Stories Unfinished

Jan 5, 2012

2012-01-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

I worked at Memorial in the morning after I cleaned the bit of snow off my car. The math class was good and I spent my time reading Bear Grylls's book and watching the snow melt outside.

I wanted to shoot something so I went to the lake and happened upon two swans and this odd looking duck. They provided some nice subjects and after people started showing up to scare them off I left and went to hang out at Kate's for a bit.

Ryan and I went to the gym for one of our last circuits before we change up exercises. I came home and watched some things before bed.

Jan 4, 2012

2012-01-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

Kate and I picked up Laura on the way to Philly and then found a place to park before walking to the hole in the fence by the old tunnels under Pennsylvania Ave.

There was a lot of graffiti that made the concrete posts look really great against the dull background. I shot some photos and we walked down the train tracks a bit.

The tracks went into a tunnel that turned pitch black so we took the bigger, more well-lit tunnel to the left and walked up it a bit. It goes right up to the police station, so we didn't take it all the way, but it was a cool visual. It was only a little scary as we passed a random guy hiding his face on the way out.

We went to Whole Foods to get lunch and look up other places we should go. It's been way too long since I've had their hot bar. We found a few places we wanted to check out and some places that seemed like they would be too difficult to enter.

We went to this burnt out school in north Philly and took a walk around it. The building is beautiful on the outside. I really wanted to go inside, but there weren't easy entrances and I wasn't really interested in being arrested. We stopped by the Divine Lorraine, but didn't try to get in this time. Maybe next time we'll have more luck.

I went to the Oar House when I got back to meet Ben from Turtle Stone Brewing, a new brewery from Vineland. We sat and chatted for a while and had a beer. It was a little awkward since he was there with his wife and some younger people that he didn't really explain. I thought it would be more of an interview.

I met everyone at Applebee's for Quizzo, where we didn't do very well. It was a good time anyway.

Jan 3, 2012

2012-01-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

I spent the day with Kate doing some errands and we went to get Chinese at the Shop Rite buffet since we were both craving it last night. Good stuff.

I met my mom at Kawa for dinner and had the cashew chicken. It was very good and my mom enjoyed the curry she had for the first time. We had a good talk and hung out there for a while after eating.

I went to the gym with Ryan a little later and then went to his house to play a fun game that relied mostly on logic to collect puzzle pieces. Some parts were really difficult to figure out.

Jan 2, 2012

2012-01-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

I went to the gym with Ryan early in the day and went through the usual workout before going to Dick's on the way home to check out new running shoes. I got a full workup from the gentlemen who worked in the department. He helped me figure out which type of shoes I should get for my foot type. Very helpful, actually.

Not much else to speak of until later when I met up with Kate and we went to Target to buy some essentials and Marshalls to look for shoes, which were not really there. We spent the rest of the evening at her house playing Mario Kart online with people all around the world.

Jan 1, 2012

2012-01-01T16:52:00.000-08:00

Kate's aunt had the family over for a late Christmas thing and lunch. There were plenty of hilarious stories being told about the younger crowd and good sandwiches to boot.

Ryan and I planned to start the year off right with a long distance run at Parvins. We headed over and looked at possible routes then took off. I took part of the normal trail followed by a large, paved loop in the back area that I've only been on briefly before.

After two laps on the paved route and two times around the lake I finally looked at my GPS to find that I was almost at ten miles, which was my goal. I happily ran the last bit and was surprised at how easy it felt to do it. We went to Moe's after our run, as we were both starving at that point.

Later we didn't know what to do so we met Laura at the Oar House and had a couple of beers, including one free one because we had a nice waitress, and talked for an hour or two.

It was a fairly quiet evening, but I was very happy with the results of my first run of 2012. I'm looking forward to a productive year!

Dec 31, 2011

2011-12-31T07:50:00.000-08:00

I went to Kate's early and it was a beautiful day out. No way we could pass it up to be outside. We took a walk on the trails behind her house that led to a dirt road and eventually brought us back out to Carmel Rd. It was a nice, long walk.

We were both really hungry after that so we went to Peking Tokyo for lunch and got a few rolls to share. The Crunchy Roll was great. That was filling. And we had an exuberant waiter that kept us entertained.

My dad invited us down to hang out and play pool for a while so we went down there. I didn't beat him at all. I am not that good. I played a few games with Kate and I don't even think I won any of those.

Later, Kate, Chuck, Marsha, and I went up to Jeff and Sam's place to have a New Year's Eve party. There were plenty of veggies and snacks out and Sam was making vegan pizzas so all was good. We stood around in the kitchen talking for a while drinking the variety of beers we brought.

After a while we got down to business playing Telestrations. It got weird during a lot of the rounds. I don't even know what was being attempted here. As always, there was a lot of laughing and looks of astonishment when we found out what was being drawn.

We scrambled to get outside to the fire around midnight. I never really cared for the countdown so much. I don't think we even did one, but we did light sparklers and run around the yard for a while.

We stayed out in the cold for a while until the fire was dying down and we decided we'd like to be warm again and play more games.

We stayed around for a while longer, had another slice of pizza and another drink. This was the lineup of empty bottles when I left. We did pretty well. And quite an array of craft beers at that.

The drive home wasn't bad at all. The roads were clear somehow. Maybe we were too soon after midnight for people to have left their parties yet. Either way, happy 2012!

Dec 30, 2011

2011-12-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

I met up with Jen in the morning to take a walk around Parvins and catch up in person before she headed back to London. We walked to a bench and sat there discussing our options for online employment and becoming authors.

After leaving the lake I went to Ryan's to head up to the rock climbing gym in Cherry Hill. We were there and hour before they opened, but the guy was there and he was nice enough to let us come in early and climb. We had the place to ourselves.

We did the bouldering section without harnesses. They are lower and have pads below. Even the easy paths were really hard. We spent an hour or so climbing around all the different walls. Some I couldn't do at all, but I was able to get up a few of them. I have a lot of work to do before I'm good at this it seems.

Tracy and I went up to Philly and checked on set times then headed to Manny Brown's for some drinks. I had a sour ale and tried a few others. The Lagunitas Sucks is an awesome holiday IPA. And a great name.

When it was show time we left the bar and headed back down to the TLA. This is the last time I'll see this name on the marquee. (maybe?)

mewithoutYou was great and fun. They played a lot of new songs that I don't know as well, but there were plenty of old ones mixed in. They played for a good long while.

Thursday began their last US show ever playing the same set list as the other night except they added in "Paris in Flames," which I actually said I really wish they had played before.

The rest of the set went as it did at Starland, but it was great to hear the songs one more time for their last show. I have seen them probably around thirty times over the last ten years and it has been amazing almost every time. The holidays won't seem the same without them playing a show.

It was a sad but amazing farewell show. I will remember the intensity of their live shows every time I listen to them turned up loud in the car.

Dec 29, 2011

2011-12-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

I slept in for the early part of the day then Kate and I tried to find things to do early. We fail so I went out to get a new desk chair. It was long overdue. I picked out this nice "executive" leather chair and came home to put it together. Then I sat in it for a little while. I like it.

Later, we headed to AC to Tun Tavern to try all of their beers in the sampler. They have a lot of good ones, including the Maple Black Walnut Brown Ale. That and the pale ale are my favorites.

We got some food that was presented nice and fancy-like. It was all quite good. I'd go back. We had to catch the Jitney and rush back to the House of Blues to get to the show on time.

We came in while Bayside was on their second song. They played a set with very little talking and all music. It was good stuff. They played a lot of new songs, which I'm always excited to hear from them. The old ones kind of got old, honestly. Their set was great.

Taking Back Sunday was up next and we had to push through the boring crowd of people to get closer. They were really great musically and Adam was entertaining as ever.

They played all but three songs off of of Tell All Your Friends and they played a lot of new stuff. Their oldest and newest stuff is my favorite so that worked out nicely. "Existentialism on Prom Night" wasn't even so bad this time around. I was kind of excited to hear it. Adam ran off through the crowd for the last two songs, singing to the crowd from atop the bar. It was hilarious.

After a great night out we headed home. Dinner and a great show were definitely a great birthday gift from Kate. Thanks!

Dec 28, 2011

2011-12-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to go for a run in the morning, but the wind was crazy. I went over to Parvin against my better judgement to run there. I wore warm clothes and it wasn't too bad, but the water was crashing in waves and splashing up on the path at some parts.

Not much to speak of for the rest of the day until we went to The Abbaye for Troegs U-Buy-the-Glass night. Kate, Shannon, Jeff, and I all started with the Pale Ale and worked our way up through the Java Head Stout and the Troegenator. All were good.

Tracy and Tina joined us a little later to hang out before the show. Kate won a bottle of beer during the raffle with a little Christmas tree on it. I couldn't even finish my vegan meatball sandwich. Tracy, Tina, and I left after the even to go to the Electric Factory, leaving the rest to drink.

Valencia's last show was a great show. They played plenty of songs off of each album, focusing mainly, it seemed, on We All Need a Reason to Believe, which was fine with me. I had a good time in the crowd singing along. I wish I had seen them more often.

After the show I walked back to The Abbaye to find Shannon, Kate, and Jeff pretty drunk and laughing at a back table. We paid the bill and dropped Jeff at the train station and then headed home listening to music loudly.

Dec 27, 2011

2011-12-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

Kate and I went up the Turnpike in the AM after the other two folks who were going to join us decided not to go. We went to Penn Station and into New York, heading for Jamba Juice immediately.

I formed a plan, but most of it was outdoors and it started to rain. I didn't have any backup ideas so we went to Strawberry Fields first and then ducked into a Starbucks to try to come up with something else to do.

We found a bar called Fontana's that only had one other patron and plenty of good beer to choose from. Kate forgot her ID so she could only try mine.

The Peak Organic IPA was amazing. The Fire Island Lighthouse Ale was also a really good beer from nearby. We stayed there for quite some time talking until we were hungry.

We made our way down the street to The Meatball Shop and had to stand, dripping, in the corner until at table opened for us. Even the few blocks' walk had us completely soaked. Dinner was amazing though. I got chicken meatballs over a plate of veggies with parmesan cream sauce. So good.

