No more Happy Hour

Today marked the last day of City Sips in Philadelphia. Last day to partake in special drink specials at some of the city's swankiest spots, some even offered appetizer specials. While I didn't get out as much as I would have liked for the specials (I tried a couple of good places), I am pumped for CCD's next round of promotional fare: Restaurant Week! Restaurant Week exposes new clientele to Philadelphia's finest restaurants. $20 lunch specials and 3 course meals starting at $35 per person. I've already made a reservation for Chima, a Brazillian steakhouse, and look forward to making one for Phillips, a fantastic seafood restaurant, as well. I love Fall time in the city!

Friend Request

I log onto my Facebook page on an unsuspecting summer evening, when I notice a "1" in a red box over the friends icon in the top left corner. I click on the icon filled with a curiosity, "who wants to friend me?" Its my mother. I was suddenly overcome with a sinking feeling.
Now, I am in no way angry or upset that my mother has friended me, but I've come to the realization that its finally caught up with me. My hidden life in social media has been exposed. Like many teens and twenty-somethings I've been leading somewhat of a double life: my familial real world life, and my no-holds-barred internet life. Now that the two are mixing, I don't know where to draw the line. Its funny how people don't really care what complete strangers think about them or say to them in the internet world, but when it comes to family and friends we slightly censor ourselves.
Needless to say I've accepted my mother's (and aunt's for that matter) friendship request, banking on the fact that they're not familiar with how Facebook works, and are only using it to keep in touch with family.
Thank You Facebook, for now allowing my family to embarrass me in cyberspace as well as in the real world.

Back to the Grind

The summer is winding down, and while I couldn't be more grateful I know there is a lot of work ahead of me. The Fall, like for many, represents a return to the grind that we are all used to. No more random summer trips, flings, or lazy hot days sipping on a lovely beverage. Personally, I am looking forward to the challenge and "work" that lies ahead of me. Soon this will all be worth it.

Adventure awaits

At the beginning of the year I made a to-do list of all the things I wanted to accomplish. Everything from skydiving to saving money was included. Then, there was this enigmatic goal: do something great for ME. After I wrote I thought to myself, what the heck could that possibly be? This thought weighed heavy in me for months. What DID I want to do that I would think would be so "awesome"? Then it hit me.

For a good portion of my young adult years I've spent my Saturday mornings and early afternoons watching cooking and travel shows on my local PBS station (I love public television). My favorite travel show as of late is Globe Trekker. This show doesn't showcase the resorts or much talked about tourist traps that plauge most vacation spots. Globe Trekker delves deep into the history, art, landscape, culture and people of the countries they showcase.

                                                 

                                         AN ADVENTURE VACATION!!!

That's my just-for-me-awesome-goal! Climb the Canadian Rockies? Hike the trails in Costa Rica? Discover the pyramids of Belieze? People watch at Carnival in Brazil? Who can say for sure which exotic location and off-beat activity I'll partake in, but in 2011 I plan to live the stories I will later tell my friend's grandkids about.

Grinds My Gears: Smart Phone Edition

You know what REALLY Grinds My Gears? Broadcast BBM messages (for those not familiar, BBM stands for Blackberry Messenger. Its an application that allows Blackberry users to exclusively instant message each other). Don't get me wrong, every once in a while a good joke, interesting fact or vital piece of news is fine to pass along to your friends, but I am really sick of the chain mail. The "rate me/our friendship/my sexual aptitude on a scale of 1-10", or "give me a nickname", or the good ole "please message this to all your contacts. My cell carrier will donate X amount of money to save a starving kid in Cambodia". STOP IT PEOPLE!!!
If I wanted you to have a nickname I would have given it to you. No, I am not rating you (what does that matter anyway?), and if your cell provider really cared about the homeless, or starving kids in a Third World country, I'm sure they have better ways of raising money than asking their users to spam each other with broadcast messages. I mean, can they even keep track of that?! I don't think so. If you have something to say to me, or a cause you would like me to be aware of please e-mail or send me a link to a credible source. I am NOT above deleting chronic spammers (and I have), so don't be next on the list and think twice before you broadcast that message. Is it really worth it?
And that's what really Grinds My Gears.

You go your way, I'll go mine

This weekend my summer of bliss will be at a crossroads. Friends are moving, friends are growing, friends are reconnecting. I've decided to return to my hometown for an impromptu reunion with a tight knit group of college friends (these are the women who were my sisters before I ever thought about joining a sorority). Every couple of years or so, we decide its been way too long since we've been involved in each others lives, so we get together. While I am sacrificing quite a bit to go on this trip, I am more than happy and willing to go. Even though I can't help feeling a little guilty for not being there for others in my life.

After Sunday, and much like the changing of the season, my cozy section of the cosmos will begin drastically changing in so many areas, for so many reasons. I am going to enjoy this last weekend, throw responsibility to the wind and be a good friend to those that deserve it most.