Never Have I Ever… Been To Longwood Gardens!
The title of this post is taken from a game that some may have played when they were younger (Or older, I guess it all depends on what age you are when you are reading this post). It's called "Never Have I Ever..."
Here's the Wikipedia article on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Have_I_Ever
Yeah, it's technically a drinking game... But I think it could also just be used to do new things, find new experiences in your area and break out of your routine.
We all get into routines. Most of us like routine. We like that familiar path where we do the same things over and over again. But sometimes you have to break that. You have to try new things and see what other experiences there are to be had!
I used to think, I've done it all here in Philly. Turns out I'm wrong. Yes, I've lived in this area for a significantly long period of time. But as it turns out, there's still plenty of new things to experience!
So, I've started making a list of things I've never done in Philadelphia and the surrounding area. Don't get me wrong, I love doing my usual routine type of things: Going on runs, yoga, writing at Iron Hill Brewery, working on music, sometimes playing an open mic, trying out karaoke, or quizzo... but there are lots of other things to do too!
The list is coming along nicely. Some of the upcoming things on my list include: The Phoenixville Blues Festival, this out of the blue Egyptian Festival I found out about last night, Celtic Festival up in Bethlehem... Ok so mostly festivals so far... but the VERY next thing on my list...
Longwood Gardens!
Seriously, I've never been. EVER. NEVER EVER! I know right? Well... I plan to go check it out in the near future. I'm actually thinking I might go this weekend at some point. Maybe Sunday since I have to work Saturday. We'll see.
Feel free to try it if you're in a funk of some sort. Take inventory of things around you, browse Google maps, or look over your local tourist bureau websites, or visit "insert town name here" business associations. You'll find there's a lot of resources! Meetup groups work too. You can just see what people are doing and going to.
I'd love to find a website or if it doesn't exist make one where you can keep track of things you've done in your area and share those lists with people and view other shared lists and see what you have and haven't checked off. I think that might be a cool site. I'm sure it exists already in some fashion.
SO get out there! Break your routine and try something new. Because there's always something to "Never Have I Ever" about.
ColaLife
So I'm on a run tonight in Valley Forge Park. I decide to listen to a random podcast while I run. I learned during this podcast of this thing called ColaLife. I had no idea such a thing even existed. It's pretty amazing to say the least.
Read this to learn all about it from the official site: http://www.colalife.org/about/colalife-about/
Here's an article from 2013 on the NY Times: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/making-medicine-as-easy-to-get-as-a-can-of-coke/?_r=0
Here's the little intro blurb about it from Wikipedia...
ColaLife is an independent non-profit organisation, that became a registered charity on 21 June 2011 (charity number 1142516). ColaLife is working to leverage the distribution network of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) to get simple medicines, such as rehydration salts, and information on how to use them, to the most remote areas in developing countries.
WOW! This is an AWESOME organization to say the least. Seriously this is the first time I've ever even heard about it and I'm super fascinated by it. I love that something like this came into existence. It's just such a really innovative way to help battle such a devistating problem facing developing countries. Obviously I don't love that the problem exists in the first place and I wish it didn't. But at least there's an answer, a solution to a very big problem.
I was so taken with it that I decided to share. I love solving problems and I love creativity and I love helping those that aren't as well off... this combines all three. The world needs more innovative ways like this to help solve the problems we all face.
Galer Estate Winery
What a place. That's all I have to say. This is by far my favorite writing spot. I went on Saturday and liked it so much that I decided to go back again today.
I have to admit I was kind of hoping that one server girl would be there. I was thinking about actually just saying to heck with it and asking her out. She didn't seem to have a ring on her finger... So who knows... Maybe she's single. And if not... then she's not. Worth a try. She wasn't there though. When I got there it was just one guy and there was one customer. Oh well.
I setup shop to write. An older couple came by to enjoy a sunset wine as well. They sat down and ordered some red wine... crackers are also brought out as complimentary... To this the lady replied "It's like communion. Red wine and crackers." To that her husband laughed and leaned over and kissed her.
