Adult Life Part 1: Pre and Post Grad Life, Coming Out, and Training

People don't tell you just how quickly the last month of your college experience moves. Since my last post, I've attended Senior Ball, graduated, came out to my mom's side of the family, and started my first (real) job.

Senior Ball: I knew that if I ever wanted to relive a prom night like experience again in my life, this would likely be one of the last chanced I would have to do so. Naturally, I asked out two people to Senior ball - my boyfriend and my mom. Senior ball isn't a true "prom" but more of a last hurrah with friends, family, tuxedos, ball gowns, and over a dozen open bars. The venue was massive, the variety of music impressive, and meeting everyone's parents was a surreal and fun experience. In a cheesy move, I got boutonnieres for my boyfriend and I to wear. That more than cemented the "Jeez, this is prom" idea for him but we got complimented on them the entire night so point for me.

Graduation: The day after senior ball was graduation. It was a truly beautiful yet bittersweet feeling. The playing of pomp and circumstance, standing in long rows in our black gowns, the flash of hundreds of cameras as we walked to the front of the crowd to our seats and then across the stage to meet the school President and receive symbolic "diploma" (plot twist - it's just paper with a ribbon. Your real diploma is too fancy to roll up like that.). There was a keynote speaker who was decent but didn't say anything out of the ordinary but no hat throwing or beach balls being volleyed around like my last HS graduation. In reality, it was a much more somber and reserved experience. That being said, the fact that I was done with my college career didn't hit me until I received that large diploma in my hand. It was in a large white envelope, unwieldy, and was made with some of the thickest grade paper I've ever held. I'm sure I will have a nice frame for it one day. Until then, it shall remain safe and sound in 

Coming Out: So I didn't personally come out to my mom's side of the family. In reality, one of my cousins did the grunt work for me by telling my aunt and explained to her that I was the same person as I ever was and that I did nothing wrong. My boyfriend was by my side the entire post-graduation reception and none of my family members knew then who he was (I think they thought he was just a friend). Since then though, my entire family on my mom's side has since been told that I was dating a guy and I'm happy to report that nothing has changed. Everyone seems to like the BF and this past summer, he's come over to my house for dinner at least twice a week.

See that? I have one now. (Ewww....adulthood)

Work: Much like how graduation snuck up on me, so did work. I began with a week of training at my office and I am currently in training on the West coast for about a month. The process has taken some time to adjust to but I think I have finally gotten more accustomed to it. Training is every day like a normal work day. We're learning about the company, what we will be doing, the industry we're in, etc. People from offices across the US and from a number of prestigious schools have all come to train together and it's been interesting to see the different personality types each group has developed. Since I began work, I have become very tight with the people from my office. I still have many more weeks to go but so far I've enjoyed my time here.

Before I flew west, I did spend one more weekend with the BF up with his family in New York. It was his niece's 2nd birthday and one of his cousin's graduation party. It was nice being able to meet his family mostly because they're a very diverse bunch with some memorable personalities (in a good way). 

---     ---     ---     ---     ---     ---     ---

So I guess things are starting to become even more real now. I have a salary, I have benefits, I'll have my own workspace, I have many new suits now. I'm still unsure about how I feel about it. I don't know just how real I want things to be quite yet. 

I hope things are going well in your neck of the woods.

All the best,

JP

Sunday

Sometimes the inevitable are the hardest things to accept.

The last thing I want is for us to just slowly grow apart; that's worse than any harsh falling out could ever be in my mind.

Summer 2013: Work, Sleep, Go on an Emotional Roller Coaster. Repeat Daily.

Is this what adulthood feels like?



Move in: T-minus 2 days

Senior Year: T-minus 4 days

A Snapshot

My Current Book: The Kite Runner

My Current Book On Hold: Freakonomics

My Current Obsession: Getting lost in my imaginings of hyper-romanticized scenes of an uncertain future.

My Current Love: Brandon

My Current Favorite TV Show: How It's Made

My Current Mood: Pensive

My Current Guilty Pleasure: Excess sleeping on the weekends

My Latest Purchase: B&N Nook HD+ 32GB, Nova Launcher Installed



And finally, a story for thought:

"Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi...."

-Zhuang Zhou, Philosopher, 4th Century BCE.

-JP

And So It Begins.

Ah summer. When the humidity reaches 90%, the sun is unbearable, and I hate driving as my butt burns on my car's leather seats (first world problem, I know). I guess I'm kind of an odd guy when I say that I'm actually not the biggest fan of summer. Give me a nice cool, breezy fall day any day. Nevertheless, this summer is a bit different than my previous summers. Let me explain.

To fully put things in reference, how summer 2013 got its start begins back in January. That's when I began my internship search as you guys heard about way back when. Well, after a long, long process, many interviews, many non-responses, and lots of sleepless nights, I finally got myself an internship in DC for the summer. Basically, the reason why I basically didn't write anything for the past few months is because of this search and also trying to finish off junior year well (which I did!).

So what's making this summer special is that for the first time, ever, really, I have a real job(ish). It's an internship, but basically I'm working Monday through Friday, 9-5:30 at a large and well known non-profit and PAC. I'm working in the marketing department with one other intern. My first day was about two weeks ago and my first full week went well. So far I've met about 2/3 of the interns, another third is starting over the next two weeks. It's a big group of characters which makes things pretty interesting. Considering I have a much more laid back personality than many of the interns, it can make for some quiet personality clashes but it's not really an issue. So far I've been doing  lot of research and administrative work but later on once all the interns arrive, there will be more group level projects.

The rest of the summer looks pretty tame for the most part. Mostly finding time to relax on the weekend, chilling with friends in DC, and spending time with Brandon. After how hectic and crazy junior year was with study abroad and school, I really am looking forward to a chill, calm summer.

Sorry for the brevity of this post, but once I get more settled in to a routine, I'm positive I'll have plenty of stories to share from work and the crazy shit that inevitably will happen when you get  a couple dozen 20-somethings together to work in DC.

Until then, enjoy the weather and Happy Pride!

-JP

I'm Back

Hey guys,

So I've gotten a few emails from people wondering if I was okay and where I had disappeared to. Well, I'm happy to report that I'm alive and well. The reason I was gone for the past month is because I've been basically too busy with school/clubs/internship stuff that I had to put a lot of my more pleasure activities to the back burner, this blog being one of them. Now, however, I'm home, done with my junior year, employed (yay!), and will be filling you guys in on what's been going on in the near future.

