read, plan to read, abandoned, want, and so on. So far, I am pretty impressed with it right now. Liza and I both signed up for it, but I think you should too! You can find me here.
Then there is 97 Bottles. It is a social networking site devoted to beer. I do believe I have found heaven on the web! It is a way for me to track the beers I try, tell you where I tried them, what I think about them, and more. As of right now, I have not played around with it too much (mostly because I have not drank any beer lately), but I plan to do more with it soon.
If those aren't up your alley, perhaps you might like Dopplr. Dopplr is a way for you to share your travels with friends and complete strangers. I've not played around with it too much, but Liza really likes it. Perhaps you will too.
Now I realize I can do a lot of this on Facebook or Myspace, but I really like having more niche sites. In my opinion, many of the applications on Facebook like these are really buggy and not user friendly. I like being able to share this information with anyone, and most of them have options than available on the big two sites.
Of course, Google is also trying to join in on the social networking fun, apparently. They have created Orkut. I think I noticed it the other day, and my friend, J, sent me an invite for it. As of right now, I have not investigated it, but I probably will in the days to come.
Finally, Liza showed me that Google has their own website hosting and building capabilities. I do believe I am going to create a new site soon. It should be a way for me to share all of my loves and interests in one place. It should have lots of crazy gadgets and what not. I will keep you up to date with the progress. I have some rough plans for it, but I think it will offer me some more options than just a blog.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Stars, Savings, and Shootouts
So yesterday, I took a page from Liza's book and slept until noon. I haven't done that in quite some time actually. Although it was nice, I didn't actually care for it all that much. I guess I can no longer sleep away my day. I prefer getting up at a semi-decent time. Even if it is just to watch some TV.
Speaking of which, I am on the final season of Deep Space Nine. I got through a disc yesterday, and a disc today. Actually, I may have watched more yesterday. Anyway, I am down to the final nine episode, ten hour story arc. I am really considering trying to marathon my way through all those episodes in one sitting. I think it will be easy to do because they all have cliffhanger endings.
While watching DS9, I started cutting coupons. I am hoping they will save me some money, but I see a flaw in this plan. I cut out coupons for somethings that I don't really need. It was more like "Oooh. I have a coupon for this, so I should get it next time I go to the store." We shall see. The other problem with coupons is that most of them require you to buy two of some items. Is it really worth the savings? I don't know. I guess it is dependent upon whether or not the items are perishable. If it is something like laundry detergent, then I do not see as much of a problem. Thoughts? On the plus side, I am super excited for the KFC coupons I found. Huzzah!
On Saturday, I am going to spend the day visiting someone in Olympia. I am super excited, and I need to finish out the itenerary. I told her I would plan everything out this time, so she won't feel as stressed out. Speaking of Saturday, it is also Derby Day. Luckily, I have talked her into watching the race with me. Now, I just need to find a sports bar in Olympia. I also need to find a place to eat lunch and dinner. Yikes. Oh well, it will be something to do later in the week.
Tonight, I watched Dirty Harry and Magnum Force. It has been about a year since I have seen them, and I was super excited. Both of them are really good movies in my opinion. Harry is more of a suspense oriented action movie in my opinion. It has some action, but it is rather limited really. Still the movie is filled with some great camera shots and scene transitions. I was appreciating it from more of a technical standpoint this time.
Magnum Force, on the other hand, is much more of an action film than its predecesor. In this one, Harry kicks a lot more ass, and I am pretty sure within the first thirty minutes, they double the body count from the first movie. It only goes uphill from there. I have to say that I really like this entry in the franchise. It is filled with action, but it also has a good story. The vigilante cops idea works really well and helps to establish where Harry draws the line with fighting crime. Although he hates the system, he isn't willing to circumvent it. Good movie.
I popped some popcorn tonight, and while the bag was in the microwave, it some how burned a hole in the bag. From the hole, kernels started popping their way out of the bag and shooting around the microwave! It was the damnedest thing. I swear I have never seen this happen before. It was crazy.
Speaking of which, I am on the final season of Deep Space Nine. I got through a disc yesterday, and a disc today. Actually, I may have watched more yesterday. Anyway, I am down to the final nine episode, ten hour story arc. I am really considering trying to marathon my way through all those episodes in one sitting. I think it will be easy to do because they all have cliffhanger endings.
While watching DS9, I started cutting coupons. I am hoping they will save me some money, but I see a flaw in this plan. I cut out coupons for somethings that I don't really need. It was more like "Oooh. I have a coupon for this, so I should get it next time I go to the store." We shall see. The other problem with coupons is that most of them require you to buy two of some items. Is it really worth the savings? I don't know. I guess it is dependent upon whether or not the items are perishable. If it is something like laundry detergent, then I do not see as much of a problem. Thoughts? On the plus side, I am super excited for the KFC coupons I found. Huzzah!
On Saturday, I am going to spend the day visiting someone in Olympia. I am super excited, and I need to finish out the itenerary. I told her I would plan everything out this time, so she won't feel as stressed out. Speaking of Saturday, it is also Derby Day. Luckily, I have talked her into watching the race with me. Now, I just need to find a sports bar in Olympia. I also need to find a place to eat lunch and dinner. Yikes. Oh well, it will be something to do later in the week.
Tonight, I watched Dirty Harry and Magnum Force. It has been about a year since I have seen them, and I was super excited. Both of them are really good movies in my opinion. Harry is more of a suspense oriented action movie in my opinion. It has some action, but it is rather limited really. Still the movie is filled with some great camera shots and scene transitions. I was appreciating it from more of a technical standpoint this time.
Magnum Force, on the other hand, is much more of an action film than its predecesor. In this one, Harry kicks a lot more ass, and I am pretty sure within the first thirty minutes, they double the body count from the first movie. It only goes uphill from there. I have to say that I really like this entry in the franchise. It is filled with action, but it also has a good story. The vigilante cops idea works really well and helps to establish where Harry draws the line with fighting crime. Although he hates the system, he isn't willing to circumvent it. Good movie.
I popped some popcorn tonight, and while the bag was in the microwave, it some how burned a hole in the bag. From the hole, kernels started popping their way out of the bag and shooting around the microwave! It was the damnedest thing. I swear I have never seen this happen before. It was crazy.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
My Adventuerous Tuesday
Yesterday, I walked about 6 miles total. I am really proud of myself for that feat. Unfortunately, my feet are now sore from it. I wore my sandals, and I've not worn them since last summer. Thus, I have a blister or two on my feet. It was worth it.
My morning was fairly calm. I tried exercising some in the morning, and then I goofed off online. Eventually, I ate a light lunch and prepared myself for my adventure... to the post office because I had something to mail to someone. If you ask me, that is a perfectly reasonable reason to go to the post office.
I knew there was a post office not too far away from here, and the weather was beautiful. Why drive when I can walk? So I left the apartment, walked down 67th avenue until Powell, and started walking down Powell. Technically, I was walking West which isn't really down. Anyway.
The entire time I tried to walk a little briskly, and eventually I made it to the post office. I mailed my package using quarters, and then I checked out this used media store next to the building. It did not have anything I really wanted, so I saved money which is a plus.
Instead of walking the same way home, I trekked north up 50th until I returned to Division. Then I turned East and headed towards home. Along the way, I remembered that there was a Dairy Queen, and I thought to myself. A Blizzard would be delicious right now, so I got my self an Oreo Blizzard. It was tasty. Unfortunately, I think it negated the effects of my walk.