Sigh. Maybe some day I'll have what those two had. They sat there talking about upcoming events that they had planned and how they needed to fix some things around the house. I just sat there and wrote. So there you have it. Another day. No love found today. Perhaps tomorrow she'll come along. People in love are the luckiest people. I'm not one of those lucky people unfortunately. Who knows if I'll ever be. I just have to keep waiting... and hoping. That one day... I'll be one of those lucky people too.
Philly Art Museum Day
Today (or yesterday, since it's after midnight) I hit up the Philadelphia Museum of Art with a new friend that I made at the Under the Sun Tour up in Bethlehem. I'm pretty good at making new friends most places I go. I'm one of those chatty with random people in public type of people I guess.
So, the day started with a traffic jam in the kitchen...
Luckily I was able to make it to the art museum anyways. When I arrived at the museum though, I found myself in a similar fate as the cats. Upon waiting in line I was handed a scrumptious little snack by some kind representatives from KIND snacks! (http://www.kindsnacks.com)
Waiting in line to get into the Philly Art Museum. A KIND rep was giving out free snacks. Win. #Win #IAmOnBoardWithThisMarketingPromo #OmNomNom A photo posted by Kenny (@kennywest82) on
I tried to make friends with the people also in line with me, ahead of me was a girl glued to her cell phone. Every time I attempted to chat with her she just looked at me and then went back to typing away on her phone. So I tried to chat with the folks behind, the parents with their 5 kids... just looked at me funny. Turns out they didn't speak a lick of english. If I had to guess, I'd say that they were vacationing tourists.
Ok, so maybe I'm not good at making friends everywhere I go. But most places I can usually make at least one new friend.
Once I got inside I met my friend and purchased my ticket. It was "pay what you want" day. I was informed that I could pay any fee I wanted starting at 1 penny. Anything that I paid would be considered a donation and would go to funding various projects around the museum. I asked what the normal entrance fee is. She said $20. So I decided to pay $15. I figured it was a win win for both of us. I got a 25 percent discount and they got an extra 15 bucks to keep the art dream alive.
We walked around for a few hours. I FINALLY got to see the Japanese tea house exhibit upstairs that I think is so cool. I haven't seen that in years. I've gone to the art museum many times for the art after 5 thing on Fridays, but they close the upstairs for that.
For some reason I was in a silly/funny mood and decided to make humorous comments about the art as we walked around. Some laughs were had.
My favorite joke was about Claude Monet's sticky notes. In a French accent: "I will paint these paintings so that one day... they will be made into little tiny sticky notes and will end up in cubicles and offices stuck to computer monitors all across this great land."
All in all it was a nice day.
Brandywine River Museum/Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery
Today I went to The Brandywine River Museum and The Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery. I really enjoyed both. The River Museum was a referral from one of the adjuncts at work that suggested I go there to possibly run into a lady and get lucky in love... No such luck. I walked around for a couple hours. Took in each and every painting. Then I walked around the grounds outside. I found a lonely little piggy that I sat near and just kind of looked out into the flowing river for a good while... I just felt defeated.
I still feel defeated. Every time I log into Facebook there's some new notification, someone is in a relationship now, someone is married now, someone is having a kid now, someone is buying a house together with their significant other and they are putting up a photo of them both holding the keys to the new place. I know everyone is different and love comes for everyone at different times and you're supposed to find it when you stop trying and all that.. And I'm happy for all these people, I really am. But I'm just tired of being alone. But at the same time, I don't want to just date someone just to NOT be alone. I don't want to date someone that I'm not at least somewhat interested in. I don't want to force it either. I want it to happen. It's hard to NOT look for love. Everyone says it like... it's a piece of cake to do. It's all nice in theory, and maybe it's easy for other people to not care about finding someone, but for me it's hard. I feel like... so many other people almost seem to have effortlessly found love everywhere I look. At the museum it was nearly all couples. There weren't really any single people at all. It made me feel even worse than my bleak optimism on the drive out there. So I felt kind of just down on myself like it was a wasted 15 dollar admission and a wasted trip to drive out there. I used my phone and Google mapped what was around. I was just going to go to a coffee shop to do work. Instead I thought well maybe I'll try out a new winery that I haven't been to.