Again, thanks for the support and concern for those of you who reached out to me, I really appreciate it. I hope to get this blog up and running again now that it's summer.

All the best,

JP

Confused

I almost don't want to go to Denmark, at least not now. If I could have just one more month of summer I would be the happiest guy in the world. It's not because I don't want classes to start or that I'm afraid of going to a new country, I just have something here at home now that I don't want to leave....a guy.

While I don't believe I've mentioned it on here before, but I've been seeing a guy since early June. He works at the gym I go to and while we started out as just friends, but last night, while chilling on the balcony of his house enjoying the sound of crickets and a few beers, we both realized we are starting to fall for each other. We couldn't be more different. He's a bro-y, frat guy and I'm just not, but I guess opposites attract because I can not figure out how things happened otherwise.

We spent hours just sitting on that balcony talking, flirting, and just laying in each other's arms. Even when one of his roommates got back from work at 2AM, we all just sat and talked the night away until it was 4, not having any idea where all the time went. I spent the night at his place and fell asleep in his arms for the first time. It was the most amazing experience to wake up feeling so secure and comfortable. That's the thing, we're just so relaxed around each other, more so than when I'm with even some of my closest friends. I didn't want to leave.

I leave for Denmark in four days. I'll be boarding my plane to Reykjavik, Iceland Saturday evening and then arriving in Copenhagen around noon local time on Sunday. I won't be back until December which feels like an eternity away but I'm pretty sure it will pass quickly.

I've never been in a situation like this before and it's kind of confusing. I just wish I had four weeks instead of four days before I had to leave to figure things out better.

sigh

Chick-Fil-A: My Opinion

There's been so much media coverage on this whole Chick Fil-A anti gay marriage business for weeks now that I'm really starting to get sick of it. I thought I'd just provide some of my thoughts on the subject.

Personally, I couldn't care less if the President of Chick-Fil-A supports gay marriage or not. Like anyone else, he is entitled to his opinions and we should respect them. To me, as a gay man, it wouldn't be fair for me to demand to be respected for my lifestyle and then crucify someone just because theirs doesn't fall into line with mine. We all have a multitude of opinions which should be able to be expressed freely. We have the luxury of living in a country where conflicting ideas can coexist and people should be able to express their points of view without receiving death threats or be called unspeakable things. Unfortunately, this isn't always true. Chick-Fil-A has always been a very Christian business since its founding in 1947. They have never made an attempt to hide this fact, and honestly, I'm surprised how surprised some others are at this sudden revelation. Sure, I was as slightly shocked as anyone when I first found out that they don't open on Sundays, but did I honestly care? No. Did you honestly think a company that prints bible verses on their cups would support gay marriage? Snarky question, I know, but suddenly deciding to stop eating there after 5 years and picking up a sign to protest because you simply didn't pay attention is too little too late.

In my eyes, I couldn't give a damn about the personal beliefs of who makes my food or of the leadership as long as it doesn't mar the quality of what I come to a restaurant for in the first place: the food. Chick-Fil-A makes a damn good chicken sandwich and kick ass waffle fries, and if I'm craving that, I will go there and get a sandwich. I'm pretty sure the teenage cashier isn't spinning my Oreo shake with hatred and bigotry, and if they are, it tastes really, really good and needs to be used more (kidding). Honest question: If I go in to a Chick-Fil-A as a gay man and not cause a ruckus, will they refuse to serve me? $10 says they won't. Nowhere is it stated in Chick-Fil-A's mission statement that they will not serve gay individuals.

What has happened recently with people protesting Chick-Fil-A because of a belief held by its President, a devout Christian man, is ridiculous. The intersection of religion and societal issues and human rights has always been a tricky thing to deal with. Should all companies who have Christian leadership or leaders who don't support gay marriage be protested? For example, should all Muslim owned business be boycotted? Homosexuality isn't exactly all peachy in the eyes of Sharia law in case you didn't know. Given that fact, let's boycott all Muslim owned businesses too. Does that make any sense? Not at all.

Another luxury we have by living in this country is the right of choice. Our food choices aren't monopolized by the government or a single corporation. Instead of boycotting, protesting, and sending hateful messages and death threats trying to get a company to change their ways, just don't eat at or patronize whatever establishment you're so incensed with. Nobody is forcing you shove waffle fries in your mouth. For me, I'm more concerned with my food tasting good and receiving courteous service no matter the beliefs of those serving me. If they can't provide a high level of service over their views of something like my right to marry, a business doesn't deserve my patronage and I won't return, but I'm not going to flip a shit and picket their business, because quite honestly I have better things to do with my life. We're still talking about a restaurant now, remember that.

Something I must also point out is that everyone protesting needs to stop and look at the consequences of their actions on the innocent people caught in the middle - mostly the restaurant employees. Do the bottom level cashiers, cooks, and staff deserve the ridicule and hate that they have received for working for this company? I'm positive many of them are just trying to make a living and not because they wanted to work for a devout Christian business, yet as they are the face of the company most of us interact with, they unfortunately also receive the brunt of the hate. I pity them since they don't deserve that one bit.

Don't turn a chicken sandwich of all things into a symbol of hatred. If you feel more strongly about the President of a restaurant chain's beliefs than if the taste and quality of the food itself, then I honestly don't know what to say. Do you go to a restaurant to hear a sermon? No, you go to a restaurant to eat and be full.

I honestly can't wait for this whole Chick-Fil-A issue to blow over and be done with. I'm not going to stop going to my local restaurant; like I said, they make a mean chicken sandwich and a killer shake.

JP

Sam Mikulak

So I was at the gym while the mens gymnastics were on. While team USA didn't have the hottest showing, their members were really hot, especially Sam Mikulak. Damnnnnnnn.

Needless to say, my workout got a nice long break...




Yeah, snarl like you mean it


Damn....


That pretty boy smile....

Guys, he's one fine piece.

Oh, and Britain's Max Whitlock is a cutie.

That's it. Santa, I want a gymnist for Christmas. No "but"s

Oh, and congrats to China's mens team for winning gold for a second Olympics. Gotta represent.

JP

Retail Therapy

#ThatMomentWhen I found out that a former acquaintance of mine not only has a private lake behind his house, but a pair of jet skis, a zip line, and ATV to match.

I don't know whether to feel jealous, shocked, or upset I didn't become better friends with him in high school.

