Summer Is Coming...

I feel home.

Spring has sprung in the Delaware Valley.  Work and life have apparently kept me too busy for blogging.  I considered creating a "We Didn't Start the Fire" montage-like post of all the things I've done in the past month, but that would probably make me procrastinate even longer in returning to my little corner on the Web.

April means baseball season begins, and I happily attended two Phillies games during the first full week of the season: April 12 (a 3-1 win over the Marlins) and April 13 (a 5-2 loss to the Mets).  While the Phillies haven't exactly had a stellar start this year, I absolutely love being a fan of this team.  Walking into the ballpark, everything feels so familiar.  It can be a slow game, but it is exciting and emotional to me.  You need to be invested, because 162 games is a long season and ups and downs are inevitable.  I may not know every statistic backwards and forwards, but I'm proud to say I'm far from a fair-weather fan.

Flyers Fever is gripping the Philadelphia region right now.  Philadelphia natives are born with the right to jump on the bandwagon for at least one of the city's team, and I have chosen the Flyers.  I've always been a casual Eagles fan because of my dad (we used to have Donovan McNabb bobbleheads on either side of our manger at Christmas), and professional basketball has never thrilled me (I went to a Sixer-Magic game last year and wore a Jameer Nelson shirt, because I am first and foremost a Saint Joseph's fan).  Last season, I had the opportunity to attend a few Flyers games, and so I jumped on the Flyers bandwagon.  The NHL playoffs have been really exciting, now that I'm paying attention to them.  Dare I say that I am starting to enjoy watching hockey?

One of the great things that comes with warmer weather is the start of outdoor festivals and concerts.  Last weekend I went to the Manayunk Brewery's 14th Annual Brew Fest.  Even though the end of April was a little cool and drizzly, we still enjoyed the live music and beer tasting on the banks of the Schuylkill River.  Most of the breweries featured were local, including Yards, Sly Fox, Flying Fish, and Victory.  We ended the day with dinner at Cactus, a Tex-Mex restaurant in the heart of Manayunk.  All in all, it was a delicious afternoon.

Now I'm off to relax and watch the Phillies take on the Nationals.  Hunter Pence just hit a two-run homer off of Steven Strasburg (probably because I am wearing my new Pence shirt).  Time to relax before taking on the plans I have on tap for tomorrow.  'Til next time!

P.S. I forgot to mention the new bars and restaurants I tried.  At the end of March, I met with friends at Issac Newton's in Newtown.  Issac's is a cool restaurant with wooden booths and giant chalkboards on the walls proclaiming their vast, rotating draft selection.  It has a really comfortable feel and was perfect for a gathering with good friends.  Before the Phillies-Mets game I attended, I went to Xfinity Live! and had dinner at the Broad St. Bullies pub.  The food was good and we really enjoyed sitting on the patio listening to acoustic music.  The inside of Xfinity Live! was very impressive and I can't wait to go back and catch a game or celebrate a Philly victory.

Fondue and Gaming Fundamentals

The weekend of March 9 started early in a two-part installment of awesomeness.

On Thursday three of my friends and I went to Ladies' Night Out at the Melting Pot.  The Melting Pot is a delicious fondue restaurant.  The special was a four-course meal.  The first course was a cheese fondue with a base of Sam Adams Boston Lager and lots of cheddar cheese layered in until it reached a level of warm, gooey perfection.  The second course was salad and shrimp cocktail.  The main course featured several different items for cooking, including chicken, shrimp and filet mignon.  One of the fun parts of dining at The Melting Pot is that it's a very interactive experience--you cook your own food and mix and match dipping sauces to your liking.  What starts out as a friendly meal spirals into search and rescue missions for lost potatoes in the fondue pot and battles for the last piece of chicken.  The dessert course was absolutely decadent--chocolate fondue swirled with caramel and crunchy peanut butter.  Heaven.

Mmmm, fondue!

On Friday night I went to Dave & Buster's with a group of friends.  Dave & Buster's is like a grown-up version of Chuck E. Cheese's [Author's Note: I can only assume this, seeing as I never went to Chuck E. Cheese's as a child.  Not even once.]  There's tons of classic arcade games, basketball and skeeball, as well as newer favorites like trivia games and Deal or No Deal.  And of course, you earn tickets to turn in for prizes.  We ended the night with a diner run.  It was a nice, simple, fun night out.