The winery I happened upon is Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery. It's definitely one of my new favorites. The property is very beautiful with an old barn as the tasting room and a wrap around porch/deck thing that leads down wooden deck stairs to the vineyard. You can site either in the barn, outside on the deck under an umbrella covered table or down by the vineyard at a table there. The wine I tasted was super delicious. I did a small sampler and then I ended up getting a bottle and pouring a glass from that, then taking the rest of the bottle home. It was nice, I sat and worked on the book. I just enjoyed the view and the day. I tried to ignore the conversations from people... most of them were about weddings happening in the next two months, one couple was engaged and another was celebrating 40 years together and another was in a wedding coming up... Which again made me feel even more lonely.
This is me just completely giving up on that whole finding love thing. Cheers to wine and books. A photo posted by Kenny (@kennywest82) on
It's not that I'm not going on first dates. I'm still going on first dates... Although I don't really want to anymore. I've honestly been on so many first dates that I'm kind of just burnt out on that whole first date thing and getting to know the person and asking the same first get to know you questions, and not having any real connection or spark. I just want to find something real. I want to find someone that sticks. There have been girls interested in me, but I'm just not feeling anything but a friendship for them, and there have been girls that I actually did like but they weren't super interested in me and just wanted a friendship.
I guess if it were mutual I wouldn't be single now right?
But... I just feel like if I don't go on dates... that significantly diminishes my chances of finding love. I try to go out to bars. It's hard to get friends of mine to go out. Most of my coworkers are all married and most of my friends are also and they don't want to go out. My siblings are also married with kids and they never go out to bars or clubs. The only going out my mom does is to dialysis or her doctor appointments.
I go to coffee shops but it's tough to "chat" with people in that setting.
Today at the winery there was a girl that I actually kind of enjoyed chatting with... she was one of the servers though and she was just being friendly to all the customers. So it wasn't authentic. It was weird because she definitely did a good job of making me feel like she was almost being flirty, I feel a little like used almost (ok yes, I'm over reacting a bit but that's the best way to describe it). I was just going to buy the sampling but she kind of did that flirty thing and got me to buy the bottle (If you're a guy that has ever bought alcohol in any way shape or form in any type of bar setting from a girl bartender, you know what I'm talking about. If you're a girl, just trust me. It's a real thing. I don't know if the guy bartenders do it but I imagine it's probably something similar. They do this thing where they pretend to be somewhat flirty with you and they sort of use coercive language to convince you to buy just that little extra drink. Spend that little extra bit of money. I know we all have control of our own lives... but sometimes in the setting after I've had a drink and she's sitting there calling me honey and telling me I'm cute and complimenting me on my hair and sort of laughing at everything I'm saying... theoretically it shouldn't work... but every now and then it does. And then I feel stupidly low afterwards.)... Of course then she was like you should like the Facebook page for us and come to more events... it was very marketing ish after I swiped my credit card. I feel like her demeanor sort of immediately changed once my tab was closed out but I was still hanging out. But that's what they are paid to do and it's fine. It's a job. Get people to spend more money there. Hmmm, I don't know. It's not that I didn't have a nice time at both places... I guess, it would just be something cool to do with someone. But not just with anyone, I'd love to go do that stuff with someone that I'm feeling a little bit butterflies ish about.
I just feel like I'm not accomplishing anything. But people keep telling me the places where they met their significant other... and I go to these places and try these things and sign up for these services... the gym, yoga... wineries, museums... dating sites... and then people tell me I'm not open to meeting someone...
Maybe?
I keep having some people say to me that it's not about butterflies it's about just finding companionship. But, isn't that what makes someone a friend verses someone romantic? Like so one of my best friends in the whole world that I've known now for over 10 years... we are great hanging out and we're great friends, but we don't find each other attractive in that way. Which is fine for us... I'm willing to admit maybe I don't know what love is, or maybe I've never actually experienced it. But one thing I do know is that I see all these couples at the museum, at the winery... and I have a pretty decent idea what love is. I mean they certainly aren't JUST friends... they are friends yes, and they are companions, but they are more than that. They are into one another. They are playful with each other. They make each other laugh... they are intimate with each other. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not intimate with any of my friends.
Anyways... so yeah. I just feel really down right now. I just feel lonely. I feel sad and defeated. I know, I know... "It'll happen when it happens". It's just frustrating that you see people who are 5 years younger than me that have been married and in love already for 5 years. Which means by the time they are my age of 32 they will have had 10 wonderful years in love. I know life isn't a race and it's not a fair comparison...