Dear lord, I know I'm from a pretty affluent area but hot damn, that's just ridiculous....

___________________________________

Anyways, while I didn't go out a buy myself a lake or ATV, I did do some shopping of my own with some of the money from this summer's work recently and I thought I would share a few.

First, I got myself a Bulova dress watch. I have a thing for watches, almost to the point of a fetish. I have one that I wear every day, one for the gym, and a few different dressier watches for presentations at school and for work. I feel naked without a watch and I've been dreaming of getting a nice one for a few months now. I finally saved up enough money that I felt comfortable buying one.



The dial is pretty dark indoors but a nice charcoal in sunlight. It's pretty modern while being simple enough that it isn't in your face either which I like.

I also got the second suit from a few posts ago. I'm getting it tailored tomorrow. My mom helped cover half of it as an early birthday gift since I'll be abroad by then which I really appreciate. It feels so nice to have a nice wool suit. I've always found guys in suits to be really hot (maybe why I'm in business school? hmmm....) and finally spending a little extra to have a custom fitted one is pretty awesome.

So basically I blew through two paychecks on two items, but I think they were worth it. As shallow as it sounds, sometimes you need to get yourself some pretty things and make yourself feel good.

All the best,

JP

Suit Up

Usually I'm pretty staunch on buying clothes that look good but also that I can get a really good deal on. Most of my clothes are from H&M or Gap/Banana Republic when their stuff goes on sale since they have a lot of classic pieces which I like. I openly admit that I like to look good, but it's a bonus when I can look good and save money since I'm on a student budget. There are a few things which I do not skimp on though, and those are my dress shirts, watches, and suits. Pretty much since I discovered 1MX shirts at Express I never had looked back, totally worth spending a little extra on. They're just so....well fitted haha. Another thing which I don't mind spending a little more on are watches since I wear one every day and I like to match them with whatever I'm wearing. The last thing I don't want to skimp on however is for a good quality suit.

Since I'm leaving to Copenhagen in a month, I'm considering retiring my old suit and getting myself a new one. I've never really spent too much on a suit before. My last one I bought a year and a half ago  and it wasn't anything special. It got the job done but the fit wasn't spectacular and the material felt kinda cheap. According to my Freshman year international business professor and my study abroad advisor, Europeans aren't nearly as forgiving as Americans when it comes to fit and finish so they recommend getting a good quality suit for business meetings and corporate visits that we would be doing while there.

I've obviously gone suit shopping before but I think I might be ready to take the plunge and drop a few hundred on a nice wool suit. My last few gigs have finally afforded me a decent amount of spending money so now is the best time to take the plunge. I've been browsing the Macy's website and I'm trying to decide between this:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/kenneth-cole-new-york-suit-black-solid-slim-fit?ID=466041&CategoryID=17788&LinkType=#fn=sp%3D2%26spc%3D182%26ruleId%3D66%26slotId%3D41

or this:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/bar-iii-suit-separates-black-solid-slim-fit?ID=647667&CategoryID=17788#fn=SUIT_FIT%3DSlimFit%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D70%26ruleId%3D66%26slotId%3D18

or finally, this:

http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/calvin-klein-x-suit-grey-pinstripe-peak-lapel-slim-fit?ID=655795&CategoryID=17788&LinkType=#fn=SUIT_FIT%3DSlimFit%26sp%3D2%26spc%3D70%26ruleId%3D66%26slotId%3D57

The first one is pretty simple and versatile. There isn't anything too much to it apart from being a classic black, slim-fit suit. It's almost borderline boring but it's also the most appropriate for most every situation it will go to, whether it be for meetings or dinner.

The second is much more modern and fitted which I personally like. Also, since it is quite fitted, it could mean less tailoring work after I buy it. The only thing I'm not as sure about is that it might not be totally formal enough for all business settings since it is so modern.

The last one is a total steal in terms of price. I'm not quite as positive on how I would feel about a peak lapel, though I should probably try it on before making a final call. Otherwise, it's a really nice, quality suit, and it's grey instead of a full black which I kind of like surprisingly.

Since they are all off the rack, I'm budgeting around an extra $75 or so for tailoring if needed so I can get the fit right in all places. I really want to treat this as an investment more than anything so I want the material to be good, and more importantly, I want the fit to be good. Wear the suit, don't let the suit wear you is how the saying goes I think. While I'll probably never be able to achieve Neal Caffrey like levels of polish, I do want to feel awesome when I suit up. I'm about 5'10" and just over 150 lbs with a slim/athletic build so all of these should fit pretty well.

I want to get some outside opinions so if you don't mind helping a guy out, I promise you one sexual favour redeemable at any time if my suit helps get me a nice job....

....maybe.

JP

Back to the Grind

Now that it's July, there is only a little over a month until I embark for Copenhagen for my semester abroad so things are slowing getting more exciting here in Virginia. I got my pre-departure packet in the mail detailing everything I need to get done before I board the plane in August. It looks like most of the important paperwork will be done once I arrive there so for now my main problem will be deciding what to pack.

The past few weeks were pretty busy for me. After a few weeks of just being a couch potato I finally got to work earning spending money for Europe. I decided not to go back to my old job in Maryland since I didn't want to commute again and also because the manager changed and is apparently batshit crazy. I firmly believe a good or bad manager can make or break a work experience so I didn't want to mess with that again.

At the end of June I was working with a vendor from San Francisco at the Fancy Food Show at the D.C. Convention Center for a few days. The company was a wholesaler/online business who represented a couple thousand small companies at expos and brought in a couple dozen to display and demo at the show. I helped set up and stuff but during the show itself I got to manage and represent three companies at the stand which was cool. The guys from the San Fran company were also so chill; they were all pretty young and were great to work with. The show covered two floors of the convention center which, if you've never been inside, is a lot of space. When I did walk around and explore, I got to try so much food. I had seared Chilean scallops, bugolgi at the Korea pavilion, quiche at the France pavilion, tons of pasta at Italy's, and all sorts of sweet and savory food from around the world. At the end of each day, we had a happy hour with all the vendors near us. The show itself was open for three days though I worked for five and at the end of it all, I came home with so much free food it was insane. I scored about $250 worth of food and alcohol including two handles of vodka from our stand since we ordered too much and overestimated the happy hour need. In the end, the gig was really awesome. All my coworkers were really cool and the people I was next to and I exchanged info for the next time they were in DC so I could help them when they next to a show.