When I got home, I checked my distance out of curiosity. It ends up I walked about three miles which is about a mile more than I anticipated. I was really proud of myself. To celebrate my accomplishment, I applied for a job with the Beaverton Library as a Circulation Supervisor. Wish me luck on that!
For dinner last night, I decided to experiment with this recipe for Beer Pork Chops I found online. It was pretty simple to make, but I am not sure how much I enjoyed it. The first few bites were really good, but then it seemed rather bland. I could not taste the seasoning I did have on the pork chops which was sad. The beer I used was Pyramid's spring seasonal, Rollick. It is an amber lager. I tried it the night before, and I found it to be about average. Not bad at all, but nothing spectacular. To go along with the pork, I had some roasted garlic potatoes and some garlic cheese bread. I made it all by myself. Go me.
After dinner, I tried reading outside for a little bit, but my roommate and I decided to go out drinking. It was dollar PBR night at North Bar, and both of us wanted to get out of the house. Thus we headed down to 50th.
North Bar is a fairly nice bar. It has a pool table, a dart board, friendly staff and PBR is only a dollar on Tuesdays. I do not always care for PBR, but when it is only a dollar, I can't complain. I had about three PBRS, and I had to pay for the last one with quarters. I am fancy. Anyway, the bar has a great juke box too. They play classic country, classic rock, and good indie rock.
As I mentioned, the staff is nice. When I went to order, the bartender asked "How are you doing?" I responded asking for a PBR. She said sure, but first, "How are you doing?" I laughed, said I was good, and asked how she was. I appreciated that.
While we were sitting there, my roommate and I started talking about how amzingly delicious onion rings would be right then. Unfortunately, North Bar doesn't have deliciously deep fried snacks, so we decided to go to Gators instead. Thus, we walked down to Powell and headed east towards 68th.
Ultimately, my roommate and I walked the reverse of my earlier trek. In my quest for beer and onion rings, I walked another 3 miles. At Gators, I had another two PBRs and half a basket of onion rings. It was amazing. What I love about Gators is that when you get ranch to dip stuff, they don't just give you a little cup of it. Oh no. They give you a condiment bottle of it to use. It is amazing. Gators may not be the most amazing bar ever, but it has good food. I enjoy it because it is kind of a dive, but it hasn't been run over by hipsters yet. Now that it is smoke free I may go a little more frequently... assuming I get a job.
When I got home. I looked around the web and made a quick drunk dial. Luckily, the person had her phone off, but I knew that when I called. I just wanted to leave a nice message. After that I was tired, so I passed out. It was a nice end to a fairly epic Tuesday.
My morning was fairly calm. I tried exercising some in the morning, and then I goofed off online. Eventually, I ate a light lunch and prepared myself for my adventure... to the post office because I had something to mail to someone. If you ask me, that is a perfectly reasonable reason to go to the post office.
I knew there was a post office not too far away from here, and the weather was beautiful. Why drive when I can walk? So I left the apartment, walked down 67th avenue until Powell, and started walking down Powell. Technically, I was walking West which isn't really down. Anyway.
The entire time I tried to walk a little briskly, and eventually I made it to the post office. I mailed my package using quarters, and then I checked out this used media store next to the building. It did not have anything I really wanted, so I saved money which is a plus.
Instead of walking the same way home, I trekked north up 50th until I returned to Division. Then I turned East and headed towards home. Along the way, I remembered that there was a Dairy Queen, and I thought to myself. A Blizzard would be delicious right now, so I got my self an Oreo Blizzard. It was tasty. Unfortunately, I think it negated the effects of my walk.
When I got home, I checked my distance out of curiosity. It ends up I walked about three miles which is about a mile more than I anticipated. I was really proud of myself. To celebrate my accomplishment, I applied for a job with the Beaverton Library as a Circulation Supervisor. Wish me luck on that!
For dinner last night, I decided to experiment with this recipe for Beer Pork Chops I found online. It was pretty simple to make, but I am not sure how much I enjoyed it. The first few bites were really good, but then it seemed rather bland. I could not taste the seasoning I did have on the pork chops which was sad. The beer I used was Pyramid's spring seasonal, Rollick. It is an amber lager. I tried it the night before, and I found it to be about average. Not bad at all, but nothing spectacular. To go along with the pork, I had some roasted garlic potatoes and some garlic cheese bread. I made it all by myself. Go me.
After dinner, I tried reading outside for a little bit, but my roommate and I decided to go out drinking. It was dollar PBR night at North Bar, and both of us wanted to get out of the house. Thus we headed down to 50th.
North Bar is a fairly nice bar. It has a pool table, a dart board, friendly staff and PBR is only a dollar on Tuesdays. I do not always care for PBR, but when it is only a dollar, I can't complain. I had about three PBRS, and I had to pay for the last one with quarters. I am fancy. Anyway, the bar has a great juke box too. They play classic country, classic rock, and good indie rock.
As I mentioned, the staff is nice. When I went to order, the bartender asked "How are you doing?" I responded asking for a PBR. She said sure, but first, "How are you doing?" I laughed, said I was good, and asked how she was. I appreciated that.
While we were sitting there, my roommate and I started talking about how amzingly delicious onion rings would be right then. Unfortunately, North Bar doesn't have deliciously deep fried snacks, so we decided to go to Gators instead. Thus, we walked down to Powell and headed east towards 68th.
Ultimately, my roommate and I walked the reverse of my earlier trek. In my quest for beer and onion rings, I walked another 3 miles. At Gators, I had another two PBRs and half a basket of onion rings. It was amazing. What I love about Gators is that when you get ranch to dip stuff, they don't just give you a little cup of it. Oh no. They give you a condiment bottle of it to use. It is amazing. Gators may not be the most amazing bar ever, but it has good food. I enjoy it because it is kind of a dive, but it hasn't been run over by hipsters yet. Now that it is smoke free I may go a little more frequently... assuming I get a job.
When I got home. I looked around the web and made a quick drunk dial. Luckily, the person had her phone off, but I knew that when I called. I just wanted to leave a nice message. After that I was tired, so I passed out. It was a nice end to a fairly epic Tuesday.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Indefinite Weekend
As most of you already know, I am currently unemployed. Instead of letting this situation depress me too much, I am trying to make the best of it. During the past week, I have actually made it a mini-vacation. Mostly, I have taken time to myself to just relax. I have spent this time watching Deep Space Nine. I love this series. Upon watching it this time, I have decided to get back into the Star Trek: CCG. Luckily, Zip has agreed to play it with me. Hopefully, I can find some more.
In terms of the job search, I have not been trying much yet. That will come soon, but I wanted some personal time first. As for the initial jobs I applied for, I have not heard anything yet. Not even rejection letters. It is kind of frustrating. I'll start looking for more towards the end of the week.
Tomorrow, I am heading to campus to take care of a couple of things. I have been meaning to do them for a week now, but I keep sleeping in instead. However, I need to get it done. Since I made plans for tomorrow, there is no backing out of it now. I just have to make sure I wake up in time.
So over the weekend, the real weekend that is, I had a date-type engagement. It was probably the best one I have had in a long time. I mean come on. It consisted of Star Trek, beer, pizza, How I Met Your Mother, and a pretty lady. Does life get any better? Currently, I am making plans to see her again. Time for a bit of a road trip...
