First Quarter - cont.

Eddie Royal rocks! Great return for 37 yards!

Lots to Discuss

So - I havent written written in a while and i have a few things to write about - I am going to try to do this while watching the VT game and eat chili and drink a bacardi at the sasme time.

First Quarter

Opening drive + 10 plays = touchdown. LSU just totally rolled over our defense. Not looking good. Let's see what our offense can do....

CRAP

LSU just scored

Are you ready for some football??

VT is playing LSU and the game just started a few minutes ago. We are looking OK - an early personal foul on our side was really stupid. LSU is on their first drive and they have gotten a few first downs and are in Hokie Terrority. They are really running over our defense....

Top Chef

aaaahhhh!!!! Bravo is playing the last 4 or 5 Top Chef episodes before the new one at 10 pm tonight.
I am hooked! This show is awesome! This is one of the best reality shows there is. It really makes people show their talent. and as far as i am concerned cooking is one of th most difficult things to do.
Anyone can read the directions on a box but to "create" - it is beyond me.
I am supremely jealous of anyone who can create amazing dishes.
One of the things I am learing from this show is that simple can be tasty.
The girls on this show pretty much suck and Howie is just an asshole.
Sara just got kicked off but eventually Howie is going to have to go.
It's 10 pm. I can't wait to see what happens!

Baltimore Restaurant Week - Bar Review

So, this past week was baltimore restaurant week... i made reservations for D and I at Pazza Luna. I know, I know. We should have eaten somewhere that we have never been before but the point was really just so we wouldn't have to cook dinner last night. - This past weekend was really busy, so i thought i was doing us a favor...
anyways, so we ate a pazza luna - their restaurant week menu left a little to be desired. D was a little irritated b/c initially he didn't see anything he wanted on the menu. I went with the intention to get the vegitarian lasagna but they were all out.
I ended up getting the asparagus salad and the risotto with chicken and romaine?! The asparagus salad was a small bed of greens with 5 little asparagus spears and a half peach grilled and stuffed with gorgonzola cheese. The pear with gorgonzola was awesome! the asparagus was a little wimpy.
The risotto with chicken and romaine was creamy and had a hint of lemon. The romaine didn't really add any flavor but definately added texture which was helpful.
For dessert I had the tiramasu. It was tasty - flavorful - but too much. i was sooo full i couldn't finish it.
I have heard that some restaurants in Baltimore are extending their restaurant week menu. I might make another reservation for another location....
Also - this week is Washington, DC restaurant week.

Odd Phrases

So... again, on the train last week. It was Wednesday, August 1st. Most commuters get a monthly pass but sometimes people forget when a new month rolls around. Usually the conductors are cool if you have forgotten to purchase a new monthly pass as long as you show them you have the previous month's and that you promise that you will get a new monthly as soon as you get to the station...
So, on 8/1 one of the conductors was collecting tickets and some lady forget to get her new monthly, and the response from the conductor was, "Life is too short for me to kirk-out over that...."
Interesting. I have heard the term "kirk-out" before but i thought it was based on a guy I know who apparently used to "kirk-out" in college before he got on the meds.
Is this a universal term?

The MARC Train... it takes all kinds....

So - on my commuter train there are always different types of people. Most are regular commuters just like me, but occasionally you will have your tourist families and other random people heading to Washington for the day.
In the evening however, heading back to Baltimore we also have the people heading to BWI airport. These people are the worst.
They have no clue about train etiquette - such as not leaving your luggage in the middle of the aisle or not taking up more than one seat.
Seats are important on these trains. I've seen fist fights almost break out over a freaking seat.
So.... this one lady got on the 6:40 pm train out of Washington. IF on-time this train doesn't make it to BWI until 7:18 pm.
WHY would someone who has an 8pm flight take the 6:40 train?? It is beyond me. I just don't get it. If you are doing something new (like taking the MARC train) and you have no idea where you are going, wouldn't you give yourself a little extra time to get to your destination.
So, this lady from the other day is on the train and is frantically attempting to change her flight to a later one - but unfortunately there are no other flights to her destination. (another commuter rule - if you have to talk on your cell keep the volume down and keep it brief)
So she starts berating the person on the other end of the line about how that airline sucks and if she had flown with another airline this situation would not have happened b/c they would have had more flights.
Obviously this woman was insane. Seriously - did she think that the person at the reservation desk would be able to just add another flight to the schedule?
So... as the lady is talking with the reservation desk working on getting her on a flight the next day her cell phone died! The look on this woman's face was priceless! She just had to sit there and fume the whole way to BWI. It was pretty funny.

