Or should I say you can go back to college but you can't ACT like your still in college. That is if you want to be productive the next day.
I'm back from the North Country where flannel and camo never go out of style no matter what season it may be. It was a good trip albeit a little short. I went up Wednesday night to visit some friends before heading over to LSC for the "business" part of my trip. The ride of was mercifully low key highlighted by an interesting audiobook a friend of mine lent me to help pass the time. Upon approaching I noticed something on my dash. It was my ambient temperature gauge and it was reading negative 1. I didn't think it could go that low. Despite that I decided to lower the window to breath in some fresh (arctic) air and hopefully catch the sent of pine. It smelled like a Donkin Donuts. Apparently I was driving through Waterbury where the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters plant is. Oh well.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
NED, Ned RYERSON???!!!!
Needle nose Ned?
So today's Groundhogs day. For a little levity around the office I played "I got you Babe" every hour on the hour. It produced the desired affect. LOL Well we are certainly in the doldrums of winter where it would appear that every day is the same. Tomorrow will show some change with some snow. If anyone wanted to know what life was like at my college they should have been watching the weathermen the past couple of days. Seriously the only definite that I heard in the past 3 days is that there was going to be a big storm. Nor'easter quality even, but exactly what kind of precipitation and quantity eluded them just like understanding men eludes me. I mean they definitely try to figure it out and notice patterns but really they don't know until it blows up in their faces. Case in point tomorrow, who knows what we'll get until it happens, and just like 10 years ago (ugh has it been that long?) I find myself looking to the weather for the next big event for some excitement.
So to change that at lunch today I picked up every free magazine and paper I could find to patrol the ads and postings for interesting things to do. I even started posting a few on Facebook to garner interest from others who like me are looking to quell the cabin fever the season is bestowing upon us. Thanks to my friend Shawn I am looking forward to March 1. Why? Well the House of Blues has just opened up here in Boston down on Lansdown St, and that night the one, the only TOM JONES will be performing. Naturally I jumped on the tickets and was pleasantly surprised to see several other friends and a few old college pals get tickets as well. So that will be a welcomed change in the normal routine.
Apparently I need to head back to Mohegan Sun as well. Not just to play my favorite slot machine but also they gave me free slot play credits. Let me tell you they left no time between my last visit and sending out a coupon to try and get me back. Alright time to go grab the laundry.
So today's Groundhogs day. For a little levity around the office I played "I got you Babe" every hour on the hour. It produced the desired affect. LOL Well we are certainly in the doldrums of winter where it would appear that every day is the same. Tomorrow will show some change with some snow. If anyone wanted to know what life was like at my college they should have been watching the weathermen the past couple of days. Seriously the only definite that I heard in the past 3 days is that there was going to be a big storm. Nor'easter quality even, but exactly what kind of precipitation and quantity eluded them just like understanding men eludes me. I mean they definitely try to figure it out and notice patterns but really they don't know until it blows up in their faces. Case in point tomorrow, who knows what we'll get until it happens, and just like 10 years ago (ugh has it been that long?) I find myself looking to the weather for the next big event for some excitement.
So to change that at lunch today I picked up every free magazine and paper I could find to patrol the ads and postings for interesting things to do. I even started posting a few on Facebook to garner interest from others who like me are looking to quell the cabin fever the season is bestowing upon us. Thanks to my friend Shawn I am looking forward to March 1. Why? Well the House of Blues has just opened up here in Boston down on Lansdown St, and that night the one, the only TOM JONES will be performing. Naturally I jumped on the tickets and was pleasantly surprised to see several other friends and a few old college pals get tickets as well. So that will be a welcomed change in the normal routine.
Apparently I need to head back to Mohegan Sun as well. Not just to play my favorite slot machine but also they gave me free slot play credits. Let me tell you they left no time between my last visit and sending out a coupon to try and get me back. Alright time to go grab the laundry.