I simultaneously like and dislike being unemployed. I have managed to get some stuff done around the apartment with my free time, but I wish I was being more productive and spending some time outside of my flat. I better start the job search soon. Hopefully I have decent luck. Just in case, you better wish me some.
In terms of the job search, I have not been trying much yet. That will come soon, but I wanted some personal time first. As for the initial jobs I applied for, I have not heard anything yet. Not even rejection letters. It is kind of frustrating. I'll start looking for more towards the end of the week.
Tomorrow, I am heading to campus to take care of a couple of things. I have been meaning to do them for a week now, but I keep sleeping in instead. However, I need to get it done. Since I made plans for tomorrow, there is no backing out of it now. I just have to make sure I wake up in time.
So over the weekend, the real weekend that is, I had a date-type engagement. It was probably the best one I have had in a long time. I mean come on. It consisted of Star Trek, beer, pizza, How I Met Your Mother, and a pretty lady. Does life get any better? Currently, I am making plans to see her again. Time for a bit of a road trip...
I simultaneously like and dislike being unemployed. I have managed to get some stuff done around the apartment with my free time, but I wish I was being more productive and spending some time outside of my flat. I better start the job search soon. Hopefully I have decent luck. Just in case, you better wish me some.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Week of Wally Recap
Originally, I wanted to write about every night of Week of Wally. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. I got home late most nights last week, and my internet was wonky every night. Therefore, you are going to get this recap where I will write approximately a paragraph about each night. Lets begin shall we?
On Monday, the plan was to go bowling. Unfortunately, every alley in Portland with beer has leagues during the week at the time I wanted to go. Thus, we decided to bowl on campus. However, we had dinner at Baan Thai first. It was Louisa, Mark, Robin, and Derek for dinner. Eric! joined us for bowling. It was good times, and afterward, Louisa, Robin, and I grabbed a drink at Paccinis.
Tuesday was the big day, and it was dinner at Deschutes Brewing. Every year in Portland for my birthday I have gone to a brew pub. This year was no different. The group was 20 people: Debo, Louisa, Goodwin, Boz, Brookes, J, Eric!, Kyle, Emily, Christine, John, Mark, Nachel, Kari, Robin, Jenn, Joe, and Cody. I think I am forgetting someone. The most embarassing moment was when Debo sang to me. My face got bright red. After dinner, a group of us went to Rock Bottom. It was good times.
As usual, Wednesday was Pub Quiz. We fielded two teams for four people. The Good and The Bad had Joe, Jason, Jenn, and Robin, and And the Wally had Brookes, J, Amie, and me. It was the wrong night to split up The Good, the Bad, and the Wally. We would have kicked ass combined, but seperated only And the Wally made it to the final round. We finished fourth.
On Thursday, I had the photo scavenger hunt. Seven people besides me came out for it: Ashley, Kari, Derek, Eric!, Robin, Brookes, and Salazar. We had two teams of four. The first four people were on Kari's team, and the last three were on a team with me. Both groups accomplished all the pictures and had lots of duplicates. We realized lots of ways to improve it in the future, but everyone had a blast. The only downside was the person who suggested the event did not get to make it. After the hunt, we went to Paccinis for some food. I have missed their burger. Yum.
For Friday, Joe, Jenn, and Jason were having an apartment warm party. With nothing else really planned, I went there. It was decent. I drank some gin drinks, played some video games and Stratego, and talked. Obviously we had Joe, Jenn, and Jason, but Brookes, Amie, Eric!, and Goodwin also partied. Eventually, the party died, so I grabbed drinks with Goodie, Jaz, and Rhea. Then I passed out on Goodie's couch. True story.
On Saturday, I went pub crawling. At first it was just Brookes and me. We had beers at Roots Organic Brewing and the Lucky Lab. I tried this sour brown beer at Roots, and it really was sour. I am still uncertain if I liked it or not. After those two pubs, we went to the Green Dragon where Kim and Robin met up with us. I really like that bar, but the service was pretty bad. Oh well. Afterwards, we ventured into this place called Sway Bar. None of us had been there before, but we all kind of liked it except for one issue. It was too dark in there. The only illumination came from the candles on the tables. While there, J joined us. Finally, we went to My Father's Place which is still one of my favorite dive bars. It has cheap drinks and food, and the service is pretty good. I would like to go there more often. Or live about it.
Well that is the Week of Wally in a nutshell. Pictures are on both facebook and Flickr. Thanks to everyone who came along and celebrated. Special mention goes to Brookes and Robin. They tied for the most events. Both of them only missed one night. I guess it is time to start planning next year...
On Monday, the plan was to go bowling. Unfortunately, every alley in Portland with beer has leagues during the week at the time I wanted to go. Thus, we decided to bowl on campus. However, we had dinner at Baan Thai first. It was Louisa, Mark, Robin, and Derek for dinner. Eric! joined us for bowling. It was good times, and afterward, Louisa, Robin, and I grabbed a drink at Paccinis.
Tuesday was the big day, and it was dinner at Deschutes Brewing. Every year in Portland for my birthday I have gone to a brew pub. This year was no different. The group was 20 people: Debo, Louisa, Goodwin, Boz, Brookes, J, Eric!, Kyle, Emily, Christine, John, Mark, Nachel, Kari, Robin, Jenn, Joe, and Cody. I think I am forgetting someone. The most embarassing moment was when Debo sang to me. My face got bright red. After dinner, a group of us went to Rock Bottom. It was good times.
As usual, Wednesday was Pub Quiz. We fielded two teams for four people. The Good and The Bad had Joe, Jason, Jenn, and Robin, and And the Wally had Brookes, J, Amie, and me. It was the wrong night to split up The Good, the Bad, and the Wally. We would have kicked ass combined, but seperated only And the Wally made it to the final round. We finished fourth.
On Thursday, I had the photo scavenger hunt. Seven people besides me came out for it: Ashley, Kari, Derek, Eric!, Robin, Brookes, and Salazar. We had two teams of four. The first four people were on Kari's team, and the last three were on a team with me. Both groups accomplished all the pictures and had lots of duplicates. We realized lots of ways to improve it in the future, but everyone had a blast. The only downside was the person who suggested the event did not get to make it. After the hunt, we went to Paccinis for some food. I have missed their burger. Yum.
For Friday, Joe, Jenn, and Jason were having an apartment warm party. With nothing else really planned, I went there. It was decent. I drank some gin drinks, played some video games and Stratego, and talked. Obviously we had Joe, Jenn, and Jason, but Brookes, Amie, Eric!, and Goodwin also partied. Eventually, the party died, so I grabbed drinks with Goodie, Jaz, and Rhea. Then I passed out on Goodie's couch. True story.
On Saturday, I went pub crawling. At first it was just Brookes and me. We had beers at Roots Organic Brewing and the Lucky Lab. I tried this sour brown beer at Roots, and it really was sour. I am still uncertain if I liked it or not. After those two pubs, we went to the Green Dragon where Kim and Robin met up with us. I really like that bar, but the service was pretty bad. Oh well. Afterwards, we ventured into this place called Sway Bar. None of us had been there before, but we all kind of liked it except for one issue. It was too dark in there. The only illumination came from the candles on the tables. While there, J joined us. Finally, we went to My Father's Place which is still one of my favorite dive bars. It has cheap drinks and food, and the service is pretty good. I would like to go there more often. Or live about it.