Yeahhhh buddy.

Working at the show was probably one of the best jobs I've ever had. It was fun, involved food, and had me interacting with hundreds of foodies and business owners and as getting paid $10/hr for it; it was my personal heaven pretty much.

A week after the show ended I started my next gig which I just got off of a few days ago. I worked at a fireworks stand here in NOVA with a few other people, all college aged. I wasn't really looking forward to it quite honestly because the hours were long (42 hours of work in a 72 hour period) and it would be outdoors in 100 degree weather during the period before, during, and after July 4th. My days spanned from 8AM to 11PM in a metal trailer with only a fan, an ipod dock, and the company of my coworkers. Things ended up being pretty good in the end though. My manager was nice but kind of weird. One of the first things she said to me was "Sorry if I complain a lot in the next few days, I'm having boyfriend problems" which didn't really set a good tone. During my few days working with her though, I got to see a veritable soap opera unfold before my eyes. Day one, her boyfriend pretty much dropped off the face of the earth and she was flipping out over it. She talked about how she was the best girlfriend ever and didn't understand why he would leave her but she was not clingy (yeah...right). She even went into really unnecessary details like what she got him for his birthday (six lines of X and an hour long blowjob) and how they would spend hours together. Didn't need to know that? Well, I didn't ask to be told that either. On day two, July 4th, things only got worse when I came out to her and then she kept asking for a gay guy's opinion of what to do, which I'm not terribly good at so that was a lot of stumbling conversation. July 4th in general was a mess since pretty much from when we opened to when we closed, we never stopped and caught a break. People go freaking crazy over fireworks here even though VA law prohibits anything fun or exciting. The next day wasn't much better. It was pretty busy and my manager and her boyfriend ended up breaking up after she went on a stalk mission to his house to find him. Strangely, late on he came to visit the stand and they were all over each other again (!?). After he left she asked my opinion if he was cute (he wasn't) but I said he was anyways for her benefit. It was really awkward.

Despite all the drama with her and her bf and sweating my ass off, the job wasn't too bad. I doubt I will want to work at a fireworks stand again but it did pay decently, I met some pretty funny people, and I got about $70 total in tips which is solid. I'm also pretty good friends with my manager now despite her daytime television life. I told her to keep me updated with her little saga.

So what am I up to now? Well, I just got hired to help out with a new little and local pickle company to help them sell at local farmer's markets. I met the sister of the owner at a farmer's market in DC a few days ago and now they want me to help out for what looks like the rest of the summer until I leave for Europe. If the weather isn't feeling like having another heat wave I think this could be a pretty awesome gig. On top of working, Maria is also finally back from Spain and her friend Tanya from Egypt is also visiting which means we'll probably start going out a lot soon. We've already proposed some plans for clubbing and going out. Tanya also wants to go to a strip club some time after we went out to see Magic Mike this past weekend. I'm not so sure about how I feel about that but maybe I'll warm up to the idea.

All the best,

JP

The Summer Storm From Hell

I learned a few things during this recent storm from hell that hit the DC area a few days ago. They aren't particularlly deep lessons or anything, but entertaining enough to write down. I mean, how often does a storm that knocks out power to over 1 million happen around here? Answer: never. Note: I just got back power maybe two hours ago after going about two days worth without it in 100 degree Virginia-humid weather so you can say I'm quite chuffed.

Lesson 1: Be Careful What You Wish For (or at least be specific)
-When this storm started and the trees outside my kitchen window started hurling themselves around like some of my overly enthusiastic drunk friends, I got excited that we could in fact lose power. I actually like the thrill of things going pitch black and being at the mercy of mother nature mostly because my area never loses power as most of the lines are underground. Well, when the power finally did go out, I broke out the candles and flashlights and felt like a champ. That night, I went to bed to the sweet sound of rain and still strong wind, all content and happy with the world. Now fast forward to two days later where 80+% humidity and 100 degree highs reigned and I'm absolutely miserable. Everything is sticky: the couches, the chairs, the table, and there is absolutely no breeze at night when things cooled down a bit so even sleeping with the windows open did nothing to help. It reached about 88 degrees at its peak inside the house which is bloody miserable. Moral of the story: if you're going to wish the power to go out, include details such as 75-80 degree highs, moderate breezes, and at most for 24 hours.

Lesson 2: Ice
-Fun Fact: when the power goes out, you have about 1 day or so before your frige warms up and less than two before everything in your freezer thaws and is ruined. Moral of the story? If the power goes out, the moment that it's safe to drive and it's before midnight or so: haul ass to the nearest grocery store and get your greedy little fingers on all the effing dry ice or bags of ice you can. I don't care if you have to punch a kitten or sweet old Mrs. Johnson from next door, just go and hoard the stuff unless you want to lose all your perishables. Literally, the next afternoon after the storm ended, all the local grocery stores (and there are 4 within a 10 minutes drive of my house) were out of dry and regular ice. Mind you, this storm hit pretty much just days after a Costco run so we had quite a lot of stuff that needed saving. Unfortunately we were late to strike so a lot of food will probably be sacrified. So wha happens of the power comes back earlier and you have lots of left over ice? Well, make some cocktails or something. Win-win.

Lesson 3: Don't Take Any Modern Convenience For Granted
- Some things I never knew I would miss so badly until they were forceably ripped from my hands: air conditioning, the fridge, television, home phone (we have fios so no real land-line), charged laptops, fans, the ice maker, the microwave, wifi, the printer, lights, and more air conditioning. I have never been more happy to stand outside and hear the background humming of dozens of household air conditioners running at the same time.

Lesson 4: My Inner 5 Year-Old Comes Out When I'm Bored
-Not really a lesson but more of an observation - Since I was internetless, and pretty much my life revolves around it nowadays, I revert back to my elementary school roots to pass the time. One night I found a bottle of bubble solution and I ended up just hooking up my ipod to my car stereo and blowing bubbles for an hour while sitting on the trunk of my car. Good stuff. I also spent my days doing word searches, sketching, and rolling around on the floor with my dog. See? 5 year old.

Lesson 5: I Start Craving Salad When It's Hot
-Once again, more of an observation than a lesson but I ate more salads in the past two days than I had in the past two months. They were quite tasty salads though, I must say.