Another walk through the rain took us to Rice to Riches and we got a couple of flavors, including Eggnog. They were both great but very rich. We got the medium size, which was too much. We finished eating it on the train once we got back to Penn Station.

The drive home was long, but the day was a lot of fun despite the rainy weather. Kate didn't get to see the tree this time, but there's always next year.

Dec 26, 2011

2011-12-26T15:20:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I did the gym early. There were more people there than we were used to later in the afternoon. We did back and arm exercises mostly. I went to Chili's with Kate to have lunch with her dad and brother later before he headed back to Florida.

Shannon and I headed up to Starland Ballroom and sat in the parking lot having our Golden Monkeys while we waited for the show to progress. We got up there earlier than we planned. Shannon was very emotional about this being her last Thursday show.

We went in and caught the end of mewithoutYou and then waited for Thursday to come on. They started with a new song, but the second was "For the Workforce, Drowning." I always love hearing that song live. It's so powerful.

They played a long, amazing set. The new songs were great and there was a great mix of older stuff. They were very thankful to everyone for coming out all these years to the holiday shows and everything else. They played "War All the Time," which made me very happy. They ended with a heartfelt message before playing "Stay True" (I cried a little) then their closing pair of "Jet Black New Year" and "Turnpike Divides."

The show was amazing and a nice ending, even though I have another show this week. Shannon really enjoyed their last show through tears though. I don't blame her. All good things must end.

Dec 25, 2011

2011-12-25T14:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas day. I got up and said my greeting and went to my dad's to exchange gifts. Along with the cash, I got a set of tools. It's full of tools, too so I'm set up for a while. I'll keep it in the trunk for emergencies.

I met Ryan at his house and we went to the park for our workout since the gym isn't open on Christian holidays. We did a bunch of shoulder stuff that seemed more difficult than some of the things we do at the gym. The weather was quite nice for it though.

I went to Kate's after showering and her mom showered me with little gifts like magnets and a reflector vest for running and these tic tacs. Mmm.

We went to my mom's for some food later and I didn't end up staying very long or eating much. We hung out with Sarah and Aiden, trying to play a game of Jenga. It didn't really work out. Aiden doesn't get physics just yet.

I came back to Kate's later to exchange gifts. After we exchanged, we went upstairs and tried out the tea pitcher I got for her with the citrus loose-leaf tea. It was really good. No need for sweetening.

We hung out there for the evening and talked. I eventually headed home and watched things until I was tired.

Dec 24, 2011

2011-12-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

Kate and I met Jamie and Nathan at Bob Evans for breakfast. It was a very entertaining breakfast. We laughed a lot. And Nathan and I tried explaining our speech impediment naming idea for kids. Wobelt instead of Robert. But that's how you spell it.. never mind. A bit after breakfast I met Ryan for a run at Parvins. We only did one lap this time.

Later, Kate and I went to dinner with her dad and Marilyn at Carolina Blue again. I tried a few new beers like the Flying Fish Extra Pale, Hop Rod, and a Peche Lambic. The last one was a little too sweet, but the Hop Rod was fantastic. We had a good conversation and a nice dinner; I had crab cakes sans the bun this time.

We went to Kate's cousin's house for a little party when we got back. There weren't that many people out at first, but it began to grow and Santa showed up! He was drinking a little bit.

We played Battle Shots but replaced the shots with sips of beer. That's more my speed. It was fun nonetheless. There was good food, but I was still stuffed from the dinner so I just mostly drank from our Yards variety pack.

We didn't stay too long. I got tired quickly. It was an early evening for me.

Dec 23, 2011

2011-12-23T14:35:00.000-08:00

It was a half day at school and I worked at Lakeside in an English class with far too much work for the day before holiday break. They did get to watch a movie and eat popcorn though. I tried my best to read some more, but the other teacher was very talkative.

Dave had a gathering in the evening so we went over there with some beer and talked to people. He wanted to get a fire started which turned out to be difficult. After some gas, blowing, and luck we got it going.

It was nice around the fire since it was chilly. We spent most of the night out there listening to music and Dave's friend's impression of him on CD. It was spot on and hilarious.

Once the party wrapped up and the fire was out we headed home and called it a night.

Dec 22, 2011

2011-12-22T06:04:00.000-08:00

I worked in a resource room class at Memorial, watching Freedom Writers and A Christmas Carol all day. It was a fine day and I spent some time trying to download Sherlock Holmes (the books) to my phone. That didn't work, but I did eventually get Bear Grylls's book, "Mud, Sweat and Tears" and started reading that.

It was beautiful outside so Ryan and I went to the park to do our workout instead of the gym. We did the wall walk on a small building and other exercises with a rock instead of a medicine ball. Then we had a run around the lake. It was a nice change.

We met at Kawa later to do our present exchange. We also had beer and good food. We gave Kate her coat, Sarah her gift certificate to the tattoo place, and Chuck the tickets to Demetri Martin and a few other little things.

They got me a ticket to the Grilled Cheese & Craft Beer event at World Cafe Live next month. I was pretty excited to get that. I've been wanting to go for a while and now we'll all be going!

Dec 21, 2011

2011-12-21T05:51:00.000-08:00

I worked at Lakeside for an English class. They were all quite good students and I didn't have anything to read so I was reading Twitter and various websites all day. This was on the wall and confused me.

I went to see Sherlock Holmes 2 with Kate and Chuck later in the evening. I thought it was really good. It's hard to say if it was better than the first. It was worth seeing though.

We met the others over at Applebee's for Quizzo after the movie. We did well. We got wings and some drinks and we won first place. Go, us.

I had to spend some time making sure I had gotten most of Christmas gifts or that I would be able to before the day of. I'm doing okay.

Dec 20, 2011

2011-12-20T05:44:00.000-08:00

I worked at the Senior High in a resource English class so all of the groups were small. They had a packet to read so I got to finish reading True Grit. The book is really good as well.

I went to the gym with Ryan after work where we did leg exercises including putting these bands on our legs and doing squats while passing the medicine ball back and forth. It made it go quicker because it was fun and we needed to concentrate on not falling.

Kate and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings again. It seems like we've been going there a lot. Probably because it's new, but the sauces are really good.

We went back to her house and hung out playing games and working out details for Christmas for the rest of the night.

Dec 19, 2011

2011-12-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

Another science teacher job at Lakeside to start my day. The students are ready for the holiday break and it shows in the way they never shut up. After work I met Sarah and Chuck at the mall to get Kate's presents. That's another one done.

Kate and I went to Cherry Hill Mall and I surreptitiously purchased two of her presents while she was parking the car. I also got my new iPod. We met her dad at Carolina Blue for dinner. They have a nice selection of beers that I tried and I got the crab cake sandwich.

We had a really nice dinner and conversation. Her dad is really interesting and easy to talk to so that was a nice relief.

Dec 18, 2011

2011-12-18T09:54:00.000-08:00

I went to the gym with Ryan in the morning to get our circuits in and then met Kate and went to my dad's house for the family Christmas party. I had a few snacks and some pepperoni bread and some less-than-desirable beer.

The gentlemen went downstairs and played pool on teams of two, switching out after each game. We lost a lot. Probably partly because of my poor billiards skills.

We had a proper meal upstairs and I got to hang out with Aiden for a while. We spent most of the time in the kitchen.

We came home and got stuff together for our "party" which consisted of us, Chuck, Sarah, Ryan, and Erika. We played Cranium and drank some Magic Hat. I miss that game.

This was our spread of food that we picked at while playing Telestrations. I think I only ate the carrots and cheese.

Though it was a small party, it was a lot of fun and everyone left happy. We hung out for a little while and cleaned up a bit then I headed home as well.

Dec 17, 2011

2011-12-17T09:45:00.000-08:00

I spent the majority of the day cleaning up my room, writing, and finishing up Boardwalk Empire. My room looks great and I really love that show. I hope I'll still like it next season though..

Chuck, Kate, and I went up to Philly later and met Max at the Franklin Institute to see Mission Impossible 4 in the IMAX theater. Kate just wanted to go to see the Dark Knight Rises sneak peak. It was good; I'm going to see it I'm sure. MI:4 was also a quite good action flick.

We didn't have anything to do after so we just headed home. It's hard to find parking in center city on a Saturday anyway.

Dec 16, 2011

2011-12-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

I did study team meeting at Lakeside again, running around the school looking for teachers who don't want to to come to meetings. Another easy day and plenty of downtime to read. I met Ryan at the gym after work for a rare Friday workout.

Kate and I went to Wildflower to hang out for Third Friday in case anyone came in to see my photos. No one did, but the place looked nice and I got my complimentary meal of vegan meatloaf that was totally amazing. I want it all the time. For all meals.

We hung out there for a while and Chuck joined us then we went to the Oar House for a brief time before heading home to hang out for a while.

Dec 15, 2011

2011-12-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

I was in for the science class at Lakeside again, showing Bill Nye and giving out worksheets. The classes were still pretty obnoxious, but they showed some improvement.

Kate and I went up to the Noyes Gallery in Hammonton for Third Thursday, which sounded better than it really was. I saw my photos displayed and they looked nice. The events that were supposed to be happening in town, such as the wine tasting, were not really happening.

We watched will play the hammer dulcimer for a while and talked to Brenda a bit before we departed the disappointing little town.

We got some Sam Adams, came back to Kate's, and watched The Book of Eli. It was a pretty good movie. I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had a nice night.

Dec 14, 2011

2011-12-14T05:01:00.000-08:00

I started the day covering study team meetings at Lakeside. It was a pretty good day running around and I got out early. I went for a run at the lake after work and later met Kate at Sidelines for their free poker game. I had fun playing, but I didn't make it past the first table. Kate was killing it and got pretty far before getting eliminated.

We met the gang at Quizzo after she finished and had some wings. We won the quiz again as well.

I went to meet Ryan for a night run around Vineland. We did two miles and then walked and talked for a while.

Dec 13, 2011

2011-12-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

I had a Science class at the Senior High that began confusingly because the teacher switched a class with another teacher but didn't let anyone know. Took that one in stride and the rest of the day was quite easy. I got a good deal of reading done.

