Listen Up, Blockhead

New Blog!

2010-08-05T10:17:00.001-04:00

I have started a new blog: cvarano2.blogspot.com. Follow me!

Forever and a Day.

2010-01-19T23:17:00.002-05:00

I know it's been forever-and-a-day since I've had something to say. The fact of the matter is, I've had a lot to say, I just haven't felt that my blog has been the appropriate venue. I'm planning to get back into blogging more seriously and with a much stronger commitment, but the time isn't "right" just yet. Don't worry, I'll be sure to let you know when I'm ready to throw myself back out here.

What I've Been Up To: Phillies

2009-10-02T13:40:00.004-04:00

2009 has been great for my baseball spectating, as I've been able to basically watch nearly every Phillies game throughout the season. This is pure daily magic and much better than living in a state that can't carry the Phillies on a daily basis. If you follow baseball then you know the Phillies won the National League East title on Wednesday night for the third straight year. Excellent. This means I get to watch them play for hopefully a few more weeks as they try to make their way deep into the playoffs and defend their World Series Championship.

October is generally an amazing month for various reasons; this is just the icing on the cake.

What I've Been Up To: Closet Transformation

2009-09-28T23:06:00.003-04:00

It's about the time of the year when a lot of people in the northeast embrace the coming of fall and the impending doom of winter. Football season to northerners means hooded sweatshits and sweater season, and people get pretty excited about it. I'm not one of those people.

Having lived in the south for 3.5 years, I basically abandoned my former love of fall and grew to love extended summer, with 80 degree days in October and flip flops into December. (It's true. I definitely did the previous year's Christmas shopping in flip flops in December.) I would much rather be hot (and bothered) than cold. Seriously. Especially now, since this past summer wasn't much more than spring. I think we may have had two days in the 90s and a helluva lot of rain. It didn't much feel to me like summer just ended; I was still waiting for it to fully arrive.

Regardless, the weather has changed. Today, I had to bust out a hooded sweatshirt to venture off for the day's errands. Tomorrow, the high is supposed to be 55 degrees. Depressing.

Knowing this seasonal change was due to hit this week, I used some time last week to tackle my closet. While I don't always like the change of seasons, I do like the two times a year where I dedicate a whole day to closet transformation. This process involves packing away the items that are no longer needed for the upcoming season, determining what clothes won't make it to next year for a variety of reasons but usually because they have lost the ability to fit properly, and pulling out the packed-away items necessary for the upcoming season. I do love this process.

I love organizing, and I love throwing things out. There's something therapeutic about both things for me. I like finding a way to put things in order, and I like the letting go of items that no longer serve their purpose. I love donating unwanted items to charity. And, I love having the time to do unnecessary but enjoyable organizing like color-coordinating the clothes in my closet. I know, I know. I have way too much time on my hands, and you probably think I'm a huge loser with borderline OCD issues because this is fun for me. But it's true. I love it. I'm now on a mission to find other things to organize.

What I've Been Up To: Errands

2009-09-23T21:16:00.003-04:00

I run a lot of errands. Some of these errands are obviously for myself; often, though, the errands are run for others or with others.

For example, last Monday I took my grandmother and my great aunt to their doctor's appointment. I dropped them off at 10:30am and parked the car. When I joined them in the waiting room, I discovered that my grandmother had the wrong date for her appointment and my aunt didn't actually have an appointment scheduled. Apparently, my aunt just wanted to speak with the doctor. Oh brother. Thankfully, the doctor was able to see them both. We had a nice lunch afterward at a local diner. That was a pretty good errand because I was rewarded with food, and I do love food.

On Friday, I accompanied my aunt to the Harrisburg area to run some errands. I had a few things to get for myself, so this was convenient. We even ended up with a free lunch because the restaurant screwed up our salad portion of our meal. The only thing better than a reward of food is a reward of free food.

Running errands with my aunt, though, has its compromises. See, the day usually ends with a stop at a casino. This was the case last Friday as well as today. Unlike the majority of women in my family, I am not a big gambler. I'm especially not a big gambler now as I don't have the funds to support gambling. My aunt did buy me a milkshake on our way out of the casino, so that was a nice way to end the experience. Free milkshakes are just as enjoyable as free food.

I think I'm a pretty good errand-runner. I mean, it's not really difficult. My brother says I remind him of Elaine Benes when she worked for Mr. Pitt in that one season of Seinfeld. That could be a good life. I'd love to work for some rich dude and buy his tube socks. Anyone know of someone looking for a personal assistant?

What I've Been Up To: Netflix

2009-09-22T20:41:00.002-04:00

I haven't blogged lately, mostly because I'm still "trying to figure out what to do with my life"/job searching and there's nothing exciting about this process. So I figure it's more exciting to write about some of the random things I've been up to, while I try to sort out that "real world" stuff. I decided to do some installments that cover some of the things I do to stay busy (read: get out of bed every morning).

I joined Netflix back in February, when I was committed to watching the entire series of Lost as quickly as possible. I wrote about this back in the day. Since then, I've used Netflix as a way to see the plethora of films I've missed over the past few years.

Specifically, in recent weeks, I decided to watch each of the 2009 Oscar nominees for Best Picture of the Year. This list includes: Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, Milk, Frost/Nixon and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Usually, when the Oscars are awarded, I've only seen one of the films in this category. This was true this past year as well, as I only saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in the theater back in December. So I had the remaining four films to watch.

Each of these films is a must-see for any avid movie-goer. Honestly. Each was extremely different in content and context, and each made for a pleasurable viewing experience. I would highly recommend each of them if you are looking for something to watch. I was really glad I took on this endeavor because these were some of the best films I've ever seen. Seriously. Ever.

In this spirit, I've also started to back-track and I've started to watch the 2008 Oscar nominees in this category as well. I'm really pleased with this idea of mine, as the films have all been great.

The only thing missing is a good neighbor/friend who would want to watch these with me, and then discuss incessantly over a burrito or coffee or ice cream.

Dear Employers:

2009-09-01T18:05:00.003-04:00

An employer is someone who meets these characteristics:
A. deemed responsible enough to hire a new staff member
B. capable of screening job applications
C. interview selected candidates via the telephone
D. interview selected candidates in person
E. decide to select someone for a position
F. decide to reject other people for the position

So, if you are an employer who does the above, you should have the decency to PICK UP THE TELEPHONE AND CALL the person you have rejected from said employment. I posted about this in July. For the love of anything, it's human decency. MAN UP. Make the phone call. It only takes two minutes:

"Hi Carol. This is Such-and-Such from Where-and-Where. It was a pleasure meeting you on your interview, however, we've selected a more qualified applicant and he/she has accepted our offer. Thank you for your time. Good luck to you."

How hard is that? Honestly. It's easier than making dinner. It's easier than putting gas in your car. It's a two-minute phone call.

I deserve better.

Everyone deserves better. It's called being a functioning member of society.

Get it together, employers.

Well...

2009-09-01T18:04:00.001-04:00

holy f*$#. it's september.

Possible Problem

2009-08-06T18:26:00.001-04:00

I'm fairly certain the only three members of the male race to find me attractive in the past 12 months have been individuals under the age of 21.

According to my dad, "Carol, you probably need to get out more."

No kidding.

Oh my...

2009-08-03T19:27:00.001-04:00

It's August. Holy crap.

Happy Birthday, Bro-seph!

2009-07-16T21:22:00.003-04:00

Happy 30th Birthday to my brother Joe!

He is freaked out a bit by this milestone birthday. I decided it would be a nice gesture to give him a shout-out. So here's a little dedication to my bro: the top 30 things I love about him.

30. He has a great laugh.
29. He has an amazing sense of humor.
28. He can make sitting down to a meal an extraordinary experience.
27. He finds ways to take ordinary jokes and incorporate his friends and family into them, making them much more enjoyable.
26. He finds pleasure in simple things, like the nicknames of our grandparents' friends.
25. He is loyal.
24. He still has a strong sense of wonder and awe about things happening throughout the world.
23. He enjoys the "small stuff."
22. He can find ways to incorporate Seinfeld into daily conversations.
21. He is one smart cookie. Ask him about history and geography and be prepared to be impressed by his great wisdom.
20. He recognizes the ridiculousness of his own circumstances, and finds ways to enjoy them no matter what.
19. He is an amazing role model for young students and athletes.
18. He is a great friend to the knuckleheads he surrounds himself with.
17. He still gets excited about things he's done a million times, like playing golf.
16. He'll encourage you to try out things he likes, so he can share his joys with you, like his current infatuation with South Park.
15. He gets excited for things he loved in his youth, like Star Wars.
14. He supports his teams to the bitter end - even when they break his heart.
13. He'll do anything at least once.
12. He sends really funny text messages.
11. He can use the word "neat" and not sound like a complete doofus.
10. He can dish it out as well as take it.
9. He'll go the extra mile to help someone in need.
8. He knows how to appreciates pure, comedic genius.
7. He has an amazing ability to tell great stories.
6. He has strong-rooted convictions, particularly in his politics and his faith.
5. He is a passionate coach who dedicates copious hours to the youth.
4. He is even more passionate about education and teaching his students to open their minds to new and wonderful learning experiences.
3. He "understands" those things only he and I can truly understand.
2. He is always there for me, especially when I need him most.
1. He's the best brother anyone could ask for.

Happy birthday, Joe! Here's wishing you another amazing thirty years!

What is happening to society?

2009-07-15T19:01:00.003-04:00

As a society of human beings, we have lost some basic interpersonal skills. This becomes much more evident as I become more deeply invested in my job search and trying to piece together some sort of future.

In today's techno-savvy world, so much communication occurs electronically. I apply for jobs via the internet. "Click here to upload document." "Click here to submit application." "Application will not be reviewed unless all information is entered correctly." I have applied for more than 20 jobs since March and only two of the applications were not submitted either through one of these online systems or via email.

Job searching has become so impersonal in today's world that you sometimes don't even ever hear one word from the organization. Some places don't even send the automated email that says "We received your application." Some places don't even send the automated email that says "While you have an impressive set of skills, you were not selected." Honestly, it's on the searcher nowadays to go back into these systems and find the words "Selection Made." Translation: GAME OVER.

Lately, I have been fortunate to get some phone calls, do some phone interviews, and even head on campus for actual interviews. It's a nice feeling to actually get to meet people and share with them some small slice of who I am.

I had a phone interview with a particular organization, at the convenience of the employer. I also had an on campus interview with a particular organization, again at the convenience of the employer. In both cases, I made myself available to meet their timelines to give myself the opportunity to be evaluated. I find it quite disappointing that after this one phone interview and after this one in-person interview, I was informed that I was not their top choice through an email. What is happening here? How hard is it to actually pick up the telephone and call the candidate you've actually already spoken to? I get that if you haven't had any prior encounter, an email rejection will do. But honestly, if the candidate adjusted to the employer schedule and the candidate came to campus to interview, I would think the employer could have the decency to make a phone call and say, "Carol, it was nice talking with you" or "Carol, it was nice meeting you but we've selected another candidate." Fine. Just make the call. It's the least one could do.

I mean, honestly, what's next? Am I going to start getting text messages that say:

"Thnx but no thnx."
"U R S.O.L." (You are shit outta luck.)
"Thanks for playing."

I hope to high heaven that this isn't what society is really coming to. It's amazing how we've become a society where it means a GREAT deal that someone actually picks up the telephone and makes a call. I wanna work for these people - the people who get the importance of a few minutes to dial a few digits and say a few words. Even if you reject me, I'll still respect you as a human being, capable of interpersonal communication.

Fireworks

2009-07-04T22:02:00.003-04:00

I don't like fireworks. I repeat: I don't like fireworks. Call me insane. Call me anti-American. Call me whatever you want. Name your millions of reasons why fireworks are fantastic. You won't change my mind.

As a child growing up, my family went to the neighboring town, Shamokin, for the yearly 4th of July fireworks show. We sat in a cemetery on a hill. Creepy. Regardless, every year we went. And every year my mother, aunt, and grandmother would "oooh" and "awww" obnoxiously for the entire fireworks show. This experience scarred me for life and is the reason to this day that I dislike fireworks.

My brother shares my feelings.

I like everything else about the 4th of July. Food. Baseball. Family. Relaxation. Gratitude for being born in this great country and the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thankfulness for the many soldiers who have fought for my freedom. I'm pretty pleased to say I can truly enjoy this holiday every year. And I can do so without fireworks.

A few words on MJ

2009-07-02T20:08:00.003-04:00

Aunt Stella was surprised that I went a whole week without offering my commentary on the death of Michael Jackson. I really don't have anything to say, to be honest. I was never a huge Michael Jackson fan. Don't get me wrong. I can certainly appreciate his place in music history and his influence on the music industry over the years, but I'm just generally not a person who was really into him and his music. Sue me.

Now, I am a big fan of Thriller. I'll give you that. That's classic music and possibly one of the best music videos of all time. I'd say this is the era of Michael Jackson I enjoy the most, and I think many people would agree.

I don't own anything of the Michael Jackson collection. I never bought a cassette single. I never bought a cassette. I never bought a CD or DVD or downloaded any of his songs. He is not currently on my ipod and I'm fairly certain this will never change.

Yes, I know this makes me a rarity in the world. Again, sue me.

I can tell you that my earliest memory of Michael Jackson occurred when I was like five or six years old. (Seriously, I was pretty young.) My family was in Florida for a vacation, specifically in the Orlando area. On our visit to Epcot Center, I vividly remember standing outside the Journey into Imagination theater while my Aunt Donna nearly wet herself in excitement about viewing Captain EO in 3D. It was probably one of the greatest moments in her life - she loved Michael.

I do think it's sad that he died. Moreover, I think it's extremely sad that he fell so far from his place once atop the music world. It's really unfortunate that celebrities have to live such public lives. His legacy is certainly tainted. But again, I can respect his place in the music world.

Rest in peace.

Hairy Tale

2009-06-24T22:19:00.003-04:00

Lately, I've been showering before bed, which is normally something I don't do. I tend to like to shower in the morning to get up and ensure my hair doesn't look like a mop. But since I work out in the early evenings, it's really better to shower after my workout before bed. I don't like the two-shower day, particularly when I'm not going anywhere interesting.

So I went into work today for a few hours and didn't shower before work since I showered last night. Since my hair is curly, I can usually get away with this by throwing on a headband and pulling my hair into some sort of pony tail at the base of my head. The messy yet not too messy look, which takes me a whopping 24 seconds to pull off. It's delightful really.

This afternoon, I had to ask my supervisor a question, and she complimented my hair, saying how nice it looked in this style. Ha. Seriously? I actually laughed out loud for a second. If she only knew how much effort didn't go into my preparation for work. Ha. Still amused.

Hoop It Up

2009-06-24T12:35:00.002-04:00

I played basketball growing up for ten years. It was my favorite sport to play. I really loved it until my senior year of high school, which was a total let-down as a player. Since high school, I haven't played much. Sure, in college, my friends and I occasionally played in intramural leagues, but they often only lasted a month or so because there wasn't enough interest from other females to play. Co-ed intramurals is perhaps the most unenjoyable basketball I've ever played because all guys want to do is dunk and there isn't much actual playing involved.

The basketball I liked to play growing up was the basketball that required running set offenses and defensive schemes. Offensively was usually a battle because my team always had at least one ball hog and we never actually ran offenses they way they were intended to be run. I loved playing defense, though, because I usually was able to defend the other team's best player and I enjoyed this challenge.

This summer, a few friends convinced me to join them in a women's league held at a local high school. There are six teams in the league, two teams of high school students and four teams of older alums like myself. Some of these women are just plain crazy - they are obsessed with this league and it's basically the biggest thing they look forward to once a week. On the other hand, I'm really not that overly interested in it. I agreed to play because it's good exercise and mostly to see my friends. I didn't sign up to play because I thought it would be fun because basketball stopped being fun for me a long time ago.

I was on my road trip and missed the first game. The second game, my first appearance, confirmed my initial expectation - that this experience wouldn't be much fun and that I don't actually like basketball. Needless to say, I wasn't excited to show up for our third game this past Sunday.

My team has a lot of busy people with outside commitments so we haven't had a week where everyone could play. On Sunday, we played with only 5 total players, so we had no one to sub for us to give us a breather. Back in the day, I didn't need a sub, but since it's clearly not 1999, forty minutes of basketball is pretty rigorous, despite the fact that I did get myself into pretty decent shape the past few months.

We battled on Sunday. The best part about the game was that we actually played well offensively and actually did make great passes which lead to open shots. Defensively was much tougher because we played a team of 16-year-old high school girls who are in their athletic prime. They strategized to play us full court in the second half, which really winded us and took some energy away. Sadly, we lost our third game in a row. But surprisingly for me, I actually really enjoyed this game. I honestly had fun. I really didn't think that was possible.

Unofficial Minors

2009-06-16T18:15:00.003-04:00

I've always said that when you get a master's degree to work in higher education, you earn "unofficial minors" in icebreakers, teambuilders, and bulletin boards - basically, all those "little" things you learn to do as staff members to work with students/student groups and plan/advertise events.

While I posted earlier that my part time job is pretty boring lately because no students are around, this week I have actually enjoyed work. I've had the opportunity to really use my minor in bulletin boards, which in a larger extent means I've been making a lot of flyers, signs, spreadsheets, nametags and the like in order to help out with some events that are happening next week sponsored by my office. In essence, this isn't challenging work in a critical thinking sort of way, but it does keep the creative juices flowing which does usually pass the time pretty quickly. I've actually enjoyed working the past two days because I've been able to be involved in these sorts of things and it's somewhat therapeutic. Today, I even dominated the copy machine and found some ways to fancy-up some of my work.

It's the little things, really, and in these times, I'll take whatever I can get to enjoy work.

Fossils

2009-06-16T16:40:00.004-04:00

I'm still currently working part time at Bucknell and most days it's something I consider to be pretty boring. There aren't many students around so doing summer project work tends to be fairly independent and uninspiring. However, it is a paycheck and clearly, I need some money and something to do during the week.

I never have voicemail messages. There's really no reason for anyone to call me. But yesterday, I did have a voicemail. I was somewhat excited because I thought maybe it would lead to something interesting to do.