Well that is the Week of Wally in a nutshell. Pictures are on both facebook and Flickr. Thanks to everyone who came along and celebrated. Special mention goes to Brookes and Robin. They tied for the most events. Both of them only missed one night. I guess it is time to start planning next year...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
She Only Calls Me on Sundays
Well, Week of Wally is officially here. We kicked the festivities off with an extra long game night with some fried chicken from KFC. However, first, we should talk about Saturday. Or maybe I should talk about Friday.
On Friday, I tried to get more applications done for jobs. I managed to get two finished, but I never got anymore work made on them. My current job kept taking precedence. I tried to manage some of the filing that had been piling up, but the Ondine computer finally decided to begin its final death throes. About a week or two ago, it began to literally fall apart with keys going missing. As of Friday, it started locking up, and then it started popping up with virus and ad ware warnings. Most of them were those anti-adware adware programs.
Anyway, it was quickly becoming futile to use, so I called Housing. They told me to call Ross. He would not be able to have us a replacement until Monday, and he told me to call Housing back. Housing decided to loan us their laptop for the weekend. Of course, we weren't set up to use StarRez on it, so I had to figure that out. Luckily, it worked before I left. Unfortunately, I got no other work done managing that crisis.
Now, I thought I might get some of the work done on Saturday because I was asked to come in. Normally, I don't work Saturdays, but it was a move out weeekend, and they wanted the help. Plus, I could use the money. Before going to work, I had the most amazing breakfast at the Blue Pig Cafe.
I have passed this cafe multiple times on Division, and recently, I read about it in the Willamette Week. Since I had to be up early on a Saturday, I finally decided to try it, and I do not regret it. I got the chicken fried steak platter, and it came with eggs, potatoes, and a giant biscuit. It was so good and filling; I was unable to finish it all. So good.
As for work on Saturday, it was fairly quiet and slow until the final ten minutes when we had a line of people checking out. Of course, I did not get any of the work I wanted finished because it was just steady enough during the day to keep me out front. Plus, I had fun talking to everyone working that day.
That evening I came home to eat a bite and watch some Arrested Development like I did on Friday night. Of course, I had some gin & tonics on Friday, but Saturday I had been asked to go out too. Thus I did not drink with dinner. Anyway, I met up with some friends at Paccinis for Salazar's 21st birthday. I had a Tom Collins and a gin & tonic. For some reason, I am really enjoying gin drinks lately. Well, the party group left to go do some expensive stuff I did not want to do, so Alex, Kim, Robin and I stayed in to play a board game. The choice for the night : Chicago Express.
Chicago Express was one of the three games I bought myself for my birthday. (The other two being Brass and Race for the Galaxy.) After one play, I think this game could quickly become one of my favorites. It is relatively simple, but there is a lot of strategy to it. The game has no luck, and your decisions carry a lot of weight. The other players seem to enjoy it too. I want to buy more train games now. For those curious, Alex won the game.
On Sunday, I got to sleep in just a little bit, and I made more progress on season three of Arrested Development. However, it was time to start Week of Wally, so I got nothing productive done at home. I needed to be on campus around 2 PM for an Extra Special Game Night!
As soon as I got there, we had like six people show up: Robin, Alex, Brookes, Louisa, Derek, and myself. To begin, we played everybody's favorite TransAmerica. This game is easily in my top 5 just because of how simple and fun it is. Great intro game. From there, Eric!, Mark, Alex, and I played Brass for the first time. The game is long, complex, but fun. While we being industrial revolution tycoons, other people played Rock Band. In the end, Eric! won Brass. I think next time we play it will be different. However, I think we all liked it.
After that game, we took a break to go buy some fried chicken. We bought a lot... and all but one of the biscuits KFC had. I love fried chicken... a lot. It is so delicious.
Once everyone had eaten, we gave Chicago Express another go. This time Robin won. I don't think the game works as well with six players, but I still really like it. I kind of want to play it again next week, but that would violate my ban on playing the same game two weeks in a row rule. Oh well.
We ended the night with Betrayal at the House on the Hill. Unfortunately, I had to be the priest instead of the little boy. (Those two kids are just so balanced! Seriously, they're the best characters in the game.) At least, we had a new haunt. Robin was the traitor, and he was an invisible killer. I got killed first, so I joined some people playing Rock Band. I am not even sure who won the game actually.
Special thanks to everyone who came out to the Extra Special Game Night and the first night of Week of Wally. We had Eric!, Louisa, Brookes, Derek, Mark, Kim, Robin, Alex, Debo, Nachel, Jason W., Kyle, Omar, Cody, Ashley, Brett, Jazlynn, Salazar, a random FYE resident, and I am probably forgetting someone. Anyway, I despereately need to go to bed now. It will be time for work before you know it.
On Friday, I tried to get more applications done for jobs. I managed to get two finished, but I never got anymore work made on them. My current job kept taking precedence. I tried to manage some of the filing that had been piling up, but the Ondine computer finally decided to begin its final death throes. About a week or two ago, it began to literally fall apart with keys going missing. As of Friday, it started locking up, and then it started popping up with virus and ad ware warnings. Most of them were those anti-adware adware programs.
Anyway, it was quickly becoming futile to use, so I called Housing. They told me to call Ross. He would not be able to have us a replacement until Monday, and he told me to call Housing back. Housing decided to loan us their laptop for the weekend. Of course, we weren't set up to use StarRez on it, so I had to figure that out. Luckily, it worked before I left. Unfortunately, I got no other work done managing that crisis.
Now, I thought I might get some of the work done on Saturday because I was asked to come in. Normally, I don't work Saturdays, but it was a move out weeekend, and they wanted the help. Plus, I could use the money. Before going to work, I had the most amazing breakfast at the Blue Pig Cafe.
I have passed this cafe multiple times on Division, and recently, I read about it in the Willamette Week. Since I had to be up early on a Saturday, I finally decided to try it, and I do not regret it. I got the chicken fried steak platter, and it came with eggs, potatoes, and a giant biscuit. It was so good and filling; I was unable to finish it all. So good.
As for work on Saturday, it was fairly quiet and slow until the final ten minutes when we had a line of people checking out. Of course, I did not get any of the work I wanted finished because it was just steady enough during the day to keep me out front. Plus, I had fun talking to everyone working that day.
That evening I came home to eat a bite and watch some Arrested Development like I did on Friday night. Of course, I had some gin & tonics on Friday, but Saturday I had been asked to go out too. Thus I did not drink with dinner. Anyway, I met up with some friends at Paccinis for Salazar's 21st birthday. I had a Tom Collins and a gin & tonic. For some reason, I am really enjoying gin drinks lately. Well, the party group left to go do some expensive stuff I did not want to do, so Alex, Kim, Robin and I stayed in to play a board game. The choice for the night : Chicago Express.
Chicago Express was one of the three games I bought myself for my birthday. (The other two being Brass and Race for the Galaxy.) After one play, I think this game could quickly become one of my favorites. It is relatively simple, but there is a lot of strategy to it. The game has no luck, and your decisions carry a lot of weight. The other players seem to enjoy it too. I want to buy more train games now. For those curious, Alex won the game.
On Sunday, I got to sleep in just a little bit, and I made more progress on season three of Arrested Development. However, it was time to start Week of Wally, so I got nothing productive done at home. I needed to be on campus around 2 PM for an Extra Special Game Night!