Kate and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and then went back to her house to watch Gran Torino. That is an awesome movie. I wish I had seen it sooner. I need to catch up on some of these flicks.

Dec 12, 2011

2011-12-12T21:40:00.000-08:00

I had an English class at Memorial today where I had to play the audio book for Lord of the Flies. It got repetitive. I got done work early at least and did a few things before meeting Ryan at the gym for some circuits.

I spent the next three or four hours editing and updating the Globe Dye Works video for Philadelphia Sculptors, as I was told they needed the video as soon as possible. I got it finished and I was happy with it so I sent it out. I went to Kate's and made her watch that and a bunch of other of my videos.

Dec 11, 2011

2011-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

I went to the gym with Ryan in the morning to do arm and ab exercises then went out to do some shopping for Christmas. I'm not very good at it, but I found a few things I needed.

Later I went to Starbucks with Chuck and Kate. We talked as we watched an employee and random helpful customers try to get the door back on that had somehow come out of its hinge.

We went back to hang at Kate's and Chuck and I played Super Mario Bros. Wii and found the warp zones and ended up finishing the game in the course of an hour or two. Not bad. Good to see that can still be done.

After some more sitting around fun we all parted ways and headed home.

Dec 10, 2011

2011-12-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Kate and I went to Green Olive in the morning for breakfast and then went to her church. After church I met Ryan at the gym.

I had to keep running after the gym to get my photos from T & F and then bring them home to frame them and then go right to Hammonton to the Noyes Gallery to give them to Brenda.

Once I got them there I was good to relax for a bit so Shannon met me and we went to Annata Wine Bar. I ordered the eggplant tower, which sound much more exciting than it is. It's glorified eggplant parm. It was good, don't get me wrong. It was just disappointing and I don't know why it's called a "tower."

Later I went to Westby to see Joanna's show, called "Flux." It was full of interesting takes on relationships, however I won't comment, as I can't be objective. I did really enjoy this piece though.

Kate and I went to PBs Diner, where they were supposed to be having a Yards Brewing Co. event, but the staff had no idea. Eventually Ron from Yards came in and I spoke to him. They didn't have the beer ready for him so there was no event happening. He was nice enough to buy us each a Yards beer and talk to me for quite a long while about their company. Worked out nicely.

We went to a little bar in Elmer on the way home where I did not feel at home. We went to see a band that had asked Kate if she'd be interested in singing for them. They were not too bad, but I wasn't impressed. The whole vibe was off. We ducked out during their second set and headed home.

Dec 9, 2011

2011-12-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

I had the tech class again today and had to give them worksheets that they finished quickly so I found another video in the teacher's desk to show. This time it was about the beer industry. Sounded good to me. It went through the start of the beer business in the US to prohibition and beyond.

I took an Alternative School job as well, also for a tech class. The students didn't do much, of course. A few of them got on the computer and did the reports they were supposed to. Others sat there impatiently waiting for the class to end. I showed a video about the best worst infomercial products in one of the classes just to have something to do.

Kate, Chuck, and I went to Hangar 84 to see her friend's band, Never Say Die. They weren't my kind of music and the sound was bad. After the show, though, we went back to Kate's and had a few beers before bedtime.

Dec 8, 2011

2011-12-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

I worked at the Senior High for the tech class again, watching another History Channel video. This time it was about the coal industry in the US. It was very interesting, as always, but the day drug on after watching the same thing a few times.

After dropping off some photos to be printed I met Ryan at the gym and we did some back and ab exercises. We used the ball as a crutch to help us arch up until we can do it without the ball.

I went to Kate's later and we played some Mario Bros. and had a nap watching TV.

I came home and stayed up somewhat late because I wasn't tired after napping.

Dec 7, 2011

2011-12-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

I worked at Memorial for a math class today. I had to administer another test so it was another pretty easy day. The classes were good so I just spent most of the day reading while they worked.

We went up to the Abbaye later for their U-Buy-the-Glass night for Weyerbacher. They had Verboten, Hops Infusion, and Old Heathen. I had to try Verboten first and it was very good. Not as heavy as it sounded from the name.

Shannon joined us as well and her and Kate had a good time bonding while Chuck and I looked on. The Hops Infusion was my favorite beer of the evening. Really refreshing and floral.

'Twas a great night at the Abbaye. I had a bit of mac and cheese to fill me up and I was ready to lie down when we got home.

Dec 6, 2011

2011-12-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

I worked in the same science class again today and the students were slightly better after knowing me. They also had a test to work on so that kept them busy.

I went to Buffalo Wild Wings again after work with my grandmom since she wanted to try a new place. We got similar wing sauces, but we also tried Thai Chili, which may be my new favorite.

I picked up a Leinenkugel sampler pack and brought it home to have a few while Stephen installed some new things on my iMac. Kate and I hung out while he did it for the most part. I couldn't help, but I could get him another beer! After he was done I had everything I needed on my computer and we hung out and talked for a while.

I went to Kate's to play some Wii after he left. I just picked up some new games so we played Mario Kart and Rayman.

Dec 5, 2011

2011-12-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

I worked for the first of two days as a Science teacher at Lakeside. Some of the classes were quite obnoxious. You can't tell 7th graders what to do sometimes.

Kate and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings and tried a bunch of their sauces. Garlic Parmesan is great. The Mango Habenero is good but so spicy. Too much for me and there are three more hotter than that one. Yikes. Good food, too pricy.

Shannon came over later to drink a few beers and we put on some shows but didn't watch much. We spent most of the night talking, gossipping, and the usual thing.

It was really nice catching up with her and having a chance to talk in person instead of texting.

Dec 4, 2011

2011-12-04T13:46:00.000-08:00

I spent the morning at Starbucks speaking with Leslie from Philadelphia Sculptors about the changes we needed to make to the video tour I'm working on. It went well and was very productive. I met Ryan at the gym after for a circuit of arm exercises.

I went to Kate's later and we spent the night playing games on my new Wii. We played a lot of Super Mario Brothers and some Boom Blox.

It was a nice lazy night playing games. I love Wii.

Dec 3, 2011

2011-12-03T13:35:00.000-08:00

Kate and I decided to go for breakfast at Jim's Lunch. I had the sausage gravy and it was delicious. We hung out there for a while and finished our tea and toast and then headed out.

I went to Silver Run for a few laps around the trails and then walked a bit before leaving.

I had seen a sign for a Christmas Lights display at the motor sports park so I took Kate there. It was a very short walk around a track with Christmas decorations and lights that you'd normally see on people's lawns. It was a little lame. But we got hot chocolate and watched a guy carve an ice sculpture.

We came back and Jimmy and Chuck came over to play Telestrations and we drank a few beers. That game is always a lot of fun. I didn't stay out too late because I had to get up a little early.

Dec 2, 2011

2011-12-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

I worked for Erika today at Lakeside and Memorial. I didn't know that the Music Appreciation class had moved from the auditorium to a classroom so I was waiting in an empty room for a while before I realized. It was a pretty easy day watching movies though.

Kate and I went to Ryan's and then he drove us up to the train station and headed into Philly for his concert for his UArts class. We went and got some pizza before he had to be over at the theater.

We took a walk down to the Christmas Village at Love Park with Erika while we waited. There were some really nice little shops and someone covering songs on the stage in the cold. We got some hot apple cider and cookies to walk around with. Mmm.

Ryan's concert was really good and full of interesting music. It was for the African Diaspora class and the music went from the West Indies and Africa to North America. Everyone was very talented and it was nice to see Ryan play again.

We were going to do something else, but nothing came to mind so we headed home and I went to Kate's to hang out.

Dec 1, 2011

2011-12-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

I subbed at Lakeside for Child Study Teams and it was another very easy day. I started in a science class with this guy right in front of me. The day went by quickly and I had a nice, long break in the middle.

After work I picked up my printed photos and went to Wildflower to hang them. It seemed like too few with the size of the wall, but even printing eight was expensive. I put up a bio and some prices and hung them hopefully.

I went to Kate's after work and she showed me some things on piano. I learned a basic C scale and finger placements. She taught me one song and I think I was doing pretty well. I just need to practice.

We picked up Jordan and met Chuck and we went to the Toadfish for karaoke. I had to have a few beers before I got up with Chuck and sang a few songs. After that I was ready to keep going up.

Kate, of course, went up repeatedly and sang well. Chuck and I sang Men in Black by Will Smith and then I put in Oasis's Wonderwall for all four of us to sing!

Chuck was our driver and took us all home. Kate wasn't feeling well so I took care of her.

Nov 30, 2011

2011-11-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

I went to T & F to print my photos finally and then came back to Kate's to watch the new Dexter and then some movies. We all went to Applebee's later for trivia and I had some of their boneless wings. I missed them.

I went back to Kate's for a little while after that and we watched shows for a while.

Nov 29, 2011

2011-11-29T12:20:00.000-08:00

I spent the early part of the day searching for frames for the photos I'm printing and then I had to go to work at Alternative School at an English class. Thankfully they were pretty good students this time.

After work I went to the gym with Ryan and then went to Kate's for the evening to watch things.

Nov 28, 2011

2011-11-28T12:02:00.000-08:00

I worked a half day at Silver Run for a resource room teacher. I had a few small groups of kids that did their worksheets and mostly gave me no troubles. Some of them were hard to handle, however.

I went right over to the lake at Carmel Rd. for a run after work, trying to beat the darkness. I ran about four miles before it was getting too dark to see the trail well enough.

I went to Kate's later and hung out to play some games and watch movies.

Nov 27, 2011

2011-11-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

I went over to the Bridgeton Christmas parade in the morning with Kate, Sarah, and Aiden. We lined up along the chilly street and waited for the fire trucks and marching bands to go by. It was as exciting as it sounds.

Aiden really enjoyed himself by collecting tons of candy that the people on the floats were throwing at him. He gave me the Tootsie Rolls because he doesn't like them.

We all went to Fat Jack's BBQ after the parade for lunch once we realized the Buffalo Wild Wings wasn't open yet. They have good food. I'll have to stop in again. Aiden ran around the place since we were the only customers.

Kate, Chuck, and I went up to Philly later to have something to do. We went to Barcade, a bar that has about twenty old arcade game machines set up. I got a beer and we played some Mario Bros. and Ghosts and Goblins and a few others. They're all only a quarter, which is great!