Peace
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Our Global Economic Crisis Claims Another One ...
Oh Iceland, I barely knew thee. Reykjavik was always on my list of places that I wanted to visit. Maybe some day but not now. So if the Government has failed what the hell is in its place? Is Iceland an anarchist state now? It happens to the best of us I guess. 2009 I guess is the year that job security becomes a luxury item. It has affected my immediate family and I'm sure someone you know has been affected to. Can I just tell you I think I am in shock. Enough has happened in the past two weeks and with all the stresses that have happened in it I'm feeling kind of numb. You could tell me a box of kittens was just run over in the street and I don't think it would phase me. My only fear is that I'll find myself alone one night and it will all hit me, and in case that night comes I keep a bottle of vodka under the pillow. With the exception of a few highlighted moments its been a pretty shitty January. Oh well.
February is right around the corner and bring on Groundhog Day! Not this weekend but the weekend after I get to go up to Vermont as well. Do a little visiting with friends and then its off to my old college to start my term on the Alumni Council. For those of you don't know where Lyndon State College is or for those of you want to reminisce I give you LSC-3-D.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Set Phasers for Fun
Well the past 24 hours have been good. While no one really walked out of Mohegan in riches we certainly all had fun. Right Sharon? Last night was fun while also being incredibly cold. For those of you didn't know last night I went to see Back to the Future at the Coolidge. It was a midnight showing so I got to Coolidge Corner a little early I thought about getting a bite to eat but I wasn't very hungry. So after a quick run through the Bookseller I settled into Starbucks for some Apple Chai and some quiet time to read and wait out my movie. I am very into this book Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson the weather geek in me just loves it but that is just the icing on the cake. Its well written and Erik has a way of portraying the times in which he talks about in such a way that you feel like you are there. Unfortunately for me Starbucks closes at 11, so I was booted into the cold. My only other option being CVS I decided I would just go wait in line. It wouldn't be too long before they let us in.
Boy was I wrong. A whole hour later I was finally able to to warm up inside the theater. Prior to that though we waited outside in line in 12 degree weather. I fortunately was prepared mostly for the wait but I was only wearing some old New Balances on my feet which didn't insulate well from the cold. I am fully convinced had I waited longer frost bite would have started to set in. It was that cold. I fared better than my younger theater goers who doffed skinny jeans, vans, and hoodies. Why we didn't have an EMO Popsicle could only be explained by their knack for finding warm pizza out of the dumpster behind the Upper Crust. What can I say I roll with an elite crowd. Actually I didn't know them and had nothing to do with their subsequent selling of said pizza to make a quick buck.
Finally after figuring out some fancy crowd control we were let in and led to the theater. Honestly I felt like I was nine again watching this movie and despite having seen it hundreds of times before on DVD it was so much better on screen. I can't wait for March when they do Karate Kid (hear that Melanie!.)
Arriving home at 3 AM didn't give me much time for sleep as some good friends and I were heading down to Mohegan for some fun. Moe introduced me to the Wizard of Oz slots which were very playable and allowed me to experience many bonus rounds, but my true moment of serendipity arose when we ventured into the new Casino of the Wind. Or is my friends like to call it the Alcove of the Wind do in no small part to its relative size to the other casinos.
It was there though that I would find Star Trek the Slot Machine. To say I geeked out was an understatement and totally what I needed at the moment. Some may remember my post in 2007 on the Top Gun. Well this blows it away in every way. So far I have only seen them in the Casino of the Wind. The most fascinating part of this slot is that you can choose a persona as you have the capability to collect medals which allow you to play other slot games on the same machine as you advance in rank. Since its all saved, in two months I can go back and continue as if I was still sitting at the machine this afternoon. Not too mention it was just cool. I think the beauty of it was lost on my other gamblers but I enjoyed it.