Changing a Tire

So.... i got a flat tire the other day. Boyfriend had to put dinner on hold and come help me change it.
I was on the side of the road at the end of the exit ramp from I95 to Key Highway.
He was really great.
The assh@les who came speeding by me were not great. It was really dangerous.
Thank you Boyfriend.
No thanks to you jerks who went speeding by me.

"libarian" vs. "librarian"

OK - What does this mean and why to people always miss-pronounce this word?

I have a few theories...

One: They do it on purpose b/c they think they are being cute.

Two: Their parents say it incorrectly so they were raised with the incorrect pronunciation and although they know now that they are saying it wrong they really don't care.

Three: They have no clue they are saying it wrong....

No matter what the reason, i can tell you one thing... no matter who you are, it makes the person uttering the word look really stupid.

Vacation

D and I along with 2 friends went to Mexico last week. It was awesome! I have never been to Mexico so it was another first for me....

We haven't been on a vacation in a REALLY long time, so we definitely needed it. We sat by the pool and the ocean, and ate an AWFUL lot of food.

we stayed at the Iberostar Paradiso Del Mar in the Rivera Maya area of Mexico, about 30 km south of Cancun. The resort was beautiful. It was just amazing. The rooms were great and the staff was very friendly. The landscaping was so spectacular - it was like nothing I have ever seen before. Just amazing. The place was HUGE but we didn't have a hard time getting around.

For an all inclusive resort the food was decent. The Mexican restaurant was the best place we ate at, but still it was only pretty good - not great.

We had decent weather. Sunday was good - just a few rain showers in the afternoon and then it cleared up. Monday was the best weather day we had. No rain at all and sun all day long. Tuesday morning was clear but then it rained all afternoon. Tuesday we went to Playa Del Carmen.

An interesting little touristy town with a lot of shops with trinkets and pottery, etc. We bought two serving dishes. We spend a good part of the day in town since it was raining and we couldn't hang at the beach or the pool.)

Wednesday D and I went snorkeling. Another first for me. It was really cool - until it started raining. They called us in early and our trip was cut short. oh well. i saw some neat fish and coral reefs. we took some pics with an underwater camera but i still need to get them developed. It rained pretty much all day Wednesday.

We left Mexico on Thursday - another rainy day. Apparently this was due to Tropical Storm Barry that formed in the Gulf on Wednesday.

Another thing i should mention.... D and I got engaged while we were in Mexico! Yea!

We are going to wait another week or so before we start trying to figure out when we are going to actually get married. D had to leave for Italy today for work and I am going to leave on Tuesday to meet up with him there.

how cool is that! I've never been to Italy so it will be another first for me. It is going to be a little scary for me though - i have to get myself from the airport to the train station in Milan and then get a train ticket to Mantova - all without speaking a lick of Italian.... i have a few books that I bought and that people have loaned to me that should be helpful, but I think i need to created a cheat-sheet with several of the phrases that i need to know in order to get around... problem is, i have no clue how to understand their reply when i ask them where to go to buy a train ticket...

i don't think it will be that difficult but i am a little nervous....

Concert Review: The Tragically Hip

My friend P and I went to see the Tragically Hip last Saturday (referenced in a previous post). I have to say that it was definitely an interesting show. There were a lot of people there from Canada - wearing Canadian flags and carrying Canadian flags - the band is Canadian.)