The man who left the message said, "I'm calling to find out who in the geology department I can speak to about a fossil I found." He went on to say that he had called once before about a similar situation.

Um, so he called me. Why?

I don't work in the geology department, and I definitely don't know anything about fossils.

This didn't lead to anything interesting to do, but it was pretty funny for about three minutes of my Monday.

New Look

2009-06-11T20:44:00.004-04:00

If you're reading this, you should obviously be aware that my blog has a new fancy look. This was my first attempt at trying to personalize my blog, and thanks to the tips from my friend Heather, I think it was a pretty successful first attempt!

I think after posting so often about the road trip, I got bored with the old look; I mean, it's been the same since the start which was way back in 2006. So I spent some time experimenting and I kinda like what I came up with. (It helps when other blogs offer fancy things like this for free!)

Please, if you're an avid reader of my verbose ramblings, let me know what you think. Also, I'd love for you to become a "follower" of my blog which you can easily do by creating an account and signing up - this way, you get updates on when I've actually posted something new. Tell your friends. I'm trying to gauge if people other than those who know me first-hand would be interested in anything I have to say - just a side social experiment if you will.

And please feel free to comment on anything whenever you want. It makes blogging much more fun for me! Much love to you!

Road Trip Summary

2009-06-10T20:57:00.002-04:00

I like numbers so here's some random stats on our trip:

Miles: 1694
Days: 10
States: 7
Cannolis: 6
Ballparks: 3
Breweries: 2
Moose: 1

Generally speaking, one helluva road trip.

Honestly, I had such an amazing time. We saw so many fantastic sites, ate so many delicious meals, and in essence just had a ton of fun. It was an absolute blast to spend this trip with my cousin Jen and I hope we can do something similar in the future. While my wallet is glad to be home, I'm certainly already missing the adventure, the open road, the unknown, and the pure pleasure of travel. I cannot wait for the next voyage.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about our experiences!

Road Trip Day 10: Yankee Stadium

2009-06-10T20:34:00.002-04:00

Our final stop was Yankee Stadium for Monday night's Yankees vs. Rays game. Wow. New Yankee Stadium is pretty spectacular. We were immediately impressed at how early they allowed us to enter the stadium. We were able to watch Yankee batting practice which isn't always allowed at some ball parks. We were impressed by the customer service of the majority of the stadium's staff. They allowed us to get pretty close to the field, down to the first section, to watch batting practice; they offered to take photos and basically offered to let us do whatever we wanted except for actually getting on the field. Definitely awesome.

We spent some time in center field to see Monument Park, which is also pretty spectacular. We perused the plaques of former players who are in the Hall of Fame and who have their jersey numbers retired. This is very well done indeed.

Our seats were in the bleachers in the first row behind the visiting team's bullpen, so we spent some time there to watch batting practice. Alex Rodriguez teased us during batting practice when two consecutive balls came within a foot of our section; unfortunately they bounced off the wall and back into the field.

Before the game, we grabbed a bite to eat. At New Yankee Stadium, you may have heard that they have an insane variety of food offerings, from the usual ballpark hot dogs and hot sausages to things like sushi and noodle bowls. Jen opted for a cheesesteak and I opted for loaded nachos, all 1410 calories. I know this because the signs in the stadium inform you of your calorie intake, you know, in case you're a freak who has to watch what you eat at a ballpark.

The game was nuts. There were five homeruns hit and these balls just flew out of the park like rockets. Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon and Nick Swisher hit homeruns for the Yankees while Gabe Kaplar hit one for the Rays. The Yankees won 5-3. Another great ballpark experience, and a great final stop on our voyage.

Road Trip Day 10: Mystic Part 2 & New Haven, CT

2009-06-10T20:06:00.003-04:00

On Monday morning, we arose early to escape the confines of the worst hotel ever. We decided to spend the morning at Mystic Aquarium and hang out with 4th and 5th graders on field trips. No, seriously, we were the oldest two individuals at the aquarium who weren't teachers, parents, or chaperons. The aquarium was a good time, since we hadn't been to one in ages. We really enjoyed the sea lions, both the average sized ones as well as giant Cody who weighed 1915 lbs and the three tiny baby sea lions that were only about a year old. We saw beluga whales and penguins and stingrays and a multitude of fish and sharks. We were somewhat grossed out by the bullfrogs and sadly, we didn't get to see any giant turtles. The sea lion show was a hit so the experience was overall pretty fun.

After the aquarium, we walked around the Mystic Seaport area and checked out some shops, per our usual exploration. For lunch, we actually drove a few miles to Noank to feast at Costello's Clam Shack! (Jen is a Costello, so, pretty cool, right?) Jen read up on Costello's and reported that down the road is a restaurant called Abbott's where they serve lobsters and other seafood dishes; they don't, however, serve anything fried so the idea was born to open Costello's down the road and focus on fried seafood. Abbott and Costello. Nice marketing. Good stuff. We shared some clam fritters then I had popcorn shrimp while Jen had a tuna melt. Another great lunch and another very neat experience on our travels. Who would have thought we'd eat at a Varano's and a Costello's in the same trip? We dominate the food selection.

After lunch, we drove to New Haven, CT, to check out Yale University. Very, very nice campus. Of all the campuses we saw on the trip, we found Yale to be the most impressive, mostly due to the architecture of some of its oldest buildings. Another excellent stop on the voyage.

Road Trip Day 9: Mystic, CT, Part 1

2009-06-10T19:49:00.003-04:00

After arriving in Mystic, CT, and making arrangements at what would later be known as the worst hotel stay of our trip, we headed into town to find Mystic Pizza. It wasn't hard to find, actually, because it's a pretty small town and the restaurant is on Main Street. You may know Mystic Pizza because it is the name of the movie that starred Julia Roberts in the late '80s. When we arrived, Jen read the sign: "Mystic Pizza: A Slice of Heaven" and then said, "I'll be the judge of that."

On the recommendation of our server, who had top-notch customer service skills, we decided to share a Caesar Salad and a House Pizza, which had sausage, meatball, green peppers and onions. Needless to say, the meal aimed to pleased. The pizza crust reminded us a little of Pizza Hut's style, but generally speaking for a thicker slice, this was one of the best pizzas I ever had. It wasn't overloaded with sauce, which is how I like it, and the cheese was melted to the perfect point. We felt the choice of meats and veggies was good too - overall, in fact, a little slice of heaven. Jen concurred.

After dinner, we headed back to the worst hotel ever and settled in to watch the Phillies game on ESPN. In about the 5th inning, we busted out one of Mike's cannolis we purchased in Boston. Another great night.

Road Trip Day 9: Providence & Newport, RI

2009-06-10T13:41:00.003-04:00

On Sunday morning, we said our goodbyes to Kait (and her family and her super-fun dog, Bailey) and headed further south down the coast, this time to Rhode Island. We stopped in Providence and decided we would eat brunch, since we had not yet actually sat down for a proper breakfast (just the hotel continental breakfasts up to this point). So we bounded down to Thayer Street which is near Brown University to sample some local fare.

We happened upon Andreas, which is actually a Greek restaurant. Immediately, the menu spoke to me and my eyes zeroed in on the raisin bread french toast. Jen ordered an omelette. Both meals came with a side of tasty potatoes and a wee-cup of fruit. Absolutely delish. One of the best french toast dishes I've ever had. The use of raisin bread was a special sweet treat to my meal.

We spent a little bit of time poking around Providence, but honestly, there wasn't a great deal to see. We checked out some of Brown (where Jen's cousin went to school many years ago) and some of the downtown before we decided to move on. If we had been in Providence at night, we would have checked out their FireWater show on the water, but obviously we missed this.

From Providence, we drove to Newport. We missed the opportunity to do a trolley tour, which was unfortunate because we really didn't know too much about Newport. From what we gathered, though, the highlights seem to be the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the multitude of mansions tucked throughout the town. Apparently, people travel from all over the place to tour these gigantic mansions and learn about their styles, architecture, artwork, etc. Since this really isn't our scene, we just mucked about for a bit. We did take the trolley to the part of the town that overlooks the water and we walked along a cliff for a bit down to a beach. This was pretty neat in terms of the views of the water and the cliff's rocks.

After a few hours in Rhode Island, we determined we had seen enough and were ready to keep traveling. We headed into Connecticut for the night.

Road Trip Day 8: Boston, MA

2009-06-09T22:21:00.002-04:00

A bright, sunny Saturday in Boston is one essential element to one helluva day.

We set off into the city early, accompanied by Kait and her sister Jillian. What better way to start a Boston tour day than at Sam Adams Brewery at the ripe hour of 10:30am. After a quick summary of how Boston's finest ale is produced (mostly in other facilities, not the actual facility we were standing in), we were in a sample room with tester glasses in hand while Nick the humorous tour guide walked us through the beer sampling process. We tasted the original Sam Adams Lager, Summer Ale, and Boston Brick Red (which is only sold at select bars in the Boston area). We laughed a lot. Even for someone who doesn't actually drink a lot of beer, it was one great tourist experience.

After our breakfast of beer, we headed into Boston to begin a day of walking, talking, and sight-seeing. From Faneuil Hall and Quincey Market to the Old State House and the Boston Massacre Site, from Boston Public Garden and Cheers to Newbury Square and the Prudential Building, from Harvard Square to Mike's Pastry in the North end -- yep, as Jen said, we schlepped everywhere and saw it all!

We had lunch at the original Cheers which was a great deal of fun. I always liked the show even though I was somewhat young when it was popular. What I honestly remember the most about Cheers is how loudly my mom used to laugh while watching the show. She was literally in stitches every Thursday night when it aired. I think I appreciate Cheers for what is represents - that neighborhood "place" where you can go and no matter what you're feeling about whatever is happening in your life, you feel like you belong there sharing your day with others who feel the same. It was definitely a great stop for lunch.

After lunch, we trampsed along Newbury Street and headed toward the Prudential Building, where we headed up to the 50th floor for a spectacular view of the city. Unfortunately, part of the floor was closed off due to a private event and we still had to pay full price, but the views we did see were worth the elevator ride. If you're new to Boston or have only visited once or twice like myself, this is a fantastic way to view the different parts of the city and "see" firsthand how Boston comes together. The people's stories on the guided headset are a little over the top but this is definitely a great way to experience the city.

We stopped at Harvard because I like to see different colleges and universities, so it seemed fitting to see the oldest university in the country. In Harvard Square we had the opportunity to listen to two dudes playing their buckets like drums while little children danced to their good tunes - definitely cute and enjoyable.

After a quick ride on the T, we ended in my favorite part of the city, the North End. Specifically, I enjoy Hanover Street in this Italian district for its restaurants, shops and overall Italian flare. We decided to eat at Lucia for dinner, which is across from Paul Revere's statue. We chose Italian for dinner in order for Kait and I to reminisce about our travel in Italy together back in 2004 - I actually met Kait during this summer abroad trip when she was my travel buddy through Italia. We felt Italian food and wine was an appropriate dinner out for our time together. My friend Emily was able to join us for dinner, so this made the evening even more enjoyable.

Thanks to our attractive server, Massimo, we wined and dined, literally, on delicious sangria, wine, pasta and veal. Delish. Delectable. Delightful overall. We had such a good time that Jen signed her tab, "Life Is Good." No joke, she really did that. It was absolutely appropriate.

Finally, after our enjoyable dining experience, Jen and I hopped in line in the ultra-busy Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street. After pouring over a variety of cookies and pastries, we ordered our cannoli and pizzelles and headed out the door. It's a mad house in this place, and it's absolutely worth it. Oh, cannoli, how I love thee. Again, absolutely delish.

What a fantastic eleven-hour day of pure tourism and enjoyment. I can't think of a better way to spend a day traveling, honestly, than with such great experiences and great company.

Road Trip Day 7: Fenway

2009-06-09T14:17:00.003-04:00

After our witchy afternoon, we headed into Boston and more specifically Fenway Park! My friend Kait's dad hooked us up with some stellar seats to the evening's Red Sox vs. Rangers game, so after using Kait's helpful tips on parking, we headed to Fenway for exploration and the ball game.

Before the game, we spent some time outside of the ballpark exploring the shops along Yawkey Way and drinking in a sports bar called Game On. We then ventured into the ballpark to explore the Green Monster, the old-fashioned wooden seats, and the general views from around the stadium. We were even able to get a photo and an autograph from Gary Waslewski, who apparently pitched in the 1967 World Series when the Sox lost to the Cardinals. "Want an autograph?" Sure, why not.

We had seats along 1st base, in the second section underneath the upper decks, about 45 rows deep. Fantastic seats. We could see the whole infield and the Green Monster in the background without moving; we could see most of the outfield also, except for the part where a pole blocked our line of sight.

We found the atmosphere in Fenway Park to be unlike any other sporting event we've attended to date. It's hard to describe, but there's just something about being in this old-fashioned, down-to-earth ballpark with significantly supportive fans that was unique. We noticed that the vendors threw everything to patrons, from a bottle of soda to a bag of peanuts or Cracker Jack. We were glad they weren't throwing the cups of clam chowder, however, though we wouldn't have been too surprised if they did. We were impressed by one female vendor who balanced an entire case of water bottles on her head without using her hands - we believe she was tipped well for her work.

Unforunately, the Red Sox lost the game. We did get to see a homerun over the Green Monster, but it was a three-run blast by Ian Kinsler of the Rangers in the 5th inning. Millwood pitched well for the Rangers whereas Penny struggled for the Sox. Penny was congratulated with a major applause for his efforts from his supportive fans however; this is the stuff that does not happen in Philly.

We had a great time at Fenway. We enjoyed the food, the seats, the game, the atmosphere - basically the whole experience. It's easy now to see why Fenway is deemed America's Favorite Ballpark.

Road Trip Day 7: Salem, MA

2009-06-07T21:37:00.004-04:00

Exchange of text messages between friend Kait and I, around 1:35pm on Friday:

Kait: How you guys doing?
Carol: Double double toil and trouble.
Kait: You're a black magic woman.
Carol: Hocus pocus. This shit is wacko.
Kait: Can you cast me a spell for some fortune?
Carol: Not sure what herb that requires (that was all Jen).
Kait: Oh, I have an idea. You should do a rain dance so it holds off tonight!

Clearly, we spent part of the day exploring the Salem Witch Trial history in Salem, MA. We started our touring at the Salem Witch Museum. Here, we heard a twenty-minute account of the overall history surrounding the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 followed by some information regarding the definitions of a "witch" and the progression of a "witch" over time including present-day Wiccans. I found this to be insightful.

Our second stop was the Witch History Museum. Again, there was a general telling of the overall history surrounding the trials, but this time, the second part of the tour told 15 different stories of the major players in these events, including the black slave woman, the girls, the reverend and the sherriff.

The third stop was the Salem Witch Dungeon. This stop had a live reenactment of a trial followed by a tour of a replica of what the dungeons looked like where "witches" were held.

This whole experience was wacko. Honestly, I don't even know of a better word to describe it. Learning the details of this crazy event really was informative. Before these tours, I really didn't know too much about the Salem Witch Trials. It was interesting to ponder the happenings at each of these stops.

On a side note, the woman who gave the tour of the dungeon said that prisoners had to pay for their stay in jail. Basically, the wealthier prisoners could purchase larger cells, with pillows and blankets and other amenities. Poor prisoners were sometimes held in tiny cells and shackled to walls so they couldn't even sit down. It was absolutely morbid to think about this. I'm sharing this because I kept thinking to myself, "Interesting. Today, my tax-paying dollars support prisoners. Some prisoners get social security checks while in prison. They don't pay for a thing and sometimes get out of jail with more money to live on than many of us who actually work full time, pay taxes, and contribute positively to society. I wonder what would happen today if prisoners had to pay for their stay in actual dollars." Random thoughts, I know.

On a more pleasant note, we had another delicious lunch at a place in downtown Salem called Rockafellas. Fried Brie Salad - wonderful choice - wish it existed on more menus.

Road Trip Day 6: Kennebunkport & Portsmouth, ME

2009-06-07T21:11:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, we awoke to a beautiful day in the 70s, sun shining - what some might consider "a great day." We spent the morning exploring Kennebunkport. I love saying Kennebunkport. It's such a fun name for a place. Kennebunkport. Say it aloud. See, isn't it fun?

You may have heard of Kennebunkport for the fact that the Bush family vacation there. We didn't see George or Laura or Barbara or Jeb. We didn't really look, to be honest, but did occassionally yell for George, which was humorous for us.

Kennebunkport is quaint. We spent some time wandering its eclectic, independently owned shops. I was on a mission for a t-shirt that said Kennebunkport. I am pleased to report that I did in fact find a pretty cute t-shirt. I can't wait to show it off so people can ask me about Kennebunkport.

After perusing the stores, we set up shop on the beach for a bit. It was a bit chilly with the ocean breeze but still nice to relax on a beach, enjoy the sounds of the waves, and smell the wonderful salt water smell. I could do this daily. I may just have to pick up and move to the coast. What a life I could lead.

Post-relaxation, we headed further south down the coast and made a stop in Portsmouth. This small coastal city has a great downtown, again laced with independently owned stores and hip restaurants. We settled into a restaurant called Popovers and enjoyed a soup and sandwich lunch combo. From there, we wandered around some stores and checked out some of the area along the waterfront.

In the earlier part of the evening, we headed to Salem, NH, to see if we could happen upon America's Stonehenge. Sadly, it was closed. Nothing random to report here. I assume this whole experience would have been random anyway, but you never know I guess. No one I know has ever been there so maybe someone will soon take the plunge and tell us about it.

From here, we drove to my friend Kait's for the night, a little north of Boston. She showed us Newburyport, MA, and we walked along the beach for a bit before settling in for the night.

Road Trip Day 5: Wells, ME

2009-06-07T20:55:00.002-04:00

From Portland, we hopped on Route 1 and headed south down the coast. We found a hotel in Kennebunk, ME, for its acccess to Wells and Kennebunkport. For dinner, we headed into Wells in order to dine at Varano's Italian Restaurant. Cool, right? I had known about this restaurant for a few years because my friend Anne's grandmother lives in Wells and Anne's mother once sent me a photograph of the restaurant. Obviously, this just had to be a stop on our voyage.