Just not feeling to hot right now and just really burned out from dating.
Four Thousand Nine Hundred Ninety Nine
One of my songs is about to hit 5 thousand plays on Spotify. Love Your Life is currently, as of the last time I checked, at 4,999 plays. Kind of neat if you ask me. I know it's all relative, like for example The Biebs or The Weekend probably have over 100 million plays easy on their songs. But, life isn't about comparing yourself to others... Personally I think it's cool that I've gotten that many hits on the song. So here's to another 5 thousand plays in the future. Maybe on the same song, maybe on a different song, and maybe on a new song.
Suburban Bar Review: The Sterling Pig Brewery In Media, PA
So this is a 'testing the waters' kind of segment here on my blog. I went out last night with one of the profs from work kind of, as a "we finally just decided to actually do it because we'd been joking about it for so long every time he stopped by the door to the tech room office that we finally actually went to check it out". This blog post was actually his idea. He was like, "Kenny, you should write a review of the bars that you go to write at, you can be the Suburban Bar Review Guy". I'm pretty sure there's probably a bar review guy out there already, or maybe several of them. But I'm pretty sure that there already being bars in Media didn't stop the owners of the Sterling Pig Brewery from opening another one. Ya know what I means? So I'm at least going to write one post. Maybe I'll write a post about other bars. Or maybe I'll review more than just bars, could be restaurants, or maybe even coffee shops, or maybe... Friends' houses and apartments? That might be kind of weird. I don't know why anyone would read a review on some random blog about his friend's house or apartment...
But hey, there's a market for almost anything these days!
Sorry I'm doing that digressing thing, or I think it's just... I digress. Or if Apple had their way...
iDigress.
Well there I am just hanging out having a brew and a burger with the prof chatting about life and work and me being single and how he would have brought his wife along but she was out with her friends and anything else under the sun that came up in conversation and we started critiquing the bar, because, well, we work at a college and he's a professor and he's good at critiquing students' papers and I'm good at looking around trying to pick out things to critique. Soon enough one or two word led to another in conversation and here we are.
Now, I'm not a city guy. Sure, I'll go downtown every so often, but I prefer the small towns around cities. I LOVE main streets. Cute little main street towns are my jam. So maybe this is more of a small towns around cities bar guy review than a suburbs, but hey who's counting right? Or critiquing I guess?
The Stirling Pig was packed. We're talking PACKED. If it were a Sardine can, those Sardines would fit right in and be at home with their bad selves. Now the first thing that EVERYONE seemed to bring up in conversation and that we even brought up as I was walking up to the place to meet him, was that... there's no immediate parking. This is probably one of my gripes with city life, parking is a pain in the bum. I know, I know, they are bad for the environment or something, but I love parking lots. I just love em. I love being able to pull right in and not have to read a seventeen page instruction manual on how to use the street or parking garage meter. I love not having to drive around the block eighty eight times and then shouting out "OH OH THERE'S A SPOT!!!". And then I floor the gas pedal and race three other would be parkers to the spot, only to find it's not really a spot but a "Do not park here by order of some really high powered government official or you WILL not be towed... Instead your car WILL be demolished on the spot".
I love parking lots. I love BIG, OPEN, parking lots. You get it.
Well at the pig brewery sadly, this isn't the case. However it did not deter me. Given that Media is a quaint little main street town I was able to park just down the street at a meter (and there were TONS of open meters) and I didn't have to feed the meter because it ended at 6 as all meters should. Cities? Get on that. Why must your meters go till midnight and start again at 2 am? That's... as they say in the business, no bueno. I have no idea what business they say that in, but I'm sure they say it in some business some where.
iDigress 2. Now available in five flashy colors! Sorry, iDigress 2c for the colors. What happened to the 2s you ask? I'll check with development and marketing and get back to you on that one.
So walking up to meet my friend at the entrance, there's an upstairs and a downstairs. It's a bit like my one friend's split level house (but that's a review for another blog post). The upstairs is quieter and there are tables to dine at with friends or family members, or pets in an ideal world, but not pets because there's no pets allowed.