The band was an interesting mix. It reminded me at various times of Primus, Phish, and Rush. Interesting....

It was an entertaining show, but awkward since i didn't know any of the songs.

No concert Tee from this show. No girl options. beat.

Another First

earlier this evening i went to see a band that i have never heard before. ever. not one song.

i've never done that before.

it was sort of weird being around a bunch of people who know all of the songs that are being played.

all i was trying to do was not get stepped on or elbowed in the eye/face/boob/etc.

really difficult to do when you are 62 inches tall.

but i had a good time. it was nice to do something different. Just so tired of BF's band...

new concert review coming later. I need to sleep. have to run 3 miles in 7 hours from now...

Restaurant Review: Pazza Luna

So, D and i didn't feel like cooking anything for dinner (really i just didn't want pizza for dinner) so we decided to eat out - so we walked down the street to Pazza Luna.


First impressions: decor is very nice, much better than before (all Sopranos memoriabilia is gone) but still has the same layout as far as where the tables are and the bar location.


We sat ourselves at the bar and waited a good 3 minutes before the bartender removed the dirty glasses and the check that belonged to the people who were there before us.

He must have said sorry like 3 times in the first 30 seconds after acknowledging our presence. I don't need your sorrys. i need you to just get your shit together and don't let it happen again.

So we placed our drink order and received our menus. Again - a good 10 minutes before we were told the specials by the bartender - who again said sorry "we are understaffed" - well, i don't care about your staffing issues - especially since the bar area isn't even packed and it looks like the host working the door is also a waiter and pours drinks...

so.. we got the specials and before he could leave us again we placed our order - we weren't trying to wait another 20 minutes before putting in our order.

first - before the food - i started out with a glass of pino noir which was lovely. very good - and a heavy pour. D had his usual burbon and ginger.

I went with the specials the whole way. For my app i got the salmon app which was thinly sliced salmon rolled onto a bed of mesclun greens with a lemon vinegrette and two large grilled prawns. VERY tasty. and actually quite filling.

D's app was a lamb raviolli. looked good.

for my entree I got a dish that was bascially mini lasagna noodles made with spinach mixed with lump crab in a VERY light cream and tomato sauce. WONDERFUL!

D's entree was veal thinly sliced with veggies. said it was tasty but i didn't try any.

for our dessert we were so full but wanted to try something, so we split the creme brulee. Mistake. Don't do it. The top was nice and crispy, but the rest was watery. They still need to work on this one.

Overall I would give the food an A- and the service a B+. We will definately go back again, but will probably get less food now that we know what's pretty good.

Taking Public Transportation: Rules to live by

ok... so now we know i take the train to work everyday.

public transportation is an interesting thing. you get all kinds of people.

Here are basic rules that should be followed when taking public transportation - the MARC train specifically...

1. bathe
2. familularize yourself with the schedule
3. don't take up more than one seat - either with your fat ass or with your crap
4. sit with your legs closed. I understand that dudes can't sit with their legs completely closed other wise they might hurt themselves, but seriously, i don't believe for one minute that you need to sit with your legs so wide that you create a 90 degree angle between your legs.
5. NO PERSONAL HYGEINE on the train - this includes but is not limited to: trimming or filing fingernails and applying make-up
6. you can speak / talk on your phone, but try not to be so loud about it. No one on the train gives two shits that your kid needs to be picked up or what you are having for dinner...
7. if the conductor says don't stand on the stairs or in between cars then don't do it.
8. also, don't mess with the little switches at the ends of that cars that keep the door open. Who do you think you are?

this is it for now... more to come later

On the Train....

ok so.... my commute to and from work every day always gives me something to think about.

The other day it was this... I am sitting there in my seat waiting for the train to take me home and there are are few other people in seats in my general area.