Varano's was an amazing dining experience. We had a fantastic server, Shane, who met all expectations for "great customer service." Shane and I also had a nice chat about my family name being Varano; sadly, the owner was not in the restaurant so we couldn't swap accounts of family lineage or else I would have tried to decipher if this Varano family was traced to Calabria, Italy, also.

Jen and I both had some wine and we opted for salads with a home-made blue cheese dressing. Absolutely delish and possibly the best blue cheese dressing we've ever had. The bread to accompany our dinner was fresh-baked and delicious as well. For our entrees, Jen opted for Veal Bracciolettine while I opted for Veal Marsala. Since we sample each other's foods, I can confidently say that both dishes were absolutely delectable - the sauce and mushrooms were great accompaniments to the dish. We also enjoyed the side of penne in house marinara. After such a wonderful meal, we were easily convinced to also have dessert. We shared a helping of tiramisu and almond creme cake. Scrumptious.

Quite possibly one of the ten best meals I've ever had. Hands-down worth every penny (and there were many a penny for this meal).

After dinner we did what any two people could do in a tiny coastal town with not much going on - we played a speedy round of mini golf. I won. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Road Trip Day 5: Portland, ME, Part 2

2009-06-04T08:53:00.004-04:00

We spent the majority of the day in Portland. Since we really didn't know anything about Portland, we decided to take a Land & Sea Tour through Portland Discovery. We hopped on a trolley in the morning and our driver, Marie, gave us an overview of the sights of Portland. Needless to say, there aren't a ton of sights so I think I can recall most of the knowledge she provided. Portland really doesn't have any major historical happenings, though the city did basically burn to the ground at one point in its early history. Portland has an observation tower that sits at the city's highest point, 175 feet above sea level. We also saw Longfellow's house and his statue near the arts district. Marie pointed out the different areas of Portland, the east and west sides of the penninsula. We saw a spectacular cathedral on the east side; in terms of sights, this was probably the most interesting to look at downtown. She pointed out three boats in Casco Bay that serve as taxis between downtown Portland and the nearby islands - people use these taxis as travel between different places, including school children who take them instead of the "bus" to school.

Throughout the city, on both the east and west sides, we were extremely impressed by some of the homes scattered throughout the different neighborhoods. Portland has some extremely old, beautiful Victorian homes of all colors and varieties, and some of these homes were just drop-dead gorgeous.

The sight in Portland I liked the most was the Portland Head Light, which is the oldest lighthouse in the country. It is located in Fort Williams Park on Cape Elizabeth and was commissioned by George Washington to be built in 1791. It still works today. There are actually a total of 65 lighthouses in the state of Maine. We saw a few others.

After a lunch of shrimp, lobster and crab sandwiches, we got to spend some time in Old Port actually visiting the shops we walked by the night before. My favorite store was Cool As A Moose while Jen's favorite was Life is Good. We bought some souvenirs in these fun shops.

We spent the afternoon on a boat for the "sea" part of our tour. It was so chilly on the boat that Jen had to make use of a wool blanket. The boat traveled around Casco Bay pointing out some lighthouses, former military buildings, oil freighters and rigs, and surrounding islands. We saw a few seals, ducks, and sea gulls. The boat was fun but still very early in the season to be completely enjoyable.

Our land and sea tour was a fun way to see Portland. It's definitely a nice small city.

Road Trip, Day 4: Portland, ME, Part 1

2009-06-03T21:15:00.002-04:00

After checking into a crappy hotel in Portland, we decided to head to the Old Port District for dinner. We decided on DiMillio's Floating Restaurant on Long Wharf. We settled in for dinner on the lower deck so we could enjoy the great weather. We started off with a crab dip and later, Jen decided on a surf and turf while I opted for the twin-lobster special. This would be my first experience eating an entire lobster. Normally I've only eaten lobster tails so I needed a crash course on the whole lobster experience. The terrible server wasn't much help but she gave me a bib and a cheesy how-to guide. It couldn't be that hard, right?

In reality, eating the full lobster wasn't that hard just extremely messy. I was able to successfully crack the claws and clear out the tail in one giant piece. I was entirely grossed out by the cavity/body of the lobster and the green scum of the liver found inside. Needless to say, I decided to avoid this area at all costs.

While I'm glad I'm able to say I had the whole-lobster experience, I'm pretty confident I don't need a follow-up in my future. I think I'll stick to tails from here on out.

After dinner, we hung out in Old Port, which is a funky area of eclectic shops and restaurants. We spent some time wandering the streets looking in the windows of the shops and enjoying the auroa of the independently-owned stores. Unfortunately, the shops weren't open late so we couldn't actually do much exploration, but we did enjoy wandering aimlessly. We also had some ice cream, so that was a nice bonus.

Road Trip Day 4: Franconia Notch State Park, NH

2009-06-03T20:55:00.004-04:00

Bright and early Tuesday morning, we put on some comfy sweats and sneakers so we could spend the day in Franconia Notch State Park in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Franconia Notch is a fairly large mountain range between the Flume Gorge and Echo Lake.

We decided to first experience the Flume Gorge which is a natural gorge that extends for something like 800 feet. So we signed up for the two-mile round trip hike to Avalanche Waterfalls and got a good bit of exercise on this excursion. The waterfalls and the gorge in general were absolutely spectacular. We enjoyed the running waters more than we enjoyed the actual hiking.

The funniest part of this excursion was when Jen tried to set her camera to automatically take a photo of both of us, and after getting the camera set, she ran over to me and slipped on a rock, and found her right foot submerged in the frigid cold water. It was definitely comical.

After our hike, we headed to another part of Franconia Park called Cannon Mountain. It has its name for an actual cannon that sits atop the mountain. The best part of this experience was that we were able to ride an aerial tramway to the peak of the mountain, which took us up to a total of 4180 feet. I call this a "gondola in the sky." From the mountain's peak, we could see Vermont, Maine and Canada way out in the distance. It was a little cloudy so Canada wasn't all that clear, but I will still tell everyone I saw Canada.

In general, the views from Cannon Mountain were absolutely amazing. Honestly, these mountains are spectacular. We kept wondering, "I bet this looks amazing in the fall." Perhaps we need another trip in the future.

After spending most of the days in the outdoors and feeling relieved we didn't acquire any ticks, we hopped back in the car to find out next destination, Portland, Maine.

The drive to Portland was pretty standard, so nothing interesting to report for this leg of the journey.

Road Trip Day 3: Drive to New Hampshire

2009-06-02T21:30:00.003-04:00

Our drive from Ben and Jerry's into New Hampshire was actually more entertaining than one might think. We mostly drove on the interstate which normally isn't at all exciting, just the usual counting down of exits and mile markers. Driving through rural Vermont and New Hampshire, however, has one majorly exciting factor: Moose. Every few miles, we spotted one of the following signs: MOOSE CROSSING, MOOSE, MOOSE X-ING, or some other cautionary warning how moose are in fact present and can seriously damage you or your vehicle.

I'd say after a good hour and a half on this drive and after seeing a multitude of these signs, we began to question how present these moose actually are. As if the moose could hear us and our wondering about their roadside travels, we just happened to see one along the side of the road, drinking from a stream. We slowed down to take a photo and get a good look at this marvelous creature. Needless to say, we were then believers of the frequency of moose roaming near interstates.

My friend Kait was so kind to hook us up with a place to stay in New Hampshire. Her parents rent a condo at The Mountain Club on Loon Mountain so we had the privilege to stay here for the night. It was unbelievably fantastic and we (and our wallets) were extremely grateful for this hospitality!

Road Trip Day 3: Burlington, VT

2009-06-02T20:43:00.003-04:00

I was too tired last night to elaborate on my day in Burlington, VT, but I would like to reiterate: ILOVERMONT. Honest to God, I fell in love with Burlington to the extent that Jen and I had an actual conversation that contained comments such as "I could absolutely work at UVM" to "That hospital could be my future home" to "We could totally live in those condos." No joke, we found Burlington to be a little slice of heaven.

I owe my great friend, Jess, a good deal of credit for helping to make our stop in Burlington so wonderful. As a UVM alum, she had fantastic recommendations for us on how to take advantage of some gems in this great place.

On Sunday night, after the hotel desk attendant fell in love with me at first sight, we headed downtown for dinner. Taking Jess's recommendation, we decided on Trattoria Delia, and had a fabulous Italian dinner. We had some wine, some cheese, some meats, and some pasta, and all of it was absolutely delish. We then stopped at What Ales You, a local bar, where I had a Magic Hat #9 and Jen had some other local beer. (If we recall this at a later date, I'll let you know.) We weren't impressed by the bar tender at What Ales You, but we did enjoy the local brews.

After a good night's rest, we headed out early on Monday to explore Burlington. First, we headed to UVM and checked out the campus as well as the nearby hospital (which has a connection to UVM). We were impressed by the campus, particularly the architecture of some of the older buildings. It's evident that UVM is the 5th oldest university in the country when you see some of these buildings as they reminded me of architecture I've seen in Europe. We swung by John Dewey's house because the educator in me felt this was appropriate.

Next we headed to Lake Champlain Chocolates where we were given an overview of how chocolate is grown, harvested and produced, and in particular, how this little company produces amazing chocolates that are sold locally as well as shipped nationally. We got to sample different types of chocolates (white, milk, dark, and darker) as well as a truffle, a covered roasted almond, a caramel, and a peanut butter five star bar. As Jen noted, "The peanut butter sample was like an orgasm in your mouth." Needless to say, we enjoyed the chocolates.

After our chocolate tasting, we headed lakeside to check out the views of Lake Champlain. It was a fairly nice day, a little cold, but we had a delightful time walking out on the docks, seeing the North and South Lighthouses, and taking in the view of the mountains in the distance. Next, we headed to Church Street Marketplace and wandered this pedestrian area with a variety of eclectic shops and restaurants.

After our strolling downtown, we decided to have lunch at another of Jess's recommendations, New World Tortilla. I haven't had a good burrito in ages and Jen loves Mexican food so we decided to try this out. It was worth it. Jen had the Thai Chicken Burrito and I had the regular Beef Burrito. We both agreed that the tortillas were the best we've ever had. Glorious lunch.

From lunch, we headed out to Magic Hat Brewery which is probably the most unique brewery I've ever been in. Such a fun atmosphere. Unfortunately, we could only do the self-guided tour, but we did get to see beer being bottled at mass production. We also were able to sample a few beers. I enjoyed the Circus Boy while Jen enjoyed the Single Chair. We also really liked the young woman who served us; she had great personality and actually understood the hospitality necessary for a job in the hospitality industry.

You would think that by this point, we were probably stuffed full of chocolates, burritos, and beer and we couldn't possibly eat anymore, but we had one more necessary stop to make - Ben & Jerry's. We headed south to Waterbury to take the factory tour and see how this magical ice cream is made. The factory was a fun and colorful place, but it had two small downsides. One, they do not allow you to take photos of their production proccess, and two, they decide what sample of ice cream you get. We had a sample of orange creamsicle, which was good, but I would have preferred something with chocolate. I know, like I didn't have enough earlier? Ha.

I think it's safe to say we ate our way through Vermont. And like I said, I loved every minute of it. I just may have to explore it as a possibility for my future.

Road Trip Day 3: Burlington, VT

2009-06-01T21:46:00.001-04:00

ILOVERMONT.

Road Trip Day 2: Drive to Vermont

2009-06-01T21:29:00.003-04:00

For driving purposes, we have been using the GPS in Jen's car, which she calls Lola, due to the lovely female voice that tells us where to go. We decided to avoid the interstate for our drive from Cooperstown into Vermont and instead explore country and states roads. What an adventure! I'm glad Jen drove this leg of the trip because for roughly four hours, the roads were winding and curving as we climbed higher and higher into the Adirondacks.

Outside of Cooperstown, the little (and I mean tiny) towns we passed were occassionally dotted with either Amish or Mennonite families. We sometimes had to pass the horse and buggy in order to continue along our drive in decent time. As we got further into the drive, the towns were more spread out and basically set alongside the multiple lakes we passed. Honestly, it seemed like every ten miles we were passing another tiny town set up alongside another lake. Beautiful scenery amid the extremely green mountains. "Hey, look, another lake" was probably uttered twenty times during this voyage.

We basically drove near the NY/VT border as we traveled north to Vermont. We crossed into Vermont as a storm was brewing and came in to Burlington via Route 7, passing through Shelbourne. We were immediately impressed by the state of Vermont's dedication to signage; seriously, just about everything in Vermont is marked with a road sign telling you how many miles until you reach a particular site. We appreciated this informative approach and actually found the signs useful while in the state.

We settled into a hotel outside Burlington. I'm pretty sure the desk manager, who was definitely attractive, was in love with me immediately. Jen thinks I'm crazy, but I'm fairly certain in another life, this guy could be my friend or more. Ha.

Road Trip Day 2: Cooperstown, NY

2009-05-31T22:12:00.005-04:00

Cooperstown, NY, is a great small town. Granted, it probably wouldn't exist without the sports tourism that makes it famous, but it's definitely a must-see for any sports fan. We started our day at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which exists here because it is believed that the game of baseball was founded in Cooperstown by Abner Doubleday. The Hall of Fame is a beautiful building that contains a well-informed history of baseball and the influence of the game's greatest players.

We spent a decent three hours wandering through the museum, reading facts, taking pictures, and appreciating those former baseball players who have made the game as great as it remains today. Since I grew up in a baseball-loving family, it was nice for me to finally have the chance to "see" first-hand some of the game's history. I enjoyed learning more about Babe Ruth, Joe Dimaggio, Lou Gehrig, Roger Hornsby, Sandy Coufax, Yogi Berra, Roberto Clemente, Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton... the list goes on and on and on.

I think one of my favorite parts of the museum was the small section that compared the all-time leaders in certain statistical categories to current players. For example, Ricky Henderson has the record for 1406 stolen bases. No one in the past or present even comes close to him in this category. In this area also, it became evident how good Pete Rose was in certain categories, but due to his admitted cheating on baseball, he'll probably never fully find his place inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition, the area of the Hall of Fame that shows every inducted member is pretty special. It was really amazing to see the different players who have been inducted to the Hall of Fame since 1936.

Overall, I found the museum to be quite informative and interesting. Anyone who loves baseball would appreciate a day or two in this environment.

After our visit to the Hall of Fame, we had a bite to eat in a local restaurant. We spent the next few hours walking around the main street in Cooperstown, which contains a variety of baseball memoribilia shops. It's amazing to me how many of these stores exist in this small town and how many fascinating items they have for sale - baseball cards, t-shirts, souvenirs - anything you could possibly want related to baseball or baseball history can be found here. Definitely a pleasure for any true fan.

We also stopped by Double Day Park, which is a ballpark that is still used today. I first learned of Double Day when I watched A League of Their Own. This is the ballpart that is featured at the beginning and end of the film. The Hall of Fame does indeed have a section on the All American Girls Baseball League which the film highlights. I enjoyed seeing this piece of history as well. We also spent some time in a wax museum that depicts some famous baseball players in wax. I'll contend that it wasn't necessarily worth the money, but still interesting to see. The Abbott and Costello film of the famous act "Who's on first?" made the wax museum experience a little more worth the fee.

All in all, our stop in Cooperstown was absolutely enjoyable. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates the sport of baseball in any capacity. You won't be disappointed.

Road Trip, Day 1: New York

2009-05-30T22:56:00.003-04:00

Jen arrived around 7:30am to pick me up. She's a trooper, by the way, because she had to work a 12-hour nursing shift before picking me up. Talk about dedication. We threw my stuff into the car, took a photo, and headed out for our big adventure right before 8am. This was the plan, so we could hit the road early and avoid traffic.

I drove this leg of the trip so Jen could rest. She helps people, you know, so she deserved a good solid nap. The morning was a bit cloudy, but about halfway into our first drive, the skies cleared and the sun was shining. It was beautiful weather for hitting the open roads. We cruised through northeastern PA, northern New Jersey, and into New York in good time. In reality, we crossed the George Washington Bridge into Queens - this was my first time driving in any part of NYC and I must say, it wasn't that bad. I wouldn't want to do that every day however.

(By the way, tolls to cross bridges in NYC are ludicrous.)

Our first stop was CitiField or the "New Mets Stadium" for a Mets game versus the Marlins. Being that Jen and I are true Phillies fans, we headed out for this adventure wearing Phillies shirts. If you follow baseball you know the Phillies and Mets are NL East Rivals and Mets fans HATE Phillies fans. I was well prepared to have a beer dumped on me, but thankfully that didn't happen.

CitiField is an extremely nice ballpark. I think we were both most impressed by the food offerings. Pulled pork sandwiches and spare ribs, brick-oven pizza, tacos, nachos, Nathans hot dogs (of course), among others... whatever the food, it was kicked up a notch and quite well cooked. Lots of fancy condiment options as well. Jen enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich and I sampled some french fries from Box Frites with chipotle sauce. Very delicious. (It's not Chickey's and Pete's crab fries, but not bad at all for ballpark food.)

We were also impressed with Jackie Robinson rotunda, which is a main entrance to the stadium and a tribute to his legacy of breaking the color barrier in baseball and basically being a phenomenal addition to the sport. We ruffled some Mets fans' feathers, though, when we hopped in front of the blue 42 to get a picture taken. Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do for the tourist photo memories.

We didn't have the greatest seats for the game. We sat in the upper deck along 3rd base. Apparently, the Mets fans who sit in this section are required to have an IQ below 60. Honestly, these people were quite ridiculous. Many of them didn't actually have seats where they were seated and would then get upset when the rightful seat holder would ask them to move. It ain't rocket science, you know? Seats have numbers for this very reason.

We had the pleasure of sitting by a family of four - man, woman, boy age 5, girl age 3 - who thought it was appropriate to purchase only two seats and then plop themselves into a total of 4 seats. While the girl was cute in her little Mets cheerleader uniform, the boy whined obnoxiously. Sometimes I like children at the ballpark; this was not one of those times.