The downstairs has a loud bar populated with young Media-ites all talking about their relationship successes and failures using interesting euphemisms to describe the failures, or discussing the successes or failures of the sports teams for this here local city. Or discussing the successes or failures of their tastebuds against the liquid in the glass receptacles they held in their hands. Most of them had smelly stuff on and goop in their hair and the lady half of the humans standing/leaning/sitting around the large circular bar taking up 90 percent of the room had decorative goop rubbed above their eyes and on their lips and such. Which I imagine is traditional practice to attain a success as opposed to a failure in the taking someone home for the night back to your apartment scene. I've never had much success with that. Perhaps I need more goop in my hair.
There were a few little high tables and chairs near the bar in a small "seat yourself" area downstairs. As well there's a very large unisex bathroom. It's like a two car garage in there! It's crazy big, people. And the hand dryer is one of those jet engine ones.
We decided to sit upstairs, which we found out the hard way wasn't a seat yourself. As soon as we sat down one of the servers came over in a very curt and upset tone of voice, he made it clear that we had no followed the rules of how to seat properly in this fine dining and drinking establishment. We apologized profusely and proceeded to the host station where the girl standing there, a smile on her face and holding back a laugh, told us that we could go sit back down, she didn't know why he told us we couldn't sit there.
We sat there. The server gave us a stink eye. Then another guy came over and handed us menus. Now, let's talk menus for s minute. My first reaction was where did they get this paper? I love it. The texture of the paper really connected with my inner crafting desires. It's a thick brown fuzz type of paper. And the printing of the text is made to look vintage. It almost felt like cut up old paper shopping bags. I'm pretty sure you can get it at most craft stores. I might have to pick some up to do something crafty with.
The contents of the menu itself were quite nice. I tried two of the beers, one was a saison and the other an ale. The Curly Tail Ale. I liked it. Pretty standard stuff. They had about 6 or 8 beers I believe. I'll have to head back to try some of the others at some point.
Onward foodward... The food was pretty delicious, well, I only got a burger. Actually my one critique was the fries. I've definitely had better fries. I'm sorry! What? I mean you can't win em all. They were fries though. So fries are fries and I can always eat fries no matter what. But I've been to places that have just done very interesting zesty things with the fries and these were just ordinary no frills fries. Now the burger on the other hand, that was a champ. It was grass fed and very scrumptious. Lettuce and tomato and I believe some kind of sassy sauce hidden under the bun. The onion was slightly sautéed.
All in all I like the place. The upstairs bathroom was closed due to technical difficulties... It's nice to know they have redundant restrooms just in case of such situations. That's the WORST when a dining establishment only had one bathroom and it's out of order. I hate that. Then I've got to sit there all uncomfortable until I can find the next place to relieve myself. Especially when consuming a diuretic substance that ramps up the flow of fluid from my kidneys, such as an alcoholic beverage.
All in all it's a great place. I feel like they are really benefiting from the "new kid in town" syndrome though.... It's definitely way off the beaten path, so the only way you would know about it is if you were told my someone else... which I feel like a lot of people are definitely doing given that it was tough to find an open seat last night. They even had seating outside as well. I forgot to mention that. It's still that nice time of the year before it starts to get... well you know... that "W" word that no one wants to talk about. It rhymes with internet, but without the net part. Winternet. I suppose they COULD keep the outside seating year around, but you'd have to be pretty hardcore to sit out there in January. Or maybe just from Alaska or something.
And there you have it. My first suburban bar review. It might be my only. It might be the first of many. One can never tell with these things.
Interesting Org Chart Of Six Large Companies in the Tech World
As a tech guy by trade, though not working at a technology company, I find this chart interesting. Makes me think about my own organization and how things are structured there. I found it through an article on Seeking Alpha while doing some stock research. The author referenced this chart saying that Apple, Google, and now Microsoft are all planning sweeping organizational changes at their companies to tackle a very uncertain and rapidly changing future in the technology world. My tech side wonders how life inside these companies is and what it's like to work in these different setups. Facebook and Apple definitely have the most interesting org charts for sure... Google... You're just a hot mess. Microsoft... Chill. Amazon is plain vanilla and Oracle I feel like could probably do with a lot less lawyers and a lot more engineers.
