One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

I'm sitting in a king size bed on the Governor's Club level of a hotel overlooking a protest taking place at the Capital building in Madison, Wisconsin, watching television and doing research.

I. feel. grown. up.

My research includes and article about beer, some Wikipedia, and the new episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" in which Charlie and Dennis discover "enriched" beer.  I have to give a beer presentation tomorrow so I'm setting up my (sober) brain to be completely prepared.  Both with jokes and facts.

I've also been preparing by talking with lots of random people.  Today, one my first solo plane ride, I sat next two a nice old couple who were randomly from my hometown!  They told me where they lived and told me to stop by next time I'm in town.  Retired entrepreneurs (they used to own more than 1,700 air pumps, most of which are now free to use), they now run a food kitchen for people in need.

I also met an old hippie dude who is a snow bird.  He lives half in Tampa, FL, and the other half in Wisconsin with his kids.  He told me about Blueberry Field south of St. Pete which is where people go to do some recreational stuff.  For $5, you're safe to do whatever.  They provide some different settings, including a giant bird cage that you can sit about 20 people in along with huge rope swings.

Since he is also retired, he is doing a bunch of stuff.  Including writing adult Dr. Seuss books.  He recited two of them to me and they are hilarious.  All the rhyming was clever, and it was a little dirty and definitely causes lolz.  I'm trying to find him on FB but its tough going.

Okay, back to beer research.  And watching protests from my window.  You know, all just part of being a grown up!

So over it

After one more whirlwind week, life will finally slow down.  I have a few pieces of good news.

Even though I was out of gym commission for a week, I still am down 10 solid lbs.  And I'm back at the gym as of today!

Liz's bday was awesome.  I am always amazed when I run into people I know at some random bar in Philly.  Ran into a few people I used to work with and some Brothers from the frat came too!

I have an interview in Wisconsin next week.  Literally a week from today, I will be at an airport having a wind-down drink waiting for my flight back to Philadelphia.  And it is stressing me out.

I went to my first Flyers game with the bf this weekend.  It was mad cool and I will probably do a post about it tomorrow.

V-day was the best ever as I spent it with a few girlfriends and we got tipsy, played games, and watched Carrie Bradshaw be a crazy biotch while Samantha got laid again, and again, and yet again. 

I got two pairs of Steve Madden boots for super duper cheap.  And they are lovely.  (Here and here are links). 

So, I'm over school.  Tonight is the night I have class with a professor who insists that we come listen to him rant about cell phones and how stupid we are while teaching us nothing about Operations Management, then hands out arbitrary grades.  In fact, he just informed us that if we used the book to answer a question on the midterm, we were wrong.  Even though his powerpoint slides confirmed that it was correct way to do the problem.  And every single person in this graduate class did the problem the same way.  But yet, he says we are flys on walls that get shat on, and we eat it.  I kid you not.  That all was just said.

In other news, I have to do a 10 minute presentation for my interview in WI.  They have given me free range for whatever topic I choose, sans powerpoint.  After brainstorming I've come up with a few ideas, but I think I'm going to talk about beer.  Because that is one of the few politically correct things I can speak intelligently about for 10 minutes.  Thanks to my $172,000 (give or take a few thousand) education.  But I figure if I put the spin on beer education that it can make people look good and expand their horizons, it'll work.  And people will remember it, hence remember me.  And hire me.

Good idea?  Or fail waiting to happen?!?!

Drugs, not Hugs

In this day and age, I think recreational drug use is "in" but I'm not entirely sure.  I know a few of my friends go to raves all the time and have awesome experiences, but I also know a few of my friends that say "Raves?  It's not 1998."  No matter what's "cool", people will always being using drugs.

There are like 100 people who are coming down off Oxycontin right now in my West Philly neighborhood because their dealer got caught.  And is charged with like 78,000 counts of murder.  He is gross.  And the addicts are slightly dangerous.

Luckily, they now have a resource that is free and cheap.  Unfortunately, I may die because of it.  You know what I'm talking about.  It's the newest fad.  And I kid you not - bath salts.

Yea, I got those for my mom for Christmas.  I bet she is having a blast right now.  While possibly murdering my father.  [Just kidding!]  "Bath Salts" are the new drug on the market.

Apparently, it is a cheap and legal in around 47 states.  And it produces a killer high.

...Authorities have had "bizarre medical calls" from bath-salt users, including one man who tried to tear apart the back of a patrol car with his teeth and a woman who attacked her mother with a machete...Users report a feeling of euphoria, increased sociability and productivity and often sexual arousal. ... Health officials say the drugs also can produce extreme paranoia, hallucinations and hostility in their users.

... The back-seat biter required seven deputies to subdue him.... 

Bath and Body Works better jump on this new opportunity.  I bet if they add scents, it will become more mainstream.  They could even sell tickets to people for "bath salt" events - who wouldn't pay to watch 50 crabby old women take a bunch of drugs and beat each other up?

My personal opinion:  sounds like alcohol, except more hardcore.  Yes, I think I'll try them.  I heard patrol car seats taste like chikin.

Put that Butt in Gear

I slid right on in to the Philly Auto Show this weekend after a glorious (and cheap) Dim Sum dinner at Dim Sum Garden at 52 N. 11 St. and it was fantastic.  And I got to see lots of beautiful Mustangs.  The bf is quite knowledgable about cars and I learned a few things.  One being that cars don't last for 15 years anymore.  My dad is going to be disappointed that he can't run his next car for 18 years and 400,000 miles...

Me:  What makes the "exotic" cars "exotic."
Bf:  They cost over $300,000
Me:  Ooooooohhhhhhhh.