We also had the pleasure to sit three seats away from a Mets fan who reminded us that the Phillies weren't actually playing the Mets. Funny that he thought we wouldn't have known this when we purchased tickets that read "Marlins vs Mets." I didn't know I could ONLY wear a Phillies shirt when I was, in fact, AT a Phillies game.

We did see three other Phillies fans. They were nice. Like us, they too could be considered slightly insane for wearing Phillies gear in this hostile environment, but we all seemed to survive the random comments of "Phillies suck" or "Utley sucks" or "You know the Phillies aren't playing today?" Strange. Who won the 2008 World Series? Right.

A fun factor to the game was that my friend Scott happened to also be in attendance. He's a Mets fan, but I try not to hold that against him. We had the pleasure of hanging out with him for a few innings and explore some of the ballpark which was also quite fun.

The best part of the game was that the Mets lost to the Marlins! It's fun to watch the Mets lose!

After the game, we hopped back into the car and hit the road to our second stop - Cooperstown, NY. I also drove this leg of the trip while Jen dropped in and out of consciousness. Cooperstown is quite a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Seriously, one could get lost here and fall off the face of the earth. It's a cute place, though, from what we've seen so far. A very small, quaint town dotted with Bed & Breakfasts and baseball memoriabilia. We had a nice dinner before we settled in for the night.

Tomorrow, as you can guess, we'll be acquiring new baseball knowledge as we explore Cooperstown's Baseball Hall of Fame. I am sure day two will be just as fun as today!

Anxious Anticipation

2009-05-27T14:28:00.004-04:00

On Saturday, cousin Jen and I will embark on a 11-day road trip, what I am calling "Carol and Jen's Northeast Adventure." I have wanted to take this road trip for years and now that the trip is planned, I am definitely ready to go! We have an exciting assortment of sites and attractions planned in seven states and we plan to explore and eat our way through this part of the country. If you're interested in the itinerary, it follows:

Sat, May 30: Mets vs. Marlins - Flushing, NY
Sun, May 31: Cooperstown, NY
Mon, June 1: Burlington, VT
Tues, June 2: Franconia State Park, NH
Wed, June 3: Portland, ME
Thurs, June 4: Wells, ME/Kennebunkport, ME
Fri, June 5: Salem, MA/Red Sox vs. Rangers - Boston, MA
Sat, June 6: Boston, MA
Sun, June 7: Providence, RI
Mon, June 8: Mystic, CT/New Haven, CT/Yankees vs. Rays - Bronx, NY

It's going to be a blast!

Pete Yorn & Coldplay

2009-05-25T09:56:00.008-04:00

After a torrential downpour of some thunderstorms with lightning included, the skies actually cleared enough for this concert event to go on. Due to the rain, the opening acts were adjusted to accommodate the schedule. Howling Belles, who I never heard of, didn't get to perform; Pete Yorn, who I absolutely love, performed for only about 30 minutes but he was as great as expected. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good photo to share but I can tell you that I'm certain his new album will be great. He featured one new song and I did like it. He also played some all-time favorites including Strange Condition and For Nancy which are obviously two of his best songs. I hope to see him again for a much longer show.

Coldplay was, hands-down, amazing. Seriously, they put on such a great show - a fantastic mix of their new album with some old classics. From the new album, I really enjoyed Strawberry Swing, Lost, and of course Viva La Vida. Old favorites that I enjoyed were Fix You, Politik, The Scientist, and Clocks. It was a great mix of energy and enthusiasm.

Chris Martin is fantastic. He's an unbelievable performer. I especially enjoyed when he initiated the "first ever Mexican cell phone wave throughout Hershey Stadium". He did this from a microphone that was set up about 30 feet from our seats. The whole band came up into the stands and sang a few songs. It was great. I think Chris Martin exemplifies someone who just loves what he does on a daily basis - I find him inspirational.

One of the biggest reasons I like Coldplay is because they really seem to want to connect with their fans as much as possible. It was especially great when they handed out a free CD with about 9 songs on it at the end of the show. Granted, these are probably accessible for free from their website, but it's a nice gesture.

What a fanstastic event. I hope to see them again.

A Month Since...

2009-05-16T21:56:00.002-04:00

It's been a solid month since my trip to Memphis. I haven't posted about anything in my life since then. I'm not really sure why, as I spend the majority of every day talking to myself about all sorts of random things. Because I only work part time a few hours a day, only a few days a week, I do have a lot of time to play around with, and I spend a lot of this time immersed in my own thoughts. Since my trip to Memphis, it's become fairly obvious to me that there are a few things I miss.

For starters, I generally miss my independence. It's not to say that I don't do what I want every day, because for the most part, I do. But it is to say that I miss having my own world, my own independent world. I miss having my own space in my own apartment. I miss using my own things, like my own pots and pans and my own television. In essence, I miss having control over my living arrangements. I know that's somewhat of a petty thing, and I don't mean to sound unappreciative of the roof over my head and the food on the table, but there's just something about having my own space that I really relish and really miss.

I also miss what I feel is my daily sense of adventure. That's not to say that I had this crazy independent adventurous life at all times because that certainly was never the case. But there's just the sense that when I was out on my own, each day could hold some very different mini-adventures. Living in a city meant I could run into very different random faces at basically every corner. Again, I'm appreciative to be home and spend time with people I normally don't see, but after these few months, it's all become quite routine. Same restaurant. Same bar. Same people. Same gym routines. Repeat.

I guess that lately I've been feeling a little bit bored on a daily basis. Not that job searching is boring by any means, because it's not, but when paired with my general sense of boredom, I find myself quite antsy lately. Physically, I'm ready to move on to my next life phase, but the cosmos have not yet aligned, and I'm stuck - waiting and pondering, waiting and pondering - while going through the daily motions. I haven't freaked out yet or had a breakdown, and I've been quite pleased with my sense of patience, but I'm ready...

ready for what exactly, well, that's still working itself out. I'm pretty certain, though, that I'll know it when I see it.

Memphis Trip, Recap 5

2009-05-04T12:34:00.003-04:00

OK, so I dropped the ball on recapping my trip. It seems like it was ages ago, even though it was only a few weeks. I have a weird perspective on time right now, probably because I have so much time to do whatever I want with. Anyway, here's the summary on the rest of my trip.

On Saturday night, Sebastian and I went out again. The bottom line is it wasn't the most fun I've ever had. I'm not saying it wasn't enjoyable, because it was, it just wouldn't have been my first choice of where to be and who to spend time with on such a short visit. Thank God for Rachel - she always comes through in the clutch and was definitely the highlight of the evening. We had a good time continuing to catch up while not getting too crazy. I ran into some random former students which was kind of fun, but overall it was just your pretty average night out...

until 2am, that is.

Around 2am, some of my former soccer students showed up and were, you could say, a little out of control. But these guys always make me laugh, and laugh I did. I don't even really know what prompted such random chanting of Irish soccer songs and other craziness, but it was definitely a good time to laugh loud and laugh hard. I guess I was still pretty wired because I had Sebastian drop me off to hang out with some other former soccer students late in the evening/early morning. The events that transpired past 3am are not for all to hear about, so I'll just keep those memories to myself.

I will say that Rachel gets the award for "Best in Show" as she had the best showing of the former students for hanging out with me and making me laugh so darn much. She's pretty much a legend and I am so glad I got to spend so much time with her.

The remainder of the trip was pretty casual. I had a nice lunch with the golfers and a nice relaxing afternoon hanging out with Sebastian before I headed to the airport. I'd say, overall, it was a very enjoyable and rewarding trip, and apparently exactly what I needed.

Memphis Trip, Recap 4

2009-04-28T14:34:00.003-04:00

After the meet, Bridget, Sebastian and I ventured downtown to Gus's Fried Chicken, where the daily special is always chicken. Hands down, this is the most amazing fried chicken one could ever eat. I am usually appalled by people who live in Memphis or who have lived there for over a year's time who have not visited this amazing establishment. For starters, it's a hole in the wall, old fashioned, one-room restaurant. It's not fancy by any means. The cups, silverware and plates are plastic. But I swear to you, it's the most amazing chicken.

As we were waiting in line, the waitress asked two adolescents to kindly stop propping open the door because it was allowing cold air to enter the restaurant. We were standing by the jukebox next to the door. After the waitress made her request, these two moved out of the way and allowed the door to shut. A new patron, a twenty-something female stepped in and propped the door open; she wasn't able to hear the waitress's request. You would think in this social scenario, that these two youngsters would kindly say something like, "Excuse me, Miss, but the waitress just requested for the door to remain shut." I mean, to me, this seems like the logical step in this situation, right? Apparently not, as the two blockheads said nothing, but instead just stood there. I stepped in and relayed this message to the woman, because clearly I felt this was the appropriate thing to do. Has civilization really lost its ability to function? What the hell is wrong with people?

Anyway, a few minutes later we were seated. I ordered an appetizer of fried pickles, which are a southern delicacy of sorts. Gus's fried pickles are my favorite - the breading is most delicious, however, you have to be careful as to not burn the roof of your mouth when you bite into one of these things as the result could be painful.

I ordered my usual feast - 2 pieces of white meat with a side of fries and a side of beans. The chicken comes on a piece of white bread, which I am convinced exists solely to mop up the grease from the chicken. (Friend Coleman eats this bread, it's his favorite part of the meal. He's clearly insane but most of us already knew this.) Anyway, the chicken did not disappoint. Just the right amount of flavor in the breading paired with the juiciest chicken which created a mouth-watering delight with every bite. Oh my goodness.

In all seriousness, I dream about this chicken. It's soooo good. I used to eat it at least once a month. I'm not sure how I can go another four months without it. No chicken will ever taste better to me. If you're in Memphis and you're reading this, please go to Gus's tomorrow and eat the chicken. It will be worth it. I promise. And send me a picture. Please.

Memphis Trip, Recap 3

2009-04-27T16:57:00.003-04:00

I was up decently early Saturday despite the lateness of the previous night. I had lunch with my friend Betty Kay. She said she felt like time went by pretty quickly since I was last in Memphis so I guess that's a good thing. We had a fun time catching up and pondering what the future might hold in our uncertain lives.

After lunch, I headed over to the University because the track team was hosting a meet throughout the day. You may recall that I worked with the track student-athletes while at Memphis so this happened to be a nice way to see many students in one setting.

Just about every student was shocked to see me. I was continuously greeted throughout the day by phrases like "Oh my God, Carol!" or "Carol, I can't believe you're here!" or "Carol, what the hell are you doing here?" It was pretty funny. In all honesty, I sort of felt like a small town celebrity. People wanted to hug me and talk to me and inquire about my life. Maybe this was my proverbial fifteen minutes of fame? Who knows, but it was a delight to see everyone.

My favorite comment of the weekend came at the meet. I ran into a former student, Brian, who I worked with for 3.5 years. He and I used to have some great chats in my office and I got the sense he missed those conversations. He greeted me with a hug and then said, "Oh, so you're not pregnant."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

You may refer to a previous post where I did, in fact, know this would happen. I knew someone out there would think I up and left my job because of some unwanted, unplanned pregnancy. As I noted earlier on the blog and as I know for certainty, I am not carrying a child. I may have put on a few pounds, but I am definitely not expecting. I found this whole conversation with Brian absolutely hysterial. He definitely gets the award for comment of the weekend.

There was another moment at the meet that was particularly striking to me. You see, because we live in the real world, it's expected that we're not going to like everyone and everyone isn't always going to like us. I am a realist so I always knew this to be true. There was a student on the track team who I worked with for a few semesters and you could say that he and I didn't "click" all the time. It was okay, though, because we found a way to make things work. I ran into him, and it was actually a pleasant moment. Without saying so, he basically implied he had a fond appreciation for what I did and he actually missed me being around to help him. He's one of those I had a sense would "miss me when I was gone." It's not that I want to hold this power over someone, but it is the case that he really didn't know how good he had it until I left. I got the sense a lot of my students felt that way, some because they told me so directly but others just by how they said certain things or talked about their current situations.

This is the closest I have to experiencing satisfaction, knowing that I did make an impact and knowing that it is finally being appreciated. I guess I needed some of this affirmation. It helped give me some more closure that in some way I needed.

The track meet was rewarding, as was catching up with all sorts of students throughout the weekend. I'm so glad I had the chance to do so. I always said I would miss the students and the people in general, and that's certainly true. I miss their stories and I miss seeing them grow. I'm just thankful for the small moments I had to reconnect. It was really a rewarding afternoon.

Memphis Trip, Recap 2

2009-04-23T20:11:00.005-04:00

Amazingly, I woke up pretty energized Friday morning. I anticipated it would be a fantastic day, and I was certainly correct. Around noon, I headed off to my old office building to meet up with some folks for lunch. These are some great ladies, let me say. For starters, they appreciate me for the total goofball that I am so that always helps. We had a pretty calm, casual lunch at one of my favorite places near campus. Always a pleasure.

Around 2pm, Bridget and I headed off to Bosco's, a bar in midtown that brews its own beer. Bosco's is great when the weather is nice because they have a fabulous outdoor patio. Since the weather was beautiful - sunny skies, crisp air, about 75 degrees - we had a lovely early happy hour. We drank there until 7pm, enjoying the weather and dishing on the latest gossip. I admit it, I'm not ashamed. We gossiped and swapped stories and shared some laughter for a great part of the afternoon. A little later our friends Kristen and Tia joined us before we headed off to Corky's for dinner.

Corky's is a Memphis staple food, known most for its bar-b-que. I am a big fan of their pulled pork so that's what I had. In all honesty, Memphis does have the best bar-b-que I've ever had, and I enjoy this pork no matter what. Not to mention, it's actually cheap as hell for the helping you get. When you can add some hush puppies on the side, what can be better than that?

After dinner, we headed to Celtic Crossing for the remainder of the evening. As I noted, I love this bar. There's always an eclectic crowd of people and usually good music. I will note, though, that the service is sometimes really bad. It's good that we all have working limbs because it was definitely easier to get our own drinks at the bar.

A few friends and the golfers joined us for what turned into one heck of an evening. Again, we shared a great deal of laughs, dishing on people, remembering some old memories of ridiculousness and, of course, making new memories.

Sometime after 1am, the DJ started playing music like Regulate by Warren G and No Diggity/No Doubt by I don't even remember who and other early 90s hip hop/rap music. I think Phil was impressed by my knowledge of these songs, as I was singing each lyric in some giddy drunken state. Appropriately, I made Phil request Baby Got Back and the DJ so inclined to humor us with this madness.

It is a rare occassion when Celtic Crossing becomes a dance party, but this so happened to be one of those evenings. For starters, Rachel was hammered and loving every minute of her dancing. Bridget loves when these things happen so obviously she had a good time. Phil is a pretty impressive dancer, by the way, and certainly entertained me with his skills. I think at this point Mark was off somewhere hitting on someone - it wouldn't be a complete evening if he wasn't. I'm not sure what Sebastian was thinking at this point, but we had one heck of a time. Mark was located for the 80s music by Journey and such, and we definitely had a good time belting out some tunes.

Bridget and I calculated that we put in a pretty solid 12-hour work day of drinking. At 3:30am, it dawned on me that the last time I was out this late was also with Mark and Phil. It's probably a good thing I don't see them every weekend because I'm not sure my liver can handle it. I miss days like this. Pure absolute enjoyment. I couldn't have asked for a better day. I think my abs still hurt from laughing so hard.

Memphis Trip, Recap 1

2009-04-22T12:49:00.004-04:00

As I noted, my trip to Memphis was pretty great. I still think I'm reeling in how good it felt to reconnect with so many great people. My first day, Thursday, was an extremely relaxing day. I woke up pretty darn early to leave for the airport at 6:30am. I arrived in Memphis around noon, and was greeted by a shining sun, a cool breeze and my friend Sebastian. The southern air was crisp and I enjoyed the feeling of flip flops on my feet.

Sebastian and I had lunch at one of my favorite Mexican joints. Central PA just doesn't have these types of options, and I was craving some spicy salsa and lunch fajitas - the meal did not disappoint. After lunch, I dropped by the old office to say hello to my former coworkers. I gotta say, it was nice to see the people, but I sure as heck haven't missed that place one bit. I didn't have any sense of nostalgia, and that reaffirmed that I know I made the right deciscion to leave when I did.

I headed off a little later to the practice fields to hang out at soccer practice. I used to work with these guys so I wanted to see as many of them as I could. Practice seemed to be a good option. It was a beautiful day to be outside. When I arrived at practice, they were already in the midst of a drill. Their faces were funny because most of them were shocked to see me but they had to stay focused on the drill at hand, so there was no crazy reactions. After the drill, though, I was greeted by a round of hugs and high fives. Just being around these guys again gave me a great feeling. I really do love a lot of them like family. It's nice to see them working hard and enjoying their sport.

Later in the day, I had dinner with three of the seniors on the team. These three absolutely crack me up. They were three of the first students I worked with at Memphis so we've been through a lot together. I absolutely adore each of them for their own individualized crazy lives and I love spending time with them. I'm excited for each of them and what their futures hold.

After dinner, I met some friends out at my favorite Memphis bar, Celtic Crossing. God, I missed that place. And it was so nice to be able to sit outside at night and drink a few without freezing. I'm over the fact that the golfers promised to go out with me and then bailed at the last minute, I think because Rachel came through in the clutch - she's a champ. More on that later.

Anyway, it was a pretty great relaxing stress-free day in Memphis. Who knew such a thing existed?

Drink, Laugh, Love

2009-04-20T23:23:00.004-04:00

I think these three words can best sum up my weekend visit to Memphis: Drink, Laugh, Love.

I chose these words because they share a commonality: abundance.

I definitely drank in abundance, best indicated by my 12-hour workday of drinking with friend Bridget on Friday. It's hard not to put in a workday of drinking when you can sit on an outdoor patio at 2pm and enjoy 75 degree weather. It's also hard not to put in a workday of drinking when you meet up with other friends later in the evening and the bar you're in proceeds to play early 90s hip hop and rap music such as Baby Got Back and Regulate. That obviously makes for a ridiculous time.

I spent four days in complete laughter. Honestly, I haven't laughed so much and so hard in such a long time. So many fun conversations, comments, moments - it was just great to be able to kick back and finally relax with former students and friends. I cherish the laughter and the fun.