We went over to the Abbaye for their karaoke night and Chuck sang "Faith" by George Michael. He did a good job. I didn't sing anything and Kate shamed everyone by singing a couple of songs.

It was a good time out since we had nothing else planned and we'll have to go back to the Barcade sometime. We came back and I watched The Departed with Kate.

Nov 26, 2011

2011-11-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

Kate accompanied me to Deptford to sell my concert tickets to the guy from eBay and then we went over to the sushi buffet for lunch. They always have such good rolls there. I got some stuff I haven't had in a while as well, but I realized I haven't missed much of the meat they have.

We came home and later went to Target then to the drive-in theater to see The Muppets. It was fantastic. You should see this movie if you haven't already. We came back to her house and played some games on her new PS3 and then watched True Grit on Blu Ray. Another great movie. It was a great night.

Nov 25, 2011

2011-11-25T21:09:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I met at South Vineland Park to do our workout outside in the nice weather. We replaced a few things and added a hill run to the mix. After four sets of exercises with a hill run each time I was exhausted. We kept adding it still. We did a run around the lake after we finished.

Kate, Chuck, and I went to Dave's and then headed to Atlantic City. They stayed at the car and we went to Firewater's to get some drinks before the show. We had quite a few but we took the Jitney so we had a way back.

We got into the House of Blue in time to see the Reel Big Fish starting their set. They were entertaining as always played what we've come to expect.

I had to keep dragging Kate into the crowd to dance then we went over by the bar and I danced some more over there. We all had a lot of fun. The Fish never let us down.

The ride home seemed very long but we made it. I was ready for a shower and sleeping.

Nov 24, 2011

2011-11-24T20:45:00.000-08:00

I went to Silver Run trails for a run in the early day and had a good couple of laps around before walking down to the water to hang out for a while. I needed to sit and think for a while and it was a nice view.

I went to my mom's for Thanksgiving dinner and we had a bunch of sides. I like them best. Aiden sat next to me to keep me occupied so that was nice.

Aiden and I went for a walk around the neighborhood and he wanted to keep going so I got the wagon so I wouldn't have to keep carrying him. He had a good time rolling down the little hill in the church parking lot. He just wanted to hang out outside all day and not go home.

Later I went to Ryan's and we played some Mortal Kombat before going for a long walk around his house. We took some streets we haven't walked before. It was a nice night.

Nov 23, 2011

2011-11-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

I went to Green Olive for breakfast with Kate and Chuck. I got this delicious and huge breakfast burrito. I could only eat half of it and I brought the rest home.

I met Ryan at the gym and did the day's circuit exercises then went over to T & F to get my photos printed and look for frames.

We went up to The Abbaye later for Stoudts U-Buy-the-Glass night. It was a good night of beer there. They had a pretty good pumpkin ale and I really liked the American Pale Ale.

We went over to Gloucester City after the event was over to see Kate's friend's band play. We played a few games of pool and watched The O'Neders cover pop songs. They were pretty good.

I didn't drink much because I had plenty at the Abbaye but I was doing a lot of dancing. The band was fun and played good songs even if they lied about which they were going to play. We were the only ones up and dancing.

The night was a lot of fun and we made plans to go see the band again when they're around.

Nov 22, 2011

2011-11-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

I worked at the Senior High but went in late to do the second half of the day and the first half of Alternative School for the Auto Tech teacher. The classes were pretty small and somewhat boring, but there was one kid who was singing country songs loudly and he was too funny to make him stop so that helped the day go by.

I went up to Landmark for trivia with Kate and Shannon. We were pretty hit and miss with the questions. I still don't really like their style of trivia.

Tonight also marked my return to the world of meat in the form of buffalo chicken tenders. Kate made me. But I wanted to.

After our game we dropped off Shannon and I went back to Kate's for a short time before coming home.

Nov 21, 2011

2011-11-21T11:01:00.000-08:00

I had a fifth grade class at Bacon School and the kids were not too bad most of the day. They switched classes so I got new students a few times and there was an assembly hosted by all of the teachers and staff to tell the students how bad they've been. That was awkward. But one of the teachers said that substitutes work harder than teachers. Not sure if that's true.

I went to the gym with Ryan after work and then came home to work on things before Jordan came over to watch Jurassic Park and drink wine. She'd never seen it before! It was a good time.

Nov 20, 2011

2011-11-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

I didn't feel as awful as I should have from what I drank at the wedding, but I also slept in very late. Chuck and I met up and picked up Matt's tux and took them all back to the store before closing time in the afternoon. I went to Starbucks with Alex later and decided to drive down to Ocean City for a walk on the beach to talk. It was a nice night to be at the ocean.

When I got back I went to Kate's and watched Doubt. I've been meaning to see it for a long time and I thought it was really good.

Nov 19, 2011

2011-11-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

The big day had arrived and we all met at Jeff's in the morning to put on our tuxes and get ready for his wedding. One problem: my tux did not come with a bow tie. Jeff was not in the mind to hear that so I had to go make it right. I went to the rental shop in town and got one and all was well. I came back and suited up with everyone else. That was somewhat stressful.

The photographer arrived and we went outside and took a bunch of group photos that I think will turn out really amazingly. I can't wait to see them.

We waited for a bit and the limo finally pulled up out front to pick us up. It was classy. It had some crazy flame pattern and lights in the roof and places for liquor (but no actual liquor). It was a short ride to the church but it was fun.

After ushering people to their seats the ceremony began. Sam was beautiful coming down the aisle and I don't think there were many dry eyes as they took their vows. It was a great ceremony even through all of the readings and such.

Jeff and Samantha Elbertson! We stood alongside as everyone filed out of the church and greeted the bride and groom and the parties. Then it was off to the reception!

The reception hall was really beautiful as well and we got some appetizers before the wedding party was introduced one by one and we danced our way into the dining room. The food was amazing, with veggie lasagna and eggplant. We got to drinking quickly of course and then started to dance. It was a lot of fun out there. A glass was broken by Chuck's feet and someone showed off their Michael Jackson dance skills.

Between dances I'd be over at the bar having some drinks, talking to Jordan or Emerson helping him plan his trip to LA. We had a lot of whiskey and ginger ales. The reception was a wonderful success and very classy.

Kate and Sarah picked us up and we were very drunk. I didn't feel well once the car started moving and I fell asleep on Chuck on the way home. They put me to bed and finally let me go to sleep when I'd lie on my side. Quite a night. Congratulations Jeff and Sam!

Nov 18, 2011

2011-11-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

I subbed at a science class at Memorial in the morning and watched a Discovery Channel video from Shark Week about the sharks off of Africa that breach from the water. It was interesting all three times. I met Ryan at the gym after work and then had to go to Bridgeton quickly before the rehearsal.

We all met at the church for Jeff and Sam's rehearsal for the wedding. There was a lot to it, but Father Anthony walked us through the whole thing. It was fun and casual so it wasn't as bad as I expected.

We went to the Oar House for the rehearsal dinner where I got some kind of fish and we had a bunch of Yuengling. It took a while to get service, but at least everything was free for us.

We got a group shot and I'm blurry. Chuck and I were the last ones to leave. Everyone took off and we stayed to finish our beers while the wait staff rearranged the dining room around us. We thought it was funny but Nathan found it obnoxious and left.

We went to Kate's to hang out for a while after we finally left. We sat around near the wood stove where it was warm and talked.

Nov 17, 2011

2011-11-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

I covered meetings for Child Study Teams at Silver Run during the day. The young kids drive me crazy sometimes. After work I went to the gym with Ryan to continue our workouts.

Chuck and I went up to Barnes and Noble to pick up our tuxes. We tried them on and everything seemed to be fine once I figured out how to loosen the pants. We went to Barnes and Noble for a bit after that and then came home.

Kate and I went out to East Point to check out the meteor shower with some warm beverages. We stood outside for a minute but retreated to the car after feeling the blustering wind. We saw one nice big meteor and that was all for the whole night.

We spent an hour or so talking, looking for meteors that would never come. It was a nice night despite the lack of celestial activity.

Nov 16, 2011

2011-11-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

I worked for the same AP class again at the Senior High during the day and then came home and had a nap after work. It was raining all night but I wanted to go for a run so I went out anyway. It wasn't too hard so I could still take my phone in a bag.

I always feel good after a rain run; it's like a shower but more exhilarating. It was one of those nights.

Nov 15, 2011

2011-11-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

I worked at the Senior High for one of my favorite classes, an English class that's mostly AP so the kids are good and they do their work and I can sit and be in peace. Also, I get done at noon. Good day.

I went for a run after work and later we went up to Landmark for trivia. It was an interesting evening and I didn't spent all of my time in the bar. Instead I was in the parking lot having a talk. Fun.

We did okay at some of the questions, but the night wasn't great overall.

Nov 14, 2011

2011-11-14T14:02:00.000-08:00

I had an English class at Lakeside today, with quite a few big classes. They had a few things to work on, including an anonymous survey that a bunch of kids kept putting their names on. It was repetitive but went by pretty quickly.

We went to the gym and did our series of shoulder exercises and then went for a three mile run after.

I went to Kate's later and got to chop some wood for the fire. We got it going and had some beers while we sat close to it.

Alex came over to hang out as well and Chuck played guitar for me. And only me.

It's about time we had a fire. I've been waiting to do that for a while. If only I could stand marshmallows.

Nov 13, 2011

2011-11-13T07:35:00.000-08:00

When we awoke, we rolled up our sleeping bags and slowly got around to making plans. We waited a while as Jeff was at mass then headed to the Pop Shop for breakfast.

The breakfast food there is outstanding! It rivals their amazing regular menu and that's hard to do. I need to start getting up earlier.. even though they serve breakfast all day.

We came back and did some clean-up before bidding Jeff farewell and heading back south. Christy came down a little later in the day and watched Bridesmaids before deciding to go to Kate's. That plan was foiled when Christy discovered she locked her keys in the car so we had to go to her house for the spares.

After a long ride up and back from Woodbury Heights she headed home and I went to Kate's to hang out for a little while with her and Chuck.