Here's a link to the source in case the above image doesn't show up: http://www.bonkersworld.net/organizational-charts/
It’s 2:43am. I can’t seem to sleep.
It's 2:43am. I can't seem to sleep.
I'm just going to type out some random thoughts...
Consider this a P.S. or part two if you will of my 0202 open letter...
Maybe this means nothing. Maybe it means something. Maybe you have no idea they did this. Maybe it's completely coincidental. Maybe you asked this person to connect with me. Maybe not. Probably not. Possibly not. But possibly yes. Maybe you were just talking to your friends about me. Maybe in a good light... or maybe in a bad light. I guess I don't know...
But what am I to make of it?
Tonight I get another follow and favorite from a mutual person to you on Instagram.
Why?
Why why why.
My heart is on a string. And you tug at it. It's another tug. All I want is to talk to you.
Instead I just think. I just don't get why this whole situation has to be the way it is...
I'm like that cat clawing up at the toy on the string. And you yank up every time I reach a paw up. And I miss. I keep trying to claw up at it... but I can't ever get it. But if I get up to walk away like the cat... You put the toy in front of me... and I claw at it again... but miss again.
You don't want me to walk away. I think you don't want me to walk away. Or forget you. But why? I don't want to walk away... I don't want to forget you.
But I'm out of ideas. It was just an idea. Just like the cat has ideas as to what it's supposed to make of the toy on the string. I feel like I'm a boy on a string, and you pull that string. But I don't mind it somehow I guess. I hate it. But I like it, well not like it... But, I can't stop. I like you, and I'll always like you. You'll always have this key to my heart.
I want to be friends with you, but I get jealous. That's not fair to you, it's not fair to the guy you might possibly be dating. I shouldn't get jealous. I shouldn't assume things or make guesses about what you are up to. Maybe I'm just making assumptions from what you posted.
Maybe not. Maybe I'm driving myself crazy over you. Maybe cats drive themselves crazy trying to get the red laser pointer dot.
You're my red laser pointer dot. My cat toy on a string that ever eludes me. But hangs in front of me.
Sigh.
0202. You. What am I supposed to do with you.
I just want things to be right. Whatever that means. I want things to be right. I want things to work out the way they are supposed to work out. The way that fate is supposed to happen. The way that the future is supposed to go. Love... or friends... or strangers... I know what I wish and want for... But I have to be ok with what is supposed to happen in the future. I have to be accepting of how things turn out. That everything happens for a reason... and eventually... this will all make sense one day...
It's just always confused me... If we're not supposed to be together... or if we aren't a good match... why are you on my mind so much? Why do you tug at my heart? If we're supposed to be friends... why do I get so jealous when I think you are dating someone.
Why do you affect me in such a way that you do?
Oh well. I should just go with the flow. Just sit back and not think about what anything means. Just... be cool with whatever. Just like the cat does. Don't try to make sense of it or understand it. I imagine cats don't try to make sense of the string toy or the red laser pointer light. They just... go with the flow and try to catch it, not worrying about if they are ever actually supposed to get it in the end. Maybe they will... maybe they won't. No since over analyzing it.
Hmmmm, ok well I think I'm getting sleepy.... Going to try to sleep.
Song of The Day… Or Week Or Maybe Month Or Perhaps Year (Depends on how long I like it for)
I heard this song while sitting in Starbucks the other day working on some things. At first I didn't care for it. But towards the end of it, I was curious to know who it was... So I Googled the lyrics to find out the band/artist. I've listened to it a few times since and I really like it. A whole bunch. It's super simple sounding... but, there's something about it that I just really like. Anyways, here's the YouTube video, it's called "You, The Room & The Devil On Your Shoulder" by As It Is:
And here are the lyrics (I love the lyrics, they just completely fit my mood right now):
Take care of yourself
But carry the whole world
Just forget that it hurts
From ankle to collarbone
And you think
And you bury your head away
And you sink
It's just you, the room, and the devil on your shoulder
Take care of yourself
But you wish you were like them
So calm and assured
Emotionally colorful
You're a fake
As soon as the door closes, you break
It's just you, the room, and the devil on your shoulder
Take care of yourself
But you're nothing but trouble
Just the damage of thought
You'll never recover from
How you love
A world you're only dreaming of
It's just you, the room, and the devil on your shoulder