The Cardboard Classic

On the morning of March 3, 2012, I rose earlier than I had in months to make the trek up to Jack Frost-Big Boulder for Preston and Steve's Cardboard Classic.  The Cardboard Classic is an annual competition hosted by 93.3 WMMR's Preston and Steve, in which competitors construct sleds completely made of cardboard and other basic building materials (glue, duct tape, paint, string).  There were over 100 entrants in the competition and hundreds of people bundled up and lined the foggy snow-covered mountainside to watch the sleds try to make it to the bottom without falling apart.

Now, if you're picturing a bunch of people sitting in a refrigerator box trying to sled down a hill, you would be mistaken.  The competitors go all out for a chance at cardboard glory.  Below are pictures of some of my favorites.

We heard them talking about the R2D2 sled on the radio on the drive up.  It was well over 20-feet tall.

These sleds, inspired by the movie Cars, raced down the hill one after another.

This Tiki Bar sled had well over 20 people on it and was disqualified because it incorporated a working flat-screen TV.

This replica of the Rocky statue over a miniature Philadelphia Museum of Art was the overall winner.  It was very impressive.

After spending about three hours freezing outside we moved inside to the ski resort's lounge where WMMR was broadcasting live for the afternoon.  It was definitely a lot of fun and I can't wait to go again next year!  Who knows, maybe my friends and I will enter a sled...

Beer Tasting, Economic Stimulation and A Lazy Sunday

Beer Tasting
Every group of 20-somethings reaches a point during the winter when they need to get creative.  The weather is either too cold or snowy to go out, or they're still broke from the holidays, or their instinct to hibernate has taken its toll.  My friends and I reached that point in early February, and we came up with the following: beer tasting and video games.

 On Saturday, February 11 two of my friends hosted an evening of beer tasting.  One of them brews his own beer (and I'm not talking about a bucket and instructions that he Googled, he legitimately knows how to brew beer), and the rest of us brought packs of either old favorites or new discoveries.  We had small glasses set out for sampling so you could try as many as you wanted without wasting a bottle.  We also had the Wii set up with several party games to choose from, like Just Dance, The Price Is Right and Mario Party.  I definitely recommend this plan as a low-budget, low-effort, high-entertainment winter evening alternative.

Economic Stimulation
It's really lucky that you're reading this blog today, because I'm about to let you in on a little secret: I discovered a way for governments across the world to stimulate their economies.  The answer: 20-something women with a steady income.  If I can be considered a typical example of this demographic, then I can say it's true: sometimes, you just feel like spending money.  If the government could predict a pattern in this desire to spend, economic stimulation would be a snap. 

I'm not a huge fan of shopping.  I definitely have to be in the mood for it.  That being said, the weekend of February 17 (and into the next week) was filled with successful shopping trips.  Skechers, Gap, Fossil, Old Navy, and DSW will all find a little boost in their bottom lines, thanks to me. 

A Good-bye Party and a Lazy Sunday
 On February 24 I attended the good-bye party for one of my college friends who just left to spend ten months teaching English in Chile.  It was a fun night out with some old friends filled with big laughs, karaoke and some pretty crazy dance moves.

One of the best parts of this weekend, though, was Sunday afternoon.  Lazy weekend afternoons are underrated.  I spent the afternoon watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls and flipping through the March edition of Philadelphia magazine.  Gilmore Girls is one of my all-time favorite shows, especially because of its fast dialogue laced with pop culture references.  I enjoyed sitting there listening to some old episodes while catching up on some Philly news stories.  The great thing about local publications, like Philadelphia, is their ability to extract the culture and human interest stories that are bubbling beneath the surface and bring them to the reader's attention.

My Big, Fat, Three Weekend Blog Post

Where does the time go?  Just yesterday I was making plans for the end of January and now we're already in the first full week of February.  I have been keeping to my resolution pretty well.  Let's review.

Weekend of January 20
The weekend of the 20th started out with a celebration.  One of my friends was accepted to grad school abroad so of course my friends and I had to celebrate.  We went to Chickie's & Pete's.  For those readers who are not familiar with Chickie's, it's a local sports bar chain in the Philadelphia region.  Their food is good, but the menu item they're most famous for is their Crab Fries.  Crab Fries (and Crabby Sweets, which are the sweet potato version) are seasoned fries that come with a cheese sauce for dipping.  They are strangely addicting.  Anyway, we ate, we drank, we people watched, and just had a great time.