Nov 12, 2011

2011-11-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

I went up to Bethel Mill Park in the morning and met Christy for a walk around. After we talked for a while we went over to Clancy's for lunch. I got the crab quesadillas which sound a little strange but they were great. I want them again.

I came home for a while and made some last minute preparations for the night and then gathered the troops and headed to Collingswood to pick up Jeff to embark on his bachelor party! After a somewhat frightening journey through the backstreets of Camden, we found our way to the bridge and started at the Abbaye. We had some good food and some merry beers before we took our leave and headed around the corner.

Of course, it was a bachelor party so I can't tell you everything that happened... well, okay I'll let it slip. We danced to N'Sync's "Bye, Bye, Bye" on the way to the North Bowl. Shhh. The wait for a lane at the bowling alley was crazy so we just went looking for another bar.

We ended up at a soccer bar not far from there, drinking some good beer and spilling some too. It was a pretty chill place, but we all had a good time chatting and hanging out.

We came back to Jeff's to spend the rest of the evening, where he presented us with our gifts. We each got bags with a bottle of Jameson and a different bottle of beer. Chuck got an Arrogant Bastard but I got the Double Bastard. Very nice. I also got the added gift of a bracelet that says "Best Buds." We'll be bracelet buddies! (Friends, anyone?)

We spent the rest of the night drinking Magic Hat and playing Telestrations in the living room. We also attempted lifting one another like a barbell. That didn't go too well. We are weak. Or heavy. Or both.

We had a really good time and I hope Jeff did as well. I think we sent him off with a good night with friends.

Nov 11, 2011

2011-11-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

I went to Parvins by myself for a run one time around the lake. It was a little chilly so I went with the long running pants this time. It always gets hot when I'm actually running so it's hard to decide what to wear.

After I showered I went to Kate's while she got herself ready for the karaoke benefit later that night. I felt slightly underdressed but I wasn't too concerned.

We got to the Centerton Inn and took our seats at the table as some of the first people there. I had some soda and added the rum I brought myself. Classy, I know. Sarah and Chuck got there shortly after us and we got to get up for some food after a few speakers.

The karaoke competition began and a few people went before Kate. She sang "On My Own" and she did really well. There were some other really entertaining people as well. It ended with a Boyz II Men tribute with a few singers that was great and really funny.

Though Kate didn't end up winning we had a good time and came back to her house to hang out for a while after the event. We picked up some beers and talked about how the event was rigged.

Nov 10, 2011

2011-11-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I went to the gym in the morning then headed to Parvin with Erika for a run. We took opposite directions as usual. It was a nice brisk day for a run and my time was surprisingly quick for how slow I felt I was running.

Alex and I took a trip to Hammonton to check out the Noyes Gallery where Brenda works so I could get an idea of how I wanted to frame my photos that I was submitting there to be sold. There was some great work hanging by a lot of local artists. I figured I would keep it simple with my frames.

I went up to Westby to meet Christy and Elaina to check out Will's senior show. There were some interesting digital art pieces there that I had no idea he even did. Overall the show felt strange and it didn't really work for me. He's clearly talented with what he does, I just felt that it wasn't a very good way to fill that space.

After hanging out for a while and talking up there I headed home to attempt to get a job and watch some Thursday night television.

Nov 9, 2011

2011-11-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

I worked at the Senior High today doing security. It wasn't my first choice, but it's better than nothing. It was pretty boring though. I walked around the whole school so many times and all I really ever did was walk one kid out to his car. Otherwise I was just on patrol.

Later we went to Kate's and hung out downstairs drinking beers that were only okay and talking. Chuck played some guitar as he sipped his Big Moose Ale. I think my favorite of the Saranac varieties was the Vanilla one.

After a few hours of hanging out I came home and stayed up longer than I should have.

Nov 8, 2011

2011-11-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

I worked at the Senior High for a special ed. class. The day went pretty quickly and I went up to Rowan and shot some photos of leaves for a while. They're going away too soon.

I helped Christy work out how to do her sculpture project and went to get cement then mixed it up and poured it around her boots. It was fun working on something sculptural again. I need to start doing that again. Really.

We went to get some food at the Bus Stop Cafe and watched the open mic entertainment. There were some jazzy musicians and some indie guitarists, but the best was this kid from Rowan who sang show tunes. He was amazing.

We came back to the student center and played a few games of pool while we waited for the cement to dry. I think we both won a game. I was surprised at how well I did in any case.

We went back to the stream at Westby and strung up the plaster casts of fish that Christy made using fishing line. They hung above the stream where I had to stack up rocks to make a platform for the boots to sit on. The cemented boots looked great sitting in the water. It would be easier to see in the daylight.

After hanging out for a while longer I headed home. It was a good day. I miss working on things.

Nov 7, 2011

2011-11-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

I didn't get a job so I stayed in and worked on some photos until I went to the gym with Ryan to work out for a while. We went to trails near the lake to try out some new running paths for a half-hour timed run. They weren't bad and might get better after we know them a little better.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful as well. I just felt like staying in.

Nov 6, 2011

2011-11-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

I didn't sleep that long after getting home at 5am, but I got up and went to Wildflower with Christy and brought my breakfast burrito home to eat while we watched Bridesmaids. It's a pretty good movie.

We went to Kate's later where we played Telestrations with her, Chuck and my sister. I'd never played before and it ended up being a lot of fun. You have to draw and then guess what the previous person drew and then the next person draws the word you write. It gets silly.

Like Pictionary, we had some weird drawing and some that were much more complicated than they needed to be. Definitely a game I want to play again though.

Nov 5, 2011

2011-11-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

Jimmy, Dave, and I met up and began our public transportation jamboree by driving to the train station in Woodcrest to catch the High Speed Line into Philly. The train was on a delayed schedule so I was getting worried that we wouldn't get there in time, but I recalled another bus stop we could catch by Independence Hall.

We got there with plenty of time since we didn't have to catch the subway so we hung out watching a group of monks chanting in a plea for freeing Tibet until the Megabus arrived on the corner. The ride was smooth until we got to Hoboken and hit stopped traffic to the tunnel.

Once finally inside the city we took the subway to meet Nathan and walked to a bar called the Ear Inn. It's one of the three oldest bars in the city. It's a quaint little place with a decent beer selection. We hung there and chatted for a while drinking our first beers and, when we realized wouldn't get a second anytime soon, we headed out to find other taps.

We found a bar around the corner that was a little more classy and a lot more empty. We grabbed some drinks and some food while we chatted with the bartenders and waitresses, all of whose first day or first week it was working there. We had a good time talking there.

When the time came we parted ways with Nate and made our way to the pier on Houston Street to stand in line for a while and then board our magical ferry. This was the little boat we got on, though I had no idea what to expect.

The cruise took a while to get started, but once we were on the river we sailed down the Hudson and around the Statue of Liberty, providing breathtaking views of the lower Manhattan skyline. It was amazingly beautiful. It was a little chilly out and the small deck for viewing got crowded with smokers but you could not beat the view. We sailed under the Brooklyn Bridge for another unbelievable sight and then up the East River. I want to go back just for this.

The reason we were on the boat was to see Less Than Jake perform Hello Rockview in its entirety while we cruised! We planned on drinking but the prices were a bit outrageous. I was also informed by the website that the show would be on an outer deck so we dressed in many layers to prepare. Instead we crammed into a plexiglassed-in lower room that was filled with sweaty drunks in overcoats. The show was great despite the overheating. They were on the same level with us so being tall helped see a little bit of the show where you mostly just had to enjoy the music and dance a bit.

They played a handful of extra songs at the end, seemingly at Roger's urging. Chris seemed a bit annoyed most of the show. It ended well and we had a good time. The boat docked and we found our way out and walked up Eighth Avenue to find some food. We grabbed some slices and ate them before catching the bus and riding home smoothly.

Next issue was they didn't drop off at the same bus stop so we had to get a taxi to our train and then wait to get back. It was such a long commute; next time definitely just paying for a parking garage.

Nov 4, 2011

2011-11-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

My last day of the week working for Erika's class went smoothly. After Lakeside, I went to Memorial to watch movies basically. I brought in Wall-E to watch with them because I figured they would not bring their own movies. A girl brought in Finding Nemo for the second class so it was a Pixar-fest Friday.

Jimmy came to pick up me and then Chuck and we headed toward Baltimore. We got to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall a bit early so we walked around the area through a Greek festival until the doors opened and we were allowed entry. Even then there was confusion about when we could go to our seats.

Louis CK walked out casually while the lights were still on to no introduction and told everyone to sit down, getting right into his casual conversation style of joking. He was completely hilarious. I love the way he thinks about things. From dead grandmother's to bears eating his children while he was camping in Maryland, I was laughing constantly.

We had a good drive home up Route 40, replaying the jokes he told and eating food from Sheetz. We agreed that we need to go to more stand-up shows.

Nov 3, 2011

2011-11-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

A pretty easy day at work again as we watched Beetlejuice and the band practiced their parts. It was a little boring, but I've gotten to know some of the students and it's easy. I met Ryan at the gym after work and then we did a 20-minute interval run at the park.

I picked up Christy and we headed to South Street where we got falafel at Maoz. It was her first time and I hadn't had one in a really long time. She approves. We walked around for a while before the show and got some frozen yogurt at Phileo.

We went into the TLA and stashed our jackets before Yellowcard came out and got right into a great set. They are always so much fun. They played a good variety too, even throwing in "Avondale" after talking about how people always want to hear old stuff.

What I don't get it why they play nothing from One for the Kids. Ryan even mentioned one of the songs before telling a story about his aunt recently passing away from cancer and her being the reason the band exists because she encouraged him to do what he wanted. It was really sweet and a nice break before the rest of the energetic set.

We couldn't really do anything after the show so we headed home. It was a good night and I was tired from it all!

Nov 2, 2011

2011-11-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

We finished watching Edward Scissorhands at work. Most of the students have settled into the routine now so there isn't as much complaining. The band played and the day dragged on a bit until I could leave.

We went to Quizzo later at PJ's for the first time in a month or so. We had a big group of people with us; even Alex joined in before she left for Paris. We had a good time and did pretty well. We came in third, ten points out of second! That's pretty good for us when we play there.