By the way I'm just putting this out there. Why is it that you give people a chance to smoke somewhere and they completely destroy themselves. I mean I swear these people are smoking 3 times more than they ordinarily would at any given day. And as a precautionary note if you are that ADDICTED to something then should you really be gambling in the first place? Just a thought.
Boy was I wrong. A whole hour later I was finally able to to warm up inside the theater. Prior to that though we waited outside in line in 12 degree weather. I fortunately was prepared mostly for the wait but I was only wearing some old New Balances on my feet which didn't insulate well from the cold. I am fully convinced had I waited longer frost bite would have started to set in. It was that cold. I fared better than my younger theater goers who doffed skinny jeans, vans, and hoodies. Why we didn't have an EMO Popsicle could only be explained by their knack for finding warm pizza out of the dumpster behind the Upper Crust. What can I say I roll with an elite crowd. Actually I didn't know them and had nothing to do with their subsequent selling of said pizza to make a quick buck.
Finally after figuring out some fancy crowd control we were let in and led to the theater. Honestly I felt like I was nine again watching this movie and despite having seen it hundreds of times before on DVD it was so much better on screen. I can't wait for March when they do Karate Kid (hear that Melanie!.)
Arriving home at 3 AM didn't give me much time for sleep as some good friends and I were heading down to Mohegan for some fun. Moe introduced me to the Wizard of Oz slots which were very playable and allowed me to experience many bonus rounds, but my true moment of serendipity arose when we ventured into the new Casino of the Wind. Or is my friends like to call it the Alcove of the Wind do in no small part to its relative size to the other casinos.
It was there though that I would find Star Trek the Slot Machine. To say I geeked out was an understatement and totally what I needed at the moment. Some may remember my post in 2007 on the Top Gun. Well this blows it away in every way. So far I have only seen them in the Casino of the Wind. The most fascinating part of this slot is that you can choose a persona as you have the capability to collect medals which allow you to play other slot games on the same machine as you advance in rank. Since its all saved, in two months I can go back and continue as if I was still sitting at the machine this afternoon. Not too mention it was just cool. I think the beauty of it was lost on my other gamblers but I enjoyed it.By the way I'm just putting this out there. Why is it that you give people a chance to smoke somewhere and they completely destroy themselves. I mean I swear these people are smoking 3 times more than they ordinarily would at any given day. And as a precautionary note if you are that ADDICTED to something then should you really be gambling in the first place? Just a thought.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Powerless
I don't know what it is. Maybe its the over all melancholy day I've had so far; knowing that I am going to be out late I really haven't done much. Maybe a touch of seasonal depression, or maybe my current mood is brought about truly by the current condition of so many I know in my life. Overall I am fine. I have everything I need, maybe not everything I want but at this point in time I'll settle for that. Whats troubling me are the amount of people I know who are in distress for whatever reason. The reasons are many from financial to medical to emotional and back again. While the reasons are varied they all carry one striking similarity. I can't help them; no matter how much I want to there is simply nothing I can do to help. Short of granting wishes, miracles or even simple medical marvels I can not do a damn thing to help these people, and I believe its starting to take its toll on me. Now mind you no one has asked for my help, but I am not the type of person who can just hear bad news or tales of struggle without becoming empathic.
It was just this week that I realized just how much is going on and it arrived at the same time I realized how much I can't solve all the problems. My natural response is to do just that, but that is up to the people with the issue to solve on their own. Otherwise it doesn't really go away, it just gets put off. Knowing that the responsibility is off my shoulders doesn't make it any less harder to see and while I offer as much support as possible. I fear its not enough. So I guess my next lesson to learn is to have a little faith.
It was just this week that I realized just how much is going on and it arrived at the same time I realized how much I can't solve all the problems. My natural response is to do just that, but that is up to the people with the issue to solve on their own. Otherwise it doesn't really go away, it just gets put off. Knowing that the responsibility is off my shoulders doesn't make it any less harder to see and while I offer as much support as possible. I fear its not enough. So I guess my next lesson to learn is to have a little faith.
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