Lesson 6: Driver Licensing Laws Are Way Too Easy
-Not news to me or many people for that matter but it's worth saying. When street lights stop working, we've all been told to treat intersections as 4-way stops. Someone (meaning almost everyone), didn't get the memo apparentely since I saw nearly 5 near crashes at major intersections because people decided they were king of the road and barrell through an intersection without stopping or bothering to look at other drivers. The icing on the cake for me however when it comes to bad driving is seeing a guy in an SUV driving INTO a massive fallen tree branch that was blocking the right lane with his SUV. I think he figured he would just plow through it since he had a massive truck but nope, Mother Nature bitch slapped him in the face and made him swerve onto the sidewalk and through a chain link fence before coming to a stop. It was quite funny to be honest.

So hooray for the power being back and for my house slowly cooling down to a beautiful, low humidity 75 degrees. I got a taste of what living in the 19th century must have felt like, and I don't intend to ever try that out again.

All the best,

JP

Compliments

Odd question: how do you respond to compliments?

It seems silly to ask, I know, but I've actually had multiple occasions where I've stood there while talking to someone like some deer caught in headlights after being complimented. I know the obvious answer would be something like "thanks" followed by an awkward laugh, but that just seems weird and kind of rude to me. I don't like to acknowledge something about myself which receives praise, whether it be physical attributes or something I did; it just doesn't sit well with me.

I think the only reason I find it weird is that most of the time, especially if it's because of my appearance, is that I don't feel like I did anything. I didn't exactly have control as to how I ended up looking and me putting on clothes is basically deciding what colour I feel like wearing that particular day. See? No work. Since there isn't anything I did, getting a "You're cute" or "Wow you look great" from friends or complete strangers puts me in a very awkward position with me avoiding eye contact, laughing nervously, and trying to escape. Fail. At least when I get complimented on my work I feel better about it and can muster a "Thank You" since I feel that I did something but even then it still sits awkwardly with me.

So, how do you handle compliments? I figure some people have the ability to take it in stride but I don't know many people who do personally.

All the best,

JP

Tribute Bands

This past weekend my friends and I made our annual summer trip to the Taste of Reston which is held in Reston, VA which is a suburb of DC in Northern Virginia. At it's core, dozens of restaurants line blocks of closed off streets and sell tasting sized versions of some of their most popular dishes. It was a fantastic time as always with me eating too much food (as usual) and with my ratio of actual food to dessert being way off and tilted towards the latter.

I arrived after work around 8 and we stayed there wandered around for a solid three hours just eating, chatting, walking, and having a great time. As the sun finally set, the mood of the festival slowly started to change to something very different. At first it was even more vibrant - there's a carnival in addition to the food festival and it's mesmerizing to just stare at the bright, whirling rides and hearing the excited screams of little kids who were dared to ride on the roller coaster by their older siblings. Later on, the mood slowly became more mature, almost somber even. By 9:30 the little kids were fewer and farther in between - most brought home by their equally tired parents, and by 10 they were pretty much were non existent.

We ended up finding out way over the main pavilion of the festival where a Journey Tribute Band was performing that night. Even though they were a Journey tribute band, they played a bunch of classic rock hits from the Beatles, Don McLean, and Kansas to name a few. The music itself was good, but what I ended up watching for most of the time were the people crowded around the stage dancing the night away like there was no tomorrow. At first it was funny watching the mostly middle aged crowd rocking out the way they were, but then it got me, Ms. X, and a few of my other friends thinking: that's probably going to be us in 15 or 20 years, crowded around the stage drunk and dancing while teenagers stand around watching and probably giggling. One thing we all agreed on though is that even if nothing else changed, one thing that will definitely be different would be the music the tribute band is playing. So, what will they be playing and who exactly will they be impersonating?

One of my friends pointed out that we could probably gauge what our tribute bands will be based on what was played during our prom in high school. If that's true, I'm slightly worried since we had some crowd favorites like:

 

and this



and of course this...



I promise my high school wasn't actually too trashy....we had a Paris themed prom after all and at least my friends tried to keep it classy.

I was tan as hell but I still fucking rocked that tuxedo.

To be fair, we also did have some music which I'm pretty sure will become some enduring favorites for the pop-minded people in my generation like Train's Hey Soul Sister, Mr. Brightside by The Killers, and some Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift to name a few love it or hate it artists.

After the tribute band wrapped up, we started discussing what we thought our tribute bands would end up being. We realized that since we are pretty much still in the era of pop, the most likely covers we will be seeing will be of Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Coldplay, Ke$ha (is that even possible to cover?), The Killers, early 2000s singers and boy bands like N*Sync, Britney Spears, and The Backstreet Boys, and now the likely one hit wonder that is Carly Rae Jepsen with Call Me Maybe. Of course some other true classics like Journey and MJ will endure so not all is lost. Yes, there are many other good artists of our generation, but a lot of the music isn't really danceable which was our main criteria for main stage tribute band stardom one day. It's an interesting list and only time will tell if this actually pans out but thankfully I still have a while until I reach the point in my life where I don't mind dancing like a fool in front of hundreds of other people.

As the topic of music wore on, we also tried to figure out what kind of music our kids will "rediscover" and find retro and cool like we originally did. I think it will probably be Dubstep and the recent wave of dance/club music from David Guetta, Skrillex, Deadmau5, Avicii, and Calvin Harris. I can already hear my kids going "Dad, that weird bassy music with all those sound effects is sooooo old school and all the rage with the hipsters now". I'm cringing at the thought of it already, both for that sentence itself and for the fact that hipsters as a breed may not have died out by then.

So I figure some of you are probably mentally yelling at me for thinking that we'll be dancing shamelessly to the likes of Katy Perry and Gaga, (trust me, it kind of hurts me too to think about it too) but what do you think will the tribute bands be performing in 15 or 20 years? I'd be happy with The Killers, Fall Out Boy, and some Franz Ferdinand mixed in with some pop and dance/club, but I figure when I'm 35 or pushing 40 (*shiver*) I'd probably like anything from this current era of my life.

Are there any songs you figure you'll never NOT be able to dance like a fool to no matter how old you are? And yes, Call Me Maybe is a perfectly acceptable answer.

All the best,

JP

Get Me Out of Here

You know what? Sometimes I really just don't give a FLYING FUCK about other people.

And you know what else? It feels FUCKING GREAT.

I just want to go back to school, to work, anything. Just get me away from this place. Get me away from all this crap.

And to think, one month ago I would have killed to come home.