Nov 1, 2011

2011-11-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Another day of band classes. They watched movies and still complained about having to write one paragraph about the music in the film. Idiots. At least the band class at the end of the day played music.

I went to Union Lake for a run after work. The trail seemed a lot more sandy than it did previously. Plus someone dumped a bunch of tires in the middle of the trail. I don't think I'll return as much to this one.

After having dinner at my mom's and telling her about some of the upcoming things I have going on I came home and Chuck, Kate, and Sarah came over to play Pictionary and have some drinks. It was a lot of fun. Kate thinks me and Chuck should not be on a team because we were getting things really easily, but they ended up winning anyway.

These are just a few of the amazing drawings we did during the game. True art.

'Twas a good time and something we should do more often.

Oct 31, 2011

2011-10-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

My first day of the week substituting for Erika began with watching Nightmare Before Christmas at Lakeside then to Lakeside to watch Spiderman. I spent a lot of time reading and got through a lot of my book while the students were mostly good. I met Ryan at the gym after work and then went to Moe's where we met Kate and got our Monday fix.

I went up to Deptford mall to meet Christy and get some gelato. We walked around the mall once but didn't get anything of course.

We headed to Barnes and Noble and browsed the books. I always find a ton of things I want to read but whenever it's time to read something new I don't know what to start. We sat there until they closed.

It was a nice day. Hoping the rest of the week will be similar.

Oct 30, 2011

2011-10-30T15:38:00.000-07:00

I met Ryan at the gym in the morning to do push-ups and chest exercises. I increased the weight on the chest press I was doing with dumbbells and hit myself in the chest with one of them. It hurt a little, but at least I missed my face.

We went to Parvin for a one-lap run. I don't know if it was my pace but I'm glad we only did one lap this time. When we finished we walked the mile or so back to the bridge so I could take some shots of the reflected fall leaves. It looks much nicer in person.

I went to Kate's later where Chuck played guitar for us as I drank some of the Flying Fish beer I got. We just sat out there and listened to him play and kicked a soccer ball around.

Kate made me an orange creamsicle drink. I couldn't finish the whole thing but it's really good. You can make a lot of drinks with Pinnacle whipped cream vodka.

We all had to work in the morning so we left a bit early and headed home. I got to bed after the new Dexter.

Oct 29, 2011

2011-10-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I went to the gym to do pull-ups and other arm exercises since we missed Thursday. We did the assisted pull-ups that help me do them slightly but I'm not very good.

Chuck and I headed up to the Flying Fish Brewery in Cherry Hill for a tour of the facility and some samples. The guy giving the tour was one of the founders of the company and gave an amazing tour. He talked about very complex processes and made them understandable for the lamen. He also described why cheap beer companies want you to drink their beer VERY cold: because it inhibits the taste and you won't notice how bad it really is.

We got some samples of all of these beers. There were some really delicious ones in there, including the Belgian Dubbel and the Exit 4 Trippel, the two that Chuck and I got six packs of. It was a really interesting tour and a lot of nice people work there.

Next stop was Blue Monkey for paninis and a glass of something new. I wasn't too fond of the beer I got. Its name implied much more hops than I got. The panini was delicious though. After eating we returned to the snowy October weather and drove north.

The drive really wasn't bad at all despite it snowing the whole time. Parking was a little tricky and walking to the venue from the VFW lot got my feet wet. We hung out in the bar area as The Wonder Years were just finishing. Too bad we missed them. Set Your Goals played next. I'm not really fond of them. New Found Glory came out and played basically the same set as last week.

Chad talked a lot and they added a couple different songs and got rid of "Radiosurgery" which made us happy. The set was good and the crowd was not too bad besides a few people. It was fun but felt somehow lacking. Maybe I just wasn't as into it this time.

The drive home was also not bad though I thought it might be. Chuck went to sleep.

Oct 28, 2011

2011-10-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

I covered study team meetings at Mt. Pleasant all day, going from fifth grade to first to third to kindergarten. It was an experience. One of the classes was taking a test so that was easy. Another class was just obnoxiously running around the room and the other teacher didn't seem to mind. It was a pretty easy day for the most part, ending on a Halloween party in the kindergarten class.

I went for a run after work and headed up to get Christy and go to Creamy Acres for their Night of Terror. We waited in line quite a while for our tickets and then waited longer in a short line before the hayride actually began.

The ride was fun. People kept jumping up on the trailer with chainsaws, mostly tormenting this one girl across from us who was very jumpy. We went through a few buildings with different things in them, including an undead dance party. When we finished we went through a building that was pitch black where we had to feel our way through the walls. It was strange and disorienting.

There was a "cornfiled maze" (that's how they spelled it) which was just a fence maze with corn on it. It was quite difficult to find our way out though. There were two funhouse things after that. One was a pirate theme and the other was a 3-D clown house. The latter was creepy and really cool. There were disorienting tunnels that spun around you while you walked the platform. It was a really fun time so I'm glad we went.

I came home to change into my costume (Chuck from Chuck) and then headed to Kate's for the party. We hung out downstairs while Wolverine and other superheroes played beer pong for a while.

This is adult Halloween. Candy and beer. I got Brooklyn IPA for myself and Dogfish Head for Chuck. I didn't get to any of the candy before we left.

We decided to go upstairs and play cards instead of sticking around the characters downstairs. We played quite a few games of palace and had drinks. It was better than the beer pong party in my opinion.

After the game died down Chuck played guitar for us and we sang along while finishing our beers. I headed home when everyone was getting sleepy and ready for bed. It was a good party.

Oct 27, 2011

2011-10-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

I was in no shape to get up early so I spent most of the morning in bed. I was awaiting the FedEx guy to drop of my iMac all day and it finally came in the late afternoon. I set it up and marveled at the prettiness of it. Then I went through the motions of adding all of the programs and other things I need to use it. It's really nice to have a fast computer. Hopefully I can get a lot more work done now.

A little later I met Christy at the park and we talked for a while before deciding to go to Pop Shop for dinner. We got a pre-set meal deal thing for Restaurant Week which started us with appetizer samplers and then our sandwiches and fries. Christy got a soda float to top it off.

There was so much food that we left more than half of it before we even got our chocolate chip cookie dough balls for dessert. They were so good. And I had a giant meal leftover for later.

We went to Jeff's for a little while after eating since he's right around the corner. We mostly just sat and talked until we had to leave. Then I came home and played with my computer some more.

Oct 26, 2011

2011-10-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Work was an English class at the Senior High where I had one class in the morning by myself and then the last two classes of the day after lunch break were with the other classroom teacher so I sat at the desk by myself and read. Not a bad day.

I went for a run at Silver Run after work. I only did one lap around. I'm just not liking this trail much anymore. The narrow paths and myriad turns just get annoying when I'm trying to do a distance run.

Kate picked up Chuck and myself and then we grabbed Shannon on the way to Philly for the Abbaye's Ithaca U-Buy-the-Glass night. All of the beers were really good. The Apricot Wheat was amazingly delicious and not overwhelming. The Cold Front was perfection. Such a tasty smoky beer. I think I drank too many. Diana stopped by with her friends before the show also, in costume, and had a few drinks with us. I had the mac and cheese too. Forgot how great that was.

Despite the beer at the Abbaye, Shannon and I stopped by JD's before the show and got another drink while we waited.

Circa Survive took the stage and costume and played a long set of good music. I was having a good time in the crowd from what I remember... After the show we walked back to the Abbaye and met the rest of our party to head home sleepily.

Oct 25, 2011

2011-10-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

I had a job at the Senior High for a math teacher, where I got to read some more of my book. The classes were mostly good. I really love the book.

I spent some time editing photos and posting things again after work and then went to Union Lake to try out a new running trail. I really liked the paths even though some parts were sandy. It's nice to run somewhere new. I ran five miles without even noticing.

I met Chuck and Kate at the Oar House and we hung out for a little while. Chuck didn't have much of a voice so it was hard to talk. Luckily it was a lot quieter than last night so we could hear him.

I got a job so I came home to get some sleep like everyone else.

Oct 24, 2011

2011-10-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

I had a very productive morning editing photos, posting them, then updating Beer Me That Blog! with a comprehensive post on DuClaw Brewing Co. and then networking with some of the people who work there to a surprising amount of praise. After I had done what I needed to I went to Parvin for a run. I only took one lap around this time.

I went to the gym with Ryan a bit later and we had a quick mile run around the hospital. I ran it in 7:12. I have nothing to judge that against, but I think I need to improve that a bit. I met Kate at the Oar House and we were soon joined by Stephen. We had some food and attempted to empty the Shiner Ruby Redbird keg. I casually watched the World Series game while Stephen was devoted to it.

We had a good time out, but we all had to get back somewhat early and didn't want to stay out drinking all night.

Oct 23, 2011

2011-10-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I met at the gym for our workout and then came to Wildflower to meet Chuck, Kate, Erika, and my sister for lunch. It was a great day to sit outside and eat and the tofu BLT was wonderful. We had a good time sitting and talking.

Ryan and Erika left while the rest of us wandered up and down High Street. We went to Bogart's to browse the books for quite a while. I ended up getting two for a great price. There were a lot more that I wanted to get.

We went to the Apple orchard to pick some apples but I only shot photos. I expected it to be a cooler thing than it was. I got a few decent shots out of it though.

Later Alex and I took a drive to Ocean City and walked a long way down the beach. We both needed to talk a bit and the beach is always nice. Running in the sand is difficult.

It was a good walk and talk and a nice ride. I felt better once we got back so it worked.

Oct 22, 2011

2011-10-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

I got to Tracy's house at 5am so we could leave for Maryland. It wasn't a bad drive, but we got a late start after Wawa took forever. The parking situation was in a muddy field and we had to catch the bus on the road near there to get to the race. It was very cold, but we weren't worried until we got on the bus and were told there was a backup of buses that had to travel one at a time down the small road to drop off racers.

With less than ten minutes until our heat time, we rushed through the packet pickup lines, checked our bags and then I realized that I needed my flags and Tracy didn't have her monitor. We met back at the starting line and got running about five minutes after everyone else.

