Philly Trip

Last week, Josh, Steve (Josh's roommate), and I went on a day trip to Philly.  It took us a little over three hours to get there because of traffic.  We began our trip with lunch at DiNic's in Reading Terminal.  I had the best roast beef sandwich!  We decided to go to DiNic's when Josh saw it on the Food Network show Man vs. Food.

After lunch we began our tour of Philly.  First we walked to the house of Edgar A. Poe.  It was a long walk from Reading Terminal, but definitely worth it!  Poe lived in this house for about a year and wrote a couple of his most famous works here: "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" were among those works.  Also, while living here, his wife fell ill with tuberculosis, from which she later died.  She was his inspiration for the poem "Annabel Lee."  The house is still in great condition and definitely worth a quick visit if you get the chance.  You might just here the beating of the old man's heart!

The picture above is of a painting of Poe on a building just a block down from Poe's house.  There were other wall paintings like this throughout the city.  Pretty cool!!!!

Next we went to the Liberty Bell and then we went to Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and signed.  After that, we went to the First Bank of the United States.  We didn't get to go in because it was closed, but being there and seeing it was just as impressive! 

If you look closely at the picture above, you can see Josh and Steve sitting on the steps!  After a quick rest at the bank, we headed to the harbor to see the USS Olympia.  We did not get to go on the ship because it was closed, so the next time we go back that it the first thing we are going to do.  Some facts about the USS Olympia: it served the United States Navy from 1895 to 1922.  It was the flagship of Commodore George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.  The ship served until WWI as a training ship for naval cadets.  Also, it carried the remains of the First World War's Unknown Soldier from France to Washington, DC.

After our walk around the waterfront, we headed to the Franklin Fountain, an ice cream parlour.  We decided to have dessert first since it was close to the waterfront, and we had a long walk back to the car before going to dinner.  The Franklin Fountain was opened a few years ago in 2004, and the shop used to be a candy store that sold "eroticakes"-- "evocative lollipops and biologically inspired baked goods" (http://www.franklinfountain.com/index.php).  Hahahahaha.

After having an ice cream sundae, we walked back to our car and then drove over to Pat's for Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.  Pat's sits directly across from Geno's, its Philly cheesesteak competitor.  The rivalry has been going on for many years and was featured on Food Feuds, a Food Network series.  However, Pat's claims to have invented the Philly steak sandwich in 1933 and Geno's did not open until the 1966.  Geno's capture a lot of attention with it's flashy colors and casino lighting, but do its cheesesteak's compare to the Pat's?  I don't know.  I only ate a sandwich from Pat's because Josh and Steve said it is better than Geno's.  Josh tested this a few months ago when he had a sandwich from Geno's and then had a sandwich from Pat's.  The next time I go to Philly I will have to have a sandwich from Geno's so I can make my own verdict.  My cheesesteak from Pat's was delicious and we did not have to wait in a long line, which was amazing! 

After dinner, we headed home to Virginia.  Philly is a fun city to visit and there are many free attractions and things to do.  I definitely recommend tasting all the food it has to offer, especially the Philly cheesesteak! 



Worst Bug Ever!

Well, maybe.  The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug has come to Virginia!  It is comparable to the cicadas that sprung up a few years ago, but they are not as big.  They are just as gross and worthless though.  They get into houses through air leaks and cracks and like to sit on the ceilings and crawl along anything they land on.  When they fly around, they are loud and you can hear them running into things or falling to the floor after they hit something.  Seriously, the bug is dumb.  It will fly itself into a wall and die.  Also, one hit with a fly swatter will kill the creepy invader.  Furthermore, this stink bug has no stink!  I've killed a few and I've never smelled anything afterward.  Also, it doesn't sting or bite.  So, it's basically just creepy and ugly, but I'm still terrified of it. 

I noticed these bugs sometime around March and they kept invading my house until a few weeks ago.  I thought they were gone for good, but then the weather started to get warm again and the bugs came back.  As I climbed into my car after work, I noticed two sitting on the door.  When I got home, the screen door was covered with them!  I had to go in through the garage and there were some sitting on that door. 