The next day was our first snow storm of the year.  Maybe it's because I was born during a January ice storm, but I love snow.  I still feel as excited as a little kid when a storm is forecast and I find it so calming to sit and watch the falling snow.  Below is one of my favorite pictures that I've taken during a snow storm.  It was taken on October 29, 2011.

Weekend of January 27
On Saturday I went to the Radio 104.5 Winter Jam .  The Winter Jam is a big, free, outdoor concert held at the Piazza at Schmidts.  This year the bands performing were Rivers Monroe (a Philly band), Fun., and New Found Glory.  I was trying to think of another way to say it, but Fun. was the most fun of the three bands.  I was a fan of The Format (Fun.'s founding member's old band) and I am looking forward to downloading their new album.  Afterwards we went to Standard Tap, a nearby bar with a comfortable, local feel and a big selection of regional beers.  I really enjoyed the Philadelphia Brewing Company's Rowhouse Red.  The day got high marks all around: good music, good people, good times.

Weekend of February 3
 In another musically-motivated outing, last Friday I went to Doylestown to pick up the newest Radio 104.5 Studio Session.  The radio station compiles the best of the live performances they've broadcasted over the past year and gives the CD out in exchange for donations to Philabundance.  As luck would have it, we received all four Studio Session CDs.  The night was going to be a short outing, but we ended up staying longer after running into some old high school friends.

On Saturday I went to the movies for the first time in a while.  Going to the movies has always been one of my favorite things to do.  During high school, several of my friends worked at a movie theater and we used to see a new movie almost every weekend.  I don't go as often now, maybe once a month, but there's still something engaging and exciting about seeing a story unfold on screen.  Last weekend we decided to do a double feature.  First we saw Beauty and the Beast 3D.  I'm not a big fan of 3D movies, but the opening scene made me gasp in delight.  The colors and details of the scenery and the Beast's castle were so vibrant.  Seeing this staple from my childhood on the big screen and hearing the music all around me was such a treat.  The second movie we saw was The Artist.  I had never seen a silent movie before, so it was a really interesting experience.  The score for the film was very animated and the acting and this take on life in Hollywood in the late 1920s, from the glamour to the drama, was very good.

I also finished my first book of the new year last week: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?  (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. The book was pretty good.  The chapters I found particularly interesting and entertaining were those describing her years getting started as a comedy writer and her work on The Office.  I didn't enjoy it as much as Tina Fey's Bossypants, which is more of a memoir and less of a collection of essays, but it was a funny book and definitely worth the read.

Here we are, another weekend.  I'm enjoying a relaxing night at home so far, but the weekend's just getting start.

'Til next week!

A little off track...

The harshest critic would say that my resolution is already a failure.  I didn't do anything awesome last weekend.  In fact, it was the opposite of awesome.  I was sick with a nasty cold.  My original plan was to do the Polar Bear Plunge in Wildwood, NJ with one of my friends.  Basically, the Polar Bear Plunge entails making a donation to Special Olympics and then running into the (nearly) freezing cold ocean with several hundred other...brave souls?  Yeah, that's a nice way to put it.  Sure, you risk hypothermia, but it's for a good cause and it's just good fun.  I missed out on this excursion but luckily I have a whole year left to make up for it.

Over the last few weeks more and more announcements have come out regarding the upcoming Grammy awards.  I generally don't pay much attention to the Grammys, but I started thinking about the different music I've gotten into over the past year.  Having the ability to purchase new music with the click of a button is one of the best things the Internet has brought to us, and I love being able to expand my music library so easily.  I decided to come up with my own, slightly unconventional music awards.  Remember this, because I'm sure that when I'm rich and famous these will actually be coveted accolades.

Album/Artist that Made Me Reconsider My Childhood Dreams of Becoming a Singer: Adele's 21.  Adele is a knockout artist.  Her sound is so deep, bluesy, soulful, and honest.  She's really in a class all her own as far as modern day female artists.  Every time I think I have a favorite song from this album, I start to like another one more.

Album that Will Most Likely Cause Me to Blow Out the Speakers in My Car: Foster the People's Torches.  The songs on this album can only be played on full blast.  They're very fun and funky and I love their generous use of bass.

Album that Will be on My Playlist for Years to Come: Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More.  Who knew that I would like British banjo rock so much?  This album has a wonderful mix of upbeat and somber tunes and some wonderful lyrics.  I would love to see them live!