As soon as I got there, we had like six people show up: Robin, Alex, Brookes, Louisa, Derek, and myself. To begin, we played everybody's favorite TransAmerica. This game is easily in my top 5 just because of how simple and fun it is. Great intro game. From there, Eric!, Mark, Alex, and I played Brass for the first time. The game is long, complex, but fun. While we being industrial revolution tycoons, other people played Rock Band. In the end, Eric! won Brass. I think next time we play it will be different. However, I think we all liked it.
After that game, we took a break to go buy some fried chicken. We bought a lot... and all but one of the biscuits KFC had. I love fried chicken... a lot. It is so delicious.
Once everyone had eaten, we gave Chicago Express another go. This time Robin won. I don't think the game works as well with six players, but I still really like it. I kind of want to play it again next week, but that would violate my ban on playing the same game two weeks in a row rule. Oh well.
We ended the night with Betrayal at the House on the Hill. Unfortunately, I had to be the priest instead of the little boy. (Those two kids are just so balanced! Seriously, they're the best characters in the game.) At least, we had a new haunt. Robin was the traitor, and he was an invisible killer. I got killed first, so I joined some people playing Rock Band. I am not even sure who won the game actually.
Special thanks to everyone who came out to the Extra Special Game Night and the first night of Week of Wally. We had Eric!, Louisa, Brookes, Derek, Mark, Kim, Robin, Alex, Debo, Nachel, Jason W., Kyle, Omar, Cody, Ashley, Brett, Jazlynn, Salazar, a random FYE resident, and I am probably forgetting someone. Anyway, I despereately need to go to bed now. It will be time for work before you know it.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Sinking Pretty Ladies' Battleships
Lately, I have been extremely tired. I am not sure why, but it has been difficult getting through days. From this exhaustion, I am just feeling all around weak. I know I mentioned this before, but it is continuing. Some of the same ol' stuff is tearing me down. However, it is not getting me as down as before... luckily.
Well, I have been job searching. As of right now, I have applied for... one job. However, I have everything ready to go for another one, and I am almost ready for a third. I just need to finish writing a cover letters. Speaking of which, those are pain in the arse to write. Hopefully, my latest attempts to pay off.
At long last, I am trying to get radio jobs. The one job I applied for was a Producer/Call screener position. It may only be part time, but I think it would be fun. I am also going to apply for a sales job at a station. I know. I kind of hated Sales class, but it would be a good job. The third job is with a community media group, and it is more what I would really like to do.
I shaved. My beard is now gone. While removing it, I took gradual steps. At first, I had friendly mutton chops, then I got rid of the chops. After that, I rocked a mustache. I would have kept it longer, but when your mom says you look like a pedophile, it is probably wise to listen. Sheesh my mom is mean.
Last night at pub quiz, I had a completely different line up for The Good, The Bad, and The Wally. The usual good and bad had replacements. I am not going to lie. I found it a little more fun this week. I think I kind of miss the constant changing of the team we had back in the summer. Of course, we did not do so well in the actual rounds, but we did win the Thirsty Lion Trivia Challen. Free beer and beer glasses! Huzzah.
I may lose, or tie I should say, at games of Scrabble online, but with Battleship, I am an ass kicking, name taking Admiral.
Well, I have been job searching. As of right now, I have applied for... one job. However, I have everything ready to go for another one, and I am almost ready for a third. I just need to finish writing a cover letters. Speaking of which, those are pain in the arse to write. Hopefully, my latest attempts to pay off.
At long last, I am trying to get radio jobs. The one job I applied for was a Producer/Call screener position. It may only be part time, but I think it would be fun. I am also going to apply for a sales job at a station. I know. I kind of hated Sales class, but it would be a good job. The third job is with a community media group, and it is more what I would really like to do.
I shaved. My beard is now gone. While removing it, I took gradual steps. At first, I had friendly mutton chops, then I got rid of the chops. After that, I rocked a mustache. I would have kept it longer, but when your mom says you look like a pedophile, it is probably wise to listen. Sheesh my mom is mean.
Last night at pub quiz, I had a completely different line up for The Good, The Bad, and The Wally. The usual good and bad had replacements. I am not going to lie. I found it a little more fun this week. I think I kind of miss the constant changing of the team we had back in the summer. Of course, we did not do so well in the actual rounds, but we did win the Thirsty Lion Trivia Challen. Free beer and beer glasses! Huzzah.
I may lose, or tie I should say, at games of Scrabble online, but with Battleship, I am an ass kicking, name taking Admiral.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Guys Night Out
On Saturday, I woke up a little bit earlier than a normal Saturday because I needed to go to the Post Office. On Thursday, I received a notice from the USPS saying that I had a package I needed to sign to pick up. I was confused because I had no idea what it might have been, and I could not read who the send was according to the card. Well, I went to go get it, and I was confused where the Will Call door was because the main counter was closed. It ends up that it is this door to the left of the counters.
Well, I pushed the button and gave the guy my card, and he gave me my package. It ends up it was from Wendy. It was mailed from China, and it was filled with all sorts of Chinese stuff including a hat! The hat has Chinese letters on the inside of it, but I have no idea what it says. When I see Tiger on Monday, I am going to ask him what it says. Let me just go on record saying how incredibly awesome Wendy is.
For lunch, I hit up Popeye's...again. I have gone there for the past three Saturdays. I am just so excited to finally know where one is at here in Portland. I knew they existed, but I had never seen one.
While I was there, I made a little bit of progress on the Faulkner story, "The Bear". I have a hard time calling it a short story. It is approximately 140 pages. Although I am not sure of the exact word count, I am pretty sure it classifies more as a novella than a short story. I always thought short stories were designed to be read in one sitting, but what do I know. The point is "The Bear" is a long story.
During the afternoon, I played Rock Band for a good while. I played the solo guitar tour on medium and finished it. It was fun, and then I started to play a couple songs on hard. At the moment, I am not good enough to do that. Perhaps in time.
After finishing up Rock Band, I watched some Arrested Development while I waited on J and Chris to show up. We were going to have a Guys Night, but the plans were not decided at first. However, by the time they showed up, we were ready to go. The plan was to go eat at Old Chicago and then go to Edgefield.
I have never been to Old Chicago before. In fact, we were all Old Chicago virgins, but I kind of enjoyed it. It was fun watching J try to hit on our waitress until we realized she was married. I noticed the ring first and tried to point it out, but no one listened. Then Chris noticed, and J was disappointed. It was still fun, and the pizza was decent.
After dinner, we headed over to Edgefield for some of their St. Patrick's Day celebration even though it was a few days before the actual holiday. I have never been there before, but it was really impressive. I would like to go back during the day. Anyway, by the time we got there, everything was winding down. We caught some of the Freak Mountain Ramblers, and they seemed alright. All in all we still had a good time just walking around and talking and what not. True story.
From there, we headed to J's apartment to get his computer, so we could watch some Star Trek: Voyager with Jaz and Lisa. While cruising around, we invented a new word: "yestermorrow". It means today. If you are curious how it got invented, well I was trying to say tomorrow, but I started out saying yesterday, so I quickly switched over to saying tomorrow. We then discussed how yesterday's tomorrow would be today, so thus a new word. True story.
