Dec 16, 2016

Another bitter cold day starting out with my alarm going off and not enough sleep. I was in for an English teacher at Memorial, and her first class really got me started off right. It was a small group and they sat silently working for the entire class. It was kind of incredible. I had an early break which was nice because I was hungry anyway. I saw Aiden because he was home sick and then I went back in for the second part of the day. The next class was loud but mostly working. The final class was mostly quiet and working, but I had to write one girl up for being an asshole about not doing her work and then disrupting other people. So it goes.

I came home and had some Gardein chick'n strips after work and then tried to take a nap. I guess I slept a little bit, but I've been bad at naps lately. Tracy and Christie were supposed to pick me up at 6:30, but they were running late. They ended up being over a half hour late, but that's not really unusual for them. We drove up the Parkway to the Stone Pony in time to park, walk a few blocks in the cold, and get inside the venue to a definitely over-capacity crowd where we had to shuffle sideways to get across the room. We didn't have to wait long for Jimmy Eat World to come on.

While the band was incredible and played an amazing set, the crowd was beyond shitty. It was packed in tight, but almost everyone was literally just standing there during their heavier and more upbeat songs. Like not even nodding their heads to the beat. I honestly do not understand why those people were there or how they were enjoying themselves. I completely understand not wanting/needing to jump around at a show, but how can you stand totally still? Doesn't music generally move people to dance a little bit? I always feel bad for the band too because they're rocking their hearts out on stage and getting no response.

I ended up really wishing I had not sold my Taking Back Sunday tickets because you know damn well that crowd would have been insane as always. Live and learn. It's just a bummer that the shows had to be on the same night. Our drive home was long, but Tracy and I chatted a lot about travel and where we'd like to end up living so that was nice. I don't get to have a lot of one on one chats with her these days. I was definitely ready for bed when I got home

Dec 12, 2013

It was a long day at work at Memorial. The art class pretty much worked on their own after I gave them the assignment so I was just sitting. I couldn't connect to much online so I wasn't even able to work that much. I organized some files on my hard drive and read some as I slowly passed the time.

After work Kate and I headed to Baltimore, stopping at DuClaw on the way for a beer and some food. I had a glass of the Sweet Baby Jesus since I didn't get to last time. We made it to Rams Head with plenty of time to spare since the guy at the box office told me Jimmy Eat World was playing at 8:30 and he was a little wrong. We went and got a beer across the plaza while we waited.

When the did come out they played a lot of the same songs from the last time I saw them, adding some in that I was happy to hear. They did play a lot off of Damage, but they played a really long set so they were able to do so without cutting others. They played 23 during the encore, which made me extremely happy. It made up for the shitty crowd. Nobody was getting into any of the songs at all. They still played an amazing set, but it just made me want to go see them tomorrow even more.

Jul 16, 2013

After saying a somber goodbye to Amol and Matt (and Seattle) we left the apartment and went to Araya's Place for their Thai buffet. It was a lot of really good food, including this fantastic peanut sauce that I want to put on everything I ever eat from now on. We took the 5 South toward Portland, stopping at SeaTac DGC before we got too far away from the city. The course was set in a nicely wooded area, making good use of the space. My favorite part was seeing the planes fly overhead every few minutes.

The course was pretty cool, if slightly confusing at times. It wasn't always apparent where the next hole was. There was a course regular waiting for people to show up that helped us along the way. It's definitely not a "mark to return" course, but it was fun at the time. I don't know what's going on in this picture except that I had to use the bathroom so I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.

The long road to Portland was filled with slight traffic jams and minor annoyance, but we made it there and found McMenamin's Crystal Ballroom where Jimmy Eat World was playing and I got my show information then went to the bar beneath. I got a sampler of the beers they brewed there and sat back to enjoy being back in the city. The Hammerhead, Sunflower IPA, and Ruby were all great. We hung out there for a while until I could properly put away my flight and still had time to go elsewhere!

The Rogue Taphouse was just a couple blocks away so it was the obvious next stop. We pulled up our chairs at the bar and I picked out a few beers from the huge tap list that I hadn't tried before. It's a hard decision. I ended up doing two flights. I really liked the Dad's Little Helper and Juniper Pale Ale. I tried the infamous Beard Beer, made with a yeast strain cultivated from a brewer's beard hair. It was good. The standout was clearly the Younger's Special Bitter. I love a good ESB, but this one takes the cake. I would like a case of this please.

After all the wonderful beer tasting it was time to go back to the Ballroom, where I weaved up toward the front. Jimmy Eat World came out and played an amazing damn set. They always do, but this crowd, this room, and being on a trip just amplified everything. I love seeing this band live so much more every time. They played 4 (four!) Clarity tracks and covered "We are Never Ever Getting Back Together" in such a way that Taylor Swift should consider retiring. I was bouncing and singing to every song. Hopefully I helped some other people get into the show as well. It's amazing how they can play all of their hits and it still seems like a fan-favorite setlist. I want to see them again immediately.

Joanna was outside to pick me up when the show was over. I rolled up, sweaty and smiling like a lunatic I'm sure, and actually took off my shirt to cool off and dry before I put on another. She had gotten donuts so I had a lovely treat to partake in while we hung out by the car. We headed over the bridge to our Couchsurfing hosts and found the house after a couple of tries. The guy hosting was very nice and offered us the couches. The house was quite a mess and it seemed that a lot of people lived there, but I didn't really care. Joanna was a bit squeamish about the conditions, but once we had our sleeping bags on the couch, it was a really nice night (with the door open) to sleep.

Jun 4, 2011

Another early start and we headed to New York to a hike called The Lemon Squeezer. After a Quick Chek breakfast and a bit of a drive, we found our trailhead, packed up and headed across this big, open field.