So what's the way to judge a car anyway?  Performance?  Gas milage?  Paint color?  Size?  Maybe, but what about the butt?

Yerp, that rear-end is what most people see, especially if you drive fast, so it has to represent!  You may think I'm crazy, but cars have the same butts people do.  There's the soccer-mom-who-does-pilates on some mini-vans.  Sports cars?  Most have solid athletic looking rear-ends.  Lincolns and old Buicks, now there's a granny ass if I've ever seen one.  What about those cars whose rear ends are almost dragging on the ground?  Yea, those people who need to put a belt on or buy a pair of jeans that fits.

Interesting side-note:  I read somewhere that the baggy jeans round your thighs instead of your waist (or even hips) trend was started in a LA ghetto.  Like most places where money is tight, hand-me-downs are common.  Boys would start wearing their older brother's jeans before they fit.  The bigger the pants, the bigger your older brother.

Makes a lot of sense right?

It's Something of an Obsession

Television is God's gift to entertainment.  Or to me.  Whatever. And I love television shows.  I don't care if I'm a graduate student and TV rots the brain.  I will watch a television show for HOURS.  And I do very little for hours besides sleep, drink, and work.

I have a few embarrassing favorite shows like Grey's Anatomy, Dead Like Me, and Private Practice.  But I love How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Dexter, Arrested Development, Veronica Mars, etc.  Usually I take advice from people and watch an episode, feel it out.  Sometimes I watch the whole thing no matter what, because I get stupidly addicted.  TV is like crack for me - I may start hating it, but I can't stop wanting to watch it.

When Liz started talking about this particular television show, I blew it off.  Mostly because she has really good taste and I didn't have time.  Then Tony started talking about it.  And then I didn't want to open up Netflix, because I knew that was gonna be it.

And then I saw the pilot....

Yerp, addicted.  Just like that.  Watched Season 1, and am going to finish Season 2 by next week.  And why is a MBA candidate so addicted to a TV show about high school football?

Well there's the obvious, it reminds me of my own high school days (mascot and school colors are the same).  And then there's the down home country people who are good people at heart, they just care a little too much about beer and football.  Cute little Matt Saracen and effed up Tim Riggins.  And the relationship that Coach Taylor and his wife have is one-of-a-kind.

It's definitely a drama, but it is not super soap-opera (at least not yet).  I would highly recommend watching Season 1 if you can find it (Netflix instant watch - do it, you won't).

I would also highly recommend Lagunitas Cappucino Stout if you can find it on tap!  (For those of you in Philly, Local 44 definitely has it right now).  It's delicious.

Happy Friday!!!  I'm off to the car show.  Yep, I'm just gonna slide on in.

I'll let you know how that goes.

You are such an Ice Queen

I was talking with a friend yesterday, after we unstuck her car from the snow, and she said "I love snow when it is pretty and only in the backyard of my suburb home."  Now, I can get behind the conditional love for snow.  Love it for two-hour delays, cancelled classes, snowball fights, and the white sheen it puts on the city for the first day it falls.  But sometimes, like now, when you've been walking on ice for the past week with no ice-free future in sight, it blows.

However, yesterday I saw two sights that made me happy.  As I was slipping and sliding to my landlord's front door, the bf spotted this lovely piece of artwork in his front yard.

It's a face with a little fort/castle pathway in the back.  Cute.  But I almost died trying to get a picture.  It looks better in person (but at least my Blackberry has a flash).  Poor dude's gonna die once the snow melts.  If that ever happens.

Okay, while the dude is cute, the next one is shady.  It was right next to an empty rape van.  At least I found it in the daylight....

"Urban-chic" photo.  Read: hipster.
I hope whoever dropped that is okay.  When I see kids items, like shoes, just chilling on the ground, I always worry for the little gals and girls of West Philly.  Because it's West Philly and its not kid friendly.

On another note, today I've been listening to The Tallest Man on Earth.  If you like relaxing folk-type music, you will love this dude.  Their album Shallow Grave has been on repeat all day, it is fantastic.  (Liz, blog about this soon...your opinion is better than mine!  Album is on dropbox.)

I'm off to the gym to run 2 whole miles and keep up with my goal of losing 30 lbs. by the end of May.  10 lbs down, 20 more to go!!

City of Brotherly Love

Two articles relevant to Philadelphians today...

One is about the backpack that was set on fire today on one of the SEPTA subway trains.

Contrary to reports on Twitter, there were no explosions and no injuries were reported.

Don't worry guys, Twitter is not a certified news source.  News to me.  Although it was correct when people said the Broad Street line (one of the two in Philadelphia) wasn't running for hours.  And that SEPTA didn't provide an alternative way to get to your end destination.  Problem solving isn't SEPTA's strong suite.  Neither is marketing or running on time.

JK.  We're actually not.

Besides the startling lack of continuity in public transportation, the City of Brotherly Love has been taking cues from Cain and Able.  When I saw this following picture, I chuckled.

Why?  Because the legend includes "Homicides since Friday."  It is Tuesday.  That is scary, and my sense of humor is morbid.  (Disclaimer:  none of these murders happened anywhere near where I live or frequent.  Otherwise, not so funny.)

Oddly enough, I need to decide whether to continue to live here or go elsewhere.  I make fun of Philly a lot, but there are things I really enjoy like concerts with friends.  Eating and drinking like a hipster on the cheap.  Being close to DC and NYC and my family.  Playing Angry Birds (Surgeon General Warning:  Smashing Pigs is Really Addictive but can also score you free beer) with the local bartender while getting wasteyface.  And, you know, etc.

And having a stoop.