I was still putting my belt on when I encountered the first field of zombies, allowing one of them to snag two of them with one hand. Not cool. So I was down to one flag at the very start. The race was through the woods, up some mild grades, and over bails of hay obstacles. The hardest part was sprinting full speed past fields of zombies so they couldn't steal my only flag.

I didn't even hesitate when it came time to jump in the water and cross. It got really deep at some parts. While running down some forest paths a zombie would pop out from behind a tree and try to grab me. I managed to avoid them somehow.

After a very large hill we came to The Gauntlet. There were tons of zombies and, much like the rest of the race, I was mostly by myself to get through them. I zigged, zagged, and spun my way through them all and got over and under the obstacles then dunked in the big pool of blood red that I needed to cross before the final wooded path run to the finish line. After ducking under a chain link fence that said "Safe Zone" I was done the race and they separated the dead from alive. I lived with one flag!

Tracy was waiting for me by the tents. She took a different path than I did. That's one of the interesting things about this race: you can go different ways and still end up at the end. We took our drink tickets and got a pretty crappy free beer and then perused the clothing tents and tried some salsa. There wasn't a lot to do there after the run. The bands didn't start until afternoon so we decided to get back on the shuttle and go.

I looked up a nearby brewery called DuClaw and we went there for lunch and drinks. I made a good choice because they had an amazing blackened tuna sandwich. Best I've ever had. They also had a ton of good beers I wanted to try...

So I did. I got the sampler of all of their beers on tap. So many amazing ones. Very different. One was made in whiskey barrels and had quite a kick to it. I was pretty loaded after drinking all of those. Not really drunk, but not very far from it. I wouldn't have let me drive. Luckily Tracy had the wheel so I was free to drink at my leisure. I wrote up a nice post for it at Beer Me That Blog.

Not very long after getting home we headed right back out to Philly to JD McGillicuddy's for some pre-show drinks and food. I got one Golden Monkey-yeahhh and some Old Bay fries that ended up being free because the waitress gave mine to the wrong person first.

We went into the Electric Factory a bit before New Found Glory came on. They opened up with a surprise and got into a set full of all kinds of songs. They played a few new ones, two of which are my favorite tracks. They played a few songs I didn't expect but skipped some I did.

The encore was the big surprise. They covered "Basket Case" by Green Day and added a nice little NFG-riff in there. It was a good cover followed by "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "My Friends Over You" of course.

It was a great show as always and a crazy fun day! From zombies to beer to New Found Glory. Can't complain about any of that.

Oct 21, 2011

2011-10-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

With nothing to do really we went to Carousel Park to play a round of disc golf. It took me a while to get into it, but I had fun on the later holes. It's a long course though and I wasn't feeling the walk through the big open fields while it was windy.

The scenery was beautiful as colorful leaves dropped into the stream. I spent some time taking photos here and then carried on until I decided to call the game after hole 12. I did alright on most of them. When we got back we stopped at Wildflower and grabbed some food.

I was planning to get to bed early but I never can. I met Chuck, Sarah, Kate, and her friend Crystal at the Oar House for a couple of drinks for Crystal's birthday. We had a good time but they decided to move to another bar so I headed back home.

I did manage to get to bed somewhat early, but I knew I'd only be getting a few hours of sleep.

Oct 20, 2011

2011-10-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty nice day out so I took my book to South Vineland Park and sat there reading for a while. It was windy and a bit chilly so after reading for an hour or so I called it quits and went back to the car to read.

Ryan and I went to the gym in the early afternoon and then headed to Parvin to run. We decided to set a time instead of a distance so we ran for one hour. I ran 6.6 miles according to my GPS. I was happy with that pace and quite surprised to be honest. Maybe I'll think about doing the full marathon.

After some lazing about at home it was decided that we'd go to the Toad Fish Bar for karaoke. When we got there I was very hungry so I got some pickle chips and quesadillas. The quesadillas were good but the pickle chips were not great. We listened to Kate and her mom do some karaoke as well as other talented singers.

Chuck won a bet with Kate so he got to pick her song: Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. This photo accurately depicts what was going on. Chuck thought it was hilarious as Kate stumbled through the song. I will say she did a wonderful job considering she didn't know it.

Chuck and I did some songs after a few drinks. We did Dumpweed by blink-182, Hit or Miss by NFG, and A Little Help From my Friends by the Beatles that Kate chose for us. We ended the night singing Fat Lip by Sum 41 and jumping around a lot.

It was a surprisingly good time doing karaoke. I guess that mean we can do it again soon! We need to practice our harmonies for next time.

Oct 19, 2011

2011-10-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Another trail run day at Silver Run. It was raining, but I wanted to run anyway so I put my iPhone in a bag and went out. The rain was refreshing at times, but it made the path slippery in some places. I almost slipped and fell down a hill at one of the steeper sections.

Later I picked up Leah and we went to Olive Garden. We've been talking about it for a long time so we finally went! We had a good time catching up and eating much pasta. I got something different and remembered why I don't get something different almost ever. Stick with what I know is good.

It was the "championship" or something at Applebee's Quizzo and we were apparently already in first place. We didn't even have to play to win it. We played our best and ended up taking second place (for the night, still #1 overall) after a lengthy tie-breaker round at the end. Yeah! We get.. nothing. We don't get anything.

At least we have a chance to go to Vegas! We'd have to pay for travel and lodging though. I think we'll just keep going to Quizzo in Jersey.

Oct 18, 2011

2011-10-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

I went for a trail run at Silver Run. I wasn't feeling the trails this time but I went the way I normally do and did a few miles.

I met Christy and we went to get some art supplies in Pitman then went over to Bus Stop Cafe to get food. I had never eaten there before. I actually forgot they had food. The panini I got was really good. I'll go back for the soup.

We went over to Washington Park and sat around on a blanket on the grass for a while. I took a bunch of strange photos that I like. I'll put them up soon. It was a little colder than I thought it would be so I wasn't dressed well for it.

She dropped me off at Landmark to meet Chuck and Kate for some trivia. We got some tough questions right, but of course got a bunch wrong as well. I couldn't stay for too long so I just played the first round.

I met Ryan at the gym, which was pretty abandoned for most of the time we were there. I prefer it that way; it's always a pain waiting for someone to get done using something and awkwardly skirting the people standing in the way.

Good day.

Oct 17, 2011

2011-10-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

Laura and I were looking for an adventure and/or a place to explore that was abandoned. We found a little of both at Winslow Junction, where old railroad cars are left on the tracks next to rails that are in service. We spoke with the people working at the yard and they told us we could go check them out. We walked up along the trains and I got some nice shots of the exteriors.

Laura wanted to venture a bit closer and got up on the one locomotive. Then we got inside the dining car. The bar area was really interesting and fun to shoot. When we got out we were soon chased away from that area by the boss, who told us we couldn't be anywhere near the trains. We quickly left the property. At least we got some nice photos and an adventure.

We decided to meet up later so I took a break for a while. I went to Subway and killed some time in between then and meeting back up with Laura and folks at Landmark.

It was Mexican Monday so the ladies got margaritas and Chuck and I got things off of the severely reduced bottle menu. Lagunitas IPA is very good. And they were out of most of the seasonal Pumpkin ales unfortunately.

We played musical Bingo for a while, even though it's not fun when the DJ tells you what the song is after it's over. What's the point of the game if he gives you the answer? I don't get it. We had a good time with Kristin, Laura and Collette..?

We didn't stay too late. We all were ready to leave at about the same time so we finished our drinks and headed out.

Oct 16, 2011

2011-10-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I went to the gym to do chest and arm exercises as usual for Sunday mornings.

I went for a run at the park and then Ryan met me there with Bowser and we took a walk around the lake to have a talk. It was a nice day and the leaves are really nice there now.

Christy and I headed down to Whale Beach in Sea Isle because I read about it on a site about "abandoned sites" in NJ. It was hit by a hurricane in the '60s I believe and they have a shrine of debris there. It was all relegated to one area on the walk to the beach though. I was a little disappointed but I wanted to shoot beach photos anyway.

I shot a lot of photos of Christy on the beach posing and jumping. I shot some on the rocks of the jetty that looked really cool. I put them up on dmphotographics. It was really nice beachy weather.

We went up to Ocean City when we were done and immediately got some peanut butter chocolate fudge. It was really good but I can't eat too much fudge before feeling bad. We walked the boards and looked for sunglasses. I found one pair that I thought I'd get if I found nothing else, but after finding nothing else and coming back ten minutes later the shop had closed. Oh well.

We stopped at some crappy little place across the bridge before going home to get food. I got a crab cake sandwich that was pretty good and very messy. It was food.

When we got back I put on New Girl for a little bit and then I was getting really tired so I got to bed early.

Oct 15, 2011

2011-10-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Ah, Saturday. I went over to the Silver Run trail for an early run. I took the opposite direction on both trails than I normally do. Just doing this simple thing makes it seem new and gives the illusion that it's going by more quickly. I find that it's harder to run when I know too many landmarks that tell me how far I've gone.

I wanted to continue enjoying the weather so I took a walk when I got back home along the river to the library to get a new book. I found the one I was looking for and then walked home and read some outside.

Alex and I headed up to the train station later and took the rail into Philly. The walk to the Abbaye was much longer than I thought it was. Once we got there it was time to try some pumpkin beer and get a red bean burger. Alex was very happy with the food and the bar in general. Ryan helped us out greatly when Alex realized she didn't have her e-ticket for the show so she e-mailed it to him and he printed it out! What a guy.

After eating we wandered through the cold over to the Troc and got inside a little bit before Four Year Strong came on. When they did, I was immediately not a fan of the people in the crowd. It's not the same as it used to be at their shows. They also played newer songs and things I don't know well.

To their credit, when they played the good stuff they played it really well. It's hard to feel the same energy as their shows used to have when they played in the basement at the church and the crowd was great. I'm afraid I won't be seeing them again until they return to such a venue.

At least we had a short walk back to the train after the show and then a quick ride over the river and back to the car. It was a good night even though the show was not quite what I wanted.