Employ Me

It's that time of year again. Since Denmark is terribly expensive and I don't want to be more of a financial drain on my parents, I'm starting my summer job search again. Last summer went pretty well. Maria and I ended up working at the same shop in Maryland and it was a blast. My co-workers were pretty nice for the most part and I loved my manager, pay was decent too. The only thing I didn't like was that the commute from Virginia took a while.

While I would apply to come back this summer, my old manager has since left the company in addition to a slew of other changes. The store got redistricted so the new district manager is this lady who I'm not a big fan of and the new manager is apparently  kind of crazy which isn't something I'd be willing to put up with. I believe that good coworkers and a good manager can make almost any mundane job enjoyable, but now that things have changed so much, I don't think I want to go back.

I've been applying to jobs since my finals ended. So far I've applied to three places and I'm still looking for more. My experience was in high-end retail so I want something in a similar more upscale setting, but I'm pretty sure I'll end up just at a regular job. Quite honestly, I just need the money so I can afford to drink sight see and travel around while in Europe. Hopefully I'll hear back soon. So, need someone who with the ability to convince people to buy $32 bottles of lotion? Call me.

In other news, summer has been pretty relaxing so far. I've been getting decent amounts of sleep, been cooking like mad, washed, detailed, and vacuumed my car, and been hanging out with friends like Ms X and her new BF and Maria. I've also just downloaded Catching Fire which is the second book in the Hunger Games series and I'm really looking forward to start reading for fun again. I'm also considering buying a Weber Kettle Grill like this:



Ever since I joined grilling club in the fall I've realized I love grilling over charcoal so much. Our old gas grill died last summer so we threw that out. We rarely grill but if I can get one of these, maybe that can change. The only problem is that it costs a good amount of money which I currently do not have so maybe once I get a job and have a steady paycheck I'll go ahead and splurge on one.

Alright gents, I hope everything is going well in your neck of the woods.

All the best,

JP

Boom: Junior Status

And with that, my friends, I am done with Sophomore year.

After my exam got out at 11 this morning I crashed and fell asleep, but since then I've been pretty much packing this entire time. My room looks like a disaster zone right now but hopefully once I move most of my stuff out with the help of my mom tomorrow it will look better.

The sense of freedom is so freaking nice. I've been busting my ass for the past two weeks studying for finals and now that I'm done it feels tremendous. I want to just run laps actually haha.

When I get home there are three things I intend to do:

1. Play with my dog
2. Go to the gym
3. Eat a decent balanced meal for the first time in almost three weeks

Damn Sophomore year was a weird/amazing/crazy year. I'll do a year in review soon probably so keep an eye out for that.

JP

End of the Summer

Summer is slowly coming to an end, and in a few days I'll be moving back to campus for my sophomore year. Usually at this time and when I do my end-of-summer post I make some comment as to how short and quick it felt; well, this year doesn't quite fit that mold. Surely, it does feel like the past three months were faster than any three months spent at school, but this was definitely a long summer. Given it was about half a month longer than any high school summer it makes sense but even it was shorter it was definitely one of the quietest and smoothest summers I remember.

Today:
Today was my last day at work and let's just say it ended with a bang...not necessarily in a good way, but with some theatrics nonetheless. This morning my tire pressure sensor light came on, and when I got the garage, my front left tire was pretty much flat, great start to the day. Later, after I opened the store, I find out there was some massive accounting/record keeping fail over the weekend and I had to dig up and fax three days worth of receipts and paperwork to home office...I've never sent a fax in my entire life. Later, one of my coworkers forgot he was supposed to come in so I had to do an emergency call to my mom to bring me lunch since I couldn't leave the store. That kid, we'll call him K, is so freaking unreliable and irresponsible sometimes, it's the second day in a week he "forgot" he was scheduled to work *headshake*. Well, I left work early and went to changing the tire, another first for me. It was probably one of the most unpleasant things I've ever had to do, but it was better to do it in the garage rather than on the side of the highway. Me and my mom drove to the tire shop and we left the punctured tire for them to take a look at and see if it can be patched or if it needs to be replaced.

Fast forwarding, I just got back from a late dinner with Dutch and Mads. We got Korean BBQ in Annandale (Koreatown pretty much) and caught up. They were all excited about the "exotic" experience and we talked about plans for the upcoming year. Something that came up again was the surprise that Southern Charm and one of the captains from the crew team were roommates this year. It's surprising because SC is probably one of the most chill people ever and Captain is probably one of the most intense people I know, strange mix. Mads immediately jumped on how she found it suspicious and implied that maybe they had ulterior motives for rooming beyond just being friends from the same high school. Y'all know how I feel about SC, the goofy grinning, adorable, blue-eyed friend who I had a thing for back during my senior year and how I suspected he was gay, a sentiment that now I know both Dutch and Mads share. Captain is more confusing; I'm pretty sure he's straight but I guess you can never be sure. Mads suggested that it may be one-way with SC and Captain which I could see since Captain isn't half bad looking. Ugh, I need to get over that boy; he was just a good friend though it will probably continue to bother be anyways.

After dinner, we drove home with conversation about music and our mutual love for Adele...


Adele - Set Fire to the Rain

Well, a little while after we set off, a freaking deer jumps in front of the car. Mads slammed on the brakes while we all screamed our lungs dry and continued to panic for a few minutes after. It was terrible/exciting/funny/terrifying all at the same time. If this isn't the the "rogue deer running into the road" I've had as part of my blog description for over two years I don't know what is.

Summer in Review:

Work
I completed my first true job! It went pretty well I think; working retail, while getting a bum rap wasn't too bad. Granted, I worked in the kind of store where the clientele are nicer and um....more refined in taste than the average store which could have helped. I got valuable life experience and I think my people skills really improved from interacting with so many people for the past three months. One thing I did learn though is that people can be very egotistical, rude assholes sometimes, despite my prior statement. In addition to developing people skills, I think I've also become hardened against criticisms and person attacks on things I have no control over. My favorite line has become "I will never come back to this store unless you do ____". Advice: if you ever use this line, any retail worker with a modicum of experience is laughing his or her ass off on the inside. While I might try to apologize/explain things, on the inside, we are all thinking "Bitch, please, you're not special and we have countless other clients and it's only growing bigger with each day" on the inside. At least some of the music they play at work helps cheer things up...


Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight

I hope to return to my job back during my winter break. In the mean time I'm looking to find a job close to campus for maybe two shifts a week to make some spending money. I got a few applications ready and a few references so hopefully my search will turn out to be fruitful. Plus my resume has some actual work experience on it now!

Relaxing
Having a job for once over the summer ate up most of my otherwise lazy-time, and probably for the better. I did get plenty of relaxation though; the cruise with my mom was really nice and really recharged my batteries. I also enjoyed sleeping in and constantly getting about 8 hours of sleep every night; I'm going to miss it once classes start....

Working Out/Weight Gain
At the beginning of the summer I set the goal ot put on some weight and getting more fit. I've been hitting the gym regularly about 4 days a week, sometimes more if I have the time. I have made progress, I've put on about 8 or so pounds since the end of May, mostly on my upper body - arms, back and chest to an extent. My abs have much more definition than before which I really like and I think with a few more weeks and two more pounds I should be at my goal.

The Coming Year
My sophomore year looks to be pretty interesting. I'm taking another new language, this time the language will be German. I'm taking intro to German this fall semester, and if I like it I'll keep on it; it's non-intensive which is what I'm looking for since I'm not looking for something that will be too time consuming. I'm working on remembering/using French and my two dialects of Chinese as much as I can so my years of work won't be for naught. I'm also in Accounting II, MicroEcon, Management Organizational Behavior, and a philosophy class. I'm looking forward to a good year so cheers to that. As I said, I'm planning to find a job and continue with the clubs I'm already in including tutoring, Pride and helping out Liz with promoting a student-written collection of one-act plays for parent's weekend. I even got myself a new Laptop for the new year - it's another HP but with a Gen 2 Core i5 processor, 6GB of RAM and a 640GB hard drive. It's only 14" but I'm bring both the new one and my old 16" laptop to campus as a backup/stay-in-room computer since I still haven't transferred all my files.


Adele - Turning Tables

Well, I'll be moving back to campus Wednesday and getting settled in slowly. Classes don't start for another week or so but I'm helping the new freshmen move in and so I get to get back early and avoid the crowds. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to deck out my room and make it homey. I'll post pictures when it's done. The weather is finally getting nice; after weeks of 95+ degree weather or storms, it's been in the low-mid 80s and partly cloudy (win!). I'm picking up my keys tomorrow and look forward to enjoying my last day at home, at least until I stop by to visit. I'm planning on enjoying home cooking one last time, dining hall food only gets you so far unfortunately...

Alright guys, I hope things are going well in your neck of the woods. I have some catching up to do regarding reading blogs. I'm going to try commenting more in the future (I know how I love comments and others as well) and keep y'all updated if anything exciting comes up.

All the best,

JP

The Past Week

So I haven't fallen off the face of the earth but I have been busy for the past week and just got home, so, recap of the past week.

Saturday, July 30, Florida

-Up at 3:30 to catch a 6:00AM flight to Atlanta from Dulles
-Taxi arrives, the AC was on high the entire 40 minute ride, I was freezing and so was my mom
-The airport is surprisingly busy but check-in goes smoothly enough
-Security takes forever because idiots think bringing full sized bottled of shampoo as a carry-on is o-k
-Flight to Atlanta goes smoothly, I don't know why people hate Delta so much, they're nice people
-I hate Atlanta's airport, it's noisy, overcrowded and poorly laid out, it's only a 1.5 hour layover thankfully
-Arrive at Orlando and try to find transportation
-Immediately get approached by a guy who is trying to drive us to the ship terminal for $25 a person, he's sketchy and we don't like him but my mom is too timid to say no, it's ridiculous, uncomfortable and not worth it.
-Check-in at the port goes smoothly, the travel agency didn't recognize my mom's prior-cruiser record so she didn't get a gold card
-We get on board and wait in line for 45 minutes before getting the issue sorted at the info desk. the Ship is pretty new so it looks quite nice inside.

-The room is nice, we booked an interior room on the 11th deck, it's a handicap room so the bathroom is freaking massive, total win.
-I explore a bit, the gym is decent but only one floor unlike the last ship which was two, there is an erg though.
-Dinner was cool, me and my mom got a private two-seat table by the window, our waiter is not the chattiest but nice and prompt. The Maitre'd was also funny.
-Our dining room table neighbors are really sweet, next to us are a first time cruise family with two daughters. The younger one (probably 7 or 8) is super picky about food based on color, she hates "white gravy" and light coloured sauces lol. The table behind us had a really WASP-y family and a really attractive Thai family. The WASP family had three kids, the son, maybe a year or two younger than me was pretty good looking and the Thai family had three boys around my age who were really hot....seriously.
-That night I head straight to the Casino, play about $40 on blackjack, went as high as up by $30 and down to $5 but settle with a loss of $20
-Go to bed around 1-ish

Sunday - Nassau

-Up around 9:30, get breakfast and go back to the room
-Watch a movie until around 1 and then head out
-It's really hot and it's all just shops, I was here in Spring too so not much to really do
-Stop back at the same bar I was at last time, they're still playing really loud Nicki Minaj and Weezy
-Back on the ship at 4
-Dinner's not until late so I go to the gym, the erg is buttery smooth, if only the gym at home had one this nice
-Shower and then get ready for dinner
-It's the first formal night so I dress up
-Dinner was decent, the Caesar Salad is really tasty and the fish I had was good enough, it needs more seasoning though
-The wait staff performs for us in a dance routine to "Low" by Flo Rida, awkward but funny nevertheless.
-On the way out, the kids at the teen club are all out in the halls and kinda loud and annoying
-My mom goes to see the show and I go back to the blackjack table
-The people I play with are hilarious, one guy I saw at dinner and the night before is playing at the same table as I am, he's from Alabama and goes to Ole'Miss, his accent is kinda sexy and he's pretty hot too. The other table people are three friends all in their early 40s. The two ladies are drunk and the guy is just laughing. One lady is a total cougar and is hitting on Ole'Miss. They buy a bucket of beer and share with the table. win.
-I end up winning about $40 so I'm even again for the trip
-Bed around 12:30

Monday - Sea Day

-Wake up around 9:30
-After breakfast, they make an announcement saying that because of Trop Storm Emily, we would have ot re-route and change two of our stops, kind of a bummer
-I catch a chair on deck and work on reading 1984
-Lunch is a weird mix of Italian and Asian food, I end up eating a lot of fruit and pasta
-I explore the ship some more and find a piano bar and look at some of the shops, liquor is so damn cheap!
-Dinner is meh, I was sleepy for some reason even after my regular double espresso with dessert
-I go back to the room and watch Law and Order, I fall asleep and don't wake up until 2:00, I don't even bother and just go back to bed.