To find out more about them and to see a picture, here is a link to wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

Awkward Situations

Many people know that I am a strong advocate for awkward situations.  I think they are hysterical and you always have an interesting story to tell your friends later.  However, when the awkward situation turns from funny to creepy, then I draw the line. 

I finish shopping for my groceries and as the cashier is ringing up my food he asks, "How's school goin?"  I tell him that I graduated and he's all, "Oh my! That is wonderful!  What was your major?"  I tell him that I majored in English and then he proceeds to ask me if I've found a job and all that.  I tell him that I have not and he says, "You should write a book!  That's what I'm doing!"  I told him that I don't want to write a book, but I could edit one if I found a job in editing.  He then says, "You should edit my book!  Seriously!  Write your name and address on this piece of paper!"  LOL LOL LOL HELLZ NO!  Maybe he was just being friendly and really wanted some help editing, but how do I know that for sure.  You can never be too safe.  I told him that I don't have enough editing experience and luckily the lady behind me interrupted him by explaining an issue she was having with the price of milk.  I grabbed my bags and ran out of there so fast.

After that lovely encounter, I watched Dancing With the Stars.  I was actually impressed with the cast and dancing!  A couple of months ago I was unsure of the cast that was selected.  It didn't seem like it would be very entertaining, but it actually was!  Kyle Massey from the Disney Channel was surprisingly good and I was shocked at his ability to pick up the dance steps.  He really woke up the crowd and stunned the audience.  And I loved Jennifer Grey's waltz with Derek Hough.  It was elegant and a great way to start the first show.  For this week, David Hasselhoff received the least amount of votes and had to leave the show.  I was not surprised by this outcome, for he was one of the few that I pegged as the first to go.  I was actually hoping he would stay another week or two because he is pretty entertaining!  I cannot wait for next week to see how the stars improve!

Reviewing My Weekend

I am reviewing my weekend today because it's pretty much over and I know what I am going to do tomorrow.  I worked this weekend--just as I do every weekend.  On Friday night, Drea and I went to the movies.  We saw Easy A.  It is a romantic comedy, and for the most part, it was pretty funny.   A lot of the really funny parts are in the previews, but there are a couple of incredibly funny scenes that the previews did not give away.  I enjoyed the whole movie, but I don't think I would watch it again.  It would not be as funny the second time because the jokes are not that great.

Other than seeing the movie and hanging out with friends, work basically consumed my weekend.  I don't mind working on the weekends, but sometimes I can feel a little short tempered.  This is due to all the work that has to be done while making each customer feel like he or she is the only customer in the store and you have the whole day to help them.  It can take a lot out of you.  I leave work mentally and physically drained.  At least Sunday won't be as long or tiring because I only have to work a few hours.  And then the week starts again!  Yay for Mondays...they always come so soon.   

It's time to be PRODUCTIVE!

This blog has been on my "things to do list" for quite some time.  And I finally made it!  The next thing on my list is my grad school application.  I need to start getting that organized.

1. I need to get recommendations from professors
2. start working on an essay explaining my goals
3. put together a portfolio of work I did during my undergraduate years

I need to focus on these things for the next couple of months.  I was trying to get a job, but I've been having no luck, so I think going back to school might be a better idea.

Other than working on my application, I'm trying to spend less time on facebook, and more time reading books.  I started re-reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.  It is an amazing novel that you will not want to put down.  I recommend it to anyone looking for a story that is enjoyable, romantic, and heart touching.  I decided to read it again because a movie about it will be coming out next year!  Here is more information about the movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067583/

Early in the Summer I read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.  It is a memoir that chronicles the childhood of writer Jeannette Walls.  She tells of her dysfunctional family and her survival through the hardships she faced during her youth.  This is another book that you will not be able to put down!

I'm a Newbie!

This is my first time ever making a blog!  It does not look great, but it will look better after I figure it all out.  If you have suggestions, let me know!  I'm going to keep working on it to try and get the color scheme right, but I've been trying to decide on colors for about an hour and my head is starting to hurt.