Oct 14, 2011

2011-10-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

I went into work expecting a math class and got switched to auto shop, which is a class I never accept when I get the offer. I wasn't thrilled, but the first class ended up being fine. They just watched a movie on motor oil.. twice. And took a quiz. Easy enough. Then the next class I had two kids lock themselves in the class bathroom and I'm pretty sure they were smoking weed because when I finally got them to come out it smelled like a ridiculous amount of cologne. Fun. The rest of the day was fine and we watched a sports bloopers video.

I met Ryan at the gym after work and did our usual Thursday work out then headed to the park for a run. It rained a little bit after we started. We were in the woods most of the time anyway, but it felt nice.

Chuck and I met up at Men's Wearhouse to get fitted for our tuxedos. I thought this was going to be a lengthy process including us actually trying things on. I was wrong. It was quick. I tried on a jacket and that was all. The associate measured me and moved on. The payment part took longer than anything.

I picked up Christy after my fitting and went to Cherry Hill Mall, where I wanted to talk to someone at the Apple Store about what computer I should get. We walked around the mall for a bit, tasted tea that was delicious, and saw Sheldon.

We ate at the little bistro thing in the center of the mall. I got this delicious looking sandwich made of tuna. It was good. The guy who worked there was well-versed in the bars of Philadelphia so he and I talked for a while and he suggested a nearby bar to check out.

We headed over to Blue Monkey Tavern after the mall. There were a LOT of beers on tap here. It was really difficult to choose. I tried a few things that sounded great. I wasn't disappointed in any of them. Christy had a bunch of drinks named after monkeys that were all really delicious.

After a couple of hours at the bar tasting new things we headed out and I dropped her off before going home. It was a really fun day/night.

Oct 13, 2011

2011-10-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

I didn't get a job in the morning so I slept in and then went for a run around the river trail. It's starting to look really nice with all of the leaves changing and starting to fall off on the path.

I took an alternative school job, but when when I got there they didn't need me to cover so they found something for me to do: shred. Yep, I had boxes and boxes of crap to shred. I started on a little home shredder thing and then upgraded to the large shredder in the custodial office. It was boring, but at least they didn't send me home.

Later I met Meg at JD McGillicuddy's for some drinks before the show. I only had one big Golden Monkey which took me quite a while to consume. We had a good time listening to the '90s songs the DJ played in between mostly-bad karaoke singers. One guy was just awful and he sang a Pink song, interrupting "The Freshman." Rude.

We got into the Electric Factory in time to see La Dispute's set. I thought they were really good live. I need to listen to their albums more. Their singer is very enthusiastic and people seemed to be enjoying them.

After we got a drink upstairs and talked to Jordan for a moment it was time for Thrice. It's hard to know what to expect from Thrice, being that they have so much material from which to choose. They seemed to play a lot from Beggars, which I love.

They played a handful of new songs as well. I knew a couple of them but not well enough. There were some nice surprises in the set as well and they ended with very old tunes, to the delight of most of the crowd.

After a short wait outside the front door Dustin came out to play a handful of songs acoustic for the crowd. They were raising money for charity. He took some requests of predictable songs. I wished he would have played some unexpected songs, but it was nice to get an extra encore on a nice night outside.

I was pretty tired from all of the running around during the day and the show so I was in bed watching The Mentalist and trying to fall asleep when I got home.

Oct 12, 2011

2011-10-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Senior High meetings today. It was a fast-paced day most of the time. I had to sit in one classroom for an hour covering back-to-back meetings while we watched crappy health videos on VHS tapes that must have been played hundreds of times by the quality of them. I got a long break and was done shortly after that though. That's why I like doing meetings.

After a short nap Chuck picked me up and we headed to The Abbaye for their Oktoberfest celebration. There were a bunch of German beers and Oktoberfest-style beers on tap for the evening. We got into it with the Hacker-Pschoor and Paulaner, both of which I liked a lot.

We ordered the food that we had been looking forward to since we saw the menu go up a few weeks ago. Chuck and I both got the mushroom and gruyere strudel, which was as amazing as it sounds. It was flaky and delicious over butter rice with green beans. I want them to have this always.

Too shortly after eating it was time for the Das Boot competition, where you have to chug a boot full of beer. It was good beer so that was nice, but I'm not much of a chugger. They decided to time people individually this year. I got 19 seconds, but was soon knocked out by a guy who did it in 9. I got a free boot to take home though!

I photographed the rest of the competition. The winners got big boot glasses and gift certificates. And another free glass of beer. It was a fun contest, though not as fun as last year's when they had several teams continue competing.

We retreated to our table for the rest of the evening, trying out a few more of the beers on the list and getting an abortion shot, based on a recommendation from Diana. It was really good. Lots of good tastes for the evening. I chronicled the whole thing for my biggest post yet over at Beer Me That Blog!

Eventually we had to leave and head back home. We got a friendly visit from a police officer after Chuck took a circle at high speed because he didn't know it was there. Luckily, Chuck knew he was going to be driving so he kept his beer sampling to a minimum. He was let off with a warning to keep it slow.

Oct 11, 2011

2011-10-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

I worked the day at Memorial for a choir class. We watched Happy Feet in each class. I had never actually watched the movie so I was into it the first time. Since class time only allowed us to watch the first hour or so of the movie I finished it during second block when I was off. It's a good movie. It didn't bother me watching it twice more.

I got a call about an hour before I was done work from Alternative School asking me to work so I accepted. I went in and covered a class for a teacher who was giving exams. The classes were mostly fine except for one group that made me furious and sad at the same time because of how ignorant and intolerant they were being. I was elated when they left.

I met Chuck and Kate at the Oar after work for some good drinks. There's such a big menu it's hard to try all the beers on tap. I finally got one of the bottled beers I've been looking at. I was happy with it; something different.

I also really liked the Shiner Ruby Redbird. I want to go back to get more of that. Kate had a pumpkin spice martini that was good and spicy as well as really strong. For me, anyway. I don't drink martinis.

We hung out there for a couple of hours, laughing about stupid things as I took notes on the beers for the blog. I updated on some of the beers I had tonight as well as a few other entries.

Check it out.

Oct 10, 2011

2011-10-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

After getting information on the Mac I'm planning to buy and applying for a credit card with which to purchase it interest-free, I went up to Westby and spent most of the day there working. I got some designs done for the website I'm working on. I'm much happier with the new layout I came up with. I also made myself some business cards that I got printed at Staples and came back to cut out.

I took a break for lunch and went to Moe's with Joanna. The Deptford Moe's never fails to disappoint in one way or another. Stay in Millville. It was pretty good anyway. After eating it was time to get back to work for a while.

I met Ryan at the gym later for leg exercises, where a guy came up to Ryan and told him, while I was standing three feet away resting between sets, that he should make me watch my form while I was doing squats with the bar. While I was standing right next to him. Couldn't say it to me? Jackass.

It was a pretty productive day. I need to have many more of these. Getting my new Mac will be instrumental in that. I hope.

Oct 9, 2011

2011-10-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I went to the gym in the early afternoon and then went over to Silver Run so I could show Ryan the trail and then go for a run there. It's a good two mile route with all the hills and turns.

When my planned photo shoot fell through I asked Chuck if he wanted to meet for a drink at the Oar House. One drink turned into a few as I realized I had nothing else to do for the day.

Kate and Jordan stopped by to hang out as well. We tried quite a few good new beers and eventually made our way out to the beer garden to enjoy the weather. My sister and Ken dropped by as well to get some food. We had been there for quite a long while by the time we decided to leave. It was a good way to spend an afternoon. Nice to have a bar here where we can do that now.

I went up to Rowan for a while later to see a few people. It was fun, but I was ready to go to sleep when I got back home.

Oct 8, 2011

2011-10-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

I went to Parvin for a run around the lake and met Joanna there to walk and talk. We walked around two more times so it was a good long distance overall. Really nice day to be outside.

Chuck and I headed up to Red Bank and the Count Basie Theater for a night of live podcasts. The openers were Tell 'Em Steve-Dave, consisting of Walt Flanagan and Bryan Johnson of Mallrats fame as well as Brian Quinn. They were funny at times, starting the show with puppet versions of themselves but quickly abandoning that and getting into talking about how unprepared they were. Their lack of prep was obvious and sadly not amusing.

Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes came out after a brief intermission to do their podcast "Jay and Silent Bob Get Old." They spent a lot of time talking about Jay's childhood, which was simultaneously distressing and hilarious. Jason was the highlight of the night, with Kevin being a nice commentator to his insanity.

After a collection of great anecdotes from both of them, they ended the show by bringing a fan on stage and having him read lines from "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" with Jason. The guy that went up was not a good actor, even with Smith directing him. It was only funny because Jason was up there being stubborn as well.

It was a really good show. It's always funny how much fun it can be to sit and watch people talk to each other. That's why I keep going back to see Kevin Smith.

Oct 7, 2011

2011-10-07T11:06:00.000-07:00

I worked at Lakeside all day covering IEP meetings or, more accurately, sitting around outside the office waiting while they figured things out. That's the normal day when I take those jobs so I was expecting it. I was hoping to get out early though.

I met Christy at the park to play tennis for the first time in quite a while. We didn't play a full game, but the volleying we did was surprisingly good.

After deciding not to go to the second night of the Bayside tour in Philly, I came home, ate, and then drove myself to Atlantic City and got a ticket to see Jack's Mannequin at House of Blues from a guy that had an extra for cheap. I spent too much money on too few drinks when I got inside the place anyway.

Jack's played a great set, starting off with some new tracks and working back into the older stuff. The crowd was absolutely terrible. People were barely tapping their feet to the music, so I got sick of it and just made my way to the front after the first few songs. It was much more enjoyable up there.

Andrew explained some of the songs before playing them and thanked everyone for sticking around since Something Corporate then followed that up by playing "Me and the Moon." It was nice to get a dose of SoCo that wasn't "Konstantine" this time. They closed with "Caves," which is one of my favorite songs of theirs and he said they never play it. He ended the show in typical Andrew style, climbing on his piano enthusiastically and jumping off at the last beat.

I decided to go for a run on the boardwalk after the show because it was a beautiful night out and I had a lot of energy leftover from that mellow show. It was a good run; having some different scenery was nice.

The drive home seemed really long. Once I got back I hung out and watched some shows until very late and then went to bed.