I also felt pretty emotional at times, in the sense that I really felt an abundance of love. It's nice to have the feeling that my life has been touched by so many wonderful people; it's also nice that these wonderful people share this feeling toward me. It's hard to put to words really, but I feel extremely blessed to have so many great people be a part of my life.

That's just a small recap of the weekend. I'll be reminiscing more throughout the week.

Lots of Sympathy

2009-04-13T18:13:00.001-04:00

R.I.P. Harry Kalas

Phillies fans everywhere will miss your voice.

No sympathy

2009-04-12T00:54:00.002-04:00

I have absolutely no sympathy for people like this: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/11/polar.bear.attack/index.html

I mean, what did this woman expect to happen when she jumped into a polar bear's habitat? Did she expect the polar bear to playfully lick her face and allow her to pet him? Maybe she thought the polar bear would even be so kind to allow the woman to jump on his back and give her a ride around his habitat. Seriously. What the hell is wrong with people?

Justification of Hatred

2009-04-06T23:56:00.002-04:00

It's really a sad moment when you come to finally have the proof of something you've known all along. Maybe you waited a long time to actually find the proof even though you know it was out there in plain black and white for years. You could have easily found the truth and had the proof but for some reason, maybe you didn't actually want to be confirmed in your initial belief.

Well I just had one of those moments, and my hatred for a certain two individuals has been justified. I'm not ashamed to admit this hatred, even though I was raised not to hate. In all honesty, part of me is actually glad I'm justified in my hatred. I'm sick of pretending I don't want to be hateful toward these two individuals, and I am sick of the Catholic guilt I experience when I want to hate them but try not to. The bottom line is, from here on out, it's all hatred.

If you're not good enough to respect me the way I deserve after you've sucked the life out of me and I saved your ass a million and one times, then you deserve the hatred I feel toward you.

I believe in karma. One day, I'll reap my reward for putting up with these two individuals' incessant bullshit. I hope these two pricks get what's coming to them. I hope I can be there the day they are pulled from their mighty high horses. I'd like to kick them when they are down.

There's some real emotion. Judge away. I don't care.

Cycling

2009-03-23T23:09:00.002-04:00

I've been attending cycling classes at the gym I joined, you know, "spinning" for you sophisticated types. I like cycling. It's a solid hour of serious ass-kicking, especially if you really push yourself as hard as you can at all times.

Today, I almost lost my ankle. No joke. I really didn't think cycling on a stationary bike could be considered dangerous to one's health; today, however, I met my match.

We were about twenty minutes into the workout. This is around the part where I start sweating profusely and people mistake me for a man. What can I say, sweating in large quantities is in my blood. I thank the southern Italians. Anyway, we were in the phase of the workout where we were sprinting; this is where you pedal as fast as you can without any resistance. As we were in our second sprinting interval, the bottom portion of my left pant leg got wrapped around the pedal. My pants were wrapped a good four times around before I felt the remainder of the pants cutting off the circulation just above my ankle! Ouch.

Thankfully, I was able to free myself from this workout debacle without any permanent damage to my ankle, lower leg, or pants. This is obviously a good thing as I'd like to have full function-ability in my lower extremeties for the remainder of my lifetime. I can deal with the slight pain I'm still feeling. It takes my mind off the pain throughout the remainder of my lower half from the actual workout.

(I'm not sure function-ability is a word, by the way.)

The Television Season

2009-03-22T23:24:00.003-04:00

I remember a time when television shows followed a traditional season of new episodes. There was a one or two week span in September when stations would premiere a newly anticipated season of episodes of various shows. I'm sure there were others like me who spent a large chunk of the summer anxiously waiting for the new season to arrive. I remember also that a show ran every week, keeping viewers in suspense only for an appropriate seven days. After a certain number of episodes, the season would end in a cliff-hanger finale and summer would again bring its wait.

In recent years, I've noticed that television only partially follows this formula. Yes, there are premieres. Yes, there are episodes each week. Yes, there are cliff-hanger finales. However, it seems that some shows' seasons have a lot of interruptions.

Take for example, two of my favorite shows on ABC: Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters. It seems that I now have to wait four weeks for new episodes to air. Then I imagine, there will be four or five new episodes in consecutive weeks before the big finale and hiatus for the summer. I find myself thinking that this type of set up is more common lately. Sure, there's always been a week off for things like Christmas or the SuperBowl or March Madness or the occassional awards show. But a whole month? That didn't seem common until recently.

Now it seems shows take these mid-season hiatuses, two weeks here or four weeks there. New shows are airing in September, November, January, March... whenever. Really, it makes the whole "season" hard to follow.

I like the frequent and consecutive season. I like the seven-day wait. I don't like the extended hiatus. I mean, there's only so much wasted air space one can take.

Working out is hard to do...

2009-03-17T22:01:00.002-04:00

I've been trying to stay committed to my new life as a work out buff, but I tell you, it's quite hard sometimes. You know, there are days when my body is so sore that I really don't want to get out of bed, let alone go back to the gym. But somehow, I've maintained the will power to stay committed.

I've noticed that joining a gym at home has brought about some sort of strange motivational factors. For starters, in my prior life in Mount Carmel, I was considered pretty athletic. Granted, this was 10 years ago, but still, I feel that some people may still associate me with this former life. I find this to be motivational. Like when I start to get tired after 10 minutes on the treadmill, I use this as motivation to keep going.

Another motivational factor also comes via other people. You see, there are a lot of parents of my friends who work out at this gym. I find myself thinking, "I wonder if they tell such-and-such that they saw me at the gym. I hope that's all they say. Not something like 'Boy, that Carol, looks like she put on a few pounds, doesn't seem to move very well.'"

I also notice that some of these parents, as well as people my age who I consider to be unathletic, can kick my ass in aerobics classes. I didn't think I would like aerobics classes, but some lower-body workouts and some occassional cycling classes are quite intense 60-minute workouts. I often can't walk after these sessions. But again, these people keep me motivated, especially when they're not sweating and I'm busting my ass and sweating like a hog. Makes me feel like my time is well spent.

But seriously, the real motivation is that I have felt much better overall the last few weeks since I started working out. I am sleeping much better, rather than tossing and turning and waking up every few hours. I have more energy and have cut back on the time I spend zoned out in front of the tv. I'm watching what I eat a little more closely, which basically means I don't drink as much caffeine. I'd like to think these are all positive steps for my life.

In the dining room with the candlestick...

2009-03-05T15:04:00.004-05:00

I previously posted that I've started participating in Sunday GameDay with my aunt and cousin. We try to play some sort of game one day a week to pass the time and just enjoy each other's company. Our first outing involved playing Monopoly while other outings have included Clue, Life, Racko, and Boggle. Last week, only my aunt and I were able to play so we opted for two-player games like Electronic Talking Battleship and Stratego.

Occassionally, we try to pick up a game during the week. Today, after a delicious lunch, we opted for some Clue, since it is our favorite game. At this point, I think it's the only game we can play so Jen will keep joining us. The first time we played Clue we used the original game, but since then, we have been playing the revamped, newer game. This new version has the same characters like Colonel Mustard and Mrs. Peacock, but there are some different weapons like a trophy and poison and some different rooms like the observatory instead of the conservatory.

The goal of the game remains the same. Prove who committed murder with what weapon in what room. However, there are a few new twists. Your character has some special powers as it relates to moving about the game board and figuring out clues. There are also intrigue cards; if you roll or land on a question mark or are "rumored" in committing a murder, you get to choose one of these cards. These cards allow you to make certain plays in the game, like taking an extra turn or moving anywhere on the board. Hidden in these cards are also "clock cards"; these cards are considered a timer. The person who draws the 8th clock card is considered murdered and cannot continue in the game.

We have played probably 20 games using this new version and no one has fallen to the wrath of the clock card. Until today, that is. I had the magical opportunity to draw the clock card and upon doing so, immediately yelled "Murderer!" in the spirit of the game. It's fun when new things happen during GameDay. Unfortunately, I didn't win the game, but it was fun to see the entire new game finally play out.

I really love GameDay. I never could have predicted at this point in my life that this would be one of my favorite things about each week, but I really do enjoy this quality time with the family. I just hope next time we play, I get to solve the murder. It's a pretty good feeling when you figure it out first!

Out of Shape

2009-03-04T21:37:00.002-05:00

If I had the proverbial magic wand and could change one thing about my life, it would simply be that I would have never allowed myself to get out of shape. For the past ten years, I have battled back and forth between out of shape and in shape; if you know me well, you know I've spent much more time out of shape. It's quite depressing.

In the past, I've found myself in this vicious cycle. Out of shape. Start working out. Pain everywhere. Be committed to working out for a good month. Miss a day or two. Miss two weeks. Turns into months. Out of shape. Repeat every few months. Like I said, vicious cycle.

This week, I joined a gym, as I am determined to break this cycle once and for all. I won't allow myself to say this in 2010. 2009 must be the year I break the cycle. With all of the free time I have at present, I really have no more excuses. It's time.

In the past, my approach to getting back in shape followed an easing-in approach, start light and slow, ease back into things. I realized as of late why this has failed me. Because with this approach, every day seems like an uphill battle. Each new day you have to take things to a new level. It never ends.

So this time, I'm taking a new approach. I'm going to basically kill myself from the start. Push myself as hard as I can. Endure the pain. Suck it up and keep going. No excuses. No laziness. No easing in. Just go. I figure if I can take this approach for three straight weeks, I will be on my way to having this a habit in my life. My mom claims there's some theory out there that says you have to do something 21 times to make it a habit. I'm too lazy to verify the truth to this, so I'll just believe it and set this goal for myself. 21 days of hell and hard work.

So far, 2 days down. And yes, today's cycling workout definitely kicked my ass. As long as I can walk tomorrow, I figure I'm on my way.

Weird Stuff

2009-02-27T15:59:00.005-05:00

Please try to picture the following scene. Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in Times Square. Seven high school students of the alternative nature huddled together trying to determine if they should spend $24 to experience the sites within the museum. Customer service agent trying to convince students to spend this money saying, "If you like weird stuff, and I can tell by the look of you that you do, this is the museum for you."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I chaperoned these seven students for roughly eight hours on Tuesday as part of a high school's trip to NYC for the day to see Wicked. I can't even creatively conjure up any fabrication of this actual experience; I promise that what I describe to you here is in reality what actually did transpire. Here's how the day progressed.

A female sophomore seemed to emerge as the group's leader and decision-maker from the start, as she was the one with a plan for lunch. We arrived in the city around 11am so lunch seemed like a good first thing to do. She said, "There's a fairly cheap BBQ place that's not far from a really cool candy store we want to go to." So off we went. We walked a good hour, so I'm guessing at least 2 miles to happen upon Dallas BBQ on the corner of 70th and 3rd Ave. It took us a little longer than it should have because of the one group member that I refer to as the Slow Walker. As you can imagine, he puttered about on this walk, casually shuffling his feet at an incredibly slow pace. Every time we crossed a street, I had to ensure he actually made it and wasn't stuck in traffic.

The students were pretty stoked about eating at this BBQ joint, as they proceeded to sample a variety of southern fried chicken, ribs and pork. I was obviously disappointed as I spent the past 3.5 years eating these foods in Memphis and I was hoping for some good Italian or Thai or basically anything other than pulled pork. The kids win, you know? It was a decent sandwich even though the flavor of this BBQ was Carolina in nature. I'm still not sure why it was called Dallas BBQ.

Anyway, from there we walked back about a mile to Dylan's Candy Bar, which was actually quite interesting. I mean, it's not every day you can buy a Wonka Bar or some old-fashioned rock candy from a three-story candy store. However, at this point, I was starting to wonder just what these kids thought about NYC as a whole. BBQ and candy as top priorities for a day in NYC? Weird stuff.

At this point, the group was torn on going to explore Times Square or China Town. I really wasn't interested in taking this group to China Town because I wasn't sure they could handle it. One of the females remembered there was a Hello Kitty store in Times Square, so that seemed to be the next biggest priority. Like I said, weird stuff. We hopped on the subway and landed on 42nd St. To my sight, one of the first places I noticed was another Dallas BBQ. Glad we took the two-mile hike to a place that was five blocks from where the bus dropped us off. Goooood times.

As a side note, I don't really "get" Hello Kitty. This girl did, though, as she dropped a good 25 bucks on a hat while her friend dropped a good 15 bucks on a key wallet.

From here the decision was either to visit Madamde Taussade's Wax Museum or Ripley's Believe It or Not. As you may have already figured out via foreshadowing, the wax museum proved too expensive and the weirdness prevailed. I can't even really put to words my experience in Ripley's. It really is a strange place, comprised of strange things, like shrunken heads and exotic neck stretchers and outdated torture devices and a mural made out of 70,000 stamps and a picture made out of dryer lint. The students seemed to most enjoy the "black hole" experience; a room that spins and when you walk through it, it gives you the sensation you're the one spinning and what not. They spent a good 30 minutes here; I looked at some x-rays of weird objects people had swallowed, like a 10-inch long knife.

After this enlightening experience, we bounded through Time Square and surrounding areas looking in shops and such. These students seemed most attracted to the flea market type stores with their cheap souvenirs. We did make one pit stop in a beauty supply store so the group leader could purchase two white styrafoam heads. Yes, you read that correctly. Heads of styrafoam. She proceeded to give them names and personalities as she carried them around for the next three hours. At this point, I wasn't sure I was going to make the rest of the day.

After this weird stop, I wondered what they had planned for dinner, and I felt this was a good time to know since if we were going to sit down at a restaurant, we probably needed to do so soon. To my displeasure, I was informed that dinner was not in the plans. Apparently, the candy they purchased earlier was all they needed to get through the day. At this point, I was quite perturbed as I knew I would be starving come show-time. Unfortunately, I didn't feel I could make a point to eat myself, particularly when I realized most of them had blown all of their money on cheap souvenirs and Hello Kitty gear. I couldn't possibly eat in front of them so I had to suck it up for the remainder of the evening. We spent the rest of our time before the show further exploring the ridiculous stores in Times Square. Oh, and a few of them stopped for frozen custard. Again I was wondering what these kids think of NYC as a whole?

At this time, I was starting to feel that my patience was running out, so I drug them to the theater a little early so they could get to their seats early. I had to stay in the lobby and wait for another teacher's group because I had their tickets. This at least gave me 30 minutes to myself to try to comprehend what they hell I just experienced over the past seven hours.

On a brighter note, Wicked was absolutely amazing and I am glad I did get to see it at a discounted rate. It was hard to focus at times, though, because when you're seated in a theater surrounded by teenie-boppers, you have the pleasure of listening to them whisper to each other or send text messages every 5.8 seconds. The youth of America, clearly a delight.

It was a wickedly weird day for me. I hope for the chance to go to NYC again soon so I can have a normal experience of shopping, dining, and real sites.

Fashionable

2009-02-18T22:19:00.002-05:00

I don't consider myself fashionable and I probably never will. The fact of the matter is it's too much work, in my opinion, to keep up with the latest fashion and most of the time, I wouldn't be caught dead in what's fashionable (probably because fashion is designed for 5'8'' skinny girls and clearly, that's not me). I also prefer sweatpants and a t-shirt to anything else and when appropriate, why not be comfortable?

I noticed lately that a big fad on the college campus right now is the black spandex with Ugg boots combo. I'm glad I'm not a college student anymore. I'm also glad I don't follow the trends because I wouldn't be caught dead in the spandex. Uggs, sure, if I wasn't unemployed and could afford them. But spandex? Not a chance.

Like I said earlier, it's time to join the gym.

Hobbies & Health

2009-02-17T16:29:00.006-05:00

I read an article in the local paper last week about people who are unemployed because they recently lost their jobs. The article mainly discussed how while these individuals are feeling some pressure about not having employment, they have focused their energy into other areas of their lives, like spending more time with family, getting in shape, or taking up new hobbies and interests.

While my situation is somewhat different as I chose to leave my full-time job and am currently choosing to only work part-time, my current situation has given me the opportunity to refocus some of my energy. It has been wonderful to be home for two months. I wasn't quite sure originally that I would feel this way, but I do. I have come to truly appreciate the time I am able to spend with my family. It's nice to be able to get together for things like scrapbooking or game day or a random meal on a weeknight; these small things I think I took somewhat for granted over the past few years and I am trying to not lose sight of that again.

It has also been nice to reconnect with some old friends in the area. I have come to really enjoy trivia nights on Mondays and gathering at the local restaurants over the weekend. It's nice to see familiar faces and relive some old memories and share some laughs in this way.

While I haven't technically taken up any new hobbies, I do focus some energy into my new weekly gatherings for trivia, scrapbooking, and gameday. I don't think the time I've invested into watching Lost can be considered a hobby; rather, sadly, I think it's just an obsession that seeps into my life every week. The only piece missing for me right now is trying to focus more on my health. I don't think I'm necessarily unhealthy, but I am definitely not in the shape I'd like to be in physically and I'm going to challenge myself to do that. I guess it's time to finally join the gym!

Health Class

2009-02-15T10:14:00.002-05:00

On Friday, I had the privilege of substitute teaching for a health class. It was really a delightful experience. Every student who walked into the classroom made a point to say to me, "We don't ever do anything in this class" so I would know not to actually challenge their young impressionable minds. Thankfully, the teacher left some videos on his desk, so I made the students watch the videos.

During the first 11th grade class, I showed a video on addiction; it was somewhat a case study about an adolescent girl's battle with drug addiction. It seemed quite real, particularly her emotions, as she repeatedly used the f-word when lashing out to her mother.

Whoops! I had to pretend I didn't hear the use of the f-word; I mean, I would assume it's inappropriate to use this in a high school class so I pretended it didn't happen.

As the day progressed, the students made a point to tell me they have seen all of the other videos I wanted to show; whether they were lying or not, I didn't actually care. I spent half of the day with these students doing nothing. It seemed like a total waste, but I sure as hell wasn't going to attempt to teach them anything related to health.

Some friends said to me at the end of the day, "Easiest 80 bucks you've ever made, huh?"