If I Were an Album, I Would Sound Like...: Young the Giant's self-titled album.  "My Body" was one of my favorite "driving in the summertime with the windows down" songs in 2011.  I like the first half of the album more than the second, but the album in general is very good.  The intertwining guitar melodies add personality to the music and the percussion provides more of a heartbeat than a drumbeat.

Artist I Rediscovered as One of My Favorites: Jimmy Eat World.  I had the pleasure of seeing this band from my high school days last February at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ, and they were AMAZING.  It prompted me to dust off and revisit their albums and they're so great.  I probably listened to Futures, Clarity and Chase This Light every day for months.  Their new album that came out in Fall 2010, Invented, is decent, but their overall catalog is some of my favorite music.

These are the albums that really shaped my musical tastes this year.  I'm looking forward to discovering some new bands in 2012!

Now I'm off to start the third weekend of 2012.  'Til next week!

"Oh, what a night..."

The first weekend of 2012 was a success.  It was my last weekend as a 23-year-old and I sent myself off into my mid-20s with two really fun evenings.

On Friday, January 6, I went to see Jersey Boys at the Forrest Theatre.  Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  It was one of the most energetic shows I've seen.  The two acts are divided into "seasons", each narrated by one of the members of the group.  The music was fantastic and the foursome's original songs fit into the story nicely.  One of my favorite aspects of the show was how they presented the group's notable television performances.  The actors would turn their backs to the audience and a screen would drop down showing what I assume was actual performance footage.  I love the merger of traditional musical theater with other types of media. 

On Saturday night I celebrated my upcoming birthday at the Manayunk Brewery.  It was a great night with live music, good brews and tons of friends and friends of friends.  This weekend was a reminder of how lucky I am to have these wonderful people in my life and to have the opportunity to enjoy their company.  I am also fortunate to be able to experience arts and culture so close to home.

On Monday, January 9, I turned 24.  I am determined to make this a successful year, both personally and professionally.  In case any of you were wondering, my birthday song is "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr.  A person's birthday song is the first song they hear on their birthday and it becomes their song for the year.  I think it fits pretty well, actually.  View its '80s-tastic music video below.

 

Until next week, my friends!

An Introduction

Sometime in December of 2011, I decided that I was going to make a New Year's Resolution.  I've tried this before, you know, the classic stuff: stop biting your nails, drink less soda, stop cursing, read more.  But I realized something: none of these things are fun.  Maybe I'll feel more "fulfilled", but there's no story there.  I came to the conclusion that a New Year's Resolution should push you to experience the world around you, and that's just what I'm going to do.

My New Year's Resolution for 2012: Do something awesome* every weekend.
Maybe it sounds silly, but I think it's a good one.  In 2010 I did this for the last two months of the year, and it turned out great.  I enjoyed myself and got to do some cool stuff, including attending my first Flyers game and seeing musical comedian Zane Lamprey at the TLA.  2011 was a busy year without resolving to do more.

2011: A Year in Review
I did a lot of East Coast traveling in 2011.  In May I spent a weekend in Boston.  Boston is a really cool city.  I decided to call it "clean Philly" because its vibrant downtown area has a lot of character and is bursting with American history, just like Philadelphia's, but everything just seems a little tidier and brighter.  We took the Sam Adams tour, went to Quincy Market and just generally explored while mastering the T subway system.  In August, I spent a weekend in Washington, D.C. and saw two Phillies games at Nationals Park.  Finally, in mid-November I went to New York City with some friends from my high school theater days.  We saw two shows: Anything Goes and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying.  Both were excellent and it was a long but great day.

Last year was also filled with many of my favorite things, including Phillies games (I'm a huge Phils fan.  My all-time favorite player is Jimmy Rollins) and shore trips (Ocean City, NJ is one of my most favorite places on Earth).  One of my best friends got married in June and for the first half of the year I kept busy preparing for her special day.  And here we are in 2012.

I hope that this blog will help me remember, reflect on and appreciate what I do with my time.  I also hope it will reawaken my creativity and my writing skills.  I hope it is entertaining for you as well, the reader who was so lucky to stumble upon my blog.

Starting tonight, my New Year's Resolution goes into effect.  Here's to a year of happiness and excitement.  Let's get started!



*Things that will always be awesome include, but are not limited to: Phillies games, shore trips, watching The Office, trying new seasonal beers, and having off from work.