Anyway, before going to Jaz, Lisa, and Chris's apartment, we stopped to buy some pie from the spinning cylinder of pie at Bannings. We got a peanut butter fudge pie because it was described to us being like a peantut butter cup to the tenth power. I have to say it was pretty amazing.
Now I have not seend Star Trek: Voyager in a good while, but we chose on of the episodes I remembered. It was the one where the aliens take over the ship and make the crew act out World War 2 on the holodeck. It was a kind of cool two parter. I mean when else do you get to see Nazis running around getting shot aboard a Federation ship? Of course the best part is when the Klingongs attack the Nazis with their bat'leths. It is only a brief shot in the episode, but it is truly amazing.
When I got home around 2 in the morning, I talked to Debo briefly. He updated me about a situation. This situation played into the beginning of my Sunday which resulted in me being in a weird mood. However, I will write about that later.
Well, I pushed the button and gave the guy my card, and he gave me my package. It ends up it was from Wendy. It was mailed from China, and it was filled with all sorts of Chinese stuff including a hat! The hat has Chinese letters on the inside of it, but I have no idea what it says. When I see Tiger on Monday, I am going to ask him what it says. Let me just go on record saying how incredibly awesome Wendy is.
For lunch, I hit up Popeye's...again. I have gone there for the past three Saturdays. I am just so excited to finally know where one is at here in Portland. I knew they existed, but I had never seen one.
While I was there, I made a little bit of progress on the Faulkner story, "The Bear". I have a hard time calling it a short story. It is approximately 140 pages. Although I am not sure of the exact word count, I am pretty sure it classifies more as a novella than a short story. I always thought short stories were designed to be read in one sitting, but what do I know. The point is "The Bear" is a long story.
During the afternoon, I played Rock Band for a good while. I played the solo guitar tour on medium and finished it. It was fun, and then I started to play a couple songs on hard. At the moment, I am not good enough to do that. Perhaps in time.
After finishing up Rock Band, I watched some Arrested Development while I waited on J and Chris to show up. We were going to have a Guys Night, but the plans were not decided at first. However, by the time they showed up, we were ready to go. The plan was to go eat at Old Chicago and then go to Edgefield.
I have never been to Old Chicago before. In fact, we were all Old Chicago virgins, but I kind of enjoyed it. It was fun watching J try to hit on our waitress until we realized she was married. I noticed the ring first and tried to point it out, but no one listened. Then Chris noticed, and J was disappointed. It was still fun, and the pizza was decent.
After dinner, we headed over to Edgefield for some of their St. Patrick's Day celebration even though it was a few days before the actual holiday. I have never been there before, but it was really impressive. I would like to go back during the day. Anyway, by the time we got there, everything was winding down. We caught some of the Freak Mountain Ramblers, and they seemed alright. All in all we still had a good time just walking around and talking and what not. True story.
From there, we headed to J's apartment to get his computer, so we could watch some Star Trek: Voyager with Jaz and Lisa. While cruising around, we invented a new word: "yestermorrow". It means today. If you are curious how it got invented, well I was trying to say tomorrow, but I started out saying yesterday, so I quickly switched over to saying tomorrow. We then discussed how yesterday's tomorrow would be today, so thus a new word. True story.
Anyway, before going to Jaz, Lisa, and Chris's apartment, we stopped to buy some pie from the spinning cylinder of pie at Bannings. We got a peanut butter fudge pie because it was described to us being like a peantut butter cup to the tenth power. I have to say it was pretty amazing.
Now I have not seend Star Trek: Voyager in a good while, but we chose on of the episodes I remembered. It was the one where the aliens take over the ship and make the crew act out World War 2 on the holodeck. It was a kind of cool two parter. I mean when else do you get to see Nazis running around getting shot aboard a Federation ship? Of course the best part is when the Klingongs attack the Nazis with their bat'leths. It is only a brief shot in the episode, but it is truly amazing.
When I got home around 2 in the morning, I talked to Debo briefly. He updated me about a situation. This situation played into the beginning of my Sunday which resulted in me being in a weird mood. However, I will write about that later.
My Friday the 13th
On Friday, the desk started off alright. Then this crazy situation started. A resident from the other side of campus came by looking for a package that I had signed for. It took me a second to recollect why I had signed for it, but then I remembered what happened. The postal lady forgot that the Montgomery desk existed and made me sign for two packages. I kept one of them, but she walked off with the other saying she would deliver it. I am afraid that she forgot to take it to the resident's box. Now, it looks like I lost a package. I am a little mad at the USPS now.
I went to lunch late because of that situation because I went to Monty to see if maybe they had the package. On the plus side, Debo bought my lunch that day. However, I did not get to eat with or talk to the person I wanted to. I was really looking forward to the possibility of conversation with her too.
After lunch, the desk calmed down a little bit. The best part was Kyla brought me pie. It was strawberry rhubarb, and it was amazing. I love pie.
Since Friday was the second Friday the 13th this year, Debo had a mini movie marathon. More people were supposed to come, but it was mostly just he and me. We watched the first movie and Part 3. Kyle showed up at the end of the first but left about five minutes into part 3. Mark showed up for most of the second movie. I would have liked to have watched part 6, but it was getting late. It is one of the downsides of relying on the bus.
On the way to the bus, I stopped to buy more of this candy I discovered the night before. Unfortunately, they were out. I tried some other similar type candies, but they were not as good. For those curious, it was Hi Chew fruit chews that I liked so much. What I did not like as much was Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews and Mamba fruit chews. The Hi Chew ones seem much better, but I am not really quite sure. Of course I realized by keeping candy in my pockets, especially soft candy, I look and seem even more like an old man.
I went to lunch late because of that situation because I went to Monty to see if maybe they had the package. On the plus side, Debo bought my lunch that day. However, I did not get to eat with or talk to the person I wanted to. I was really looking forward to the possibility of conversation with her too.
After lunch, the desk calmed down a little bit. The best part was Kyla brought me pie. It was strawberry rhubarb, and it was amazing. I love pie.
Since Friday was the second Friday the 13th this year, Debo had a mini movie marathon. More people were supposed to come, but it was mostly just he and me. We watched the first movie and Part 3. Kyle showed up at the end of the first but left about five minutes into part 3. Mark showed up for most of the second movie. I would have liked to have watched part 6, but it was getting late. It is one of the downsides of relying on the bus.
On the way to the bus, I stopped to buy more of this candy I discovered the night before. Unfortunately, they were out. I tried some other similar type candies, but they were not as good. For those curious, it was Hi Chew fruit chews that I liked so much. What I did not like as much was Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews and Mamba fruit chews. The Hi Chew ones seem much better, but I am not really quite sure. Of course I realized by keeping candy in my pockets, especially soft candy, I look and seem even more like an old man.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Obscenity in Your Milk
Lately, when I have been waking up, I've been trying to turn off the wrong alarm. I have two set. One makes an annoying noise, and the other plays music. I try to turn the radio off when really it is the obnoxious phone alarm I need to turn off first. Silly me.
Last night, I dreamed about the International Beard Line. I have no idea what that means or what it entails, but I think you were supposed to be on one side or the other. It also told you when to shave I think. I have no idea, but I did dream about it.