Yeah, something like that. Or the biggest waste of my time. Or the longest 7 hours of my life. Days really drag when there's nothing to do. I still am not quite sure why they even brought me in to sub. It seems to me these students would have been better served sitting in study hall during the day, doing nothing. Glorified baby-sitting at its finest. Like I said, delightful.

Lights Out

2009-02-13T15:42:00.004-05:00

Last night, I sat down to watch some news with Charlie Gibson, and a few minutes later, the power went out. First I thought it was just my parents' house and I immediately thought, "Crap. I'm the only one home and I have no idea where a flashlight is, where the candles are, or where the fusebox is." I got up and went to the window, though, and noticed it wasn't just our house, but at least our entire part of town; we had a windy day so I figured there was some power line damage. Thankfully, my mom came home a few minutes later and found the flashlight and lit some candles.

After an hour or so of sitting and staring at the wall, I was starting to get antsy. I called my aunt in the neighboring town and asked if I could come over to watch some tube. You see, Survivor was set to premiere at 8pm and I couldn't take any chances of missing it - you know how much I love Survivor. My aunt was so gracious to allow me to hang out at her place, despite the fact she doesn't typically watch Survivor.

Thankfully, the power didn't remain out much later than 8pm in our part of town. This was good because I would have hated to think about having to bunk up elsewhere for the night. It's just a big inconvenience when that happens. And it's pretty creepy to see a large part of town so dark. I don't know how people lived without electricity.

Pearls of Wisdom

2009-02-12T16:11:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend, I attended an alumni event at Bucknell. I didn't have anything else to do so I figured it would be a chance to reconnect with some people I used to work with who I don't get to see much while I'm there for my part-time job. I wasn't sure I'd see any fellow alumni that I knew, but I'm beyond the point in my life where I need a group involved to go out and do something.

One of the receptions I attended includes some current students. After catching up with some staff members I know, one of them encouraged me to talk with some current students. He said, "Let them pick your brain, Carol. Share your pearls of wisdom."

I immediately laughed. My response was: "Dan, these students don't want to talk to me. They don't want to hear what I have to say. I'm not a Bucknell success story. I'm five years out from graduation, I'm unemployed, and I live with my parents. They don't want to hear that; they want to hear how great life is with a Bucknell degree."

I, of course, find this amusing. This is how I get myself through my current situation. I find ways to laugh about it. If I can laugh, it can't be all that bad, you know?

The truth of the matter is that it really isn't bad at all. Like I've said before, I feel good about my decisions and my choices to take this temporary rest at home. I don't really feel like a failure, but there is sometimes a sense that because I have a Bucknell degree, I should be doing something astonishing with my life. That's what some people think. That's the pressure I sometimes feel as a Bucknell alum.

The way I see it now, though, is that if you're not happy with your life and you're in a position to make some changes so that you can improve your happiness, then you owe it to yourself to take those steps. That's what I've tried to do. Sure, I haven't figured out all of the details yet, but I'm pretty positive I'm on my way to putting the pieces together. Once that happens, then I'll gladly tell Bucknell students how great life is with a Bucknell degree. Until then, though, I'll keep my pearls of wisdom to myself.

Who's miserable?

2009-02-10T21:33:00.003-05:00

According to a recent forbes.com article my former home of Memphis, TN, is the country's second most miserable city; the article cites reasons like violent crime and unemployment.

My rationale for agreement would include the city's ability to suck the life out of you, one day at a time. At least that's how I sometimes felt. I'm glad I'm no longer a Memphis citizen.

Illinois Ave.

2009-02-08T23:18:00.005-05:00

My aunt: "Do you have Monopoly?"
Carol: "The board game?"
My aunt: "Yes."
Carol: "I'm sure it's in the attic somewhere."
My aunt: "Good. Get it and get over here."
Carol: " Ummmm, ok."

I enlisted my dad to help me execute the search for the Monopoly board game. I couldn't recall the last time I actually saw the board game. I mean, 1992 was quite some time ago. But we were able to locate it. Magically, it was only missing a few title deeds to those lame purple properties like St. Charles Place. Nothing a few index cards couldn't fix.

I scurried to my aunt's house where she and cousin Jen were "anxiously" awaiting my arrival. Apparently, I'm not the only one with "nothing better to do." I guess it's better to sit on a chair and play a board game for a few hours on a Sunday than to sit on a couch and stare at a television all afternoon. I got to be the banker. Shocker.

I tried to recall a strategy for being successful at a game of Monopoly, but then it dawned on me that I'm not sure I ever actually finished an entire game when I was a child. It can be a looooong game, you know? I wasn't sure that my friend Sarah and I ever actually finished a game. I apparently played with Sarah a great deal as a child because the names "Carol" and "Sarah" were written on the backs of some of the 100 and 500 dollar bills in funky crayon colors. I don't remember having a friend named Kimber but her name was noted a few times also. After thinking this was a strange occurrence, we started the game.

I moved my "hat" game piece around the board while my aunt's "dog" and Jen's "thimble" did the same. Such a weird idea, now that I think of it.

Per usual, we spent the first few trips around the board buying properties and such. It was evident from the get-go that Jen and I were somewhat picky about the properties we bought while my aunt bought anything possible. Jen was fortunate to land both utilities while my aunt had her stake in the majority of the railroads. I always try for the properties between the second and fourth railroad; my aunt landed all three red properties right in the middle of where I wanted to be, though, and this would prove problematic to my game.

Over time, Jen struggled to really get her money into any substantial properties. She also struggled in collecting any money to advance her game. If you recall, you collect $200 after passing "Go." In an unprecedented four trips in a row, Jen landed on that space where you pay tax or $200 after passing "Go", so she never got to utilize any of that money to her advantage. I swear those were some really strange odds. She actually welcomed a trip to jail because she couldn't lose any money.

I tried to play an even-keel game, but it took me quite some time to earn the necessary properties and make a go of anything.

My aunt, on the other hand, was out for blood from the start. As I noted, she bought up every property she could. She was the first to purchase houses and eventually hotels. At one point, she had 5 hotels and 10 houses on 13 different properties. Jen was first to fall victim to this dominance, when she stumbled upon Illinois Ave for the first time. It was then we remembered that you could mortgage property to get money back from the bank. This was only a temporary solution and it was only a matter of time before Jen was out of the game.

Over time, my aunt's dominance continued. Illinois Ave proved problematic for me as well. This was evident when I landed on a "Chance" square which also sent me right to Illinois Ave. It was then that I had to pay up my first installment of $1100 in rent. This took my bank down to a mere $24. But there was hope that I could fight on and still give my aunt a run for her money.

The only potential reprieve for me came when my aunt had to pay tax on all her properties due to one of those "Community Chest" cards. She forked over a large sum of money to the "Free Parking" space. There was hope again that I could land this cash and continue on.

Not so much. My aunt mopped up that cash shortly after.

Sadly, I landed on neighboring Indiana Ave, and had to face my aunt's wrath once again. I think this was the point I called her a "property whore" or dropped an f-bomb. This was a new element to playing Monopoly, as I don't remember Sarah or I ever cursing at our misfortunes when we were younger.

In all her glory, my aunt destroyed every last property I owned and took me for every last dollar. Who knew Monopoly could be so fun? My aunt apparently did because she rubbed it in my face. I'm still trying to remember if the game was fun as a child, you know, when you quit when you were ahead.

No, seriously, it actually was fun. But definitely more fun for my aunt. It's much more fun to win, right?

I guess that's something.

2009-02-02T19:20:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged much as of late, mostly because I haven't felt like much of what I've been thinking has been worthwhile to share with others. I guess I've spent some time in some sort of funk. To understand, let me catch you up on the past week or so of my life.

I started working about two weeks ago, back at Bucknell. I'm just doing some part time work in their career center. They've invited me on staff basically to help students in one-on-one appointments with a variety of things. Mostly I've helped students with resumes and cover letters. A few times, I've talked students through how to do an internship search. There's a few other types of meetings I can have with students and I'm sure those will filter in soon. It's good work, I guess, for the time being. You would think that helping students with things like resumes and searches would be somewhat inspiring to me, like motivation to get myself in gear and start answering that question of "What am I going to do with my life?" But sadly, I haven't been inspired. I keep thinking that a lot of the things I'd like to get paid to do are areas in which I lack any real experience. And I'm just not ready to figure out how to break through some of these walls. So I haven't made any progress for myself. I have earned a pay check, so I guess that's something.

I went to trivia last Monday, as I've been doing from time to time with some friends. Finally, my team actually won, despite some drama in the final round. You would think this would give me some sense of accomplishment. For being part of the team, maybe. But if I were answering those questions on my own, I wouldn't have a chance. So I'm not sure if I feel good about the victory or pathetic that I don't know much about anything really. It is nice to be a part of a team, so I guess that's something too.

I spent the last four days in bed, with a sinus infection. My mom said it was okay to spend Sunday sick in bed because there was a House marathon on television. Right, like there aren't a million other things I'd rather be doing than being on my death bed watching House. I think this would have only been enjoyable if House had magically come to life in my living room and shot me up with some magic drug that instantly cured what is bound to take the next 7-10 days to filter out of my body. I hate being sick. I really really don't do well with this process. I hate feeling weak. I hate pain that won't go away. It absolutely sucks and I don't deal with it well at all. Once I feel weak, I start to feel miserable. And it was worse this time. All I kept thinking was, "Would I get this sick in a warmer climate?" And then that leads me to hate being in the land of winter, which then reminds me that I'm not where I want to be, and then I get overwhelmed that, like I said earlier, I haven't made any progress figuring out what I want to do with myself. This is a vicious cycle, and it beat me up pretty good over the past few days. Needless to say, I think it's going to take quite some time for me to get back to my 100%. I guess that's a daunting something.

I did watch some more of Lost, I'm almost done with season three. If you know how many episodes there are in the first three seasons, then you are already aware of how asbolutely pathetic it is that I have watched this much television in the last few weeks. But I can't help myself. It's an addicting show. And it's set on an island, and I want to be on an island. It gives me a chance to ponder moving to a warmer climate and living life as a beach bum. That's the possible something I hold on to, a future on a beach.

So these are some of the things keeping me in this strange funk, I guess. Not to mention that today is Groundhog's Day and that stupid rodent saw its damn shadow. This ridiculous tradition of course means there's more winter to come, which is already apparent as it's snowing again. Lovely. I just love every minute of it.

I Hate Winter

2009-01-29T10:00:00.002-05:00

The way I see it, the only people who like snow fit into three categories:
1. Fans of winter outdoor sports, like skiing and snowboarding
2. Students and teachers, when school gets delayed or cancelled
3. People who only get to experience snow like once a year

I fell into category three when I was living in the south. On the rare occassion that it would snow, I didn't really mind because it would snow for a few hours, look pretty while falling or covering the ground, and then disappear a few hours later. Snow never stuck around long enough to get dirty or cause havoc for travel. This snow was appreciated.

Now that I'm back in the north, I am reminded that I hate winter as a whole. For starters, I hate being cold. I would rather be grossly sweating in 105 degree weather with intense humidity than to be slightly cold. Furthermore, I really don't like snow in any capacity. I don't like to hear about its arrival, I don't like to see it, and I definitely don't like to deal with it in terms of shoveling or traveling. It just messes with your day. And when you live in a town where snow removal is a poorly executed operation, it just becomes one giant pain in the ass.

I'm not sure how much more of this I can take.

Beach front property sounds pretty good right now.

Humor in Religion

2009-01-18T23:08:00.005-05:00

Some would call me a sinner for believing that, at times, there is humor in things related to religion, but it's true. I mean, why else would a priest crack a joke or two at the beginning of his weekly homily? Sometimes, you need a good chuckle.

Last night, I accompanied my mom to see some local theater. The play was called "Nuncrackers" and it was a holiday film about some nuns, a priest, and the students they serve in their New Jersey parish. There was obviously a multitude of religion puns and jokes throughout the play. My favorite was the scene where the priest was describing the parish's take on a video game for kids. The game was called "Moral Combat" and it would be used to teach youngsters the ways to live a moral life, particularly through the use of Catholic guilt. I could relate to that. Definitely funny stuff.

After the play, I was thinking about how sometimes there are things related to religion that aren't intended to be funny but make me laugh anyway. For example, on facebook.com, there's that news feed page that tells you what your 'friends' are up to, so you can be an 'internet stalker' without really being an 'internet stalker.' I literally laughed out loud the first time I saw this announcement:

"Jason became a fan of Jesus Christ."

People can also be fans of God. For some reason, I find this announcement humorous. (Not the actual belief of course, just how it's 'news' for 'friends.')

The last example I was only able to experience because I'm back home in the frozen tundra that is Pennsylvania, where last week, the temperature was a high of 6 degrees and it snows every few days. When watching local television, they run the bottom-of-the-screen announcements about school delays and school closings. My favorite announcement for a local school reads:

"Gates of Heaven: Closed."

Clearly, that's funny stuff. God's not working today, he's cold. Come back when it's warmer. Ha.

Twin-Sized Bed

2009-01-15T23:08:00.004-05:00

"You look so defeated lying there in your new twin size bed. With a single pillow underneath your single head. I guess you decided that that old queen holds more space than you would need. Now it's in the alley behind your apartment with a sign that says it's free."
-Death Cab for Cutie

I may have previously noted that moving home meant I had to give up my queen-sized bed and instead sleep on a twin. The fact is, my amazing queen is in a garage, a miserably cold garage sitting useless. It didn't fit. The box spring was too bulky to make the turn on the stairs. I'm still not over it. It takes me a long time to deal with some things.

I tried to ignore my feelings about sleeping on a twin for the past few weeks. I really did. But it's not just the constant fetal position that is bothersome. It's also the feeling that I'm still in college. In college, I slept in dorms on a twin, and I came home and slept in my old bedroom on a twin, the same twin I am using now. It didn't bother me then. I didn't know any better. But for the past five plus years, I've been fortunate to have a gigantic comfortable queen. Now, sleeping on this twin brings a feeling of having taken a step backwards. Or something. I don't know. I know it's not really a big deal. I mean, I have a bed. Shouldn't that be enough?

There are really only two options for comfortable use of a twin. The first is the fetal position, already mentioned. The second is the straight-as-a-board, down-the-middle position. Anything other than this and you're overboard, feet off the edge, arms touching the ground. And not to mention the pillows. I mean, two pillows don't last on a twin. One always ends up on the floor. It's like, why even bother?

This week, I watched 24 episodes of Lost, the first season. I viewed on my laptop while sitting on my bed. You do the math. I basically spent an entire day stuck on my twin being sucked into this television show. I couldn't sprawl out. I couldn't move around. I just sat there, mesmerized and uncomfortable.

But this is the price I must pay. I guess it's a better price than paying for rent or paying for cable.

Small Moral Victories

2009-01-12T23:21:00.002-05:00

Small moral victories come in a variety of situations.

For example, let's say it's a random Saturday and you're forced to go to a work function and you're not really enthused about it. To make matters worse, let's say you're feeling ugly, fat, and generally unattractive. Going out in public is the last thing you want to do. But it's "work" and rather than lie about some battle with food poisoning, you suck it up and attend anyway. Somehow in this endeavor, fate steps in and you run into someone you haven't seen in quite some time, someone you find attractive, someone you may have wanted to date in some previous life stage. Maybe later in the evening, you end up spending some quality time with this individual, and lo and behold, he actually finds you attractive. You start to feel pretty good about yourself and are glad the night ended up the way it did. This is a small moral victory.

That's actually a pretty quality example of a small moral victory.

Today's small moral victory isn't quite as exciting but perhaps just as vital in its own way.

Today marks three full weeks that I've been back in Mount Carmel and living at home. And since 2005, this is the longest I've been home in one setting. I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with myself. There hasn't been a breakdown of "Oh God, what have I don with myself?" or "Really, I'm still here" or "Oh sweet mercy, get me out of here!" I've often felt these things in the past on trips home, much shorter trips. So it's been nice that I've lasted longer and feel pretty good about myself and this situation. My down time has been relaxing. I'm entering the phase of pretty heavy reflection, trying to let go of some anger and bitterness I've carried with me, as I move on with my life. I still have some steps to take, but it has definitely been worth it so far. I feel pretty good about myself. And I think given the situation, this is definitely a small moral victory for my self-esteem.

Tomato Soup

2009-01-11T23:30:00.002-05:00

Carol: "Dad, what did you think of my tomato soup?"
Dad: "It was too tomato-ey."
Carol stares at Dad with puzzled look on her face.

Honestly, this conversation occurred four days ago.
I still don't even know what to say about it.

Cheez Whiz Death Stare

2009-01-08T16:49:00.002-05:00

Joe: "Do we have any sour cream for my baked potato?"
Mom: "No, Carol used it for the hashbrown casserole the other night."
Carol: "Why don't you throw some Cheez Whiz on there? I saw we had some."
Mom stares at Carol with big eyes, shocked at this suggestion, wishing death upon her for said thought.
Mom: "The Cheez Whiz is for cheesesteaks. Nothing else."

This was a conversation we had at the dinner table the other day. And the look my mom gave me is now referred to as the "Cheez Whiz Death Stare." Honestly, you would have thought I was asking her to sacrifice her only son. She was pissed at this suggestion. I didn't know you could only use Cheez Whiz on cheesesteaks. I really thought it had other functions. This brings us to our next rule:

Rule #3. Cheez Whiz is only to be used on cheesesteaks. Any other use is considered ludricrous and you will receive the Cheez Whiz Death Stare at such a suggestion.

January Friend of the Month

2009-01-08T16:43:00.002-05:00

While I know we're only 8 days deep into a new month (and a new year), cousin Jen is definitely January's winner for Friend of the Month. She humors my madness and that's always appreciated. Let's just say Jen was kind enough to spend the afternoon with me doing perhaps one of the most random things in my life. I'd tell you about it, but then I'd have to kill you.

No! Really? It can't be!

2009-01-07T17:17:00.003-05:00

When I decided to resign from my job, I made a point to tell my students of my decision. I felt they deserved to hear the news from me directly rather than through the grapevine. It's hard to control this type of news once you tell one person, and I thought I was able to share the news with most of them before they heard it from someone else.