Once we got to the treeline we hit the Appalachian Trail and started immediately up the mountain. It went from flat grass to steep, rocky terrain in no time.

After a little turnaround and some steep ascents, we came to the first landmark - Island Pond. It was a nice place to take a little break and take in the view for a while.

Shortly after, we came upon the tight-fit rocks known as Lemon Squeezer. It was honestly a bit disappointing, as it was only about thirty feet or so of sideways walking and then you were done.

There was a nice little rock wall after the squeeze that was fun to climb; I did it twice. It was described as the hard way, which I'm sure it was compared to the alternative, but still an easy little challenge.

The top of the mountain was flat and covered with thick, green grass. It was pretty crazy to see the change in scenery when we got up there.

We headed back down a bit and came to the big intersection, where we would assess our location and leaved the AT and the other hiker we had been following since the start.

The hike kept getting better, which was a nice surprise since I though the Squeezer was the draw. There were some more large, rocky parts and an overlook on an exposed rock face that was expansive and a nice place to break and have a bite to eat.

This is the mine/cave we saw mentioned on the map. It's hard to tell where it goes since it turns black just inside the opening, but the walls around it were fun to climb.

At one point we came to the Valley of Boulders. I don't think this was it, but there were quite a few instances that made us think we were there. We also got off our trail at one point, but kept following the directions. We ended up at least two miles out of the way and had to retrace and make our way back.

It ended up being fine and we found our way out, over a questionable bridge. The end of the hike was a somewhat flat and nondescript exit from a great, varied trail. We got back to the car with a total of over 12 miles hiked. Not bad at all.

After a nice shower, I headed to Montclair to the Wellmont Theater for the Jimmy Eat World Show. I stood outside for a while trying to sell my extra ticket with no luck. Then I went in and watch Civil Twilight. They were okay, just not my thing.

After a long wait, Jimmy Eat World came out to "Bleed American" into "A Praise Chorus" then mentioned it had been ten years since Bleed American was released and said, "I think we'll play the whole album right now..!" So exciting and an awesome album to hear in full!

After the amazing full-album set, they played a great encore of their oldest and newest material. They can't pick a bad song to play. I'm glad I didn't miss this set. The theater is pretty awesome as well.

We got some food after I got back from the show and then went to sleep shortly after eating so as to get up early the next morning.

Feb 11, 2011

I worked at Lakeside for a math class, where I had to give a test while the actual teacher came in and out of the classroom, usurping my authority regularly and leaving again so the students didn't want to listen to me. It was fun. After work I had a nice run because it was something close to warm outside.

I picked up Jess and we went to Olive Garden where there was a wait to get in. We sat at the bar and had some beers while we waited for our buzzer to go off.

We sat down and made our entree decisions and then commenced the next waiting game. I got the seafood alfredo, which I think is the first time in over a year that I've gotten anything besides the portobello raviolis when I've gone there. It was really good but I couldn't eat much of it after the breadsticks and soup. And the one really hot pepper from the salad.

We headed to Showboat in Atlantic City where we found a little bar and then we played some penny slots. I spent three bucks and had enough. Gambling doesn't really interest me anymore. Jess played a little longer and I just watched.

We went back to the bar and got some more drinks and people watched at the casino. It's probably the best place possible to do that.

It looks like Jess drank a lot but she really didn't. The first glasses were much smaller, which is why she needs two of her small hands to pick up the big glass.

Tracy and Tina were wandering through the casino so we called them over and they hung out and had a few drinks with us. I got a vanilla vodka and ginger ale, which I really liked. I like most things with ginger ale.

We went up to the House of Blues just a bit before Jimmy Eat World came out to "Bleed American" followed by "My Best Theory." It was a great opening followed by an amazing set of songs I didn't expect and some that I did. The crowd was almost totally still the whole show until they closed with "Sweetness." I guess they should have opened with it?

Even though the crowd was lame, the show was great. They always put on a great show and I was happy with the changes in the set list from the last time I saw them. When are they coming again?

Oct 11, 2010

It was a great day for a run so I went to the course and ran around the pond first then I ran the first twelve holes doing push-ups, jumping jacks and sit-ups in rotation at each basket.

Kat called me and asked for my help setting up the Tunnel of Oppression at Rowan so I showered and went up to help out. They didn't need a lot of help setting up but I did what I could and volunteered to be an actor.

The Tunnel of Oppression is an experience where different scenes of violence, abuse and hate are acted out and show to get people thinking and talking about these important issues to help them realize that they are real and they actually happen here. Kat was portraying a victim of rape and abuse. She was perfect for the part as she is very dramatic.

I was made up and dressed as Mathew Shepard, the gay student who was beaten and left to die tied to a fence in Wyoming over ten years ago. His death has been a catalyst for hate crime acts and referenced often to display the cost of ignorance and hatred. I had an easy acting job.. I just had to lie dead on the ground with my hands tied behind my back.

The tunnel was dark and groups would walk through with a guide who would illuminate each scene as the actors played out their scene. It was pretty powerful and it really seemed to reach a good amount of people. Some left in tears. It's sad and horrible that these things really happen but I'm glad to help spread the message so people might think about it and realize the effects hate and abuse have on people.

After the tunnel was cleaned up, Jamie picked me up, got Jenell and went to the Electric Factory to see Jimmy Eat World. We got there about ten minutes before they opened with "Bleed American." Great timing. They were amazing as always, playing a bunch of new stuff and plenty of great old songs as well.

The encore started with probably my favorite Jimmy Eat World song, "23." I was very happy with the show and I got a ride home with Tracy who I ended up standing with in the middle of the crowd. I wish I could see them more often.