Today at the desk, it was almost miserable. I am pretty sure I had a migraine all day. What worries me about this possibility is that I also think I had one on Tuesday. Although my head hurt less as the day went on, it really left me feeling physically exhausted all day. Due to that, I was not really prepared to deal with other stuff happening today, and I felt mentally exhausted. It was not a good day to feel this way because a lot was going on at the desk. We had a lot of packages early on in the day, I had to deal with paperwork type problems and issues with UHO, and Check Outs are beginning. I felt like I was not there fully most of the day and definitely not firing on all pistons. This combination of physical and mental exhaustion led to me feeling emotionally weak even though nothing bad happened.
Today for lunch was bacon & potato pizza at Hot Lips. This pizza is basically the reason why I wake up on Thursdays. It is so good.
We decided to go to the Thursday night quiz at the Voleur tonight. We had a full team tonight, but if we had had one less, we would have gotten to add a random cute stranger to our team. Oh well, maybe another night. Our name for the evening was "We Obscenity in Your Milk." I kind of like the Thursday quiz. It is definitely different from the one at the Lion. Plus, it has by far the cutest quizmaster.
It was a good quiz tonight. At the end of the first round, we were in fifth or sixth place, but by the end of the second we jumped into a solid third thanks to the Who Am I questions. It doesn't hurt that two of them were famous female Tennesseeans. We made it into the final three after the handouts, and due to getting the final question right, we placed second! Hooray five extra bucks!
For the past few weeks, I have been playing phone tag with my friend Casey. He called me earlier today, and I was going to try to call him tomorrow. However, he just called me! So I am going to go talk to him now.
Last night, I dreamed about the International Beard Line. I have no idea what that means or what it entails, but I think you were supposed to be on one side or the other. It also told you when to shave I think. I have no idea, but I did dream about it.
Today at the desk, it was almost miserable. I am pretty sure I had a migraine all day. What worries me about this possibility is that I also think I had one on Tuesday. Although my head hurt less as the day went on, it really left me feeling physically exhausted all day. Due to that, I was not really prepared to deal with other stuff happening today, and I felt mentally exhausted. It was not a good day to feel this way because a lot was going on at the desk. We had a lot of packages early on in the day, I had to deal with paperwork type problems and issues with UHO, and Check Outs are beginning. I felt like I was not there fully most of the day and definitely not firing on all pistons. This combination of physical and mental exhaustion led to me feeling emotionally weak even though nothing bad happened.
Today for lunch was bacon & potato pizza at Hot Lips. This pizza is basically the reason why I wake up on Thursdays. It is so good.
We decided to go to the Thursday night quiz at the Voleur tonight. We had a full team tonight, but if we had had one less, we would have gotten to add a random cute stranger to our team. Oh well, maybe another night. Our name for the evening was "We Obscenity in Your Milk." I kind of like the Thursday quiz. It is definitely different from the one at the Lion. Plus, it has by far the cutest quizmaster.
It was a good quiz tonight. At the end of the first round, we were in fifth or sixth place, but by the end of the second we jumped into a solid third thanks to the Who Am I questions. It doesn't hurt that two of them were famous female Tennesseeans. We made it into the final three after the handouts, and due to getting the final question right, we placed second! Hooray five extra bucks!
For the past few weeks, I have been playing phone tag with my friend Casey. He called me earlier today, and I was going to try to call him tomorrow. However, he just called me! So I am going to go talk to him now.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Whoa! It's Wednesday.
Why has it been so cold lately? Like I know the high has been reasonable, but the windchill is unacceptable. It has been freezing at the desk, and the walk to and from campus is almost unbearable.
All in all the day at the desk was uneventful. I tried to read more of Go Down, Moses, but I mostly looked up games on Board Game Geek. Before leaving for work, I ordered A Touch of Evil, the Supernatural Game, so I read about it some. Plus, with my birthday approaching, I decided I need to continue the tradition of buying myself boardgames for my birthday. Currently, I am in the mood for something meatier. It needs a longer game time and some strong mechanics. At the moment, I am looking at Age of Steam, Steam, or Brass. Interestingly, the first two are almost the same game. It is a matter of deciding which is a better fit for me, but the former is winning because it has already been released.
As I mentioned, the desk was fairly uneventful, except for the final hour. In that sixty minutes, I worked alone, and I swear. In that amount of time, I did more work than had been done at the desk all day. It was outrageous!
After work, I tried to call various family members on my way to Pub Quiz. Out of the seven family members I called, only three answered. However, one person called me back while I was talking to someone else. I am trying even harder to execute my decision to remain in better contact with my cousins. I know we all want to stay close, but someone has to actually make the effort. As most of you know, I tend to make myself the person that makes the bigger effort. However, in this case, it is much more worth it.
Speaking of Pub Quiz, it was good fun for the most part. We lost, but I enjoyed it. At one point, I was worried if anyone else was going to show up, but we had the true The Good, The Bad, and The Wally tonight. Unfortunately, we missed being in the top 5 by three points. It was rough. I think we are going to try to go tomorrow night.
I don't know what else to say. Therefore, I am going to end here. So long!
All in all the day at the desk was uneventful. I tried to read more of Go Down, Moses, but I mostly looked up games on Board Game Geek. Before leaving for work, I ordered A Touch of Evil, the Supernatural Game, so I read about it some. Plus, with my birthday approaching, I decided I need to continue the tradition of buying myself boardgames for my birthday. Currently, I am in the mood for something meatier. It needs a longer game time and some strong mechanics. At the moment, I am looking at Age of Steam, Steam, or Brass. Interestingly, the first two are almost the same game. It is a matter of deciding which is a better fit for me, but the former is winning because it has already been released.
As I mentioned, the desk was fairly uneventful, except for the final hour. In that sixty minutes, I worked alone, and I swear. In that amount of time, I did more work than had been done at the desk all day. It was outrageous!
After work, I tried to call various family members on my way to Pub Quiz. Out of the seven family members I called, only three answered. However, one person called me back while I was talking to someone else. I am trying even harder to execute my decision to remain in better contact with my cousins. I know we all want to stay close, but someone has to actually make the effort. As most of you know, I tend to make myself the person that makes the bigger effort. However, in this case, it is much more worth it.
Speaking of Pub Quiz, it was good fun for the most part. We lost, but I enjoyed it. At one point, I was worried if anyone else was going to show up, but we had the true The Good, The Bad, and The Wally tonight. Unfortunately, we missed being in the top 5 by three points. It was rough. I think we are going to try to go tomorrow night.
I don't know what else to say. Therefore, I am going to end here. So long!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Just a Tuesday
So my "Blog Buddy" got onto me for not blogging in a while. Thus, I am trying to correct this problem. I have debated on what to write about. Do I want to tell you about my past few days or do I just want to talk about the day? I think I am going to go with the latter.
It was cold this morning. Like the weather says it is near 40, but the wind chill is quite lower. I noticed it when even the bus felt cold, and the walk to campus was unpleasant. As you can imagine, sitting at the desk was almost miserable. At least one DA had to get into warmer clothes twice. To manage, I made sure to wear a sweater today. It worked, but I also had a headache. I don't think that is related, but it did add to the discomfort at the desk today.
For lunch, I was going to originally get Loco Locos. However, I decided I wanted something cheaper, so I was going to go to Hot Lips and get a slice of pepperoni pizza. Before I left, I ran into Joe, and he convinced me to go to McDonald's. Say what you will, but it is kind of tasty. Although, I am starting to get tired of it.