When I met with one of my teams, a small group of women, I made a point to tell them that I was not leaving my job because of some unexpected, unplanned pregnancy. I repeated to them, "I am not pregnant." I had anticipated that some people would think this because to some my decision to leave seemed sudden. Some people couldn't understand why I would up and leave in the middle of an academic year. "Well, Carol clearly must be pregnant. Why else would she leave now? Right?"

No, actually, quite wrong.

I repeat. I am not pregnant. I never have been. I think I would know if this is the case.

You may ask why I bring this up now . Well, I talked to my friend Bridget yesterday. She told me that she spoke with a woman who works in another office on campus; this woman thought I left because I was pregnant. Thankfully, Bridget dispelled the rumor. I anticipated this would happen, which is why I made it a point to tell my students I wasn't planning for a baby all those weeks ago.

Unfortunately for the gossip hounds, there's no scandal here. I wasn't attacked on some random street corner in Memphis. No one pulled a gun on me. I wasn't robbed or mugged. I didn't sleep with any students. I'm not running away from someone. And I'm certainly not pregnant.

I'm basically just a 27-year-old trying to find a job that allows me to have the life I want in a place I love. Why is that so hard to understand? Why do people always want there to be some drama?

It's Laundry Time

2009-01-07T11:10:00.004-05:00

Rule #2. When necessary, assist with the family's laundry.
A. When the dryer door is open, fold the clothes in the dryer.
B. When the washer lid and the dryer door is open, move clothes from washer to dryer, run dryer, then fold clothes.

This is how my mom communicates that she wants help with the laundry. I don't really mind these rules. The least I can do is help out here. I mean, she does the laundry. I offered to do my own, but she just won't allow it. She has a system, and you cannot mess with her system!

I'm 27, living at home, and my mom's doing my laundry.
Pathetic? Fantastic? You can decide what you think about that.

Drive for a license, license to drive

2009-01-06T23:22:00.004-05:00

Today, my dad and I took a short road trip so I could swap out my Tennessee Driver's License for a new Pennsylvania one! I'm no longer the recipient of a southern state license. How liberating!

Some of my city friends might be surprised that I had to drive 20 miles to go to a driver's license center. The closest one is really about 8 miles away, however, it serves such a small area that it's only open to perform these transactions on Fridays. I had to move on this so we decided it would be worth the trip of a few more miles. The small town perk here is that it only took about 30 minutes to complete this process, not like in Memphis where it could take practically a whole day.

As Dad and I drove along, we discussed how some areas of central PA are somehwat odd. Like in all honesty, I know Mount Carmel is a unique place and many people find it particularly strange, but sometimes the deeper you drive into the coal region, the weirder life becomes. Mount Carmel might be strange, but it's definitely a lot better than... well, let's just leave these other towns nameless so as to not hurt anyone's feelings.

Honey, Do Your Chores!

2009-01-06T10:58:00.009-05:00

This is a picture of a note I woke up to one day last week. My mom taped it to the computer because she knows I can't go a whole day without checking my email and surfing the internet. She really needed me to see it. Molto importante! It read:

"Carol, Sweeper needs to be run in your room, then brought downstairs and run in both rooms. Thanks, Mom."

If I had the nerve, I would have left Mom a note in response. It would have read:

"Mom, Sorry I missed the memo to run the vacuum in my bedroom. I mean, I obviously didn't get the hint when you put the vacuum right by my door for two days and then so kindly placed it in my bedroom so that I would trip over it. Clearly, I didn't get the message. Or maybe, I didn't see a need for the vacuum to be run, you know, since this isn't a skill I've developed yet in my life, even when I was living on my own for the past ten years. So glad to be home, Carol."

So that would have been mean, right? I couldn't have possibly left that note for my mom, though I sure did want to. I'm not an idiot. I know when vacuums should be utilized. But this isn't my house or my independent life anymore. I am a mooch, and by default, I must follow certain rules. My mom sure does have a lot of rules, and this was definitely my first lesson in learning how to successfully navigate my new life.

Rule #1. When Mom says to run the vacuum, run the vacuum.
A. In fact, run the vacuum every day, especially in the living room, because one crumb or piece of lint on the floor is unacceptable living.

Unemployment Shout Out

2009-01-05T13:19:00.002-05:00

It's my first "official" day of unemployment. You may be questioning how I am clarifying this as "official" and the answer is simple: I am not back to work, and everyone else is!

Had I not resigned from my job at the end of December, today would have been the day I returned to work, thus ending my holiday vacation. I am 100% thrilled to death that I am not working today. It's actually quite amazing. It's even more amazing because I am still technically on vacation - no part time work has started just yet!

It seems appropriate that on this day, I give a shout out to one of my favorite online videos, from the collection of Odd Todd. Some of my friends have seem this previously, while others have not. If it's not your first time, I hope you enjoy it as if it was. If it is your first time, welcome to this world! Here is the link: http://oddtodd.com/index2.html

I'm off to find something to do. Holler.

Bucknell-Mount Carmel Connection

2008-12-31T11:03:00.002-05:00

I feel extremely fortunate to have some really great friends, who like me, were raised in Mount Carmel and able to attend Bucknell for college. While at Bucknell, it was always comforting to have a few friends who could understand how I was trying to navigate my way through the Bucknell world while holding onto my coal region roots. This could be a whole dissertation by itself, but the point here is that I'm glad I had people in my life who crossed worlds.

Huge shout out to my friend Laraine who falls into this category in my life. Laraine and I were involved in a lot of the same things in high school and in college. We even earned the same type of master's degree so we could pursue working in student affairs at the college level. You could say that our roots were influential in the paths we chose as we grew older and approached "the real world."

I invited Laraine to Lewisburg last night for dinner and a Bucknell basketball game as a way for us to catch up while she's visiting family over the holidays. She lives on the west coast so I don't often see her very much. In the car ride to Lewisburg we discovered that our professional lives had similar trajectories over the past three years. While I won't rehash the gory details of some of the drama-ridden and tragic moments of our very first careers, I will say that I think we were both comforted by the fact that the other "understood" in a way that perhaps others in our lives can't really relate to. I don't use the word empathize often because it really is hard to sometimes walk in another person's shoes, but I think in this case, empathy applies.

Spending time with a friend who crosses over two worlds allows for two very special circumstances. Obviously, we get to discuss our personal lives, provide updates, ponder future endeavors, etc. But just as important, we get to discuss the other people in our lives. Laraine always gives me some good updates on friends from home and college who she keeps in touch with, people that I still do care about but who aren't part of my daily network, and I get to do the same. The point here isn't to gossip, but to generally know about how others are doing.

And once we pass through all of that insight, we often fall back into serious reminiscing about some of the really great times we had. This is also helped when we run into Bucknell staff members that we used to work with, who remind us of some very special moments in our lives.

We rehashed many memories. Many enjoyable, laughter-driven memories. I'm still smiling, thinking about how often we shared such great moments. I'm still smiling, knowing how truly blessed we were to share such an amazing college experience. I'm still smiling, feeling empowered by my Bucknell years. It is such a phenomenal place. Seriously. I'm so glad to have the opportunity to go back there and feel these feelings and share them with people who mean a great deal to me. I wouldn't trade that for anything.

Bargain $hopping

2008-12-30T23:32:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite things about Pennsylvania (I know, there are a lot of things to choose from) is the fact that there is no sales tax on clothing. I repeat, no sales tax on clothing. Some people find this hard to believe so I wanted to make my point clear.

I absolutely love this. Seriously. It's incredible, especially when things are on sale.

Today, Mom and I went to the outlets in Hershey, PA (home of Chocolate World... magical place). I'm not the biggest fan of these outlets, but they are Mom's hot spot and I had to give in a little since I gave her such a hard time about the bright fuschia puffy vest. I returned the vest today. Thank Jesus. That debacle is in the past.

The great thing about clothing sales in PA is that if something is on sale for say $9.99 and you give the cashier a $10 bill, the cashier will actually give you one penny as change. Phenomenal. Not like in other states where you have to whip out $11.00 to accomodate for some ridiculous tax and then deal with random amounts of change that just weigh down your tiny wallet. Just a penny. Just a penny.

It's the small things really.

I know, I know. You're probably thinking: "Carol, how are unemployed people able to spend a day outlet shopping?" Good question. I'm not really sure I even understand how I pulled it off, but I did. I got some great deals. I'm also proud to report that I stayed true to myself and bought mostly clothes in shades of earth tones. No flashy 80s-style colors for this gal. I feel pretty good about myself actually.

Family Ties

2008-12-29T23:15:00.005-05:00

Dad: "Your mother and I are leaving now. Your grandmother will probably call at some point for a ride home from Aunt Flo's, in case you're home."
Carol: "OK."

Gram did in fact call for a ride. Thankfully, I anticipated this family request due to my dad's anticipation so I was ready in case the call came in.

When Gram did call, I eagerly told her I could pick up her and my aunt and bring them home. No problemo, really. Only, I couldn't find the keys to mom's car. I couldn't find the keys because my parents so kindly took my mom's car with them. Sadly, my car is too high for my gram and aunt to climb into - little Italian women have little legs. I needed a Plan B.

I drove out to Aunt Flo's, parked my car, got the keys to Aunt Flo's car, drove my gram and aunt home in Aunt Flo's car, drove back to Aunt Flo's, dropped off her car and keys, got back in my car, and drove myself home.

No, seriously. This is what I did. This is what people do apparently when their father anticipates a grandmother calling for a ride home and then taking the only car able to sucessfully complete this family transaction. That's some high quality family improv if you ask me.

A tug at the gut...

2008-12-28T22:34:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, I hear something or read something that really strikes a chord with how I am feeling at a particular moment. Friends tell me that I am sometimes really good with finding the words to capture what I'm thinking or how I'm feeling, but the truth is, I often feel that musicians and screenwriters are able to do that much better than I am. Maybe that's why I like quotes so much and like to share quotes with others.

Tonight, I went to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Towards the end of the film, Brad Pitt's character Benjamin spoke these words in a voice over:

“...What I think is, it’s never too late...or, in my case, too early, to be whoever you want to be...There’s no time limit, start anytime you want...change or stay the same...there aren’t any rules...We can make the best or worst of it...I hope you make the best...I hope you see things that startle you. Feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you challenge yourself. I hope you stumble, and pick yourself up. I hope you live the life you wanted to...and if you haven’t, I hope you start all over again.”

These words hit me right in the gut as I watched the film, and I couldn't help but feel moved by them. Obviously, I just took the time to find the actual quote online so I wouldn't have to resort to paraphrasing. It's amazing to me how much these words sum up how I've been feeling over the past eight weeks or so.

Trying to decide who it is I want to be in the next stage of my life. Thinking about what I like about myself that I want to hold on to, while at the same time figuring out what is it I want to let go of in order to grow. Deciphering how to enjoy each moment and not get aggravated or annoyed by meaningless moments. Looking for new opportunities to spend time with people I typically wouldn't or to do things I normally wouldn't want to partake in. Taking chances with people and situations I would have avoided in the past for fear of how things would turn out. Feeling like I made a mistake one moment but realizing I didn't the next.

It's all so poetic really. Trying to find the life I want, the life I need, to finally feel the contentment I so strongly desire.

To Lie or Not To Lie?

2008-12-27T14:16:00.003-05:00

I'm a big believer of honesty. Brutal honesty in fact. Why lie? I can only think of a few situations in which lying is acceptable behavior. Christmas is not a time for lies.

When you open a Christmas gift that you really don't like, how do you react? Do you pretend to like it? Do you lie about how nice it is or how much you will enjoy it? Or do you just lay it out there that you don't like it and you wouldn't be caught dead keeping it?

As you can imagine, I received a gift that I did not like. God bless my mom, she sure does try hard. She thought I would like a new puffy vest. As you may know, I have four of them and I am a big fan of this attire, so she was on the right track. However, she opted for the bright fuschia puffy vest. Um, hell no, I believe was my reaction. So obviously, I went for brutal honesty here and I hurt her feelings. No one wants their feelings hurt during the holidays but I just couldn't bring myself to lie about liking this vest. I honestly wouldn't be caught dead in it.

I've taken a lot of grief for this reaction and for my honesty. I've also taken a lot of grief for the fact that I am a big fan of earth tones in my clothing. I'm sorry if I don't like 80s-colored shirts and vests; I'd rather be in shades of gray, brown and black. Sue me. I don't tell other people how to dress and I know what I like, so why apologize for who I am?

Midnight isn't always midnight.

2008-12-26T11:19:00.003-05:00

Coleman: "I'm gonna go to Midnight Mass."
Carol: "Is it at midnight?"
Colemam: "Well, yeah, by definition."
Carol: "Ours is at 9pm."

Christmas Eve for my family is pretty low key. We usually got to Midnight Mass, though in recent years, this has occurred at 9pm. I haven't been big on Mass in the past few years, which most of my friends and family know. I'm still wrestling with some fundamental issues with my faith and so I chose not to attend Mass on a regular basis.

I do like Christmas Mass though, especially at my parents' church because the priest usually cracks a joke to begin his homily and he actually gives a good talk on something that I can usually relate to. Sometimes, though, my mind wanders during the homily and I find myself thinking of strange things. Like this time, I was trying to figure out how many times my dad has sat through the same Catholic Mass. He's going to be 60 next year and he has generally never missed a Mass. So you can guesstimate that he's attended Mass about 60 times a year (each week plus holy days) for 60 years, that's roughly 3600 Masses. But then he'll tell you that as a child growing up he went to Mass every day, so that's even more. That's a pretty serious number. That's some pretty serious faith. I can't imagine doing anything that many times.

... and I'm Way Way Tired.

2008-12-23T11:41:00.002-05:00

We landed in Mount Carmel around 1:30pm. Thankfully, we made it safely without any issues. Traffic was heavy for the entire ride, and I'll be happy if I don't have to do much interstate driving for a while. It gets pretty boring after 16 hours in the same position. I really don't know how truckers do that day in and day out.

My friend Brandon also gets to be recognized as Friend of the Month because he so graciously helped my dad and I unpack all of my crap. This was in some ways more daunting because it was roughly 19 degrees and windy, which made for absolutely freezing conditions for this endeavor. It didn't take very long, though, to drop most of my stuff at my grandmother's garage.

I've been convinced since I made this decision that I would be home living with the family and sleeping on a twin-sized bed. A nice kick to the ego, if you ask me, since I have one of the greatest beds ever made. My dad, however, seemed convinced that my queen-sized bed would fit into my brother's old room. After looking around, I was convinced too that the bed would fit in the room.... that is, if you can get it up the stairs.

As you can guess, my ego remains deflated, as the box spring and mattress were too big to make the turn to get up the stairs. My wonderful bed is back at my grandmother's, sitting in a cold
lonely garage. Very sad moment for me, I must tell you. I had my hopes up to sleep in a real bed, now I must succomb to sleeping in the fetal position on a twin. Depressing.

As appropriate for one's first night back in Mount Carmel, I joined my brother and some friends for a round of trivia at a local dive bar, located one block from my parents' house. We tied for second, which is really just annoying. I mean, let's be honest, I could have used the prize money to assist in my current unemployment. But more importantly, I don't think anyone else in the bar had near the intelligence of my group, so that fact that we lost was just another small blow to my ego.

I came home and slept on the couch. I wasn't ready for the twin-sized bed. That would have just been too much for one day.

It's A Long Long Drive...

2008-12-21T20:45:00.005-05:00

It's a long, long drive from Memphis to Mount Carmel.

Dad and I set out earlier today at 7:00am, and we drove until about 6:00pm. For our first stop, we halted 80 miles into the trip in Jackson, TN, for a Dunkin Donuts breakfast. That's a good way to start any day, in my opinion, but an even better way to start a day full of staring at asphalt.

Generally speaking, interstate driving is boring. However, there is sometimes the occassional Bible Belt bumper sticker to entertain me or the occassional confederate flag-bearer with gun rack to scare me. This drive proved a bit more challenging because my dad was following in the moving truck, which can only cruise around 70 miles per hour.

My friend Bridget hooked me up with some high quality mixed CDs. Luckily, Bridget was a teenager in the 80s so "mixed tapes" are somewhat her speciality. This kept me interested in the drive because I never knew what song was coming next.

About 420 miles into the trip, I was starting to feel a bit tired. So I thought eating some trail mix one peanut or m&m at a time would keep me energized or at least awake. It's nice of Planters to make bags of food with the easy tear off strips. It's not nice of Planters when you tear off the strip and the bag still doesn't open. I wrestled with this stupid bag of trail mix for 10 minutes, trying aimlessly to rip the bag apart at the fancy resealable opening while trying not to wreck the car. After this struggle, I was about to lose my mind so I found a pen and stabbed a giant hole in the bag right near the Mr. Peanut. Take that, trail mix! That made me feel better. Then I proceeded to eat 4 of the 5 servings in the next 30 minutes. That didn't make me feel better.

We stopped for gas when we finally crossed into Virginia, and then proceeded to Roanoke where we settled in for the night. Thankfully, we were able to get a good dinner at a Cracker Barrell and stay in a Holiday Inn Express, where they have free internet and breakfast. Always a plus. And in case you're really tired from your travels, they even tell you which pillow you might want to use. You know, in case you weren't functional enough to figure this out on your own.

Pack It Up

2008-12-21T20:29:00.005-05:00

Saturday was packing day, and I don't mean packing things into boxes; rather, I mean packing the moving truck and my car. From previous posts, you should know by now that I have a lot of stuff and this was a dauting ordeal.

My dad is probably sick of moving my stuff up and down stairs at this point in my life, but luckily he was up for the challange. Thankfully, he had the help of my friend Sebastian who gets the award for Friend of the Month. Seriously, Sebastian's put up with a lot of my personal crap over the two years that we've been friends, so the fact that he masterfully skilled the packing operation with my dad is a huge deal to me. This is a photo of us in the van after he made me climb like a monkey onto the stuff behind us so we could tie down some things with a rope.

Sebastian takes a lot of pride in doing things well, and moving heavy furniture and throwing boxes in crazy places in a truck are two more things he obviously takes a lot of pride in. My dad says he should work part time as a mover. Women would probably tip him well because of his sexy accent.