This woman gets on the train and walks over to me and asks me if someone is sitting in the seat next to me. well, no. no one is sitting there. The general assumption is that unless there is stuff on the seat the seat is available for you to sit in. I just thought it was a stupid question. You should assume that no one is sitting there.

I know in the grand scheme of things this is really nothing, but i just thought it was a stupid question...

Oh - that reminds me of something else really stupid someone said to me once while waiting for the train in the AM.

The train usually leaves at 735 - so we are all waiting on the platform for the train to show up and it is 15 minutes late so now it is 750 and this woman - who i have seen before so i know she isn't a tourist - she walks up to me and asks me if the train is late... um... i looked at my watch to make sure that i wasn't in some sort of time warp or something... yep. it is 750. OBVIOUSLY the train is late....

duh. stupid questions waste time.

One of the best TV ads I've seen in a while...

I need to figure out how to post video. I will update this once i figure it out. In the mean time... check this out~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp7Uc5a_XRE

Firsts

Yesterday I did something I have never done before.

I ran for 5 miles!

I have been running 3 - 4 with no problem for a few years now, but with J & J's peer pressure to run in the Baltimore half-marathon in October I need to start increasing my distances. I am thinking of signing up for a training program, but in order to do that I have to be able to run 5 miles 3 times a week. Hopefully I'll be able to do that. Today is a day off from running.

I need to go to a proper running store (NOT lady footlocker who sold me a pair of tennis shoes that I can't wear) and buy ANOTHER new pair of running shoes and also discuss what to do about my knee. My left knee has been killing me every time i run. I just ran through it yesterday and it eventually (after 3 miles) went away, but for the last 2 miles my ankle started to hurt.

This is so frustrating. My body is falling apart just at the point were my lungs and heart can actually deal with running long distances without a problem. The only reason I couldn't keep going after 5 miles was my stupid knee and ankle. Grrrr.

Concert Review: Wierd Al 5/8/07

OK.... so i've seen a lot of random bands and acts over the years, but i have to say that this one was one of the wierdest (no pun intended. really.) shows I have been to.

First off, i was certainly expecting that at least half of the people at the show would be under the age of 21 and i was right. The other half where their parents and a few randoms like D and I.

Apparently the show had sold out and the line to get in was super long... all the way down the block from the venue. We can only assume this is because it takes a long time to draw big black X's on people's hands before they go into the concert hall.

so, b/c the line was so long to get in, D, N, C, and I went to the bar next door. I grabbed something to eat while they started to get their drink on.

We headed into the club once the show started and there was no line at the door - around 8:45 ish.

The show was a mixture of his classics and new stuff, but in between almost every song he and the band would do a costume change (even the drummer. He must have hated that), so the house was playing clips from "Al TV." Honestly i think the clips from AL TV were more funny and interesting than the songs he was doing.

The venue is really not the best place to see a band - especially if you are short - and the sound really sucked last night. So, again, b/c i am short i really couldn't see much for the first few songs - but after about half way through the show we found a spot at the bar (suprise suprise) and were actually able to see him on stage.

He played a few songs i didn't know, but he also did his parody's of: Smells Like Teen Spirit, Eat It, Gangster's Paradise, the Jedi one (i can't remember), and of course I'm Bad. He actually put on the fat suit for that one. Seeing that made the ticket price worth it.

Also - a side note, apparently the Rams Head was also selling "premium" tickets for 15 bucks more. these tix got you a seat in the riser section on the second floor. CRAP! I hope they don't do this for all of their shows! Usually the riser section is the only place I can go to actually see the band. (this time was different b/c there were so few people drinking that we were able to get that spot at the bar.)

This is discrimination against short people! making us pay more just so we can see the band! I hope this doesn't continue otherwise I will have to find a new place to see bands....

Anyways... it was sort of wierd, but it was fun. Good people watching for sure. I also of course did buy a T-shirt. - I am doing pretty well with my band t-shirt collection but can always use more... I wanted to get one at the Chris Cornell show, but they didn't have any girl styles... beat.