While at the desk today, I started to plan my birthday celebration. Since I am turning 25 this year, I decided it was going to take more than one day to truly celebrate. Therefore, I am going take an entire week because somethings are too awesome for only one day. My goal is to have different activities for every night of the week. As of right now, I am only missing two days worth of activities. It begins Sunday March 22 and goes until the following Sunday. Here is the tentative schedule:
In class tonight, we talked about motivation and beliefs. Actually, I think we skimmed over the motivation factors, but recognizing a person's beliefs and values helps to understand how they react. It was fairly self-reflective. I also learned that it is really hard to fill in blanks for a minute each about the following three statements:
There is a friend I need to write an email to soon. I was reading her blog last night, and I realize our lives have taken parallel paths. We have similar but not exact situations. I wanted to comment on her blogs, but I felt my responses would be rather lengthy. Luckily, I got her email.
What else... Oh yeah. Girls.
Actually, I could probably write a whole entry on all of that. Maybe I will do it tomorrow. Or sometime soon.
It was cold this morning. Like the weather says it is near 40, but the wind chill is quite lower. I noticed it when even the bus felt cold, and the walk to campus was unpleasant. As you can imagine, sitting at the desk was almost miserable. At least one DA had to get into warmer clothes twice. To manage, I made sure to wear a sweater today. It worked, but I also had a headache. I don't think that is related, but it did add to the discomfort at the desk today.
For lunch, I was going to originally get Loco Locos. However, I decided I wanted something cheaper, so I was going to go to Hot Lips and get a slice of pepperoni pizza. Before I left, I ran into Joe, and he convinced me to go to McDonald's. Say what you will, but it is kind of tasty. Although, I am starting to get tired of it.
While at the desk today, I started to plan my birthday celebration. Since I am turning 25 this year, I decided it was going to take more than one day to truly celebrate. Therefore, I am going take an entire week because somethings are too awesome for only one day. My goal is to have different activities for every night of the week. As of right now, I am only missing two days worth of activities. It begins Sunday March 22 and goes until the following Sunday. Here is the tentative schedule:
- Sunday - An Extra Special Game Night
- Monday - Undecided
- Tuesday - Birthday Dinner
- Wednesday - Pub Quiz at the Thirsty Lion
- Thursday - Undecided
- Friday - Tennessee Themed Karaoke at Sukis!
- Saturday - SE Pub Crawl
- Sunday - Recovery
In class tonight, we talked about motivation and beliefs. Actually, I think we skimmed over the motivation factors, but recognizing a person's beliefs and values helps to understand how they react. It was fairly self-reflective. I also learned that it is really hard to fill in blanks for a minute each about the following three statements:
- I believe people should...
- I believe people are...
- I believe I deserve...
There is a friend I need to write an email to soon. I was reading her blog last night, and I realize our lives have taken parallel paths. We have similar but not exact situations. I wanted to comment on her blogs, but I felt my responses would be rather lengthy. Luckily, I got her email.
What else... Oh yeah. Girls.
Actually, I could probably write a whole entry on all of that. Maybe I will do it tomorrow. Or sometime soon.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Yeah, I Do Need to Live Soon.
While getting ready this morning, I was talking to my friend Wendy on AIM because that is the proper way to start a day. I was updating her on changes in the situation from last night. The girl wrote on my Facebook wall saying she forgot she had plans, but she invited me to join her and some other people I know.
My friend Wendy told me I should go. Being the avoidance person I am, I tried typing out about needing to leave for work soon. Instead I typed, "Yeah, I do need to live soon."
Talk about a random typo, but I kind of believe it may be a bit of a Freudian slip. I need to get out and enjoy life more. I should stop spending so much time holed up in my apartment I need to get out, take risks, and experience more.
For so much of my life, I live in fear. I am afraid of many things, but I am not completely sure what. Perhaps, I am just afraid of fear itself.
What it all boils down to is that I need to overcome what I am dealing with. I need to get out and do a little more. Spend less time isolating myself. The best way to help with this I believe will be to believe and have a little more faith in me.
Of course, I say these things, but am I likely to follow through? Well time will tell...
My friend Wendy told me I should go. Being the avoidance person I am, I tried typing out about needing to leave for work soon. Instead I typed, "Yeah, I do need to live soon."
Talk about a random typo, but I kind of believe it may be a bit of a Freudian slip. I need to get out and enjoy life more. I should stop spending so much time holed up in my apartment I need to get out, take risks, and experience more.
For so much of my life, I live in fear. I am afraid of many things, but I am not completely sure what. Perhaps, I am just afraid of fear itself.
What it all boils down to is that I need to overcome what I am dealing with. I need to get out and do a little more. Spend less time isolating myself. The best way to help with this I believe will be to believe and have a little more faith in me.
Of course, I say these things, but am I likely to follow through? Well time will tell...
Sunday, February 8, 2009
What a Week of Hell...
Last week was one of the worst weeks I have had a long time. I decided to give up and run away from the lion's roar. I knew the danger that existed that way, but I did it anyway. In doing so, I feel like a piece of me died. There was a void that was quickly filled with negative energy.
All week, I was angry, depressed, upset, and so forth. At a few times, I broke down and cried. Other times, I felt nothing but hatred. I was mad at most of my friends for various reasons, and I had no desire to talk to any of them. In fact, I was almost convinced of making the decision of cutting most of the people I know in Portland out of my life. Luckily, I calmed myself before doing anything that drastic. It looks like I will only be cutting one person out, but she is one of the most difficult ones.
I also considered moving. Giving up completely on Portland and going somewhere new. My choices were returning to Tennessee or a drastically new locale. Right now I am leaning towards Guam or the Northern Marianas Islands. As you can see, I have no completely dropped this idea.
Over the weekend, I tried to take sometime to myself. I talked to the person who sent me in this spiral. Luckily, I cannot stay mad at people, and I respect her for the things she said because I know she cares. I, also, spent money on various things. I got my watch fixed, and I purchased a new sport coat. The watch has been broken since mid-August, and I am glad to have it fixed finally. Additionally, I bought a lot of movies, and I watched several of them.
I have no inkling of what the next week will hold. I believe I will be in better spirits this week, but I know that I am far from healed. There is no escaping the fact that I am currently a battered, broken, and beaten man. I guess this means I only have one way to go though...
All week, I was angry, depressed, upset, and so forth. At a few times, I broke down and cried. Other times, I felt nothing but hatred. I was mad at most of my friends for various reasons, and I had no desire to talk to any of them. In fact, I was almost convinced of making the decision of cutting most of the people I know in Portland out of my life. Luckily, I calmed myself before doing anything that drastic. It looks like I will only be cutting one person out, but she is one of the most difficult ones.
I also considered moving. Giving up completely on Portland and going somewhere new. My choices were returning to Tennessee or a drastically new locale. Right now I am leaning towards Guam or the Northern Marianas Islands. As you can see, I have no completely dropped this idea.
Over the weekend, I tried to take sometime to myself. I talked to the person who sent me in this spiral. Luckily, I cannot stay mad at people, and I respect her for the things she said because I know she cares. I, also, spent money on various things. I got my watch fixed, and I purchased a new sport coat. The watch has been broken since mid-August, and I am glad to have it fixed finally. Additionally, I bought a lot of movies, and I watched several of them.
I have no inkling of what the next week will hold. I believe I will be in better spirits this week, but I know that I am far from healed. There is no escaping the fact that I am currently a battered, broken, and beaten man. I guess this means I only have one way to go though...
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