Tuesday - Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

-Arrive at our first re-route spot, Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
-It's a really small port, just some jewelry shops, Margaritaville and a beautiful beach
-I shop with my mom for a bit and then go exploring
-Magaritaville is one massive frat pool party, drunk college students and 20-somethings everywhere dancing to extremely loud music, not really my kind of scene
-I settle on just finding a chair under a palm and just enjoying the weather and people watch

-Back on the ship around 4
-Shower and then find a deck chair to read some more
-Dinner was highlighted by one of the waiters singing an Elvis song for us, he's pretty good
-I go with mom to see a Canadian Female Impressionist singer who did Tina Turner, Cher, Macy Gray and a few others. He opening Cher act kinda sucked but the rest of her songs were actually pretty good
-Blackjack was a win, I went up $70
-Went to bed watching Jimmy Fallon

Wednesday - Sea Day

-Wake up late around 10:30
-Breakfast, gym and sunbathe for a little while
-Return Cruiser's party in the main theatre, free drinks ftw
-Couple sitting next to us down Screwdrivers like it's nobodys business
-I have a beer, a rum punch and a whiskey sour, the last might be one of my new favorite drinks
-I go read for a little while and I realize around then that I was tiiipsy; George Orwell was never more entertaining
-I try the Mongolian Barbecue/Wok station for lunch, the lady behind me kept asking for things that weren't out even though it was buffet style.
-Mom comments that I drink so quickly, lolz
-Dinner was quiet, the family with two kids next to us provide entertainment since the little one goes through three entrees before she finally eats something. We promise Jay, the bar guy, that we will order something tomorrow.
-Lose the previous day's winnings at blackjack, but the dealer and I become buddies. A Floridian couple with six kids (damn) talk about how I don't have any accent and that I'm a proud Amurican and then go on bashing the Indian political and health care systems
-Me and the dealer school them on how they are wrong on so many accounts and how India is the world's largest democracy and money exists in spades despite what people think. higher education + native background ftw
-Bed to "Letters to Juliet", click flick overload

Thursday - Freeport

-Up around 9:30
-Me and my mom go to Port Lucaya to shop around a little, pretty much the exact same as when we were here in Spring. It's really hot and boring
-We go back to the ship early and grab a pizza to share
-The gym is really crowded so I had ot wait to use many machines
-Second formal night and the bar guy Jay holds us to our word, mom gets white zin and he brings me a Mojito. I don't know why but it just sounds like a gay drink to me. It's not too bad though
-Dinner was good, I had prime rib which was really tasty and tender
-Jay never brings us our receipt but thinks we live on a farm since we're from Virginia. He's from South Africa which is pretty cool
-Deck party that night, live performers who did a variety of songs, around 11 they did a rock show and handed out glowsticks

-Grab some late night snacks
-Bed around 1

Friday - Sea Day

-Up around 10
-There's a farewell party around 5 so I grab a chair on deck and read/listen to music
-Gym around 2, I finally meet the other person who actually does erg workouts, she's one of the event coordinators on board and she has some really toned arms, she probably was a rower in the past
-The hot Thai guys are also on deck too as is the hot WASP family son. It was an ab fest, not much reading got done haha
-Farewell party at 5, Jay was serving there too and was trying to get me and my mom drunk towards the end of the party he just dumped the last four drinks on our table. The Thai family parents were sitting next to us and were giving us strange looks, we explained our way out of awkwardness/prove we weren't alcoholics
-Last dinner was calm, I had some surprisingly good Indian vegetarian. the head chef was Indian so that probably played a role. They staff sang a farewell song just like they did in my spring cruise. Jay kept asking for what he could bring us, I have a margarita on the rocks and mom has some fruity drink
-Dessert was soufflé which was good but kinda sucks it was on the last night. Princess Cruise Lines had it every night
-Jay tells us to go to the last comedy show at 11 and midnight, he'll hook me up
-I go to the 11pm show, Jay was there and gets me a Blue Chevy 57, some bright blue drink with lime vodka, also a glass of water "so mom doesn't get mad"
-The first guy was kinda blah, lots of penis jokes, lots of old recycled jokes I've heard before
-after the first show he comes back and asks what I want to get now, I tell him to surprise me, he brings me something like a long island but not if that makes sense. It tastes of rum, tequila and vodka and is strong as fuck. He also brings a shooter
-During the break, I find my mom, the blue drink is catching up on me but I find mom listening to s singer in the lobby
-The second performer was better and did more improv stuff, I found it to be funnier though I don't know if it was because he actually was funnier or if it was the long island like thing. Still lots of penis jokes
-About 30 minutes later everything was funny and I was becoming chatty. I hadn't had that much to drink since my Accounting final finished
-We leave the lounge and thanks Jay one last time, he's a great guy and gave us about $80 worth of drinks for free between the two of us during the trip so he's a winner in my book
-Bed around 12

Saturday - Florida

-Up around 6:30
-One last breakfast and then taxi to Orlando to catch our flight home
-Get a call from Maria, apparently shit has been going down at work and investigators from loss prevention are coming later this week to interrogate interview all the employees. Maria has $100 stolen from her purse and about $200 worth of product/money has gone missing from the store. The district manager is coming up from Florida as well. We have a hunch as to who is/are to blame
-Home to Reagan National around 4, my uncle picks us up
-It starts to torrential downpour on the way home but stops after about 15 minutes
-Finally home

So nothing too crazy went down but it was nice to just chill and relax. Today's mom's birthday so I need to plan out some surprises for later tonight.

Peace y'all

-JP

Ocean City

I really, really want to go to the beach which is odd since I never really liked beaches that much in the past. I was always more of a great-indoors kind of guy. Considering the weather here for the past few days, it's been way to hot to be going outside, but once it falls back into the 80s, I want to go on a weekend trip to Ocean City. The water and beaches this far up the coast aren't particularly good though, more proper for sunbathing than swimming in the ocean, but I've been craving escaping from DC for a little while.


The OC...MD

 I wish there was more to do in DC, but alas, even with museums and all that jazz, things do get boring. My search for a second job has been put on pause for the time being but I plan to resume my search soon. I'll just keep going to the gym and finding random things to do to fill my time.

JP