The packing went smoothly and much quicker than we originally anticipated. I'd like to think the ease of this operation had something to do with my great box-packing skills, but I don't really think that's the case. I'm just glad I had the help I did. I mean, this is the truck with 95% of my stuff in it. That's a pretty serious operation.

The amount of boxes grew three sizes that day

2008-12-20T00:33:00.002-05:00

New adventures are never dull.

I've never made a move with furniture, probably because I didn't own any until I moved to Memphis. So this move home requires a moving truck, and Budget offered me a pretty good deal. Dad and I went to pick up the moving truck earlier today. To our amazement, the office for Budget was located inside a SuperLo grocery store, which is just sketchy. It would have been nice to know that rather than wandering aimlessly around a parking lot trying to find the building.

The shoe-box sized Budget office was staffed by two women. The first was a 30-something typical American (whatever that means). The second was a 60-something crazy person. For starters, she had a wacked out accent I couldn't place which frustates me. It was some combination of southern and something, and it was pretty odd. She was also wearing a turtleneck under a green Christmas sweater over a pair of leggings. She had 80s-style frizzy big hair. She had no make up on her forehead, which was the color of my skin in December, but from her eyes down, she had on plenty of make up, so much that the color of this skin was like mine in August. Basically, she had two different faces. Creepy!

After all the hullabaloo over liability, insurance, paperwork, vehicle damage, etc., crazy face woman told us that Homeland Security requires anyone driving a van to stop at the first weigh station in every state. I've never stopped at a weigh station. This will be interesting. I guess we can't horde any illegal items across the state border. Crap. Now what am I going to do with all of my...???

After a few hours of finishing up at work, I came home to finish packing with my dad. I really do have a shit-ton of stuff, as I alluded to a few days ago. I guess I am more materialistic than I realized. Pretty crazy. I am 99% packed. My dad, who's amazing, took apart my furniture and helped me finish packing my valuables. I did the last load of laundry I will do for a while. The amount of boxes tripled today and my legs are already burning thinking about the numerous trips to the truck I'll have to make with my various possessions. Tomorrow is moving day. Very exciting stuff.

Unemployment

2008-12-20T00:14:00.002-05:00

It's official. I am unemployed!

And we're in a recession, and jobs are being cut, and holy smokes, I'm unemployed!

It is actually amazing, but I'll resist from more exclamation points. The truth is people have mixed reactions when I tell them I decided to resign from my job without having a new one lined up and I am looking forward to being unemployed.

Skeptics:
"In this economy?"
"What do you mean you don't have a new job?"
"Why would you quit your job if you didn't have a new one?"

Envious:
"You're going to do whatever you want for however long you want. I wish I could do that."
"I wish I didn't have to work."
"I hate my job, but I need the money."

Dreamers:
"Wow."
"Good for you."
"I hope you find what you're looking for."

I like currently being a dreamer. I honestly think I've put in more than enough time lately and I deserve to do this for myself. I'm taking a sabbatical. My friend Coleman doesn't believe I can appropriately call this life phase a sabbatical; "You haven't worked for seven years," he says. I beg to differ. The way I see it, I've been working my ass off since September 1999, when I started college and haven't stopped since. Sometimes, a break is necessary. Some people take a mental health day once a month. I'm taking an open-ended break from the working world.

I'm going to use this time to dream, explore, reflect, and regroup.

Unemployment might be scary to some people, and I recognize my fortune in having a family who is willing to support me so I can take the time to grow and "figure it all out." It's only scary if you let it be scary, and I don't plan to let that happen. I plan to take each day one day at a time and see what happens.

Embrace the question mark. It is your friend.

This is what counts.

2008-12-18T23:31:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is my last day of work as an Athletic Academic Counselor, and I do feel that I gave the position a pretty good run. 3.5 years. 7 semesters. 250 nights of study hall. 200 students I directly worked with in some fashion. That's a pretty serious inventory, estimations of course, but pretty serious nonetheless.

The funny thing about this chapter of my life coming to a close is that the numbers don't really mean much. It doesn't mean much that I often worked 55-hour weeks. It doesn't mean much that I created multiple spreadsheets to be an organized freak. It doesn't mean much that I created 25 lesson plans for a course to teach. These "countables" aren't what matters or what I take away from this experience.

What I've come to appreciate is that there ARE students, a pretty special group, that really have meant a lot to my life, and I do think they would say the same about me. A good deal of them took time in the past few weeks to spend time with me and actually talk to me about my life and my future and my next step. It's usually the other way around, so it was nice to see this reciprocity. That means something. It means there was a give-and-take in the relationship for both sides, mutually beneficial in a variety of ways.

Work in education is often thankless. There's not a great deal of understanding or appreciation from the larger world of the energy educators invest in other people. Educators don't go to work on a daily basis so people can say to them "Hey, I appreciate you" or "Thanks so much for what you did." But in the small instances when you do hear those words or read those words, the feeling is absolutely enjoyable. It's hard not to feel good.

One of the teams I work with has really treated me as one of their own over the past few years, appreciating me for who I am and allowing me to be an integral role in their program. The fact is I didn't always feel that what I did was integral; rather, I always felt that I was just trying to do for them what I would have wanted someone to do for me. Basically, I just tried to care about who they were as individuals and who they were trying to be as a collective. I just tried to be understanding and supportive in any way I could, and I was blessed to have that same understanding and support from them. It means a lot to me to have received the following written words: our program "is better for the time you spent with us."

That's truly remarkable to me, to have someone think this highly of the energy I invested, the time I spent, and the effort I gave. This is what will live on with me when I think back on this experience and this chapter of my life. This is what matters. This is what counts.

Loud Clapper and Rubber Boy

2008-12-17T21:27:00.004-05:00

Last Friday, two of my students invited me to watch the Bulls play the Grizzlies. Knowing this was probably my last chance to spend time with them and my last chance to see an NBA game, I decided to join in for the adventure. I am so glad I did.

For starters, we sat next to this crazy 60-year-old woman who could be considered a die-hard Grizzlies fan. I didn't even know there could be such a thing as the Grizzlies tend to suck, but she was pretty intense. About 5 minutes into the game, she said to us, "Are you going to talk the whole time or are you actually going to watch the game?" Excuse me, lady, I didn't know anyone actually cared what happened at a Grizzlies game. I mean, they used to be the worst team in the nation, how intense could it be?

This was the moment I noticed her bright maroon velour pants. Obviously, this was humorous. You can kinda see them in this photo, behind my hair.

We also noticed she was a loud clapper. Seriously. She clapped so loud, she could have been heard over the drilling I hear in my office every day. It was obnoxious. Loud, booming clapping. Again, I never knew there could be such a thing. One of the students noted, "I think she has mental problems." I think he was on to something there.

The second great part of this experience was the halftime entertainment, Rubber Boy. A man who is double jointed throughout his whole body is just plain creepy. Dude came out in a box and then widdled his body into strange concoctions. The best is shown in this photo, where his feet are over his head. I was lucky to get this photo before dude kissed his own ass. It's true. It was disgusting. Or maybe it was unbelievable. I dunno.

The whole experience was pretty wacko, but I am so glad to have shared in it. Honestly, you can't plan for these things to happen. Life is better when other people do weird shit and you get to be an observer. Reminds me of college, actually.

Packages, boxes, and bags

2008-12-15T00:25:00.005-05:00

Today I began the arduous task of packing my life into boxes. It's finally my last week in Memphis so it's time to get everything sorted and packed. I began my packing focus today with the items I tend not to use on a regular basis or things that I wouldn't need throughout the week. As evident in this photo, I have a shit-ton of stuff.

In essence, every item put in these boxes is an item that I don't actually "need" in the truest sense of the word. Books, movies, photo frames, crock pots, food processors, fake flowers... not one of these items is a critical component to my health or well-being or daily existence. Yet, I find reasons to keep each item because of sentimental value or for help in the kitchen. These are items that I have convinced myself I "need" in order to make my life better, but in actuality, I could live a healthy and happy life without them.

The bigger task will come in a few days when my dad and I have to drag all of this stuff into a moving van and then drive it home to PA. Most of this stuff includes items I have accumulated in the past 4 years, but some of it dates back to college and grad school. It makes me wonder how much of this will be with me five years from now. Will I still need all of these things in the future to have the life I want?

Law of Averages

2008-12-11T23:36:00.003-05:00

In the last few weeks, there has been a few moments at work where I consciously think to myself, "This is just one of the many reasons I don't want to do my job anymore."

Today's moment came when a graduating senior, who has created his own degree in construction management through a variety of math, physics, and engineering technology courses, said to me:

"Carol, I don't understand how I got a B+ in my communication class. My test scores were 90, 85, and 75, and I got a B on my paper."

Hmmmmmmmmm... really?

You really think this averages out to be 90 or higher?!?! Honestly?!?

Even after I showed him the math and explained to him how averages work in two different ways, he still didn't get it. Still not convinced. The math does not lie, my friend.

God help us if this individual is actually going to construct buildings in the future. I mean, honestly. But he's graduating in two days and that is pretty amazing. Really. A-mazing.

Christmas Sweaters

2008-12-11T23:31:00.002-05:00

My friend Tia and I also talked about Christmas sweaters today because we were at a holiday party and there was some Christmas attire being worn.

We decided that holiday ties are appropriate for men as long as they are not too flashy and over the top, i.e., they don't light up or play music. And they are also appropriate when worn with a long-sleeve button down. No tie is appropriate when worn with a short-sleeve button down on a man. It's just as bad a look as inappropriately short khaki shorts that men in the south seem to love.

We decided that sweaters dawned in Christmas elements are really just plain tacky. We vowed to never wear them. We also decided that Christmas sweaters worn over a Christmas turtleneck is even more tacky than either item by itself.

In essence, Christmas sweaters are generally inappropriate and we don't like them. We sure do like to make fun of them, though, and they will always serve this purpose.

Awkward Hugs

2008-12-11T23:22:00.002-05:00

My friend Tia today said, "I love to watch awkward hugs."

This was in response to an awkward hug I received at a work function today. This person I know at work, who I believe to be one of the most uncaring, cold, and bitter individuals I have ever met, felt it necessary to give me a hug to say goodbye. This wasn't just any hug, mind you. See I went in for the casual one arm "gee, thanks" type of hug that usually lasts about 1.8 seconds. This person went in the for full two-arm sucking-the-life-out-of-you hug and it lasted an unbearable 8 full seconds. All the time I was thinking, "Oh God, help me. This is so fake. Oh God, make it end. Please now." It was brutally awkward. I still feel kind of weird about the whole thing. Really, I do.

And by the way, the word "awkward" is really awkward.

Meet Me in St. Louis

2008-12-07T23:16:00.009-05:00

I spent some time this weekend in St. Louis with my friend, Kate, and I had an absolute blast! Kate and I had a great time catching up on life's happenings while enjoying the city. I have been to St. Louis a few times, but only really experienced the Budweiser tour, Cardinals vs. Phillies games, the Arch, and the riverfront. This time, I saw an entirely new area of the city, thanks to Kate, and it was great fun.

We spent some time exploring Wash U (Kate's alma mater and current employer), wandering the shops in the Loop, eating Ted Drewes custard, touring Schlafly Bottleworks, and enjoying the night life in Blueberry Hill. In essence, I got to experience an entirely new St. Louis. I absolutely love this. I love playing tourist and seeing the sites that everyone knows about, but I also love touring a friend's city, and seeing his or her favorite places - Kate was a great tour guide and I really enjoyed everything we saw and experienced.

The trip also helps give me some reference on what I am looking for in a future home, after my upcoming stop with my family. Each new place I see or hear about via a friend gives me more to consider in terms of what I am looking for in a new city or town and what that might mean for my quality of life. This information is certainly valuable.

Each experience I have, though, usually has some unpredictable moment. For Kate and I, this came during our taste-testing after our tour at Schafly Bottleworks. One of the other tourists asked the guide to sample only the foam of the beer. Honestly, he said, "I'd like just the foam" and the guide kindly complied with his request. Twice. I may not be a beer conossieur, but I've been around enough alcohol in my day to know this is behavior that can be considered quite odd.

Makes for an interesting story in an excellent weekend. Thanks, Kate!

Christmas Tradition

2008-12-02T20:29:00.006-05:00

I am not a person who gets all crazy over Christmas. Mostly, I feel overwhelmed by the madness, chaos, and overcommercialization that many people have allowed Christmas to become. My family has tried to keep things simple in recent years and I do appreciate that. I do tend to like some Christmas traditions, like baking/eating certain types of cookies that only come around once a year. Some traditions, like my family's use of "the pink chair" for gift opening, are slightly odd. There remains one tradition, though, that does hold a special meaning for me.

My mom has this calendar, which she purchased from Avon at some point in the 80s. We kindly refer to it as "the mouse calendar" because there is a little mouse that you move from day to day as you count down to Christmas. You can see the mouse on today's date. Yes, the mouse has a bowtie, it's fantastic.

Every year since I can remember, my brother and I battled to be the first one down the stairs in the morning to "change the mouse"; only when both Joe and I were in college did my mom and dad ever actually participate in this activity.

Some mornings, Joe and I would race each other down the stairs, push each other if necessary, so we could have the chance to move the mouse. For the past twenty-some years, including last year, we kept this tradition alive in our parents' house. It's just too much fun so we keep doing it.

At some point last year there was some debate between Joe, my mom, and I about the mouse calendar; I honestly don't remember, but I'm assuming there was some discussion about who would get the mouse calendar in the future - one of us should have it I guess was the thought.

My savvy mom, who is learning the ways of technology, to my utter shock and surprise, was able to successfully get on eBay and bid on two of these calendars. My brother and I each received our very own mouse calendar on the day after Thanksgiving. I think Joe was embarrassed to be giddy about this small, yet appropriately thoughtful gesture by our mother, but I was absolutely ecstatic. Sure, there's no one to battle in the morning to be the one to move the mouse like there was in previous years, but each morning for the 24 days before Christmas, I get to wake up, move the mouse myself, and think about my brother and my family and how blessed I am. You see, that's what the mouse calendar represents for me - the safety and security of the familiar and the sense of family that I absolutely adore.

Thanksgiving Feast

2008-11-30T14:39:00.007-05:00

I must say, my first Thanksgiving away from Mount Carmel, PA, was quite successful. I was able to time perfectly a feast fit for a king, which the four of us greatly enjoyed. Kelly was most impressed, I think, by my ability to time everything correctly and keep dishes clean throughout the day, making clean up a cinch.

I am pretty proud of myself. I know it's simple for some people to pull off the coordination of a meal like this, but this was my first true attempt. Turkey, potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, corn, rolls, and homemade gravy... all cooked and served to perfection... followed by brownies, pumpkin roll and apple pie. Everything (minus the rolls) was made from scratch, and that makes it even more enjoyable. It really couldn't have been any better.

This experience also reaffirmed how much I love being in the kitchen and how I seriously need to consider and explore this option for my future.

Time for some leftovers!

Best Day of the Year

2008-11-26T18:04:00.002-05:00

In a few hours, my brother and friends will arrive in Memphis for what is shaping up to be one excellent weekend. Thanksgiving is by far the best day of the entire year. It's absolutely enjoyable - an excuse to eat like the meal will be your last and sit around watching football, drinking, and hanging out.

This year is uniquely special for me for two reasons. First, this is the first Thanksgiving that I won't be in PA, and second, this is the first Thanksgiving dinner that I am responsible for pulling off. While I am saddened to not be in the coal region drinking like an idiot until 4am, I am just as excited about hanging out in Memphis with brother and friends and making my own Thanksgiving meal. It's definitely the largest meal I've taken on at this point in my life and I am excited for the challenge.

I have prepared desserts already - first time for an apple pie - and I am quite pleased with myself. I have a good feeling that tomorrow's kitchen adventures will prove successful as well. I'm also feeling that this can be the start of a three-week bender of heavy eating, drinking, and laughing as my time in Memphis comes to a close. I can't think of a better time to kick this off than with Thanksgiving!

Love, peace and turkey grease!

Improve your social life...

2008-11-24T22:34:00.003-05:00

If you're looking to improve your social life, tell people you are moving in a month.

Instantly, everyone wants a piece of you.

Dinner, drinks, a movie, a broadway show, more dinner, more drinks... seriously, the fun doesn't end. Every night lately, there has been a hundred options of who to see and where to go and what to do. It's incredible.

Where was this for the past three years of my life?!?

In all seriousness, it's actually been a great few weeks. Living life to the fullest. Reliving old memories with some great people. Making a few more memories with those same great people. I feel pretty fortunate to have these experiences. I'm savoring every moment, especially the surprising ones - the unexpected, purely blissful moments.

Quote of the day...

2008-11-19T00:42:00.001-05:00

"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." - E. M. Forester

The First Goodbye

2008-11-16T17:42:00.004-05:00

As my time in Memphis dwindles to a few short remaining weeks, I find myself walking a tightrope of emotions. Some days I experience extreme jubilation about the excitement the future holds. Some days I experience extreme sadness about leaving a place with so many people who mean a great deal to me. It's an endless balance between real, deep emotions.

On Friday, I said my first goodbye to a friend in Memphis. He too has left the city and is searching for his next step. Like me, he's experiencing the same emotional pulls - the longing for family in a familiar place versus leaving a place where people touched his life in a short period of time - the balance between hello to the future and goodbye to the present.

Goodbyes come in many forms.

A casual hand shake, a simple thank you, a short hug... these aren't often too emotional because the relationship was probably casual.

But the gut-wrenching hug, the tears, the emotions so deep you can't even find the words to capture all you want to say... these are the tough goodbyes because the person means so much to you or has touched your life in a special way.

The hard reality for me is that I'll be saying goodbye to a great deal of people over the next few weeks, and some goodbyes will be more difficult than others. I feel truly blessed by the number of people who have been part of my life in Memphis. Whether I've known people for a few years or even just a few months, each person has taught me something or reminded me of something important in my life, and I am extremely thankful for those opportunities.

Yes, the goodbyes will be difficult, but they are also a testament to the life I lived here, one touched by many unique individuals and enjoyable moments. I am humbled to be able to walk away with this realization, that hopefully I have touched so many lives in Memphis in the same ways so many others have touched my life. It truly is a blessing.